Will of the Gods – Part 2
Summary: Kara has to accept new things about her life, and gets some unwanted help along the way.
Disclaimer: Oh, I want to (especially Apollo), but I don't own anything!
Author's note: Thank you so much for the great reviews, and here, as requested, is the Lee Zak talk. Please tell me what you think afterwards. And, as before, if this does follow the BSG season 2 plotlines, it'll be a miracle.
Lee slowed his pace slightly as he really was in no need to get back to the brig. His shift had finished two minutes ago and he was on his way there now, via sick bay. He had meant to check on his father earlier but a cylon attack had thrown that plan out the window. He knew Tigh would have his head if he knew Lee wasn't sticking to his parole but he didn't much care right now. Tigh needed him enough that he was on parole within two days of putting a gun to the XO's head, so he knew he could push it far enough to get five minutes with his dad.
"How's he doing?" Lee asked the nurse who was checking his father's vitals.
The nurse looked up and smiled. She was quite pretty and Lee had noticed that she gave him a smile every time she saw him, but Lee really couldn't be bothered to even make an effort to be polite. He knew he was being rude but if he was polite to her, she might mistake it for something else, or rather hoped for something else, and Lee really couldn't deal with that right now; not with his father, the President, Tigh and Kara…
"His vitals are getting stronger," the nurse said, still smiling, "Doctor Cottle believes he may wake up in the next few days."
Lee breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We need him."
The nurse nodded sympathetically but didn't leave, like she should have. Lee decided he really couldn't deal with this right now, smiled at her briefly and left.
The corridors got emptier and emptier as he went down the levels en route to the brig. There really weren't any extra personnel to have doing duties down here. It reminded Lee of just how bad their situation was.
Walking into the holding area he went over to the marine on duty and started taking off his gear. The marines would have quite happily let him keep his stuff with him but Lee felt it should at least appear on the surface that he was being punished.
The President smiled at him as he took the cell next to hers. "Good shift?" she asked sarcastically.
Lee smiled slightly. "Guess you heard the fighting huh?"
"That and the vibrations. Galactica must've taken a few hits."
"Couple of missiles got through. No major damage and we only lost one soul."
"Who?"
"A deck hand. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The President closed her eyes briefly, no doubt praying, before asking, "How's your father?"
"Doing better. Doc thinks he'll wake up in the next couple of days."
"Now that is good news."
"Yeah," Lee said, his voice dropping. He was about to start telling the President the duty reports, a habit they'd gotten into, when she spoke up again.
"Get some rest Captain; you look like you could use some. We'll do the reports later."
"Thank you, madam President."
Lee tugged at his boots gently until they came off and then laid down on the rack. Shifting slightly to get comfortable, he closed his eyes.
Lee was instantly in a memory. A memory from so long ago he barely remembered it. He was at a park watching himself and his family from about eighteen years ago. His father was holding his mother's hand and they were sitting together on a bench. Lee himself, about eight years old, was sitting in one of those playground springy things. It was an airplane shaped one. Standing next to him was the six year old Zak.
"Boy, did we look cute then, huh?"
Lee turned on his heel so fast he got a head rush. Standing next to him was Zak. The right age Zak. The way Zak would've looked if he hadn't died.
"Hey bro," Zak joked, "miss me?"
Lee stared at his brother.
"Yeah, it is a bit of a shock, isn't it?"
"A bit?" Lee choked out; "Lords, I must be dreaming."
"Well, you're asleep if that's what you mean. But this isn't a dream in the sense that your subconscious made it up."
Lee looked at him.
"This is me Lee. Zak, your little brother, two years younger, died in an air crash, me. I'm not something your head made up. I'm here; I'm really talking to you."
"W-Why?" Lee said, trying not to choke.
"Because you need me."
"I need you? I needed you when you died! I needed you not to die! How can-"
"I was meant to die Lee, just like I wasn't meant to fly. You were meant to grieve for me and then get on with your life. You were meant to get with a certain someone, which you haven't done, so I'm here, meant to help you."
Lee couldn't help it, he laughed. "You're here to help me with my love life?"
Zak grinned. "Hilarious isn't it? Although Kara would kick our asses if she found out."
"Kara? What's Kara got to do with this?"
"For someone who I look up to and admire so much, who's one of the best pilots in the fleet and whose leadership is depended on practically all the time you really are quite dense."
