Laura was standing at the kitchen sink, gazing out the window when Bill entered.

"Good morning," Bill said, coming up behind her and slipping his arms around her. "How are you feeling?"

Laura was nearing the end of her fourth month, and she hadn't been feeling nearly as... good as she had during her first pregnancy. To make matters worse, Venus and Laura were both suffering through a bad cold. Bill was doing everything he could to keep them both comfortable, but seeing Laura sick, even with just a cold, brought back dark memories for him.

"The same," she said. She could have lied and said 'fine' or 'better' but there was no point. She knew it was hard for him, but she also knew he needed to learn that there was quite the difference between a head cold and terminal breast cancer. He pulled her tighter against him and kissed the back of her neck.

"I don't know how you haven't caught it yet. I've seen Venus use some very questionable things as tissues over the past few days," she said.

"Like what?" Bill asked, pulling away slightly and moving to the side so he could see her face.

"I really don't think you want to know," she gave him a small smile, which was interrupted by a sneeze. Bill rubbed her back and handed her a paper towel.

"Speaking of the little germ monster, where is she?" Bill asked. Laura giggled at his new nickname for their daughter, wondering how she'd react if she heard him call her that.

"Still in bed," Laura moved away from the window, sitting down at the kitchen table instead.

"Could I persuade you to go back to bed?" He asked as he started making some coffee.

"I don't think so. We'll probably just lay around all day anyhow," she admitted. "Do you think you'll be gone long?"

"No. I just have a few errands to run, and I'm picking up tea and cold medicine on the way home," he flashed her a smile.

"Hot," she joked. The sound of small footsteps accompanied by light sniffling halted their conversation.

"Mommy, my throat's scratchy." Venus entered the kitchen, dragging a stuffed bear lazily behind her.

"Mm I know, mine too," Laura said, holding out her arms for Venus. Once her daughter was securely in her lap, Laura returned her attention to Bill, who was watching them sympathetically.

"Do you think you could pick up cough drops and ginger ale too?" Bill nodded and crouched down in front of Laura so he was at eye level with Venus.

"Of course I can. Anything for my girls," he said. Venus smiled, her smile only growing when he kissed her on the nose. He then stood up, giving Laura a kiss on the lips.

"Now you're just asking to get sick."

"I have a feeling I'll be getting sick no matter what." He had a point. Anyone who came into their house right now was more than likely to catch their cold. She'd already warned Lee and Kara to keep their distance.

"So... Is there a particular reason you asked us over?" Lee asked, not wasting time with small talk. Kara shot him a look, knowing they wouldn't have had them over for nothing. Their home was still under construction, so Bill and Laura were currently living in a tent in their front yard. Not really the best place for a family gathering.

"Yes. Son, we have some... news," Bill began, trying to break it to them as lightly as possible. Bill had agreed to be the one to tell them, leaving Laura a simple bystander to what was sure to be an awkward conversation.

"Okay, and?" Lee was obviously not in the mood for Bill dancing around the subject. Little did Lee know, Bill was not in the mood for his impatience either.

"Laura's pregnant. You're going to have a younger sibling." Bill said shortly, giving Laura a triumphant look that said 'I did it! I told him! Go me!'

Laura stifled a giggle as she took in the expressions of her son and daughter in law. Lee had turned a very nice shade of red, and was looking back and forth between his father and step mother with an open mouth. Kara, on the other hand, had a smile on her face and her eyes widened.

"I- I don't know what to say," Lee stammered. Laura didn't even try to hide her giggles this time.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm sure it'll take some getting used to," Laura said, reaching out to put her hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations you two!" Kara chimed in, pulling Laura and Bill in for a group hug. Laura was thankful for Kara's easygoing nature. She truly appreciated the lack of shock the girl had shown. Whether she really was shocked or not didn't matter, the fact that she'd kept it hidden meant a lot to Laura.

Lee swallowed and looked at Laura, trying to process the information he'd just been given and trying to push away the unsettling mental image that came with this news.

