Torn
[A/N: this is a much shorter chapter than what I've previously posted. In this episode, Laura has only one scene and for as much as possible I'm trying to run this fanfiction in time with the events of each episode. I guess you could consider this too be more of a filler chapter]
It turned out that Pandora's favourite word was 'Why?'. Much like Laura herself, it seemed that the child had a love for knowledge, wanting to know every tiny detail. "Why do we have ra..raptors?"Pandora wondered aloud, struggling to understand the strange vessels. Her curiosity came out as she tried to see as much of the interior of the raptor as she possible could from her seated position in the back with Laura. "They're called a raptor" Laura corrected before stopping a moment later, how exactly was she going to explain it all too someone as young as Pandora? "How about you ask Bill when we see him?"She suggested, knowing that by the time they found Bill that Pandora would have forgotten all about her curious question; or at least she hoped.
As the pair headed through the hallways of Galactica, Pandora clutched onto Laura's hand; both excited too see Bill and cautious about the watching eyes that seemed too follow them around every corner and down every corridor. "Why is everyone looking?" Pandora asked, looking up at the woman with a confused expression. Frankly, Laura had been avoiding listening to the rumors and whispers that floated around the fleet; the press weren't helping either, all asking for a comment about the young child who had seemed to come under her care. "Just ignore them" She suggested, giving the girl's hand a small squeeze as they arrived at their destination.
Baltar's laboratory seemed to have been left untouched since their settlement on New Caprica. If it wasn't for the fact that the room held important information and artifacts relating to their search for earth, then Laura thought that she might have ripped the entire room apart to get back at the man, leaving all his precious research in shreds.
Stepping further into the room, she felt as though its very presence was a constant reminder of Baltar's existence. That alone motivated Laura to find Earth. "You can't let him get too you, Laura" Bill announced as he stepped into the room, softly shutting the door behind him before heading over to the pair. That was one thing that was easier said than done. Baltar had ruined their lives, and the lives of each and every soul in the fleet.
"He's not even here and he can still get too me" Laura thought aloud with a heavy sigh. Why did Baltar seem to have this control over her? Too be able to make her blood boil over and send her blood pressure sky rocketing. All she needed was to throw him out of an airlock and be done with him. A woman could dream... "If I had never let him win the Presidency," Laura started, remembering the countless nights that she had laid awake, imaging just how different things would be if she had of won the Presidency. The fleet would never have settled on 'New Caprica', the clyon occupation would have been nothing more than a tragic nightmare and countless hundreds and thousands of innocent people wouldn't have had too suffer painful and untimely deaths.
It was Bill who spoke then, stopping Laura from continuing her path of depression. "Everything happens for a reason, Laura" Bill reminded her, after all, if Baltar had never been President, then Laura would never have found Pandora. There was countless other happy events that wouldn't have happened. Sitting herself down on the cold grey stool, Laura glanced over at the child beside her, who simply was looking absentmindedly at the paper map that covered the entire desk, marked with scribbled notes and circles that seemed to make sense only to Gaius Baltar.
As the door creaked open, the trio looked up as Felix Gaeta walked inside. He seemed like a cat that was spooked by the blinding headlights of an oncoming car. After all, Laura was almost certain that Gaeta would have heard his fair share of the rumors that were no doubt floating around Galactica like wildfire. While Laura wasn't aware of any herself, Tori had informed her that several were rather hilarious scenarios. Perhaps the next time she needed cheering up, she would allow Tori too tell her some.
"Admiral, Madame President" Gaeta nodded his head as a sign of respect at the two most senior members of the fleet before his eyes casted down onto the child sitting between them. The infamous Pandora, the child at the centre of the storm of rumors and whispers going around the CIC. Just who was she?
Pandora felt the man's eyes on her and found herself reaching out for Bill, her hand coming to rest on his arm as she pushed her face against his elbow in an attempt to hide herself from the man's constant watch. Sensing Pandora's discomfort, Laura moved around to the other end of the table, looking down at the overly highlighted and pen marked map. "Can you make any sense of this?" Laura asked, attempting herself too make heads or tails of the map spread out on the cold metal table before them. "Baltar seemed too have his own way with things" Gaeta admitted, the pair continuing to converse as Bill returned his attention too Pandora.
"Pandy.." He started, his arm wrapped around the girl's thin shoulder as he looked down with a wholehearted smile. "What's the matter?" He asked, having noticed himself that Pandora seemed outspoken and joyful around them, but shy and guarded around anyone else. Pandora seemed to bite her lip then, glancing down at the floor, acting as though she was suddenly interested in a circular spot.
