Thicker Than Water

At the hesitant knock on the hatch, Laura blinked and turned her head slightly to see it ease open, Saul Tigh looking in at her. “Uh, Madame President?”

“Colonel.” Surprised, she smiled at him and pushed herself up from the reclining position she’d ended up in against the arm of the couch. “Come in.”

He glanced over his shoulder and gave a quick nod at the guard outside before stepping into the room, closing the hatch behind him. Stopping, he stared at her, shifting his weight uncomfortably. “I, um, didn’t want to disturb you…”

“You’re not.” Laura waved her hand at the piles of folders on the table in front of her and scattered on the blanket covering her lap. “I’d appreciate an interruption.” And, she was curious as to what would bring him to Bill’s quarters to see her. “Would you care for a drink? I think it would be safer if you got it…”

“Thank you.” Saul swallowed and moved across the room to the tray with several bottles, his hand drifting toward the alcohol before picking up the pitcher of water. “Can I get you anything?”

She’d watched him, and let a small smile play across her face at his choosing water in deference to what he’d believed she’d prefer drunk in front of her, at least that was the only reason she could think of. “I would love a glass of that alcohol masquerading as ambrosia that you brought Bill. And for you to have one as well.”

He glanced at her, a wry smile on his face. “You sure?”

“Yes.” Her smile deepened as she watched him pour two glasses and pick them up, crossing the room to join her.

Handing her a glass, he sank into the chair next to her and tilted his glass to her. “To finding a still.”

“Was there ever a doubt?” Touching her glass against his, she took a sip and hissed softly. “Frak, that’s horrible.”

He burst out laughing. “Warned you.”

“I’ve drunk it before.” She took another sip, and glanced at him. “I just tend to forget about the first taste. It mellows after a few swallows. Or so we’ve found. So, Colonel. What brings you here today?”

“Admiral got stuck in CIC, speaking with some of the captains.” He shrugged. “Asked if I’d stop by.”

“He’s just concerned I’ll be out running again.” Laura used her free hand to gather the folders on her lap and stack them on top of the ones on the table before turning slightly to face him. “How are you?”

He took another deep swallow, his eye moving to stare across the room. “You know. Day by day, all that frakking stuff.”

“All that frakking stuff.” She echoed softly, reaching out and touching his arm lightly. “Saul.”

Taking another swallow, he tilted his head back and closed his eye. “Didn’t even know I wanted a kid. Never expected it. Ellen and I…we’d tried, but, well…hadn’t really thought about it. Didn’t know I wanted him until…and, it’s so…” he shrugged. “Frak, Laura…I don’t know how…”

“You feel like part of you was ripped out?” She finally suggested quietly when he didn’t finish his statement, causing his eye to fly open as he stared at her. “Part of your heart you didn’t know existed?”

“Yeah.” He frowned. “Can’t imagine what Caprica…” with a sigh, he took another swallow. “She went back to the Basestar.”

“Bill told me.” Laura admitted, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “I wanted to go back and see her in Sick Bay, she’d already left.”

“Yeah.” Saul shook his head slowly. “Said she loved me, but that she’d be a reminder, and that since Ellen was back…Frak it Laura, why do women have to be so…so…” he glanced at her, “present company excluded of course.”

“Please.” She let out a snort and took another swallow of the liquor. “Did I ever apologize for hitting you on New Caprica?”

“Which time?” He winced slightly. “You could have warned me your dad was a boxing fan.”

“Where would the fun have been in that?” Her eyebrow lifted. “But did I?”

“No, you never did.” Saul grinned at her. “Making amends?”

“Nope. Just wanted to make sure I hadn’t.” She winked at him and finished her drink. “So, Caprica’s gone and Ellen…”

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair, gazing at the half empty glass in his hands. “We’ve been talking. She remembers things…been explaining some things Sam said…”

“I saw him yesterday, when I went by.” Laura sighed softly. “Kara was with him.”

“Yeah. Ellen can explain some of what he said. Still doesn’t make much sense.” He took another swallow.

