XVII
Noel Allison, Call Sign Narcho, had been a pilot just a little longer than Kat and Hot Dog. While he was friends with both, it had rankled him to some degree that they had been tagged as CAG's on Galactica and Pegasus, respectively, before the New Caprica operation. There were other pilots in his boat, but none of them seemed rankled by being passed over. There was no doubt both Kat and Hot Dog were exceptional pilots, but Narcho felt he was equal to them.
He had not let it bother him too much when the mission took place. He had been in on the strike on New Caprica, flying his Viper in support of the Insurgency that was battling just below his ship. It had felt damn good to knock off so many Cylons. He had a visceral hatred for them, and always would.
Another thing that too many people did not know about Allison, was that he was what was called a Traditionalist: someone who took the holy books quite seriously, and took a strict interpretation of them. Even though the Sacred Scrolls had been updated over the centuries, Allison was a believer in the original texts. Among those was the belief that abortion, even when the mother's life was in danger, or had become pregnant through rape or incest, was a mortal sin. He also follows the belief that a bond before the gods could only take place between a man and a woman.
The announcement Monday morning by President Roslin, that abortion would be banned for the foreseeable future had buoyed him, but to see Roslin up on the podium, flanked by her "wife", Kara Thrace, their "daughter" with them, had angered him to no end.
Noel also had silently fumed when Admiral Adama had commissioned Sharon "Athena" Agathon as a Lieutenant, for the New Caprica mission. Part of him wanted to do what Cally had done to Boomer, and blow Athena's head off. It didn't matter to Allison that she had performed well above the call of duty on New Caprica. She was a Cylon, and Cylons couldn't change, according to Noel.
The mixed message from Roslin that day had conflicted him. He felt he was a loyal, patriotic officer, who truly admired Admiral Adama. But he had never liked Kara Thrace, and never trusted President Roslin, and now, that they were married, he began to wonder if The Fleet was headed in the right direction.
For the moment, he would keep his mouth shut. The Cylons were back, and they needed all hands, of that he was certain. But what of the future? Would The Fleet simply accept this abomination of a marriage between its President and a Viper jock? Would they truly accept a Cylon flying Raptors for them?
Noel filed that away for another time, as he strapped into his Viper for his round of CAP duty.
After the President's press conference, which had gone better than Laura had anticipated, Admiral Adama invited the Roslin Clan to Galactica for a lunch, attended by himself and Lee. Lee had told his father he would like to get to know Kacey and become one of her "uncles", and truly wanted to watch the newlyweds interact with each other. Lee's talk with Kara a week earlier had cleared the air between them, and he felt re-energized in his marriage to Dee. Dee had also recounted to him her conversation with Starbuck. Lee knew his wife and his ex-lover would never been close friends, but it felt good that they were trying to bury the hatchet.
"I've had a request from the Quorum", Lee advised his president, "that they would like me to work on some of the fine print in the legislation, including how to set this up for the military. That's gonna be a challenge."
"Nothing worthwhile isn't a challenge, Lee", Laura said like the school teacher she'd always be. "I hope you get input from those in the lower ranks. I've found that sometimes it isn't the politicians that have the best ideas, but the people who will be affected the most."
"I plan to", Lee responded. "Lots of different points of views, and the jocks and others are already talking about it."
"One thing I'm interested in, is are we going to demand women get pregnant?" Kara was simply thinking outside the box, as she usually did.
Laura shook her head. "I don't think we could ever do that, honey", she said in a voice that wasn't condescending. "We can encourage it-maybe even figure out some incentives to have babies. Of course, this also means we'll need to train more doctors as well."
"It's like a pyramid, isn't it", Bill observed. "You make one change, and before you know it, you're thinking about a thousand other things that it will affect." He held his hand up as the President started to protest. "I agree with this, Madam President, but you toss the rock into the water, it will cause ripples."
Kacey didn't really know what was being talked about, but she had heard the word "baby", and "babies", and she understood that to a degree.
"I want a baby brother or sister."
The adults turned to look at her in surprise. They all chuckled, the two men turning to look at the two women. Kara and Roslin blushed.
