4 – Reunion

Laura looked over her shoulder at Bill, eyes pleading as he stepped through the hatch. “Can I…we…?”

He nodded briefly and glanced at the guard, who’d stood as they entered. “When is your relief due?”

The young man looked at the clock on the wall. “Thirty minutes, sir.”

“You stand relieved.” Bill held out his hand, ignoring the fact that Laura had continued on towards the cell, where she and Kara stood, staring at each other through the bars. “I’ll maintain watch until your relief arrives.”

“Sir?” He blinked.

“You stand relieved.” He repeated, waiting until the marine had relinquished the keys and departed, closing the hatch behind him. Crossing the small room, he opened the door, sliding it to the side as he met Kara’s gaze levelly.

“Thank you.” She breathed out and practically fell into Laura’s arms as the shorter woman entered the cell.

“I didn’t realize…” Laura sank down on the small rack, wincing at the thin mattress as Kara perched next to her. “Starbuck?”

“My flight call sign. We pretty much go by them out here.” Kara stared at her. “What are you doing here?”

“I was part of the team that was working on transitioning the ship into a museum.” Absently, Laura reached up and brushed Kara’s hair out of her face. “Commander Adama has been kind enough to show me some of the other areas of the ship.”

“I wondered why you were wearing this.” Kara touched the jumpsuit Laura wore with a shaking finger, both of them having forgotten about Bill, who had taken the guards seat behind the desk, and was pulling up a file on the computer on the desk.

“He let me sit in a viper.” A smile crossed her face, “Wouldn’t have worked so well with the heels and suit.”

Kara nodded slowly. “Guess not.”

When she didn’t speak again, Laura reached out and caught Kara’s hands, lifting them so she could see the palms, faint scars still tracing across them. Caressing them with her thumbs, she looked up at Kara, her voice soft. “They still hurt?”

“No.” She shrugged one shoulder and waited a moment before sighing. “Well, sometimes. A bit. Usually if I’ve been flying for a long time. Muscle fatigue.”

“I remember.” Still holding her hands, Laura let them fall onto her lap.

“I wouldn’t be flying at all without you.” Kara whispered. “I wanted to let you know, but I didn’t know if you’re remember me. I wanted to come visit, but…”

“I wish you had. I’d wondered where you were, tried to find you a few times, but…” Laura reached up to cup Kara’s cheek. “How are you?”

Kara shrugged. “I’m in the brig, so I’d say I was as frakked up as I usually am. Status quo and all that fancy stuff you used to talk about.”

“Kara.” Laura sighed.

“I frakked up again.” She glanced past Laura at Bill, who was staring at the computer screen in front of him. “Don’t know why the old man puts up with me.”

“Because you’re a very special young woman?” Laura lifted an eyebrow. “You know I still believe that.”

“Yeah. Well,” Kara sighed. “Not many people believe I’m anything special unless I’m flying. And I can’t spend all my time doing that.”

“Much as you’d like to.” Laura guessed. “Do you still paint?”

One shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “Sometimes. Not much.”

“So how’d you end up in here?” Still absently stroking the hand she held, Laura waited patiently. “This time, apparently.”

“Hit a higher ranking officer.” Kara sighed. “Frakking Colonel Tigh. He’s too easy, but I didn’t think he’d go after me.”

“And?” Laura lifted an eyebrow.

“We were playing cards.” With another sigh, Kara glanced at Bill before returning her attention to Laura. “I was winning, made some comments about his wife. True ones, but, not really something you should say to a higher ranking officer. He turned the table over, I reacted.”

“Same Kara.” Shaking her head, Laura sighed. “How long have you been on the Galactica?”

“Couple of years. Old man brought me on after…” her voice trailed off and she wiped her free hand across her face.

“After?” Laura encouraged softly.

“My fiancée died.” Kara whispered. “Flight accident. It was the old man’s son. That’s how we met…at the funeral.”

“Oh Kara.” Instinctively, Laura reached out and hugged Kara, rocking her back and forth gently.

