The Rising Red- Chapter 8- A Late Night Correspondence.
BSG Fic- The Rising Red
(It's also uploaded at Survival Instinct for those who prefer that format.)
Summary: An angsty and slightly AU fic surrounding Adama and Roslin. The President's life is jeopardy and it's only a matter of time until it's too late.
Rated: M
Disclaimer: These character are unfortunately not mine! I'm just putting them into my own little storyline to keep me entertained until Season 4!
It's set after Epiphanies and before Sacrifice in Season 2.
Thanks to me beta's
laharah and
trickalicious78 !
Chapter 8- A Late Night Correspondence. Word Count:8063
Chapter 1 can be found here. Chapter 5 can be found here
Chapter 2 can be found here. Chapter 6 can be found here
Chapter 3 can be found here Chapter 7 can be found here
Chapter 4 can be found here
Chapter 8- A Late Night Correspondence.
Laura sat staring across the room where Bill was dozing at the desk, his glasses skewed and leaning at a dangerous angle as he rested his head on his arms. He’d spent the last few hours flicking through a book and the papers they had received from Zarek. Next to that, by his lamp, was the time-line which she had drawn out. Small intricate notes and phrases had been copied into each relevant space, the Admiral not wanting to leave anything out.
When he had asked her to do this line, she had done so, but her mind was not with it. As distant as she had been whilst he was picking out points and writing them down, she couldn’t help but drift further away, her attention waning as the minutes passed. He’d tolerated her quietness, turning to her every now and then to make sure that she understood what he was saying, writing it down and confirming its importance. She was surprised he hadn’t become frustrated with her; she didn’t say a word, just nodded or shook her head, her eyes staring at one of the many paintings on his walls. She wasn’t one for the intricacies and symbolism of the fine arts, but she was fascinated by the vast array of items that Bill had collected. His quarters were littered with different variations of art from books, pictures, statues and little ornate ornaments. The one thing that had caught her eye as he was rambling by her side was a small painting hidden away in the corner. A woman sat on the floor, her face withdrawn and grey against the multitude of summer colours splayed in the background. It dawned on her the relevance that the painting seemed to have at this moment in time. She felt like that woman who was sat by the side of a country road, the world continuing around her, glorious and bright. Wondrous things would continue around her, the birth of children, the love and passion of a newlywed couple. It was totally different in situation and there were never guarantees that the human race would survive and make it to Earth, but this woman, dressed in grey and her face pale, reminded her of herself at that very moment.
She didn’t mean to be so distant, but the whole conversation that had taken place in the brig had plagued her to the extent that it was all she could think about. The hope that she had held in her heart before conducting that conversation had rapidly evaporated as the man had spoken to her. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, and although she was pretty sure that the book which Bill now had his elbow on would house these answers, she felt much better about them coming from a person.
Inside she was giving up, but the line that the prisoner had spoken resonated with her. When she felt herself give in just little bit more it would rise to the surface, knocking her back into her senses. Deep inside she was giving up, but she was battling. She had to.
After Bill had been through the beginning weeks of the book, she could hear the familiar quietness of his voice as he had passed over the difficult areas. She didn’t want to hear them, so she lied about wanting to go to sleep. Of course, he hadn’t stopped her and she had taken her sleeping pills, hoping they would help quiet her mind and let her relax. After lying there for nearly an hour, she had found that they weren’t doing a thing. But, rather than letting Bill worry over her when he was so clearly engrossed in his work, she kept her eyes closed, just listening to him work and mumble little phrases. It was actually quite soothing to hear his voice. He would repeat a phrase over and over, his tone changing as he wrapped his mind around it.
What she wanted most at this moment was to get to the bottom of it all, but she knew that Bill would never let her go to the brig on her own, and she didn’t have the heart to wake him. She pulled the soft covers from her body, feeling the slight chill of Bill’s room wash over her as she sat up. She picked up a small blanket and wrapped that around her shoulders, treading carefully through his quarters, avoiding any crowded areas, just in case she was to bump into anything.
When she reached the centre of the room, she bent down and picked up her shoes, putting them on and then adjusting her clothes. If she was going to pull herself out of the hole she found herself in then she was going to have to find answers. She then made her way back over to the other side where the phone was, picking it up gently and placing it to her ear. “This is the President, I’d like you to put me through to Lieutenant Thrace, please.”
The corridors were even colder than Bill’s quarters, her tiny frame soaking in every cold particle that touched her body and made her shiver, her muscles spasming to create warmth. Kara should arrive soon and Laura was counting down the minutes until her body would be a little more active, making her way towards the brig.
