Hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for all the lovely reviews! You rock! See you in Season 4!!

Disclaimer: I don't own them Ron Moore and Sci-fi do.

Laura had her legs under a blanket resting on Bill's lap as the two of them discussed the events of the last few weeks. The cylon had been put back in the brig, although Roslin had seen to it she had a few more luxuries than previously. Laura also let Baltar visit the woman, against her better judgment. Six had requested the visit with a teary desperation that Laura felt guilty in ignoring.

After all Six and Sharon had been responsible for sending the cylons back to the Basestar to give Cavil some of the comeuppance he deserved. Laura was surprised the cylons felt so strongly that Cavil needed to be punished. When they were linked, all the thoughts shared between them were a jumble, but what happened to Laura on New Caprica and why it mattered were perfectly clear. Both cylon women seemed to feel Roslin was justified in wanting Cavils deaths. The question of whether Bill would remained to be seen.

Hera was safe and well. That was all the really mattered. For the time being the dreams between the three of them had stopped.

"Why?" Adama asked thoughtfully.

He traced patterns on her leg through the blanket.

"Six and Sharon both felt the anger inside of me. I guess it got the better of them. Besides, it wasn't like we actually killed Cavil," Laura explained.

She was past caring if she sounded crazy anymore. These were things she didn't want to try and deny anymore.

Bill said nothing as he seemed to ponder her words. Part of her always feared he would shrug her off as some psycho religious fanatic, as he had done when they first met. She wasn't going to ignore her dreams or feelings to please him; she was too strong for that.

"Hera is the shape of things to come," she said.

He reached out and took her hand in both of his.

"Here is another shape of things to come," he replied.

She felt something cool and hard in the palm of her hand. Bill closed her fingers around it and then let her hand go. She narrowed her eyes at him and after not being able to read his expression turned to look down at her closed hand.

"Lee is right. No more secrets Laura," Bill said, as she opened her hand to see a simple gold band. Holy frak! Bill Adama is asking me to marry him! Her mind screamed at her, but thanks to years of political training, she managed not to show it.

"We would be risking everything," she said, calmly.

"We already have," he replied.

He gaze didn't leave her for a moment. The hand tracing patterns now rested flat against her leg.

"I don't agree," Laura said, unrelenting. "Do you have any idea the chaos something like this would cause? The Quorum might go as far as to impeach me, and your crew could mount a mutiny…and, Bill, they would have just cause."

Bill took a long deep breath. If he sat and stiller she thought he might freeze in place forever, not that she minded, with his hand on her leg.

"Our relationship didn't get in the way of our jobs during the attack. We both proved we can make this work. Besides…society cannot dictate how we live; only we can," his voice rumbled.

Laura instantly recognized Mr. Lyons' line to Charlotte Astor. It was the most famous line in the book, repeated over and over in play adaptations, in the movies, and by teenage girls on all twelve colonies.

"No," Laura said as gently as she could.

She was a bit confused by the sudden drop in Bill's warmth.

"I see," he said and opened his hand.

Suddenly, things became clear. Bill thought she just turned down his proposal.

"Oh, no…Admiral," she teased, "I'm not letting you off the hook that easy. We are still going to get married and it's going to be the biggest secret in Colonial history."

There was only a moment of disenchantment on Bill's face, before he grinned. Laura suspected he would never be quite content hiding from the press and fleet. He was so noble and honest, he despised lies of every sort which is partly why she loved him. She could deal with his disapproval of their secret as long as he could with the lies.

"Next to the sea monster of Caprica Lake and your affair with Adar," Bill added, lightheartedly.

"No, this is bigger than either of those secrets, there's just not as many people to shock," Laura said lifting her eyebrows.

She was relieved Adar hadn't come up very often in her conversations with Bill. When he did, Bill showed his disapproval in jest only. Laura was glad he didn't feel the need to give her a lecture.

"If I were twenty years younger I would say we need rectify that and start having babies," Bill teased.

Though he meant in only in the spirit of their teasing, Laura couldn't help the fact her smile instantly dropped. She moved her legs off of his lap but he must have quickly realized his mistake; he caught her legs and held them still.

"I didn't think about that before I said it," he replied seriously.

Laura laced her fingers together and watched them for a long time. She hadn't really shared this kind of intimacy with anyone before. It was going to take some getting used to. With a deep inhale she finally spoke.

"Anna Eleanor."

Bill tilted his head to the side but his grip on her legs stayed tight.

"If I'd had a daughter…that is what I would have named her. Eleanor was my mother's name," she explained.

"She would have been beautiful," Bill commented.

