New: "Playing for Keeps"
Newbie to the fandom, here. I hope you enjoy my
first attempt. I had a great time writing it.
T-
Title: Playing for Keeps
Author: Taffeta, Darling
Email: taffeta_drlng@yahoo.com
Characters: Lee/Kara
Classification: Angst, Humor
Spoilers: Through "You Can't Go Home Again"
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: If only I did own them, no
infringement intended.
Summary: My dead lover's brother, the Captain to my Lieutenant...
Lee Adama was, in every sense of the word, my undoing.
I was the Fleet's most notorious screw-up. The only
thing that saved me from being washed out and hung
out to dry was the fact that I was also the Fleet's
most notorious pilot. Of course, notoriety worked
both ways and balancing my two reputations was a high
wire act. One wrong step, I'd land on my ass in the
brig. One micron off in my Viper and Tigh's rumored
death wish would become my reality.
Still, chaos in the cosmos suited me. It kept me
on edge, my senses sharp and my reflexes even sharper.
The only problem was that my emotions didn't like running
with scissors. To hide my paper-doll feelings, I painted
my face thick with colorful insolence. My artistry worked
just fine until he came along.
My dead lover's brother, the Captain to my Lieutenant...
Lee Adama was, in every sense of the word, my undoing.
Our reunion on the Galactica was typical, in that Lee was
typically pompous and I was typically behind bars. It
didn't take us long to fall back into our familiar routine,
where he felt the need to play the protective older brother
and I was determined to star as the undisciplined brat.
But, he wasn’t my brother. He was Zak's and the only
person I need protection from was... well... Zak's older
brother.
How could this have happened? I wasn't supposed to be
attracted to someone that I made fun of secretly and
frequently. Apollo was everything that I wasn't. He
was the mythological sun, my bright, rational counterpart.
How much I wanted to tarnish his veneer, just a little.
It would serve him right for making me his shadow, for
calling me "Kara" instead of my chosen name, for treating
me with kid gloves when he knew damn well that I could
deck him in one round.
By the Gods, I wanted him.
I knew it wasn't possible to seduce him, so I decided
to torment him, instead. I would exchange one type of
pleasure for another. In battle, I out-shot and
out-maneuvered him. I even saved his cute but sorry ass
from the Cylons, only to goad him about it afterwards.
He tolerated my taunts with a patience that I didn't
understand. I never thought I could be annoyed and
turned-on at the same time.
Lee's relationship with his father turned out to be his
Achilles' heel and I just happened to be handy with a
bow and arrow. The old man treated me like the daughter
he never had. I was grateful for Commander Adama's
affection. I was even more grateful for the opportunity
to outshine the Fleet's golden boy.
Of course, I knew that Lee's anger was misdirected at
his father. I was the one who got his brother killed by
listening to my heart instead of my head. I just wish I
knew which fracking organ I was listening to when I decided
to tell Lee the truth about Zak. It must have been my guts.
I certainly was spilling them.
Maybe, my launch tube confessional was chosen out of fear.
I didn't want to be blasted into a fireball with a big, guilty
sin streaming behind me like the tail of a comet. If I was
going to die, I wanted it to be in a blaze of glory and with
a clean conscience, relatively speaking. I really didn't
have enough time to recount minor infractions. Besides,
Tigh would never link them to me, anyway.
I returned from battle alive but grubbier than ever. That
was when Captain "Shipshape" decided that it was time for me
to tidy up my act. Because he knew my secret, I decided it
was in my best interest to play along. Not that it mattered.
Lee tattled on me when I washed out the Nuggets during my own
attempt at guilty stain removal. Maybe, he was trying to help
me like one of those three-step programs towards Apollo-like
integrity. He could have warned me about step two, though.
It was a doozey.
I took Commander Adama's reaction to the truth in stride,
considering that devastation moves in slow motion anyway.
I often wondered if Lee knew how literally I would crash and
burn afterwards. I don't even think I knew until my parachute
dragged me towards a certain, not to mention sand-spewing
death.
This was not the way I wanted my life to end. If I was
really the Fleet's most notorious screw-up, now was a good time
to prove it.
I cut through one tangled mess after another, freeing myself
from my own trap of self-loathing. The Raider, on the other
hand, provided with me a dual opportunity, to save my own skin
while getting under a certain somebody's. I don't know what
tickled me more, showing off my new Cylon flying skills or
suggesting that Lee Adama give me a bath. When he showed up
later in the infirmary, I bluntly asked which one annoyed him
the most.
"You really want to know?" Lee tried to lift my covers to
take a peek at my injured knee.
"You’re stalling." I slapped his hand away.
Lee shook his head. "Knee looks pretty banged up, Kara."
"That's okay, I have another," I said, grinning up at him.
I toyed with the edge of my blanket as a new approach unfolded
in my mind. "How about we play show and tell? I'll show you
both of my knees and you can tell me your next plan for bringing
me down on them."
