Spoilers: The Farm
A/N: This fic was inspired by the two deleted Laura/Lee scenes from "The Farm".

Nothing But You (Part One)

By Socket

Everything Apollo feels for her is like a cliché... he'd fight to the death, travel to the ends of the earth, all he has is hers... and yet it doesn't seem enough, doesn't seem sufficient to express all that Laura means to him. He's never felt this completely for another person before.

Even so, today was a turning point. Today they'd had their first argument.

It felt strange, to raise his voice to her - their understanding is usually implicit but the urge to shake her, to rebel, to hurt her was all too real.

So when she'd said. "Perhaps in the future, you will more carefully think through the consequences before committing yourself," he had stormed off.

He begun a search of the Kimba Huta in vain; he knew the perimeters of their hiding place held no lurking double agent hell-bent on bringing Roslin in, but he needed to feel of use and he needed some head space from her - needed clarity. But as he scouted their temporary habitat, as he deliberated, all thoughts returned to her. He felt the familiar ache to be in her presence again, he wanted to feel the elation that overpowers him whenever Laura is near.

He returned to the cold storage room. Roslin was alone, sitting on a metal worktop.

Laura looked up as Apollo entered and she didn't smile. He felt stung; she always smiled at him. He walked towards her and she returned her concentration to the wall. He sat beside her and tilted his head sideways, intently watching her.

Laura stared straight ahead. "Why are you so angry with me?" she asked, then turned her steadfast gaze on him.

"I don't know... I just..." He stood up. "I was so relieved that my father was okay and I wanted to be with him, but I can't because of this situation and I so hit out at you… that's why."

"What's the real reason?" Laura pressed.

"Because you didn't fight for me!" he yelled.

Her face fell. "What?" she said breathlessly.

"On Colonial One, you backed down - if you'd stayed strong, we could have won and we wouldn't be in this predicament now."

"You would have been shot!" she exclaimed.

Lee shook his head. " It was worth the risk - we had a chance. Now we're in hiding, trying to gain support for a democratic opposition to my father - the entire military force of Galactica is looking for us and it didn't have to be like this Madame President!"

"It did have to be this way or you would have been killed. I backed down to save us all from behaving like barbarians and shooting it out. So don't put this guilt crap on me! I did this for you!" she exclaimed. "You think I like holing-up in a cold storage room and having to trust Zarek? Having to leave Billy behind?" She holds his gaze. "This outcome is the result of my actions, Lee – but it's also the result of your actions - you put a gun to Tigh's head, you took my side and so, you helped put us in this predicament."

"Because I was defending you, the office of the Presidency and democracy!" he stated passionately.

She glared at him. "Who asked you to?"

"I did it because it was the right thing to do," he snapped.

"And I backed down on Colonial One because it was the right thing to do," Laura retorted. "Just remember that, Captain – this is what we both chose."

The viper pilot's eyes softened, he took a breath and then knelt before her, grasping her hands. "I'm worried... you've already backed down at the threat of bloodshed - you might do it again... and I have nothing to give you this time – my friends and connections, my position as CAG – it's all gone, I have nothing left to offer you."

Laura smiled that special smile she reserved for him alone. She reached out and cupped his face. "You were right, Lee - this isn't your fight. I will stand strong, I will do what I must for the people. I don't need anything from you but support. So, are you still with me?"

"Was that ever any doubt?" he whispered and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his.

Lee pulled her to him. Roslin's hands slid to his shoulders and she let the warmth of his body press into her, relished the feel of being in his arms. His hands wrapped around her waist and slipped up her back, tangling in her hair. Their tongues explored, travelled, and the intensity became too much…

They drew apart.

"I guess this is the part where you tell me that we shouldn't be doing this," he said softly.

Laura's eyes shone. "Yes, this would be that part."

He smiled and gently pulled away from her, standing up.

Roslin leaned back to watch him. "If only we'd meet at a different time, in different circumstances," she said wistfully.

Before he could respond, Elosha entered the cold storage room; she had gone in search of a quite corner in which to pray for strength and guidance. She'd found one in between the shelves of sweet corn and Spam.

The Priest shivered. "It's frakking freezing in here! Colder than a Hadjee's nippets! Thank the gods we only have to endure it one more night."

Roslin grinned; she was still unaccustomed to the Priest's colourful language. "I'm sure sleeping arrangements on Kobol will be more… appropriate," Laura said confidently.

"Yeah, right." Elosha said disbelievingly.

Laura stood, realising that her joints had all but frozen over. She stretched her body and started to move about the room.

Elosha strolled over to the camping mats Zarek had supplied them with – the mats lay side-by-side, because in this temperature, they had to sleep as closely together as possible to reserve body heat

Crawling under the covers, Elosha called out to her companions. "Good night, may the Gods watch over you in your sleep."

"Night," Roslin and Lee chorused in reply.

The Captain and President were both exhausted and desperately wanted sleep, but the expectation of tomorrow's events played on both their minds.

Laura was scared – what if Starbuck didn't make it back? What if they couldn't find Athena's tomb? What if they found the tomb and the arrow didn't work? What if she wasn't the leader the prophecies spoke of? Roslin felt her temples begin to throb. She rubbed her hands together and did a little dance step to keep frostbite at bay. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lee smirking.

She turned to face him. "What?" she asked.

Apollo hugged his arms about himself to keep the cold out. "You," he replied, "doing a little jig."

"It's better than getting hypothermia!" Laura answered.

Lee stepped closer to her. "Let me warm you," he said and went to take her hands, but she pulled away abruptly.

Lee gazed at her, confused, and her breath caught. Sometimes his beauty startles her; sometimes it's his kindness that causes a tremor in her heart and that potent, fluttery feeling in the core of her stomach. Right now, it was both those things and her chest tightened with a longing she thought she'd outgrown.

Lee realised the cause of her reaction, but this was not the time or place to discuss it. "It's a long day tomorrow, we should get some rest," he suggested.

Laura grinned; her Captain Apollo - ever the pragmatist. She nodded. "Yes."

They walked over to the camping mats and he pulled the covers back. Laura got in first, she sided up closely to the Priest and then Lee slipped in beside her. It took a moment of shifting and adjusting to each other's bodies, but the three companions soon settled down.

Elosha quickly fell back into sleep, her arm wrapped protectively around Roslin's waist. Laura's head rested against Apollo's shoulder, her arms circled his chest and she closed her eyes, having never felt so safe in her life.

End Of Part One