"We have to leave the area, even though we haven't secured the supplies we came to this sector for. The attacks have just been too severe." The Admiral said as he stood, defeated and burdened, looking down at the star chart. He pointed to a particular path in the northwest corner. "Our course will take us through this quadrant."

"Okay."

He looked down at the person sitting in front of him at the table. "Do you have any advice?"

Laura's eyes shot up to meet his. "Advice?"

"Warnings? Insight?" Adama asked in a raspy, breathless voice.

Laura looked back to the map and pointed at two celestial bodies. "These are pulsars; you should stay away from them if you can." She exhaled, glancing back up at him. "Not only because they're unstable ………but because the EM interference would muck up the dradis. Make it hard for us to see any unfriendly vessels that may be in the area."

"Will there be any unfriendlies?" He inquired nervously.

She shook her head and her eyebrows furrowed. "How would I know?"

"You sometimes see things." He sat down at the table with her and placed a hand on her forearm. "If you have some sort of connection……..if you know anything—?"

"How would I know?" She repeated again, more harshly this time.

He lowered his head and looked at the chart for the thousandth time. He rubbed his eyes in frustrated exhaustion. "You try to hide things about yourself—for our benefit—so that we'll feel comfortable." He sighed sadly. "But being comfortable is not the issue here, if you know something—?"

She shook her head again. "I don't know anything."

His internal agitation could no longer be hidden and he gripped her arm a little tighter. "You don't have to do that…….I'm asking you……..I want you to help us."

"Stop asking!" She almost shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't know anything. I can't help you."

"People are dying, Laura!" He shot back, pulling on her arm as the harshness of his emotions radiated in his voice. "Duck just died yesterday!"

"I know that!" She did shout this time, the tears falling down her face as she pulled her arm away from his. "I know that." She whispered agonizingly.

Adama's face fell as he looked at his granddaughter. He couldn't say or do anything except watch her get out of her chair and move to the other side of the table. His eyes filled with tears as well. "Laura?"

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked softly, looking him up and down as he sat, slumped in the chair.

The concern in her eyes made his heart break. Even after what he just did, she still cared about him. Instead of answering the question, he had a moment of clarity. "Oh gods, little Laura, I'm so sorry."

She walked back over and pulled up a chair until she was sitting right next to him and wrapped her arms around him. "There have been five attacks in the last three days. You've lost four pilots in that time. Mom and Dad are frakking losing their minds."

"Don't cuss, little girl." Adama chuckled sadly.

"You have an excuse." She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I don't have an excuse. You come here for our weekly lunch and I bombard you with accusations and questions." He patted her arm apologetically. "I'm your grandfather, I should never have asked."

"You had to ask." She informed him gently. "You're not just my grandfather, you're the Admiral. You'd be shirking your responsibilities if you didn't use every resource that you have."

"You're not a resource." He pulled her away and cupped her face in his hands. "And what about my responsibility to you?"

"You've put me first for most of my life." She let out a shaky breath. "But I'm not the most important thing in this case. It's okay to put me second this time." She turned her face away and nervously adjusted the fabric of her shirt. "You do know that if I could help you—I would." She whispered.

"I know." He turned her face back and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry that I ever……." He closed his eyes and shook his head regretfully. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You should get some sleep." She kissed his cheek and stood up, walking away. "I'll leave you alone."

He stopped her before she reached the door. "I could not be sorrier, Laura."

She turned around. "It's okay." She smiled slightly. "We'll forget it ever happened."

"I'd prefer that your parents not know about this." He pleaded.

She smiled a little wider this time. "Yeah…… I don't think I'll be telling them about this."

The look in his eyes was open and sincere. "I love you, Laura."

"I love you, too." She nodded. "Get some sleep."

She exited the room, closed the door behind her and leaned back against, clutching her chest and struggling not to burst into tears.

"You okay, Laura?" Corporal Townsend asked, seeing her precarious position.