I meant it as a joke. Judging by the expression on Lee's face,
he wasn't amused. He swallowed hard, unable to answer me,
turning his head to the side so all I could see was a vein
throbbing near his temple. If I didn't know better, there
were tears in his eyes. Completely unnerved, I fumbled for
his hand.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my own voice failing me. I wanted to
tell him that I didn't mean any of it, that all the sarcasm and
insult that I directed at him was really meant for myself.
Lee's fingers tightened around mine. He shot me a pained look
and said, "Do you have any idea what we went though looking for
you? What I went through?"
"Tell me...." I held my breath.
Lee sat down on the edge of my infirmary bed and began to
describe the rescue operation. Snorting in frustration, I fell
back against my pillow. "Lee, I already know how much fuel was
used and how many Vipers were deployed. Tigh stopped by earlier
with an invoice that he expects me to pay in full."
"Fine," he said. "I don't suppose Tigh told you that we were at
each other's throats because of you."
I leaned up on my elbows. Now, this was the kind of detail I
wanted to hear.
"Tigh accused me of allowing my personal feelings to cloud my
judgment," Lee conveyed. "He was right."
I nodded eagerly, urging him on.
"You were our last connection to Zak," he confided. "It was
like losing him all over again. I thought I’d moved on, but..."
I felt a familiar sting in my eyes and tried to disentangle
myself from his hand. He held on firmly. "I didn't mean to
bring up bad memories, Kara," he apologized.
"You need to let go," I whimpered.
"That's just it," he explained. "I thought I had."
"No stupid," I blurted out. "You need to let go of my hand."
"You're crying, Kara," Lee said, sounding confused. I swiped
my eyes with the back of my now freed hand. How dim could he
be? The Lords help us all if this man was supposed to be the
brightest bulb in the pack.
I tried to jostle Lee off the bed with my good leg, but he
didn't budge. "Frack," I muttered, as he gently lifted me from
the pillow and wrapped his arms around me. This wasn't what I
expected, but snuggled against his chest, I decided to take
advantage of my opportunity. I sobbed and sniveled, pausing
only to wipe my nose on his flight suit. Once I’d left my mark,
I felt infinitely better.
Pulling back, I faked punched his arm. "Thanks, sir, I really
needed that."
Lee glanced down at the stain and smiled. "Anytime," he offered,
getting up from the bed. Turning to leave, he paused and said,
"By the way, Kara, don't ever ask me to let you go. This time, I'm
playing for keeps."
"This time?" I called after him. "When the hell was there a last
time?"
Lee never turned around. I realized then that Apollo had finally
outmaneuvered Starbuck and it felt good. I didn't care that for
now, it was all just a head game. At least, I got him playing.
And, he was playing for keeps.
The End
... Playing for Keeps
first attempt. I had a great time writing it.
T-
Title: Playing for Keeps
Author: Taffeta, Darling
Email: taffeta_drlng@yahoo.com
Characters: Lee/Kara
Classification: Angst, Humor
Spoilers: Through "You Can't Go Home Again"
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: If only I did own them, no
infringement intended.
Summary: My dead lover's brother, the Captain to my Lieutenant...
Lee Adama was, in every sense of the word, my undoing.
I was the Fleet's most notorious screw-up. The only
thing that saved me from being washed out and hung
out to dry was the fact that I was also the Fleet's
most notorious pilot. Of course, notoriety worked
both ways and balancing my two reputations was a high
wire act. One wrong step, I'd land on my ass in the
brig. One micron off in my Viper and Tigh's rumored
death wish would become my reality.
Still, chaos in the cosmos suited me. It kept me
on edge, my senses sharp and my reflexes even sharper.
The only problem was that my emotions didn't like running
with scissors. To hide my paper-doll feelings, I painted
my face thick with colorful insolence. My artistry worked
just fine until he came along.
My dead lover's brother, the Captain to my Lieutenant...
Lee Adama was, in every sense of the word, my undoing.
Our reunion on the Galactica was typical, in that Lee was
typically pompous and I was typically behind bars. It
didn't take us long to fall back into our familiar routine,
where he felt the need to play the protective older brother
and I was determined to star as the undisciplined brat.
But, he wasn’t my brother. He was Zak's and the only
person I need protection from was... well... Zak's older
brother.
How could this have happened? I wasn't supposed to be
attracted to someone that I made fun of secretly and
frequently. Apollo was everything that I wasn't. He
was the mythological sun, my bright, rational counterpart.
How much I wanted to tarnish his veneer, just a little.
It would serve him right for making me his shadow, for
calling me "Kara" instead of my chosen name, for treating
me with kid gloves when he knew damn well that I could
deck him in one round.
By the Gods, I wanted him.
I knew it wasn't possible to seduce him, so I decided
to torment him, instead. I would exchange one type of
pleasure for another. In battle, I out-shot and
out-maneuvered him. I even saved his cute but sorry ass
from the Cylons, only to goad him about it afterwards.
He tolerated my taunts with a patience that I didn't
understand. I never thought I could be annoyed and
turned-on at the same time.
Lee's relationship with his father turned out to be his
Achilles' heel and I just happened to be handy with a
bow and arrow. The old man treated me like the daughter
he never had. I was grateful for Commander Adama's
affection. I was even more grateful for the opportunity
to outshine the Fleet's golden boy.
