Caprica [Tuesday, September 9, Early Evening]
Caprica looked the same.
Lee didn't know what he'd expected but he hadn't expected to hop off the Raptor and emerge into the exact same world he'd left over a year ago. It was almost like everything had stopped while he was gone. Paused like a movie, just waiting for him to get back.
Lee looked away. He concentrated on grabbing his bag, saying his thank you's to the pilot before walking away from the ship and towards the terminal's exit. He half expected his father to be lurking around the nearest corner, ordering him to stand up straight.
When he exited the terminal, it wasn't his father that he saw but his mother. Relief and confusion crossed his face but he buried it under a thin smile. He'd gotten good at that lately. Hide the things that were bothering him and let everyone see that he was just fine.
His mother was clutching her bag, knuckles white. She was smiling widely but it didn't hit her eyes. Lee didn't remember the last time any of her smiles hit her eyes. Maybe it was a family thing. The longer you were an Adama, the more unhappy you'd become. His father was perpetually cranky, his mother faked happiness, he had moment and Zak, well, he just hadn't hit the age of unhappiness yet.
Lee smiled. Made sure it didn't waver. Made sure she couldn't see anything but his smile.
"Hi, Mom." He didn't embrace her. If she asked, he'd use the excuse of being tired or holding a bag or smelling.
She didn't ask.
"It's so good to see you again, Lee," Carolanne Adama said, voice thin and reedy. "You don't look any different from the day you left."
"Neither do you," he quipped quickly, managing a tight laugh. "It's good to be back."
He was getting better at lying. Not that he cared, not with his family. He knew she should but he was different even if he didn't look it. He felt out of place here, like an outsider.
"Zak's out right now but he should be back soon," his mother said, sliding a light hand on his shoulder. He had the urge to shake it off. "But he should be back tonight."
"Where's he at?" Lee asked. "New girlfriend?"
"Flight school," his mother said.
Lee looked at her sharply. "Flight school?"
"Now, Lee," his mother chided gently as she would a twelve year old, "it was his choice."
"Yeah, but who in the frak influenced him?" Of course his father would send his mother to tell him this. No need to have an argument with the heir apparent to the Adama name in public.
Such a smart man, his father.
"It was his choice," his mother said again. "And he's got friends there. It's been good for him. He's been lonely since you left."
Lee didn't know which was the bigger lie in that sentence: the choice being Zak's or that he'd be lonely. "Stop lying to me."
His mother's face fell briefly but she'd mastered the Adama mask just as much as he had and her smile was back in place instantly. "Don't accuse your mother of lying, Lee. Not here."
"What am I supposed to ask?" Lee snapped. "What's for dinner? How's the knitting club? We both know that frakking flight school wasn't Zak's choice. He might have said the words but there's no doubt who's behind the frakking decision."
"Stop it, Lee," his mother hissed. "Stop it right now. We will talk about this when we get home."
People were staring. It was subtle but he could see their glances slide towards them as they walked. Lee didn't care. Let them look. The only thing that he wished was that they recognized him. Knew him as the returning son of Commander Adama. Maybe they'd start some rumors, whisper about him taking over for the old man.
If only.
"Is he there?" Lee asked after a few moment's of tense silence. "He waiting at home, setting the dinner table?"
His mother didn't answer.
"Of course not," Lee said, shaking his head. "Couldn't even make the time to come see me."
"He said he'd try," Carolanne said. "He's very busy, Lee."
"And I haven't been one for one goddamn year," Lee replied, voice rising. "He can't take twenty four frakking hours of leave? There's no goddamn war, he can leave the helm."
"We'll be home soon," was his mother's answer.
Typical. Lee didn't press. Just silently fumed and wondered how frakking fast this trip home could go.
The smile was back on his mother's face. Lee thought all she needed to do was wave to her adoring fans and she'd look the part of a retiring beauty queen, hanging on to her glory years.
Caprica looked the same. But, it sure as hell didn't feel the same.
[NFB, NFI, OOC is a go. Canon catch up times for Lee. Some of you may know what's going to happen. Teehee.]
