Never Be Forgotten

Disclaimer: All is built on the fabulous work of Ronald D. More. Some of the dialog in this chapter is from Battlestar Galactica season 4, episode 19 Daybreak.

A/N:I want to give a huge thanks to my beta total-whovian.

Chapter 4

Caprica: Caprica City: Caprica University - 3 years, 2 months and 29 days Before Cylon Holocaust

"Hi, Zak" Lee smiled as he greeted his brother at the other end of the line. It had been too long since they had had the chance to talk. Zak was busy with Basic Flight and Lee was struggling to keep up with the hard work at War Collage. He had quit from the Solaris to start War Collage at the end of September and had now worked his way through eight hard months. He had always been good in school without even trying, but now he too had to really study to keep up with the high expectation. At some level, he liked the challenge.

"Apollo!" He heard Zak's joyful voice. Lee smiled even broader. Gods, how he'd missed his brother and his carefree approach to the world.

"How are things going at the Academy?" Lee asked. "Is Basic Flight meeting your expectations?" Lee knew Zak's heart wasn't into flying, and was curious on how he was handling walking in the footstep of both himself and their father.

"Hey, it's good." Zak said without elaboration further. "But that wasn't why I called. I wanted to invite you over for dinner!" Lee could sense something was up. This was not how their conversations used to evolve.

"Oh, of course. I'll come. What's the occasion?" Lee asked. He knew Zak wasn't the one for formal dinners, so it had to be something special for him to invite Lee over.

"I…" Lee could almost hear how his brother was starting to blush on the other end of the line. "I've met someone!"

"Oh! Gosh, that's great Zak." Lee responded. He was happy for his brother. He'd been a flirt all his life. He'd had a few half serious relationships, but they had all turned out to be rather unhealthy. Lee really hoped Zak had found someone worthy of him this time. "Is it the same girl you talked about last time? Kara, was it? The girl you were wondering about asking out on a date?" He remembered Zak talking about a girl some weeks ago, but at that time he had not paid that much attention thinking it was just a random fling. But maybe not?

"Yeah! Kara! She's amazing, Lee. We've been dating for some weeks, and we decided to make it official. I can't believe it. She's just…." It wasn't often Zak was lost for words, and Lee felt a warm happiness spread through him at the thought of Zak being this happy. "You're going to love her, Lee! I just know it." Lee chuckled at his brother's eagerness.

"As long as she makes you happy, I'm happy!" he said.

"Ah, you're so soft, Apollo." Zak teased. "Why are you still single?"

Lee's smile faltered. He had tried dating a few times over the last months, but every time he could not stop compering his date to a certain hot-shot pilot he had spent one night with. The girl that had never replied to the message he left her. The girl he did not even know the first name of. The girl he simply could not stop thinking about. But he wasn't going to tell any of this to Zak.

"Ah, you know me." He just said, not even knowing what there was to know. But Zak only laughed. "So where did you and Kara meet?" Lee asked instead, to get the conversation away from his own non-existing love life.

"Ehm…" There was a pause before Zak spoke again. "She's… She's my flight instructor."

Lee gaped. That was not what he expected.

"What?" He asked. "How old did you say she was? And is that even legal?"

"Gods, Lee. She's the same age as me." Zak said in a resigned voice.

"But I thought you had to be a senior officer to get that post?" Lee asked in confusion.

"Yeah, but they made an exception. She's a frakking good pilot, so they let it slide. She's a lieutenant."

"Ok, I'm glad we settled that one. For a moment there I imagined you with a middle-aged woman about our mother's age. Not a pretty picture, Zak. Damn you." Lee half laughed as he tried to get the image of Zak with one of their mother's friend out of his mind. "But is that really a good idea never the less? She's your superior."

"We have cleared it with the board." Zak said with a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "And I'm in love with her. If they haven't cleared it, I think I would have dropped out."

Lee was stunned. How long had this been going on? This was far more serious than he first thought.

"You really are serious, aren't you?" He asked carefully.

"Yes, Lee. I really am."

Caprica: Delphi: Kara's apartment – 3 years, 2 months and 17 days Before Cylon Holocaust

Lee stood outside apartment 506 and what he thought was Zak's girlfriends flat. There was no name on the door, but he had followed his brother's instruction and the number on the door was the right one. He did not know why, but he suddenly became nervous. He raised his hand and pushed the doorbell before he could do something stupid like turn and leave. It's just Zak and his new girlfriend, he told himself.

