Breathe: Book Two in the Jessica/Lee Series

By Nancy

Word Count: In Progress
Date: 4/27/05
Series: Season 1
Rating: K+
Category: Relationships
Pairing/Focus: Lee/Jessica
Warnings: This one, nothing beyond a frak or two I think, if that.
Summary: Jessica and Elosha do some digging.
Spoilers/Disclaimers: This chapter, none. The show is theirs. The story is mine.

---

Chapter One

"Bat. Ball. Car. Tree. Ink blot! Ink blot! Ink blot!" Jessica burst in frustration. "This is not working." She bolted up from her chair and began circling Elosha. The woman gave her a sympathetic smile.

"You just need to be patient with yourself. Come on; let's try again."

"Oh what's the use? My mind sees a bird, I'll say bird. I can't do this." Jessica paced towards her bed and grabbed one of the pillows.

"Would you re-consider hypnosis? It'd be easier to train your mind if it was in a more receptive state." Elosha suggested, already expecting the refusal that came. Jessica shook her head.

"I can't. Sorry." Just the idea of losing even more control of her mind and possibly flashing back to her experiences with the Cylons was enough to chill her blood.

"It's only been a few days. Your mind is like any other part of your body that you train. It'll take time for you to see results." The woman assured her. Jessica closed her eyes and tried to gather some comfort from the words. She flopped onto the bed and let her feet dangle over the side.

"You tell me not to say what I see, but my brain doesn't register that. It sees what it sees and that's what's gonna come out of my mouth. How is that gonna change unless I see something else?" Jessica said hopelessly.

"It'll happen. With time. And less pressure on yourself."

"Oh sure, in the mean time, everyone hates me cause I know that Mackey is gay and messing around with Domino who is at least bi cause I've seen him with three or four of the rookie girls. That Layla is pregnant and the dad isn't Hoops. That Stogie is the klepto among his bunkmates and let's not even talk about how Starbuck has banned me from anymore Triad games since the whole full colors debacle. Right, no pressure." Jessica scowled.

"For the record, I think we all knew Mackey was a homosexual. Let's talk about something else then. How are you sleeping?"

"Oh, between my nightmares and my dreams that I'm frakking Captain Apollo six-ways-to-Sunday, peachy." Jessica sneered. She watched the older woman bite back an amused grin. Jessica dropped the pillow back on the mattress and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ah, well. I'm sure you're not the only female on board to do so. I dare say even our Mackey-"

Jessica clamped her hands over her ears."That's too much information!"

"My point is that you have no reason to stress yourself over dreams of a sensual nature. You and Captain Adama have formed a sort of...well, interesting relationship. He is the man who saved your life after all. It's only natural that you'd see him in a romantic light."

"No it isn't. It's not natural at all. For frak's sakes I can't even stand the man he drives me absolutely nuts!" Jessica threw up her hands, beginning to pace again.

"Have you ever heard of Shakespeare?"

"What?" Jessica asked blankly stopping behind the woman's chair. The priestess had a rather annoying habit of changing the subject with no warning at all.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." Elosha said with a small smile.

"Okay, is this one of those things that you say that you find in a fortune cookie because as usual, I don't get what you're babbling on about."

"Let's talk about your visions. Have you seen anything new?"

"I dreamed the numbers on my arm came back." Jessica's fingers traced over the bandage that covered the pink scarred skin. "I know they have something to do with the location of earth but I don't know what. When I dreamed of my dad, it was some weird kind of address." Jessica shook her head. “I don’t know anyone who lives on streets with numbers on them instead of names. 7125. I'm thinking it's maybe mileage of some kind. But we've traveled that hundreds of times over and all we're coming up against are stars and Cylons."

"What if it isn't a distance but a code?" Elosha suggested.

"A code for what though?"

"The automatic answer is the location of Earth. But what if the number themselves are the code to Earth's location."

"I thought we'd just established that." Jessica replied. "Gods, my head is starting to hurt." She dropped her head into her hands.

"I'm thinking substitution. Numbers for letters." Elosha suggested. She handed Jessica a glass of water while Jessica dug in her desk for the medication Dr Salik had prescribed for the headaches Jessica had been suffering from ever since the Galactica had rescued her from the Cylons two weeks ago.

"Okay, Seven. One. Two. Five." Both women counted off the letters with their fingers and Jessica started when the letters spelled out a name. "Gabe. Who's Gabe?" Jessica asked.

"Short for Gabriel. Do you know a Gabriel?" Elosha asked. Jessica shook her head. "Perhaps it's someone you don't remember right now."

"Or someone I have yet to meet?" Jessica offered. A knock on the door signaled that their session was done. Elosha rose to leave and Jessica was sad to see her leave.

She liked the plump black woman and with 6 months to go in Jessica's sentence for accidentally shooting Colonel, her company was limited to the priestess and when she could bribed her way in, Kara. Apart from them, Jessica was relegated to Dr Baltar's lab (Gods save her but the man was nuts) and Commander Adama's office/bunk. With one hour, under guard to walk around the fleet for exercise. She'd been allowed to sit in on a couple of card games but after she kept revealing people's cards, that had quickly come to an end.

Working with Commander Adama was only slightly more tolerable than working with Baltar. The commander at least had his wits about him but lords, she was not cut out to be a secretary. Her only contact with Lee Adama as of late had been when he was repeatedly bursting into his father's room to yell at her for screwing up the pilots information files and screwing up when she typed up the schedules. Jessica took to throwing staplers and hole punchers at his head in response. An effective communication, she thought.

 

Chapter Two

Lee Adama was in a bad mood. The woman was getting better with her aim. The stapler had nearly clipped the top of his ear that last time. Okay, so perhaps he had been a little harsh calling her a phony gypsy but having pilots scowl at him, cursing him behind his back because they thought they were off duty had pushed his already low tolerance to the breaking point.

He'd not been sleeping well, and Jessica Talbot was to blame for that too. She spent most of the night shuffling around in her room and talking to herself. She was having nightmares, he knew and that made him soften a little in compassion but Lords, he couldn't take much more of this. A drawback of his profession was that he was a light sleeper. The walls between their rooms were not all that thick and so Lee was privy to every rambling diatribe out of Gypsy-Jessica's mouth.

He'd heard her crying sometimes too, Lee remembered with a tightening in his chest as he stepped into the viper and pulled the dome head closed on top of him. He debated going in and talking to her a few times to somehow make her feel better but his akwardness held him back, not to mention he didn't think she'd appreciate any of his advice. The two of them had taken to avoiding each other since the episode in the pilot's ready room. Which of course was best for all concerned. Lee would be loathe to admit it but his father had been right. He'd no business rubbing up against an obviously frakked up young woman when he had his own problems to deal with.

"And how is our lovely groom-to-be this evening?" Starbuck had greeted him the same way on every patrol since the scene in the CIC and it was really starting to grate on his nerves. They sped off the Galactica and made their way out into the vastness that was more comforting to Lee than his own bunk.

"Keep your attention up ahead, Lieutenant." Lee snapped. He fought the urge to ram his viper into her tail.

"I didn't get an invitation. I think I'm insulted." Hot Dog's giggle came over Lee's mike.

"It'll be waiting for you in the brig if you don't shut your trap." Lee insisted pulling up along side the young pilot.

"Yes, Sir." Hot Dog replied, appropriately repentant.

"So Lee, come on, tell the truth, you're not the least bit insulted that she basically told everyone in CIC that she wouldn't frak you with a ten foot pole?"Starbuck asked.

Lee didn't answer, he was too busy trying to come up with a good charge to toss his friend's irritating ass in the brig, next to Hot Dog.

"It's just as well, I guess. I mean she did say you kissed like a fish." Starbuck stated and he could hear the smile in her voice. "We talked about it ya know? Now I'm not to gossip-"

"Ha!" Both Hot Dog and Crashdown's voice burst over Lee's speaker.

"Lieutenants, I won't say it again. Keep your frakking attention focused on your jobs or I will have you all tossed in hack and I'll thoroughly enjoy it, understood?" Lee snapped firmly.

"Aye, aye, Captain Apollo." Both Crashdown and Hot Dog replied. Starbuck didn't needle him anymore, she simply began to hum the wedding march. Lee shot past her and across the bow of her viper.

"Oh, you want some of this huh, Captain?" Kara asked teasingly as she gunned her viper to full speed and shot after him. In less then a second they were racing neck and neck. Lee let out a triumphant whoop when he slid underneath her viper and tapped the tail lightly with his right wing.

"Son of a bitch!" Kara yelled at Lee's giggle. Kara flipped her plane upside down then waved at him through the glass dome then nosed him in his tail with her point before shooting ahead of him.

"Not bad, Lieutenant. You might make a decent pilot someday." Lee teased speeding after her until he was along side of her again.

"Maybe, but you'll still be a superior asshole." Kara tossed back. "Uh oh, playtimes over kiddies." She stated when she caught sight of four Cylon raiders up ahead of them. She knocked out the first easily but the second one narrowly missed her before Lee blasted it into oblivion. His heart rate going up, pumping adrenaline through his veins as three more raiders showed up. Crashdown took down two and the four of them narrowed the Cylons down to just one that was slippery as a....well, fish, Lee though with a scowl, Kara's words coming back to annoy him. Both Lee and Kara gunned for him, Kara up ahead of Lee. Kara dropped her altitude quickly and then Lee came up behind and fired on the last Cylon.

"Not bad, Lee. You might make a good Captain someday." Kara said.

"Maybe, but you'll still be an insubordinate little bitch." Lee tossed back waving at her as he gunned his viper back towards the Galactica.

They rotated in shifts of four hours lately. Thanks to the new crop of pilots being recruited which spread the duties out more evenly.....when Jessica wasn't screwing up the schedules that was. And the ratio of pilots lost was considerably less. Since The Olympic Carrier, Lee remembered with a sick clench in his stomach. Would it ever get easier to bear, he wondered? President Rosilin had given him some words of comfort shortly after the incident but in his sleep, he still dreamt that there had been people in the ship. Only the people he saw in his dreams all had faces of people he knew. Kara,Zak, his mother, his father. And Jessica. In his dream Jessica had been aboard the Carrier with a baby in her arms that he knew was his and he'd destroyed them all.

"I don't want to marry you and have any of your babies!" She had shouted at him in the middle of the CIC and it had taken all his will power not to ask her what she'd meant. If he thought about it too much, he'd admit that it irked his ego just a little. And if he thought about it, he'd remember that she was a seer and her comment was probably in reference to some vision she'd had that involved him. But Lee didn't think about it. He refused. Like a fish! He thought with a fresh burst of annoyance. Well, she certainly hadn't been complaining when she'd been pressing herself against him, all soft and warm. And what did it say about her that she'd go and blab to Starbuck about what had been a private moment. Well, that didn't say much for her character now did it? No. Lee Adama was right. The woman was trouble and from now on it'd be hands off.

He slammed his locker shut and pulled out a towel and under clothes and was about to head off to the showers when an explosion rocked the ship beneath his feet. Lee fell back against the locker and nearly lost his footing but his hand dropped the towel and reached out to grip the long bench separating the lockers down the middle and broke his fall. Pulling his grey tank and the brown one over it, he was off and running to the CIC before the alarm spread through the ship.

"We've just been hit." Commander Adama stated.

"How bad?" Lee asked stepping up next to Colonel Tigh.

"They've just hit our water supply. It's pouring out as we speak." Lee's father explained.

"Frakking shit." Lee swore. The day just kept getting better, he thought grimly, wishing he'd taken that shower earlier.

Chapter Three

 

The attack on the water supply had come from within somewhere, not from an outside ambush. Which meant that someone on the Galactica had caused it. The commander had called Baltar and by extension, Jessica into the conference room to meet with himself, Colonel Tigh, the president and Captain Apollo.

"How short are we?" President Rosilin asked.

"We're out over half our water supply. It's pouring out as we speak." Colonel Tigh replied.

"We can get more from the other ships though, right?" Jessica asked taking her seat next to Doctor Baltar. The man inclined his body slightly away from her which suited Jessica just fine. Though forced to work together, her dislike for the sleaze ball was as intense as ever. Though she was glad she had managed enough control of her emotions that she wasn't reaching for a pistol every time she saw him. The man was slime. But time had tempered her rage into being able to admit that he hadn't knowingly betrayed the human race. It would take time though before Jessica could look at him without wanting to sock Doc Gaius 'Genius' Baltar in the jaw. To say their relationship was strained was an understatement.

"The other ships in the fleet depend on us for their water supply. We're gonna have a real problem on our hands when we have to tighten rations."

"Damn." Jessica said absentmindedly. "So that's why I did it." She mused out loud, drawing their attention.

"Did what?" Commander Adama asked her, his suspicion raised.

"Not that. The water. I've been hoarding water bottles under my bed." All heads turned to her. She raised her shoulder in a sheepish shrug. "First I thought it was a habit left over from the time with the Cylons. We would hoard the food to last us through the days when they decided not to bring us any. I thought it was just that. Something was telling me to start saving the water bottles; it's not much, maybe sixty, seventy half-liter bottles. I kept asking the guard for more even though I wasn't thirsty." Lee was watching her as if she'd just sprouted a second head.

