Lee kisses the top of her head, his arm wrapped snugly around her as they rest together on the thin cot. His son sprawled out on the sofa, a leg hanging over the edge. "It was a good idea...me staying."

Laura nods, deeply inhaling his smell and relaxing more in his arms, "I think so too." She hasn't been held by anyone since Admiral Adama during the New Caprica groundbreaking ceremony over a year before and Doctor Cottle when he told her about Sloane's heart surgery at just two weeks old. She wraps her arm around him in return, placing her head on his bare chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. Lee's hold has always been different from anyone else. Since the first day on Colonial One, she's always felt safe with him.

"Are you okay?" His other hand falls to her lower back, gently massaging her stiff skin with the pads of his fingers. The young man couldn't possibly convey to her his worry that something wicked happened to her on the planet, more evil than anything that actually did occur. He knows her way of hiding things though. When he notices she doesn't answer him, he continues, "If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears. If you don't, that's okay too."

She picks her head up, smiling softly to him. "Lee Adama is a sounding board now?"

Lee shrugs, smirking, "I don't have a ship to command anymore and I love to hear anything you have to say, anyway."

Laura nods a little, "You look different from the last time-"

"I know. Rub it in. You lost weight and I-"

"I mean, you're..." She shakes her head, "Not in a bad way, Lee. You're less military than you used to be. You're...you're just different." Laura licks her lips absently, "And I could care less how you look. I'm not vain. You should know that."

Lee smiles softly, "I'm sorry."

Laura nods, falling silent for a few moments, "The woman I lived with and her child that I...her name was Isis, they...they didn't make it and I can't help but think that if had kept them with me instead of asking guards to escort them-"

"There's nothing different you could have done, Laura." He pulls her closer, "What is it you always say...The path the gods have laid out are meant to be followed and can seldom be broken? That's all that happened."

"She was so small...so..." The woman shakes her head, "She didn't deserve to die that way. Neither of them did."

"Would you have rather it have been you and Sloane? I don't." Lee sighs softly, then moves his face closely to hers, "Everything happens for a reason." He kisses her lips tenderly, "You know that...you told me that after the Olympic Carrier. I know you believe that."

She does, but Laura still feels awful about it all. New Caprica gave her a great deal of time to review her prior decisions. Things she believed to be more important to others, she realized, weren't important at all. The woman nods, bringing her hand to his cheek, stroking the skin under his eye softly with her thumb. "If anything happens, you'll...you'll make sure he's-" She isn't able to finish her statement.

He stares into her eyes for a few moments, knowing exactly what she isn't able to bring herself to say, "That isn't going to happen. We will make sure of it." The younger man leans in, capturing her lips with his own. He wants to make her forget, but knows he can't possibly make her completely do so. He moves back slightly to stare into her eyes once more, "Sloane is our son. Nothing is ever going to change that. I am his father and you are his mother. He is the proof of our love. I will protect him with my own life, the same as I will do for you."

"Lee-" Laura swallows, shaking her head slightly.

"I mean it." Lee nods, "You know that I love you. I'll always be here for you and I will always take care of you."

She slowly wraps her arms around his neck, holding onto him closely, letting herself finally just sob against his shoulder. The things she has managed to pent up throughout the day finally catching up to her, his arms around her helping her emotions come forth.

"Laura, I can't thank you enough for taking such care of Isis and I." Maya gently wrapped her arm around the woman, "You went above and beyond what anyone else would do and...what could I ever do to repay you?"

"Nothing. Just continue being an amazing mother." Laura grinned, doing the same to her. She ran a hand through the little girl's hair as she rested against her mother. "She's special. I could see it. I knew you would be her best fit when Tory told me of your story."

"If it weren't for you...I wouldn't have had my family back." She nodded, "You will always be a part of our family. Always Aunt Laura with Isis and I. I mean it...same with Sloane. I do hope you'll allow us to visit once we-"

"I'd like nothing more. As often as you'd like. Unannounced." She affirmed, leaning over to place a soft kiss on the toddler's temple, "Everything will be fine. Don't worry. Just stay with your guards. Tory will stay with you most of the way."

Laura sits back on the sofa, holding a mug of tea in her hands as she watches her son color from his place on the floor, huddled over a few sheets of paper, "Very good. Positively beautifully." She smirks, an aching sting in her chest from Lee leaving earlier and needing to give this ship up this afternoon. Last she heard, Tom Zarek was on his way over to the ship. That was easily about a half hour ago. She sighs, moving from her seat to join her son on the floor, "Well, Sloane, I suppose it's just the two of us today."

