Fic: Shifted Bias, Chapter 3: What Would People Say?
Shifted Bias
Summary: Everything ended but the world.
Rated: MA
Spoilers: Miniseries
Disclaimer: Story is mine, characters aren't.
"Prickfest?"
Well this had certainly been an interesting turn to the evening… Bill looked at the woman huddled next to him, who, in the span of 30 seconds, had gone from grouch to schoolgirl. He felt his scowl melting away as suddenly, he felt he was exactly where he wanted to be at the moment.
He shrugged. “Can you think of a better name?”
“As a matter of fact, I can’t, Commander,” she answered. He sighed and looked out at the balcony.
“Admiral Nagala’s speech should be over soon, and if people keep drinking the way they are no one’ll notice our re-entry,” he said, reassuring her.
“Are you kidding?” she giggled, looking up at the smoke that was now curling around their heads. “Only to hear the next day how the newly-resigned Secretary of Education was smoking away her sorrows in the rain at her last public appearance? These are politicians - they can smell unseemly behavior a mile away.” She’d run out of breath at the end of her sentence, and took in another deep one, realizing she’d said too much. A stricken look appeared on her face. “Listen, I’m willing to bet I’ve had about the same few days as you, so just so you know, I’m probably going to stay out here for a bit longer than the admiral’s speech.”
Her resignation was infectious. “You gonna share that or do I get to stand out here stone cold sober?” he asked.
She rewarded him with a pleased, if slightly shocked, smile, and handed him the joint.
Adama regarded her for a minute, and, for the first time in many years, took a long drag of an illegal substance. And then started coughing violently. “Thanks,” he managed to choke out, handing it back to her. “That’s good stuff.”
She relapsed into giggles again, taking it back from him, and dragging on it herself. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I was so rude to you,” she said apologetically.
“It’s all right. I’m sorry I snooped. Guess it was pretty obvious you wanted to be alone.”
She smiled, “Accepted. Come to think of it, though,” she said, passing the joint back to him, “why did you follow me out here? I didn’t think either one of us made very favorable impressions on the other.”
Bill took a deep breath and said uncomfortably, “I thought this might be the only opportunity I’d get to apologize to you for the way I behaved yesterday. You were just doing your job.”
She looked at him, quizzically surprised. “All right,” she conceded slowly, “that’s fair. I, in turn, apologize for accusing you of being a-“
“Neanderthal?” he finished, handing her back the nearly-finished joint. It really was good. He could feel the effects already. Though that might have had something to do with the fact that he hadn’t touched the stuff in twenty years and he was standing next to a woman who was becoming more beautiful by the minute.
She giggled again, a sound he found himself beginning to really enjoy. “You said it, not me. Though I must say, I’m having a little trouble believing that apologizing to me was your only reason for escaping that… prickfest, as I believed you called it.”
“Yeah, can’t deny that. I figured anything going on out here would have been preferable to spending anymore time with the fraktards in there.”
“Commander! Govern your tongue! The disdain in which you hold our peers is positively offensive!” she squealed in mock indignation. “Fraktards and pricks,” she sighed, “I can’t think of two better labels.”
“Wouldn’t have pegged you for a dissenter Madam Secretary…”
“Well, you would have been right until recently,” she said mysteriously. Seeing his confused look, she explained quietly, “People don’t always live up to your expectations. And it’s Laura.” She reached into her bag and produced another joint. “Care for another?” she asked with a coy smile.
“Were you ever planning on rejoining this party?” he inquired, astonished and pleased at her foresight.
“Always plan ahead, I say. I didn’t know how long I was going to be obligated to stay, and it’s certainly lucky for us I had foresight, isn’t it,” she said with an impish smile lighting the joint. “So what does a commander with such an illustrious career behind him have to be so bitter about?”
“Wouldn’t have picked this way to end it. And it’s Bill,” he answered, taking a fresh drag and passing it back. “I’m sure the gossip about my fall from grace has been well-documented in your administration.”
“I don’t give much credence to gossip. Especially the political kind,” she said quietly, with a kind smile, and Bill was amazed at what a continued surprise she turned out to be. He returned her smile with one of his own.
“That’s good to hear. I don’t regret anything about my career. I just wouldn’t have picked this way to end it.”
“I understand that…” she trailed off. “But you have your son. He was our escort, and I hear he’s one ofthe best pilots in the fleet. I was very impressed with him when we met. You and your wife must be so proud.”
Wife? Oh, frak, the ring. He looked down at his hand. “Yes, I’m very proud of him.” She gave him an inquiring look. “We’re divorced. I didn’t like the way that ended either. Guess that’s why I don’t take it off. And as for my son… we don’t get along, I’m afraid.” She was quiet for a minute, and he was worried he’d overstepped his bounds. But she gave him that sad smile and said,
“Well, don’t we make a pair? Two early and entirely ungrateful retirees, waiting out their own going away party.”