"Don't give me that look. Yes, I know it's bizarre but it looks like I was right to stock up." Jessica reminded him. Lee tilted his head and then gave her a shrug, which was as close as Jessica figured she'd get to an agreement.

"So who's responsible for the explosion?" Baltar asked.

"Our first guess would be a Cylon agent." Commander Adama replied looking pointedly at both Baltar and Jessica. Jessica felt herself cringe slightly, as if she'd been a student caught with not having done her homework. Then felt irritation rise within her at the unfair insinuation.

"We haven't detected any Cylons within the fleet as of yet. But we've still got dozens of samples in rotation." Baltar explained.

"Who's Boxey?" Jessica suddenly asked propping her chin on her elbow. She pictured a tow headed boy with a sweet face and wide eyes.

Commander Adama straightened in his chair. "Boxey is a 13 year old boy one of our lieutenants picked up a few years ago in the first Cylon attack."

"He's been staying with Boomer here on the Galactica until she can find him a family on one of the other ships willing to adopt him." Lee explained. Jessica felt her stomach clench at the name 'Boomer'. There was something there.

"What are you thinking? Surely you can't be imagining that a thirteen year old boy is a Cylon agent?" President Rosilin asked her.

Jessica shook her head. "No....I.... No." She reached for that elusive thread that was dangling itself in her mind but the thought dissipated before she could get a handle on it. "Sorry, just a blip in the brain I guess. Some things I think of have no relevance to what's going on at the moment."

"This is all very fascinating but may I ask what will happen when our reserves run out?" Baltar asked.

"We're going to avoid that situation." Commander Adama informed him. "Captain Apollo will be sending his pilots out to find another water source."

"To another planet?" Jessica asked.

"We hope." President Rosilin replied.

"We'll need the bottles you've been saving." Colonel Tigh said with a bit more enthusiasm that she thought was warranted. Jessica sensed it was easier for him to forgive her accidental mishap with the gun than the fact that she had aligned herself with Kara Thrace. Kara and Saul Tigh hated each other even more intensely than Jessica detested Baltar. Only Lee, and now thanks to her mental sensitivity, Jessica, knew that Kara and Tigh's animosity ran all the way back Kara's years as a cadet in the military academy on Caprica.

Kara had been a cocky, popular young recruit with penchant for self-destruction who'd entered into a short lived clandestine affair with a Major Robert Tigh. Brother of the now Colonel Saul Tigh. The very married Major's wife found out and filed for divorce, taking their two sons with her. Unable to cope with the loss of his children, Robert Tigh put a pistol in his mouth and Colonel Tigh never forgot who he felt was responsible.

Kara carried her own share of the guilt, deep inside but would never admit so to any one. So now, Colonel Tigh could barely mask his disdain for what he deemed Jessica's poor judge of character.

"Of course." Jessica said looking at him with a knowing glare.

"We're going to let you spend some time looking around the Galactica tomorrow. You'll still be under guard but you won't be restricted for those hours in terms of where you could go." Commander Adama informed Jessica. Jessica's face lit up at the prospect of more freedom even if it wasn't complete.

"Uh, excuse me. What about me?" Baltar asked. Having been exposed as a traitor, he too was under a form of house arrest, necessity keeping him out of the brig.

"We need you to stay in your lab. You've got to step up the pace and flush out who ever was responsible for that explosion." Commander Adama informed him.

"Ha ha!" Jessica burst, unable to resist goading the scowling doctor. "Sorry." Jessica bit her lip at William Adama's chastising look.

Gaius Baltar glared at her. "Frakking lucky bitch. Probably frakking the Commander." He thought.

"Dr Baltar, you have a filthy mind. But I suppose we've already established your brain is in your pants." Jessica shot narrowing her eyes at him.

"All right, that's enough of that. Ms Talbot, You are ordered to report to Commander Adama every hour, on the hour beginning tomorrow morning. You will survey the entire ship to see if you get any impressions of Cylon agents on board. Your guard will take down the names of those you encounter and you are then to bring that list to Dr Baltar who will give those names priority to double check, is that understood?" Laura informed her.

"Yes, ma'm." Jessica nodded her glee undimmed despite the fact that Commander Adama added that she'd be spending the rest of the day with Doctor Baltar to help him get a head start on the hundreds of waiting samples since she wouldn't be there to assist him tomorrow.

Chapter Four

They worked as an efficient, if uneasy team. Jessica would examine the blood samples, getting a feel for the person and whether the make up was biological or synthetic. Thus cleared, the sample was then turned over to Baltar who would run the same sample though a second test. He taught Jessica how to run the DNA through the microscope and what to look for, then use a second computer to input the data and see if any synthetic combinations were found in the cells. On her own, Jessica's brain would have fogged over at Doc Genius's explanations but she found, being able to read his mind, she could pick up the knowledge there. A rather impressive trick, Jessica mused as she wondered what else she'd be able to do if she could read the knowledge in other people's minds. It wasn't one she had used in the past and wondered why this new facet of her ability should make itself known now?

Jessica sat on her chair waiting for her computer to come back with the results on the last sample. She tapped her pen against the corner of the desk absentmindedly and drank from the last of the horrid coffee...the Gods save her; she was actually acquiring a taste for the stuff.

"Stop that." Dr Baltar insisted from his desk by the door.

"What?" Jessica asked, being pulled from her thoughts.

"The tapping. I would appreciate it if you would stop." His dark eyes narrowed at her.

“You know I could see why you’ve got an ego the size of the Galactica.” Jessica thought out loud. "If you weren't such an unevolved amoeba, you'd be kinda hot. Gaius ‘s dark eyes widened behind his black rimmed glasses and Jessica shook her head. "Just an observation, Doc Genius. Not an offer." The more she spouted, the less it began to bother her for the most part. But humiliating little tidbits like this were still a pain in the ass. "I think I'm gonna get Salik to cut out my tongue."

"Forgive me if my tastes run towards women whose primary forms of flirtation are somewhat more sophisticated than attempted murder." Dr Baltar tossed back.

"Don't take it personally doctor, I'd have shot at any scientific geniuses who blabbed about our defense secrets to a Cylon agent which led them to annihilate the world. Which leads me to wonder, since I could read your mind, and believe me you have as much of a chance of frakking Kara Thrace as you do of frakking me. "She smiled at his mortified glare. "I wonder if that makes me a scientific genius, since I know what you know."

"Not-bloody-hardly How old are you, twelve?" Baltar clipped.

"Don't joke, Doc. You might hurt yourself. That's just as well I suppose. It'd be awfully boring being that pompous. Ah here we are." Jessica said focusing back on the computer screen. “Number 723-140; otherwise known as Jimmy ‘Frosty’ McNaughton is not a Cylon.” She sent the file to Baltar's computer. Though Baltar would let her shoot at him again before he'd admit, he was glad for the extra help and it did make Jessica feel useful which made a small dent in the animosity between them.

The guard outside their door knocked, signaling that Jessica was to return to her room.

"As always, Doc Genius. This has not been a pleasure and I'd rather eat dirt than ever see you again." Jessica said falling into their closing routine.

"Ms Talbot. I assure you that most whole-heartedly, the feeling is mutual. Good night."

Jessica was thirsty. As she lay in bed, she mused how the more you tried to ignore something, the stronger that thing became. She'd had the bottles under her bunk for weeks and she'd never been tempted to drink from them. Now that they were gone, Jessica's mouth felt dry as sandpaper. She admitted that the same could be said for the ever more present Captain Lee Adama in her thoughts. The more she tried to steer her thoughts and feelings in another direction, they inevitably returned to him. Logic told her she was insane to even imagine any romantic relationship with him. The man had more baggage than an airport terminal. Yet her feelings for him seemed to be growing by the day, despite their attempts at avoidance. She could still feel his kiss on her mouth. Still taste him. Still feel his hands on her. And her dreams weren't helping any...

They took each other slowly. His blue eyes burning into her, hands lovingly stroking her hips as he guided her up and down on him.

"Looks like I win." He murmured into her mouth, the scent of rain filling Jessica's lungs. Her arms wrapped themselves around Lee's neck. Yes...yes...you win...you win.... Always....

'Only cause I let you catch me..." Jessica murmured, the heels of her bare feet digging into the soft grass behind him. He cocked an eyebrow at her and gave an indignant thrust upward into her.

"Ah...."Jessica shivered. "This seemed more fun than going.... Oh, yes.... Do that...."Jessica closed her eyes when he bit gently into the soft skin of her shoulder while rolling his hips slowly but steadily. "More fun than going swimming."

"Unless we're frakking while swimming." Lee smiled and Jessica giggles at the look on his face. His face is covered in dark smudges of dirt, as is most of the rest of him. But his eyes are the clearest blue, making him look deceptively pure and clean. The intention had been to help him out of his filthy clothes which had dissolved into a grope fest until Lee had her as naked as he was and now as dirty. Later.... Later they'll swim and get clean and then go back.

They're holding their breath under water. Not yet...not yet.... Lee warns holding her wrist down as Jessica yearns to kick to the surface. Three minutes, he can hold his breath. Jessica doesn't know how long it's been but her lungs are burning and her body is shaking with panic. They're waiting on the other end. Cylons. Not yet. Lee's fingers tighten around her wrist. I can't breathe! Jessica wants to scream but doesn't dare for the oxygen it would use up. She's never tested how long she could hold her breath. Three minutes. She doesn't think she'll make it. Lee grabs the sides of her face and puckers his lips, pressing them against her, then sealing his lips over hers and blowing air into her mouth Jessica gulps gratefully but horror fills her as she remembers he must too be running out of air. Stop it! She wants to scream. Stop it! Then they hear the sounds of battle above them, muted through water but unmistakable. Lee begins to kick to the surface bringing her with him.

"Where is she?" He asks again and again, Lee is silent. Jessica can see him as they drag him, bleeding and broken out of the chair onto his knees.

"Where is your wife?" Lee says nothing but she feels the shiver of his panic as the blade is laid down in front of him. The guard is holding Lee upright. He'll sag onto the cold filthy floor if they don't hold him up. His whole body is shaking with fear, cold and pain but he betrays nothing. The man in front...who is he? Jessica wonders distantly grabs Lee's arm and lays it flat on the table. Lee does not struggle. The man spreads Lee's palm open, face down. He picks up the blade.

"You will tell me where your wife is, or when I'm done with your fingers, I'll start on your toes." Jessica can feel the terror in Lee's blood but his face remains expressionless. He braces himself conjuring up Jessica's face in his mind. I love you...I love you.... It doesn't matter what they do to me...doesn't matter.... The blade comes down on Lee's pinky and he cries out in agony, digging his head into the wooden table and Jessica places her hands on his head, reaching beyond distance to comfort him. I'm here...I'm here...and I will find you.... I swear.

Jessica jolted awake and was not surprised to find her pillow wet with tears.

 

Chapter Five

Jessica had found nothing on her search through out most of the ship but she was glad for the slight change of scene. Though one end of the Galactica was pretty much the same as the other. One giant tin can with more twists and turns than a Caprica highway. She'd met Kara on the lieutenant's morning jog throughout one of Galactica's numerous pathways and promised to join her when her sentence was up.

"You should, Apollo joins me on runs most of the time and you two can talk about centerpieces." Kara winked at Jessica's scowl and ran off ahead of her.

Jessica's dreams had shaken her and to tell the truth, she was anxious to see Lee if only to re-assure herself that it had been just a dream and the man was still in possession of all his digits. Jessica shuddered and felt the heavy burden of guilt settle over her like a blanket. The more the hours passed without seeing him, the greater her anxiety became. "How's that for a brush off? Don't get any ideas, Captain. It'll cost ya a finger." Jessica mused out loud. The guard behind her stifled a snort. "Any chance you'd tell me where Captain Apollo is?" Jessica asked him.

"On patrol." The guard replied. A deceptively lanky set man with brown eyes and a bald head, Mark had a quick wit and easy smile when the time called for it. Escorting a prisoner on her assignment, was unfortunately not one of those times and so their communication was reduced to mono-syllabic answers for the most part. They passed a pilot heading off to her shift, Cat. Jessica smiled at the sudden nervous giddiness of the guard behind her.

"Aw." Jessica said turning around to look at the straight faced guard who's eyes widened slightly at her. "You should definitely go for it. She thinks your dreamy." Jessica informed him and was rewarded with a pleased grin. Colonel Tigh coming down the hall quickly erased the grin and Mark was back to his stoic self in a heartbeat.

"Colonel." Jessica greeted trying for her most civil, plastic smile. He did not return the facial expression.

"Ms Talbot." He all but grunted passing her.

"Too bad it was the water tanks that got blown out." She said, staring after him. Jessica shook her head and followed Mark's directions into the hanger bay. She stopped suddenly, the guard coming up against her at Jessica's sudden halt. "Something...." She said then she spotted the little tow headed boy that Commander Adama had called Boxey. He was following a dark haired man in an orange and yellow jumpsuit.

"What is it?" The guard asked her.

The man looked behind him and took the clip board Boxey had been holding and his eyes met hers. Jessica physically started with the impact of his eyes on her. "I....he...." The man's gaze narrowed slightly in question. Then her attention was diverted by Lee pulling off his helmet and climbing out of his viper. Jessica jotted down Galen Tyrol's name and put a question mark beside it. They'd already tested Chief Tyrol and cleared him but Jessica now wondered if they hadn't missed something. She'd been certain he wasn't a Cylon and the tests had proved it. Why then did she feel they had overlooked something?

