DISCLAIMER: The character's and the universe of the Battlestar Galactica do not belong to me.

NOTE: Thanks for reviews! Tracyj23, the ending part of this chapter was completely different in draft version ;).

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HYBRID by -yannik-

Chapter Three - KILLING TIME

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"Well, that was something" Ellen spoke again, unasked for as always. Laura found it harder and harder to endure her presence, and constant chatter. "By the way, Mister Anders, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on your remarkable recovery." The blonde moved over and sat on the man's lap. If Kara was there, she would scratch her eyes out. "I hope you're feeling fine now?"

"Every day better, ma'am" Sam confirmed with a smile, that was as tense as insincere. He shifted uncomfortably, and cast a pleading glance at Laura and Saul.

"Ellen" the ex president rose, knowing far too well, that Colonel Tigh was unlikely to react in any way. Laura tried to use her most authoritative tone – because it was never easy with Ellen Tigh – as she reached her hand, and grabbed the blonde by the wrist. "You don't want to sit here, when Kara gets back."

"But it was worth it, even if only for a second." Ellen winked at Samuel, who appeared hilariously uncomfortable. Even Laura had to suppress a chuckle. "You must admit though, that his recovery is truly amazing. Where did you get medications from?"

"I don't know" Sam confessed. "Kara managed to get them somehow."

"Hmm" Ellen hummed, but Laura just squeezed her hand.

"I believe it's none of our business" she smiled politely, but meaningfully enough to earn a slight offended nod from Ellen Tigh. "Let's just be glad that Mister Anders is with us, and can help us fight the cylons. That's out goal." Laura involuntary looked up at the curtain, behind which Kara disappeared a couple of minutes ago. She should return soon. What got her so upset? "I'll be back in a moment" Laura said, and left the tent, grabbing her coat.

She found Kara on the outskirts of the settlement. Staring out into the grassland.

"You shouldn't be here alone" Laura whispered.

"Because?"

"You know why."

"They won't just come out and grab me. Besides… I made a pact with them."

Laura just turned around to stare at her younger colleague.

"What pact?" she breathed out incredulously.

Kara looked her straight in the eyes. And then she suddenly crumbled. Bent down, kneeled in the mud, and sobbed. "I had to do this."

"Do what?" Now that made Laura scared. "Kara, what did you do?"

"Nothing. Nothing yet, but when they come… When they tell me…"

"The medication" Laura presumed, and a single nod was all the confirmation she got. She sat on her heels, next to the younger woman. Kara cried silently. That would explain a lot of her behavior over the last few days. She was unusually jumpy, even for her. "What did they want in exchange?" she had to know that.

"I can't tell you."

"You must tell me." Laura got up, and stood above Kara. "It's not just about you. Whatever they want, it involves us all, and you should at least share it with your friends."

Kara got up as well, and leveled her sight with that of the older woman. "I can't. I can't let Samuel know… that I sacrificed anything for him. Or that I will…"

"That's not very wise."

"Who said I was wise?"

They eyed each other, and finally Laura smiled inwardly. Perhaps it was not important to inform Sam. But still – she had to know. And Kara – despite herself – helped her find the way.

"I get your point, Kara" Laura spoke softly, encouragingly. "I understand. But I can't allow you to keep crucial information from me. I would hate to blackmail you…"

"Then don't" Kara interrupted. There was a moment of silent communication, and Laura's little smile didn't falter for a blink of an eye. She didn't need to actually use a blackmail. Kara knew.

"They want Sharon's child" she said under her breath. Ex-president's face lost it's confidence for a split second, but that was enough for a trained eye of a viper pilot. Starbuck saw all she needed to see, and a lot of what she never expected to.

"But this child is dead" Laura stated finally, but Kara already knew the older woman was lying.

"They don't think so" she said slowly. "But they don't know where she is." Then she waited a few heart bits, before asking: "Do you?"

Laura was surprised at Kara's perceptiveness, but didn't let her emotions surface.

"Me? How would I…"

"Stop those games" Kara hissed. "You want my honesty? Give me some. See I have a few more secrets in my pocket, that I'm sure would shake whatever safe place you still have in your mind upside down. So how about telling me what really happened with Sharon's child."

