Sharon was ready to tear her hair out. Hera had been niggly all night and impossible to settle. She wouldn't lie down, she wanted to be held, then she wanted to get down, then she wanted to be held. When she was put on the deck, she would crawl towards the door and sit there crying. When she was in Sharon's arms she would grab onto her coat and snuffle quietly for a while before starting to wriggle again.

Eventually morning came, and neither she nor Hera had had any real sleep and there was no sign of her settling. With only a few hours to go before Helo came off shift and a further few till her shift started, she decided to go to Life Station. Maybe Dr Cottle could figure out what was wrong.

As they got closer to Life Station, Hera quieted more and more. Sharon almost decided to turn round, but she was worried. The staff in Life Station looked a little harried, but a nurse came and settled them into one of the bays and promised to get Doc to come see her as soon as possible. It didn't seem too busy, apart from one curtained off area, there were only a few people being seen to. Hera was still niggling, and kept trying to climb down from the bed. Sharon had just pulled her into her lap, when Cottle came out from behind the curtained area and walked over to them.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I really don't know. She keeps crying, but I can't figure out what she wants. I've tried everything, and I am worried maybe she is ill."

"Let's have a look at you, little one."

He examined her, but couldn't find anything obvious. Letting her play with his stethoscope in order to distract her, he took some blood to run a couple of further tests. Noticing how tired and stressed Sharon looked, he decided to examine her as well. He called one of the nurses over to look after Hera because she was again trying to climb off the bed.

Just as they finished the exam, the nurse came running in looking scared.

"I only turned my back for a minute. I put her on the floor in the office, because she wanted to crawl, she couldn't get out, the door was closed. Then the Lt came in with a few files, I swear it was only a minute, but the next time I looked, she was gone!"

"You lost my baby!" Sharon was angry and terrified all at once. She was still so small, and this was a battleship – not a safe place for her to be crawling around.

"Calm down. She won't have gone too far. Get anyone who's available, and begin a search, starting with every corner of Life Station." Cottle gruffly ordered.

Just as the Doc was starting to send out search parties into the surrounding area, and Sharon was about to scream from sheer frustration, one of the nurses called Dr Cottle over and whispered to him, pointing in the direction of the curtained off area. With quick strides he pushed through the curtains and stopped dead at the sight before him. They had found Hera, but he wasn't entirely sure her mother was going to be happy.

Lying on the bed was a sedated Laura Roslin. Hera had somehow clambered up, apparently using the chair next to the bed as a ladder, and had curled herself up into Laura's shoulder, contentedly sucking on her thumb and running her fingers through the silky russet mane spread out over the pillow.

With a smile he would have denied to his dying breath, he enjoyed the sight for one more moment, before smirking at Hera.

"Well little lady, you have managed to cause enough of an uproar today, come on and I will get you back to your mama before she explodes."

He went to pick Hera up, even as she burrowed further into Laura in an attempt to stay. When that failed, and she found herself in the Doc's arms, she set about wailing with the full force of her lungs. Simultaneously a number of things occurred. The doctor quickly put her back down on the bed, Hera snuggled into Laura again, and fell silent, the monitors which had been beeping as Laura's heart rate increased slowed back to normal rhythm and her agitated movements stopped, and Sharon stormed through the curtains in answer to her baby's cries.

She too was brought up short in shock, just for a moment, before, eyes flashing, she swooped over and even as the Doc started to say "Don't!", she scooped Hera up and into her embrace. And the whole thing started again.

Hera's yells started off Laura's agitation, even in her unconscious state. The Doctor glared at Sharon and said,

"Either put her down, or take her out of Life Station completely. My patient needs quiet! But be warned, if you take her away now, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't in for a very long day. She was right where she wanted to be!"

Furiously, Sharon turned on her heel and marched out of Life Station, Hera screaming blue murder over her shoulder.

"Bloody mothers!" was Cottle's only comment before he turned back to his patient and tried to settle her down again, with only limited success. As Hera's cries faded away, she became a little less agitated but did not return to the restful state she had been in when he found them. "Well, young lady, I don't know what that was all about, but I'll bet it's just going to cause more trouble. However, I would say that little one is at least as stubborn as her parents, so we will see what happens. Now, you need your rest." When she remained unsettled after several minutes, he sighed and mumbled. "Let me see if I can't find the only other person you may listen to."

A little later saw the arrival of the Admiral in answer to the summons. Dr Cottle updated him as he brought him round to the President's bed.

"I have her sedated, but she is still somewhat agitated. It has been known that even in an unconscious state people can hear what is going on around them. Maybe it would help if you spoke to her, let her know everything is OK, it may help calm her enough so she can rest."

