Fic: Nessun Dorma 2/3 BattleStar Galactica 2003
Title: Nessun Dorma Author: Lopaka Tanu Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Battlestar Galactica. Characters: Gaeta, Lee, ensemble Wordcount: 29259 Fandom: Battlestar Galactica Pairing: Gaeta/Lee Rating: Adult Series: Daphne: Sacred Laurel Warnings: Language, Violence, Alternate Universe Summary: After an incident during his fourth year, Gaeta finds himself left without a posting and adrift among the colonies. Author's Note: Gaeta never served on the Galactica. ______________________________________
Holding his bag over his shoulder, Zak slipped in to the pilot's barracks. After a tropical depression had ruined the Ithycan weather, he had called in a transport and ended his leave early. It wasn't a total loss, he got a tan out of it. It was more than he could say for Lee, who seemed to constantly fluctuate between ghost and pale. Snickering, he took off his sun glasses in the darkened room.
If the lights were out, that meant Lee was back and in his bunk asleep. His older brother kept odd hours and raised holy hell if his sleep was interrupted. Since his holiday had ended in a bust, he might as well have some fun at his brother's expense. This required some stealth, so he took off his boots. Creeping along the bunks towards his brother's in socks, he prepared himself to jump on Lee.
What he saw when he came in sight of his brother's bunk made him grin. "So, the old dog wasn't neutered after all." Strolling over to his own bunk, Zak dropped off his stuff before veering over to Lee's. "Let's see who decided to fall for the ugly brother." Snickering, he picked up his flashlight and shown it over in Lee's bunk.
Lee was curled up pretty tight against the person, but there was no mistaking that arm. His brother was in bed with a man. Nothing innocent about the way his brother was holding him, or the fact they were naked, either. "Dad's going to love this." Sliding the light up the man's body, he stopped at the neck. The glint of a silver chain told him the man was at least in the military. Next, he tried to see if he recognized the face, but couldn't get a good look. All he could see were dark curls. "Brother likes tall, dark, and handsome. Strike that, dark and handsome, Lee and he are the same size."
Hearing something, Lee woke up from the wonderfully stimulating dream he had been having and looked around. Seeing it was just Zak, he flipped him off and snuggled back in the warmth of his bed mate. When Gaeta started to stir, he stroked his side and pressed his lips to his shoulder. "Shh, it's nothing." After kissing Gaeta's shoulder again, they both settled down and went back to sleep.
Zak looked up from his brother to see Mobrey entering the barracks. Gesturing at the men on the bunk, he raised an eyebrow. "How long has this been going on?"
"What?" Mobrey took in the bunk and his eyebrows disappeared in his hairline. "Damn, and I thought you moved fast. Guess it's genetic, which means I'll never learn it." Hanging his head sadly, he mimed at wiping away a tear. After a couple of huffy sniffs, he threw a thumb over his shoulder. "The gorgon saw your transport land, she wants to see you on the tarmac with the other nuggets."
"I'm not back five minutes and she is already riding my ass." Shaking his head in disgust, Zak opened his locker door, slamming it against the next one. No longer thinking about Lee, Zak jerked his shirt over his head and grabbed the uniform tank to put on. Nothing good could come of Kara sending Mobrey after him. After he switched out of his rec pants for the flight shorts, he grabbed the flight suit. "See you on the ground, Mobes." He slammed his locker shut and ran out of the room.
Waking up again, Lee frowned. This time he was more alert. Glancing about for the person who woke him, he glared at Mobrey.
Throwing up his hands, Mobrey shook his head. "Wasn't me that woke the all mighty Apollo from his slumber." Grinning, he nodded towards where Lee was wrapped around Gaeta. "Looks like you two got cozy fast."
"We were tired after the shower." Hearing Mobrey snickering, he grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. "Get your mind out of the drain. He's going through some tough times and unlike some people, I thought I would help him out."
"He's awake now." Rubbing at his eyes, Gaeta rolled over so that he faced Lee. Now that they shared the same pillow, they were less than two inches apart. Staring at Lee with a bored expression, he was sober for all of two seconds before snickering. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, actually. At least until some loud mouths came in." Shooting Mobrey a quick look, Lee pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. He was too warm and comfortable to get up just yet. Besides, it had only been a couple hours and his leg still ached. While Gaeta continued to watch him, Lee settled down to sleep. "Mobrey, be so kind as to leave now, unless you've come to climb in your own bunk for a change."
"Aw, you know me, always finding someone else to share a bed with." Truth was, it wasn't a lot of someone elses, it was the same person. Turning to go, he paused in the doorway as he remembered something. "Oh, Lee, Boomer and Helo told me to tell you that as the new kids, it is their place to try and out shine everyone else. I believe her exact words were 'quit being a dick and stealing our thunder'."
"Tell Boomer she can ride Helo's red rocket to Vega if she is so inclined for all I care. Now get out." When Lee heard Mobrey's chuckling disappear, he cleared his throat and tried to get comfortable. He was almost there, ready to sleep, but something was off. Reaching out, he felt around for what it was. "Gaeta, roll over."
"Lieutenant, although I am highly flattered, I don't think it would be appropriate." Gaeta was giggling as Lee forced him to roll over and face the wall again. Sighing as Lee molded their bodies together, Gaeta felt the weakness of fatigue come over his limbs. Despite the strange feeling of being in someone's arms, he found he rather enjoyed it. In a way, it was comforting, even if it only lasted until he woke up.
Lee waited until Gaeta was asleep again before he moved. Pressing his nose in to Gaeta's hair, he felt foolish. He inhaled the scent of the other man, luxuriating in having to share the same pillow. With a contented smile, he closed his eyes and followed Gaeta in to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Pulling on his pants, Felix looked forlornly at his shabby clothing. The coat had been torn in several places, including the shoulder, and he didn't have any way to repair it. His only good pair of pants were the dress bottoms he hadn't worn since his last day as a cadet. He was wearing those now, but his other clothes were a lost cause.
