Author's note: rated M in some sections.
...
Laura's mind buzzed with subtle alarm. In her opinion she walked a very fine line between a reasonable sense of self preservation and a disproportionate paranoia, both well-honed from the situations she'd endured. It also stood to reason that the apocalypse would do strange things to a person's psyche, but Laura liked to believe that she remained balanced. She trusted her gut.
Something was wrong with her Vice President. On the Colonies, her political career had flourished in part because she read people as if they were an open book. Wally's controlled expression, with his carefully affixed and practiced smile, caused Laura's internal alarm bells to fire. Then again, her sense of danger seemed unending lately. Everywhere she went the prickling feeling that something might happen to her or her family remained with her. There were moments when she swore Charon himself stood waiting in the shadows with his flashing gaze fixed on someone she cared about. Sounds like paranoia, Roslin, she berated herself as their group exchanged acceptable public pleasantries while striding through Galactica's corridors. Paranoia or not, Laura wondered what lurked under Wally's politician's facade.
"Are you fully recovered?" she asked her Vice President as she, Wally, and Bill rounded the corner leading to the CO's quarters.
"Physically, yes. To be honest, the amnesia rattled me a bit. For a moment there, it felt like Marcie and our kids were alive again." Wally paused for a moment in the corridor and Laura watched as his shoulders sagged. Her heart went out to him; she'd known Wally and Marcie for a long, long time. She listened kindly as he spoke. "You know, I was convinced it was Damian's fifth birthday the morning before I was cured. That was a good day," Wally said and his head hung while he remembered those he'd lost in the Cylon attacks. Laura reached out and touched his arm in comfort. She sympathized with the amnesia's lasting effects: making everyone miss what was now lost or dredging up memories perhaps better left in the past.
"It's hard," she offered, knowing there was very little one could say to make grief feel better. Wally nodded and they walked on until they arrived at their destination. The President's Secret Service took up position outside the hatch while Bill approached the waiting Maya and retrieved Evelyn from her nanny; Maya had once again proven to be a fast friend and invaluable person to Laura.
"You're lucky to have them, Laura," Wally muttered as they stepped inside. He gave her a sardonic smile once inside. "You know if you release a photo of your so-called prophesied child there, there's a chance the press will be distracted from that bombshell you just dropped on them." Laura chuckled politely, wondering when he'd get to his point. After a moment of awkward silence, he continued: "So, um, any other secrets your Vice President should know about?" The edge in his tone was unmistakable. Not paranoia then, Laura decided, knowing her instincts had been spot on again in regards to her Vice President being troubled. This was more than a grieving man; there was anger and bitterness festering under the surface. She knew to proceed with caution, but decided not to dignify his dig at using her child as media fodder. She imagined Bill already glaring daggers at Wally over it. He allowed her to handle Wally though; Wally was a political issue.
"No secrets that I can think of," she offered and motioned for Wally to make himself comfortable on the couch with her. Laura lowered herself, smoothing her skirt into place and crossing lean legs at the ankles. She kept her back straight and her face still, giving nothing away besides the methodical grace she conveyed. The years conditioned her into using a dignified facade to portray strength and confidence. Bill had stoic control while she had poise. "Do we need to speak more privately?" Laura asked and she caught a low rumble of displeasure from Bill. Wally held up a hand.
'The Admiral might as well stay. I'm sure you'd talk about everything I say anyway. Might as well make it easy."
"Wally…"
"For now, it is what it is, Laura. Is it strange to have the head of the military and head of the civilian government married? Well, yes. You two are effectively one of the most powerful couples ever in Colonial history. We all know the newspapers call you Zeus and Hera for a reason," Wally sighed and shrugged. Laura tried to digest the bitterness in his tone. He scooted forward on the couch and looked her in the eye. "Now, I think it's time to put our cards on the table."
"Alright, I'm listening." She studied Wally as he took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again. His face hardened and Laura braced herself, foretelling that their conversation wasn't going to be either pleasant or easy. "Wally, whatever it is—"
"Richard told me a story once, years ago, after you were kidnapped off Caprica," he began and Laura felt her husband step up close behind her as if he could ward off the unpleasant memories of her abduction and subsequent ordeal at Cavil's hands. Another time we almost lost each other, she thought, but kept straight-faced and gritted her teeth while Wally spoke. She kept those memories in the farthest recesses of her mind and they weren't welcome for examination or reflection. Bill's hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly, but it rested there grounding her in the now. I'm here, he was telling her, and so are you. He made it easier to listen to Wally but Laura dreaded what information Richard Adar had divulged to him.
"And after you were rescued, Richard told me everything, Laura. He spun this whole wild story about how you knew the future and were certain Cylons would be back. At first, I thought he was joking, but he was more troubled than I'd ever seen him. We had some drinks and the story just poured out of him."
"Sounds ridiculous," Laura deflected with her own forced smile even as she felt herself go pale.
"It did, and yet look at where we—"
"—he'd had a lot to drink?"
