Kara was about halfway into rifling through this Janik woman's things like the Admiral had asked her to when she finally looked up. Lee was standing towards the entrance to the hangar bay staring at her. She gave him a small smile before she could stop herself.

Lee's eyes narrowed, and he turned quickly to leave the hangar bay.

"Finish looking through this, would you, Duck?" Kara said, already stepping away from the assignment. She rushed out into the corridor and was able to catch up to Lee towards the end.

"Is there something you wanted, Lieutenant?" Lee asked through gritted teeth.

Kara cleared her throat. "Haven't seen much of you since your space walk, sir."

"I've been busy helping patch this Fleet back together."

"You've spent a lot of time with the President, too," Kara whispered.

Lee paused in his steps. "She's dying, Kara."

"I know. I wasn't pointing it out as a bad thing. It was just an observation."

"She'd probably want to see you. For some reason, she seems to have taken a liking to you against her better judgment."

She was completely thrown off as Lee's cruel words cut her to the bone. He had no reason to be treating her like this. She had been very careful to do everything he wanted or expected of him since they returned from Caprica. The only way she could keep sane was having this status quo between them. "I'll be sure to see the President today, then."

"Don't put it off, Kara. Some people don't like having to wait for you."

Kara nodded. She figured she deserved that one. "Seriously, Lee, I haven't seen a lot of you in the past few weeks. You're my wingman. I worry."

Lee stopped. "Is that the only reason you're here? Because if it is, I can assure you that I'm fit to fly. Cottle cleared me within days of being admitted. I'll have your back."

Kara knew that now would be the time to tell him she worried about him a lot more than a wingman should. She didn't think it would help, though.

"Besides from what I hear, it's me that should be worried," Lee continued.

"What the frak is that supposed to mean?"

"I had a chat with Kat. She said you were a little late for your last patrol. Care to tell me what that was about?"

Kara fought the urge to scream. She had told that little shit she had to make a few last minute checks on her Viper and then change into her flight suit. Her lateness had nothing to do with the massive hangover she was fighting from the triad game the night before. She was going to kill Kat. "I was late. It happens to us all sometimes."

"As long as it was just one time," Lee said. "I wouldn't want to have to explain to my father why I sent Galactica's flight instructor to hack for the hundredth time."

That was the final straw for Kara. She was tired of this bullshit. She had something to say to Lee, and eventually she was going to get tired of just sitting back and taking his insults. This conversation would not go well if she let herself punch him. "Is there someone I can talk to you in private?"

"The corridors not good enough for you anymore, Lieutenant?"

"I'd prefer not to say this in front of a bunch of people it doesn't concern, Captain," she hissed. "Now would you stop being an ass and just give me a moment of your precious time?"

Lee narrowed his eyes at her, but inside, he was secretly relieved. He could deal with anger. It was when she looked at him with those sad eyes that his heart truly hurt. Anger helped him stay focused. "I have places to be, but you can follow."

Kara followed Lee into the pilot briefing room and waited for him to finish writing the last flight rotation changes on the big whiteboard. He seemed to be settling back into his job as CAG now that he had the comfort of Dee to support him. Kara winced. She was not supposed to be thinking about Dee. She had made a vow that that part of Lee's life was none of her business. He wasn't chained to her or anything. He should be free to do whatever he wanted.

"So spit it out, Kara. You said you wanted to talk to me. Now's probably the only time you'll have in the next few weeks."

"I know," Kara said. She couldn't bring her eyes up from the ground. This had been a whole lot easier when it was just a conversation in her head. "I wanted to apologize."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that. You've fraked up a lot in the time I've known you."

Kara glared at him. "You know what I'm apologizing for."

"Honestly, I don't. Anything you should be feeling sorry for happened over three months ago. If you had been sorry, you would have said something then."

"I didn't know I was sorry at the time," Kara insisted. "Frak, I didn't even know that there was anything to be sorry about."

"Then you saw your love was still alive and felt sorry that you had betrayed him," Lee filled in. "I get that. You shouldn't have to apologize for wanting to play the game."

"What game are you talking about?" Kara asked, already knowing the answer wasn't going to be to her liking.

"The kind where you find a mark that's hard to get but you don't let up until you've fraked him good and proper. Extra points if you can get him to feel for you."

Kara felt her temper flare out of control and toed up to the line. Thrusting herself into Lee's personal space, she put her hands on her hips and glared. "You're being an asshole."

The urge rose up inside of him to grab her shoulders and throw her body up against the wall again and again until she cried out in pain. He had been getting urges like that ever since his accident in the Blackbird. Mostly, he was able to stop them before they were even fully formed thoughts. With Kara, he had to use every ounce of willpower to keep them from becoming actions. "I have a right to act like this. Almost dying can really frak a man up, Kara, especially when he almost dies because of a plan his wingman came up with."

Kara fought the urge to tell him he was only half right. It had taken her the better part of a week to accept that, though she had a part in Lee's accident, it wasn't all her fault. She didn't want to lose what little progress she made just because Lee was in a pissy mood. "I'm sorry you feel like that, Lee. I didn't mean for you to get hurt in all this."

Lee let his eyes trailed their way over the contours of her face as she dared him to keep insulting her. Her words had a hidden meaning to them. He knew she was apologizing for hiding Anders from him. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to accept that right now. There was this violence lurking beneath the surface of whatever was between them, and until he figured out where that was coming from, it was best if he kept her at arms' length.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you up front. I didn't think that Sam could possibly make it through the attacks. He was just a pyramid player."

"You made it through."

"That's because I was on vacation and I've had to learn how to take care of myself since I was young." Kara sighed. "But we're getting away from the point. I'm trying to get you to see how much I regret lying to you."

"I hear your apologies and see your guilt, but it doesn't help anymore. You've fraked with me one too many times for me to be having this conversation with you."

Kara gave him a small smile. "I figured as much. I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry." She paused. This was the moment she had been dreading, the one that would keep her mind sane until they had time to organize the rescue mission to Caprica. "I want you to be happy, Lee, no matter what that means for you and I."

"That's nice to hear. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a briefing to run and then there are a few meetings over on Cloud Nine that require my presence."

"I'm sorry for taking up your time," Kara said, pulling away from the podium. She knew it was time to leave, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his face.

"Are we done, Lieutenant?"

Kara's mind flashed back to the hopeless look she had seen on Lee's face recently. She couldn't leave him without knowing that look was never going to pop up again. "You need to make me a promise."

"That's rather demanding of you." Lee shook his head. "I don't think you deserve promises, no matter if it's an easy one. I gave you trust and you kicked me when I wasn't looking. I'm tired of it."

"I understand." Kara took one quick look around the room and started to walk toward the door. She had almost made it before she realized their conversation might be pretty damn close to being over, but there was just one thing missing. "Lee?"

Lee looked up at her, obviously surprised she hadn't stormed off in loyalty or love.

"Don't die," she whispered. "At least not on my account. I'm not worth it at all."

Lee was left staring at the empty hatchway as Kara walked away. He desperately wanted to run after her and shake her until she took that back. She was worth a hell of a lot to him, but somewhere along the line, it seemed they had both forgotten. He didn't know how to fix that.