lyssie: (Lee verizon)
lyssie ([personal profile] lyssie) wrote2007-02-14 09:14 pm

fic: newBSG, Adjustments, Lee, Helo, 13ish

Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: 13, language
Pairings referenced: Dee/Lee, Sharon/Karl, Kara/Karl, Kara/Lee, Kara/Anders
Characters: Lee Adama, Karl Agathon
Genre: gen, post-ep
Set: post-The Woman King, contains spoilers.
Length: 1,000
Notes: Technically tangentially inspired by the ShAgathon (The masterlist can be found here), but as it answers the other prompt (without porn)... I don't think I've used this title before.

Adjustments
by ALC Punk!

Lee's heard the story from half a dozen places, including from his wife, who laughed a little, even though something in her eyes told him she was uncertain, even now. He held her a little tight that night, and almost made them both late for their duty shifts in the morning with sex.

When he thinks about where he was, and how little he could have done, he feels a little cold.

Of course, Doc Cottle says Dee was fine, that she was probably never in any danger. But then, none of them know how Doc Roberts slipped so far. And Lee doesn't exactly have faith that things always work out right in the end.

So it seems only right to track down the one person who tried to save her. Even if he's not really on intimate speaking terms with the man. Lee tends to think Karl Agathon is a stupid idiot for marrying a toaster. Although, he's got admit the man's loyal, he's still frakking stupid for putting his life on the line like that.

Tracking him down takes a little time, and Lee finally finds him just outside the nursery--it's makeshift, but it's what they've got, and at least five of the children belong to Lee's pilots. When they'd settled on New Caprica, they'd really settled. He's grateful to have them back in their cockpits, but it's still worrying to know that he's sending out people with families to die. Of course, his father sends him out. In the end, everyone's got someone.

Hera's laughing up at one of the older children, both of them playing with some random toy that was scrounged. Lee takes a look at Agathon and stays silent until he finally shifts, "Captain." He's awkward and formal, but he's not sure how to go about this.

Lee thinks that's kind of funny, really.

"Sir."

"I wanted to thank you." Lee finally looks at the man, meets his gaze. He's not sure he likes what he sees there, but he's willing to let it pass. "If Dr. Roberts had really..." But he's not going to finish it. He might not believe in the Gods, but tempting fate is a bad idea.

Helo doesn't pretend to misunderstand, "Just doing my job, sir."

And the rest of them hadn't been. Lee winces, because the man is right: if they'd been doing their jobs, this wouldn't have gotten as far as it had. Dee would never have been in danger. But because it was Helo, the Cylon-lover, who postulated the theory, they'd all thought he was wrong. "I know, and I'm thanking you anyway."

There's a pause, while Captain Agathon studies him for a moment, then his gaze turns away, back towards the children, "Have you ever wanted kids, sir?"

"Ah..." Caught a little flat-footed, Lee fumbles, but recovers, because he knows the answer, "I would." It's the one fantasy he never shared with Kara, and has only hinted at, with Anastasia. Children. He's not exactly sure how he'll raise them--better than his own father, he's always promised himself. And Dee is certainly not his mother.

"You'll find, sir," Helo says, tone almost amused, "that children change your perspective. Certain things stop mattering."

Like racial divides, Lee guesses. The Cylons tried to annihilate them, but Helo cares more for his wife and child than for revenge. Lee suddenly feels a little cheap, with his anger and prejudice. But it's not something he can leave behind. Not without losing some of his edge in the cockpit, some of the impetus to keep fighting the Cylons. And the hate is an old friend he doesn't want to give up yet. "I'll keep that in mind."

A laugh escapes Agathon, and he says, tone almost amused, "If you and Dualla repopulate the fleet, Starbuck's going to mock you forever."

Lee snorts, "Yeah, well, don't be too sure she won't be helping."

"No." The laughter is gone, and Helo looks at him, eyes serious, "The day Kara says she's going to have children is the day I ask her if she's a Cylon. Sam might want 'em, but Kara never will."

But Lee remembers Kara standing with a little blonde girl in her arms, a glimpse from across the hanger before the crowd had moved to obscure her. He'd just been happy she was alive, he'd never asked about the girl. He wonders if Helo might be wrong. "Yeah, probably not. Still, can you imagine the trouble her children would be?"

"Don't have to: I've seen the trouble Kara is."

There, Lee has to agree. He considers a small Kara, and decides, rather suddenly, that it's a good thing Kara doesn't want children. Galactica might not survive the onslaught.

And suddenly, it's not exactly awkward anymore--Lee still thinks it is, a little, but they share something in common: they both love Kara Thrace. "Yeah. Suddenly, I'm not so sure a new generation is such a good idea." Lee says, tone amused.

Helo laughs, then pats him on the shoulder, "Tell me that again in fifty years, sir."

"I will," Lee promises. He nods at Hera, "She's cute." And he should go. His mind is already filling with the paperwork he hasn't finished yet.

"For a Cylon?" There's slight rancor in Agathon's tone.

"No. For a kid, Captain." Lee shrugs, "I'm obviously not the best judge, of course. I find tarantulas cute, too."

"Somehow, that makes me feel so much better, sir." There might be sarcasm in Helo's voice.