"Can I go talk to Captain Apollo?" Jessica asked, anxious to be assured that her unease was unfounded. Mark nodded and followed her over to Lee. "I need to talk to you." Jessica told him risking a quick glance down at his hands. "Thank the lords. They're all there." She sighed. She knew she was being foolish. It had been simply a nightmare, illogical as it was. But she felt better seeing all ten strong fingers there.

"What?" Lee asked following her gaze down to his fingers.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" Jessica asked, lowering her voice.

Reluctant to be alone with her, Lee was about to beg off with some excuse but the look on her face must have stopped him. She'd found something, he thought.

"I'm not sure. I think so." Jessica replied to the unspoken words.

"Mark, you can take off for a few minutes. I'll call you to take her back." Lee informed the young officer. Mark nodded and after he saluted went to find, Cat, Jessica guessed.

"Okay, come on." Lee said leading her through an open hatch to the room where the equipment and spare parts were kept.

"It's about Tyrol." Jessica informed him.

Lee shook his head. "What about Tyrol? You're not gonna try and tell me Chief Tyrol is a Cylon for frak sakes,are you?"

"No. It's not that."

"Good cause I thought you'd tested him already." Lee pointed out.

"We did. But I can't help feeling something's off there, Lee. He's hiding something." Jessica said.

Lee groaned and ran a hand through his hair. Again, that name, Boomer. Jessica's stomach tightened.

"Okay, sit down." Lee pointed to a crate behind her. Jessica sat and then waiting across from him, followed the path of his thoughts and her mouth dropped open and she should have felt relieved, but didn't. Lee cut off her gasp.

"Shush!" He insisted. "Now believe me, if there could be a worse person than you to find this out it would be my dad. So please, keep your mouth shut?"

"He's sleeping with her?"

"Yes." Lee said slowly, reluctantly. "She's a lieutenant so it's a military no-no."

"Well that's just stupid." Jessica remarked.

"For once, I agree with you, which is why I haven't said anything. We've got less than 50,000 people left in the whole world. We need more...." Lee trailed off and Jessica bit back a smile at his now pink cheeks.

"Fraternizing?" Jessica offered. The corner of his mouth lifted in a near grin.

"Right. But Jess, I'm not kidding here. You cannot let my dad know about this." Jessica sat back, unsure if she'd be able to manage.

"You're right." She nodded biting her thumbnail. "I am the worst person who could have found out about this."

"How are your sessions with Elosha coming?" Lee asked leaning forward. Jessica groaned and dropped her head.

"We were working on this very thing. She'd try testing me by showing me something but trying to get me to say something else instead of what I was seeing. It wasn't working. She keeps telling me I need to give it time but I really don't think I can do it."

"You'll do it." Lee assured her. "I've seen you come back from the dead. Therapy should be a cinch."

Jessica bit her lip, warmed by his words. "Thanks for saying so." Jessica swallowed nervously and focused on his hands. They were still slightly discolored from the injuries he'd suffered defending her from Gary Morgan, who'd tried to attack her. "I owe you an apology. For what happened in CIC." She felt every nerve in Lee's body tense uncomfortably. " I'm sorry for embarassing you. It was the stress of the whole situation and I should have taken into account that you were under more stress than anybody."

Lee nodded stiffly."Forget about it." He wanted to ask. But wouldn't. "And forget about Tyrol, please." He said rising.

"Lee, wait." Jessica reached for his hands to stop him moving from to the hatch. Lee stopped, froze at the feel of her fingers wrapped around his. Looking up at him, Jessica felt her throat close with some frightening but exhilerating emotion. Jessica smiled in irony and broke her gaze away "Seems that your eyes are the only things that can steal my power of speech." She joked. The man blushed too easily and she didn't question the impulse that made her want to keep making it happen. Jessica concentrated on his hands. The strong beautiful bones and could see the blood racing through the network of veins and muscle. And she would shatter it. It wasn't clear to her but somehow, it'd be her fault that he'd lose this finger, right here. Jessica shivered as she lifted the pinky with her thumb. "Promise me something, Captain." Jessica whispered. She could feel his breath on the crown of her head. So close, and if she were to lift her head, his mouth would be right there. Her fingers tightened around his with her struggle for the will power that would keep her head down. "Promise you won't marry me.Promise me you won't let me love you."

Lee blinked, caught off guard and she felt a sharp pang of disappointment. Hers? His? Did it matter?

"What?" The word came out thick and choked. Lee cleared his throat and spoke again. "What?"

"If we're able to change things, I'd like us to be friends. Maybe?" Jessica dared to look up and his mouth was so pink that she felt her head leaning up, closer to it. Nearly there and then forced her self to pull back when he inclined his head down to meet hers. "Then we don't have to be afraid if you promise." Jessica explained.

"No." Lee said and pulled his hands back. Jessica stepped back, away from the warmth of his body and felt instantly colder.

"Nothing's gonna happen between us because I don't love you And you don't love me. Not because we're making choices about things that neither one of us has thought about." Lee insisted, the cold mask back in place.

"I have." Jessica admitted.

"Why do you have to tell me that?" Lee asked in exasperation. He leaned his head against the hatch. "Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Jessica was transported for an instant to a future night when he will whisper those very words to her when he's nuzzling her neck and sliding over her body. Jessica closed her eyes and forced herself back here. To the present.

"I can't help it. You know that." Jessica reminded him, curtly, feeling her eyes burning. "I can't pretend I don't feel what I feel or think what I think. I'm not like you, Lee."

"I can't be your friend because I don't trust you. Not because I think you're a Cylon, I don't. And I don't think you're working for them either. I don't trust you because you're in my head and I don't want you there and you can't help that. So no. We can't be friends and you have no idea how much that frakking sucks for me." Then he gave a bitter snort. "What am I saying? You're the only one who knows exactly how much that sucks." And then she was alone in the equipment room.

Chapter 6

The water was to be used for washing only. The showers were restricted to once a week and cut from ten minutes to five. Basins of water were provided for daily cleaning necessities. Shaving, was not considered a necessity, much to the chagrin of the entire female population over the age of 11. Kara Thrace got around that little rule by buying and trading for other people’s water basins.

Nobody had drunk straight water in almost two weeks. Coffee or liquor (when off duty) was given as an accompaniment to meals. Juice was ridiculously sweet and nearly honey thick in consistency to preserve the water and water for powdered milk was provided only for children under the age of 5 who were past nursing.

The Galactica had an underground water racket that would have made the savviest gangster jealous. Water basins were being traded, sold at ridiculously high prices and even downright stolen from those who used intimidation to get what they wanted.

The crew was reaching a boiling point and Commander Adama was just waiting for the first of the riots to break out. It could not be allowed to reach that level. Something had to be done. He had Lee send out his pilots every day to search for a water source and so far they’d found nothing. Boomer was next on the list and William hoped that this time, Jessica was right and that Boomer would be successful, for all their sakes.

“I don’t suppose you could conjure up a vision or something to tell us where our next water source is.” He said, looking across the room at Jessica who was loudly banging away at his old typewriter. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“I just know that you’ll find it. Today. Where, I can’t help you there.” Jessica replied with a shrug. She was a basic typist. Very basic. No matter how many times William tried to show her how to position her fingers over the keys, she reverted back to using one finger and spent a ridiculous amount of time searching out one letter at a time.

“Hmm, figures. Maybe you could tell me what happened to my razor?” William asked watching as Jessica began to slide a little bit lower on her chair.

“I took it.” She replied honestly though she shot him an annoyed look for asking her.

“Really?” William asked with no hint of surprise in his voice. “For what?”

Jessica narrowed her eyes at him and William nearly lost his composure and laughed. “What do you do with a razor, Sir?”

“You know the rule, Ms Talbot. That’s another day tacked on to your sentence.” William informed her.

Jessica gave a gasp on indignation. “Sir! That’s hardly fair, everyone is pilfering razors and water. I gotta say, what kind of Commander would take advantage of a disabled crew member?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“I’m assuming we’re still talking about you?” William asked.

“Yes, me. I’m disabled. My brain filter thingamadoogie is broken. I can’t lie. That’s worse than amnesia.” Jessica pressed.

“Ah ’thinga-what?”

“I don’t know what it’s called, a thingamadoogie, you know.”

“Right, well that certainly does sound serious.” His voice was gravelly and strained with the effort of trying not to laugh at her.

“Sir, you can see how bad it is. It’s not my fault. I shouldn’t be punished for that.” Jessica reasoned.

“I’m not punishing you because you can’t lie. I’m punishing you because you stole. The sentence stands.” He said.

“Fine, next time I’ll just go steal, Lee’s razor. Dammit!” Jessica burst in frustration at having exposed her train of thought.

She went back to typing, if that’s what it could have been called.

“Try to get those done by the end of the day.” William instructed pointing to the small stack beside the type writer.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Jessica asked.

“It would go a lot faster if you would stop reading them.” William reminded her as he rose from his chair.

“I’m sorry, but working for you has not been the most stimulating of my career options thus far. I have to entertain myself somehow.” Jessica explained. “Where the frak is that damned ‘c’?” She burst roving her finger around the keyboard.

“It’s not supposed to be entertaining. It’s supposed to be boring. It’s part of your sentence for shooting my XO.”

“Right, right. I got it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“No, it doesn’t. So stop reading.” William ordered.

“I’m just gonna do it when you’re not looking so why pretend I won’t.” Jessica shrugged. “Oooh, here it is.” She punched the ‘c’ key.

“Gods.” William thought rolling his eyes.

“Oh, that reminds me, Elosha wants to see me later, if that’s okay. She doesn’t make sense half the time but she’s an interesting person.”

The insinuation was clear and William scowled at her.

“You know, you’d be in a better mood if you got all that unresolved anger towards your son out of the way. I swear, the two of you are like cats-”

“Mrs Talbot!” William snapped in frustration making Jessica jump in her chair. She was glad for the interruption of Lieutenant Gaeta’s voice over the speaker. A water source had been spotted by Boomer’s raptor. Jessica ignored Commander Adama’s earlier outburst and they shared a relieved smile.

Chapter Seven

Jessica looked up from the commander's typewriter when she heard voices on the other side of the door. One she recognized as the guard's.

"Frak." She groaned with annoyance when she heard the other voice. She didn't even bother hiding her glare when Lee Adama walked through the door. "If you're here to give me more schedules you can stick 'em up where the sun don't shine cause I'm not done with these yet." She snapped lowering her eyes back to the keys.

"No kidding." Lee said eyeing the stack of papers next to the typewriter.

Jessica's eyes lifted to his again. She bit back a moan at the sinful blue of his eyes.

"Was there something you wanted?" She asked curtly.

"We've found a water source." He explained looking down at her curiously.

"Captain, I'm psychic, not deaf. I heard the announcement. If that's all you came to say you can turn that sweet tushie around cause I really can't stand to look at you right now." She felt a surge of self disgust at the compliment and watched his cheeks flare crimson at her reference to his posterior. Then his eyes narrowed at her.

"Is there something in particular that you've got stuck up your butt this morning?" Lee asked her.

"You don't want to be friend's right?" Jessica asked. "This is me being 'not friends' with you. Are you done?"

"The commander asked me to wait in his office for him."

"Why don't you call him your father? 'My dad asked me to wait in his office.' " Jessica asked. That got him to shut up.

He leaned against his father's desk and Jessica try to ignore the scent of him that was too damn good to be ignored. Click........click........click........click..... Jessica tapped away at the keys until Lee's voice broke in again.

"What are you doing?" Lee asked. When Jessica allowed herself to look at him again, she wished she hadn't. He looked all too amused.

"Baking a cake." Jessica replied sarcastically.

"I've never seen typing like that before." Lee said shaking his head.

"Then you're in for a treat. Watch closely." Jessica tossed back, then went back to her one finger search for the right key. Click......click.......click......"Dammit, where the hell did that 'g' go?"

"You are the worst secretary I've ever seen. Come here, give me your hands." Lee ordered and without an invitation grabbed her wrists and splayed his fingers out on top of hers over the keyboard. Jessica jumped at the heat of his skin over hers.

"Oh, this is a bad idea." Jessica warned him. Lee heard her, as shown by the slight tenseness of his fingers over hers now, but he didn't acknowledge her warning. To do that would be to admit there was something to be worried about.

"There, now fit your pinkies over the 'a' and the 'l' follow the other three fingers on the letters next to them." His breath was in her hair and Jessica fought not to sag against him. She shook her head trying to gather her will power. She meant to turn and tell him that his father had already tried to explain this to her. But when she turned her head and came up mere inches from his mouth, fast and hot sexual images of where he would put that mouth filled her mind.

"Ohhh.....maybe casual sex is the way to go here." She blurted out in suggestion. They both snapped apart at her words. Lee's hands jerked off of hers and he stepped back so fast he knocked his father's stapler off the desk. Jessica reached down to pick it up, hoping to hide her flaming face, at the same time that Lee did and when she righted her self, stapler in hand, it collided with Lee's forehead.

"Ow, frak!" He scowled as he pressed his fingers to the broken skin that was now a thin gash of seeping blood.

