Laura Roslin walked along the path, her feet crunching against the gravel softly. It was another cold day, and her breath puffed out in front of her in elaborate patterns against the gray sky. The little stream flowed beside her, bending and turning each way, as if determined to get to the lake where all of the other little streams congregated. Far below her, she could see the dismal array of tents and metal concrete buildings that was their home. Or their prison.

The stream was beautiful in the light of the day. It glittered and shone like glass in the sunlight, the water pure as snow. She followed it a little longer up the path until it emptied into the small lake. The lake smiled at her. Laura smiled back. She leaned over, and saw her reflection.

She was distracted by something near the side of the lake. At first Laura thought it was a mirage or trick of the light, but then she saw it again. She walked carefully along the bank and the figure became clearer. It looked human.

Panicking slightly, she hurried towards it. But as she came closer, she drew back sharply. The figure wasn't human. It was one of the Cylons, the tall blond woman. She was dead. But despite Laura's distaste for the Cylons, she felt nauseated by the sight.

The woman was lying face up in the water, her pale hair floating above her like a halo. Her limbs hung in suspended animation, her clothes billowing out softly. Her face was bloodied badly, and a piece of tape hung limply from the side of her face. Those mesmerizing blue eyes stared up at the sky, unseeing.

Laura's self-preservation instincts urged her too get as far away from the corpse as possible. If she was found by the Cylons, they might assume that she had done this. But something seemed to compel her towards the body, and before she could stop herself, she had taken off her jacket and was wading into the water, getting closer and closer to the dead woman.

The water was ice cold, but it seemed to have no effect on her. She moved in a trance-like state, her body weightless and empty in the water. But as she neared the middle of the lake, she noticed that the corpse was gone. She then noticed that her feet could no longer touch the ground, and the shore was hopelessly far away.

Laura spotted a pale hand near her right side. Without thinking, she reached out and touched it, admiring the slender form, the delicate fingers. There was a ripple in the water, and the hand had grabbed her. She thought of screaming, but her throat froze up. Out of the water, the beautiful Cylon woman appeared. Fully alive and glistening like a newborn, she was a sight to behold. Laura stared mutely.

"Hello, Laura. Remember me? My name is Six." The woman spoke softly and seductively, with the tone of one who is accustomed to being admired. The Six reached out and touched her cheek, and suddenly there were Sixes everywhere, taking up every inch of the water, swimming towards their dead sister.

Laura tried to swim back, but it was too late. The Sixes pressed forward, their beautiful blonde heads shining in the sunlight. She admired their hands once again as they reached for her, and pulled her underneath into the dark, icy deepness of the water…

Laura Roslin awoke, covered in sweat. The vivid images of her dream still lingered in her mind, and she took breaths of air through her lungs, trying to steady herself. She reached out for the comforting shape of a pillow, and shuddered when her hand fell against cold, hard concrete. Of course. She had forgotten where she was.

It never ceased to amaze her that even after weeks of captivity, she still woke up every day with the vain hope that she was back in her tent. Through the tiny skylight that was her only source of light, she could gage that it was morning. She imagined the city humming and buzzing as it came to life, the children walking to school, Tory and Maya preparing the day's lesson plans. The thought gave her some comfort.

Laura was very cold. But then again, she was always cold. The freezing temperatures in the detention facility had sunk into her bones through the thin fabric of her jumpsuit, and it seemed that she would never be warm again, even if she spent the next ten years in front of a roaring fireplace. If she was alive in ten years. With the way things were going, she didn't have a particularly optimistic view of her own mortality.

Her stomach grumbled. She wondered how long it had been since they'd fed her. She would never ask for food, of course. She had to keep what shreds of dignity she had left.

But she hoped they would come soon.

As if in answer to her prayers, the door swung open, and a Centurion entered. It looked at her with its cruel red eye, and she stared back, defiantly. It seemed like she would soon be involved in a human-cylon staring contest, but then the Centurion abruptly set the food down, and left the room. She waited until it was gone, and then attacked the food. She gulped down the water, and then started on the bread, devouring it in two bites.

"Tastes good, doesn't it?"

Laura looked up in shock. Standing in the doorway was the tall blonde woman, flanked by two Centurions. An image immediately came into her mind, of the woman's mangled corpse lying in the water, murdered. She quickly shoved it down.

The Six stepped gingerly into the cell, her eyes sweeping the length of the place. Laura stared at the floor, avoiding those blue eyes.

"I've heard that when people are deprived of food for a very long time, they'll literally eat anything. Including rats." She laughed, revealing pearly white teeth. "Of course, I won't make you eat anything half as bad as that." She withdrew an apple from her pocket, red as blood. "I thought you might like something better to eat."

Laura looked up at her, and then at the apple. She wondered how long it had been since she'd eaten fruit. At least a year. She imagined biting into the sweet fruit, sucking out the juice, and devouring it until there was nothing left but the core. It would give her immense pleasure. But there were more important things than momentary pleasures. She steeled herself, and heard herself speaking to the Six, her very tone dripping with contempt.

"I don't need your charity. If you're trying to get information out of me, you're wasting your time. Now unless you have a purpose for this visit, I would run along and play with your great love, Baltar."

Six's eyes flashed dangerously, but then she smiled again. The apple disappeared back into her pocket. "Not all of us Sixes are in love with Baltar, Madame President. It's a flaw in our programming, but it doesn't affect all of us. We're not completely unilateral, as much as we'd like you to believe it."

Laura laughed. It was a harsh, angry laugh that echoed off the walls. "Next you'll be telling me that all of the Cylons aren't blood-thirsty murderers that want to kill us all. I don't believe a word you say."