It made her feel guilty, leaving Bill sleeping while she went out to find answers. But, she was a soft touch and couldn’t stand waking him up. He was exhausted, she could tell, and although he would have been useful, she almost felt as if it was something she had to do herself. After she had put the phone down, she removed Bill’s glasses and turned the lights down, leaving the room in a more comfortable environment for him.
“Madam President, it’s late.” Kara came around the corner, sporting a jumper and sweat pants.
“Yes, I know, I’m sorry to be keeping you up.” Laura gave her a courteous smile and fell into step beside Kara.
“I take it you’re not out this late to go and get drunk by any chance? I mean, I’m game and all.”
Laura laughed quietly; she had always enjoyed Kara Thrace‘s energy, and it was warming to hear jokes. It seemed as if many people were uptight around Laura when she was with them, giving her all the right attention a President was meant to receive. Kara, though, had a tendency to overstep that line, and Laura didn’t mind at all. It made her feel human. “Unfortunately, Lieutenant Thrace, getting drunk is the least of my worries at this moment. However, when the time comes, I’ll make sure you’re around to get that party started.”
Kara grinned, amused by the President’s retort, slightly taken aback by the statement. “You can call me Kara, you know, or Starbuck. Lieutenant Thrace is far too official for this time of night.”
Laura studied Kara’s face as they turned a corner. Although she hadn’t really gotten to know Kara as much as all of the other people around her, it was very clear to Laura why people liked her- Bill especially. “Ok, Staarrbuck,” she said, extending Kara’s name that bit more, adjusting to the way it sounded. “I must apologise again for getting you out of your rack at such a late hour. But, Bi- the Admiral was sleeping and I thought that he wouldn’t approve of me going out under the circumstances.” Laura blushed slightly at the obvious slip of Bill’s name.
“No need to apologise, ma’am, I was up anyway, playing cards. To be quite fair, I was getting bored, the people around me were such sore losers.” Kara moved to one side as a tall marine jogged past her.
“Laura, please. Well, I’m very appreciative.”
“That’s ok…Laura,” Kara said, scrunching her face up as she said the President’s name, not used to referring to the President so informally.
Laura turned down another corridor, eyeing the area carefully, hoping they were going in the right way. Upon seeing the same flight of stairs they had come by earlier, she nodded her head and mumbled to herself. As she stepped forward to start her climb, her heel got caught in the grate and she jolted to the side, knocking into Kara who grabbed her by the arm. “Whoa, there. You sure you didn’t start on the ambrosia already?” Kara giggled.
Laura smiled. “No, it’s these shoes, they don’t do so well on these standard military corridors.”
“You don’t have any flats?” Kara stepped back as Laura adjusted her footing and stance.
“No. I don’t really have any comfort wear aside from my sleepwear.”
Kara shook her head. “That’s wrong on so many levels. I’ll sort something out for you,” she smiled and waited for Laura to start up the steps. “Where are we going?”
Laura turned her head to look down the nearest corridor. “Well, I want to get down to the brig.”
Kara turned. “It’s probably best to go this way then. That way takes longer.”
Laura nodded her head and sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to such a massive ship. I’ll almost certainly get lost.”
“Nah. You get used to it.”
“I hope so,” Lara chimed, following Kara down another extensively long corridor.
As they finally arrived on the same corridor that the brig was situated on, Laura slowed down, looking at a couple that were laughing and smiling in one of the small alcoves. Upon closer inspection, Laura couldn’t mistake the tall boyish figure of Billy, his smile wide and his hair, with the little curls, all neat and tidy in its usual style. A huge bout of warmth erupted inside of her stomach as she peered at the happy couple, seeing Billy plant a cute little kiss on Dualla’s cheek.
“Oh, give it a rest you two,” Starbuck shouted, putting two fingers in her mouth and pretending to gag.
Billy looked up and his jaw dropped, seeing Laura stood there a big goofy grin on her face. He blushed and looked at Dualla who was laughing at his reaction. He looked at his shoes and then lifted his hand and waved. “Hi.”
Laura just smiled, since first getting to know him, Billy had come a long way and she felt the pride well inside of her. “Don’t stay up too late,” she said, following Starbuck down the corridor. Once again she pictured the woman in the painting in Bill’s quarters, the world carrying on around her. The things she would miss if she went, or the things that would no longer be possible if the Cylons killed them all. A deep stab of sadness washed over her as she turned to see the pair walking slowly down the opposite corridor, hand in hand. They were happy, and she would never want anything or anyone to tear them apart.
