Chapter Text
She was tired and dirty. Her head ached, but she wasn't sure if it was from lack of food or from the harsh lights of her cell. Having her glasses back helped with the strain on her eyes, but the glaring sun shining down on her as she stepped out of the detention center had her wincing in pain and closing her eyes tightly.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw Tory coming towards her with concern written on her face.
"Laura, are you okay?"
She offered a comforting smile to her former aid and allowed her to grasp her elbow and lead her towards the tents.
"I'm fine. Nothing a little food and a bath won't help."
Tory didn't seem convinced and huffed in frustration, "How are you always so optimistic on this god-forsaken planet?"
She gave the young woman a weary smile and risked a glance back towards the sky. "Because the Admiral is coming back. We just have to get ready so we can do our part when he gets here."
"It's been four months...what if he..."
"He's coming back," Laura interrupted with resolve thick in her voice. Doubts had tried their best to reach her in that bright, dirty cell, but her heart knew Bill Adama.
"He'll be back," she whispered once more and allowed the hope that knowledge brought to fortify her for what was coming.
He was coming.
She’ll never forget the moment she looked up to the sky and saw Galactica plummeting towards them in a blaze of fire. Her heart caught in her throat as fear overwhelmed her, but then with a flash and rush of wind the ship was gone again and she could breathe knowing that he and his ship were safely away once more. She turned and took off towards the shipyard more than eager to be on her own ship and up there with him. She held her breath the whole time Colonial One ascended.
What felt like hours later, Colonial One jumped into space and settled into position next to the rest of the fleet.
She'd barely had time to register that they'd made it and adjust to the disorientation caused by the jump when the wireless rang, and Tory was handing it to her saying that the Admiral needed to speak to her. She needed to speak to him too. She needed to hear his voice and assure herself that they were both okay and had survived the latest trial. Her eyes filled with tears the moment she heard his gravelly voice cut through the handset.
"Laura? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked, and the worry in his voice made her heart ache.
She was grateful Tory and the others were trying to give her a little privacy. She sighed deeply, "I'm fine, Bill. Tired, and dirty but feeling fantastic for the first time in a year. Are you okay?"
"I'm better now," he said, and the relief that dripped from his voice was mirrored in the way that her eyes closed tightly and her entire body breathed for the first time in months. "I should get back to it...I just needed to..."
She'd wiped the tears from her cheek. "Me too, Bill. Me too."
Just hearing his voice had fortified her to be able to get done what she needed to, but she'd grown increasingly restless as time slipped by and had begun to feel as though she was drowning in anxiety. She needed to see him if she had any hope of settling down enough to rest. She'd spent months without him, and now a ship away seemed too far for her to handle. She didn't want to wait until tomorrow. She needed to see him now.
It took a few hours before she felt as though she could leave Colonial One. She had needed to meet with Zarek to work out the transition for her to step back into the role of President, and she had checked in with the other ship’s captains to get a survivor count started. It was another hour after that before she could secure a raptor to take her where she wanted to go. She used the time to pack a bag and grab a few files that she would need to look over.
She paced the rest of the time.
No longer being the President had its perks and she managed to cross the hangar deck without fanfare and more importantly without any escorts. She made her way to his quarters feeling like a moving bundle of nervous energy. She'd imagined what it would be like to see him again more times than she could count over the past months. She was almost shaking in anticipation, but the closer she got to her destination the more unsure she felt about what his reaction might be.
She knew what she felt for him.
She had known since Admiral Cain had shown up and she had feared what the woman would do to him in her pursuit of power. It was desperation to make sure that he would survive that caused her to suggest taking the woman out. She just couldn't take the chance that something would happen to him. She was still convinced that Cain would have gone after Bill had the Cylon not taken her out instead. She had tried to convince herself that it was simply her concern for what would happen to the fleet without Bill, but she finally stopped denying it after she had given him his wings and he had kissed her. She'd known then that she saw him as more than a friend, but she had been dying and in no position to pursue it. When she was finally well enough to even consider it, the next crisis had come and then the next and before she knew it, she was being forced to settle on that frakkin planet far away from him.
She'd fallen asleep each night on New Caprica replaying every conversation and interaction they'd ever had as she tried to puzzle out if he returned her affection or if she was simply reading something into his every word and action. Perhaps she had transferred her own desires onto those memories, and he only saw her as his partner in leading the fleet...his friend. That thought was what had her hesitating outside of his quarters now, gripping her hands tightly as she stared at the hatch doors.