"Yes, and it was still a convincing tale. Look where we are now. And there have been strange things about you, Laura. I remember those early days together in the mayor's office. You were always so quiet, polite, and dignified, but you had the saddest eyes after your family—"
"Your point?" she asked in a low tone. There were some memories no one was allowed to pull out except for her. She felt Bill's thumb rubbing a subtle circle against her shoulder, a simple action that promised his unending support. He was the only one allowed to bring them up, and only very, very rarely.
"Well, it seemed strange when the person who so valued their freedom, made it clear they weren't looking for a relationship or children, and guarded their heart so carefully for so long, one day came home married and completely different. I remember thinking how it looked like you'd come alive again, like before your—" Laura narrowed her eyes at him, ordering him in a single look not to bring up the car accident and her dead family. "Well, suddenly, you'd come into your own. And your political intuition was never wrong. It was eerie. The whole thing left Richard's head spinning. You know he never stopped being mad that you'd run off with someone who didn't even seem your type. No offense," he gave a nervous laugh and glanced up at Adama. Wally seemed to shrink back on the couch under the older man's intense stare.
"It's my ring on her finger," Bill replied simply, but Laura felt the possessiveness radiating off him. She allowed it. He'd never been the overly jealous or possessive type, but there were definite times he wanted the world to know exactly who she'd chosen. There were also times she felt the exact same way. He was hers, so she reached up and covered his hand with her own. She considered Wally's words; no, Bill hadn't been her type at all with his authoritarianism and rougher looks. Wally was also right that in those early years she'd had so many defenses in place around her heart that no one could get close. She'd refused to open herself and risk being hurt. Richard had been kept at a safe distance, unlike she and Bill who were pulled together like a pair of magnets. But in Bill, Laura had found deeper love than she'd ever imagined, so yes, she proudly wore his ring.
"Did you know how we thought about staging an intervention to protect you from a stranger's intentions?" Wally asked with a dry laugh. Bill bristled behind her, appalled at the idea of Richard and Wally protecting his wife from him.
"It never would have made a difference. Now where are you going with this?" Laura asked.
"He wasn't a stranger was he? Richard told me he was in part of your future tale too. Suddenly, the story clicks. It all makes sense now. The things you used to predict, the man you married, and this Fleet. You both knew about the attacks."
Laura looked up at Bill who held Evie with one arm while his other hand rested on her shoulder. Her story seemed too incredulous for Richard to have dared to share it with others, and she found herself rather miffed at his neglect to mention having told Wally. Laura swallowed hard and looked back at her old colleague. She shook her head, wondering what she could say to the man now grieving for his lost family again.
"Just tell me! We were friends once, dammit!" Her Vice President's outburst caused Laura to jump again.
"We knew," she admitted quietly. Her nerves were fraying and she desperately needed a good night's sleep. She pressed on. "We worked for years to prevent this from happening again…" Wally jumped to his feet, cutting off Laura's explanations. He stared down at her while Laura looked up at him sadly. She watched him rub a weary hand over his face.
"Marcie was your friend, Laura. Frak… you were at our wedding. You knew my children. They're all dead and you're telling me you knew about the attacks and didn't tell us? Didn't help them?"
"We tried to stop it," Bill groused, itching to step between them and prevent his stinging words from reaching Laura. The Fleet had been denetworked. The President had been informed. The defense grid remained uncompromised. Sketches of the known Cylons were released to prevent their infiltration into sensitive positions. The calculating machines simply found a new plan to annihilate them. What did people want from them? For all Wally's talk of them being labeled Zeus and Hera, Laura and Bill remained fallible humans.
"We did our best," Laura whispered and felt the weight of grief settle on her shoulders for all their people had lost. "I've always done my best."
"Sure looks like it," Wally snapped as he looked at the newborn Bill held. He turned back to Laura. Wally's accusation sliced right through her and into her heart. Her stomach rolled and for a moment she felt like she might have been sick if she'd eaten anything that day. She forced herself to breathe as Wally kept speaking. "You should have told me. Marcie could be here now. But they're all…" Laura felt hot tears pricking her eyes as she remembered her dead friend. She'd tried. What did people want from her? She tried to remember it was also Wally's grief talking, but it was lost under the anger he directed at her. "That Cylon Raptor pilot, Lieutenant Valerii, and her sister copy that pregnant Cylon in sickbay, you trust them because of all these damn secrets you know. Right?" Wally asked slowly.
"Yes," Laura sighed. She felt too tired to get to her feet and face Wally head on. "But they've proven their worth here too. And you heard what the Admiral said to the press. If we thought them a genuine threat, they'd be eliminated without question."
"Adar thought he could make friends with the Cylons and prevent all this. But they committed genocide under the guise of those Peace Accords. And now you're trusting some Cylons. They're all dangerous. They should all be killed."
"It's complicated."
"No. It's not. And it seems to me knowledge of the future doesn't change it. You've known this was coming and this is the best we could do?"
