Every now and then, Kara would find her eyes locking with Lee's from across the hanger bay, and she would wonder why something as simple as a small wink could make her heart stop.

Every now and then, Kara would find her eyes locking with Lee's from across the hanger bay, and she would wonder why something as simple as a small wink could make her heart stop.

She gave Lee a smile and went back to looking at the clipboard in her hand.

Helo had been the first person to make her aware of how their relationship looked to an outsider. She could still remember the day he crouched down by the head of her bunk and asked if she was planning on telling her best friend that she was in love with the Commander's son.

Kara had been half asleep at the time, but she still knew he wasn't talking about Zak. Helo knew about Zak, but he also knew that Kara had loved the youngest Adama. He wouldn't feel the need to have her confirm that which he already knew. That meant he was talking about Lee. That was a whole other problem in itself, but it added up to the same thing.

She liked to torture herself with these relationships that could never be.

She turned to Helo and smiled before explaining that history wasn't on her side when it came to Lee Adama. Helo promptly grinned back at her and asked when was Starbuck ever one to let a stupid thing like history get in her way.

Kara had chewed on that little comment for weeks.

Her attention drifted away from the clipboard again. Lee was doing his best to work with Seelix on the repair of her Viper. Kara had fraked up rather good during the last encounter she had with the Cylons, and until it was fixed, she was stuck sharing Lee's Mark VII. He had assured her he didn't mind, but she couldn't ignore the fact that he had spent his last couple off-shifts down in this maintenance bay with her bird.

Kara heard a large clunk and managed to turn in time to see something that looked suspiciously like her main engine fall from the bottom of the whole plane. By the time she processed what she was seeing, Lee had begun to start viciously kicking the bottom panels of the Mark II. Everyone stared in shock as the CAG finally lost it, and Kara couldn't help but laugh.

Her laughter must have through the rafters because Lee straightened up immediately and looked her way. He gave her a small shrug and started barking out orders to Seelix about the parts they would need.

Kara's attentions were called away from her new hobby of CAG watching by a little altercation between some deckhands who couldn't understand the concept of following their superior officer's orders without question. When she turned back, Lee was talking casually to Kat.

Kara's eyes narrowed.

Kat had been asking about Lee a lot lately. She wanted to know what the CAG's story was, who he was before the attacks and why he seemed so distant most of the time.

Kara had no urge to give Kat the answers she wanted. It had taken Kara years to finally understand Lee. She wasn't going to just hand that kind of information out on a whim. You had to earn it.

Her attention came back to the present as she heard Kat… was that actually a giggle? Kat was giggling. She was giggling and she was resting her hand on Lee's arm.

Kara watched Lee stiffen and knew she was probably the only one to notice the change. She focused back on the clipboard in her hand and did her best to hold back the laugh. Nothing was funnier than watching women flirt with Lee. It happened all the time, and regardless of how attractive he knew he was, it freaked Lee out.

She forced herself to finish the checklist in front of her before chancing another glance at Lee, but when Kat brushed past her workstation with a none-too-pleased look on her face, she couldn't help it. The look of relief on Lee's face was downright comical, and as their eyes locked, Kara got the feeling it was just for her that his lips turned up in a smile.

They held each other's gaze for a second before Lee motioned for her to come over.

Kara handed the clipboard to the nearest deckhand with the instructions of giving it to the Chief and slowly made her way to Lee's side. "Something you need, Captain?"

Lee nodded and pointed to the torn apart Viper. "Help."

"I'm sure Seelix and Kat could have offered you a hand."

"Seelix is working on three other birds in addition to this one."

"And Kat?"

Lee looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Is fraking annoying."

"I see," Kara said, giving a small nod. "Well then, I guess you have no other option but me."

"Obviously," Lee agreed.

Kara moved to lie underneath her Mark II, and it was only a few seconds before Lee joined her. Together, they spent the afternoon and their mutual off-shifts laughing and joking as they did the impossible and brought Starbuck's bird back from the dead.