FIC: Secrets and Revelations, Pt. I
Title: Secrets and Revelations, Pt. I
Author: The Plaid Slytherin (plaid_slytherin)
Characters/Pairings: Laura/Lee, Bill/Saul
Rating: T
Summary: Saul and Laura try to adjust back to life on Galactica.
A/N: Third in a series of fics set in this Laura/Lee babyfic universe. Thanks to newnumbertwo and astreamofstars for the brainstorming and looking-over. Follows Beginnings and Reunions.
Saul jerked awake from a nightmare he didn't remember. It took him a moment to remember all that had happened the day before, the rescue, being back with Bill.
He shifted slightly, still not used to the reduced field of vision. Bill was still asleep, his head propped up on his arm, like he had been trying to stay awake. Saul watched him for a moment, studying the face he'd missed so much these past months. Maybe it was his imagination, but there seemed to be a few more worry lines on Bill's face, and his hair had gone a bit straggly from neglect.
At that moment, Bill's elbow gave way and Saul watched as he blinked awake.
"Ugh," he muttered. "Didn't mean to fall asleep like that."
"Should've laid down with me." Saul put his hand on Bill's uniform-clad shoulder. "Can't have been comfortable all dressed like that."
"You're right." Bill lay down properly, slipping a tentative arm around Saul's waist. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a baby." He didn't bother telling Bill about how he'd woken up. It would be a while before he got used to the idea that he didn't have to sleep half-awake, always be on his guard.
"Well, we can snuggle a bit but you're getting a physical." Bill gave him a chaste kiss. "So you have to get up eventually and see Cottle."
Saul knew better than to argue with this-it was probably a good idea, actually.
"What about work?"
"Whenever you're ready." Bill was rubbing his shoulder in that slow way he had. "Last thing I want to do is rush you."
Saul reached out to toy with Bill's button. "What if I didn't go back?"
Bill frowned. "Well, it's your choice. Never thought you'd choose civilian life."
"Well." Saul reached up to brush Bill's hair back from his forehead. "You could date a civilian."
Bill's lips curved downward. "Saul, I'm not going to break up with you just because we're back to work."
Saul closed his eye. That had been one of the things he'd been dreading ever since he'd gotten back to Galactica. He hadn't been on the planet long before he and Bill had finally decided to act on the feelings they'd denied themselves for so long. Those months had been a whirlwind of emotion he'd never thought he'd experience. He couldn't possibly give that up. "Good," he said. He leaned forward and gave Bill a firm kiss on the lips.
"I thought about you every day, you know," he murmured. "Every hour. Every second. I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too." Saul wasn't sure he was ready to talk about the detention yet, but Bill had been the only thing getting him through that, the hope of seeing him again. "More than you can ever know."
Bill pulled him close and Saul didn't stiffen, just relaxed in Bill's warm embrace. "Love you," he muttered into his chest. "Means a lot to me you still want to be with me, even with work. Think we can be impartial?"
Bill kissed the top of his head. "That's what I said for years, I know. But everything's changed since then."
"Can't argue with that."
"I still mean for you to choose if you want to come back or not. I just don't want you to think you have to choose between the job and being with me."
Saul smiled. "Thanks, Bill. I'll keep that in mind." A one-eyed boyfriend's one thing, he mentally added. But do you really want a one-eyed XO?
**
"What are your plans for today?" Lee hoped the question would be taken as he'd meant it-friendly, not probing.
Laura paused in her breakfast. "Well, I suppose I had better see Doc Cottle. I'm sure he'll give me a lecture for not telling him before."
Lee's gaze drifted down to where Laura's hand rested on her stomach. He still couldn't quite believe she was pregnant. He knew that was a possible consequence from their night together, but it seemed so sudden, because she'd known about it for the past five months and he hadn't.
Lee tried to match her smile, but he couldn't stop thinking about what if something had gone wrong. Was everything okay now? He couldn't stop his eyes going to her middle. How did she know the baby was healthy?