Coming up behind Felix, Lee pulled on his own shirt. It was one of the few civilian clothes he owned on base. Pulling out an old style flight jacket and a shirt, he reached around Gaeta and draped them over his chest. "Put these on. The shirt might be tight, but the jacket was my mother's uncle's, it should fit."
Taking the shirt and jacket, Gaeta stared at them. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because it will upset my father when he finds out." Chucking the shirt he just had on, Lee pulled out another one. After he checked it for stains, he felt it reasonably clean and pulled it on. "You need help, I need a house boy, I am sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement." His laughter increased as Gaeta spun to stare at him. "Kidding. Truth be told, I feel like doing it. What my father did was wrong and if I don't fix it, no one will. Everyone else around here will bend down and kiss his ass in a moment's notice."
"I don't need you to fix this. This is my life, my fight, I can handle it." He started to foist the jacket and shirt back on to Lee, but the other man stilled his actions with a hand on his wrists.
"Work it out on your own time. If it makes you uncomfortable, think of it as a favor. I do you one now and you owe me later." Releasing Gaeta's arm, Lee shook his head. "And if that doesn't work for you, the rent boy job is still open. I have to warn you, though, the pay is lousy, the hours long, and you'd spend a lot of time on your knees.... scrubbing floors." Putting on his sun glasses, Lee grabbed his duffle bag and walked to the door.
Despite an overwhelming urge to drop the clothes and run for his life, Felix put on the shirt.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee's car wasn't his so much as his mother's. Switching off the radio the moment Gaeta flicked it on, he shook his head. "We don't touch that. Caroline Adama has been known to kill people for less." Checking the mirrors as they rolled in to traffic, he was glad to be out in the open road again. While it wasn't the thrill of flying in space, it did have its own unique flare. "We're heading in to Caprica City, my mother's family owns a building there and I keep a flat on the top floor. You can crash there until you get back on your feet. Don't worry about my father's stigma, this is Caprica City. Mentioning my mother's name opens more doors."
"You seem pretty attached to her." Watching as Lee smoothly guided the vehicle down the road, he was almost hypnotized by the weaving through the traffic.
Lee was silent for a minute. "My mother didn't deserve to be inflicted with my father. Granting her the divorce was the best thing he ever gave her."
"I dunno, some could make a claim you and your brother might qualify." In the mirror, Gaeta watched Lee's reaction. The clenched jaw said his host didn't think that. "What's caused you to hate him so much?"
"Listen, if I let you turn on the radio, will you stop asking questions and enjoy the ride?" Lee didn't give him time to respond, choosing instead to turn on the radio. Fortunately for him, it was classical ambiance that didn't irritate or draw attention to itself and he could ignore it. He didn't want to think about anything involving his father at the moment, it was bad enough he was having to clean up another of his messes. Zak's messes.
Facing forward, Felix thought about what was going on in his life. What this meant for him. He wasn't sure that what Lee said was true, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. The car lurched and for the first time he noticed the grace in Lee's driving was gone. After another jerk, he was thrown against the center console, his hand slid to Lee's leg.
For a moment, he sat their frozen. His fingers were there accidentally, a little further and they would be on the inside of Lee's thigh. It wouldn't be so bad, not much more different than serving under the man. Squeezing Lee's leg once, he withdrew back to his side of the car. He noted, with some relief, that Lee's driving had smoothed out again.
Lee refused to think about how being touched by Gaeta made him feel. There was already enough tension between them without need to increase it with a sexual fling. He didn't have time for a relationship with someone who wasn't in the military. Again, the pang of guilt flared up in him. He had to actively remind himself just because his family was involved, it wasn't his fault. Clearing his throat, he turned the wheel to follow the off ramp in to the city.
His speed increased the moment he hit the back streets, heading away from the water front towards the far side of the city. There was something exciting about flying between the buildings at a heart racing speed. Minute adjustments were needed to avoid trash cans, pedestrians, and the occasional parked delivery truck. All these he handled with barely a twitch of an eye.
For his part, Gaeta was clutching the console and his door handle for dear life. So tense, even his ass clenched in to the seat, desperate to hang on. When he felt Lee's arms suddenly drop on to the console, he glanced over in horror.
Grabbing what had appeared to be an innocuous gear shift, Lee grinned at Gaeta. "Brace for landing!" Squeezing the safety latch, he threw the gear back and the car immediately decelerated to a crawl. Thrown forward in his belt, Lee shouted with glee.
As he was thrown forward, Felix swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. Even he was disgusted by how boring and dull it was. If he died as the result of the lunatic beside him, he would rip him a new one. Settling back in his seat made him wonder just what the hell had he been thinking when he decided to trust Lee. Surely there were safer ways to die.
Pulling the car over to the curb, Lee put it in park and turned off the engine. "Fun, hunh?" Grinning at Gaeta, he pulled off his belt. He reached in the back and pulled out his duffle. "We're here."
"Great. Just, uh, let my stomach catch up, we left it about a ten miles back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Felix's first thought upon entering the apartment was that Lee never lived there. Every thing was pristine. There were very few pieces of furniture in the way of living room pieces. Most of the space was filled with museum stands and cases. Entire walls were covered in glass boxes with back lighting to highlight their contents. Covering every spare inch of these displays were colonial military memorabilia. Cylon war era to be precise.
Having watched Gaeta's reaction, Lee gestured around him. "Welcome to the casa de Adama. This was my parent's place before. When I was a kid this entire room was off limits. We had to use the side entrance with the service elevator. Now, I come through the front door every time. It's almost like I can feel him growling in anger at me when I do."
Chuckling, Lee walked over to a wall with a full length woven tapestry. Touching the glass, he giggled. "This was his favorite. It's the BattleStar Galactica, his first assignment. Mom had it commissioned for his fortieth birthday. He'd kill me just for breathing on it." Smearing his finger prints on the glass, he walked over to another case.
