One more treasure goes missing!!
title: Treasure Hunt, Chapter Four
author: redrockcan
words: 1043
timeline: Crossroads, Part Two after the verdict
A/N: The final chapter of this series. The last chapter can be found here Chapter Three. Thanks to defyingnormalcy for the beta!! Edit: I forgot to thank marzipanilla for the Jaffee helping Laura idea!!
Bill had a nice relaxing morning shave and brushed his teeth as he pondered what Laura might have in store for him today. He would rehang the picture later. He was still baffled as to how she got it out of his quarters. The woman was amazing.
Jaffee brought in his morning coffee. Bill thought it odd that the young marine avoided all eye contact with him.
Hmmm, no it couldn’t be.
“Good morning Jaffee.” Bill said.
“Morning sir,” he mumbled as he hastily retreated to the hatch.
“Marine!”
He stopped dead in his tracks and started to shake. “Yes, sir.” The young man’s voice cracked several octaves as he turned slowly.
It was written all over his face. Bill smiled thinking how much the young man reminded him of Billy. Laura had taken a liking to Jaffee immediately, she must have seen that similarity too.
“Thank you for the coffee Jaffee. Dismissed.”
Jaffee heaved a sigh of relief and practically ran out the hatch.
Bill laughed heartily. How could he discipline the boy for helping his President?
He sat down on his couch to enjoy his coffee and a quiet moment. He sat back and looked around his quarters. Something was different. He looked behind him on the shelf behind the couch. His horse statue was missing.
Frak!
In its place was another envelope. He picked it up. Just the hint of perfume wafted up as he opened it. He breathed it in.
Lilacs.
The envelope contained another picture. It was unmistakeably Laura, her long legs perched on the edge of a desk?
Maybe a console of some sort? He could see her lovely, delicate hand stroking his horse.
So to speak.
So the game was still on. He chuckled hoping this was the last infiltration. How did she get that out of here? It was heavy. He got out his magnifying glass to examine the photo, studying the background in the picture carefully.
Aha!
He knew exactly where she was.
He made his way down a floor on the ship and he found her in the airlock. There perched out in terrible jeopardy ready to take flight was his priceless antique horse. He made his way to the control booth and looked at her, at the horse and then back to Laura. She had a smug look on her face and her hand on the button.
“You seem to have a fascination with my horse.” He moved close to her, so she could feel his breath on her cheek.
“It is a fine looking horse,” she returned.
“You’re not really gonna airlock him are you? I love that horse.” He placed his hand over hers and moved it from the button; the he pressed himself close against her. She didn’t move away but made a faint huff as she looked away from him.
He put his hand under her chin to guide her eyes back to his. He looked as apologetic at her as he could and pleaded softly, “Haven’t I suffered enough?”
Laura smiled slowly and pondered his request, “I guess you have.”
Bill sighed. ”Thank the Gods. I really can’t take much more.” He looked out at the horse.
She motioned to him. “You can go and get him.” He looked at her not quite sure if there was some other surprise lurking for him out there. “Don’t be afraid Admiral, you’re perfectly safe. I promise.”
Bill chuckled nervously as he made his way out to the horse quickly. Grabbed the little fellow and practically sprinted back to Laura who was bent over in a fit of giggles at his actions.
Bill put the statue on the console then looked at her, taking her hand in his. “I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
“I know.” she said, but looked away because it still hurt. She needed to forgive him.
Forgiveness wasn’t her best quality she knew. In fact she struggled to forgive any betrayal. She hadn’t forgiven Lee, but she worked with him and tolerated him. She couldn’t forgive him and probably never would.
She hadn’t forgiven the fleet for an election loss that still ate away at her insides worse than any cancer.
She hadn’t forgiven a son, whose mother begged her to forgive him for drunkenly taking her family from her one night on a dark road in Caprica City, even though they were all long dead.
But Bill she had to forgive because she couldn’t not forgive him. She knew he’d always be there for her no matter what and because he always did the right thing. He couldn’t help himself and she loved that about him. He would always come back and he loved her no matter what she took from him.
She smiled at him and patted his horse.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked sheepishly.
She moved closer to him and brushed her lips against cheek. She whispered in his ear, “I forgive you.” Electric currents shot through him from his head to his toes and it had nothing to do about where they were standing. “Plus all this talk about your horse is getting to me.” Her eyes absently darted down the length of his body.
He then narrowed his eyes at her and said in all the seriousness he could muster “By the way, where are my underwear?” Laura tried hard not to burst out laughing at the question.
“Well there seems to have been a sighting on the hanger deck.” She smiled and the light danced across her eyes. She was beautiful and it was a breath of fresh air to see her smile. He would keep this game up forever if it would make her laugh like that every day.
And here they were at the end of the worlds, death and destruction all around them and now her cancer was back, another battle to be fought. Bill should have been clamouring to hide in his quarters, drink himself into oblivion and never come out. He couldn’t explain it, but she gave him a strength he’d never had before, a strength to fight anything. So when he saw the light dancing in her eyes as she giggled again none of that mattered.
