"Starbuck, Apollo. Would you fraking cut that out?" Lee hissed.

Kara let out a giggle as she pulled her Viper out of the continuous roll she had been flying around Lee's ship. It bugged him to have her be so needlessly risky, and she knew it. "Apollo, Starbuck. Get the stick out of your ass and have a little fun."

"Remind me to throw you in the brig for general insubordination when we get back."

Kara was about to yell something along the lines of 'frak you' back at him when his Viper cut away from hers. It flipped end to end, pausing only when his Viper was flying in tandem with hers, the only difference being Lee's was upside down. He gave her one of the wide, boyish grins she had just started to get used to. It seemed like the CAG was finally loosening up.

"So, these training runs are starting to feel less like training each time we come out here," Kara pointed out as she flipped her bird to fly upside down next to him.

"I'm running out of things to teach you." Lee smiled at her, and Kara decided that looked just as beautiful upside down as right side up. "Maybe it's time to let you graduate."

Lee watched Kara's face fall and wondered what he had said wrong. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kara insisted, forcing the smile back on her face. Her relationship with Lee had gotten a little more honest since he insisted they were friends on their run a few days earlier, but she didn't think they were at the point where she could say anything that was on her mind. Plus, he probably didn't want to hear about how sad the thought of no more training runs made her feel. She had started to depend on these small chunks of time in which it was only her and Lee and a million stars.

She knew that this feeling of peace was probably what all pilots felt when they were on an uneventful CAP, and yet she knew it wouldn't ever be like this again. This feeling of bliss was somehow wrapped up in Lee's presence. She couldn't separate the two.

"So, how's the flight schedule for tomorrow?" Kara asked. She was doing her best to keep the blood flowing in her hand. It wasn't easy holding the ship so stationary, but she figured this was just another test. Lee liked to see how much determination she had. She just hoped he let her off before her whole arm cramped up.

"Not good. I can't seem to figure out how to give Pitfall a shift off."

"Why does that lucky frak get downtime and the rest of us don't?" Kara exclaimed.

"Because Pitfall's wife and children happened to be on one of the colonial shuttles that joined up with the Fleet after the attack. It's his little girl's fifth birthday. The man deserves to spend it with her."

Kara couldn't hold back the smile. It was really rather sweet that Lee was stressing himself out because he couldn't give one of his pilots a little family time. Most CAGs wouldn't be that considerate. "All right. What exactly is the problem?"

Kara listened intently while Lee started laying out the problem. These conversations had been slowly evolving from the first day they were in the air together. She had made one side comment about how fraking annoying it must be to always have to work out the pilots' flight schedules, and Lee had agreed. She quickly found out that Lee often struggled with the delicate balance of keeping the Fleet safe and finding ways to keep up pilot morale. "Why don't you shift Boomer to a double shift but give her a new ECO to break up the monotony? You could easily get Racetrack to volunteer, and I'm sure Crashdown won't mind sharing his Raptor pilot."

"Why would Racetrack volunteer?"

"Because she's been seeing some guy on the Geminon Traveler. She's going to want a little time off down the line if this guy plays his cards right."

Lee shook his head. He had no idea how Kara kept up with the gossip on Galactica, but he was grateful. "Okay, that might actually work then."

"Any other problems?"

"None that I can see right now."

"Well, you know where I am if you think of anything."

"Flying upside down in the sky?"

"Exactly." Kara waited a moment before asking, "By the way, I was just wondering if we were ever going to stop this flight maneuver?"

"Why? Is it too much for you?"

"No," Kara lied. "It's just that I know you, Lee. Next, you'll be having us do some complicated maneuver with rolls and flips and spirals. I don't want to be the one who has to tell Galactica her CAG is passed out in an Viper floating in the middle of space. It would be kind of embarrassing."

"Apollo, Galactica." Dee's voice cut through the cockpits, and Lee and Kara righted their ships automatically. "We need you to come back to the ship so your Vipers can go through their maintenance checks."

