BSG Fic : Long Time Coming (8/17)
Title : Long Time Coming
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : It was the only visible scar still left over by Baltar's trial, now that President Roslin was dead; Apollo's absence and the Admiral's obvious weariness.
Fandom : BSG
Spoilers : Everything aired so far is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Goes AU between the verdict and the Cylon attack in Crossroads II.
AN2. Eternal gratitude to joey51 for beta'ing this! As usual, I tinkered. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Chapter Seven
Two weeks ago
Hearing knocks on the door in the middle of the night rarely heralded good news, Lee thought as he made his way to the hatch. Behind him, Sam was sitting up in their bed, blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted to the light. "What the hell?" she muttered.
Lee opened the hatch to find a cop standing on the other side. The first thing that went through his mind was that at least it wasn't a soldier. It probably didn't have anything to do with his father, then.
"I'm sorry to disturb you this late, Sir," the cop said, his voice and his face somber.
Lee nodded but didn't invite him to come in. It was late, the kids were asleep, and he just knew, from the man's face, that he didn't come bringing good news. It was stupid, but maybe if the guy stayed outside, the news wouldn't seem so bad.
"You and your wife were listed as Nate Ellison's contacts, should anything happen to him," the cop started.
Lee nodded, his throat going dry. "Yes." The words flew out of his mouth before he could think about it. "He's dead, isn't he?" That was the only reason why the cop could possibly be here at this hour, looking like that.
The cop nodded. "May I come in?"
Sam's voice, behind Lee, startled them both. "No."
Lee turned to her, took in her pale face. "Can't it wait?" he asked, knowing what the answer would be.
The cop hesitated. Lee sighed. "Fine. Give us a minute."
Ignoring the man, he took Sam in his arms. She allowed the hug, leaning against him. "Gods," she whispered.
Lee didn't think the gods had anything to do with this, but refrained from saying so. Instead, he held his wife close, offering what little comfort he could.
*
The cop didn't stay long-just long enough to ask what their relationship with Nate was, if there were other people he should contact, if Nate had enemies.
"It wasn't an accident, was it?" Sam asked, her voice tense.
"No, Ma'am," the cop replied. "It looks like he was stabbed to death."
Sam shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Lee's eyes flew to the kids' room door. The cop looked at them both gently. "Do you know who might have done that?"
Sam and Lee shook their heads silently.
"He was a journalist," the cop insisted. "Was he working on something? Something that might explain why he was murdered?"
Lee hesitated, remembering their talk over two months ago. Nate hadn't said much about the case since then; just that he was still working on it, and it would probably "be huge" when he went public with it, but no details beyond that. "He was working on something," he said. "I don't know what it was."
The cop looked at Sam, who shrugged. "Me neither."
He nodded and got to his feet. "I'll probably be back later with more questions." He hesitated, then added, "I'm sorry for your loss."
Lee saw him out then came back to sit next to Sam. "I can't believe it," she said numbly.
Me neither, Lee thought.
They sat there in silence until morning, until the kids emerged from sleep and came to sit with them, sensing that something wasn't right.
As they explained what had happened, Lee distantly thought that they should warn Romo and Scott, Charlie and Sarah, and see to the arrangements, and try to remember more about what Nate had said, and-
Then, Laura started to cry, and Mark put his head on Lee's shoulder, and it dawned on him that it was real. He had known Nate since the beginning of his life as a civilian, what seemed like eons ago. Funny. When he had left the Galactica, he had been sure that he would never get close to anyone anymore, that he'd never be able to make new friends, to rebuild his life.
It was only now that it occurred to him that he had, without even noticing.
All this time spent worrying about Sam and about the kids, and death still managed to blindside him, to hit where he didn't expect it to.
Sam took Laura in her arms, whispering quiet words of reassurance in her ears. Feeling like he was going to throw up, Lee put an arm around Mark's shoulders, pulling him closer.
He held on to the kid for a long while.
Chapter 8
And so ends Part One (aka, the longuest digression ever). Next chapter, we'll come back to present time, and to Papadama.
