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ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: Up to episode 3x10

Dreams For Plans
By sheepfairy

 

Laura's dreams are half-realized glimpses of things to come, things that she forgets upon waking even though she knows they are important. If she could only remember maybe she could save the fleet some grief, some loss of life.

But the thoughts slip away like so much sand in an hourglass, and by the time she is awake enough to grab the pencil by the bed and write them down they're long gone.

She sighs as she puts on her glasses and gets ready for the day. The information is gone, and she should not let the loss distract her from her work.


Adama sends Kara over to Colonial One to brief the president on the aftermath of the battle on the algae planet. She has no idea why he doesn't just do it himself like he always does, but she can tell by the look of him that he doesn't want to discuss the matter.

And to be honest, she doesn't really care why he's sending her. Galactica once felt like home to her, but now it's too crowded with people she's trying to avoid and emotions she doesn't want to deal with.

Maybe on Colonial One she'll finally have a chance to breath.


Lieutenant Thrace runs down a list of the losses they suffered on the planet - supplies that can't be replaced and long list of people Laura has never heard of. She grew hard to the constant death a while ago, but these are people that Kara used to work with and so she makes sympathetic noises anyway. Kara doesn't seem to care either way.

Kara Thrace really doesn't seem to care about anything at the moment. Her voice is dull and she avoids eye contact as she speaks, and Laura thinks there is something missing here.

Laura almost inquires after her husband, just to inject some familiarity and warmth into the discussion. And then she remembers the rumors Tory has told her, and she decides that silence is the better course.

Kara finishes giving the report quickly, and when Laura has no questions she turns to leave.

Laura feels like she should say something, anything, but the words do not come and Kara continues on her way.


Avoiding people on a ship as big as the Galactica shouldn't be that difficult, especially when they're trying to avoid you too. But she's already had awkward run-ins with both Anders and Dualla today, and it's almost like the gods are punishing her by forcing her to confront her sins.

When Adama finally sends her back to the Colonial One, she wants to thank him for it. And she would, except that she doesn't really want to him to guess why she's uncomfortable, and she's never been that good at saying 'thank you' anyway.


Laura hasn't had a real conversation with the Admiral for some time, but she doesn't think it will be long until he gets over his anger. And at least this time it isn't interfering with her job. Occasionally she wonders how much time it will take before she can convince him to let her see Isis, but she knows that is still far in the future.

Kara is a more immediate concern. She still looks tired and dull, and when she speaks there is no life in her voice. Laura isn't quite sure why she cares so much (Kara isn't hers, after all), but she does. Maybe she still feels guilty for sending the girl to fetch the arrow, or perhaps it's just basic human sympathy.

But she does care, and so before Kara gets up to leave again Laura puts her hands on the girl's shoulders and kisses her gently on the forehead. Kara stiffens, but she does not pull away.

"Everything is going to be fine," she says. They are hollow words, but Laura has been a politician for decades and she is good at making people believe her. She can feel Kara relax under her hands, and it's a small triumph. It is also as far as they are going to get today.

"I'll see you again soon, Lieutenant."


The next time they meet, Roslin kisses her on the mouth. And usually that would be enough of an invitation for Kara, but things aren't the way they used to be. There are enough people tangled up in her personal life already, and she isn't sure that she wants to be involved in the president's affairs as well. Fortunately, Roslin does not push; she just smiles and sends Kara on her way.

But when she returns to Galactica she finds herself thinking what if, and she falls asleep remembering Roslin's lips on her own.


"Do you remember your dreams, Kara?" asks Roslin.

"Not really," says Kara, looking a little surprised by the question. "And I think I like it better that way."

Roslin nods, and she feels a little disappointed even though she knows there is no real reason to feel that way. But it doesn't stop her hand from curling around Kara's neck and pulling her closer.

And this time, they don't stop with a kiss.


At first it was just an escape from something worse, but now Kara's visits to Colonial One seem like something more. There she can find a sort of peace, away from her husband and away from Lee.

Laura demands nothing of her, or at least nothing she isn't willing to give anyway, and that simple freedom is something she has been missing for far too long.


They fall asleep with their arms wrapped around each other, and they dream of finding Earth.

The End

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