Laura was spending the night in Bill's cabin on the Battlestar Valkyrie. In the morning, a Raptor would return her, Zak, and Liam home.

She gazed at her face in the mirror of the head in Bill's cabin. There was a slight flush to her cheeks from the single ambrosia she'd indulged in during the party the Valkyrie crew had thrown in their newly promoted commander's honor.

After a few hours, they left the younger crew to party and returned to his cabin. Unsettled, Laura had paced around and around until retreating to the head. Was it the smell of recycled air or lingering taste of ambrosia upsetting her? she wondered. She stood, bracing herself against the sink; the cold metal caused a chill to seep into her hands and up her arms. A face appeared beside her in the glass, frowning in concern.

"I never thought I'd stand on another Battlestar after Galactica," she whispered. "Actually, when I boarded the Raptor and left Galactica for the last time I was certain I'd never stand again," she admitted remembering how weak she'd been, struggling for even a breath of air. Bill closed the distance between them and rested his hands on her shoulders. The warmth from his hands pushed back against the chill overtaking her body.

"You used up all your remaining strength on that last mission," he said, remembering the mix of pride and sorrow he'd felt when he saw her walking onto the hangar deck. His woman, who shouldn't have had the strength to leave Life Station, had somehow joined them to fight the Cylons through her sheer willpower alone. Even at death's door, she was a force to be reckoned with; her fire and determination had sparked something deep and profound within the ranks of humanity during their last battle. Laura Roslin was like a wild spark of fire; it could set whole armies ablaze. Throw in an Adama speech, and the people had rallied behind the two leaders of humanity.

"Couldn't let you fly off without me."

"You inspired a lot of people. Made people believe that we could win through our tenacity alone." Laura pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I was good at making people believe in almost anything." Bill was taken aback by her dark tone. Her head hung in shame and her body shivered. "Even when they shouldn't have listened to me, I made them believe, and I ended up being wrong about so much. I lead them to a damn nuclear wasteland. After that I was so tired, I almost completely gave up, and that disappointed a lot of people. I just couldn't…" she sniffed. Bill twisted her around in his arms to face him and pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. He could still picture her sitting on the floor burning the Pythian Prophesy as if it had happened yesterday; he'd been unable to reach her then. He'd let her push him away. Never again.

"Laura, you were stronger than any other person could have been. You lead the fleet to its new home through a thousand impossible situations. You and I had the weight of humanity on our shoulders, and that was damn heavy sometimes. But, in the end we found a beautiful planet for our people," he growled, hoping she would hear him. The memories of Earth and their last raptor ride which he'd buried rose to the surface; it had years since her death, but he could still feel the pain of it rip through him like a knife.

"Kara found Earth."

"But you lead us there. You." She shook her head, and Bill frowned. "Laura, give me your eyes," he commanded, having heard her anguish over the final months of their journey more than a few times. He hated that she still tortured herself over her moments of weakness, and it was time to put those demons to rest. Enough was enough. Patiently, he stared at her, waiting for her eyes to meet his. Knowing Bill wasn't going to back down, she gave a heavy sigh and returned her husband's gaze. His blue eyes bore into hers with an intensity that left her speechless.

"Listen to me," he demanded. "You were the woman who gathered a fleet together so that humanity even had a chance of survival. You convinced me to run so we could live to fight another day. You were someone people trusted enough to rally around on New Caprica. You gave people a government and listened to what they had to say. You put up with the everyday crap of running that government; made sure rations were distributed and supplies were shared." He took a deep breath. "You kept me going," he admitted, and reached up with both of his hands to cup her face. "You might have been the dying leader to some, but you were definitely President Laura Roslin to everyone — someone strove to be best leader possible. The people knew that in their hearts."

"Bill…" she tried to protest, but he was having none of it.

"Your strength carried us for years, and in the end the people did still trust and follow you."