“Here we are,” Starbuck announced, pausing in front of the hatch. She looked at Laura, her face puzzled. “You know, I only just thought about this…but why do you want to go here?”
Laura turned her gaze back to Kara who had her hands on her hips. “I came for answers.”
Kara nodded her head and pulled the hatch, a guard moving in front of the entrance, his gun in his hand.
“You can’t come in here without authorisation from the Admiral or the-”
“President, yeah, check your eyeballs, man, who do we have here?” Starbuck said sarcastically, pointing to the President.
“My mistake.” He grumbled stepping out of the way.
Laura wrapped her arms around herself and entered the brig, her eyes taking a long time to adjust to the darkness. “You can go.”
The guard just stared at her, and then looked to the prisoner.
“That means you’re dismissed,” Starbuck said, pointing to the door. “Geez, you can’t get good help these days, can you?” She watched as the officer left the brig, standing outside the hatch with his gun in his hand.
Kara pressed a button and the dim lights turned on, making the pair of them squint at the brightness. Laura, who had wandered over to the bars, could make out the outline of the prisoner who was curled up on his rack.
“I wondered if I’d get to see you again,” they heard him mumble sleepily, sitting up in his rack and looking towards them. The lines on his face were prominent as he yawned, his hair falling over his face. As he stood and stretched, Laura had to look up to take in the magnitude of this giant.
“I wanted to come and talk to you,” Laura said quietly, pulling the chair in the open cell, closer to the bars. “I know that this must be difficult, but I’d like to know a few things.”
Geoffrey stepped forward and planted his body on the floor, looking up at Laura as she watched him carefully. He crossed his legs, the blue fabric of his trousers straining as the muscles in his legs pressed against them. He did the top button of his pale blue shirt up and nodded his head. They had removed his red robes as soon as he had entered and he could now feel the chill of the ship. “Ok.”
Starbuck sat on the edge of the desk in the corner, keeping her distance, watched him intently, her whole body on full alert. After what had happened to her on that ship, she certainly was not going to risk anything else happening. Her fingers slid to her firearm that was under her jumper.
Laura contemplated her questions, lining them up in her mind so she could ask them in a better order. She wanted to get to the bottom of this, and she hoped that this man would give her some insight into the situation. “The person that is doing this, the man, do you know why he is doing it? I’m pretty sure that won’t be in the book.”
Geoffrey closed his eyes and Laura could see his body shiver. “I can’t tell you who he is, because I don’t know. But, from what I’ve seen and sensed from him, he is bitter, cold and empty. The motives behind this whole event aren’t clear to me, but I think he was hurt. I think that whatever is happening or is going to happen will be down to this pain that eats him inside. He wants something. The Cylons, to him, are very important. But, I do not know why,” he paused and crossed his hands in his lap. “I will be as honest as I can be, because I feel that the overall end point of all this is much more undefined to me as it was.”
“How did you get involved in this? I mean…you seem to be very clever and have your own ideas. You seem open to possibilities and you have a faith there. But, this whole charade doesn’t seem to suit you?”
Geoffrey pulled the blanket from the rack and wrapped it around his shoulders. “When I was younger, I was a bully. I used my strength, height and passion for violence to my advantage. I made people’s lives a misery. As I got older, and saw the way that life played out, something happened. You could even call it an epiphany. I was walking down the road and I saw this man beating up a boy and I used my strength as an advantage to help this boy. It dawned on me that I could offer more and be something. Before all of this, before the Cylons, came I was going to train to be a Priest. The words that the scrolls spoke made so much sense to me, there was a deep and intertwining truth that lay there, and I thought that was my path to follow.”
Laura watched as he gazed off into the distance for a few moments, his face blank and his eyes glassy. “You were going to be a Priest?”
“Oh yes. I have a theory that every person follows a path in life, and the scrolls are very much into that theory. So, since then, I have been following what I have felt was my path. It brought me to him. He needed help and I figured that it was my turn to help someone else. The book, the one that you have, has me in it, he told me. At first, I didn’t believe that the book was anything but fiction,” his eyes grew wide with intensity. “But it isn’t. Things started happening. It was uncanny and strange, but they happened. The words in that book were the future, and I was in it. What else could I think then that I was meant to be a part in this? I’ve never read it, not once, but I hear him speak. He thinks I’m stupid, my size and strength is all he really wants and he treats me like a fool. I’ve heard him read out lines and passages. I’ve seen him gaze at me. I know that I’m meant to be more than just his helper. I feel it inside of me that I was meant to do more then do his errands. When you said that you had the book, and you said that it might not be going the way I thought, it made sense. I don’t think I was destined to continue with the pain he was inflicting upon people- upon you.”
