How long had it been since Apollo had launched? Starbuck was missing some time and wondered if he had remained conscious for the whole trip back to the hangar. He was well aware that he was burning up, and at times it felt like he was breathing through water, so congested were his lungs. He would have checked his chrono for the lost time if he still had one. He tried to distract himself by wondering when and where the timepiece had been lost. Was it while dashing through the streets of Caprica with Rene intent on blowing them up, or was it in the sewers under the shopping mall? Probably while in the care of the Cylons. He'd had that military issued chrono for a while, at least a yahren longer than any other chrono and they were becoming rare commodities in the fleet. He briefly wondered if Rene had stolen any from the stores she'd been raiding. He'd have to ask when they got back as it would be a nice consolation to have a fine chrono from one of the most upscale stores on Caprica to show off as proof that he'd walked the surface of their destroyed home world and lived to tell about it.

That is, if he lived, a pretty big if as the enemy had renewed their efforts at trying to destroy Peryton's home and Rene hadn't returned with reinforcements. He counted the thuds and the millicentons in between. Each thud felt like his last heartbeat. Added to the discomfort were the small zaps that pricked at his nerve endings every now and then, causing his hands to shake and clutch at Zion's hand convulsively. The enemy was searching for him, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. He wasn't sure what Jake could do to prevent the contact of the signal other than digging the device out of his arm. Blood was still trickling from the last attempt. The paralysis caused by whatever Jake jammed on the wires had scared the pogees out of him. He'd keep the device in for now with only him and Zion aware of the problem. It's not like they didn't know they were here. The enemy was practically knocking on the hangar door. What was taking Rene so long?

There was a time when he knew exactly how many centons it took to land and refuel a viper. He had planned battles around it. Even without a chrono, he knew that amount of time had come and gone.

"The old man probably needed some convincing," he reminded himself, "Or they burned up more fuel than they thought they had and were being towed in. That can take a while. There were two of them in there and that affects fuel consumption, even if Rene is small."

He tried not to think on any other scenarios of what could have gone wrong, partly because almost any other complications involved either Rene having perished. If that was the case, then everyone on Caprica was about to as well, because without a squadron coming to save his butt, he wasn't sure what he could do. They could probably hold out here for a few more centaurs, but eventually the tin heads would get a lucky shot, or they would storm the place. That left him plotting how to end things quickly for himself and his friends. His hands trembled again and he wasn't sure if it was because of the Cylon device in his arm or the horrific thought of having to shoot Zion. His stomach clenched. Who was going to be the one to decide that they had waited long enough? Would that be left up to him or the enemy?

She'd come back for them. There was no other outcome worth thinking about. He tried to keep his focus on that thought and on Jake and Boomer watching for Rene's return. He almost willed Jake to come to the back of the hangar and bring some of his blind faith in Rene with him. The insolent young man had proven to be a decent medic, pulling Boomer from the point of death to where the warrior was actually able to defend not only himself but the children. If one of the laziest and most self-centered of the Rats could do all that, Rene could pull this off. In the past she had proven she could jump back and forth in a matter of microns if she was healthy and her wits were clear. "She can do this." It was the thought he tried to keep in his mind, but he knew it sure would help to hear Jake say it.

It had to be a problem with the viper or convincing the Commander. For once he hoped the Copper Squadron would ignore all his scolding about giving command the respect they deserved. "Be the rebellious punks I tell you not to be. For once, don't listen to me." He sent up the silent prayer realizing it probably wasn't needed. They never listened to him, the Copper Squadron that is. The Lords sometimes answered him, but the Rats just shrugged at any of his suggestions. Then there was the fact that Crius had already been peeved about being left behind. It had been Rene's words that had gotten him to agree to being excluded. If Rene said, "I need you," that's all it would take. So, what could be the hold up? The floor beneath him shook again with the impact of a salvo.

He looked to Peryton who was hovering. "How long you think we can … hold out here?" It was a terrible thing indeed when Starbuck was so short of breath that he couldn't finish a sentence without resting for a breath.

"How long does this take her?"

Peryton's query was not the answer Starbuck wanted. It meant they didn't have much time left. Starbuck let out a few more painful breaths along with the hope he'd been holding. He wanted to tell the man the truth, but Zion was there holding his hand. The kid was frightened enough, he didn't need to hear the facts that they were about to be overrun by the enemy and sent right back to Cylon torture. He settled on being vague hoping the old man could read between the lines.