"You should see what we could have been left with," Laura said sadly. Their survivors seemed impossibly high compared to the other timeline, and they had ships numbering in the triple digits. A shadow of the Colonial Military Fleet survived. They had stockpiled resources to keep their people alive. They'd established Fleet Security to keep the peace on ships and the black market remained under control. How could she explain how desperate things had once seemed? One had to live it. "Wally, this is better than the future we once had. Trust me."
"No, thanks. I'm done following Richard and you. Your plans didn't work. So, I'm going to run for office. I'm going to run for President in the upcoming elections. We need something new. We need not to rely on any Cylon ever. And we need to know that the military isn't controlling the civilian government through you." Wally looked down at her. "You don't have to run, Laura."
Laura felt a strange sense of foreboding at his declaration, but she pushed the memories of another election back. "I have a job to do, Mr. Vice President, and I will do it for as long as I am able. Thank you for informing me of your intentions," Laura said coldly and finally stood, a clear indication that his time was done. They shared a hard look with each other, now two opponents sizing each other up. Without further ado, Wally turned and stepped out of the hatch.
Laura turned and reached for Evie, and Bill handed their child to her but kept an arm wrapped around her for support. She knew he felt her sadness and anger, but she felt that familiar desire to become detached from everything as she sometimes had. She cradled Evie against her chest and felt bitter at the time she spent away from her daughter because she had to keep the Fleet going. Bill seemed to sense her thoughts.
"You don't have to run, Laura. We've been down this road already. It's not fair to be asked to do it again…"
"Was it really fair the first time?" she asked. "I gave them everything once, Bill. I was dying and I chose to live my last months all for them and then they chose Baltar because he promised them a stupid, shortsighted fantasy on New Caprica. Now another election? I've been pulled back in so many times now. When is enough enough?"
She so rarely stopped to consider the cost saving humanity had on her own soul; even after they betrayed her by choosing a scam artist's folly over her devotion, Laura stayed with them. Bill shook his head. "Laura, you've earned the right to step away if you want. I don't want to lead the Fleet with anyone else, but if you've had enough then you've had enough."
"And yet,
I still believe I have a duty to them." Laura looked up at him with a soft smile. "You know, Wally's right. You changed me. Having a husband and children, that kind of connection once seemed too deep and too powerful to risk. The idea of losing any of you… it scares me more than anything. I don't think I can trust anyone else to lead the Fleet, no matter how self-assured that sounds. I have to run no matter how much I don't want to."
…
Laura's panicked gasp woke Bill from the light sleep he'd fallen into after taking his night shift when baby Evelyn called. He'd jumped up when her hungry whimpers started, and for a brief moment he lingered on how insane it was that people his and Laura's age—and with their jobs—were going another round with parenthood. But he loved his daughter and was delighted to have her with them. He'd tried to keep quiet so that her exhausted mother could sleep. Bill had hoped tonight Laura would finally sleep through the night, but he heard the change in her breathing and some groggy mumbling. She'd awoken.
She squirmed next to him, her movements slow and careful as she tried not to disturb him. Her fingers brushed against his chest as she maneuvered her hands. A quick study of her movements and he realized she was searching for something. Her hands poked and touched her flesh as her breath hitched.
His heart dropped when he realized how her hands were searching her breasts, examining them for any sign of a tumor. He placed his hands on hers, stilling her movement. She gasped, startled by his touch.
"You're alright, Laura," he promised and opened his eyes to look at her. They'd heard the doctor pronounce her healthy after delivering Evie. Cottle never passed up the chance to give her a thorough exam. Despite that knowledge, her distress hung palpably in the air.
"It still haunts my dreams," she admitted.
"Dreams or visions?" he asked carefully. Her unconscious world too often proved a dangerous beacon of things to come. After being married to her for so long, his atheist mind couldn't deny that simple truth. Laura looked away, aware that her dreams of cancer weren't the most reassuring bits of information for him to hear. Bill noticed how she hated bringing him any distress by mentioning her former curse. He realized she herself abhorred thinking about that aspect of her former life.
"No, no. Just another regular nightmare," she said even as her body shuddered. "It's nothing, Bill. Go back to sleep."
An audible growl of frustration escaped. He really didn't like it when she tried to dismiss him from caring for her. She sometimes did it anyway when she suppressed her feelings as if she could push them into a box and store them away like files hidden in Galactica's archives. But Bill Adama had survived seventeen years of marriage to the worlds' most frustrating, strong-willed women by being able to read her well and knowing when to press and when to retreat and run for the high hills like a scared Cylon.
"It's not nothing to you," Bill replied in a kind, low voice. With the utmost care, he touched her. "There's nothing there, Laura. You're safe."
