1Chapter Five: Three's Company
Lee felt the mood of the dream change from the pleasant feelings of making love to Kara to something sinister and malevolent. He no longer felt Kara's presence in his arms or the heat of her body lying next to him. He was alone. No that was not right; Kara was not with him but he was not alone. He opened his eyes and instead of being in Kara's darkened bedroom, he was standing on a promontory looking out over a large body of churning water. It was not quite dark outside, more like twilight; with angry storm clouds racing across the sky. There was a chill in the air and Lee felt a frisson of fear slide up his spine.
"Even though you found her first, it does not mean she was meant to be yours," a voice said from behind him. Lee turned around to see a figure cloaked in shadows, but he did not need to see his face to know who he was; Leobon Conoy.
"From fantasy dream to nightmare. I am having one hell of a night," Lee replied sarcastically. He was going to have Cottle find him a therapist. He faced the Cylons enough when he was awake, he did not need to see them when he went to sleep.
"It hurts me that you think of me as a nightmare," Leobon replied taking a step closer to Lee.
"You are definitely not my dream date," Lee said refusing to take a step back.
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Dualla was roughly pushed aside as Cottle and several nurses rushed into the room where Lee was seizing on the bed.
"BP 180 over 110; pulse 140! He's going tachycardic!" A nurse yelled as people came rushing to her aid.
"Hold him down and put a guard in his mouth. Don't need Apollo biting his tongue off," Cottle yelled.
"What the hell is happening to him?" Adama demanded helplessly as his son thrashed on the bed.
"Grab the crash cart!" Cottle yelled to one of the nurses. "We are going to need to shock his heart back into a normal sinus rhythm."
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"I won't let you have her forever," Leobon said advancing on Lee again. 'You don't understand how special she is, not too mention that you don't deserve her."
Even though Leobon had not said Kara's name out loud, Lee knew that was who he was talking about. How in the hell did a cylon know what and who Lee had been dreaming about? Better yet how did a cylon end up in his dreams? And what was his fascination with Kara?
"You see flyboy you don't have all the answers and right now you don't even have all the questions," Leobon said stepping closer to Lee again.
"I won't let you anywhere near her," Lee said closing the distance between him and the cylon. He had enough of running from these frakkers when he was awake, he was not about to start running from them while he was asleep.
"I believe that if you had a choice, you would keep me from her Apollo. Even if it meant condemning the whole of humanity to extinction. That is the wonder of all consuming love, but thankfully for me duty was bred into your bones. You won't be able to sacrifice mankind for what could exist between the two of you."
Lee knew that the frakker was taunting him, what he could not understand was why. He felt his heart jump in response to the adrenaline pumping in his veins.
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"Blood pressure's 200 over 160, pulse is 180. His heart can't take much more doctor," a nurse said placing the paddles in Cottle's hand. Cottle knew he did not have a choice; he was going to have to shock Apollo's heart and hope he did not do more damage.
"Crank to 200 and everyone clear" Cottle yelled to the room. He placed that paddles onto Lee's chest and pressed down hard.
Adama watched as his son's body jerked in reaction to the electrical charge that coursed through it. He felt his whole world spin away as his son was fighting for his life.
&&&&
Lee gasped as the cylon's hands closed around his arms' and Leobon lifted him off the ground. He knew it was pointless to struggle against the cylon's superior strength, but that did not stop him from kicking out and striking Leobon in the abdomen.
"She will never be your's!" Leobon yelled to him in a voice that actually chilled Lee to the bone.
With that said Leobon walked to the edge of the promontory and threw Lee over. For a few brief seconds Lee was weightless and then he plummeted towards the dark angry water below.
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"Crank to 300 and, CLEAR!" Cottle yelled as he shocked Lee for a third time.
"KARA!" Lee yelled as he lunged up off the bed. Strong hands tried to push him back, but he swung out with his fist and connected to something solid.
"Damn it Lee, stop fighting us," his father's voice cut through the haze that surrounded his brain, as he was finally pushed back onto the bed.