She bucked up quickly, shook off her hurt and flashed a dishonest grin. "Great. I'm great."


"This is who you got to baby-sit Laura?" Kara asked Lee, pointing to the person in question.

"I'm not a baby!" Laura spoke up from the other side of the room. "I don't need a babysitter! I could go hang out with Chief and Cally on the flight deck, or sit in on the Triad game in the rec room; try and win back the money that Dad lost last week."

"Chief and Cally are working on that special project; you can't go to the fight deck tonight." Lee told Laura.

"Or any other night for the last two weeks." Laura pouted from her place on the couch. "And what exactly is this special project that no one will tell me about?"

"You're not going to the flight deck." Kara replied curtly.

"I promise I won't get into anything!" Laura whined.

"Laura, we talked about this." Kara rebuked. "You just had a seizure two days ago, you hadn't been sleeping well for days before that………I want you to stay home with a responsible caretaker." She then turned back to Lee, glaring at him. "If your father could ever find one!"

"Most everyone else is busy." Lee reminded Kara as he adjusted the sash on his dress uniform. "They're either on shift or going to the Colonial Day celebration as well." Lee gestured to the babysitter. "This is the only person I could find that didn't have somewhere better to be."

Kara looked at herself in the mirror and smoothed down the fabric of her simple, dark-green, sheath dress. "That in itself is kinda pathetic. Are we sure we want somebody that lame to be looking after our daughter?"

Hotdog looked around the room in disbelief. "I can hear you, ya know."

Kara turned away from the mirror to cast an examining glance at Hotdog. "Yeah, I realize that you're in the room."

Lee came up behind Kara and stroked her bare shoulders. "I almost get the feeling that you don't want to go to this dinner party tonight, Mrs. Adama." He whispered.

She turned her face slightly and grinned. "What would give you that feeling? Could it be the hundred times that I told you I didn't want to go?"

"Could be." He chuckled as he kissed below her ear. "That and the fact that you're looking to find even the slightest fault with the person I got to watch Laura."

She chuckled too, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. "But in all fairness, Lee, I didn't have to look very hard to find fault."

"I'm still standing right here!" Hotdog reminded them again.

Laura got up from the couch and stood beside Hotdog, petting her cat. "Don't take offense, Hotdog. It's just that Mom doesn't think you're the best person to watch me, because she thinks you and I are on the same level of emotional maturity."

"Actually," Lee corrected, pointing at Laura. "We both think you're on a higher level of emotional maturity than Costanza."

"I'm gonna leave." Hotdog muttered, turning back to head to the door.

"No!" The three Adamas shouted at the same time, causing him to stop moving.

"No, Hotdog, I'm sorry." Kara told him half-heartedly. "It's just, ya know………… you can get into trouble faster than anybody I've ever met in my life." She took a breath. "And that's saying something—'cause I've met me."

"We'll be fine." Hotdog looked over at Laura. "We won't get into any trouble. I'll just play it by ear, think on my feet. I'm good at that." He then looked at Lee and Kara. "Right?"

Lee and Kara glanced at each other nervously. "Yeah, we better make a list for them of what to do when things go wrong." Lee muttered.

Hotdog and Laura went to sit on the couch and started playing with Boy. Kara grabbed a pen and a pad of paper and stood at the kitchen counter, writing away. "Do you think we could get some anti-radiation meds from Cottle?"

Lee groaned. "Kara, why would they possibly need anti-radiation meds?"

"It's Hotdog!" She rasped back. "I'm not taking any chances."

"She won't need anti-radiation meds." Lee replied. "But where is her communal syringe of Yestradin?"

"It's hidden in my underwear drawer." She whispered. "Will you go get it?"

He pulled her to him. "Oh, baby. You know how I love having my hands in your underwear."

She laughed breathily and pushed him away. "Go get it." Lee walked into the bedroom and Kara looked at Hotdog and Laura. "Do you know CPR?"

"Yeah." Hotdog answered.

"I was talking to Laura." Kara replied seriously.

