Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:25:13 GMT

Hmm...that didn't work. Let's try this again. Sorry guys!

It was Colonial Day.

Laura Roslin woke with a start and groaned. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time she had woken up peacefully. Pondering for a few moments but unable to recall, she sighed and looked at the clock. 4:50 am. With the urge to fall back into the pillows overwhelming her, she sat up and got out of bed. She showered quickly and got ready for the day.

As soon as Laura walked into her office, Tory began spouting off the schedule.

“Good morning, Madame President. Happy Colonial Day. Your first meeting begins in half an hour concerning the distribution of medical supplies among the ships. Until then, you need to return these phone calls and sign these papers.”

Laura took the papers from Tory’s outstretched hands and said, “How many meetings do I have today?”

Tory consulted the schedule. “Straight through to 5 pm, Madame President.”

Laura looked up from the papers in shock. “My day ends at 5 pm? Is that even possible?”

Tory laughed slightly. “Oh no, ma’am. The ceremony for Colonial Day is tonight. You’ll make a speech and then give a couple of interviews during the ball. You know, tell reporters about the inspiration and hope Colonial Day gives us all and the general feeling of contentment that the celebration leaves with the citizens.”

Laura raised her eyebrows and stared at Tory over her glasses, grinning slightly. “Inspiration and hope?”

Tory shrugged uncomfortably and sent Laura a pleading smile. “Go with it, Madame President.”

Laura giggled and returned to signing papers. “We are all trying our best. Thank you, Tory.”

“Of course, ma’am. Also, Admiral Adama called a few moments ago. He’d like a word with you when you have a minute.”

Laura heart leapt. She knew it was a ridiculous response, but recently it had been happening more and more often when she saw him. While there was no doubt about the attraction between them, there was far too much going on with the Cylons and the fleet to pursue a relationship. And so she remained content with the flirting they did between crises and the occasional fantasy in which she and the Admiral were the main players.

The problem was that she was having increased difficulty maintaining control over her emotions. Until recently, she had only thought of Bill when she was alone, away from the office and the problems of the fleet. But after the developments in their relationship, however slight they had been, she found herself thinking about it quite often. The night on New Caprica. The day onboard Galactica when they had all but told one another how they really felt. His sudden mentioning of their relationship. “If the Cylons hadn’t come back…?” All the stolen glances, touches, grins.

She sighed as she picked up the phone and dialed. Contain yourself, she thought. But she couldn’t stop herself from smiling when she heard his voice.

“Adama.”

“Good morning, Admiral. I hear that you wasted no time in trying to get in touch with me today.”

“Ah, good morning, Madame President,” Bill said with a small laugh. “Well, we are busy over here on Galactica. Not all of us can sleep the day away.”

“Ha-ha,” Laura said sarcastically. “How can I help you?”

“Something occurred to me this morning. Colonial Day is somewhat of a milestone for us, so I was wondering if you, in honor of last Colonial Day, would save a dance for me tonight?”

Laura closed her eyes and smiled. Her mind flashed back to the dance they shared that night. She had been so shocked when he showed up in the first place, much less when he asked her to dance. Their relationship had been so complicated back then, when they were just in the beginning stages of friendliness. She had been torn between his stubbornness and mistrust while, at the same time, being confused about why it felt so wonderful to have his arms around her—

Laura jumped slightly as Bill interrupted her thoughts. “Madame President?”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry, Admiral. How lovely, yes, of course I’ll save a dance for you.”

“Excellent then. I’ll see you tonight, Laura.”

“See you tonight, Bill.”

Laura sat forward and hung up the phone, muttering to herself. “Honestly, Laura, get a hold of yourself. You are just friends. Coworkers.” Her mind suddenly flashed to the night on New Caprica, laying on his chest, being able to touch him freely—

“Madame President?” Tory’s voice came over the intercom. Startled once again, Laura jumped but quickly composed herself.

“Yes, Tory?”

“The first meeting of the day has been moved up. They will be here in about 10 minutes.”

“Thank you.”

Laura sighed and let her head fall into her hands, surrendering to the thoughts. At the very least, she thought, I’ll thank the gods that there will be several people at the ceremony. There’s no chance of us being alone together. Lords don’t let us be alone together.