His concern must have shown on his face, because she said, "We're going to need to talk eventually. Would you like to do it now?"
Lee blinked. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to be doing, honestly. Technically, he didn't have a job; there was no more Pegasus. He was sure he only needed to speak with his father to get his flight status reinstated, but he had the time now. They could talk.
"We can do it now."
"All right then." Laura pushed her plate aside and laid her hands on the table. Despite the fact that she was still wearing the clothes she'd brought back from New Caprica, she looked every inch the President. "First, Lee, I want you to know I want you to be involved. I want that no matter what else we decide." She held his gaze. "And I also want you to know that I don't regret what happened that night. If the Cylons hadn't come…" She paused. "Things would have been different."
Lee swallowed hard, remembering how he'd left the next morning, how he'd stayed in space, too afraid to go and see her.
And she'd been pregnant. While he'd been hiding in his battlestar, jumped away from her, she'd been carrying his child.
"Laura, I…" He took a deep breath. "I am so sorry that I left you behind. That I didn't try to contact you before the Cylons came…"
She reached out and took his hand. "Lee, we were both at fault. We both didn't know what we wanted. I could have reached out to you, but I didn't. And then the Cylons…" She tightened her grip on his hand. "And things could have been far, far worse than they were. That's what I'm focusing on. You and Bill came back for us."
Lee didn't tell her that it had mostly been Bill. "Are you going to be okay today with Cottle?"
"I think so, Lee. Thank you for offering." She paused. "You'll be welcome in the future. I think I'd just prefer to go to the first one by myself. Own up to Cottle about my failure to do as he would have said."
Lee laughed.
"And then I suppose there's your father." She rubbed her temple. "Saul knows, of course, but I don't imagine he'd have told Bill."
Lee rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation. "We can go see if he's free this afternoon. Give them some privacy this morning."
**
Cottle surprised her. She had expecting another version of the same talk he'd given her when she'd told him about her cancer. Instead, he'd simply given a long-suffering sigh and then proceeded with a thorough examination.
Twenty weeks. She'd gotten halfway there without medical help. She felt an incredible surge of relief when he declared her and the baby healthy. She knew how lucky she was, to be her age and have a healthy pregnancy without assistance.
But this made it real. Seeing the baby on the ultrasound monitor, seeing it move.
"Do you want to know the sex?" Cottle asked.
"I'll wait." Another thing she needed to discuss with Lee. She hadn't considered this before, hadn't thought so very concretely that her pregnancy would end with a baby that would need to be taken care of, to have a name. How could she bring a child into a world like this? They didn't even have a planet to call home.
"I know it's overwhelming," Cottle said, putting the equipment aside. "I expect you want to keep it quiet for now."
She laughed. "For as long as I can. I'll have to get out of these baggy clothes someday. But I'd like to talk things over with the father first. Tell… some people."
Cottle nodded. She wondered if he suspected the father's identity. She didn't think she and Lee had been too obvious, but it was impossible to tell.
She met Saul coming out of the exam room.
"Hey," he said. "Finally got yourself to a doctor, did you?" He had a smirk that didn't quite reach his eye.
She smiled. "I could say the same to you. Everything's fine."
Saul bobbed his head. "Good, that's good… I'm going in next, I guess." He adjusted the gauze covering his missing eye. "Bill's making me get a physical." He paused. "I didn't tell him, by the way. Wanted to leave that to you."
"And I will." She laid her hand on Saul's arm. "Then you can officially start your preparation as grandparents."
He got a funny smile on his face. "Grandparents… both of us?"
"Yes, both of you. You've done enough for me, Saul, that I'd want you to be a part of the baby's life even if you and Bill weren't together."
"Well." Saul rubbed his chin and looked away. "I'm honored."
Laura smiled at him. "I'll let you get to your appointment."
She watched him go, then stuck her hands in her pockets. It was probably time to see Lee about telling Bill.
**
"Here, let me get that." Bill took the ointment from Saul and gently dabbed it on the reddened skin below Saul's missing eye. "Cottle said three times a day, right?"
