Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2009-04-28 12:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | au, galactica, het, rated: adult, slash |
Fic: Pathways: Convergence 5/5 BattleStar Galactica 2003
Title: Pathways: Convergence.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own BattleStar Galactica.
Characters: Gaeta, Jammer, Tyrol, Calley, Starbuck, Baltar, Adama, Tigh.
Words: 5941
Prompt: Gaeta discovers he is a Cylon.
Fandom: BattleStar Galactica 2003
Timeline: Lay Down Your Burdens II
Pairing: Gaeta/Jammer, Seven/Twelve, Ellen/Tigh.
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language
Summary: An ordinary day reveals the truth to Gaeta.
Author's Note: Seven Months Later
______________________________________
"Hey, you two love birds, time to get up!" The mattress bounced as Tyrol stomped on the bunk with his boot.
Shaken awake, Felix opened his eyes to glare at the man. "I outrank you, I can have you killed." He felt Jammer stir behind him. Closing his eyes, he sighed. It was already too late.
Rolling over, Jammer slid his body up flush with Gaeta's. "Good morning, beautiful."
"Good morning to you too, Peach Butt." Tyrol's remark was met with laughs by the rest of the deck crew. "You've got fifteen before your duty shifts start. The Admiral is expecting the Lieutenant in the CIC in ten."
"Wonderful." Slapping Jammer's hands away from his body, Felix rolled out of bed. He landed on his knees, then shot up to full standing. Stretching his hands over his head, he bent backwards to crack his back. Done, he straightened back up to more than a few whistles.
Scowling at the others, Jammer wrapped an arm around Gaeta's waist. "Back off, this ass is mine."
"It's mine, you just use it from time to time." Caressing Jammer's cheek to distract the man, Felix pried the arm from around his waist. "I have to go, there is no time for..." he trailed off as he noticed the other deck hands weren't moving, but watching them. "Time to get ready."
Scowling as Felix grabbed a towel and rushed for their shared showers, Jammer sighed. A nudge to his shoulder made him look up at Tyrol. "Yeah?"
"Hey, good work on that one." Tyrol's smile was only half formed. "You could have done a lot worse." The sadness his voice was quickly masked by a clearing of his throat. "Let's move it, people!" He clapped his hands to get their attention.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...and as your leader, I promise to..." The signal cut out as Felix activated the frequency jammer.
He turned to look out over the rest of the CIC with an innocent expression. "We are experiencing a minor malfunction with our wireless. I'm afraid we are broadcasting a signal that might reveal our location." Shrugging, he went back to his station.
"Good idea." The Colonel's remark was met with several snorts of laughter. Picking up his mug of coffee, he took a long sip. "Gods, I hate these late night shifts. Whose idea was it to have them again?"
"I believe it is standard regulation, sir." Peeking up from her console, Dualla enjoyed the smile the Colonel sent her.
Tigh snorted in to his mug. Wiping his mouth, he took a slow breath. "How long are we expecting this malfunction to last?"
"Another half hour." Watching his screen, Felix couldn't keep the smile off his face. The grumbling from the Colonel was one of the highlights of the late shifts.
"That's very precise." Checking the clock for the tenth time in the last ten minutes, Tigh shook his head in dismay. No matter how much he tried, it wouldn't go any faster.
Not that Felix could blame him. Right now, his bunk was about to be warmed by a very inviting deckhand. Why he had volunteered to take the night shift was beyond him. Lieutenant Crance was more than capable, when she wasn't out on sick leave. He just wished she would hurry up and pop the little monster out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning in the mess had a completely different feel to it than any other meal. There was an almost solemnness to the way people ate. Felix never understood it, but he respected their rituals.
His tray in hand, he walked over to another table than the usual. There were a half dozen crewmen from the hangar deck at his regular one, but none he normally associated with. It wasn't that he didn't like them, they just didn't usually share a time schedule.
Smiling at them, Gaeta took his seat. This morning, it was a spicy rice dish left over from the night before. He would be up half the morning with it, but he wanted something different.
He was digging in for a first bite when a tray slammed on the table in front of him. Looking up, he found a half asleep Jammer dropping in to a chair. "Good morning."