"We've had...preliminary discussions about this", Kara announced, Laura trying not to snicker. "I get the 'leading by example' thing, but well, I have to see if I can have kids, and Laura is..."
"Quite capable and young enough to have children, if she chooses", she finished for her wife, looking at her with a mock glare. Both Adama's snickered under their breath.
"You married her, Starbuck", Lee said, Kara glaring at him.
"I wasn't going to say you're too old, love", Kara protested. "But you have such a responsibility as President."
"I don't plan to be President forever, my dear wife."
"Ah, domestic bliss", Bill said with a barely-concealed smirk.
"Watch it, Admiral", Laura said, a smirk on her own face, "I can bust you down a few ranks, you know." That actually lightened the mood, making the adults laugh.
Laura then went over to Kacey, got on her knees to talk to her daughter, looking her right in the eye. "Momma and I are talking about that, baby", Laura said, running her fingers through the blonde locks on her head. "I can't say yes, or no right now, but if we decide we will, you will be the first to know, promise."
"Yay!" That was good enough for the little girl.
It reminded Kara about the other reason she was onboard the Flagship today.
Three Hours Later
Kacey was a little nervous when the entered the sick bay area with her momma, Kara. Today, Kara would find out two things for certain: if Kacey was indeed her biological daughter, and if she could have children. Cottle would take a blood sample from both Kara and Kacey, then Laura would take Kacey back to Colonial One, while the doctor gave Kara a complete exam, to see if she could conceive.
After the tests, Cottle advised her that it would take most of that day until the results were verified. He promised to call her at their quarters on Colonial One when everything was verified. Kacey had taken the blood draw well, Kara rewarding her with a trip to see her momma's friends in the mess hall.
It wasn't rush time at the mess, being just after 1000, but some of her friends were in there. Hot Dog, Cally, and Racetrack were present.
"Hey, Starbuck", Margaret Edmonson said with delight. Then she saw Kacey. "Is this your daughter?" Racetrack's eyes lit up.
Everyone in the room looked at Starbuck and the child that did resemble her so much. Everyone seemed to change their behavior-gone was the cussing Kara had heard when they were approaching, making her unconsciously laugh.
"Yep, everyone, this is Kacey Roslin, the apple of my eye."
"Hi Kacey!"
"Welcome to the mess, Kacey!"
"She's a mini Starbuck!"
The last hail made everyone laugh. Racetrack got up and went over to the little girl, who shyly moved behind her momma. "Hi Kacey, my name is Racetrack. I'm so glad to meet you!"
Kacey looked around Kara's legs, with a slightly dubious look on her face, which made Racetrack laugh. "You know you look just like your mom?"
"Momma looks like me." Everyone chuckled.
"She sure does", Margaret continued, glancing up at Starbuck and winking. "Lucky you!"
Within a few minutes, Kacey was mollified enough that she was sitting on Racetrack's lap, eating some finger food, while her momma talked to her friends.
Athena arrived, and was surprised to see Kara and a little blonde. She had not met Kacey yet, but a smile lit up Athena's face. "Starbuck, gods, she's a spitting image of you. She's adorable!"
Despite the fact there was still some tension between Kara and Athena, Starbuck smiled widely, the compliment hitting home. "Thanks, Athena", Kara said genuinely, "She's a handful, but I love her to death."
"It's good to see you so happy, Kara", Athena said, hoping she wasn't pressing her luck. "I don't think I've ever seen you more contented."
Kara shrugged. In the past she might have ripped into Athena, stating that part of her memories were Boomers, but the woman was being kind. She needed to set an example now for her daughter. "On a personal basis, yeah, I am. I loved being married to Laura, and I would do anything for this little girl", she said in a softer voice. "Now if I can stop Kat from kicking my ass in SIM's, I can maybe get back to flying." Everyone laughed.
"So you're coming back?"
Kara nodded at Hot Dog. "Yeah, Brendan, I'm pretty sure I will. What I do best is fly, and kick the enemies ass. My wife isn't thrilled by the idea", she said with a chuckle, which almost everyone joined, "but she also understands it."
