Lee hoped to the gods that vision wasn't necessary for him to find his way to the shower stalls because with Kara walking around and screaming she was going to kill the person who stole her towel, he really couldn't look up.
oooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
Lee hoped to the gods that vision wasn't necessary for him to find his way to the shower stalls because with Kara walking around and screaming she was going to kill the person who stole her towel, he really couldn't look up.
"Lee Adama! Are you actually averting your eyes?" Her voice was teasing as usual but there was a hint of something else laced deep inside.
Lee took a chance and breathed a sigh of relief when, upon looking up, he saw a towel securely wrapped around Kara's body.
Kara held his gaze for a few seconds before her brow furrowed. "What the frak are you doing in the head with your dress blues on?"
Lee sighed as reality slammed back into him. He wasn't here just to sneak a peak at his half-naked hotshot pilot. "I need a favor, Kara."
"Anything," she said, taking a few steps forward. She didn't have to know Lee very well to know that tone meant something serious, but because she knew him so well, she knew that tone almost meant he was worried about something.
"You have an off day tomorrow and there's a little project I need you to help me with. The black market has apparently flared up since the last time I was sent to test it. I need someone to help me figure out just how bad it's gotten."
Kara nodded. "Let me know when. I'll strap up and be ready to kick ass."
Lee shook his head. "It's not going to be that easy. They know my face at least somewhat. They'll see me coming a mile away if I bring in a team in full marine gear."
"So what are you proposing?"
"It's the child market that I'm concerned about," Lee admitted, "so that's what I need the help with." He shut his eyes and tried to gather his courage before continuing. "I need you to pretend like you're my wife and you want to secure a child with me from the black market."
Kara's eyes went wide. She must be fraking tired if she just heard Lee ask her to be his wife. "Excuse me?"
"Come on, Kara. Don't make me say it again. I need someone to pose as my wife, and I figured that you'd be a pretty good option considering you already have an off shift to coincide with mine."
Kara stared at him a moment and then nodded. She should have known he would never chose her outright for something like this. She was convenient. "Fine. When do you need me?"
"0800. There's going to be a Raptor waiting to take us to Cloud Nine. From there, we'll switch over to a larger transport heading to the Prometheus. We have dinner reservations to meet with the… provider that night. The mission shouldn't take much longer after that. If we are able to secure the business transaction, that's all the proof we need to launch a Marine assault the very next morning."
"Sounds good," Kara replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get dressed and tell Helo that our date in the gym tomorrow is going to have to be put on hold."
The second Kara was out of sight, Lee let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. There was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders knowing that she was going up to bat with him on this one. He had had to call in a number of favors to get himself an offshift the next day and to get the mission approved that quickly, but he knew that he needed someone to watch his back on this one. The only person who could do that right now was Kara so he had to make it happen. It was just easier if she didn't know how important she was. Kara tended to tease him to no end when he let her ego get too big.
oooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
Kara did a little spin in the mirror. Her hands ran down the length of the white buttoned down shirt and fitted navy blue shirt. She felt like the President of the Twelve Colonies.
Kara's eyes shifted to rest on the young deckhand currently sitting with her legs tucked under her on top of the table in the middle of the senior officer's bunkroom "This is incredible, Cally. Where the frak did you find this stuff?"
"You told me it was important so I asked around. Zephyr just came off a few meeting at Fleet headquarters when the attacks happened. She was going to give up the military, believe it or not. Well, anyway, it turns out that she still had the clothes even after all these months."
"And the heels?" Kara asked.
"Those are from Showboat. She's the same size as you."
Kara leaned in to check her hair again. It had been so long since she actually put any sort of effort into styling it. "How do I look, Cally?"
"Why do you care, Kara?"
Cally's words made Kara's hand freeze in her hair, and she turned to look at the deckhand. "Excuse me?"
"I've seen you getting ready for a hundred and one missions in the years we've served on this ship, and you've never carried this much about being convincing."
Kara stared at her a moment before shrugging. "Lee's counting on me."
"And it has nothing to do with wanting to look nice for the Captain himself?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Kara turned away and hoped to the gods Cally didn't hear her voice shake. She did not have time for this right now.
"Mmm hmmm." Cally pushed off the table and walked to Kara's side. She held out a pair of glasses. "Wear these. They'll make you look smart."
Kara took the glasses and slid them on. "Are these prescription?"