"I know CPR, Mom." Laura laughed.

Lee came back into the room holding the syringe in his hand and placed it on the counter in front of Kara. "Speaking of shots." He said in a low voice as he stood next to her. "When I was in sickbay getting my allergy shot, Cottle mentioned that you hadn't been in for your monthly shot."

She looked back to him hesitantly, but with a firm demeanor. "I, um………I'm not taking them anymore." She answered in the same gentle whisper. "It'd be a waste."

"Kara, are you sure—?"

"Lee, I told you what Cottle said." She interrupted. "'Practically non-existent' doesn't leave a whole lot of room for doubt." She sighed and fiddled with the pen. "The fleet's gonna be out of the contraceptive shots one day, and Cottle should save what we have left for the women that can actually get pregnant."

He gazed at her for several moments and then took a curled strand of her hair in his fingers. "You look really beautiful right now."

She leaned into his hand. "You said that this morning when I woke up with my hair sticking out in spikes and a pillow crease running down the side of my face."

"It was true then, too." Lee whispered hotly.

"You look pretty sexy yourself." Kara moaned softly. "Ya know, we could pretend that we're going to the dinner party, but ditch it and go sneak off into an empty storage closet instead."

"CAN'T." Lee said strongly, mostly to himself as he felt the pull of her suggestion running through him. "The Admiral of the Fleet and the President of the Twelve Colonies expect us to be there."

"But what fun is it to do what's expected of us?" She breathed out as she traced his collar.

He groaned and pulled her hand away. "Kara." He warned.

"Fine." She pouted at him playfully. "You never let me have any fun."

"We'll have plenty of fun tonight when we get home." He entwined his hand with hers and grinned lustfully. "This Colonial Day, you're going to end up in my bed."

She didn't return the grin. Instead, she stepped back suddenly, put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "Fix what you just said."

He gulped loudly when he realized that he had stepped out of bounds with his previous comment. "Yeah, um, I, I,…….."

"Not fixing it fast enough!" She hissed. "Fix it NOW."

He held up his hands and walked to her carefully. "You are my favorite person, you're kind, and funny, and beautiful—."

She crinkled her nose and shook her head. "Yeah, that's not really doing it for me."

"You're also the best pilot in the history of the Colonial Fleet." He finished.

She smiled instantly and stepped back to where she was pressed against him again. "Okay, now I'm hot for you again."

"You guys are gonna be late!" Laura warned them from the couch as they stood grinning at each other.

"Yeah, okay." Kara pulled away from Lee and grabbed the list from the counter; she walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of Hotdog and Laura and held it up for them to examine. "Okay, this is the list. Do not deviate from the list."

"You can consider this list an official memo from the CAG and Deputy CAG." Lee added, pointing at Hotdog.

Kara continued. "There is a guard right outside the door. She isn't allowed any more candy tonight, so don't let her eat any, no matter how many times she tries to manipulate you into letting her have more. Make sure she feeds her cat and changes his litter box, make sure she finishes her homework, make sure she's in bed by 2100—."

"2100?" Laura scoffed, rolling her eyes. "First you get me a baby-sitter and now you give me a bed-time?"

"You haven't been sleeping well lately. You've been cranky and tired and sullen and we'd really rather not deal with it anymore." Lee explained. He walked over to pick up a book on the desk, then walked back and dropped it in Hotdog's lap. "When Laura's asleep, you can go over this theory of flight book that the Admiral gave to her."

"Why do I need to go over a theory of flight book? I've been flying for close to two and a half years." Hotdog laughed as he picked up the book. "Don't get blown up, land the plane in one piece: that's my basic theory of flight."

Kara looked at the book and then curiously at Laura. "Grandpa gave you his old book? That was one of his favorites. I didn't think he would ever part with it."

"He still feels guilty." Laura muttered in explanation, shrugging off-handedly.

"Guilty?" Lee repeated, growing concerned. "What would he have to feel guilty about?"