"He's still in the CIC, ma'am," one of the guards, Lt. Michaels, said and she jumped a little at the reminder that she was not quite alone. "He should be back soon, though, if you'd like to wait inside."
She shook her head with a smile, "I can just take a walk and come back later."
He just smiled at her kindly and began opening the hatch, "Please ma'am, I know he's anxious to see you."
She nodded and patted his shoulder as she walked past him and into the Admiral's quarters.
She held the tears back just long enough for the hatch to click shut again. They streamed down her cheeks freely as she stood there just inside of his quarters with eyes closed breathing in the scent of old books, leather couches, and Bill. It was overwhelming how much she’d missed him.
She set her bag down on the floor by the couch as she walked slowly around the room letting it all soak in and breathed a sigh of relief as the homesick feeling finally started to abate after months of taking up residence in her heart. It was almost gone now as she made her way to the cluttered shelves and traced her fingertips reverently over the spines of the old books. There was still something missing...that one thing that would truly make her feel at home.
"Laura," she heard her name come out like a breath behind her, and she froze. She'd been so exhausted and deep in thought that she hadn't heard the hatch open.
She turned and saw him for the first time after agonizingly long months apart, and he looked as worn out and exhausted as she felt, but she was absolutely positive that he had never looked as handsome as he did in that moment watching her.
He stood there just a few steps away with his hands fisted at his side as if he were as unsure of what came next as she was. His body was rigid with tension, but his eyes held such relief and joy that she felt her heart pounding in her chest as she took him in.
A sob tore itself from her throat and his arms opened just in time to catch her as she launched herself towards him. She felt her feet leave the floor as his arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her tightly against his chest. Her own arms slipped under his and her hands fisted in the back of his uniform as she cried into his shoulder.
His hands moved up and down her back soothingly as much to comfort her as to assure himself that she was really there and safe.
"It's good to see you, Laura," he whispered into her ear as she settled down. She shook her head against his shoulder with a smile as the echo of the last time he'd said that to her crossed her mind.
"You too, Bill. You too," she muttered against his neck and then placed a soft kiss there before pulling away enough to look at him.
His hands came up to gently cup her face, and his thumbs slowly moved over her cheeks brushing the tears away.
She knew she probably looked dreadful. Her face was red and puffy from crying and she'd only grabbed a quick shower to get the mud and dirt out of her hair and off of her skin. She knew it would be a while before she actually felt clean again, but some quality time with a hairbrush would have probably been a good use of her time before coming over. She was starting to feel a little self-conscious, but then she brought her eyes up from his chest to his face and her breath caught at the way he was looking at her. She suddenly felt more beautiful than she'd felt on her best days on Caprica before the attacks. His fingertips ghosted across her cheeks to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she shuddered at the warm caress. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, and her eyes closed in response as the tenderness of it swept over her.
"I'm sorry for just showing up like this..." she started to say, but he cut her off with a chuckle and faint blush on his cheeks.
"I'd actually just ordered a raptor to take me to Colonial One when my guards called to tell me they'd let you in. They swear I made it here in record time."
She laughed softly and reached a hand up to cover the one that still rested on her cheek. "I missed you, Bill," she whispered, and her eyes filled with moisture once more.
"I missed you too, Laura...so much," he confessed and then pressed a kiss to her temple.
She held his gaze as she trailed her hand from where his rested on her cheek over his wrist and up his arm. Her touch was feather-light, but he shivered in response. Her fingertips skimmed slowly over his shoulder and up his neck until she was able to thread her fingers through his hair.
He just watched her patiently waiting to see what she would do. Her eyes held his for a moment more before drifting to his lips, and her eyes closed as she applied gentle pressure to the back of his head to bring them closer to hers.
She almost started crying again when she finally felt the caress of his lips moving over hers. The touch was tentative and brief, and he pressed his forehead to hers as he pulled away. They stood there for a moment to steady themselves, their breath mingling as a million reasons why they couldn't and shouldn't do this bombarded her.
She didn't give a frak about any of them.
She reached up to find his lips once more and heard him sigh in relief. Her name left his lips on a breath, and she'd never heard anything as sweet and sensual. She held his bottom lip between hers and traced it with the tip of her tongue until his next breath was a little sharp and his hands found her hips and pulled her closer. She retreated but his tongue followed hers, and she gave up on having another rational thought after that. She'd add excellent kisser to that dossier she had on him at the first opportunity. She felt his hand bury in her hair and cup the back of her head as he angled his mouth and deepened the kiss. Her fingers went to work on the buttons of his uniform but were soon distracted by the feel of his lips on her neck.
