The dust settled. The fleet pulling together slowly. A week after their escape from New Caprica and humanity seems to be in one piece. Seems being the key word. The overcrowded ships have shortages of food and violence has become the way of life. President Zarek can only do so much, one of which is creating a tribunal to eliminate those who stood as Gaius Baltar's, and by proxy the cylons', iron fists while on the planet. It isn't easy dealing with that. Dealing with the pleading of person after person. Looking up from his makeshift desk in another part of the Colonial One ship, he grins broadly, "Laura...welcome back."

Laura Roslin doesn't smile in return, instead she folds her arms, looking the other man down, "Rumor has it that you've created some club that's been getting revenge for Baltar's crimes."

"I wouldn't-"

"It sounds ridiculous."

"Right, I wouldn't call it a club." He sets his pen down, leaning back in his office chair as he continues to watch her. "You've received my note?"

"No, I have no knowledge of you attempting to contact me." She doesn't want to sit. She doesn't want to even consider something so trivial, needing to stand her ground, "You can't kill people, Tom. It's going to start that people are killed for the wrong reasons, not to mention that there aren't many of us remaining. Since leaving so many on the planet..."

"I know of your concerns, but I don't want these people to be paraded in front of others. I don't want them to have that satisfaction. I want them to be airlocked. I want it to be quick...no need for a trial." Tom leans forward, "Let the blood be on my hands."

"They deserve a trial. They may be innocent." Laura shakes her head, looking away. She falls quiet for a few moments before continuing, "What were you attempting to contact me for?"

"I owe you." He nods, "I owe you big. You saved my life, Laura."

"It wasn't-"

"It was a huge thing. All I put you through before settlement...you didn't have to do that." Tom shakes his head slowly, "In fact, I wouldn't have blamed you for pushing me in front. Letting me take the bullet first." He chuckles to himself a little. "I want to repay you."

"That isn't necessary." Laura answers quickly, finally meeting his eyes and swallowing. Suddenly nervous.

"It is. To me it is." He nods, "Look, this job isn't nearly what I thought it would be. So much paperwork...so many hoops to jump through. It isn't anything like what I wanted." Zarek clears his throat, "How about I make you my Vice President?"

She begins to slowly shake her head, not quite knowing what he has in mind.

"I make you my VP...then I step aside and you're able to be the leader these people need...that these people should have had in the first place and wanted in the first place before that frakking planet came about."

Laura isn't sure she hears him correctly, "Are you...You're just going to step aside? Just like that?"

"You were the dying leader, Laura. It was foretold in the scriptures."

She clears her throat, nodding, "Some of your men kneeled and asked me to bless them when I arrived. However, my cancer has been eradicated. It's gone and hopefully it stays that way. That would make me not the dying leader. It would make the writings invalid."

"Nah. You were that. Just because it goes away doesn't mean you can't still be the leader we all require." Tom stands, moving closer to her, "I know that leader isn't me...it's you. I've never seen someone love their people so much that she would risk their happiness if it meant keeping them alive and safe."

"It isn't always about a person liking you, it's about doing what's best." Laura's voice goes soft, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I've never been more certain about something in my whole life." Zarek stays close to the woman, "Think Sloane would like having some powerful parents?"

She can feel the slight sting of tears in her eyes, "He's getting used to Lee being there, yes."

Tom can't help but think of how things would be if they were among those left on the planet. Maybe they'd be together and he'd be raising the boy as his own as opposed to his rightful position of an Adama, "Tomorrow okay?"

"For?"

"The handoff."

"That...that soon?" Laura raises an eyebrow, shocked. She adjusts the glasses on her face, pushing them up her nose.

"Yeah, I'm done." Zarek grins to her, "And this fleet needs it's rightful mother."

"One of your students...little girl, sits at the second table-" Tory offered the crayon colored paper to the woman she once called her boss, but has since developed into her friend, "One big family."

Laura grinned, "Madison." She takes the paper between her fingers, "There's Maya and the kids, and you...This is great."

"I figured you'd want to put it up somewhere."

"I do. Thank you for making sure I got it." The woman motions to the nearby seat, "Sit, I haven't seen you in a few days."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Chief Tyrol asked me to look into something for him since I worked here with you most days." Tory took a seat across from the woman, "He believes some of the grain fields and processing plants have child workers. That their parents have been pulling them out of school to make sure they get their keep."