Jessica tilted her head for and stared at him for a moment. "Huh. Isn't that the height of irony?" She pointed out. "I finally hit my target and it's on an accident."

"I'm glad you're amused." He scowled pressing the heel of his hand over the cut.

"Oh, you big baby, I hardly broke any skin. " Jessica got up and reached behind him for the box of Kleenex. She stepped between his thighs and removed his hand from his forehead.

"Lords, woman. I haven't been as in a constant state of physical injury in my entire military career as I have been in the few months you've been on board." Lee reminded her.

Jessica stared at him indignantly, then realizing the truth in his words, burst out laughing. It was the sweetest sound in the world when Lee joined her. She dabbed the dots of blood away.

"Well, at least this time, I'm sorry." She assured him and was once again, drawn to his blue eyes. Their laughter died away and their eyes held. Jessica's breath came up short when Lee's eyes lifted to her mouth. "Do it....." She whispered, her nerves trembling as his lips parted and he moved his mouth closer to hers. Then Lee's hands were on her hips. He wanted to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes and hear it in his thoughts. He wanted to just take a moment and forget everything but how right her mouth felt against his. When he kissed her, he didn't have to think, worry, struggle, fear. His entire being was all encompassed by just her, and Lee craved that oblivion.

"Yes, I want you to, Lee." She murmured, senses sharpening as his hands came up along her waist. "I dream about it, this, you." Jessica admitted leaning her face in closer so she could feel the barest touch of his lips. "Every damn night......always you....."

His eyes were hungry, his mouth hot as he nuzzled his lips against hers, just barely a kiss. Again.....again, he teased. Tested. Afraid but wanting.

"Yes.....yes....." Jessica shivered pressing herself against him. He gave a slight tug on her waist, pulling her closer and captured her mouth in a kiss that had them both shaking, but neither one pulled away. Jessica gave a soft moan in the back of her throat that could have been either triumph or defeat, depending on what facet of her mind she listened to.

Lee's lips were liquid fire against hers and Jessica was about to reach up and cup his face when the sound of the door opening had them both jumping back as if scalded.

Chapter Eight As soon as William Adama took one look at his son's guilty face and the blush on Jessica Talbot's cheeks he knew what had happened the moment before and it irked him. His son was usually a compulsive control freak so slipping up like this did not bode well for the mission Lee was about to undertake. Especially if Ms Talbot was going to be accompanying him.

"Well, I'm glad the two of you didn't kill each other before I got back. What happened to your head?" William asked noticing the small cut on Lee's forehead. Lee's fingers went to the abrasion.

"Oh,-"

"I hit him." Jessica injected, her heart still racing in her chest. "But it was an accident."

"This time." Lee said with a quirk of his mouth. Jessica bit back a grin and turned back to her chair.

"Ms Talbot, leave the reports for now. I'm gonna need you for something else right now." William said closing his door. "Well we found a water source. But there's a problem."

"There always is." Jessica said shaking her head. Then she grimaced with realization. "Ice? Well damn. That's gonna be rough going I suppose huh? Gotta get out the mighty big ice pick's." She joked. "Or you could send over all the women with every blow dryer in the fleet. Sorry." Jessica bit her lip when she could see that the commander was not appreciating her humour.

"The president has decided that she's gonna send over men from the Astral Queen to work the ice." William explained.

"Prisoners? Is that a good idea, I mean, sending them out into the open like that?" Jessica asked nervously.

"She says that the men chosen will be the ones up for parole soon." Lee explained.

"And Morgan?" Jessica suddenly asked, her face blanched.

"No, he'll be in prison for a while. Don't worry about him." Lee promised her, his voice softening. Then he cleared his throat and went on in a more controlled tone. "We're gonna give them a choice to volunteer and work towards earning their freedom."

"Prison or slave labour? Good luck with that." Jessica remarked sceptically.

"Not slaves." William insisted. "The more work they do, the closer they get to release. A point system" He looked none to happy with the idea and Jessica suddenly knew why. The idea of work release had not been his, but Lee's. Jessica wasn't sure if she was impressed or worried. A fair mind was a good asset to have but she didn't think it should apply to hardened criminals. William went on and explained that he wanted Lee to go over to the Astral Queen to recruit volunteers. Then he turned to Jessica. "And you're going to be going with him."

"Eh?" Jessica asked stiffening, hoping that she had heard him wrong. She hadn't. "Oh no. I'm not kidding, Commander. No!" She said shaking her head. She threw Lee a frantic look. He looked just as uncomfortable at the idea as she did.

"This is not a request, Ms Talbot." William insisted. "You're going to be scouting for Cylons."

Jessica threw up her hands in frustration. "Oh well that's frakking lovely. Just peachy. Wait a minute, how are we getting to the Astral Queen?" She asked, suddenly chilled.

"I was gonna take my viper-" Lee began

"No, you'll take a raptor. President Rosilin has assigned Billy to accompany you as her representative. Cally and Dualla will be joining you as well." William said.

"Me. In a raptor. Flying? No. Sorry, no. Send Doc Genius." Jessica replied beginning to tremble.

"I already told you, Ms Talbot, this is an order."

"Take your order, and blow it out your ear!" Jessica seethed. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and stop shaking. She blinked back tears of blind panic.

"Disobeying a direct order can have serious consequences on your sentence, young lady."

"I don't care. Tack on another month, a year. I'm not flying anywhere." Jessica said turning away from them both so they wouldn't see her tears.

"Are you afraid of flying?" Lee asked incredulous. "You're not exactly on the ground right now."

"Ms Talbot, I will expect-" William began, quickly losing his patience.

"Commander, give me a minute with her." Lee cut in quickly.

"That doesn't seem like the best idea considering what I almost walked in on." William reminded him. Both Jessica and Lee turned to look at him in guilty surprise. "I'm not an idiot. And it will not happen again. Do I make myself clear?" William warned them both.

"Crystal." Lee said, narrowing his eyes

"Excuse me? What gives you the right to order us around about our personal lives?" Jessica objected with a burst of irritation. "It's one thing for us to decide that on our own. You have no right to try and impose-"

"You are a prisoner on this ship. That gives me the right."

"Oh? Where is that stapler?" Jessica asked looking around for the stapler so she could give free reign to the urge that wanted to throw something at another Adama. She saw Lee grab it from the desk and hold it behind his back.

"You have twenty minutes to get yourself ready. Captain, you will see if there is a flight suit available for Ms Talbot and meet Specialist Cally in the hangar at 1100. Dismissed." William said ushering them out the door.

"He's out of his frakking mind if he thinks I'm getting on that raptor, Lee." Jessica insisted as they walked down the hall.

"Come on, Jess. What's the big deal?" Lee asked.

"It's different up here. This place is huge and this was the place you brought me when you rescued me. I feel safe here. If I get on that raptor, traveling from one place to another, it'll be just like when the Cylons herded us onto their compound, loading us up like cattle to slaughter." Jessica explained biting her lip to stifle a shudder as she watched the people being filed into the Cylon ships back in her memory. Any who tried to resist were shot. As Jessica was climbing up into one, a mother, refusing to be separated from her son, who was being loaded onto another ship, was shot. The woman had fallen down on top of Jessica, throwing her face first onto the stairs with her dead weight "I'll be right back there in my head." Jessica explained. She waited as Lee led her into his quarters. "The ships they used to transport us were so small. They had us packed in their like sardines. Hundreds to a ship. We could hardly breathe." Jessica said taking a deep shuddering breath just to remind herself that she could. "It's not the same here." She felt Lee's hesitation over placing an arm on her shoulder, not wanting to risk the contact tempting them to more. So she turned and walked out of his reach.

"You're not back there any more. You're safe now. We're just going to the Astral Queen to recruit workers." Lee assured her. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that she'd be perfectly safe and yet she felt the familiar icy fear clutching in her stomach.

"I can't, Lee." She shook her head. Lee opened his door again and called for one of the guards to watch Jessica.

"I'm gonna go see if I can scrounge up a flight suit for you. I can pass by Dr Salik and see if maybe she can give you something to calm your nerves." He explained. She flopped onto the mattress when he left her alone. She didn't want drugs. She wanted to stay put. Jessica wanted to stay in the commanders office typing records and schedules. She wanted to be sitting safe with Elosha, talking about everything and nothing. She'd even rather spend the day enduring crazy Baltar's presence. Jessica wasn't sure but having the man stare off into space and talking to himself in low hushed tones when he thought she wasn't paying attention must be hinting at some kind of psychotic disease.

Her fear was growing, deep in her stomach and spreading up into her chest where it began to throb like sparks of tiny explosions. Jessica bent over and tried to breathe. She couldn't let them take her off this ship.

The idea came to her suddenly. Logic told her it would only delay the trip but Jessica was glad for any time it would buy her. She called for the guard who was standing outside of Lee's door.

Chapter Nine

Lee was one of those people who considered themselves realists, but whom everybody called an optimist. Idealist, even. He wasn’t too fond of the term. Lee Adama dealt in cold, hard facts. Yet he did believe that everyone deserved a chance to better themselves, to turn their lives around. It was that belief that had led him to suggest the work release conditions for the prisoners when President Rosilin had called a meeting with Lee and his father that morning.

His father had thought he’d been off his rocker and tried to tear down the idea but luckily, the president had backed him up. Then she’d come up with the damn suggestion to bring Jess along to weed out Cylons. Lee was reminded of his childhood when his mother would insist he took Zak along everywhere with him. Well, look what that had cost them.

Zak had followed Lee all the way into the flight academy and was now dead because of it. Lee fought a shiver at the guilt that surged up into him with burning intensity when ever he thought of his brother.

Lee did not need another tag along to follow him around until he got her killed too. Again, he shivered. Someone walking on your grave. That’s what Kara called it. Lee zipped up his flight suit and then picked up the smaller one where he’d set it down on the bench, for Jessica. He didn’t believe in that superstitious crap. He would bring Jessica along, they’d do what they had to and then she’d be locked back up in her room. Safe and.....well, safe anyway.

Lee was about to close the locker door while he slipped into his boots when he caught sight of his face in the mirror. His lips were slightly fuller, redder than usual and his body stirred when he remembered why. He slammed the locker door purposely, shutting the door on the damned inconvenience that was his physical reactions to Jessica Talbot. He was a grown man for frak sakes. And for all his father’s unsolicited opinions, the man was right. Lee had no business messing with a mentally incapacitated seer.

“Figures. The first time in ages I get randy and it’s over a nut job.” Lee said out loud with a derisive snort. Now how to get her into the raptor without having a melt down? Lee headed towards sick bay next.

“You give her two of these about a half hour before you take off. It’ll calm her nerves and another two when you come back.” Dr Salik assured him. “Keep her talking to get her mind off the travel.”

“Talking does not seem to be a problem with her.“ Lee said with a small smile. “Okay. Side effects?” He asked as she handed him the small silver tube. He saw Salik hesitate.

“I can’t really say. She’s scheduled for an examination tomorrow so I’ll know better how well her brain is healing but as for right now. She seems to be getting somewhat of a grasp on her emotions, thanks to Elosha, that could mean the torn membrane’s healing, or it could just mean her therapy is strengthening her mind. These will calm her, but they could make her physically ill, or drowsy. And after they wear off, she could be worse off than when she started.

Lee stared down at the silver tube, about the size of his palm. “Should she even take them then?” He asked in concern. “If you’re back here before they wear off she should be fine. We can put her to sleep ’till the worst of it’s over.” Salik explained.

“When will they wear off?” Lee asked. Maybe he should have another talk with his dad. Try and convince him that bringing Jess along was a bad idea.

“Couple of hours, 4 at most. Then she’ll start getting really jittery.”

“We’ll be back before then.” Lee replied, feeling somewhat eased.

His assurance was disturbed when Jeffrey came rushing up to him in the middle of the corridor. Lee’s stomach clenched in a nervous knot at the panicked look on his face. What now?

“It’s Miss Talbot, Sir.” Jeffrey whispered.

“Of course.” Lee thought gritting his teeth. “What did she do now?”

“She’s handcuffed herself to your bed, Captain.” Lee stopped walking and stared at the guard.

“She what?” He asked, glancing quickly to make sure nobody had heard the guard’s words.

“She said there was no way she was getting in that raptor and that you’d have to chop her hand off to do it. I thought you’d rather I came straight to you as opposed to your father.”

Lee grimaced at the lecture he would have gotten from his father if the commander had been the one to have been informed of the woman’s latest stunt. “Good call. Now tabling the discussion of how she got a hold of your handcuffs, why didn’t you just unlock her?” Lee stormed into his room. Sure enough there the little brat was. Cross legged and glaring up at him defiantly, with one arm raised, wrist fastened to the metal arch of his bed. Ignoring the rather sensual misinterpretation of having this particular woman handcuffed to his bed, Lee crouched down in front of her.

“I’m impressed.” Lee admitted, resisting the urge to slam her head into the metal arch, repeatedly.

“Good.” Jessica with a lift of the corner of her mouth.

“Alright, give me the key.” Lee said, extending his hand towards Jeffrey.

“I don’t have it, Sir. She does.” Jeffrey explained, his young face red with embarrassment. Lee ran his hand over his face in frustration and then looked back at Jessica. The little bitch was smiling at him!