The shrill sound of the phone ringing had them pulling apart with a sigh and he apologized as he moved to answer it. His eyes clouded with regret as he looked at her and hung up the phone.
"I have to take care of something in the CIC. It won't take long. Can you just...wait here?"
"Actually,” she began with a shy shrug, “I was going to beg to steal your couch for tonight. I just couldn't stomach the thought of sleeping there until they're able to scrub all of the Baltar from the sheets and flat surfaces."
"I certainly can't blame you there,” he chuckled “I probably would have just set fire to the thing and set up base somewhere else. I'll be more than happy to have you here."
"You sure?"
His smile was warm and comforting. "I'm positive. Make yourself at home, and I'll be back soon. There are towels and soap in the head if you want to scrub down a little more. I know you're even questioning how sanitary the shower on Colonial One is."
"Well I am now," she huffed and looked longingly towards the head.
"Go ahead," he chuckled and then moved past her to grab something from his dresser. He returned and handed her a pair of his sweats and an old sweatshirt. "Get the Baltar germs off, and I'll be right back."
He kissed her cheek and moved towards the hatch door while she moved towards the head to disinfect, but her heart stuttered, and she called out to him before he could open the hatch. He moved back towards her questioningly, and she dropped the clothes and met him halfway gripping the front of his uniform and pulling him to her. Her lips crashed into his, and he gasped in surprise but caught on quickly. His large hands spread across her back and pulled her against his chest as he returned the kiss with equal fervor. Her breathing was ragged, and she swayed on her feet when they pulled back for air, but Bill steadied her with a disarming smile spreading across his face.
"Just wanted to give you a proper goodbye," she explained a bit bashfully and shrugged.
He smiled and leaned down to brush his lips across hers again. "I think I might need to keep forgetting things so I can come back in here and leave a few more times then."
She giggled and the sound wrapped right around his heart, "I'd rather you hurry back and stay."
"I'll be back soon," he promised and after another kiss filled with regret at having to leave her at all, he turned and made his way out of the hatch.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks sure they were flushed and turned back towards the head. She stood in front of the mirror for a moment examining the reflection she saw there. It was almost like looking at a stranger. She was sure she'd never seen the radiant happiness in her eyes reflected back before. Her cheeks were flushed as she had suspected, and a love-sick smile spanned her face. She shook her head at how silly she was being and reached into the shower to turn on the tap.
She hummed happily as the warm water moved over her body, and her heart raced every time she thought about his kiss. She pressed her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes as she leaned back against the shower wall. She let the emotions wash over her in concert with the water, and she reveled in the way her heart was pounding in her chest just thinking about being here now safe and in the home of the man she loved. Her eyes opened and she shook her head at how very sentimental she was being and went back to the task at hand.
A smile spread across her face when she saw a couple of small bottles on the shelf in the shower next to his things and reached out to pick them up. They were small bottles containing the scented soaps and shampoos that she used. He had been kind enough to let her borrow his bathroom to shower when she'd stayed on Galactica in the past in order to allow her privacy rather than having to use the crew latrines. She had been very grateful for his thoughtfulness and kept the small bottles here for such times. Her heart filled seeing that he had kept them here all this time even after she had settled on New Caprica. She wondered if he ever opened them and just breathed in their scent because he missed her. She chuckled and shook her head to push the thought from her mind. Just because she'd curled up on the cot in her tent on that miserable planet with one of his books clutched tightly to her chest because she missed him so much that she physically ached didn't mean that he indulged in such things. She uncapped the bottles with a sigh and went about finishing her shower.
She was brushing out her hair when he got back, and he smiled at the sight of her sitting on the couch in his clothes. She smiled when she saw him, but her eyes were heavy with exhaustion. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and promised that he would be right back before popping into the head to grab a quick shower and dress for bed.
She was barely awake with her head resting on the arm she had curled under her on the side of the couch when he stepped out again, and his heart stopped at the happy smile that covered her face. He walked over to the couch and reached for her hands to tug her up. She stood willingly but hesitated as he started leading her to the rack.
"I don't mind the couch, Bill."
"I just need you close," he offered with a shrug, and she smiled at the confession before lacing their fingers and willingly following him the rest of the way. She needed him close too.
They climbed beneath the covers and she slid easily into his arms. Her cheek pressed against his chest just over his heart, and he trailed his hand slowly up and down her back as she relaxed into his side.
