Thanks for reading and the reviews!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all belongs to Ron Moore and Sci-fi ect. But if I did own, this drought of Adama and Roslin scenes in Season 3 would be over!
After an hour of sleep and a few more hours in the CIC, Adama marched down to the medical sector to confront Roslin and to check on her. He hated the way he could despise and worry about her at the same time.
"You are one lucky young lady," Dr. Cottle was saying when Adama entered the room.
"Although not quite as lucky as Tory or the reporters who managed to escape in one piece," Dr. Cottle told Laura Roslin, who was sitting with legs dangling over the edge of one of the life station beds.
Adama noticed with satisfaction the Doctor had wrapped her wounded hand properly. He wanted to make sure she was physically well before he tore her a new one for coercing Starbuck against his orders yet again.
"You will regain full use of your hand, but I will warn you the recovery process will be painful," Cottle said and then chuckled to himself, "Although, you do have a rather high tolerance for pain as I recall."
"It's nothing compared to what the survivors of humanity have had to endure," Roslin said. Adama could tell she was weary and shell shocked from the experience but he refused to let the matter before them go unattended.
Tory entered the room with a black notebook in her hands. If Adama hadn't known better he might have suspected Roslin was ready to spring off the bed and bring her young assistant into a motherly embrace. Upon entering the room Tory had the notebook in one hand and her arms folded across her chest. Roslin remained sitting; perhaps detoured by Tory's uninviting stance.
"I'm so glad to see you Tory," Roslin said, giving the girl a warm smile. Adama wondered if, after what he was about to discuss with the President, he would ever be on the receiving end of that smile again.
"Madame President," Tory replied with a professional nod of her head.
Cottle began to leave the room but he stopped and put a hand on Adama's shoulder.
"Don't keep her too long, she needs rest," he ordered. Adama wasn't sure if he felt like obeying that order, since orders seemed to mean very little to the President of the Twelve Colonies. Cottle left the room and Adama stared Roslin down. He was angry and he didn't mind letting her see it. She returned his cold look with one of her own.
Tory glanced down at her notebook, seemingly unaware of the death glares going on around her. She launched right into the briefing.
Adama was irritated with Tory, especially after what the doctor had said. Couldn't the briefing wait until after Roslin had caught up on some sleep? Then again, he was there to resolve his issues with her, something far more strenuous than a briefing from Tory.
"We've begun interrogating a number a suspects but it's difficult to narrow the list given the evidence," Tory reported as if she had personally done the work of Adama's men.
"Narrow the list?" Adama interrupted, "Everyone at the press conference is on the list. We know whoever planted the bombs was in attendance and the target was the President."
"How so?" Roslin questioned, shifting her death gaze away from Adama and looking at Tory.
"We escaped," Tory began, "Because only the bombs in the direction you and the Admiral ran detonated. Whoever did this obviously wanted to keep the causalities to a minimum."
"They had one target. You." Adama told Roslin. "There were six bombs. Only two detonated. The one Starbuck found was meant to go off, and we owe our lives to the fact it was damaged."
"Obviously, the three in the sections we escaped through didn't explode. Which means whoever planted them wanted to live," Tory finished for Adama.
"That could be anyone, anyone," Adama repeated coldly while staring Tory down. Outwardly Tory was self-assured and tough but faced with Adama's presence he was satisfied to see she took a step backwards.
"The Admiral has been holding back on a full investigation," Tory added, her voice not as stern. She seemed to be challenging him. That's why he liked her, she had guts. Just like her stubborn employer.
"Yes," Adama replied coldly, making no excuses. Roslin was thinking. She nodded her head, and Adama tried not to remember that she was a beautiful woman.
"That makes sense. The press of all people are not going to appreciate interrogation. They won't reveal their sources and they won't be cooperative," Roslin said more to herself than anyone.
Tory took her eyes of Adama and for a brief second he saw the face of a disappointed child wash over Tory's features.
"You don't think you'll discover who did this?" Tory questioned Roslin.
"I'm not holding my breath," Adama answered. "Would you excuse us, Tory? The President and I have an urgent matter to discuss."
Tory looked between the two of them and nodded as she began to leave the room with the same professional air she had when she entered. Just as she reached the doorway she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"I'm…The fleet is glad you're both alive," Tory said briskly and left the room. When Adama turned back to Roslin he saw her eyebrow lifted in amusement at Tory's statement.