"Am I? Are we?" she asked, now allowing him a glimpse of her vulnerability; it had been right to push. During the last timeline, it took a long time for her to accept his love but she'd started letting down the walls around her heart and allowed him to care for her even in her moments of deep vulnerability. Even so, there were still times when she slipped into her old self-contained habits. He knew she trusted him with so much, but he was fully aware that she was also holding in a lot of feelings: between her feelings about his amnesia and Wally's betrayal, he could practically feel Laura's thoughts spiralling as she lay beside him.
"If not, we'll face it together," he rasped and laced their fingers together. Laura finally looked up at him and he could see a calm settling over her; they both knew there was nothing they could not solve together. She shuffled over to cuddle against him and he wrapped both of his arms around her. There was a stab of pride in his heart at being allowed to cherish and shelter this strong woman who rarely asked for anything. Out of his many achievements and accolades, it was earning Laura's belief in his ability to care for her and their family that would always stand above the rest.
He felt her breathing slow down as his calloused hands stroked up and down her spine. He chuckled when Laura let out a little hum when he brushed the sensitive spot on the small of her back. So predictable, he thought. It was the same place he'd found and reached for while walking through the corridors of Galactica, dancing at state banquets on Caprica, and while sneaking through tent city on New Caprica. A sensitive little spot that sent shivers up her spine and caused her to give him a secretive little smile every time he rested his hand there.
So he rested his hand there and her rigid body slowly relaxed at the familiar gesture. Taking notice of her body, he noticed how much weight she'd lost. Her body should still show signs of carrying a baby, but she seemed small.
"Are you alright, Laura?' he asked but when he looked down he could only see her mass of red hair which gleamed copper in the little light.
"I am now," she said, lifting her head to meet his eyes and smile. She rested her chin on his chest.
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, Bill. After everything, the only thing I'm ever sure of is this," she told him, leaning forward to kiss his nose.
"If you want to talk—"
"I have a better idea," she murmured and kissed him. He wondered if she realized how she traced the line where his old scar had been. Heat gathered under his skin when she continued to kiss his neck. He gave a quiet groan from behind clenched teeth. His stared at the curly hair he loved so much while his hands started moving again of their own accord. She was talented and attentive, and it was as potent a combination as ever, making him lose his mind. "Something to get our minds off everything."
"And what might that be, Madame President?" he asked and smiled when Laura nipped the skin of his neck at his use of formal address.
"A good frak," she said bluntly. After a surprised bark of laughter, Bill supposed his second greatest achievement would be his ability to keep up with his redheaded vixen wife and keep her thoroughly satisfied. After running her fingers through his hair, she brought his mouth to hers for a teasing, featherlight kiss. His 'naive little schoolteacher' had very few reservations about wanting sex or him, and he loved her lack of inhibitions. That and, well, the fact that she found him desirable. Still, they hadn't been intimate since Evie had come along. She needed time to recover.
"Are you—"
"Yes, I'm sure. I want to feel nothing but you," she said. She gave him a tired but saucy grin meant to entice. "Now, are you up to the challenge, Admiral?"
He briefly wondered if it was a good idea and held her challenging gaze for a moment.
"Laura?" he asked in a gravelly voice.
"What are you waiting for?" she teased, and he dove in to kiss her until his lungs burned for air. It had been another long night and he was tired and old, but there was no way he wasn't picking up the gauntlet she'd thrown down. After a quick breath, he was on her in a heartbeat. He wouldn't deny her when she looked at him with those needy green eyes. Besides, randy women didn't intimidate him.
...
She didn't want to talk. She wanted to feel. To Laura, his touch was a balm for her turbulent emotions. She wanted to push her dark thoughts to the side and be overwhelmed in a better way. She had always enjoyed frakking, so what better way to release some of the feelings that she was trying so hard to control? His soothing touch on her breast, his caress against her back, those feelings were what she wanted. No talking, she decided. He didn't need unnecessary distress, and she'd rather feel close to him.
Intelligent and pragmatic, Laura knew that sex could only temporarily banish her darker thoughts, but she craved connection to the man she loved. Even in the wake of her nightmare, she found him so powerful that her troubles faded into a misty background from where she was convinced they couldn't bother her. She teased her husband into another passionate kiss, and Bill responded to her, kissing her lips, her jaw, and her neck.
Her longtime partner knew exactly how to work her up, but Laura was slow to feel the usual heat surging through her veins. Still, she pulled his head to the curve of her neck to whisper words of encouragement into his ear. Holding him close was what she needed to remind her that they weren't trapped in that other timeline, and he was safe with her again. She touched him as she knew he liked until he pulled at her nightdress, tugging it over her arms and discarding it on the floor. Yanking and pushing at his clothes, she didn't stop until they were both naked. Heat flowed in waves off him and she pressed against him, wanting as much contact as possible. Her devoted husband closed his arms around her like an indomitable fortress.
Laura swallowed whatever seemed stuck in her throat as her husband looked at her with absolute love and passion in his gaze. His thumb rubbed small circles right over where she'd dreamed her tumor had returned. For a moment, her nightmare flashed in her mind: her cancer had come back and she was running through the ship, trying to find her husband. She shuddered, remembering how her screams of his name had echoed against the corridors, but he hadn't appeared.