Six was getting angry. Laura knew that she was pushing her luck, deliberately provoking a Cylon. Even Colonel Tigh wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a thing. But her mouth seemed to be working independently of her brain, and she felt the swell of righteous anger flow through her veins. She got to her feet, not without difficulty, and looked the Cylon woman in the eyes. To her surprise, Six didn't return the glare; instead, she dropped her ice-blue gaze to the floor. A concession. A small one, but a concession nonetheless. Laura felt vindicated.

"You know, of all the Cylons, I've always hated your model the most." Six looked up, genuine puzzlement on her face. "Why?"

Laura laughed again, that same harsh, angry laugh. "Do I need to spell it out for you? It was your model that destroyed our home worlds and everything in it. Our entire lives, up in smoke just because Baltar…" Her voice failed, her own anger making it impossible for her to continue. She took a deep breath, and continued. "It wasn't his fault, really. He is perhaps the worst man I've ever met, but by himself, he was no harm to us. But you…"

She stepped closer to the Cylon. Six had taken a few steps back, her eyes looking more hurt than angry. "You. Do you think I'm stupid? I saw you with him the day of attacks. You seduced him, you brought out his worst nature, I'm sure of it. It's your fault. It's all your fault." Laura turned away, unable to look at the woman any longer. A silence stretched out between them like a chasm. The she heard a voice from behind her, soft and timid, and quite uncharacteristic of a Six.

"I'm sorry for your loss. The loss of any life is a terrible thing." Six looked up at the skylight, as if hoping to find some answers hidden in the roof. "God tells us not to kill, but yet we…" Her voice trailed off. She looked at Laura, and Laura felt compelled to look back. "You have the right to hate me. But you have to understand, I'm not the woman that destroyed your civilization. I may look like her, but I'm not her. I'm not CapricaSix."

"Then who…or what…are you?" Laura asked. She was intrigued by something about the Cylon, despite the fact that every pre-conceived notion in her head fought against the idea that a Cylon could be different. Six smiled. "My name is Sarah," she said softly.

Laura stared. "You're different, aren't you?" Sarah nodded. "I have…different beliefs. I am one of the growing few who believe it was not the best course of action to destroy the human race." She leaned in towards Laura, her eyes burning with intensity. "If you let me, I can help you. But you have to trust me."

Laura was bewildered. The Cylon named Sarah was extending a slender hand towards her in friendship. It seemed too good to be true. But of course, it was. The crushing truth of it hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt like choking with rage. The Cylons had played mind games before, and this was obviously no different. She had been taken in by the charms of the Six, just like Baltar. She was no better than him, she realized with a sickening feeling. When it came to Six, they were all made into idiots.

Sarah was still holding out her hand. She looked so utterly and completely sympathetic and compassionate, that Laura almost forgot what she was. Almost.

She slapped away the hand the Cylon had offered as she would an insect. Sarah stepped back with a wounded look. For a moment, Laura wondered if they were really different, humans and Cylons. Both could feel rejected. What other emotions could they share? But then again, that was the main difference. Cylons could switch their feelings off, be rid of their fear, their guilt. Humans, on the other hand, had to live with their emotions.

Laura realized the power she had over this woman. More than anything else, Sarah wanted forgiveness. To be absolved of the crimes that her race had committed, that she was doubly bound to because it had been one of her model that committed the act in the first place. What better way to achieve forgiveness than through the former President of the Colonies, a leader of the humans? One of the most important skills Laura had learned in politics was how to play an enemy, keeping what they wanted just out of reach, so that you were in control. When you gave them what they wanted, you lost your power.

Her decision made, Laura smiled at the Cylon. Sarah looked at her, her eyes now clear and easy to read. Help me. Forgive me. Laura could not forgive.

"Who do you think you are? Do you think that you can come in here, to this cell where you're holding me, and give me an apple and a philosophical discussion, and I'll open my heart and soul to you? You are a race of murderers, and you are the worst of them. I won't accept your help, because it's beneath me. I am the former President of the Colonies. But you…" Laura stepped closer. "You're pathetic. You're just a sad machine that your owners could turn off with a click of a button. But you aspire to be more, of course. That's why your model is so obsessed with Baltar, because you think that that sniveling shell of a man will give you what you need. Love. The trademark human emotion. Only he hasn't given you anything. You're just his whore-"

She was cut off as Sarah hit her, hard. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards, and she hit the ground with an ungainly thump. Still, she smiled through the pain. She was in control now.

Sarah stood over her. "As I mentioned before, "she said coldly, "I'm not in love with Baltar." Then, she once again extended her hand. Laura eyed it warily. This was an unexpected development. The Cylon was trying to take control. She was good. Laura was better. Rather than taking her hand, Laura stood up by herself. The two women stared at each other. Stalemate.

Without warning, Sarah pointed to Laura's mouth. "You're bleeding," she observed. Laura immediately brought a hand to her lower lip, but Sarah got there first, and wiped the blood from Laura's chin carefully. She held it up to the light, examining the color. Then, without another word, she turned and walked out the door. Laura waited for her to return, but when she didn't, she sat down against the wall, exhausted.

She might have dozed off, because when she looked up again, blinking in the sudden light, Sarah was standing in the doorway. The skylight was dark, and Sarah's white-blonde hair seemed to glow against the blackness. The effect was eerie, to say the least. Sarah stood looking at her for a moment, and then spoke.

"Cylons bleed too, you know."

It was a statement. Or a question. When Laura didn't respond, she turned and walked away, shutting the door behind her. And Laura Roslin was once again plunged into the darkness.