Thank you so much to all my reviewers. And thanks for all your patience. I hope to have this story complete by the time Season 3.5 starts which means I will be posting about a chapter a day (don't quote me on that). I really don't want breaks too long in between chapters or I'm afraid you would hurt me shivers Thanks for reading!!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing all belongs to Ron Moore, sci-fi ect. And, yes, we all know Ron is a shipper even if he doesn't admit it!
The metal hatch of Adama's office door twisted open and Sharon and Helo marched forcefully into the room. Adama was not in the mood to be interrupted. His softer nature won out and he hadn't thrown Sharon in the brig for slapping Roslin. Seeing her roaming free and bearing witness to Roslin's healing eye last night only added to his bad mood.
In the last few days they lost a pilot, they were faced with an unknown enemy looming just ahead, Gaeta had important information about the map Sharon had given them, Tyrol would be here any minute and to top it all off he had to put up with a drunken shrewish Roslin last night missing the discovery of the Cylon stations. He had tried to show everyone that he and Roslin weren't an item which was only partially true but the end result was her jealously. He would never understand women.
"Admiral, a moment," Sharon said her eyes wide.
He grunted not looking up from the papers on his desk.
"I received another visit from Two," Sharon said, once Helo made sure the door was shut.
Solemnly Adama lifted his eyes to rest on her. She was dressed in her flight uniform and both she and her husband looked ready for battle. Adama sighed deeply realizing his wish for a quick hello and goodbye was out.
"I got this," Sharon said and tossed an unopened brown scroll on his desk.
"And another message. Hera is on a Basestar near here. I don't care what it takes, we have to go after her. We will do it with or without your help," Sharon said.
The girl stood firmly, her eyes pinned on Adama and her feet grounded. The soft light in Adama's office made her look as human as the day she first boarded his ship. Adama mused over the question. Roslin would hate him for it but he had to do what he thought was right.
"Why do you trust this unknown cylon so implicitly?" Adama questioned.
Sharon lifted her chin defiantly.
"She didn't steal my baby," the cylon retorted harshly, "And I know things about her, about the five cylons, that you don't."
When she didn't impart to him her knowledge Adama smirked. Typical. Sharon was just as stubborn as the President when it came down to it. Adama took off his glasses and tossed them on his desk.
"Alright. I'll give you two Raptors and two Vipers. I need Starbuck and Apollo but I need them for reconnaissance," Adama answered. "We'll wait for you as long as it takes to figure out these ancient stations. I don't suppose you could offer any insight?"
Sharon narrowed her eyes at him. Now she looked cylon.
"I already gave you the key," she cooed.
Adama looked at the scroll lying on his desk.
"No, that is something else," she said and turned her head to the side. "Two said that is for the President's eyes only. I don't frakking care what you do with it. The president can go—"
Sharon's arms were flailing and she was about to say more but Helo took a step forward.
"Permission to leave right away?" he asked.
Adama lifted his chin then slowly rose from the chair and eyed his two officers from head to foot. When it came right down to it he was proud of both of them. They had over come obstacles no one else in the fleet could even begin to comprehend except perhaps himself and the President. In the end they had come out fighting on the side of the humans. If someone had taken Zak or Lee from him when they were babies he wasn't sure he would still have faith in humanity.
"Granted," he answered.
The single word felt sealing his own death warrent. He could almost feel his head in the guillotine, with Roslin hovering above him in a black executioners mask.
Sharon, on the other hand, cracked a warm smile, something he rarely saw in her anymore. Helo put his arms around his wife's shoulder and then stepped to her side. They both saluted with the most respect he had seen in two officers serving under him. He returned the salute and wished them luck wondering if it was the last time he would see either of them; wondering if he had just doomed the fleet to their same fate.
Once they had gone he looked down at the scroll on the desk. With a few fingers he brushed over the top of it. By the feel of the paper he could tell the artifact was old. President's eyes alone my ass, he thought to himself as he unwrapped the ribbon holding the scroll together. Inside was a page full of scripture. Scripture which appeared to be written by the Prophet Pythia about the dying leader and the Prophesy of Earth.
A knock came at his door just as he finished reading the scroll. He quickly opened a drawer of his desk and tucked the scroll inside.