She arched into him and let every part of her body feel how solid and real he was. Despite her twinges of uncertainty, he made her feel good and she willingly opened herself to him while trying to ignore the darker thoughts pushing in on their moment. Instead, she focused on the way his thick hair felt in her fingers, tugging at the strands in the way that drove him wild.
He responded by easily flipping her onto her back. He groaned against her lips when she whispered his name and raked her nails along his shoulder blades. But when his hands moved lower, she felt strangely disconnected, like he was touching someone else. Her body wasn't quite keeping up with what her mind wanted. It reminded her of the times she was dying and her body refused to cooperate with their lovemaking. In the next moment, the feeling had passed as he handled her body with expert precision.
Bill leaned over her and kissed her forehead, nuzzling her brow with a seemingly infinite affection.
"I love you so, so much. You know that, right?" she asked in a husky voice.
"I love you too," he said before he continued to caress and love her body. Whatever else, this felt right and good, and she focused on showing him the deep feelings in her heart she couldn't always put in words. Tracing the planes of his face, over the scars she knew by heart, she promised that she felt ready. Their eyes locked as he leaned over her, and Laura could almost tangibly feel the connecting linking them forever. He joined to her with a tenderness that tore at her heart. She'd been too impatient, but she covered her whimper of pain with a small hum. He moved slowly, wanting to be gentle with her and making her feel he believed he held the greatest treasure. Feeling tears welling up, she hid her face in his neck and hoping that he didn't notice her rollercoaster of emotions. She let her hands glide over his muscled back, savoring the sensation between them. For Laura, the knowledge that this dangerous, sometimes harsh and unemotional man bared himself to her, chose her to be his lover, his support, and wife, was as erotic as his touch. She surrendered to just being together. Her heart thundered in her chest. Each move he made was a reminder that they were alive and they were happy. He read her well and whispered caring endearments in the deep voice that drove her mad. It was as if he knew she needed an extra push to fall over the edge.
When they were both spent, he rolled them to their sides, but didn't release her. She felt his eyes searching her and she realized that tears were running down her cheeks.
"Laura? Are you ok? Hurt or—"
"No, no. I'm ok," she promised, in a sleepy, sex-roughened voice. "I'm not sure that I'll make sense tonight, Bill," she managed, and silently begged him to not ask questions. In his eyes she saw how he understood her and she didn't resist when he drew her back into his arms and pulled the blankets over them.
"Alright," he said, willingly giving her what she asked for. She situated herself into her favorite spot against him. Resting together was intimate, comforting, fulfilling. The real world might spiral out of control and present infinite dangers, but here in Bill's arms, nothing felt amiss. She didn't want to leave.
"You do worry me sometimes, Laura," he sighed as they drifted off to sleep.
…
Despite Wally grumbling that such a meeting would have been more properly held on Colonial One, the leaders of the Fleet gathered together in Galactica's Ward Room. The most formal and decorated room on Galactica, with the flags of the Twelve Colonies around the room, it provided an acceptable backdrop for the meeting. Wally just didn't appreciate the preference given to Galactica. Arranged in a half-circle around the raised briefing dais, they listened to one another's reports. Battlestar Commanders read their readiness sitreps while Chief Presidential Aide Keikeya summarized the condition of the civilian Fleet on behalf of the President.
Bill Adama boiled the status reports down to one conclusive point—the Fleet needed to get on the move again. When the disease temporarily thinned the military ranks, there remained no better option than to hide in the nebula. Hidden by the gasses, the ships remained there as the Fleet returned to operating strength.
Bill took care to praise Admiral Cain's decision to preserve the Fleet and not to press on, jumping until they were detected by Cylons. If the enemy found them when the military couldn't even put a full CAP in the air, it would have meant game over. The decision surprised him, but Cain seemed to be turning a new and far more humane leaf. Cain responded to her commanding officer with a crisp nod of acknowledgement at his praise, but her lips nearly twitched into a full smile. For a moment, Bill saw the orphaned Tauron girl behind the Admiral's pins whose brutality and ruthlessness allowed little room for human connection. Still, when Cain glanced at the President, Bill suspected he'd missed a few heated rows between the two iron-willed women while he'd been out of commission. It would have been a clash to behold, especially as both remained standing at the end. He enjoyed watching someone realize that Laura was made of sterner stuff than people gave her credit for.
"—corrosive nature of the gases is the cause of the compromised hull integrity in over half the ships of the Fleet," Gaeta reported as he gestured to a diagram of their hideout's noxious composition. While obscuring them from DRADIS, their nebula proved to have its downfalls. Gaeta continued, "Hull breaches have forced several ships to evacuate their affected compartments. Micro-breaches are also threatening several more ships. The longer we stay here the worse the effects are going to get," he concluded and stood at parade rest, waiting for questions or dismissal.
