Battlestar Galactica is the registered trademark and copyright property of NBC/Universal Studios. This fiction item is intended for entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been received or will be accepted for this item, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended or should be implied.
This Much, I Can Give
Laughter
They'd crawled out of the truck awkwardly, hampered by their bound hands. After the long ride, though, a chance to walk around was worth any discomfort. Gods only knew how long their captors would let them stretch, or how long it would be before they had the chance again.
Then she heard an all-too-familiar metal clanking and her heart sank.
Even as she turned toward it, she felt firm hands on her arm, drawing her back toward the truck, away from the sound. "Get back, Laura. Be careful."
Tom Zarek released her arm and stepped forward, putting himself between her and the Centurions coming into sight over the next hill. Despite knowing she had only moments left to live, she found herself chuckling. What exactly did he think he could prevent?
But then all hells broke loose, and without conscious thought she caught his forearms and threw him forward and down, ahead of her and underneath the line of the firefight. He rolled and caught her, pulling her against him, holding her until the sounds of gunfire ended.
"Are you all right?" she managed to ask as they stood up and began brushing themselves off.
"It's been a while since I had a woman throw me to the ground," he quipped in reply, still breathing hard. "Not quite as much fun as I remembered."
She couldn't help but laugh at the gallows humor, the same humor that had left her chuckling earlier. But it was a short, shaky kind of laugh. But then she risked a look up, and saw Galen Tyrol looking down at her.
At that, her fears eased and the laughter became free and delighted.