"They're light. Don't lose them. I stole them from Jammer's girlfriend. She's going to be pissed if they get broken."
Kara nodded and, giving her hair one last run through, stepped away from the locker. "All right. Wish me luck, Specialist."
"Good luck, Starbuck."
Kara gave Cally a quick smile and then walked out into the corridor. She tried to ignore the transparent shock written on the face of every person she passed. She was dressed nice right now, a little on the conservative side for her but nice all the same. Regardless, it shouldn't be causing people to stumble in their tracks.
"Starbuck, you are feeding into my secretary fetish and you don't even know it."
Kara rolled her eyes at the sound of Helo's voice but slowed her pace until he caught up. "Shut up, Karl."
"On your way to the hangar bay?"
"Yeah. Sorry about canceling our plans."
"No problem. If I had known canceling our plans would get you in those heels, I would have canceled a lot sooner."
Kara smacked him playfully on the arm as they descended a flight of stairs. "I don't look that bad."
"Bad is not the word," Helo teased. Their pace slowed down as they reached the hangar bay doors. "And by the way, Kara, if you were going for repressed with that outfit, you're a mile off target."
Kara smirked. "Honey, I couldn't be repressed even if I tried."
Helo's laughter echoed through the corridors and gave Kara the courage she knew she would need for the next few minutes. It was time to get Lee's approval.
Kara caught sight of him just as she was nearing the Raptor. He was talking with a few of the launch crew so Kara let herself stare a little bit. He was wearing a deep blue dress shirt and grey pants. The clothes fit his body so well that Kara was pretty sure they had to have been his own from before the attacks. Lee finally noticed her approach and when their eyes locked, Kara felt herself stumbling to a stop a few feet away from their Raptor.
"Sirs, we need to get you launched."
The words came from one of the launch crew, but Kara still couldn't tear her eyes away from Lee. There was a reason she and Lee avoided wearing civilian clothing, and this was it.
"You look nice," Lee said, making the first move. He stepped forward and grabbed her elbow. "Very refined."
"Thanks," Kara whispered, letting him lead her up the ramp onto the Raptor.
Lee sat her down in a chair near the back and then made his way up to the co-pilot seat. Kara leaned back, watching him, as the Raptor was launched from Galactica. Lee didn't say a word to her the whole flight although she did catch him sneaking glances at her every once in awhile.
Kara couldn't read the expression on his face whenever she caught him looking, and she considered that a small gift from the gods. Her hands ran through her hair absentmindedly as she tried to focus on the job ahead. There were a lot of people counting on her right now so she needed her head in the game.
There was a small bump as the Raptor set down in one of Cloud Nine's docking areas, but Kara stayed seated. She watched the pilot go through the post-flight checks before whispering, "This feels weird."
Lee motioned for the pilot to leave them alone a moment and walked to the back of the ship. "Are you going to be able to do this, Kara?"
"I'll be fine," she said, her face filling with determination. "I just have to get my role straight."
Lee crouched down in front of her feet and gave her one of those killer smiles she hated to love. "You're Kara Adama, my lovely blushing bride."
Kara felt her skin redden at his words. "I am far from being an Adama," she whispered.
"You're an Adama in everything but name," Lee insisted. He rested his hands on her knees. "Listen to me, Kara. This doesn't have to be hard. It's just you and me on another mission. Smile. Laugh. Have fun. We'll be fine."
Kara gave a small nod, and Lee shifted his hands into hers and pulled her to her feet. Together they walked off the Raptor into the busy docking area. "The shuttle's right over there," Lee said, pointing to their left.
"Thanks, honey." Kara had to fight back a laugh as Lee stiffened and then blushed slightly. She slid her hand up to rest on his arm and started scanning their surroundings. No one looked like they noticed the young couple stepping off a military ship so hopefully they were in the clear.
Lee led Kara to the shuttle and helped her on board. They were directed to an area that were set apart from the majority of the other seats. "I requested that we have a little privacy," Lee offered. "I figured you'd want to rest up for our meeting."
Kara nodded and slid into her seat. She moved the middle divider of the seat next to her until it was out of the way and then patted the seat. Lee took a seat and was a little unsure of what to do when she shifted to lean against him. "Spouses cuddle," she whispered, biting her tongue to keep from teasing.
Lee shifted his arm around her. "Well, if I remember correctly from those first few nights after the attacks, CAGs and their lead pilots do, too."