Laura froze, but quickly recovered, thinking of dishonest reply. "Um, he had to cancel our lunch last week. He feels bad about it."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry about that. I'm sure he didn't want to cancel." Kara sympathized, placing a hand on Laura's knee. "But you know that this last week has just been crazy…….for all of us."

Laura smiled slightly and took a shallow breath. "I know, Mom."

Kara smiled back and held up the piece of paper in her hands, she looked up to Lee. "Can I finish my list?"

He laughed. "Please continue."

Kara looked to Hotdog. "Do not tell her any off-colored stories or jokes. Do not leave our quarters unless the Cylons attack and Battle Stations are called. If that happens, take her to sickbay. That's her designated shelter in an attack." She took a deep breath and glanced down the list. "If she has a seizure, move everything away from her so that she doesn't hit anything, and if you can……." Kara paused as Lee came up behind her with the syringe and handed it to Hotdog. "Give her this to ease her tremors."

"You know how to use a syringe?" Lee asked seriously. Hotdog nodded with the same seriousness.

"Then take her straight to sickbay." Kara finished, and she looked down at the paper again. "I can't think of anything else that's not on the list."

Laura leaned forward and took the list from Kara's hand, she also examined it thoroughly. "Hey Mom, you know what's not on the list?" She asked, with narrowed eyes. "What Hotdog should do if I eat all the candy and then don't feed Boy, or do my homework, or go to bed by 2100…………. because I'm too busy having a seizure while he tells me dirty jokes as the Cylons attack."

Lee dissolved into laughter as Kara angrily grabbed the paper back from her daughter. "Do not make fun of the list! The list is sacred!"

"Will you guys go already?" Laura groaned in amusement as Lee pulled Kara up from the coffee table.

Lee grabbed Kara's hand and dragged her to the door. "We'll be back by 23:30."

Laura shouted after them. "I hope you'll still be able to recognize me when you get back…….what with all my new tattoos and piercings and stuff!"


Humans have a funny way of not doing what they're supposed to do……………….

This is not the way I thought it would go down, I knew they'd be suspicious, but………….. They're human, the way you are…………….

Why are you talking to me like I'm not one of them? ………………..In some ways, you never were……………..

Oh, I see, that explains it. You're not here because you mean us any harm or because you're a programmed enemy of humanity……………...

You're beginning to see humans as we see them………………they are masters of self-destruction………………

Even if it's software instead of an emotion, it's real to her…………….we use that……….

…………….let destiny take its course……………you have a path, you will be spared their fate…………

You're all the same………………

"You will have to make a choice soon." Her companion told her once she was fully ensconced in her dream.

"I know." Laura replied, looking around the wet and lush green forest before turning back to the wise old woman dressed in purple priestess robes. "But which choice is the right one?"

"I can't tell you that." Elosha replied. "You have to decide that for yourself. But it's not about right and wrong, it's about following your heart. You have two families, and they are at war with each other."

"They will always be at war with each other." Laura sighed, looking down at the grave markers in the moist ground. "Too much has happened; the two sides will never be able to find peace."

"There is a way." The priestess told her. "The two sides live inside you, if you find peace within yourself, they will find it as well."

"It's not peace, Elosha." Laura responded, tears filling her eyes. "It's victory. One side will win, the other will be defeated. No matter what I do, no matter which side I choose ………people will die." Her face crumpled. "And I don't want that burden."

"But that has always been your burden." Elosha said, placing her hand on Laura's. "It has been since the day you were conceived."

"The choice is yours." A man's voice spoke from behind her. "But the choice to make it or not………that has never been up for debate."

Laura looked at the man as he came to stand in front of her. "It is something I must do." She confirmed in a reluctant whisper. "So why is it so hard for me to come to terms with?"

"Because you were not created to be evil, Laura." Leoben answered gently, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "And you must realize that no matter what you choose, you will never be evil. You will be a fair and impartial judge. You must see both sides………and then deem who is more worthy."