"Stuff it." Rubbing at his nose, Jammer opened wide for a jaw popping yawn. When he finished, he licked his lips then puttered them. "I blame this on you. Chief said it would be good if I met you for an early breakfast. Chubby bastard."
Checking his watch, Gaeta noted the difference and snickered. "Eight hours of sleep not enough?"
"Try six." Jammer reached in to his uniform pocket and pulled out a much used bottle of red liquid. He uncapped it and splashed some on his eggs. "Calley would not quit whining about how her jaw hurt. I get it, a broken jaw sucks. But she's on enough pain blockers to drop an elephant, so she's not feeling a thing!"
Felix sighed. Some times his lover could be such a prick. "Did you at least try to make her feel comforted?"
"You know I did. Who do you think sat up with her to listen?" Frowning, Jammer picked up his fork. He stabbed at the runny eggs and took a bite. Chewing, he shook his head with disgust. "All she can talk about is the Chief this, the Chief that, ow, my jaw hurts, the Chief, I forgive him. If she'd quit her yacking, it wouldn't hurt so much."
"Ah." That explained it. Gaeta was well aware of how that went.
The Chief had only been released from the brig two days ago. He was still avoiding her and she was growing more obsessive.
"We've got to get them together to talk or else no one's going to get any sleep." Taking another bite of his eggs, Jammer frowned at them. "This is awful."
"Then quit eating it." When the other man picked up another fork full of them, Felix rolled his eyes. "Sargent Harriman is expecting you to fix that hatch for her. You still owe her four hours of manual labor." And that was another thing.
"Yeah, I remember." Finishing off his eggs, Jammer started on his toast. "When we have our next game, you're spotting me a few cubits, right?"
"I will not." Felix braced himself for a small battle. The look on his lover's face was one of mock outrage. If he didn't stand now, he wouldn't later during the game. "Those are hard won."
Jammer huffed in disbelief. "Oh yeah, real hard work playing against six pilots who can't tell their ass from a hole in the ground. Without Starbuck and Helo, you're mopping the floor with them." Picking up his orange drink, he swallowed down a mouthful. The frown on his face had nothing to do with the artificial flavoring.
"It isn't as easy as you might think. Without Commander Apollo's wild bets, I am not nearly as successful." The frown on his face only lasted another three seconds before they were both giggling. He reached across the table to grab Jammer's hand. When his was squeezed in return, he couldn't keep the pleased smile off his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bunk was quiet this early in the morning. Felix quickly unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down. He made sure not to let the buckle hit the deck. It was still a half hour before the others would awaken for their shift.
Gaeta hated these shift differentials. The nights always felt longer when Jammer wasn't there beside him. He knew the perspective was just loneliness, but that didn't change the fact that it happened.
With a sigh, he pulled off his shirt, leaving only his boxers and dog tags. Standing there only long enough to bag his laundry, he quickly shut his locker. Nothing left to do but go to bed.
He all but dove under the blankets to get in to the bed. They weren't warm, but they still smelled of Jammer. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. His lover left a distinct trace behind that always made Felix feel comforted.
Before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was tired. After only six hours of sleep, Felix knew he wasn't fit to work his shift. But that wasn't why he was up and about. In a shirt and pants, he wore the leather shoes Jammer had given him. He currently had a thermos of hot soup and five cups.
Felix knew that the hangar deck was a little slow since the launch of Captain Thrace's rescue party. Half the Galactica's Raptors were on the mission and without a Cylon attack, there was little work to be had. Between two BattleStars, their Vipers, and the Raptors, the fleet was well protected even if they did.
He waved at various crew as he headed for Jammer's station. He and the others would be having their noon break there. This was one thing Felix would not give up.
Coming up on the Raptor bone yard, he paused beside a support beam. It only took a short search to find his lover.
Jammer was where he was supposed to be. Leaning against the work bench, he looked tired, but happy to be conversing with the Chief.
Beside them, Calley was watching them. Her smile was small, but she was evidently happy.
Even Tyrol looked more at ease. He looked over to Calley and smiled, once and quick, but he smiled.
The sight of them made Felix sigh. It was good to know they were getting along well once again. Starting towards them, he held the thermos up. They had been there for his breakdown, the least he could do was be there for the Chief.
Calley was the first to see him. Raising her hand, she enthusiastically waved for him to come over.