“How’s…Tory?” Eyes glued to the glass in her hands, Laura managed to get the question out, albeit softly.

Saul shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t know what to make of her. Wants to stay on the Basestar. Doesn’t really care…”

“About anything but herself.” She finished quietly. “I saw what was happening to her, I just didn’t know why.” Looking up, she held out her glass. “More please?” Silently, he stood and crossed the room, re-filling both glasses. Returning to her, he hesitated. “Trust me, Saul. It won’t kill me.” A sad smile crossed her lips. “And, we both know I can handle it. For now at least.” She took the glass he handed her. “We haven’t had a chance to talk since…not just you and I. Not really since we left that frakking mudball.”

“We haven’t exactly been stuck in neighboring beds in Sick Bay or been kept underground since then.” He sank back into his chair. “Not a lot of chances or reasons in the more recent past.”

“No.” Laura sipped her drink thoughtfully. “Has Ellen said anything about…?”

“We’ve talked about a lot…not really that.” Saul grimaced. “She said…she understood. And remembers that Cavil drove her to it…” Laura shuddered at the name. “Sorry, forgot about how you feel about him.”

“’S all right.” She glanced at him. “Boomer got her here. What do you make of it?”

“Bill and I have talked about it. Told me you’ve talked about it too.” He took another swallow. “How’d she know how to find us, and why haven’t the others followed. Too much unknown to be thankful. Why is he…are they biding their time.”

“Exactly.” Laura swirled the drink, watching the light refracted in the liquid. “It’s too much to ask. Every moment could be the time they find us.”

“We went over the ship with every sensor we could, didn’t find anything.” Saul shook his head. “Course, with what happened with Boomer before…”

“She’s not stepping foot outside that brig.” At the harsh tone, he glanced at her. “And, I hear the Chief’s been visiting her.”

“Yeah.” He winced. “Said he remembers…”

“She shot Bill.” Laura’s voice was icy. “She is not stepping foot outside that brig, no matter how many times she’s been resurrected since then. If she’s Boomer, she’s not Athena. Boomer is manipulative…twisting…cruel….” Lifting the glass she took a long drink before looking back at him. “Makes promises she has no intention of keeping.”

Saul remained quiet for a long moment, remembering one of the times they’d both been in Cottle’s tent, recovering from time spent in the Detention Center. Laura had woken throughout the night, screaming out at Boomer…grasping her side where he’d seen Cottle changing bandages over a stitched up gash. “I remember.”

“Yeah.” She took another drink and turned slightly, resting her elbows on the arm of the couch as she gazed at him. “You’re not stalling, or lying to me are you? Bill’s okay, right?”

“Yeah. Just the frakking ship’s captains.” He sighed. “Again.”

“And they won’t talk with you.” Laura finished softly. “Can I ask you something?”

Saul chuckled, taking a drink. “Laura, we may not have talked much lately, but, yeah.”

“Do you feel different?” She tilted her glass at him. “I mean, now that you know about being…”

“A Cylon.” He finished for her. Gazing across the room he sighed. “There was a certain amount of…well, I’d been hearing this music, and at least I wasn’t going insane. Figured it was an alcohol induced hallucination at first, until Sam, Tory, and Tyrol…” he grimaced. “Harder to tell Bill, than it was to accept it myself.”

“How long…” Laura took a sip. “I was…the chamalla, then on the Baseship…”

“Not long.” His eye moved to focus on her. “You had been taken…”

“He came after me.” Her eyes fluttering shut as she remembered her own visions on the Basestar, then her utter relief and the love that had flooded through her when he’d appeared in the raptor. “And, I made him return to Galactica.”

“Yeah, but he knew you were alive.” Reaching up, he tapped her nose. “That’s all that he needed right then. And then, we broke him. Telling him…”

“I’d never seen him so broken.” She whispered. “Lee had called me…”

“He’s a survivor.” Finishing his drink he leaned forward, setting the glass carefully on the table. “And you were here to help him when I couldn’t.”