"This is what you were created for." Elosha smiled sadly. "Accept it." .

"No matter what you choose, one half of your family will be defeated." Leoben added, taking a familiar syringe from his pocket and uncapping it.

"And if they truly love you as they say they do, the defeated side will understand that you meant no harm, you were just fulfilling your part." Elosha pushed back the sleeve of Laura's nightgown and held her arm. "This is the lesson we are trying to teach you, Laura."

Laura winced as the needle went in her skin and she closed her eyes. "I understand the lesson."


Laura awoke in a cold sweat, same as she had awoken every night for the last week. She raised a shaking hand to her chest, attempting to calm her heartbeat and breathing from their insanely rapid pace. She heard the sound of voices coming from her parent's bedroom and looked at the clock: 23:45.

She gingerly got out of bed, walking past the table, on top of which laid the familiar syringe that Hotdog had left behind. She went to the door, and pressed her ear against it.

"Will you stop?" Kara admonished as she sat on the bed and took off her shoes. "You barely say four words on the shuttle ride home and then when we get here and you start talking? I find myself wishing that you'd shut the hell up again."

"I can't……." Lee began as he unbuttoned his uniform jacket. "I'm extremely agitated, Kara."

"I noticed." She said simply as she stood up and turned her back to him. "Unzip me. My arm can't reach it."

He obediently pulled down the zipper. "Did you hear what he said to me?"

Kara turned back around to face him with an incredulous look on her face. "The man spoke two sentences to you the whole evening."

"And both sentences were about Laura!" Lee shouted.

"Will you stop yelling?" She whispered harshly as she let the dress fall to the floor. "Hotdog said Laura fell asleep quickly and slept well after that, and I won't have you waking her up just because you're acting like an insulted little boy. Not after all the trouble she's had sleeping lately."

"He was asking me about her!" Lee hissed, taking off his jacket and throwing it across the room.

"He wanted to know how she was! He's a part of her life whether you like it or not, Lee." Kara explained, taking off her earrings and placing them on the dresser. "And he was just trying to make conversation. He doesn't know you as anything other than Laura's father, it's not like you ever set foot in that chapel."

"Please don't make this about my religious beliefs."

"Or lack thereof." Kara amended.

"I'm just saying……….what was he even doing there tonight?" Lee continued. "Billy's an atheist."

"Not anymore." She corrected. "And just because someone doesn't believe in the gods, that doesn't necessarily mean that they think all priests are conniving and duplicitous. It's important that the President not shun members of the clergy."

"I don't want Laura anywhere near Father Monseau anymore." Lee told her firmly, yanking off his tanks. "I don't want her to go to the services anymore."

"I'll take her to any damn service I want!" Kara shot back.

"You just—."

"You're being unreasonable, you need to relax." She purred, walking to him and placing her hands on his chest. "Let me help you with that, Major."

He ignored her as he shook his head. "I just get a bad feeling whenever Monseau is around."

"I was really proud of you tonight, Lee. You've more than earned that promotion. Do they have a Major's privilege?" She added, attempting to distract him by unbuckling his pants. "If so, I know a junior officer who'd be more than happy to help you exercise it."

"All his religious talk is just going to confuse her." Lee whispered, mostly to himself. "I don't want him filling Laura's head with it."

Kara sighed and looked at the clock. "It's 23:48. Are you bound and determined to end every Colonial Day without getting laid?" She sneered as she pulled away from him. "Because you keep this up, and I'm never gonna frak you again."

"I'm being serious!" Lee shouted.

"No, you're being paranoid!" She hissed back, pulling down the covers and getting into bed. "Stop it! Laura will do what she wants to do. And you freaking out about it……..or being afraid of it, that's not going to do anything but drive her further away."

Laura stepped back from the door as if she'd been electrocuted, the fear and shock she felt at hearing that statement pumping through her veins like fire. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she put her ear back.

"Kara?" Lee said, getting into bed beside her. "I let the thing with Baltar go, but Laura is being pulled in fifty-thousand different directions—."