Sloane looks up to her, his eyes glassy, nose red. He moves over to lean against her, just wanting to be held really. He coughs softly, a pout on his lips after.

She furrows her brow slightly, reaching a hand to feel his forehead, "Love, you're burning up." Laura mumbles, kissing his brow as she possessively wraps her arms around him, "Okay." She swallows, "Tory." She calls out, wincing when the boy cries out, "I'm sorry." She slowly stands, nearly falling when she keeps him pulled closely to her chest.

Tory quickly enters, instantly worried, "What is it, Madam President?" She notices the worry on the woman's face and glances to the boy in her arms with the reddened cheeks, "What happened?"

"He's sick. I believe he's sick. Could you call Doctor Cottle and..." Laura flusters, instantly filled with worry. Doctor Cottle had told her before that any small thing could be fatally dangerous given his past surgeries and premature birth. "Please, Tory...tell him Sloane is sick."

"That's the last one." Sherman Cottle pulled the surgical thread through the bottom of the open area of the small patient's chest, "Ishay, let Ms. Roslin know her son has pulled through just fine. She'll be able to see him in an hour or so."

Ishay nodded, "Would you like for me to insert new intravenous lines for antibiotics and general fluids."

He raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, go ahead. The drain is going to be a bit of a shock to her." Cottle signed softly, "In fact, I'm going to go clean up and talk to Ms. Roslin myself. Will you be alright here?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good." Cottle nodded, "Thanks, Ishay." He mumbled as he passed her, removing his latex gloves. There weren't many left in the world, but what there was, he used for the most susceptible of patients and disinfected the rubber ones for the others. Sometimes, he didn't use them at all when he would use them constantly when they were plentiful. This place didn't see many injuries, mostly illness. The Roslin infant was special to him. He'd do just about anything for the boy who was only weeks old, and his mother. He removed the blood splattered rubber apron covering his chest before scrubbing his arms, making sure there was nothing on his person to worry her. No blood. He steps into the place where the infant's incubator has resided for weeks now.

Laura Roslin has her hands folded, gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white, legs crossed at the knee. Unmoving. She hated this. Hated not being able to fix her son. His health was well out of her hands. Like her own health was not too long ago. Her eyes stared blankly ahead.

Sherman hated seeing her like this. He hated seeing her so lost. She reminded him of his own daughter, her attitude and strength. Cottle walked closer to her, gently touching her shoulder, "Laura."

Laura Roslin swung her vision to look at him, her hair flew to her other shoulder, "Doctor." She feared the worse. She's gotten used to doing so. The boy wasn't supposed to happen. He mere existence was a miracle in and of itself. She was too old to have a child, and by the grace of the cylon DNA running through her veins, allowed her not only to live, but to have her son. He was perfect, but she feared the other shoe had to drop soon. Her actions to the Agathons were what caused his birth to be premature. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the gods sought to take him from her as well. They were vengeful gods. "Is he?"

"No, of course not." Cottle offered her a slight smile, "He did great." The older man didn't believe it himself. "Now, I'm not going to lie to you, the next few days may be critical. We'll have to watch him for illness. Any fever could be life threatening right now."

"But...he's still alive..."

"Yes."

Laura grinned, laughing softly to herself out of relief. She quickly wiped away a few stray tears when they fell, unexpectedly throwing her arms around him, "Thank you, Doctor Cottle. Thank you for saving my son's life." Her voice soft as she holds onto him tightly.

"Laura, Cottle said he should be here within the next hour or so. Apparently, there are some issues with illness among some of the outer fleet from their time on New Caprica. He said it seems to be airborne." Tory motions to the boy in the other woman's arms, "He probably has the same as they do."

"He had a heart defect. You know that. It's..." Laura shakes her head, "You know about all of that. This isn't something to be regarded lightly." Her tone is falling more and more quiet. She's dealt with sick children before throughout her entire career as a teacher, and before that as a teacher's assistant during her training.

Tory swallows, noticing the uneasiness of the woman she's grown to "The Vice President is here." She turns to walk back to the other area, seeing the man has already stepped through. Tory ducks her head to walk past him.

"Laura, what's wrong?" Tom can sense her pain, seeing the small boy in her arms.

Laura picks her head up for a moment, worry covering her face, "He's ill." She replies in a small voice.

