Roslin Residence, Mauvaise Chance, Wednesday Morning
Laura awoke to the insistent ring of the telephone, followed by the gravelly voice of Bill Adama. "This is your wake up call, Madam President," he said. His tone was not without amusement.
A sly grin crept across her lips as she rolled over, onto her back. "Hmmm. What if I don't want to move?"
"Don't you have office hours today?"
"What day is it? Wednesday?" She glanced at the bedside clock and the small indicator on the top of the display. "Then yes. But not until later. I thought I might sleep in a bit this morning, actually."
"No sleeping on the job, Madam Professor." Adama chuckled. "There are future generations relying on you to provide guidance and a classical education."
"Classical education, hm?" Shaking her head, Laura tossed back the covers and sat up. "All right," she said. "I'm up." She moved into the kitchen to begin her morning routine, which started by loading up the coffee pot. "How are you doing? Getting any sleep?"
"Some."
"By which you mean not enough." Laura frowned at her reflection in the mirror as she moved past the bathroom toward her closet. "Bill --"
He cut her off. "I know. I'm no good to the fleet, dead tired. I've just...the rescue operation isn't coming together. And then Lee..."
Laura furrowed her brow at mention of his son, now serving as the CO of the Pegasus. "What about Lee? He is all right, isn't he?"
"He...doesn't think we should go back, thinks it's too risky."
"Bill, we can't just abandon them --"
"I know, Laura. I know." He sighed, and she could hear the weariness in his voice when he spoke again. "Galactica was alone before the Pegasus arrived; she may just have to take this mission alone, too."
A long moment of silence followed. Both knew that, without Pegasus in the fight, Galactica wouldn't last very long against the Cylon picket. Roslin leaned against the door frame of her closet, massaging her temple. "No wonder you haven't been sleeping." She paused. "I still want to be there."
"I'm not sure that's advisable --"
"Bill, I said I wanted to be there. You agreed. You can't go back on your word. Not now."
"Laura, they're going to need you after this. If Galactica doesn't survive -- if I don't..." He allowed the sentence to hang. After a moment, he gave a dark chuckle. "This is why we didn't do this before, isn't it?"
"Letting personal feelings get in the way of doing our jobs?"
"Something like that."
"I think that was probably one of the reasons, yes. Aside from the fact we weren't ready." She echoed his chuckle. "I'm not sure we are now. But here we are."
"For better or worse?"
Laura felt her breath catch in her throat, eyes stinging. When she was finally able to speak, her voice emerged barely above a whisper. "For better or worse." Somehow, she managed to keep her tears in check. She could sense the same emotions rendering him silent on the opposite end.
"I'd better get to the CIC, check on Helo," he said.
She forced a smile. "No rest for the wicked?"
"Never." He paused. "See you this weekend?"
"Of course. Send a Raptor for me tomorrow night."
"Understood. See you tomorrow, Laura."
The line clicked, and Roslin knew the connection had been cut. Slowly, she lowered the receiver and clicked the "off" button. Within a few minutes, she was in the shower, hoping the hot water would somehow relax the knots that suddenly wove their way into her shoulders.
A sly grin crept across her lips as she rolled over, onto her back. "Hmmm. What if I don't want to move?"
"Don't you have office hours today?"
"What day is it? Wednesday?" She glanced at the bedside clock and the small indicator on the top of the display. "Then yes. But not until later. I thought I might sleep in a bit this morning, actually."
"No sleeping on the job, Madam Professor." Adama chuckled. "There are future generations relying on you to provide guidance and a classical education."
"Classical education, hm?" Shaking her head, Laura tossed back the covers and sat up. "All right," she said. "I'm up." She moved into the kitchen to begin her morning routine, which started by loading up the coffee pot. "How are you doing? Getting any sleep?"
"Some."
"By which you mean not enough." Laura frowned at her reflection in the mirror as she moved past the bathroom toward her closet. "Bill --"
He cut her off. "I know. I'm no good to the fleet, dead tired. I've just...the rescue operation isn't coming together. And then Lee..."
Laura furrowed her brow at mention of his son, now serving as the CO of the Pegasus. "What about Lee? He is all right, isn't he?"
"He...doesn't think we should go back, thinks it's too risky."
"Bill, we can't just abandon them --"
"I know, Laura. I know." He sighed, and she could hear the weariness in his voice when he spoke again. "Galactica was alone before the Pegasus arrived; she may just have to take this mission alone, too."
A long moment of silence followed. Both knew that, without Pegasus in the fight, Galactica wouldn't last very long against the Cylon picket. Roslin leaned against the door frame of her closet, massaging her temple. "No wonder you haven't been sleeping." She paused. "I still want to be there."
"I'm not sure that's advisable --"
"Bill, I said I wanted to be there. You agreed. You can't go back on your word. Not now."
"Laura, they're going to need you after this. If Galactica doesn't survive -- if I don't..." He allowed the sentence to hang. After a moment, he gave a dark chuckle. "This is why we didn't do this before, isn't it?"
"Letting personal feelings get in the way of doing our jobs?"
"Something like that."
"I think that was probably one of the reasons, yes. Aside from the fact we weren't ready." She echoed his chuckle. "I'm not sure we are now. But here we are."
"For better or worse?"
Laura felt her breath catch in her throat, eyes stinging. When she was finally able to speak, her voice emerged barely above a whisper. "For better or worse." Somehow, she managed to keep her tears in check. She could sense the same emotions rendering him silent on the opposite end.
"I'd better get to the CIC, check on Helo," he said.
She forced a smile. "No rest for the wicked?"
"Never." He paused. "See you this weekend?"
"Of course. Send a Raptor for me tomorrow night."
"Understood. See you tomorrow, Laura."
The line clicked, and Roslin knew the connection had been cut. Slowly, she lowered the receiver and clicked the "off" button. Within a few minutes, she was in the shower, hoping the hot water would somehow relax the knots that suddenly wove their way into her shoulders.