Laura nodded slowly, "I've noticed at least a dozen. I feared they were being forced to work, but now that the Chief is worried about it-"

"Exactly." The younger woman continued, "He was right to worry. The kids aren't being paid, they are malnourished, and missing education. Their parents are hardly being paid either. At least, not enough for them to ensure their children are well off."

"Timothy Perkins, Sarah Baker, Rudy..." She rolled her eyes up, "I knew it. I knew something was wrong. Poor things."

"He's taking care of it." Tory reached a hand out, "Don't worry, Galen is getting to the bottom of it. Especially since he has that boy of his on the way."

Laura met the other's eyes, "I'll keep worrying until they occupy those seats once more."

Tory sits on the floor with the toddler, using what few blocks he has to build a small tower, letting him knock it down and laugh. "I'm not very good with kids, Sloane. I mean, I've never even babysat. Which...probably wouldn't end well anyway." She listens to his throaty chuckle again, "I'm glad you're an easy kid."

Sloane claps, grinning broadly, "Like?"

"Yeah, I like it. I mean, you only have six blocks." She shrugs, "Isn't much you can do with them anyway."

Laura slowly enters the quarters she has been sharing with Lee Adama for a few days. Smiling to her son playing contently on the floor, "Are you behaving for Tory?" When she gets a nod from the toddler, she looks to her assistant, "Thank you again for keeping an eye on him."

"He isn't so bad." Tory shakes her head slowly, "I've never babysat or anything like that. Not that I remember, anyway."

"Well, it seems like you did a great job." She nods, "I'm sure I will need your help more and more when I reclaim the Presidency. Are you up for it?"

"You're running again?"

Laura tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, before shaking her head, "No. Zarek is going to step down, I'm going to make him my Vice President. It all sounds very complicated, but...it is." She tilts her head to the side, taking a seat on the floor with the pair, stroking her son's hair when he leans against her, "And, hopefully, Sloane will be getting his very own protective detail out of the deal."

"Children of important political figures usually do." Tory smiles a little, "Have you told Commander Adama yet?"

She shakes her head, "I will tonight." She feigns amazement when the toddler shows her one of his usual toys, "The time on the planet...I knew how it would end, but I'm thankful we had that time to ourselves at the same time. Does that sound odd?"

The younger woman shakes her head, "I don't think so. I mean...the population boosted a bit. New kids sprouting up everywhere and not just your own. It helped us...even though it didn't end well."

Laura kisses her son's hair, "We figured out that foe isn't always that way...that sometimes, they help too. Like that cylon...Sharon, right? The small one."

"The name going around for her is Athena now. Sharon Agathon's callsign."

"She and Helo married?"

Tory nods, "Apparently, Tigh has been giving them a hard time about it. I hear gossip." She blushes ever so slightly, "There's another box of mail to you asking for prayers." She motions to the mail container, "Full today. I wasn't able to get through many...no where near what we used to be able to get through, anyway."

Roslin nods slowly, "I'll go through some when Sloane sleeps." She hums a soft chuckle when the boy begins to rub his eyes, "He hasn't gotten used to it always being dark yet...so he's tired more than not. I asked Cottle about it. Apparently it happens to new pilots and, while on the colonies, people who were in the hospital where it was always light in the halls...like here as well."

"That's weird. At least we could shut lights off on Colonial One."

"They can in bunks and private quarters, but obviously the halls will throw people off."

The younger woman stands when she hears the hatch begin to open, "That's my cue to go. Have a few things to check on...and I'll keep my ear to the ground."

"Thanks, Tory." Laura knows she isn't very comfortable with the relationship between herself and Lee Adama. Though, in all honesty, she doesn't really care, "Sloane, who is coming?"

Lee Adama offers his girlfriend's assistant a nod as she walks past and he secures the door, "Where's my guy?" He calls out, walking in more.

The woman rolls onto her back when the toddler nearly tackles her to get to his father, laughing. "Well, I think we know his favorite."

"His mother. Always his mother." Apollo picks the boy up into his arms before offering her a hand to help her up.

