Once in sickbay, the place was quiet, too quiet. Cottle pulled Kara over to the side. "I thought I told you…"

"And I told you I was fine. Now how is he?" She tilted her head towards Sam's cubicle as she crossed her arms.

"He's doing well, so well that I'm giving you a present. You are to take him and never return unless it's for your check ups on that baby of yours." Cottle said in his raspy voice, pointing at her stomach. "And I mean it. Your next appointment is in three weeks and I don't what to see you until then."

"Come on Doc. What are you telling me that you don't like us as your patients? Are we too much to handle?" Kara smiled and quickly left his side.

Sam was dead asleep on his gurney so she pulled up her chair to his bed and watched him. It took her awhile to notice that he looked clean. He was showered, shaved, and his hair was even washed.

"Much better. I knew my Sammy was here somewhere covered up by that caveman taking his place." She laughed to herself as she woke him up. "Hey there stranger, welcome back to the land of the living. Ready to go home?"

He took a deep breath and opened his sapphire blue eyes. "Hello yourself beautiful, did you get any rest?" He asked knowing even before he opened his mouth what the answer was. He pulled himself up and took hold of her hand to pull her onto the side of the bed. "You need to take care of yourself sweetheart." He laid a hand against her cheek and gazed into her lovely hazel eyes.

"I am Sam. What are you my mother now too?" She smirked.

"Kara, I love you. You know that right?" He said sincerely and then his fingers trailed over her shoulder to the center of her chest where her healing wound lay under her shirt.

"I know," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"I was terrified when I saw you go down. All that blood, the monitor counting out your heart rate. I don't want to go through that again. I need and want the both of you." Sam said softly his hand swept gently down to rest on her stomach.

"And you still have the both of us. Just try not to shoot me again and we won't leave you." Kara watched as Sam's hand lightly ran over her small hump on her stomach. She jerked back as his hand found its way under her shirt and was touching bare flesh. "Knock it off. I want to get out of here and relax for once in weeks. And just to let you know, the two of us are doing fine. Never better, plus I'll be sleeping much better in a warmer bed." She grabbed the corner of Anders' blanket and ripped it off. "On your feet soldier and let's move."

"Yes, Sir!" Sam did a mock salute and laughed.

Kara grabbed both of Sam's hands and pulled him over to the edge of the bed. "Now just take it easy. I know it will hurt but we'll take it slow." She pulled him complete off the bed and had him standing on both feet. She heard him groan just a bit and she laughed. "About time there's some pay back for what you are putting me through the next six and a half months. Your pain now is my entertainment."

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," he bit out at the pain the weight on his injured leg caused but it was a different pain than when he was so ill. He knew that the wound was healing. He only hoped that when all was said and done, he'd be able to resume his life in the manner he had always believed.

Sam wanted to be able to play with his children like his father had with them, he wanted to play Pyramid just as he used to and he wanted to be able to chase Kara around the house. In whatever form that may be. He didn't know if he'd survive being a cripple. It was the one thought that truly scared him even throughout his professional sports career. There had been the risk of a devastating injury that would end his career, but Sam had been very lucky and was only injured a few times and never severely.

Not until now that is. Still he was determined to bounce back and show Cottle just how strong he was and that he would be playing Pyramid again, chasing after his kids and wife and doing all the things he loved. Cottle had left him a pair of crutches and after he spent a few moments learning just how to use them, he and Kara headed back to their quarters.

Kara was smiling the whole way back to their quarters, studying closely at Sam's crutches, noticing that they were the ones she had once used over two years ago. She walked behind Sam catching him ever time he miscalculated a step. He seemed determined to do this all on his own, maybe it was for his pride or his defeat, she didn't know. All she knew was that he couldn't do this alone. It took the couple well over ten minutes to walk back to their quarters.

Once inside, Kara closed the hatch to their private quarters and watched as Sam's slowly walked over to their bed. She was exhausted once again but she had things to do but most of it could wait for another day. Sitting on the bed she ran her fingers through Sam's dark hair. "How's the leg?"

Sam let out a relieved sigh to get off his feet. Walking on crutches was a whole lot harder than he'd thought; he was breathing hard with the effort. Kara gently settled him into their bed even though that was really the last place he wanted to be. He took hold of her by the waist and pulled her against his side. "You worry much too much," he said reaching up to gently trace his fingers over her cheek.

"I've got a few things to do around here. So feel free to crash if you want to. Get some sleep as I take a shower." She leaned in closer to him. "Then I will be right back, okay?"

"I would rather you crawl in here with me and rest." He murmured, his blue eyes growing warm as he touched her and breathed in her scent. "I missed you do much Kara."