"Thank you, Mr. Gaeta," Bill dismissed him and Gaeta shuffled over the plush blue carpet and took his seat in the U shape setup. Bill contemplated the briefing and his officer. Galactica's Officer of the Watch proved as capable and efficient as ever. Even though he appeared to be nothing more than an eager officer who performed each duty asked to him with the eagerness of any junior officer trying to prove himself, Bill remembered how people were capable of anything. Bill recalled the mutiny in sharp clarity due to recent events, yet the kid before him wasn't so disillusioned and hurt to be capable of betrayal. Bill glanced at some of the attendants: Admiral Cain, Gaius Baltar, Felix Gaeta, and now Wallace Grey. Why can't the Cylons be the only threat we need to worry about, Bill wondered.
Commander Ziegler, the Valkyrie's CO, cleared his throat before speaking. "So it seems that when we come down to it, the time has come to cut and run," he said. He flipped through the typed briefings prepared for the meeting. "You know, by a quick calculation, most of our FTL drives are capable of making the jump straight to Fallback Omega."
"Fallback Omega?" Wally asked. Bill sat up straighter, folding his hands on the desk in front of him and gave Ziegler a withering look. Ziegler had the decency to shift uncomfortably in his seat and drop his eyes back down to the reports when he realized that, until just then, the Vice President was unaware of Fallback Omega. At Wally's question, the room fell so silent they could hear the ruckus of viper jocks knocking each other around in the corridors.
Bill inclined his head toward Laura in order to speak with his President, but he noted how she appeared frozen although her hands clasped in her lap quaked. The muscle in her jaw twitched, a tick he picked up on during their relationship that let him know when was forcing herself to stay composed. He didn't blame her. With smaller, slower ships in the Fleet they wouldn't have arrived at Fallback Omega until after the elections. They had planned on the planet that once spelled trouble being safely unknown until after the presidential elections.
"I know it's not what we wanted, but I'm not sure we have a choice," he murmured close to her ear, and tried not to notice how tangled her chestnut waves appeared.
"Choice?" she huffed but her dry voice was so low only he could hear.
"Fallback Omega, Madame President? Admiral?" Wally pushed impatiently.
"Tell him," she ordered. Bill could have decked Wally. He wanted to offer his wife a solution that didn't drag their Fleet back to that frakkin' planet until the fickle populace cast their votes. He summoned his self control, ready to explain, but fixed Wally with a stare that pinned the man to his chair and kept him quiet. Laura took a deep breath of recycled air as her knuckles turned white from how tightly she clasped her hands. Her face remained devoid of emotion though and she looked coldly at Wally while Bill spoke.
Bill informed Wally and the other civilians present—people like Laura's aides, Billy and Tory—about Fallback Omega, the hidden military base beyond the Red Line of known space. While he obfuscated many of the true details only those who remembered the previous timeline would understand, Bill Adama spun a convincing tale. His story included some scientists who explored beyond the Red Line and accidentally discovered a hidden planet during an FTL malfunction. The Defense Secretary Hectar, believing in the inevitability of a Cylon attack, realized the tactical advantage of a planet not unreasonably far from the Twelve Colonies. He and Adama, the highest military ranked person who remembered the other timeline, concocted a plan to establish a small outpost there. Should the worst happen, humanity could regroup and resupply at Fallback Omega before deciding either to counterattack or to find a new home. Bill left out how he and the Defense Secretary hid the plan from Adar, using the facade of a washed-up Admiral to hide the mission from all put those handpicked for their trustworthiness. Under Adama's command, ships were dispatched to establish the base and a selection of flag officers informed of its existence. Before more officers could be told, the Cylons had attacked.
"What the actual frak," Wally whispered and rubbed a hand over his face. "The military sat on this bit of information and didn't let as many civilian captains as possible know about it? What were you—"
"Clearly we're thinking of the survival of humanity," Commander Tigh cut in, standing by his longtime friend and losing patience for the Vice President. Saul shook his head and covered his mouth to smother the patronizing laugh threatening to bubble up while muttering something about pampered civilians.
"But—"
"You think a bunch of civvies can keep their mouths shut? When some Cylon bastards came ripping apart their ships and personnel, a civilian captain wouldn't have sold that bit of information to the Cylons to try and save their ass?" Cain hissed.
"There are enough Colonial captains who would turn over their own mothers when Centurions came calling," Ziegler added.
"It was a military decision," Bill said.
"Someone has the support of the military," Wally muttered so that only the Fleet Admiral and the President could hear. His Presidential bid hadn't been welcomed by the military who didn't welcome giving up the strategic value of nepotism.
