Chapter Three

The triad game didn't go well.

Lee wasn't a bad triad player. He was quite good, in fact. He'd played almost every week in Academy and then War College and rarely left the table empty-handed.

The trouble was that Kara Thrace wasn't just a good player. She was brilliant – and uncannily lucky. Lee might have suspected her of cheating if they hadn't been his own cards, and he hadn't dealt most of the hands himself.

Her success was due to her skill though, and nothing more sinister. Lee had to admit – though only to himself – that she was formidable. He managed to take a few hands off her to start with, but once she got a feel for his style of play, it was harder and harder. He persevered, though, studying her as intently as she was studying him. He noticed she tended to bite her lip when she had a good hand. Only a slight movement, but he spotted it. It enabled him to win that hand, but it was too late by then for him to get back into the game. He'd run out of betting counters.

She'd beaten him soundly, and it was going to be sausage and mash for dinner tomorrow night.

"Frak," said Lee ruefully. "Did you do anything at the Academy other than play triad?"

Kara grinned. "Actually it was before that. I injured my knee a few years ago and spent a long time in hospital recovering. There wasn't much to do except play triad. I got plenty of practice."

"It obviously paid off."

"Hey, you didn't do too badly," said Kara, and Lee grimaced.

"No pity, thanks! I'd rather you rubbed my face in it."

Kara laughed loudly. "Well if you insist – I wiped the floor with you, Lee Adama and I will repeat the performance any time you wish."

"Is that right? You can't win all the time, Kara Thrace."

Her eyes gleamed. "Want to bet?"

Lee's reply was lost in the sound of the front door opening. He jumped up and headed into the hall.

"Hey, you finally made it back. I was beginning to think I'd have to send out a search party."

Zak pulled a face at him. "Well, if you'd actually turned up when you said you would-"

Lee groaned. "Let's not get into all that again."

"Water under the bridge," said Zak easily. "So how are you, big brother?" He slapped Lee on the shoulder, grinning down at him wickedly.

Lee couldn't help grinning back. It was a ritual greeting between them, ever since Zak had hit fifteen and his growth spurt.

He replied as he always did. "Just fine, little brother. You may have the inches, but I'll always be older and wiser."

"And get the first grey hairs," said Zak. He walked past Lee towards the kitchen. "Where's Kara? I hope you haven't scared her away."

Lee laughed. "I'd like to see the older brother that could scare her away. We've been fine. She's been having great fun kicking my ass at triad." He scowled at Zak. "You could have warned me."

"I could have," said Zak thoughtfully. "But it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun. I'm just sorry I missed it - I've been looking forward to seeing Kara beat you at triad for weeks. You'll have to put on a repeat performance."

He wandered off to the kitchen, and Lee turned to Caroline, who was just hanging up her coat.

"Lee," she said, and hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you."

He stepped back and scanned her face closely, as he always did when he saw her again. He couldn't help worrying about her, even though he knew there was no real reason why he should. Habit, he supposed. After his father left he had always felt he had to look out for her.

"How are things?" he asked.

She smiled and put a hand on his cheek. "Everything in the garden is lovely." It was what she always said.

Lee smiled back. "Coming up roses?"

"Definitely."

They headed into the kitchen. Zak had his arm round Kara, and the two of them were laughing over some private joke. Lee couldn't help smiling as he looked at them. It was great to see Zak so happy.

Zak looked expectantly at Lee. "So, where's my dinner? I expected to see it bubbling away in the oven-"

Lee threw a tea towel at him. "You'll just have to wait. Guests first." He smiled at Kara. "What would you like?"

"What's the choice?"

"Depends what Mum's got in the fridge." Lee looked at Caroline questioningly and she looked slightly awkward.

"I'm not quite sure. I – I thought I'd leave the food shopping until you got here. You always know just what to get-"

Lee walked over and opened the fridge. He couldn't help laughing as he looked at the contents. It was so typical of his mother.