Lee opened his eyes and looking around realized he was in life station. He was surrounded by people straining to hold him down. His chest hurt, like someone had been stomping on it. His ears were ringing and his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He saw Doc Cottle leaning over him listening to his chest and a nurse checking his blood pressure. Two more nurses were checking his iv and monitors. His father was standing by the side of his bed rubbing his jaw, and he heard Dee quietly weeping in the corner.
"BP is 110 over 70 and pulse is 73. He is stable," the nurse said handing a chart to Cottle and smiling at Lee.
"What the frak is going on?" Lee questioned looking first to his father and then to Cottle.
Bill glanced at Cottle and with a shake of his head the doctor began to clear his staff from the room. When it was just the three of them Cottle turned to his patient.
"You were found unconscious and unresponsive in your office two days ago..." Cottle began
"TWO DAYS!" Lee exclaimed. He had been sleep and dreaming for two days.
"Calm down Major," Cottle snapped. "And yes you have been here for two days. Up until a few minutes ago you had been quiet and stable, and then you decided to have a seizure, increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. I shocked your heart and now you are awake. And no I still don't know what they hell is wrong with you. I will be running a few more test and you will be here until they are through," Cottle said walking out of the curtained off area.
Lee and his father watched as the crotchety doctor left the curtained off area. Bill looked at his son and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well I guess that is settled for now," Bill said looking at Lee. "Son are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah dad I feel fine. A little disoriented but other than that fine," Lee replied. The anxious look on his father's face warmed Lee just a little.
"I am going to leave you for now but I think you and I are going to need to talk soon. I will check back with you and Cottle a little later," Bill said patting his son on his shoulder. After a few more moments the Admiral turned and left the curtained area.
Lee laid back against the bed and took a deep breath. He was still confused about what had happened and how he managed to be out for two days. The pleasant dream he had of being with Kara was marred by the nightmare of Leobon. He needed some time to try and piece everything together and he needed to be sure that Kara was alright. He was not sure when he would be able to be alone so that he could hopefully dream about her. He was missing her already.
"Lee who is Kara?' A voiced asked from slightly to his left.
Lee looked over and saw Dee standing almost in the corner. She had stopped crying and Lee had forgotten that she was there. Well he thought to himself when he thought about Kara he forgot that the whole world existed, everything else paled in comparison to her.
"What did you say?" Lee asked hoping that she would chalk the incident down to the incoherent rambling of a mad man.
"When you woke up you screamed the name Kara; who is she?" Dee asked.
"I am not sure," Lee said not wanting to lie but seeing no other way out of this gracefully.
Dee seemed to contemplate his answer. She shook her head and then looked at him with a small smile on her face. "You must be hungry. Would you like me to get you something to eat?" She asked wishing to be helpful.
"Actually yes I am Dee; that would be great," Lee said wishing to be alone for a few minutes. She reached over and caressed his cheek and gave him a light kiss before leaving to get him some dinner.
Just as Lee was thanking the Gods that he was alone a nurse walked in. She placed another bag of fluid on his iv pole and pulled out a syringe.
"Even though you have been out for two days, the last few minutes were rough on your body. So the Doc wants you to have something to make you a little more comfortable. This will probably make you sleepy. I will let your girlfriend know that she can come back to see you later."
Lee was grateful that he would not have to talk to Dee for the next few hours. He knew that he would not be able to put it off forever but he needed time to think about how and what he was feeling. As the drugs kicked in and he began to drift away he wondered if this would be a dreamless sleep.
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Kara looked at Avery's expectant expression; he really did want to know what she had been dreaming about. She had no intentions of telling him that she had spent several glorious hours in the arms of a man she only saw while she was sleeping. She was beginning to wonder how much of what was happening to her was really a dream.
"I wish I could tell you, but it has faded like most dreams do," Kara replied. She was still trying to understand how she had been asleep for two days. It had not felt like she had been dreaming that long, maybe a few hours but not days.
"Well for now you will be staying here while I run a few more test. I am thinking that you're suffering from an extreme amount of stress and just need a few days rest, but we'll see. I will let the Admiral know you are awake and I will let Sam know he can visit you," Avery replied standing to leave. "Kara you know you can talk to me and I would not divulge the conversation to anyone especially the Admiral," he reassured her as he slipped out her door.