Lee just shook his head, looking puzzled but still slightly amused.
"You're meant to be with Kara."
Lee stared at his brother.
Zak stood there, half smiling, waiting for his brother's brain to kick in and to get a reaction; probably a shout or a laugh. Instead all he got was…
"Huh?"
"Excuse me?" Zak said, startled.
"I said 'huh'," Lee repeated.
"I heard what you said," Zak replied.
"Then why'd you just ask-"
"I tell you you're destined to be with Kara and all you can say is huh?"
"Whoa, when did destiny come into this?"
"Destiny's the whole reason for this. You two avoiding your destinys!"
"Ok, slow it down; back track. All I got in my head is me and Kara, which is a very good joke by the way, when did destiny get involved in this?"
"It's not a joke y'know."
"Stop avoiding my question."
"Lee, the whole reason I'm here is to get you to realize you love Kara, that it's ok, I'm fine with it and that it's meant to be. Sheesh, you two are hard work."
"Whoa, two? Have you been talking to Kara?"
"Yep," Zak said smugly, "and she cottoned on a lot faster than you are."
"That's probably because you gave her some straight answers," Lee argued.
Zak opened his mouth to reply when he frowned. "Actually you're right there. I am being a bit confusing aren't i?"
"A bit?"
"Ok, ok, I haven't really explained anything. Now be quiet and let me start."
"Is kinda what I've been asking you to do."
"Hey! Quiet!"
Zak waited a minute, watching Lee closely for any signs that he might speak. Lee was half smiling, obviously amused at the whole situation. With a pang Zak realized that this was what he missed most. His brother. With whom even in the saddest, most terrifying and pain-filled moments he could laugh with. Lee was a brilliant older brother. Zak realized that he missed Lee even more than he missed Kara, and he then knew that they were destined to be together. And he was going to make it happen.
"This all starts with the Gods," Zak began slowly, "and don't make a face or interrupt, just listen. The Gods plan for everything and everyone. There is something in all our lives that we are meant to do, even if it is just to die. Now in the beginning, there weren't that many of us so the Gods could watch over us and help us. But then we grew. We grew and we grew. We grew so much that we became thirteen colonies. And the Gods couldn't watch over all of us, especially when one colony left and went far away. It stretched the Gods even more."
"Earth," Lee said, "the thirteenth colony? It actually exists?"
"Don't sound so skeptical big bro," Zak said lightly, before his tone darkened and he carried on, "yes, it exists and you're going to find it. You just need a lot of patience. Anyway the Gods started to miss things. At first it was just little things, a few people's destiny's altered. Then came the cylons. And they missed that. But then the cylons are machines and have no real place in the Gods plan so that might be why. But they still missed it. And then came the Gods greatest decision. There have been many prophecies of what the Gods would do if such a time came but only one is right. Only one person was right."
"Pythia," Lee said.
"Exactly. Pythia foretold the re-birth of the human race, in a caravan of the heavens. Your fleet isn't exactly divine but it is of the heavens. And there the Gods got a second chance. They could put the destiny of humanity back on-track. However, nothing's that easy. And when two of the key players are refusing to accept their destiny and keep running away from it, it doesn't exactly help matters. So here I am; the only person who can help you two. Well, not the only person. Dad could probably have done it but he's still adjusting to it in his own head."
"Wait, dad knows?"
"Y'know for someone who claims not to have a clue as to what I'm talking about involving you and Kara, you're awfully defensive," Zak teased.
"I just don't want you putting ideas in the old man's head, that's all," Lee defended "does that mean he's going to be okay?"
"He is going to be ok Lee; you don't need me to tell you that."
"No, but it would help."
Zak laughed. "You haven't changed either."
"Well, I'd say the same to you but-"
"Yeah," Zak sighed, "funny thing, time."
Lee looked away.
"You can't blame either of them Lee. It was an accident. Kara was just trying not to hurt me and dad wanted the best for me. It was meant to happen. It wouldn't have changed anything if I was the best pilot in the whole damn universe, I still would have died. It's nobody's fault."
Lee didn't say anything and didn't turn back around to face his brother.
"And it is definitely not your fault. You couldn't have known that was going to happen and you sure as hell couldn't have prevented it. In fact if there was one person who would've saved me it was you. Staying up all night, talking me through techniques, taking me up in flight simulators every time you could. You made me a pilot out of nothing Lee, and for that I'm truly grateful."