Catching her actions, Jammer looked in Gaeta's direction. Seeing Felix and the thermos, his eyes half closed and he licked his lips.
Snorting, Gaeta shook his head. There was only going to be eating going on here. "Hello, all." He held up the thermos and cups a little higher when he was within speaking range. "I brought you something."
"Oh, hey!" Grinning, Tyrol reached out to take them from Felix. He looked a little relieved to see him. "Fresh food is always welcome, especially when you're bringing it."
"Careful, I get jealous easily." While food was taken by the Chief, Jammer swept Gaeta up in his arms. Pulling him close, he pressed his lips to Gaeta's. The kiss was soft and warm, lasting only a second before he pulled back. He grinned at the other's blush. "Hello to you too."
With a cup full of soup, Calley closed her eyes and inhaled. "This. Smells. Good." Her words were stilted and slowly said due to her jaw sutures.
"It should, I had them specially make it just for you." Hearing Jammer groan, Felix pinched him under his arm. He twisted until they were both facing the others. "How goes the deck today, Chief?"
"Slow." He indicated the four Raptors with his cup before taking a swallow. The moment it hit his tongue, he moaned and stared at the contents. "What is this?"
"It's a secret." Gaeta started snicker until the alarm went off. Eyes going wide, he looked about for an attack. Realizing how silly he looked, he turned back to the others.
Swallowing a mouthful of the soup, Tyrol reached up for the handset on the wall behind him. Putting it to his ear, he waited for it to be picked up. "Yeah, this the Chief. What's the SitRep?" His eyebrows rose when he heard. "All right, thanks!"
Hanging up the handset, Tyrol took a quick swallow of his soup. "All right, listen up!" He headed out towards the main part of the deck. "I want maintenance and repair teams on standby. We got a fleet of Raptors coming in and they've got passengers."
Gaeta tightened his hold around Jammer's waist. Tugging the other man to him, he looked in to eyes. "I guess this means you have to work."
"Yeah, I guess." While he pat Felix on the back, Jammer didn't release him. "Come on, let's go greet the returning crew. May be we can get there before the tourists show up to gawk."
Walking with the others, Felix felt his heart start to speed up. The excitement in the air was almost visible as the crew gathered at the mouth of the Hangar. This was where the Raptors would be brought to discharge their passengers before being taken to their berths.
As he looked at the growing crowd, Felix saw the Admiral arrive with the President almost on his arm. Behind them were the Colonel and his wife. He quickly turned away to avoid her eye. They played poker together, nothing more. It wasn't that she was trouble to him, but it was best not to tempt fate.
The jostling of the others pushed him forward when he wanted to hang back. It didn't help that Jammer was dragging him along. Felix sighed. At least he was with their friends.
By the time the crowd was clogging the hangar, the first of the Raptors was being wheeled to a stop in front of them. The trolley leading them flashed its lights to indicate to the Raptor crew it was parked. A short second later, the hatch swung up and the people inside started to climb out.
Smiling brightly for the crowd, Starbuck paused halfway down the ramp. She reached behind her in to the Raptor to take a man's hand. "Come on, Anders, get your frakkin ass out here and meet the inlaws!"
"Kara!" The voice echoed out over the deck before he stuck his head out of the hatch. Climbing out completely, he had a put out expression.
Looking over Tyrol's shoulder, Gaeta saw them together. He started to smile until the man looked at the crowd. The moment Anders looked their way, he saw the Chief stiffen. Almost at the same time, Gaeta felt a pain in the back of his head. Then the world started to slow down.
On the ramp, Sam froze. His eyes a little wide, he watched the crowd.
Slowly, as if through water, Gaeta turned to look to his left. He saw Tyrol do the same thing. Two faces turned to stare at them from across the crowd.
Swallowing, he shivered. A single tear ran down his cheek as he turned back to the Raptor.
"Come on, Sam." Jerking her reluctant lover, Starbuck tugged him out of the way. "I got some people I want you to meet."
Nodding numbly, Sam kept looking at the same four faces in the crowd. He allowed her to lead him off the ramp and down to the deck.
As Gaeta watched, another head appeared in the hatch of the Raptor.
