Saul looks to the toddler as he holds his hand. He catches sight of Adama a few raptors down, "Permission to come aboard, Sir." He calls out.
"Tir." Sloane repeats his uncle, not really knowing why the man was saying what he was saying, or why.
Bill glances over, smiling softly, though shocked by his best friend's appearance of a missing eye, not to mention the makeshift cane that rests in his hand, "Permission granted." He looks to the boy, "Sloane?" He grins more when the toddler nods, "Come here." He picks the boy up, holding him tightly, even chuckling softly when the boy immediately begins to touch his mustache, "You did it, Saul, you got them all off."
"Not all of them." Saul replies softly, tears forming in his eyes, "Not Ellen."
"I'm sorry." Bill's voice is soft, gentle, "Laura?"
"Colonial One, I think." He swallows, motioning over to Lee Adama, "Show Apollo his boy."
"Yeah." The Admiral glances toward his son, seeing his friend walk off out of the corner of his eye, "Apollo." He calls out.
Lee glances toward his father, taking his arm from around Dee. He walks closer to him, slowing when he notices the child in the old man's arms, a smile slowly forming on his face, "Is that?"
Bill nods, "Lee, this is Sloane." He smirks, "Sloane, this is your father."
"Hey." Apollo tries, offering the toddler his hand.
"Where Unk Taw?" The boy glances to his grandfather, not entirely comfortable considering their long absence, "And Mommy?"
"Who?" Lee asks softly.
"Saul?" Bill offers, smirking when the toddler nods, "He went for a walk, but he'll be back later and you can probably see him then. As for your mother, she went to another ship, but we can call her and even look at her ship through a portside window if you'd like."
"Want her." Sloane pouts.
"I know, buddy." Lee tries, biting his lip, "We could go for a walk too, if you want. You can see what this place looks like until we're able to get a shuttle out to see your mother...or she comes here." He wishes his son would warm up to him faster, let him hold him closely, "Would you like to do that with Daddy?"
The toddler continues with his pout as he glances to the younger of the two, "Who Daddy?"
"That would be me." Apollo smirks, "You are so smart, you know that? You get it from your mother."
Sloane doesn't like the crowd that has been forming and have began chanting 'Adama' over and over. He reaches for his father, "My Daddy." He mumbles against the man, holding onto him.
Lee closes his eyes, feeling tears form as he grasps onto his son for the first time. He turns, noticing Dee is watching him. He motions to the corridor before he starts walking.
Dee follows the man, "He looks like you." She says softly, knowing the return of the boy is bittersweet to her, to their marriage.
Sloane examines the shorter woman from his position in his father's arms, "Pwetty." He smiles softly to her.
"I see he has good taste too." She giggles.
"He certainly does." Lee nods, smirking, "Sloane, this is my friend Dee. Dee, this is my son, Sloane." He looks to her, "It feels really good to say that, finally."
"Where are you boys heading?" Dee pauses in her walk.
"Up to the portside bridge...that way he'll be able to see Colonial One."
She nods, "I'm going to head back in. Hate to admit it, but I've missed the old man." Dee smirks, leaning up and kissing her husband, now former husband, softly, "Thanks, Lee." She says softly.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." Apollo nods, watching her walk away.
Dee slammed the manuals onto the shelf.
"You're pissed at me?" Lee folded his arms, glaring, "I can't believe you're pissed at me. I didn't even do anything."
"I'm not pissed at you." She quietly replied.
He shook his head, "Yeah, then who are you pissed at?"
"Laura frakking Roslin." Dee yelled finally, turning to face him.
"Don't be mad at Laura."
"Why shouldn't I?" She folded her arms, "She's known for a long time now about your kid. She knew it was your kid, and yet she didn't bother to tell you and we've been down there since he's been born. Why do you think that is, Lee?"
"She always has her reasons." The Commander watched his wife.
"There aren't any. Don't take up for her." The young woman nearly growled, "We were fine. We were happy. Now, you're leaving me for her because the two of you have a kid together. What if she doesn't come back? What if she's dead and so is the kid?"
"Don't talk like that. She's not." He glared.
Dee shook her head, "Or what if she's dead and the kid isn't? He doesn't even know you to pick you out of a crowd...and what...you think we're gonna raise him together? I'm your second option? It doesn't work that way, Lee."
Apollo watched her closely, "I don't think of you that way."
"You think I'll just stand by in case she doesn't come back. What if she's with someone else now? It's been a long time down there for them."
"She wouldn't. I know her."
"Did you know her enough to know she'd hide a kid from you too?" Dee spat out, the truth nearly smacked him in the face, but that's what it was, the truth. "Maybe, Lee, just maybe...Laura Roslin isn't who you think she is."
Laura sits at her desk, trying to put things in their place. She runs her hands through her freshly cleaned and blow dried hair, glad to finally be able to take a thorough shower, she picks her head up as she notices her assistant.
"I've sent the photograph to all the ships. They've all checked their manifests and are double checking them. It doesn't look like Maya made it off of New Caprica." Tory offers her boss the picture featuring the young woman and the baby.