"Eggs, eggs, milk and more eggs…" He looked up. "Looks like it's omelettes, then. Plain omelettes."

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They ate plain omelettes and then Lee joined Kara in the living room while Zak and Caroline cleared away.

"One good thing about being the cook," said Lee, "is that I never have to wash up." He switched on the television. "What would you like to watch?"

Kara hesitated. "Well... there is a Panthers match on. But I don't mind – if you don't like pyramid-"

Lee laughed ruefully. "Don't worry, I like pyramid. You're not allowed to dislike it in this family." He switched over to the match. "Are you a big fan?"

"Huge. I was going to play pro myself, at one point."

"You were?"

"Before I hurt my knee."

"Of course." He remembered her comment earlier. "So you joined the Fleet instead?"

"And found flying. So I don't regret it."

Lee could understand that. Everything had changed for him when he discovered flying.

Zak and Caroline soon came to join them.

"Oh, a Panthers game!" said Caroline delightedly, sitting in the armchair and propping her feet on the coffee table. "I'd forgotten this was on."

Kara stared at her with astonishment and Lee and Zak both burst out laughing.

Zak kissed Kara's cheek affectionately. "Don't look so surprised. Who do you think got me into pyramid in the first place?"

"She dragged us off to watch it every weekend," said Lee with a long-suffering sigh.

"You see what we went through in our childhood?" said Zak sadly. "Indoctrinated into being pyramid fanatics-"

Caroline sent him a mock glare. "I obviously didn't indoctrinate you well enough. No talking during play!"

"Yes ma'am," said Zak with a salute.

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After the match finished – it was a narrow victory for the Panthers, much to Kara's very vocal satisfaction – Zak and Kara headed upstairs, leaving Caroline and Lee drinking tea in the kitchen. They clattered around overhead, joking loudly until their voices cut off with suspicious abruptness.

Lee grinned. "Do you really think she's going to end up sleeping in the spare room?"

"Probably not," Caroline admitted. "But a mother likes to keep her illusions." She blew on her tea to cool it. "I like her."

"Well of course. She's almost as fanatical about pyramid as you are."

Caroline smiled. "There is that. And you're not freezing her out. That's always a good sign."

"What?" Lee almost choked on his tea. "I do not freeze people out!"

"Yes, you do," said Caroline calmly. "That last girl Zak brought home – you barely said ten words to her the first evening, and when you did you were so stiff and cold-"

Lee stared down into his mug. "I'm just not good with strangers. You know that."

"I certainly do," said Caroline wryly. "But you seem to be warming up to Kara quickly enough, and that's a big mark in her favour as far as I'm concerned. I trust your judgement, Lee."

"Oh." Lee didn't know quite what to say to that. He felt pleased and embarrassed all at once.

When he looked up again his mother was studying him thoughtfully, with a look in her eye that made him feel slightly wary.

"So. When are you going to a bring a girl home to meet me, Lee?"

Frak. Lee buried himself in his mug of tea again. "When there's someone important enough for you to meet."

"And when's that going to be?"

"I don't know." Lee felt himself growing irritated. "Come on, Mum, I'm only twenty-four. It's not like it's time I settled down."

Caroline sighed. "I know. And I should stop being an interfering mother. It's just – I worry about you, Lee. Zak always seems to have some girl he's raving about, but you – you never mention anyone."

"There have been girls," he said awkwardly. He really didn't want to have this conversation with her. "In fact, I've been kind of seeing someone for the last few months. On and off." Maybe that would get her off his back.

"Really?" Caroline's eyes lit up. "What's her name?"

"Gianne. She's a law student." Lee sighed. "Mum, it's just a casual thing so far."

"All right." Caroline patted his hand. "I'll stop interrogating you. I'm just concerned about you, that's all. You don't find it easy to let people in – you never have." Her hand closed tightly on his for a moment. "I just want you to be happy, Lee."

"I know." He sighed, his irritation suddenly draining away. "Don't worry, Mum. I'll open up to the right person when I find her. I promise."