Tyrol and his family stepped inside the room. Adama was surprised to see they actually looked more nervous than he felt. By the time the day was done Roslin would have far too many things to be angry with him over. He was sure at least one of them would set off her temper in the worst way. Now, with the cylon stations in space and a meeting with Gaeta in an hour he needed her input and advice. If he was a religious person he would have prayed that her temper wouldn't flare until after the meeting.
"Chief, Cally," Adama greeted.
He was sure the feeling making him sick to his stomach was a sign of the disaster about to occur.
"Admiral, thank you for…" Tyrol began but he seemed preoccupied.
Adama nodded subtly and gestured for his guests to sit down. They followed his outstretched hand to the couch and sat, although Adama observed they sat more on pins and needles than on the soft leather of his furniture.
When Adama ordered Tyrol to his office yesterday he planned on reprimanding the deck chief for leaving his post during his scheduled shift. What came out of it was a plea to help Tyrol smooth things over with his…mother.
Adama shook his head. Roslin was his mother. Even after the initial shock the words were still hard to swallow. The Admiral really had no choice but to help his crewman out. He cared for both Tyrol and Roslin. If he could help make things right then of course he would.
The only part that unnerved him was the fact Tyrol insisted on keeping the presence of his family a secret until Roslin arrived. He asked her to his quarters early making her believe the meeting with Gaeta was an hour earlier than scheduled. She had no idea Tyrol was there. Adama tried to explain to Tyrol and Cally that surprising Roslin wasn't the wisest course of action but they insisted otherwise. With a shrug of his shoulders Adama acquiesced and now here they were.
Tyrol's leg twitched quickly and Cally slapped it gently with one hand as she held Nicholas in the other. The hatch began to turn and Adama saw the panic really set in on the faces of the young couple. Adama made himself useful by walking over to the hatch. Besides, watching their lips quiver in growing nervousness was making him uneasy.
Adama's eyes met with Roslin's bright ones. Since 'the inebriation,' as he now thought of it, he hadn't seen her. She was more beautiful than he remembered though she did look a bit hung-over. Serves her right, he thought with smugness.
As she stepped over the bulkhead he offered a hand which she took and averted her eyes down. Adama thought he saw her blush which nearly made him laugh out loud. So she did feel remorse for her excess drinking…
"Madame President," he began, "I have some guests who wanted to see you."
With a smile on her still reddish face she looked over Adama's shoulder to see the three other people in the room. The smile faded into a grimace of panic and confusion. In the next instant the Presidential façade was back on her terror went into hiding.
"Madame President," Tyrol said in a formal voice much to Adama's annoyance.
If these two where ever going to get anywhere they were going to need a good shove. Adama didn't catch the irony of that thought.
Cally must have been thinking the same thing for Adama saw her gather all courage and stand up next to her husband. With a deep breath the girl pushed past a dumbfounded Tyrol and marched up to Roslin.
"We thought you'd want to meet your grandson," Cally said turning her body so Roslin could see the baby in her arms.
Cally bent her head a little as she tried to look into Roslin's eyes to read her reaction. Adama didn't need to see Roslin to know exactly what she was feeling. He gently placed his hand on her back, giving her his support by the physical action and encouraging her to respond.
"I…" was all the normally articulate doesn't-hesitate-to-throw-cylons-out-the-airlock President could manage.
Adama smirked and applied a little more pressure to her back.
"Would you like to hold him?" Cally asked, the fear now seeping into her tone.
"Oh," Roslin said breathlessly, "no."
She waved her hands back and forth in front of her in denial. Cally sent a worried look to Adama. He inhaled and shook his head letting Cally know with his eyes that Roslin was just as afraid. Cally then began to push Nicholas into Roslin's arms and the President had no choice but to accept the small bundle.
Adama watched the glow of pride brighten Roslin's features and bring carefully concealed water to her eyes. The scene choked him up a bit as well.
"Nicky this is your grandma," Cally said, putting a hand on Roslin's arm.
Roslin delicately cleared her throat before she spoke. She didn't fool Adama though. He knew she was emotional right now, even if she was still trying to be Presidential.
"You're right Cally, he is a handsome baby," she finally managed to say.
"Takes after his father," Cally replied, beaming in response to Roslin's compliment.
Roslin lifted her eyes to Tyrol who wasn't looking at the scene before him. Adama couldn't deduce whether the scene was too emotionally jarring or if he was angry. Roslin must have seen it too for she quickly handed Nicholas back to Cally and approached Tyrol with heavy steps.