"It depends. Probably got hung up on … getting a squadron to rescue my astrum. I've won too many cubits from Blue Squadron." He wrapped his free hand around his chest, rubbing the spot that was burning with each breath. "Then there's the pranks I've pulled on Red Squadron." He licked at dry and cracked lips. "They may not want me back so soon."

Peryton nodded, catching Starbuck's meaning. "How often does she get lost? That can happen, right?"

He didn't have a problem offering up the truth to that query. "Never. She can find her way in the dark… unless something is blocking her path." His head was pounding in beat with his heart. "I've seen her do this with pinpoint accuracy."

Peryton nodded but he didn't seem convinced, and looked to the door that Boomer, Max and Jake had cracked open with eyes on the sky, fleeing back inside every couple of centons when a raider salvo got too close.

"You aren't staying here," Starbuck stated as the old man fixed a foggy gaze in his direction.

"The hades I'm not. Not your decision to make."

"Actually, I think it is." He paused. "Well, not me exactly. I think the enemy is making it for you. You stay and you're as good as dead." He wondered vaguely how simple talking could exhaust him. Usually, his talking just exhausted everybody else and he was unaffected. "Now personally, I think you've got a few more yahrens in you." Starbuck ignored the glare Peryton shot at him. "Didn't you say you had a son?"

Peryton answered slow and cautious, "Yeah, what of it?"

"Maybe he made it. The fleet is full of people." He bowed his head and took a couple deep breaths, willing some life sustaining oxygen to find its way into his lungs. "We find more survivors all the time." He cast his hand out as if revealing a winning hand at cards. "Maybe we found him too."

Peryton shook his head. "Died before all this. He became a viper pilot just to piss me off and to break his mother's heart. Died at Molecay. That's what did my wife in. I knew she always lived for him. She let the disease take her when he didn't come back."

Starbuck cocked his head, looked to Jake at the door wondering if he could explain just what or who it was that spoke to Rene and made strange unpredictable things happen when she was around. She would answer by just shrugging her shoulders, but it was beginning to be bit more than unsettling. He turned his attention back to Peryton. "Battle of Molecay? On the Pegasus? Under Cain?"

"Yeah, what if he was? He had to pick the most war mongering man in the universe to revere just to rattle me."

Starbuck wanted to laugh at the old man's attempt at surliness, but he could hear the respect behind the gibe. Well he had a criticism of his own to offer back. "Yeah, the man was arrogant. He tried to steal my girl." He smiled slightly as he remembered offering to stay on the Pegasus, willing to leave behind Cassiopeia and everyone else he held dear on the Galactica. "He inspired fierce loyalty though. He saved us all. Cain thought he was one step above the lords when last I saw him …. which by the way, was after the destruction. I'm sure … he'll be back. "

The man's foggy eyes were for a moment stunningly clear. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Does that change things?" Starbuck let the wisp of a smile play across his lips.

"It might. What other ships do you have in that fleet of yours?"

He decided it was a bit cruel to play with the old man's hopes, and besides, he wasn't sure if Peryton would believe him or think he was being conned into agreeing to come along, so the truth was a better approach. "Several actually, mostly civilian. But along the way we found the Pegasus… lost her again… but before she headed back into deep space… many of her crew came over to the Galactica. Most of silver spar squadron. What was your son's name?"

The old man's grumpy glare slipped for just a micron and Starbuck pretended not to notice. "Bojay."

Starbuck tried not to react, but the shock of the coincidence was a bit much. How the frack does she do it? "I know a Bojay. Pretty well, actually." A wracking cough doubled him over for a centon and he coughed up something thick and brackish. "You got a holo by any chance?" he wheezed.

The old man was suddenly pretty spry as he began to dig around in old drawers of the workbench behind Starbuck, pulling out an old and abused holo obviously taken at an academy graduation ceremony. He handed it to him without giving it a glance. Despite Peryton's gruffness, he looked the picture of a proud father in the picture with his arms around his tall son Bojay. It was the man Starbuck knew at the academy, the one he now knew as Athena's husband. He swore he heard Rene's voice in his ear, "Don't try to puzzle out the good things, just swallow them whole."

"That's him. He's a buddy of mine." He handed the holo back as Peryton gave him a scathingly skeptical look. "Don't believe me? Did Bojay ever tell you about the time we … double dated these gorgeous med techs at the Academy… that turned out to sisters?" Peryton wrinkled his brow. "They also turned out to be…"

"Commander Argus' daughter and niece. You took them out in a classic Futura Hovermobile that you appropriated for a weekend from your drill Sergeant who had made the mistake of playing Pyramid with you two shysters and couldn't cover his bet. He also let you off the eighteen kilometron hike you had to do to make up for being late for parade because you two yahoos were hung over. So you're that Starbuck."

