"Bill, do you ever go back to the mansion?"
"Sometimes I do to shower and change. An occasional nap."
"You can't possibly be comfortable sleeping in that chair."
"It has its merits."
"Such as?"
"It's proximity to you."
"In that case, if you promise not to take up the whole bed, you can share with me."
"Really?"
"Don't get so excited, Adama, I'm still a cancer patient for gods' sake!"
"Of course, Roslin. I'd never jump the gun with you. I feel like we're moving at a good pace. I like our relationship. I feel like I want to be close to you all the time, and that kind of scares me a little, to be honest. Not that I think you're scary, but I've never felt such a pull to anyone before."
"This scares me a little too, Bill. I just know I like being around you; I need to be around you. These past two nights with you holding my hand, were the best of my life. I forget all about my cancer or my past when I'm around you."
"That reminds me, I don't know what you said to Lee, but we reconciled yesterday. You've given me my family back."
"I'm glad I could help."
"How do you do that? Here you are fighting for your life, and your only thought is of my comfort and my family."
"It's not entirely selfless I assure you. Allowing you into my bed, will comfort both of us, and if I'm going to marry into your family at the end of this, we might as well be getting along with your son."
"That's very forward thinking of you."
"I am the Secretary of Education, Commander."
"I'd like to see you become President one day."
"Okay, then I'll promote you to Admiral."
"The President and her Admiral. They'll be stories about us one day."
"Once this show airs, they'll be stories about us immediately."
"Then we should make it a good one."
"Hmmm. It already is."
Laura was sufficiently recovered from the surgery, and she was ready to undergo doloxan treatments for the next few weeks. Her bedside 'dates' had continued weekly, followed by rose ceremonies in the hospital lobby. The third week she sent home three more of the nameless ones. The next week she sent home two more.
In the meantime, Bill and Lee continued to stay by her side. Bill spent every night with her-reading to her and holding her as she slept, falling asleep holding her. When Bill was at the mansion for a shower or a nap, Lee was with Laura. The younger Adama had fully embraced Laura as his future step-mother, and she was thrilled by that fact. Lee and Laura bonded over the losses of their pasts-and their future as a family. Lee felt comfortable around Laura in a way he never did with Bill or Carolanne: He could tell her just about everything about himself, spilling his deepest darkest secrets without feeling any judgement from Laura.
After the last of her treatment, Laura was ready to return to the house and commence with the show in full force. As always, Bill showed more concern for her than she felt for herself.
"Excited to return to the house?"
"And leave this hospital bed, you bet!"
"Are you worried about these dates? I've heard they tend to be a little exciting."
"I trust Chris and the producers to take it easy on me-and the guys to be gentlemen. I wish you or Lee could be with me for all my dates, but that's not going to happen."
"Are you cancer free?"
"As far as we can tell. I'll have more tests in a few weeks, but the doctors and I are hopeful."
"Good. I just found you; I couldn't bear to lose you; neither could Lee."
"Let's go, flyboy."
The first step on the adventure tour was a group trip to Tauron. The remaining bachelors and Laura were set up in the nicest hotels in Tauron City.
The first date was a group date. It was a tour of a war museum and included the men in uniform: Bill, Lee, and Karl.
"This is so exciting! I'll get to see a little piece of what you three do to protect the Colonies."
"At least until you get to see Galactica."
"It'll be good for me to have some background before then, Bill."
"Well, as you can see, this is a weapon's case. These are all different swords our ancestors used. They have different lengths and widths. Although they aren't used anymore, some soldiers like to keep them for decoration. I know Admiral Cain keeps a case of them in her quarters on Pegasus."
"How would you know that?"
"Some of the fleet's meetings are in her quarters. You see, Pegasus is the newest and most state-of-the-art battlestar in the fleet, so the admiralty likes to hold its meetings there."
"So you aren't friends with Cain, then?"
"Not particularly, no."
"What do you keep in your quarters, Commander?"
