FIC: Don't Count Stars (5/?)
Title: Don't Count Stars(5/??)
Rating:K
Characters/Pairings: Adama/Roslin
Summary: Adama and Roslin and have a daughter. 'Nuff said really. Basically just imagine season three or two but with the whole story arc slowed down. AU obviously.
Comments are cause for village-wide celebrations :)
Previous Chapters: One, Two , Three and Four (which for some reason won't hyperlink to the text but there's like nine posts on my journal- it shouldn't be hard to find :))
Light was seeping through her eyelids. It was not the light she was used to. Not harsh electric lamps or muted star light- this was somehow warmer more alive and also slightly uncomfortable. In combination with a dry throat her face felt too warm.
Oura pushed away the thick blanket covering her. A cool hand touched her forehead carefully brushing her hair out of her face. Then the hand moved behind her back pulling her into an almost sitting position. Glass touched her lips and soon after water followed.
When Oura finally managed to open her eyes the whole room seemed blurry and too bright. She closed them again hoping for a clearer outline of the person sitting on the side of the bed. Blonde hair was all she could make out. Starbuck? Maybe she’d finally been allowed to see her.
Oura felt her lids dropping again and tried to remember what happened. I was in a viper crash-no that was days ago. She’d gone to see Starbuck, the sirens, Boomer…Suddenly her heart started to pound furiously-gods please, not the Cylons.
She let her eyes remain closed for a few moments ignoring the feeling of dread building up in her chest. Whoever was sitting on her bed shifted their weight slightly. Oura tried to replicate the slow movements of sleep, all the while peeking through her half-closed lashes towards where she guessed her visitor sat.
***
“The kid’s in a coma” Saul Tigh’s undertone brought William Adama sluggishly out of his report induced trance.
“What?” he questioned his second officer, taking in for the first time the dimmed lights of a now subdued CIC.
“That Petty Officer they found in the damaged wing- he’s in a coma. Toasters messed him up pretty bad.”
Adama turned back to the damage control report.
“How did this happen?” he growled.
“I don’t know. Marines said he was fine then suddenly- wham!” Tigh said, casting his customary wary eye around CIC “Toasters must have slipped him something- Doc says he’s never seen anything like it”
Adama didn’t like this information one bit.
“Is it contagious?” He asked watching his busy crew with almost parental concern.
“Cottle already isolated him- he’s running some tests.”
“Good.” That was the only reply Saul got before the Admiral turned back to his hefty stack of reports. He felt Saul’s worried gaze at his shoulder but decided to ignore it.
“You know Bill” Tigh ventured without any real conviction “you should get some rest.”
“Not until I finish this” the Admiral replied, knowing that Saul had anticipated his answer.
“Do you want me to fill in Roslin then? She’s been cooling her heels in your quarters for two hours now- I expect she’s interested in knowing what’s going on.”
Adama’s eyes flashed as they always did when his XO called his wife by her last name. Saul had never managed to get over the old animosity between him and Laura - although it was mostly good-natured these days.
“Thank you Saul” His friend patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave CIC.
*******
The woman should have been beautiful.
Oura should have admired her willowy frame, her perfect white blonde hair and her beautiful clothes. She should have found happiness in seeing such fairytale-like creature perched on her bed with all its attention focused on her.
Oura would have felt all these things had she not seen her on the known cylon agents posters, had she not seen the same woman transported in shackles, had she not seen the deaths she caused in decreasing white board numbers.
Caprica Six would have been lovely had she not been the machine that had destroyed Oura’s whole civilization.
Caprica however smiled sweetly and gently stroked Oura’s cheek with her knuckles.
“Good morning sleepy head- about time you woke up” she whispered “We’ve got so much to do today!”
She pulled Oura up carefully. It disturbed Oura how light she felt in Capricas’ grasp.
Caprica chattered while she dressed Oura in an outfit that matched her own. Oura didn’t hear a single thing she said. She’d heard a quiet swooshing and when she’d looked to find the source she saw a tree outside the window swaying gently in the breeze.
“Are we on a planet?” she asked Caprica gingerly
“Of course- this is Caprica City darling.” Caprica looked astounded that she didn’t know.
Oura blushed in spite of herself. The answer had brought back a curious sense of déjà vu from her usual school lessons where she’d be last to realize something. Caprica however didn’t chide her for stupidity like her teacher would’ve. She simply ran the hairbrush through Oura’s hair one last time and pulled her to the mirror beaming
“Aren’t you lovely?”
Oura peered at the pair of almost identically dressed people. The fair-haired lady was smiling brilliantly back at her- even in the mirror. The younger red-haired copy of the same woman looked distrustfully back. Oura wondered when the Cylons were going to show their true colours and start being cruel and ruthless like she’d been brought up to believe.