"Yeah." Saul's good eye was downcast, as if he was embarrassed to have Bill do this for him.
"Okay then." Bill took a fresh piece of gauze and taped it into place, smoothing the edges down carefully. "And two weeks until you can get a patch?"
"Yeah." Saul stepped back. It would take some getting used to, Saul's eye roving around like that. "He said I wasn't a good candidate for glass."
Bill rubbed Saul's shoulder. "You still up for dinner with Laura and Lee tonight?"
"Oh, yeah." Saul grinned wickedly, reminding Bill of how he'd looked with two eyes. "You'll want to hear this."
Bill smiled back at him, though he didn't know exactly what he meant…
Laura and Lee arrived at 1800, and while the food situation wasn't what it had been before New Caprica, the important thing about this dinner was the company. It helped to reassure Bill that Laura was doing fine and the fact that Lee was accompanying her reassured him further. Maybe things were working out between them.
"Should we do it now?" Lee asked, once their plates had been pushed aside.
"Now is as good as ever," Laura said, sipping her coffee.
He wondered what they were planning to tell him. Saul had indicated this morning that it was a good thing, but how did he know? Bill knew he and Laura had become closer on New Caprica, that was obvious, but what was it that Laura and Lee would tell him before Bill?
Beside him, Saul tried to hide his grin behind his mug. It was odd, Bill thought, that he and Lee were the only ones drinking. Saul was drinking decaf, which was odd by itself, but for Laura to be...
It was almost as if...
"Well, Bill." She smiled. "You're going to be a grandfather."
Bill stared at her.
She couldn't be pregnant.
Then, it suddenly all clicked into place.
She was avoiding alcohol and caffeine, Bill reminded himself. He remembered hugging her, how she had drawn back slightly. Was she just not up to being touched or did she not want me to find out that way?
He looked again at her. She was still wearing baggier clothes, despite having had time to get things that fit her. In fact, she'd gotten newer things.
"Congratulations," he finally said. "I can't say I was expecting this."
Laura smiled. "Well, we weren't either."
That was when Bill noticed Saul was grinning. "You knew?" he asked, turning to him.
Laura smiled. "Saul looked out for me on New Caprica."
Bill looked back over at Saul, who was blushing slightly.
"It was the right thing to do," he said gruffly.
The realization suddenly hit Bill that she'd been pregnant on New Caprica. He'd left her behind on that rock when she was going to have his grandchild.
"Are you all right?" he asked her cautiously. "I mean…"
She smirked. "Because I'm old?"
"No!" he said quickly, though her age had crossed his mind "I mean, the Cylons. You all were down there without medical facilities."
"I've been to Cottle," Laura assured him. "He's given me a clean bill of health."
"That's wonderful. When are we expecting the new arrival?" Bill couldn't keep himself from smiling. A grandfather. He was going to be a grandfather. Focusing on that helped him keep his worries at bay.
"Four months."
"And do you know what it is yet?"
Laura shook her head. "I haven't found out. I'd like to be surprised."
Bill took a quick glance at Lee. He wasn't going to pry into their relationship or the way they were doing things-it most certainly wasn't any of his business-but that look told him everything.
**
"So, you really think she's doing all right?" Bill asked Saul.
"Yeah." Saul leaned back against Bill, who was rubbing his frakked-up shoulder before bed. "I think she's fine. She mostly took care of herself on New Caprica after… after a while."
"Good. I'm just glad she has access to medical care now." Bill yawned. "You about ready to turn in?"
"Sure."
They settled down together and Bill turned off the light. He was asleep fast, his breathing falling into an even pattern. Saul lay awake, staring at the ceiling above their rack. He didn't like leaving Bill but he was getting the itch to go walking again.
He gingerly slipped out of bed and got dressed in his old field fatigues. More comfortable that way, and who was going to see him?
