A Dramatic Turn: Chapter Five: In Which Bill's Subconscious Reveals His Feelings
Title: In Which Bill's Subconscious Reveals His Feelings
Word Count: 1353
Rating: T
Disclaimer: don't own them.
Prompts: A battle ensues
Co-written with nvgvup and marzipanilla
While Bill was unconscious on the floor, still holding Laura, his mind flooded with thoughts and images-all relating to the woman currently under him on the floor. Somehow, she had become the most important person in his life. But their beginning was inauspicious at best.
They had met just as Bill was settling into his early and unplanned retirement. One of the suits at NCU had done some digging and discovered Bill Adama was the one of the most decorated veterans from the Cylon war who had stayed with the Colonial Fleet (except for his stint as a freighter) until his recent retirement. So, he got a phone call, just weeks after his retirement, asking for him to give a speech at the school about his experiences before, during, and after the war-military and otherwise. He agreed to participate. When it came time to deliver his speech, it was going fine until Bill revealed his longstanding opinions against technology. Just by looking at the red haired woman in the front row, he knew he’d stuck a nerve there. But she kept quiet until the end of the speech.
“Mr. Adama, I have to say I disagree with you completely about your views on technology.”
“Did you fight during the Cylon war?”
“No, I wasn’t old enough. I barely remember it.”
“Then you really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Excuse me? I’ll have you know I’ve done my research. There is no reason to suggest technology is in anyway dangerous. The Cylon war ended; we won. They disappeared.”
“Academics and scientists like you did their research too, then we had a war.”
“How dare you!”
“Now I should go, I have a bus to catch.”
Bill hadn’t thought about the woman he’d undoubtedly offended for the few days between their first meeting and their next one. He had been wandering near NCU’s campus, which was only a few miles from his apartment. He wasn’t adjusting particularly well to retirement, and he felt listless. So he wandered around, ended up near campus, and stopped in the Green House coffee shop. The woman standing in front of him was the redheaded Dean he’d offended. As soon as she turned around to go to her table, she recognized him, and another battle ensued.
“There might be too much technology in here for you Mr. Adama, you should leave.” Clearly, she was still offended.
Bill didn’t want any trouble. “I just want a cup of coffee. I’m pretty sure there won’t be any harm in that.”
“You never know, academics like me might have decided to tamper with it.” She threw his line back at him. It was obvious that he had hurt her, but he wasn’t about to apologize.
“I’ll just have to take my chances then.”
Laura returned to her table without another word. Bill went up to the barista with a name tag that read Kara, ordered his coffee, paid for it, stood while Kara prepared it for him, and left with it. He hoped he wouldn’t see any more of the redhead, whose name he’d forgotten, if he was ever given it in the first place.
He was wrong. The next time he’d wandered into the Green House, she was there. It wasn’t so bad that time, though.
“You’re not going to tamper with my coffee are you, Ma’am?”
“No. That’s not really my style.”
“So, I’m safe?”
“I didn’t say that either, did I?”
“You academics are always up to something.”
“Yes we are.”
“If we’re going to keep running into each other, I should know your name.”
“The kids in here call me Madame Prez. Not sure why. I’m just the Dean of Liberal Arts. My name’s Laura Roslin.”
“PhD?”
“That comes after my name, yes.”
“Why not call yourself Dr. Roslin?”
“I’ve learned it makes me seem pretentious, distant.”
“I understand.”
They hadn’t realized how long they were talking until they heard, “Sorry to interrupt the eye-frakking you’ve got going on Madame Prez and Old Man, but would one of you like to order.”
Any embarrassment Laura felt was masked. She was apparently used to hearing such things come out of the barista’s mouth. Laura very calmly went to the counter and ordered her lunch. Then she invited Bill to join her. And so it began. They had lunch together every day for the last three weeks. And at some point during that time-possibly even during their first meeting-he’d fallen for her. It only took getting knocked unconscious after an explosion for him to realize it.
They weren’t unconscious for long. Probably only a minute or so. Laura woke up feeling a heavy mass on top of her. Bill woke up to her squirming beneath him. Neither of them had noticed the water from the sprinkler system. Bill slowly rose from the floor. Then he helped Laura up. Thank the gods, neither of them were injured beyond superficial scratches from the splinters that flew at them when the door exploded.
“Tom.”
“I’m Bill.”
“No, honey. Tom did this. I wanna know why.”
“It seems he has a bone to pick with you.”
“Clearly.”
“Do you think its safe to enter your office now that the bomb’s already detonated?”
“Why you asking me? You’re the military guy.”
“You know more about technology, Laura.”