"Okay. It's alright." Tom sits next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm.

"No, it isn't." She shakes her head, gently rocking with her son again, "He's running a fever."

"Just a fever? The ship I just came from has three-hundred sick, Three-hundred ninety six if you count the injured. Sixteen died alone last night because of it." His tone simple, "You're going crazy because of a fever?"

"I didn't ask for a comparison." Laura scowls angrily, "He has health issues. It's very dangerous for him to have a fever. What did you come for, Tom?"

"I didn't..." Tom pauses, sighing softly, "I didn't mean to offend you. I mean let me get you a cold cloth. Just treat the fever until Cottle is able to get here. Hopefully, it isn't as bad as you think it is." He rises from the chair, "Are there washcloths in the head?" When she doesn't answer, he walks off anyway, finding one and soaking it cold water before folding it. Tom carries the cloth to Laura, placing it on the boy's head when she moves him away for a moment. "Here, this should help cool him down."

"Thank you." She mumbles against the boy's hair.

Sloane watches the other man with his large blue eyes, "Tank oo."

"No problem." Tom smirks, offering his hand and letting the boy take hold of his finger. "Your mom is pretty worried."

"My know." He moves his eyes back to look to his mother, "My kay."

Laura huffs a soft laugh, sniffing as a tear escapes her eye, only to have the boy wipe it away. "Cottle will be here soon. Don't worry."

"Doc." Sloane grins, "My pay wit him."

"I know, love, but he must examine you first. He may not have time to play with you this time. There are a lot of sick people on other ships that he must tend to." Laura nods to him, offering him a smile.

"My know."

"You are really smart, Sloane." Tom smirks, then looks to the woman holding him, "Looks more and more like you every time I see him." He nods, "See? Sloane, go ahead and tell your mother she worries too much. I bet Cottle will say the same, but she isn't going to be happy until he has a look at you."

Laura listens to the man, smirking to herself as she speaks to her son, "Love, if you want to take a nap while we wait, I bet he will get here even faster." When the boy nods, she begins to gently comb through his hair with her nails. It doesn't take much for him to fall asleep once she begins. "I...He's never been sick before...I mean, there were the surgeries and his prematurity, but...never has he had a fever before. It can be very dangerous because of his past history."

"I understand." The man nods, "Lee get a look at him yet?"

She nods, "Spent the night...helped put him to sleep. Left a few hours ago." She smiles softly, "He's smitten...Doesn't look like he did when we left, but he's...so much more loving now. Very different, but also similar at the same time."

"I'm glad his father finally gets to take the roll. Can't lie, though, I do wish maybe we could have had a chance at it..." Tom smirks slightly.

Laura blushes, shrugging. "I think we make much better friends than we ever would bed mates."

"Yeah...you're probably right. Doesn't mean I won't be here when you need me."

"Thank you, Tom." She places her hand over his for a moment.

"Alright, what the hell is so urgent?" Cottle bursts through the cover of the screen separating the portions of the offices. "Something about the little guy." He can't help but be weary of Tom Zarek's presence, something in his head always tells him to never trust the man and he is surely surprised that Laura Roslin is so welcoming of the man, given their history.

Laura releases a sigh of relief that she wasn't aware she was holding. "He's sick. Tom gave me a cool washcloth, but...it's not working as quickly as I'd like it to."

The older man stands still for a moment, looking to her, "You called me all the way over here for a fever?"

She glances up with doe eyes, "You said they could be life threatening."

"When he was much smaller. This is just the ship allergies that are going around. Some people are having trouble acclimating between the two. The outer fleet has a virus that's going around. No need to worry about that here." Cottle shakes his head, placing the eartips of his stethoscope into his ears, gently placing the probe against the boy's chest, listening intently, "Little slow, but nothing to worry about."

"Slow?"

"Would you calm the hell down?" He meets her eyes, "Take care of whatever business you have here with Mister Zarek, I'd like to keep him under observation...at least until the fever breaks. Obviously, best place for that would be my Sick Bay."

Laura's pulse begins to race again, "He's not okay then."

"Laura, go ahead. They'll swear me in, I'll take care of things for a while, then I'll hand the reins over to you when you're ready. Adama is never going to listen to me, but he'll take orders from you if you tell him the situation." Tom nods, watching her, "Sound good?"

Laura nods quickly, "Just...be careful." She says softly to the dark haired man, watching as he quickly leaves the room.