True Fit

At the exasperated snort from across the room, Laura glanced over her glasses. “What’s wrong?”

“Can’t…” Bill huffed out another breath and turned the model ship slightly. “Can’t get the piece in.”

“So try it from a different angle.” Her lips twitched slightly. “And quietly. I’m trying to review the minutes from the last Quorum meeting, and I wouldn’t put it past them to try to sneak something in.” At his sigh, she returned her attention to the folder on her lap, absently reaching out and picking up the glass of ambrosia on the table next to her. A few minutes later, she looked up again. “Bill.”

“Sorry.” Dropping the tweezers onto the table, he leaned back in his chair and regarded the model in disgust. “Can’t get my fingers in there.” Picking up his glass, he took a swallow.

“Fine.” Closing the folder, she tossed it to the side and uncurled herself, stretching slightly as she stood. Crossing the room, she gazed down at it. “What piece and where.”

“Here.” Pulling her down onto his lap, he indicated a small piece of wood with a dab of glue on it. “That piece goes into…” he pointed at a spot toward the bottom of the center mast.

“Okay.” Picking up the tweezers, she deftly manipulated the piece into place, her smaller hand easing into the tight space carefully. “Like this?”

“Turn it slightly to the right…angle it up….” He held another long implement through the mast rigging and held a piece out of her way. “And press it in there.”

“There?” Laura waited for his nod before holding the glued end against the main mast. “Fifteen seconds, right?”

“Thanks.” His other hand rested on her waist, fingers absently caressing.

“Working over there, Adama. And I only came over here to stop your pitiful sighing. So, don’t start.” Her lips twitched slightly. “This better not have been a ploy to get me on your lap.”

“Don’t need a ploy for that.” He pressed a kiss against her neck. “You know that.”

“Indeed I do.” Judging that enough time had passed, she carefully released the piece of wood and withdrew the tweezers. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” Bill reluctantly released her waist.

Standing, Laura turned to face him and leaned over, kissing the top of his head. “You’re welcome.”

“Hold on.” Catching her hands, he held her between his legs, leaning back in the chair so he could look up at her face. “How much more do you have?”

She sighed. “Not much. You know very well how much of those meetings are posturing and hot air. It’s just figuring out what really crucial points to deal with. Tom handles a lot of the rest.”

“You’re not giving him too much power, are you?” Concerned, he frowned slightly. “Laura, I know you trust him, but…”

“You underestimate me, Admiral.” Her eyebrow raised. “Which is exactly his problem. He believes that I trust him completely.”

“Don’t you?” Bill watched her face as she tilted her chin slightly, the lamp light accenting the planes of her face.

“Bill, there is exactly one person that I trust completely.” Reaching out, her hand rested on his cheek. “And, you know very well that it’s not him. I trust him to a point. I have to. But, I won’t forget that he has his own agenda, and that at times, that agenda blinds him to the greater need of our people.” Her thumb absently stroked along his cheekbone, below his glasses. “And that, I think, may be another one of our differences in perspective. You and I believe in our people…he and his followers believe in our peoples…that they are still a group of individual colonies, not a whole.” Her smile morphed into a frown. “Make sense?”

“It does.” He nodded slowly. “You take the big picture, deal with it, whatever the consequences be, for the totality of the good of us. He looks at the big picture and tends to deal with the best solution for an individual group.”

“Right.” Laura bent and kissed him. “See, I knew I’d make a politician of you yet.”

“Watch your mouth.” He growled, giving her a light swat on her behind.

“All right.” Her giggle was light, “more aware and accepting of politicians.”

“You know very well there’s only one politician that I accept.” Bill pulled her against him, looking up at her as she threaded her fingers through his hair. “Madame President.”

“Admiral.” She smiled down at him and glanced briefly over her shoulder before returning her eyes to his. “And before you follow through on what’s in your eyes, I want to remind you that if you throw me down on your desk to have your way with me, there’s a good chance we’ll damage your recently repaired model that still has work to be done on it, and that I still have work to do of my own.” Bending, she kissed the top of his head and deftly stepped back, eluding his hands as they grasped at her. “And, when we make it to your rack tonight, I want to relax and enjoy our few hours there, not be thinking about having to return to finish the report.”

“Spoilsport.” Amused, he watched her retreat to the couch again, the flush of her skin showing that she’d rather have remained in his arms.

“Hmm.” Picking up her report, she adjusted her glasses and gazed at him. “Mister, I have to review these personnel reports tonight no matter what you’re not wearing?”

“This is payback, isn’t it.” He winced, remembering how she’d sighed that night, falling asleep before he’d finally been able to join her in the rack, her cool body cuddling into his warmth unconsciously when he’d slid between the sheets.