Laura was astounded by what he was speaking. This man that sat before her had so many layers. All he was doing was following his path, like her, like many of the other people in the fleet. “Do you know what is going to happen?”
Geoffrey shook his head. “No. All I know are the things he asks me to do, and the segments I hear him mumble. But you,” he said, squeezing the bar in front of him. “You have all of the answers. You have the same resources as he has and you could use that to your advantage. I know not of what will happen, but there is no harm in trying to be a step ahead. It’s correct that the words come true, it does, but every little thing that you know, might alter the ending, even if every other page is followed. The absurdity of it all is that he doesn’t even know himself how it is going to end as the book is incomplete. As you said to me before, it might be something for us, as a race, to overcome.”
Starbuck bit her lip and let go of her gun for a brief minute, letting the words sink in slowly. “You were so scared earlier that he would find out if you spoke, but you’re talking to us now? Why would you do that?”
Geoffrey turned to watch Starbuck who, he could tell, still didn’t trust him. “I’m sorry that I did what I did.”
“You didn’t answer her question,” Laura said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself as she felt the coldness of the air stab at her skin.
Geoffrey watched as the President shivered and he pulled off the blanket from his shoulders and offered it to her through the bars. “Fear is a terrible thing. Every person in this room has felt it.”
Laura took the blanket and wrapped it around her, the warmth from his body pressing against her cold skin. “It’s horrible.”
Starbuck stood up from the desk and picked up the chair, moving into the cell. “Fear is your friend.”
Laura turned to her and watched as she stared at Geoffrey through the bars. “Fear is no such thing. It eats you up, it makes you do silly things. These past few days have been pure hell, to know that someone is going to try and kill me. I’m scared because I don’t know if I am going to be here. I don’t know what will happen. Fear, is not your friend at all, it’s your enemy.”
Starbuck looked at Laura, her face lined with sympathy. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but I’ve felt it, and it’s kept me alive. When I was on that ship,” she said, moving her eyes back to Geoffrey. “And that smoke circled around us, I was scared, but that wasn’t fear. Fear was waking up, not being able to breathe or see where you are. Fear is what made me get up, get Lee and try and get out of there. The fear inside of me meant dying. If I hadn’t felt that fear, I would have let myself go. Fear stops you wanting death. Fear stops you from leaving this world.”
“Unless you’re meant to,” Laura whispered, looking down at her hands.
Starbuck watched as Laura sighed deeply, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes. “I’ll do everything I can…Laura,” Starbuck said quietly. “You are our only hope. The Admiral knows how to fly a ship, but he doesn’t know where he’s going.”
Laura’s mouth twitched into a small smile and she put her hand on Starbuck’s. “I know you will.”
“I was scared that he would find out. The fear inside of me was for him finding out that I had done something wrong, something that would affect his plans. Now, I don’t fear that at all. I know that if my path is the right one, I will do what is right- what I am meant to do. I don’t need to fear my actions.”
“I just don’t understand what would possess anyone to do any of this,” Starbuck said leaning forward in her chair. “It’s just wrong.”
“Love can make you do silly things. You will sacrifice anything to save another.” Geoffrey stared at Laura when he said this. “It’s also important in the days to come.”
“This guy loves the Cylons?”
“I don’t know. I have heard him mention it many times. His love for what I do not know. I think that love should be embraced, I think that it should be acknowledged and used as a strength, especially in times like these.”
Laura peered into his eyes. “Will you read the book with us? If I was to bring it to you, would you help us?”
“If it is my path , then it will happen.”
Laura nodded her head, smiling gently at Geoffrey as she passed him his blanket back. “Thank you,” she whispered, standing up from the chair. “You’ve been very helpful.”
“Every path and decision has a starting point,” he chimed, standing up and walking over to his bed, wrapping the blanket back around the thin mattress.
Laura, slightly overwhelmed with the previous discussions, made her way over to the hatch, her eyes itchy with tiredness and her body beginning to ache.
Starbuck stood, watching Geoffrey as he climbed back into the rack, tucking himself under the blankets and sorting out his thin pillow. “Can I ask you something,” she whispered, looking at the President out of the corner of her eye. “How long do you think she has?”
