He sat in his quarters, thinking, her usual presence a distant memory, gone were the meetings they had, the dinners they sometimes shared, she was gone. It was funny, he thought, no Starbuck and no Tigh, two people he loved like family, yet he couldn't get her out of his thoughts. He loved her, he knew it, his heart told him this long ago, his head told him to be more cautious but he had gradually managed to ignore his head and now his heart mainly controlled his thoughts. It's been a year he thought, she won't have thought about me he thought, she'll be causing chaos, rebelling, doing something that remotes a rescue challenge, she'll be thinking he deserted them. In fact, he's been doing a lot of thinking recently, the people he left behind, what would have happened if he had gone with the plan and let her steal the election, would he still respect and admire her if she's done it, did he respect her now for trying to. He could see there was no option for her, she was going down but typical Laura was going down fighting. And it was that that had made him realise that his heart now ruled his head. It was starting to become alive again. Hell. He had almost died, then she did, then he kissed her, then she didn't die, then she lost the election and gone to New Caprica and that's when he left. They had been through enough in the time they were together but his life seemed to have stopped now they were apart. Now it was judgement day, he was back, to get them all back, to get her back!

There was a sudden knock; it awoke him from his thought. Apollo informed him it was time. He got off the ship to a rapturous applause. There were a lot of hugs, shaking hands, Tigh was there, chief, starbuck, but he couldn't see her. She must be here somewhere. Apollo reached him through the crowd "She's in the school" he whispered in his ear. Adama smiled, almost chuckled to himself, he knew that she would find something else to do. "Where?" he replied. Apollo pointed in the right direction and oddly, he started to run. Run he thought, why he was running. He was going to see soon anyways. But then again, he did really want to see her. He reached the tent. She was there alone finishing some art project thing, he approached quietly taking in everything that had changed about her. Her hair was longer, it suited her. He kept walking toward her, she stopped what she was doing but did not turn. She just stood there, silently.

She spoke, calmly "sounds like a good party going on out there"

"And yet, you are in here"

"Figured you'd find me when you were ready"

"I didn't mean to leave you" she raised her eyebrow "and when I say you, I mean all of you" he says quickly circling his hands in reference to everybody, she looks awkward,

"I know, you did what you had to for our survival"

"You survived"

"My point" she responded. They stood awkwardly for a short period, now unaware they were being watched, Apollo. Adama started again "so how have you been?"

"good. Yeah. Erm… been teaching the children, bit of maths, basic hist..."

"I've missed you" he blurted out suddenly. She was shocked at first, stood awkwardly as if she was unsure what to say, then he was awkward and had a look of regret on his face, she noticed

"I've missed you too" she rushed, then paused "a lot actually" she smirked, he moved his eyes from his feet to her face, she was smiling, that smile he loved so much. He slowly approached her, and took her into his arms. Total embrace, she was shaking, there was tears as she buried her head in his shoulder "an awful lot" she whispered, she hoped he didn't hear her, she was almost embarrassed. She could not believe that Laura Roslin, former president of the twelve colonies, was crumbling in the arms of the man she…no surely not, she couldn't possibly, oh the gods, she loved him

"me too" he whispered back.

Apollo looked on, he had never seen his father like this, so out of control of his feelings, so happy, so... in love. He hadn't even seen him like this with his mother. He wasn't bitter, he was happy for him, for them both.

"Thought I might find you here" starbuck approached "how is he doing"

"he's missed her"

"she's missed him, she spend the first couple of weeks looking lost, then she got quiet and angry and just wouldn't talk about him, I found her crying late one night, she didn't confess, think she knew I knew it was him" "I told her I missed him to, she just nodded, I said he would come back for us all, after that night she changed, like she accepted it and moved on, like she had hope" "I had pretty much the same, except the tears" they chuckled and slowly turned round. They were still in an embrace. Bill was the first to let go, he moved his hand to cup her cheek and gently kissed her, like he did just before she nearly died, she looked up at him, smiled her smile as if giving him permission and then he did it again, and again and..

"We should not be watching this" Apollo muttered

"Yep, the old man making out, compulsive viewing, c'mon lets go before I am sick"

And that was the day there finally was hope for the future.