"Wilco, Galactica. Guess that means playtime is over, Starbuck."

"Only until tomorrow," she reminded him.

"I might be a little late. The President wants to meet me with me about some military policies she doesn't understand. I'll try to get done as soon as possible."

"It's okay," Kara insisted, even though it really wasn't. "It's not like you're beholden to me or anything."

"I know," Lee replied. "I just really don't want to sit in meetings all day, and I'm willing to use you as an excuse to get me out of them."

"How flattering," Kara said with a laugh. "I love it when I'm being used."

Their conversation dwindled as they both focused on their landings. Lee had challenged her to do a combat landing side by side with him a few days earlier, and they had been doing them every since. They were rather challenging and required almost complete coordination.

Kara liked them, though. They were physical evidence of what her relationship with Lee had become. It was a subtle give and take that never seemed to end. The physicality was still there, blazing red hot at the most inopportune times. Only now, there was a friendship just like Lee had said. She found herself wanting to spend a few minutes talking with him over lunch in the mess just as often as she found herself wanting to frak him in the middle of the briefing room, regardless of who was there.

They had been tiptoeing around on this thin line, but it had stopped feeling scary to Kara. She knew that they weren't going to cross it. They both loved flying too much to take the risk. That was probably one of the reasons their relationship had mellowed out a little bit into something more normal.

Kara hopped out of her Viper and handed the helmet to a nearby deckhand. Zak gave her a small wave from where he was standing, trying to fix a communication panel on a downed Raptor, and Kara smiled. Things had become normal on that front, too.

"That was a hell of a piece of flying you did out there," Cally said, walking up to run a hand along the bird.

Kara smiled. She had a soft spot for this particular deckhand. It had something to do with knowing this small girl with the tiny hands could fix a broken ship with her eyes closed. Kara couldn't help but respect that. "Thanks, Cally. It was mostly the CAG, but it's nice to hear anyway."

"You're just being humble," Cally insisted.

"No, she's just being honest," Lee said, walking up behind the pair.

Cally's face drained of color, and Kara wondered if the crew was ever going to get used to the fact that Lee was a real person who liked to join in on the fun sometimes. She had seen way too many conversations die out when Lee entered a room. She could not believe these people. They respected him so fraking much when he was in the air or teaching a class, but when they saw him in anything other than a professional mode, they were downright rude.

"Cally, there was a slight pull to the left in my ship," Lee continued. "Could you check it out?"

"Wouldn't you rather have the Chief look at your Viper, sir?"

"No, I want you to do it," Lee insisted. "You know your stuff and I'm pretty sure the Chief is busy with something else. Check out Starbuck's while you're at it."

"Yes, sir," Cally said before running off to do her job.

"I think you just made her day, Lee. Cally really doubts herself sometimes."

"I know. I probably would have asked her to look over my ship even if I didn't know she was one of the best mechanics we have right now."

Kara's eyes scanned the hangar bay before she turned to look back at Lee. "You should get moving. I'm sure that flight schedule needs to be done now that I've solved your problem."

"Thanks again for that."

"Anytime you need someone to point out how horrible oblivious you are, I'm your girl."

"You think I don't know that?" Lee said, squeezing her arm lightly before stepping around her to leave the hangar bay.

"Don't forget!" Kara yelled. "Training run tomorrow as soon as you get done with your oh-so-important meetings."

Lee rolled his eyes at her and jogged out of sight.

"That's fraking disgusting."

Kara turned to see Kat leaning up against the side of her Viper. "Excuse me?"

"I said that is fraking disgusting."

Kara could feel her hands automatically shifting into fists. She had yet to figure out how Kat had the ability to put her on edge with only a few words. "What exactly is fraking disgusting?"

"How desperate you are to get into the CAG's pants."