Laura’s day passed slowly but efficiently. Only two meetings ran over schedule, but Tory remedied this by having Laura promise to tie up the loose ends during the Colonial Day gala. To Laura’s happiness, the day had been too busy to allow her to think about the dance she had promised Bill. Anytime she’d had a moment to remember it, someone had interrupted her thoughts almost immediately.

With the final meeting complete, she and Tory headed back to Colonial One to get ready for the evening. Tory, as usual, was briefing Laura about the plans for the evening. While it was true that Tory was no Billy, no one could deny that she was more than competent at her job, especially since Laura had scolded her after the girl had snapped at the reporters. Since then, she seemed to be anxious to get back in Laura’s good graces.

“You have about 45 minutes to get ready once we arrive on Colonial One,” Tory told her as they walked. “Then you will give your speech and immediately proceed to the gala, during which you will meet with leaders from Geminon and Aeron as well as reporters from the reinvented Picon Star Tribune, Caprica Times, and Aerelon Gazette.”

“And I assume these newspapers are keeping their old names in order to give people a reminder of life before the attacks,” Laura responded. “Is that correct?”

“Yes ma’am. They have been working diligently to make sure their first issues would coincide with Colonial Day.”

“Wonderful idea. I’m so glad that we can work with the press for once, even if it is only for a night.”

Tory laughed softly. “Don’t get too used to it, Madame President. I’m sure it won’t last long.”

Once aboard the Raptor, Tory disappeared to make phone calls, leaving Laura to her thoughts.

Laura closed her eyes and contemplated the evening in front of her. Interviews with at least three reporters. The speech. Meeting with Geminon. Dinner meeting with Aeron. Introductions. Small talk. Dance with Bill.

Laura sat forward suddenly and groaned. The dance with Bill, she thought. She quickly did the math in her head, taking into account each deal she had made during the day and realized she may have agreed to do so much that a dance would be out of the question. Just then, Tory walked into the room. Laura opened her mouth to ask, but stopped herself. She had to be calm, nonchalant. She did not need Tory breathing down her neck about a relationship that did not exist. Yet.

“Tory…will there be any time for me to enjoy the festivities tonight?” She asked in what she hoped was a casual tone. She sent a sideways glance at Tory to see if she was suspicious about the question. Tory, however, did not seem to notice anything odd about the question and continued glancing through papers.

“Let’s see. You have the interviews with the reporters, which will take an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the pictures they wish to take and the amount of questions they have about your speech. Then you’ll be wrapping up the meetings from earlier, including the signing of the new water recycling system to be added to the older ships.” Tory paused for a moment and counted minutes in her head. “You will definitely be busy, but there should be a few free moments if you’d like to enjoy the music or dance.”

As silly as she knew it was, Laura smiled to herself. There would be time for a dance.

Bill began getting ready for the Colonial Day gala an hour before it was set to begin. For once he did not even mind going through the extra trouble of putting on the dress uniforms, for tonight it seemed there was a purpose.

The idea of the dance had not occurred just that morning, no matter what he had told Laura. In fact, the thought had occurred several days ago, as soon as the hype about the dance began to spread through the fleet. This morning had been the first time that it had been appropriate to ask her. He did not want her to think that he spent an excessive amount of time thinking about their relationship in an unprofessional light, regardless of how often he did.

As he dressed, he thought back to the day his and Carolann’s anniversary. It had always been a bittersweet memory for him, even after all the years that had passed. But this year he had found that his memories did not only consist of his failed marriage, but also of the night on New Caprica and his relationship with the President. Perhaps he should not have mentioned this directly to Laura, but he could not help himself, especially after she had flirted with him and given him the book. He tried not to dwell on this, though, as he knew regret was only a waste of time. If anything, at least he knew that the feelings were not one-sided.

He walked to the mirror and, satisfied with his appearance, Bill left his quarters and headed toward the dance hall. As he walked down the hallway, he heard a voice calling for him.

“Admiral Adama?” He turned to see the Master-at-Arms approaching him. “May I talk to you for a minute, sir?”