"I don't blame her in a way", Skulls said, just entering the room, sitting next to his partner/love interest, Racetrack. "This is dangerous shit we do. But if anyone gets through this, Starbuck, it'll be you."
"I hope so", she said, looking down at Kacey, still sitting on Racetrack's lap, her daughter clearly liking the other pilot. "I want to come home to this one every day."
Cally had been munching, but finally had a free moment. "You guys gonna keep living on Colonial One? If you become a pilot, how will that work?"
"We're talking about moving into those big VIP quarters that no one uses, since there's no VIP's anymore-the one on the port side, second deck below. We haven't approached the Admiral yet. Laura's still trying to get used to the idea of me being a jock again before bringing it up."
"I'll help fix the place up for you", Hot Dog volunteered. "Do you want a bed-sized mirror over the bed? I can get one cheap." The room exploded with laughter, Kara smacking Costanza on the arm playfully, blushing as she did so.
"You're off the bedroom project, Costanza", she said with a laugh, everyone laughing loudly again. "In fact, none of you are gonna get near the bedroom if we remodel."
Everyone was joking and having fun, with the exception of Noel Allison. He had never gotten along with Starbuck, the gods only knew why. He respected her piloting ability-more than respected it, he even admitted she was the best she had ever seen, but her attitude, her cockiness, and now, her marriage to another woman, was starting to build inside him. And seeing that Cylon bitch Athena laughing and joking with them, added fuel to the fire.
As the joking continued, Narcho quietly got up and left. Brendan Costanza and Narcho had become good friends, and Hot Dog eyed him with some concern as his friend left the room. He didn't want to break up the fun, so he got back into the teasing.
He'd talks to Noel later.
Kara returned home with Kacey around 1800 hours, Laura had let her know via a military aid that she would be home by 1900, so Kara started to prepare dinner. She had never been much of a cook, but she had to admit, she enjoyed cooking for her wife and daughter. She never made anything very fancy-usually a small meal of fish or meat, veggies, and perhaps a little dessert. They had recently found a nearby, uninhabited planet that had plenty of plant and wild life, and had stocked up on vegetables, meats, and fruits. Tempting as it was to put down there, they knew They Cylons were out there. They couldn't relax and put down roots-not yet.
Kara had just brought out the chicken-like bird that had been found on the empty planet, readying it for the oven, with some fresh vegetables that she would slowly simmer in a stove top pan, when the phone in their living room rang.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Roslin, this is Signals, Dr. Cottle has a call coming through."
"Thank you, put him through." Kara sat down, her body stiffening as she awaited the news.
"Starbuck, Doc Cottle."
"Yes, Doctor, do you have the results, sir?"
"I do" he said in that famous sandpaper voice. "First news is, after your gynecological exam, I was able to determine that they was no permanent damage to your uterus. As you know, there was some bleeding there when you were rescued off of New Caprica, but it's healed nicely. And your remaining ovary is in excellent condition. You should be able to conceive, if you want, with no problem."
Kara closed her eyes, shaking with relief at that news. "And...Kacey."
Cottle paused, even though Kara couldn't see him, he was smiling. "She is definitely yours, Starbuck. There is absolutely no doubt about it."
Happy tears came down her face. No, she would never accept how Kacey was born-probably in an incubator, or in a Cylon host, but Kacey was hers.
"As far as the father is concerned, the chromosomes definitely show it was a human male, not a Cylon. Unfortunately, I'm guessing whoever the 'donor' was, they're either still in captivity, or long since dead. I'm sorry I don't have anything more to to tell you."
"Oh, Doc", Starbuck said through some tears and halting voice, "that's OK. I'm just glad the father wasn't Cylon. Not that it would change my mind about Kacey, but..."
"Say no more, young lady", Cottle said kindly. "I completely understand-well, as much as an old doctor can understand something."
Kara laughed. "You're the best, Doc. Thank you so very much. It means the world to me."
Doc could never take a compliment well. "I was just doing my job, Starbuck, but you're quite welcome. Just take good care of that beautiful young lady of yours."
"Uh, which one, Doc?"
