Work Text:
Title: Moonlight
Author: deepforestowl
Rating: PG
Warnings: Rampant speculation and sad. Hanky warning!
Author's Note: For AR MOL III.
Disclaimer: Moore's the man with the master plan.
Now, in the twilight of her life, he remembered that night on New Caprica. It was a night that was not long after Baltar's celebration. He had come down to deliver reports and check on his crew, his family. He might have let them leave the ship, but he never let them leave his heart and he never stopped caring for them. Eventually, he had made his way to Laura's tent in the evening. He found her then, beautiful as ever, but tired from the kids. If anything, her exhaustion made her more radiant as he could see the happiness behind her eyes. Her eyes that said that she was content for the most part even if she was disgruntled with Baltar and worried about their race. Her eyes that beckoned to him and said that she was lonely. His eyes said the same things to hers.
As he sat next to her in sickbay, her death near, he remembered her face in the moonlight. It had glowed ethereally then, healthy and mysterious in the way that women have. When he looked at her, he saw her as she was then even though the cancer had robbed her of her bright beauty, she still shone in his eyes. He knew the end was near. They were so close to Earth, a jump away. Shortly, they would make that jump.
The Dying Leader would not see Earth.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. Tears drifted down his face in silent waves unnoticed by him. She mourned those tears. Gripping his hand as hard as she could, Laura just looked at him, her eyes saying everything that she didn't have the strength left to voice. She smiled slightly at him and then death took her in that quiet way that death takes us all whether our end be violent or peaceful. As she followed him, she glanced back and saw Bill lean over and kiss her forehead, whispering brokenly, "I love you." In the next moment, she was gone and in the pull and flash of an FTL jump, so was Bill and the fleet to Earth.