Thank you to all who continue to read. Those who've replied and asked for more frequent posts, um, well... Daily isn't fast enough? ((grin)) I take it as a huge compliment. If you're really impatient... Check out my homepage. ((grin again)) For now, let's find out what "Thirteen" has to say to Adama...

Six

"You don't possess my son. You won't succeed." Adama promised, complete resolve in his voice.

It was still Lee's body talking, but the aura around him had changed completely. There was no warmth or life. There seemed to be only frigid darkness. "I already have. Soon I will have complete control of this body and access to all his thoughts."

Adama smiled. "Is that the goal? To get Lee's knowledge?"

"It is only a perk. We know what we need to know."

Adama was using all his military skill to remain controlled. "Lee's fighting you harder than you expected. You might not win."

A sick smile spread across Thirteen's face. "He can't fight forever. He's merely human. It won't be long."

Adama shook his head confidently. "You didn't think it would be this hard. It's already falling apart around you."

Thirteen laughed. "Trying to convince yourself, Admiral? Even if I were to give up control now, I'm always going to be here. You can't eliminate the virus. I could wait until he was weak… maybe a cold? Or a slight injury?" The volume and intensity of his laughter increased. "What else do you have, old man? Bring it on!"

Adama's eyes focused, ignoring the barb. "Why Lee?"

"Why not? What will you do to him? Airlock him? I don't think so. You'll visit him daily, hoping each day he somehow manages to defeat me." He paused. "I'll even let him out from time to time, just so you can retain your hope. You'll never kill your son knowing what you humans say passes for a soul, still exists within me."

"Don't be too sure. This isn't exactly living for my son." Adama meant every word.

"Then it begins." He glanced around the room and pulled at his restraints. "I'll step back now. I'm sure you'd like to enjoy what time you can with your son."

Lee's body collapsed onto the bed and Adama rushed to his son's side. He slapped gently at his face. "Lee? Lee?"

Lee's eyes shot open. "Oh gods… I can't keep doing this."

"You're fighting him Lee. That's what counts. He's planning on wearing you out. He's afraid of you." Adama meant to inspire his son. His words had no effect.

"You should all be afraid of me. Course, this might never have happened if I'd known the truth." The admonishment was blunt and direct to the point.

"Nothing would have changed. You would have been miserable, wondering when something might happen. I learned a long time ago not to second guess my decisions. I stand by this one."

Lee glared at his father and slowly shook his head. "No second guessing? So that means no regrets? You don't regret anything, dad?"

Adama understood his son's point immediately and it hurt. Lee caught him. He couldn't simplify his decisions like that. What about all his parental decisions that had brought pain to his sons? "Get some rest. I can tell this takes a lot out of you. I'll be back later."

"Don't bother."

Adama was about to leave, ignoring Lee's request again, but one last question nagged at him. "Lee, you said if you'd known, this might not have happened. Why do you say that?"

Lee looked directly at his father, a familiar coldness in his eyes. "I'd have played chicken with a raider and lost. At least the fleet would be safe and I'd have died as befitting your son."

BSG

Adama needed time alone and Lee feigned sleep the rest of the day. Visitors left him to his rest. After ending his shift in CIC, Adama grabbed some dinner with Kara and made his way to life station. He intended to show Lee his determination. "Son?" He pushed the undisturbed tray with Lee's dinner closer to him. "Time to eat." He checked under the domed cover and grimaced. "Well, it's late, but it probably doesn't make a difference."

"Go away." Lee was turned on his side, one arm stretched behind his back due to the restraints. There was no emotion in his voice.

Adama ignored him. "I could go get you something else to eat. I don't like wasting food, but this doesn't exactly look edible."

Lee growled. "I warned you to go away." Lee began to pull at his restraints.

Adama placed a hand on Lee's straining arm. "Settle down. I'll loosen this one. Roll over."

"If you insist." Lee rolled over and Adama met the darkened eyes of Thirteen. With no effort at all, he snapped his restraints and rose forcefully from the bed. "Is this what you wanted Adama?"

Adama's training failed him at the sight of his possessed son and he wasn't prepared for the vicious swing that sent him flying back against the wall. Adama shook off the impact and watched Thirteen make for the exit. Pulling himself to his feet, he charged after Thirteen, snaring him around the legs.

Thirteen kicked out at Adama, catching him alongside the head. Adama was stunned. Seconds later, as Thirteen scrambled to his feet, marines arrived. Four were needed to subdue the cylon-driven human. Suddenly, the captive went limp. Adama knew Lee had returned.

"Son?" Adama crawled to his son's side, careful to keep the guards close.

