Leonis
Surviving Richard Adar's reelection campaign had tested Laura's endurance. Boomer's reappearance less than a month ago and their subsequent inability to decide whether to trust her only caused the tension to grow. Bill knew Laura needed a break. Her mind was a merry-go-round that spun through the worries of the day, the worries of tomorrow, and the worries of days long past. He wasn't any better.
So, in a stroke of madness or brilliance, he'd whisked Laura away for a weekend to a resort. Somehow, Saul and Ellen had managed to invite themselves along. All bets were off as to how the weekend would go. Upon arrival, the other pair seemed content to dash off to their own rooms at the other end of the resort, while Bill led Laura to theirs.
One second Laura was walking into the room and in the next she was being grabbed around the waist and pushed against the wall. It was definitely a pleasant outcome. Carolanne had quickly tired of him and their life and didn't hesitate in sharing her bitterness. He shoved that thought to the side; in front of him stood a wife who'd been perfectly happy with him for years, and she was making that clearer by the second.
"You need to relax," he said, the baritone of his voice reverberating through Laura while a strong arm wrapped around her. She only had a second to breathe before her husband was kissing her deeply. It was passionate and demanding, from a soldier willing to give no quarter. He wanted her and she knew it, and it thrilled her to be so ardently desired by the man she loved.
One of Bill's hands wound in her hair, grabbing a fist full of the chestnut strands he loved before pulling. He tugged her head back, baring her pale neck to him. Her nails digging into his back, the feeling of her clinging to him had him grinning happily against her skin. A plan began forming in his mind as kissed his way along her neck.
"Bill, I..." Laura's breathless whisper was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Bill! Laura! Are you in there?" a loud, feminine voice called, shattering the heady atmosphere. A growl was the instant response Bill gave as he dropped his head to Laura's shoulder. Ellen Tigh's voice, Laura decided, irritated her more than nails on a chalkboard.
"You promised dinner and drinks!" Saul yelled.
"Bill, if I didn't love you so much, I'd toss you out an airlock for letting them come along."
…..
Caprica
Flames danced up in the air. The smoldering fire cast its light on the faces of the mesmerized crowd. Liam's wide eyes gawked at the juggler tossing the blazing torches up in the air. Their bright orange glow arched through the air and returned to the master's hands. One of many such displays at the festival.
Liam gulped down the nectar slushie Kara had indulged him with. He grinned while standing in between Zak and Lee, enjoying the time with his brothers. Kara herself stood behind and deliberately irritated him by using his head as an armrest. He took another gulp of sugary goodness and decided to let Kara do what she wanted. An older sister with a paycheck and an indulgent attitude was allowed to tease him.
"Slow down, you're not getting any more sugar," Lee cautioned, eyeing his youngest brother. Liam glared at him and very deliberately took a long slurp and grinned when Lee's eyes narrowed at him. Then he turned to Kara and Zak.
"You're not going to let him be a spoil-sport all night, are you?" Liam asked, looking at them with big green eyes. Lee tried to shoot the others a withering look, but they seemed thoroughly immune him and thoroughly under Liam's spell.
"While the cat's away the mice will play, right Hot-Shot?" Kara asked Liam while nudging Lee as if to say, 'lighten up.' Liam giggled. Laura and Bill, AKA mom and dad, were gone for the weekend. Liam, AKA Hot-Shot, although fairly self-sufficient, was left in the care of the three stooges: Kara, Lee, and Zak.
"Come on boys, let's check out what else this festival has to offer us!" Kara laughed and linked her arm with frowning Lee's and pulled him along.
Music filled the air, festive beats from different groups all celebrating the coming of spring. Every few steps there were artists, mimes, dancers, and performers. The air smelled like a heavenly kitchen with vendors preparing every delicious and sugary thing Liam could want and Lee wouldn't let him eat. Girls with flowers in their hair celebrated Persephone, the spring goddess. However, when the Adama boys purchased a crown of flowers for Kara, she made a valid attempt to choke them all with it.