Laura stared at herself in the mirror. She ran her hands through her unkempt hair and leaned forward to examine the bags underneath her eyes. Perhaps these bags would go away if you got some sleep. She groaned to herself as she attempted to use makeup to cover them. She finally gave up, deciding that she looked presentable enough for the speech. Yes, the speech, she thought. Not the dance, the speech.

The speech sailed by smoothly and Laura was pleased with her performance. The crowd had been very present during it and the applause had been thunderous. Laura smiled as the crowd made its way to the dance hall. Maybe I’m getting the hang of these inspirational speeches, she thought.

Laura walked into the dance hall to find that the music was already booming and couples were already dancing. She automatically looked around for Bill, but Tory’s voice cut through the noise before she found him.

“Madame President? If you don’t mind, we are going to jump right into the interviews. The reporters from Caprica Times are waiting over here.” Tory pointed toward a table furthest from the dance floor. “Are you ready, ma’am?”

Laura, trying to mask the disappointment from her face, glanced around the room again but did not see Bill. She nodded at Tory and headed toward the table, hoping the interviews would pass quickly.

Thirty minutes later, Tory ushered her from the Caprican reporters to the leaders of Aeron. On the quick journey across the room, Laura discreetly looked for Bill again, to no avail. Was he at the speech? Lords, I don’t remember seeing him. Come on, Bill, where are you? Reaching the table, Laura introduced herself and intentionally took a seat overlooking the room. If Bill ever showed up, she would see him. Until then, she had business to attend to.

Forty-five minutes into the dance, Bill finally emerged, extremely aware of how late he was. The Master-at-Arms, who told him that inventory paperwork had not been filled out properly, had given him the bad news that several cases needed to be rechecked and cleared by the Admiral. He had hoped it would be a quick detour, as he knew the woman was also anxious to join in the festivities, but it took nearly an hour to correct.

The room was crowded and loud when he entered and he scanned the faces, looking for Laura. He found her talking with leaders from Aeron at a table near the edge of the room. She caught his gaze and, if he was not mistaken, her eyes lit up for a moment before her dinner guests called for her attention. Looking around, he decided to wait for her at a table near the dance floor and watch the festivities. He was happy to see the Chief and Cally dancing together, oblivious to the world, as well as Gaeta and Dee talking politely as they danced. Although he knew why this relaxed atmosphere was going to be short-lived, he could not help but wish that the crew was able to get together like this more often, away from the CIC and the stress that the Cylons caused them. But sadly, he knew tomorrow would be another day of fighting, more crises, close calls and temporary fixes. It made his desire to reach Earth just that much stronger.

“Admiral?”

Pulled out of his thoughts, Bill turned to find Laura standing behind him and his stomach churned at the sight of her. She looked beautiful, as usual, and he found himself staring at her for a moment before realizing that he had not responded.

“Madame President. You look wonderful. I’m sorry for my tardiness. Duty calls.” He sent her a small smile.

“Thank you, and no need to apologize. I understand how that can happen,” she said as she discreetly nodded toward the reporters. “I hope you’ll still have time for a dance?”

“It would be my pleasure. Shall we wait for the next song?” Bill said, happy that their moment had finally arrived. He reached forward to pull a chair out for her to join him, but Tory appeared suddenly by her side.

“Admiral Adama, please excuse me. Madame President, it’s time for the next set of reporters.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Tory.” Laura turned back to Bill. “Duty calls,” she said. She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed gently before leaning forward and whispering, “I’ll be back.” Then she turned and followed Tory through the crowd.

The interviews ran over schedule. Although it was frustrating, Laura had to admit that it was her fault. She was answering the reporter’s final question when, without thinking, she mentioned having a headache that day. Realizing her mistake too late, she spent the next half an hour dodging health questions and having reporters prying into her medical status. Slightly unnerved by the questions, Laura walked back toward the table where she had left Bill, only to find that he was not sitting there. She looked around and found him standing by the bar in deep conversation with Colonel Tigh, studying blueprints. She contemplated whether or not she should interrupt them when he looked up at her. She gestured to the dance floor and he apologetically held five fingers in the air, asking for five minutes before their dance. She nodded and took a seat at the table.