Quickly glancing about, the old man took in the crowd and smiled. His black suit stood out against the metal gray of the Raptor's hatch as he climbed out.
Felix was aware the crowd was shouting, cheering at the arrival of more people, but he didn't register it on a conscious level. Seeing the old man sent a sudden welling of rage through him. He started moving before anyone else noticed.
Hands clasped in front of him, the older man turned to look at the President and the Admiral. Seeing Sam watching two of the people with them, his eyes widened in surprise. "I'll be damned."
Grabbing a gun from the marine beside him, Felix took aim at the old man. "Monster!" He squeezed off two shots before the marine grabbed at him, trying to wrestle the gun from him.
Around the struggle, people screamed and ducked for cover. Those at the back of the crowd ran for their lives.
More marines converged on Felix. One hit him in the stomach while two others held him still. He dropped the gun just before another punched him in the face.
"Enough!" The Admiral's voice stilled the hands of the marines, yet they still held Gaeta. Anger coursing through him, Adama marched over to Felix. "What the hell do you think you were doing?"
Shaky from the attack, Felix leaned against the marines holding him. His head felt too heavy and the world was swimming violently. Blinking, he found the Admiral directly in front of him. "Sir?"
"Give me a reason, Mr. Gaeta. Now." Adama's voice was low, almost a growl in his anger.
"I know what's going on, Admiral." Swallowing, Tyrol came up to stand beside them. "The man was a Cylon, sir."
This brought Adama's attention to bare fully on Tyrol. "How in the hell do you know that?"
Before Tyrol could speak, a feminine throat cleared behind them. "Bill, look." The president stood over the body of the now dead man. She waited until the Admiral was staring where she pointed. "That, I believe, is an exact duplicate of Brother Cavil. He's telling the truth." She grimaced as she looked away.
Back going straight, Adama turned once more to face Gaeta. His jaw clenched as he reached up to adjust his glasses. "Take him to the brig."
Head lolling to the side, Felix felt himself start to lose consciousness. As he was hustled away, he glanced back. He could see Jammer watching him in shock.
Back at the Raptor, Sharon watched him with wide eyes.
The world quickly went black after that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He felt fingers trailing over his cheek. Strong and familiar, they traced the lines of familiar and comfort. Opening his eyes, he looked up expecting to find someone else than who was there. The smile quickly left his face. "Twelve."
"Seven." Staring down at Felix, Sam smiled slowly. "I have missed seeing you wake up in my arms."
"That was your decision." Seeing where they were, alarm quickly filled Gaeta. He tried to sit up, but Anders' hands held him flat on the bed. "They are listening!"
"No, I disabled the system." From his place against the far wall, Tyrol watched the guards through the glass. "They think we are here as friends."
Her back to the door, Tori had her arms crossed over her chest. "We should make this quick. Any moment the Humans can be alerted to our presence." She looked over to the last member of their party. "Your presence will not go unnoticed."
"I don't give a frak what they notice." Her hands in her hair, Ellen looked up to the ceiling. "Do any of you remember just exactly how hard we tried to blend in? The lengths we went to so we could hide from the others?" Dropping her chin, she turned her glare on Sam. "What in the hell did you do?"
"It's a safety program, a dead man's switch." It was Gaeta who answered, much to the others surprise. "I built it in to these bodies just in case this should ever happen."
"In case what?" Pushing off from the door, Tori took a step towards him in anger. "The colonies are destroyed? We knew that was going to happen. We planned on dying with them!"
"Not all of us." Tyrol frowned. Looking at the floor, he took a shaky breath. "Some of us hoped that our presence among the humans would be enough to stay our brothers and sisters."
"Well, obviously it wasn't." Scoffing, Ellen shook her head. The wall behind her was warm from her leaning against it. After shaking the hair out of her eyes, she looked to Gaeta. "So, oh wise Seven, what exactly did you plan for?"
"In the event we all survived." Gaeta's response silenced the others. The hand in his hair continued to stroke the strands off his face.
After a few minutes, Sam sighed. "What do we do now? We can't go back to the other models, our personalities are too distinct."
"Have you taken a listen to some of them? Individuality is not the problem." Snorting, Tori uncrossed her arms. The anger she felt over their situation made her shift whom she was looking at every couple of seconds. "I swear, they grew more schizophrenic with every passing year. But then again, isn't that why we left?"