"In person. Bojay's still with us." The old guy had given up hope long ago. Perhaps rekindling it was too much for him. "If you don't believe me, ask the others."

"Doesn't mean I'm coming with you." The old man's voice was gruff, but also thick with emotion.

"When my team gets here… I'm just going to let my colonel stun you." Some people just didn't want to be saved. But if Peryton didn't want to be saved for his own good, they would do it for Bojay. The hell with Peryton. "Kind of risky…specially at your age …but … I am a betting man. I think you're… tough enough to … survive a stun, and I think you're … tough enough to want to live …versus choosing the coward's way out by Cylon suicide….because that's what staying here is, … suicide." Starbuck was pretty sure that he talked too much.

Peryton shook his head. "You military types are all the same. Even the ones with blue lips, like you."

"We're survivors? Damn right. And stubborn. Fine. I'll skip the stunning … and have Jake carry you out. Rumor has it …he dropped Avery … with one punch."

The old man didn't have a reply to that, just turned away to head for Max first and it let Starbuck know that maybe Boomer's cousin was the more trustworthy of all of them. He'd have to remember that for his next con. He watched as Max nodded at the holo, but Peryton wasn't any old rube. He headed for the door, to be almost shooed away by Boomer before Starbuck watched his old friend glance at the holo and nod in confirmation. As the hangar erupted into action with Jake's shout of, "Holy frack, they're back!" Peryton was rooted to the spot, complete shock on his features at the news, or maybe it was the confirmation that his son was indeed alive. Jake was headed across the hangar towards Starbuck, hauling him up to his feet, but Starbuck waved off the help from Jake, pointing instead to Peryton.

"Get him. Get him … on that shuttle. I'll follow for back up." Jake called a yes sir, but he still hauled Starbuck up to his feet before he dashed across the hangar back to Peryton. Starbuck heard explosions coming from outside the hangar, but the ground had stopped shuddering and rumbling.

Jake didn't need to throw Peryton over his shoulder, or knock him out. He grabbed the man's arm and simply pulled him towards the hangar door. Avery and his men were called forward and they herded the children to the middle of the hangar, gathering them up to wait for the signal that all was safe to head towards a shuttle. Zion still had a firm grip on Starbuck's hand as he headed for the hangar door. Starbuck was unsure what he should be doing other than providing back up for Jake and he tried to get Zion to join the other children, but the boy gripped his arm with both hands and Starbuck didn't have the strength nor the desire to pry the boy from him. The kid had survived Cylon torture, he wasn't in any more danger than he'd already been. He let the kid come with him to the door to the hangar.

Boomer had a weapon in both hands as he scanned the skies and the battle that was waging. He identified vipers as they dipped from the clouds and became visible, "Well you must have paid all your gambling debts Starbuck, it's most of blue squadron."

"Copper is mixed in there too," Max crowed. "And there's our ride and an escort."

The borzoi was flanking the shuttle and Starbuck's breath caught again. He didn't know if he wanted Rene's ship to land or stay in the air. The sky was still full of raiders and the battle was heated. He'd witnessed a couple of battles from the bridge of the Galactica, hating every micron of not being up there in the sky to lend his expertise. This was a torture that rivaled what he had just gone through at the Cylon medical facility. He wanted to scream as a raider nearly clipped the wing of a viper before spiraling towards the shuttle. He swallowed the desire down, but it got caught on the yelp he couldn't control when a jolt raced up his spine and his knees buckled. Jake caught him before he crumpled to the ground. He tried to say he was okay, but he couldn't get the words out as he watched the borzoi land alongside the shuttle.

Jake was shouting in his ear, asking if he could walk or fire a weapon. He couldn't even nod his head, or shake it. His body had stopped receiving commands from his brain. He watched helplessly as Apollo climbed out of the cockpit and came running. A zap of pain in his temple came with the knowledge that Rene had to still be in the cockpit, now completely undefended to an enemy attack. Shouting a reprimand to his old wing mate wasn't even an option as he tried to draw air into his lungs that also seemed to have shut down. In a panic, he shifted his gaze to Jake relying on Rene's ex-lover to do something to keep his wife safe. He was able to force out a "No!" as Jake hauled him up to his shoulder in a fireman carry.

