Chapter Six

Lee didn't get a chance to apologise to his mum or Zak that evening. He knew he'd gone too far with some of the things he'd said. He always did when he lost his temper.

He didn't feel he could say anything with Kara there, though, and by the time they'd finished playing triad Zak and Caroline had both gone to bed.

As it turned out, he didn't have to apologise to Zak. He came downstairs the next morning to the sound of his brother's tuneless humming and the smell of burnt pancakes, and knew he was forgiven. Zak's anger never lasted for long.

The pancakes were disgusting, but Lee ate every one.

-------------------------

He cornered his mother in the living room after breakfast while Zak and Kara were still in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting down next to her on the sofa. "I shouldn't have said what I did to you last night. It wasn't fair."

Caroline looked at him sadly for a moment, and then sighed. "Maybe. I'm sorry too, Lee. I know I leaned on you far too much when your father first left, and I shouldn't have."

Lee shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't meant to make her feel guilty. "I coped."

"You shouldn't have had to cope, Lee. You were only fourteen."

Caroline's eyes were bright with tears, and Lee couldn't bear it. He put his hand over hers.

"Don't get upset, Mum. Please. It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," said Caroline quietly.

"No, it doesn't," said Lee firmly. Gods, he wished he'd kept his mouth shut about this. It had been a hard time for all of them, and he had been scared and resentful about being left to sort everything out while she hid away from it all, but he should never have said so. Not after all this time.

"It's fine, Mum. Really."

"Very well." She sighed. "There's just one thing I want to say to you, Lee. Without you jumping down my throat."

"It's about Dad, isn't it?" He couldn't help pulling back, taking his hand away from hers.

"I just wish you'd give him a chance, Lee. I'm afraid that otherwise you're going to leave it too late and end up regretting it."

He felt the familiar anger stirring again.

"I won't." He stood abruptly. "I don't regret anything I've done when it comes to him."

He headed back to the safety of the kitchen before she could say anything more.

------------------------------

Over the next few days, Zak and Kara, with Lee in tow, sampled almost all the amusements the small town had to offer.

They went skating on the tiny ice rink. Watched a film at the decrepit old cinema and heckled when the adverts came on upside down. Played laserquest and had great fun shooting each other dead and then miraculously recovering. Got drunk at each of the town's four pubs. Worked their way through every game in the arcade.

Through it all, Kara found herself constantly competing with Lee. He'd obviously taken her challenge that night on the porch to heart.

She wasn't too surprised. Guys always competed with her. She was used to it. Weary of it to the point of boredom, in fact. The reason Zak had first caught her attention had been that he was the first man she'd met who didn't even try to compete with her. Instead he just sat back and watched her with an appreciative smile. He was different. He accepted her, and didn't seem to feel he had to prove himself in comparison.

Lee was different, too, but for completely the opposite reason. He was the first man she'd ever met who could keep up with her.

If she wanted to beat him, she really had to work at it.

There were even some things he was actually better at. Running. Any game involving strategy or thinking several moves ahead.

She couldn't help enjoying it. It was nice to have a competitor who posed a serious challenge for a change.

-------------------------------

The afternoon in the arcade, they started off with the shooting range. Kara narrowly hit more targets than Lee, but they were both out-classed by Zak. He was a uncannily accurate shot; sometimes Kara would swear he wasn't even looking at the target and he still managed to hit it dead centre every time.

Zak then moved on to another shooting game, while Lee and Kara tried out one of the driving games. Lee was soon looking at her exasperatedly.

"Kara, the point of the game is to complete the course as fast as possible, not to force me off the road!"

"Is it?" She put on her most innocent face. "Really?"

"Yes!"

She grinned. "Well, my way's much more fun."

Lee frowned, but she could tell he was trying not to smile. "Come on, Lee. It is more fun. Admit it."

"All right," he said grudgingly, and his smile broke free. "Prepare to be introduced to the roadside dirt, then, Kara. You asked for it."

It was much more fun playing the game her way. Lee got into the spirit of it and managed to force her off the road three times. They were both laughing hysterically by the time Zak finally drifted over.

"I never realised 'Motorsport Time Trial' was so entertaining," he commented, looking at the side of the booth.

"It is if you play it right," gasped Lee, trying to control his laughter. "Thank you for opening my eyes, Kara."