"Congratulations, Laura, Dad," Lee said at last. He awkwardly embraced them both, then quickly said his goodbyes and exited the tent. Laura and Kara exchanged a glance, knowing he'd be alright soon enough. Kara hugged them both again before following Lee out.

"Well, that's over with," Bill said a few minutes later.

"Indeed it is. One less thing to worry about."

And with that, Laura Roslin-Adama curled up against her favorite Admiral, and tried to get some sleep.

"Mommy, is baby sick too?" Venus asked, looking at her mother with a worried expression. Laura readjusted her position on the couch so she could see Venus's face better.

"No, baby is nice and safe in mommy's tummy," Laura explained, patting her rounded stomach gently.

"That's not fair." Venus said, crossing her arms. Laura laughed, but was cut off when it turned into a cough.

"You had your turn," Laura told her, smoothing her daughter's matted hair as she spoke. Venus didn't have time to reply. The sound of her father's footsteps approaching the front door suddenly had her full attention.

"Daddy!" She yelled, her voice sounding hoarse and slightly strained. As soon as Bill came through the door she had her arms wrapped around his legs.

"Hey there," Bill greeted her, setting the bag he'd been holding on the counter so he could pick her up. He crossed over to the couch and sat down beside Laura, giving her a kiss.

"Are you two doing alright?" He asked.

"No." Venus answered shortly. "We don't feel good."

Laura laughed out loud at Venus's serious tone. Venus glared at her, but it only made her laugh harder. Eventually her laughs dissolved into a coughing fit, which resulted in Bill gingerly handing her a bag of cough drops.

"Thank you," she rasped, still giggling slightly. She stopped immediately when Bill sneezed.

"Uh oh," Laura said, giving Venus a look. "I think somebody's getting our cold."

"Good thing I picked up all that cold medicine today, huh?" He said, tickling Venus. She squealed and fell backwards, her head landing on the pillow in Laura's lap.

"Alright that's enough, both of you." Laura scolded lightly.

Bill then suggested they move to his and Laura's bed for the extra space and comfort, so that's exactly what they did. They settled into their usual spots immediately, Laura on the left, Bill on the right, and Venus nestled in between them. She didn't sleep in their bed too often, but Laura loved it when she did. She liked having her snuggled up against her. She liked being able to play with her hair and hold her close when she had the occasional nightmare. Laura didn't have nightmares nearly as often as she used to, but some nights she still jolted awake by dreams she never wanted to revisit. Seeing Venus and Bill sleeping beside her always calmed her down. They made her feel safe. In a few months she'd have two daughters to cuddle with. Laura caressed her belly and grinned at this thought. Bill noticed and grinned as well. He had no idea what she was thinking about, but she looked happy, and that's all he needed to know.

"Wait. You want the baby to call me Uncle Lee?" Lee stared at Bill and Laura in confusion.

"Yes. We think it'll be less confusing, at least while she's young." Laura said.

"But I'm her brother!" Lee argued, looking to Kara for support. Of course, Kara did not agree.

"They're right, Lee. It'll be easier on the kid," she told him."Plus, if we ever have kids it'll be easier for them to call them Aunt Laura and Uncle Bill too."

Lee thought about this for a moment. If they were to have children any time soon, their children would be close in age to his half sister. It would be a bit complicated for small children to understand why their grandfather has a child their age.

"I suppose it would. You managed to weasel your way out of being called grandpa. Unbelievable!" Lee joked, giving his father a genuine smile.

"The entire fleet already calls me the old man!" Bill countered, smiling in return. Kara let out a loud laugh, thoroughly enjoying the back-and-forth between the pair.

"How are you doing, Laura?" Lee asked. Laura was taken aback. He'd never really asked about her and the baby before. She was truly touched at his sudden interest.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking," she said warmly. Much to her surprise, he didn't stop there.

"Does the baby move around a lot?"