"You might be right about her," she said, giving Adama a forced smile. They both knew she was trying to avoid the real topic.
Silence suddenly settled over the hospital rooms. All nurses and aids seemed to have disappeared. Roslin tossed her hair back and looked up at the ceiling and then finally brought her gaze to Adama. He didn't let his stony eyes leave her for a moment.
"You're alive and Galactica is safe, Bill, why dwell on it?" Roslin asked her voice low and lined with ice.
"That is twice now, you've coerced one of my officers into disobeying my orders," Adama retorted, refusing to see the logic of her statement. Roslin made no answer, but his words must have gotten to her because she turned her eyes away from him.
"I thought we were past this," Adama growled.
There were times when the fight to save humanity seemed hopeless. This was one of them. He felt he could never trust Laura Roslin again. He couldn't even think about how this affected his feelings for her…mostly because her complete betrayal hadn't changed his feelings a bit.
"I can't do this without you," Roslin finally said, bringing her gaze back to his. He lifted his chin in reaction to this unexpected turn in the conversation.
"This?" He questioned, unsure what she was referring to.
"This, the President thing, leading the people, fighting the Cylons. I can't do it without you," Roslin replied, putting emphasis on the last six words and saying them slowly. When he didn't respond she continued.
"I don't want to do it without you. The fleet needs you Bill, and so do I. I can't think of an officer on Galactica, including Kara Thrace, who wouldn't have made the same call," Roslin continued.
"Kara would have closed the hatch," Adama retorted.
"I don't believe that. I don't think you do either. I don't think any officer on this ship would have obeyed those orders."
Adama was momentarily unable to speak. The last thing he wanted to admit was that Laura Roslin was probably right. He was more right. Kara should have obeyed his orders. He was in command of his ship and he expected every officer to obey his will without hesitation. However, he knew that even if Roslin hadn't been there Starbuck wouldn't have doomed to die. Life was so messed up.
"You once told me never to question decisions. I know I made the right decision and I will not question it now," Roslin added with a deep command in her voice. As if to seal her words she stood up from the bed and gave him a look that seemed to challenge him to respond. Adama was still angry with her, so he decided to shift the subject to one that would make her uncomfortable.
"The Pythia Scrolls say that the leader will bear the mark of the Gods," Adama coolly stated shifting his gaze toward Roslin's wounded hand. Involuntarily she brought the wrapped hand to her chest.
"You know the scrolls?" Roslin questioned, her eyes focused on a spot somewhere beyond Adama's shoulder.
"I read them when we were looking for you on Kobol. Pythia said the leader would bear the mark of the Gods, depicted in the scrolls as a scar left from the piercing of the hand by the arrow of Apollo," Adama explained.
He watched Roslin's reaction carefully. He never believed all the religious crap he had heard as a child but he knew Roslin did. If she took this as another sign and started believing she was the foretold leader there would be no telling what fanatical actions she might take.
"Coincidence," Roslin stated. She looked directly at him. If she was convinced the injury had no meaning Adama could not tell. Her expression was unreadable. He hated when she looked like that, but try as he might he still loved her.
"Love…" Adama mumbled. He dropped his shoulders a little
"What?" Roslin questioned. Taking a step closer to him. He looked up and saw her hair was more in place and the cuts on her face did not look so threatening. I love you Laura. The words almost came tumbling out of his mouth. Almost.
"Nothing…it's…complicated," he said, without giving her the slightest indication of what he was really talking about.
He knew that she knew and here was the battle all over again. Roslin glanced away quickly and then slowly brought her gaze back. This topic seemed to make her more uncomfortable than the two previous ones and Adama had barely even hinted at it.
"Yes, it is," she responded, refusing to make eye contact with him for more than a few seconds. The remained looking just past each other both lost in thought of what ifs and alternate possibilities. Roslin was the first to break the silence.
"We're alive," she told him with a little smile.
He felt some of his earlier anger dissipating. This was exactly why they could never be more than just friends. As a military officer, Admiral of the fleet, he should still be mad at the President for coercing an officer. Her charms as a woman had no place in forcing him to let go of the justified anger he felt.
"Are we?" he asked.
Adama took her uninjured hand in his and pressed it slowly to his lips. He doubted if he would ever get to kiss her in the way he wanted to, so he savored the vanilla smell of the hand pressed to his lips for as long as he could. Although he wanted to gaze up and see her expression, he refused to let the moment go until he absolutely had to.
