Chapter 15

Lee found Kara in her office, head buried in paperwork.

He smiled at the sight of her. Of course, he often smiled at the sight of her, but now it was different. Now he could remember every time he'd smiled at her, right back to the first time he ever saw her. Now he looked at her and remembered exactly how much they had been through to get here today.

"Kara," he said, and that was new too. Now her name meant so much more to him.

"Lee!" She looked pleased to see him. "Did you want something? I just have to finish this paperwork-"

"It can wait," he said brusquely. He had to do this now, before he lost his nerve.

He could see an angry retort rise to her lips, but it faded as she looked at him. "Lee? Is something wrong?"

Lee went straight to the point. They'd wasted too much time already.

"Kara, when you said you loved me…did you mean it?"

She looked confused. "Of course I meant it."

It had been real. Lee thought his heart was going to burst.

"Say it again."

Kara was definitely irritated now. "Lee, what the hell-"

"Just say it." He knew he sounded desperate, but he didn't care. He needed to hear her say it again, now he understood what it meant.

Kara must have heard his desperation as well, because her face softened.

"Okay, Lee," she said, half exasperated, half serious. "I love you."

A huge smile spread across Lee's face. Hearing her say it was everything he'd ever thought it would be.

"Good, because I love you too."

Kara stared at him, looking as if she couldn't believe her ears.

"Lee?"

"Did you hear me? I love you, Kara Thrace. No takebacks."

A smile slowly bloomed across Kara's face. "You remember," she breathed.

Lee nodded, his eyes locking with hers. "I remember everything."

Then he moved, and she moved, and the next moment they were in each other's arms, and she was holding him so tightly he couldn't breathe. Lee didn't care. He just turned his head and kissed her throat, then her cheek, as he worked his way round to her lips.

She breathed out his name and then she was kissing him back just as fiercely as he was kissing her, and Lee wished that time would just stop and he could stay in this moment forever.

Then Kara freed her mouth from his and what she said next changed his mind.

"Lee, lock the hatch."

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A long time later, Kara curled her body around Lee's and pillowed her head on his bare chest, thinking that she had never felt so contented in her whole life.

Even flying a viper.

The hard floor was acutely uncomfortable and Kara knew she should get up and get dressed before anyone came banging on the hatch, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Couldn't bring herself to stop touching him, to tear away from this quiet moment of closeness between them.

So she stayed.

Lee's chest moved beneath her as he chuckled.

"If I'd known all I had to do was die to get you to admit that you loved me," he said lazily, "I'd have faked my own death long ago."

Kara lifted her head to glare at him. "Don't even joke about that." She pinched him for good measure.

"Ow, Kara!" Lee tried to squirm away from her, but she was pinning him to the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Bad joke." He looked up and his face sobered as he scanned hers. "I am sorry, Kara. Really. That you had to go through all that."

"I'm not," said Kara flatly, and almost burst out laughing at the consternation on his face. She loved to confuse him like that.

"You're not?"

She smiled and brushed a hand through his hair. "Well, you said it yourself. If I hadn't thought you were dead I'd never have admitted I loved you. We'd have been dancing round each other until we were sixty."

Lee looked rueful. "You might have a point. I'm not sure I'd ever have found the courage to open myself up to you again if I hadn't lost my memory. And we'd certainly never have actually talked about our past rather than throwing it in each other's faces."

Their past. The mention of it made Kara feel awkward. "It's odd to think you remember that now, after all this time." She took a deep breath. "I was worried it might change how you felt. Now you remember all the fights we had-"

"But I remember the good times we had together too," said Lee softly. "And as for the bad times - look, Kara, we both made mistakes in the past. We both screwed up. But that's just what it is - the past. What matters now is the future. Do you understand?"

He held her eyes firmly until she nodded in agreement. "Then here's to the future," she said, and kissed him.

Some time later she lay back down in his arms and said: "I hope your dad doesn't mind about this. Us."

Lee turned his head to stare at her. "Why would he? I think he'll be pleased that we've finally come to our senses."

"I hope so." Kara frowned. "But he's our admiral as well as your dad, Lee. There are still those damned frat regs, and you'll be my direct commanding officer again once he makes you the XO-"

"What?" Lee half sat up in surprise, and Kara cursed as parts of her collided painfully with the floor. "He's making me the XO? When did that happen?"

"For frak's sake, Lee, he's been planning it all along." He really could be dense sometimes. "He's just been waiting till he thought you were fully recovered, and now your memory's back-"

"But what about Kelly? Won't he mind?"

Kara snorted. "Kelly will be weeping tears of joy. He's been desperate to be shot of that job for months."

"Really." Lee was silent for a moment and then smiled. "In that case Kara, it doesn't really matter if Dad approves or not."

"What do you mean?"

"If he won't accept it, we'll just threaten to resign. After all, where's he going to find another CAG and an XO?"

Kara laughed. "You really think that'll work?"

"Why not?" Lee put a hand on her cheek and turned her face so her eyes met his. "But seriously, Kara, I don't care what my dad thinks. We're together, and he'll just have to accept it. After all we've been through, I'm not letting you go. I need you too much."

Kara stared at him for a moment, letting his words sink in. Then she smiled, and leant over to kiss him again.

It seemed that she did need Lee Adama after all. But that was okay, because she knew now that he needed her right back.

The End

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Author's Note: Many thanks to everyone who has read this story, particularly those who took the time to review. I was nervous about posting this, and I have been very encouraged by all the positive comments. In fact I've enjoyed posting this as much as I enjoyed writing it and that's all thanks to your reviews. I've also been having a stressful time at work these last few weeks, so coming home in the evening to read the comments on this story has cheered me up no end :-)