What If ?-Chapter-3
This story is mostly A.U.
Kara and Lee meet through Caroline before the cylons attack, but with a different approach.
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What If ?-Chapter-3
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Kara and Lee lay next to each other gasping for air after Lee did prove to her they were more than compatible when it came to sex.
After Lee's breathing evened out he turned to face her placing a hand on her stomach " Wow that was incredible" "
Kara turned her head to look at him " I agree, but don't get ahead of yourself, we still need to take the time to get to know one another before you start makings plans Apollo "she said using his call-sign for the first time.
Lee smiled " You're right, so for the next week I plan on being your shadow, but for now we need to get up and get dressed before mom beats us downstairs "
Kara chuckled as she got up " Somehow I don't think your mom would approve of what we just did since I only got out of the hospital today "
Lee snorted as he pulled his shorts on " I don't plan on telling her Kara and I sure as frak hope you won't either"
Kara sobered up then " I like you Lee, but I won't hurt your mother like that, she has earned my respect and believe me that is a hard thing for someone to do "
They finished dressing in silence then headed downstairs.
Lee bumped her shoulder on the way down " My mom respects you also Kara and is already wishing you were her daughter, I just hope she doesn't smother you so much that it causes you to leave "
Kara paused on the last step and waited until Lee faced her " I won't run off Lee, your mom is the first person that has ever cared about me like that and I wouldn't screw it up for all the worlds "
Lee felt like he needed to lighten the mood " It sounds like I will be competing with my mother when it comes to you Kara "
Kara chuckled and headed to the kitchen.
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When they entered the kitchen nobody was there, so they headed outside.
Kara looked around the back porch at all the potted flowers and spotted an outdoor recliner and laid down on it after leaning it back.
Lee took the chair next to her and watched as she laid back, suddenly realising she must be tired " Why don't you try and nap for a little while Kara, I need to find a few things of mine you can wear and wash a load of clothes "
Kara glanced at him " Thanks Lee, I didn't know how tired I was until I laid down, wake me in a bit, okay?"
Lee stood up and gave her a quick peck on her lips after pushing her hair back behind her ear " I will "
Once inside he headed to his room that Kara was staying in and looked around until he found a couple of sets of BDU's and grabbed his laundry and went back downstairs and started them to wash.
When he entered the kitchen he saw his mom reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.
Caroline looked up when he entered " Where is Kara, Lee?"
Lee grabbed a soda and sat down before answering " She is napping on the back porch in the chaise lounge "
Caroline nodded " I'm glad, she needs to rest several times a day and she doesn't need to tire herself out, so make sure she doesn't do anything strenuous "
Lee knew he blushed, but he managed to look away before his mom caught him " I won't "
Caroline had a sudden thought she was asking to much of Lee " Don't worry about it Lee I will watch her, besides I'm sure you have summer plans and I don't want to keep you from dating "
Lee decide to be honest with his mom " Mom I have been dating someone for a couple of months, but I am breaking up with her "
Caroline thought she knew why, but she wanted Lee to say it " Why?"
Lee looked at her confused " I told you earlier that I was interested in Kara, but was to scared to do anything about it "
Caroline smiled " Just make sure you break up with the girl before starting something with Kara because I don't want her hurt anymore "
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Lee's face paled and he thought ' oh gods what have I done ' he stood up quickly " I'll do that right now " and he went downstairs to use his cell phone praying Kara never found out .
Before Lee could call her his phone rang " Hello "
It was Gianne who responded " Why haven't you called to let me know what time you are picking me up tonight Lee?"
Lee hadn't had time to come up with a reason " I'm sorry, I had to help my mom with something "
Gianne grinned even though he couldn't see her " That's one of the things I love about you Lee, you always make time for your mom and I hope to meet her soon "
Lee was drawing a blank, he couldn't do this to her over the phone " Can you meet me for a drink in the hotel lounge at the Caprica Hotel around seven o'clock?"
Gianne answered " Sure, I'll see you soon Lee, bye "
Lee sat down on the bed heavily wondering how he could get away and keep Kara from ever knowing. He knew she would never see him again if she found out he was dating someone at the time they had made love.
After a while of him brooding he went back upstairs hoping to get his mom to help him. He went back to his same chair which was facing away from the back porch and sighed " Mom I need to go out for a couple of hours tonight to meet Gianne, I need to see her in person "
Caroline nodded " Okay, but why are you telling me about it?"
