Well, my first double digit chapter. Thank you all for reading and for those of you who have submitted a comment of some kind. If you have anything to say I would be happy to hear from you. And I do apologize for the lateness of this chapter, I had issues with my computer and ended up losing half of Chapter 10, and so I had to put it in with Chapter 11, which was at the time an incomplete chapter. I should be back on schedule for the new chapter 11 being I update Monday or Tuesday. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10-

Laura-

She sat in Sam and Kara's tent, the man finally getting some sleep due to pure exhaustion and his illness. He was getting much better but still needed to take it easy. Which Sam had refused on doing, he was doing anything he could, surveillance gleaned from inside the dentition center in hopes of finding her, praying she wasn't on the basestar. It was sad to watch.

He slept fitfully, but Laura couldn't really blame him. Her own dreams wondered the question of what they were doing to the woman and no doubt so many other people. The Colonel just to name one, she really wanted the Colonel back, if only partly because his wife was driving everyone nuts.

She watched a nightmare envelope the man but didn't move to go over to him. She had learned from stories the people would tell in the bunkrooms you did not interrupt a soldier in a nightmare and Sam counted as a soldier. Anyone on the insurgency was a soldier now she thought grimly, even herself.

Laura glanced at the bucket of water that Cally had fetched for him, The former deck hand had been sent down to the river to work on the canals, he had been taken a day after Kara, while Sam was to report there tomorrow, forcing the people to work, and yet the toasters had said they weren't going to be imposing on the people. Right, she thought bitterly, and people had thought electing Baltar was a good idea. She should have never confessed to rigging the election, she would have never let them settle here.

Laura sighed, what she would have done and what she should have done or could have done were all pointless now. It had happened, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her regrets changed nothing, except that she had them and had to continue to bear them.

It was hard, seeing a person one day than learning the cylon had picked them up the very next day. Or a matter of hours after you had seen them, or even hearing them being dragged away within ear-shot of when you had last seen them or the event happening before your eyes, which had happened a great deal.

She had started to keep a journal, hidden safely from where anyone could find it. She needed something of the like to keep herself on track, and provide proof to future generations a log of what her people had gone through. This would all become a distant memory to future generations; the teacher in her was keeping a log to teach future generations.

Sam sat up with a start and coughed instantly; Laura got up and gave him some water which the man drank. She didn't even have to tell him to, it was like someone had taken Samuel T. Anders who she had known and replaced him with a flat copy. He barely talked anymore, wouldn't joke, would barely meet anyone's eyes. The former President knew he was thinking he should have been with her, kept her safe but Laura privately thought there was nothing he could have done.

Leoben would have gone after her anyways, of that she was certain. What for was a good question but she had seen the security videos and told them to be destroyed afterwards, telling Bill they had lapsed on getting video. Truth was they were disturbing to say the least, the cylon seemed to know a great deal about the pilot.

Since Laura found it unlikely the Cylon God had told him, the only thing that stood to reason was that the cylon had been watching her. Watching her before the Worlds ended, apparently before she had gone into the military, before she had even left home. One day she had confronted the woman and Kara hadn't denied anything which left Laura with a sick feeling in her stomach.

They really had been watching her. Very closely, as she presumed the blonde's mother had gotten away with the level of abuse for all those years and never been called out on it from what she had gleaned of Kara's past. Leoben had thought she was special, going on about destiny and whatnot. Laura to be honest did not want to contemplate what that meant. Or to be more accurate what Leoben and the rest of the cylons thought it meant.

"Samuel are you alright?" She asked desperate to remain calm and not to tell the man of her growing suspicions that Leoben's choice of taking Kara was anything but random. He clearly blamed himself for her kidnapping and Laura could not bring herself to add on to that by telling him what might be nothing but her imagination gone wild. She would if there was proof, but right now, he didn't need that.

But it made sense, the way Leoben had watched her, the look she had seen him give the woman as the hatch had closed, the cheeky wave at Sam, Kara had been taken on purpose, but that led them nowhere.

"Fine." He said after a few beats of silence, not commenting on anything else. He wasn't fine, but than again none of them were. Dealing with so many loses; they were all taking it personally. Chief had even been picked up and interrogated; Jean Barolay had been picked up, the Colonel, Starbuck.

In all over two thousand had disappeared since the cylons arrive not more than five days ago. It made Laura feel ill, and even more so when she knew that each warrant was signed personally by the fracking President Gaius fracking Baltar. Rage overtook the woman, her hate of his antics blocking out every rational thought in her mind for a few moments.