“That’s right,” he said, remembering. “So what’s your story? If you’d care to tell it…”
“Oh, I’m afraid it’s not very interesting. The president and I had a little falling out,” she explained. “You’ll be hearing about the resolution of the teacher’s strike in a few days. Let’s just say he and I didn’t see eye to eye on that. Richard’s become… more militant in recent years. I didn’t exactly go that route.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, more curious than he’d ever been about the teachers’ strike.
“I used to be a teacher. None of their demands are unreasonable. They’re actually embarrassingly legitimate, but he didn’t want to give in. And in a spectacularly stupid move, I went behind his back and resolved the strike, not to mention got myself fired.” She rolled her eyes and took a drag. “Not bad for a day’s work, huh?”
Adama regarded the woman before him and suddenly found himself acutely aware of their proximity and feeling that it wasn’t enough.
She shivered. “What?” she asked at his stare.
“Are you cold?” he asked, and mentally smacked himself with the stupidity of the question. She was standing outside in the pouring rain in a strapless dress. Of course she was cold. And showing some very inviting cleavage…
“Oh no, I’m fine,” she said, snapping him back to attention.
“Are you sure,” he asked, “You can have my jacket.”
“And what are you gonna do, stand there in your tanks? You’d rather rejoin the party dressed like that?”
“Well, with you on my arm in my jacket, I think the rumors surrounding my departure would be a little more favorable,” he proposed before he could stop himself and then panicked at his own presumption and her certain offense. He was pleasantly surprised to hear her laugh again good-naturedly.
“Now there’s an idea, Commander. What would people say?” she answered gamely, the coy smile returning. He thought for a minute about how much he’d enjoyed the past 30 minutes, decided to tempt fate once more.
“Why don’t we get out of here get a drink,” he asked.
“Lead the way,” she smiled, and he shrugged off his jacket. She put it on and he did lead the way. All the way to the locked door, where they both persisted in banging until the bewildered Secretary of Agriculture opened the door and let them in. They made a strange couple leaving the party - a decorated war hero in his tanks, and the Secretary of Education on his arm and in his jacket. The coat check attendant who handed Laura her wrap, enabling Bill to reclaim his jacket wished his night were going so well.
As they climbed into a cab, she fastened her seatbelt and asked, “Any preference?”
He nearly said, your house, but thankfully didn’t. “Someplace quiet,” came out instead.
She nodded and ordered the driver to take them to the Rowe, one of the wealthier neighborhoods in the city. She smiled at him and said, “I know a nice pub near my house.”
****************************
Thanks again to all who've provided feedback - I was pleasantly surprised to read that others enjoy creative swearing just as much as I do:-)
Summary: Everything ended but the world.
Rated: MA
Spoilers: Miniseries
Disclaimer: Story is mine, characters aren't.
"Prickfest?"
Well this had certainly been an interesting turn to the evening… Bill looked at the woman huddled next to him, who, in the span of 30 seconds, had gone from grouch to schoolgirl. He felt his scowl melting away as suddenly, he felt he was exactly where he wanted to be at the moment.
He shrugged. “Can you think of a better name?”
“As a matter of fact, I can’t, Commander,” she answered. He sighed and looked out at the balcony.
“Admiral Nagala’s speech should be over soon, and if people keep drinking the way they are no one’ll notice our re-entry,” he said, reassuring her.
“Are you kidding?” she giggled, looking up at the smoke that was now curling around their heads. “Only to hear the next day how the newly-resigned Secretary of Education was smoking away her sorrows in the rain at her last public appearance? These are politicians - they can smell unseemly behavior a mile away.” She’d run out of breath at the end of her sentence, and took in another deep one, realizing she’d said too much. A stricken look appeared on her face. “Listen, I’m willing to bet I’ve had about the same few days as you, so just so you know, I’m probably going to stay out here for a bit longer than the admiral’s speech.”
Her resignation was infectious. “You gonna share that or do I get to stand out here stone cold sober?” he asked.
She rewarded him with a pleased, if slightly shocked, smile, and handed him the joint.
Adama regarded her for a minute, and, for the first time in many years, took a long drag of an illegal substance. And then started coughing violently. “Thanks,” he managed to choke out, handing it back to her. “That’s good stuff.”
She relapsed into giggles again, taking it back from him, and dragging on it herself. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I was so rude to you,” she said apologetically.
“It’s all right. I’m sorry I snooped. Guess it was pretty obvious you wanted to be alone.”
She smiled, “Accepted. Come to think of it, though,” she said, passing the joint back to him, “why did you follow me out here? I didn’t think either one of us made very favorable impressions on the other.”
Bill took a deep breath and said uncomfortably, “I thought this might be the only opportunity I’d get to apologize to you for the way I behaved yesterday. You were just doing your job.”
She looked at him, quizzically surprised. “All right,” she conceded slowly, “that’s fair. I, in turn, apologize for accusing you of being a-“
“Neanderthal?” he finished, handing her back the nearly-finished joint. It really was good. He could feel the effects already. Though that might have had something to do with the fact that he hadn’t touched the stuff in twenty years and he was standing next to a woman who was becoming more beautiful by the minute.