After a few moments, Laura closed her eyes and focused on the music. Her mind occupied itself with thoughts of the impending dance and she found it hard to mask her excitement. She and Bill were finally going to dance again. Five more minutes and Bill’s arms would be around her once again. She snuck another glance toward the bar. Bill and Colonel Tigh were still flipping through the blueprints and she wondered what they were talking about.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Madame President?”

Laura turned to find Chief Tyrol standing before her. She smiled at him.

“Good evening, Chief. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you. I couldn’t help but notice that you were sitting here alone and I think I’ve worn Cally out for this dance. Would you do me the honor of sharing it with me?”

Laura glanced over at Bill. Still talking. You can’t very well say that you are waiting for Bill. How would that look? But you are waiting for him. She looked up at Chief, who held his hand out, expecting her to take it. She smiled at him again, nodded, and took his hand. Next dance, Bill.

Bill finished his discussion with Saul just as the song began. He turned to find Laura and spotted her on the dance floor with Chief. Why are we having such problems coordinating a dance, one dance? he thought. He sighed and walked away from the bar, taking a seat at a table where the dance floor was visible. His disappointment soon faded, however, when he realized that he could observe her from where he was sitting.

Watching her, he remembered why he was attracted to her. She was laughing at something Chief was saying; it was that genuine laughter she rarely used but Lords, when she did, it made his knees weak. Bill felt the sudden desire to make her laugh like that. The light accentuated her hair, her smile, and Bill forced himself to look away. It would not be long before his feelings showed on his face and that was the last thing he needed in a room full of reporters.

The song ended and Laura and the Chief broke apart. Finally, Bill thought as he stood up. Finally a dance.

Laura thanked Chief for the dance and looked up to see Bill standing on the edge of the floor. Unable to stop a huge smile from gracing her face, Laura began heading toward him when Tory intercepted her. Out of the corner of her eye, Laura saw Bill’s face fall. Not again, she thought.

“Madame President, you have a call from the Rising Star. You can take it outside.”

Almost immediately after the words left Tory’s lips, an announcer’s voice cut through the air. “Last dance, ladies and gentlemen. Last dance of the night.”

Laura’s heart fell to her stomach, taking her smile with it. Her eyes sought Bill’s and she immediately regretted finding them; he did not mask his disappointment any better than she did. Part of her was tempted to tell Tory to take a message and dance with him instead of taking the call, but she knew it was out of the question. Ignoring the call would mean that Bill meant more to her than her duties as President and thus more than an Admiral of the military should matter to the President. At this moment, she was President and he was Admiral. There was no Bill and Laura.

The President sighed, sent the Admiral a regretful look, and followed Tory out of the room. Despite her Presidential front, she fought back a sudden urge to cry.

The room cleared quickly after the final dance and Bill could not help but think that the evening had been a success. As he walked through the dance hall, he heard laughter from crewmembers floating in from the corridor. He smiled to himself, hoping that perhaps a few new romances had begun that evening. Morale was so low on the ships and he welcomed any chance for the people to forget their worries.

Beneath all this, however, lay his regret that he and Laura did not share a dance. He had been greatly looking forward to it and, knowing the opportunity most likely would not arise for another year, he kicked himself for letting business get in the way. She had not returned after Tory had called her away for the phone call, even though he had waited, hoping she would.

As he walked toward the exit, Bill thought back once again to the first dance they had shared and smiled to himself. He would never forget Laura’s face when he walked up to her that night. She had been surprised to see him there and, if he had not been mistaken, pleasantly so. He felt another wave of regret at missing the chance to hold her again. Figuring the night was over, he resigned himself to returning to his cabin, perhaps reading mystery novels or the latest reports that littered his desk.

Just then, Laura walked through a door at the far end of the hall and looked around. Bill’s heart skipped a beat. I thought she had returned to Colonial One. She caught sight of him and smiled. Surprised, Bill walked toward her.

“Madame President,” he said upon reaching her, nodding slightly. Laura tried not to laugh at the shock on his face.

“Admiral,” Laura replied, her voice shaky. She was also upset by the way the evening had turned out, but knew there was not much she could do about it now that the gala had ended. She had, however, stayed after the dance on the off chance of running into him. Seeing him now, even when she had hoped it would happen, made her slightly breathless. “I apologize for the way the evening worked out. Would it be childish of me to blame it on my assistant?”