His words when straight to the ancient cold streak permanently embedded in Laura's heart. For the first time in years she felt a little warmth there.

"Like Lee and Zak?" Laura asked. This was unknown territory to her.

"Yes. And like you."

Bill's voice was very stirring right now. There was a rumbling in his chest as he seemed to channel the quiet vocal power of some kind of god. Zeus, maybe. Yes, Zeus would have a voice like Bill Adama's.

"Like me, maybe. I suppose she could have been anything," Laura said with a smile, feeling a little foolish for what she suspected Bill might call nim-gazing.

"She could have been mine," Bill rumbled.

Laura was overwhelmed by the simple sincerity and strength in his voice. She looked down at her hands and willed the tears to stay away. Who knew the real healing could have only come from Bill Adama and his gentle lovely words. Lovely warm words that thawed the cold streak inside so fast she thought she might be having a real heart attack. Until she felt the tears stop rolling down her cheeks, she refused to show Bill her face.

Vaguely she thought she felt her legs move to the ground. Warm arms enveloped her. She hated herself for being such a typical woman, crying on her man's shoulder, literally. For that brief moment, it did feel good just to be a woman. Not the school teacher, not the president, not resistance leader, not the savoir of humanity. Bill Adama had reminded her she was something far more important than all of that. She was Laura.

"I'm not dying anymore," Laura began, once she had composed herself enough to sit up, "Are you sure you want to marry me. You could be stuck, you know."

Bill kept a hold of her hand, studying it as he answered.

"I'll take my chances," he looked up with a smile, "No more throwing you in jail. I promise."

"I don't know, Bill, that sounds like it might be fun now," she said with a bigger smile in return.

She started giggling when Bill took her by the wrist and started pulling her toward the door.

"Okay, to the brig it is," he said, and she continued to giggle even as he kissed her.

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"Madam President is it true your cancer has gone into remission," the brown haired reporter quizzed.

"Yes, Karen. I'm happy to say I am cancer free once again," Laura replied, squinting slightly as the bright overhead lights of Colonial One sprinkled rays down on her.

Laura saw a million and one hands fly up into the air. The back of the small briefing room had never seemed so far away. She forced herself not to grimace and clandestinely lifted her foot off the ground to give it a rest from balancing on her shoe.

She was glad Bill was there. He stood just off the side, close enough to her to present a united front to the fleet, but far away enough for her to make eye contact with him when she felt her nerves acting up. Standing next to him, Tory had barely looked up but had been religiously taking down notes.

"Madam President," a reporter yelled above the crowd.

This is how press conferences usually went. Each reporter clawing over the other to be heard. Sometimes Laura thought it was barbaric.

"Did the cylon child have anything to do with your miraculous recovery?"

Laura shot a look at Bill, and Tory briefly stopped writing.

"My recovery had to do with a lot of things, including Dr. Cottle's treatments, and certain experimental approaches which is as much detail as I'm going to provide," she smoothly replied.

She knew the press wasn't completely satisfied but she did answer the question.

"Rumors are about that you are in league with the cylons. That you are connected to them somehow and that you stopped an attack on Galactica recently," one reporter asked.

Laura had been waiting for this question all day. This was her moment to shine. This was her moment to get the better of the press, show her love for Bill, and laugh her ass off all at once. Bill didn't know what she was planning to say and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Grinning from ear to ear she placed both her hands on the podium.

"Ben, that is about as likely as Admiral Adama and I getting married," Laura said.

Silence. One second. Two seconds. The entire press room erupted with laughter.

Bill lost color momentarily but Laura smiled at him widely. He winked and her and almost imperceptibly brush his fingers over his wedding ring. It wasn't fair that Bill could wear his in public but she had to hide hers on the necklace tucked beneath her blouse.

Last night, in this very room, Colonel Saul Tigh had married them. Kara and Lee had been there as witnesses, and though Tory was invited as a witness she acted more like a cylon in a room full of humans. Still, the wedding was simple, charming, peaceful. A moment of happiness and love in a world full of hellish decisions and cruelties.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the vice president," Laura said.

She heard complaints from the press but she rushed out of the room quickly and left Tory to answer any remaining questions. Bill followed her to her private office near the back of the ship. Once they were out of ear shot of any of her staff Bill spoke.

"If you keep saying things like that they will catch on," he told her as she rounded her desk and pulled out her chair.

"Nonsense. They're the press. They'll never figure it out unless we slip, which isn't going to happen," she replied and sat down.

"Shouldn't you be getting back," she asked, putting on her glasses and rummaging through paperwork.

"I'm waiting to make sure Zarek doesn't molest you," Adama remarked.