Walking calmed Saul down. Sometimes, he just needed to see the rest of the ship was still there, when his mind was getting too close to being back in detention, having to rush home before curfew. They really had come for them. It was really over…
He had expected to find the hangar deck deserted-he'd often run laps late at night, back when he could still run laps. However, there were people clustered around one of the launch tubes. What in the worlds were they doing? Well, he supposed it was his duty as XO to find out…
Saul made his way slowly across the hangar deck and the crew there stared at him, watching his approach.
"Evening, Colonel," Seelix said.
"Evening." He surveyed the crowd there. All Resistance people. "What's going on here?"
That was when his eye fell on Gaeta in the launch tube. Mother of Artemis.
**
Bill woke suddenly, instinctively feeling the spot next to him for Saul. He wasn't there. Bill sat up, squinting to see if the light in the head was on. It wasn't, nor was the light in the living quarters.
Bill swung himself out of bed. Where had he gone?
It had been almost a decade since he'd had to search a ship in the middle of the night for Saul. He just hoped he wasn't holed up drinking like he used to. Bill checked CIC first, then the observation deck. As he gradually worked his way down the ship, the nervousness in the pit of his stomach climbed.
Was he seriously running laps on the hangar deck?
**
Saul stared at Gaeta. This has all happened too fast to process. He would never in a thousand years have considered Gaeta was the mole. Gaeta. He'd jumped at the chance to work for Baltar. He hadn't done a thing when the Cylons showed up. If anyone was a collaborator, Gaeta would have been the first one Saul named, after Baltar.
He ran a hand over his head. "Let him go," he said, wondering if anyone here would still listen to him. He had neither the authority of the leader of the Resistance nor the XO of Galactica, at least not officially. "Let him go and let's end this."
Seelix scowled at him. "End it? Do you know how many more collaborators are out there, sir? We've found one member of NCP. One. With all due respect, you haven't been down here before tonight. You haven't-"
"What the hell is going on?" Bill's voice echoed through the narrow space in the launch tube and Saul's stomach dropped. Bill was every inch the Admiral, his face a mask of fury. "Colonel, explain."
Saul took a deep breath. He didn't know that he could.
Author: The Plaid Slytherin (plaid_slytherin)
Characters/Pairings: Laura/Lee, Bill/Saul
Rating: T
Summary: Saul and Laura try to adjust back to life on Galactica.
A/N: Third in a series of fics set in this Laura/Lee babyfic universe. Thanks to newnumbertwo and astreamofstars for the brainstorming and looking-over. Follows Beginnings and Reunions.
Saul jerked awake from a nightmare he didn't remember. It took him a moment to remember all that had happened the day before, the rescue, being back with Bill.
He shifted slightly, still not used to the reduced field of vision. Bill was still asleep, his head propped up on his arm, like he had been trying to stay awake. Saul watched him for a moment, studying the face he'd missed so much these past months. Maybe it was his imagination, but there seemed to be a few more worry lines on Bill's face, and his hair had gone a bit straggly from neglect.
At that moment, Bill's elbow gave way and Saul watched as he blinked awake.
"Ugh," he muttered. "Didn't mean to fall asleep like that."
"Should've laid down with me." Saul put his hand on Bill's uniform-clad shoulder. "Can't have been comfortable all dressed like that."
"You're right." Bill lay down properly, slipping a tentative arm around Saul's waist. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a baby." He didn't bother telling Bill about how he'd woken up. It would be a while before he got used to the idea that he didn't have to sleep half-awake, always be on his guard.
"Well, we can snuggle a bit but you're getting a physical." Bill gave him a chaste kiss. "So you have to get up eventually and see Cottle."
Saul knew better than to argue with this-it was probably a good idea, actually.
"What about work?"
"Whenever you're ready." Bill was rubbing his shoulder in that slow way he had. "Last thing I want to do is rush you."
Saul reached out to toy with Bill's button. "What if I didn't go back?"
Bill frowned. "Well, it's your choice. Never thought you'd choose civilian life."
"Well." Saul reached up to brush Bill's hair back from his forehead. "You could date a civilian."