"But I made…"

"No, Laura. No," he snapped. "Yes, we both made some mistakes. Fine. But we found peace at the end," he pushed. He still saw it in his mind, her serenity during that last raptor ride. Despite the pain in his heart, there had been a peace which settled over them. "It's time to leave the past in the past." He searched her eyes and listened for any more protest. He let out the breath he was holding when the corner of her lip twitched up in a small smile.

"So say we all?"

"So say we all," he agreed and leaned forward to kiss her tenderly on the lips. He felt her hands tangle in his hair as she clung to him. Maybe he's right, she thought. When they broke apart, he was pleased to see that she looked more relaxed. Maybe she's finally listening, he thought. He decided to change the subject, unwilling to let their thoughts linger on such a dark phase of their life. She was here. She was alive.

"You know," he rasped against her skin as he kissed her neck, "it has been entirely too long since I've had a pretty girl in my rack…" Laura let out a barely dignified snort of laughter.

"Smooth Adama. Real smooth." She playfully kissed his nose. "Just remember, our son is asleep on the couch, so keep your hands to yourself," she teased and chuckled when he started pouting. She shook her head but stepped forward and slipped her arms around him. He gladly returned his wife's embrace.

"Thank you for talking," she murmured, enjoying being held in his arms. It seemed so long ago, the times when she had a hard time communicating with this stubborn man. He had been gruff and reserved. To be fair, he was still gruff and reserved, but now she could read his silences and his expressions as if he'd spoken what he was thinking aloud.

A knock on the hatch caused them to jump. Laura dropped her head to Bill's shoulder and chuckled.

"Of course. Battlestar interruptions. Fond memories of those," she said and grinned at him. "I should check on Liam anyway." Laura slipped away and moved over to the couch where her son had been laid down to sleep earlier. They had decided to trust Lee and Zak with guest quarters down the hall even though Zak was still a minor and had they both had slightly problematic penchant for mischief and mayhem. Meanwhile Bill walked over to the hatch and opened it.

….

The man from the promotion ceremony walked down the corridor to Adama's quarters. He'd wandered the entire route around the ship twice deep in thought.

He needed answers. For a month, he'd been assaulted by new memories every time he woke up. It had been gradual at first; vivid dreams that lingered when he woke. This gave way to an entire life unfolding in his mind. It got progressively more intense until one day he'd woken up with a violent jolt and could still smell the tang of blood in the air. Days later, he'd woken in a cold sweat and hadn't wanted to move for an hour as the sound of gunfire and the clang of Cylon Centurions lingered in his mind.

He'd wondered if he was going mad. Adama and Tigh seemed unaffected. They were the only ones from Galactica stationed with him. Despite the memories, his life was unfolding the same way. He tried to keep calm and stay sane.

After seeing Laura at the promotion ceremony, he'd left and paced the ship. He had questions; she and Adama probably had answers. So, he walked to his new CO's cabin. Rolling his neck and shoulders and standing up to his full height, he knocked. After a moment, the hatch swung open.

"Sherman," Commander Adama greeted with a curious expression. The doctor knew he was an unexpected guest. The Commander gestured for the doctor to come in.

"Sorry to bother you," Cottle grunted as he stepped into Adama's cabin. He looked around and spotted Laura. Cottle's heart froze when their eyes met. "I was actually hoping to speak with both you and your wife," he said, keeping her gaze.

"Oh?" Laura asked, moving over. Jack couldn't stop staring into her Virgon jade green eyes. It felt like he'd just seen them yesterday, but there was so much life sparkling there now.

He'd respected her. She'd annoyed him, irritated him, and provoked him. He'd lectured her, infuriated her, and told her off more than once. It was a match made on Galactica; he'd become completely devoted to her.

"I wanted to see if we'd ever met before. You remind me of a woman I once treated for breast cancer," he growled. Let's see if you take the bait, Sherman 'Jack' Cottle thought. He almost broke out in a cold sweat, but then a slow smile spread across Laura's face.