Gaeta's breath caught when he took in the entirety of the ship. It made his chest ache to see the ship he had dreamed of serving on. Closing his eyes, he turned away. When he opened them again, he saw Lee watching him. "What?"
"You really wanted to serve under him." When Gaeta cast his eyes downwards, Lee walked over to the display case. Wiping his finger prints off it, he stood back to admire it. "Be glad you never got to know the real Commander. He's a heartless bastard if you aren't his favorite. You could never do anything to please him and every attempt would just make it that much worse for you."
Lee walked away from the display case, heading towards the only exit from the main room. "Come on, I'll show you around." He waited until Gaeta followed him in to the rest of the apartment before closing the door. He locked it behind him, dropping the key in a wooden box beside it. "To deny temptation is to remain strong."
"Temptation to do what?" Gaeta watched him. There was just something about Lee, he wanted to know him a little better.
"Throw it all away, of course." Lee didn't think about it, he couldn't care less. It was just something that existed, like the sky or the stars, it was. Remembering what he meant to do, he glanced around the rest of the apartment. Most of the place was bare of furniture too, this was by his choice. "I threw out most of the old stuff, Zak had a dog for about three days, it tore the hell out of everything. We just never replaced it because I was in the service and he was going in."
"How long have you had this place all to yourself?" The second living room, now the main one, held only a wooden couch with a few throw pillows and a television screen. It made Felix long for the dorms. There was entirely too much room in this one room for his liking.
"Mom moved out shortly after the divorce, left this to me and Zak. He was fifteen, so I was seventeen. Nine years." Counting off on his fingers, he nodded. "Through the far door is a bathroom. It only has a sink and toilet, mom calls it the powder room." Taking Gaeta by the hand, he dragged him across the room from the locked door to a double set of doors. "Close your eyes and make a wish."
"I don't think..." he trailed off as Lee put his hands over Felix's eyes. Sighing, Felix added this to another quirk in Lee's personality. Strangers seemed to fascinate him, he enjoyed shocking them, being a 'bad boy' despite his overtly 'good boy' image, he was at heart longing for his father's love. Psychology courses involved in officer training were really handy.
As he was maneuvered in front of the door, Lee behind him, Gaeta reveled in the heat of Lee's hands on his skin. When Lee made him move to the side by guiding him head first, he nearly tripped. The absurdity of it took hold and he chuckled. "Any time you are ready, Lieutenant."
Leaning in close, Lee whispered in Gaeta's ear. "Call me Lee." He removed his hands from Gaeta's face and opened the double doors. "You can open your eyes now."
Gaeta did so. His breath catching in his throat, he could do nothing but stare. Through the double doors was a large kitchen on the side of grand. What had caught his attention, was beyond the dinette set and the island in the middle of the kitchen. The large bay window was ten panels wide. Through it, the setting sun back lit the entire city of New Caprica and the ocean beyond.
Without realizing it, Lee's hands had settled on Gaeta's hips. "The apartment was valued at half a million quebits before they saw the view. I shudder to think what the family pays in taxes on this place." His world seemed to narrow in on the two of them. Not thinking what he was doing, his hands slid around Gaeta's waist. Tugging the other man against him, he lowered his head to Felix's shoulder. "The bedrooms are off to the left. There are four of them, the exit to the freight elevator is at the end of the hall."
Nodding, Gaeta allowed himself to relax in to Lee's touch.
"You can stay here as long as you like." After what felt like hours, Lee released Gaeta and took a step back. Running a hand over his hair to fix it, he frowned. This wasn't a good situation for either of them. He wasn't ready, not after what had been happening in his life recently. Sticking his hands in his back pockets, he faced Gaeta again. "Um, what is it you are thinking of doing, work wise that is?"
Gaeta had to think about it for a moment. There were few things he wanted to do now. He had had a back up plan if the tactical officer training fell threw. Turning to Lee, he made up his mind. It couldn't hurt to tell him. "Well, this morning I was looking for a job in security or government, something to pay the bills while I decided what to do next. Now? My back up plans, in case my dream career fell through, was to study genetics at the fleet's R&D adjunct."
"Right." Lee felt immediate relief at being able to focus on something else. Moving towards the hall off the dinning area, Lee offered Gaeta a grin. "I'll have a talk with my mother and see what we can do about that. You should hear from her from some time in the next couple days. In the mean time, I'll order up some basics to be delivered."
Following Lee with his eyes, Gaeta frowned. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to finish showing me around?"
"I think you can do the rest. Pick a bedroom, any room." Waving a hand over his shoulder, Lee fled to the door. "Oh, the spare key is here hanging on a hook above the door. When you need to go out, take it with you, it contains a device on a ring that automatically lets you by pass the security. Call me if you lose it, my number is in the directory!" With that he fled out the door. He didn't relax until he was in the lift going down. It was a close one, but he made it out without doing something he would regret later.
Eyes wide in shock, Gaeta stood watching the door for a while yet. After the sun had gone beneath the horizon, he carried his bag down the hall. He scanned the first bedroom he came across. In it he found mens clothing folded neatly at the foot of the bed. A faint sheen of dust on them told him the room hadn't been used in a long time. Judging from the size of the clothes, he could tell it didn't belong to Lee.
Backing out of the room, he let the door close and checked the one across the hall. This one was slightly bigger, it had a view out over the city like the kitchen but not as grand. He could see entire towers come to life with lights through this one. Setting down his bag, he walked over to the bed under the window and sat down.
The room was clean, the bed wide enough for two people. The floor was hard wood, but the imported rugs kept one's feet off them. There was a vanity across the room from the bed, the fading rays of light reflecting in the mirror. The door was next to the vanity on the right. Next to the bed, on the far wall, was a bureau next to what he assumed was the closet door. On the other side of the bureau was another door. It was open and he could see white porcelain inside.
The room had everything he needed.