"What about the baby?"
Tory shakes her head slowly, "I was there when the two guards left to take them to the ship." She begins crying, the sound clouding her words as she speaks, "I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry...I let you down and I know that."
"No, you didn't." Laura shakes her head slowly, the air about her remaining calm, "It's not your fault. This is bigger than us." She glances to the picture, holding it in her hand as tears form in the corner of her eyes and she offers it a sad smile, "This is life." She jumps slightly as the phone begins to ring, she answers it quickly, "Hello, Laura Roslin speaking."
Sloane grins at the sound of his mother's voice, never having seen a phone before, much less used one. "Mommy?"
Laura releases a breath she didn't know she was holding, "Hey, baby. Sloane, where are you?"
"The chip." He answers simply, "I tee you."
"You see me?" She doesn't know if she wants to laugh or cry, she's so happy, "Where do you see me?"
Lee grins, hearing her, he calls from next to his son, able to hear her, "We're waving to you on Colonial One from the port side window. Go to your starboard side and you'll be able to see us." He knows she won't and he knows they can't really see her, only the ship.
Laura blinks away the tears that have accumulated. She pauses, glancing through each window, attempting to find the Galactica.
"Go to the right, Laura." He calls out, knowing the terms have always confused her.
She knows she won't be able to see them, the Galactica being far too large for her to see them, but if they managed to spot her through one of the few windows of her ship, she'd be happy.
Lee takes the phone as the boy waves vigorously, able to see the shadow of someone through a window, "You just made his night." The young man smirks into the phone, "I think I have something here that might belong to the both of us."
"That you do." Laura closes her eyes, leaning a hand against the window, "I'm sorry." She whispers.
"Nothing to apologize for. Should I bring him there, or do you want to come here? Either way, we have some things we need to talk about...and work out." He pauses, "And work on." Lee places his hand on the boy's head, ruffling his soft hair, "My ship is a little crowded...and as you know, Pegasus is gone."
Laura smiles, "I've heard, I'm sorry about that. I guess you answered your own question then, Captain Apollo."
"It feels so good to hear you say that." Lee answers quickly, "I'll let him look a few more minutes...then see what I can do about a transport."
"I will be anxiously awaiting your arrival." The places the receiver of the phone onto the base, her fingers still touching the cool glass leading into the black abyss.
Lee jogged off of the stage-like dance floor of the groundbreaking ceremony of New Caprica, seeing his father and Laura Roslin nursing drinks. He sighed slightly when the old man waved him over, "President Roslin, Dad, enjoying yourselves?" He paused, "I'm sorry, Ms. Roslin." He corrected himself, offering a small smirk.
Bill nodded, swirling the drink in his glass be, "How about you, son?"
He moved his head positively, "Great turnout." Lee noticed Laura look away from them, "Madam President, how about you? Excited about settling?"
Laura turned to face him again, "It's fine." Why would he ask that? He knows how bittersweet the entire thing is for her. Just to rub it into her face? Does he hate her that much? Something in her though wanted to reach across the space and pull him in, kissing him. She wanted to take him somewhere into the hills and frak it out. Frak out all of their frustrations. The silence seemed to consume them.
Lee nodded, "Good. I'm sure you'll continue making a difference here." His eyes gazed over her body, he swallowed, able to tell she was hurting and he was probably the reason for her pain, "That dress looks really nice on you." It did. He couldn't lie about that. He wanted to touch her and find what she was wearing underneath of it. He wanted her to stay with him on Pegasus. He wanted to be able to protect her from the elements of this bizarre planet. Lee was hurting and it wasn't just because of her hurt, it was because he wanted her.
"Well, son. Laura and I are going to go for a little walk before we have to head back to the ships tomorrow. Looks like Kara may want you anyway." The Admiral nodded his head toward the young woman as she slowly sat on the edge of the dance floor, legs dangling, "You have a good night, Lee. I'll see you in the morning."
Lee lets his son hold onto his finger as they walk around the metal halls of the Galactica, "Watch your step, champ." He bounces down a small set of stairs, letting the boy take his time. "So, what do you think of this place?"
"Dawk." Sloane comments softly.
"Oh, well..." He glances to the ceiling, seeing the lights have been turned back on, "That's just how it is around here. Nothing to be afraid of though. You don't have anything to be afraid of anymore." Lee smiles softly to the boy, "You'll probably be here a lot. When things have settled a little, I can take you to see my viper...if they even still have my viper here."
"Wha dat?" He offers his arms up to his father, wanting to be held when he sees a large group of people coming down the hallway.
Lee lifts his son into his arms, "It's a..." He looks for the words in his own vocabulary, "You know how you came up with Colonel Tigh?"
"We fwy." Sloane puts his arms out by his sides, demonstrating. "Unk Taw and me. We fwy." He smirks.
He grins, "Exactly. That's what vipers do too...and they fly very fast."
"My no like-" The boy's chin trembles as his large blue eyes fill with tears, he starts to shake his head.