Kara let out a soft moan as Sam drew small circles on her thigh. He always knew how to distract her. "I miss you too, but I'm not crawling in there with you," Kara pointed to the bed, "I smell like the hanger deck, Viper fuel, grease, sweat and more. Plus I need to change my bandages and clean my wound. I'll take a five minute shower and I will be right back and then I will crawl in there with you."

Maybe the heat of the water could ease some of the tension that was ever present along her shoulders and back. Not that it ever worked anymore. There was too much tension there to begin with and it kept on building. Kara grabbed Sam's hand that was still resting on her cheek, kissed the back of it and placed it back on the bed.

Turning around she walked into their small bathroom in their quarters. More time was spent staring in the mirror at her reflection, and then she took off the bandage on her chest. Though it was small scar, it was an ugly jagged thing and it still hurt a little. When it doesn't hurt it itches and drives her crazy.

She leaned on the back wall and the once strong wall she built up inside of her since she was shot, broke down and crumbled. Kara felt the burning tears escape her eyes as they fell down her face and she let out a few sobs and snuffles with them too. Sam didn't mean to do this. It was an accident. The small voice in her head told her.

With tears still rolling down her cheeks, she slowly slipped out of her clothes and started the water, adjusting the temperature until it was more hot than warm. Taking a rather quick shower like she said, she turned off the shower, dried off and opened the bathroom door to let the steam clear out of the room.

Anders was dozing off and on when Kara reentered the room just in a towel. He cracked one eye and watched her as she toweled off, he winced seeing the healing wound on her chest. "Kara?" He said softly.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She asked pulling out a clear bandage to put over her scar.

"Not really." He caught a good glimpse of Kara's new scar. It looked almost as bad as his.

"Sam? What is it? You look troubled." She said before place the bandage over her scar.

"I'm sorry," he said shortly his finger tracing over the stark white bandaging over her chest. "It was my shot that did this, wasn't it?" He asked looking up into her eyes.

"Sam,"

"No, don't Kara. It was my shot." His blue eyes tortured and filled with regret.

For weeks Kara told herself Sam didn't do this to her, that some how Leoben did it to her. It was chaotic in the hanger deck that afternoon when Leoben kidnapped her again. She sat down on the edge of bed. "Sam. It was an accident. Did you mean for this to happen? No, you didn't. I was upset at first but now I can't be mad at you."

Kara smirked at looked into Sam's tried azure blue eyes. "This is the second time I have been shot with you around me. I think I might just have to take your toys away from you until I drag you down to the firearms range and teach you how to use a weapon correctly." She jumped up from the bed and walked over to her side, grabbed the corner of the comforter, and slipped under it. It took her awhile to get comfortable leaning up against Sam. Trying hard to figure out a way to not touch Sam's leg, squish their unborn child, and position her arm and chest just right. "GODS!!"

"Here." Sam put his arm under her shoulder as she snuggled close careful of his leg. "Better?"

Kara nodded before breathing in his scent.

"You just want to show me up. As I recall you didn't seem to think I had a problem firing a weapon when we first met," he quipped kissing her forehead. "But I was rather impressed that you stood on that path pointing guns at me and my crew. Just think what we can tell this little one." Sam moved his hand closer to Kara's stomach as he rubbed it. "See when I met your mommy, she was staring down the barrel of a gun at me."

Kara laughed, "Yeah, just like you were. You looked so sexy crouched down like a commando, dirty and sweaty."

"You think sweat and dirt is sexy?" Sam asked. "I should save time and forego showers then," he winked at her.

"No I don't think dirt and sweat is sexy. A shower is ever important. I like a clean man to snuggle up to and not some caveman." Kara laughed and continued to play along with Sam's story as she and Sam both rubbed on her stomach. "But I do recall daddy had his rifle pointed at Uncle Karl first and mommy didn't like that. Daddy had his back turned away from mommy so she crept in to save Uncle Karl from daddy. Of course mommy assumed that daddy was a Cylon and didn't believe his story as we were still pointing our rifles and still yelling at each other."

"I just thought you and Karl were Cylon agents we haven't seen before. And thank the gods because that afternoon I fell in love with you."

Kara paused. "Gods I hope we don't have to tell our little one of Cylons. Hopefully by the time he or she understands words and the meaning of them, we will be on Earth and free from the Cylons and the war." She looked up and moved to lean over Sam. "And weren't you the one asking me for some professional advice before the farm? See you do need me to teach you. Ah! I win."