Glancing over to the bedside table across the bed from his seat, he caught the image of a picture under the lamp. Leaning over the bed, he turned on the lamp to get a better look. The picture was of a younger looking Lee and what Gaeta could correctly assume was a bald Zak. Upon closer inspection, he could make out that Zak had a braid off the side of his head in what had been Luxor fashion. Gaeta could recall several of the boys in his class wearing their hair like that when he was a eighteen. He thought it was silly then and he thought it now. Smiling, he turned off the light.
This was the room he wanted.
Standing up, Gaeta picked up his duffle and carried it to the bureau. It wasn't until he saw the state of his clothes that he decided it was better to wait until he had mended them to put them in the bureau. Opening the top drawer, he checked to see if it was empty. The sight of a drawer full of Lee's underwear made him pause. Feeling like an intruder, he started to close the drawer, but stopped half way.
At the bottom of the drawer, he could make out the glass of a picture frame. Pushing aside the black underwear, he forced his mind not to think about them, and stared at the picture. It was of the Galactica, but a newer one than in the 'shrine', he could tell because the starboard landing pod had been replaced. The plaque at the bottom read Forty Years: Lest we Forget, which meant it was six years old. By his calculation, that would have been about the time Lee started his military career, twenty being the earliest age they let enter the academy.
Putting the underwear back over the picture, he closed the drawer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The knocking was coming from the freight entrance, so Gaeta assumed it was another delivery person. Since the night before, there had been twelve of them, each with something new. The kitchen was now over stocked and the living room finally looked lived in. Passing the other two rooms, one of which was converted in to a library/guest room, the other being the master suit, Gaeta readied to sign for the delivery.
When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a blonde woman in a suit with a shark's smile staring at him.
Pushing passed Gaeta, she closed the door behind her. She took in the appearance of Gaeta, unshaven in one of Lee's longer shirts and his boxer briefs, with an amused smile that bordered on frosty. "I must admit you are a pretty one, when cleaned up that is."
Gaeta glanced to a level beneath her eyes composing himself for dealing with her. "Madam Adama, I assume?"
"Deductive, good, I would hate to think he brought home another brainless piece of ass." Chuckling to herself, she glanced up. "Oh dear, wrong son. Lee always had poor taste in women too, but with the good grace never to bring them home. I should hope that would change with the sex of the partner this time."
Gaeta kept his response to himself. He could tell she was waiting for a response from him. She was testing him. Deciding he would play her game, he grinned. "I should hope so." At her delighted grin, he added, "if he takes a man as his lover, that is."
"So he hasn't frakked you yet." Patting his cheek, she turned and walked in the apartment. "Give it time, dear, he was all Gaeta this, Felix that last night when he called." Caroline paused at the open bedroom door and snorted. "I see you've made yourself right at home. You had better be worth the price and my time, my dear boy."
She finished her inspection of the apartment quickly by glancing in to the living room through the open kitchen doors. Setting down her satchel on the kitchen table, she removed her suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. "Mr. Gaeta, please come and sit." Opening her satchel, she pulled out a computer and a folder of papers.
Gaeta put on his business air, preparing himself for a brutal examination. He had faced down the tribunal during fourth year, he could handle one woman. Or so he thought until he saw the computer. The sight of such advanced technology threw him for a loop. He had never seen anything quite like it and it caused conflicting emotions in him.
Caroline caught his look and smirked. "Beautiful, isn't it. It's not quite as advanced as the one my parents had before the war, but it serves its purpose. Don't worry, I understand the military beats a kind of technophobia in to its people, so I will handle it for now." Lifting up the screen, she began clicking the keys to activate it.
Taking a seat as far away from the computer as possible, Gaeta composed himself again. That was three times she had unsettled him. This was getting sloppy. He took a moment to normalize his breathing before looking at her again. "Where do we begin?"
"How far did you get in your private studies with genetics? Your test scores from your pre-academy university were inconclusive. I need to know before I can make a recommendation." Bringing up the information on her computer, she quickly glanced over his profile.
"I, uh, was working on human genetics. My field of interest was human reproductive cells and replicating them." While she typed away, he summoned what he could remember. It was hard to think about it in human terms, ways to explain it without sounding like he was quoting a manual. "I was studying Dr. Shenkar's research, more specifically, making artificial human gametes using nano technology."
"Dr. Shenkar, leading theorist on human genetics including infertility, causes and solution. His work has since been banned by the Science Council of Ministers. His conclusions were considered too controversial for humanity given the level of advancements required in machines." She looked up at him over the monitor. "Pick another field, you're already in trouble with the government."
Gaeta stared at her. Was she kidding?
"I don't have all day, Mr. Gaeta. Either you pick a field or I leave and recommend to Lee that he throw you back where he found you." Her tone brokered no resistance. He would comply or she would do as she stated.
"Robotics." Grinning at her, he tried his own test of her sense of humor. When she merely raised an eyebrow, he cleared his throat and looked away again. "I was trained as a Tactical Officer for a battlestar. My skills include management, technological encoding, combat engineering, and a myriad of minor abilities necessary as third officer on a battlestar."
"I am well aware of your military training. My son has informed me of your skill in that arena." She was surprised by the angry look on his face, but kept her own expression inquisitive. "You have something to add to that?"
"Your son is incompetent. He has no business aboard a battlestar, let alone in the military. I said it then, I say it now. I am surprised you, an obviously intelligent person, would base your opinion upon a bitter malcontent." Standing from his seat, he stormed out of the kitchen. In the bedroom, he grabbed up his duffle. He knew it was too good to be true, the whole thing was humiliating. He had been willing to submit himself to her examination on good faith and she was just another nepotistic bitch.
Gaeta was throwing his newly patched clothes back in his duffle when Caroline appeared in the door way. Her expression was pissed, but he couldn't give a shit. After grabbing the last of his clothes from Lee's bureau, he shoved passed her. "Excuse me!"