“Not yet.” Laura’s lips curved as she lifted her legs so that she could rest her feet on the low table in front of her, the movement causing her skirt to slide up over her knees, revealing more of her legs than usual before she unbuttoned one more button than normal on her blouse and grabbed an extra pencil. Twisting her hair up, she used the pencil to loosely fasten the knot and adjusted her glasses again. “Now it’s closer to payback.” With a final smile, she opened the report and resumed reading it, her attention on the papers in front of her.

“Frak.” He stared at her. He had a love hate relationship with this look, he called it her sexy teacher look, one she hadn’t even known about until one night when he’d come in and found her perched on the couch, so engrossed in the report in her hand, she hadn’t realized that in moving around on the leather couch, her skirt had ridden up, one bare foot rubbing against the other, her hair absently pulled up and fastened out of the way, tendrils falling around her face. She’d been leaning back against the arm of the couch and as he watched, the foot that had been rubbing had dropped to the floor, her legs parting…closing his eyes, he swallowed hard, remembering her look of surprise as he’d growled and moved across the room to pull her to her feet…papers falling to the floor just before their clothes had joined them…a groan emerged as he remembered…

“Behave.” Her eyes flicked over the report to watch him. “Do some more work on your ship. Still needs a lot of work.”

“Laura.” With another sigh, he met her amused gaze. “Frakking woman.”

“Hmm.” She smiled. “Soon, Admiral. It’s all about patience.”

As he grudgingly returned his attention to the model in front of him, he swore he heard a soft giggle from across the room. “So, why’d you miss that meeting anyway?”

“Had another meeting with the ship’s captains, about supply runs. Remember? The one we talked about so they could have time with me face to face?” Laura looked up to catch his nod and continued. “It ran long, Tory called and had Tom chair the Quorum meeting. I had wanted the chance to talk with the captains, to get a feel for certain things myself. And, there was nothing crucial on the Quorum agenda.”

“You just didn’t want to sit in the Quorum meeting and listen to them yell at each other.” He chuckled, picking up another piece of wood and dabbed some glue on it.

“That may have been part of it.” Her eyes narrowed at something and she pulled the pencil out of her hair to circle a comment on the page. “Sometimes their negativity gets to me. And I didn’t want it to today. Feeling too good. Too useful.”

“You’re always useful.” Bill grinned over his glasses as she looked up, their eyes meeting. “And better than good.”

“One track mind.” Laura laughed softly. “No, before the meeting, I had a few minutes…”

“Meeting was where?” He’d provided the raptor that had taken her out into the fleet that day, but couldn’t remember exactly where today’s meeting had been.

“Zephyr.” Her lips curved up slightly, wondering if he’d make the connection.

“Ah.” Bill chuckled. “Someone had time to visit a classroom today.” He should have known. That was one of the ships that had a school on board for the children. The rare times she had opportunity to visit a classroom, she had a certain…he wasn’t sure, but there was an air of nostalgia and softness to her when she relaxed at night on those days. Nothing tangible, but something he’d come to recognize with her on the rare occasions those days overlapped with the evenings they spent in each others company.

“Someone did.” And in all honesty, had been a few minutes late to the meeting, but from the amused look on several of the faces when she’d arrived, her delay had been duly noted and quietly approved of by the captains. “Which reminds me…” Dropping her feet to the floor, she bent and dug through her briefcase. “I was also serving as courier today.”

“For what?” He glanced at her over his glasses.

“This.” She stood and moved across the room to hand him a large envelope. “For some reason, the children seemed to think that I would have a way to get these to you. I’ve only seen the two on top of yours, and before you say anything, I received some as well.”

“I see.” Opening the envelope, he peered inside and chuckled. Carefully withdrawing the sheath of papers, he gazed at the first one, a drawing of what was supposed to be…

“It’s a viper coming in for a landing on Galactica.” Laura perched on the arm of the chair, leaning over to see the picture.

“Of course it is.” He gazed at it for a moment until she reached out and turned it upside down. “Ah. Much better.”

“Of course it is.” She mimicked with another giggle. “Alec is only six. It’s quite good for a six year old. He already has the concept of perspective. Sort of.”

“Sort of.” He placed the picture at the back of the stack and smiled. “Him I recognize.”

“Stephanie’s been drawing Sam since she met him on New Caprica.” Laura smiled at the picture. “She was a bit starstruck, as her father had been a huge pyramid fan and had taken her to games from the time she was an infant. She lost him when the Cylons attacked, she and her mother were on a trip…he’d stayed home. When Stephanie saw Sam on New Caprica, she knew exactly who he was, her father’s favorite player.”

“It’s an excellent likeness.” He gazed at it, a picture of Sam with a pyramid goal in the background.