Geoffrey turned to Starbuck. “A few days, a week at the most from what I’ve heard. She’s going to need support. Her wall, her support, is going to start to crumble. I heard that part before I came here. If she needs help, I think that she should get it.”
Starbuck gulped, watching as Laura waited at the hatch for her, rubbing her tired eyes and then stretching her arms. The man before her had almost killed her, but Starbuck could certainly sense something about him. There was truth behind his words, he believed what he was speaking and so did the President. Starbuck just hoped that she would make it, the fleet depended on it.
-----
The darkness of the room was menacing against the patch of light that highlighted his mouth, a grin spread across his features. “I want you on Galactica. I want you to get Geoffrey off of that ship.”
The man, dressed in his marine’s uniform nodded his head and got up from the chair. “I will go now then.”
“They think you are on a supply run?”
“Yes, sir. The CO gave me the ok to do so.”
“Don’t forget this,” he said, holding the needle up in his hand. “You know who you are meant to inject and you better do it,” he snarled.
“Yes, sir, the Admiral.”
“I’ll be seeing you soon.”
The marine left, leaving him alone once again in the darkness. Geoffrey had chosen his side, and he had gained their trust. It was all working out so nicely, it made him want to dance. “Victory will soon be mine.”
---
Laura walked slowly down the corridor with Starbuck at her side. They had both been silent, not saying anything as they both thought deeply about what had just happened. Starbuck was confused. Battling herself over the many different perceptions she had of the prisoner and the situation that the fleet had now found itself in. The man, who had been a part in what had happened to her and Lee, had somehow managed to push the anger she had towards him to one side. It was surreal as she was very good at holding grudges. She had sensed that he wasn’t to blame, he was very spiritual in the sense that he felt he had a path to follow. Whoever was directing him, was the one she wanted to kick the crap out of. If she had realised that someone could be self-centred and try and basically annihilate a whole race because of something personal, then she would have gotten involved sooner. Rather then anger, her stomach squirmed with worry as she laid her eyes on Laura, who was gazing into the distant hallway, her face completely blank. Starbuck didn’t know her as well as Bill, but she knew why he held her in such high regard. Both women had strength and persistence, but Laura held it very well. She was a fighter, Starbuck had always sensed that about her, and it worried her that someone was trying to break her will and kill her in the process. It wouldn’t just affect the people close to her like Bill, but it would affect the whole fleet. It was scary how dependent they were on her.
“Madam Pre-Laura,” Starbuck said, slowing her stride down. From what Geoffrey had said, she was going to need as much support as she could over the coming days and, although they were not as familiar with each other as she was with Bill, she knew that they had bonded to another level in the past hour or so, coming to a silent understanding. “If it all gets too much…I mean like, if anything happens and you find that suddenly you can’t talk to the people you had before. You know where I am right?”
Laura stopped, taken a back by this out-of-the-blue statement. She watched as Kara pierced her gaze with a caring and at the same time, worried expression. Kara had asked Geoffrey something, she could tell. “What did you ask him?”
Starbuck looked down the corridor at an oncoming group of men, walking steadily chatting and laughing as they walked. “What do you mean?”
“To the prisoner, what did you ask him?”
“I asked him how long he thought you had.” Starbuck began walking away slowly. “He said that your support was going to crumble and I figured I ought to offer some sort of support from myself.” Kara forced a small smile to spread across her face.
Laura, bewildered by the idea of her support crumbling, realised slowly that it was Bill. She already knew that whoever was behind it was going to target Bill, but, even if he got ill he would be there for her. Laura’s mouth twitched and she continued walking down the corridor. She wasn’t quite sure what to say or how to react. “Thank you, Starbuck. No, it means a lot, really.”
Bill’s quarters came into view and they slowed down. Starbuck saluted the President and then opened the hatch for her. “I meant what I said about getting you some decent gear. Nobody should have to live in heels all day.”
Laura smiled. “I will no doubt be seeing you soon, Starbuck. Goodnight to you.”
“Night, ma’am,” Kara said, turning around and walking off down the corridor, ready to
hit her rack and get some shut eye.
Laura blinked, watching the other woman turn the corner. There were certainly many layers to Starbuck, and it was much clearer now, why people had such a high opinion of her, as a person and as a viper pilot. She was strong, she was a fighter and yeah, she may go off the rails sometimes but she was certainly an energy that people were drawn to.
She closed the hatch slowly behind her and walked over to the desk where Bill was still dozing, his mouth slightly open and his arm draped across the top half of the wood. A small snore emanated from his mouth and Laura smiled to herself, turning his desk light on and giving him a gentle prod in the arm.