Laura stands with his help and grunts softly as she's pulled closely to his side, his mouth quickly covering hers, in one foul swoop. "What was that for?" A smirk plays at her lips before picking her hand up to stroke his forming side burn.

"I need a reason to kiss you?" He raises an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that. You're just..." She pauses, searching his face a little, "You were working out."

Lee nods, "Yeah, I...I let myself go a little while you were all settled. If I'm going to pilot again, I don't need excess baggage keeping me down. Know what I mean?"

"Of course, Captain Apollo." Laura leans in, kissing him tenderly again, "I also know how you get after you exercise."

He grins, growling seductively against her lips, "Am I that obvious?" When he notices her nod, he begins to chuckle, "I'll try to hold off...Make sure the kid is asleep and all." The man kisses the top of the toddler's head before placing him back on the floor, letting him return to his blocks.

"Well, I'm rather proud of you for that." She gives him another quick peck, "Can I ask you something that's...pretty important?" She nods to the sofa, motioning for him to sit.

"Shoot." He obeys her offer, taking a seat and watching as she takes her own next to him on the sofa bench.

Laura bites her lip nervously for a moment, not knowing the best way to tell him what she was about to. "I had lunch with Tom Zarek not too long ago...a couple of hours ago, actually."

Lee raises an eyebrow, "Really?"

She hums a confirmation as well as nodding, "He isn't comfortable with his role as President."

"It's what he's wanted since Colonial Day couple years or so, when you nominated Baltar as your VP. His men even going so far as to trying to assassinate you in order to get it." There's something that rubs him wrong when it comes to the former convict and it isn't just his past, maybe Laura's nonchalant protective comments about the man as well.

"And we were on New Caprica together, Lee. It changed us all. Him included."

"Alright." Lee nods, "Where's this going? What was the reason for the lunch?"

"He wants me to have the Presidency back." Her voice calm, even, attempting to gauge his emotions.

"What did you tell him?" He matches her tone, knowing her. He already knows what she told the man. Lee licks his lips absently. When she looks away, he nods, "Yeah, I know you would."

"He's approved the killing of people. A tribunal of several chosen to go through every suspected collaborator of the cylons while we were on that planet and punish them as they see fit. The punishment for treason is death...as you know. Our numbers are already dwindling since we had to leave some behind. Not everyone got off that rock." She swallows, feeling tears in her eyes, "I had to say yes, Lee."

"You could have talked it over with me first. I mean...where are you going to live?" Lee shakes his head, "That's a stupid question. I know you'll go back to your ship. Where does that leave me? Where does that leave our son?" He puts his hand up when he notices her mouth open to answer, "No, let me tell you. It leaves him with an absentee father again. I'm a pilot, Laura."

"I know what you are."

"And my father was never there for me or my brother. I pledged to myself that I'd never do that to any kid that I had...or to his mother."

"I was always on Galactica more often than I was on Colonial One, Lee. You know that." Laura leans back, watching him fume, "I knew you would be angry."

"Yet you said yes." Lee shakes his head slowly, standing, "You can't stay away from it."

"What do you suppose I would do if I had said no?" She leans forward, "Stay here and be a wife? Nothing else?"

"No, but...I just wanted to spend time with you is all...I wanted us to be a family. This time since..." He bites his lip, "Since you've come back, it's been the best time of my life. I don't want to have to give that up when I've just..." Lee clears his throat a little, attempting to conceal his actual sadness, "When I've finally got what I always wanted."

Laura rises from her seat, standing in front of him and pulling him in closely, "We'll make it work, Captain Apollo, we always do."

He buries his face in the crook of her neck, "What if the stress makes you-"

She knows where that thought was going, but shakes her head to stop him, "We aren't thinking of that right now. I promised the people that I would lead them to Earth and the scriptures tell that I still can...I have to be the leader again in order to do that."

"I can't almost lose you again, Laura."

"Don't worry. We'll make this work. We always do." Laura repeats herself, feeling him wraps his arms around her waist and attempt to find her lips with his own. She obliges him, knowing he needs her. She moves away from him when his hands begin to wander, "Later when the baby is asleep. I promise, okay?"

Lee nods, "Yes, Madam President." He smirks ever so slightly, needing the order of things to return as they once were, with Laura Roslin as the President and himself as an ordinary pilot.