“She wanted you to pass it along to him, since he’s a pilot over here now.” Laura touched the picture lightly. “She’s working as a teacher’s aide in the classroom, teaching art.”

“I can see why.” Setting the picture on his desk, he chuckled at the next one. “What’s this?” He’d learned that as a teacher, she was usually able to figure out what the children had been attempting better than he.

“Hmm?” Laura leaned forward, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Oh. Another view of Galactica.”

“Of course.” Nodding, he continued to leaf through the pictures, him occasionally asking a question or Laura commenting on the child who’d drawn it, the names on the bottom or back of each paper.

“Oh my.” As they reached the last one, Laura let out a soft sigh.

“Stephanie again?” He really didn’t need to ask, as he recognized the same deft pencil strokes that he’d noted in the picture of Sam.

“Yes.” She reached out, lightly touching the paper. “Do we really look like that?”

Bill stared at the picture of the two of them. Somehow the girl had managed to capture them next to each other, their faces turned toward the other. Laura’s gaze seemed to be focused slightly downward, toward his lips, and his face was tilted as though he was about to kiss her forehead. It was a soft, tender, romantic portrait of them, neither one displaying the steely resolve they’d had to maintain in public, both about their respective offices, or about their personalities. The look on Laura’s face was one he’d seen all too infrequently, not submissive, but completely relaxed into being…Laura, a gentle, passionate woman. And the look the girl had drawn on his face was one he wished he could display and feel more often, that of just being a man in love with the beautiful woman in front of him. “I think…she’s done an amazing job of capturing…who we would like to be, if we weren’t who we are.”

“But…we’re not in public…there’s no public signs that we’re more than the President and the Admiral…I mean, how would she…” Laura’s voice trailed off as a memory struck her. “Oh, gods…”

“Apparently, we’re not as secretive as we believed.” He glanced at her. “What?”

She looked at him, absently biting her lower lip. “Um…remember back on New Caprica, when you were visiting unexpectedly one day…we’d released school early because it was beautiful, and they’d been working so hard…and I was alone in the school tent, grading papers?”

A grin crossed his face. “And I arrived to find you alone in that tent? And distracted you from grading papers?” He did indeed remember arriving to find her gazing into nothingness, her chin propped on her hand as she stared across the tent, the papers she was supposedly grading ignored in front of her. And her sudden squeal as he bent and kissed her, breaking into her reverie…the kiss quickly progressing into something more, both of them aware that they weren’t in a secure location, but the beautiful weather and surprise of each other making them reckless.

“Indeed you did distract me.” A flush ran up her face. “And may I say, that…um, distraction on my desk was one of the memories that made staying in that classroom a bit easier after the attack. But, I remember…”

“You thought you heard something.” A fragment of memory came back. He’d eased her back onto the desk, his hands unfastening her blouse as he bent to capture her creamy skin, when her sinuous arch up against his mouth had suddenly tensed in fear. He’d glanced up, her hand cupped around the back of his head, to see her gazing toward the back of the tent, at a sectioned off area they used as a closet. She’d said she’d heard something, but they hadn’t seen anyone or anything, and a moment later had continued with what became a memory that lasted both of them longer than they’d expected or wanted.

“I didn’t connect it at the time…well, didn’t really have time to, since the next day…” Laura shuddered, remembering.

“Shh.” Turning the chair, he tossed the papers onto the desk and pulled her into his lap as she nestled into him. “Go on.”

“A few days later, Stephanie asked if I thought you were all right.” She absently rested her hand on his chest. “I said something about how I was sure you were all right, and had the Galactica somewhere…the next day, she brought me a small sketch of you. Said she wanted me to have it, that the picture she had of her father helped her, that though she missed him, the picture made her feel that he was with her…that night, they came and got me…” she shuddered again, her eyes closing. “When I finally got back to the school tent after that stay…she’d drawn me another one of you and left it in my drawer.”

“So, you think she saw us and…” He reached out and picked up the picture of the two of them.

“She has a romantic streak.” At his movement, she’d opened her eyes. Reaching out, she traced the lines of her face on the paper. “I wish I looked like that. She’s so…at peace.”

“She’s caught our souls.” Opening the drawer, he carefully placed the picture inside. “No one else but the two of us use that drawer. When we need to, we’ll remind ourselves of who and what we are.”

“Hmm.” With a final touch of the drawing, Laura pushed the drawer closed and relaxed into him. “I think I’m done with the Quorum minutes for tonight.”

“I’ve got a bit more to do on the ship.” He teased, tightening his arms around her.

“Funny.” Lifting her head, she gazed at him. “You’ve got more to do on that ship, I suppose I can go back to Colonial One tonight after all.”