"No, I'm not making you fly in the viper. You're not allowed to. You can see it though and sit in it..." Lee bites his lip, "Please don't cry. Please?" He pleads with the toddler, kneeling onto the ground with him, "You're okay."
"My wan Mommy." Sloane takes a ragged intake of breath, whimpering.
"I know. I know, champ, but we have to wait a little bit and then we'll go over there. Not too much longer." Lee watches him, "Would you like to go and see the CIC?" He wants to please the boy, cheer him up. He knows that he needs to take him to Colonial One in order for the boy to feel completely happy.
Sloane shakes his head, looking to his father yet not really knowing who the man is with exception to what he's been told, "My wan Mommy."
"We'll go to the Admiral's quarters...if you don't want to CIC, we can call from there on a secure line. We're going to have to fly over in the raptor again though." He reaches his hand up, running it through his son's hair. Lee smirks slightly at his son's confused face, "Don't worry." He lifts him into his arms again, carrying him to where he said.
Bill hears the hatch open to his private quarters. He stands in his bathroom, brushing shaving cream liberally over his face. He pauses, tilting his head to the side, "Who is it?" The ship having settled for the most part. People were settling in and returning to their posts.
"Dad, it's me." He calls out, letting the boy down. They had walked a bit, easing the toddler's mind.
"Sloane with you?"
"My here." Sloane calls out to him, following the man's voice, knowing it to be familiar even though he hasn't seen him much in recent months with exception to today. He stands in the doorway of the bathroom, smiling to the man.
Bill chuckles a raspy laugh, "Want to help me?"
Lee walks in more, watching his father and his son interact.
"My hep." Sloane walks in more, watching. He takes the foamy brush when it's offered to him.
The Admiral picks him up onto the sink, "Help me put shaving cream on?" He smirks when the boy does as he asked of him, "Not able to get a raptor?"
"I was trying to show him around the ship." Lee sits on the edge of his father's desk, "I already made him cry. My first day as a father and I already frak it up."
"My too?" Sloan nods, smiling broadly when his grandfather nods to him. He happily paints his face with the shaving cream.
"Why do you think you frakked it up?" Bill continues to speak with his son in the other room.
"I already made him cry. He doesn't want to see the CIC. He liked talking on the phone. He didn't know what it was. He doesn't like the Galactica. He says it's dark."
"It is dark." The old man nods, handing the boy his comb and motioning for him to wait a moment, "Especially with a child his age. He's only..." Bill pauses, "A year old." He grins, "Today is his birthday."
"I didn't even know that." Lee shakes his head, "What kind of father doesn't know his kid's birthday?" He shakes his head.
He uses his razor on his face slowly, showing the boy what to do with the comb in order to simulate shaving. He smirks, "You didn't even know about him until a few months ago, Leland." Bill uses his son's full name, "Good job, Sloane." He mumbles, using his razor just under his nose, taking his mustache off.
Apollo moves aside, watching what they're doing in the head. He smirks, "See? You've got the whole grandfather thing down already."
"I've had a little practice. Don't think about it so much. You've got plenty of time to figure it out." Bill glances in the mirror to his son's reflection as the young man stands behind him, "Kids don't come with manuals like vipers. Sometimes you frak it up. There's no way around it. Trick is, you gotta learn to recover."
"I know...that's why I left Dee." He knows his father won't be happy about it. He knows his father is close with the young woman and though their marriage was doomed from the start, he knows.
The Admiral grows silent for a few minutes, "Are you sure that was the best idea?"
"I'm going to raise my son with his mother...I love Laura, we'll make it work." Lee answers truthfully, "We may not have...we may not have been on decent terms when I left New Caprica, but all I want is her. She's all I ever think about."
"And if she has other plans?"
"I pray to the gods that she doesn't." The young man swallows, placing his hands on his hips, "So, do you think it would be much of a problem getting transport? I figure the request coming from you would hold a little more weight than if I did it...since I'm not really a Commander anymore."
Bill shakes his head, "I don't mind." He wipes the boy's face off, "Looks great. Give Pappouli a kiss." He motions to his own cheek, chuckling when he hears the toddler giggle and a slobbery kiss grace his face. "Good one." He lets the boy down, letting him explore the cabin.
"You're going with the Tauron term for grandfather?" Lee raises an eyebrow, "We didn't even call your father that."
"That was because of your mother. My father wanted to be called by the Tauron version of the name." He shakes his head, "Doesn't matter though, he loved every minute of it with you boys."
"Yeah." He sighs, pausing as the room grows quiet a minute. Hearing as his father calls for a transport to Colonial One, "Sloane, did you eat?"
"My eat wit Mommy." Sloane answers quickly.
"You want to eat with your Mom?" Lee tries to decipher what the boy is saying, when he sees a nod, he smirks. "I can't promise she'll have anything you will like over there though. We can see what we can dig up in the mess hall before we go." He lets the toddler hold onto his finger.
"It will be about an hour." Bill smirks, looking to the two in front of him, "And Lee, this fatherhood thing is already coming to you, son." He nods, watching as they walk to the hatch. Bill gives a quick wave to his grandson as the boy excitedly waves goodbye to him.