Chapter Two

Bill Adama sat at the desk in his quarters. He'd been working there for the last twenty-four hours, ever since he had triggered the three communication devices he'd given to three of the colonists when they went down to the planet.

They'd all thought he was fussing unnecessarily, but now he was glad he'd insisted they take them. Turned out that old suspicious instinct of his where the Cylons were concerned had been right after all.

Now he was just hoping that one of them was still alive to respond.

It had taken him nine months, but they were finally in a position to attempt a rescue mission to New Caprica. The next step was to find out exactly what was going on down on the planet.

So he was holed up in here while he left his XO to run the ship, doing paperwork and trying not to let his eyes stray to the communicators every few minutes, willing them to burst into life.

Of course, when one of them finally did beep, he had a mouthful of noodles. He choked it down and rushed over to his desk.

A faint voice came out of the communicators, crackling over the line.

"Bill?"

He couldn't help smiling. He'd know that voice anywhere. "Laura. Yes, it's me."

"You shouldn't have come back for us."

His smile widened. "I knew that would be the first thing you'd say."

"It's too risky-"

"I don't care. I'm not leaving my people behind, and that's final."

"Stubborn as ever, I see." He caught a hint of amusement through the static.

"Laura, we can't risk talking for long. What's your situation?"

"I've got a resistance group, holed up in the woods. Fifty or so. We can help with whatever you have planned-"

"I'll send someone down to discuss with you. What's your location?"

She gave him the co-ordinates and he scribbled them down.

"I'll send them in tonight. Drop at 2100 hours."

"Bill – can I request a particular messenger?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Who?"

She told him, and his brows rose further. "Very well."

"I'd better go now," she said briskly. "The Cylons-"

"Laura-" He knew she was right, but he couldn't let her go without asking one last question. "Is Lee-?"

"He's alive," she said immediately. "He's here with me."

"Thank the gods." Bill cut the connection.

He sank back into his chair, something easing in his chest.

Lee was alive.

He'd kept determinedly optimistic for the last nine months, telling himself that Lee was a fighter, that he could look after himself – but he'd still been worried. He hadn't realised just how worried until now.

He was going to get his son off that planet. Whatever it took.

----

After a while, when his heartbeat had calmed and he felt more settled, he had his XO called to his quarters. He knew she'd been waiting for contact as impatiently as he had.

He was amused to see that it was less than two minutes before she was knocking at his hatch.

"Did you run all the way from CIC, Major?" he asked as she entered.

"Hey, when the Admiral calls, I don't waste time." Kara sent him her usual smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "There's news?"

"Laura Roslin contacted me. She's in charge of some kind of resistance movement on the planet."

"Thank the lords of Kobol." Kara closed her eyes briefly.

"Indeed."

"And – and Lee?" Kara's whole body tensed, as if afraid of his answer.

Bill smiled to himself. He'd known that would be the first question she'd ask.

"He's alive. He's with Laura."

"Oh." Kara turned away for a moment, blinking rapidly. When she turned back Bill pretended not to see the moisture in her eyes.

"You see?" She smiled valiantly. "I told you he'd be all right. I told you."

"You certainly did." Bill was grateful for it; sometimes he thought he wouldn't have got through these last months without Kara to support him.

"So, what's the next step?" asked Kara, in a business-like tone.

"Someone goes down to the planet to contact Laura. It's too risky to use the communicator for long; the Cylons might pick up the signal. She's given me the co-ordinates of their base, and I told her someone will be down tonight. They'll spend a few days there, recon the situation, report back."

"Okay. Who's going?"

"Actually, Laura asked for you. Specifically."

"Really?" Kara looked taken aback. "Did she say why?"

"No. But knowing Laura, she had a good reason." Bill looked at her directly. "Are you willing to go?"

"Of course!" Kara looked mildly insulted. "If you can manage without me here?"

"It'll be a struggle," said Bill drily, "but it'll only be for a few days. I'm sure Helo can cope."

In reality he would miss her. After some initial reluctance, Kara had settled into the role of XO with an ease that surprised him. She'd taken much of the burden of running the ship off his shoulders while he planned their return to New Caprica.

