Happy Birthday Andy!
“Madame President?”
“Sorry. Interesting game. Is the colonel your opponent.”
The commander’s smirk was full of derisive, yet good natured, humor. “No, he doesn’t have the patience for chess.”
Laura nodded in understanding. “Who are you playing then?”
“Myself.”
The answer astounded her. “Isn’t that cheating? Don’t you favor a side?”
He came to stand next to her, eyebrows raised. “No. It teaches me much.”
“About what?”
“My strategic mistakes. I move one piece on each side a day, to allow me to forget strategy. If I can see a move come three ahead, it’s a flaw. The trick is to avoid them.”
Laura nodded slowly, contemplating the board as the commander did the same, moving one of the smooth black pawn one square diagonally, taking the white knight. It opened a wealth of possibilities on both sides.
“Are you ready for out meeting?” Commander Adama’s rumbling voice pulled her out of her reverie and she nodded, forgetting about the board until the next time she came.
Waiting for the him, she gravitated toward the book shelves and saw the board.
The pieces were set for a new game. Laura looked around and impulsively moved a white pawn two squares forward. She turned back to the shelves and looked at the books until the commander joined her. She gave him her best enigmatic smile and walked to the couch, ready for their meeting.
On her following visit, she was glad to see he had moved, effectively engaging in her game. It went on silently, an unacknowledged pleasure until she deliberately stayed on Colonial one for a few days after having suspected him of being a Cylon.
She received her fuel allocation reports from Galactica. It was dreary stuff and, while important, it did put her mind to sleep. It took her a minute to realize that the last page wasn’t part of the report. It was a drawn chess board in the configuration she remembered. At the top of the page, the commander had written “Rook to h6”, effectively castling his king. Amazed, relieved and delighted to know that the Commander too had missed playing their game, Laura put off sending the civilian ration schedule until the next day, adding her move at the back, the same way he had, minus the drawn chess board.
Laura had been certain it would be their one concession, but when she spoke to the commander about the tylium running low, he did the unexpected.
Laura was writing down the details for the press conference when the commander’s voice lowered, suffused with humor. “Bold move, Madame President.”
Laura hummed a laugh. “You have to live dangerously some times, Commander.”
“So my grand-father always said.”
“Is he the one who taught you to play?”
“Yes, he likened it to life. Said I’d be more prepared if I knew how to think strategically. The board was his.”
“I guess we owe him for teaching you early on the skill that is saving all our lives.”
The commander said nothing, his natural modesty getting in the way, but Laura was sure he’d gotten her message all the same. “What's your next move?”
“I’ll have to figure it out, you surprised me.”
“Good. Ponder away commander.”
*
His next move was a long time coming.
When Commander Adama tossed her in the brig, Laura looked at him. The hurt in his eyes told her she had betrayed his trust and endangered their budding friendship. She didn’t regret sending Kara to look for the arrow; she didn’t regret setting them on this new course, it had been necessary, but she did feel bad about putting her new found knowledge of the commander to this use.
Watching him walk away from her, she wondered if he would reset the board; erase their interaction like it had never happened.
*
Laura was gratified to find he hadn’t. Coming back from Kobol, she entered his quarter timidly, unsure of her reception. The place felt friendly as ever, if not more. She looked at the pieces and they had been frozen in place, waiting for them to reconnect. She used the head and came back to find Bill moving his bishop. Tears tickled her nose and she grinned at him, fully and without restrain.
“Felt wrong to play without you.”
The admission touched her more than she could say and Laura laid a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. Bill put his hand over hers and she felt their friendship mend itself, becoming stronger. Bill glanced at the clock. “Are you ready?”
“Almost.” She studied the board and took one of his pawns. Bill laughed and Laura hummed low, pleased with her move and his good humor.
“Welcome back Madame President.”
“Thank you.”
She walked out of his quarters, something light and warm purring in her chest.
*
They had been busy. Between the cancer and Helena Cain, Laura hadn’t had the chance to come back and see what Bill had done. She was back on Galactica, but as her breath rumbled in her chest, Laura doubted she would ever see something else than sick bay. Bill sat next to her every moment he wasn’t on duty, her brave Admiral.