“Hand it over.” Lee seethed.

“No can do, Cappy.” Jessica explained with pure triumph in her eyes.

“You’re going to hand over the key, Or I am going to chop your hand off and then tie you to the frakking raptor. How’s that?”

“Sorry, can’t. If you want the key, you’ll have to wait for it.” Jessica grinned at him.

“Wait for- what are you talking about?” Lee demanded, losing the last of his patience. Jeffrey coughed uncomfortably behind him. Lee straightened his legs and faced the guard.

“She swallowed it, Sir.” Jeffrey explained.

“What?” Lee asked curtly.

“Swallowed it, Captain. As in ingested. As in, it is currently making nice with this morning’s toast and bad coffee.” Jessica explained. “I suggest you get a move on, Captain Tightass. There’s ice to be melted.”

“Jeffrey, you’re dismissed.” Lee said glaring down at Jessica. She threw a nervous glance at the guard.

“Uh, maybe you ought to stay. He’s likely to very well chop my hand off.” Jessica said trying to look at Jeffrey but Lee was blocking her way. The guard saluted Lee and then left. “Well, damn. I guess chivalry really is dead.”

“What did you hope to accomplish by doing this?” Lee asked sitting on the mattress.

“I would think that was obvious.” Jessica pointed out.

“Your orders were to accompany us to the Astral Queen. Do you think the commander wouldn’t notice you didn’t leave with us?”

“I figured if I handcuffed myself to your bed, you’d be the last one to go tell him.”

“Hmm, good point. There’s only one problem. Even if I have to stick my hand down your throat myself, I will get that key.” Lee threatened.

“You’re welcome to try.” Jessica shot back, smiling a wide, all teeth, smile.

For good measure, she made a few snapping motions with her jaw.

 

Chapter Ten

Jessica watched as Lee took a seat on the floor across from her. He said nothing, just sat looking at her.

“You can’t sit here forever.” Jessica reminded him. She’d been certain he’d rather take the trip without her and explain what happened when he got back, as opposed to telling his father that Jessica was handcuffed to his bed. It was rather amusing that the fates had linked her with such a prude. Now he was just sitting there as if he had all the time in the world.

“We’re gonna go over this again.” Lee said stubbornly.

“Over what?” Jessica asked nervously.

“Why do you not want to get on that raptor?” Lee asked crossing his arms.

“I already told you, I can’t, Lee. I’m.....scared.” Jessica said with a shrug. She blinked away the burning in her eyes.

“Afraid of what? Tell me.” His voice was softer, kinder and that was her undoing. She couldn’t look into his eyes and see the gentle persuasion there.

“We’ve been through this already. It’ll remind me of when the Cylon’s grabbed us and made us board their ships. When they started shooting people, I....I couldn’t.....”Jessica took a deep shuddering breath as the tears threatened to fall. “Don’t make me do this, Lee. Please.” Jessica choked swallowing a sob.

“My mom used to tell me that if you talked about the monster in the closet, he lost his power. As if exposing him, made him dissipate somehow.” Lee said with a small smile at the childish remembrance.

Jessica could see him, about 6 years old, wrapped in his blankets, only his head peeking out as Caroline Adama sat on the mattress and made her son talk about what he thought the monster looked like.

“The difference is my monsters are still here.” Jessica reminded him.

“You’re right. And it’s gonna take more than talking to get rid of them. That’s why I need you with me in that raptor, Jess.” Lee said, his eyes kind and pleading.

“Oh, you’re good.” Jessica said with a small smile, seeing his manipulations for what they were.

“Thanks.” He said with a wide grin. “So how about it? As Kara says, you wanna spill your guts?” Jessica stared at him and then grimaced with the realization that he was not only speaking metaphorically.

“Oh, that’s gross.” Jessica shuddered with a laugh.

“Hey, you’re the one that swallowed the key.” Lee reminded her. “Come on. It’ll make you feel better to talk about it.”

“You sound like Elosha.” Jessica said narrowing her eyes at him. But when he saw he was not going to relent, she sighed in defeat. “Lee.....it’s one thing to see the end of the world from up here. To fly around in your viper, blasting Cylons out of the sky. But down there. The world ended in thousands of different ways. We all lost our homes, lost friends, lovers, children. And we thought that was the worst of it. To lose everything. But we still had hope, you know? It was all demolished, but we were alive, so we thought we could rebuild. Then the Cylons weren’t satisfied with what they’d done, so they came for us. Then the world ended again because we had to go into hiding. Learn a new way to live.....and then it ended again when people started losing their souls. Started turning on each other. Wives turned on their husbands, hoping to save their children, or preserve their only lives. Siblings turned on each other, out of greed and fear. It....it just all broke down somehow. I didn’t understand it. How people could be more cruel than these machines that had destroyed our lives. The Cylons, for all their.....destruction and their cruelty are driven by a purpose they think is just. But to see human’s break down like that. When James turned against us, I think something broke inside me. Just, snapped.” Jessica explained with her eyes closed.

“When the Cylon’s came for us, I knew it was over. I can’t explain to you, that utter lack of hope, dropping away with every climb up those steps into the ship. We all knew we were going to die.” The tears were streaming off Jessica’s face now and she reached to brush them away with her free hand. “It was insane, Lee. Just....chaos. There were over 300 of us in our bunker. Only a little over a hundred made it onto the same Cylon ship as I did. The others were shot trying to escape. Men, women, children, some still in their mother’s arms. They’d shoot the mother as she tried to escape and then pluck the baby up from her corpse. They handed me a two year girl old to carry up into the ship. When I hesitated, they held a gun to her head to make sure I finished the climb.” Jessica felt the weight of the little girl in her arms and she could still call up the child’s soft smell. “I felt like a murderer helping this child into the ship.”

“Gods, Jessica.” Lee said, his eyes red.

“Even here, I’ll get that same sensation, climbing from one deck to the other. I know it doesn’t make any sense. I’m safe here. Then again, nothing’s made sense since the world ended. Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.” Jessica said drawing her knees up to her chest.

“What do you mean?” Lee asked handing her a Kleenex.

“The fact that I’m safe here. If I go somewhere else, I won’t be. If I let you take me somewhere else, something will happen. I can feel it, Lee. In my head mixed up with the panic. Like alarm bells.”

“Jess, I swear to you, nothing is going to happen to you. I won’t let it. You’ll be with me the whole time we’re on the Astral Queen.” Lee assured her. He motioned to take her hand but hesitated and pulled his own hand back to his side. Jessica felt a small burst of disappointment. She could have used the small gesture of comfort. “If you don’t help us. This war with the Cylon’s is gonna be a hell of a lot harder. You’re big on destiny, right? Maybe that’s why you’re here.”

“I know it is.” Jessica assured him. Lee blinked and leaned back in surprise. “A lot of it is still fuzzy at this point, but that much I get.” She told him. ”I don’t know if I can do it though. Sometimes, I can’t even breathe when I think about it. How can I possibly go up against the whole frakking Cylon army. I couldn’t even save my mother and father.” She pointed out, fresh tears filling her eyes.

“Because this time, you’ve got the whole frakking fleet with you. You’re not alone, Jess. Now I may be the worst CAG in history but I like to think I know what I’m doing in the cockpit. We’ve been fighting the Cylons for years but you, Miss Talbot, are one frakking hell of a weapon. If you’ll just fight with us.” Lee urged.

Jessica leaned back against the mattress and wiped at her cheeks. “You’re asking me to trust you, Captain.”

“I am.” Lee admitted staring at her.

“Why should I? I feel like you don’t even like me sometimes.” She asked picking at a tiny ball of lint on her sweatpants.

“Maybe I like you, a little.” Lee said with a small reluctant grin.

“Ah, with such an extravagant compliment how can a gal refuse?” Jessica said rolling her eyes and the laugh that burst from her chest was like a warm blanket in the frigid cold of her fear. He looked at her expectantly and Jessica shivered, gathering every ounce of her courage

“So how are we gonna get the key now?” She asked.

Chapter 11

"That was the most disgusting thing I've ever had to do." Jessica shuddered, her voice still hoarse from the ordeal she'd just put her throat through. She rubbed her, now free, wrist.

"Who's the one who had to dig in the latrine for the key?" Lee scowled at her. He was still washing his hands in the basin after five minutes.

Jessica blushed. "Okay, you win 'The Ick' award there." She conceded. She stood behind him, her arms wrapped around herself. If only there was some way she could go check the Astral Queen for Cylons without actually having to get off the Galactica. "What happens if we see Morgan?" She asked in a small voice.

Lee turned at her tone. Drying his hands he nodded towards the flight suit on his bed. "You''ll probably not even see Morgan. " He assured her. "Now let's get a few ground rules straight before we go."

"Of course. Can't forget ground rules." Jessica said rolling her eyes but her smile was a teasing one. Lee had given her the pills Salik had prescribed after she'd thrown up the key to the cuffs. Her nerves had settled into a dull ache of unease. Manageable.

"From the moment we get on the raptor to the moment we get back you will listen to everything I have to say and will obey with out question. Got it?" Lee warned.

"Sounds dirty." Jessica blurted with a giggle. At his grim look, though he did blush, Jessica cleared her throat. "Sorry, Captain."

"I want your word, Jess." Lee pressed. "No arguments. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Okay?"

"Aye, aye." Jessica responded with a salute. He looked at her skeptically. "Oh for heaven's sake, Lee. I promise I won't raise a peep in argument the whole time. You're in charge. Understood. I'll even swear it on your precious scrolls if ya want." That seemed to placate him and he relaxed his stiffened stance. Jessica reached over and picked up the flightsuit. Holding it close to her, she cleared her throat, pointedly.

"What?" Lee asked blankly.Then he startled in embarrassment. "Oh, right." He left her alone for the minute it took her to slip on the flight suit. The leather was rather warm and Jessica couldn't imagine spending hours in the thing.

"Now I just need me a plane." Jessica teased when Lee came back into the room. She held out her hands as if grasping imaginary controls. "Vroom Vroom" She exclaimed.

Lee raised his eyes to the ceiling but she could see that he was trying to hold back a smile. "Our vipers don't go 'vroom, vroom.' He informed her, holding open the door for her to walk through.

"Oh. Chugga,chugga then." Jessica offered.

Lee snorted, fighting a burst of laughter. "Unfortunately, some of them do sound like that."

Jessica felt his eyes on her as she began to walk towards the door.

Gods, she looks adorable in that suit!

Jessica paused and turned to him. Knowing that she'd heard his thought, Lee's eyes widened and he blushed furiously. She gave him a shy smile and raised her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered, her heart skipping at the warmth in his eyes. "For making me talk about it."

"Oh." He cleared his throat and nodded.

She thought she remembered the way to the hangar deck but Lee grabbed her arm and led her in the opposite direction. "The scrolls are this way." He said, ignoring her gasp of indignation.

He sent her up into the raptor alone. No one followed her at first. Lee, along with the president's aide, Billy, who looked younger than his 28 years and wore interesting shirts, Dualla, who was in a serious relationship with the young aide and Cally who was one of the best young engineers on the ship, hung back while Jessica made her way up the stairs. She stepped on the first step and was besieged with flashes of the grey, gritty wind that whipped around her that last horrible day. Heard the screams of those behind her and ahead of on the climb to their death. Her heart seemed to still in her chest and for a second she couldn't move.

"Lee?" She called out, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I'm here." He said. "If you want me to help you in, just ask." The sound of his voice was like a warm, protective blanket around her. Jessica burrowed herself inside it and felt her heart squeeze with gratitude that he was there.

"I can do this...." She murmured taking the next step up....and the next. "I will do this." Her breathing was short and shallow. Then she was inside. It was dark for the most part in the raptor. A warm fall of light through the windshield was the only illumination and made large sweeping shadows as people walked past the front of the vessel. The air was humid and heavy with the scent of warm metal. Jessica had to walk hunched over as she made her way to the cock pit. On the floor, next to the lead pilot's chair was a plastic straw and a few candy wrappers. A slightly sticky cup holder that still smelt of coffee. Signs of normal human lives. Jessica's breath released in an exhalation of relief. She was fine. Lee made her sit beside him. Jessica wanted to deck him.

"If you're going to get over this. You have to face it. Come on. You'll be able to see everything and that should ease your nerves." He insisted pointing to the co-pilot's chair.

"Just when I think you might have some redeeming qualities..." Jessica grumbled settling into the large chair. "Jess,.."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You're being perfectly logical and right. I gotta say, it's a real flaw in your character, Captain." Jessica said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

She jumped in her seat when the raptor roared to life. She closed her eyes and prayed she was anywhere but about to be shot out of the conveyor tunnel, hurling out into space.

Lee motioned for Cally to come forward and while Jessica's eyes were still clenched tight, mouthed 'talk to her'. "So is it true, you're psychic?" Cally asked kneeling next to Jessica's chair.

"Huh?" Jessica asked opening her eyes and looking down at the dark haired girl next to her. A 19 year old idealistic young thing who took pride in her job and had a secret crush on Chief Tyrol.

In the background, Lee relayed their position to the Galactica and gave and took information.

"You can, like, see the future and stuff right?" Cally pressed.

"Sometimes yeah. Though the system's kind of on the fritz right now." Jessica explained.

