A Dramatic Turn: Chapter Nine

[nvgvup]

Title: A Dramatic Turn: Chapter Nine
Author: (this chapter) nvgvup
            Series Co-Authors: marzipanilla and newnumbertwo
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,937
Summary: At the start of something more, Laura and Bill’s relationship gets complicated when they are dragged into a dangerous game of life and death
Notes: This is a ‘round robin’ fic. Each chapter is written by one of three different authors. Series written for the about_time Battleship for Team!Laura. Prompts filled this chapter: 'Makeup Sex' and 'Mutiny'
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Ronald D. Moore. He is a very lucky man.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight



Chapter Nine: In which the family gets together

“Zak, I’d like to introduce you to Dean Roslin,”

“So you’re the hottie stealing all my pop’s good sense these past few weeks?”

“Zak!” Bill admonished. Kara snickered and Laura had the good sense to blush.

“No, he’s right Bill. I probably have been taking an inordinate amount of your focus. I certainly know you’ve had my mind more than a bit distracted,” Laura smiled coyly at Bill, a twinkle and a wink in her eye. Turning back to the uniformed officer, who was the spitting image of Bill, Laura said, “Please, Zak, call me Laura. It’s a pleasure to meet you, though the circumstances could be better.”

“Yea, about that?” Zak looked at his dad and the sophisticated, though slightly mussed woman at his side, with a questioning gaze.

“What do you know, son?”

“I got called in with around twenty other units this afternoon. We’ve taken a back seat to the CSCTA. Director Cain has been in charge of ops. But I know a bomb threat was reported for the Student Center and a pipe bomb was found upon search,” Laura gasped at this news and Bill reached over to cover her hand with his, their fingers entwining on the smooth surface of the table.

Zak continued, “It wasn’t very large but it could have taken out a room or two; definitely hurt quite a few people if it had gone off. In any case, that one was stopped but shortly after, an actual explosion was reported in the Liberal Arts building. I believe that was your office Dean…I mean Laura?” Laura nodded. “Cain ordered the entire campus cleared and we’ve been working on that for the past hour.”

“Does anyone have a theory as to what’s going on or who’s responsible?” Bill asked.

“I’d say Cain does but she’s not sharing it. She’d ordered a unit to your office before the explosion alarm was even sounded.”

“Perhaps because I reported the initial bomb threat?” Laura postulated.

“Well she certainly doesn’t seem to trust you right now. There’s an alert out for you and a man matching my dad’s description. She see the two of you together today?”

“Her AD did,” Bill said. “I helped Laura get away from her back at the Student Center, before we nearly got blown to bits entering Laura’s office.”

“Yea, I got a look at that office. It’s a wonder you two look as unscathed as you do.”

“That would be thanks to Bill’s quick thinking. Knocked the wind out of me throwing us both to the ground.” Laura squeezed Bill’s hand and gave him a soft smile.

“Well every cop within ten miles is looking for the two of you. You probably won’t be safe hiding out here much longer.”

“That’s fine, we know where we need to go next. We just came here to regroup and get a little help,” Laura turned and smiled at Kara who’d been hanging out behind the counter after putting up the closed sign and locking the front door of the coffee shop. “Zak, meet Kara Thrace: barista, student, and brilliant tactician.”

Kara grinned, moved around the counter and sauntered over to Zak with her arm outstretched.

“Great to meet you Zak. Your Old Man’s become a favorite customer of mine. He tips well,” Kara winked at Bill. “And he doesn’t check me out like most of the men who come in here! Of course, with Madame Prez keeping him entertained, I doubt he’s even noticed me.”

Zak was at a loss for words but Kara just grabbed his hand in hers and shook it once hard. Grinning, she flipped an empty chair backwards and swung a leg over to straddle it and join the plotting party.

After a few beats of silence, Bill spoke up, “It seems Kara can get us where we need to go. Has done it before in fact.”

“Uh that’s great. Except I still don’t know where it is you all think we need to get or why.” Zak hadn’t taken his eyes off of Kara who seemed just as intrigued with him. But where Zak seemed dazed, Kara was all grins and raised eyebrows, her version of flirting no doubt.

“Zak, your father and I have a bit more information than you seem privy to at the moment,” Laura pulled a white card out of her back pocket and slid it across the table to the young cop.

After reading it, Zak looked back up at Laura questioningly, trying to ignore Kara who was now leaning close over his shoulder to read the card herself.

“Yours truly? Do you know who this is from?” Zak asked.

“Tom Zarek,” Laura said matter of factly.

“Zarek? The terrorist? I thought he was behind bars?”

“He isn’t anymore,” Bill answered, then pushed on, “And we have reason to believe Cain is the one who got him out.”

“Cain? Helena Cain? Director of the CSCTA? Why would she have anything to do with Tom Zarek?”

“We aren’t entirely sure yet. We overheard Cain on a phone call not more than forty-five minutes ago, on our way here. She seemed to be talking to Zarek and mentioned another bomb. She also said she wanted Zarek to make sure Laura was in the middle of it.”

“You mean she wants Madame Prez dead?” Kara asked in surprise. “What the frak for?”