"You're such a competitor baby," Sam chuckled as he kissed her upturned face. "There is professional advice my love and there is practical experience. I think in that area I've had just as much as you have even though it was a crash course. And as far as our child goes, that is my fervent hope as well. I don't want them to grow up on board a spaceship. I want them to roam free breathing clean fresh air and enjoying the sun. It's my hope that some day well be able to live normal lives like that."

"Do you really think so?" She asked him.

He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "You know, I do actually. If you would have asked me six months ago, I'd have said no way. You were kidnapped and I was recovering from my sickness then I was fighting and blowing up Cylons. But now, I think maybe eventually we will."

A shiver worked along her spine as Kara's mind wandered back six months ago. She had been captured by Leoben for a month by then; she was worried and had given up hope for anyone to find her. She lowered herself back in the position she had found earlier next to Sam and placed her head on his chest. "Real air... " she yawned, "sunlight and no walls would be nice." She listened to Anders' heartbeat and felt his chest raising and falling which was slowly putting her sleep. She tried to fight it, to stay awake just in case Sam needed her for something. But the more she resisted the more she grew tired. Sam was mumbling something to her but she was already asleep.

Sam chuckled softly as he realized that Kara had fallen asleep. He himself wasn't that sleepy but he loved finally being able to hold her against him again as she slept. His hand gently caressed her blond hair. He couldn't believe at times that she was his. He loved her with his whole heart and soul and would do anything for her to protect her and the baby.

A smile crossed his face as he thought of the child she carried. He had never thought that he'd become a father; he never thought that he'd get married to begin with. The life of a professional athlete was hectic. He was hardly in one place for long enough to form any kind of meaningful relationship. Oh sure he had tons of fans and girls falling all over themselves to attract his attention, but they weren't what he wanted in a life-long companion. Kara was. Sam took a breath and allowed his body to relax and soon he too was asleep.

Kara woke up several hours later to a light pressure on her side. Sam's arm was like dead weight on her stomach as he moved in closer to her in his sleep. She slowly turned over to face him, catching a glance of the clock on the wall. How in the world did I manage to sleep in so late? It was 0800. Since her flight status was revoked she noticed that she was becoming more and more laid back.

Kara sighed and watched Anders' sleep peacefully for the first time in a long time. After an hour of watching him, she slipped from under his arm and got up from the bed. Quietly she pulled out a chair from under the table and sat in it. Adama wanted her to finish planning that Op for Apollo. And speaking of Lee, her hatch opens and his head pops in.

"Starbuck I need ..." he began to talk until Kara shushed him.

"Don't you knock? Outside," she pointed to the hatch as she got up from her chair and followed him out.

Sam stirred when the hatch opened and a male voice boomed through the silent room. He cracked an eye seeing Kara head out with Lee. A frown crossed his lips; he had figured it was something to do with the mission he was planning with her.

Kara stepped outside, leaving the hatch open. She checked in periodically on Sam as Lee and her talked about the up coming plans of being the security team for Laura Roslin on the Rising Star.

Sam turned his head noting the time. He started to rise then stopped. After all, what was he going to do? Go jogging or something? Not with the way his leg was feeling at the moment. It was aching something fierce. He was determined to ignore it, but fifteen minutes later when Starbuck reentered their room, his lips were pressed together hard and little white lines of pain were etched about his mouth and sweat beaded across his brow in the effort it took him to fight the pain.

"Sam? What it is?" She asked him noticing at once that he was awake an in some sort of distress.

"N-nothing," he replied a bit shortly closing his eyes again.

Usually Kara was the bitchy one in the morning, but not today. Sure Sam's hopes and dreams where crushed everyday he was lying down on his back. Slowly approaching Sam's side of the bed and sat down on the edge. "Sam," she glared down at him, "what's wrong with you? Look if it's about the leg," she sighed, "It's going to heal and you will be back to the old Sam soon."

"Yeah right," Sam scoffed and looked away.

"Well with that attitude... yeah it's not going to happen." Kara shot up from the bed and walked over to her closet. She reached for her bag and threw it on the table in the middle of their room. "Well I guess you will have a few days to rethink your sour attitude," she snapped at Sam, grabbing her uniform and a few other clothes and shoved them into her bag.

"Where the frak do you think you're going?" He demanded pushing himself up and grimacing as pain shot through his leg. Ignoring it, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and he got to his feet, or rather foot. He balanced with one hand on the table.

"I have to go to the Rising Star. Please can we not talk about it right now."

"Just what are you thinking Kara? What business does a pregnant woman who is supposed to be on limited duty going anywhere? For I assume that you mean this little trip has something to do with the Op you and Apollo are planning. Or do I not deserve an explanation?" His blue eyes flashed in annoyance.