Walking in to the kitchen, he headed for the clothes washer on the far side under the cabinets. His clothes were still wet, so he stuck them in a plastic bag. Tying it up, he shoved it in the duffle. When he pulled the clothes out of the dryer, he pulled on a pair of pants. He would worry about finishing up his clothes in the elevator. After he stuffed the rest in his bag, he tightened the draw string and buckled the flap. Shouldering it, he marched to the door and slipped his boots on.
As he opened the door, he turned to send another glare at Caroline. "I think I understand now why your husband never spent any time at home." With a resounding slam, he closed the door and marched over to the freight elevator. He slid the protective grates down on the lift and hit the down button. As it went down, the door to the apartment opened, but he turned his back on it. If he had to look at her one last time, he would likely get violent.
Caroline Adama was worse than her ex-husband. At least he hadn't done anything except ruin his career. Caroline Adama had come down from her mighty perch and called in to question everything he was. He didn't have to take that from anyone, let alone some bitter old hag. By the time the lift hit the bottom, he was shaking and close to tears. Fisting his duffle strap, he stepped out in to the back lobby of the building and in to the early morning. The lift went back up as he let the door to the lobby close behind him.
Waiting on the side walk was a man in a white uniform, searching the building. Seeing Gaeta, he started towards him, but stopped when Gaeta took an attack posture.
"Stay away from me or I will hurt you." Gaeta was in no mood to deal with some frakking Adama lackey, which this man was given his uniform and the large automobile waiting at the curb. Circling around the man to keep a safe distance between them, Gaeta made sure to keep his attention around him just in case there was another one. The bitch up stairs probably called him and warned him to hold Felix. Well, this was one demand she wouldn't get taken care of.
When he was on the side walk, Gaeta tossed aside any pretense of attacking and made a run for it. He was half a block away when the guard decided to act. Putting all his strength in his lope, Gaeta picked up to his top speed. He knew he could go faster if he dropped the bag, but it held everything he needed to survive, including a couple weeks of supplies. On instinct, he clutched the bag to use it as a weapon if necessary.
Dashing across four lanes of traffic, Gaeta saw his chance. Just down the road was a large gathering that began under a sign that said Riverwalk Market. It would be the perfect place to disappear.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lee was in the middle of doing a leg curl with his sore leg when Mobrey entered the gym. Lowering his leg at the haggard expression on his friend's face, Lee sat up. "What happened?"
"It's Gaeta." Pushing Lee back down as the man tried to stand up, he shook his head. "Your mom tried her old routine on him. She said he exploded when she said something about his career and he just took off."
"Where is he?" He shoved off Mobrey's hand when he tried to keep Lee sitting. "I said, where is he?"
"We don't know. Her driver tried to catch up to him, but a car and he panicked..." Shaking his head, Mobrey let his hands drop to his side. "The driver said couldn't follow him in time to catch up. By the time your mother got there, he was long gone. She's having a melt down, man. I wouldn't be surprised if she even called the Commander."
"Frakking damn it all to hell!" Standing up from the mat, he limped his way to the handset. Picking it up, he waited for the comm officer to respond. "Patch me through to the Adama residence in Memphis Towers." Waiting for his mother to pick up, he angrily clutched the handset. By the time someone did answer, it was cracking in his grip. "Aunt Morla? Where is my mother? I don't give a frak, put her on the extension!" Lee stared at the handset in anger when the line disconnected.
"Lee, forget it. It's over." Clutching his friend's shoulder, Mobrey tried to calm him. When he was eventually rebuffed, he continued to stand beside Lee. He knew the other guy had started to form a connection with Gaeta and didn't want his friend to hurt. Not again.
Dropping the handset, Lee limped from the gym. He was no longer interested.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clutching his coat closer about him, Gaeta prepared to climb out of the car and in to the rainy night. Before he did, he glanced over his shoulder again at the man who had given him a lift. "Thank you, sir, I'm not sure if I can ever repay you, but consider me in your debt."
"Not at all." Blowing out a puff of smoke, Baltar grinned. "It was my pleasure. It was interesting to meet someone else who had studied Dr. Shenkar's work in bioengineering. If only we had been alive fifty years ago, imagine what we could have accomplished."
"I know what we could have accomplished, Dr. Baltar, and frankly, it concerns me. But that will have to wait until another time." Clutching the card in the palm of his hand, Gaeta glanced down at it. On it was written a personal recommendation from the Doctor for him. It might be just another business card, or it could be a job he could be proud of. "When I get settled, Doctor, I will give you a buzz and we can discuss this further if you like."
"Of course." Watching as Gaeta climbed out of the car, he sighed. The door closed and he watched Gaeta run across the parking lot to duck under the awning of the homeless shelter. "If only you were born a woman, my dear, what a couple we would have made. Then again, I suppose it's a good thing you were born a man. I don't think I could have respected someone I slept with quite so much." Putting his car in gear, he drove it across the parking lot and away from the shelter.
Driving along the road back towards Caprica City, Gaius hummed along to a song he had heard earlier in his head. It was probably some pop trash, but right now it seemed appropriate and his brain wouldn't let him forget it. There was only way to get over not getting laid, that was getting laid. As if in answer to his prayers, he saw a woman standing by the road, her hand up and her clothes soaked through. Looking upwards as he pulled over, he thanked his lucky stars. "Need a lift, my dear?"
Blinking away the rain drops, the blonde smiled. "Thank you, I would like that." It took her a second to figure out how to open the car door before climbing in. Folding her long body in the vehicle, she closed the door and turned pouty lips on him. Leaning across the console as he swallowed, she grinned. "Are you alive?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been three weeks. Three weeks since his life had been turned on end again. Lee felt his heart beating, but little else.
His mother had tried several times to contact him, but he had ignored her each try. Even the Commander had sent him a message, but he burned it without even glancing at it. There wasn't a point, he knew what it would say. He had defied the old man once more, lots of disappointment, call your mother.
Frak them.