“Laura was a key player in locking Zarek up the first time. Now it seems Zarek is playing a game with Laura, dropping hints, getting her involved. But that wasn’t part of Cain’s plans and it’s made Laura a loose end that Cain wants taken out of the picture.”

“Dumb frakk’n luck,” Kara exclaimed.

“Okay, so Cain’s involved, but I’m still missing something about what you’re planning to do next? Other than stay out of her and Zarek’s way.”

“She mentioned a lab on the phone, which just confirmed our own suspicions about what Zarek could possibly be targeting on campus. Gauis Baltar has a highly secure lab in the new science building and we figure he must be doing something in there that poses a threat to Helena Cain. We need to get in and find out what that is, and probably stop another bomb in the process,” Bill filled in the gaps for Zak.

While Zak was processing this, Kara jumped in, “Okay, so if Baltar was involved in a terrorist plot, Cain would follow proper channels, so we know that’s out. If Baltar is doing something legit that Cain just doesn’t like, she might resort to this kind of shifty scheme but it wouldn’t make sense for Baltar to insist on such secrecy over his work. So my bet is that Baltar is up to something shady. Something the good folks of Caprica wouldn’t approve of.”

“And Cain found out how?” Laura asked.

“She’s connected and she’s shady herself. Probably has half the buildings in Caprica bugged!”

Bill and Zak looked dubious, neither completely comfortable yet with accepting that someone relatively well respected, though admittedly antagonistic, could be capable of such dealings. Laura, though, was immediately on board.

“Of course, she must be threatened by Baltar’s research!” Laura exclaimed. “Perhaps Baltar is creating something that would expose Cain or infringe on her power in the Colonies.”

“Maybe she’s just as twisted as Zarek,” Kara suggested simply.

Laura nodded her head in enthusiastic agreement, already having gained plenty of evidence that Helena Cain was not of a right mind. Unfortunately, Bill and Zak seemed less inclined to put aside Cain’s position within the Colonial security infrastructure. A former military officer and a current cop, both wanted to believe the best of those affiliated alongside them in the task of protecting the Colonies.

“I think,” Bill began slowly, catching first Kara and then Laura’s eyes, “we should hold off on passing judgment until we have more evidence to work with.” His statement was rewarded with two cold glares. “I agree things don’t look good right now,” Bill pressed on carefully. “But there’s still a lot we don’t know and any good battle plan requires as much intel as we can get.”

Zak watched a parade of intense looks pass between his father and Laura. He knew his dad had received commendations in the fleet for his battle strategies and was most likely right. But he was also learning quickly that Laura Roslin was a force to contend with herself. The thought of these two falling in love and spending a lifetime having heated disagreements like this was amusing.

Kara saw a grin split across the cop’s face and knew exactly why. She’d been witness to this eye-frakking before, after all. From the moment the Old Man and Prez had first collided in her coffee shop, Kara had been certain they couldn’t have a conversation without sparks flying. Of course, those sparks had quickly transitioned into something indicating these two would have incredibly amazing makeup sex. Right now was one of those times and Kara distracted herself by watching the now embarrassed look on Zak’s face as he processed the growing desire in his dad’s eyes.

The mutiny in Laura’s green gaze had turned into something akin to longing. Bill wasn’t opposing her; he was playing it safe for all their best interests. She appreciated that about the man. He was careful in directing his anger at people, but when he did, all hell would break loose.  She was going to need that anger pretty soon but she could wait.

There was logic in Bill’s plan, Laura admitted to herself. They couldn’t do anything about Cain at the moment. They had to confirm that Baltar’s lab was the target first and make sure there wasn’t another explosion on campus, especially not one involving anyone in their quartet. Then they could focus on linking Cain and Zarek to everything that had transpired.

“Are we done with the showdown, you two?” Kara finally broke the mounting tension. Neither Bill nor Laura had seemed willing to acknowledge the agreement they’d silently made. Now the two looked at her with a mixture of approbation and relief.

“I can get us past the police barricades and back on to campus,” Zak interjected. “From there, I suppose it’s up to the genius over here to get us into the lab.”

Kara cocked her head and lifted one shoulder nonchalantly. Rolling his eyes, Zak pushed back his chair and stood. “Right, well then. We’ve got a bomb to stop.”

Kara hopped up, moving to the door and craning her neck to check if the coast was clear.

Bill offered Laura his arm and as she stood, she slipped her other hand up his chest, resting her palm lightly against his beating heart. With Zak awkwardly looking anywhere but at his dad and Kara grinning from ear to ear, Laura leaned in and pressed her lips hard against Bill’s, her tongue sneaking out to run across his top lip, seeking entrance, which Bill promptly gave. His muscular arms wrapped around her frame, pulling her tight against his body and Laura’s free hand was soon plunged into the soft hair at Bill’s nape.

It was several long moments before the kiss broke, Bill’s gaze asking ‘what the frak was that for?’ Laura grinned and whispered in his ear, “For luck, Bill. And because I could.”

She giggled as she turned away; catching the younger two’s opposing looks, which only made her laugh more.

Bill stepped forward, slapping his son on the back, “Let’s get to it,” he husked with a goofy smile.

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