#21 Fool - Expanded

ooooooooooooooooooo

He'd been a fool. As usual.

It had been such a bumpy ride between them - ups and downs galore, though many more downs it seemed recently.

He'd thought maybe it could be between them ... then she'd brought home Anders and dangled him in Lee's face. So Lee had gone elsewhere.

But as with everything else in Lee's life, it hadn't worked out the way he'd wanted it to, so it had ended.

Apparently hers hadn't worked out either. Who'd have figured that marriages made in desperate situations wouldn't have lasting potential?

So she'd come back and after much working out of the kinks, they'd fallen back into their old relationship, and Lee had thought ...

But he'd been a fool. She'd fooled him once again by appearing to care but pulling away whenever he tried getting closer.

And then it had happened. His wing had been clipped in a firefight and his ship had been damaged enough that he wasn't sure if he could make it back. It's okay, Starbuck will come pull your ass out of the fire, she always ...

The sudden realization that his wingman - the only one he truly trusted out here, wasn't out here. After her bout with pneumonia, the doc hadn't been willing to clear her for flying and she was up in CIC listening, not out here where he needed her most.

For a moment he let his mind wander ... back to the Blackbird ... back to the Resurrection Ship ... back to the last time he'd felt hopeless. And he was tempted to just let go again and let them blow him away.

Reality crashed in as he saw a stream of enemy fire headed straight for him. I don't want to die, he thought longingly, suddenly throwing himself back into it whole-heartedly.

The first person he saw when the crew forced the canopy open was his father, lines of worry etched in his already lined face. He climbed down the stairs slowly, sharing a look with him when suddenly he was hit broadside and pinned to the raptor beside him.

Hot lips found his and kissed him passionately as arms squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug.

For a moment he was too stunned to respond and just stared as Kara attacked him in front of the crew, other pilots ... and even his father.

He kissed her back and slid his arms around her waist.

Finally she pulled back for air. "Don't you ever do that to me again you son of a bitch," she growled, passion burning in her eyes. "I won't lose you!"

His arms tightened around her and pulled her even closer as their lips locked again.

He smiled - maybe he wasn't such a fool after all.

fin