Kara thought about confiding in Avery. She did not have to tell him about the intimate details of her dreams, but she could tell him the rest and she needed someone else's input. Oh God, Avery said he was going to let the Admiral know she was awake. That did not bode well, she was not up to a conversation with her; especially considering she had missed a very important meeting.
"Captain I am here to give you something that will make you comfortable, and there is a sexy young man in the hallway with your dinner if you are up for the company," said a nurse coming into the room. The nurse check her vitals all the while chattering about nothing important.
"Can I send your young man in?" She inquired before she opened the door.
"Yes and thank you," Kara replied giving her a wan smile. She did not really want to see Sam right now either. The only person she wanted to see was Lee, but that was not going to happen for awhile.
"Hey gorgeous," Sam said as he walked into the room.
"Don't call me that!!" Kara snapped at him. It did not feel right coming from anyone but Lee and she had no desire to hear it from any other man.
"Sorry, did not know it would offend you," Sam said looking perplexed. "I brought you something other than hospital grub."
Kara watch Sam settle into the chair that was close to the bed. She did not mean to but she began to compare Lee and Sam to each other. Sam was obviously taller but both were well built nicely and in good physical health. Both had dark hair, but Lee's eyes were bluer. Was it possible that Lee was just a slightly different version of Sam that her subconscious had thought up?
"Hey babe are you ok?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. I'm sorry the nurse gave me something and I think it has made me a little sleepy."
"Do you want me to go so you can rest?" He asked looking a little crestfallen.
Kara didn't want to hurt Sam. She loved him and had decided to spend her life wit him as his wife. She should not be thinking of another man. No matter that he made her feel alive and completely. Kara realized that this was her life. Whatever happened in her dreams was not real; they had no substance. It did not keep her from hoping that every time she closed her eyes she would be with Lee in the house she had always dreamed of, but that was all it would be; a dream.
"No I want you to stay until I go to sleep," she said reaching for his hand. Sam closed her smaller hand in his and kissed her palm.
"I will be here for as long as you want me," Sam said as Kara's eyes drifted close.
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Kara smiled as she stood in the doorway to the den in her beach house. The sight that greeted her eyes was one she had not seen in almost three months. Lee Adama was stretched out on the floor sound asleep in front of her fireplace. There was a small fire blazing cheerily and lending a soft intimate glow to the room. He was laying on his back with one arm thrown over the top of his head and his other resting lightly on his abdomen. He was wearing a white t-shirt that said Caprica Buccaneers and his legs were finely encased in a pair of tight blue jeans. And not surprisingly, he was not wearing shoes. The man was gorgeous and she wished she could stay asleep forever spending every moment in his arms. Kara knew that was not possible and it shattered her soul.
"Hey gorgeous," Lee said to her sleepily.
Hey yourself mister," she replied. She took comfort in the easy familiarity they had developed in such a short amount of time. He rolled over and then stood up, closing the distance between them. It had been too long since he had held her in his arms and he needed that right now. After everything that had happened since the last time he had seen her; he needed the reassurance that she was alright and for a few brief moments she was his.
Lee pulled her body close to his and wrapped her in his arms. Kara felt like she had come home. No other place had ever felt so right; not even Devon's embrace could compare to this feeling of rightness. She wanted to hate God for giving her these stolen moments while she was sleep, and not giving them to her with Sam when she was awake.
"I was beginning to think I would never see you again," Lee whispered breathing in the smell of her. To him she would always smell like vanilla cupcakes and ocean air.
"I understand what you mean," she replied snuggling closer to him. He was warm and so alive for a man living in a dream. "Hey I have dinner ready. Why don't we go out to the deck and you can regale me with your story," she said leading him out of the room. When they got outside to the deck Lee was surprised to see that the table had been set and that several dishes of food sat waiting for them to dig in.
"My you have been busy while I was napping," he said taking a seat.
"Did not want to wake you until I had food to feed you. I could hear your stomach growling all the way out here," she replied teasing him playfully.
For a few minutes silence reigned as they filled their plates and began to eat. Lee looked out at the ocean and a feeling of longing swept over him. He was tired of living on a ship and running from the cylons. He made a promise to himself right then and there. If they found a planet like this one to live on he was leaving the military and settling down on firm ground. And if he could find this woman he would do everything in his power to convince her to give them a chance.