"Actually, I'll be glad to go," said Kara softly. "I won't be easy until I see Lee with my own eyes." She pulled an embarrassed face. "Silly, isn't it?"

"No," said Bill firmly. "I feel just the same. So let's work out how to get them off that planet as soon as possible."

----

Lee was cleaning his gun when Hot Dog interrupted him.

"Sorry, Apollo, you've been summoned. Roslin wants to see you."

Lee nodded and got up, putting the gun down on his bedroll. He knew better than to ignore Laura's request; if he failed to appear she'd simply send another message, and then another, and eventually corner him in person. He'd learnt that it was less trouble to simply answer her summons.

He headed for the small cave that Laura used as both office and living space. Lee hadn't been surprised when Laura ended up running the resistance. All the time she was teaching at the school on New Caprica she'd said that she didn't miss being the president, but as soon as the Cylons invaded and leaders were needed, she'd stepped into the gap.

Plus she'd always been good in a crisis.

She was poring over a map when he entered, but looked up immediately.

"Lee. Thanks for coming so quickly." A small smile accompanied that remark; he ignored it. "Please sit down."

"I'd rather stand. What do you want?" He wanted to get to the point.

Laura seemed unaffected by his rudeness. "I've got some news."

Lee sighed inwardly. He didn't care about news.

"Well?" Laura prompted. "Aren't you going to ask me what?"

Fine. "Have all the Cylons simultaneously exploded? Because that's the only news I'm interested in."

"No," said Laura, ignoring his sarcasm. "But the news is nearly as good." She smiled, and it caught Lee's attention. She looked different, he realised suddenly. She'd looked so strained and weary, the last few times he'd seen her. Now she was sitting straighter, and there was a sparkle in her eyes that he hadn't seen for a long time.

"The fleet's come back for us," she said, her smile growing. "I've spoken to your father."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Something flashed in her eyes. "Is that all you can say, Lee? Aren't you pleased?"

"Of course I am." He was. He was pleased for Cally, for Hot Dog, for Tyrol – they were good people. They didn't deserve to die in these caves like rats in a trap. If the fleet was back, then there was hope for them. They could escape this nightmare, start over again. "It's just – I didn't expect the fleet to come back."

"Neither did I," said Laura. "It's lucky for us that Bill is more – swayed by emotion – than we are."

"Yes." Lee met her eyes, and for a moment the ghosts of the abandoned passengers on the non-FTL ships hung in the air.

"I thought you might already know of the fleet's return actually." Laura changed the subject. "Saul and I both found our communicators had been triggered. Wasn't yours?"

Lee shrugged. "I don't have mine any more. I thought it was safer with Dee. I don't know what happened to it after she was arrested."

Laura frowned anxiously. "I hope the Cylons don't have it. The last thing we want is for their suspicions to be aroused."

Lee didn't reply. What did it matter? If the Cylons had his communicator there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Anyway, Bill is sending someone down here this evening to meet with us," Laura went on. "Discuss the situation. I gave him the co-ordinates for that clearing about five miles from here – the one with the lightning-struck tree?" Lee nodded. "Just in case the Cylons were listening in."

"You want me to go to meet them."

"Yes. You know your way around the woods after dark better than anyone else."

True enough. He'd been the one who originally found this place, after all.

"All right. What time?"

"2100 hours."

"I'll leave as soon as it gets dark."

He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him at the door.

"Lee. Your father asked after you."

"Did he?" His shoulders tensed despite himself.

"Yes. He'd obviously been very worried about you, Lee."

He wasn't sure how to reply to that, so he didn't. Just left.

He went back to his bedroll, picked up his gun again. Concentrated on cleaning it, trying and failing not to think about his father.

He'd been worried about him too. Was relieved to hear he was all right.

But he wasn't looking forward to a reunion. Everyone here had learnt to accept him as he was now, learnt to respect the wall he'd built to keep everyone at a distance.

His father wouldn't. He'd try to break it down, and that was the last thing Lee wanted.