"Books, mostly. I have many books, and they don't all fit on my shelves, so I have piles on the floor, and some on my desk, my coffee table, and the shelve behind my rack."
"Rack?"
"Bed."
"I think I'd be more interested in your quarters than Cain's."
"Good. Although, I think you'd be her type."
"Really?"
"Did I spark an interest, ma'am?"
"Oh no, I definitely prefer men. I was just curious about her position in the fleet."
"The Colonial Fleet is open to all genders and sexual orientations as long as the officers and ensigns behave appropriately at all times."
"Oh. That's good to know. What are those, Lee?"
"That's a case full of different guns. You see, guns have a history of more than 200 years. The really big guns on the left are the oldest. They were horribly inaccurate, slow to load, and only fired one shot at a time. We got a lot better at making weapons over the years, and the ones on the far right could down Centurions with relative ease."
"Of course, we also invented the Centurions and their weapons and raiders, so the whole thing was really our fault, don't you think?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Did you use those guns to kill the Centurions, Bill?"
"Sometimes, but I spent most of my time in my viper."
"Viper?"
"Small, one person plane. It's a fighter jet designed for dog fights."
"Of course you were a viper jock?"
"Now, my son is, and Helo here works with the Raptors."
"My three brave military men."
"We're proud to accompany you, Laura."
"Are there any vipers or raptors in this museum? I would love to see what my dates do for a living."
"Thought you'd never ask. Right this way."
"Wow. You two fly in those?"
"Actually, only my father flew in that model. They've updated the vipers a bit since the end of the war."
"This over here is an old raptor, Ma'am. I work the navigation systems, the communication and DRADIS systems, and assist the pilot in any way I can."
"That sounds like a lot of responsibility, Karl. You must take your job very seriously. Do you work closely with your pilot?"
"Yes, Laura. She's my best friend."
"Your face lit up, just now. You must really care about her."
"You have no idea, but we're just friends."
"He's telling the truth, I'm afraid. Boomer is currently having an affair with Chief Tyrol, but I'm letting it continue because they aren't really hurting anything, and it's obvious they're in love. The ship will be decommissioned within a year or so, anyway, so I can afford to be a soft-touch."
"How romantic, but I'm sorry, Karl. It must be hard to love someone and watch her with someone else."
"Thank you."
"I must say, I'm learning a lot about this military stuff today. If I'm ever in a position where I need advice about the military protocols, I'm turning to the three of you."
"Of course, ma'am. You mean when you're President and you promote me to Admiral?"
"Yes, then I'll definitely need you three. I'd designate Lee as my advisor to the military because he wouldn't be as busy as the fleet's Admiral, and Helo will escort me between Colonial One and Galactica in the raptor."
"You'd keep me in Galactica, Madame President?"
"Of course. The way your eyes light up when you talk about her, I'd never separate you from her, and she wouldn't be decommissioned either; she'd be the flagship of the fleet-a proud symbol of humanity's resilience."
"When's the next election?" Helo asked, obviously moved by Laura's impassioned speech.
"Not for another two years, almost."
"Would you seriously run?"
"No. In fact, I keep meaning to get out of politics. I don't really like it that much, but I'm good at my job, and sometimes, it seems like I make a difference, but mostly its just bullshit and meetings."
"You mean bullshit meetings?"
"Exactly, Bill."
"The military has its fair share of bullshit, which I don't care for much myself, but I've been a good soldier, and I'll retire with grace-maybe build a cabin to share with a lovely woman I just met."
"You really are a soft-touch."
"You have no idea."
"I think we've been through the entire museum now; we get to move on to dinner, according to this date card," Lee interjected, hoping to break the obvious tension between his father and Laura. As happy as he was for them, he knew it wasn't right for them to be so obvious when Laura was supposed to be dating the other men as well.
"Of course, Captain Apollo. Lead the way."
"Why do you call my son Captain Apollo?"
"I think it has such a nice ring to it."
"Will you call me 'Husker' sometimes?"
"Oh I like that name! I'll call you that often, Husker."