"One of the reasons. Listen, we all know the reasons why we came here and why we can't go back." Raising his eyes, Tryol watched out the window again. The guards were starting to glance back, but mostly kept to their posts. "The fact we remember who we were changes nothing. We still have no where else to go."
"There is a base ship." Gaeta felt more than saw the others glare at him. Closing his eyes, he pulled the blanket up to his chest. "Our others are sleeping there, I moved them before I became Felix."
"You were supposed to destroy them!" Glaring at him, Ellen shoved off from the wall. "Can you do nothing right?" Through with their conversation, she started for the door. "Whatever you decide, I don't care. I have a pretty comfortable life here, I'm not giving it up."
"They know about you, now!" Gaeta's words stopped her in her tracks. Turning his head, he faced her stiff back. "The One knew about Twelve and saw his reaction to you." His mind quickly raced as it sorting out the information. "He must have sensed him on the way back from Caprica and put the rest together himself."
"He saw both of us." Alarm filled Tori's voice. Putting a hand to her chest, she tugged at her collar. "That son of a bitch saw us before Seven shot him. He knows about all three of us. He's no doubt told the others by now!"
"All right, now just calm down." Sounding tired, Tyrol shook his head. He turned to face the others. His shaved head reflected in the light. "They don't know everything. The Admiral had the other Cavil spaced and the Eight is back in her cell. We have a lid on how much information they have on us right now."
"It doesn't matter. They are going to come for us now that they know we are here." Stalking towards Tyrol, Tori tugged her suit back in to a proper appearance. "Our only hope of survival depends upon the Humans now."
"Like that wasn't the original plan to start with." Tyrol stepped up to her, staring her down. "We go on as usual, no changes."
"Of course there are going to be changes." Ellen glanced back at the bunk where Gaeta and Anders were. "Seven saw to that."
Chuckling, Anders reached up to scratch behind his ear. "Seems like old times." The itch satisfied, he went back to rubbing on Gaeta's hair. "We could never agree on anything when we were among the Twelve. Now we can't agree on anything here."
"What was the big plan for when we remembered?" Tyrol spoke without looking away from Tori. The old resentment between them flared once more.
"There wasn't one." Gaeta's statement was met with silence at first. Then they all turned to look at him. Sighing, he rubbed at his forehead. "On the off chance that this actually happened, I gave us an option. We can summon the BaseStar at any time, or we can continue on among the fleet. Your choice."
Tori shuddered. Closing her eyes, she let her shoulders droop. "How do we decide?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Setting the tray down on the metal brig table, Jammer smirked across it at Gaeta. "You look like hell. Prison life not agreeing with you?"
His face scrunched, Gaeta tried not to smell the food. "I see they are still using the same old rotten pair of gym shoes to make the cabbage rolls." Breathing through his mouth only helped a little. "Did you bring the bread and water like I asked for?"
"No, they said you had to eat what everyone else was eating." He pushed the tray towards Gaeta. Jammer reached in to the back on his shoulder and pulled out a small plastic wrapped bundle. "The Admiral told me to remind you that there are still ten days left in your sentence. These visits are a privilege." With that, he took a bite out of his hamburger.
Eyes narrowing, Gaeta picked up his fork. He contemplated stabbing the other man with it. In the end, the only thing he stabbed were the cabbage rolls. "How are the others?"
"Sulking, Calley misses you. Everyone does." Swallowing, Jammer wiped his lips with his cuff. "It helps to take her mind off the fact that she voted for that loser. Why in the hell she would want to settle is beyond me."
"The idea of not having to run anymore is very appealing." Even if it was an illusion, he added silently. "Have you ever thought about settling down? Of starting a life with someone?"
"I have a life. Without my ships and tools, I don't know what I'd do with myself." Polishing off the burger, Jammer licked his fingers. He made a great deal out of it just to piss off his lover. "I dunno, probably be a mechanic. I get the feeling I wasn't meant to do anything else."
Snorting, Gaeta watched him closely, a sad smile on his lips. "You're more special than you think."
Jammer shrugged. Checking the clock on the wall made him sigh. "Time's almost up. Anything you want me to tell the others?"
"Just save me a spot at the table. I plan on coming back fighting."