"When I was sixteen I had a child. My parents forced me to give him up," Roslin began her voice surprisingly steady.
Adama had the urge to follow her, to keep his hand on her back and let her know he was there for her.
"It wasn't a decision I liked but…what's done is done…" Roslin continued.
Tyrol continued to stare away from her. Adama noticed Cally out of the corner of his eye. She seemed like she was bracing herself for the worst.
"You don't know how…relieved I am, that you found such a…that your parents loved you," Roslin finally said with some difficulty.
Tyrol finally looked at her with eyes glistening. Adama saw Roslin take a small step back at the plain emotion on his face.
"Wow," he whispered.
There was calmness in his voice that did not match the expression on his face.
"The president is my mother, who had me by mistake," Tyrol said.
"It wasn't a mistake. I knew exactly what I was doing," Roslin replied.
She stood tall and her auburn hair picked up the light from Adama's office making her glow with even more power than she normally possessed. Adama smiled to himself. He loved it when she made to excuses and spoke her mind.
"My father?" Tyrol barely managed to cough out the words.
Adama paid a little more attention to this subject. A smile appeared on Roslin's face. A gentle, peaceful musing smile. Adama was damned if he knew what that meant.
"He was a boy when I…knew him. Very nice and very smart," Roslin merely said.
Adama watched as Tyrol waited with baited breath for more of an explanation. Of course, Adama had known Roslin long enough to know they weren't going to get one.
"What happened to him?" Tyrol encouraged her to give away more information.
"I don't know," Roslin began the smile fading only a little, "He wasn't a part of my life after you were born."
Tyrol's eyes where wide and Adama watched his legs sag as if they were about to give out. The chief plopped himself down on the couch and with his elbows on his knees he put his hands on his head. Clearly he was still having some trouble dealing with everything that had been confessed.
Tyrol inhaled loudly and remained in the same position for a few minutes. Then he folded his arms across his chest as he looked up at Roslin.
"I have so many more questions for you. Now what?" He asked.
"I don't know," Roslin said.
Silence fell over the mother and son.
"I do," Cally said, her voice perky.
Adama turned to face her as did Roslin and Tyrol.
"You two are going to get to know each other. A weekly lunch date. And you are going to be seeing a lot more of your grandson, because he is one of the only kids in the fleet who actually has a grandparent living. I will not deprive him of that. Yes, there will be awkward silences and averted gazes but this happened for a reason and we are not going to let this opportunity pass us by," Cally explained to all of them.
After she finished speaking her mouth twitched and she took a step back. From the way her eyebrows lifted up underneath her bangs she seemed as surprised by her own words as Adama.
"I see," Roslin said with a smile.
Adama was filled with gentle warmth at seeing her genuine smile.
"Is there anything else Mrs. Tyrol?" Tyrol asked with a smirk.
Cally smiled but again her mouth seemed to get the better of her. With an intense gaze at Adama she spoke boldly and seriously.
"Yes, there is something. Are you and the President dating? We are family so I think we have a right to know," Cally said this time not showing any fear that she had spoken inappropriately.
Adama was about to answer but Roslin beat him to it.
"As I have told the press over and over again, the Admiral and I are just friends and co-workers," she said. Cally lifted Nicholas up over her shoulder.
"I said we are family. Don't feed me the line of bull you give to the press, I want a real answer," she said her tone light and teasing.
Adama stepped forward, put his arm around Roslin's waist and looked Cally directly in the eye.
"We would like to be more but we can't," he told her honestly.
He was sick of lying. If he couldn't trust two of his most loyal crew members and the son of Roslin then who could he trust? Judging by Roslin expression, she looked more as if she was going to be sick, rather than being sick of lying too.
"See Galen, I told you," Cally said causally.
Roslin pulled away from Adama's grasp uncomfortably. He felt her whole body stiffen before his hand lost contact with her.
"I thought we were meeting with Gaeta," she said abruptly.
"He'll be here later," Adama said, trying to hide his amusement at her denial of the subject and confession.
Maybe she was still embarrassed by her behavior last night with good reason.
Tyrol stood up from the couch and walked over to Roslin. He stared down at her and Adama saw his lips curve into a smile.
"Well, mom, I guess we should set up a weekly lunch date or my wife will have my head," he joked.
Roslin nodded and folded her arms. Nicholas began crying softly.
"Do Thursdays work for you?" She asked.