Laura squared her shoulders and addressed the room. "We'll evacuate the smaller ships. As soon as it's done, we'll make the jump before too many of our ships are damaged," she informed them in an authoritative voice. Her sharp tone effectively ended the near-fight brewing between the members of the meeting. She turned to Billy. "Get a list of ships that can make the jump and we'll coordinate evacuating the other ships."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Fine. Well, now that Fallback Omega has taken care of the Fleet's immediate problem, I think the Quorum would appreciate it if we addressed the elephant in the Fleet. Let's talk about the Cylon experiment in Galactica's sickbay," Wally said as if causally igniting a stick of dynamite. Bill narrowed his eyes at Wally, wondering how long he'd kept this now-revealed bitterness contained.
Bill reached out and took a long drink of the water in front of him, giving him a moment to think. The water felt cool and refreshing, but come civilians claimed it tasted sour from the recycling process. In his opinion, civilians imagined all kinds of things. Too bad there was no way to convince the Fleet that they'd imagined the hybrid child. Between the leaked information and Laura's press conference, Pandora's box was irreversibly opened. Laura had once warned him that once released, stories risked taking a life of their own, like birds in the air. Laura beat him to an answer.
"Admiral Adama and I will make a decision about the baby in due course."
"How long will due course take? I heard last night it has born premature. If the baby survives, what is the plan? And it's my belief, Madame President, those present, including our Cylon expert there, should decide what to do with it."
The room broke into argument while Laura appeared to listen. Bill noticed out of the corner of his eye how Laura's hands moved over her stomach. They twisted in the fabric of her blouse and Bill realized how close to home Wally's words hit. He sensed that she was picturing their own premature child who struggled after being born so early. Laura never explicitly said it, but he was aware of the guilt and anger she felt at her body not holding onto their child for longer and irrationally blamed herself when she thought about how tiny and quiet Evie remained. To be fair, she hadn't been talking about much recently, and Bill frowned.
"What are you suggesting? That we throw it out an airlock?" Baltar shrieked.
"Are we really suggesting tossing a baby out an airlock, though?" Even Cain appeared queasy at that idea. Wonders never ceased.
"That is what our President supposedly does with Cylons!"
"If I wanted to toss the Cylon out an airlock I'd do it. But, that's not on the table for the baby," Laura said evenly.
"Good to know infanticide isn't on the table," Baltar growled and he threw a glare at Laura that remained unnoticed. She spared the scientist very little attention.
"Cylons went through a lot of trouble to create this baby," Ziegler pointed out.
"Do I have to point out it's not a baby, it's a machine," Wally said.
"Half machine, half human!" Baltar countered.
"There's another factor to consider here. There's a chance Cylons are hidden in the Fleet. The disease was artificial, it had to come from somewhere. Their Fleet keeps finding us. We might know what they look like, but who's to say we've found them all."
"They figure out this hybrid's been born, they'll make a play for it." Cain said, her voice cutting through the others.
"There's plenty of civilians who'd like to get their hands on it too," Wally growled.
Laura glanced at Bill, as if to point out how she'd tried to avoid this in the last timeline. She raised a tired eyebrow, asking him if he had a better idea than her last one. He dipped his head slightly, his only acknowledgment that he saw the benefit of the choice she made in the previous timeline to kidnap and hide Hera. He realized her attempts at protecting Hera had at least been pragmatic. Laura broke eye contact first, and he noticed her hands still resting on her stomach.
"I'm not separating a child from its mother until given a damn compelling reason to do so. For now, I believe she can be kept protected on Galactica," she held up a finger to Wally, cutting off his impending protest and telling him to keep quiet until she was done. "I will concede to monthly briefings on her state to the military and the Quorum. Now if that's all? Shall we return to our ships?"
Laura stood; their President was clearly done with the meeting. Following protocol, the rest of them rose as well, but they'd also had their fill of bickering for the day. When Laura turned and left first, Bill wasted no time in following her, surprised by her decision.
"Laura," he called out, catching up to her in the corridor. She turned, but didn't quite meet his gaze. She studied the passing personnel who passed by the dull grey walls.
"I should get to Colonial One," she muttered. "Can't spend all my time on Galactica."
"That was a big change you made."
"A mother shouldn't be separated from her child. Besides, you came to trust Sharon, and we know Hera is a good child."
Bill noticed the other personnel filtering out of the Ward Room and coming toward them. Wally would be in their midst, and Bill felt his nerves tingle in suppressed irritation.
"I'll walk you to your shuttle," he said, gesturing for her to continue walking. Laura folded her arms, but nodded and strode down the corridor. He filled the silence with a private report on Sharon's secret raptor mission to the last known location of the Original Hybrid. He'd sent her there once the data disk they'd retrieved from the archives was decoded and it confirmed the orb's last known location was with that Hybrid. According to the last timeline, the Original Hybrid should have been at the remnants of a supernova, but Sharon found no waiting Basestar.
"So we're also no closer to finding the Orb," Laura sighed, and fell silent, not offering any further conversation on her own. Bill tried not to study her too much out of the corner of his eye.
"Have I gone bald again Bill?" she asked when he was caught staring.
