It was over. At least for now. Fifteen thousand humans survived this second massacre. Galactica, Pegasus, and the rest of the tattered fleet had come back just in time to save the remaining few on the planet.

The aftermath was gruesome as the fragile survivors struggled to bury the dead and pack up what was left of their lives. Fate had taught them a cruel lesson. Hope was dead. There was nothing to look forward to but slow, inevitable death.

It was time to run again.

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"I'm sorry." Lee finally found Kara, kneeling on the ground, her head resting against her late husband's gravestone. She just scoffed, refusing to look up at him.

Kara knew it was Lee without even looking up at the man. She couldn't take his presence. He was whole and alive. Sam was dead. She wasn't the aggressive, strong woman Lee remembered. She wasn't Starbuck. She was diminished, broken, only a shell of herself. Losing everything a second time leeched the life from her.

Her voice was hollow as her soul when she spoke. "You don't care that he's dead."

Lee knew partially she was right. He wasn't particularly upset that Anders was dead, but…

"I'm sorry we didn't get back in time to save him. I'm sorry we didn't get back in time to save any of them." He gestured sweepingly to the rows of gravestones marking both solitary and mass graves.

"How's Dee?' Bitterness laced her voice. Lee still had the one he loved most likely.

"On Galactica." To him, that said everything. To her, practically nothing.

Kara's tears streamed down her face wetting the bleak grey stone.

Lee didn't know what to say or do. For a long moment, he considered turning and leaving her in the field, alone with the haunting memories. But whatever had happened between them, he loved her and it broke his heart to see her like this.

"I would have given you the meds for Anders if I could have."

Kara turned to look at her former best friend for the first time since he had found her sitting at Sam Anders' grave. Her eyes blazed with a fury that caused her battered body to shake. "Why? Why would you ever save the life of a man you hated?"

Lee paused before baring his heart to her. "He made you happy." She opened her mouth to retort, but Lee stopped her. "We were once friends, closer than friends. Everything that has happened in the last year and a half has torn us apart, but I was okay with you being with Anders, because… you smiled again. Because he made you happy, Kara. And I wouldn't trade that for the twelve colonies and Earth." Lee couldn't face her rejection. He turned to leave.

Kara stood quickly and grabbed his hand. "Lee…"

"Yes?" Lee sounded resigned and miserable.

"Let's go home." Blue eyes met hazel over their joined hands. A faint smile settled on Lee's face as he pulled her against him, looping his arm over her shoulder. Kara settled her head on his shoulder as they made their trek back to uncertainty.

Hardship lay ahead for everyone in the fleet, but they were survivors. They had lived through the collapse of their world not once, but twice. Maybe a bright and shiny future wasn't possible. But even the smallest spark can rekindle the hope of a nation.

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A/N: I know it's really rough and not that… developed, but it's supposed to be. I might expand it sometime, but I think what I have now speaks for itself.

I know I should be working on my Stargate fic (and the 5-page paper due tomorrow), but I'm stuck on both and needed to get something out first.

Thanks for reading and please review.
Amy