~BSG: Labor of Love
Title: Labor of Love
Author: kastari
Summary: She ain’t heavy, she’s his lover.
Characters: Adama/Roslin
Rating: T
Word Count: 300
Author’s Note: Written for the 1st ar_drabbles challenge. Prompt: Make us smile with a fic set during or after "Daybreak." Thanks to bugsfic & frakcancer -both always in my background. And again to frakcancer for her ‘meter’ reading & again to bugsfic for helping me verify the count.
Disclaimer: I’m just playing in Universal’s sandbox.
Labor of Love
It's her last day of living.
The sun shines.
They sit together under a tarp.
Cold, she’s wrapped in a plaid blanket.
A herd of gazelle-like creatures dots the plain.
“There’re so many … I wanna see more detail.” Her hands shake. She drops the field glasses into her lap and coughs. “Enough.” Looking at him, she offers a weak smile.
He takes her hand.
“It’s a very beautiful world,” she manages. “Does it have a name?”
“Earth.”
She snorts. The last one he’ll ever hear ...
“It’s not Earth.”
He stares at the gazelles. “Earth is a dream. One we’ve been chasing for a long time. We’ve earned it. This is Earth.” He squeezes her hand.
“Okay then, Earth.” She forces a chuckle. “It’s fine. I’m … I’m having trouble breathing,” she rasps.
He studies her and looks away.
It’s his denial.
He sighs.
“Would you like to get a better look at them?”
She looks at him, her smile flickering.
End of line.
“Yes … I’d … love … it … whad da ya mean?” Her words are barely intelligible, but he understands. Always has.
He smiles. “Watch.”
“What? Why? Whad da ya mean?”
“Watch me.”
“What are you doing?”
“Put your arm around me. Can you?”
He gathers her into his arms. At 72, he worries he’ll throw his back out.
He struggles.
Only she hears his labored breathing.
His gait toward the Raptor is awkward and jerky.
Through her wheezing, she giggles for the last time.
At his effort.
“Oh for … the love of … Kobol, Bill. I’m not … a mannequin.”
But from a distance, she looks like one with her fake hair blowing in the wind.
He grunts, smiles, kisses her head.
He loves her.
Always has.
If he can get her to the Raptor, she’ll rise above it all.
And be free.
~finis~
Author: kastari
Summary: She ain’t heavy, she’s his lover.
Characters: Adama/Roslin
Rating: T
Word Count: 300
Author’s Note: Written for the 1st ar_drabbles challenge. Prompt: Make us smile with a fic set during or after "Daybreak." Thanks to bugsfic & frakcancer -both always in my background. And again to frakcancer for her ‘meter’ reading & again to bugsfic for helping me verify the count.
Disclaimer: I’m just playing in Universal’s sandbox.
Labor of Love
It's her last day of living.
The sun shines.
They sit together under a tarp.
Cold, she’s wrapped in a plaid blanket.
A herd of gazelle-like creatures dots the plain.
“There’re so many … I wanna see more detail.” Her hands shake. She drops the field glasses into her lap and coughs. “Enough.” Looking at him, she offers a weak smile.
He takes her hand.
“It’s a very beautiful world,” she manages. “Does it have a name?”
“Earth.”
She snorts. The last one he’ll ever hear ...
“It’s not Earth.”
He stares at the gazelles. “Earth is a dream. One we’ve been chasing for a long time. We’ve earned it. This is Earth.” He squeezes her hand.
“Okay then, Earth.” She forces a chuckle. “It’s fine. I’m … I’m having trouble breathing,” she rasps.
He studies her and looks away.
It’s his denial.
He sighs.
“Would you like to get a better look at them?”
She looks at him, her smile flickering.
End of line.
“Yes … I’d … love … it … whad da ya mean?” Her words are barely intelligible, but he understands. Always has.
He smiles. “Watch.”
“What? Why? Whad da ya mean?”
“Watch me.”
“What are you doing?”
“Put your arm around me. Can you?”
He gathers her into his arms. At 72, he worries he’ll throw his back out.
He struggles.
Only she hears his labored breathing.
His gait toward the Raptor is awkward and jerky.
Through her wheezing, she giggles for the last time.
At his effort.
“Oh for … the love of … Kobol, Bill. I’m not … a mannequin.”
But from a distance, she looks like one with her fake hair blowing in the wind.
He grunts, smiles, kisses her head.
He loves her.
Always has.
If he can get her to the Raptor, she’ll rise above it all.
And be free.
~finis~