Archiving- BSG 2003, Apollo/Starbuck Fan Fic, Flesh and Bone, my website, all others please ask
Warnings- Some sexual situations, violence, language, angst
Spoilers- Seasons 1 and 2 (however, the spoilers are interspersed with lots stuff from my brain so… ;-)

Disclaimers- I don't own these characters and I am not making any profit off them. I'm just borrowing them for fun (well, maybe not the poor characters'...). ;)

Many thanks go to Audrey for the great beta:-)

Summary part 6c- With everyone now back with the fleet, everyone debates what to do. Many unexpected events occur. (Is that nebulous enough for ya? ;)

Author's note: italics indicate characters' thoughts.

-The Battlestar Galactica-
Colonial Fleet
92 days since arrival of survivors from Caprica

Kara Thrace hated cooking, and knew she was horrible at it. Which was probably the reason she now found herself assigned, of all ridiculous things, to assist Galactica's cooks in their daily endeavors during her off-duty periods.

Why couldn't the old man just put her in the brig? She liked the brig. The brig was a nice homey place for her.

Okay, maybe that's the point. Kara admitted to herself as she entered one of Galactica's landing bays to check in with Chief Tyrol's people before her daily patrol.

"Lieutenant Thrace?" Kara turned and smiled as she came face to face with one of the benefits of her trip to Caprica: Denn, looking fit and happy, smiled as she had never seen him smile on Caprica as he began his part of the preflight check of her viper. Despite the large number of sick and injured among the people she had brought back from Caprica, a fair number of the refugees had found a place for themselves and their skills in the fleet, in Denn's case as a tech on Tyrol's deck crew.

"Hi there Denn. How's it going today?" She asked with the simple familiarity that was her own personal style –Kara Thrace had never been one for toeing the line where military protocol was concerned, and she'd certainly never felt the need for people to kiss her ass to boost her ego.

His smile grew wider as he looked at her. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. And so is your viper, for that matter -you're good to go.

She smiled. "Thanks." She began to turn towards her fighter when he laid a hand on her arm. Pausing, she turned to look at him.

He pulled his hand back and gestured somewhat uncomfortably. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did for us, sir. It's odd -I know I never saw myself in the military, but despite that this is the first time I've felt at home anywhere since the Cylons attacked…" Kara was shocked to see his eyes fill with tears. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued with his short speech.

"Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that. And to say that all of us that you brought back will never forget what you did." He finished earnestly.

Kara looked away and shuffled her feet around a bit as she pondered how to respond –while censure was old hat with her, praise always made her uncomfortable.

"You're welcome." She was all she managed to say –luckily that seemed to be enough. Noting her discomfort, Denn smiled as he tactfully and wordlessly waved her to her viper.

Her ownpreflight check was swiftly completed and she made it into her viper in good time. Soon after she was aloft along with two more pilots, communicating her arrival to the pilots flyingthe previous CAP shift. Sending her ship into an arcing course away from the Galactica, she felt a part of her mind detach itself from the task at hand as her movements became automatic. She would always have warning from dradis before she had to engage the enemy, and the idea was to have a basic presence already in place in case the Cylons showed up to bother them again.

As her course took her within sight of the Icarus, she smiled. It was still ugly and ungainly as hell, but despite that the fleet had decided they could use it after all, after some more work was done to it. And while it was ugly as hell, she couldn't help thinking that in a way it was also truly beautiful. She quickly shrugged away such a ridiculously fanciful thought, as her mind moved on to dwell on other things.

Like Lee.

The truth of the matter was that she hadn't spoken to him since their return from Kobol: after a few unsuccessful attempts to contact him via ship to ship, she had stopped trying when she realized she had no idea what to say and because it was easier to say nothing. At the same time that she felt a deep loathing of her own cowardice she couldn't stop thinking about him, just as she couldn't escape the knowledge that she truly loved him. Despite that knowledge, she somehow couldn't ever see anything ever working between them.

She shook her head firmly. He was truly better off without her.