…
Leonis
Being secluded at a corner table was a relief. Ellen laughed, flirted, and chatted easily. She even winked at the waiter when he brought them a second round of drinks. Her charismatic personality was like an overflowing flute of champagne; bubbly, intoxicating, and too much. Laura cringed at how loud the woman's voice could get but noted how entranced Saul looked. The old grouch was under Ellen's spell, as deeply and blindly as ever. Ellen downed another drink in one fluid motion before she cracked a joke that was, admittedly, good enough to make them all laugh.
"So, boys, tell me what's new in the Fleet," she gushed while flipping her white blond curls over her shoulder. For a moment, Laura felt an intense irritation stir in her. She listened to how easily they laughed at Ellen's jokes and watched how the other woman relaxed and enjoyed life. If Ellen had any cares, she didn't show it. On the other hand, Laura knew she herself was reserved and polite. All the times people called her the 'ice queen' flashed in her mind. She had a wild side too, and she could have fun while in public. After a moment's hesitation, she slipped a foot out of her shoe.
"Heard Adar's called a meeting of the top brass. It'll be happening soon according to the rumors," Saul relayed while grinning at his wife like she was the only woman in the world.
"Do you have any juicy bits to add?" Ellen prompted. "Secret government messages and meetings?" Her eyes danced with mischief, and her pink painted lips quirked into a conspiratorial smile.
"Not much of a secret if everyone knows," Laura shrugged, and the eye roll she received in response was dramatic and flashy. Ellen reached for her glass and took another sip while eyeing Laura.
"You need to relax Madame Secretary… it's just us!" Ellen teased while slipping an arm around Saul's shoulders and laughing with him. A snarky comment was on the tip of her tongue, but Laura reached for her glass of wine and took a sip instead. Meanwhile, her foot, hidden by the long white dining room tablecloth, caressed her husband's leg. She could play too but was more subtle.
Bill shifted in his chair looking between Ellen and Laura with a raised eyebrow. A foot slipped along his leg up and down. Then he met Laura's teasing gaze and relaxed.
Laura smiled, enjoying her game until her foot brushed against someone else's toes that also seemed to be targeted on Bill. Three people froze in their seats for a split second before Ellen laughed. Saul seemed oblivious.
The four of them continued socializing as the night wore on. Ellen continued living as if it was her last night on Leonis and didn't think about the hangover to come. Her laughter was infectious and her energy, contagious. However, as the night wore on, Laura and Bill's smiles became more forced as they thought about sneaking back to their room.
…
Caprica
Kara and Lee watched a magician performing card tricks atop a small box. The illusions delighted the crowd around him as they followed his hands dancing over the cards.
"Impressive," Lee remarked, tucking his hands in his pockets as he stood next to Kara. Liam had wandered off after Zak who'd gone in search of funnel cake. For a moment, Lee was alone with Kara, and his eyes flicked between her and the magic display. He noted the faded jeans, purple t-shirt, and ponytail that made her look casual and effortless. She was beautiful, he decided.
"Should see what I can do with a viper. I got some magical and retina defying moves like our friend here," she boasted with a saucy grin. Lee laughed and raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was as good as she said she was. He remembered an argument he'd overheard between her and his dad; from it, Lee knew she already had more than one disciplinary notice under her belt, and it didn't seem to be a new trend for her. Something kept her in the Fleet. Retina defying moves, perhaps.
"Did we ever fly together?" Lee asked. "Did I ever see these magical moves?" His voice was teasing and almost challenging. He grinned at Kara, waiting for a response. It was rare for him to ask questions about the other timeline, but he found himself wanting to know more.
"Yea. We flew together a lot," Kara replied, a thrill running through her when he asked about their past. She could never forget all the times they were in the skies together; two vipers that rolled and glided, wheeled and spun. Perfect sync. They'd always left their troubles behind on Galactica's decks because there was no place for them in the openness of space.
"I want you to know, I'm glad I got to know you in this timeline too," Lee admitted, bobbing up on his feet slightly as he spoke and trying not to blush.
"Lee…" Kara trailed off unsure what to say.
