[Righteo, where do I begin? Revision is as much of a pain as Admiral Cain. This chapter sets up the next 'phrase' of the fanfiction, the next chapter to be published is rather 'heavy' both in length and emotionally. I'm finding my time to write has become ever smaller - decreasing by the day it seems - and even more so with my first exam of the season next Friday. I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but consider this chapter as the 'calm before the storm'. Reviews are loved, I reply to all of them and they add a little sunshine to my day.]
A Day In The Life
For the first time in years, Bill allowed his wedding photo to sit in the deep darkness of his desk drawer. For the first time in years, he didn't think about Carolanne. For the first time in years, he didn't focus on his regrets; but rather his future.
It seemed Pandora was beginning to pick up, running circles around Bill's quarters in search of her plush elephant. "Mr. Elephant!" The child called, attempting to reach her hand down the back of Bill's couch in search of the object. Laura watched over her steaming coffee in a state of amusement as Bill attempted to rip the room apart in search of the plush toy. "Found him!" Bill proclaimed, lifting the grey plush from its hiding spot down the side of the bunk. He turned around in time to catch the giggling Pandora, who was quick to thank her rescuer with a soppy kiss on his cheek before snatching her elephant back. "You're not going anywhere, Mr Elephant!" Pandora proclaimed as Bill sat her down on the ground, allowing her to head over to the table where her mother sat.
Laura sipped on her coffee as Bill sat down opposite her, Pandora taking the seat beside him. "The longer I can stay here and out of Colonial One the better" Laura confessed as she unfolded her glasses and placed them on the bridge of her nose, looking down at the reports beside her. "Why don't you use one of the meeting rooms?" Bill suggested, knowing that there was no point in the woman trailing over to Colonial One if she didn't even want to be there; it seemed she now shared Pandora's apparent hatred for the ship.
As much as Laura wanted to jump at the idea, she was mindful that she wouldn't be able to keep Pandora with her then. "Would you be okay going to day care?" She asked the child, who was cuddling her elephant close to her chest after being reunited with him. "Will Hera be there?" Pandora wondered aloud, attempting to reach across the table to collect her small glass of orange juice. "I believe so" Bill said, moving to lift the glass and handed it to the child, who thanked the man with a smile. "Okay, then" Pandora concluded, smiling at her mother who seemed thankful that the child had made at least one friend, even more so that it was Hera. "It's settled. We'll be staying on Galactica for a little while longer" Laura announced, returning her attention to the reports beside her, her fountain pen resting between her fingers as she pursed her lips, her concentration dropped however when the wireless began to ring.
Lifting the empty glasses, Laura discarded them in the sink before readjusting her crisp white blouse, throwing her black blazer on top and doing up the belt. Bill allowed himself to turn his attention away from his phone call and towards the President as she attempted to get into her heels with as much grace as she could master. It never failed to show him how easily both Laura and Pandora seemed to have integrated themselves in his lives; it looked as though they simply belonged in his quarters, as though they were a focal part of it. Pandora closed over the straps of her patent leather shoes before standing to attention beside her mother.
"I'll call Tori from the meeting room, get her to bring my files and such over" Laura explained as she ran her fingers through her hair, watching as Bill returned the wireless to its cradle. "Saul's on his way over" The Admiral informed, moving towards the pair as he spoke. Laura dropped a kiss on the man's cheek before throwing her bag over her shoulder, her eyes dropping down onto the child beside her. Pandora looked far from amused. Looking up at her father, Pandora crossed her arms and stood as straight as she could until the man bent down to her level. Smiling at him, Pandora's posture at once relaxed as she launched forward and wrapped her arms around Bills neck, kissing his cheek before hugging him. "Come on!" Pandora demanded, slipping out of her father's arms and reaching up to grip her mother's hand, attempting to pull the woman out of the door with her. It seemed Pandora was enthusiastic about going to daycare; an unusual occurrence. Laura was glad that Hera seemed to have brought Pandora out of her shell. Bill shook his head and let out a low chuckle as he made his way towards the bedroom once more.
By the time Bill made it to the conference room, Laura was already half way through a much-needed dose of caffeine. Looking up the small mountain of paperwork that had accumulated in front of her, Laura greeted the Admiral with a smile as she sat the coffee mug down gently. "Bill" She said, remaining in her seat as he walked towards her, stopping in front of her desk. "Being in here reminds me of how crazy I get on Colonial One" She informed him, her shoulders relaxing as she basked in the comfort of being in his presence, the corners of her eyes turning up in a carefree smile. "Deep space pilots used to call it OBE" Bill began, moving to rest the palms of his hands against the desk between them. "Overcome by events" He explained, though he silently believed that both Pandora and Laura may have 'OBE' - or just a sheer desire to stay off Colonial One for as long as physically possible. "You and Pandora are welcomed on Galactica anytime, you know that" Bill said, reminding the woman as he looked down at the collection of files in front of him. If Laura wasn't feeling well, then the last thing she needed was to go through mountains of paperwork.