Just as she had the day she made him an Admiral, Roslin pulled her hand away quickly as if needing to break the trance they had fallen into. When he did look up, to his trained eyes he could see she was on the verge of…tears, maybe…or a confession that would be bad for both of them. She swallowed hard. Adama smiled at her and offered his arm.
She took it silently with her eyes averted and he escorted her out of sickbay. He could not help but wonder…. Maybe, if she lost the upcoming election to Dr. Baltar…
If Laura wasn't president? Humanity might be doomed, but there was potential for life to start anew for William Adama.
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"I don't believe I know you," Kara said to Lee Adama as she entered his quarters, his command quarters, aboard the Pegasus. She must have surprised Lee because he stumbled out of the chair behind his desk and landed on the floor. If she didn't know better she was almost positive he had his feet up on the desk. A desk and chair he must have added, since Admiral Cain preferred to stand.
"Commander Adama," Kara continued, "This can't be the same Adama would was merely a lowly Viper pilot not six months ago."
Lee scrambled to get up off the floor and suddenly took on a professional military stance.
"It is customary to knock before entering the offices of a Commander," Lee scolded.
"Geez, Lee, you are such a stick in the mud lately," Kara said as she approached his desk and with a little hop sat on top of it.
"And you are unprofessional," he replied approaching her. She saw him reach out as if he was going to physically remove her from the desk and then he drew back, probably thinking better of it. In the old days, Apollo wouldn't have hesitated to playfully force Kara off of his desk.
"Is there any particular reason for your visit, or do you just like to make my life miserable," Lee asked, and Kara hoped rather than was able to detect some of the old teasing cheer in his voice.
"Actually, I was just kinda wondering what you think of your dad and Roslin," Kara chimed. All her effort went into containing the devilish smile that was about to break out onto her lips.
"My dad and Roslin?" Lee questioned, and, just like a typical man, Kara observed, he had no idea what she was talking about.
"Come on Lee, even you're not that stupid," Kara said. He gave her a cocky half smile.
"Thanks," he replied.
This time she was sure he was teasing and she laughed loud enough to fill the room. Lee even chuckled a little and she was glad she hadn't lost the ability to make him laugh at her. Ever since she had shot him by mistake, even since she had come back from Caprica, even since Dualla…things just hadn't been the same between them.
"No, but, seriously, what do you think?" Kara asked after the laughter died down.
"Think about what?" Lee asked, clearly frustrated with Kara by now.
"Do I have to paint you a frakin' picture?" Kara asked with a roll of her eyes. Lee sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Out of one eye he peered through his fingers at her and she could help thinking he looked cute…no, not cute…more like…hot.
"Kara, I honestly have no idea what you are talking about," Lee responded as he dropped his hand and his shoulder sank in defeat. Kara jumped of the table and onto her feet.
"Okay, okay," she said as she circled around him with a grin on her face.
"This is what your dad wants to do to Laura Roslin," Kara said.
When Lee turned around to face her she took him by the shoulders and drew him in for a passionate kiss. She was annoyed when he pulled away at first but slowly he melted into her embrace. She wanted to make up for past…mistakes, and she hoped rather than knew that this kiss might do the trick.
Lee suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and almost painfully pushed her away.
"Dee," he said.
Kara turned around to see a very irate looking Dualla standing in the doorway with a bunch of papers in her hand.
"Oops," Kara said, without any guilt at all.
What Lee saw in Dualla was beyond her. Kara could understand how she fell for Anders, she could understand how the old man could fall for Roslin, but for the life of her she could not come to grips with why Lee Adama would want a relationship with Petty Officer Dualla.
Dualla marched off in the other direction after saying something nasty that sounded like "excuse me for interrupting."
"Dee, wait," Lee said as he left Kara to go chase his girl down the corridor.
"Fine, don't listen to me," Kara said to herself as she stood only in the empty room. Too bad Lee was being such a jerk. Kara would have liked to get his opinion on the old man/Roslin relationship but now it looked like she would have to keep her ideas to herself. More than ever she wished that Anders was there, although, she wouldn't have shared her thoughts with Anders. No, Lee Adama was about the only person in her life that she could ever share her ideas with.
Kara took a long look around the deserted room. Empty. Just like her relationship with Lee had become.
"I hope you're happy together," Kara spat bitterly. She straightened her uniform jacket and left the Commander's quarters.