He watched as the Admiral stepped forward and taking Laura's hand gently, started telling her about the state of the fleet and that he had everything under control for now. Whether it was the words or just the gravelly tones, he couldn't tell, but the Doc noticed Laura start to relax immediately. He smiled inwardly, really these two seemed to have no idea of the fundamental truth that was so obvious to anyone else who really knew them. Knowing she was in safe hands for now he retreated to his office, wondering when, or indeed if, he should mention the situation with Hera to the Admiral. He sighed, this could get really complicated. Both the Agathon's were vehement in their dislike of the President, and he couldn't be sure that Sharon wouldn't tell Helo all about it and then all hell would break loose. If that was going to happen, the Old Man really should have a head's up.

The decision was taken out of his hands half an hour later when the sounds of a baby crying made their way through the Life Station, the increasing volume indicating the approach of mother and child.

Thanks to that warning he was at the President's bedside, standing next to the Admiral, when a decidedly grumpy Athena marched in with Hera on her hip. As Hera insistently wriggled, she shrugged defeatedly at the doctor and placed her on the bed next to Laura. Hera cooed in satisfaction, immediately snuggled herself into Laura's shoulder again, and reached out a plump hand into the russet strands. Laura turned slightly into the tiny body and a gentle smile crossed her face. Soon the toddler was blinking as sleep threatened to overwhelm her.

The three adults watched in silence, one angry and disheartened, one shocked and the other thoughtful, as he nodded to himself in confirmation, before pulling up and locking the sides of the bed in position, preventing any chance of Hera falling.

"OK, would anyone like to explain to me, what the .., what just happened?"

Sharon continued to stare at the sleeping pair in angry silence, refusing to acknowledge either Adama's question or Doc Cottle's gaze.

With a certain degree of sarcasm, the doctor replied gruffly.

"Hera happened, Sir. She knows what she wants!" he paused before continuing, "Madam President was in a lot of pain last night, but never said anything. Tory got the President over here forthwith when she found her almost collapsed. She is on painkillers and a sedative to ensure that she rests. However, she has been fighting the sedation. Young Hera here was unsettled and crying all night for no apparent reason, which is why Sharon brought her to the Life Station this morning. Hera managed to escape and found her way to Madam President, upon which both of them relaxed."

"Then why ...?"

"Mother and child went home." from the master of the understatement. "Although apparently Hera wanted to come back.", his eyes on the happily sleeping duo, to avoid looking at a somewhat resentful Athena.

"She stole my baby," came the pained whisper, "she took her away and made me think she was dead!"

There was understanding in the eyes of both of the men watching her.

"I am a father, and I know the pain of losing a child." Cottle ignored the suddenly raised head and sharp glance from the Admiral and continued, "But I am a father, and I know that I would suffer through pain a hundred times worse than that if it meant my child didn't have to. So you can be as angry at her as you like, you can hate her, but hate her for the right reason at least. Hate her for what she did to you, not for what she did to Hera. Because the truth is, what she actually did to Hera was to give her the same thing she has given every single individual in this fleet, the chance of survival. She made sure that she survived her first year, which there is every chance she might not have done if she had remained with you. She made sure that even if she couldn't be with her parents, that she was loved and looked after and that she had the opportunity to be a normal child, and to mix with other children without any fear, or possibility of reaction."

There was an instinctive dismissal of that thought in Sharon's body language, so he continued to hammer the truths home.

"How did you feel when you thought Hera was dead, and you saw a mother with a young baby?" The pain on her face was answer enough. "Like it or not, she was a target. Every person in this fleet and on this ship has lost people in the destruction on the Colonies. Many of them lost their children."

He left that thought to settle in for a few moments, before making a gruff suggestion.

"You need some sleep." Forestalling any objections at leaving her child, he muttered, "Life Station is quiet, grab one of the beds. You'll be right here if Hera needs anything."

As he prepared to usher her out of the curtained area though, there was the sound of a raised voice from outside.

"Where is my wife? What is the matter with her?"

With a grimace, Dr Cottle turned to Sharon, "Hold that thought! First go and sort your husband out." As she slipped through the curtain, he shrugged to the Admiral and grunted, "You, stick around, this could get ugly."

"Sharon! What's the matter? Are you OK? Is Hera OK? Where is Hera?"

"It's OK Helo, calm down. I'm fine and so is Hera."

"Why are you here then? And where is Hera?"