Lee lets it go, "I've got work to get back to. You take care of her--" He pauses, remembers the adrenaline and panic in his dreams, and amends, "--both of them."

"Yeah. Yeah, I will."

And that's it. Lee can't decide as he walks away whether this was a good idea or not. He just knows that he had to thank the man who put himself on the line for his wife. And he feels a little strange knowing that, if it came down to it, he might put his own life on the line for Agathon's.

-f-

[identity profile] brightest-blue.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
Ooh, excellent illustration of the Helo-Lee dynamic. It's like they should be at least friendly, if not friends, but they don't quite know what to do with each other. And the angst- viper pilots with babies!
ext_18106: (Helo)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

It's difficult to figure out how they work--they go from Helo pointing a gun at Lee to being on opposite sides in Measure of Salvation to Helo saving Lee's wife (whether she was in danger or not, his intentions were true). And I just... couldn't imagine Lee, who IS in his own way honorable, NOT realizing that maybe he's an idiot, and at least coming to better terms with Helo.

=)

[identity profile] pretty-fits.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Very good. Nice to see the two interacting.
ext_1012: (i voted for roslin)

[identity profile] stargazercmc.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh! Nice. One of the most interesting aspects of BSG as a show is that the writers/actors aren't afraid to show "awkward" onscreen. This fic captures the tone of that very nicely.

Lee and Helo really are such different creatures but fundamentally are cut from the same cloth. Lee goes from moment to moment on puffed-up sanctimony so many times (although he means well), and Helo just wants to do what he thinks is right. Different sides of the same coin, huh?

[identity profile] petronelle.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 11:42 am (UTC)(link)
They are both consummate soldiers, each in their own way, and you write them beautifully as they work their way back to a balance. It must be uncomfortable to know that you'd die for someone you dislike, more than the thought that you'd die for thousands of people you don't personally know.
ext_18106: (Lee verizon)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you!
ext_18106: (Mom Dad PIRATES)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
*nods* I blame my own need to explore it on Blake's 7, though. *g*

They are. Lee just... I want to say he's smarter than Helo, and he is, but in different ways. And I don't think Lee has that bottomless well of loyalty that Helo seems to. But in another time and place, they would have been comrades in arms, I think.
ext_18106: (anders lick here)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you, btw. (bah. I knew I forgot something when I rambled)
ext_18106: (Kara the bitch)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. =)

It puts a personal face on it--Lee might think the half of the fleet that voted for Gaius is full of idiots who don't deserve to live, but it's his job to keep them safe.

[identity profile] lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com 2007-02-15 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Not to mention the working out together part. So they were on pretty good terms at one point before it all went to crap again.

But anyway, yes, I can totally see Lee wanting to seek out Helo to thank him for being there, and this is a good view of how that'd play out, with their uneasy, business-like dynamic they've got now.
ext_18106: (Chief Thinkin')

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-16 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
OH YES. See, I handwave that, like I handwave Lee's magical weight loss.

Thank you. =)
ext_18106: (kara who)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-16 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you =)

[identity profile] repr0b8.livejournal.com 2007-02-20 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Very few fics have done justice to Helo and Lee's relationship the way this one does. Short, sweet, and capturing everything you need to know about both of them. I loved this.
ext_18106: (Kara the bitch)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-02-21 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you! It's not often I'm inspired to write Lee--I like the boy, but he's not exactly inspiring, sadly--but this one just seemed to jump out at me, since I knew they wouldn't bother touching it on the show.
ext_3563: A little reading elf, captioned 'fool for books' (apollo-moon)

[identity profile] lokei.livejournal.com 2007-03-05 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Such a shame we didn't get a scene like this on the show. It would make me much happier with the Lee/Dee dynamic--and I do think Lee's the sort who would feel bloody AWFUL about being on CAP while Dee was in danger, and would want to make some kind of amends and thanks. Nice to think his character could grow past the whole 'other Sharon shot my father' thing.

[identity profile] sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com 2007-03-08 07:18 pm (UTC)(link)
And another lovely fic. The awkward tone and the little bits of veiled snark are perfect. I don't think these two could ever be friends, but it's nice to see them at least tolerate each other, since they really are both on the same side. And they really are both cut from the same cloth in that they'll put their lives on the line for someone they dislike because it's their job -- Lee would help Athena if she needed it, Helo would help Roslin if she needed it, whether they like it or not.

Brava!
ext_18106: (Dee)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-03-09 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you =)

I think he would. Unfortunately, we don't get this kind of stuff--and it's not like you need much, really.
ext_18106: (Athena Helo)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-03-09 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you =)

Well, you would think they wouldn't be friends. Although they're apparently workout buddies. *snorts*

And that's a good point about Helo and Roslin--and, actually, you said that once. In Scenes from a Revolution (thus negating my "Hey, maybe someone should write something like that...")

[identity profile] only1shagathon.livejournal.com 2007-06-09 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
i really liked this. i especially liked the ending when lee said he might put his life on the line for sharon. i thought that was sweet. i like reading about helo and lee interacting. whether their fighting or talking/arguing. =)
ext_18106: (Default)

[identity profile] lyssie.livejournal.com 2007-06-09 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you =)

Lee and Helo, sadly, do not get to talk often. Sigh.