“We’re back on that, really.”
“No. I know better now. We should hurry before that Cain woman arrives.”
“Maybe you do catch on.”
“I’m not so bad for an old guy.”
“No you’re not.”
Laura embraced her friend. The situation was beginning to wear on her, and she started crying. Bill pulled back slightly to look at the woman who had become his whole world. He kissed her forehead and both of her closed eyelids, whispering reassuring words that affirmed their safety and that they’d get to the bottom of everything together.
“Come on, let’s look for some clues, Laura.”
“Yeah.”
“When were you in here last?”
“Before my meeting with Adar. Wait a minute!”
“What?”
“Well, I have an idea about something, but you may not like some of what I have to tell you.”
“Have you forgotten how we met? It was a week before I liked anything you said.”
“Adar and I were kind of-“
“Having an affair. It’s okay. Plus I have no right to judge.”
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“How?”
“You work at a college, Laura. Students see and hear everything, and they talk. A lot.”
“I ended it.”
“Why?”
“I met someone.”
“Lucky guy.”
“Yes, he is, honey.”
“That’s the second time you called me that.”
“I think I might love you.”
“I think I might love you too.”
“I guess we love each other, then.”
“Yeah, that’s what love is, thoughts.”
“Nice thoughts.”
“They can be. But you were telling me something else.”
“Oh yeah. I think Cain and Zarek are working together.”
“What makes you think that?”
“She knows about me and Adar. How could she know that but not that Zarek is missing? Unless she does know he’s missing, and only knows about my affair because Zarek was keeping tabs on me. He must have known about my schedule, followed me for days. He knew I still had long meetings with Adar-“
“That prick couldn’t keep his hands off?”
“He never got anywhere, but it didn’t stop him from trying.”
“I oughta-“
“Later, Bill. Focus for me.”
“Sorry.”
“Right, well, Zarek must have known after my meeting I’d be going to see you. That’s why he told me he targeted the student center. He knew I’d call everybody and make a huge scene. Leaving him free to rig the real explosives in my office.”
“But why your office?”
“Aside from vengeance, I don’t know.”
“Then we should look for clues, but who can we trust to talk to? Cain’s at the top and she’s dirty.”
“She must answer to somebody. We’ll find out who and talk to that person. First we need evidence, and I want to head to the prison. Zarek escaped. He couldn’t have done it without help.”
“Let’s get to work.”
Word Count: 1353
Rating: T
Disclaimer: don't own them.
Prompts: A battle ensues
Co-written with nvgvup and marzipanilla
While Bill was unconscious on the floor, still holding Laura, his mind flooded with thoughts and images-all relating to the woman currently under him on the floor. Somehow, she had become the most important person in his life. But their beginning was inauspicious at best.
They had met just as Bill was settling into his early and unplanned retirement. One of the suits at NCU had done some digging and discovered Bill Adama was the one of the most decorated veterans from the Cylon war who had stayed with the Colonial Fleet (except for his stint as a freighter) until his recent retirement. So, he got a phone call, just weeks after his retirement, asking for him to give a speech at the school about his experiences before, during, and after the war-military and otherwise. He agreed to participate. When it came time to deliver his speech, it was going fine until Bill revealed his longstanding opinions against technology. Just by looking at the red haired woman in the front row, he knew he’d stuck a nerve there. But she kept quiet until the end of the speech.
“Mr. Adama, I have to say I disagree with you completely about your views on technology.”
“Did you fight during the Cylon war?”
“No, I wasn’t old enough. I barely remember it.”
“Then you really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Excuse me? I’ll have you know I’ve done my research. There is no reason to suggest technology is in anyway dangerous. The Cylon war ended; we won. They disappeared.”
“Academics and scientists like you did their research too, then we had a war.”
“How dare you!”
“Now I should go, I have a bus to catch.”
Bill hadn’t thought about the woman he’d undoubtedly offended for the few days between their first meeting and their next one. He had been wandering near NCU’s campus, which was only a few miles from his apartment. He wasn’t adjusting particularly well to retirement, and he felt listless. So he wandered around, ended up near campus, and stopped in the Green House coffee shop. The woman standing in front of him was the redheaded Dean he’d offended. As soon as she turned around to go to her table, she recognized him, and another battle ensued.
“There might be too much technology in here for you Mr. Adama, you should leave.” Clearly, she was still offended.
Bill didn’t want any trouble. “I just want a cup of coffee. I’m pretty sure there won’t be any harm in that.”
“You never know, academics like me might have decided to tamper with it.” She threw his line back at him. It was obvious that he had hurt her, but he wasn’t about to apologize.