"There's history between us. I know there has to be," Lee pushed. The time they spent together left him happy and smiling, but there always seemed to be an elephant in the room when they were together. He just didn't know what caused it and wanted to do something about it.
"Good guess," Kara muttered.
"Maybe I'm magic, too. See, I've got this thing called a brain and some decent observation skills," he teased, their banter so easy that it rolled off his tongue without much thought.
"Witty, Lee. Real witty." Kara shook her head but found the corners of her lips twitching into a matching grin. They continued watching the magician perform a series of disappearing acts, and the crowd burst into applause around them at the impressive display. Lee sidestepped over to Kara and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"And for my next trick… you're worried I'll remember. How's that for a guess?" he murmured. Kara felt her heart race and her palms felt clammy. She licked her lips and tried to reply.
"Yes. No. I dunno." She groaned at her oratory skills. "We shared some good times and had… a bond. But I'm the master of bad decisions and you had a front row seat to a lot of them," Kara explained vaguely deciding to try to be honest but not too honest.
"Whether I remember or not, there's something between us now, Kara," Lee replied feeling brave. Kara's eyes snapped up to his and for a moment she was lost, until that nagging little voice in her pointed out her many failings.
"I'm not a good luck charm, Lee," she protested.
"Apparently you're magic, though," Lee replied smoothly, he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. Kara found herself nibbling her lip nervously but didn't pull away. "I'd like to ask you…"
"Where's Liam?" Zak's voice broke the moment as he appeared behind Kara looking around. He was oblivious to how close Kara and Lee were standing, or the tense atmosphere between the two of them despite the lighthearted festival going on around them.
"We thought he went with you," Lee replied, looking around as well. Three sets of eyes now looked around, but the youngest Adama was nowhere in sight. All of them felt like an ice bucket had been dumped over them.
"You are combat ready viper jocks, expected to be able to see a Cylon raider against the black of space and keep your wingman safe, but you somehow lost track of Liam in less than five minutes!" Zak yelled, dressing down Kara and Lee as if they were first year cadets who were greener than the first leaves of spring. Somewhere in his mind, he knew it wasn't their fault, but his panic was causing him to lash out.
"Split up and look for him. Meet by the statue of Poseidon in an hour," Lee ordered, taking control of the situation. He spun around trying to guess which way his youngest brother might have gone.
They pushed through the crowds in three different directions. Their eyes darted around more wildly with each passing second looking for a flash of Liam's green sweatshirt. They listened hard for a reply as each of them began calling out Liam's name, getting louder by the minute.
….
Leonis
Laura chuckled as she thought back at the ridiculous night. The highlight of the night had to be watching Ellen shove Saul into the resort fountain after he was dumb enough to insult his intoxicated wife. It had, for all its interesting moments, been the break she and Bill needed. Now she was curled up at Bill's side, still catching her breath while running her fingers over his naked chest, drawing patterns and circles. With a contented sigh, she buried her nose in his neck, smelling sweat.
"Bill, do you ever wish I was more outgoing and fun?" Laura suddenly asked.
"And you think I'm the one to ask?" He was baffled by this unexpected question. He felt her shift against him and looked down to see her blushing face.
"Yes?" she replied hesitantly. After a moment he laughed at how absurd he found the question. "Really stoic right now, Admiral," she grumbled.
"Laura, you might not be as flamboyant as say… Ellen, but you are warm and caring and plenty of fun."
"Are you sure?" Laura asked.
"Laura, I love you the way you are. Stop overthinking. We're on vacation and supposed to be unwinding. Now… do you think you can indulge this reticent and quiet Old Man some more?" he asked.
….
Caprica
Kara darted through the crowds wildly searching for her adoptive young brother. The throngs pressed in around her, knocking into her and bouncing her around easily as she tried to maneuver around people. There had to be thousands present. Kara raced to the major attractions, any of which might have lured Liam to them. He wasn't there.
When she turned a corner, a bright red tent rose above the heads of the masses. Glowing lamps were strung around it. Kara could smell the incense wafting her way from the opened flap. It was eye-catching and inviting. She slipped over to it, shoving more than one person out of her way.