"No kidding? So you're like a gypsy right? One of those fat women with the funky colored scarves on their heads who would charge at those fairs back home?" Cally asked.

"I've got a ways to go in the pounds department but otherwise, yeah." She replied with a small smile. "Rumor has it, you're coming along to weed out Cylons." Billy asked from behind. Jessica turned in her chair to face him.

Lee wanted to throw something at Billy Keikeya's head. The last thing he wanted was for Jess to be reminded of the Cylons now. And just when Cally was doing a good job of distracting her.

"Tell me about that episode in CIC." Lee butt in hoping to swing her attention off the purpose of their flight. "What now?" Jessica asked, embarrassed.

"Yeah, now. Tell me what that was all about." "Wait, was this that time I heard about whe she jumped on the console and started screaming at you?" Dualla asked crawling forward.

Jessica stared at Lee, she knew there was no way in hell he'd want to revisit that humilating episode, but he wanted her to keep talking. To calm her. For the first time, Jessica began to wonder if maybe there was something to her prophecies involving her and Captain Lee Adama after all.

 

Chapter 16

Dr Salik was placing a bandage over the open gash in the back of Jessica's head when Lee burst into sick bay. He knows. Jessica grimaced watching the play of furious emotion on his face. He knows what I did to Morgan.

"Cally told you." Jessica sighed.

Lee grit his teeth and forced himself to turn to the doctor. "How is she?" He asked. His own cuts and bruises had been tended to earlier.

"She'll have a hell of a headache for a few days but she'll be alright." The doctor replied.

"That's good. Could we have a minute, Doctor?"

"Uh actually, I don't think-" Jessica protested, reluctant to get into the lecture Lee was ready to launch into.

"Sure, we're all done here. Come see me later if you want something for the pain." Salik told Jessica turning to go check on Cally.

"Traitor." Jessica scowled after her.

Lee waited until the door was closed and then he grabbed Jessica. "How could you have been so frakking stupid?" He practically pulled her off the examination table.

"Okay, ow!" Jessica groaned as the movement caused the painful throbbing in her head to intensify.

"Cally told me you practically frakked Morgan, though to hear her tell it, you're a damn hero!"

"Again, ow!" Jessica said clenching her eyes against the splitting pain. Lee eased his grasp on her arms and shook his head. "I'll probably have bruises there tomorrow, you big jackass." Jessica rubbed her arms.

Lee narrowed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair so that it stood up in uneven spikes. "Do you not realize Morgan could have killed you? While you were on your knees sucking him off-,

"I didn't!-" Jessica injected but Lee plowed ahead.

"-he could have blown your frakking head off, you stupid kid!"

Jessica jerked back at the venom in his voice and tried hard to remind herself that he was speaking from a place of pure, frustrated fear. "First of all, I never gave him a blowjob, secondly, the plan was to distract him which, hello!, worked as Cally was able to get the gun away from him and thirdly, I'd do it again if I had to.....and well, if he wasn't dead." Jessica amended.

"Oh well, nice to known you still have some scruples." Lee seethed. Then he turned away from her and Jessica watched his shoulders sag as the anger eased out of him.

"Lee-" Jessica began softly. "You weren't there. It was just Cally and I and Morgan was going to....rape her, I think. I couldn't let him."

"I thought he'd raped you. When I saw you on your knees without your shirt on, I thought-" Lee's voice thickened with emotion and Jessica pressed a hand on his back.

"And you would have cared?" She asked him. He turned to face her, his face showing surprise at her question.

"For frak's sake, Jess." Lee exclaimed.

Jessica pressed her face against his back and shuddered. "Just tell me, Lee. It'd be really nice to hear right about now." She whispered.

He turned his body and wrapped his arms around her. "Come here." He drew her closer and she sagged against him, tears filling her eyes. "Would I have cared? Lords." Lee shook his head in amazement. "This whole frakking thing was my fault. You warned me. You told me not to go."

"Oh, don't go there. You are not responsible for what Zarek or Morgan did." Jessica didn't raise her head, enjoying the feeling of his warm body pressed against hers.

"I should have listened to you. If I had, Cally wouldn't have gotten shot and you.....you...."

Jessica felt the shudder go through him and she tightened her arms around his waist.

"But we also wouldn't have been able to get help getting the water from that planet." She pointed out trying to lift the heavy burden of guilt from his shoulders. He saw right through that and gave her a small smile, pressing his lips to her forehead.

The sound of a gunshot rang through her skull and Jessica jerked back with the impact of blinding pain through her head.

"What?" Lee asked when her legs buckled. His grip tightened to keep her upright.

She squeezed her eyes, fighting against the agony in her head to be able to answer him. Again, she saw the dark haired woman from her dream. This time she held a gun and had it aimed at the Commander. More gun shots made Jessica scream in pain and she fell against Lee. He was the only thing keeping her from dropping to the floor.

"Jess, what! What's wrong?" He tilted her face up to look at him and cupped it in one hand.

"Boomer!" She fought to get the word out past the haze of throbbing pain.

"Your father. You have to stop her, Lee!"

"Stop what? What about my father?" Lee's panicked voice asked. He forced himself to calm down. "Okay, easy, Jess. Let's just take a deep breath okay? Easy." Lee insisted easing her back onto the examination table. "Now breathe, Jess. Just take a minute and tell me what you're trying to say."

Jessica dug her nails into his forearms and forced herself to take a deep breath with Lee. Then the words came to her. "Oh Gods....she's a Cylon, Lee. Boomer's a Cylon!"

He was about to refute her words but something in her eyes stopped the words before they came and then he was racing for the door.

She followed close behind him as they sprinted towards the CIC.

When they got there a crowd had gathered and was cheering and clapping, blocking their view of either Boomer or William Adama.

"Shit. Where is she?" Lee demanded anxiously as they pushed through the crowd.

A single shot rang through the room and Jessica knew this one wasn't in her head.

"Dad!" Lee screamed pushing to get to his father while the crowd screamed in horror and shock. Jessica was nearly knocked off her feet in the midst of the chaos as people rushed to get out of the line of fire.

Another shot. Oh my Gods, no! No! Jessica cried. She spotted a small opening and caught a flash of a brown flight suit. She ran towards it and then jumped, throwing herself against who she hoped was the Cylon that everybody knew as Sharon 'Boomer' Valeri. A last shot exploded from the gun before both women hit the floor. Jessica didn't dare look up to see if the last shot had hit Lee's father. She used her body to hold Boomer down. Looking at her face, Jessica saw shock and disbelief on the woman's face. She doesn't know. Jessica realized with a nervous clench in her stomach. She doesn't know she's a Cylon.

William Adama fell against the lit table, his blood spreading onto the glass while Lee screamed for a doctor and Colonel Tigh tried to stop the bleeding.

Guards came and eased Jessica off Boomer and carted the horrified lieutenant out of the room in restraints.

Jessica pulled herself up to her feet and choked on a gasp. There was so much blood. Dee was holding on to the commander's hand and was praying.

Lee held his father's head in his arms and was crying. Dear Gods, don't let him die. Jessica prayed, not only for Will Adama. But also for for the man she loved.

Chapter 17

"You could get in trouble for this." Jessica warned as Kara led her through a confusing maze of hatchways and dark corridors.

"I'm not afraid of Colonel Tigh-One-On." Kara assured her. "You should be there when he comes to. Doc says you saved the commander's life. Three shots to the chest. The last definitely near-fatal. An inch to the left..." Kara's voice choked with fearful emotion and Jessica placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I imagine everyone's worried about Lee right now, but how are you doing?" she asked, stopping Kara.

"Oh let's see. I just found out the woman I considered my best friend is a Cylon and this woman/Cylon plugged three holes in a man who's the closest thing to a father I have. I've had better days, yeah." Kara said.

"You wanna take a minute?" Jessica offered, feeling the tight ball of fear and rage throbbing in the pit of Kara's stomach.

"No, cause if I do that, I'll hit something." Kara warned.

"Well, I'd offer, but I'm afraid you can kill me with your pinky." Jessica pointed out, which made Kara laugh a little.

"Just let me get at one of those Cylons we have locked up and I'll feel a hell of a lot better." She said flexing her fingers at her sides.

"I'm surprised we haven't flushed them out the airlock yet. What's Tigh waiting for?"

Kara's scowl deepened and she turned away continuing their journey towards sickbay.

"President Rosilin says to hold off. Thinks the toasters might be good for intel."

"It's annoying have a logical person around isn't it?" Jessica said with a grimace.

"Yeah well, I'll take great pleasure in getting the president her information, believe me." Kara seethed.

"Just remember, they can't very well talk if they're dead, okay? Or...well....expired....whatever."Jessica cautioned. "You're right. It is frakking annoying having a logical person around."Kara said narrowing her eyes. "Oh and just so you know, Lee's the one who asked me to come get you." She informed Jessica when they stopped outside sick bay "Really?" Jessica asked, cursing herself for sounding so pleased.

"Well, when he wasn't konked out." Kara explained as they noticed Lee sitting in a chair next to Adama's bed, his head on his father's leg. After two days of frantic worry, exhustion had finally caught up with him and he was sound asleep. Kara stayed for a few minutes but her nerves were eating at her and she informed Jessica that she was gonna go relieve some stress. By interrogating one of their Cylon prisoners, Jessica imagined.

She was relatively alone now, as both men in the room were unresponsive at the moment. They both looked so incredibly fragile, these men, who for the short time she had known them had both seemed so....bigger than life. Jessica leaned her chair closer to the commander and looked at his hands. Small, stocky, sturdy hands. How much death has come at these hands? How much life? Her own. Jessica shivered and rested her head on her hand as she looked over at William Adama's face.

"Well, I know you of all people deserve a vacation but this is a little extreme don't you think?" Jessica joked then lowered her head as tears came to her eyes. "I owe you my life. I'm...so sorry I couldn't save you in return. I wish I'd known sooner. I should have known sooner that Boomer was a Cylon. " She covered her hand over her mouth and shook her head. "You're not allowed to die. Do you hear me? You're still needed here. So where ever you are right now, you get your ass back here cause I think we're all gonna fall apart if you don't come back. I imagine it's pretty great where you are. Peaceful. But your work is not done here. " Jessica covered his hand with her own and spotted Lee's next to it.

"You cannot leave him now. Lee won't recover if you die. He'll break inside. He's frakked up enough as it is. I know you don't believe this but your son needs you. We all....I need you. You Adama's are not easy. You wouldn't let me hate you." She said with a burst of laughter. "You kept at me until I grew to respect you, you old frakker. So now you don't get to bow out. I'm gonna need you to....to help me understand him." Jessica stroked the back of Lee's head. An image teased the edges of her mind and she tried to concentrate on it to make it stronger.

William Adama sat with a sweet faced, dark haired toddler on his lap. He was making silly faces at her and she was giggling and squirming in his arms. Jessica gasped, aching to see the toddler, knowing this was her child. "Silly Gappy! Top dat! Top! Gappy!" The child shrieked happily as her grandfather's fingers dug into her ribs.

Jessica's tears rolled down her cheeks. He would live. He would live to play with his granddaughter. Jessica smiled and debated on whether to wake Lee and tell him of her vision. She waited, hand hovering over his head. Let him rest. Her fingers lowered to Lee's neck and stroked softly, his mouth curved softly upwards. Jessica stopped, surprised, then did it again. Softly, her fingers stroked the back of his neck and again, his mouth curved in an unconscious smile. She laughed softly, amused. Her heart swelled in her chest and happy tears filled her eyes now. She leaned in and pressed her head against Lee's, stroking the back of his neck as she felt his breath against her face. Jessica whispered, "I love you." This time when his mouth curved in a smile, it was followed by a soft sigh and his shoulders sagged in relaxation.

*

"He's not out of the woods yet." Doctor Salik cautioned.

Lee studied his father's fragile form. "But you said-"

"The operation was a success. That's as much as we can hope for right now."

"He'll be all right. I know he will." Jessica assured him.

"Let's hope you're right." the doctor said. "Now I suggest you both get out of here and go get some sleep." Reluctantly, Lee got to his feet, eased that the worst part seemed to be over.

Jessica yawned as she rose and they both stopped when Tigh stormed into the room.

"Why aren't you in the brig?" He demanded.

"Cause no one put me there?" Jessica replied narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm under house arrest, not in hack so if you don't mind." She moved to walk around him but he blocked her way. "Don't you have some hooch to go drink?" She burst in annoyance.

"Relax, I asked her to be here. And you know my father is gonna give her a full pardon after he hears what she did for Cally, not to mention that she saved his own life." Lee insisted.

"You think so?" Jessica asked, warmed by Lee's defense.

"I do. You heard Doc Salik, that last bullet would have done him in, if you hadn't tackled Boomer." The gratitude in Lee's eyes made Jessica's eyes burn,

"Well, I don't know about that, she said-"

"I do." Lee insisted cutting her off.

"Be that as it may, the commander isn't awake yet, so his orders stand. Get back to your room, and I don't want to see you without a guard or I will toss you down in the brig." Tigh snapped, though his surlish attitude was tempered by the relief that his best friend had thus far, survived.

"What is he? Invisible?" Jessica pointed at Lee.