For a moment there was silence, then a rare, full laugh erupted from the older man. "You got me there, Mrs. Roslin", he said, still chuckling. "Take care of both, you hear?"
"I will, Doc. I'll see you soon. Bye."
Kacey was at the kitchen table, going through a pre-school book. Kara turned to look at her daughter-she was her daughter, Kara thought, nothing filling her heart like this since she had first kissed Laura.
"Hey kiddo come here for a second?"
Kacey got up and walked to her momma, Kara picking the quickly-growing child up. "You know what?"
"What, momma?"
"Do you know how much your momma loves you? More then every star there ever was?"
"That's a lot of stars, momma", the girl's eyes lighting up, making Kara laugh.
"That sure is, but I love you more than any one of them, my dear, sweet daughter." Kacey gave her mom a little kiss on the lips, Kara pulling her into a tearful hug.
"Momma will always love you, baby."
Laura was a little nervous as she was shuttled back on a Raptor to Colonial One, anxious to find out the results of Doc Cottle's test on Kara. The President had thought over her proposal on banning abortions for the time being, and became more convinced that one, or both of them, should give birth to help raise the population. She wasn't completely sold in it yet, but she was coming around. Until Kacey had become her daughter through her marriage with Kara-and she was their daughter, no matter what a blood test would say-she had never seriously thought about being a mother. Her long-gone cancer had put a stop to that for years.
She opened the door, wondering what he reception would be. Before she knew what was happening, Kara had run into her arms, crying. Laura feared the worst.
"Honey, what is it? Did Cottle get you the results?"
She finally got a look at Kara's face. Yes, her wife was crying, but a brilliant smile lit up her face. "Oh gods, Laura, Kacey is mine. She's mine!"
"Oh, thank the gods!" She also started crying, whirling Kara around with happy abandon. Kacey starts to dance around them, not knowing why her moms are laughing and crying at the same time, but concentrating on the laughter. Kacey bumps into Laura, and they both realize she's there. With a look between them, Laura reaches down, and scoops up Kacey, bringing her into a family hug and dance. All three are laughing by this time.
When they take a breather, Kacey still looks at them keenly. "Why are both of you laughing and crying?"
Laura grabs the blonde little girl from her wife. "Sometimes, grown-ups cry when they're happy, as well as when sad, Kace. We're crying because we're happy."
"What is making you happy?" She looks between the two women.
"What makes us happy, pumpkin", Laura says, looking into Kara's eyes, "is that you're our big girl, and we love you more than anything in the Universe."
"Momma says she loves me more than all the stars."
Laura winks at her wife. "That means you're loved a lot, Kacey Thrace-Roslin." She squeezed the little girl to her, her eyes closing, not wanting let go. She then kissed Kacey on the lips. "Now, how about the three of us cook dinner?"
"Yay!" Kacey screams and ran toward the kitchen. Before they followed her, the two woman looked at each other with grins on their faces.
"I love you, Kara." She kissed her wife tenderly. "I'm so glad Kacey is your child, but it wouldn't have mattered. Nothing will take the two of you from me, ever."
Kara deepened the kiss, never able to get enough of Laura's sweet, sensual lips. "By the way, I didn't even tell you that Cottle said I'm cleared to have children, if we want."
Laura lit up at that news. "That's one thing we need to talk about in bed before going to sleep. I think we need to start game-planning."
"Oh, there's other games I want to play", Kara said playfully, squeezing Laura's left breast through her clothes, making the President gasp.
"Is sex all you think about, Kara Roslin?"
Kara giggled. "Well...not the only thing...but...you do make it difficult not to think about it, Laura Roslin." They kissed intensely again, Laura grabbing Kara's ass quickly.
"We'll talk about the baby thing after we frak each others' brains out later, how's that compromise?"
"At your service, Madam President." Kara lops off a salute to her wife, both of them falling into each others' arms laughing. They join Kacey and made a sumptuous dinner, the three ladies laughing and loving every minute of their family time.
Laura and Kara Roslin lay naked in each other's arms, their breathing finally back to normal after another long, hot, sultry several rounds of love-making. Laura had no memory of a love who ever thrilled her as her wife did, who, every time they made love, made it like a new experience, or the first time. For Kara, loving Laura had given her a sense of belonging to something more than herself for truly the first time in her life.