She giggled again, a sound he found himself beginning to really enjoy. “You said it, not me. Though I must say, I’m having a little trouble believing that apologizing to me was your only reason for escaping that… prickfest, as I believed you called it.”
“Yeah, can’t deny that. I figured anything going on out here would have been preferable to spending anymore time with the fraktards in there.”
“Commander! Govern your tongue! The disdain in which you hold our peers is positively offensive!” she squealed in mock indignation. “Fraktards and pricks,” she sighed, “I can’t think of two better labels.”
“Wouldn’t have pegged you for a dissenter Madam Secretary…”
“Well, you would have been right until recently,” she said mysteriously. Seeing his confused look, she explained quietly, “People don’t always live up to your expectations. And it’s Laura.” She reached into her bag and produced another joint. “Care for another?” she asked with a coy smile.
“Were you ever planning on rejoining this party?” he inquired, astonished and pleased at her foresight.
“Always plan ahead, I say. I didn’t know how long I was going to be obligated to stay, and it’s certainly lucky for us I had foresight, isn’t it,” she said with an impish smile lighting the joint. “So what does a commander with such an illustrious career behind him have to be so bitter about?”
“Wouldn’t have picked this way to end it. And it’s Bill,” he answered, taking a fresh drag and passing it back. “I’m sure the gossip about my fall from grace has been well-documented in your administration.”
“I don’t give much credence to gossip. Especially the political kind,” she said quietly, with a kind smile, and Bill was amazed at what a continued surprise she turned out to be. He returned her smile with one of his own.
“That’s good to hear. I don’t regret anything about my career. I just wouldn’t have picked this way to end it.”
“I understand that…” she trailed off. “But you have your son. He was our escort, and I hear he’s one ofthe best pilots in the fleet. I was very impressed with him when we met. You and your wife must be so proud.”
Wife? Oh, frak, the ring. He looked down at his hand. “Yes, I’m very proud of him.” She gave him an inquiring look. “We’re divorced. I didn’t like the way that ended either. Guess that’s why I don’t take it off. And as for my son… we don’t get along, I’m afraid.” She was quiet for a minute, and he was worried he’d overstepped his bounds. But she gave him that sad smile and said,
“Well, don’t we make a pair? Two early and entirely ungrateful retirees, waiting out their own going away party.”
“That’s right,” he said, remembering. “So what’s your story? If you’d care to tell it…”
“Oh, I’m afraid it’s not very interesting. The president and I had a little falling out,” she explained. “You’ll be hearing about the resolution of the teacher’s strike in a few days. Let’s just say he and I didn’t see eye to eye on that. Richard’s become… more militant in recent years. I didn’t exactly go that route.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, more curious than he’d ever been about the teachers’ strike.
“I used to be a teacher. None of their demands are unreasonable. They’re actually embarrassingly legitimate, but he didn’t want to give in. And in a spectacularly stupid move, I went behind his back and resolved the strike, not to mention got myself fired.” She rolled her eyes and took a drag. “Not bad for a day’s work, huh?”
Adama regarded the woman before him and suddenly found himself acutely aware of their proximity and feeling that it wasn’t enough.
She shivered. “What?” she asked at his stare.
“Are you cold?” he asked, and mentally smacked himself with the stupidity of the question. She was standing outside in the pouring rain in a strapless dress. Of course she was cold. And showing some very inviting cleavage…
“Oh no, I’m fine,” she said, snapping him back to attention.
“Are you sure,” he asked, “You can have my jacket.”
“And what are you gonna do, stand there in your tanks? You’d rather rejoin the party dressed like that?”
“Well, with you on my arm in my jacket, I think the rumors surrounding my departure would be a little more favorable,” he proposed before he could stop himself and then panicked at his own presumption and her certain offense. He was pleasantly surprised to hear her laugh again good-naturedly.
“Now there’s an idea, Commander. What would people say?” she answered gamely, the coy smile returning. He thought for a minute about how much he’d enjoyed the past 30 minutes, decided to tempt fate once more.
“Why don’t we get out of here get a drink,” he asked.
“Lead the way,” she smiled, and he shrugged off his jacket. She put it on and he did lead the way. All the way to the locked door, where they both persisted in banging until the bewildered Secretary of Agriculture opened the door and let them in. They made a strange couple leaving the party - a decorated war hero in his tanks, and the Secretary of Education on his arm and in his jacket. The coat check attendant who handed Laura her wrap, enabling Bill to reclaim his jacket wished his night were going so well.
As they climbed into a cab, she fastened her seatbelt and asked, “Any preference?”
He nearly said, your house, but thankfully didn’t. “Someplace quiet,” came out instead.
She nodded and ordered the driver to take them to the Rowe, one of the wealthier neighborhoods in the city. She smiled at him and said, “I know a nice pub near my house.”
****************************
Thanks again to all who've provided feedback - I was pleasantly surprised to read that others enjoy creative swearing just as much as I do:-)