Lee looked down " I don't want Kara to know where I'm going, so I need you to cover for me "
Lee felt then heard Kara behind him " Your mom doesn't have to cover for you Lee, I don't care if you have a date, besides your mom and I were doing fine without you, so go enjoy your date " Kara might not have wanted to run before, but now she wanted to get as far away as she could, but she wouldn't do that to Caroline, she would keep her distance from Lee though.
Kara turned to look at Caroline " I am going to take a bath if it's okay with you Caroline and turn in early, I am sorer than I thought I would be "
Caroline looked at them both knowing something important just happened " Go ahead Kara, just let me know if you need anything and if you get hungry during the night help yourself to something to eat "
Kara nodded and practically ran out of the kitchen with Lee begging " Please let me explain Kara, it's not what you think "
At that Kara stopped and turned around glaring at him " Were you or were you not involved with someone earlier today?"
Lee hung his head knowing what she was referring to " I was Kara, but the moment I saw you she disappeared from my mind "
Kara lowered her voice " You lied Lee, I asked you if you had a girlfriend and you said no "
Lee stepped closer " No, I said it all ended the second you stepped out of mom's car "
Kara sneered " I'm sorry that excuse is not good enough for me, so you might as well hang onto Gianne or whoever she is " she patted her chest and gestured between them " What we did will never happen again, good-bye Lee " Kara then ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom and let the tears fall for what her mom and Lee had done to her.
Lee stood there trying to come up with a way out of this mess, because he knew he would never be able to get over Kara. All of a sudden he jumped when his mom shouted.
Caroline had heard Lee and Kara and had a pretty good idea what happened " Leland Joseph Adama what in the frak have you done, I told you I didn't want Kara hurt by anyone else, even you " she lowered her voice " If you can't fix this I'm afraid you will have to stay somewhere else because Kara is staying with me and that is not debatable " Caroline walked away before she could say anything else.
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Lee wanted to go upstairs and try to explain his actions and fix things between him and Kara, but he knew it was useless and his mom might actually kick him out. Instead after looking at the time he knew he had just enough time to shower and drive the thirty minutes it would take him to meet Gianne.
When Lee was ready he walked upstairs hoping to catch a glimpse of Kara, but he knew she would have gone to bed just to avoid him.
Lee sighed and pulled the front door open to find Zak on the other side " Excuse me Zak, I need to go "
Zak stepped to the side " Are you going to see Gianne?"
Lee paused " Yes, but it is not what you think it is "
Zak looked at him confused as to what he meant " Why, what do I think it is?"
Lee stammered " I am breaking things off with her tonight "
Zak laughed " I just did that to Molly "
Now Lee was confused " Why?"
Zak chuckled " Well I can't really make a play for Kara if I am dating someone, so I broke up with her "
Without any warning Lee grabbed Zak by his collar backing him up against the open door " You stay away from Kara, you understand Zak?"
Before Zak could respond Caroline showed up " What is going on between the both of you?"
Lee answered after releasing Zak " He broke up with Molly so he could go after Kara "
Caroline glared at Zak " I will tell you the same thing I told Lee, you leave Kara alone or find somewhere else to stay until she leaves "
Zak stared at his mom " You can't do that, it is up to Kara "
Caroline chuckled " This is my home and I can do whatever I feel like doing, besides even though Lee screwed up he is the only one who has a chance with Kara " she turned to Lee " I suggest you end things with Gianne tonight and tread carefully with Kara or I will kick you both out "
They both watched as their mom walked away then Lee turned to Zak again " I mean it Zak, you stay away from Kara or you will regret it " Lee went to his car and left.
Zak walked in and closed the door wondering what had happened while he was taking Molly home. Zak was also bothered by how close his mom was becoming with Kara. He sighed and fixed himself a sandwich before heading to his room, deciding not to test his mom tonight.
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Lee arrived at the lounge and saw that Gianne was already there, so he went straight to the booth and sat down across from her " Sorry if I'm late Gianne "
She laughed " I'll forgive you Lee if you dance with me, the band just started and they are not half bad "
Lee shook his head " I didn't come here to dance Gianne "
Gianne sensed something was bothering him " What did you help your mom with?"