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : It was the only visible scar still left over by Baltar's trial, now that President Roslin was dead; Apollo's absence and the Admiral's obvious weariness.
Fandom : BSG
Spoilers : Everything aired so far is fair game.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Goes AU between the verdict and the Cylon attack in Crossroads II.
AN2. Eternal gratitude to joey51 for beta'ing this! As usual, I tinkered. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Chapter Seven
Two weeks ago
Hearing knocks on the door in the middle of the night rarely heralded good news, Lee thought as he made his way to the hatch. Behind him, Sam was sitting up in their bed, blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted to the light. "What the hell?" she muttered.
Lee opened the hatch to find a cop standing on the other side. The first thing that went through his mind was that at least it wasn't a soldier. It probably didn't have anything to do with his father, then.
"I'm sorry to disturb you this late, Sir," the cop said, his voice and his face somber.
Lee nodded but didn't invite him to come in. It was late, the kids were asleep, and he just knew, from the man's face, that he didn't come bringing good news. It was stupid, but maybe if the guy stayed outside, the news wouldn't seem so bad.
"You and your wife were listed as Nate Ellison's contacts, should anything happen to him," the cop started.
Lee nodded, his throat going dry. "Yes." The words flew out of his mouth before he could think about it. "He's dead, isn't he?" That was the only reason why the cop could possibly be here at this hour, looking like that.
The cop nodded. "May I come in?"
Sam's voice, behind Lee, startled them both. "No."
Lee turned to her, took in her pale face. "Can't it wait?" he asked, knowing what the answer would be.
The cop hesitated. Lee sighed. "Fine. Give us a minute."
Ignoring the man, he took Sam in his arms. She allowed the hug, leaning against him. "Gods," she whispered.
Lee didn't think the gods had anything to do with this, but refrained from saying so. Instead, he held his wife close, offering what little comfort he could.
*
The cop didn't stay long-just long enough to ask what their relationship with Nate was, if there were other people he should contact, if Nate had enemies.
"It wasn't an accident, was it?" Sam asked, her voice tense.
"No, Ma'am," the cop replied. "It looks like he was stabbed to death."
Sam shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Lee's eyes flew to the kids' room door. The cop looked at them both gently. "Do you know who might have done that?"
Sam and Lee shook their heads silently.
"He was a journalist," the cop insisted. "Was he working on something? Something that might explain why he was murdered?"
Lee hesitated, remembering their talk over two months ago. Nate hadn't said much about the case since then; just that he was still working on it, and it would probably "be huge" when he went public with it, but no details beyond that. "He was working on something," he said. "I don't know what it was."
The cop looked at Sam, who shrugged. "Me neither."
He nodded and got to his feet. "I'll probably be back later with more questions." He hesitated, then added, "I'm sorry for your loss."
Lee saw him out then came back to sit next to Sam. "I can't believe it," she said numbly.
Me neither, Lee thought.
They sat there in silence until morning, until the kids emerged from sleep and came to sit with them, sensing that something wasn't right.
As they explained what had happened, Lee distantly thought that they should warn Romo and Scott, Charlie and Sarah, and see to the arrangements, and try to remember more about what Nate had said, and-
Then, Laura started to cry, and Mark put his head on Lee's shoulder, and it dawned on him that it was real. He had known Nate since the beginning of his life as a civilian, what seemed like eons ago. Funny. When he had left the Galactica, he had been sure that he would never get close to anyone anymore, that he'd never be able to make new friends, to rebuild his life.
It was only now that it occurred to him that he had, without even noticing.
All this time spent worrying about Sam and about the kids, and death still managed to blindside him, to hit where he didn't expect it to.
Sam took Laura in her arms, whispering quiet words of reassurance in her ears. Feeling like he was going to throw up, Lee put an arm around Mark's shoulders, pulling him closer.
He held on to the kid for a long while.
Chapter 8
And so ends Part One (aka, the longuest digression ever). Next chapter, we'll come back to present time, and to Papadama.