Her attention quickly snapped back to the present as her alarms came to life, warning her of a new Cylon incursion. After making a quick survey of the information her instruments were giving her, she opened a channel to Galactica.

"Galactica, this is Starbuck. I'm picking up five raiders on an approach vector to the fleet." She said in a calm voice.

"CIC here, Starbuck. We read you. Good hunting." Dee's voice came to her through the comm, and Kara switched her comm to ship to ship to reach her fellow pilots.

"All right people! Form up behind me –just keep them off my tail!" She ordered the other two pilots, and let out a wild yell of exultation into the vastness of space as she sent her viper out to spit into the face of death.

-The Battlestar Galactica-
Colonial Fleet
93 days since arrival of survivors from Caprica

After their first encounter with the Cylons the day before the fleet had jumped to new coordinates, only to find the enemy waiting for them. It had taken seven more jumps to lose them, and Kara had therefore spent the last twenty-four hours in her viper since there were too few pilots and even fewer truly experienced ones.

She truly didn't know how Lee had done this job –or rather, she didn't know how he'd done it without losing his mind. Despite her exhaustion she grinned at that thought: it was true that he'd looked rather frazzled from time to time.

She was pulled from her thoughts as an outcry reached her ears, coming from the nearby pilots' rec room. Quickening her pace, she entered the room in time to observe several of her pilots at one another's throats.

"What the frak?" She wondered aloud as she waited for someone to notice her –however, no one did.

Well, she'd have to change that situation.

Grabbing one standard military issue chair she swung it against the standard military hatch, and listened with considerable satisfaction as the result made itself known to her ears in the form of a deafening metallic clang.

Silence fell within the room.

"Well." She smiled at the lot of them, showing her teeth. "That's much better. Now, does anyone want to explain to me what the frak is going on, or should I just have you all tossed in the brig?" No one volunteered, and she therefore happily selected a random target for her temper.

"Tiny? You want to answer my question?" The huge man flinched at her tone –a comical fact, given that he both weighed and measured roughly twice as much as she did.

Which didn't answer her question or improve her mood.

"I asked you a question, mister! You got somewhere better to be? A hot date, maybe?" She yelled as she got into his face…or his chest.

"Um, no sir. Ma'am. Sir. Uh…"

She waited, foot tapping impatiently, before her sense of humor allowed her to take pity on him. She spoke in a calmer tone. "All right, Lieutenant. There's obviously been some kind of major disagreement here, given what I just witnessed. What I want to know at the moment is what that disagreement was. Can you explain that to me?"

Tiny looked towards his fellows, none of whom would meet his eyes, and after taking a deep breath surrendered to the inevitable. "Well sir, uh, some of us were just thinking that there've been a lot of… well a lot of Cylon attacks lately. Today, actually."

"And?" She prompted when he hesitated.

"Well, ma'am, I suppose some people got the idea that there might be another Cylon spy somewhere in the fleet or on board Galactica. And…"

She interrupted, guessing where this was going. "And you all had some idea on who the Cylon was." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Helo standing at attention with the rest, his left eye swelling shut as he stubbornly refused to meet her eyes, and sighed inwardly. She had a good idea what the favorite name among those tossed around for this rumored Cylon agent was.

"All right people!" She barked. "As far as I know, you lot haven't been chosen to be the judge and/or jury of any trial. Therefore, whoever gets to think about these questions is going to be someone with quite a bit more seniority than you. Which means, in turn, that if I hear another whisper on this topic from anyone, that someone will regret it. Do I make myself clear?" She asked.

"Yes sir!" They replied with satisfying briskness and volume, but she shook her head.

"That's not all, people. I want you all to look at the person you were just fighting with a minute ago. Go ahead." She ordered and paused, noting the looks of puzzlement on their faces as they obeyed.

"And now, I want you to picture that person saving your life." She continued.

The room was utterly silent as she made her point. "Because that's what might happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the one after that. My point is this, people. We need to fight together, because you've all been out there, and you know it isn't pretty. But doyou know what gets you back alive?" She paused, looking at each of them in turn, making sure she had their attention.