Lee jerked his head up and looked right at her " It doesn't matter, I asked you here to let you know I don't want to date you anymore, I'm sorry Gianne "
Gianne didn't understand " Why Lee, what changed since yesterday?"
Lee laughed " I finally met the woman I have always wanted, but never knew if I stood a chance with her " Lee paused to look at her " I don't want to hurt you, but I can't see you anymore even if I can't have her "
Gianne was hurt because she thought Lee loved her like she loved him " Lee don't give up on us, especially if you can't have her, I love you "
Lee shook his head " I love her Gianne more than I thought possible, frak I didn't even know love like that existed until I met her "
Gianne wasn't going to give up " Lee that's crazy you just met her today "
Lee smiled " I know and now I can't live without her, again I'm sorry if I mislead you, I need to go "
He was gone before she could respond. Gianne decided she wasn't going to give up, she just needed to find out about this woman and plan her revenge.
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Kara had taken a shower and stood at the window watching for Lee to leave. As soon as he drove away she checked the time needing to know how long he would be gone or if he would even come home. Kara killed time by walking around Lee's room. He had a picture framed of all the twelve colonies and push pins in the ones he had probably been to. She also saw models of vipers and raptors along with a model of the Battlestar Galactica, which Kara knew survived the cylon war almost forty years ago.
Kara moved on and scanned the framed pictures, one she knew was Lee and Zak with their mother when they were young. The next one was Lee standing with an older man next to a viper with Lee standing a little bit away from the man whom Kara assumed was his dad. Kara remembered Caroline saying he was a commander and suddenly she knew she was looking at Commander Adama.
Kara moved on to look at the bookcase surprised to see books about the legal system, she pulled one out and was surprised once again when she read the authors name Joseph Adama.
Kara sat down at Lee's desk as she was reminded once again that she never had a family, at least not a normal one like the Adama's. Right before she got up she saw the edge of a photo sticking out from under the blotter and pulled it out and was shocked when she saw herself. Kara didn't remember posing for any picture, but she knew she was leaning against a tree in the Academy courtyard looking like she was thinking about something or someplace else, maybe. Kara wondered if Lee had taken the picture of her, she smiled at that liking the idea of him taking it. She stopped smiling when she remembered where he had gone, so she put the picture back.
Kara went to the bed and laid down it seemed like she was becoming sorer than she was earlier. She reached over and grabbed the pillow next to her and all of sudden she was assaulted with the smell of Lee and the sex they had shared a short time ago. Kara was to tired and sore to move so she let the smells take over and re-lived the sex they had shared. Kara slowly let sleep take her.
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Kara woke up later to find Lee sitting on the edge of the bed " Go away Lee, don't you know it is wrong to go from one woman's bed to another?" she growled at him then hit him with the pillow she was holding.
Lee caught the pillow and threw it on the floor then leaned over her holding her down with his weight " I didn't frak anyone today other than you" he eased up on her " I just wanted to let you know I officially broke up with Gianne even though it was never a serious relationship for me "
Kara shoved him " I don't care! " she hissed " Now get out "
Lee grabbed her face and kissed her hard before she could stop him, she bit his lip hard making him pull away " Get out Lee!"
He stood up " Fine I'll leave, but I am not going to let you stop what is happening between us, good night Kara " he said the last part softly.
After a while the anger passed and Kara remembered the picture he had of her, then she remembered what he said and the kiss that followed.
Kara was secretly glad he had shown up to let her know how he felt, but it didn't mean she would make things easier for him.
All of a sudden she was looking forward to tomorrow and smiled before falling back asleep.
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Lee tossed and turned all night worrying about Kara. He was also worried about what happened to her that was bad enough she was in the hospital. Lee also knew that as a viper pilot she did not fall down any steps without help and that led him to wanting to know who would want to hurt her.
Lee knew his mom knew more, but he also knew she would never tell him. Lee was glad that his mom cared about Kara and he knew somehow that it was exactly what Kara needed right now. Earlier he thought about pushing her into a relationship with him, but now that he thought about it he would try and be her friend first, he already knew the sexual attraction was there for both of them.
Having made his decision he got up and showered then dressed for breakfast and headed upstairs where he knew his mom would already be cooking.
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Kara had showered and dressed in the BDU's that Lee must have brought into the room last night. All of a sudden her stomach growled causing her to remember she went to bed without eating.