"Welcome home, Laura," he whispered into the dark once she was settled.
"It feels good to be home, Bill," she confessed, and her arm around his waist tightened.
She sighed happily, and her fingertips traced lazy patterns across his chest. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever felt this content and happy. She just wanted to stay here in his quarters and enjoy life with him. The thought of waking up tomorrow and having to go back to Colonial One filled her with dread, and she couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that was creeping into her bones. She had spent every night since Baltar's Groundbreaking ceremony longing to fall asleep in Bill's arms again, and she was spending the night doing just that. She should be enjoying this moment, but instead, she was plagued with thoughts of having to give it up when the morning came, and they were forced back into their respective roles once more. Just the thought of losing what they'd finally given into tonight and going back to being only close friends and co-leaders again broke her heart. She closed her eyes in frustration. She wasn't willing to sacrifice herself again. She wasn't the dying leader anymore, and she was determined to take something out of all this for herself no matter how selfish. She deserved to live too.
She would have to take office again in three days once Zarek stepped down as he had promised he would. She'd have to go back to Colonial One and the ability to do this again would be gone. She knew she really should just close her eyes and soak in the chance to be close to him once more, but her mind was racing.
"Bill," she whispered, "I'll be President again in three days."
"I know, Laura," he sighed into the darkness.
She was giving voice to the thoughts her brain was firing off as soon as they came to her without allowing time for her brain to filter them. "We'll be equals again...the two most scrutinized members of humanity."
"Yeah...I know." he sighed again and pulled her a little closer.
She propped herself up on her elbow in order to see his face as her mind seemed to settle on an idea. "We can't exactly be seen leaving each other's beds in the middle of the night."
"Okay...so we'll wait till morning. I prefer that anyway," he joked and gave no acknowledgment to her implication that this was just the first night of many for them.
"I'm serious, Bill," she admonished, but a smile tugged at her lips and she was unsuccessful at tucking it away.
"So am I."
She suddenly found her nerves bubbling up and glanced down at his chest where her fingers had taken up their previous activity of making patterns across his shirt. "I'm not President for a couple more days," she hedged.
"That's true," he agreed slowly and studied her face for any clue that might give him insight as to where her mind was going.
"Yeah...so we could do something about it now before I have to take office again."
"I'm all for that," he teased and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear so that he could see her face and the expressions playing across it.
"I mean something permanent, Bill," she whispered, and her eyes finally sought his.
There was a spark of fear in her eyes, and her usual confidence was gone. His concern fused with curiosity as he wondered what she could possibly be so worried about. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
“It’s a crazy idea,” she sighed with a shake of her head. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Spit it out, Roslin.”
She took a deep breath and forged ahead. "Well....we could get married...If you wanted. Then we wouldn't have to worry about the press, or the Quorum... or not seeing each other outside of meetings. They'd have no say-so if we're already married when I take office."
She held her breath waiting.
His own breath was catching and his heart was hammering in his chest. "That's a big commitment, Laura,” he stated and studied her face carefully as he pressed her, “Are you sure that's what you really want?"
Fortified by the realization that he hadn’t said no yet, she willed herself to keep talking. "I learned this past year what's it's like to live without you, Bill, and I don't want to do that again. We could get married on paper for the sake of the Quorum and then take our time figuring this out. If marriage is too much to ask of you, I understand, but I....wait...Bill, where are you going?" she called out as he tossed the covers aside and climbed out of the rack.
"To call the priestess," he called out over his shoulder as though it was obvious what his intentions were.
"Bill," she giggled, "It's the middle of the night."
"So?" he asked and turned back to look at her. He smiled at the image of her curled up in his rack with her head propped up on her elbow watching him. He would never get tired of looking at her.
"So..." she offered with a happy smile lighting up her face, "if you want, I can call the priestess in the morning, and we can be married by tomorrow night."
He shook his head but slowly made his way back towards the rack. "That seems like a long time from now with plenty of time for the Cylons to show up or for you to change your mind."
"I'm not changing my mind," she promised and reached for his hand, "and we'll just ask the Cylons to wait."
Her gentle tug on his hand had him sitting down on the rack beside her. "Okay," he said and brought her hand up to his lips. "But I don’t think we should tell anyone until you're sworn in again."
"I don't know, Bill...that seems dishonest."
A resigned sigh left his lips. "I just don't trust Zarek not to go back on his word. I'm not some civilian you're marrying. I'm the Admiral of the fleet. That's quite the conflict of interest."