“You forget.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Colonial One is currently on the Starboard deck, the FTL drive being worked on, and the rest of the systems having an overhaul. Which is the current reason you, as President, have been assigned quarters on Galactica. For your own safety and privacy while the ship is filled with random crewmen doing repairs, it was decided by the Quorum no less that you were safer under my care.”

“It was decided that it was more convenient and private for me to have quarters on Galactica. Nothing at all to do with being under your care.” With a push, she slid off his lap and stood gazing down at him, hands on her hips. “That being said, I can return to those quarters. Admiral.”

Bill gazed at her for a moment before standing and holding out a hand silently. When she sighed and reached out to take it, he gazed at their entwined fingers, hers slender and pale against his callused darker skin. Tugging gently, he pulled her against him, his other hand running up to pull out the pencil holding her hair up before combing the auburn strands out against her back. “Laura.”

“Bill.” She smiled slowly, letting herself relax against him, her body fitting against his as they slowly moved to the music he’d turned on before starting to work on his model ship. Her cheek resting against his shoulder, Laura closed her eyes and inhaled, his scent filling her as his fingers gently massaged the top of her spine under her hair. “Nice.”

“Hmm.” He nuzzled her hair. “Bed?”

“Minute.” She sighed. “Feel normal for a minute. Miss dancing with you.” At his chuckle, she nipped his neck. “Dancing like this.”

“It is nice.” Bill smiled, his eyes closed, moving with her as the music washed over them. When the handset on the wall buzzed, they froze for a moment before he gently moved them toward the wall, still swaying to the music. “Adama.”

Laura let her cheek remain against his shoulder, her eyes closed as he listened then sighed. When he spoke again, telling whoever was on the other end that he’d be right there, she lifted her head to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Raptor coming back in on Dradis, may have found some resources…I need to go take a look at some of the scans.” He traced her chin with a finger. “A couple of hours.”

“Should I come?” Stepping back, she was already looking for her shoes as she pulled her jacket back on.

“I’m going to review the scans then Helo will have a report for us in the morning.” Refastening his jacket, he moved behind her. “You go on and get some sleep.” At her slight frown, he kissed her lightly. “Laura. Madame President, following our meeting in the morning, you’re going to need to present the information to the Quorum and the Press. I’m looking tonight at the general areas, directing Helo on which ones to follow up on. Determining a course and seeing if we need to jump. Logistics. That’s all.”

“Point taken.” Laura winced. She’d been in enough of the meetings to know that they’d pore over the scans until deciding which was the most beneficial, while she watched them. She’d learned more about the process each time she’d witnessed it, but if it came down to that verses some extra sleep and the chance to use Bill’s shower, with all it’s wonderful warm water…sometimes she’d choose being female over being President. Rarely, but sometimes. And, truthfully, as President, she could use the unexpected rest as well. Lifting up on her toes, she kissed him. “Have fun, find us something we can use safely and quickly.”

“Yes, Madame President.” Bill nodded and finished fastening his jacket. “Back soon.”

“Don’t wake me up.” She teased, watching him leave and close the hatch behind him. As the lock spun, she stretched, glancing one last time at the folder she hadn’t quite finished going through. “Tomorrow.” With a definitive nod, she dropped her jacket back on the couch and wandered back to the bedroom, pausing only to turn off the lights, leaving the lamp on the desk on so that he’d remember the model, and not absentmindedly toss a folder on top and knock the recently repaired ship over. Again.

**

Bill quietly moved back to the bedroom, his jacket already unfastened as he caught sight of Laura, sound asleep in the rack, a towel partially obscuring her damp hair. Chuckling, he leaned over and untangled it as she murmured groggily. “Shh, go back to sleep, just taking the towel back.”

“Kay…hair wet.” Laura mumbled, turning over and pulling the blanket up.

“I see that.” He grinned and continued to the bathroom, tossing the towel on the sink before stripping his uniform off and stepping into the shower. When he returned to the rack a few minutes later, he gazed down at her for a long moment, admiring her shadowed profile before carefully sliding under the covers. “Shh…”

“Find something?” As he moved next to her, Laura wriggled slightly, pressing back to fit against him.

“Water source, as well as algae.” Wrapping his arm around her waist, he arched his neck and kissed her cheek. “No jump needed, use less fuel going directly.”

“Good. Don’t like jump.” When he laced his fingers through hers, she pulled their entwined hands up to her chest. “Sleep better now.”

“Yeah. I sleep better with you too.” He chuckled as she sighed back into sleep, his thoughts meandering about the two of them as his eyes closed, drifting as he followed her into the darkness. It sometimes amazed him that they’d gone from polite cordiality at their initial meeting to where they were presently, completely trusting and relying on the other as well as respecting and admiring the independence each had, balancing and somehow fitting with the other…to being two parts of a whole…together.