Zak chuckled. "I'm not even going to ask." He looked at Kara. "Want to try the dance mat?"

She jumped out of her seat immediately. "Do you even have to ask?" She seized his hand and started to drag him in the direction of the dance mat, only pausing to look back at Lee. "You coming?"

He pulled a face. "I think I'll pass. I have two left feet where dancing is concerned."

It turned into a long session on the dance mat. Zak and Kara were hot and breathless afterwards, and Zak headed off to get some drinks, leaving her with Lee.

"Your turn now," she said. "What do you want to play next? Although I would prefer something that involves sitting down."

Lee looked around at the nearby games, and then suddenly grinned. "Look over there, Kara."

She followed his pointing finger and grinned in return as she saw the game he was pointing at – Viper Attack.

"We can't pass that up."

"Certainly not."

They hurried over before anyone else took the game. Lee fished in his pocket for change while Kara read the rules.

"We go one at a time. Winner is the one who shoots down the most Cylons."

"Okay. Who goes first?"

Kara waved him towards the seat. "Age before beauty, Lee."

He stuck his tongue out at her and dropped down in the seat. Kara leaned in behind him to watch as the game started, and heroically restrained herself from distracting him at a crucial moment by pulling his ear.

The game was nothing like a proper simulator, of course, but it still required a fair amount of skill, particularly once you were past the first level. Between manoeuvring round asteroids and shooting down Cylons, it needed sharp eyes, accuracy and quick reflexes.

Lee knocked the highest scoring player off the top spot.

He turned to look at Kara with a triumphant smirk. "Beat that, Thrace."

She pushed him out of the seat. "Oh, I will, Adama."

She took a deep breath, focusing herself. Somehow this competition seemed more important than any of the others. Probably because it was flying. She could never be casual when it came to flying.

Somehow she got the impression that flying was an equally serious matter for Lee. And she wanted to impress him.

So she played the stupid arcade game with as much concentration and intensity as if she was really flying her viper. She was so engrossed that when the game finally ended, it took her a moment to realise it.

"How did I do?"

The total flashed up on the screen, and she heard Lee swear behind her.

She'd beaten him.

By one point, but she'd beaten him.

She whooped loudly and twisted round to look at him. "Not so smug now, are you?"

Lee was looking rather annoyed with himself, but he managed a smile. "I think you're being smug enough for the both of us."

That was another thing she liked about him. He wasn't a sore loser. There were all too many men who couldn't handle being beaten by a woman, but he wasn't one of them.

"Well, I have a right to be." She figured she was entitled to rub it in a little.

"It was only one point."

"But that one point makes a world of difference." She grinned. "Tell me you're impressed, Lee. Come on. Admit it."

"Maybe just a little." He looked at her slyly. "Although of course this wasn't a real simulator."

Kara slapped his arm. "I'll beat you on one of those too. Next time you visit Zak on Picon. You up for it?"

"Of course." Lee laughed. "It's a date."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Lee blushed bright red.

"That is – I didn't mean-"

"Hey, don't worry about it." Kara rushed to assure him. "It's just a figure of speech."

It was. So why did she suddenly feel so self-conscious?

"Seriously, though, I was impressed," said Lee, hastily changing the subject. "If you're this good a pilot now, I hate to think what you'll be like by the time you graduate."

"Graduate from where?"

"Academy, of course." Lee looked confused.

"Academy?" Kara was insulted. "Gods, that was two years ago! Are you trying to say I fly like a nugget, Lee?"

"You've graduated?" Lee was frowning now. "But I thought – Zak said he'd met you in his flight class."

"He did." Kara was confused now, too.

"But you're not a cadet…"

"No, I'm a lieutenant. I'm his flight instructor."

"What?" Lee looked stunned. "You're his flight instructor?" Kara could practically see the wheels in his brain turning. "But – but that means you're his superior officer. His direct superior officer."

Kara looked at him warily. His eyes had narrowed and his mouth set into a tight line.

"Zak didn't tell you, did he?" she said slowly.

"That he was busy breaking the frat regs with you?" said Lee sharply. "No, he forgot to mention that little detail."

Looking at Lee's scowling face, Kara could see why. He obviously wasn't pleased, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to keep his displeasure to himself.

She grimaced. Zak wasn't going to thank her for this. Why couldn't she ever learn to keep her big mouth shut?