He heard the bell ring inside the apartment and the sound of a muffled female voice shouting, "Just a second," and after a pause "Coming!"

As the door swung open, he just stood there gaping. This cannot be frakking happening? Starbuck?

K. Thrace. It wasn't Katherina or Kate or Kylie. K. Thrace. Kara Thrace. Kara... He had finally found out the name of the girl haunting his mind.

He had not known Starbuck's first name, and Zak had never told him anything other than his new girlfriends' first name. He had never in his wildest dreams come to connect the two in his head. This could simply not be happening. What a creul play of the Gods. He'd been dreaming of this day for nearly a year and here she was, standing right in front of him, and she was just as unattainable as ever – dating his brother. Frak!

A wide smile spread out on Kara's face, probably at his lost expression, making her light up like the sun. And like a moth to the flame he was drawn to her, wanting to reach out and touch her. Just to make sure she was real. She looked just like he remembered. Same bright smile, same short blond hair, same sparkling green eyes. Before he could move out to touch her though, Kara reached out her hand to greet him.

With a sinking feeling he realised it did not seem like she remembered him at all. Seconds after an even more terrible thought came to him; what if she remembered, but did not want to acknowledge it? Maybe she regretted that night and now just wanted to pretend it had never happened? She had left him without a word the next day, and she had never replied to the message he had left for her even though he had made sure to leave a way to contact him if she wanted to. Apparently, she had not. Maybe it was best if he too just acted as if it had never happened.

"Hi, I'm Lee."

"You must be Lee… Yeah." They said almost at the same time, both laughing a bit awkwardly while shaking hands as if it was the first time they had ever met. Maybe it is to her, Lee thought to himself. Feeling his heart drop like a stone in his chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm Kara. Come on in." Kara said stepping aside to let him pass. As he stepped forward, she reached for the flowers in his hand. He looked down on them as if they just had materialised out of thin air. "That's very nice. You didn't have to do that. I'll take those and put them in some water." She took the flowers and walked down the stairs before he could say anything in return.

Lee followed her slowly, using the opportunity while Kara was busy with the flowers to study the apartment. When you came in there was only a stairway leading down into an open room that was both a kitchen and living room. The walls were grey concrete with few decorations except a huge wheel-like painting in different colours, which was painted directly on the wall. Lee wondered briefly if it was Kara who had painted it.

"Nice place." Lee said mostly because he felt he had to say something.

"It's a rattrap, but the rent's cheap." Kara brushed him off with a smile.

"No, it's -It's..." He tried to find the right words and landed on something he thought sounded safe "got real charm." It sounded lame, even to his own ears.

"And you're a terrible liar. We should play cards." Kara leaned against the kitchen bench looking at him. Gods, she's beautiful.

"I hold my own." He murmured, tearing his eyes away from her, not wanting to ogle at her too openly. He thought he heard her mumbled something that sounded like "I'm sure you do".

Where the frak was Zak? Why could he not just hurry up and get him out of this painful situation? As if she could read his mind, Kara raised her voice and called his brother's name.

"You just get uglier every day." Lee spun around to the sound of Zak's voice coming from behind him. Zak walked towards him; he seemed happy, Lee notice, as they hugged each other.

"I see you've met my better half," Zak said turning his gaze on Kara. Lee must have been blind not to see how Zak viewed her with adoration. "And this one's mine. Keep your hands off." Zak said jokingly without realising the effect the words had on Lee. It felt it like a punch to his gut. If Zak only knew how close he was to the truth. But Zak only smiled, oblivious to his brother's pain.

"And a girlfriend stealer for a brother. Nice!" Kara said smiling while putting the flowers on the already set table. Lee could feel his ears heat up at her words.

"I never stole his girlfriend." He weakly tried to protest and turned towards Zak with a grudging look "I really hate you," he hissed under his breath only earning him a pat on the back from Zak.

"Really bad liar right here." Zak pointed at Lee and laughed. Lee forced a smile, while elbowing Zak in the side.

Kara mumbled something Lee could not make out, before walking past him to Zak. "Zak, get the drinks." She said leaning into Zak and pressing a lingering kiss to his mouth. "Dinner's almost ready." Lee felt a stab of jealousy at the open act of affection. Get a grip, Lee, he told himself firmly. She's your brother's frakking girlfriend. He had absolutely no claim on this girl. As he watched the two of them, he realised he had to let her go. After cherishing the memory of this girl he had only known as Starbuck for almost a year, he now had to forget it all. He realised this was going to be a frakking long evening.