Laura realized she had to share the secret with this woman. At least part of this secret. "We hid her. I couldn't allow a cylon to rise this baby. I couldn't allow cylons to know she existed! What worries me though is how they know?"

"They didn't let me in on it" Kara mocked. "But you know – there may still be a few uncovered agents among the settlers. Someone you least suspected, may know your little secret."

"Of course." Laura looked behind her at the rows of tents, and shivered. "But you said they didn't know where Hera was. We're safe." Then Laura turned all her attention back to Kara. "You said you had more secrets."

"Yes" the girl replied reluctantly. She took a long moment to weight questions she wanted to ask and answers she wanted to give. Then she chose the latter. "They say there are more hybrids."

"More!" Laura gasped.

"And they want one of those other children. They will come and tell me…" Kara stumbled on words again. "But I don't think I could…" she sobbed.

"Of course you couldn't. And of course you won't." Laura stepped closer and held Kara tightly. "You can't give the cylons their hybrid baby. Sharon's or whoever else's. When do they want you to do this?"

"They'd tell me. They didn't specify. I must wait."

Laura stood, watching Kara wiping away the tears from her face. Her mind was working hard, processing all the information she just got. They were important ones, she just didn't know how to use them to their advantage. Yet.

"Are they in touch with you?" she asked finally.

"No. Why?"

"When they come… You must do all you can to find out who the parents are. And you must give us this information. At all cost. And not help them to get to the baby."

"It's so easy for you."

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Two weeks had passed without a word from Leoben. Two weeks of waiting, fearing, and watching cylons settle down. Smiles on their faces, kind words. Kara hated seeing the same five faces all around the town. There were twelve models, for Kobol's sake. If they were suddenly so honest, why not introduce the rest of them now!

She'd seen a few Leobens. Or rather Number Fours as they were called. But none of them seemed to react to her presence, so she assumed The Leoben choose to ignore her for his own reasons.

She wished she could forget him. She wished it could be that easy – put this behind and tell Leoben, when he comes, that he missed his opportunity. But she could not do that. Her mind was in constant alert state. Because if she refused to do what they wanted, they could come, and kill Sam for all she knew.

Oh, they said they weren't murderers, they decided to love humanity for a change, but this love was suffocating!

There were also those conversations with Laura, in which both of them tried to avoid the subject of the hybrid. But a few sentences here and there were enough to put Kara's thoughts on constant roller-coaster. Helo's baby was alive. She wanted to know how it was doing. She wanted to tell him, that his daughter was still there, because she hoped – in a hope that she tried to put aside so hard – that he was still alive. Along with the others… But if she knew where Hera was, she would betray her to the cylons. So she never again asked Laura to tell her about the baby. Laura was the best protector Hera could have.

Why didn't they come yet? How much longer, how much more of this constant fear? How much more of Samuel's impatience at her mood-swings.

"You know, I could think you were pregnant, the way you've been behaving lately" he told her finally.

At the fierce look she gave him, his expression changed. From angered, irritated, to soft, and apologetic.

"Kara…"

"Go away!"

"No! Don't!" He grabbed her by the arm, before she could run out of their tent. He held her, though she struggled to set herself free. She was strong, she was still a very strong woman, and he was still weakened after his pneumonia. She should have set herself free with ease, but somehow she stayed in his arms. "I'm sorry" he whispered in her hair, when she stopped fighting. "Tell me what I do wrong. I'm trying Kara. I see your suffering and I have no clue where it comes from. You keep dodging my questions, keep disappearing… I want to help you. You're my wife."

She held onto him. She couldn't answer, so she just held him tighter, and buried her face in his sweater. His smell was reassuring, but she couldn't get herself to confide in her own husband! Burden him with this guilt. And there was this little voice too – the one planted by Leoben. The one saying: "what if Sam is in fact a cylon? What if she is carrying a hybrid in her belly this very moment? What if that is what Leoben really wanted, and only tried to deceive her with that talk about Sharon's baby, and the other hybrid? What if she was going to give up her own child for the cylons to run tests, experiments, analysis?… What if?"

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t.b.c.

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