"Forget it, Jess." Lee said leading her out. She shivered at the feel of his hand on her back. She fought a smile as he led her back to her room. Sure they had five....well, six now, Cylon prisoners on board, an out of commission commander and a lush in the position of command. But William was gonna be all right, and Jessica Talbot loved Lee Adama. That was a hell of a silver lining.

Chapter 18

Jessica was on her daily walk, Mark, close behind her. They'd gone to check in on William first. He was improving, but still hadn't awakened. She noticed that for once, Lee wasn't seated by his father's bedside and she suddenly shivered. A sharp mixture of feelings adrenaline, rage and self disgust were rolling in her stomach and beginning to throb upwards into her chest. His emotions gripped her tightly and only increased with every step as she found herself heading to the gym. She would find Lee there, she knew that and instinctively wanted to comfort him and yet Jessica was nervous. It was one thing to know a man was beating back his demons, believing himself alone. It was another to witness that purging first hand.

Lee's emotional explosion after the Olympic Carrier had frightened her, but at the time she'd been carrying the heavy burden of her own guilt and they had let themselves crash against each other. Did she have the strength to hold his burden alone? She didn't think so. Yet her feet kept moving towards him. Wasn't that what you did when you loved someone? And she had already come to the disconcerting conclusion that she loved Lee. Once again she asked why him? Why him of all people? His relief over his father's survival had been buried under the weight of the 'should have knowns' and the 'all-my-faults' It was as if he used the guilt and rage as a crutch. Destroying himself before the world could do it first.

"Why him what?" Mark asked behind her.

"What?" Jessica asked jolted from her thoughts. Then she realized she had spoken out loud. "Mmm, nothing." She said staring at the door to the exercise room. Lee was alone in there. She hesitated, uneasy.

"If you want to take some time in the gym, I can wait out here." Mark offered.

She turned to tell him no. To tell him that she wanted to go back to her room now. "Yes." Jessica replied instead. Dammit. She hesitated, hand over the door.

"It's open." Mark assured her.

"Thanks." She sneered, not turning so he wouldn't see her expression. "Okay, Talbot. You can do this." She told herself, knowing that Mark was grinning, amused, behind her at her pep talk over apparently making herself work out. Jessica forced herself to open the door and was greeted with a thump, thump, thump in quick succession at the back of the room. Her hands ached with nervous tension as she let the door swing closed behind her, leaving Mark on the other side, and her alone to try and ease a lion's agony. She rubbed her damp palms on her sweat pants and followed the sound of fists flying.

She saw the punching bag first, a humongous black rubber cylinder swaying back and forth in quick succession. It looked about three times her size and about her height if it wasn't suspended about two feet off the floor.

She gasped when she saw him. His dark hair was matted down with sweat, which poured down from his face, against his neck and along his arms. He was flushed, glistening, beautiful and in so much pain. His hands were a rapidfire blur as they attacked the enemy Lee had mentally superimposed over the bag. Not Sharon Valeri. Himself.

She wrapped her arms around herself, at a loss as to what to say or do to ease his mind. When his eyes finally darted to her, Jessica took a step back, unable to bear the desperation in his eyes.

He doesn't believe it. He doesn't believe her. Lee is waiting for her to tell him that his father is dead. Jessica forced herself to step forward.

"He's gone isn't he?" Lee asked, shaking. She tentatively placed a hand on his forearm, her fingers slide along the trembling, slippery flesh. The entire room smells of him and the air is warm around them.

"No, Lee. No. He's gonna be fine." Jessica insisted.

His protective wall of denial came up again and he turned back to the bag. "For now." He said with a grunt, jabbing at the bag with knuckles that are going to be black and blue tomorrow.

"No. Come on. Listen to me. Please." Jessica protested trying futiley to catch his attention.

His punches were beginning to lose their strength as his body exhausted itself. He'd been here for over 2 hours.

"This is not your fault, Lee."

He gave a bitter snort at that. "I'm the CAG. How the frak could I not have known that Boomer was a damn Cylon?"

"Nobody knew. How could they?"

"It's my job to know. It's my job." Lee spat pulling back and kicking at the bag to give his hands rest for a while.

"Lee, Sharon didn't even know she was a Cylon. How could you?" Jessica pressed darting to the side when his leg came a little to close to her stomach.

"That's bullshit." Lee sneered. "She's only telling you that so the president doesn't toss her out an airlock."

"No, she isn't. I was this close to Sharon." Jessica insisted holding her hand up to her face. "I could see it in her eyes. She was horrified by what she did."

"What the frak are you doing? Are you defending that toaster bitch?" Lee asked incredulous. Jessica took another step back at his viscious tone.

"No, dammit. I'm trying to make you see that we were all blindsided by what Sharon did. You can't hold yourself-"

"Did you know that my dad was against the whole Astral Queen operation?" He said with a bitter laugh, his attention back on the bag. "He hated my plan to make the prisoners help us mine the water. If I'd listened to him, I would have been by his side when Boomer came back. I could have stopped her. Pulled him out of the path of the bullet. I could have-"

"What? Lee, what the frak could you have done between that split second when the gun was drawn and the gun was fired. Step in the way?" Jessica asked in exasperation.

"Yes!" Lee burst angrily.

Jessica paled and shook her head. The idea that it could have been Lee in the path of the bullet made her physically ill and she had to look for a bench before her legs gave way.

"How could....how could you even say that?" She whispered.

"Come on, Jess. Given the choice, me or my dad, who do you think the crew would rather be in sickbay right now?" Lee asked, violently punching the bag again.

"Are you honestly asking ME that question?" Jessica shot back, eyes glistening.

Lee stopped his attack on the bag and his eyes softened for a moment before he shook his head and went back to beating the bag. "If I hadn't been in sickbay with you, I would have been in CIC with my dad."

"Oh so it's my fault. Is that what you're saying?" Jessica rose off the bench, anger burning in her stomach, only it was no longer just his.

"No. It's nobody's fault." He seethes through gritted teeth. But mine. He added mentally.

"For frak's sake, I can hear that!" Jessica reminded him.

"Jess, get out," he ordered, kicking at the bag, his legs red and damp.

"No. You're gonna listen to me." She insisted though her frayed nerves were urging her to flee. When he continued to ignore her, Jessica took a deep breath and placed herself between his fist and the bag, bracing herself for impact.

He stopped a mere fraction in front of her nose. The black cloth around his fist was torn and part of the extended fabric tickled her nose. He sucked in his breath, wide-eyed with horror at what he'd almost done.

"You stupid little-I could have killed you!" He grabbed her and pulled her off the bag.

Jessica held on to his wrists and refused to allow him to pull away from her. "Your father is gonna be fine. I saw him. I saw him playing with our daughter. He's gonna live. Believe what I'm telling you, Lee." She urged. She wasn't sure if the trembling was him or her. Probably both.

"You saw this?" He asked in a small voice.

"I did. Now I know you have a hard time believing everything I told you so far but for the love of the Gods, Lee. Believe that."

"If I did, I'd have to believe there'd be a kid." He countered.

Jessica looked away, unable to bear the doubt in his eyes. "I've been right about everything so far, haven't I? Maybe thing's will change and you and I....I don't know." Jessica shifted against him, uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation. "I know things have already changed for me." Now she had NOT meant to admit that! She clamped her hand over her mouth and then made to bolt.

Chapter Nineteen

Lee used his now free hand to grab her forearm and hold her in place.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked intently.

Jessica fought the urge to kick him in the balls for asking her that question.

"I mean, I mmphoo." She bit her lower lip hard to stop the words from coming out. Well now she'd stepped in it, hadn't she? Allow Lee to wallow in self pity or admit her feelings for him? If one of the Gods were here, she'd kick them in the balls too for putting this choice in front of her.

Lee placed a thumb on her lower lip and tugged her mouth open. "Repeat that in non-crazy, please?"

"I love you. There. Happy? Now let me go, dammit!" She fought against his grasp.

He jerked back, but didn't let go of her. His eyes were shining like sapphires against the flushed heat of his skin and something more than annoyance and fear began to stir in her belly.

"This is just attraction, Jess. Not love." Lee insisted.

"You know, considering I'm supposed to be the seer, you spend more time telling me what my feelings are than I do.I know the difference between love and attraction, Captain Apollo." She replied sourly.

He seemed to find that amusing and she fought the urge to throw her arms around him at the first small smile he'd given her since she'd entered the room.

"We've been in close proximity a lot. That's all this is. Trust me. You're not in love with me."

"You really are amazing. I've been attracted to you since I met you and I couldn't even stand you then." Jessica groaned at the admission and then narrowed her eyes at him. "If you hadn't exhausted yourself on that bag, I would kick you in your Adamas right now." Jessica spat amazed at the power Lee had to simply discard something he didn't want to face.

"You're welcome to try." Lee said releasing her and stepping back.

Jessica cocked an eyebrow. "You're giving me permission to kick you in the balls?"

"You have permission to try. Look, I'll even spread my legs." Lee offered generously spreading his feet apart.

A distraction. Reasoning with him didn't seem to work. He was determined to dig himself into a hole and bury himself under his guilt and regret. Maybe Jessica would try another tactic. Distracting him to help him ease his mind. That didn't seem as difficult as butting heads with him. She was beginning to realize that Adamas were an immovable, stubborn bunch. So maybe some underhanded tricks were in order. A kick in the nuts would certainly get his mind off his father, Jessica decided with a grin.

"Come on. I told you I'd help you learn to defend yourself. We can start now." Lee told her.

She took a deep breath and then lunged at him, bringing her knee up between his legs. Except his right foot curled around her calf and spun her around, pushing her into the punching bag.

"Frak! How the frak did that happen?" Jessica asked, shifting her face against the warm black rubber.

"Reflexes." Lee explained smugly behind her.

"Fine. Ow!" Jessica jerked against him, annoyed. His grip eased and he was still panting heavily.

"So, still love me?" Lee asked and Jessica tried to head butt him in the nose for making light of her feelings.

"Unfortunately, you asshat." She felt him shiver against her.

"It's nice to know Kara is expanding your vocabulary." Lee said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Blow it out your ear." She snapped.

Lee snorted. "And yet things stay the same. Okay. You're gonna hit the bag for a while. I need to take a breather." He admitted and Jessica noticed he was starting to go a little pale. Good lords, she hoped Lee hadn't worked himself into such a state that he passed out.

"You okay?" She asked and Lee glanced up at her with a look that made her think he thought she was referring to his earlier meltdown.

"I'll be fine." He admitted and she was relieved to see that it was starting to be true.

She bit back a smile as he slid boxing gloves on her hands and tied them. "You didn't use gloves." Jessica pointed out.

"I don't need the gloves. If you tried to hit that thing without gloves, you'd break your hand." Lee informed her. "Now go on. Pretend it's my head." He positioned her in front of the huge tube and then sat down on the bench.

She jabbed at it once. It didn't move. She didn't dare turn around and look at Lee, afraid that he'd be smiling and then she'd have to kill him. Embarrassed, she hit again. Tightening her arm and hitting as hard as she could. It moved a fraction of an inch, mocking her.

"Fraking thing!" She burst kicking it.

"Okay, we'll start slower." Lee stood up.

"Captain Apollo, if I turn around and you're laughing at me, I'm gonna knock your head off your shoulders."

"Interesting how you use my callsign when you're pissed at me." Lee said. His breathing was more even now and when Jessica turned to look at him she noticed his color was better too. A pale pink.

He slipped boxing gloves and Jessica cocked an eyebrow at him. "I don't want to break your head." He informed her with a smile. "We're gonna spar for a bit."

"I thought that's what we'd been doing since day one?" Jessica cracked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, but this time we're gonna use our fists instead of that smart mouth of yours." Lee shot back. He jabbed at her, she backed up. He swung left, she narrowly missed the impact of that one too. Right, same thing. Lee clenched his jaw and aimed lightly at her stomach. Jessica curled inward, avoiding his fist. She felt as if she was dancing around him as Lee tried to get one well aimed punch to make contact and failed. But everytime he mentally prepared himself to swing at her, she darted out of the way of his intended blow.

"What the-?"He burst in frustration, his sneakers made short squeaking noises as he straightened himself.

Jessica bit her lip. "You're thinking about every move. So I know where you're gonna aim." She explained laughing.

He crossed his arms on his chest and looked down at her with a mix of annoyance and consideration. "That's certainly one of the more original defense tactics I've seen."

"Just hit me, Lee. Don't think about it." Jessica urged.

He snorted, "If I do that, you'll fly across the room."

"Well, if I know you're gonna hit me, how's that gonna-Oooofgh!"

All right, so she didn't quite fly across the room but a surprise blow to the side of the head sent her tumbling sideways on the mat beneath their feet. It was a soft blow, by his standards, Jess knew, but she still went a little dizzy at the impact.

He was at her side in a second. "You okay?" Lee asked, crouching next to her.

"I think you knocked the love right out my head, right there." She joked as he helped her get to her feet. An idea came to her and she aimed a blow to the back of his knees, bringing him back down to the mat. He fell foreward across her stomach, which was more painful for her than it must have been for him. "Ooof!" She fell flat on her back and burst out laughing. Then she felt him shaking against her, and felt a rush of relief to know he was laughing too.

Except after a while he wasn't making any sounds. Just trembling

"Hey." Jessica called out lifting her head and placing a hand on his hair.