Bill's lips curved downward. "Saul, I'm not going to break up with you just because we're back to work."
Saul closed his eye. That had been one of the things he'd been dreading ever since he'd gotten back to Galactica. He hadn't been on the planet long before he and Bill had finally decided to act on the feelings they'd denied themselves for so long. Those months had been a whirlwind of emotion he'd never thought he'd experience. He couldn't possibly give that up. "Good," he said. He leaned forward and gave Bill a firm kiss on the lips.
"I thought about you every day, you know," he murmured. "Every hour. Every second. I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too." Saul wasn't sure he was ready to talk about the detention yet, but Bill had been the only thing getting him through that, the hope of seeing him again. "More than you can ever know."
Bill pulled him close and Saul didn't stiffen, just relaxed in Bill's warm embrace. "Love you," he muttered into his chest. "Means a lot to me you still want to be with me, even with work. Think we can be impartial?"
Bill kissed the top of his head. "That's what I said for years, I know. But everything's changed since then."
"Can't argue with that."
"I still mean for you to choose if you want to come back or not. I just don't want you to think you have to choose between the job and being with me."
Saul smiled. "Thanks, Bill. I'll keep that in mind." A one-eyed boyfriend's one thing, he mentally added. But do you really want a one-eyed XO?
**
"What are your plans for today?" Lee hoped the question would be taken as he'd meant it-friendly, not probing.
Laura paused in her breakfast. "Well, I suppose I had better see Doc Cottle. I'm sure he'll give me a lecture for not telling him before."
Lee's gaze drifted down to where Laura's hand rested on her stomach. He still couldn't quite believe she was pregnant. He knew that was a possible consequence from their night together, but it seemed so sudden, because she'd known about it for the past five months and he hadn't.
Lee tried to match her smile, but he couldn't stop thinking about what if something had gone wrong. Was everything okay now? He couldn't stop his eyes going to her middle. How did she know the baby was healthy?
His concern must have shown on his face, because she said, "We're going to need to talk eventually. Would you like to do it now?"
Lee blinked. He wasn't sure what else he was supposed to be doing, honestly. Technically, he didn't have a job; there was no more Pegasus. He was sure he only needed to speak with his father to get his flight status reinstated, but he had the time now. They could talk.
"We can do it now."
"All right then." Laura pushed her plate aside and laid her hands on the table. Despite the fact that she was still wearing the clothes she'd brought back from New Caprica, she looked every inch the President. "First, Lee, I want you to know I want you to be involved. I want that no matter what else we decide." She held his gaze. "And I also want you to know that I don't regret what happened that night. If the Cylons hadn't come…" She paused. "Things would have been different."
Lee swallowed hard, remembering how he'd left the next morning, how he'd stayed in space, too afraid to go and see her.
And she'd been pregnant. While he'd been hiding in his battlestar, jumped away from her, she'd been carrying his child.
"Laura, I…" He took a deep breath. "I am so sorry that I left you behind. That I didn't try to contact you before the Cylons came…"
She reached out and took his hand. "Lee, we were both at fault. We both didn't know what we wanted. I could have reached out to you, but I didn't. And then the Cylons…" She tightened her grip on his hand. "And things could have been far, far worse than they were. That's what I'm focusing on. You and Bill came back for us."
Lee didn't tell her that it had mostly been Bill. "Are you going to be okay today with Cottle?"
"I think so, Lee. Thank you for offering." She paused. "You'll be welcome in the future. I think I'd just prefer to go to the first one by myself. Own up to Cottle about my failure to do as he would have said."
Lee laughed.
"And then I suppose there's your father." She rubbed her temple. "Saul knows, of course, but I don't imagine he'd have told Bill."
Lee rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation. "We can go see if he's free this afternoon. Give them some privacy this morning."
**
Cottle surprised her. She had expecting another version of the same talk he'd given her when she'd told him about her cancer. Instead, he'd simply given a long-suffering sigh and then proceeded with a thorough examination.