That's why, when he saw Kara standing with a big grin on her face on the tarmac after his first mission since Gaeta, that he almost told her frak off. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her shenanigans. As it was, he told Mobrey to do it for him. Climbing out of the Raptor, he tried to avoid Kara, but she was like a dog with a bone and ran up to him. When it looked like she wasn't going to be deterred, he looked at her in askance.
Holding up a slip of paper between her index finger and thumb, she grinned. "How much do you absolutely want to marry me and have my babies?" At his glare, she rolled her eyes. "We found him!" She didn't get passed found before he had snatched the paper from her hand.
Unfolding it, Lee read the contents of the message three times before it sank in. Gaeta was alive. He was working at..."the Apollo Medical Center in Delphi City? You have got to be frakking kidding me."
"Nope!" Chuckling, she wrapped an arm around Lee's shoulder. "So, Fare Apollo, shall you continue to chase your Daphne or let him surrender to his fate?"
"Don't you have a group of pilots whose asses you need to bust?" Grinning despite his words, Apollo picked up his pace to the barracks. He had a car to catch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking in to the Oncology wing, Lee began to scan for Gaeta. He had been told the man had a job here as a lab assistant for the past two weeks and could be seen collecting samples regularly from the nurses. They would meet him in the corridors and he would take it back to be examined by the lab techs. It wasn't much of a job, from what he gathered, but it paid better than most jobs.
There was also the added bonus of being around the people Gaeta wanted to study with. That had almost stopped him from coming here. If Gaeta was happy, he wanted him to remain so. It would ease a lot of the burden of guilt he felt. He would simply turn around and go away if Gaeta seemed content in his work.
That flew out the window the moment he rounded a corner and saw Gaeta bent over tying his shoe, ass in the air. What caught his attention were the black boxer briefs sticking out of the top of the green scrubs. Smirking, he sidled up behind Gaeta, keeping an eye on the man's ass. "Excuse me, but I'm missing an entire drawer full of black underwear, do you know of where I might find them?"
Freezing, Gaeta slowly straightened up. Turning around, he stared at Lee in shock. "Lieutenant, what can I do to help you?"
Realizing he was still in is flight uniform, Lee unzipped the top of it. He didn't miss the way Felix's eyes followed the zipper. "Yeah, I'm looking for a runaway drawer of underwear. Seems they went missing about three weeks ago and haven't bothered to check in."
"Well, have you filed a missing underwear report? I hear they take time, but you might get them back." A half amused smile curved his lips before he bent over his sample cart. Grabbing the handle, he began pushing it away from Lee.
Lee gave pursuit, not intending to lose the man a second time. "Well, it would help if they had any known anuses, balls they might hang around, any tight asses they would frequent, things of that nature."
"I assure you, I wouldn't know." Felix was pulled up short by Lee's finger running along the waist band of his underwear.
"Well, what have we here? It seems I'm going to have to report you as an accomplice." Giving the underwear a tug, he grinned at Felix, who had turned to stare at him. "You do know harboring runaway underwear without reporting them is a crime, right?"
Rolling his eyes, Gaeta nearly gave in to the urge to laugh at Lee. Who knew pilots were so damned ridiculous? "Oh, gee, Mr. Lieutenant, whatever can I do to keep your silence?"
"Well, you could have dinner with me." Sliding his hands around Gaeta's waist, feeling up the band of his underwear all the way to the front, Lee leaned in close. "Nothing formal, just a nice, quiet dinner at a venue of your choosing."
Having had enough, Gaeta grabbed Lee's hands and pushed them off his clothes. Pulling up his scrubs to cover the underwear, he started off. At the corner, he paused long enough to turn and nod at Lee.
Sudden elation filled him. He had a date, nothing firmly set, but it was a start. Zipping up his flight suit, Lee strolled back out of the hospital wing and towards the exit. Things were looking up.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Shivering under an awning staring out over the ocean, Lee kept his jacket pulled close to him. It had been raining non stop for the past three days and looked to continue for a while yet. For the thousandth time he questioned what he was doing out here. This entire thing was crazy, but for reasons he didn't care to think about, he was willing to put himself out on a limb.
Coming up behind Lee, Gaeta smiled as he watched Lee hunker down in his jacket further. "Sorry I'm late, the traffic on the north bound road from Delphi City was murder."
Spinning, Lee's teeth chattered as he watched Gaeta come around a bistro table. His outfit wasn't the most flattering, but it was far better than the scrubs he had been wearing the last time they met. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as Gaeta showed him the band of his underwear. "I guess I'm never going to get those back."
"Only if you marry me and you forget to invite your mother." Gaeta took Lee's hand between his own gloved ones and rubbed it furiously. "We need to get you warmed up. I think they sell an herbal tea in here that might be passable."
"Only our first date and already you are talking terms of marriage. I must be out of my mind for agreeing to do this." Enjoying the way Gaeta was alternately blowing on his hand and rubbing it, Lee felt a comfortable malaise come over him. It felt good, he felt good. "If you really want to warm me up, I got a much better way in mind."
"I'm not sticking my hand down your pants no matter how prettily you pout." Grabbing Lee's other hand, he stuck them under his arm pits, using his hands to rub Lee's arms. "A small trick they taught us in survival training."
"Sure it is, and I really am one of the Lords of Kobol." He chuckled when Felix's hands stopped moving. Squeezing his own hands around Felix's chest, he began to massage the other man.
"I knew it, you really are intent on having your way with me." Lifting his shirt, Gaeta threw back his head. "Take me, I'm yours!"
For a minute, all Lee could think about was sliding his hands down that body. He wanted to run his fingers down the treasure trail to see if he really could strike gold. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath to steady himself. He could do this. "Been too long since I got laid."
"Since you... Trust me, no one is more desperate than me, but if I can wait, so can you, Lieutenant." Letting his shirt drop, Gaeta possessively wrapped his arm around Lee's and started them walking side by side down the walk. Tangling their fingers, he grinned at Lee. "Close your eyes and make a wish."