As they peppered each other with soft kisses, Kara lays across Laura's bare breasts, he fingers absently playing with Laura's carmine, closely trimmed pubic hair.
"You're either keeping me young, Starbuck, or you're gonna kill me", Laura quipped. "I haven't figured out which one yet."
Kara gave a throaty laugh. "Either way, you're loving it, aren't you, baby?"
"Without any doubt, sugar", she laughed back.
Kara took a last, shuddering breath, as the very last tremor of their sex passes through her body. "So we gonna talk about the baby thing?"
Laura turned to look at her wife. "Let's sit up, shall we?"
Both women rearranged the pillows so they were against the headboard, both of them now sitting up, holding hands.
"There's still a lot that has to be worked out for this, Kara", Laura said, "however, I think for us, it's pretty straight-forward: we can both get inseminated; we can have a sperm donor we choose, or have one anonymously."
"Should I be the one who gets pregnant, honey? I mean I am a lot younger..."
Laura gave her a cross, playful look. "Don't start calling me old again, Kara." Both women giggled. "Actually, here's what I'm thinking, honey: why don't I get pregnant first." Kara started to object, but Laura put a finger to Kara's sexy lips. "Here me out, babe."
Laura wiggled a little to get more comfortable, then looked at her wife. "You've obviously made a decision to get back in a Viper and a Raptor. As you said, it's what you love. You could never stop flying any more than I could ever stop teaching in one form or another. It's what we both do best.
"If you get pregnant now, Kara, or soon, let's say, in a few months, you'll have to stop flying, as your belly grows. You won't be able to do your flying. So how about this? I try to get pregnant first. I'm in my mid-forties, and that's plenty young to bear a child. Then, maybe, after a few years, we can let you try to get pregnant."
Kara's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, are you saying...you want to have more than one?"
Laura gave her another cryptic look. "Darling, if you think I'm gonna get pregnant, go through morning sickness, a big belly, and the pains of labor, breast-feeding, and you won't, you're greatly mistaken."
Kara almost doubled over looking at the expression on her wife's face. "What, I thought I'd make you do the dirty work for once, Madam President, seeing how I'm always the one doing the dirty work."
"Touche", Laura said, poking a finger into her wife's stomach as if it's a fencing sword. "I would love for both of us to have children come from each of us, Kara." Laura moved in closer to Starbuck's face. "Three kids would make a perfect family."
Kara again became emotional, something that rarely happened to her before New Caprica. A few tears came out. "It would be. Kacey deserves a sibling or two, don't you think? I honestly don't want her to be an only child like I was."
Laura saw the doubt on her young wife's face, and it tore at her heart. "Kara, remember, you are not your mother. You have so much love in your heart and soul-it's boundless, and now, finally, you've found a real way to express it. You're a fantastic mother to Kacey, and I'm so proud of you in that role. I'm proud of you in whatever you do. I love you."
Kara wrapped Laura in a loving hug, not ever wanting to end it. This was her life, her home, what she was meant for-to be this woman's wife, and that little girl's mother. A peace descended over her at that moment.
"Gee, I hope I don't cry like this when fighting The Cylons. They might laugh at me."
Laura burst out laughing at the sudden, unexpected humor from Kara, Kara joining her.
"I think once you're in that cockpit, you'll be the same, cocky bitch you're always been when flying."
Kara's eyes flew open, and she smacked Laura's leg, making the president yip. "Call me a bitch, will you, Madam President?"
Laura looked at her with smoky green eyes. "So what are you gonna do about it, hmm?"
Kara grabbed her wife, and laid her back down on the bed, straddling her. With a deft move of her left hand, she ran two fingers over Laura's wet folds and clit. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson."
"Oh, yeah?" Laura's breath was shaky from the erotic touch. "Do I take a test after the lesson?"
"Yes, and you better pass it", Kara cooed as she slid both fingers deep into her wife's center.
"Oh, I love it when school is like this."
They both laughed loudly, and spend a few more hours making love.