Bill laughed. “Not at all. I was hoping to have the opportunity to apologize as I also overbooked the evening and sadly, I don’t have an assistant to blame it on. So I suppose the fault is mine.”

“Would you like to borrow Tory for a moment?” Laura asked with just a hint of flirtatiousness and was immediately embarrassed. For Gods’ sakes, Laura, stop flirting. She flushed and quickly looked away from him, attempting to compose herself. Bill, however, picked up on her flirting and felt a sudden surge of courage. He took a small step toward her.

“I’d much prefer to borrow you for the rest of the night. If your schedule allows, of course.” Laura’s eyes shot back up to his face. He hoped he had not overstepped a boundary. “Would you be interested in a night cap in my quarters?”

Bad idea, bad idea! Laura’s brain screamed at her. She could not be alone with Bill. She promised herself that she would not be alone with Bill. She would simply decline the invitation, wish him a pleasant evening, and return to the Colonial One for a full night of reading reports.

Her body, however, did not seem to agree. Without conscious thought, she found that her head was nodding, her lips smiling, her hand reaching toward his outstretched arm. He led her toward the door and, after a moment, placed his hand lightly over hers.

They reached Bill’s quarters in silence. Both were reeling in the sudden turn of the evening and not sure what to make of it.

What does he mean, a nightcap? Laura thought. Was he flirting when he asked me back here? Gods, I can’t think straight.

Laura pulled her hand away from his arm as they entered and sat at the table. Bill walked to the opposite side of the room and poured two drinks, then returned and handed one to her.

“Thank you, Admiral.”

Bill smiled and sat down. They both took sips of their drink and sat in silence for a moment. Neither was sure of what to say. Bill finally spoke up.

“Did you enjoy the dance, Madame President?”

“Oh yes, it was lovely. I was happy to see all the smiling faces. I wish I would have had more time to enjoy it, though. I suppose that it one of the downfalls of being President.”

“Business always finds a way to interrupt pleasure, no matter what profession you are in. Just ask my ex-wife.”

Laura laughed and Bill watched her, finally free to look at her however he wanted without worrying about someone seeing him. They both found that they were no longer nervous and the atmosphere relaxed. They talked for some time about the dance and the business they had both conducted that evening.

Bill was thrilled to have time alone with her. Usually they would be alone for all of fifteen minutes before being interrupted by the latest crisis. Tonight was different. Tonight felt more like the groundbreaking ceremony on New Caprica, with people laughing and dancing and a freedom from their professional lives. Intending to take full advantage of it, he repeatedly made little jokes just to see her laugh. She obliged willingly; Laura found herself laughing louder than she usually would have, leaning forward and touching his arm more often than was necessary, holding his gaze with her eyes in moments of silence.

“Well, Bill, I apologize again for missing our dance. It would have been a nice tradition to start, a dance every Colonial Day between the President and the Admiral. But I suppose that’s how rumors start,” Laura laughed. She was actually surprised the rumors had not already begun. She did not think she hid her attraction well, especially recently.

Bill stared down at his glass. “It is too bad.” Another year, he thought. I’m not waiting another year. He put down the glass and stood up. “But you know, Madame President, I can still dance.”

He walked past the bookshelf and turned on a radio. A slow sweet song filled the room. Laura watched him as he returned to her and noticed a difference in his eyes, as if he had finally made a difficult decision, one that she had not yet made. He stopped in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers, but she remained seated. He reached down, removed the drink from her hand and set it on the table. He held out his hand in front of her, waiting for her to take it.

“Dance with me, Laura,” he whispered.

It was all she needed to hear to override the warning signals sounding in her head. She took his hand.

Bill took her to the middle of the room and placed one hand on the small of her back, the other still holding hers. He pulled her closer and she put her hand on his shoulder as they began to move to the music.

Laura’s heart was pounding and she knew he could feel it. How many times she had dreamt things like this, but she had never really expected it to happen, at least not while she was in office. She felt his hand move slowly on her back as he pulled her closer, increasing their contact and silencing all her thoughts.

Bill knew this was probably a bad idea. There were reasons why they had not done this before and those reasons still existed. But seeing her tonight, relaxed and happy, made his urge to hold her more than he could bear. Now that she was so close to him, he could not believe that he had waited so long.