She stumbled for a moment before speaking. "Not safe. I don't feel safe" The young child suddenly seemed older than her years as she cautiously raised her eyes from the floor and at the man beside her, who had suddenly become her protector, defender and guardian. With Bill - and Laura as well - Pandora felt safe. As though no one in the universe could harm even the finest hair on her pretty little head. No one.
As Laura and Gaeta finished speaking, with the latter taking a copy of the map and leaving the room, Pandora seemed too relax almost instantly when left alone in the company of Bill and Laura. A comfort silence fell over the trio as Laura sat herself down on the cold metal seat next to Pandora. Bill decided that now was certainly not the right time too voice his concerns too Laura; he would wait until Pandora was preoccupied before raising them too her. Perhaps he was over reacting?
It seemed that as Kara was slipping further and further from him, Pandora was instantly filling the 'daughter' void that Kara left behind. He and Caroline had always wanted a third child, even more so a daughter, but by the time Zak was born, their relationship was already strained beyond breaking point and Bill had been prepared too allow another child to grow up in their broken household. "Uncle Tigh?" Pandora's soft voice seemed too echo around the room, pulling both adults out of their deep thoughts and forcing their attention on her. "Is he in that place again?" She turned to look at Bill then, expecting him too have the answer to her question.
Laura took her glasses off then, bringing her thumb and first finger to touch the bridge of her nose. She and Pandora passed the pilots' recreation room each time that they boarded Galactica, and upon hearing the familiar voice of her 'Uncle Tigh', Pandora had went in search of the man, expecting too find Bill with him. Of course, what both Pandora and Laura had found was what neither had expected. Tigh was drunk off his face, hardly able too walk even a step. Even worse, Kara wasn't far behind him. Part of Laura had wanted to go inside and knock some much needed common sense into the pair, reminding them that Bill would have their heads for that, while the other half wanted too protect Pandora from the sort of behavior that both Tigh and Kara were infamously known too take during their drinking sessions. Anyone would have thought the pair were father and daughter; with too many similarities to go unnoticed.
"What place?" Bill's confused voice surprised Laura. So he didn't know? Though she thought that perhaps he was starting to ignore the whispers going around the CIC, after all, the three of them were a focus point of at least half of such rumors. "Rec room. Is Uncle Tigh sick?" This time, Pandora directed the section half of her statement at Laura, leaving the President with two pairs of bewildered eyes starring at her for answers. "No, Pandy" Laura said, shaking her head while attempting to comfort the child as she stroked her thin hair. "He just isn't in a good place right now" She tried not too give a direct answer, cautious of Bill's clear confusion over the matter. How did he not know that Tigh was falling into a spiral of depression and drink? Was Bill being oblivious too it all?
Standing up from the stool, Laura held out her hand for the child beside her. "We need too head back" She informed the child, cautious of arriving late for the first quorum of twelve meeting, the last thing she needed was that starting off on a bumpy road. Pandora's face dropped a little then, clutching onto her plush grey elephant as she slipped off the tall stool, her feet hitting the floor as she reached out too take Laura's waiting hand.
As the trio arrived at the door, Laura turned to face the Admiral once more, a concerned expression masked her face. "Bill" She started, knowing that he might not take his newly discovered information about Tigh in the best of manners. After all, Laura could read him like an open book. "Hear Tigh and Kara out" She guided, reaching out to give the man's upper arm a small reassuring squeeze. If anyone could turn the pair around and make them see sense, it was William Adama. Laura had every faith in him too do so.
It was while watching the older couple's interaction that Pandora remembered the question that had been rattling her brain for most of the morning."Bill" The four year old spoke, beaming up at the man beside her happily. "Why do we have raptors?"The child curiously asked, leaving Laura with a bemused smirk as she watched Bill attempt to form an answer. For once, the great William Adama was speechless. In one swift move, the Admiral moved too bend down so that he was at eye level with the girl. "I'll make you a deal." He began, watching as the child's eyes seemed too glimmer with interest and curiosity. She reminded him so very much of Laura when she did that. "If you can talk Laura into having you both join me for dinner tomorrow, I'll take you into one of our raptors or even a viper" Bill bargained, watching as the child's eyes widened before she launched herself at him, wrapping her small arms around his neck, clasping her hands together behind his neck.
"Thank you, Bill!" Pandora said, her cheerful voice lightened the tense atmosphere around Galactica. Releasing Bill from her hold, she moved to take Laura's hand once more, watching as the older woman simply narrowed her eyes and playfully shook her head at the man that still stood crunched down in front of them both. "We will see" Laura admitted, though suspecting that the rest of that day and the following morning would be spent attempting too battle with Pandora's consistent pleads and her best attempts 'puppy dog eyes' before Laura would eventually give in.
As the trio parted way, Bill found himself glancing over his shoulder as he headed down the opposite side of the hallway, watching protectively as the pair turned the corner and headed towards their raptor.