“Bill,” she whispered, giving him a gentle shake.
Bill’s arm jerked and he adjusted his heads position, his mouth closing and twitching. “Hmmm,” he mumbled, making Laura grin.
“Admiral Adama,” she said a bit louder this time. “We have a situation.”
Bill’s eyes snapped open. “Situation?” he mumbled sleepily, jerking upwards and sitting up in his seat.
Laura stifled a giggle, amused by his sudden movement, his eyes red and tight with sleep. “Yes, you were dribbling.”
Bill blinked, focusing on her face, it taking a few moments to realise what she had said. “Dribbl-oh,” he wiped his mouth and reached out for his glasses. “I must have dozed off.”
“You did. You should go get some sleep.”
Bill looked down at his notes, day 22 was complete and he had yet to start day 23, which was going to be today. “No, I have to finish this.” He readjusted his glasses and looked up at her, the dark bags under her eyes were prominent and her whole posture was poor. “Have you slept?”
Laura shook her head. “I tried, but I couldn’t. I thought I’d listen to you work instead…I also went to the brig.”
“The brig…on your own? Laura you should have woken me up!”
“Bill, I didn’t go on my own. I know I can be reckless, but I’m not stupid. I called Starbuck, she went with me.” Laura sat on the chair in front of his desk. “I spoke to the prisoner, I asked him some questions.”
Bill watched as she pulled the time-line from his side and began looking at it. There were so many quotes and lines linking things to other quotes that it made her head hurt. “Have you found anything useful?”
“Not really. I mean, it’s useful because I know what’s happened in general that I might not have known about before. But, there’s no indication of motive or why it should happen.”
Laura nodded her head. “I asked Geoffrey that.”
“Geoffrey?”
“The prisoner. He doesn’t know why it is happening, but he thinks it’s about the pain that this man is feeling over something. The Cylons, they mean a lot to him. That’s all he knew.”
Bill looked at her, slightly puzzled by why she would have wanted to go and see him. “Why did you go there? I mean, why would you need to, this book should have the answers, if you took the time to read it.”
“I didn’t want to read about why I’m going to die and how it will happen. I don’t want to sit there and go through pages of cryptic messages to come to the end where either myself or both of us is dead. I wanted answers. I wanted straight-forward answers, Bill. That’s why I went. I found out a few useful things, things that I think that the book might not have answered.” Laura pulled the book over to her and flicked to the back. “Zarek said that this book wasn’t complete and Geoffrey said this too. He said that he thought it was absurd that the person behind this didn’t actually know how it was going to end. Though he’s obviously certain that it will end in his favour. But, Bill, what if it’s just an obstacle, as I said to him, that we are meant to overcome?”
Bill listened to her, not sure how to feel at the current moment. She had trusted and taken in opinions from someone who had been a part of what was happening. Someone that was no doubt a very big part in what was going to happen. The prisoner, the giant of a man, could be trying to manipulate her. He instinctively turned to the back of the book and noticed that there was indeed a lack of completion about it. “How can we trust what he is saying? I mean, why should we? He is a part of this whole thing.”
“Bill, I think that he is just trying to follow his path in life and has gotten mixed up in this. We all have paths, I have a path- so do you. I think that he is good, deep inside, he was just following what he thought was right.”
“You believe this?”
“Well, at this moment there is nothing wrong with believing him. He was able to give me a little bit of hope, that has to be a good thing.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“No, I didn’t think you would, but do you trust me, Bill? Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do, I just think he’s manipulating you and your beliefs.”
Laura nodded her head. “If you trust me Bill, then you trust me. No ifs or buts. I don’t think we should discuss this now. I think tomorrow will be better. You need to get some shut eye. It’s no good if both of us are walking zombies. You need to be alert, for the both of us.”
Bill sighed, his brain filled with reasons why she was right and wrong. It was frustrating because he thought that her way of thinking, her beliefs could very much cloud her mind and make her miss what he thought was going on. Laura Roslin was very clever, but if the right buttons were pressed he was sure she would be an easy target for lies. “I want to go over all of this tomorrow then, first thing, and then we can look over the days events in the book. We can discuss everything before we take on the day, ok?”
Laura watched as he put everything in his top draw, slotting them somewhere out of view. “Of course.”
Bill stood and headed over to the bathroom. As his hand touched the door he turned to her. “What are you going to do?”