"It's having that person right behind you that has your back. Think about that for a minute, before you decide to go back to trying to kill each other."

-The Battlestar Galactica-
Colonial Fleet
94 days since arrival of survivors from Caprica

"You asked to see me and I'm here, so let's get on with it." Commander Adama said bluntly as he came to sit facing Sharon Valerii across the walls of her cell. Lieutenant Agathon sat beside her in her cell, holding her hand.

She –it- sighed. "I called you here to warn you. I did promise to help you, and I also keep my promises."

"It's also in your interest to keep doing so." Adama pointed out.

She nodded. "Yes, it is. Although I can tell you that isn't the only reason I'm doing it –not that I expect you to believe me." She replied.

"You're right, I don't."

She snorted at that, shaking her head. "Well, be that as it may, I do have something very important to tell you, which is why I asked you to come." She said and paused, turning to gaze at Agathon.

"Helo told me about the rumors that've been going around the fleet the past few days, now that the Cylons are finding you more easily."

"I see." Adama said, his face devoid of expression.

She frowned at his pointedly neutral tone. "Helo's a good man. He's also a loyal one -loyal to you and to your people. He hasn't told me anything he shouldn't, in case you're wondering."

Adama nodded noncommittally, and raised his brows inquiringly. "But that's not what you asked me here to tell me, is it?" He demanded.

She shook her head again. "No." She said quietly. "I don't know who it is, but with what's been happening it's the only explanation…" She paused, then spoke forcefully.

"You have a Cylon agent on board Galactica."

-Cloud Nine-
Colonial Fleet
100 days since arrival of survivors from Caprica

Lee Adama and Billy Keikeya sat in an out of the way corner as they observed the proceedings during the latest Quorum meeting, and listened to the battle raging within the grand chambers of the fleet's most elegant luxury liner. Indeed, the current discussion, if so mild a term could be used, was both so passionate and virulent that the ornate chandeliers fixed in the distant ceiling seemed to vibrate with the collective wrath of all present.

Lee sighed, feeling no small degree of irritation. He had no idea why he was here, and he certainly didn't have anything to contribute that anyone here had any interest in listening to. Both he and Billy certainly seemed to have been dismissed as unimportant in the minds of all those present.

The current debate concerned Earth. Following President Roslin's return from Kobol the information gathered at the tomb of Athena had been analyzed by various experts in the fleet –some of whom were actually as knowledgeable as they purported to be. These people had conducted several independent analyses and had in general come to the same conclusion: after spending much time analyzing the symbols, the general consensus was that the coordinates they had found were indeed those of Earth.

Moreover, the general opinion was that many of the additional symbols which had appeared when the Arrow of Apollo was used were from the ancient tongue of the Gods which had, according to legend, been spoken when the Gods last walked among mortal men –and at the same time that the people of the thirteenth colony set out on their mythical journey. Using various sacred texts many of these symbols had been decoded, specifying Kobol as the origin of the coordinates, as well as a timeframe which should allow compensation for the expansion of the universe and other known astronomical phenomena which would have occurred in the span of time between then and now.

Finally, there was also a second set of symbols which did not mesh with the first and for which no interpretation could be found. However, at its most basic level this second set of symbols seemed to be of a binary nature.

Following the divulgement of these conclusions, the debate surrounding the future direction of the fleet had intensified.

As Lee sat and listened to various impassioned speeches, he started as he heard his name being spoken. "…and I would therefore ask my military advisor, Lee Adama, what his thoughts are on this matter." President Roslin was saying.

Lee's mouth fell open as he suddenly found himself the focus of a roomful of eyes –as well as being listened to by half the fleet through the live transmission of this assembly over talk wireless.

He reluctantly stood and cleared his throat. "Well…" He began hesitantly and paused, sending an angry look in President Roslin's direction. As he searched his mind for a way out, he quickly rejected that option as unrealistic and decided that he couldn't avoid giving some kind of response to her question.

On the other hand, he decided angrily, if the woman wanted to put him on the spot she could bloody well deal with whatever that got her.