Giddily caught up in the moment, Lee complied without hesitation. When he heard the snick of metal on metal followed by the snap of something opening, he opened his eyes. Above them, Gaeta had opened an umbrella to protect them from the rain. "I wondered how you had come here dry."
"I don't suppose you'd believe I was just so fast I could run between the rain drops?" They both laughed as they stepped off the curb in to the almost deserted street.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Speaking of my mother, don't worry, I'll handle her." Lee ignored Gaeta's frown, turning instead to pick a flower from a bush they passed. Smelling it, he handed it to Gaeta. "My mother thought she was dealing with another of Zak's girlfriends. I'm not making an excuse for what she did, just explaining why she did it. There is no justifying her behavior towards you."
Having looked away when Lee spoke of justifying, Gaeta nodded. "Still, don't ever expect me to sit down and play nice."
"Now, never say ever. If we do get serious, you'll have to meet her again some day. She may be on my shit list right now, but I still love her very much." To stop the other man from pulling away, Lee squeezed his hand and jerked him close. "Come on, surely you've dealt with an over protective mother before."
"Not once." Gaeta sniffed the flower once more before running it down his cheek. "My own mother was killed in a pirate raid when I was a baby. No one knew who she was because the ship was unregistered and they didn't exactly leave the bodies identifiable." He gave a soft snort. "My family were the marines who found me. I was raised aboard the BattleStar Olympus until she was decommissioned."
Swallowing, Lee felt himself go numb inside. He didn't want to imagine losing his parents. Frowning, he started to recall what he could of the Olympus. "Uh, wasn't she the second to last original BattleStar?"
"Yes. In the end, she had to be towed to the salvage yard because the damage was too extensive." They were silent a few minutes, continuing their walk back to the bistro.
Something occurred to Lee. "I think I get it now. Serving aboard the Galactica would have been like coming home to you."
"Exactly, but that's all gone now." Feeling his good mood evaporate, Gaeta scowled at the passing cars. They had been out until early the next morning and he had to get back to the stop before the bus left. "We're almost there, I guess we should say something meaningful now."
"Not really." What Gaeta had already said started the wheels in Lee's head to moving. Glancing up at his companion's face, he smirked. "I've got a surprise for you. It's going to take a few weeks, but I promise it will be well worth it."
Gaeta glanced over to Lee before snorting. "I can't wait."
"Too bad, you're going to have to." When he looked ahead again, he saw they were at the bistro and a bus was coming up the street.
"My chariot comes, Phoebos Apollo, I must go." Spreading his arms, he stretched out ahead of them. "I must go!"
"But fair Daphne, grant me but a kiss and I will be yours forever." Lee couldn't hold the laughter in at Gaeta's expression of distaste. "Just one and then we can say good night."
"Just one." Stepping up to Lee, Felix stared him straight in the eyes. "Just one and then I must go."
"Just one."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon receipt of his fifth paycheck, Gaeta had enough currency to get the hell off Caprica and bought a transport ticket. Libero, Tauron, Pycon, and now Caprica, were all out from his consideration. Sagitteron was a primitive back water world in comparison to the rest of the system, but it held promise. Political strife made it a welcome trade for someone who was on the outs with both those who had ties to the government and now the military.
He had been content to stay in his position for a few more weeks, but that changed this morning. He had come off his late night shift early enough to get home before the sun rose. It was the only reason he hadn't been spotted. There were a half dozen men in colonial military uniforms stationed around his building. Glad that he had taken the precaution of keeping his clothes in the duffle over his shoulder, Gaeta simply altered his course and walked away.
Since he hadn't an account, there was no reason to visit a bank. The bottom of his bag was heavy with quebits. This time, he planned ahead better. Part of that was in lining up contacts through friends of Dr. Baltar. Friends were a generous description of the man's contacts, more like past conquests.
Waiting in line with the rest of the passengers for the passenger liner Mingvar, Gaeta shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't slept in twenty-four hours and was feeling every minute of it after the initial adrenalin had worn off. The ticket lady hadn't said a word about his appearance, just wanted his money and then handed over the paper ticket to feed the reader at the launch gate.
For the life of him, Gaeta couldn't imagine why the colonial military was after him. He had done nothing to warrant their attention, at least nothing they could prove. Dabbling in the medical sciences was hardly a crime. He had learned enough at the Apollo center to know he wanted to learn more.
Aside from the political strife and military free zone, there was an academy of sciences on Sagitteron. One of his new contacts was in residence. Having sent him a letter weeks earlier, he had paved the way for an eventual transfer. Events, being as they were, he was simply going earlier than expected.
"All passengers of the Mingvar Express to Sagitteron, we are now boarding. Please have out your boarding passes and follow the yellow lines. For your convenience..."
Gaeta tuned out the rest of what the woman had to say, choosing to focus on the line as it moved instead. In thirty minutes he would be on Sagitteron starting over yet again. This time, it was by choice. For the first time in three months, he felt like he would be okay. As he stepped up to the gate entrance for the boarding, he held out his ticket.
Taking his ticket, the clerk smiled at him. She inserted the ticket in her reader, and clicked a button on it. Handing it back to him, she gave him another brilliant smile. "Have a safe trip, Mr. Adama."
"I will, thank you." Tucking the ticket in his jacket, Gaeta walked through the gate and passed the security personnel.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rising from his seat at the tribunal's table, Lee spun to face the entering marine captain. He looked expectantly at the man. "Well?"
Saluting Lee, the captain shook his head. "I am sorry, Captain Adama, but we were unable to locate him. It seems he may have fled the area already."
"Fled implies he was under arrest." Anger rising in him, Lee felt his temper make his voice clipped. "Let me guess, you arrived in full force, staked out the building?"
"It is standard procedure." Standing at attention, the guard looked straight ahead to avoid Lee's glare. "We did as instructed, it is not my fault if he..."
