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

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HYBRID by -yannik-

Chapter Six- SHARE YOUR BURDEN

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Kara did not run away though. She stood there in front of her Commander, and tried to endure his scrutinizing stare with as much calmness as she could muster.

"You're tough, Kara" he spoke finally. "You're the strongest woman... the strongest human alive. You've been through a lot, gods know that. Most of it all by yourself. And you made it through. You're tough" he stopped, sighed. She didn't know if he wanted her to respond, but she had no words for him now. Lee averted his sight, and absently pushed some papers on his desk. "But sometimes… you really have to lean on others. Let somebody in." He looked up again. "You seem so upset. I know you Kara, I know when you're in over your head. And I also realize I can't get through to you. So…" He gritted his teeth as if wanting to keep the words inside. But he sputtered them anyway. "Does Samuel know?"

"What?…" She was taken aback by this sudden question.

"Samuel" he repeated almost indifferently. Almost. "Your husband. Is he there for you through whatever trouble you're in? I thought…" Lee looked down again, as if ashamed, as if despising himself. "I thought he was able to make you realize that it's easier if you're sharing your burden. After all… you married him for a reason, right?"

"Are you jealous?" she asked in accusatory tone. Suddenly Lee pissed her off once more. Just like old times. And then the memories, the feeling of his betrayal returned with unstoppable force. "You say you want to help me, you're suddenly so concerned… But when I needed you!… Where were you!"

"When you…" He appeared to be so lost, it could be charming… If she wasn't so mad right now.

"Yes! I needed you! I needed a friend, and you turned your back on me!"

"What?… When?… I did not…" he stuttered.

"When I asked you for the medication for Anders!" she lashed out all her fury at him. She would go as far as to hit him, if there wasn't a desk between them. "I begged you, and…"

"Kara!" he cut in, rising his voice too. "That was when the cylons attacked!"

"Right! How very convenient indeed!"

"What are you talking…"

"None of this would have happened if you gave me those meds!"

"I couldn't. We…"

"Was that so much to ask from a friend?"

"Kara."

"You hanged up on me!"

"I did not. I told you to wait, when Dee…"

"Dee!"

"Yes, Dee!" They both suddenly stopped and gazed at each other. Then he took a deep breath and started explaining. "She's my XO. She saw something on DRAIDS, and when we realized what that was, and I wanted to warn you, you were already gone, and the wire cut."

"Right" she refused to accept it as true that easily.

"Whatever. You may not believe me, if you don't want to, but that's what happened!"

"Mhm."

"And I would have given you those meds. If I could."

To that she couldn't answer. She kept blaming him for so long, but his words seemed sincere.

He really was willing to help her. And, well, she needed that help. It wasn't easy to admit that, even to herself, but she did need someone to talk about her troubles with. And then it hit her, what he said: "it's easier if you're sharing your burden". Was that what she should do? Was Leoben frakking with her head all over again? Telling her to ask for help, expecting that it would discourage her and she wouldn't do it, and therefore she'd be weaker? Was he afraid that she would turn to her friends and his influence on her would lessen? Motivation, manipulation. Frak she was so confused!

"Alright" Lee sighed, abruptly bringing her back to reality, "you know what? Have it your way. You think you can take everything up on your own, I'm not going to fight you on this anymore. I can't understand why I even bothered. I'm out. Thank you, Major. Dismissed." He started fishing through the reports, ignoring her completely or pretending to do so.

But she stood still, so many thoughts running through her head.

"Lee" she whispered finally, and he looked up, startled that she was still standing there. "Lee, I may have been wrong."

A risen eyebrows were her answer. She had to explain. She had a lot to explain.

So she took a seat opposite to him, and started talking. She told him everything, including why she couldn't confide in Sam and Lee understood it all. They spend over an hour talking, and she was surprised how easy that was between them. He knew enough about her to understand her uneasiness.

"Do you actually know what they are planning to do with this kid?" he asked when she fell silent.

"Well... Not really."