Not today, not while she smiled at him like that.
author: redrockcan
words: 1043
timeline: Crossroads, Part Two after the verdict
A/N: The final chapter of this series. The last chapter can be found here Chapter Three. Thanks to defyingnormalcy for the beta!! Edit: I forgot to thank marzipanilla for the Jaffee helping Laura idea!!
Bill had a nice relaxing morning shave and brushed his teeth as he pondered what Laura might have in store for him today. He would rehang the picture later. He was still baffled as to how she got it out of his quarters. The woman was amazing.
Jaffee brought in his morning coffee. Bill thought it odd that the young marine avoided all eye contact with him.
Hmmm, no it couldn’t be.
“Good morning Jaffee.” Bill said.
“Morning sir,” he mumbled as he hastily retreated to the hatch.
“Marine!”
He stopped dead in his tracks and started to shake. “Yes, sir.” The young man’s voice cracked several octaves as he turned slowly.
It was written all over his face. Bill smiled thinking how much the young man reminded him of Billy. Laura had taken a liking to Jaffee immediately, she must have seen that similarity too.
“Thank you for the coffee Jaffee. Dismissed.”
Jaffee heaved a sigh of relief and practically ran out the hatch.
Bill laughed heartily. How could he discipline the boy for helping his President?
He sat down on his couch to enjoy his coffee and a quiet moment. He sat back and looked around his quarters. Something was different. He looked behind him on the shelf behind the couch. His horse statue was missing.
Frak!
In its place was another envelope. He picked it up. Just the hint of perfume wafted up as he opened it. He breathed it in.
Lilacs.
The envelope contained another picture. It was unmistakeably Laura, her long legs perched on the edge of a desk?
Maybe a console of some sort? He could see her lovely, delicate hand stroking his horse.
So to speak.
So the game was still on. He chuckled hoping this was the last infiltration. How did she get that out of here? It was heavy. He got out his magnifying glass to examine the photo, studying the background in the picture carefully.
Aha!
He knew exactly where she was.
He made his way down a floor on the ship and he found her in the airlock. There perched out in terrible jeopardy ready to take flight was his priceless antique horse. He made his way to the control booth and looked at her, at the horse and then back to Laura. She had a smug look on her face and her hand on the button.
“You seem to have a fascination with my horse.” He moved close to her, so she could feel his breath on her cheek.
“It is a fine looking horse,” she returned.
“You’re not really gonna airlock him are you? I love that horse.” He placed his hand over hers and moved it from the button; the he pressed himself close against her. She didn’t move away but made a faint huff as she looked away from him.
He put his hand under her chin to guide her eyes back to his. He looked as apologetic at her as he could and pleaded softly, “Haven’t I suffered enough?”
Laura smiled slowly and pondered his request, “I guess you have.”
Bill sighed. ”Thank the Gods. I really can’t take much more.” He looked out at the horse.
She motioned to him. “You can go and get him.” He looked at her not quite sure if there was some other surprise lurking for him out there. “Don’t be afraid Admiral, you’re perfectly safe. I promise.”
Bill chuckled nervously as he made his way out to the horse quickly. Grabbed the little fellow and practically sprinted back to Laura who was bent over in a fit of giggles at his actions.
Bill put the statue on the console then looked at her, taking her hand in his. “I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
“I know.” she said, but looked away because it still hurt. She needed to forgive him.
Forgiveness wasn’t her best quality she knew. In fact she struggled to forgive any betrayal. She hadn’t forgiven Lee, but she worked with him and tolerated him. She couldn’t forgive him and probably never would.
She hadn’t forgiven the fleet for an election loss that still ate away at her insides worse than any cancer.
She hadn’t forgiven a son, whose mother begged her to forgive him for drunkenly taking her family from her one night on a dark road in Caprica City, even though they were all long dead.
But Bill she had to forgive because she couldn’t not forgive him. She knew he’d always be there for her no matter what and because he always did the right thing. He couldn’t help himself and she loved that about him. He would always come back and he loved her no matter what she took from him.
She smiled at him and patted his horse.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked sheepishly.
She moved closer to him and brushed her lips against cheek. She whispered in his ear, “I forgive you.” Electric currents shot through him from his head to his toes and it had nothing to do about where they were standing. “Plus all this talk about your horse is getting to me.” Her eyes absently darted down the length of his body.
He then narrowed his eyes at her and said in all the seriousness he could muster “By the way, where are my underwear?” Laura tried hard not to burst out laughing at the question.
“Well there seems to have been a sighting on the hanger deck.” She smiled and the light danced across her eyes. She was beautiful and it was a breath of fresh air to see her smile. He would keep this game up forever if it would make her laugh like that every day.
And here they were at the end of the worlds, death and destruction all around them and now her cancer was back, another battle to be fought. Bill should have been clamouring to hide in his quarters, drink himself into oblivion and never come out. He couldn’t explain it, but she gave him a strength he’d never had before, a strength to fight anything. So when he saw the light dancing in her eyes as she giggled again none of that mattered.
Not today, not while she smiled at him like that.