WHTMT - chapter 28

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Lee went into full-blown panic.

"Holy frakking gods! Kara! No - come back Kara!" He shook her gently but got no response so he raced to the washroom area, wet a facecloth and raced back, putting it on her forehead and rubbing her cheek.

"Come on, wake up. I need you - your baby needs you!" he said urgently.

Colour began to come back into her cheeks and she moaned, eyes still closed.

"Not my baby," she whispered, "our baby. I can't do this without you."

"You don't have to. I said I'd be with you every step of the way and I will," he said, a tear winding it's way down each of his cheeks. He leaned over and kissed her now slightly pink cheek. "Stay with me - we need to get this baby out before you can rest."

"So tired ..." she murmured. "Hurts so much ..."

"I know it does sweetheart and if I could do it for you I would." He brushed her wet hair off her forehead and kissed it. "You've no idea how much it hurts me to see you in pain."

Kara had opened her eyes half-way at the word 'sweetheart'. No one had ever called her that - no one. Not Sam, not Zack. They'd each had their pet names for her but those had been somewhat ... different. Not sweet or romantic the way Lee obviously meant it. Her heart fluttered for a moment as it sunk in just how much he really did love her, and just how lucky she was to finally have her fantasy come true.

Now if only she could get through this ...

Another pain hit and she grabbed Lee's hand for support and shifted, trying to get more comfortable.

"That's it, come on Kara, we can do this," he encouraged.

Another rush of fluid escaped and the nature of the pain changed. It didn't hurt so much as make her feel pressure in her lower belly. Pressure that she was sure she could get rid of by pushing.

"Lee," she panted, eyes dilating with fear again. "I think it's time."

"Time?"

She struggled to find words as another contraction came, barely seconds after the previous one, giving her no time to breathe.

"Time to push," she said quickly, taking a deep breath and grabbing the sheet fiercely with her free hand.

"Are you sure ..." he began, but stopped as Kara grunted, pushing as hard as she could.

He squeezed the other hand, still firmly holding his, and she gave it a bone-crushing squeeze back, breathing and grunting again.

Lee prayed to every god he could remember the name of, firstly that Galactica had received the message and help was on it's way, and secondly for things to go smoothly so mother and child would be okay. A small sob found it's way out of his throat as he thought of what he would do if he lost her now.

Fortunately, she didn't hear him, lost in concentration as she was. He spoke words of encouragement in a voice that was much more confident that he actually felt, taking his cues from her and squeezing her hand whenever a contraction came.

Soon they were barely a few seconds apart, one coming on the heels of the previous one with no time to think, talk or even breathe in between. Kara, who knew little about childbirth, just the little Ishay had told her, was going purely on instinct. Her body told her to push, she pushed. It told her to relax for a few seconds and draw a deep breath, she did.

In a way, it reminded her of flying. Of course flying had never been painful, but the intense pressure on her chest and stomach that the contractions were creating felt much like the pressure of the G-forces involved in some of the more extreme combat maneuvers. And the split-second, go-on-instinct-rather-than-thought was definitely something she was all-too familiar with ... and had missed since giving it up nearly a year earlier.

She gave in to the sensations, closing her eyes and working with them instead of fearing them and found it hurt much less. Her body knew what to do and did it with no conscious thought on her part. It was almost zen-like in it's simplicity.

Lee noticed the change in her but said nothing. Whatever was going on in her head was making it easier for her and he didn't want to disturb that. He just let her go with it and continued squeezing her hand to let her know he was there.

She suddenly cried out as pain like fire shot through the lower half of her body.

"My gods! Lee!" she yelled, pulling her hand away from him and pushing herself up so she was almost sitting. "The baby! Now - it needs to come out now!"

He didn't question her but instead gulped and took a deep breath as he turned his attention lower down. He pushed aside the shirt and gasped ... the head was visible.

"Oh frak, frak, frak, frak!" he murmured, grabbing a clean sheet he'd pulled off one of the bunks to wrap the baby in. "Why can't help come now?" he muttered under his breath. "Like right now?"

He watched as Kara's body tensed and she gave another push, crying out in pain. he put a hand down to cradle the head as it slipped out, feeling vaguely repulsed at watching her body stretch open so wide and seeing the bloody body sliding it's way out, yet marveling at being a part of such an incredible event. The birth of a baby, the start of a new life, and they were doing it - together. He wished, yet again, that the baby was his, and made a vow that if everyone survived the ordeal safely, he and Kara would have a child of their own.

"Help me! Gods Lee, the pain! Help!" she screamed, body beginning to flail.

His brow furrowed for an instant then he saw was what was wrong. She was pushing but the baby was stuck. The shoulders wouldn't squeeze out.

