DISCLAIMER: Battlestar Galactica is the property of Glen A. Larson, Sci-Fi Channel, R & D TV, Sky and NBC Universal.
SPOILERS: Up to and including Season 4, Six of One.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SEQUEL: To Coming Home
If You Love Something
By Geekgrrllurking
Laura Roslin wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at the ginger tuft of hair lying on the desk. Bill was right of course. She hated it when he was right, mostly because it meant that she was wrong, and as the President she couldn't afford to be wrong.
In this case, however she could readily admit to herself he was quite correct. The cancer drugs did not affect her aim one bit. She just plain and simple didn't want to kill Kara Thrace. No, she had just wanted to send a warning blast across the nose of the viper as it were.
Laura stood and started to pace the small room, needing to move around and think. She knew it wasn't because she thought Kara was a Cylon. She was honest enough to admit she had no clue one way or the other if she was. Hell, she didn't know if Bill or Maya or even pain in the ass Gaius frakking Baltar was. Or herself for that matter.
That disturbing thought was quickly pushed to the side.
No, Laura knew that the reason she didn't shoot Kara was because a big part of her still loved the girl. Starbuck, the crazy wild child viper pilot had just come back from the dead and Laura didn't want to lose her again. That and her own battle with cancer made her quite aware how precious life was these days.
Somehow she found herself wandering down to the brig. It was turning into a familiar theme these days. First was a visit to the Six in captivity, now Starbuck. She sighed and nodded to the young man guarding the external hatch to the brig as he twisted it open for her.
Bill had hit the nail on the head about not wanting to die a meaningless death. She still wanted to mean something to someone. She used to mean something to Starbuck, but Laura guessed she had screwed that up too. She did that to the two of them a long time ago.
Her mind flew back to when they had been close, holding hands on New Caprica, the bright spot in each others days, the passion in each other's nights. Coming back to space had pulled them apart eventually. Visits became infrequent and then non-existent and life just moved on. And then Starbuck was gone.
Laura leaned her head against the cool metal door and glanced into the small room Starbuck was trapped in. She was flat on her back on the floor of the brig, muttering we're going the wrong way over and over again.
"Oh, Kara…what have we done to you." Laura murmured softly, fingers trailing down along the glass pane wishing she could help soothe the girl. She sighed and made her decision.
Gods help her, she knew what she needed to do. Her mother had always said if you love something you have to set it free. Laura stole one last glance of her former lover and realized that it was exactly what Kara would want. A chance. A chance to blaze a trail, to prove them all wrong and to show the old man what she was made of. For Laura.
Kara had done that before, gone through hell to bring her the Arrow of Athena, to point the way. Now she was going to point them to Earth again.
Nodding weakly, decision made, Laura softly kissed the cold glass and turned to head back to Bill's quarters. She was tired, and needed to rest. It was hard work letting love fly free. All she had to do now was make Bill think it was all his idea.
Turning from the tiny brig window, Laura didn't see Kara staring at her, sadly watching her leave while lying quietly on the floor.
"You're going the wrong way."
The End