Kara smiled and let silence fall between them. Things had been a lot easier back then. She had had nightmares about what had happened to the only world she had ever known, and it was so simple to slip into the bed of an old friend for comfort. Lee had never brought up those nights of weakness.
Lee's hand tightened around hers as the shuttle pushed off from the docking and entered space. "I really like those glasses on you."
"They don't make me look stupid?" Kara asked.
"They suit you," Lee said. "They make you seem less stubborn."
Kara smacked him lightly on the arm and chuckled when he tightened his hold on her. They shifted into a comfortable silence as the shuttle smoothly slid through space. This little bubble the mission had built was completely surreal. Kara could say and do anything with Lee right now and be able to blame it on the mission.
Her mind drifted to what she was going to have to do in a few short minutes. She was going to pretend like she would give anything to be a mother, and she had to make it convincing. Her eyes drifted to the man sitting next to her. She wasn't sure anymore if Lee knew what her past was like. For a while, she thought he knew about her mother. Maybe Zak had told him. Maybe it had just come up one of the times Lee had to review her medical history for CAG purposes. Either way, she really thought Lee might have caught on throughout the years.
And yet he had asked her to pretend to be a mother. It was the one role she had no clue how to play.
"Kara, we're here."
Kara sat up and looked around the shuttle. It was empty. "What happened?"
"We landed a few minutes ago. You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake you."
"Why did you let me sleep? I should have been focusing on the mi-"
"Meeting," Lee interrupted. "I know, but you haven't been sleeping well lately. It's all the stress of what we're about to do."
Kara nodded. He was right. They needed to start putting themselves into their roles right fraking now. "Sorry."
Lee gave her a smile and then offered his hand to help her up. "We're supposed to see a Mr. Tyler over drinks at the Express Lounge on the lower level. I've heard that it's a rather nice facility."
Kara looked around the docking area and did her best to put on a mask of intimidation and fear. "I don't know about this, Lee."
Lee had to fight back the smile that wanted to pop out at the sound of Kara acting scared. To someone who knew her so well, it sounded downright ridiculous. "Everything will be okay, sweetheart."
Kara nodded and paused a moment so that Lee took the lead. He led her through corridors that were familiar. He had been here before, but his head had been in a completely different place back then. He had been confused. He had almost died, and it took him a long time to come to terms with how that prospect had seemed acceptable at the time.
Lee walked up the hostess at the bar and gave her the famous Adama smile. "Hi, my wife and I have arrangements to meet a Mr. Tyler here."
The hostess's eyes went wide for a second and then she nodded. She started scurrying through the main floor of the restaurant and motioned for them to follow. "Of course. Let me take you to a table. Mr. Tyler isn't here yet, but I'm sure he's on his way. He never makes his appointments wait for that long. I promise."
Kara let Lee pull the chair out for her, and when she sat down, his hand slid up her back and lingered at the curve of her neck for just a second too long. Kara bit down the flare of desire coursing through her. Lee was just pretending. This was a mission. He had to be affectionate if this was going to work.
The waitress came over to them immediately, and Kara deferred to Lee for probably the first time in their history. Lee ordered a couple glasses of ambrosia, asking if they had the Picon Mint brand. The waitress nodded and slid away to fill the order.
"Picon Mint?" Kara said, raising her eyebrow.
"It is your favorite, isn't it?"
Kara nodded and leaned in over the table. "I'm impressed."
"A husband should know these things," Lee pointed out. His body tilted in to mirror hers, and before he could even think to do it, his hand was reaching across the table to take hers.
"Remind me to thank you later," Kara said, the mischief gleaming in her eye as she felt Lee shift. If she knew better, she would say she was making him uncomfortable, but that would mean Lee actually felt something like desire for her which was ridiculous. Anyone with eyes could see that was as far from the truth as one could get.
"Oh I will," Lee whispered.
Kara's eyes fell down to his lips, and she could feel herself freeze. Her head was telling her that a wife would lean in to kiss her husband at this point, but it wasn't like Lee was really her husband. He was her CAG, her boss, one of the few friends she had left. She couldn't really lean in and kiss him.
Could she?
"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, a pleasure to see you."
Kara's eyes darted to Lee in confusion.
"Honey, you know I couldn't give Mr. Tyler our real name. We're too prominent, and I don't want this connection to get back to us." Lee turned to smile at the man settling into the seat next to Kara. "No offense."