Lee's eyes were filled with pain. He stretched a shaky hand out and touched the cut on his father's brow, he whispered. "I told you to lock me in the brig."

BSG

Roslin, Tigh, Baltar, Kara and Adama sat around the conference table. It was quiet except for Kara's rage. "You're a frakkin' cylon expert. Figure this out!"

Baltar was flustered as always. He found himself wishing for Six to appear and offer him some relief. "Lee Adama is not a Cylon. This is outside of my expertise."

Tigh pointed to the Admiral. "He seemed to possess the strength of a Cylon. He broke through the restraints and tossed people around like nothing. Lee's a fighter, but even he couldn't pull that off."

Baltar coughed. "Yes, I can only assume the entity manages to funnel his adrenalin. Humans have been known to exhibit extreme strength under extenuating circumstances."

"I'd hardly call these extenuating circumstances." Roslin countered. "The fact of the matter is, we have no clue what to do with it."

"HIM!" Both Adama and Kara bellowed at once.

Roslin frowned. "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do. We obviously can't allow him to roam freely on the ship."

Tigh jumped in. "Even with a guard, it took four to hold him down. We have to lock him up, but I don't think the brig is secure enough either. Shit, Lee as a Cylon scares me. Lee could probably escape from hack even without cylon influence."

Adama reluctantly agreed. He moved to the phone across the room and punched up the flight deck. "Chief, we need to construct that holding cell for Cylons we talked about, ASAP." He quickly added. "And make sure it also has the dampening fields."

He looked at his audience when he'd hung up. "We can't risk it communicating with others. If Lee develops…"

Kara grumbled. "This is all useless. We have to do something."

Adama growled in return. "We are. Cottle is still working on possibilities and I'm sure Doctor Baltar will make this a priority as well."

"Of course, Admiral. I'll make it my top priority." He smiled vainly.

"Until then Lee's caged up like the frakkin' enemy?" Kara demanded.

Roslin spoke before Adama could. She knew he couldn't mask this pain. The situation was tearing him apart. "We have no choice. Captain Apollo asked for it himself."

Kara started for the door, but paused in the hatch to offer her warning. "If you really expect Lee to fight this thing, locking him up is not going to give him the strength he needs."

"She's right. We have to figure this out quickly." Adama added.

Roslin sucked in a deep breath. "Admiral, I think we both agree the only solution is the complete annihilation of this virus from his system. Anything else will be unacceptable."

Adama knew she was reprimanding him for keeping the presence of the virus a secret. "Agreed."

"Are we further agreed, that if necessary, Lee may need to be terminated?" She asked pointedly.

"NO! We are not. There is no reason to go to such extremes. We can keep him alive." Adama's face tensed with anger.

"There's no indication Captain Apollo, Thirteen I mean, holds any value to us."

"He's my SON and a HERO of this fleet." He looked directly at her, ignoring Tigh and Baltar. "He's saved your life a few times as well. I won't pay him back by jettisoning him out an airlock."

She met his gaze. "So the Cylons win? You have to accept the possibility, Admiral."

Adama shook his head. "This is a military matter. That's all I accept." He turned and left. Tigh followed him out.

Roslin took several deep breaths to calm her beating heart. She finally looked at Baltar. "You will make this a priority. I don't want to lose both Adamas and I suspect we may do just that if we can't save Apollo."

She left Baltar alone in the room and Six suddenly appeared, purring at his side.

"Is that god's goal? To defeat the Adamas?" He asked her, a bit stunned at the audacity of the plan. "Wasn't the poison simply meant as a distraction?"

She smiled. "We can't know god's purpose. We have to trust him. You trust him, don't you Gaius?" Her hand stroked up and down his thigh.

"So god's waging war against the Adamas now?" He pressed, ignoring her attentions.

She snapped her head back and halted her hand. "You're a scientist; don't you recognize an experiment when you see one?"

"So god's practicing on Lee Adama?" He looked her directly in the eye.

She grabbed his neck. "I believe the expression is killing two birds with one stone." She pulled him in for a deep kiss.

BSG

Adama walked silently behind the marines escorting his son to his new home. He'd ordered the corridors cleared and slipped in behind them as the contingent left life station. He didn't want to let Lee know he was there yet. It was hard enough on his son.

His son had barely been present in the past 24-hours. Thirteen was getting stronger and stronger. It was costing Lee more and more to remain himself.

They moved him into the room, and undid his cuffs and shackles. Lee politely thanked them, ever the officer. The gesture brought a small smile to his father's face. His pride in Lee knew no bounds lately. He couldn't imagine handling things any better.

Lee noted his father hovering, and moved to the phone.

Adama stepped forward and lifted his own receiver. "Is there anything you need?"