After making the bed ( something she never did ) she headed downstairs to the kitchen already able to smell the coffee and bacon .
As she entered the kitchen she saw Lee already drinking coffee and sneaking pieces of bacon whenever Caroline turned away. " Put the bacon down Lee " she said without turning around " You know we all eat together "
Lee winked at Kara " I bet you would let Kara have a piece "
Caroline turned to see Lee smiling at Kara " You're probably right Lee " she then turned to Kara " Help yourself to a cup of coffee Kara and Lee go wake your brother up "
Zak stumbled in " I'm here mom "
Caroline nodded " Everything is ready, take your seats "
Zak sat down across from Lee leaving Kara to figure out where she should sit.
Caroline noticed " Sit at the end by Lee, Kara it used to be Bill's seat but I think you should consider it yours while you are here "
Zak jumped up and pulled the chair out before Lee could and waited until Kara sat down.
Kara sipped her coffee not sure what else to do and then she jumped as Lee slid his foot next to her causing her to look at him " Good morning Starbuck "
Kara had to take another look to see if he was serious " Morning Apollo "
They waited as Caroline fixed them all a plate before she sat down with hers at the other end. Kara noticed that no one had started eating and wondered why.
Caroline spoke " Bill and the boys do not believe in the Gods, but I do, so they wait while I silently say thanks to the gods "
Kara smiled " I think I'll join you because I believe in the gods also "
Lee and Zak watched as their mother and Kara silently prayed.
They began eating and for once the table was silent, which Kara enjoyed immensely, she would remember this meal for a long time.
After they finished Caroline had Lee and Zak clean up while she and Kara took their coffee with them to the back porch.
Kara spoke first " Thank you again for taking me in Caroline and for making me feel a part of the family " Kara paused a minute " You have given me something I never thought I could have or feel "
Caroline spoke low " What do you mean Kara?"
Kara smiled a sad smile " Well the family part for one, but mostly I feel safe for the first time in my life "
Caroline couldn't stop herself she put her coffee down and wrapped her arms around Kara and for the first time ever Kara hugged a mother figure and whispered in a broken voice " My mama pushed me down the stairs "
Caroline hugged her with all her strength and cried with Kara as she sobbed quietly into Caroline's shoulder " I will always be here for you Kara no matter what, okay?"
Kara nodded into her shoulder " Okay "
Neither woman noticed that Lee and Zak were watching them. Even though they could not here them they both knew the moment was important to both women.
Kara finally pulled back and faced the backyard while she wiped her face on her shirt " I think I'll walk down to the lake, I'll be back soon "
Caroline took her cup and hers and headed back inside where Lee and Zak were quieter than usual.
Lee waited until Zak left the kitchen " Mom is Kara okay?"
His mom smiled " She will be if I have anything to say about it "
Lee knew she meant it " You are starting to love her like a daughter aren't you mom?"
Caroline chuckled " I do, it kind of sneaked up on me, I told you she was special "
Lee looked out at Kara by the lake " Mom, I think I am falling in love with her "
Caroline nodded " I figured you would, hey maybe she will be my daughter in-law one day "
She expected Lee to blow her off, instead he surprised her " She will be if I have anything to say about it "
Kara walked unaware that the two people she wanted in her life wanted her also.
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They turned away when Kara headed back to the house.
Caroline suddenly had an idea " Lee I need some things from the grocery store and I want you to take Kara with you and be mindful I'm not sure if she has ever shopped for groceries like we do "
Lee nodded " Make the list and I will talk her into going with me "
Lee walked out on the porch and waited until she reached him " Mom wants us to go pick up some groceries if you feel up to it "
Kara wanted to help out and had been wondering how she could help " Sure, do I need to change clothes?"
Lee shook his head " No, I am going dressed just like you "
They went inside and Caroline gave them the list along with her credit card and the keys to her car " Thank you both for doing this I need to do some things around the house today "
Zak walked in " Where are you two going?"
Caroline was quick to answer " They are going grocery shopping "
Zak made to move with them " Zak I need your help here, let them go "
Zak turned to look at his mom and Lee grabbed Kara's hand as he whispered " Let's go while he is distracted "
Kara laughed the second they stepped outside " Why didn't you and your mom want Zak to go with us?"