Her one true friend.
Her one last love.
She had admitted this to herself after giving him his new pips. The one advantage of being on the brink of death was the absolute clarity that came with having nothing to lose. By acknowledging this to herself she only had to gain. Laura smiled when she woke up to see him there, reports in hand. She cleared her throat and Bill smiled at her. “How are you feeling?”
Laura hummed, unwilling to give him a straight answer, not because she didn’t trust him with it, but because it wouldn’t change anything, only pain him. “I’m sorry we’ll never finish our game.”
Bill’s blue eyes became more luminous, while his lips pinched themselves into a straight line. “We’ll finish it.”
“Bill…” she trailed off, a fit of cough preventing her from finishing her sentence. He gave her a glass of water and Laura looked at him, begging him to understand, but his face was set. “Believe it, we’ll finish it.”
She took his hand and squeezed it, too tired to contradict him, her eyes closing of their own accord.
*
The next time she reopened them, Bill was at her side and she was alive, cancer free and unsure how she felt about it. She watched him sleep in the chair, his head at an angle, his feet propped on the railing of her bed. At his elbow rested the chess board, their game intact and becoming more blurry the more she looked at it.
“Laura?”
Bill had woken up as a fat tear rolled down her cheek. He took her hand and gave her a minute, to compose herself. Grateful, she wiped it away and cleared her throat. Bill turned back and smiled at her, moving the table closer to the bed. “Told you we’d finish it.”
Pain didn’t come with the laugh, it was clear and cleansing and Laura relished in it. Bill grinned at her, gesturing toward the game. “I believe it’s your turn.”
Laura looked it over and smiled. She checked his king with her queen and her grin widened. “Checkmate.”
Bill grinned at her. “You’re good at that.”
“What, chess?”
“Winning me over.”
Laura looked down at her lap, heat rising in her heart. She then looked up at Bill, a little grin on her face as she reached for his hand. “Lucky me.”
“Sorry. Interesting game. Is the colonel your opponent.”
The commander’s smirk was full of derisive, yet good natured, humor. “No, he doesn’t have the patience for chess.”
Laura nodded in understanding. “Who are you playing then?”
“Myself.”
The answer astounded her. “Isn’t that cheating? Don’t you favor a side?”
He came to stand next to her, eyebrows raised. “No. It teaches me much.”
“About what?”
“My strategic mistakes. I move one piece on each side a day, to allow me to forget strategy. If I can see a move come three ahead, it’s a flaw. The trick is to avoid them.”
Laura nodded slowly, contemplating the board as the commander did the same, moving one of the smooth black pawn one square diagonally, taking the white knight. It opened a wealth of possibilities on both sides.
“Are you ready for out meeting?” Commander Adama’s rumbling voice pulled her out of her reverie and she nodded, forgetting about the board until the next time she came.
Waiting for the him, she gravitated toward the book shelves and saw the board.
The pieces were set for a new game. Laura looked around and impulsively moved a white pawn two squares forward. She turned back to the shelves and looked at the books until the commander joined her. She gave him her best enigmatic smile and walked to the couch, ready for their meeting.
On her following visit, she was glad to see he had moved, effectively engaging in her game. It went on silently, an unacknowledged pleasure until she deliberately stayed on Colonial one for a few days after having suspected him of being a Cylon.
She received her fuel allocation reports from Galactica. It was dreary stuff and, while important, it did put her mind to sleep. It took her a minute to realize that the last page wasn’t part of the report. It was a drawn chess board in the configuration she remembered. At the top of the page, the commander had written “Rook to h6”, effectively castling his king. Amazed, relieved and delighted to know that the Commander too had missed playing their game, Laura put off sending the civilian ration schedule until the next day, adding her move at the back, the same way he had, minus the drawn chess board.
Laura had been certain it would be their one concession, but when she spoke to the commander about the tylium running low, he did the unexpected.
