[A/N: I delayed this chapter a bit because I wanted to see all of Daybreak first, because working in a closed canon is easier than an open one. Because of this, the chapter does contain references to the Daybreak flashbacks.]

5. Deep in December It's Nice to Remember

Laura pulled Isis close to her, wrapping both of them in her dark, shapeless sweater as they tried to stay warm. The temperature itself wouldn't have been so bad, if it hadn't been raining; the dampness just cut into your bones. Add that to the fact that it was just past noon yet dark enough to be early evening – if not later – and it was enough to make everyone want to crawl into bed and stay there all day. She wondered if they would ever get used to this climate.

Finally they reached her tent. She was taking care of Isis for the next couple of hours, while Maya was out with some friends. It had taken awhile but a social life was finally starting to take root here. It had started with a bar, of course, but gradually more places had popped up. Laura was glad that Maya could get out there; she was still so young, so full of life.

"However," she said to Isis, as she put the baby down on her bed. "You are too young for such things. And I am too old for it, so looks like it will be just the two of us for awhile."

She grabbed some wood and kindling and began to stoke the fire in her stove. "Of course, it might actually be three," she said as she pulled out her lighter. "We'll see if the military can tough the weather out enough to keep to the shore leave schedule."

Isis laughed, almost as if she understood the joke. Sometimes, Laura wondered if maybe she actually did.

Pushing that thought away, she finished with the fire and closed the doors, remaining there for a moment to enjoy the wave of heat before heading back toward the bed. She sat down beside Isis. "Looks like we're just going to have to wait and see. It's a good thing that we have this book for us to read."

Laura pulled out the book. It was very rough looking, since it had been made by hand by one of the women who had been from the same ship as Maya. The drawings were certainly amateurish and the writing uneven but still, it was a wonderful story of a little girl with hair so long that all these animals decided to live in it and she always had friends around. Laura placed the book in front of Isis and read, following the words with her finger as she read it.

While she was still reading, she heard the flap of the tent move. Out of the corner of her eye, a familiar form entered but remained silent. Laura kept reading; only when she turned the back cover over did she look at Bill, a smile on her face.

"You made it."

He grinned at her as he hung his jacket over a chair to let it dry off. "You ever doubted it?"

"Of course not," she replied, laughing. "We have complete faith in our Admiral, don't we, Isis?" She laughed again as she saw the baby's attention firmly fixed on the book, which apparently looked quite tasty. "No honey, you don't eat books," she said as she pried it away. "Bookworm is not meant literally."

She looked around and quickly found a small teddy bear, which she handed to Isis to forestall any complaints. When she looked back over at Bill, she found him sitting nearby, smiling as he watched them. She raised her eyebrows at him in askance.

"You're good with kids."

She nodded. "I've always enjoyed being around them. It's fun."

Silence. He was watching her carefully, clearly debating something. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied.

She didn't believe for a minute. "Bill."

"I was just wondering why you never had any."

"Ah." Laura turned back toward Isis, running her hand over the baby's head. "Well, I never got married, for one."

He nodded. "That doesn't help."

"No, it doesn't. But that's not all." She paused, her mind in a flood of memories, most of which were less than pleasant. "I told you about the car accident that my father and sisters were killed in, right?"

"Yes, you did."

"One of my sisters was pregnant."

"I'm sorry to hear that." His voice was rich with emotion; sympathy, not pity. This was a man who knew what loss meant.

"It was…tough," she said, her voice hesitant as she realized the word didn't even begin to describe it. But she knew he would know what she meant. "It wasn't long after that I joined Richard's campaign and left teaching behind me."

"And now you're back at it."

"Yes, and I-" Laura was interrupted by a sudden cry from Isis. Quickly she picked the baby up and began to walk around the tent. "Shhh, it's alright," she whispered into Isis' ear.

Bill watched her and she could almost see the memories in his eyes of his own sons. Almost unconsciously, her gazed drifted to the wedding band he always wore. She looked away before he caught her. She had never questioned him about why he still wore the ring. Something always held her back from that.

She kept walking, even when Isis settled down, thinking that maybe the baby could use some sleep.

"It has been nice," she continued eventually. "I did miss teaching, though in the end I think I may actually have enjoyed politics more." She laughed at the incredulous look on his face. "I'm serious, as stressful as it was, there were lots of good times too. More so in the lower ranks, admittedly. But even being President wasn't all bad."

Bill chuckled. "You did a much better job than I expected."

"Yes, what was it you called me…a frakking schoolteacher?"

"Something like that," he admittedly.

"And now that's what I am again," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. "Back to grading homework and going over the seating chart in my head over and over again, to make sure I remember everyone's name. It's easier now, since the..." her voice trailed off as he looked at her, laughing again. "What?"

"Do you sit and go through each name and where they sit?"

"Yes, do you have a problem with that, Admiral?"

He sighed, shoulders still shaking with silent laughter. "Not at all, Ms Roslin. In fact, I do almost the same thing with my officers."

She stared at him for a moment, before joining his laughter. "You know all of their names?"

"I do my best."

"Impressive. I'm sure they appreciate it."

She laughed again, then realized that she was jostling Isis. However the girl obviously didn't mind, since she was fast asleep. Kissing her lightly on the forehead, Laura laid the baby back on the bed.

When she turned back to Bill he had stood up, giving her the chair he had been using and taking the one with the drying coat for himself. "Thank you."

"I bet you're the type of teacher that all the girls want to be and all the boys have crushes on."

Laura looked up at him, incredulously. "What?" The name Sean Allison popped into her head, only to be pushed quickly away.

Bill said nothing, just smiled.

She shook her head and sighed heavily. "When's the next time you're coming down here?"

"Almost two months," he replied regretfully. "We're getting spread pretty thin up there. Can hardly put together a decent CAP."

"Gods, Bill, if the Cylons come back…"

"Not much we can do."

She looked over at him carefully. "You don't think they're going to come back."

He met her gaze levelly. "No, I don't. It's been almost a year now. If we haven't heard from them now I don't think we're going to."

She looked away from him, up toward the ceiling as if she could see through it and through the clouds, all the way into space. Bill reached over, laying a hand lightly on top of hers. She smiled at him but her cheeks felt the strain of it.

"You don't believe me."

"No," she said sadly. "I don't."