Twenty weeks. She'd gotten halfway there without medical help. She felt an incredible surge of relief when he declared her and the baby healthy. She knew how lucky she was, to be her age and have a healthy pregnancy without assistance.
But this made it real. Seeing the baby on the ultrasound monitor, seeing it move.
"Do you want to know the sex?" Cottle asked.
"I'll wait." Another thing she needed to discuss with Lee. She hadn't considered this before, hadn't thought so very concretely that her pregnancy would end with a baby that would need to be taken care of, to have a name. How could she bring a child into a world like this? They didn't even have a planet to call home.
"I know it's overwhelming," Cottle said, putting the equipment aside. "I expect you want to keep it quiet for now."
She laughed. "For as long as I can. I'll have to get out of these baggy clothes someday. But I'd like to talk things over with the father first. Tell… some people."
Cottle nodded. She wondered if he suspected the father's identity. She didn't think she and Lee had been too obvious, but it was impossible to tell.
She met Saul coming out of the exam room.
"Hey," he said. "Finally got yourself to a doctor, did you?" He had a smirk that didn't quite reach his eye.
She smiled. "I could say the same to you. Everything's fine."
Saul bobbed his head. "Good, that's good… I'm going in next, I guess." He adjusted the gauze covering his missing eye. "Bill's making me get a physical." He paused. "I didn't tell him, by the way. Wanted to leave that to you."
"And I will." She laid her hand on Saul's arm. "Then you can officially start your preparation as grandparents."
He got a funny smile on his face. "Grandparents… both of us?"
"Yes, both of you. You've done enough for me, Saul, that I'd want you to be a part of the baby's life even if you and Bill weren't together."
"Well." Saul rubbed his chin and looked away. "I'm honored."
Laura smiled at him. "I'll let you get to your appointment."
She watched him go, then stuck her hands in her pockets. It was probably time to see Lee about telling Bill.
**
"Here, let me get that." Bill took the ointment from Saul and gently dabbed it on the reddened skin below Saul's missing eye. "Cottle said three times a day, right?"
"Yeah." Saul's good eye was downcast, as if he was embarrassed to have Bill do this for him.
"Okay then." Bill took a fresh piece of gauze and taped it into place, smoothing the edges down carefully. "And two weeks until you can get a patch?"
"Yeah." Saul stepped back. It would take some getting used to, Saul's eye roving around like that. "He said I wasn't a good candidate for glass."
Bill rubbed Saul's shoulder. "You still up for dinner with Laura and Lee tonight?"
"Oh, yeah." Saul grinned wickedly, reminding Bill of how he'd looked with two eyes. "You'll want to hear this."
Bill smiled back at him, though he didn't know exactly what he meant…
Laura and Lee arrived at 1800, and while the food situation wasn't what it had been before New Caprica, the important thing about this dinner was the company. It helped to reassure Bill that Laura was doing fine and the fact that Lee was accompanying her reassured him further. Maybe things were working out between them.
"Should we do it now?" Lee asked, once their plates had been pushed aside.
"Now is as good as ever," Laura said, sipping her coffee.
He wondered what they were planning to tell him. Saul had indicated this morning that it was a good thing, but how did he know? Bill knew he and Laura had become closer on New Caprica, that was obvious, but what was it that Laura and Lee would tell him before Bill?
Beside him, Saul tried to hide his grin behind his mug. It was odd, Bill thought, that he and Lee were the only ones drinking. Saul was drinking decaf, which was odd by itself, but for Laura to be...
It was almost as if...
"Well, Bill." She smiled. "You're going to be a grandfather."
Bill stared at her.
She couldn't be pregnant.
Then, it suddenly all clicked into place.
She was avoiding alcohol and caffeine, Bill reminded himself. He remembered hugging her, how she had drawn back slightly. Was she just not up to being touched or did she not want me to find out that way?
He looked again at her. She was still wearing baggier clothes, despite having had time to get things that fit her. In fact, she'd gotten newer things.
"Congratulations," he finally said. "I can't say I was expecting this."