Not laughing.

Her stomach dropped at the clammy feel of the back of his neck. Fear. Icy and sharp, it seeped from his skin into hers. "Lee....are you all right? Lee!" Jessica cried struggling to get out from underneath him. She pushed against his shoulder and he turned onto his back. The pale color was back and he was sweating again. His eyes were clenched shut and his breath was coming in quick gasps. "Oh Gods, Gods. Lee, look at me. Open your eyes, please!" She patted the sides of his face. Panic. His or hers, she didn't quite know. Okay, Talbot, think. think. What's wrong with him? Delayed reaction? Jessica wondered. Yes. That's it. A panic attack. She stroked his hair from his forehead needing to keep touching him, to anchor him here.

"Can't.....breathe...." He moaned. His chest rising and falling in panicked rhythm.

"I"m gonna go get Dr S-" Jessica moved to rise to her feet but Lee grabbed her wrist and she fell back against him.

"NO!" He cried. "Don't.....leave. I'm all....right....I'll be....fine.....minute...." His fingers tightened painfully around her wrist.

"I'm here. Tell me what to do....I don't know what to do." Jessica replied feeling herself start to shake.

"Stay...." He panted. If he kept breathing like that he was gonna pass out for sure. Tigh would probably think she killed him. "Bag.....breathe...." Lee instructed her.

Jessica quickly scanned the room. There was a small plastic bag tucked under one of the benches against the wall but it was on the other side of the room.

"Okay, I see one. But you're gonna have to let go, Lee. I'll be right back, I swear." Jessica promised through a hot haze of tears. Her own blood felt chilled in her veins and she forced herself to rush to grab the bag and was back less than five seconds. Lee took it from her and began breathing into it frantically. She rested on his chest and his fist gripped the back of her shirt tightly.

Slowly, his breathing slowed and his eyes fluttered open with such a look of relief and gratitude that Jessica dropped her head on his chest and her tears mixed with the sweat of his tanks. "Thank the Gods." She murmured.

"Shit. That was....I don't know what that was." Lee said. His grip on her shirt eased, but he didn't remove his hand from her back.

"Delayed reaction, I think. Dr Salik was using it to explain why I was weeping at the drop of a hat for the better part of a month."

"Post traumatic stress, I guess." Lee said, taking in deep gulps of air. "Never had that happen to me before."

"I'd say you were due for a meltdown." Jessica said, stroking his cheek. She watched his eyes flare at her touch.

"Thanks for your help." He whispered, his breath warm against her face.

"Anytime." She repilied with a small grin. The heart beneath her was no longer racing and Jessica sighed in relief.

Then Lee's hand was trailing up her back and she had the most absurd urge to curl up on top of him.

"Jess..."

"It's okay, Lee." What was okay? Jessica didn't know. But beyond the fact that Lee wasn't gonna suffocate, everything else kinda fell to the side.

"No, it's not. We have to talk about what you said."

"No we don't." Jessica insisted, her finger trailed the curve of his ear and then slid down his neck, feeling the strong pulse at the side.

"Later." He sighed and pulled her head down capturing her mouth over his.

Jessica gave a soft moan and opened her mouth as his tongue slid inside to find hers. She pressed herself flat onto of him, trying to feel all of him at once. Oh.....oh..... Lee's fingers pressed against her scalp and his other hand came around to stroke the small of her back. She felt the scrape of his teeth on her lower lip and breathed in the warm, sweaty scent of him. Then he was rolling them both so that she was on her back beneath him. He pulled her tank top up and covered a breast over her bra. Jessica gave a whimper and arched against his hand, digging her fingers into his hair. He settled in between her thighs and she felt him hard against her pants. She shifted, cradling him between her legs and her hips rolled dying for closer contact. He broke their kiss and pulled her tank top up over her head.

"Here-mnngh" Her protest died when his mouth closed over her breast. Her hands pulled his tanks up so she feel the play of muscles of his back. In the back of her mind, Jessica knew that this was insane. That neither one of them was thinking clearely, but right now, it all felt too good. When she lifted her hips to press against the rigid length in his pants, they both sighed. Lee pressed down insistently and his mouth rose to her neck. Jessica's felt as if a bubble of electricty surrounded them. Her whole lower body was throbbing, swelling and she could taste herself in Lee's mouth. She could feel the slide of damp cloth against his arousal, the soft flutter of her fingers along his back. Her thighs tightened around his hips and felt the squeeze against his own skin. She felt the dizziness of his mind, the urge to push, pin her down that overtook Lee. She could practically hear the crackle of electricity as his fingers dipped past her waistband, into pants. Everything that he was feeling, the intense burn of desire in his blood, the surge of intensity in the tightening of muscles beneath his skin. When his fingers found her bare skin, Jessica arched, coming hard and fast against his hand. He bit lightly on her collarbone and when he captured her other breast in his mouth, he teased her nipple with his teeth as she continued to shake beneath him. All the while, grinding into her, trying, but fearful of taking that final step of sliding past clothes and inside of her.

Her release was tempered with Lee's fierce need. She still felt swollen and urgent. Throbbing. Jessica boldly cupped his behind and raised her hips, urging him to release. The burn in her blood intensified and she was pushing against his hips in a mimicking of what Lee needed.

Tigh...

.The name shocked her with unwelcome ferocity and Jessica gasped, automatically looking over Lee's shoulder.

"Oh Gods, he's coming." Jessica hissed in Lee's ear. Lee groaned but didn't stop moving. His hands cupped the sides of her face, kissing her almost senseless. Resisting the urge to fall back into the storm of blissful sensation, though it required superhuman effort on her part, Jessica broke the kiss ad tried again. "Lee....Oh Gods...Tigh's coming." She warned, pushing against his shoulder.

The gym hatch opens and an irritatingly familiar voice booms, "What the frak is this?"

Lee stiffened above her and his shocked blue eyes met Jessica's. "Yeah, that." She explained with a groan. He held Jessica close, shielding her from Tigh's view. Jessica tried to tuck her head against Lee's shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing, Captain? You have quarters for that and I don't believe you're off duty."

"Yes, Sir. If you'll give me a minute." Lee seethed through his clenched jaw.

"Right. Miss Talbot?" Tigh asked.

"Yeah? Frak!" Jessica swore against Lee's skin. So much for hiding.

"That's it. I'm putting you in the brig. Get up." Tigh ordered in disgust.

"What the-That's not fair!" Jessica protested peeking her head out.

"A frakking minute Colonel!" Lee shouts. "Stay put unless you want him to see you." He reminds her, looking pointedly at her bare breasts. She wanted to laugh when she felt his erection press insistently between her thighs, clearly not understanding why the stimulation had abruptly ended.

"Meet me in my quarters in five minutes. Both of you!" Colonel Tigh barked.

Chapter Twenty

If the younger Adama had the worst timing known to man, the elder Adama made up for it by having the absolute best. As a flushed Jess and a now upwardly mobile Lee made their way to the XO's office be given hell by Saul Tigh, Salik intercepted them in the corridor.

"He's awake! He's conscious." She exclaimed, the lines around the doctor's black eyes slightly smoothed by relief.

Jessica watched Lee go very still beside her and her heart burst with joy for him. Suddenly shy, she debated whether to throw her arms around him to share his relief. Bizarre, considering they were a mere shifting aside of clothing from frakking on the gym floor only moments ago. He'd been quiet and uncomfortable as they walked out of gym. But Lee hadn't stammered out any apologies which Jess supposed she should be grateful for.

He knew her too well by now though. Besides an underlying sense of uncomfortable tension, Lee deliberately kept his thoughts focused on his father as they walked. Sneaky, smart bastard.

"You can see him for a few minutes, but that's all. And only one at a time." the doctor informed them.

"Okay, sure. I'll come by later." Jessica offered. "Tell your dad, I owe him one. Big time."

Lee looked at her blankly for a moment. Jessica's mouth curved in a secret smile and Lee's slow blush indicated the message had gotten through. Then he looked behind her and noticed the absence of Mark.

"Poor guy. I hope Tigh hasn't given him a hard time. Doc, Can you walk me to where Lieutenant Thrace is interrogating the Cylon prisoners?" Jessica asked.

"Jess, are you sure you want to-" Lee began, obviously not liking the idea.

"Watch Kara torture the monsters who made my life hell for two years? You bet your sweet ass I do." She responded in a tone that brooked no argument. "Go see your father." Jessica pressed. "Oh, and pray Tigh hasn't been in to see him first." She added with a grimace that Lee echoed.

"He hasn't, has he?" Lee asked Dr Salik.

She shook her head. "I came to find you first."

"Thank the Gods." Both Jessica and Lee sighed at same time, making the doctor cock a curious eyebrow.

*

Jessica was led into the interrogation room by a big, burly guard with ruddy face that matched his red hair. If Kara was surprised to see her there, she gave no indication. All the older woman's attention was fixated on the Cylon's head, currently being submerged in a vat of water by two guards.

"Pull up a seat and enjoy, honey." Kara drawled. She nodded at the guards and they pulled the man's head out of the water by his hair.

Jessica steeled herself to face the machine monster. The embodiement of all her fears. But when she looked into the man's eyes and gasped, the sound Jessica made was not one of horror but of confused surprise.

"You?" Her voice cracked with disbelief. The man's eyes widened slightly in surprise and then he smiled at her.

Jessica fell backward into the chair the guard had placed next to Kara for her.

"Hello, Jessica." His voice sent another jolt of recognition through her.

Kara's head snapped to Jessica with a wary look.

"I...he.." Jessica was at a loss to form a coherent thought when the man who'd saved her life was staring her in the face. No. Not the man. The Cylon. "Good Gods..."

"You recognize him?" Kara asked. She was about to offer Jessica the opportunity to dunk him herself when Jessica stopped her.

"No. Wait!" Jessica cried out at the guards who were readying themselves to submerge Leoben's head again.

Leoben. She shivered and leaned forward in her chair. "You're one of them. How-"

"could you not know? You did know. You do. You just don't remember now." He informed her.

"Okay, one of you start making sense or I'm drowning both of you, how's that?" Kara spat in irritation.

"He saved my life." Jessica explained, her eyes never wavering from his. Held there by a sick, confused fascination. "Say what now?" Kara asked.

"He saved....my Gods...The injection you gave me...Why?" Jessica's head ached with the confusion swimming in her brain.

Again, he smiled.

"It wasn't me. It was him."

Jessica blinked. So this was a copy.Some other version of Leoben but with his memories and knowledge. "Why?" She repeated, not at all sure she wanted to know anymore.

"God has a plan for you, Jessica."

"Oh lords, not this again. He's been spouting the same crap to me for the past hour. Dunk his ass." Kara ordered in a burst of exasperation.

Jessica didn't object this time. "He's a machine. A machine. He's not human." She repeated to herself even as she shuddered in her chair.

"You're meant to live, Jessica." He repeated when he was allowed up for air. "That's why he did it. When we wanted to dispose of you because we couldn't understand your knowledge. We escaped when the Galactica attacked, Leoben said that God told him to save you. To convince the others the torture had finally killed you so we'd leave you behind. He injected you with a drug that simulates death. Saved you as God instructed."

"So your God wanted us evil humans to save another human. One that you went to a hell of a lot of trouble to hold on to and are even now, trying to get back." Kara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms sitting back in her chair.

Leoben smiled. "They know she's alive now."

"But if they were gonna get rid of me anyway. Why do they want me back now?" Jessica couldn't help herself from asking.

"Because God told us who you are. God told us Leoben was right." He looked at her with such a look of awe and love that Jessica's heart leapt in her chest. She suddenly couldn't breathe. Jessica bolted up out of her chair with panicked speed. Her heart felt as if it was about to explode from her chest in perfect similarity with what Lee had been feeling earlier.

"He knew. He knew that you would bring us all together. His faith was strong when we killed him. Do you know he said your name when he died?"

"Shut up! Please!" Jessica covered her ears with her hands. What the hell was this? How could her dreams be telling her one thing and this machine-"

"Go on. Get out of here." Kara ordered calling for one of the guards to take Jessica back to her room.

"I'm gonna destroy you! I'm going to wipe the whole frakking bunch of you off the planet. That's who I am." Jessica screamed at him.

"Your child is gonna end the war between us. That's not the same thing, now is it Jessica?" He replied.

"Jess, go." Kara ordered.

Jessica stared at him, this copy of the machine that saved her life. She couldn't read his mind. Couldn't understand what he meant. If he actually believed what he was telling her or if he was just toying with her. Jessica could never read the Cylons because their mental process was all mechanical. She didn't know what he was telling her but she couldn't make herself ask him to explain.

It was all too confusing. What was real? Was anything he told them the truth? He hadn't told Kara how many Cylons were in the fleet, no matter how bad she tortured him. He told her there was a bomb on board instead. No bomb had been found. A wild goose chase. Mindgames. That was one of their weapons, Jessica told herself. That was all this was.

She didn't look at him again before the guard led her out of the room. But she did stop in the hallway and waited until she stopped shaking.

Jessica's dreams that night were a confusing jumbled mess that she was pulled away from with a jolt when she heard the Cylon prisoner Leoben whisper her name in her ear. When she opened her eyes, she knew Leoben was dead once again.

 

The End