"You okay?" Sam asked, noticing her hands clench of their own accord and her glare off into the distance. Laura felt guilt wash over her, he needed to be taken care of, he needed every bit of rest he could get, she was still over-worrying according to Cottle but not wanting to strain the man. His eyes looked at her concerned and she shook her head.

"I'll be fine." she said quietly. It was a lie, they both knew it, neither of them would be fine ever again. No one ever would be fine again, their experiences were too horrible for anyone to shrug it off. Already there were reports of cylons attacking humans, things that would normally be life changing events on their own were becoming the norm and it was only the first couple days.

It seemed mainly the Dorals and a certain Two with a scar on his eye, the one that had been with the Leoben that had stolen Kara, that went out and attacked the people, beating them savagely, taking advantage of them, generally just destroying them, creating a reign of fear.

And than the sorry excuse of President had the gall to arrest Chief for trying to help someone who had fallen into the canals instead of keeping on working and letting the poor kid drown? What about the poor young woman she had helped the other day, helping Cottle patch up her wounds, a victim of such savage attacks? But no, her attackers were alright because they were with his administration and were cylons.

A knock on one of the tent posts distracted her, and Sam's head snapped up from where he had laid down. Laura's heart ached, she could see the hope in his eyes, she felt it tug on her heart every time someone came up to speak with her. Please let it be good news Laura prayed, Please.

"Come in." Sam called, and in popped in a familiar face. Chief, he looked banged up, bruises appearing more than normal skin, some marks that looked like a whip had hit him, two black eyes, and tired beyond belief. Laura's heart leaped, happy to know they had let him out. Galen looked over at Sam and walked over to the place he was resting.

Laura gave him in her chair, or what passed for a chair and he sunk into it gratefully. "Thank you." He said to her before turning back to Sam. "I heard things in prison. Things about Kara."

"What is it?" Sam demanded, the man having his full attention and Laura knew they would have to be careful. When looking for Kara he wouldn't be rational, and the Caprican resistance leader had to be rational for anything to work.

"Don't say anything, just let me finish okay?" Galen started, a bit uneasy which put Laura on her guard, and Sam nodded, eager for some news, any news. They hadn't heard anything and Laura knew he was growing desperate.

"I got taken by the two who calls himself Jared, the one with the scar right here," Galen drew the scar of the same cylon who attacked people with a ruthless frenzy. Laura nodded, not sure where this was going. "Frackers evil, he and a six named Ashley seem to be in charge of tortures. Trust me, there's screaming in there all hours. But that's not what I heard.

"The other two who calls himself Leoben, the one on the Geminion Traveler or something, the one who took Kara, they got in a row. Him and Jared.

"Jared had been saying stuff, baiting Leoben. He was talking about Kara, and whatever he would do if he ever got his hands on Kara. Leoben got upset, defensive and after a while it went to blows, in front of a whole bunch of prisoners. Blonde cylon broke it up, telling them to go their own separate ways. They looked like they might have tried to kill each other."

Sam was silent and Laura found her breath bated. What did it all mean, she rubbed her temples, and started to pace in the tent across the dirt floor. Sam looked like he wanted to jump out of bed and go find her right now. And Chief stopped at another memory.

"They killed Jackpot. And Greyson." The deck chief said so quiet they almost missed him saying the words. A pilot and one of his knuckle draggers. Both good men and Sam looked sad, both had played pyramid with him at some point or another. Laura felt as though someone had knocked her over and her anger at Gais Baltar returned. Peaceful co-existence, yeah right. People were dying, tortured to death, murdered, for what? No charge, none at all. And yet he sat on his fat ass in Colonial one, and did nothing, he probably slept with the cylons, ate dinner with them, been real buddy buddy. It explained why he wasn't dead yet, Laura knew full well if it had been her the cylons world have killed her on the spot.

"Back to Kara." Laura said after a lengthy silence, her mind having mulled it over for a while and needing the distraction so she did not go do something rash. This gave some credence to her suspicions and the nagging part of her mind that still felt guilt whenever Helo and Sharon were mentioned; told her Sam needed to know, "I don't think she is in the traditional prison. A while back, before Captain Thrace went to Caprica she was to interrogate Leoben, he kept saying something about a destiny to her, which is another reason they might keep her separate, but the blows confirms it." She said and the two men traded glances.

"What are you saying here?" Tyrol asked her while his question was echoed in Samuel's face. Laura wasn't sure what she was saying either, but it was making sense, the cheeky wave, the expression on Leoben's face when he found out who Kara really was.

