Roslin Residence, Apt 6, Mauvaise Chance Apts., Early Tuesday Morning
Laura awoke with a start at the insistent ring of the telephone, swept away by a fleeting moment of disorientation. Her mind whirled as it catalogued her surroundings: Apartment. Fandom. Earth. Must've fallen asleep at the desk -- Phone! Reaching across her desk, she snatched up the receiver. "Please tell me it's not morning already, Bill," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Ah, to be honest, I have no idea what time it is there, ma'am."
She stilled immediately. "Lee?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"How did you -- I -- Don't get me wrong, Major, it's wonderful to hear from you, but --"
"You were expecting a call from my father."
Hearing the mixture of resignation, disappointment, and a small amount of embarassment in his voice, Laura cringed. "Yes. I mean, no. I mean --" She sighed. "I don't know what the Hell I mean."
A soft chuckle could be heard. "That doesn't sound like you, Madam President."
The little things you don't know, she thought. Especially when it comes to your father. "You caught me napping -- literally." A slight smile curved her lips as she added a silent "Captain Apollo." Were they really so far removed from those days?
"Oh." A pause. "I didn't mean to bother you, ma'am, I just --"
Leaning back in her chair, Laura listened to the younger Adama as he struggled to find words. "It's all right, Lee," she interrupted during a hesitation. She slipped effortlessly into her "presidential" persona. "What can I do for you?"
"You have, ah, some influence with Dad," Lee began slowly, appearing to choose his words carefully. "I was hoping I could convince you to talk to him, to get him to abort this rescue mission."
Her eyes closed and she shook her head slowly. She never wanted to be caught between father and son again; it had been uncomfortable enough the first time. It could only be more so now that things had changed so drastically between she and the admiral. "I can't do that, Lee. You should know that."
"Can't? Or won't?" The major's tone was cold. "You do realize this is a suicide mission, don't you? That, if he goes off on this one, he probably won't make it back?"
"I'm well aware of the risks involved, Major," Laura snapped back. "Unlike you, I've studied the damned things every chance I get; they frakking haunt me. But I can't ask your father to do anything less. He feels a responsibility to them -- just like he feels for you, for his crew. If we just moved on, forgot about them, he couldn't live with himself. And I don't want him to have to try."
"Even if he dies in the process?"
"Even if we both die in the process." She paused. "I'm going with him, Lee."
"You're both nuts, you know that, right? Totally, absolutely, frakking nuts!"
Giving a snort of sarcastic laughter, Roslin shook her head. "We owe these people, Lee. They're human; they're part of all that's left of the Colonies. And it wouldn't be such a gamble if we had Pegasus' support. I'll let you think on that one for a while. Good night."
Without another word, she put the receiver back into the cradle. She sat and stared at it for a few moments. For the first time, she was siding with Bill against her former military adviser. And for the first time, she felt the discomfort of family dynamics creeping into her decision.
She rubbed her face wearily. Before dawn with little sleep was not the time to contemplate such situations. Within a few minutes, she had crawled into bed and drifted into an exhausted but restless sleep.
[NFB, please. Thanks!]
"Ah, to be honest, I have no idea what time it is there, ma'am."
She stilled immediately. "Lee?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"How did you -- I -- Don't get me wrong, Major, it's wonderful to hear from you, but --"
"You were expecting a call from my father."
Hearing the mixture of resignation, disappointment, and a small amount of embarassment in his voice, Laura cringed. "Yes. I mean, no. I mean --" She sighed. "I don't know what the Hell I mean."
A soft chuckle could be heard. "That doesn't sound like you, Madam President."
The little things you don't know, she thought. Especially when it comes to your father. "You caught me napping -- literally." A slight smile curved her lips as she added a silent "Captain Apollo." Were they really so far removed from those days?
"Oh." A pause. "I didn't mean to bother you, ma'am, I just --"
Leaning back in her chair, Laura listened to the younger Adama as he struggled to find words. "It's all right, Lee," she interrupted during a hesitation. She slipped effortlessly into her "presidential" persona. "What can I do for you?"
"You have, ah, some influence with Dad," Lee began slowly, appearing to choose his words carefully. "I was hoping I could convince you to talk to him, to get him to abort this rescue mission."
Her eyes closed and she shook her head slowly. She never wanted to be caught between father and son again; it had been uncomfortable enough the first time. It could only be more so now that things had changed so drastically between she and the admiral. "I can't do that, Lee. You should know that."
"Can't? Or won't?" The major's tone was cold. "You do realize this is a suicide mission, don't you? That, if he goes off on this one, he probably won't make it back?"
"I'm well aware of the risks involved, Major," Laura snapped back. "Unlike you, I've studied the damned things every chance I get; they frakking haunt me. But I can't ask your father to do anything less. He feels a responsibility to them -- just like he feels for you, for his crew. If we just moved on, forgot about them, he couldn't live with himself. And I don't want him to have to try."
"Even if he dies in the process?"
"Even if we both die in the process." She paused. "I'm going with him, Lee."
"You're both nuts, you know that, right? Totally, absolutely, frakking nuts!"
Giving a snort of sarcastic laughter, Roslin shook her head. "We owe these people, Lee. They're human; they're part of all that's left of the Colonies. And it wouldn't be such a gamble if we had Pegasus' support. I'll let you think on that one for a while. Good night."
Without another word, she put the receiver back into the cradle. She sat and stared at it for a few moments. For the first time, she was siding with Bill against her former military adviser. And for the first time, she felt the discomfort of family dynamics creeping into her decision.
She rubbed her face wearily. Before dawn with little sleep was not the time to contemplate such situations. Within a few minutes, she had crawled into bed and drifted into an exhausted but restless sleep.
[NFB, please. Thanks!]