Tyrol sighed and walked over to his wife when Nicholas' cries grew in volume.
"Yup, sounds good," he said as he placed a hand on Nick's head. "I think we should go before Nick really starts in."
Cally bobbed her head in agreement and the two turned to leave.
"Chief," Roslin called before they reached the door.
She drew in a breath and stepped close to Tyrol.
"Thank you," she began slowly and with uncertainty lining her voice, "for giving me a second chance."
Adama wasn't sure what Tyrol's reaction to the words would be. He stood still for quite a long time and Adama watched as Roslin became more and more unsure of herself. Finally Tyrol reached down and drew Roslin into a hug. Her arms awkwardly responded and he heard Tyrol say 'your welcome' in a very tender voice.
When mother and son separated Adama could see faint hints of water in each one's eyes. The hatch closed and neither Roslin nor Adama moved. He observed her watching the now closed door until she turned to face him.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Adama bowed his head and took a seat on the sofa. Roslin followed his lead and sat in the chair adjacent to the couch.
"You want to tell me about last night," Adama asked.
Her behavior had thrown him for a loop not to mention the total lack of propriety in it. He demanded an explanation. His thoughts had been on her and 'the inebriation' all day. Roslin folded her arms in her lap, kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs at the ankles.
"I don't suppose you are willing to forget last night?" she asked with a cool smile.
Adama returned the smile but he wasn't about to let her get off easy.
"Not likely," he replied.
Roslin's smile dropped away and she looked toward the wall.
"You hopped into the boxing ring to relieve your frustrations. My outlet proved to be just as damaging," she stated.
Her eyes fixed on him judging his expressions carefully.
"Indeed," he said with eyebrows raised.
Roslin lowered her head and looked at him from under her eyebrows.
"Sooner or later you were bound to find out I'm the jealous type," she said curtly with smirk.
Adama chuckled.
"Why exactly were you flirting with Bianca Marks?" Roslin asked sharply cutting off Adama's laughter.
"That was your idea," he informed her and was actually surprised that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"No, my idea was to show the press we weren't an item," Roslin explained as if he were one of her students.
"And that is exactly what I did. People will think of Bianca and I as a couple before you and I. It's safer for us and the fleet this way," he stated.
His true intentions had been to protect her from idle gossip. His goal had always been to protect her whether from the vicious lies of the press or the cylons. He wasn't sure why he had to explain that to her. Did she really think he was interested in anyone else?
"You could have at least warned me," Roslin replied.
Adama averted his gaze and braced himself for her reaction to his next words.
"It wasn't something I planned in advance. The idea just came to me as I was standing there talking to her," he defended.
"I see," Roslin said her lips tightening, "but that idea didn't come from your brain."
Obviously she did think he was interested in Bianca Marks. The sheer ridiculousness of her 'woman' thinking caused Adama's temper to flair. As he thought about it his anger dissipated and he forced himself not to laugh or she might think he was insulting her.
"Are you still drunk," Adama ask his tone teasing.
Roslin regarded him with a mouth slightly parted in disbelief. Whether she was about to laugh or very insulted Adama couldn't tell. She seemed to compose herself before she spoke again, letting his comment slide.
"My behavior wasn't entirely my fault," Roslin began, her voice taking on a professional edge. "I went to see Dr. Cottle this morning. He found traces of Chamalla in my blood, which means someone spiked my drinks last night."
"Chamalla? Why?" Adama didn't like the idea someone could get to Roslin so easily under his watch. Had it been poison instead of Chamalla…
"I was hoping you might have an idea," she replied. Adama leaned forward and shook his head.
"Poison might make sense if it were an assassin," Adama started but stopped when Roslin laughed abruptly.
He eyed her curiously but she gestured for him to continue with a guilty look on her face.
"Chamalla is an herbal drug, not really dangerous except in extreme or long term doses. I'll have the bar and anyone there that night investigated. I'm short on men right now with the recon mission so there are no guarantees," he explained.
Roslin uncrossed her ankles and leaned forward in the chair rubbing her temples with her fingers. Adama did everything in his power not to let a chuckle slip out but seeing Roslin with a hangover was too shocking and hilarious.
"It's not funny," she mumbled with her eyes closed. "Tell me about the recon mission."
Adama maintained the smile he wore but his tone turned serious.
"The objective is to retrieve as much information about these space stations as possible without getting to close. They appear to be inactive on dradis but we lost a Viper that got too close. Their weapons are impressive for machinery so old," Adama told her.
