Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to Ronald D. Moore and the Sci-Fi channel. The lyrics are from Aqualung's "Brighter Than Sunshine," and a montage by monsie09.

Part 3: Give me your hand

She loved the sound of his voice. It was the most comforting thing to hear over the phone. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering when she had called him to tell her to get out of bed. When she opened her eyes, the mischievous grin was unmistakable. "Then I would ask you what comes next," she replied softly.

The temperature in the room had just shot up ten degrees. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the top of it. Then he kissed the inside of her wrist before he stood. She watched with curiosity as he managed to find music to play. The melody was a slow, old fashioned folk song with a guitar, but she thought that it was a perfect song to dance to.

He smiled and extended a hand to her. "Would you dance with me?"

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

She grinned back and accepted his hand. "I'd like that."

His left arm wound itself around her waist while his right hand held her left. Her right hand rested on his shoulder. They danced closer and she closed her eyes, relishing the moment. Her green eyes met his cobalt-blue ones as she slowly opened them. "And what do you call this?" she whispered hoarsely.

Tied up in ancient history
I didn't believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

Leaning close to her right cheek, he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. "It's whatever you want it to be."

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

He had left the ball in her quart. She replayed the events of the past few weeks in her mind, never taking her eyes off him. The trial had been difficult for them both, but she had pushed him away. Since Kobol he had been at her side. They had their disagreements, but she realized that their biggest opposition was not the press, the fleet, or even Tory. Their biggest problem was her pride and reluctance to back down from questionable decisions. She had promised herself that she would do whatever it took to save humanity, but as Adama held her in his arms, she realized the one thing that she had tried to steel herself against: she loved him.

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

Licking her lips, she was finally able to find her voice. "Thank you for this afternoon, Bill. I need to say something before I let my pride get in the way again. I can't do this alone either. I need you. Can you forgive me?"

I didn't have the strength to fight
Suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

Instead of answering her with words, he pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. He was worried that she would pull back as he looked into her eyes again. She grabbed him by his jacket and kissed him soundly. He stroked her back and she moaned as he deepened the kiss.

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

When they parted to breathe, she glanced at the clock. "Drat, I've got a meeting with Zarek in half an hour to discuss the Sagittarian issues again."

Adama would have let her go, but neither was backing away. Her hands remained pressed against his chest, his arms around her waist. Drawing her to him again, he whispered, "Skip it," before kissing his way down her neck.

It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.

"I can't. I wouldn't know what kind of excuse to tell Zarek," she replied, tilting her head to the other side to give him better access.

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

Knowing that she was right, and that one of them had to back away, he took the initiative and stepped out of the embrace. "Sounds like a meeting that I should attend too," he mentioned, offering her his arm.

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

She nodded and accepted it. "Actually I think that both of us are supposed to be there," she stated as they blew out the candles from lunch. "Thank you for letting me forget the world for a few hours," she added as they exited is quarters.

(My thanks to miss mcGonagle, carolann, Mariel3, Kiyani, and LavenderKate for reviewing :D)