Laura smiled. "Well, we weren't either."
That was when Bill noticed Saul was grinning. "You knew?" he asked, turning to him.
Laura smiled. "Saul looked out for me on New Caprica."
Bill looked back over at Saul, who was blushing slightly.
"It was the right thing to do," he said gruffly.
The realization suddenly hit Bill that she'd been pregnant on New Caprica. He'd left her behind on that rock when she was going to have his grandchild.
"Are you all right?" he asked her cautiously. "I mean…"
She smirked. "Because I'm old?"
"No!" he said quickly, though her age had crossed his mind "I mean, the Cylons. You all were down there without medical facilities."
"I've been to Cottle," Laura assured him. "He's given me a clean bill of health."
"That's wonderful. When are we expecting the new arrival?" Bill couldn't keep himself from smiling. A grandfather. He was going to be a grandfather. Focusing on that helped him keep his worries at bay.
"Four months."
"And do you know what it is yet?"
Laura shook her head. "I haven't found out. I'd like to be surprised."
Bill took a quick glance at Lee. He wasn't going to pry into their relationship or the way they were doing things-it most certainly wasn't any of his business-but that look told him everything.
**
"So, you really think she's doing all right?" Bill asked Saul.
"Yeah." Saul leaned back against Bill, who was rubbing his frakked-up shoulder before bed. "I think she's fine. She mostly took care of herself on New Caprica after… after a while."
"Good. I'm just glad she has access to medical care now." Bill yawned. "You about ready to turn in?"
"Sure."
They settled down together and Bill turned off the light. He was asleep fast, his breathing falling into an even pattern. Saul lay awake, staring at the ceiling above their rack. He didn't like leaving Bill but he was getting the itch to go walking again.
He gingerly slipped out of bed and got dressed in his old field fatigues. More comfortable that way, and who was going to see him?
Walking calmed Saul down. Sometimes, he just needed to see the rest of the ship was still there, when his mind was getting too close to being back in detention, having to rush home before curfew. They really had come for them. It was really over…
He had expected to find the hangar deck deserted-he'd often run laps late at night, back when he could still run laps. However, there were people clustered around one of the launch tubes. What in the worlds were they doing? Well, he supposed it was his duty as XO to find out…
Saul made his way slowly across the hangar deck and the crew there stared at him, watching his approach.
"Evening, Colonel," Seelix said.
"Evening." He surveyed the crowd there. All Resistance people. "What's going on here?"
That was when his eye fell on Gaeta in the launch tube. Mother of Artemis.
**
Bill woke suddenly, instinctively feeling the spot next to him for Saul. He wasn't there. Bill sat up, squinting to see if the light in the head was on. It wasn't, nor was the light in the living quarters.
Bill swung himself out of bed. Where had he gone?
It had been almost a decade since he'd had to search a ship in the middle of the night for Saul. He just hoped he wasn't holed up drinking like he used to. Bill checked CIC first, then the observation deck. As he gradually worked his way down the ship, the nervousness in the pit of his stomach climbed.
Was he seriously running laps on the hangar deck?
**
Saul stared at Gaeta. This has all happened too fast to process. He would never in a thousand years have considered Gaeta was the mole. Gaeta. He'd jumped at the chance to work for Baltar. He hadn't done a thing when the Cylons showed up. If anyone was a collaborator, Gaeta would have been the first one Saul named, after Baltar.
He ran a hand over his head. "Let him go," he said, wondering if anyone here would still listen to him. He had neither the authority of the leader of the Resistance nor the XO of Galactica, at least not officially. "Let him go and let's end this."
Seelix scowled at him. "End it? Do you know how many more collaborators are out there, sir? We've found one member of NCP. One. With all due respect, you haven't been down here before tonight. You haven't-"
"What the hell is going on?" Bill's voice echoed through the narrow space in the launch tube and Saul's stomach dropped. Bill was every inch the Admiral, his face a mask of fury. "Colonel, explain."
Saul took a deep breath. He didn't know that he could.