“I’ll just have to take my chances then.”
Laura returned to her table without another word. Bill went up to the barista with a name tag that read Kara, ordered his coffee, paid for it, stood while Kara prepared it for him, and left with it. He hoped he wouldn’t see any more of the redhead, whose name he’d forgotten, if he was ever given it in the first place.
He was wrong. The next time he’d wandered into the Green House, she was there. It wasn’t so bad that time, though.
“You’re not going to tamper with my coffee are you, Ma’am?”
“No. That’s not really my style.”
“So, I’m safe?”
“I didn’t say that either, did I?”
“You academics are always up to something.”
“Yes we are.”
“If we’re going to keep running into each other, I should know your name.”
“The kids in here call me Madame Prez. Not sure why. I’m just the Dean of Liberal Arts. My name’s Laura Roslin.”
“PhD?”
“That comes after my name, yes.”
“Why not call yourself Dr. Roslin?”
“I’ve learned it makes me seem pretentious, distant.”
“I understand.”
They hadn’t realized how long they were talking until they heard, “Sorry to interrupt the eye-frakking you’ve got going on Madame Prez and Old Man, but would one of you like to order.”
Any embarrassment Laura felt was masked. She was apparently used to hearing such things come out of the barista’s mouth. Laura very calmly went to the counter and ordered her lunch. Then she invited Bill to join her. And so it began. They had lunch together every day for the last three weeks. And at some point during that time-possibly even during their first meeting-he’d fallen for her. It only took getting knocked unconscious after an explosion for him to realize it.
They weren’t unconscious for long. Probably only a minute or so. Laura woke up feeling a heavy mass on top of her. Bill woke up to her squirming beneath him. Neither of them had noticed the water from the sprinkler system. Bill slowly rose from the floor. Then he helped Laura up. Thank the gods, neither of them were injured beyond superficial scratches from the splinters that flew at them when the door exploded.
“Tom.”
“I’m Bill.”
“No, honey. Tom did this. I wanna know why.”
“It seems he has a bone to pick with you.”
“Clearly.”
“Do you think its safe to enter your office now that the bomb’s already detonated?”
“Why you asking me? You’re the military guy.”
“You know more about technology, Laura.”
“We’re back on that, really.”
“No. I know better now. We should hurry before that Cain woman arrives.”
“Maybe you do catch on.”
“I’m not so bad for an old guy.”
“No you’re not.”
Laura embraced her friend. The situation was beginning to wear on her, and she started crying. Bill pulled back slightly to look at the woman who had become his whole world. He kissed her forehead and both of her closed eyelids, whispering reassuring words that affirmed their safety and that they’d get to the bottom of everything together.
“Come on, let’s look for some clues, Laura.”
“Yeah.”
“When were you in here last?”
“Before my meeting with Adar. Wait a minute!”
“What?”
“Well, I have an idea about something, but you may not like some of what I have to tell you.”
“Have you forgotten how we met? It was a week before I liked anything you said.”
“Adar and I were kind of-“
“Having an affair. It’s okay. Plus I have no right to judge.”
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“How?”
“You work at a college, Laura. Students see and hear everything, and they talk. A lot.”
“I ended it.”
“Why?”
“I met someone.”
“Lucky guy.”
“Yes, he is, honey.”
“That’s the second time you called me that.”
“I think I might love you.”
“I think I might love you too.”
“I guess we love each other, then.”
“Yeah, that’s what love is, thoughts.”
“Nice thoughts.”
“They can be. But you were telling me something else.”
“Oh yeah. I think Cain and Zarek are working together.”
“What makes you think that?”
“She knows about me and Adar. How could she know that but not that Zarek is missing? Unless she does know he’s missing, and only knows about my affair because Zarek was keeping tabs on me. He must have known about my schedule, followed me for days. He knew I still had long meetings with Adar-“
“That prick couldn’t keep his hands off?”
“He never got anywhere, but it didn’t stop him from trying.”
“I oughta-“
“Later, Bill. Focus for me.”
“Sorry.”
“Right, well, Zarek must have known after my meeting I’d be going to see you. That’s why he told me he targeted the student center. He knew I’d call everybody and make a huge scene. Leaving him free to rig the real explosives in my office.”
“But why your office?”
“Aside from vengeance, I don’t know.”
“Then we should look for clues, but who can we trust to talk to? Cain’s at the top and she’s dirty.”
“She must answer to somebody. We’ll find out who and talk to that person. First we need evidence, and I want to head to the prison. Zarek escaped. He couldn’t have done it without help.”
“Let’s get to work.”