"How is he?" Apollo's voice sounded distant and calm as Starbuck's mind was directing all of his efforts into drawing a breath.

"The thing in their arms. They found us and somehow they can shut him down," Jake replied reaching up a cool hand to his neck, fingers searching for a pulse, landing firm on his jugular. "I got him."

Starbuck felt his chest ease up a little as he saw the children running to the shuttle, Jolly ushering them in. Apollo's hand on him should have been reassuring. They were back, Rene had to be alive, and this rescue was really happening. But his panic was a high-pitched shrieking that he couldn't get to his mouth. Rene was a sitting duck, as was the shuttle right now, and the enemy was gaining accuracy by the micron.

"Rene?" Jake asked as he began to move towards the shuttle, pushing Peryton ahead of him.

"Alive. Is this all of them?" Jake moved away towards the shuttle as Starbuck's chest tightened again at the words. A simple, alive, not okay, not well, not hunky dory. Just alive and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be as his lungs refused to work. His vision began to fade to gray, and the rest of what he had of air was rushed out of him as he landed hard on his back on the metal deck of the shuttle. Jake's hands were on his forehead tilting it back, opening up his airway. He was able to get a small sip of air before the pain lanced through his heart and squeezed it out of him. Some part of him was a little bit horrified that his wife's ex-boyfriend was leaning down to kiss him, but the rush of warm air into his lungs felt so damn good. It cleared his vision and his head a little as he realized the shuttle was taking off. He was able to move his head a little, his vision taking in that the shuttle was beyond capacity with men and children.

He heard the prayer that Jake muttered for protection, made a mental note that he needed to ask Rene sometime about what the Rats relationship was with religion, probably something he should have asked before a sealing, but hadn't seemed to be important at the time. Now he had to wonder as Jake seemed intent on blowing that prayer into his lips. He wanted to utter his own prayer of thanks as he felt the sensation come back into his body, his lungs instinctively drawing in a long chest full of air.

Jake lingered awkwardly just above him, still ready with a rescue breath if needed, the man's hands still on his neck. "Won't Rene get jealous if we keep kissing?" Starbuck joked. He actually enjoyed the pain of Jake slapping him on the chest.

"Do not know why I bother keeping you alive," Jake retorted. "Rene kisses better than you."

Jake chuckled at his own joke, but kept his hand on his neck as Starbuck craned his head to see that Boomer and Max had made it. He began to count the kids and Boomer caught the motion.

"All here. All accounted for." He settled down next to them handing Jake a med kit.

Starbuck tried to say something along the lines of "Thank the lords," but his breath caught again, this time as something thick crawled up his lungs blocking the airway. He tried to cough and strangled on something that felt alive inside him, digging its claws into his chest, wrapping around his heart and squeezing. Jake's hand left his neck and instead was hauling him up to a sitting position and then pounding him on the back. A moment later a life mask was pressed against his face and some kind of medicated aerosol misted in his face as Boomer propped him up against the bulkhead. He felt the slimy creature slide back down in his chest and he was able to get another breath in that loosened the constriction of his heart. He was about to mutter a thanks, when the world constricted tighter than the bands that were wrapped around his heart. He felt himself sliding down the dark sewer tunnel.

"Holy frack!" Peryton shouted, his eyes wide and filled with awe. Starbuck gave the man a crooked grin.

"Enjoy the ride," he tried to croak but the words were unintelligible. He followed his own advice. His wife was still with them, her luck still holding. Of course, this wasn't how heroes were supposed to arrive, hacking up gobs of snot, short of breath, eyes fever bright and wanting to puke. Bleeding or broken was alright, but this was something too ridiculous to ever fantasize about. He actually was looking forward to being in the Life Center if it would help his head stop pounding. Then he shuddered realizing that he wanted nothing to do with any room that would remind him of what he had just endured. Rene's screams tapering off to nothingness had been too agonizing the first time. He wasn't sure if he could take that again.

He felt a hand squeeze his hard. Zion still had a hold of him. It seemed Starbuck had something to show for his time on Caprica besides a bunch of wires in his arm. The kid's eyes were wide in terror. He pulled the kid closer to him. "We made it," he whispered to him, pulling aside the life mask. "I've got a nice place for you to stay …. all the mushies you can eat. You're safe now." He felt his heart skip a beat as he overheard the confirmation from the Galactica for their landing.

He looked to Jake as the shuttle skids hit the deck, joining him as the young man mouthed a prayer all kids in the colonies learned for gratefulness of the lord's bounty. Jake seemed shocked that Starbuck caught him at it, but Starbuck reached out his hand to the man's arm, clasping it tight. "Thanks for carrying me."