"Not funny, Laura," he huffed, although he realized how much he missed her laugh. She hadn't even giggled much recently. "Are you sure you're—"
"I'm fine, Bill. Just thinking about Hera," she paused at the ladder that would lead her to her waiting shuttle. "Shouldn't they get a chance to be a family, like we did?"
"We still are."
A smile finally bloomed onto Laura's face, softening her previous tension. "Yes, we are."
"I understand why you did it last time. I was angry you didn't tell me and angry that it happened."
"You're too damn noble sometimes, you know that, right?" she asked and after giving him a look over her glasses, she turned and ascended the ladder before he could retort. Her long legs in a pencil skirt climbing the ladder in front of him didn't create conducive conditions for their usual repartee. Jarred out of his starring by the scamper of arriving footsteps, he moved out of the way when Billy came rushing around the corner with a briefcase in hand. The two men exchanged glances.
"Keep an eye on her?" Bill asked in a low voice.
"Always," Billy said, blushing as he started up the ladder next.
…
For two days Laura endured the incessant yammering of ship captains as they abandoned ships deemed too unstable for continued use. People complained about the increasingly cramped conditions of the Fleet. In response, Laura conducted a personal survey of the worst affected ships and worked with captains to find solutions. She believed in observing conditions firsthand, and appreciated having the strength to do such tours. She'd just neglected to mention her planned visits to the Admiral.
Bill hated what he believed to be her unnecessarily putting herself in danger, and she argued that her trips were a necessary gesture from their leader. They argued. He'd phoned her secret service commander and personally told them to keep her safe. Laura had snatched the phone and warned him that he verged on being overbearing. In her mind, she acknowledged her recent odd behavior and knew he only acted out of concern. She noticed that the more ordinary she tried to act, the stranger she felt. At times it felt like she was playing an elaborate game of pretend as she acted out what a president should do. As a result the people saw a poised and caring president. Laura felt like she was constantly keeping her emotions in check. She believed keeping busy at least prevented her mind from having the time to reach for lurking dark thoughts.
Without fail, at the end of each day she returned to Galactica with frayed nerves. Just like the previous two days, Laura's heels clicked along Galactica's deck as she headed home. Throughout her body every muscle throbbed from being wound tighter than a drum. That day as she toured less familiar ships, every strange noise made her jump. Guess I am paranoid, she thought. What is wrong, this isn't me!
The papers commended her visits. The papers condemned her previous secrecy concerning Hera. The polls showed Wally had popular ideas. The polls proved the people believed in her. Her life jolted her around like a rollercoaster. Her mind swirled like a vortex of gale-force winds and punishing debris.
One foot in front of the other, Laura told herself. Controlling each breath, she stroked Evie's soft tuft of hair having collected her daughter from Maya. She counted her daughters fingers and toes over and over again, and it grounded her for the moment.
Laura kicked off her heels the second she stepped through the hatch and her aching body embraced all the sensory cues that told her she was home and safe. Only a few steps in the hatch, she dropped her briefcase and breathed in the musky smell of leather and books. Careful of the baby strapped to her chest, she eased out of her blazer and fully intended to drop it on the plush carpet on her way to the rack, creating a haphazard trail from the hatch to the bed.
"Long day at the office, huh?" A woman's teasing voice caused Laura to gasp and jump, startling the baby. Evelyn squirmed against her startled mother, while Laura pinched the bridge of her nose. Her heart raced against her chest from the unexpected people in their quarters.
"Kara," she sighed and looked at the three people sitting at the table who'd gone unnoticed. Lee shot Kara a warning look while Bill's worried gaze swept over her. He stood in order to make his way to her. Swatting her husband's hands away from the baby, Laura swallowed hard and hoped her heart would settle down soon. "It's good to see you both," Laura said and gave Lee and Kara a smile. A mother should be happy to see her children, and it sounded better than the irritable remarks her high-strung mind wanted to make.
"The kids have some news," Bill said, guiding her toward the table.
"You wanna tell her or shall I?" Kara asked, looking at Lee.
"Clearly, you have such a way with words."
"You know I'm talented," Kara laughed, and Laura kept the smile plastered on her face. "So," their hot-shot viper pilot said and turned to her. "After that stupid amnesia disease, we were talking. We should be seizing every moment we can in this timeline, especially if that frakkin' planet is coming up."
"We made mistakes in the other timeline. It was good to look back though, and talk through some things that happened," Lee said. Kara blushed, as if embarrassed at the admission she'd talked through her problems. "So we decided it's time to stop wasting time and set the date to get married. We decided on the day after tomorrow, before we jump to that 'frakkin' planet,'" Lee said and turned his blue eyes to his stepmother whose smile had become very genuine.
"I'm happy for you both," she said.
"Neither of us could be prouder," Bill added.
"And you'll give me away?" Kara asked, giving her pseudo-father the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes Laura had ever seen.
"Of course!"
"And you'll come to the bachelorette party tomorrow?"
"Come again?"
...
Author's note: Is something wrong with Laura? I love hearing back from my lovely, lovely readers. Hope ya'll are doing well.