"Tori drew up an agenda" Laura confessed as she lifted the stapled booklet and handed it over to the man. "Baltar again" Bill muttered under his breath, wondering why they couldn't just throw him out the nearest airlock and be done with it all. He glanced up as Laura took another sip of her coffee, it seemed to be the only thing keeping her awake and functioning. "Can't we just give him back to the cylons?" He suggested, pacing in front of Laura's desk as he absent-mindedly looked at the list of discussion points, more concerned with Laura's health. "You know how much I love that idea, unfortunately, the cylons don't seemed to want him anymore than we do" Laura said, sighing to herself as she lifted herself from the chair, standing to her full height as she looked across the table to Bill.
"We have to give Baltar a trial, but under what law?" She thought aloud, her mind far too clouded to focus on such an issue. Bill could already feel a headache beginning to form. "This fleet is not exactly brimming with legal talent" Laura reminded him, her eyes following him as he rounded the desks and walked towards her, leaning on the desk. "Wasn't your father an attorney in Caprica?' She asked, following her hands in front of her waist as she recalled a previous conversation with the Admiral. "Yes, I told you that I didn't get along with him very well" Bill replied, unsure of where Laura was going with her questioning. "I'm looking to form a committee and I need someone to head this committee and won't get seduced by all the legalese." She confessed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she felt Bill's hand come to rest on her back, encouraging her to move closer to him. "Do you have any candidates?' He asked, though he had a feeling he knew what was going to come next. "I do. I was thinking Lee. Like grandfather - like grandson" Laura thought aloud, not knowing how Bill would take the idea, after all, he just reminded her that he was hardly his father's biggest fan and no doubt he would oppose the idea of Lee following the man into a legal career.
Though as usual, Laura was able to swing the man into the idea. "This is very difficult for me to say, but I'm going to go to the gym" Laura's face contracted in protest to the idea, showing her uncertainty about the idea. "Prepare yourself, on its best days it smells like the inside of a shoe" Bill said. Her laugh was like music to his ears - the most joyous sound in the world, next to Pandora's laughter of course.
Bill noticed the paleness of her skin, it no longer had that healthy glow that gave her a youthful appearance. "Take it easy Laura" He requested, his pleading eyes looking into hers for a moment as he watched her posture relax. He reached out to take the woman's hand for a moment, giving it a squeeze as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead, feeling her body relax against his for a moment before he pulled away. "That's easier said than done, Bill" She reminded him, her lips tugging up in a smile as she watched him back away before leaving, the hatch shutting behind him.
Sighing to herself, Laura shut her eyes as she lowered her head. Her mask was slowly falling apart. Just as the pieces of her life seemed to be finally coming together, it looked like they were about to be ripped apart again. She silently dreaded her appointment with Cottle, it was as though she could already predict what the man was going to say. Though she knew that positive thoughts were necessary, and it wouldn't take much for Pandora to catch on to her sudden change in behavior - she didn't want to worry the child without reason. Pandora could not lose her mother; not after everything she had been forced to endure.
When Bill returned, he found Laura in a similar position to how he had the first time. Surrounded by a blockade of paperwork and engulfed in the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She was living on caffeine.
Laura could still sense Bill's concern and worry, after all, he was watching her as though she might fall apart into a thousand tiny little pieces at any moment. "I'm fine, Bill" She attempted to convince the man that she was perfectly fine, though Laura herself knew she was far from it. She could feel it in her very bones. Something was wrong; she just prayed to the Lords of Kobol that it wasn't her cancer. Not now that she had Pandora and Bill. The Lords of Kobol were mentally torturing her, giving her a few short weeks of peace before throwing her head first into a sea of uncertainty.
"When are you seeing Cottle?" Bill asked, moving towards Laura as she sat herself down on the edge of the table. Work could wait; Laura's health couldn't. "Tomorrow afternoon" She confessed, attempting to not jump to the worse cause scenario. "You can come if you like, though you're not to tell Pandora a thing until we get some sort of confirmation from Cottle about what's wrong with me" She offered, though Laura suspected that the man would be coming whether she asked him to or not. Though, if Laura's fears were to be confirmed, then she would rather have Bill with her for emotional support. She couldn't push him away if it happened - they had come too far for that.
He could sense the anxious and uneasy atmosphere that was falling over them, perhaps now would be a better time to reflect on happier memories? "Do you ever think of New Caprica?" Bill asked, his mind slipping away to the few peaceful, care free days he had spent on New Caprica - they were forever engraved in his memory. "Ever think of what might have happened if it all had of worked?" He wondered, having seen a new side of the President during those days - the carefree, lighthearted and humorous side of Laura. He couldn't deny the fact that his heart skipped a beat simply thinking about that time.
"Everything happens for a reason Bill, if we hadn't of had the exodus from New Caprica, we might not have Pandora." Laura reminded him, her hand coming to rest against the man's chest as she looked up at him with a mournful expression on her face. She couldn't help but imagine what life may have been like on New Caprica if the cylons hadn't invaded. She would be doing what she loved, teaching children, and perhaps Bill would have one day joined her on the surface; maybe by another twist of fate she would have found Pandora? "Everything happens for a reason" She repeated as she came to her conclusion.