"Then maybe you're wrong?" he tried to comfort her. He even went as far as placing his hand over hers on the table. She didn't flinch. She took pleasure in his touch. And he spoke softly. "From what I heard Sharon say, they would treat this child like some kind of... god. Hero."

"I can't help my imagination" she admitted softly. She told him about all those dreams she was having back on New Caprica, shortly after the bargain with Leoben. The dreams that returned to haunt her, once she was back on Galactica. Memories of her own childhood multiplied by cylon's cruelty.

Lee held her hand. "It would be rather dangerous to humans" he said convincingly, "if they got hold of it, not to the child itself."

But he was wrong! "This child is half human, Lee" she replied with passion. "Whatever they do to her, she will suffer. They are machines – she has human feelings. Only other humans can teach her how to deal with those. I know that not all humans are able to deal with their emotions, me being the best example, but machines can't do that for certain. Whatever they'd to her, would be some kind of freaky experiment. I must protect her."

"Do you think you can?"

"They chose me for a reason. Whatever that reason is. And the best way to protect her now is to stay away from her."

They fell silent then, Lee absently rubbing her knuckles. It was odd, such physical closeness between them. It's been so long since she felt him near. She did miss it, she knew that, but she did her best to push that feeling away. And now here he was, helping her, like he always had. Her true friend. How could she have doubted him?

He looked up, his brows furrowed. "Leoben mentioned other hybrid."

"That's true" Kara sighed. "But I can't understand why." She stood up and started pacing the floor of his large Commander's quarters. "Because everything now proves it's about Hera, and then – why this tale? That makes no sense. Unless he had some ulterior motives that I am not aware of, and that freaks me even more."

Lee stood up as well, and walked to her with a reassuring smile on his face.

"One thing is good, Kara" he said looking her deep in the eye, and taking her hands in his again. "He's not going to get you here. As long as you're on Pegasus – you're safe."

She knew what he wanted to say, and she even thought it was sweet, but... "There are still not uncover cylon agents in the Fleet, Lee" she reminded and his smile was replaced by a frown. "There may be cylons right here, under your nose. That's what Laura asked me to do" she chastised herself, "to find out who that cylon parent was – if there was a hybrid. We would know about one more model. But I chickened. Well, I had no way to find Leoben, but maybe I could try, maybe..."

"Stop, Kara. You did nothing wrong. And Laura…" he hesitated, shook his head. Kara knew that what she told him about ex-president's involvement with Sharon's daughter was a shock to him. Much bigger than the child existence itself. Well it shocked her as well, but too many things were happening then, to worry about that particular matter.

Then she made herself forget, but then Leoben returned and frightened her again.

And now, for the first time in months, Kara felt truly relieved. Only a little, but this time it was for real.

"Thanks for making me talk."

"Anytime."

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Lee spent another hour or so in his office. He needed to finish some paperwork, but all those Kara's revelations didn't let him concentrate, so he finally gave up. He walked slowly to the XO's quarters, where his warm, chocolate-sweet XO was already waiting.

"That was one long meeting." He heard Anastasia's voice even before she appeared, clad only in her night gown. She wasn't sleeping though, for her eyes sparkled.

"Starbuck was assigned to Pegasus" Lee sighed, unbuttoning his uniform.

Dee's face hardened slightly at the mention of the unruly Major. But it swiftly resolved in a mischievous smile. "What happened? Did her pyramid star die, or something? I'm sure I'd have heard about this" she joked, but Lee didn't laugh.

"Dee, you're cruel" he said instead. "No, he's fine. Kara's husband is fine. But she had her reasons."

"Which you're not going to tell me about" Dee said, and Lee could not miss the reproach in her voice.

"Are you jealous?" he asked, hoping she'd get the hint and drop the subject. He slouched on the couch, in a desperate need of some relaxation.

But no, Dee was one stubborn woman. She kneeled before him, and started taking off his shoes, all the while dragging the subject. "Shouldn't I be? You have your first free evening in a few weeks. And you spend over two hours of that time with Kara Thrace, while you promised me some fun together. Lee, I missed you." She pushed herself up, and propped up against his thighs, her face so close to his.

