Note: This chapter is picking up after "You Can't Go Home Again" and going through "Tight Me Up, Tight Me Down". Please let me know if you have any questions about content of what is happening in the show in relationship to the story!


Laura brushes the curtain back and smiles at Kara as she takes a seat next to the bed.

"How are you doing?" Laura inquires, unbuttoning her jacket and leaning back in the chair.

"I'd be doing better if they let me out of here," Kara grumbles.

"You practically tore your leg in half, enjoy the couple days of rack time," Laura tells her with a smile. Kara rolls her eyes and sighs as she flops back against the pillows, "I haven't seen you much since we've been on board. How has everything been going?"

"Who's asking? The president? My CO's wife?"

"No," Laura shakes her head, "Just me."

"These…This is everything I wanted when I joined up, went through flight school…but I would give anything to go home right now. Zak and I were going to spend a couple years home, start a family. And home doesn't exist any more and who knows how long we're going to be out here…and I am already so tired," Kara spills, ending on a broken note. Her brow furrows as she twists her wedding ring around her finger before clenching her hands into fists. Laura leans forward and takes Kara's hand in hers, unfolding her fingers before working her own between them.

"You don't think any one else has these feelings? Kara, every single person in this fleet is having those feelings right now, I have had them myself. Every morning my stomach sinks that I wake up in some fleet issue rack and not in a cabin in the middle of no where, with only a Caprican breeze and Bill's snoring surrounding me." Kara snickers at the thought of the Old Man snoring. Laura smiles and squeezes her daughter in law's hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, "You have been through a lot. Take the couple days of time to rest, recuperate…just relax."

"Thank you…for coming."

"I love all of you kids, and I worry about you. We are very lucky that all of us managed to survive this together. And I know we're all in a strange situation. But I don't want you to ever feel like you can't come talk to me."

"You're the President."

"And I have some pretty decent compartmentalization," Laura tells Kara with a firm voice, "You can talk to me."

"Thank you," Kara says with a small smile before looking up as Cottle sticks his head in, waving a hand at Laura. Laura lets go of Kara's hand and stands, squeezing her healthy leg before following Cottle into another cordoned off area.


Laura sighs as she brushes her hands over her stomach, taking in the gentle curve in the mirror. Could they be doing this again? Could she be doing this again? Could she and Bill continue to run from the cylons and lead the fleet with small kids?

Bill taps on the doorway to the head before leaning in. Laura breaks her gaze from the mirror and turns to look at him, a hand still stroking back and forth across her midsection absentmindedly.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"How did today go?"

"Fine, I talked to Kara for a little bit," Laura tells Bill as she buttons her shirt, leaving it untucked from her skirt. She steps closer to Bill and leans up to kiss him gently. Bill's arm naturally wraps around her waist, holding her close.

"I meant your appointment with Cottle."

"Oh, everything's fine. Tip top shape," Laura says as she rests a hand on his chest.

"Is tip top shape possible after passing out yesterday?"

"Bill…I'm sorry that you had to hear about it from Cottle," Laura grouses as she looks up at her husband with an indignant look, "But I'm fine. I'm eating. I'm taking the stuff that Cottle prescribed me. I don't need you tossing it in my face every time you ask me how I am."

"Sorry you're right," Bill acquiesces, "You seemed a little reverent when I came in."

"Just wondering if we're crazy enough to do this again. We haven't gotten this far since we had Aurora. It's just..." Laura shrugs as she takes a deep breath.

"Not according to plan?" Bill prompts. Laura nods and sighs softly as she rests her head against Bill's chest, "This would have happened one way or another whether or not the cylons attacked."

"I know," Laura hums, smiling as Bill's hand drifts across her stomach. He presses his lips to her head and smiles.

"Besides it's a good look on you," He tells her.

"It's cute how you turn into a caveman when I'm pregnant," Laura smiles as she steps back from his hold, taking his hand in hers and pressing a kiss to his knuckles, "I'm going to go talk to Aurora."

"You sure you don't want any help?"

"I can take care of it," Laura assures him with a small smile. Bill kisses her again before letting her slip by, getting into the shower. Aurora looks up from her bowl of noodles, fumbling slightly with her chopsticks. Laura laughs softly and resets them in her fingers before taking a seat next to her.

"Thanks," Aurora says before continuing to shove the noodles into her mouth. Laura smiles and brushes her hair back from her face, taking a moment to just quietly admire her. Aurora was growing up into a beautiful girl, her olive skin had darkened as she aged, the swirling blue eyes she'd been born with had shifted to an earthy hazel to rival her mother's, and her thick black curls tumbled down her back in waves. She was tall and gangly for her age and sharp as a whip. Yet, every once in a while when Laura regarded her daughter during a moment of quiet all she could see was the squalling baby girl they'd brought home from the hospital that smelled like lavender and milk.

"You're staring," Aurora mumbles around a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Laura reprimands her as she sits up a little straighter. She crosses her legs and rests her head on her hand, "What do you think about having a little brother or sister?

"Why?" Aurora wrinkles her nose, wiping her face off on her sleeve.

"Don't wipe your face on your clothes. It would be nice if you could get a couple wears before we have to wash them."

"I already have Lee and Zak and Kara. Why do I need another brother or sister?"

"It's not that you need one, I was just wondering what you thought about having another one, a little one."

"I don't know, it would be fun I guess," Aurora shrugs as she chomps on a carrot, before reiterating her question again, "Why?"