Lee didn't appear to hear his father. He was staring at his father's face. He reached up and touched the glass across from the bandage on his father's forehead. No words were necessary.

"It wasn't you, Lee. It's not your fault." Adama offered, knowing it really wouldn't help.

"Dad… if I'm going to hurt anyone, you have to do it."

Adama shook his head defiantly. "No. Stop talking like that."

"Dad," Lee pleaded. "I can't. I can't hurt the people I swore to protect. It's what they want." He finally met his father's gaze. "Promise me. When the time comes, you'll give the order."

Adama didn't respond.

"PROMISE ME!"

Adama searched his son's expression for an out and found none. "IF the time ever comes, I…"

"Say it, dad. You have to say it. Once a decision is made, no regrets, right?"

Lee sounded so calm, so rational. Adama despised having his words thrown back at him, but knew he had to comply for his son. "I promise."

Lee nodded.

BSG

Weeks passed. Thirteen was almost exclusively in control. Sometimes he allowed Lee to appear when a visitor came, as he promised. Those that visited, Adama, Kara and Roslin, pretended it didn't bother them, but they were all lying to themselves.

Adama stumbled into Roslin leaving Lee's cell area. "Madame President?" His tone was gruff and doubtful. He hadn't forgiven her for threatening to throw his son out an airlock.

Roslin tried to smile away the tension between them. "Admiral, I was just visiting Captain Apollo."

Adama lightened slightly. "Lee was present?"

She frowned. "No, I'm afraid not. It was Thirteen. I understand Doctor Cottle is trying another procedure."

"Anything to keep you from pushing the airlock switch," he chided.

She stammered. "Admiral, I have to consider the best interests of the fleet…" She flushed and her pain and frustration were evident. "Despite what I might feel for him personally."

Doctor Cottle tried draining the fluid again, feeling they had no other choice. Lee's body was in critical condition for two days from the attempt. The failure was a tough blow and optimism was dying.

When Lee was allowed to control his own body in the beginning, he would try and chat like normal. As the time went on, he withdrew more and more. Now, if he was permitted to appear, the only thing he spoke of was 'ending' it. He begged them to airlock him, citing the security of the fleet.

Thirteen toyed with the humans in other ways as well. He liked to hurt Lee's body. He would go days at a time refusing food or drink or he'd pick at Lee's skin until bruises appeared. When that failed to interest him further, he would work out obsessively pushing Lee's body beyond reasonable limits. All steps taken in further attempt to distress the humans who cared for Lee. Each time he inflicted some torture to Lee's body, his face displayed a sick smile of satisfaction.

Cottle and Baltar had both hit dead ends. Cottle had also tried to administer a trace dose of demerten, a drug that had once cured the poison in test tubes, but to which Lee was allergic. It failed as the drainage procedure had. Hope was fast fading and although Adama began to accept the idea this was Lee's fate. He had no intention of airlocking his son.

Adama was standing by with Cottle. Lee was being transferred back to life station for a scan. They wanted to know how much of his brain had been taken over by Thirteen now. They watched from a safe distance as Lee indicated to the marines that he was going to come willingly. He held out his hands, knowing he would be shackled.

Adama let out the breath he'd been holding. It was a relief to have Lee present. He didn't want a fight. It unnerved him to see his son's body fighting with marines. He reflected on the conversation he'd just had with Lee.

"Dad, if the scan shows my brain… You can't keep me like this. It's too dangerous."

"I know it's hard, Lee, but this isn't over. We have no idea what Thirteen really wants. When we find out, we may be able to do something then." He was always trying to be optimistic around Lee.

Adama had relaxed too soon.

Thirteen's arm swung out sharply and caught the nearest marine unprepared. The man flew backward and fell over the cot. The two remaining marines grabbed at Thirteen's arms. Neither was successful. Without breaking a sweat, Thirteen dispatched both of them to a pile in the center of the room and made for the exit.

Adama had already moved for the alert button and knew help was on the way. He knew he didn't stand a chance of stopping the Cylon. He learned right away he couldn't physically defeat the presence. The week before, Adama had gone into Lee's cell to play a card game with his son. When Thirteen turned on him, he'd tried in vain to appeal to Lee deep within. For a brief second, he thought Lee was winning, but it was a fleeting moment. Marines had restrained Thirteen and when Lee next returned, he was devastated he'd once again hurt his father. Lee was falling farther and farther away and there was nothing his father could do to hold on to him.

Adama had failed to account for Cottle. As Thirteen bore down on Adama's position in the hatchway, he suddenly fell to the admiral's feet. Adama looked up to see Cottle holding a tranquilizer gun.

"I don't know why we bother."