"And she'll go in the direction that's right for her." Kara interjected as she turned off the bedside lamp. "Regardless of what we do."

"But Father Monseau thinks she's special, he thinks she has a destiny." Lee finished, molding himself against the curves of her body.

"She is special, Lee." Kara reminded him as she danced her fingers up and down his skin. "Everybody sees that, even Father Monseau, even you." She kissed his bare chest. "And he's a priest; he's been taught that everybody has a destiny."

Lee pushed back the hair from her face and sighed. "But what if he's wrong? What if her destiny is not to do something noble and righteous and pure to serve humanity?"

On the other side of the door, Laura's face crumpled in shame and hurt, and she moved away and went back to her bed without hearing the conversation end. She curled up around herself and didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

But if she had stayed by the door for ten seconds more she would have heard something much better………………………….

Kara pulled back from Lee with shock and insult etched on her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean………." Lee began, moving his hand down from her hair to trace her collarbone. "What if her only destiny is to be our daughter? To love us and be loved by us? I know it's a simple destiny, but it's already been fulfilled. And it's noble and righteous and pure enough for me—."

"And me." Kara added, smiling gently at him.

"So why is that not good enough for some people?"

"I don't care about other people." Kara confirmed, rolling on top of him. "The only people that matter know that love is our daughter's only purpose, Lee."


"Major Adama seemed reluctant to even speak to me." Father Monseau said as he sat at a table with two other people, dressed in formal wear in the middle of the Cloud Nine ballroom after everyone else had gone home.

"He's never been very religious." Billy confirmed from the chair on the opposite side. "He prefers to put his faith in people."

"That is what we're doing." The priest said. "This whole thing is about people."

"But you're asking us to put our faith in something else, something besides the people that we know." Dualla spoke up next Billy. "What if something goes wrong? What if she gets hurt, or scared?" She paused and Billy took her hand in his as she covered her eyes with the other hand. "I know she's more than just a teenager………but she's still so young--so innocent and good. And I'm worried she might fumble down this path that we've set before her."

"It's useless to worry if you have faith, and it's useless to have faith if you worry." Father Monseau assured her. "If your faith is beginning to wane, Anastasia—."

"Don't lecture me about faith!" She responded harshly, tapping her finger against the table. "I'm going to play my part. I could give you a list of things that I've done—things that I'm going to do—purely because I have faith.What I'm talking about is concern…………. and love." Her voice dropped to a pleading whisper. "Can you give me any guarantees?"

"No." Monseau replied simply. "But if we are truly worthy of this gift that the child will give us, a good way to prove it would be to take this chance without any guarantees."


Gaius Baltar looked up from his desk when he heard the knock on the door. "Come in."

It opened and Laura meekly entered the lab. "Hello, Doc."

"Unscheduled visit." Six confirmed from beside him. "This could be very interesting, Gaius."

Baltar looked at the papers in front of him and then at Laura. "Were we supposed to meet today?"

"No." Laura confirmed. "I told Corporal Wilkes that I had an overdue assignment that I needed to turn in."

Baltar smiled genuinely. "You've never been overdue on an assignment in your life, Laura."

She gave a slight smile in return, but the hesitant nature of her stance did not falter. "I came to ask you if we could skip the astrophysics lesson tomorrow." She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I'd actually like to learn about something else."

"Anything in particular?" He questioned hopefully.

"I want you to teach me about the Cylon networking and downloading process." She told him quietly. "I need to know how we are connected, how we are activated."

"We?" Six repeated, wrapping her arms around him and smiling adoringly. "It is beginning, Gaius. Just let it run its course."

Baltar nodded somberly. "I'd be happy to teach you anything you want to know."


"Did he say what this was about?" Laura asked nervously as she walked down the corridor.

"Nope." Corporal Venner replied from beside her. "He just told me to bring you to him."

"I'm supposed to have a lesson with Dr. Baltar right now."