Laura believed the cylon, the machine, was obsessed with Captain Kara Thrace. "I am saying she is something they seem to care about, the cylons seem to have been watching her for a long time." Laura admits, knowing they have a right and need to know in how she was right. Sam's large hands grip the blanket his tanned skin sheet white, "And if someone were to say something about hurting Kara, what would you do Samuel?"

"Make them pay." He answered without hesitation and it finally sinks in just why the cylons might want her. "Oh Gods." He mummers under his breath, "Oh Gods, Oh Gods Oh Gods Oh Gods." Chief looks sorry he brought it up in the first place, even though he shouldn't because if anyone should be sorry, it should be the cylons. One number two model named Leoben in particular.

Leoben-

Kara had not talked to him for days. He knew she would at some point, unable to fight in the traditional role, himself more careful after the first night, he hated dying. The not talking wouldn't be so bad if she was eating. But she refused to touch anything he set in front of her, and it had kept up for several days.

Even if he thought she was just nervous about eating by him and letting her eat alone she wouldn't touch it. She would sometimes drink some water but would stubbornly refuse to touch her food. He saw her expression when the food was infront of her, she was hungry but she wouldn't eat the food. Leoben didn't know what to do, he had thought she might do something like this but had no real ability to combat it.

He could force feed her and he might have to if she didn't eat dinner tonight, but that would be counter productive. It would end up being a very traumatic experience for her as she would fight them and need to be subdued. And he didn't want her near Simon anyways, not after what he had nearly done on Caprica. The idea she would be used for that was abhorrent to him.

Leoben sent up a small prayer to God in hopes she would eat today. If not he may have to get a Centurion to help him so she would cooperate and feed her. It might not be pretty but she had to eat, without food she would waste away to skin and bones and that would be bad for her, not only because it wasn't healthy but because she had always been physically active and you couldn't much do that when you were too weak.

Not that it stopped her, he noted, walking in the door. She had not yet noticed him and was on her hands in a push-up position. He could see how much she was struggling to get back up to the original position and not just collapse on the floor. His heart pained, it killed him to see her like this, fighting when she didn't need to and hurting herself in the process.

There had been no more attempts on his life but he knew she was waiting for the right moment. He had tried to be on his guard as much as possible and thought he knew what she was doing. Lull him into a false sense of security and than strike out. He hoped to avoid that, and get her to eat.

She slowly gave up on doing anymore push-ups, a fine sheen of sweat on her skin. He shut the door behind him causing her to pull herself to a seated position. He locked the door behind him and went down the stairs and went directly to the kitchen. Today had been a long hard day and Jared had insisted on baiting him again.

Leoben did not know what Jared's problem was; he seemed to have an obsession with Kara to rival his love for her. But instead of love, what Jared seemed to feel was hate, the Two had said it enough times himself. But the comments bothered him.

He was in the dentition center, needing to run something through her and get some men released to work on the water project. He felt sadness that something he built, this building was being used for such abhorrent purposes. Someone's screams echoed off the walls in the distance sending shudders down his spine.

Jared of course had used every favor, threat and charismatic ability in the book to get a spot of torturer. As if he attacks against the free human population weren't enough, he seemed to take an insane pleasure in what he did. It sickened Leoben that one of his own could be brought to such but he was out-voted, he always was on really important matters like this.

"So Leoben." He called from down the row of cells, stupid leather jacket and stupid sunglasses on his face, grin to match. Leoben knew Jared should be boxed but there was no way of doing it short of doing it without Cavil's vote. And if he did it without the vote when everyone else found out law said you were boxed yourself and Jared would be let go. He'd never be with Kara again, and Jared could.

His train of thought had been broken by Jared "How is your pretty blonde viper pilot" Leoben's hands had clenched into fists. He wasn't allowed to talk about her. "Found out if she's a good ride yet? Does she scream when provoked?" The cylon just didn't know when to stop.

Leoben crossed down the rows of cells, the fact there were people in them lost on him. No one was allowed to talk about Kara that way. Less than ten feet away Jared opened his mouth again.

"Now if I were in charge of her, we would already know the answer to that." which pushed the final button for Leoben. Crossing the distance he punched the brother cylon in the head. Jared was ready, getting a shot to his stomach in. But Leoben was angry and refused to lose, the battle was an even match until a Six interrupted.

"Jared back to work. Leoben behave yourself." She snapped authortively and the twos stalked off in their own direction. Jared was a danger to Kara, Leoben knew it but everyone assumed he was over reacting. Leoben could feel it in his very soul.

