Oasis (Part Two)

By Socket

He lies beside her, watches her breathe, observes the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the pale light of morning dance across her face. He sees the faint lines around her eyes, the deep-red hue of her hair, sees the flicker of a smile on her lips. She's so beautiful; sometimes he gets drunk on her.

He must return to Pegasus – he's delaying more than he should, but he doesn't want to leave, doesn't want to be away from Laura.

She reaches out her hand and traces the line of his jaw. "What is it?" she asks, sensing his melancholy.

Leaning forward, Lee kisses her shoulder and breathes in the scent of her skin. Her long auburn locks tickle his chest, her unclothed body presses against his and Lee feels as if this is an illusion that will be snatched away at any moment.

He touches her cheek and her emerald eyes meet his. "I'm going to leave Dee and I'm going to move planet-side," he states.

Roslin draws back from him. She pulls her dressing-gown on and slips out of bed. The cold floor chills her body, so she moves near to the fire.

"Laura?" Apollo is soon beside her, he touches her arm.

Roslin turns to face him, her eyes filled with reproach. "Don't lie to me," she implores. "That's the one thing we've always had – honesty. Don't taint it now."

Lee grips her forearms, pulling her close too him. "This isn't a whim – I've thought it through, thought of nothing else! I can't live like this anymore – all I want is you, nothing else matters," he declares passionately. "I should be here, with you. I'm tired of living a lie, aren't you?"

Laura wants to believe him, but she knows men – they say one thing and then retracted it when it no longer suits them. But she believes Lee, so much so, that her heart over-rules any doubt.

"Yes. I don't want to hide anymore," she confesses.

Lee ensnares Laura's neck, pulling her into a fierce kiss. Her arms circle his waist and his hands trail up her back, then tangle in her auburn locks.

After several breathless moments, Lee draws back and takes her hands in his. "I'll tell Dee today; pack my bags and I'll be back tomorrow, then we can begin our lives together," he promises.

Laura nods and then embraces him; overwhelmed.

Dee can tell that he's going to hit her with bad news. He has been distant over the last few weeks, more so than usual, and since his return from New Caprica half an hour ago, his manner is different. A reassured calm. And Dee knows it has something to do with Roslin; she swallows the bile she feels.

They arrive at their quarters and Lee sits on the edge of their bed. He won't look at her; he never can when he comes from that woman, as if he can't stand to see Dee - the poor substitute he's consigned to spend his days with.

Dualla takes a breath. She needs to make him see that his future is with her – not the glorified former President.

"We need to talk," he says finally.

Dee nods. "We do," she agrees, sits in the chair opposite him and takes his hands.

He starts at her touch, but it makes him look directly into her eyes.

"Lee, I'm pregnant," she states.

Apollo feels his head swell and his hearing fade; he feels dizzy - like he's floating in the vacuum of space… he sees Laura's smiling face, sees her image fade into oblivion.

Dee's voice surrounds him, echoes through his brain. "Lee? Did you hear me? I'm carrying your child."

And just like that, all hope is gone.

Roslin paces her tent. Two days have passed since he left. Two days without a word, two days of nervous energy that has now spilt-over into anxiety. Something must have happened. Had Dee threatened him? Maybe she'd tried to harm herself? Should Laura allow more time or should she try and contact him?

The arrival of someone at her door interrupts her thoughts.

"Come in," Roslin calls-out to her visitor.

Dualla enters and Laura's face drops.

Dee nods in acknowledgement at Roslin.

There's something in Dualla's eyes – something predatory that makes Laura's pulse accelerate. Snapping-out of her surprise, Laura's instincts kick-in and she is prepared to defend herself against any onslaught.

"You know why I'm here," Dualla states, then holds out a hand-crafted wooden box. She indicates for Laura to take it. "This is yours."

Roslin hesitates; she recognises the box, she had given it to Lee as a present when they had returned from Kobol.

Laura steps forward and takes the box. She opens it; inside are her notes to Lee and various photographs of them together. She picks up the top picture – it was taken at the first Colonial Day celebration aboard Cloud 9. Lee's arm is about her, he was facing the camera and smiling, while she gazed longing at him.

"It's over between you, he won't see you or speak to you again, do you hear?"

Laura holds Dee's eye. "That's his choice – not yours. If he tells me - "

"I'm pregnant," Dualla declares.

Roslin is stunned into silence. She closes the box and clutches it tightly to her.

A few moments pass. "I understand," Laura mumbles.

Dee studies her rival; it hurts her pride that Lee can love Roslin so completely and yet be so detached with her. It wasn't fair. What did Roslin have that she didn't?

"Please leave," Laura says, barely above a whisper. She was about to come undone and she didn't want Dee to witness it.

Dualla nods and turns her back on Roslin. She exits the tent and hurries away – she feels sick, feels sordid - she has to get back to The Pegasus, get back to Lee and then everything would be okay again, then they could return to the happiness they had known before that woman had come between them.

Laura sits on the edge of her bed. She feels humiliated. Why had she let herself believe that Lee would leave Dualla for her? Why had she been fool enough to get involved with him in the first place? Why had she ever let him kiss her, let his hands unravel her?

She lies down on her bed, a bed he had shared only days ago, and stares at the box filled with lovers tokens.

How could he give her gift's back, after all they had meant to each other? How could he be that brutal?

But she knows Lee too well, knows that Dualla must be behind it. Perhaps it was part of Dee's ultimatum – that Lee had to give-up all mementos of his relationship with Laura, and he'd had no choice but to accept - they were going to be a family soon, after all. It would be just like Lee to try and appease Dualla; to do right by her and the baby.

The baby.

He was having a baby with another woman.

Laura covers her face with her hands and cries.