Epilogue

"Realist? We're realists…we'd all be dead back on Caprica." Lieutenant Starbuck (The Living Legend)

"You see, there's different kinds of dead: there's sort of dead, mostly dead, and all dead." – Miracle Max

The Future? - The Galactica

He awoke in pain, although it seemed more subdued this time, and since he could actually focus on the grey ceiling above him, it slowly occurred to him that he must not be as drugged. Certainly some painkiller had been administered given the searing pain in his back felt unreal, but not enough to obscure that fact he felt someone holding his hand.

"Athena?" he murmured weakly. The handmade knife in his ribs had been minor compared to this.

"Yes?" He heard her ask anxiously and saw her lean over him.

"I'm not dead this time, am I?"

"No…well…yes, you are…sort of…," she said with that charming baffled expression that had so enchanted him. Others tended to dismiss it as incomprehension, or, worse, stupidity, but he knew better. It was an indication of her thinking and puzzling out the contradictions and paradoxes of life.

"How can I be sort of dead?" He gave her a faint smile.

"It's hard to explain."

"Are you sort of dead also?"

"No. You saved me."

"Good. I didn't want you hurt." He relaxed somewhat, thankful to hear she was safe.

"My father is grateful for what you did."

"Do we have to talk about him now?" he moaned, having little strength to do more.

"He wants to make an offer," Athena said, apprehension in her voice.

"He's going to let me die in peace…finally?"

"Don't say that…please…," Her grip on his hand tightened so much that he couldn't help but give a small gasp. Even without that, the look in her blue eyes made her distress evident.

"All right…," he murmured. As she relaxed her grip on his hand, another person came near and he heard the deep bass voice that he had come to loathe.

"You are dead," Adama said with a mirthless smile.

"Lords, I knew it. I'm sort of dead – whatever that means – and in Hades."

"I have informed the Council that Count Baltar was killed when a gun accidentally went off."

"And it just happened to be pointed at me…."

"Yes. It also explains why one of my top pilots shot up the Life Station."

"Apollo is forgiven…no trial…no investigation…."

"No questions," Adama said.

"So…," Baltar managed to find enough strength to give Adama a mocking smile, "have you informed the Council that my spirit haunts the Galactica?"

"No. Doctor Salik has informed me that it will be some time before you're able to roam the halls."

"And, exactly, where are you going to hide me until then."

"When you've recovered enough to leave the Life Station, Athena has offered to take custody of you."

"Wait. You would never allow that," Baltar said suspiciously.

"Consider it a belated wedding present…if not from me, then from Starbuck who came up this mad scheme."

"This is not right…you're talking nonsense…why don't you just say that I'm President of the Council while you're at it?" Baltar muttered, shaking his head and regretting it when renewed agony lanced through his shoulders and he became lightheaded.

"No…," Adama said with an odd smile, "I don't think even they would accept that."

"Well, will you agree?" Athena asked.

"Athena? After all this?" He looked at her. "I don't want you to throw your life away on me."

"I promised you on Caprica," she said, her grip again tightening on his hand.

"I was just informed the man you promised was killed. You're a widow. You don't have any obligation to me."

"Only on paper…please…."

"If you will have me –" He broke off, his vision blurring. At first he thought it was the effect of the painkiller, until he blinked away the tears.

"Yes, I will." She smiled, relief transforming her face into that angelic beauty that he had fallen in love with an eternity ago. Then she gave him one of her quizzical looks. "But I don't know what to call you now. What name should I say?"

"Since you've given me another chance, why don't you think of one?"

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Fleeing from the Cylon Tyranny, the last Battlestar, Galactica, leads a ragtag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest . . . a shining planet known as Earth.