To Life, for embolalia
Title: To Life
Author: hearts_blood
Characters: Leoben, Caprica Six, Gaius Baltar
Pairing: Caprica Six/Gaius Baltar
Rating: G
Summary: After the end, Leoben reflects
Original Story: : Alive Again by embolalia
From his vantage point, Leoben watches his sister as she walks towards her house, a basket in her hands. He knows what she is about to discover, has known it for days, and the knowledge has kept him hanging about the farm, unheard and unseen by Caprica and Gaius, waiting to see that enlightenment.
When it comes, the moment is swift and sharp, the realization that she has again been blessed with the gift of life, powerful and terrifying and wondrous as the visions he still sometimes gets, though far less frequently than he used to, as though his task in bringing the truth of God to his brothers and sisters (Leoben includes humans in that description now) is done, or at least changed, now that they have come home.
Quietly, he follows Caprica down to the lake, pausing to pick up a tomato she has dropped. The bright fruit is warm and ripe in the palm of his hand, heavy with promise.
Promise, so much promise is alive in this place. Food, peace, lives, futures for all of them, the unborn, the about-to-be-born, the reborn.
His sister rarely speaks of the children she has lost, rarely speaks even to Gaius (especially to Gaius) or God of what she helped to set in motion, to bring them all here. Leoben understands the reticence, or thinks he does. Sometimes he feels that he understands far less than he once did. But Gaius now knows Caprica's pain as thoroughly as he does his own, and God asks for no explanations.
It is summertime, and in the lazy warmth of the breeze, Leoben can feel life, all around him. It is an amazing feeling. Some small part of him still envies his sisters, though, and he wonders what it might be like to feel life within him as well. But he lives vicariously through his siblings. When Caprica feels life, he will feel it, and rejoice for it.
Gaius joins her, sitting close beside her as though he can already sense the secret she is trembling to tell him. Leoben first saw him long ago, when he wrote out a special prayer for his sister's sorrow and told her she would need it someday, in the same sure breath that he had told in that she would love and be loved and one day be a mother. He had always known these things would come to pass.
It has taken a long time, and a lot of pain, for Leoben to accept that he has only ever been sure of the destination. The paths he has walked and lead others down have not always been of God's making.
His sister kisses her lover, and speaks softly to him. Leoben is too far away to hear her words, but he can feel them in his bones: "We're having a baby."
The expression on Gaius's face is one Leoben will treasure for years. Surprise, joy, excitement, terror. Everything. His heart pounds wildly, in time with the rhythm of the Earth.
Leoben moves away slowly as they begin to make love, on the shores of the lake that reminds them so very much of the one they left behind, where their first daughter had been conceived. He follows the shoreline slowly, enjoying the soft caress of the waves over his bare feet. This Earth is kind to her new children.
He crouches down where the water meets the grassy, sandy bank, and dips his cupped hands beneath the waiting surface.
Leoben drinks of her waters, and whispers a new prayer for the reborn.
Author: hearts_blood
Characters: Leoben, Caprica Six, Gaius Baltar
Pairing: Caprica Six/Gaius Baltar
Rating: G
Summary: After the end, Leoben reflects
Original Story: : Alive Again by embolalia
From his vantage point, Leoben watches his sister as she walks towards her house, a basket in her hands. He knows what she is about to discover, has known it for days, and the knowledge has kept him hanging about the farm, unheard and unseen by Caprica and Gaius, waiting to see that enlightenment.
When it comes, the moment is swift and sharp, the realization that she has again been blessed with the gift of life, powerful and terrifying and wondrous as the visions he still sometimes gets, though far less frequently than he used to, as though his task in bringing the truth of God to his brothers and sisters (Leoben includes humans in that description now) is done, or at least changed, now that they have come home.
Quietly, he follows Caprica down to the lake, pausing to pick up a tomato she has dropped. The bright fruit is warm and ripe in the palm of his hand, heavy with promise.
Promise, so much promise is alive in this place. Food, peace, lives, futures for all of them, the unborn, the about-to-be-born, the reborn.
His sister rarely speaks of the children she has lost, rarely speaks even to Gaius (especially to Gaius) or God of what she helped to set in motion, to bring them all here. Leoben understands the reticence, or thinks he does. Sometimes he feels that he understands far less than he once did. But Gaius now knows Caprica's pain as thoroughly as he does his own, and God asks for no explanations.
It is summertime, and in the lazy warmth of the breeze, Leoben can feel life, all around him. It is an amazing feeling. Some small part of him still envies his sisters, though, and he wonders what it might be like to feel life within him as well. But he lives vicariously through his siblings. When Caprica feels life, he will feel it, and rejoice for it.
Gaius joins her, sitting close beside her as though he can already sense the secret she is trembling to tell him. Leoben first saw him long ago, when he wrote out a special prayer for his sister's sorrow and told her she would need it someday, in the same sure breath that he had told in that she would love and be loved and one day be a mother. He had always known these things would come to pass.
It has taken a long time, and a lot of pain, for Leoben to accept that he has only ever been sure of the destination. The paths he has walked and lead others down have not always been of God's making.
His sister kisses her lover, and speaks softly to him. Leoben is too far away to hear her words, but he can feel them in his bones: "We're having a baby."
The expression on Gaius's face is one Leoben will treasure for years. Surprise, joy, excitement, terror. Everything. His heart pounds wildly, in time with the rhythm of the Earth.
Leoben moves away slowly as they begin to make love, on the shores of the lake that reminds them so very much of the one they left behind, where their first daughter had been conceived. He follows the shoreline slowly, enjoying the soft caress of the waves over his bare feet. This Earth is kind to her new children.
He crouches down where the water meets the grassy, sandy bank, and dips his cupped hands beneath the waiting surface.
Leoben drinks of her waters, and whispers a new prayer for the reborn.