“And you were there when I couldn’t.” Laura lifted her glass in his direction. “So, you don’t feel…different?”

“Do you?” His eyebrow lifted as he leaned back in his chair, watching her.

She laughed softly. “Don’t feel much but the pain now. But, back then…I was in constant pain. Hallucinating…imagining…all I could see or feel…blurred. And then, the pain was gone. Just…gone. I woke up, Billy was there…and everything was brighter, clearer. So yes, I did feel different, in that there was no pain. But with Hera’s blood…” Laura sighed. “I really didn’t feel any different. Just like…me.”

“Yeah.” Taking her empty glass he set it next to his on the table. “Can’t really say I saw a change. And I wanted to back then. You were…alive, didn’t know what to make of it.”

“Me either.” Reaching out she caught his hand. “Saul, I need to ask you to do something for me.”

“Yes, Madame President?” He focused on her as she shook her head, the dark auburn strands of her wig framing her face, her eyes wide behind her glasses.

”No. I need you to do something for me, for Laura.” She stressed softly. “Not the President, that will be Lee soon enough. But, for me.”

“Whatever I can.” Leaning forward, he winced as she tightened her grip on his hand. He had a feeling about what she was going to ask…

“When I die.” Her voice faltered, and he started to interrupt until she shook her head. “No, Saul. I’m dying. The cancer’s progressed, and I stopped the treatments, I needed to live for the time I…we had left, for both of us. To give us both…memories of what we had, not what could have been.” She took a breath. “When I die….”

“I’ll be there for him.” Saul swore softly, squeezing her hands gently. “Laura, whatever he needs, I’ll be there. Doesn’t matter…we’ve been there for…I won’t let him bury himself in his quarters, and I’ll let him mourn you, but fight on for what you wanted.”

“Thank you.” Leaning forward, she brushed a kiss along his cheek, startling him and eliciting a smile from her at his response. “We both love him, Saul. I knew you would…but I needed…”

“I understand.” Smiling, he mimicked her action, kissing her forehead just as the hatch opened.

”That’s not what I meant when I said to check in with her.” Bill shook his head at them as he turned and closed the hatch.

Laura choked back a laugh and wiped her hand across her face. “Right Bill. We were just discussing how to steal a raptor and fly away, leaving all this behind us.”

“Well, at least get one that’s fueled up.” Crossing the room, he grinned at them. “You two okay?”

“Just…catching up.” Saul nodded as Bill eased himself down next to Laura, his grin widening as she shifted sides to lean against him….’and saying goodbye’, he finished silently.

“You did send him.” Leaning against him, Laura caught his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Everything all right with the captains?”

“For now.” He sighed. “I have a few that had some questions about the way the new government will operate…referred them to Lee.”

“Good.” She sighed softly and closed her eyes. “Glad you’re home.”

“Me too.” When she relaxed against him, he looked at Saul, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

“Just talking. Couple of drinks.” Saul explained quietly. “Had some things we wanted to catch up on. Little of this, little of that.”

“She’s been doing a lot of that lately.” Affectionately, Bill ran a hand along her hair as she murmured incoherently and settled more securely against him. “Along with dropping off rather quickly now and then. She doesn’t sleep well at night, naps when she can.”

“I’ll go ahead and head back to the CIC.” Saul slowly stood. “Anything I need to know?”

“Helo will fill you in, nothing new.” He nodded at the other man. “Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Yeah.” Saul grimaced, “pain in the neck frakking schoolteacher.”

“Heard that.” Laura mumbled sleepily from somewhere in the vicinity of Bill’s chest. “Pain in the ass frakking drunk.”

Saul and Bill chuckled as she turned her head so she could see him, one hand raising to push her hair out of her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Madame President.”

”Better. Colonel.” She smiled up at him. “Thanks Saul.”

“Laura.” With another nod, he left the room sealing the hatch after taking one last look at the two of them, Laura curled up against Bill, the dark hair of her wig lying across his chest as he eased her back to recline against him and tucked the blanket around them, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before closing his eyes and resting his head on hers, together.