"Which is why I think we should be honest. Here's the thing, Bill, if he doesn't go through with it and I'm not the President again, you’ll still control the military so Zarek can't do but so much harm. I know your people won't accept him as the President, and he knows that too, which is why I don’t think he’ll even try it. He needs the support of the military. I really think as long as I'm willing to keep him on as Vice President that he'll keep to his word."
"If you say so," he sighed, and she could hear the edge in his voice at the idea of Zarek being in any form of control.
"I do.” she assured him and slid her hand soothingly up and down his arm, “But really, Bill, I want to do this. The next crisis that comes...or random planet we come across...I don't want us to have to face it apart. We're better together."
"That we are, Laura," he agreed with a soft smile. Her own smile grew and happiness radiated from her eyes even in the darkness of his quarters.
"So....how bout it then? Feel like becoming my husband tomorrow?" She asked and the very idea of it made his heart race.
"Nothing would make me happier, Laura."
"Nothing?" She asked with a smirk and held up the covers so that he could join her once more.
"Not a thing," he promised confidently and slid beneath the blanket.
She sighed happily as she tucked herself back into his side. They laid there in silence for a moment before her voice cut through the darkness. "Oh, gods...I'm going to marry you," she whispered and felt him grow still next to her.
"Having second thoughts already?"
"No," she giggled "I've just never had the desire to get married before."
"But you do now?" He asked hesitantly.
"Mmm hmm," she hummed and pressed a kiss to his neck "guess I was just holding out for you to ask me."
He laughed softly. "Except you asked me," he reminded her.
She shrugged and he could feel her smile against his skin. "Guess I got tired of waiting around for you to ask me."
He turned on his side so that he could see her face while they talked. "Well...I thought I needed to do a little more work getting you to like me before I asked."
"Hmm...but I like you just fine already," she assured him as her hands slid up his chest.
His skin tingled where she touched. "Is that so?"
"Mmm..hmm...I've liked you for a long time," she said and her left hand moved up to brush her fingertips through the hair at his temple.
His eyes closed at the contact and his arm slipped around her waist. "And you're willing to marry me now because you like me?"
"Yes...and you have such a nice book collection," she teased.
"Is that all it takes?” he questioned, and his eyes opened to meet hers. “Here I was thinking I might need to put a little effort in."
Her mouth opened in feigned surprise. "You mean you haven't been trying to win my affection all this time?"
"I have been,” he replied and his hand slipped beneath her sweatshirt to press against the bare skin of her back. “I just thought maybe I was being too subtle about it."
"Must not be too subtle,” she laughed, “my first night back and I'm in your bed begging you to marry me."
He smiled but shook his head in disagreement of her claim. "Not begging...suggesting, and I would have brought it up myself if I thought you might possibly be interested."
That surprised her. "Really?"
"It's crossed my mind," he shrugged and slowly moved his hand up and down her back.
As distracting as his hand was on her skin, she wasn’t willing to let the matter go. "You've thought about marrying me before now?"
"I thought about offering a similar arrangement before you went down to that planet. If we were married, then Baltar couldn't have made you go down there and settle, and you could have stayed on Galactica."
Her look turned thoughtful at his words. "Hmm...is it bad that both of our marriage proposals came from necessity?"
"Not when you consider that the necessity is to not be separated,” he said and slid his hand from her back to reach up and brush her hair behind her ear. “I didn't want to live without you when you went down to New Caprica, and we don't want to be apart now when you become president again. It still comes down to wanting to be together."
"That's true," she conceded with a smile once more tugging at her lips.
His hand cupped her cheek and he waited until her eyes met his before continuing. "I'm not just marrying you because I want to be with you, Laura. I'm marrying you because I can't bear to be without you again."
"I like your marriage proposal better," she whispered, and his thumb moved to brush the tear from her cheek.
"Then become my wife tomorrow, Laura," he said softly, and she was certain her heart had never felt so full.
"Mmm...yes, sir, happy to, sir," she said with a giggle as her lips found his.
"Perhaps, sir," she whispered breathily as they pulled apart "you'd like a practice run for our honeymoon to make sure you'll want to keep me before you’re no longer able to send me back."
"I would never send you back,” he assured her as his eyes darkened in promise of things to come, “but I think we should practice just to be sure we still remember the dance."
"Oh, I have no doubt, Admiral, that you haven't forgotten a thing,” she sighed as her hands slid under his shirt to find heated skin beneath her fingers, “but let's be sure."