He felt her hand remove itself from his before gliding slowly up his arm. It stopped briefly on his shoulder before snaking its way around his neck. She rested her cheek against his, then nuzzled into the crook of his neck as he pulled her closer still with the hand she had just freed. They danced for a long time, just holding one another; the songs seemed to be playing just for them.

Bill could feel Laura’s breath against his neck and was quite enjoying the sensations it caused. She must have known it, for she began running her lips slowly over his skin, not kissing but teasing. She then began caressing the back of his neck with her fingers, causing his breath to catch in his throat. He knew he would not be able to resist her long if they kept going on this way.

She felt a change in the pattern of dancing and she followed his lead, never allowing distance to come between them. Laura was slightly surprised when she felt her back being pressed into a wall and slightly confused as to why. Adding to her confusion, Bill removed his arms from around her and instead placed them on the either side of her head, leaning against the wall. He let his head drop and rested his forehead near her shoulder, his cheek close to hers.

“If you want to stop this,” he whispered, “you need to say something now.”

Suddenly understanding, she appreciated how direct he was about it, how straightforward. Some men would have beaten around the bush, looked for more confirmation about her feelings before making such a move, but Bill did not need her to spell it out for him. He understood. It made her want him even more.

Instead of answering with words, Laura decided to be as direct with him as he was with her. She slowly moved toward his neck, letting her lips tease his skin before kissing it gently. She added pressure and opened her mouth slightly, allowing her tongue to graze the skin before moving in small circles, all the time adding longer kisses.

It was the confirmation Bill needed before continuing down a path he had wanted to travel for so long. Her lips were still working his neck and, while it felt fantastic, he longed for more direct contact. He pushed back from the wall and wrapped his arms around her waist. She giggled and looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye before leaning forward and quickly running her lips over his, tantalizing him once again. Who knew Laura Roslin would be such a tease? he thought. She smiled as she leaned back against the wall, turning her head slightly, inviting him to finish what she had started.

Sticking with directness, Bill ran his hands along her neck before pulling her forward and claiming her mouth with his own. She responded immediately, hungrily. Bill pushed her back up against the wall and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her feet off the ground. Laura squealed and giggled, looking down at him.

“Bill!” she exclaimed.

In response, Bill lifted her higher and raised his eyebrows, challenging her. Laura, never one to be shown up, shifted her body and wrapped her legs around his waist. They looked at each other for a moment before Laura tightened her legs around him, bringing him closer. She leaned down and kissed him softly, letting herself enjoy the feel of his lips and get lost in the sensations coursing through her body.

Bill was not surprised at how sexy it was to simply kiss her. He reveled in the way it felt to kiss her slowly, savoring her. He would deepen it, letting his tongue explore her mouth, then pull back and kiss her gently again.

Bill’s rhythm was driving Laura fantastically crazy. He was still supporting her and her legs were still wrapped around his waist; she was loving every minute of it. She played with the nape of his neck while they kissed, sometimes letting her hand wander through his hair and around to caress his face. She had no idea how long they had been there and did not care. He consumed her.

After one particularly long kiss, Bill pulled back and looked up at her. Laura’s eyes remained closed and she leaned her head back against the wall.

“I…that was…wow. You are really…quite good…quite well...at that.” She seemed to be having trouble forming a complete sentence.

“Ditto,” Bill responded. She noticed his one-word sentence and smiled. At least the feelings are not one-sided, she thought. She opened her eyes and smiled down at him.

“What do you say,” he began, “we take this somewhere else?”

“I definitely…think that’s a good…idea,” she said.

Bill looked down at her legs and laughed softly. “Do you think you can stand?” he asked.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Adama. You aren’t that good,” she responded.

She unwrapped her legs from around him and he slowly lowered her to the ground, making sure their bodies did not lose contact. Acutely aware of this, her feet hit the floor but she found that they were not supporting her as well as they usually did. He let go of her waist and she lost her balance. He quickly reached out and caught her before she fell very far. Laura looked up at him, slightly embarrassed. He was obviously amused.

“Okay. Flatter yourself.”