"I like the way it sounds when you say it."
"I'm sure you do. Let's get some dinner; I'm starving. You know, I haven't really eaten a decent meal since before my surgery."
"Then let's get some food in you, woman!"
"Yes sir, right away sir, anything you say sir."
They returned to the limo, which brought them to one of Tauron's wildlife reserves. There was a lovely picnic dinner set for four in a candlelit gazebo.
"Oh, how lovely! I wish there was enough light in the day to explore, though."
"Maybe you'll get to see it again sometime."
"That would be wonderful."
"Well, Madame Secretary, it looks like we have everything we need in this basket. Why don't you take a seat and allow us to serve you."
"Oh, I like that idea, Commander."
Lee, Karl, and Bill removed everything from the basket, set the table, poured the champaign, and distributed the entrees. The meal consisted of Tauron delicacies-spicy chicken, spinach, and thick noodles with spicy brown sauce.
"Are you going to be okay eating all of this, Laura?"
"Watch me, Bill." With that, Laura out ate the three men surrounding her.
"Wow!"
"I told you I was starving. I haven't eaten a decent meal in weeks. You think I'm going to let a little spice stop me from eating now?"
"It's still impressive. I've seen grown men twice your size get torn up because of this food."
"I'm glad you find me so impressive, Bill. That's important in a relationship based on mutual respect and admiration."
"Is that what you're looking for, Ma'am?"
"Yes, Helo. It's important for a woman to feel her man respects her and to respect her man. But honestly, I didn't know what I was looking for; in fact, I wasn't really even looking. The President coaxed me into joining this show, and before that, I was always single. I had casual relationships here and there, but there was no one I ever considered spending my life with."
"What about family, friends?"
"My family is all gone, now. Being a politician doesn't allow for many lasting friendships. Neither does being a cold bitch."
"You're not cold or a bitch. You're probably the warmest person I know."
"Thanks, Bill. I'm afraid my political persona forces me to become someone cold and distant."
"Will you be that way with your husband, if you get married to someone from this show?"
"Good question, Lee. I've always been able to separate my personal life from my professional one, but I'm afraid whomever ends up marrying me will have to deal with both sides of my personality. I tend to work many hours, bring my work home with me, and allow it to consume me. I take my job very seriously because I believe I make a difference in people's lives. So, living with me won't be easy. But I won't be cold or distant with my husband because he'll be my partner in life."
"That's a practical answer, Laura, and very reasonable. Any man should understand and respect that his woman has so many responsibilities, and he should have responsibilities of his own that she can respect. I'm learning a lot from you tonight. Thank you."
"Your welcome, Helo. I hope you find someone with whom you can share your life."
"That's nice of you to say."
"You're awfully quiet, Bill. What's on your mind? The spices aren't getting to your head are they?"
"No, Laura," Bill said with a slight laugh. "I was contemplating your answer. I don't think I'd mind listening to you talk for hours about your problems at work. I probably wouldn't be able to do much to help you, but I'd give you my support and comfort you anyway I can."
"I'd expect nothing less from you. You've been doing just that for weeks now. You made cancer treatment almost pleasant, almost."
"I'm glad I was able to help you."
"You really did and you showed me what I was missing my whole life. So, Bill would you accept this rose?"
"You know I will, Laura. I'll take anything you offer like a gift from the gods."
"I thought you didn't believe in the gods."
"I don't but I believe in you, and that's enough."
"You really know what to say, don't you?"
"Only to you."
"Then I'm blessed."
Bill stood up from the table, came to Laura's side of the table, held out his hand and said, "And I can dance."
"Alright then," Laura said taking his hand.
They danced without music, making their own rhythm. Leaving Helo and Apollo to watch from the table.
"This should be awkward, but it's not," Helo whispered to Lee.
"I know. It's always been between them, and it always will be. It's sweet, really. True love. My father was never like that with my mother because she never loved him the way Laura seems to."
"Let's just watch them. Learn what love's really about."