"That's funny. You remind me of a doctor who gave a dying woman enough time to live. To really live. He was a good friend, despite cigarettes and grumbling. It didn't hide his big heart," Laura smiled. Sherman Cottle let out a gruff snort, his version of a laugh, before taking a few steps closer to Laura.

"Young Lady?" he asked, noting that the name now seemed quite appropriate.

"Jack," she greeted. Laura looked him over; same ol' Cottle. But when she met his eyes the shock hit her. A tear was running down his face. He glared at her.

"Fifty frakkin' years and I have never cried over a patient," he huffed and wiped his face. "What frakkin' magic do you weave over people?"

"How about some ambrosia and a talk between old friends?" Bill suggested. Cottle nodded and dropped into a chair at the table while Bill walked over to get the drinks. The medic rubbed a hand over his face as he remembered all the briefings and conversations had behind cabin doors over a glass of ambrosia with these two. They'd discussed fleet welfare, hybrid children, cancer, and even torture. Weird had become part of their jobs and their conversations.

Laura was moving to sit down by Cottle when movement caught her eye from the couch.

"Mommy?" A sweet soft voice broke through the air from the little boy who was sitting up. Laura quickly changed direction and moved over to him. Cottle watched her whisper to the child as she adjusted the blankets around him. She smiled and brushed his curly brown hair to the side before leaning forward to kiss his forehead. Cottle was captivated by the scene, and another tear slid down his face which he quickly brushed away.

The quiet clink of a glass being set down drew his attention back to the table and Commander Adama.

"So, you found your girl and married her," Cottle snorted. "How frakkin' romantic." The doctor put just the right amount of sarcasm in his tone to keep up his pretense of being the irritable doctor. Bill chuckled in response. Cottle huffed and snatched up the proffered glass of ambrosia. On the first sip he reveled in the way it slid across his tongue and burned a path down his throat. It wasn't good ambrosia unless it burned on the way down and caused warmth to radiate through the body; this was good ambrosia. You could tell a lot about your standing with someone based on the quality of liquor offered; Adama really liked him. Cottle rolled his eyes and nodded over to Laura and the boy. "How old is he?"

"Six," Bill said, taking a sip of his own ambrosia.

"So, you must have remembered what happened for a while," Cottle deduced.

"Almost seven years," Bill replied with a nod. Cottle almost snorted with laughter but didn't want to upset the boy Laura was hushing back to sleep.

"You two didn't waste any time, did you?" Cottle sent Adama a wicked smirk.

"Not this time," Bill said and Cottle's face fell. He knew why they wouldn't have wasted any time.

"Bill, I'm sorry. I really thought..." Cottle trailed off and hung his head, "I really thought it was gone. Maybe if I'd tested her more often or…"

"Let's not go there," Bill advised, not wanting to relive the memories.

"I understand. You both know, there are options even now. Preventative surgery? I have a specialist friend…"

"Jack." Laura's soft voice cut him off as she sat down and joined them. "Whatever you recommend I'll do. But let's discuss it later, alright?"

"You will? Just like that?" Jack pulled back slightly and looked her over. "No argument? You a Cylon now young lady?"

"Wife and mother. I'd like to see my son become an adult and retire with my husband. I'd already been planning on speaking to the doctors," she said. Years ago during a dark moment, Laura worked out the math. If she didn't take preventative action against the cancer, then Liam would be just sixteen when she died. No parent should have to bury a child, but it was still tragic for a son to lose his mother while still a boy.

"I need a cigarette," Cottle muttered. "So, you both remember everything?" he asked, and they nodded. Relief also surged between the three of them; relief that another friend remembered. The three of them sat there talking about how each of them had awoken with their memories. Laura and Bill told Cottle about the Cylon models they'd seen in this timeline. They laughed quietly over happy memories and sorrowfully reminisced over sadder times.