Kara's jaw tightened as she wondered what Kat was trying to prove here. She had been pushing Kara's buttons since they second they stepped foot on Galactica, and the only reason Kara could come up with as to why Kat was so pissed off was too stupid to even say out loud. No pilot should be angry simply because they weren't the best of the best. "I'm not trying to get into the CAG's pants." Kara figured that sounded mildly convincing, which was the best she could do when she was telling a balls-out lie. "I'm just trying to get my wings so I can start helping out around this place."

"Aren't you embarrassed at being the CAG's little pet nugget? You follow him around like he's the gods' gift to the Fleet."

"You're blind if you can't see that it's a blessing he was on board when the Cylons attack." Kara sighed. She was getting tired of defending Lee to this frakers. "You should show him a little respect, Kat. He is the man giving your boonie jumper ass a chance to prove you can hack it at Vipers."

Kat shook her head. "He's really made you into his bitch."

Kara had to fight back the urge to wipe that stupid smirk off her face. She knew that fighting was not going to solve anything. "What the frak is your problem, Kat?"

"What's my problem? What's your problem, Starbuck? Why the frak can't you just sit back with the rest of us nuggets and accept that it's going to be awhile before we're ready to hit the air on our own? Why do you have to make yourself better than everyone else?"

"I am better than everyone else. I don't have to make myself that way," Kara corrected.

"Frak you! You're no better than the rest of us. Just because you're some fraking high profile pyramid player does not earn you special treatment."

"Oh, I see how it is. You're just jealous because the CAG is giving me special attention and he barely looks at you. You have a crush. That's so cute, Kat!"

"Give me a fraking break, Starbuck. I'm not the one chasing the Captain around with my tongue sticking out and drool running down my chin."

"Nice visual," Kara said, rolling her eyes as she turned her back on the other pilot. She was getting bored with this.

"I don't see how you could be so openly hurtful to Zak," Kat started in again. "You drop him on his ass and not days later you're making a play for his brother. I knew you were a bitch, but I didn't realize you were that cold-hearted. Fraking your way through the whole Adama family? How long before you move on to the Old Man?"

"You need to stop listening to every hint of gossip that reaches your ears, Kat. You have no idea what happened between Zak and I, and you never will."

"But you don't deny you're making a play for his brother?"

Kara fought the urge to scream. She hated it when people talked in circles. "Captain Adama is my superior officer. It would be against military protocol and regulation to start a romantic relationship with him."

"That's a fine reason why you shouldn't, but you haven't given me a reason why you aren't, Starbuck." Kat's face broke out into a cruel sort of smile. "Never mind. It would be useless anyway. The CAG has a thing for Dee."

Kara felt herself stiffen despite trying not to. It still hurt inside to remember how Lee had looked at Dee on the day she first decided to give Zak a chance. She couldn't help but think she put that notion in his head.

Kat continued to stare her down as she said, "You know, it might be annoying to know the CAG doesn't have the time to pay attention to me, but it must hurt a lot more to have him pay attention but still go off to frak another woman."

Kara's fist came out before she could stop herself. Kat hit the ground rather hard, and Kara suddenly realized the whole hangar bay was watching them.

"Ensign Thrace!"

Kara's whole body tensed as the XO's voice bounced off the silent walls of the hangar bay. She was so well and truly fraked.

"Please explain why you felt it necessary to cause physical harm to one of your fellow pilots in the middle of the fraking hangar bay."

Kara turned to glare at Colonel Tigh. She could explain that Kat had made inappropriate comments and insults that were directed both to Kara and to the CAG, but she didn't think that would help much. Tigh seemed to have it in for her. He must not be a fan of pyramid.

"Fine. If you will not explain yourself now, I'll give you some time in hack so you can pull your thoughts together." Tigh motioned for the nearby Marines. "Take Kara Thrace to the hack and send word that she is off all flight schedules as of this moment."

Kara couldn't lie and say that last little bit didn't hurt. It was funny how easily flying had become a part of her. The idea of not being able to do it pulled at her heart.

The Marines led her through the corridors, and Kara couldn't help but grin at the way people were looking at her. Every single person had the same reaction. She was given a smile or a shake of the head. No one could believe she had made it this long without having herself thrown in the brig.