"That's sad." Kara laughed. "It's cute, but it's sad."

They were halfway through the dinner, and Lee had spent the last fifteen minutes passionately arguing why democracy was so important and why Kara was undermining both the political system and herself by not voting after she let it slip she had not voted in the last election. They could not seem to agree. Both too stubborn and too set in their own believes to change their opinion.

Zak had excused himself to go to the head shortly after Kara, unknowingly, had started the discussion, probably knowing his brother well enough to know where it was heading. But it seemed Zak finally had come to the conclusion that he could not lock himself away the whole evening, and had just entered the room again bringing with him a new bottle of wine.

"Let me guess, he's going on about voting and its importance to a democratic way of life again." Zak stated more than asked as he found his place at the table next to Kara.

"So, you were listening." Lee gloated while pointing at Zak, who just shook his head in disbelief.

Kara leaned into her boyfriend. "You didn't tell me that your brother's an idealistic dreamer," she said teasingly. To be honest, she had loved the discussion with Lee. He was so unlike his calm, good-natured brother. He was so fiercely engaged in what he considered right, and it was way too easy to push his buttons working him into an intense argument. He was so passionate about what he believed in and Kara found that extremely fascinating.

"Dreamer?" Lee asked in disbelief, Kara made a sound of agreement lifting her eyebrows at him.

"The sad truth is, he's not." Zak told Kara with a knowingly smirk on his face. "Beneath that romantic exterior lies the heart of a true cynic."

"Oh really?" Lee was looking stunned at his brother, like he could not believe what he was saying. The look on Lee's face made Kara laugh, making Lee turn to her. Looking pointing at her he told her, "This is going to be fascinating!"

"Yeah, it's one of the many, many, many reasons that he and Dad aren't on speaking terms anymore." Announced Zak. Kara's gaze drifted from the one brother to the other. She had more than once spoken to Zak about his relationship with his dad. It was strained at best, but at least they were on speaking terms; even though they weren't speaking often. That was also one of the main issues, Kara had learned. William Adama had, from when his sons were only small children, been gone for months at a time, leaving them with a mom that tended to drink too much. The Commander had been a distant and absent parent, which Zak had used all his strength to please and impress. Still he desperately wanted his dad to notice and appreciate him. Kara suspected that was one of the main reasons Zak was taking Basic Flight, for it was certainly not because he had the heart for it. Lee's relationship with their dad she knew almost nothing about, only what Lee had told her himself.

"Oh, come on." Lee sighed in resignation. It was clearly not a topic he wanted to have with his brother's girlfriend.

"Family angst and drama. I love it. Come on, boys, let's open up some old wounds." Kara said, looking to Lee with a sly grin.

"No, let's not." Stated Lee firmly, a hint of desperation in his voice, but Zak did not listen.

"Dad believes in the system, believes in the uniform, believes in something greater than himself." He said, but was interrupted by Lee who could not hold his tongue.

"Correction. Dad believes in himself, his uniform, his system, his way of life, and if you're not with him in that tiny little bubble, then you might as well not exist." Lee said with disgust.

"If you hate him so much, why'd you follow in his footsteps?" Asked Zak.

"Oh! Touché." Kara exclaimed, raising her glass as if doing a toast before taking a sip.

There was a pause as Lee looked at Zak with a raised eyebrow. He took a bite of the food and chewed it slowly. All the while watching his younger brother intently.

"Service gave me four years of college. I gave the service four years in return. Simple as that." He announced at last.

"See?" Zak shouted in triumph. "A cynic. Right through to that big empty space that is used to hold his heart." Lee just shook his head, brushing it off with shrug and a sigh.

Kara looked to Zak. "Honey," She said laying a hand on his knee, patting it gently. "I think I'm starting to like your brother." She peaked at Lee as she said it, trying to judge his reaction. He had, up until now, not shown any sign of recognition beyond meeting her today. Lee looked from Zak to Kara and then back again, he looked a little bothered by her words, but other than that, it was hard to read his expression.

She watched as he franticly grabbed his wine glass and took a huge gulp. He mimicked his action, reaching for her own glass. She was not sure if she looked forward to the rest of the night or dreaded it, but she certainly need more alcohol to get through it.

TBC