Both had bruises on there bodies and both were annoyed and both knew it wasn't over. Jared may play it as just being annoying but Leoben knew better. Jared was planning something and Leoben knew it wouldn't be last.

Opening drawers to get a pot for a stew he had decided to try, Leoben kept an eye on Kara while at the same time beginning to cut up vegetables and the meat had been cooked yesterday, all it needed was to be heated up. Nice and simple, today had been a long and taxing day. Humans had also nearly thrown him in the river, there was that Jared fiasco and now Kara would probably not eat today.

Loading the cutting boards contents into the pot on the stove Leoben set to washing the dishes he had used to make the food. Kara would wash dishes; he supposed boredom had driven her to do it as he had certainly never asked her.

He put the knife back into its drawer and looked over at Kara who just sat on the floor. The smell of the food had to be getting to her, as Leoben hoped it would. Not in a malicious way, he just hoped it would convince her to eat.

"Kara." He called her softly, but got no response. It was only on the third time did he say her name that she actually looked up over at him. "Eat today, please. You need food and if you don't eat yourself we'll have to force-feed you and to be honest with you I'd rather not do that."

Her eyes narrow looking for a bluff but she can't find one. There isn't one to find. He is being completely honest with her as he never thought lying was a good thing to do to each other in relationships. Sure when you might get sent out an airlock and lie to buy time it was worth it, but not to someone he cared about. He did not want to fracture any kind of trust they would have one day.

He leans his neck to one side trying to ease the stiffened muscles. He had been on his feet all day, and was growing tired. Who knew getting all this stuff finished as fast as possible was so tiring?

Kara is still sitting on the floor throughout the entire process, trying to decide whether to eat or not? Leoben can't tell, her face is mask, a mystery to him. He stops after a few beats, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. Leoben goes to the cabinets and pulls down some bowls and plates along with an apple he begins to slice.

By this time the food is almost ready and Kara pulls herself unsteadily to her feet. She worked herself too hard Leoben realizes instantly. If she decides not to eat she could really hurt herself. She never knew when to quit, admiration for her determinedness springs up inside but if she would kill herself through it, it would devastate him.

He pours her a glass of water, and picks up a soup ladle to pour the soup into the bowls. He notices slightly pleased she is sitting at the table, her compliance worrying him slightly but he hopes he has simply gotten through to her that she needs to eat.

Leoben puts the bowl in front of her and Kara bit her lip. She's hungry, she's killing herself by not eating and insisting on taxing her body to its limits and she knows it. Leoben sent a small prayer to God that she would eat, He didn't know what kind of trauma force feedings would bring.

As he always had Leoben bowed his head and prayed to God. He gave thanks for the food in front of them, the home they had and silently he added in thanks for Kara. Leoben spooned some of the stew and the feel of it is a good one. It's warm, tastes good and he is reasonably pleased with his creation.

Of course none of it mattered if Kara wouldn't eat it. She had to eat Leoben thought desperately, she was only hurting herself and he never wanted her to be hurt. She was by an extension hurting him too, it was hard to see her this way, the lean starved look she had on her features and the quietness, it was a far cry from the woman who had informed him he had no soul.

Her hands were twisting in her lap, her fingers playing with the silver band on her thumb. She was looking down at the bowl of soup before her and the sliced apple pieces he had placed on her plate next to the bowl. Leoben waited the tension seeming like it was going to suffocate him.

"Kara." He says her name softly, and realizes fully just how unused she is to anyone saying her name gently. It is something he has to remember, she has hidden behind Starbuck for so long it was hidden away, and said with affection, he can usually get her to looks at him before she turns away. This time is no different. "I don't want to force feed you and you won't like it."

She glares at him but her hands have moved from her lap and one is curled around the edge of the spoon. Go on Kara, he silently urged her, pick it up. She lifts the utensil and dips it into the bowl, scoops out the food and eats it. Slowly as her training has dictated, but he knows she wants to eat it all. When he had been on the colonial ship he had wanted to eat it all right than and there, shoving it in his mouth without any caution about what it might do to his stomach.

He glances away, not wanting to bother her. He returns to his own bowl of stew and stands to get more. And than does the polite thing, himself having always been a fan of manners. She is almost done with eating and reaches a hand out slowly "I'll get you some more okay?"

Before waiting for her response he picked up the bowl and walked to the kitchen with the almost completely silent of padded footsteps behind him. He silently tenses up but pretends not to notice, he is on guard this time, downloading is not fun. He sets the bowls on the counter-top and reaches for the soup ladle, before he chooses to turn around and grab the hands that had been going for his throat.