Cottle agreed with their plan to tell Adar about the future they'd experienced. He knew it was lucky they had Laura and her friendship with the future president to exploit. When he became the President of the Colonies, he could order Battlestars to de-network their computers. Baltar would never get a contract to upgrade (compromise) the defense mainframe. He could prepare the military. So, Cottle agreed to serve as a third voice when Laura and Bill told Adar about the coming future. It would add more credibility.

He agreed with their need to have a backup plan. There were medications he'd run out of. Patients had been lost despite having curable conditions. He just didn't have the medicine resources which would have saved lives. Resources had been scarce. That was an experience he didn't want to relive: losing patients he shouldn't have lost.

Thus, Cottle joined the dangerous part of the backup plan for humanity. If the attacks weren't averted, they'd be prepared even if they couldn't save everyone. Cottle would start requisitioning extra medical supplies to stockpile. With several years of preparation ahead of them, there were plenty of opportunities for the good doctor to get his hands on resources and medications. It would have to be a careful process, the last thing they needed was him or Adama brought up on charges for fraud.

Finally, early in the morning the doctor left the cabin after he'd agreed to keep in touch with Laura. He'd given her the name of a doctor to see and asked her to keep him up to date. Laura was touched by his concern, and gasped when he took her hand in his and kissed her hand just as he had all those years ago.

…

Bill and Laura laid down to try and get a few hours of sleep. The narrow rack forced them to press closely together, but they didn't mind. Even with the comforting warmth of their partner, they couldn't be soothed into sleep. There was too much to think about.

"Bill?" Laura asked, and he hummed sleepily to let her know he was listening. "We know the timeline has…reset, for lack of a better word, at least once now. What if we have led these lives over and over? There could be lives we've lived and forgotten," she mused, and felt Bill's grip tighten around her waist.

"It's possible. Your scriptures say, 'all this has happened before, and all this will happen again.' If that's the case, I don't know if there's anything we can do," he sighed, and felt Laura pressing herself closer to him.

"Bill, what about Liam? He's here because we remembered each other from our future. I'm worried things could reset, and we forget each other. I'd lose you and my baby," she realized and her voice broke slightly. She felt fear wrap her icy grip around her heart. "I can't lose my family. Not again," she whimpered, clinging to her husband like a lifeline.

"I wish there was something I could do or say," he replied, and his voice sounded like rough gravel as he considered her words. Losing his family was his worst fear. He buried his face in Laura's hair and held her close. This was still their reality and there was comfort in that.

"Did you ever notice how many coincidences there were? The final five happened to be in our fleet. Two were our right-hand men. And how did the Cylons happen to have their agents strategically placed where they did? I saw the look in Cavil's eye when we met, he remembers. What if there are Cylons like him who remembered another timeline?"

"It's like fighting an uphill battle," Bill groused.

"'All this has happened before, and all this will happen again.' Something caused us to remember what happened before," Laura said. Bill kissed her forehead as she shuddered against him. What caused them to remember? They'd been asking that question for years.

"Whatever games fate or the so-called Gods are playing with us, I promise to fight to stay with you. Ok? I'll never be free of you."

"Quoting books to me again? You do know how to make me feel better," she said, and he felt her smile against his skin as she nuzzled his neck.

"You came into my thoughts. You filled them. It felt good."

…..

To say that Future Cavil was frustrated was the understatement of the century. He was confined to the Cylon Colony ship. Apparently, his behavior was considered too 'erratic' for the other models to let him out of sight. So, he waited, like a rabid dog on a leash. He waited for a moment when his handlers weren't paying attention. He had a plan.

….

Author's note: Let me know if the plot ever gets confusing or wonky - time travel isn't always logical.

Special thanks to several guests Adama-Roslininlove, SchaMG, ChamallaDreamer, Anastasia 1224, Magges, and Happymisa for your reviews. It really does make my frakkin' day to get one.