"Well, the Admiral outranks the Good Doctor," Venner laughed. "So I'm gonna do what I'm told."

They came to the end of the corridor and saw the Admiral waiting for them. He nodded. "Corporal Venner, thank you for bringing her here so quickly."

"Of course, sir." Venner replied.

"You can leave." Adama told him with a stone face. "I'll take it from here."

Laura and Venner both looked at each other nervously, and Laura's face was distorted in anxiety as she looked back to her grandfather. "I didn't do anything." She almost cried. "Grandpa, I swear I didn't."

"Hey." Venner told her soothingly, touching her shoulder. "It's alright."

The Admiral stepped forward and took Laura's face in his hands, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry for scaring you, little Laura. We wanted it to be a surprise……….but you're not in trouble."

"I'm not?" She whispered.

"No.You're a good girl, Laura." He then gestured to the hatch behind him. "Come inside with me."

Laura looked at the same door, the one that read CIC. "I'm not allowed." She told him softly.

"I'm the Admiral." He smiled at her, holding out his arm for her to take. "I'm making an exception this time."

He opened the hatch and they stepped through it into the hub of the ship, a place she had heard about a million times, but never laid eyes on. It made her heart leap to finally see the place that controlled the safety and well-being of everyone she loved.

Dee caught her eye from over at the com station and smiled affectionately, Gaeta looked over and waved, and Colonel Tigh even managed to convey that he was pleased with her presence.

She walked over with the Admiral to the tactical table in the center of the room, and she took aspot beside Tyrol as her grandfather took his traditional place in front of the visual screens across from them.

"Hey, little girl." Tyrol nudged her.

"Hey, Chief." She smiled back, noticing the com set around his ear. "What's going on?"

"You'll see." He told her before looking over at the Admiral. "The ship's already been launched, sir."

Adama nodded and then looked back to Dee. "Tell them to begin maneuvers."

"Apollo/Galactica, you are cleared to begin flight test on Blackbird." Dee stated over the com.

"Wilco, Galactica." Lee's voice answered. "Beginning maneuvers."

"He's flying a Blackbird!" Laura almost shouted in excitement. "You built another one? That's what you guys have been doing in the flight deck?"

"Uh-huh." Tyrol happily confirmed.

"Well, if that's all you were doing, why did you ban me from the deck?"

"It's called a surprise." Tigh responded gruffly. "It doesn't really work if you know about it beforehand."

"Your mother's flying next to him in a Viper." Adama added.

"Apollo/Starbuck," Kara's voice crackled over the com. "You're starting to drift."

"Yeah." Lee replied to her. "Give me a second to adjust. It's been a while since I've flown one of these things."

"And even longer since you've landed one." She cackled.

"Leave it to you to make a joke about that, Starbuck." He laughed back.

The Admiral picked up the handset beside him. "Knock off the chatter, pilots." He said with condemnation.

Laura could hear both of her parents gulp from all the way out in space. "Yes, sir." Kara replied, clearing her throat.

Adama's eyes sparkled as he crooked his finger to call Laura over to the other side of the table. She moved over and stood next to him. "Major Adama, Captain Thrace?" He said into the handset. "I have someone here who'd like to say something."

He handed Laura the phone and she took it, her face expressionless. "Hi, Mom and Dad."

There was silence for a while before she heard Kara laugh. "Laura, is that you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you in CIC?" Lee asked uncertainly.

Laura's face finally took on the expression of jubilation. "Uh-huh."

"Well, I'll be damned." Kara laughed again. "You were right, Lee. You always did say she could get your father to let her do whatever she wants."

"She's a part of that ship, Kara." Lee laughed as well. "It's about time he let her poke around in the brain of it."

"Do a few more maneuvers and come on home." Adama ordered, smiling all the while. "Laura and I will meet you in the flight deck in an hour."

He hung up the phone and gestured for Laura to follow him as he walked away, but they were stopped by the clearing of a throat. "Um, Admiral?" Tigh began. "The other thing?"