Without waiting for her reply, he pushed through the curtains he had just seen her emerge from and stopped dead, his expression going from concern to fury within seconds. He took a step forward, the onlookers couldn't tell if he was intent on grabbing Hera or attacking the President, shouting, "What the frak is going on here? How dare she have anything to do with my baby?"

A voice, deep and cold as ice, cut through, "Stand down soldier! Lay one hand on the President and you will be in the brig so fast your head will be spinning next week!"

It stopped Helo in his tracks, but after a moment, he shook himself and started forward again. A hand on his arm, with unusually displayed strength, held him back.

"And if you disturb my baby, I will escort you down to the brig myself."

Unable to believe his ears, he turned on Sharon.

"What the frak! What do you think you are doing? This is the woman who stole our child, who let us think she was dead! Who allowed her to be captured by the Cylons! Why are you allowing her anywhere near her?"

Helo turned to the Admiral, confused and angry.

"I thought you were just as angry at what she had done? How can you possibly allow Hera to be used to benefit the President after all she has done, Sir?", he spat.

It was Dr Cottle's gruff voice that answered him, because the raised voices had caused Hera to start whimpering. Laura's arms tightened around her reflexively, trying to calm her, while herself becoming agitated. Without conscious thought, the Admiral had stepped over to her and laid a hand on her arm in reassurance. A pair of dark eyes snapped open and the Admiral got the distinct impression of the danger he represented being assessed, before he was gifted with a beautiful smile and Hera snuggled back into Laura's neck.

"The Admiral reacted as a good commander, concerned with the welfare of his officers, and as a father who had lost a son. The President made her decision based on the welfare of Hera and the fleet. The reason we have survived so long is thanks to the ability these two people have to balance each other by approaching issues from differing points of view and reaching the best decision." With wry humour, he muttered, "In fact, if they ever were in complete agreement on anything, then you had better hope the Lords of Kobol have been listening to our prayers, because the result will be either spectacularly good, or extremely bad for the survival of the human race." Looking at the stunned or angry faces in response to his little rant, he huffed and pointed at Sharon, "You - shoo, take your husband with you and try and talk some sense into him. I will not put up with any more disturbances for my patient. That bed we discussed is free, and when Hera is ready, I will let you know."

Helo was dragged away, still angry and protesting, over to the other side of Life Station.

The Doc proceeded to check all his patient's vitals. Looking down at the two on the bed, he shook his head.

"What am I going to do with you, either of you?"

"Is it the cancer?" The Admiral's question was quiet.

"I am still waiting for the test results, but I think most of it is to do with the incredible pressure she has been under. She has been putting out fires all over the fleet, and then there is the personal strain of the pressure from you and the Agathon's."

Not allowing Adama the opportunity to reply, he marched out to his office, checking on the way that Sharon had Helo under control.

The Admiral spent a few minutes watching over the woman on the bed and the child in her arms, considering the doctor's words, before realising with a sigh that he had some work to complete before his shift in CIC started.

It was a while later that Laura surfaced slowly, pulling the little girl closer as soon as she recognised her. "Oh sweetpea, I missed you so much." Stroking the silky hair, she faded into sleep again almost immediately.

When she woke again a little later, more aware of her surroundings, she saw bright eyes sparkling at her.

"Little love." she murmured, before worry overtook her, "Where is your Mama, she is going to be so worried about you. You really shouldn't run off, little love." She shifted, trying to raise herself up and call Dr Cottle.

Although she hadn't been able to calm Helo fully, Sharon had managed to convince him to head back to their quarters for some rack time, while she remained in Life Station, taking up the doc on his offer, and on hand for Hera. Hearing the President stirring, and then her words, she motioned for the Doc then slipped through the curtains, in time to see Hera throw her arms around the President's neck and cry "Laulau!", and Laura smile mistily in reply. She noticed the President stiffen almost imperceptibly at the sight of her, obviously preparing to be yelled at. Although she was by no means happy about things, she had had some time to consider the doctor's lecture, so her tone was calmer than expected, as she simply said, "Doc's on his way." She caressed her daughter's cheek, and Hera leaned into her hand and smiled up at her.

Laura's eyes shone softly at the mother and daughter.

"So everyone's decided to wake up." came Cottle's gruff observation before addressing Hera "Now, little lady, are you going to go with your Mama, or insist on staying?"

Imperiously she held out her arms to be picked up, "Mama." In Sharon's arms, she pivoted as they left, calling "Byebye. Love Laulau."

Laura waved, unable to stop the tears welling in her eyes, whispering "Love you.".

"Well I'll say this for you, young lady, you manage to cause a ruckus even unconscious." Turning serious, he lectured. "And on that subject, just what exactly were you thinking?"