"None taken. I get that sentiment a lot, and as long as it keeps the business going, I don't mind." Tyler leaned back in his seat and smiled. "I have to say, Mr. Jones. You were telling me that your wife would make a fantastic mother, but you never said she was so beautiful."
Kara feigned shock and reached out to slap Lee's hand lightly.
"It's not nice to lie, Mr. Tyler," Lee said, grinning at Kara. "I told you exactly how beautiful my wife was."
"That's right. You said it was a tragedy of the gods that she couldn't have children because she had the perfect genes." Tyler twisted to smile at Kara. "He did go on about the dreams he had once had about a bunch of little blonde-pigtailed girls running around his backyard before the Cylons attacked. He painted such a vivid picture, but I have to admit I didn't see it until now."
Kara felt herself blushing. Even though she knew better, a small voice in the back of her head wondered if Lee had been thinking about her specifically when he told Tyler his dream. "You never told me about that, darling."
"I thought you would feel bad because of our situation."
Kara shook her head. "I wouldn't have."
Lee held her eyes for a moment and it wasn't until Tyler started speaking again that he remembered they were here for a reason.
"Let's get down to business. I believe I have what you two are looking for. Her name is Amara, and she was orphaned during the 33 minute attacks those first few days of flight."
Kara's mouth dropped open, and it was only partially an act. She could not believe this Tyler guy just came out and said that. They were in a rather public place, and he just admitted to being a member of the black market of children. He had just casually labeled himself a criminal of the Twelve Colonies.
Lee's grip tightened, and Kara found herself smiling at him as if they had really just gotten a miracle from the gods. He hadn't been lying when he said this mission would be easy.
"So, congratulations, Mr. And Mrs. Jones. You have a daughter."
The words hit Kara like a brick. She was going to be a mother in this man's eyes, and he wasn't doubting her. It could be the clothes or the glasses or the fact that it was a man like Lee supporting her, but she believed it a little bit herself. Before she could stop herself, she had grabbed Lee by the collar of his shirt and was pulling him into a kiss.
It was awkward at first, considering they weren't actually married and didn't do this kind of thing… ever. That uneasiness faded away quickly, though. Kara felt Lee's mouth slid into a smile as her hand came up to cradle his cheek, and she teased his lips open with her tongue. She felt his hands tighten around her wrists, and then she lost control of all her senses as Lee put his all behind the kiss.
Lee pulled away after a minute, and Kara could see him struggling to concentrate as the words fell from his mouth. "I think Mr. Tyler here probably has some documentation for us-"
Kara shook her head and pulled Lee into another kiss. She felt him grab her hand and pull her around the table without breaking the connection between them. She settled herself into his lap and let him gently nibble on her bottom lip. Reality pushed in for a few seconds, but it was quickly shoved to the side when she heard someone clear their throat and Lee pulled away again.
"Hold on. I'm not done," she said to the man on the other half of the table. She ran her hands through Lee's hair and pulled him into a third kiss. It seemed the bigger a taste she got of this man, the more she wanted. There was an impulse to completely forget who they were and why there were here in order to give in to the urge to just frak Lee senseless on this table.
Mr. Tyler cut into her thoughts as the voice of reason. "A lot of couples have this same reaction. Why don't you two stay the night, make sure you're completely okay with the amount of money that will be exchanged, and we can fill out the proper documents in the morning?"
"Sounds great," Lee answered, his voice still a little shaky. He reached his hand out to shake with Tyler and then watched the man silently walk away as quickly as he came.
"Looks like we did it," Kara observed. Lee turned to look at her, and it was at the same moment that they both realized she was still sitting in his lap. "Sorry," Kara whispered, slipping into the seat next to him.
They fell into silence as the noises of the restaurant filled the air around them. Kara found herself having a hard time looking up at Lee. She had just lost control here, and she was pretty sure she couldn't blame it on the mission. Even she wasn't stupid enough to believe that. "So now what do we do, Lee?"
"We barricade ourselves in the room I paid for."
Kara's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?" She turned in time to see Lee's face go white as he realized what he just implied. "Did you just proposition me?"
"No, I didn't. I mean, not if… I mean, no! No!"
A giggle fell from her lips. Lee was so flustered that it was downright cute. "You got a room, though."