"Well, you're going to have a little brother, or sister, in about six months."

"How?" Aurora wrinkles her nose again. Laura laughs softly and smiles at the little girl.

"I'm going to have a baby."

"You're gonna have a baby?!" Aurora squeals, suddenly more excited. Laura nods and smiles, glad that Aurora's attitude had turned. The little girl scrambles into her mother's lap and throws her arms around her neck, "You didn't say anything about a baby!"

Laura laughs and hugs Aurora close, kissing her head.

"What did you think I meant by little?"

"Like me."

"Mmm, yes you are little. But no, I mean I'm going to have a baby, and you're going to have a baby brother or sister," Laura explains to the little girl. Bill comes out of the bathroom, hanging his blues up before joining his family.

"Daddy! Did you know Mama has a baby in her belly?!"

"I did, what do you think of that?"

"It's awesome!" Laura laughs and lets her daughter down from her lap. Aurora presses her hands against Laura's stomach, "It's in there?"

"Mmhm."

"Nuh uh!" Aurora says skeptically, looking up at her mother.

"It is. But, they are very tiny right now," Laura explains holding her hand up to approximate the size to Aurora.

"Babies aren't that little. They way bigger than that."

"Well until we get to meet them, they are going to grow lots and lots until they look like a baby."

"Oh…" Aurora mumbles, staring at Laura's stomach. Laura tucks a strand of hair behind Aurora's ear and strokes her cheek gently before covering both of her hands.

"I am very glad that you are so excited."

"They're gonna like me right?"

"They are going to love you, just like you are going to love them," Laura assures her with a soft smile.


Laura groans as she flops down on the rack in Mona's room as her friend undresses from the scrubs she was wearing and changing into more casual clothes.

"Very presidential Laur." Mona comments as she tugs her top off, tossing it into the laundry. Laura lifts her head from the pillows and glares.

"The President isn't here."

"What has your panties in a bunch?" Mona asks as she tugs down a clean t-shirt before going to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Ellen frakking Tigh," Laura grumbles, "My darling husband found her on the Rising Star…That woman has been the bane of my existence the last six years…Saul I can handle, Ellen…I'd put her out the frakking airlock with enough reason."

"How can anyone be that bad?"

"She's a special case," Laura reasons with a whine. She flops her head back down for a moment, burying it in the fleet issued fabric before lifting it up and sighing, "Also since when do you wear scrubs?"

"I've been helping out down in Life Station. It's something to do during the day if I'm not hanging out with Aurora," Mona explains, "Figures I use that damn college degree more now than I did at any point during my life on Caprica."

"That's great," Laura says rolling over onto her back, "I'm happy for you."

"It's nothing," Mona shrugs.

"Are you done getting dressed yet? You promised we would go to Cloud 9."

"Yes, Madame President," Mona salutes before getting up and finishing her changing, "It's nice to see that we're avoiding crises long enough that we can even go over there."

"At least cylon based crises."

"Are there others that you haven't told me about?"

"Food, water, housing, blah blah blah blah blah. It's all I spend my day talking about," Laura heaves a sigh as she sits up, "We're reforming the Quorum, you sure you don't want to be the Caprican delegate?"

"Um, no, my brother was the politician, I am not."

"You're no fun," Laura whines.

"I am very fun, you have told me so multiple times," Mona says as she slips a pair of earrings on before turning to Laura, "So don't try to pin the fun sucking on me now. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Laura says pushing herself up off the bed, "Um, before we go there's something I wanted to tell you."

"Sure, what's up?" Mona asks, worried.

"It's nothing bad," Laura assures her, "I'm pregnant."

"You're…pregnant?" Mona asks with wide eyes. Laura nods as she wrings her hands slightly, an apprehensive smile on her face.

"Yeah, it was quite a surprise," Laura chuckles dryly.

"Laur, that's great!" Mona says as she throws her arms around the redhead, "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," Laura replies, relaxing for a moment in her friend's embrace. Mona pulls back after a beat and grins down at Laura.

"Let me see." Laura rolls her eyes and unbuttons her blazer, showing Mona her rounding midsection. Mona squeals and puts her hands on the bump.

"Oh my god, this is so great. I can't believe it. When do they get here?"

"Ah, six months-ish," Laura tells Mona before taking her arm and leading her out of her quarters, towards the flight deck, "We haven't really…told many people yet. The kids know, Billy knows…"

"You'll probably want to make an announcement soon, you're not going to be able to hide it much longer."

"It's my personal life…it's no ones business."

"They don't see it that way, just like they didn't see it that way back home. You're their president."

"They already find me being married to Bill contentious."

"You've been doing a good job Laur," Mona tells her as they climb into a raptor. Laura greets the pilot with a smile before buckling into her seat.

"I never gave your brother enough credit for putting up with all of this frakking bull shit."

"Well, you know Rich. He brought a lot of it on himself," Mona explains with a roll of her eyes. Laura laughs and shakes her head.

"I do miss him sometimes. Usually when the files seem to be taller on my desk than when I started."

"Me too, though not the whole paperwork thing. Just when I remember the fun times. Before he married that permanent stick up his ass and became a full time politician."

"I remember when I didn't know more about him than the fact that he was annoying little high schooler Richie when we were in college."

"Gods, it makes me feel old to think we've been friends that long."

"Longest relationship either of us has had," Mona quips with a grin.

"Definitely most interesting."

"Most definitely," Mona agrees waggling her eyebrows.


[TBC]