Bright rugs were unrolled on the floors, with pillows thrown everywhere. Several seers were seated on the floor with candles surrounding them. The smell of bitter chamalla tainted the air. Kara walked through the tent until she gasped in relief. A second after the relief hit, a wave of intense irritation crashed over her. A seer wrapped in bright silks had her hand wrapped around Liam's arm, and the boy looked about ready to cry.
"Liam!" Kara called, as she pushed her way through the other visitors to the oracles. His head darted up at his name and his eyes widened when he saw Kara.
"Kara!" he called, trying to wrench his arm free. The oracle made no move to release him. There on the pillows she remained, staring off into the distance wide-eyed.
"Hello, harbinger," the oracle rasped in a calm quiet voice that Kara could barely hear over the sound of the crowd outside when she reached them.
"Excuse me?" Kara snapped as she wrapped her arms around Liam in a hug before prying the seers hand off his arm. Liam turned and threw his arms around Kara, burying his face in her shirt. He was shaking. Kara glared at the oracle who still stared off in the distance.
"The Harbinger of Death and the son of the Dying Leader in our tent. It's an honor we do not deserve," the oracle said in a far-away voice.
"Frak off," Kara snapped, turning to pull Liam out of the tent. However, another oracle grabbed her. Her heartbeat pounding in her ears nearly drowned out the seer's words.
"You cannot escape your destiny, Kara Thrace. You and the two leaders have already begun walking down your path," the younger seers voice spoke in a gentle voice, almost apologetic sounding.
"The resolute protector takes the hand of victory, and together they will lead the people to the promised land. There is something coming to scorch and burn the lands, and night will stretch, dragging all into the darkness. The Harbinger of Death will lead them to their end, while the last son of Zeus helps lead the final fight," the senior most oracle chanted, at the farthest end of the tent, her voice rising over the others. Several members of the crowd had become quiet and were watching this spectacle. Unable to do much else, Kara pulled Liam along after her and raced out of the tent.
….….
Leonis
The phone call ended and Laura's hands clenched and unclenched as she paced back and forth. She felt like she was on fire, like she was a flame herself, blazing with fury. At the same time, tears were spilling down her cheeks. Bill watched, almost afraid to touch her, as if he would burn if he made contact.
They hadn't expected to get a phone call from the kids. When Kara's voice explained what happened, shaking slightly when she recounted the oracle tent debacle, they understood the reason for the call. Liam was put on the phone to talk to his parents, and they soothed him in a way only his mother and father could. They were thankful Kara had given a coherent account of the night, because Liam, in his upset state, was asking questions about dying leaders, death, prophesy, harbingers, and why the oracles seemed so focused on him and his family. It was still almost too much for Laura. Her rage nearly broke free when Liam told her about the women telling him that he had a destiny like the rest of them. They spoke for a while until Liam settled down, and Lee distracted him by offering to make a large banana split with tons of fudge. The second the phone clicked on the receiver, Laura broke.
"Whatever cosmic game we are caught in, my son can be left out of it!" she cried out in a potent mix of anger, panic, and fear. Bill carefully pulled her into his arms and felt her fists rest on his chest. "My baby, I just want my baby safe."
"I know. I know," he soothed, but his own mind didn't understand what to make of everything that had happened. The only thing he could do was try to calm Laura's fury. "We'll keep him safe," he assured her.
"I'm going to tell the President we've seen a human Cylon model we know. We'll keep Boomer herself a secret, though, because we're going to trust Sharon Valerii. We're going to trust her because she's offered to help, and I'm taking every advantage we can get." Bill nodded, understanding her reasoning. He and Laura were people who weighed the scales but also knew when to roll the hard six; Laura had just been pushed hard enough that she was willing to toss the dice.
….
Author's note: some Kara and Lee! (I'm interested in opinions on that. Will they/Won't they) This is becoming a little longer than I imagined. Whoops?
Thank you to all my reviewers! I really appreciate the love and support. Let me know what ya'll think of this latest installment!