“Read, maybe, or just lie down. I’ll find something to do,” she said wearily before heading over to his book shelf, looking at the picture of the woman as she passed.
What Bill would give so that she could rest, even if it were just one night. He sighed and entered the bathroom. The days were just getting longer and more and more frustrating.
--
Laura sat on the couch, her head in her hands, the headache that had hit her as she read through one of Bill’s many books was relentless, pushing against her eyes and head like a sledgehammer. The worst of it was, she knew there was nothing she could do. Pain medication was out of the question and sleep, the usual remedy for a headache was unreachable. It made her head pulse and ache, the pressure forcing itself against her. Her eyes, which were tired and in need of rest were aching against the light in Bill’s quarters and she was finding it difficult to concentrate. What made it worse was that Billy had informed her that the Quorum wanted a meeting with her later that afternoon. An array of irritating people around her when she felt as if she was going to explode was not going to be fun. As the President, she had to, she had said she would keep up with what she was meant to do, and she was going to do that.
Bill was in the bathroom, washing and giving himself a shave, his stubble having reached an alarming length since the days before. The shower had been short and refreshing, waking him right up and increasing his alertness ten-fold. He’d slumped out of his rack, said his good morning to Laura and proceeded straight into the bathroom. He was hoping that today would be easy and things would run smoothly. He hoped.
The razor made its last swoop across his cheek and he washed it, drying his face with a towel and wrapping his freshly laundered jacket around himself.
As he exited the bathroom he looked at Laura who was slumped back on the sofa, her head in her hands. He was just about to walk over to her to see how she was when there was a heavy knock at the hatch. Bill made his way over to it, glancing quickly over her as he walked passed. He pulled the hatch open and Billy stood staring at him nervously. “Good Morning, Admiral.”
“Billy,” he said, moving back to let him in. “Good Morning.”
Billy nodded his head and walked in. “I just came to give the President the papers that the Quorum sent over. Preparations for the meeting this afternoon.”
“Meeting?” Bill took the papers out of his hand and looked down at them, a long and rather painful looking agenda on really petty things.
“Yes, I was going to tell you about that,” Laura croaked, not moving her hands from her face.
“I don’t think it wise for you to attend any sort of meeting today. You don’t look too good in all honesty.”
“Thanks,” she murmured playfully. “Glad to know you approve of my new look. I have to do it. It’s my duty as the President.”
Bill shook his head, side glancing to Billy who seemed to be looking quite worried as he looked at the President. “Can’t you postpone it?”
Laura looked through her fingers, the light stinging her eyes and making her close them again. “No, who is to say that it will be any better tomorrow or any other day for that matter. I’m anticipating the worst, after all. I just think if I get this out of the way then there is less to do later on. I’m sure you can see the logic in that?”
Bill nodded his head. “I suppose you’re right. What time is the meeting?” He turned to Billy who was flicking through papers.
“Well, they wanted to know from you, Madam President. They were content with arranging it when it suited your needs. I wasn’t sure so I though I would ask you, of course.”
“Schedule it for mid-day. I have some matters to attend to here with the Admiral and I think that it would be better to get over with sooner rather then later.”
Billy nodded and jotted the little note down in his diary. “Oh, and Madam President, I have a message from Starbuck. She said that she has something for you and she will be coming around at some point in the day to drop it off. She wasn’t specific about what it was, she said you would know, so I assumed you would.”
Laura’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Ah yes, thank you, Billy.”
“I’m going to go and arrange for the Quorum meeting to be held here in a few hours then, Madam President.” Billy nodded to Bill and then turned around to leave the room.
“Billy?”
“Yes, Madam President?”
“I hope you didn’t stay up all night.”
Billy blushed and looked away from the Admiral who was looking at him, confused. “Umm, no, ma’am, not all night, no.” He moved nervously to the hatch and then exited, his face red with embarrassment.
---
“Another run, you say?” Tigh said, walking down the corridor with the marine and a bunch of forms in his hand. “They say that they need more? I thought you went over to the other ship earlier to take some over?”
“I did, sir, this is for another ship.”
“Well, you know everything has to be ran by the Admiral first. Like before.”
The marine scrunched his face up with annoyance and then stopped. “I understand, sir.” He handed him another form. “This ship has a case of ambrosia they wish to send over this afternoon. That’s the confirmation note, there.”
“A case?” Tigh said, turning the corner and eyeing up the form carefully.
“Yes, sir. I was going to pick it up on my run, sir, to save fuel.”