Lee didn't know what he'd expected but he hadn't expected to hop off the Raptor and emerge into the exact same world he'd left over a year ago. It was almost like everything had stopped while he was gone. Paused like a movie, just waiting for him to get back.
Lee looked away. He concentrated on grabbing his bag, saying his thank you's to the pilot before walking away from the ship and towards the terminal's exit. He half expected his father to be lurking around the nearest corner, ordering him to stand up straight.
When he exited the terminal, it wasn't his father that he saw but his mother. Relief and confusion crossed his face but he buried it under a thin smile. He'd gotten good at that lately. Hide the things that were bothering him and let everyone see that he was just fine.
His mother was clutching her bag, knuckles white. She was smiling widely but it didn't hit her eyes. Lee didn't remember the last time any of her smiles hit her eyes. Maybe it was a family thing. The longer you were an Adama, the more unhappy you'd become. His father was perpetually cranky, his mother faked happiness, he had moment and Zak, well, he just hadn't hit the age of unhappiness yet.
Lee smiled. Made sure it didn't waver. Made sure she couldn't see anything but his smile.
"Hi, Mom." He didn't embrace her. If she asked, he'd use the excuse of being tired or holding a bag or smelling.
She didn't ask.
"It's so good to see you again, Lee," Carolanne Adama said, voice thin and reedy. "You don't look any different from the day you left."
"Neither do you," he quipped quickly, managing a tight laugh. "It's good to be back."
He was getting better at lying. Not that he cared, not with his family. He knew she should but he was different even if he didn't look it. He felt out of place here, like an outsider.
"Zak's out right now but he should be back soon," his mother said, sliding a light hand on his shoulder. He had the urge to shake it off. "But he should be back tonight."
"Where's he at?" Lee asked. "New girlfriend?"
"Flight school," his mother said.
Lee looked at her sharply. "Flight school?"
"Now, Lee," his mother chided gently as she would a twelve year old, "it was his choice."
"Yeah, but who in the frak influenced him?" Of course his father would send his mother to tell him this. No need to have an argument with the heir apparent to the Adama name in public.
Such a smart man, his father.
"It was his choice," his mother said again. "And he's got friends there. It's been good for him. He's been lonely since you left."
Lee didn't know which was the bigger lie in that sentence: the choice being Zak's or that he'd be lonely. "Stop lying to me."
His mother's face fell briefly but she'd mastered the Adama mask just as much as he had and her smile was back in place instantly. "Don't accuse your mother of lying, Lee. Not here."
"What am I supposed to ask?" Lee snapped. "What's for dinner? How's the knitting club? We both know that frakking flight school wasn't Zak's choice. He might have said the words but there's no doubt who's behind the frakking decision."
"Stop it, Lee," his mother hissed. "Stop it right now. We will talk about this when we get home."
People were staring. It was subtle but he could see their glances slide towards them as they walked. Lee didn't care. Let them look. The only thing that he wished was that they recognized him. Knew him as the returning son of Commander Adama. Maybe they'd start some rumors, whisper about him taking over for the old man.
If only.
"Is he there?" Lee asked after a few moment's of tense silence. "He waiting at home, setting the dinner table?"
His mother didn't answer.
"Of course not," Lee said, shaking his head. "Couldn't even make the time to come see me."
"He said he'd try," Carolanne said. "He's very busy, Lee."
"And I haven't been one for one goddamn year," Lee replied, voice rising. "He can't take twenty four frakking hours of leave? There's no goddamn war, he can leave the helm."
"We'll be home soon," was his mother's answer.
Typical. Lee didn't press. Just silently fumed and wondered how frakking fast this trip home could go.
The smile was back on his mother's face. Lee thought all she needed to do was wave to her adoring fans and she'd look the part of a retiring beauty queen, hanging on to her glory years.
Caprica looked the same. But, it sure as hell didn't feel the same.
[NFB, NFI, OOC is a go. Canon catch up times for Lee. Some of you may know what's going to happen. Teehee.]