He began to panic and several scenarios ran through his head immediately, each one of them having disastrous results. You have to help it, a quiet calm inner voice spoke up. Just grab the shoulders and help it through ...

He shuddered at the thought, but as another contraction came and Kara screamed helplessly, unable to push the baby out on her own, he knew he would move New Caprica, Kobol, Earth and all the twelve colonies to help her get through this alive.

He took a deep breath and slid his fingers into her, finding room beside the baby's neck, and took a gentle hold of the shoulder.

"Push Kara," he said firmly as he felt the muscles contract around his hand. "Push hard now!"

She nodded, took a deep breath and gave it everything she had.

Lee pulled, using one hand to hold her open further while the other tugged the baby this way and that to find a way to fit it through. No luck. The next contraction came right away though, and they tried again.

Kara screamed again, but this time in triumph as she felt the baby slip out of her completely.

Lee held the wet, bloody bundle in his arms and just stared at it. It wasn't breathing. He looked over at Kara helplessly.

"Clean out the nose and mouth," she panted, and Lee obeyed, then giving the infant a few firm pats on the back.

"Come on," he murmured. "Breathe!"

The baby hiccoughed a few times, drew in a big breath and began to whimper. Kara's eyes lit up in a way Lee had never seen before, and despite her weary worn body, she looked more beautiful than he'd ever imagined she could.

"It's a girl," he said softly. "You have a daughter." He placed the baby in Kara's arms, looking around for the scissors he'd brought ready to cut the cord.

"No Lee," she whispered, favouring him with the most tender look. "We have a daughter. I couldn't have done this without you."

He leaned over and kissed the baby gently on the forehead. She looked so sweet and innocent - like an angel. It was easy to forget she was part-cylon.

"I just have to take care of a few things," he said softly, "then I'll go see how we're doing."

She nodded, lifting her shirt up as the baby began to nuzzle at her chest. She held the little head up to her breast and it latched on immediately, beginning to suck instinctively.

Kara felt a warmth steal over her that made her weak inside. She'd never before considered breastfeeding a baby - hell, she'd never even wanted to have children until she actually became pregnant, but she'd always assumed she would bottle-feed her children, should she have any. The sight of women breastfeeding had made her feel uncomfortable in the past, like it was something odd or unusual, even though it was the most natural thing in the universe and all mammals had been doing it since the beginning of time - humans included.

She held her daughter close, smiling down at the little wrinkled bundle she'd worked so hard to give birth to.

Lee finished up the cut, cleaned up a little and went to wash his hands. When he returned, he stood in the doorway watching mother and baby, and feeling like his heart couldn't possibly be any more full of love than it was at that moment.

As the baby suckled at Kara's breast, he noticed something odd. The sheet swaddling the infant was luminous - as though her back were glowing somehow.

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"Have we got coordinates yet?" Adama asked in a gravelly voice.

Tigh shook his head.

"It's difficult... we have to compute ..." Gaeta began.

"Don't explain it to me, just do it. Every second we waste could cost lives."

"Yes sir." Gaeta went back to work silently.

Tigh led his friend a little away from the action to talk privately.

"Do you really think the situation's that critical?" he asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Adama admitted to him, "but I've got a gut feeling that's telling me they're in trouble."

"Since when did we start using gut feelings to tell us what to do?" Tigh teased, a small twinkle in his usually sombre blue eyes.

Adama smirked grimly. "About the time the cylons started trying to wipe us out of this universe."

"Stupid metal motherfrakkers," Tigh muttered.

Adama put an arm around his shoulders and they began to head back to the action. "They went and changed the rules of the game on us," he said.

"Yeah, and every time we make a move, they change them again," Tigh said sarcastically.

"Keeps us on our toes Saul."

"Some of us like being flatfooted."

Adama chuckled out loud at his friend's grouchiness. Some people found it annoying - he found it refreshing. Rarely were people honest about their feelings, especially with him, being the commander. Kara was the only other one he knew that was more than willing to let her feelings hang out for everyone to see, even if people didn't like them. Maybe that was the reason he loved them both so dearly - much as they'd deny it, Kara and Saul were very much alike.

"We've got it sir!" Gaeta said triumphantly, waving a piece of paper in the air.

Adama and Tigh looked at each other. Adama nodded.

"I need a raptor, two flight crew and whatever medical staff and supplies we can spare immediately!" Tigh said, picking up the phone and giving orders rapidly. "Tell them to meet me in the hangar bay. Fifteen minutes." He hung up and patted Adama's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find them."

Adama nodded, unable to voice his assent over the large lump in his throat. He knew his people wouldn't stop until they found Lee and Kara. He just hoped it was in time.

TBC