Kara had become better at mothering. People had noticed the changes in her behaviour, spending more time with Kacey, singing to her and telling her stories. Even permitting Kacey to sit on her lap and 'help' her play triad. The old man had even suggested she have more of them, jokingly of course. She'd even managed to acquire private quarters for Kacey and herself. Things we okay, at least for now, Kara smiled as she dropped her daughter off to spend some time with her Grandpa Bill. She still had to religiously avoid being alone with Lee. Kara had realized that spending time alone with Lee usually led to frakking. Especially as his physical condition improved rapidly. Dee glared at her in the corridors; no one else seemed to notice. She wondered how many people knew what they were up to. Frak or fight seemed to be the extent of the relationship they were capable of. She usually tried to brush off her relationship with Lee; it made her feel like crying. She did enjoy watching him with Kacey, what had started as an attempt to irritate her seemed to have formed itself into genuine affection for the child. She still loved him, she admitted privately to herself. Not like it mattered. She'd frakked that up before it really even started. It seemed she was just a side dish for him. And things were getting more difficult.

Kara walked into sickbay, not really wanting to believe what she did, but she needed the results from her blood test yesterday.

"It's positive." Cottle told her, "You know, the publicity about raising the birth rate wasn't speaking to pilots."

Kara grimaced, "So am I off rotation?"

"Not yet, soon though." Cottle said, "Do you want to test for gender?"

"Okay." Kara said faintly, wondering how Kacey would react to getting a sibling, "Do you think Kacey…"

"Children will adjust to new siblings, it will take time but she will adjust, and she'll love the baby. And the baby will love her back and in time they'll drive each other crazy." Cottle spoke plainly, as if he had reassured many people of the same.

"Did you have children?" Kara asked on impulse.

"That's none of your business." Cottle snapped, "Get out of here."

Kara left for the pilots briefing feeling scared. What now… She pushed her fear out of her mind. How many people would guess right? Would Dee punish Lee somehow? Would Lee hate her? Did he now? The lover who'd gotten knocked up? Would he have to know? Would he even guess? He probably thought she was frakking a few random men on the side. Kara decided. She could do this. On her own, as always. She managed with Kacey and she'd manage with this baby too. She wondered briefly if Lee would be more irritated if she told him child wasn't his.

Kara walked towards the briefing room, until she was dragged unsuspecting backwards through a hatch. Not again, she thought to herself. She heard it lock before she saw his face.

"Kara."

"Go away Lee." Kara placed her arms on Lee's chest and pushed him away half-heartedly.

"No." Before Kara had time to put her thoughts together Lee's mouth was on hers.

"Lee, you are married." Kara pushed him away more firmly, thinking of Kacey and the baby, "I have a daughter. She deserves a better mother than one who lets the CAG frak her whenever he wants." At this point Kara noticed that she was in Lee's quarters.

Lee didn't let go of Kara, he held on, "So what happens to us?"

"There is no us, remember?" Kara taunted him.

"Don't talk." Lee pressed Kara into the wall, and kissed her again,

Kara's body betrayed her as she responded fully to Lee's kisses, wrapping her arms around him. She could deal with this. It wasn't like he could do any more damage, "Lee…"she moaned softly.

And so she let it happen, again. Telling herself as usual that this was the last time, she wouldn't let it happen again. For a few moments she was in Lee's arms and felt loved. She always wanted more, and then it was over. She was left lying on Lee's bed, the one he usually shared with Dee, drenched in sweat, wondering exactly where they'd gone wrong. How could she still feel this way? She had chosen wrong, chosen someone else. And everything still led right back to Lee. Even with her daughter, she wanted more. Family is what you make it, Kara reminded herself. She didn't need Lee.

Kara finally reached for her clothes, groping around with one arm, still lying on Lee's bed.

Lee rolled on top of her, "No, you're not leaving."

"Why not, you got what you wanted, I have to go." Kara struggled against him again.

Lee pulled her back, attempting to bridge their physical intimacy into a real one, "No, listen. I want you, I want to be with you, be a father to Kacey."

"No, I can do this on my own, don't patronize me." Kara pushed at Lee's shoulders.

"Of course you can do this alone. But you can also do this with me. I love you. I love Kacey; she's a sweet kid. Taught some of the others in daycare to say 'frak'."

"Don't remind me." Kara tried to twist her neck away. He still loved her. Had he heard of her pregnancy? Is that why? Kara changed tactics, "What about Dualla?"

"I'm divorced." Lee told her happily.

An emotion almost like joy filled Kara, "As of when?"

"Yesterday. Just tell me you still love me." Lee kissed her again, "Tell me you want me and I'm yours."

"I want you." Kara shivered, hoping Lee would shut up soon. But not like this, she thought to herself…

"Good, you and Kacey can move in today. We'll raise her together. Be a family, the three of us. We can surely manage one kid, right?"

Kara looked at him confused, "So you don't know? You really want me?"

"Know what?"

"I'm pregnant. Congratulations Major. Good job, you just got your best pilot off rotation for a while." Kara added out of spite reaching for her clothes again. Lee grabbed her hands and pulled them towards him firmly. Lee stared at her for a few moments; Kara forced herself to remain silent.

"I thought I'd have to beg." Lee finally said.

"For what?" Kara responded confused.

"For us to give Kacey siblings, I doubted you'd be open to the possibility."

"You wanted to have a baby with me?" Kara asked in disbelief and suspicion. Kara then realized what Lee had said, "Siblings?"

"Yes. Plural." Lee kissed her again, "And we're getting married. I'm calling the shots from now on. You've been in control for far too long."

"What do you call sneaking up on me to frak?"

"Good timing?" Lee suggested, "Either way, you're stuck with me."

"Yes."

"Yes we'll get married? Yes we'll have children together?"

"All of it." Kara closed her eyes, what was she saying?

"Good." Lee leaned down and kissed her again.

And then suddenly it didn't matter, "I love you too Lee. Now what?"

"Now, I confess already having packed my stuff."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"I really do have to go, there's a pilot briefing."

"I cancelled it."

"As of when?"

"Now."

Maybe it wasn't a bright shiny future, but it would do…Kara thought, she had Lee, and Kacey and this baby. And they were going to make the best of it. No regrets.

Epilogue:

Some time later…

Kara walked back to her quarters from the pilot's head, Kacey running along beside her.

"Mommy, Grandpa said I can, Please?"

Kara shook her head, they grew up so fast; according to Fleet records Kacey would be four years old in less than a few months. "What did Daddy say?"

"Didn't ask him yet."

"I don't think Daddy would mind a flower painted on his helmet, if you let Mommy help you paint it on." Kara said smiling, imagining the look Lee's face would have after he realized his helmet had been 'improved' by their daughter.

Kacey giggled and ran ahead, dodging the people in the busy corridors.

When Kara caught up Kacey was waiting outside the door, she opened the hatch to reveal Lee had cleaned up their quarters and was now sitting on the bed folding laundry.

"Hi Daddy." Kacey clambered onto the bed next to him, and began to 'help' him fold the laundry.

Kara leaned down and picked up her son, who had pulled himself up to his feet by holding onto a chair, "Hey. Did you have a good nap?" Kara balanced her son on her hip, as she began to rummage around for some paint to use later. Kacey was now jumping around the room energetically, shouting Gods-know-what. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. It was family.

FIN