"I didn't know you were going to kiss me like that!" Lee protested. He let out a groan when he realized that was probably not the thing to say right now.
"So because I was playing the dutiful role of wife, you thought you could assert your husbandly rights regardless of how I felt?"
"Kara, don't be stupid."
"I'm stupid now?"
Lee shook his head in confusion. "Why are you acting like this?"
"I have no fraking clue," Kara yelled.
Lee let out a loud laugh at her frustration and winced when over half the restaurant turned to look at them. "I think we should probably get out of here before we blow the good work we just did."
Kara nodded, and she let him rest his hand on the small of her back to lead her out of the restaurant and through the corridors on Prometheus. Lee only paused slightly to give the undercover Marine a slight nod, letting him know they had gotten what they needed that night.
They didn't say another word the whole way to the quarters Lee had paid for, and she figured that was for the best. They had the bad habit of reacting impulsively around each other, and that kind of thing usually ended with either a foot in the mouth or a nasty black eye.
She kicked her shoes off the second that the hatch shut behind Lee and made her way into the bedroom area. The bed was soft against her skin and felt amazing after wearing these clothes all day. Kara unhooked the top three buttons on her shirt and sighed.
"I think I need to explain something."
Kara's eyes shot open, but she couldn't tear them away from the ceiling. The room was silent for a few moments, and then she felt the bed dip beside her.
"My father and I firmed up the details of this mission last night after I got you to agree to help me. We both figured it would be safer if you and I were out of the way when they do the takedown so I got this room. We're supposed to stay locked up inside her until the Marines come to escort us to a Raptor. That's why I already had this room."
Kara shifted up onto her elbows and turned her head to smile at Lee. "So then there's no hope that you might ravage your make-believe wife tonight?"
Lee bit his lip and shrugged. "I could be persuaded if you give me more kisses like that."
Kara laughed and collapsed back onto the bed. "Don't count on it, Adama. The mood has broken."
"Kara, the mood broke several times during those kisses. It didn't stop you from taking what you wanted."
"What is it that I wanted?" she asked, twisting to look at him.
"Me," Lee said, a smug grin plastered across his face. "If I remember correctly, you told Tyler that you weren't done yet."
Kara sat up, and before Lee could even realize it, she had her skirt hiked up around her thighs and was straddling him. "You're right. I don't think I'm done."
Lee smiled, and this time it was he who initiated the kiss. Kara felt a shiver pass through her as Lee's hands ran up and down her back. She could feel the heat of his skin even through all the layers of clothing still on their bodies.
"What are we doing, Lee?" she whispered when they finally had to break for air.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Kara gestured down between them, and Lee realized that somewhere in that kiss she had unbuttoned his shirt. Her own shirt was hanging on by a thread. He gently shifted her body off his onto the bed and stood up. "This doesn't have to be defined right now, Kara. It can just be what it is."
Kara leaned back against the pillows and watched Lee walk across the room. Those pants really did fit him quite well. "And what is that?"
Lee gave her a smile and bent down. She watched him rifle around in a bag she could only assume he had had delivered earlier. He straightened up and tossed a pair of sweats at her. "It's Apollo and Starbuck getting a night off for a change."
Kara jumped to her feet and practically ripped the rest of her clothes off. The old, worn cotton felt like heaven against her skin. "Oh gods. This is nice."
Lee laughed and quickly changed into his own sweats. He laid out on the bed next to her and rested his head on the pillows. Kara immediately slid her body down to mirror his. "This is real nice," he whispered in agreement to what she said before.
"What are we doing, Lee?" she asked again, her eyes locked with his.
Lee leaned in to kiss her lightly before pulling back to smile. "We're letting our guards down for a change."
Kara thought that over for a few minutes before nodding. "That sounds nice, too." She snuggled her body in close to his and was happy to feel his arms pull her in as close as she could go. "We haven't done this in a long time."
"I think that'll be changing as soon as we get back to Galactica," Lee said, the promise raw in his voice.
"Very nice." Her words were almost muffled by the yawn erupting from her lips.
"Go to sleep, Kara. I'll wake you up in the morning."
Her reply was a sleepy mumble, and Lee found himself shaking his head. He could not understand this woman even if he tried. Honestly, he had never thought he would come to love the un-definable as much as he did.
Then again, that was before he knew the un-definable was Kara Thrace.
He leaned in to brush a kiss across the top of her head. Un-definable was sounding real nice these days.
