Chapter Six:

Kara was quiet with Lee all the way to Caprica. The latter tried to engage her in conversation several times, but gave up when each attempt was only met with one-word or non-committal answers. So, Lee tried to loose himself in one of the issues of Caprican Life provided to the passengers of the transport they were on, all the while his mind was swirling around the woman sitting next to him.

When they arrived at the military spaceport outside of Delphi, Kara and Lee took a bus into the city. They got off in a rather run down part of town.

"Are we there yet?" asked Lee, as they watched the bus go.

"Almost," said Kara, walking down the street, with Lee following her.

Lee was a patient man, but his patience was starting to wear thin. It had taken them five hours to get this far, and Kara's silence was beginning to gnaw at Lee little by little.

"Look, Kara," said Lee, stepping up next to her as they walked. "I think its time you start telling me where we are going and why."

"And I think that you need to be patient a little longer," said Kara. "Consider this a test. You are close to passing. Don't blow it now."

"Fine," said Lee. "I'll give you a little longer, but…"

"We're here," said Kara, stepping up to the door of one of the run-down looking apartment buildings.

They walked inside the building, and climbed several flights of stairs. They finally arrived at the door of one of the apartments. Kara pulled out a set of keys, opened the door, and led Lee inside.

Lee was led into a studio-like apartment that looked like it hadn't seen a maid service in a very long time. There were paintings on the walls, unframed and rather sloppily tacked up around the room.

"Did you do these?" asked Lee, looking at the paintings.

"Yeah," said Kara. "I dabble. It helps me to vent my emotions sometimes."

Kara walked over to a small disk player, put in a disk she had in her pocket, and pressed the play button. Soon, the sound of piano music filled the room, and Kara just stood there with her eyes closed. Her breathing became slower, almost like she were meditating on the sound of the music.

Lee waited, becoming used to it now. He figured she would start explaining when she was ready.

"This is my father," she said, after several minutes of her internal ruminations.

Lee was puzzled at first before finally catching on to what she was talking about. "The music," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "He wrote it and played it. He used to play the lounges in some of the more adventurous districts of Caprica City. In one of those lounges, he met my mother. She was a marine, on leave and looking for a good time."

"You're father was a piano player and your mother was a marine," said Lee. "Quite a combination."

"I guess," said Kara. The whole time she talked, she looked out the window of the apartment, letting the memories of them wash over her as she spoke. "They began an affair, and she fell madly in love with him. Eventually, they're little affair produced a child."

"You," said Lee.

"Yes," she replied. "Me. My father….didn't want children. Didn't want to be tied down. But, to his credit, he tried. He stayed with my mother and I, and she left the Marines to be a housewife and mother. I remember sitting with my father, playing the piano at the club he used to play at. That's pretty much all I remember about him. He left when I was six, deciding he couldn't be a husband and father. After that, my mother lost any heart that she had. She began to drink…all the time. And she was a mean drunk."

Kara was silent for a few moments, gathering her internal strength to go on. "She blamed me for driving my father away. She would drink, get angry, and…take her pain out on me. She would scream at me…that I was a worthless piece of garbage. That I would never be anything but a burden to her. Then, once in a while, she would stop talking…and start hitting. Or she would just lock me in a closet to get me out of her sight for a while. One time, when I was trying to make her dinner…I guess I was about ten; I spilled sauce all over the floor of the kitchen. She laid my hand on the kitchen table, took a mallet, and broke every finger in my hand. I screamed in agony, but she ignored it."

Kara felt gentle hands touch her shoulders. Then, a thumb brushed away a tear that she didn't even realize was running down her cheek. Lee brought her into his arms, and kissed her on the forehead gently. Kara was tempted to melt into his embrace, and let his strong arms wrap her in a cocoon of warmth and protection from her inner demons.

"No, Lee," said Kara, pulling away from his arms. "I am not telling you all of this to elicit sympathy from you. That is exactly what I don't want. I don't want you to fall for me because you see me as some poor orphan that needs your protection. As you can see, I survived my mother all on my own. And there were other disappointments along the way that I got through on my own, too. I became a great pyramid player, and was hoping to go to college on a pyramid scholarship. Until an injury killed that dream. Then, I joined the service, and discovered what I was born to do."

"Fly," said Lee.

"Right," said Kara. "I am a damned good pilot. One of the best in the fleet. I am very proud of that. It is the one thing in my life that I have that hasn't been frakked up."

"Kara," said Lee. "Why did you bring me here to tell me all of this?"

"Because this apartment is me, Lee," said Kara. "Its messy, its weathered by time and circumstance. That's what your getting, Lee. A woman who has been through a lot, is very rough around the edges, and hard to deal with at times. I'm not easy, Lee. I'm a challenge. I'm called Starbuck for a reason. I buck and kick and throw some mean punches. If you are looking for a smooth relationship, don't look here."

"It sounds like you want me to go away," said Lee. "That you are telling me this because you don't want me in your life."

"No, Lee," said Kara. "I'm not necessarily telling you that. And I'm not looking for some kind of guarantee from you if you do decide to stick around. We're both just starting, you and I. But I want you to know that I don't want you to reform me. I am who I am. If you can live with that, then maybe we can try."

Lee was quiet for a few moments before speaking. "Okay, Kara," said Lee. "I know where you are coming from. But I have to know something before I make a decision. Just like you said—no guarantees. But…do you have any interest at all in being with me."

Kara smiled. "Frak, yes," said Kara. "Why do you think I brought you here? Lee, I see in you the guy I have always dreamed about coming into my life. For the first time, I see a chance at something…better, in my life. But I don't want to start down a road with you just to see you dump me on the side when the road gets bumpy."

"Like your father did to your mother," said Lee.

"Right," said Kara. "So, you have a choice to make. If you choose to leave, no hard feelings."

Lee smiled, walking closer to Kara. "Kara, I've known from the beginning that you were not easy. I don't want easy. I want you. I don't know if you and I are going to be a permanent relationship, but…I do know that I want to try. And if I can make some of your pain go away, even though you don't want a protector or savior, then whatever happens would be worth it. So, I'm not going anywhere."

He put his arms around her once again. This time she did not pull away. Instead, she met his lips as he leaned down to kiss her. Her father's music played in the background, as the two lovers held one another and let their passions consume them.

End of Chapter Six. Chapter Seven coming soon. Feedback/reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.