Of course, I knew that Lee's anger was misdirected at
his father. I was the one who got his brother killed by
listening to my heart instead of my head. I just wish I
knew which fracking organ I was listening to when I decided
to tell Lee the truth about Zak. It must have been my guts.
I certainly was spilling them.
Maybe, my launch tube confessional was chosen out of fear.
I didn't want to be blasted into a fireball with a big, guilty
sin streaming behind me like the tail of a comet. If I was
going to die, I wanted it to be in a blaze of glory and with
a clean conscience, relatively speaking. I really didn't
have enough time to recount minor infractions. Besides,
Tigh would never link them to me, anyway.
I returned from battle alive but grubbier than ever. That
was when Captain "Shipshape" decided that it was time for me
to tidy up my act. Because he knew my secret, I decided it
was in my best interest to play along. Not that it mattered.
Lee tattled on me when I washed out the Nuggets during my own
attempt at guilty stain removal. Maybe, he was trying to help
me like one of those three-step programs towards Apollo-like
integrity. He could have warned me about step two, though.
It was a doozey.
I took Commander Adama's reaction to the truth in stride,
considering that devastation moves in slow motion anyway.
I often wondered if Lee knew how literally I would crash and
burn afterwards. I don't even think I knew until my parachute
dragged me towards a certain, not to mention sand-spewing
death.
This was not the way I wanted my life to end. If I was
really the Fleet's most notorious screw-up, now was a good time
to prove it.
I cut through one tangled mess after another, freeing myself
from my own trap of self-loathing. The Raider, on the other
hand, provided with me a dual opportunity, to save my own skin
while getting under a certain somebody's. I don't know what
tickled me more, showing off my new Cylon flying skills or
suggesting that Lee Adama give me a bath. When he showed up
later in the infirmary, I bluntly asked which one annoyed him
the most.
"You really want to know?" Lee tried to lift my covers to
take a peek at my injured knee.
"You’re stalling." I slapped his hand away.
Lee shook his head. "Knee looks pretty banged up, Kara."
"That's okay, I have another," I said, grinning up at him.
I toyed with the edge of my blanket as a new approach unfolded
in my mind. "How about we play show and tell? I'll show you
both of my knees and you can tell me your next plan for bringing
me down on them."
I meant it as a joke. Judging by the expression on Lee's face,
he wasn't amused. He swallowed hard, unable to answer me,
turning his head to the side so all I could see was a vein
throbbing near his temple. If I didn't know better, there
were tears in his eyes. Completely unnerved, I fumbled for
his hand.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my own voice failing me. I wanted to
tell him that I didn't mean any of it, that all the sarcasm and
insult that I directed at him was really meant for myself.
Lee's fingers tightened around mine. He shot me a pained look
and said, "Do you have any idea what we went though looking for
you? What I went through?"
"Tell me...." I held my breath.
Lee sat down on the edge of my infirmary bed and began to
describe the rescue operation. Snorting in frustration, I fell
back against my pillow. "Lee, I already know how much fuel was
used and how many Vipers were deployed. Tigh stopped by earlier
with an invoice that he expects me to pay in full."
"Fine," he said. "I don't suppose Tigh told you that we were at
each other's throats because of you."
I leaned up on my elbows. Now, this was the kind of detail I
wanted to hear.
"Tigh accused me of allowing my personal feelings to cloud my
judgment," Lee conveyed. "He was right."
I nodded eagerly, urging him on.
"You were our last connection to Zak," he confided. "It was
like losing him all over again. I thought I’d moved on, but..."
I felt a familiar sting in my eyes and tried to disentangle
myself from his hand. He held on firmly. "I didn't mean to
bring up bad memories, Kara," he apologized.
"You need to let go," I whimpered.
"That's just it," he explained. "I thought I had."
"No stupid," I blurted out. "You need to let go of my hand."
"You're crying, Kara," Lee said, sounding confused. I swiped
my eyes with the back of my now freed hand. How dim could he
be? The Lords help us all if this man was supposed to be the
brightest bulb in the pack.
I tried to jostle Lee off the bed with my good leg, but he
didn't budge. "Frack," I muttered, as he gently lifted me from
the pillow and wrapped his arms around me. This wasn't what I
expected, but snuggled against his chest, I decided to take
advantage of my opportunity. I sobbed and sniveled, pausing
only to wipe my nose on his flight suit. Once I’d left my mark,
I felt infinitely better.
Pulling back, I faked punched his arm. "Thanks, sir, I really
needed that."
Lee glanced down at the stain and smiled. "Anytime," he offered,
getting up from the bed. Turning to leave, he paused and said,
"By the way, Kara, don't ever ask me to let you go. This time, I'm
playing for keeps."
"This time?" I called after him. "When the hell was there a last
time?"
Lee never turned around. I realized then that Apollo had finally
outmaneuvered Starbuck and it felt good. I didn't care that for
now, it was all just a head game. At least, I got him playing.
And, he was playing for keeps.
The End
... Playing for Keeps