“Good thinking,” he said, pulling out his pen and signing it. “Use a different raptor next time, the transponder seems to be playing up on that raptor you were on last time. Has Gambo looked at it, it’s his raptor?”
“Yes, sir, everything is in working order now. A wire came loose on the way over. But, the ship we were out at has confirmed us being there.”
“Yes, yes that’s fine. You’re dismissed.”
The marine nodded his head, folding the paper and putting it into his pouch. He was right, it would be very easy and things would work out the way he had envisioned.
--
Laura sat leaning against the desk, her eyes aching and her head still pounding hard. They had discussed the events that took place in the brig, and Bill still wasn’t having much of it, but they had agreed to be slightly open-minded about Geoffrey and his ideas. He had also decided that he would let the man look at the book, just to see if he was any better at finding answers. They couldn’t do anything but try.
Bill sat across from Laura, the book in his hand and his nose close to the pages. They had been reading through Day 23 for a long time now, trying to decipher what it all meant. Laura hadn’t really inputted much, her hands still resting against her face, shielding her eyes from the light.
“Day 23 would bring about the beginnings of the end for the male leader. Aggression and misdirection would overcome him. A path that was followed will crumble.” Bill looked up from the paper and wrote it down on his time-line. “This means it is meant to happen today.”
“What is?” Laura mumbled, pulling her hands away from her face, her red eyes looking over to him.
“Whatever is going to happen to me. It will happen today.”
Laura’s eyes grew wide and she pulled the pages from him. “Aggression and misguiding-”
“Misdirection,” Bill corrected, circling the quote on the page.
“Misdirection would overcome him? That doesn’t sound too good. Does this mean you’re going somewhere?”
Bill watched as her eyes closed, her hand going over her eyes again. She was certainly finding it hard to concentrate, one of the many side-affects of insomnia. “No, misdirection doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere. I think that it means that I’m going to lose my path…Laura, have you tried resting at all?”
Laura nodded her head slowly. “Nothing helps. Bill…I think that you should stay here today. I mean, if it’s going to happen then it won’t happen in here will it?”
“You don’t know that.”
“It might minimise the risk?”
“I’m going with you to the meeting. Starbuck and I will be accompanying you to meet the Quorum. I‘ve always said that the representative to Sagittaron was a bit shifty.” Bill read the page again, looking for anymore clues.
Laura did not find his comment amusing at all, she glared at him briefly. “I think that you should stay.”
“I’m not staying. I have to make sure that nothing happens to you.”
“And you call me stubborn,” she whispered, resting her head on the desk.
“Nobody is as stubborn as you are,” he mumbled, leaning back in his chair, his stomach knotting at the thought that something bad was going to happen to him today. Something that might be the end of him. Selfishness was not something that Bill was good at doing, his heart and mind were on Laura and her situation, if he were not to go, she would be an open target and he would not permit that at all. She was his top priority at this moment.
---
The marine wandered down the corridor, the needle in his hand, hidden out of the way so nobody could see. Any moment now he would see the Admiral and the President walking to a meeting. He had to get this done otherwise it wouldn’t run as smoothly as it should and he would have to come back and try again later, when it would be much harder.
The Admiral came around the corner, the President at his side, her face pale with dark bags under her eyes. So, that aspect of the plan was really coming together. She looked frail and ill and he was sure that it was only a matter of days, as predicted, until she was no more.
“Go long,” someone shouted from behind him and he turned to see one of the viper pilots holding a ball in his hand, getting ready to throw it. The marine started running, his hands open and a smile on his face. How very convenient.
The ball shot through the air, and the marine had to run fast to make sure he was able to catch it. As soon as the ball began its descent he jumped, getting ready to catch it. When the ball was firmly in his grasp he felt his body collide with another, the needle sinking into the skin of whoever it was. When he turned he could see the Admiral glaring at him. “Oh, Gods, I’m so sorry, sir,” he gulped, getting up and stepping back.
“You need to tone it down,” Bill snarled, lifting him up by his collar. “This is not a playground! You do not go around acting like frakking idiots. I should discipline you for that.”
The marine gulped, turning to the viper pilot who had began walking the other way. “I’m really sorry, sir. Are you ok? I really didn’t mean anything by it!”
Bill rubbed his arm. “No, I’m fine. Shouldn’t you be somewhere?”
“I’m not on rotation.”
“Get out of my sight.” Bill rubbed his arm again and turned to Laura. “You would have thought this was a holiday camp.”
Laura smirked slightly before linking her arm with his. “I hope this meeting doesn’t drag. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”