lyssie | 3 BSG ficlets.

These were all written, in some way, for

twelvecolonies, the BSG team challenge community.

merrykk requested dancing Cylons. Leoben and Boomer, circa s3

Boomer teaches Leoben to dance, around and around in circles, like she used to do on Colonial Days when Tyrol was too sauced to join in and Starbuck would take her hand.

Sometimes, it would end with them all falling over in a pile, Dee uppermost in some sneaky way that would make Kara start tikling her. Memories that are hers, are really hers. She doesn't share them with the Two awkwardly holding her hands.

"Relax--" a smile touches her lips and she pulls him around faster, faster, and they're spinning like the world has tilted away.

A laugh from him breaks her concentration; she's never heard a Two laugh, and she stumbles over her own feet. His hands steady her before she falls, pulling her in, but still letting them spin, his toes up and his heels solid on the decking below.

"This is fun," he says as he stops.

Breathless, she stares at him, eyes half-closed as she projects, conjuring up images of Felix and Kara, Dee and Kat. Brendan in a corner looking uncomfortable. And so much laughter.

For a moment, she basks in it, remembering when she used to belong.

But the cold of the basestar, the disdain and out-right hatred in the people of New Caprica, bring her back to the ground. Feet once again on the floor, the light disappearing into the material in spattering currents. Leoben is back-lit by ornamental red lights, and she wonders if this is how Kara sees him.

"Yeah, fun." She shuts the memories away again, wondering a little desperately if maybe Cavil is right. Perhaps joy and laughter are a human invention, never meant for machines.

Leoben touches her cheek, fingers sliding through her hair for a moment. The look in his eyes is distant before he refocuses, looking sad. "You are still special, Sharon."

"No. Not anymore I'm not." Her voice dull, she pulls away. "You should get back to Starbuck. She's the one with the destiny, after all."

"You are meant to change, to turn on a dime, to be loved," Leoben calls after her.

His voice echoes inside an empty house, the rooms empty of the laughter it might have contained.

Athena and Hera drabble (s4)

"You form your a's like this," Sharon murmured, her hand gently guiding Hera's. "Want to try on your own?"

Hera nodded; Sharon released her hand and kissed the top of her head. It was comforting to hold her and watch her write letters like a normal child. Not that she was normal.

Not with a Cylon for a parent.

"Hera." Said Hera, tilting her head back, she pointed at the letters she'd written. "Hera, mommy."

A shiver slid up Sharon's spine as she traced the four letters with her eyes, "That's Kara, honey. Hera has an h at the beginning."

Racetrack and Hot Dog, the day after that big party on New Caprica (s3)

"
He didn't build us a bar," Racetrack said. She sounded bored or tired or both. She sounded awake, too.

Brendan sort of hated her for that. With his head down on the table they'd managed to stumble their way to (Kat had been there, but she'd wandered off with mockery for Brendan's state), he was nursing the worst hangover he'd ever had in his life, so sounding awake and vaguely aware wasn't exactly something he was trying for. Still, her words were sort of asking for a response. "What?"

"Apollo." Maggie clarified. Her eyes were squinting against the too-bright New Caprica sun, focusing on someone in the distance (not that Hot Dog was actually bothering to look up and see what she was doing, much less open his eyes). "Said he'd build us a bar. He didn't."

The night had been filled with alcohol at the bar Apollo hadn't built them (no, President Baltar had actually managed that, though not on his own of course), dancing, more drinking... it was a haze of memory that Brendan was certain contained things he wouldn't want to remember once he was properly awake.

Finally managing to pry an eye open, he squinted, then sort of followed her line of sight, spotting their ex-CAG in the distance (after a little difficulty focusing). "He's still got a stick up his ass. Would've sucked." More words than he'd said in hours. Brendan was almost proud of himself.

Apollo was standing with the old man, somewhere in the distance. Far enough away they couldn't hear them, though Brendan did sort of recognize the pained look on the younger man's face. The sort of thing he'd turn on a pilot, disobeying orders or creating havoc. Someone must be breaking the regs in his line of sight. Hot Dog hoped it was someone having public sex with a flagrant disregard for everyone around them. the gossip would be epic.

Maggie suddenly snickered. "Think ol' Apollo has just seen Starbuck and Anders."

Oh. Well. That explained everything. Everyone knew Apollo had a thing for her, just like no one expected her to settle down. Ever. Anders had earned the respect of Galactica's pilots by simply having sex with Starbuck. The fact that he'd actually married her had sort of raised him to something akin to god-like. Starbuck even seemed to like him.

"Nice wedding." He'd managed to have both eyes open, even though the ceremony had just added to his headache. He'd always sort of hoped that Starbuck would one day see past his rook status.

The riverbank had been bright and festive, like a frakking storybook. Maggie shrugged, "Yeah. Never thought she'd do it."

Gossiping about Starbuck might get old someday. Brendan closed his eye again and dropped his head back down onto his crossed arms. "I'm gonna die."

"Hey. Cylons didn't manage it--" 'Track punched his arm, making him yelp, "You'll be fine."

He groaned. "No I won't." His guts chose that moment to rebel, and he was up, heading for the nearest head. It was going to be an unpleasantly long day.