“Come on -we should get going.” Oura stayed where she was and simply stared at Capricas’ perfectly manicured outstretched hand.
“I wanna go home. Please just let me go home.” She felt tears welling up at her words.
These niceties were probably just a prelude to whatever horrible plan the Cylons had in store for her. Why had she been so stupid? Her Dad would have let her see Starbuck again in time - she’d been acting spoilt and dumb for the past months. I f I ever get back I’ll never as much as look at a viper again, I’ll become an A grade student- heck I’ll even-
“You know we can’t do that. Now come on, be a good girl, we’re going shopping. Don’t you wanna go shopping?” To her credit Caprica did look genuinely remorseful but Oura hated her none the less.
Scampering away from Caprica she threw herself on the bed and started pulling the ribbon out of her hair letting the angry tears fall. She was about halfway through undoing her braid when Capricas cold fingers wrapped around her wrist.
“Now Oura let’s not start throwing tantrums" Caprica hissed "You are a young lady not some sniveling human child.”
Oura looked up at her in surprise. The Cylon’s abrupt switch in tones was unsettling. Her grip on Oura’s’ arm was still tightening. Oura started to squirm in pain
“You’re hurting me!”
Caprica let go at that. Her eyes widened and Oura suddenly guessed that the Cylon had no idea how strong she really was compared to humans.
They were both sitting on the bed now. Caprica was looking at her hands. Oura used the back of her sleeve to wipe her face.
“I’m sorry.” Caprica was examining her fingers while she spoke and Oura almost thought she’d imagined it.
****
Laura Roslin was one of the most disagreeable people Saul Tigh, apart from his own late wife, had met in his lifetime. She was a dangerous mix of ruthlessness and naiveté. It was a shame the old man and her were so perfect for each other that Saul sometimes caught himself believing in such a silly idea as destiny.
Their little ‘princess’, as he always called her, was no different. Ourania was a vivacious child, so much like her parents that she caused the latter party a considerable amount of grief over her nearly constant flow of scrapes.
The latest of these little misadventures however had bordered on the suicidal. Starbuck’s involvement in Oura’s ‘flying lessons’, hadn’t helped the matter either. He was still wondering how many degrading duties he could assign that malcontent before he’d trample the over-confidence out of her permanently. He had seen the pain in Bill’s eyes after the accident, and he knew that this cut too close to what happened to Zak.
When he at last pulled open the hatch door to the Admirals quarters, he spotted Laura Roslin immediately. She was sitting on the leather couch with her feet tucked underneath her and, like her husband, surrounded by an avalanche of reports.
The slight screech of the hatch door alerted her to Tighs presence and her red hair flashed as her head snapped up, glasses flashing, pinning him immediately with a practiced politician’s gaze that demanded to be in the loop. Tigh took an involuntary step back, thanking the gods once again that it was Bill, not him, who was married to this behemoth of a woman.
“Colonel? Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” she was using her I-See-Gaius-Baltar voice and Saul Tigh found himself wondering why he had volunteered for this.
***“Why can’t I go home?” Oura knew how weak she sounded and felt momentarily ashamed.
Apollo and Starbuck would never start begging if the Cylons had caught them. They’d be brave. They’d fight their way out. But Oura wasn’t them. Lee and Kara were grown-ups and she was just a little kid more afraid than she’d ever been in her life.
Caprica was still watching her. Ourania tried to compose her face into a blank mask to match but she knew she had given away her thoughts already. It was one of the reasons why she had spent much of her life in afternoon detentions. Where other kids could listen to the teacher and stay inside daycare without complaint, Oura’s wild plans had always got the better of her. Only Lee had remained convinced, until the viper fiasco, that this was a worthy quality.
“Ourania…we both know why” Caprica said still studying her face “You’ve been given a reprieve - use it while it lasts.”
So she had time to escape still - or to be rescued. Either way it’s probably best to play along with whatever this is for now. She’d wait for an opening just like Starbuck had always told her in viper training.
With this new and encouraging thought Oura finally got up from the bed and allowed Capricas’ trembling hands to fix her rumpled attire and retie her braids. Eventually the Cylon grasped Oura’s hand and led her out of the apartment.
Oura tried to hold on to her mistrust. She thought of the memorial corridor on Galactica. She thought of the twelve planet globes at school and their lost landscapes. She thought of all the faceless people the Cylons had taken from them.
But as they stepped outside all other emotions were swept away with wonder. She tried to walk as slowly as she could. They were obviously in a big city but the street was lined with trees and a small breeze caressed her face.
There were people going about their daily business too, Humanoid Cylons Oura guessed and momentarily regained some of her fear. But Caprica city was unfolding all around Oura and at the first real water fountain the girl saw, all was lost again.
Caprica noticed her wonder and smiled, but not menacingly, more like a child who’d just been given a gift.