Laura was writing down the details for the press conference when the commander’s voice lowered, suffused with humor. “Bold move, Madame President.”
Laura hummed a laugh. “You have to live dangerously some times, Commander.”
“So my grand-father always said.”
“Is he the one who taught you to play?”
“Yes, he likened it to life. Said I’d be more prepared if I knew how to think strategically. The board was his.”
“I guess we owe him for teaching you early on the skill that is saving all our lives.”
The commander said nothing, his natural modesty getting in the way, but Laura was sure he’d gotten her message all the same. “What's your next move?”
“I’ll have to figure it out, you surprised me.”
“Good. Ponder away commander.”
*
His next move was a long time coming.
When Commander Adama tossed her in the brig, Laura looked at him. The hurt in his eyes told her she had betrayed his trust and endangered their budding friendship. She didn’t regret sending Kara to look for the arrow; she didn’t regret setting them on this new course, it had been necessary, but she did feel bad about putting her new found knowledge of the commander to this use.
Watching him walk away from her, she wondered if he would reset the board; erase their interaction like it had never happened.
*
Laura was gratified to find he hadn’t. Coming back from Kobol, she entered his quarter timidly, unsure of her reception. The place felt friendly as ever, if not more. She looked at the pieces and they had been frozen in place, waiting for them to reconnect. She used the head and came back to find Bill moving his bishop. Tears tickled her nose and she grinned at him, fully and without restrain.
“Felt wrong to play without you.”
The admission touched her more than she could say and Laura laid a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. Bill put his hand over hers and she felt their friendship mend itself, becoming stronger. Bill glanced at the clock. “Are you ready?”
“Almost.” She studied the board and took one of his pawns. Bill laughed and Laura hummed low, pleased with her move and his good humor.
“Welcome back Madame President.”
“Thank you.”
She walked out of his quarters, something light and warm purring in her chest.
*
They had been busy. Between the cancer and Helena Cain, Laura hadn’t had the chance to come back and see what Bill had done. She was back on Galactica, but as her breath rumbled in her chest, Laura doubted she would ever see something else than sick bay. Bill sat next to her every moment he wasn’t on duty, her brave Admiral.
Her one true friend.
Her one last love.
She had admitted this to herself after giving him his new pips. The one advantage of being on the brink of death was the absolute clarity that came with having nothing to lose. By acknowledging this to herself she only had to gain. Laura smiled when she woke up to see him there, reports in hand. She cleared her throat and Bill smiled at her. “How are you feeling?”
Laura hummed, unwilling to give him a straight answer, not because she didn’t trust him with it, but because it wouldn’t change anything, only pain him. “I’m sorry we’ll never finish our game.”
Bill’s blue eyes became more luminous, while his lips pinched themselves into a straight line. “We’ll finish it.”
“Bill…” she trailed off, a fit of cough preventing her from finishing her sentence. He gave her a glass of water and Laura looked at him, begging him to understand, but his face was set. “Believe it, we’ll finish it.”
She took his hand and squeezed it, too tired to contradict him, her eyes closing of their own accord.
*
The next time she reopened them, Bill was at her side and she was alive, cancer free and unsure how she felt about it. She watched him sleep in the chair, his head at an angle, his feet propped on the railing of her bed. At his elbow rested the chess board, their game intact and becoming more blurry the more she looked at it.
“Laura?”
Bill had woken up as a fat tear rolled down her cheek. He took her hand and gave her a minute, to compose herself. Grateful, she wiped it away and cleared her throat. Bill turned back and smiled at her, moving the table closer to the bed. “Told you we’d finish it.”
Pain didn’t come with the laugh, it was clear and cleansing and Laura relished in it. Bill grinned at her, gesturing toward the game. “I believe it’s your turn.”
Laura looked it over and smiled. She checked his king with her queen and her grin widened. “Checkmate.”
Bill grinned at her. “You’re good at that.”
“What, chess?”
“Winning me over.”
Laura looked down at her lap, heat rising in her heart. She then looked up at Bill, a little grin on her face as she reached for his hand. “Lucky me.”