~~~~~~~~~~
Checking the jump clock, Gaeta closed his eyes in relief. His first duty shift after thirty days in the brig was finally complete. He now understood what Calley had gone through after shooting Boomer. All in all, it was well worth it just so he could shoot that bastard. Felix knew he would definitely do it again.
Signing out of his console, he was glad that it accepted his password. That had been a surprise, that they still worked. Considering the Admiral's paranoia about machines and infiltration. Then again, he didn't suspect the truth, no one did.
At least, no one mentioned it if they did.
Closing his eyes again, he took a breath to center himself. The DRADIS had not made one confirmed Cylon contact since the execution of the One calling itself Brother Cavil. That fact had made him twitchy all through his shift.
He knew there was at least one Cylon still out there in the fleet. He could feel her, knew it was a Six. The others also knew, and kept an eye out for her. But, until she poked her head up, they weren't going to be able to find her.
"Um, Lieutenant." Lieutenant Crance cleared her throat to get his attention. "Your shift ended five minutes ago."
Eyes going wide, Felix looked around the CIC. People were staring at him in amusement. Frowning, he reached up and pulled off his headset. "Sorry, Lieutenant, here." He handed it off to her as he rose from the station.
"That's okay, sir." As she took the headset, she quickly sat down and entered her access code.
He wanted to groan at her smile, at all their smiles. Thirty days in the hole had made him sloppy.
Shaking his head, he headed for the hatch. He was almost to it when he heard the Colonel clear his throat. What was with people clearing their throats to get his attention? Turning around, he looked to the man expectantly.
Close to chuckling, Tigh had a smirk on his face. "Ellen is looking forward to seeing you at the game tonight, Lieutenant." Raising his glass, he saluted Felix.
A shiver of relief went through him. Nodding, Gaeta inclined his head. "I look forward to it." Felix nodded once to the Admiral then quickly turned for the hatch. He intended to get out of there before anyone else could stop him. Unfortunately, the hatch opened before he could get to it.
Nodding to the guard who held it open for her, the President smiled at him. "Thank you, Hector." Stepping over the lip, Roslin walked through the hatchway.
"Madam President." The Admiral's voice set a hush over the CIC.
Almost as fast enough to give her whiplash, Laura's head turned to face Adama. Her smile was instant and full of pleasure. "Admiral."
Seeing them smile at each other made Felix's chest a little tight. He hadn't felt that way since his parents... That had never happened. Flushing, he looked past the President to the hatch in hopes of making his getaway. His eyes fell on the next person through the hatch and he stiffened a little.
The moment her eyes met Gaeta's, Tori froze. Her eyes went a little wide, then just as suddenly, she resumed her normal curious expression. Smiling at him, she gave him a quick nod.
Forcing himself to be casual, Gaeta returned her nod. It took a little effort to think of her as Tori and not Ten. The moment she cleared the hatchway he shot through it. He mentally berated himself. These little slip ups were going to make someone curious if he wasn't careful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time he made it to the Hangar Deck, Felix had managed to compose himself enough that he was fairly certain he could meet Eleven without any slip-ups. That settled, he rounded the corner to entrance of the Hangar Deck. He winced as he stepped through. He slowed to a stop as his ears adjusted to the noise.
Feeling stupid, he grimaced. He had forgotten about that. Before, he had spent so much time on the deck, that it had become almost second nature to brace himself. Another slip-up.
Eyes watering, he looked around to locate Jammer. He found his lover standing by the tool cases with his back to him, talking with Calley. Apparently she had her sutures out and was able to speak properly again.
As Felix approached, he sensed the other Cylon before he saw him. He turned to look and found the Chief heading towards the others as well.
Tyrol looked over to find Felix. He hesitated only a half step before resuming his course. Nodding, he indicated the other two.
Gaeta smiled. Picking up his pace, he tried to muffle his steps. The action was silly considering the amount of noise in the Hangar Deck. Still, he wanted to be stealthy as he snuck up behind Jammer.
The moment Calley saw him, she smiled and waved her hand.
This caused Jammer to turn around. Seeing that his lover was sneaking up on him made the man frown. "Don't even think about it."