"Would you have built the cabin?" Bill wondered, having pictured the cabin on many occasions following that night of New Caprica, while Laura was on the surface and he was onboard Galactica. He wouldn't admit that he had once sat out and planned it in his head. "I would have most definitely built that cabin" Laura replied, though she reminded herself that there was always the possibility of building one on Earth, except this time, she would have Bill and Pandora with her. "When we find Earth, I'll build the cabin then. Make sure there's plenty of room for Pandora to run around" Laura confirmed, though she felt like it could be a long lost dream at this stage. Was the prophet herself beginning to lose faith in finding Earth?
The scriptures had proclaimed that a 'dying leader would guide the people to earth'. Though what if she was actually dying? The Gods were surely playing a wicked trick on her mind, tempting her with her heart's greatest desire only to decide that her time was up. Would she ever get to build that cabin? The one that had plagued her dreams for over a year.
The metal hatch opened slightly, with the couple lowering their eyes to watch the young child struggle to push it back far enough to get into the room. Tori appeared behind the girl and held the hatch open long enough for Pandora to slip into the room. "Hello, little one" Laura greeted, getting off the edge of the table and standing to her full height once more, just in time for Pandora to stop at her side.
"How was daycare?" Bill asked, putting his arms out to pick the child up. Resting her head down against Bill's shoulder as she smiled at her mother, relieved to have been reunited with Bill and Laura. "Hera and I painted" Pandora revealed, recalling her time in the daycare as Laura reached out to touch her forehead, wanting to check that her fever hadn't returned. Thankfully, she seemed to be as right as rain.
"We need to go back to Colonial One, it seems our absence has been noticed" Laura admitted with a heavy sigh as she glanced at the clock. Tori had informed her that several of the delegates had unexpectedly called in to speak to her, only to be informed that she was again on board Galactia - the last thing she needed was for them to begin to believe the rumors. It didn't help that Zarek seemed to have temporarily moved into her office for the day. Gods, she could swing for that man sometimes.
Pandora reached across to plant a kiss on her father's cleanly shaven cheek, though it was clear to see that she was far from happy with the idea of leaving Galactica - and even more so Bill. Laura closed the small distance between herself and Bill by placing her soft lips over his, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder for a moment before she pulled away, mindful of Pandora's presence in the room. "We'll be back tomorrow afternoon" Laura promised, reaching out to take the child from Bill's arms, allowing Pandora to wrap her legs across her waist and bury her head in her shoulder - no doubt already depressed at the idea of leaving Galactica. "Bye, Papa" Pandora proclaimed, resting her head down on her mother's shoulder as she raised her hand to sadly wave at the man, her usual bubbly personality replaced with a helpless expression.
Bill watched as the pair's silhouette disappeared down the hallway. Tomorrow would be a new day. It would either be filled with relief or anguish. Laura's cancer was either back, throwing their happiness into a mask of uncertainty. On the flip-side, it could be something simple and curable, allowing the makeshift family to continue as normal. He prayed it was the latter. He couldn't - he wouldn't - lose Laura.
Stepping onto the raptor, Pandora's usually bubbly personality seemed to be disappearing by the minute. Laura couldn't deny that Pandora was definitely 'Bill's little girl', with both of them becoming rather depressed when separated from one another. "Why do we have to leave Galactica?" Pandora wondered aloud, sitting beside her mother as the raptor began to pull out of Galactica's hanger deck, beginning its journey back towards Colonial One. "The press wouldn't be happy with it" Laura said, imagining what the media storm would be like, if the rumors were anything to go off, then Pandora and Bill would be dragged into a wildfire. Zarek would have a field day with it all, no doubt claiming that the Adama - Roslin partnership had went a step too far. Tori had shared several of the rumors going around the fleet. Some believed that the Adama-Roslin partnership was more than just in name, but rather in marriage as well - with others even claiming that Pandora was in fact their daughter. Ironically, Laura wished that such things were true.
"How would they know?" Pandora asked, her head resting down onto her mother's knee as the temptation of sleep seemed to overcome her "Why can't we just live with Papa, and not tell them?" The child's curiosity was starting to show, reminding Laura of Bill. "If only we could, little one" Laura confessed, her hand coming to rest on the crown of Pandora's head as she stroked the girl's soft hair. In reality, nothing would make Laura happier. Without even knowing it, the trio had seemed to form a dysfunctional family unit for Pandora. Without even knowing it, Laura had found what she had yearned for since her sisters and father's deaths. A family.
Though Pandora did have a point, would anyone notice their absence? Zarek. He seemed to be sneaking around for something, and Laura feared that she knew exactly what it was. By the time the Raptor docked in Colonial One, Laura was already counting down the hours until she would once again be on board Galactica; until the small family unit would be reunited. Until she would know if her cancer had returned.