"Well… Since my opinion has been… solicited…" He said in a clear tone, "I would have to say that the concerns expressed by several members of this Quorum are concerns which I share. Put simply, I do not believe that we have established the validity of this new information concerning the location of a planet that until recently was believed by a great many of us to be nothing more than a myth. I would also add that the information in question has not yet been deciphered in its entirety."

"In light of these facts, and given the evidence that the Cylons were waiting for us when we arrived on Kobol, I would say that caution with regards to our fleet's future actions is entirely warranted. And I would add that I am not convinced that blindly following some ancient prophecy is a wise course to take in our current situation." He said calmly, noting several surprised expressions at his public disagreement with the President's views.

President Roslin's face was impassive as she gazed back at him -a perfect politician's mask. "Since the hour has grown late, as Chair of this Quorum I propose we adjourn this meeting until tomorrow." She put in smoothly as she struck an end to the meeting with her gavel, and a buzz erupted in the room as all present began to speak at once.

Briskly turning onher heel, she began to move out of the meeting hall. Lee moved to catch up with her, and therefore found himself beside her a few moments later when she began to shake beforecollapsing into his arms.

-The Battlestar Galactica-
Colonial Fleet
100 days since arrival of survivors from Caprica

Following her collapse, President Roslin had been transported with all urgency to the Galactica. Billy Keikeya and Lee Adama now stood awaiting news from Doctor Cottle. As he stood leaning against a wall, Lee looked down only to realize that his foot was tapping an impatient staccato beat. He made himself stop, only to raise his head and grin despite himself as he caught Billy's apologetic eyes when the latter realized his own fingers had been drumming onto the table beside him.

Unable to restrain his impatience, Lee pushed away from the wall and began to pace, pausing as he noticed Cottle making his way over to them. He waited as Billy came to stand by him, facing the doctor.

"So do we know what's going on?" Billy asked quickly. Cottle nodded, then waved a hand.

"Have a seat son. This is going be a bit complicated. And you too of course, Cap- Mr. Adama." The man added, somewhat belatedly remembering Lee. They both sat, and waited as Cottle did the same.

"I'll be straight with you both." Cottle began. "The bottom line is that her disease is progressing, and she's nearing the end."

"But what happened to her just now?" Lee broke in.

"Well, based on the results of the tests we just ran… It seems she had a seizure."

"A seizure?" Billy asked.

Cottle nodded. "Yes. And the reason for the seizure is that the cancer has gone to her brain. At this point the tumor in her head hasn't greatly increased the pressure inside her cranium, but it will eventually."

"Can you operate and remove it?" Billy asked quietly.

Cottle sighed, then shook his head. "Yes and no." He held up his hands to stop any potential protests. "And that isn't doctor double-talk, it's the truth. Normally, if she had long enough left and if she could survive the surgery without too many side effects… Then yes, it would be possible to operate. It wouldn't cure her, but it could give her more time as well as make her more comfortable. But I can't operate on her –I'm not qualified to perform brain surgery. And there isn't anyone in the fleet that could perform this type of operation either -I checked."

"What do you mean you can't do it?" Billy asked again.

"I mean that I don't have the training and experience to operate on the brain. If I operated on her, I could just as easily kill her as give her more time. I could easily make everything worse-" He cut himself off and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't do it." He finished bleakly.

"So what's going to happen to her then?" Lee prompted.

Cottle sighed sadly. "Well, the bottom line is that she doesn't have much time left, and that she probably won't be comfortable for most of it. We have very little medical equipment and very few drugs, and even less qualified medical personnel in the fleet at the moment." With a sudden flash of anger, he threw the sheaf of papers he was holding against a wall. "I can't save her, and I can't even guarantee that she'll be comfortable –much less functional- in the time she has left. If she'd only decided to try the bloody chemo she might have had more time, but she's never wanted it, and she doesn't want radiotherapy either. So all I'm doing is keeping the swelling down inside her brain, but that won't work forever…" His voice trailed off.

"And now –can we talk with her? Is she conscious?" Lee asked, and Cottle nodded.