"I'm sorry" he sighed, and caressed her cheek. "She had some problems I helped her solve. Well, partially anyway" he added. If it only was so easy to be solved by an hour of talking. But at least Kara had him to confide in now, that had to mean something to her.

"CAG problems?" Anastasia didn't let go yet. "Or pilot trainer problems?"

"Ana…" Lee begged, but she kept staring, expecting him to answer. So he did. "No. Personal problems." This was not the answer that could please his woman. Dee snorted, averting her sight, clearly unpleased. "She's my friend" Lee reminded. "She always has been, and she always will be. Deal with it!" He got up, lightly pushing her away. He really expected discussion to be over, but she stopped him nearly in the entrance to the bathroom, with yet another question.

"Are you sure you're not in love with her anymore?"

"Stop this right there." He turned to her angrily. She was definitely crossing the line now. And she didn't intend to stop!

"No, I'm serious. Don't you love her?" she kept asking, stepping closer to him. "Wouldn't you like the Pyramid to disappear in a mysterious circumstances, say accidentally airlocked, so you could comfort her, and then frak her?"

"You're so morbid" Lee gasped. He could hardly believe she was that jealous!

"Oh, and have sweet little Starpollos with her" she finished angrily. "Tell me, isn't that the picture of your dreams?"

He looked at her standing before him now – her chin risen, her eyes flashing. He hadn't seen that side of her earlier, but then – there really wasn't much of a confrontation between Dee and Starbuck in the past year.

"I am with you, in case you haven't noticed!" he stated, trying to remain calm. "But your behavior in becoming unacceptable!"

She sighed, but – surprisingly – didn't say anything more. Then she sighed again, and her face softened with compassion. "You're in denial" she said under her breath. "And that's going to be the death of you."

"Yeah, people used to be telling me, that Starbuck is going to be the death of me, but so far I live."

"Okay" she gave up. "Okay, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."

"A little, right" Lee sighed, and went into the bathroom, hoping to have that shower finally.

But Ana forced him to turn around once more. "Lee, I'm sure you understand" she said quietly. "There's so much between the two of you. I will always feel threatened by her."

"Unnecessarily."

"I won't dig into that all over again, but... are you sure? Just answer to yourself. Not to me."

And with that statement she left him in peace finally. But what peace that was, when he had to go through all the questions and turmoil that he thought were far behind him, on the other side of the threshold called New Caprica? Memories of Kara, of being hopelessly in love with her were all back, and though the feelings were not as intense as they used to be, they were still there.

He loved Anastasia, but he knew for sure now – he could never stop loving Kara either.

As he came out of the shower, Dee was waiting for him, smiling, loving and understanding. She pushed him on the bed, and started rubbing his shoulders, and his back.

"You're tense."

"More than usual?"

"A little more in fact. So what happened? What are Kara's problems? I don't want you to tell me what they are exactly, jus how this affects you" she whispered, leaning to him, and kissing the base of his neck. Her lips were so soft, and her palms so delicate. She was by his side through everything, during this past year, she didn't let him down for a second. She was the best friend, companion, and executive officer he could imagine.

"That's the you I love Ana" he whispered. "Supportive."

"Isn't the burden lighter when you carry it together?" she replied. Weren't these the words he said to Kara not so long ago?

"Yeah. It is."

He didn't know how exactly, but eventually he told her all about Kara's encounter with the cylons. About Leoben's bargain, about Kara's fears, and about the possibility of Hera's being alive. He even told Dee about Kara's childhood, when she found it hard to understand the tough pilot's irrational fears of the cylons hurting the hybrid.

Perhaps he shouldn't have shared Kara's problems with Dee, but he really trusted his woman. They've been together through so much, and she proved so many times that she was reliable and didn't let emotions rule her, that he really didn't see a danger where a female fighting another female over a male was involved.

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t.b.c.