Roslin peered at him over her glasses and found it difficult to keep the smirk off her lips.

"Don't worry, Admiral," Zarek's pleasant voice carried into the room, "I told you I only molest her on Thursdays."

Laura wasn't concerned about the press, but one miss laid comment between them and Tom would certainly figure it out. As he entered the room more fully, she saw he brought his briefcase. She held in the groan that threatened to escape her lips. Here she was newly married and hoping to spend a little more time with her husband before his ship departed, so to speak, and Zarek totted the briefcase of endless negotiations.

"You said this meeting was urgent," Laura encouraged him to get to the point.

"Ah yes," Zarek said.

He popped the briefcase down on her desk like he was a natural resident. From within he pulled out a small square object wrapped in a brown cloth. Laura lifted her eyebrows, curiosity peaked. Even Bill was hovering next to her desk to see what Zarek was up to. With the over dramatic flair of a cheap children's magician he whipped the cloth away.

"It's a picture," he explained, holding it out for Roslin to take.

She did so and was surprised by what she saw.

"It's not the original. Only a high quality replica, much smaller than the original. Not that I would know," he said. Laura might have perceived the smirk Bill sent at Zarek has she not been engrossed in the painting.

Goddesses Keep. She remembered it from the art museum on Caprica but before now she never realized how…creepy it was. Demeter, Aphrodite and Athena. She set the picture down and shook her head in disbelief. This was a picture of herself and the cylon women protecting Hera.

"The legend is they found this painting in some old ruins off worlds," Zarek said, only adding to the weird feeling Laura had.

"It's a wedding present," Zarek blurted out, "Took me a week to find it."

Bill stepped forward.

"How did you—"

"Don't ask," Laura advised him.

The fact Zarek knew only shocked her momentarily. After all, he had a way of finding out things. Tom slapped shut the latches of his briefcase and turned toward the door.

"I'm sure you two have things to…discuss," he grinned devilishly and then added, "Admiral Adama, Mrs. Adama."

Once he was gone Bill picked up the painting and studied it. The painting, which Laura knew Tom had found on the black market, was a very good replica of the original that hung in Zarek's office on the Astral Queen. Tom wasn't the only one with connections, Laura thought with a smirk. She let the matter pass, however, since the gesture was so endearing.

"If I was out of the picture, he would have a chance, wouldn't he?" Bill said and set the painting down.

Bill had asked her an interesting question that she didn't really want to answer.

"I didn't marry you so you could nim-gaze," she said.

He smiled but she saw in his eyes the fact he well knew she evaded the question. Laura looked at the painting again.

"Tell me what it means," he said.

"Hera is the shape of things to come. She showed us what we could do if we worked together. Six and Sharon couldn't have done it without my link to them. I have the blood of both worlds. Hera has the blood of both worlds. When she grows she will have tenfold the power we had over the cylons. That is why she is so important. She will decide our fate…and the cylons will never stop trying to get her back," Laura explained, staring out the window.

"Then we keep fighting, until we get to earth," Bill replied. Laura smiled.

"He called me Mrs. Adama," Laura said. Bill extended his hand.

"Well, Mrs. Adama, I don't have to be back to Galactica for another hour," he said.

"How ever shall we fill the time?" Laura questioned, giggling. She took his hand and let him lift her from the chair.

"I can think of a few things," he answered, putting his hands on her hips.

He pulled her to him and she met his lips with hers.

"Madam President," Laura heard Tory's voice.

She and Bill pulled only their lips apart.

"Oh, ah, um, sorry, I didn't, it's, I…" Tory stumbled.

Laura rarely saw Tory stumble so badly. It was almost as good a wedding gift as the painting.

"Spit it out Tory," Roslin said, distancing herself from Adama in hopes of calming Tory down enough to make her coherent.

"There is a delegate member here to speak with you, he said it was urgent but I can tell him—"

"No, Tory, that's okay, let him in," Roslin said.

Tory nodded and left the room.

"This is going to get annoying," Bill whispered in Laura's ear.

"Tell me about it," she agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he asked, as he moved toward the door.

"Tomorrow. And every day for as long as we live," she replied.

She meant to say the comment flippantly, as a joke to lighten the mood, but it came out as deeply and sincerely as anything she had ever said to him.

"You haven't checked today, but just in case, I love you, Laura," he said and left the office.

No, Laura decided, she could live to be a hundred and never tire of hearing him say it.

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Since I kill both of them in my last story I decided to go with the sappy, her-cancer-is-cured-and-they-get-married-and-live-happily-ever-after-ending. Thanks for reading!! I love reviews!