At that Lee stood, mentally bracing himself to face the death of a woman who had somehow seemed too strong to die. "We should speak with her, then." He said, and halted when Cottle laid a hand on his arm.

"I've explained things to her, and I think she's anxious to speak with the two of you about what she wants done at this point."

Lee and Billy looked at each other. "If you want, I could contact Commander Adama-" Billy said to him, but Lee interrupted, shaking his head.

"No Billy. I'll talk to him myself. I'm sure he'll have things to discuss with the President as well." Billy looked away sadly at that, nodding in agreement.

Lee felt awkward and uncertain as he followed Billy into President Roslin's room. Looking at her lying on her hospital bed, he wondered at the source of his discomfort after all the death he'd faced recently, before realizing that it stemmed from one simple fact.

Since the Cylon attacks, death had a way of being quick and sudden.

As the President opened her eyes and smiled, Lee tried not to notice her pallor and lankiness. When had she become nothing more than skin and bone?

She coughed as she tried to cover a laugh. "You two look about as comfortable as a pincushion." She said with some humor, before taking pity on them and moving on to other topics. "I suppose there a great many things to deal with..." She said, sighing.

"Well ma'am, there are a number of issues-" Billy began, but the President interrupted him.

"Actually, now that I think of it, there is one thing I'd like to deal with before anything else, and for that..." She said, her voice trailing off. "I'd like to speak with Captain Adama alone Billy, ifyou don't mind."

Billy appeared somewhat taken aback, but recovered quickly. "Uhm, yes. Yes of course, Madam President." He said and quickly stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.

After a few moments of silence Lee coughed discreetly, then spoke up. "You wanted to speak to me, ma'am?"

She nodded. "Yes. Please sit down, Captain." She said, nodding towards the chair by the side of her bed.

When he was seated she sighed again and turned to face him, her expression strangely earnest. "Captain, I know you've had some questions… questions which I haven't answered."

"Questions?" He asked.

"Yes. You did ask me why I insisted on dragging you along with me to all my meetings and to various other functions-"

"I had wondered." Lee put in.

"Captain, I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, but I assure you it was entirely necessary." She said firmly.

"But why?" He asked, his anger at being used without even knowing the reason why making him speak quite bluntly.

"Because I wanted you to be familiar with the way the political process works. As to why…" Her voice trailed off, and she seemed to brace herself.

"I'm dying, and I don't have much time left."

Lee frowned. "Forgive me if I sound rude or harsh, Madam President, but I don't see the connection." He said more gently.

She smiled tiredly. "Captain, I need to know that there is someone I can trust who will take over and lead our people when I am gone. I decided some time ago that the best choice for all, the best choice I could make, was you."

Lee's mouth dropped open.

He quickly closed it, and spoke into the silence. "Madam President, I- You can't be serious." He blurted out.

She grinned wickedly at his reaction. "I am completely serious, I assure you, Captain."

"What? But I'm no politician! And… Why me? Why not… someone else?" He said rather desperately. Her grin became even wider at his remark, her eyes closing for a moment as she finally gave in to the temptation to laugh –a deep laugh that somehow seemed to momentarily erase all the burdens and cares which usually lay upon her shoulders. Somehow, despite his embarrassment, Lee was glad he could give her that.

When she had finished, she smiled again upon noticing his harried expression.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I truly am, for foisting this on you –I know that unlike a great many people I have met as a politician, this was truly not something you wanted. Which is one reason I chose you."

He groaned at that, and when the nervous energy permeating his limbs no longer permitted him to be still. "Ma'am, with all due respect, if you're asking this of me, then the very least you owe me is a straight answer as to why." He said, gazing down at her.

She nodded in agreement, the expression on her face one of contrition. "You're right Captain, of course. I'm sorry." She waved him back into his chair and waited until he complied.

"My reasons are, first, that I need someone I can trust to do their best for the fleet. I need someone who has the ethical and moral fiber to take this job not because of the prestige and power involved, but because he genuinely wants to serve our people. And you must admit, Captain, that I have had ample opportunity to assure myself that you do fit this criterion." She said pointedly as Lee blushed and looked away.