Bill looked over the top of the computer screen, barely able to comprehend what he was seeing. Kara Thrace, who never showed a hint of weakness, was crying in Laura Roslin’s arms, as the older woman rocked her back and forth. He’d seen Kara box, seen her injured, seen the depth of her sorrow about Zak as well as other pilot’s who’d been killed, but he’d never seen her cry, not since they’d spoken after Zak’s funeral. When Laura glanced up, he shook his head at her and directed his attention back to the screen, reviewing the charges that had been brought against her this time.

“Hey.” Realizing Kara’s shuddering breaths were easing, Laura leaned back and smiled at her. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Kara took another breath. “Um, the old man…he doesn’t know.”

“And you don’t want him to.” Laura nodded. “You were one of my students.”

“I mean, you can tell him, but don’t tell him…how. And why.” Kara sat up and wiped her face. “So, how’d you end up here again?”

“You know about the ceremony…that you were supposed to fly during?” Laura waited for the nod. “I was part of the group from the Department of Education, I was leading the team for the transition. After, there was a reception, I’d had enough of, well, being around all of it, and I wanted to go see some of what we’d been working for. So, I wandered off. Commander Adama found me in the Landing Bay that some vipers were on display in, and offered me a tour. That’s how.”

“I thought everyone was leaving tonight.” Kara frowned. “Apollo, I mean Lee, the old man’s other son, was flying escort.”

“They did.” Laura shrugged. “The Commander arranged for me to stay. I’d had enough of being around the political scene, to be honest, and there was room on one of the shuttles going back tomorrow.”

“Sorry you had to see me like this.” With a sigh, Kara glanced around the cell. “I’d rather you have seen me fly. I mean, it would have just been better.”

Laura smiled at her, “it’s all right. I’m proud just to know you were supposed to fly. I’ve always been proud of you, you know that.”

“I guess so.” Kara pulled her legs up on the rack and leaned against the wall. “Sorry I didn’t come visit or anything. You told me to…but….”

“Again, it’s all right.” Tucking her legs underneath her, she turned toward Kara. “Maybe some time we can get together and talk? Where are you transferring to?”

“Don’t know.” She sighed and dropped head back. “Where ever they send me.”

“Kara.” Laura leaned toward her. “Kara, I’m serious here. You are going to let me know where you are, all right?”

“I guess.” Kara looked at her. “You mean it?”

“I meant it then, I mean it now.” She reached out and took Kara’s hand just as the hatch opened and a marine stepped through, pausing at the sight of the open cell door and the two women.

“At ease, Marine.” Bill shut off the computer and stood, crossing to hand the keys to the guard.

“Yes sir.” He nodded and glanced at the cell again. “Ma’am.”

“I’ll come back and see you again before I leave tomorrow.” Laura slid off the rack. “Ka…Starbuck.”

“I’d like that.” She smiled up at her as Bill stepped through the cell door. “What do you hear, sir?”

“Nothing but the rain.” Shaking his head he handed her a cigar. “Bring in the cat, will you, Starbuck?”

She winked up at him, “boom, boom, boom.” Clenching the cigar in her teeth, she nodded at them. “Miss Roslin.”

“Behave yourself, Starbuck.” Bill led Laura out of the cell, pausing to slide it shut. A few minutes later, he glanced at Laura as they continued down the corridor. “How the frak do you know Starbuck?”

“Kara was one of my students.” She shrugged, her eyes not quite meeting his. “Special program a number of years ago. We bonded.”

“I see.” Realizing he wasn’t going to get anything else out of her, at least not yet, he sighed. “You are full of surprises, Laura Roslin.”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “Just a teacher.”

“Right.” Bill chuckled. “And my Exec has a drink or two occasionally.”

“The Exec that Kara is in the brig for hitting?” Laura followed him through another hatchway, “oh, we’re near the wardroom we met in this afternoon, aren’t we.”

“Indeed we are. And yes, he is.” Pausing at the hatch, he looked at her. “These are the pilots. Just…be aware. And try not to spend the entire time we’re here interviewing them.”

“Of course not.” She pushed her hair back and smiled up at him. “I have to leave some time for drinking, don’t I?”