Rating:K
Characters/Pairings: Adama/Roslin
Summary: Adama and Roslin and have a daughter. 'Nuff said really. Basically just imagine season three or two but with the whole story arc slowed down. AU obviously.
Comments are cause for village-wide celebrations :)
Previous Chapters: One, Two , Three and Four (which for some reason won't hyperlink to the text but there's like nine posts on my journal- it shouldn't be hard to find :))
Light was seeping through her eyelids. It was not the light she was used to. Not harsh electric lamps or muted star light- this was somehow warmer more alive and also slightly uncomfortable. In combination with a dry throat her face felt too warm.
Oura pushed away the thick blanket covering her. A cool hand touched her forehead carefully brushing her hair out of her face. Then the hand moved behind her back pulling her into an almost sitting position. Glass touched her lips and soon after water followed.
When Oura finally managed to open her eyes the whole room seemed blurry and too bright. She closed them again hoping for a clearer outline of the person sitting on the side of the bed. Blonde hair was all she could make out. Starbuck? Maybe she’d finally been allowed to see her.
Oura felt her lids dropping again and tried to remember what happened. I was in a viper crash-no that was days ago. She’d gone to see Starbuck, the sirens, Boomer…Suddenly her heart started to pound furiously-gods please, not the Cylons.
She let her eyes remain closed for a few moments ignoring the feeling of dread building up in her chest. Whoever was sitting on her bed shifted their weight slightly. Oura tried to replicate the slow movements of sleep, all the while peeking through her half-closed lashes towards where she guessed her visitor sat.
***
“The kid’s in a coma” Saul Tigh’s undertone brought William Adama sluggishly out of his report induced trance.
“What?” he questioned his second officer, taking in for the first time the dimmed lights of a now subdued CIC.
“That Petty Officer they found in the damaged wing- he’s in a coma. Toasters messed him up pretty bad.”
Adama turned back to the damage control report.
“How did this happen?” he growled.
“I don’t know. Marines said he was fine then suddenly- wham!” Tigh said, casting his customary wary eye around CIC “Toasters must have slipped him something- Doc says he’s never seen anything like it”
Adama didn’t like this information one bit.
“Is it contagious?” He asked watching his busy crew with almost parental concern.
“Cottle already isolated him- he’s running some tests.”
“Good.” That was the only reply Saul got before the Admiral turned back to his hefty stack of reports. He felt Saul’s worried gaze at his shoulder but decided to ignore it.
“You know Bill” Tigh ventured without any real conviction “you should get some rest.”
“Not until I finish this” the Admiral replied, knowing that Saul had anticipated his answer.
“Do you want me to fill in Roslin then? She’s been cooling her heels in your quarters for two hours now- I expect she’s interested in knowing what’s going on.”
Adama’s eyes flashed as they always did when his XO called his wife by her last name. Saul had never managed to get over the old animosity between him and Laura - although it was mostly good-natured these days.
“Thank you Saul” His friend patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave CIC.
*******
The woman should have been beautiful.
Oura should have admired her willowy frame, her perfect white blonde hair and her beautiful clothes. She should have found happiness in seeing such fairytale-like creature perched on her bed with all its attention focused on her.
Oura would have felt all these things had she not seen her on the known cylon agents posters, had she not seen the same woman transported in shackles, had she not seen the deaths she caused in decreasing white board numbers.
Caprica Six would have been lovely had she not been the machine that had destroyed Oura’s whole civilization.
Caprica however smiled sweetly and gently stroked Oura’s cheek with her knuckles.
“Good morning sleepy head- about time you woke up” she whispered “We’ve got so much to do today!”
She pulled Oura up carefully. It disturbed Oura how light she felt in Capricas’ grasp.
Caprica chattered while she dressed Oura in an outfit that matched her own. Oura didn’t hear a single thing she said. She’d heard a quiet swooshing and when she’d looked to find the source she saw a tree outside the window swaying gently in the breeze.
“Are we on a planet?” she asked Caprica gingerly
“Of course- this is Caprica City darling.” Caprica looked astounded that she didn’t know.
Oura blushed in spite of herself. The answer had brought back a curious sense of déjà vu from her usual school lessons where she’d be last to realize something. Caprica however didn’t chide her for stupidity like her teacher would’ve. She simply ran the hairbrush through Oura’s hair one last time and pulled her to the mirror beaming
“Aren’t you lovely?”
Oura peered at the pair of almost identically dressed people. The fair-haired lady was smiling brilliantly back at her- even in the mirror. The younger red-haired copy of the same woman looked distrustfully back. Oura wondered when the Cylons were going to show their true colours and start being cruel and ruthless like she’d been brought up to believe.