"Second, you have been working with me long enough to be at least somewhat cognizant of the way our political system works –here and now, in this fleet. And you are quite alsoknowledgeable where our military is concerned, for obvious reasons."

He interrupted her at that point. "Again with all due respect, the fact that I was until recently a member of the Colonial military might argue against my being suitable for this. It's no secret that I'm not popular among the current military leadership, and the new president, whoever he or she is, will need to have the full cooperation of the military." He pointed out. "And for that matter, if you're looking for someone with knowledge of the political process and you need someone you can trust, why not ask Billy? He's certainly worked more closely with you than I ever did, and he knows muchmore about the political process than I do." He continued, and watched as she nodded before replying.

"Yes, but you do have one particular and very essential fact in your favor Captain –if I can use that expression in this context." She said, smiling at the grimace her choice of words elicited.

"And what is that, ma'am?" Lee reluctantly brought himself to ask.

"Well Captain, bluntly put, you are popular and even famous among the civilians –and indeed among much of the military- in a way that Billy is not. The facts are that you have performed bravely, even heroically, during your military service. Furthermore, you also took a stand against your own father and against everything you knew to restore our democracy, and led a rebellion that put you in the public eye. And like it or not, that is where you are now."

"What you have gained through this, albeit unwittingly, is power. I believe you have a duty –a responsibility- to use that power for good. Because the fact is that you, despite your youth and inexperience, are the only one with the popularity to be able overcome Tom Zarek in the elections which will be coming even sooner than anticipated, now that I have no choice but to disclose my illness."

She smiled sadly at him. "I truly think you have the ability to do this Captain, or I would not have put you in this position. And I truly thought I would have more time, which is why I never publicly disclosed my illness. I didn't want to create a panic in the fleet. I had even been told by Doctor Cottle that I should have more time than this, but I don't."

"Tom Zarek must not be allowed to become President, and I have come to believe that you are the only one who can stop him. I thought I would have more time to help you and everyone else prepare for this moment, but I don't."

"Take some time to think about it." She concluded softly. "But don't take too long. We don't have much time."

Lee nodded, and stepped out of the room in a daze.

As his feet took him away from the Life Station, Lee's mind replayed his conversation with the president, while idly noting how odd it felt to be roaming Galactica's familiar corridors when he didn't belong here anymore. But then, had he ever truly belonged anywhere?

"Lee?" He heard Kara say behind him, and he stopped.

He'd thought he belonged with her.

He turned to face her in the deserted corridor, steeling himself and setting his features into a neutral expression. "Hello, Lieutenant Thrace." He said in a polite but distant tone, and saw her eyes flare with pain.

There was silence.

"If you don't mind, I need to get going. There are some things I need to deal with…" He began, before turning away.

She caught his arm. "Lee, I…" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, all right?" She looked away at that point, and Lee found that he was tired of silences.

"For what? Not loving me? For frakking me when it didn't mean anything to you and I thought it did? Winning all the time at the triad table? Borrowing my boxing gloves? What?" He asked brusquely as he turned back to her, his features tight with anger and emotion. "What the hell do you mean, Kara?"

He watched as her eyes narrowed. "I meant that I'm sorry I hurt you, all right? I'm sorry I frakked things up between us-" She stopped when he began to laugh –a bitter, biting sound.

"What the frak is your problem?" She asked angrily.

"You, Kara. All right? You're my problem." He said, suddenly not laughing anymore.

"What the frak is that supposed to mean?" She asked and he sighed, knowing she was finding it difficult to keep from hitting him.

Suddenly he found it difficult to look at her,and he looked away as he spoke. "I mean that I love you, Kara. I think I always have. But you don't feel the same way. That's fine, I get that. But I can't…" His voice broke and he found himself unable to continue for a time. "I can't keep seeing you, knowing that. It hurts too much. I need… I need to stay away from you. I need…" He paused, closing his eyes to force back the tears that threatened to fall. "There are some things that have come up lately, and I can't deal with them if I'm using all my strength to deal with what I feel for you. Can you understand that?" He asked softly.