"He what?" Lee scoffed. This man actually thought he should be grateful to him. "Saw your troops and thought he was being hounded by the same agency that had forced him to resign in the first place? Made him think that may be he was being sought out as a deserter after all? No, you didn't think at all, did you?"
"Captain Adama, that will be quite enough." Sighing with disgust, Admiral Yempelios closed the folder that had been set in front of him. Pushing it away, he glanced to the Commanders on either side of him. "If the petitioner can not be found, we will have to close this subject."
"What? No!" Leaving the marine captain, Lee ran around his table to stand in front of the admiral. "Sir, please, you can't!"
"I am afraid, if he will not come and stand up to these allegations, we can do nothing about it." Rising from his own seat, the Admiral took off his glasses. "Now, unless you know where the Lieutenant is, this matter is closed."
"You can't." Lee closed his eyes and took a cleansing breath. "He didn't bring the case, I did, but only on his behalf. Sir, Lieutenant Gaeta was forced to resign his commission, I know it."
"This is highly suspect, but due to the circumstances I will allow you some leeway. Do you have any proof?" The admiral knew what he needed from the way Lee's jaw set. "Very well. Case closed!" Banging the gavel, he left the tribunal table. On his way to the door, he stopped and gave Lee a heartfelt smile. "Congratulations on your promotion, nephew."
"Thank you, sir." Saluting the admiral, Lee stood at attention until the man left the room. He had hoped to surprise Gaeta with this. It would have been the first meeting that opened an investigation in to his father's actions. Even if they had failed, he would have stood up to his father, let him know that what he did wouldn't go unanswered.
As it was, Lee gathered up his briefcase and headed for the door. He had a missing man to find.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"You will be given a room on campus until you can provide accommodations for yourself. Lab hours are seven in the morning until eleven at night. In between time is for maintenance personnel only. I expect you to be at my side no later than eight in the morning for daily orientation before classes start." Adjusting his glasses, Dr. Atrius used his cane like a pool cue to knock some books in to Gaeta's lap. "Read these, you have a month to prepare for my class. As my assistant, you must be knowledgeful of all these things and much, much more."
Catching them before they could fall on the floor, Gaeta gratefully accepted the books. He hadn't anticipated the professor as being from the pre-cylon era, but could appreciate this for what it was. Then again, he should have. The man had studied Dr. Shenkar's work and expanded on it. "Sir, if I may ask, when will I be allowed to begin work on the genome project?"
Rubbing at his chin, the frail looking old man blinked. His thick glasses magnified his eyes making him look nothing so much as a blue eyed lizard in Gaeta's opinion. "It is only because of our mutual friends that I have allowed you to come here, Mr. Adama. Do not be so quick to impose yourself upon my research. If, and I do mean if, I ever allow you access to it, you have to have a great deal more than just a passing interest in genetics."
"Unless you can offer me a position on a battlestar, I hardly think that will be a problem." His words were deadly serious, but Gaeta followed them up with a pleasant smile. It was always a good way to reassure people. "The government's actions regarding Dr. Shenkar's work were premature and ignorant at best."
"Yes, I understand you believe that, but you never told me why." Shifting in his seat, Atrius put one leg up on his desk to stretch it and relieve the cramps in the calf.
"Let's just say they are personal and leave it at that." He wasn't about to tell the man what he suspected. If one man could not only flesh out some of Dr. Shenkar's theories, but improve upon them given limits on existing technology, then he had to be careful. "Dr. Atrius, I promise you this, nothing I believe will make me betray your confidence."
"We'll see, Mr. Adama, we'll see."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Throwing his gear on his new bunk, Lee kicked his footlocker in anger. His new commander was a pure dick. Just because Lee was the son of the great Commander Adama, he expected him to make miracles. When he didn't, Lee was treated frostily and told to spend more time in the simulators. The man was fast becoming a problem for Lee and he would soon see the end of it, one way or another. As it was, he had already put in for a transfer.
Two weeks on the garbage scow ironically called the Argo and he was ready to just say frak it. But, the commander of the ship wasn't the only source of his problems. Being posted on the rim, he didn't have full access to his resources. The search for Felix had yielded nothing in the month since he disappeared. Then he had been transferred here and any communiques were routed through a commander who decided what was necessary for his crew to function. Needless to say, private communiques were denied more than once.
That's why, when he saw the envelope on his bunk, he almost thought it was a mirage. Tentatively, he reached out for it as he sat down. When his fingers made contact, he quickly snatched it up. He saw there were dozens of post stamps on it. Judging from their dates and location, the letter had been circumnavigating the system looking for him. He didn't recognize the writing, but it didn't matter, he knew who it was from.
Gently prying open the seal, he pulled out the letter and unfolded it. Taking a deep breath, he began to read. "Apollo. Over the past few weeks since our date, I know we have kept in touch, but there was something I wasn't telling you. I have been indulging my passion and have decided to earn my degree, possibly a doctorate. I had hoped to surprise you with this when you gave me your surprise as it would mean a more stable living arrangement.
"Despite my plans, something came up and I was forced to step up the time table. I am confident that once I am settled in my new home that I will make time to contact you further. If I am unable, to find me you must follow the route of Artemis during the winter solstice. Look through the gateway to the stars for FGA. Trust in science, it will guide you. Yours in trust, Daphne." After rereading the letter to himself, Lee folded it up and put it back in the envelope.
"Daphne, hunh? Sounds kind of snooty, though that might be right up your alley." Snickering to herself, Lieutenant Ulterra pulled on her uniform tank. Tossing her hair over the edge, she settled the tank. "Explains why you haven't so much as given any of us a second glance. Which is good, because we were starting to think the commander was right."
"About what?" Stashing the letter in his footlocker, Lee slammed it shut and locked it.
"That you thought you were too good for us." Pulling her blonde hair back in a bob, she grinned at Lee in her mirror.
"What makes you think he isn't right?" Storming out of the pilot's bunk, Lee ignored her shocked look. He had a comm officer to deal with and a possible mutiny to start.