"She does. More and more every day," she paused, hoping what she was about to ask him wouldn't ruin the moment. "Do you want to feel?"

Lee hesitated for a minute, then nodded. She took his hand and placed it over a spot where the baby usually kicked.

"I don't feel anything," he said. Laura thought she heard a mixture of relief and disappointment in his voice.

"Sometimes you have to wait. She'll move, I promise," Laura smiled. Several slightly awkward minutes went by before Lee felt a definite thump against his palm. He jumped and removed his hand instantly with a horrified expression on his face. Laura, Kara, and Bill all burst into laughter.

"Oh my Gods you should see your face," Laura said in between giggles.

"Sorry, I just... It didn't feel the way I expected it would," Lee said, his cheeks reddening.

"You can try again if you'd like," Laura offered, moving slightly so her stomach was facing him more. He placed his hand where it had been the first time, but Laura moved it to the other side where the baby was already kicking. This time, Lee smiled.

"Wow," he said quietly. Laura glanced at Bill, and found him watching them with tears in his eyes. She could tell Lee showing an interest in the baby meant a lot to him. Probably even more than it meant to her. Laura also noticed Kara was watching Lee with a rather warm expression. She liked seeing him be so open with his family, and she especially liked seeing him get along with Laura. It was nice.

The next morning, Bill was feeling the full effects of the cold, and he was not amused. He'd secretly been hoping he'd be spared and be able to take care of his girls while they were sick, but instead they'd all gotten sick. While they were eating breakfast, the phone rang. Laura got up to answer it, leaving Bill on his own to get Venus to take her cold medicine.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," Kara said on the other end. "Do you think Bill could watch Brooke today? Just for an hour or so?"

"I'm afraid Bill is on quarantine with the rest of the family," Laura said, giving Bill a smirk from the other side of the kitchen.

"Frak, he caught it too?"

"He did. I'm sure it's the first of many to come in the Roslin-Adama household," Laura said, knowing full well that with two small children running around they were sure to contract a plethora of colds and influenzas over time.

"Okay, well I'll let you get back to being ill then. I hope you all feel better," Kara said sincerely.

"Thank you."

After saying goodbye to Kara and hanging up, Laura returned to the table, where Venus was still fighting with Bill about taking her medicine.

"Mommy, I don't wanna take it. It's yucky!" She cried, giving Laura her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Come on, sweetie. It'll make you feel better," Laura coaxed, pushing the tiny cup of red liquid toward her.

"No. You take it!" Venus said, pushing it back toward Laura.

"I already took some. Please just take it. Then we can all go and relax," Laura bargained.

Venus could tell by the look on both her parents' faces that if she pushed too much further she'd be in trouble, and she didn't want that. She didn't like it when they were mad at her. She obediently picked up the cup and quickly swallowed the syrup, cringing at the awful taste it left in her mouth.

"Thank you very much," Laura said, stroking her daughter's cheek lovingly.

"Welcome, mommy!" She said sweetly. Then, having downed her medicine and finished her breakfast, Venus collected her stuffed bear and headed for the living room.

Laura sighed and brought her hands to rest over her belly, absentmindedly rubbing it when she felt the baby move.

"We haven't even been awake for two hours and I already need a nap," she said.

"You can go back to bed if you want. I'll keep Venus entertained."

In a surprising turn of events, Laura decided not to be stubborn, and went back to bed. Bill was grateful, and after several hours of alone time, she was feeling much better. She found Bill and Venus sitting on the couch with several blankets piled on top of them. She sat down beside her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he replied, turning to kiss her back.

"You're freezing," she pointed out, feeling how cold to the touch his skin was.

"I know, that's why I have so many blankets." Laura rolled her eyes at him, then placed her hand on his cheek and forehead.

"You've got a fever. I'm going to get you more medicine, and then I'm sending you back to bed."

In another surprising turn of events, Bill was not stubborn either, and went back to bed.

What a perfect match we are.