Coming to a quick stop, Gaeta scowled at the two of them. He sighed and lowered his hands. "I have no idea what you believe I was intending. I simply wished to hug you." His smile was completely fake. There would be no tickling the other man now.
The look Jammer gave him clearly indicated he didn't believe Gaeta for a moment. A second later he jumped when fingers slid along his ribs. "Hey!" Spinning, he slapped at Tyrol's hands.
"Sorry, the Lieutenant made me do it." Stepping clear of Jammer's reach, the Chief wrapped an arm around Calley's shoulders. He tugged her against him and chuckled. "Welcome back, Gaeta, we've missed you on the deck."
"Thank you, Chief, I've been looking forward to working with you again." The look he shared with Eleven made him smile. It was hard to reconcile the two people he had known. They both had the same personality, and he found it difficult to keep the two lives separate. "My congratulations on your relationship."
"Thank you, sir." He gave Calley another squeeze, then released her. Clapping his hands, he rubbed them together. Tyrol stared Gaeta directly in the eyes. "What say you get suited up? We got a few birds that are glitching. Your mechanical expertise would be greatly appreciated."
Felix felt his amusement slip away. Apparently things were not completely forgiven between them. He had known their situation wouldn't be friendly when he had programmed their bodies to remember. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to regret it.
Nodding, Gaeta reached up to begin unbuttoning his jacket. "I would be happy to, Chief."
"That's what I like to hear." Giving him an assessing looking, Tyrol nodded. Then he turned to Calley and Jammer. "You two, your break's over."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Felix could sense another Cylon's presence as he came to a stop outside the Pilot's Rec. Holding the bottle under his arm, Gaeta reached up to rap on the hatch. His hand shook a little as he lowered it back to his side. The ache of three hours of near constant working had them a little numb.
A metallic thump preceded the opening of the door. Standing in the hatchway was Starbuck. Smirking, she looked down at his bottle. "Welcome back, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, Captain." He held up the bottle with both hands to keep from dropping it. "I bring my payment for three hours on the deck. I assume the price is still the same."
"I don't know. What's the quality and flavor?" She didn't wait for him to respond. Taking the bottle from him, she uncorked it and sniffed. A sip quickly became a chug. After swallowing, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed with pleasure. "Holy frak, that's green!" Tears stung at her eyes as she stepped back.
Inclining his head, he pushed past her and in to the chamber.
There were already two tables set up. The junior pilots were at the second one, their game in progress.
Seeing who was among their number made Felix come to a halt. He cast a quick look to the main table and located Ellen on her husband's arm. There had been two, why hadn't he known that?
"You going to stand there all night, Gaeta, or are we gonna start this?" Smacking Felix in the back, Starbuck grinned at him. In her other hand was the bottle, still uncapped.
Hearing the name, Anders turned to look. When he saw Gaeta, he froze. Swallowing, he nodded once, then quickly turned back to his cards.
Sighing, Gaeta nodded. "Yeah, let's get to this."
"Don't sound enthusiastic or anything, we wouldn't want you to strain yourself." She jerked his arm, tugging him to the senior officer's table. After shoving Gaeta in a seat, she flung her leg out over another chair so she could plop down. "Opening blinds are five-n-ten cubits. Tonight we're playing with a pro, gotta make the game interesting."
Still a little stunned, Gaeta checked at the pile that Helo set in front of him. "My bottle is worth a hundred, gold."
"Sorry, Kara's already polished off half, so that's fair." Patting Felix on the back, Helo smirked. "If you want the rest, talk with her."
"Never mind, I have a feeling I will have them back soon enough." Gaeta felt his confidence slide in to place, squashing the numbness. Quickly stacking his cubits, he looked up at the other players.
Catching his eye, Ellen waved her fingers and smirked. "Welcome back, Gaeta."
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world."
THE END.....................................
Alternate Ending
__________________________
It was late when he heard the door to his cell open. Rolling over to face the person, Gaeta was surprised to find out who it was. Sitting up, he leaned on one elbow. "Dr. Baltar, what can I do for you?"
Nervously licking his lips, Gaius snorted. "You're perfect. So absolutely bloody perfect." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder to the door, before walking to the single chair.
Alarmed, Gaeta sat the rest of the way up. "What are you talking about, Doctor?"