He waited for a reply, but she didn't give any. She simply stood silently, looking away, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"I'm going to go now Kara," He said after a time, "and I need you not to try to call me or see me. I just… I need you to leave me alone, all right?" He turned to go.

"Lee!" He heard her strangled cry as he began to walk away and turned, only to have her launch herself at him. He opened his arms to catch her, to keep her from falling, and then paused as the feel of her in his arms sunk into his brain.

"Kara…" He said as he felt her arms tighten around him. He was shocked when he felt her shoulders shake with sobs.

"Kara? What… What's wrong?" He asked in confusion. He was even more startled when she raised her head and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. He quickly pulled away.

"Kara…" He began as he grasped her arms and pushed her away from him. "That didn't solve anything the last time, remember?" She didn't reply and refused to look at him, but he could see the tears running down her face.

"Kara, what's wrong?" He asked again, pressing a hand to her cheek and raising her eyes to his. He resisted when she tried to move away from his hand.

"Look at me, Kara. What's going on? Talk to me."

"I… I didn't mean it, Lee. I… I was scared, all right? I just…" She fell silent and moved closer to him, putting her arms around him again.

"Please don't go, Lee. What I said I… I didn't mean it." She said softly, her arms tightening.

Did she really mean what he thought -what he hoped- she meant?

Despite his fears, he couldn't help but see an element of humor in the situation, and an impulse full of mischief made him verbalize it. He smiled. "Well, uh… Thanks Kara. Now the next time you tell me that I suck at triad I'll know it's all crap." He said, giving in to the evil little critter sitting on his shoulder whispering inhis ear. "Also, all those times you told me you wouldn't borrow my stuff without asking… Well it's nice of you to finally admit you were full of crap when you said you'd never do it again. And…"

"Ow!" He winced when she suddenly raised her head and struck his nose in the process. "Frak! My nose!"

"Serves you right, you asshole. You know what I meant." She said, rolling her eyes as he turned away from her to wince in pain.

He found himself laughing and holding his nose at the same time. "Yeah well, we'll have to work on your tendency for violence if I'm going to live with you for the next several decades. I liked my nose the way it was, and frak…" He paused, grimacing, while she grinned happily back at him -a prototypical shit eating grin, actually.

He looked down at the hand that had been holding his nose. "Damn, I think you made me bleed." He said, noticing a smear of red.

He looked up at her when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I could always kiss it and make it better." She said in a husky tone, and he grinned as he bent to kiss her -a kiss that turned into wildfire, both of them clinging frantically to one another.

"Lieutenant Thrace, report to CIC. Lieutenant Thrace…" Petty Officer Dualla's voice blared from the ship's speakers.

"Frak." They said in unison, breaking apart.

"I have to…uhm…go…" She said with visible regret. He nodded. "You should maybe, um… get that checked out." She added lamely, pointing at his nose.

He smirked at her, and she frowned. "Are you laughing at me?" She asked angrily, and he began laughing in earnest. "Yes and no." He finally managed to reply. "Yes because my nose frakking hurts at the moment and laughing's better than thinking about that, and no…" He paused.

"No, because I'm just happy." He finished quietly, smiling at her. She kissed him again then, and he lost himself in that kiss. He pressed her up against a wall as he ran his hands up and down her body, and felt heat streak through him as hers did the same.

The sound of footsteps and chatter around the corner from them made them break away from each other, straightening their clothing self-consciously.

"I'll um… Catch you later, Lieutenant." He finally managed to say after the small group of crewmen had gone past them, and she nodded.

"We need to talk soon." He said, and she nodded again. "And Kara?" He asked, as she was about to set off. She stopped, and waited for him to finish his thought.

"You'll need to say the words sometime, you know." He told her softly, and she looked away.

"I know." She agreed, and he decided to leave it at that. He watched as she left him, heading for CIC and grinned as he admired the slight sway of her hips as she did so.

To be continued in part 6d, just so I can make my numbering of the parts in this fic completely ridiculous. :-)