Kara never called Sam a stupid man, he knew her to well. "I have been put on a security team for Zarek and Roslin on the Rising Star this afternoon. It may be a day or two until I'm back. Depends on the meetings really."

Kara hated politics and never understood them and their jobs. She was probably going to find herself falling asleep in her chair as they debated over the problem with the food supply. Kara gritted her teeth harder as she glared back at her husband.

"Kara you can't. You're..."

"Pregnant or not pregnant," she yelled back, "I am still a military officer in the Colonial Fleet and I have orders to follow. They tell you shoot, you shoot. They tell you to pack your things and get on a Raptor, you do it. Adama told me that I have been chosen to be on that security team with Lee and a few others. The Old man told Lee to tell me to pack my stuff. That's why he was here earlier. Why is your ass so tight over this anyway?"

"Why? Oh gee let me see. It couldn't possibly be that you need to take it easy as you're still healing after being injured. Wait… no you're too strong to let a simple thing like a bullet hole keep you down." He said with much self disgust at his own ability to shake his off. "And I know it can't be the fact that you're pregnant and half starved and you're not taking very good care of yourself as it is. What is it Kara? Do you not want to have my child? Is that why you're determined to work yourself into a stupor every night? Do you want to terminate this pregnancy?" He asked slamming his fists on the table.

Deep down Sam knew that wasn't the case, he was just feeling that everyone around him, including his wife, were getting on with their lives and he wasn't. Samuel Anders wasn't the kind of person to just sit back and let others do what needed to be done. He had always taken charge of any given situation. This time, he couldn't. He tried the day before and failed big time. He had gotten frustrated with some of the restrictions Cottle's assistant had been placing on him so he decided against advice to stop trying to baby his leg. He got halfway across the room when he went down his leg. He got a tongue lashing from both Cottle and his assistant and was told in no uncertain terms that if he ever wanted to walk again unaided he'd better do as he was told. That had put Anders in a terrible mood and hence the reason for him lashing out at Kara, that and the drugs Cottle insisted on giving him for pain. He finally had to break down and take one last night just so he could get some sleep. He hated that he was taking his bad temper out on Kara but he couldn't seem to help it.

Not caring if her uniform and civilian clothes were folded or not Kara zipped up her bag. "Yeah that's it Sam. You finally figured me out. Is that what you really think?" Her eyes slowly traveled from her task of her bag to Sam. "Do you think that I'm doing this on purpose? Because I'm not. Yes there are days were I wish that I didn't have responsibilities or a job so I could spend more time with you, relax, have no worries and take a luxurious bubble bath. And yes sometimes I even wish I wasn't …" she paused as a small tear rolled down her face as she let out the rest of her sentence, "… pregnant now. Then maybe just maybe you would treat me as a human being again and not some frakkin' doll. I wish I could sit down and relax but I can't. That's not who I am."

Kara grabbed the strap of her bag and threw it over her good shoulder. "It's like I'm not looking at the Sam I once knew. The Sam I married. Where he is, 'cause I miss him. I don't know what's wrong with you, but it needs to change. Your mood is ugly, you're angry all the time, and your patience has grown thin. All of this has happened ever since we got back from the Basestar." Kara got up close into Sam's face. "It's the knee isn't it? Gods damn it Sam! What, you think that you're going to be cripple for the rest of your life? You think that and yes then its going to happen." She pushed away from the table and walked over to the door about to pull it open.

"Starbuck," he began taking the few steps over to her ignoring the pain in his leg. He reached out to pull her into his arms. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being a pain in the ass. I don't want to be like this, I just can't seem to help it.

"Is that your excuse?" She snapped back at him.

"Wrong thing to say sorry, but please Kara, don't leave mad. I know you have to do what you do. I guess that is the difference between us. I'm just a civilian playing at being a soldier. I've been on my own, in charge too long perhaps. I don't take orders like you do."

Kara wasn't as angry with him as she thought she would be. But there were days were she wanted to know what went on in his head. "Orders, right," Kara snickered, "Taking orders is something that I do very well. You know what's not true." She looked over at the clock on the wall. "I'm late and Lee's not going to be happy with that. We can continue this later." She fiddled with the bag's strap on her shoulder. "I'm not leaving mad but I do want to you to think about what I said and not have it go in one ear and out the other. Sam, I love you. I love the fact that I am caring your child. But I don't have to like you right now." She grabbed the back on his head and brought his face down to hers and kissed him before she walked out of the room. Forgetting to say goodbye to him.

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