Lee gulped.
"But that's in the past now," Zak said gently, "you have to forget it and move on."
"Forget it?" Lee said quietly.
"Ok, not forget it. But you can't think about it everyday. You need to be in the present, living for the future. It's like shadows Lee; you know they'll always be there but you never pay them any attention until you've got the time to stop and think."
Lee turned back around. "So you're a shadow?"
"Yep."
"That's kind of hard to get your head around."
"Not really," Zak shrugged, "but then you were always the slower one."
"I was faster than you," Lee replied, "but that wasn't exactly difficult."
Zak smiled. "And Kara would kick both our butts."
Lee laughed. "That she would."
"Lee," Zak asked, "why didn't you ever tell me that Kara made you so happy?"
"Um, 'cos you were kind of dating her."
Zak shook his head. "Did you always put me first?"
"Not all the time."
"Just when it came to the important stuff."
"Zak…"
"You loved her. Ever since you met her. I can't believe I didn't see it myself, it's so obvious watching you guys now."
"What?" Lee said, his head snapping around; "You watch us?"
"Well what else am I suppose to do? You two are meant to be together, it's so obvious Lee. Why haven't you done anything yet?"
"It hasn't been right."
"Um, if you're waiting for the 'right time' you know it doesn't actually exist, right?"
Lee swiped at his brother who moved out the way. "Yes I know that. There's just been so much going on. If I'm gonna do something I don't want it to be in front of the entire deck crew or when we've just come off shift or if we're on the way to some ceremony. I know that doesn't give a lot of time…"
"It gives no time Lee. You need to make it happen, not wait for it. Gods, you two are blind! All the times you could've done something and you didn't. It makes me crazy. And it's not helping matters."
"Helping matters?"
"It's your destiny. And all destinys are intertwined. You two avoiding yours is causing some major damage. Damage that's got to be fixed."
"By you?"
"No. By you Lee. You and Kara. I'm just the messenger here; you two are the ones in love."
"In love?"
"Don't even go there. You've known you were in love with her for years, you just didn't do anything. Which I'm grateful for by the way, she would have left me for you in a shot."
Lee laughed. "Really?"
"Really."
Lee shook his head. "I don't believe that."
"Well it's true."
Zak turned to look at his father who was still sitting on the bench with their mother. "He'll be alright Lee. And he'll see you both through this. He's not about to let this family screw up anymore. He's had enough."
"So have I," Lee admitted.
Zak turned back around. "Good. Does that mean you're going to talk with Kara when she gets back?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to tell her that you're in love with her?"
"Yes."
"Is she going to say it back?"
"Gods I hope so," Lee sighed.
"Feels like someone's just taken some weight off your shoulders doesn't it?" Zak asked.
"Yeah, it does."
"Well here comes some more. Take care big brother. And don't let Kara run away ok?"
"Wh-?" Lee started to ask before he heard his name being called and felt someone shaking him.
"He's not had a lot of rest Colonel," the President said.
"He's had more than the other pilots," Tigh retorted, "besides, this isn't about work."
"Then what is it about?" Lee asked, sitting up and automatically reaching for his boots.
"The old man's awake and wants to see you," Tigh responded gruffly, "you'll be escorted to sick bay and then do your shift, then come back here, understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Good." And Tigh walked out.
A marine walked over and opened the door. Lee got up and walked out of the cell and headed for the exit. He paused when none of the marines followed him.
"Aren't you-?"
"We're staying here, sir," one of them spoke up, "there's no need for you to have an escort."
"Ok," Lee said, he looked towards the President who just smiled at him and then went on to sick bay.
The nurse smiled at him as he entered again; nodding her head towards his father's cubicle area "He's waiting for you."
"Thanks." Lee said and went through the curtain.
It looked like his father was still asleep, eyes closed and breathing slowly, but as soon as Lee made a noise his father's eyes opened slowly.
"Took your time."
"Yeah. Sorry about that," Lee stared at his father, really not knowing what to say so he opted for the easy way out, "how you feeling?"
"Like someone shot me," the old man grumbled.
"Funny that," Lee said, smiling slightly.
"We need to talk," Adama said "About Kara…"
Please review! Tell me what you think! Should I do the Zak/Commander conversation? Or should I do a Lee/Kara talk? Whatever you want just hit the little button and tell me!