Boomtowns never sleep, but there's an hour, a period of false dawn, when the late-nighters seek their beds and the early risers are in the last dregs of sleep. The ones in between carry out their business in a hush that won't last past daybreak. The stars begin to wink out as the first glimmer of the coming sunrise edges over the horizon, doing nothing to dispel the night's chill yet, and the loudest sound is an early rooster's crow.

Bill's eyes flew open, disoriented for a second, trying to decipher the condition code being broadcast before he remembered where he was. He relaxed back into the sheets as he saw the plaster ceiling above him and felt the warmth of soft skin touching his hip and leg. His smile was wider with no one watching, as he let himself enjoy their warm nest of covers. They hadn't been given fresh sheets yet, and the scents of their past lovemaking had lingered in the threads, soft musky reminders of sweat-sparked skin and thorough fraks that had left them breathless. He nosed into her pillow and breathed in the scent of her hair. Even that was different here, unneutered by filters and scrubbers.

He turned to look at the clock. Not 0600 yet, he thought. He scratched his morning beard lightly against her shoulder, finally licking over her skin with a slow tongue, tasting her salt. She stirred, pushing her shoulder against his mouth, moving like a cat at a scratching post as she rasped against his stubble. He tucked his chin a bit, tickling her with his mustache as he left light kisses from shoulder to neck. He waited until he heard her languid hum and felt the first movements of her bottom against his cock before running a firm hand down her waist and hip.

The pale half-light painted everything, even her hair, in shades of bluish gray. Her skin glowed a paler shade, her arm almost white as she reached back to stroke his chest with light fingers that moved down.

Her eyes were still closed. "What time is it?"

"Almost 0600." He said softly against her ear. "You don't teach today, right?"

"No, not 'til tomorrow."

He raised his head enough to see her sleepy smile. "I think we deserve a late morning after last night."

She turned her head, eyes dark in the dim early morning light. "I'm with you, Mr. Adama."

He pressed his chest against her back as he circled her with his arm to cup a breast still flushed from the heat of deep sleep. "Did I just get demoted?" he murmured as he brushed his thumb against her peaking nipple.

She turned in his arms then, bringing her heat against the length of him, making him growl softly against her cheek. "Think of it as a temporary"—she tipped her pelvis, pressing hard against his erection for a second—"mustering out, mister." She rocked again, humming throaty giggles into the side of his neck.

"I can live with that." He ran his hand down over her ribs, her belly, then he dipped his fingers into her folds. His knuckles brushed his hard-on as he stroked her, the heel of his palm against her clit. He felt her head shake a "no" as she moved his hand from between them to rest on her hip, arching again against him. Taking the hint, he pulled her thigh over him until her opening folds nestled against his cock and she was sliding against him with an inner rhythm that was making her breathe in quick gasps.

He pulled her closer, following her lead as she made thrusting circles against him. His hand traced the curve of her bottom, sliding in deep, rocking the side of his hand against her cleft, fingers rough against the back of her thigh. The pressure, the friction was tantalizing, her heat so close.…

Her fingers dug into his back as he helped her ride higher, holding back his urge to pull back and then bury the full length of his cock as far as he could inside her slick walls. Not much longer, he told himself, as she began her teeth-clenched refrain of "Oh, Gods…Gods…yes"— against his neck. He could feel the muscles cording where her straining arms touched his as she pulled herself harder against him.

"Come on, Laura…come on…come—"

She muffled her high sharp cry against his skin as her body jerked hard against him over and over before she slumped against him, hands loosened, leg moving higher over his. The rush of her wetness against his cock forced him to close his eyes and think of past Pyramid games to keep from finishing before he started.

"Inside me…please…"

Hooking an arm under her knee, he pulled her leg higher as he pushed into her heat. Frak, she was tight this way! A hint of a whimper where her lips pressed against his chest made him still his movement. "You okay?" he said, looking down at her half-closed eyes.

"Yes…just…give me a second." She shifted against him, tiny arcs of movement as she got used to the increased stretch, her thigh against the warmth of his side. She wound her fingers in his sleep-tangled hair as she rolled herself against him again and sighed, nodding. He began moving with a guttural groan, her tight clench challenging him to go deeper. Then her own movements began a counter-beat to his, and he knew she was winding up, climbing again.

When her lips pressed against his flat nipple to silence her sounds, he rode out her wave of fresh tremors, then gave himself over to his own, gasping her name into her hair as he came. Suns exploded behind his eyelids, scorching the thought that overwhelmed him: I can't live without her. I won't live without her.

The sun was in full rise, washing away monotone shadows and illuminating their skin, dark gold and ivory. He clung to her then, eyes closed against the light, chest tightening with the old dread of losing her. Her tuneless hum reverberated against his cheek as they shared a pillow.

"Love you, Mrs. Adama."

"Hmm…did I get impeached?" Her lips curved into a teasing grin.

He breathed out the dread and drew in the fresh blended scent of their lovemaking, sharp and sweet.

Pushing her mess of red curls out of her eyes, he grinned back. "Stepped down to spend more time with your loved ones. Happens all the time." He got up to pour hot water into the wash basin, pretending not to see the questions in her eyes.