When Adama heard a knock on his hatch, he wasn't expecting to find Kara Thrace with a half-asleep toddler on her hip in the hall. "I'm sorry to bother you, I just didn't think taking her to the bunkroom was a smart plan, and I wasn't sure where to go instead…" Adama just nodded, leading her over to his couch. Kara laid Kacey down, and she almost instantly went to sleep. "Thank you…I can talk to Tigh or somebody about getting quarters – "

"I'll take care of it," Adama promised. "Don't worry."

Kara rubbed a hand over her face, looking down to Kacey. She was just as exhausted as the little girl, but still had to worry about what she was going to do with her daughter, and whether her husband would be okay, and what her life was about to become now that they were once more on the run.

Adama let the silence hang for a long moment before getting up and pouring two glasses of ambrosia. "I'll assume you've had a very interesting few months," he quietly commented as he handed one to Kara. She smiled slightly as she took a sip.

"That might be the understatement of the year, Sir."

He looked toward Kacey. "Is she a hybrid?" he got up the nerve to ask.

Kara didn't look at either of them as she nodded. "My little farm baby."

"Do they know you have her?"

"I'm sure it won't take her father long to figure it out."

Adama slowly nodded. "How old is she?"

"I'm not sure. Should be right about a year, but I know she was born early on purpose. And she looks older than she is on top of that."

"They used her for a science project?"

"I don't know what they were trying to do to her, or why. I just couldn't let them keep doing it."

It was extremely early in the morning when a call came for Kara to go down to the Life Station. Adama insisted that she leave Kacey with him instead of waking up the little girl to take her along.

"I think you married the only person from the colonies that's more stubborn than you are," Cottle told her as he met her at the door.

"Don't really see the drawback if it keeps us alive," she shot back. He snorted.

Anders was awake, although pale and exhausted. He smiled when he saw Kara beside his bed. "Hey, there."

"Hey yourself," she replied. "You know I would have kicked your ass if you went and died on me, right?" Anders chuckled, then winced.

"Ow. No laughing." Kara just smiled innocently. "So here we are again, huh? Life on the 'Big G'."

"Yeah," she quietly answered, taking his hand. "I missed it the past few months."

Anders reached up his free hand to tip her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, voice low.

"No. He tried to manipulate me. He used Kacey to do it…I didn't want to turn into my mother. I had to protect her."

"You did," Sam assured her. "That…thing that took you – she's his, too?" Kara nodded. Sam smiled a bit. "Well, then, I guess she gets her looks from you."

In that moment, Kara just cracked. She put a hand over her face, but the sob escaped anyway. "Hey, hey, come here," Sam told her, trying to pull her into his arms. "Don't argue with the guy with holes in him," he scolded when he felt her resisting. He let her have her time to fall apart, not saying a word for several minutes until her shoulders stopped shaking.

"When are you getting out of here?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I dunno. Want to help me sneak out?"

Kara shook her head. "I've got to stay on Cottle's good side this week…if he has one."

"Wimp."

"The Old Man said he'd take care of making sure we have a place for you to come home to, whenever you do get sprung. All you've got to do now is get better."

Sam offered her a mock salute. "Yes, Sir."

Kacey had been somewhat shy with Adama when she first awakened, but by the time Kara came back from the Life Station, she'd significantly warmed up to the Admiral. They were having breakfast together at his desk when Kara arrived. "Looks like you two are having a good morning."

Adama smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been around someone so small."

"She keeping you on your toes?" Kara asked with a smile.

"Mmm. A lot like someone else I know."

Kacey wriggled off of Adama's lap, and toddled over to the couch. "Look!" she told her mother, picking up a small stuffed animal. Kara laughed.

"What's that, Kacey?"

"Black cat."

"Yes, it is a black cat. A Picon Panther, if I'm not mistaken." She raised an eyebrow at Adama. "Are you trying to compete with Sam for her planetary loyalties?"

He smiled. "Only if it's working. I thought she might like a stuffed animal, and happened to find that mascot packed away with some things from home." Kara smiled, sitting on the couch next to Kacey.

"Here's the deal," she told the little girl. "You remember Sam? The guy in the Raptor?" She nodded. "He doesn't like the black cat too much, because he usually had a lot of trouble beating it at a game. So no black cat around him, okay?"

Kacey grinned. "Okay."

"Tigh said he wanted to speak with you," Adama told Kara. "I think he was going to try and find you this morning."

"What about?"

"Plans for your squadrons, I'd assume."

She looked up, surprised. "So things are already back to business as usual, huh? Back to XO and CAG and CAPs and running?"

"I assumed you'd want to be reinstated. Everyone who moved down to New Caprica under Baltar's orders has been given that option. The fleet still needs to have a line of defense, and that line needs a leader."

"Didn't you already have a CAG? And an XO for that matter?"

"There are quite a few people that are going to have to deal with some reassignments. Helo will be an assistant to Saul. Perhaps two heads will make the job easier. The Air Group will need to be expanded once more; I'd like Kat to take command of the pilots on Pegasus. You will have overall leadership, as well as oversee training."

Kara shrugged. "I can live with that."

Adama smiled. "I'm so glad…How long are you going to wait before putting her in a cockpit?" he asked of Kacey. Kara looked to the little girl, who was still playing with the panther.

"Not sure…but her feet have to be able to reach the thruster pedals first. Maybe we'll start her off as a deckhand for the time being. What do you think, Kacey? You want to go and play with Vipers?" The little girl just giggled.

TBC...

Thanks to everyone who's sent reviews so far. They make my sucky world full of midterms a little happier.