Lee was afraid he would spook her with the truth ( that he wanted to be alone with her ) " Zak is a horrible shopper "
Kara accepted his answer and got into the car " I hate to admit it, but I am not great at shopping myself "
Lee started the car " We will do fine as long as we do it together "
When they arrived inside the store Lee grabbed a buggy and handed the list to Kara " Just read the list to me and I will put it in the buggy "
Kara wouldn't admit it but she was having fun, even more so when she would leave things on the list causing Lee to have to double back to get certain things.
At one point she stood on the other end of the buggy and made Lee push her around the store until it became hard for him to turn.
They finally finished and were waiting in line when a woman came up to them " Hey Lee, who are you with?"
Lee frowned " Gianne this is Kara Thrace, Kara this is Gianne( Lee caught Giannes evil smile ) the one I broke up with last night after meeting you "
Kara grinned " I would say it's nice to meet you, but that would be a lie, so I'll just say good-bye "
Kara laughed out loud as she stomped away and then she winked at Lee " That is how you get people to leave you alone "
Lee chuckled " You are a brat Starbuck, let's go home "
Home Kara thought, she could get used to this.
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When they made it home they put the groceries up and looked for Caroline.
They found her on the vid phone with Lee's dad. Lee reached out and stopped her " It will go better if dad doesn't know I am here "
Kara looked over at him " Why?" she whispered
Lee shrugged, then they heard the commander " Caroline are you sure you are doing the right thing by taking her in, she could be a lot of trouble "
Caroline squared her shoulders and faced him glaring " Bill I don't have to tell you anything, but since it involves our sons I will answer you " she took a breath " Not only is she the best viper pilot there is she is also a very lovely woman and I am going to do everything in my power to protect her and Max is making sure she gets enrolled in summer sniper school " she paused again " Bill I know we don't agree on a lot of things, but I know if you got to know her you would love her like I do and your son does "
Bill gasped " Who Zak?"
Caroline laughed " No not Zak, the gods know he couldn't handle her, Kara and Lee are perfect for each other "
Bill relented " What are their plans?"
Caroline felt the pressure lessen " Kara has a year at Officer Candidate School and Lee has one more year at War College before they are placed on Battlestars "
Bill sighed " Caroline you know they will hardly see each other after they are placed on the Battlestars, what happens then?"
Caroline smiled " They have almost two years to figure things out, but regardless of what happens Kara will always have a place here in my home "
Bill smiled " I can't wait to meet her, I haven't seen you this happy in a long time Caroline "
She grinned even wider " I know Bill and Lee is happy also because of Kara "
Kara slid her hand into Lee's " Come on, let them finish in private "
Kara was happy to hear that Caroline loved her and was shocked when she said Lee did too, she wondered when he told his mom that he loved her. Kara knew Lee's face had turned red when his mom said that, so she looked away as they walked back to the kitchen to give him time.
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For the rest of the week everyone had settled into certain routines.
Kara and Lee spent almost all their time together. They never made love again, but Lee would lay in her bed every afternoon while she napped on and off. He knew he would be parted from her soon and it was going to kill him not being able to see her everyday.
Lee hoped she would fall in love with him soon, because he wanted to marry her before they got posted probably apart.
Kara was thinking about Lee also. She knew she had fell in love with him fast and she didn't want to be separated from him, plus she loved his mom too and would miss her.
Finally the day came for Kara to go see Doctor Harris. She was conflicted she wanted to become a sniper, but she also wanted more time with Lee and Caroline and Zak just a little.
The one thing Kara had decided was to make love with Lee as much as possible until she had to leave for her sniper course.
Caroline and Lee waited while the Doctor examined her. " Am I better Doc?"
He stepped back " You are good to go I can sign off on you so you can attend your training "
Kara cleared her throat " Maybe I should wait another week before training "
Doctor Harris looked closely at her " Are you not telling me something?"
Kara shrugged " No, I am still sore from falling, that's all "
Doctor Harris knew she was okay, but another week couldn't hurt " I think we should give you another week to rest, is that okay with you "
Kara tried not to grin " Sounds like a good plan, Doc "
Kara came out to find Lee and Caroline pacing, they stopped when they saw her " The Doc says I need to rest another week "
They both went to hug her sighing in relief that they had been granted another week with her.