Adama shook his head in disbelief. "Of course, I forgot."

"What other thing?" Laura asked with curiosity.

The Admiral looked at Tyrol and gave him confirmation to speak. "We named it Laura." Tyrol told her.

"Like the first one." Laura confirmed simply. "After the President."

"No." Adama assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We named this one after you."

Her eyes filled with happy tears. "After me?"

"Sure." Tyrol laughed, winking at her. "After all………we kinda like you."

"You free for lunch, Ms. Adama?" Adama asked, moving her to the exit.

"Well….." She thought for a moment, waving at Dee as she walked past her station. "I was supposed to have a lesson with Doctor Baltar." She smiled at her grandfather. "But it can wait."


"Just breathe, Mom." Laura whispered as she settled onto the table in the radiology lab. "It'll be over in 20 minutes."

Kara came over and stood by the table, stroking Laura's hair. "This is actually kinda pathetic." She laughed. "You're the one getting the scan, but I'm the one that has to be comforted."

"Are you cold, Laura?" Nurse Coaker asked as she adjusted the settings on the machine.

"No, I'm okay." Laura responded, looking up at her from the table. "Did Mom give you my music chip?"

"We've already got it loaded into the speakers." Coaker assured her and then started to walk into the lab reading room. "We'll start in about two minutes."

Kara leaned down and kissed Laura's forehead. "I'll be right outside."

She attempted to let go of Laura's hand and walk away, but Laura held firm, pulling her back. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever—I'm not trying to get morbid on you, but have you ever………… wondered if your life would be better if I wasn't here?" Laura exhaled and looked around the room. "If I had never been here?"

"No." Kara responded bluntly, without hesitation.

"Just like that, you can answer just like that?" Laura asked in surprise. "You've never wondered?"

"Not for one second." Kara smiled down at her. "I may not always understand what's going on……….what the universe has in store for me, giving me the opportunity to be your mother; giving us the opportunity to be a family. But I've always known that there wasn't going to be a better one. And so has your father."

"Sometimes, I wonder." Laura admitted truthfully. "I mean, I'm not normal—."

"Normal, who wants to be normal?" Kara scoffed. "There's no way you could have been normal and belonged to this dysfunctional freakshow that is your family." She laughed, pointing to the ceiling—or more accurately, to the heavens. "See, this was all according to plan. You were put in this family so that everybody would look at you……….and then look at all of your relatives in comparison."

"And compared to all of you—." Laura grinned, finishing for her. "I'm really not all that strange."

"Such a quick learner." Kara smiled back adoringly; she then got quiet and lowered her head. "What brought this on, little Laura?"

"I don't know." Laura shook her head. "It's just—now that Dad knows about my lessons with Doctor Baltar, and now that he's okay with them………..I feel kinda weird. It's strange not having to hide anymore, now I feel like its okay for me to be what I am: Human and Cylon."

"Except you aren't." Kara replied simply.

"Aren't what?" Laura asked. "Human or Cylon?"

"Both……..neither." Kara shrugged. "You aren't human and you aren't Cylon."

"Then what am I?"

Kara gave her daughter a funny look. "You're Laura." She smirked. "They broke the mold when you were born……..and you get to be something new, something that no one's ever seen before. You get to be anything you want to be."

"Yeah." Laura smiled wistfully. "I'm starting to realize that."

"I've never wondered if my life would have been better if you'd never been in it." Kara kissed her forehead. "Because the moment Nurse Coaker put you in my arms, I knew that was where both of us belonged. And I pray every day that I'm worthy of being your mother."

"Captain Thrace?" Nurse Coaker's voice spoke over the intercom. "You'll have to go now. We're ready to start the scan."

This time, Laura let go of Kara's hand and Kara moved to the door. She turned back with her hand on the knob and grinned. "I'll be here waiting for you. I won't leave you."

When Kara had left the room, and the table moved backwards to place Laura into the scanning machine, she smiled and let out a contented breath. "I know you won't."

TBC