The cell was small and quite cold, just like everyone had told her it would be. The other compartments were empty, and Kara tried to look on the bright side. She might actually be able to get her thoughts in order now. There was only a lone Marine standing guard to witness her muttering under her breath.

She couldn't figure out what exactly had made her lash out at Kat. There were just so many options. On top of insulting Lee's ability to be a CAG and Zak's decision to end whatever he might have had with Kara, the young pilot had basically called Kara a slut. Kara wondered if the rest of the pilots believe everything they read in the tabloids. She hadn't realized it was going to be this fraking hard to live down her pyramid fame.

It took Kara well over an hour, but after much thought and denial, she finally admitted the reason she had gotten so mad at Kat was because the pilot was partially right. She had been trying to get in Lee's pants for the first week or so she was on Galactica. She had mistreated Zak, using him as a replacement for her feelings towards Lee even if it was on an consciously unconscious level. Most of all, Kat had been right when it came to Dee. It hurt Kara to know that Lee could flirt and joke with her and then go off and be with another woman. It wasn't like they had any sort of commitment to one another, at least not verbally. Still, it hurt her heart to think that one day he might just walk away from her because she could only offer him things he could easily get elsewhere.

Kara had no idea what that meant, but she was pretty sure it was the root of her problem.

"So unprovoked attacks on a military cadet? What were you fraking thinking, Starbuck?"

Kara turned to stare at where Lee leaned on the bars of her cell. "She pissed me off, sir."

Lee chuckled, though Kara could tell it was more of an annoyed gesture than actual laughter. "She made you mad so you decided to strike her hard enough to knock her out for over a minute."

"She pissed me off a lot."

"Very cute, Kara. What the frak am I supposed to do with you?"

Kara put her hands on her hips as she stepped up to the bars. She suddenly felt like she was in a staredown with the man on the other side. "You're supposed to wait until I get out of this cell and then train me to be a Viper pilot. I thought that would be evident."

Lee stared at her for a moment before stepping back with a sigh. "It seems like I'm always bailing you out."

"I never asked you to." Kara shook her head at the absurdity of it all. "I mean, frak! We don't even know each other."

She tried to ignore the small hurt look that flashed across Lee's face before he returned to his normal steely stare. "Sometimes I forget that up until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know you."

"Well, you didn't." Kara shook her head and moved to sit on the small cot in the cell. "And, honestly, you still don't."

Lee gave her a small nod. "I see."

Kara's eyes fell to the ground. She didn't know what she was aiming for by pushing Lee away. All she knew was the familiarity that was growing between them was going to get them both in trouble real soon if they didn't do something about it. She knew that Lee defined himself by his job these days, and she didn't want to risk taking that away from him. It was funny how selfless she had become since joining Galactica.

Lee took a deep breath and waited until she looked up at him to continue. "I just came to tell you that I'm not going to be able to take you up tomorrow, even if you get yourself out of hack by that time. My father needs me to help with the fallout of that Cylon attack that occurred yesterday."

"Understood," Kara said.

Lee turned to leave but only made it a few steps to the door before turning back. "Kara?" He waited until she met his eyes before he gave her a smile. "Stop trying to be the noble one. It makes you look ridiculous."

Kara was left with her mouth wide open and a complete look of shock coating every inch of her being. How the frak had he seen through her so easily? How had he known she was pushing him away for his own good?

"I look forward to it, too, Kara." Lee held her gaze for a few seconds and then stepped out of the brig.

Kara wished she could say his words made her happy. In his own way, Lee was admitting that what they had was special, at least in terms of the time they spent up in the sky. Yet a part of her said there was more to it than that. Because she not only looked forward to flying by his side, she looked forward to running by his side, teasing by his side, laughing by side, breathing by his side. Something in his words hinted that it was the same way for him, too. The fact that only he knew for sure made her only slightly infuriated and completely scared of her mind.

Lee had her terrified and he didn't even know it.