Kara-

She supposed she isn't surprised as his hands encircle her wrists, stopping her from attacking him. After all twice would be far too easy for her right? Because everything in her life had to be hard, difficult and as fracking painful for her as possible right? She never could just catch a break, find some key on him and get out of this place? No of course not, why should she leave when she could stay and play dollhouse with a cylon for frack's sake.

She hoped if she showed she wasn't interested he would back off. If anything it made him more determined, chattering at her endlessly while she remained silent. Starbuck silent was not something that had ever happened and after years of being ignored by all around her she was tired of being ignored. So she become someone you looked at when you entered a room, and her ability to be ignored disappeared. Now she wanted to have it back desperately if only to shut him up.

"Kara." It stated calmly, moving forward a bit. She tried to pull her hands away, to fight him back. Fight 'till she can't. But his grip is like a vice, and Kara knows if he doesn't want to let go it will be very hard to get him off. She wonders what else he could do to her without her consent and her mind took a very ugly turn.

It was drilled into every female cadet the very lovely fact that they could be tortured in a certain kind of way that was not very pleasant. It had happened to males before but it was a rare occasion, the majority of rape happening to the women. He said he had no desire to harm her, but what that meant to her might mean something very different to him.

"Kara why don't you go sit back down and eat, you're hungry, I know you are. You have to be. So please just calm down and let me get you more to eat." His voice is calm and soothing. She hates herself but it sets her body at ease, something she was unable to control. He seems to know it, and uses the tone as often as possible. She glares at him, this is the first time he's touched her since he pinned her to the wall on the transport ship so long ago. That she is aware of anyway, the thought sending another shudder down her spine.

He lets go cautiously, and never takes his eyes off her while he pours her more to eat. As a game she started to play after her second day in here she devises a way to kill him with it. It is more than a game, but some of it is just plain imagination, and helps keep her mind in the clear and from slipping straight into despair. She needs a hope and if hope comes from devising ways to kill a humanoid cylon with a ladle well than.

She snatched the bowl and made her way as fast as she could to the table. Away from him, no it. The words got confused in her head, It him, was there really any difference. She mentally slapped herself, of course there is Kara, he is just a machine, he doesn't have a soul. But he acted like he did, so maybe. No, stop that train of thought right there soldier she ordered herself.

The stew was still hot against her throat but she didn't care, as each spoonful made its way down leaving a slightly burning sensation. It made her feel alive, as she couldn't do much but exist the last couple days.

She can sense him watching, and she hates it. Hates the way whenever she enters his gaze gravitates to her before he stops as to not make her too terribly uncomfortable. He says he wants her to love him, but he doesn't know it's never going to happen. She loves Sam. She loves Lee. She loved Zak. She loves the Admiral as her father. She loves Helo as her brother. She loves Cally and Chief as friends. But she doesn't love the cylon sitting across from her.

Look at you Kara going soft. Her mother's voice overwhelms all other thoughts with her snide remarks. You know anyone you love ends up destroyed.

The meal is finished all too quickly and she stares at the sink in front of her full of bubbles. Kara looks around the apartment to find Leoben sitting in a chair scribbling something in a notepad while he refers to the pad than the book. Gods help her it's a psychology book. How to screw with Kara Thrace's head 101.

After a few moments he looks up and notices what she's doing. She hasn't done many dishes before now, but she needs to do something besides curl-ups, crunches, planks, push-ups and the like. Mundane house chores may not be fun but it is a welcome distraction.

"You know you don't have to do dishes if you don't want to." He says, his blue eyes locking in with her own green ones before she yanks her gaze from his and returns to the sink full of lemon scented bubbles. Zak always bought orange scented she remembers, whenever they went shopping he wouldn't let her buy any other kind than orange.

For the first time in days she speaks, her voice sounds strange to her, as if it is someone else's, her self not used to hearing it after a week of disuse. "Not like there is anything else to do around here." and he looks sad she notes before she truly brings her eyes down to the sink and returns to scrubbing the pot.

"You'll understand one day Kara." He says simply and she just snorts. She doesn't look up again and he doesn't push her to talk anymore. He just goes back to his book and notepad after a minute or so and she wishes she was anywhere else. She won't understand one day, she does have nothing to do but simple forms of exercise, devising of ways to kill him and house chores and pray.

Kara slowly began to pick up where she left off from her memorizations of scripture, the words whispered under her breath giving her some comfort as she scrubbed at a stubborn vegetable sticking to the side of the pan. Prayer and religion had gotten her through her childhood, they could get her through this.