“Come on -we should get going.” Oura stayed where she was and simply stared at Capricas’ perfectly manicured outstretched hand.
“I wanna go home. Please just let me go home.” She felt tears welling up at her words.
These niceties were probably just a prelude to whatever horrible plan the Cylons had in store for her. Why had she been so stupid? Her Dad would have let her see Starbuck again in time - she’d been acting spoilt and dumb for the past months. I f I ever get back I’ll never as much as look at a viper again, I’ll become an A grade student- heck I’ll even-
“You know we can’t do that. Now come on, be a good girl, we’re going shopping. Don’t you wanna go shopping?” To her credit Caprica did look genuinely remorseful but Oura hated her none the less.
Scampering away from Caprica she threw herself on the bed and started pulling the ribbon out of her hair letting the angry tears fall. She was about halfway through undoing her braid when Capricas cold fingers wrapped around her wrist.
“Now Oura let’s not start throwing tantrums" Caprica hissed "You are a young lady not some sniveling human child.”
Oura looked up at her in surprise. The Cylon’s abrupt switch in tones was unsettling. Her grip on Oura’s’ arm was still tightening. Oura started to squirm in pain
“You’re hurting me!”
Caprica let go at that. Her eyes widened and Oura suddenly guessed that the Cylon had no idea how strong she really was compared to humans.
They were both sitting on the bed now. Caprica was looking at her hands. Oura used the back of her sleeve to wipe her face.
“I’m sorry.” Caprica was examining her fingers while she spoke and Oura almost thought she’d imagined it.
****
Laura Roslin was one of the most disagreeable people Saul Tigh, apart from his own late wife, had met in his lifetime. She was a dangerous mix of ruthlessness and naiveté. It was a shame the old man and her were so perfect for each other that Saul sometimes caught himself believing in such a silly idea as destiny.
Their little ‘princess’, as he always called her, was no different. Ourania was a vivacious child, so much like her parents that she caused the latter party a considerable amount of grief over her nearly constant flow of scrapes.
The latest of these little misadventures however had bordered on the suicidal. Starbuck’s involvement in Oura’s ‘flying lessons’, hadn’t helped the matter either. He was still wondering how many degrading duties he could assign that malcontent before he’d trample the over-confidence out of her permanently. He had seen the pain in Bill’s eyes after the accident, and he knew that this cut too close to what happened to Zak.
When he at last pulled open the hatch door to the Admirals quarters, he spotted Laura Roslin immediately. She was sitting on the leather couch with her feet tucked underneath her and, like her husband, surrounded by an avalanche of reports.
The slight screech of the hatch door alerted her to Tighs presence and her red hair flashed as her head snapped up, glasses flashing, pinning him immediately with a practiced politician’s gaze that demanded to be in the loop. Tigh took an involuntary step back, thanking the gods once again that it was Bill, not him, who was married to this behemoth of a woman.
“Colonel? Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” she was using her I-See-Gaius-Baltar voice and Saul Tigh found himself wondering why he had volunteered for this.
***“Why can’t I go home?” Oura knew how weak she sounded and felt momentarily ashamed.
Apollo and Starbuck would never start begging if the Cylons had caught them. They’d be brave. They’d fight their way out. But Oura wasn’t them. Lee and Kara were grown-ups and she was just a little kid more afraid than she’d ever been in her life.
Caprica was still watching her. Ourania tried to compose her face into a blank mask to match but she knew she had given away her thoughts already. It was one of the reasons why she had spent much of her life in afternoon detentions. Where other kids could listen to the teacher and stay inside daycare without complaint, Oura’s wild plans had always got the better of her. Only Lee had remained convinced, until the viper fiasco, that this was a worthy quality.
“Ourania…we both know why” Caprica said still studying her face “You’ve been given a reprieve - use it while it lasts.”
So she had time to escape still - or to be rescued. Either way it’s probably best to play along with whatever this is for now. She’d wait for an opening just like Starbuck had always told her in viper training.
With this new and encouraging thought Oura finally got up from the bed and allowed Capricas’ trembling hands to fix her rumpled attire and retie her braids. Eventually the Cylon grasped Oura’s hand and led her out of the apartment.
Oura tried to hold on to her mistrust. She thought of the memorial corridor on Galactica. She thought of the twelve planet globes at school and their lost landscapes. She thought of all the faceless people the Cylons had taken from them.
But as they stepped outside all other emotions were swept away with wonder. She tried to walk as slowly as she could. They were obviously in a big city but the street was lined with trees and a small breeze caressed her face.
There were people going about their daily business too, Humanoid Cylons Oura guessed and momentarily regained some of her fear. But Caprica city was unfolding all around Oura and at the first real water fountain the girl saw, all was lost again.
Caprica noticed her wonder and smiled, but not menacingly, more like a child who’d just been given a gift.