"You owe me a drink and nothing else." Jake's smile had a cocky slant to it and Starbuck included to his list of the things he was going to do for the next secton: a long conversation with Jake, right after three days of not leaving the bed in his and Rene's quarters. "Can you stand?" Jake asked him. "Or do I have to carry you farther?"

"I think I can manage … but I could use a hand up." Jake did more than haul him up as he slid Starbuck's arm over his shoulder.

"Smile for the cameras hero, then it's off to the Life Center and we get that felgercarb out of you." Jake heaved a heavy sigh of relief as the shuttle door slid open and the landing bay of the Galactica greeted them.

"Home sweet home," Starbuck mumbled and felt Jake stiffen. He thought it was to the words, but Jake dropped him and ran. Starbuck stumbled and wanted to curse, then froze as he saw what prompted Jake to abandon him. Across the landing bay, Apollo and Crius were pulling Rene from the cockpit of the Borzoi. She was limp in their arms as they carried her down the steps and laid her out on the deck.

He tried to run to her, but something thick and wet rose up in his chest. He staggered a few steps before he fell to his knees, his vision fading with the effort to draw in enough air. He tried to cough, but his chest constricted squeezing what air he had out. He dropped his head down, gasping like a fish. He flinched as he felt arms come around him hauling him back up to his feet. The Commander's voice in his ear eased the tightness in his chest. "I have you, son."

But another voice barked gruffly, "You will unhand that man and you will leave this area. They are mine and this is my jurisdiction. Don't make me report you to the council, Adama! This area is under quarantine." Salik barked out orders for the shuttle to be sealed and the landing bay secured.

The Commander didn't back away, but he was joined by other hands that were hauling Starbuck up and away from where he wanted to be. More hands gripped him, raising him up and trying to place him in a life pod that was waiting for him. He fought at the hands holding him, shuddering at the recent memory of centurions wrestling him into restraints. A surge of adrenalin flooded through him and he wrenched the hands from his arms. He needed to get to his wife. He needed to know she was okay. He was able to brush all the hands aside, to actually make it to a sitting position before Gage was there, wrestling him back down.

"I have to help her!" he shouted as he wrapped his hands around Gage's arms. He pulled at the arms that encircled his neck and shoulders like steel bands pulling him back down to the life pod.

"Lieutenant! You can't help her if you die. She is in the best of hands," Gage pleaded in his ear as Starbuck felt the jab of a hypo. He expected Cassiopeia to be at the other end of that prick, but it was Paye that was cutting away his coveralls and beginning to run lines into him as he continued to struggle against Gage's hold.

"Hold him! I don't want to have to sedate him. That could be fatal," Paye's steady voice sounded almost robotic. Starbuck was able to suck in a breath, expelling it in a shout of his wife's name, pushing at Gage to let him up so he could see what was happening.

Gage moved slightly, letting Starbuck up a fraction, but the colonel kept a firm grip on his shoulders. Starbuck couldn't find Rene amidst the crowd of people around her. All he could see was Doctor Salik and Cassiopeia leaning over a life pod while Crius, Jake and Apollo stood by uselessly.

"Frack you! Let me go!"

"She's alive, Starbuck. They won't let her die," Gage replied to Starbuck's cursing. "You need to let them fix you up."

"Who won't let her die?" he gasped. "Iblis, the angels, our med techs? Who the frack do you mean?" He tried to get all the words out, but all he managed was a whispered, "Who?"

Gage misunderstood the question, answering him with names he already knew. "Cassiopeia and Salik, and they've called your science expert, Dr. Wilker."

"I need to get him to the Life Station. I am going to have to seal the pod for isolation precautions." Paye's words were chilling in their calm delivery as the life mask was again placed over his face and he was lowered back down. The canopy of the pod dropped over him, sealing him in his own coffin. He reached up to push at the cover, finding the strength to keep it from sealing, that is until Gage put his weight on it. It latched firmly with an audible click. He choked on the howl that ripped from deep within, coughing hard as a cool mist blew down his lungs. He felt himself being rolled away from his objective, his heart beating hard and fast at the knowledge that he was being separated from Rene again. He thought he could hear her screams, actually hoped he did. At least that would mean she was alive and close. He listened hard and heard nothing but the hiss of air blowing in him. The screams were in his head and he shivered, afraid that's all he would hear from his wife again.