Bill laughed out loud took her by the hand. He made sure her legs were working properly this time then led her toward his rack. Wanting to gain back some of her composure, she pulled back on his arm and, once he had turned toward her, pulled him down and kissed him again. Her arms snaked around his neck and she remained in control of this kiss. She licked his lower lip and he opened his mouth to her. She let her tongue dance slowly with his and lost herself in him once more.

She pulled away and looked up to find that his eyes were still closed. He let out a long breath and shook his head slightly. After a long moment, he finally spoke: “Wow.”

“Yes indeed,” she replied with a smile.

“I’m just saying, if I’d known how good you are at this, we would have done this a long time ago.”

“Ah, but now we face another problem. How exactly do we stop?” As she said it, she leaned up toward him for another kiss. After a minute, an eternity, they broke apart.

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” he whispered.

She had no idea what he was talking about. Her mind had moved on. “Weren’t we heading somewhere?” she hinted.

Bill grinned, took her hand once again and led her the rest of the way to his rack.

It was the day after Colonial Day.

Laura Roslin woke with a small sigh and a grin as she felt an arm weave around her waist. As Bill pulled her closer, he nuzzled into the crook of her neck and planted a kiss there.

“Good morning,” he said.

Laura rolled onto her back and looked up at him. “Well hello,” she replied with a smile. “That was quite a turn that the evening took.”

Bill looked down at her and smiled. Waking up next to her was, without a doubt, the best feeling he had felt in a long time. He reached over and pushed her bangs off of her face, then rubbed his finger along her cheek.

“You know, someone once told me that there is quite a difference between the beauty of a woman in her day-to-day life and the beauty of a woman when she first wakes up. I can see now what exactly that means.”

Laura felt her heart swell. She could not believe that she was waking up next to this man, next to Bill Adama. Sure, she had always thought about it happening, but living it was a completely different and wonderful story.

“I do believe you are a charmer,” she said as she snuggled closer to him. What a difference a day makes, she thought with a small giggle. She held him more tightly and kissed his chest. Thinking back on the day before, she had a sudden revelation.

“You know,” she said softly, “yesterday morning I woke up so suddenly, so restlessly, and I tried to remember the last time I’d woken up with a little bit of….calmness.”

Bill smiled and kissed her head. “Ahh, you should have asked me. I remember the last time I did and I think it was the same for both of us. It was the morning after the groundbreaking ceremony.”

Laura looked up at him seductively. “Maybe I should have taken that as a sign that we could have done this earlier. It probably would have relieved some of that tension.” She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips before moving to get out of bed.

“Thanks for your time, Admiral. Time to get back to work,” she said cheerfully, scooting across the mattress. Bill laughed and reached out for her arm, pulling her back down on the bed and pinning her hands down.

“Not so fast, Madame President. We are going to have few moments to see each other like this and I plan to take advantage of them.” He leaned down and covered her lips with his. Even after an entire night together, neither one was tired of kissing each other. After another exploration of her neck and chest, they finally broke apart. Laura rolled over on top of Bill and straddled him before leaning down and kissing him softly.

“My day is filled with meetings, but I may be able to convince Tory that I need to stay in the guest quarters on Galactica tonight. Would you be up to entertaining me?”

“I’d be happy to. Maybe we can make a dinner date out of it.”

Laura planted one last kiss on Bill and finally got out of the rack. They showered together and dressed, then walked into the living room. Bill took her hand and led her toward the door.

“I had a wonderful time, Laura.”

Laura smiled at him. “Me too, Bill. I think it was long overdue. Hopefully tonight will work out according to plan.”

Bill leaned forward and they kissed one last time. Laura knew they only had a few moments before Tory would arrive but she intended to use every second.

They broke apart and, with one final squeeze of her hand, Bill stepped back from Laura. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. With a small but sad smile, Bill reached over and opened it. Tory walked in, wished them good morning, and began spouting off Laura’s schedule. Laura watched Bill while Tory spoke, knowing the moment was over. Time to get back to work.

“…so as you can see, you have a busy day ahead of you, ma’am. Shall we go?”

President Roslin looked over at Bill and sent him a quick smile.

“Admiral.”

Admiral Adama nodded toward her. “Madame President.”

With that, she walked out of his room and back into her regular life.

The End.

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