"You know, you're not the first one to fool me." He gave a small laugh, his grin turning lascivious. "Though, she knew my one weakness and used it against me. You, on the other hand." Pointing at Gaeta, Baltar twisted his head. "You were something different. I couldn't figure it out until just recently."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Raising his chin, the humor left Gaeta's face.
"Cut the bullshit, I know, okay. I. Know!" Anger coursed through him, giving Baltar a clarity he normally seemed to lack. "I get the feeling you're not the only one, though." He was back to nervous half a heartbeat later. "The thing is, I can't figure out why. Why you? Why me? Why any of this? What is God's plan?"
Rising slowly from the bed, Gaeta watched the other man nervously twitch. "Gaius, how many other people have you told about this?"
"No one, I'm not stupid!" Frowning, Baltar rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I just want some answers."
Crossing to the sink, Felix turned on the tap. Cupping his hands for water, he scrubbed them over his face. Once he finished, he used the towel to dry off. Done, he turned to face Baltar. "There is no God. The Cylons have a very active imagination."
"That...can't be." The nervousness was gone, replaced with disbelief. Standing up, Gaius seemed a little distracted as he glanced to his left. "You're lying, I can tell. What do you know about the Cylons' plans?"
"They planned to exterminate humanity. Except for the fleet, they accomplished that. Any more stupid questions?" Felix walked back to his bunk and sat down. There were only a few more hours left to his sentence and he wanted to be well rested for when he got out.
Eyes wide, Gaius shook his head. "No. No! I don't accept that!" He kept glancing off to his left between glaring at Felix. "You know what happened. You know why! I want to know and you are going to tell me!"
"Sorry, I can't help you." With a salute to the other man, Felix laid back on the bunk. He started to roll over so he could face the wall. A sudden pain in the back of his head was quickly followed by his face hitting the wall.
Standing over Gaeta, Baltar gripped the man by the head. "I will not be ignored! She says you have the answers, I will have them!" He smacked the other man's face in to the wall again. "Tell me what is God's plan!" When the other man didn't respond, he growled. Enraged, he slammed Gaeta's face in to the wall one more time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gasping, Felix came awake. His skin felt slimy and his hair was matted to his head. Glancing about in horror, he instantly recognized where he was. The beating of his heart started to return to a normal pace as he saw the others reviving in their tanks.
A night mare, it had been just a dream. Settling down in to the resurrection gel, he reached up to push his hair back. The long strands of curls lay over his face. It had been so long since he had long hair that he had forgotten.
Soon, over the sound of their breathing, the hum of a single eye could be heard. It was followed by the thump of metal feet on the decks. Coming from the only entrance to the resurrection chamber, a series of Centurions appeared.
Gaeta was the first to stand up in the tank. He held out his hand for the Centurion to take. Once it had him, he allowed it to pull him from the tank. Across the chamber, he saw the others climb out one by one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why do you wear that uniform?"
Glancing over his shoulder, Gaeta found Anders coming up behind him. He looked down to his Colonial Military Uniform and shrugged. "It's comfortable."
"There are other clothes just as comfortable." Wrapping his arms around Gaeta's waist, Sam pulled him back against his chest. "Do you regret leaving them behind?"
"We made our choice as a whole. We achieved unity on the matter." Closing his eyes, he dropped his head back against Ander's shoulder. The warmth of the BaseShip around them comforted him.
Anders sighed. "That isn't what I asked, and you know it."
"Of course I regret it. Ten years of my life was spent with them." Once he started, Gaeta couldn't hold back the emotions. "After the Division, we made a choice to stick with Humanity until one or both of us ceased functioning. We failed to keep that promise."
"We can go back." Pressing his lips to Gaeta's temple, Anders tightened his grip around the other man. "If that's what you want."
The option was still there, but none of them voiced it. They knew where the fleet was, knew where Humanity was hiding.
"We'd be putting them at risk. I don't want to take the chance." Closing his eyes, Felix slid his hands up Sam's arms. They felt so strong about him, like they were the only thing keeping him alive. "We must simply find a way to live on our own."
"There is still the Thirteenth Colony still out there." Anders felt Gaeta stiffen in his arms. "We could go look for it."
"That could take a long time." Gaeta snorted. "But what else do we have more of?"
THE END...................................