"You're briefing said they shot down a cylon raider as well," Roslin interjected lifting her eyes to meet his.
She looked like crap which struck Adama as hilarious too.
"Sharon told me she gave me the key to understanding it," Adama replied, his eyes not leaving Roslin.
He wanted to closely study her reaction to Sharon's words.
"The map?" Roslin questioned.
Before Adama could answer Gaeta knocked and then stepped through the hatch into the office. Roslin quickly slipped her feet back into her shoes and her posture became more ridged as if she had something to hide.
"Just in time," Adama said to Gaeta as he greeted the President with a polite nod.
"Admiral, Madame President, I think you need to see this," he said and walked to Adama's desk laying papers across it. He pulled out the map.
"This is an early transmission of the cylon stations. They span about six sectors of space," Gaeta said and stopped when Roslin gasped.
"That far? Going around them would take years," she said pulling her glasses out of her pocket and putting them on in order to study the layout in more detail.
"This is the map you got from…wherever," Gaeta continued and placed the map underneath the transparent sheet the transmission was printed on.
The dots on the map lined up perfectly with a few of the cylon stations making a trail directly through them to the other side.
"Do you think this is a way through?" Adama questioned Gaeta.
The young officer smirked and shook his head.
"Well, that's what it looks like," he said.
Roslin's glasses reflected the light from the lamp on Adama's desk.
"I guess you were wrong. It is just a map," she told Adama.
He looked up at her surprised to find she seemed will to put stock in a map they received from an unknown cylon ally.
"What?" Gaeta looked up at Roslin.
"The Admiral thought it was more than a map," Roslin explained.
"It is."
Adama exchanged a glance with Roslin. Gaeta picked up the map and twisted the head of the lamp. He placed the map in front of the light and the dots faded into the background of a larger picture. Adama frowned when he saw it.
There was a shadowy figure standing on a cliff looking up at the sky where a planet hung. Below the cliff were more shadowy figures, these ones distorted and clawing at a figure in the center who was reaching for the cliff. The dots made another trail, this one broke off from the main cluster and ended where the planet hung in the sky.
Adama was about to ask Gaeta's opinion of this picture but he felt Roslin suddenly leave his side. She stumbled over to his couch and leaned on it for support. Her shoulders were tense underneath the grey suit jacket she wore.
"Laura?" he asked softly his voice concerned.
"It is more than a map," she replied in the same soft voice.
He watched her face consumed with deep thought until she finally seemed to break out of it.
"Is there a planet Mr. Gaeta?" she asked.
Gaeta shook his head still holding the map up to the light.
"I don't know. Nothing is showing on dradis. If there is something there we can't pick it up," he explained.
Roslin smiled faintly and sent Adama a look that said they needed to speak alone.
"Thank you Mr. Gaeta," Adama said.
Gaeta hesitated before leaving and Adama knew he wanted to stay to hear what was about to be said. When he was finally out the door Roslin walked over to the desk and picked up the map he left.
"What aren't you telling me," Adama asked.
Roslin sighed and held the map up to the light again.
"I've seen this image before. Last night in my nightmares. This figure was Sharon in my dream," Roslin said gesturing to the shadow on the cliff.
"This was me," she moved her figure down to the center shadow below, "and these were human cylon models."
"Could you have seen this image before?" Adama asked, looking for the logical explanation.
"No," Roslin whispered as if she was fighting the implications as well.
She lowered her hands and placed the map back on the table. Silence fell over Adama's office as he formulated a plan.
"Starbuck is the best pilot we have. I will send her along the map route. If it is a hoax she has the best chance of outrunning the stations. If this really is a path through then we take the fleet in," Adama said.
Roslin nodded slowly. She took of her glasses and stood face to face with Adama.
"And the planet?" she questioned.
He could tell this would be a point of disagreement between them. To her he knew this planet would be another key in finding the way to Earth just like Kobol. Her drug induced visions were not enough to convince him but he refused to let this end in another military coup.
"We'll deal with that when we get there," he replied.
She narrowed her eyes at him but seemed to bide her time for the moment. Of that he was relieved. The discussed a few more minor issues regarding the fleet and Adama again felt guilty. He let her go without telling her about Sharon and Helo's mission or showing her the scroll Two had sent. Adama just needed a little more time to figure it all out. Right now, time was what they had plenty of.