"Ok mister time for you to tell me about Lee Adama," Kara said leaning back in her chair.
"Alright miss impatient. You know how you said that you and your people were looking for a new home?" He asked her after taking a sip of ice tea.
"Yeah."
"Well me and mine are also looking for a new place to call home. Only thing is we thought it was going to be called Earth," Lee said pausing to see her reaction.
Kara sprayed ice tea over the table as she began to choke. Lee jumped up to pat her on the back. He chuckled lightly because this was his reaction when he heard the words UAG Capricorn.
"You knew that Earth existed?" She asked incredulous.
"Well more like a rumor, myth and prophecy," he replied sitting back down. "Let me continue and no more drinking cause my story will probably have you chocking more than once. Basically there were 12 colonies, each named for the Twelve Tribes of Kobol. Those colonies are Caprica, Aqarion, Picon, Arelon, Tauron, Gemenon, Canceron, Leonis, Virgon, Libris, Scorpia, and Sagittaron. See a trend yet?" Lee asked smiling at her shocked expression.
"Exactly how I felt, but there is a rumor and belief that there was a thirteenth Lord of Kobol (the "Jealous God") who sought to elevate himself over the other Lords and caused the strife that led to the Exodus. What is known is that all the people of Kobol did not leave, but some went to the Gates of Hera and legend says these people went to a planet called Earth. Please don't ask me how this is known. It took years and many wars after the Exodus for the Twelve Tribes of Man to be united but eventually it happened. If you ever want a detailed history lesson, I am sure I can arrange for you to spend some quality time with President Roslin. Now for the downfall of man and colonies. Cylons, machines created by Man before they even left Kobol. They were created to make life easier for mankind but eventually they would destroy us and send us fleeing towards the mythical Earth. They launched an all out nuclear attack that destroyed the colonies and what is left of us is ragtag fleet of civilian ships and one battlestar; the Galactica."
Lee stopped to take a breath. Kara was looking at him incredulously, unable to comprehend everything he had just said. She also realized that she believed him. Even though what he said seemed far fetched, she had no reason to believe he would be lying to her.
"Here is the rest; what you really want to know. I am the CAG on Galactica and yes I know you also hold that distinction aboard the Capricorn. Seems like we have a lot in common," he said looking at her. Gods she was beautiful and they way the setting sun was surrounding her made her seem ethereal.
"That means you saw my picture frame and know my call sign is Starbuck," she said smiling at him. "So what do they call you?"
Lee realized she was just asking to be curious; wanting to know more about him. But for some reason he did not want her to know his call sign. Being Apollo was sometimes embarrassing, being that most women wanted to see him as his namesake, but he was just a man.
"If you don't mind I would like to keep that to myself. I want to be Lee Adama to you and nothing more. Just a man who enjoys the company of a beautiful woman. I would love to fly with you should we ever actually meet, but for now I want it to be just you and me; Lee and Kara," he said to her hoping she understood what he was asking of her.
Kara looked at him and saw the earnest expression and understood exactly what he was asking. He had to be something more than himself to continue to help his people flee from utter destruction. For her he did not need to be that. He just wanted and needed to be Lee and she could do that for him.
"I understand. Here you don't need to be top gun," she said standing up and walking over to him. Kara knelt in front of him and took his face into her hands. They stared into each other's eyes and desire sprang between them. Lee stood pulling her with him and kissed her almost brutally. He wanted to consume her, to erase all memories of any other man who had ever touched her.
Kara's hands were under his shirt, her nails clawing almost desperately against his back. She wanted him inside of her and she wanted him now. Lee trailed light kisses to her ear and began to bite gently on her earlobe. Her nails on his back were beginning to drive all thought from his head. His hands trailed along her collarbone and descended to cup her breasts where he teased her nipples into hardened peaks.
"By the Gods Kara you make me crazy," he said breathlessly before taking a nipple into his mouth. Even though she still had her shirt, Lee could taste the saltiness of her skin. He needed to be close to her; so he reached for the hem of her shirt and began to drag it over her head.
"Wait, wait Lee. These cylons...would they want to hurt us to?" Kara asked as the thought cut through the desire raging in body.