Here goes nothing. I haven't written fanfiction in nearly 10 years but this idea wouldn't go away. It's going to be a multi-chapter based on the plot of a Hallmark movie I love dearly. Don't let the angst fool you - this is going to turn into a fluff-fest eventually. Also, I don't have a beta but I would love one. If anyone is interested, I'd really appreciate it.

Chapter One: Scenes From a Hospital

Laura Roslin pulled off her glasses in frustration. She had read the same line of the same report three times but still couldn't focus on the printed page. The gentle whirring of the medical equipment usually offered an assurance that life was still carrying on. Right now, it was just a reminder of the migraine throbbing behind her eyes. She sighed, finally glancing at the hospital bed next to her chair.

Judith Roslin was resting peacefully for the time being. Tucked underneath the white cotton sheets, the former schoolteacher looked like a fraction of the woman she had once been. Her graying red hair had long since disappeared. The color in her checks had faded after the failure of the second round of Doloxan treatments. The bruises from countless IV injections stood out all the more on her nearly translucent skin.

Laura made a point to visit Judith as often as she could. Her responsibilities as Secretary of Education never seemed to allow her even a moment's peace, but she had obligated Richard into allowing her to escape for a few hours every week. Laura needed the extra time to drive out to White Willow Hospital on the outskirts of Caprica City. Instead of moving her mother into the state-of-the-art hospital in the city, she had opted to keep Judith comfortable in the country surroundings of White Willow. The little town had just the right balance of suburban charm and lush landscape, which afforded plenty of privacy for the mother of a political official - if a low-ranking one.

Laura traced a finger along one of the prominent veins on her mother's arm. She knew Judith wouldn't wake; her mother had been heavily sedated earlier that evening. Laura couldn't bear to watch her beloved mother endure any more pain. Especially now that the damnable disease had moved to her brain. It was slowly eating away at Judith's memories. She had begun to forget simple things like the date and the name of the planet. Recently she started losing larger memories like Sandra's wedding, Cheryl's graduation, and Laura's election to office. She also kept forgetting that Cheryl and Sandra were gone.

The stress of losing her memory caused Judith to become more and more agitated with herself and her doctors. Pulling out her IVs, shouting at nurses, and refusing her medication had become daily occurrences. Laura tried her best to soothe her mother's confusion. She had been answering dozens of her mother's phone calls at all hours of the day for several weeks. She was always willing to help Judith fill in the missing pieces of her life.

Laura dreaded the possibility that she would arrive for her visit and Judith's green eyes would hold no recollection of her whatsoever.

She could barely describe the unfairness of it all. The cancer had already stolen her mother's health, her spirit, and her future. Now it was determined to steal her very being as well.

Sighing heavily, Laura forced herself out of her melancholy. It was getting late and she had to report to work early the next morning. However, she needed to check in with her mother's doctor before leaving for the day. Laura gave her mother's hand a squeeze and walked into the hallway.

As Laura rounded the corner, she suddenly found herself smashing into a man headed in the other direction. She lost her balance as her boots slipped on the polished hospital floor. Laura was certain she was about to fall flat on her back until a hand roughly gripped her elbow.

"Watch where you're going," A gruff voice spoke near her ear.

Laura's polite apology for the collision morphed into indignation. "Excuse me! You ran into me."

"Because you weren't looking where you were going," The man repeated briskly. The fact that he hadn't yet made eye contact made Laura even angrier.

"What kind of sense does that make? You came barreling around the corner! How was I supposed to see you?" Realizing the arrogant man was still holding her elbow, Laura yanked her arm away.

"I don't have time for this," He sighed heavily and stalked away.

"Aren't you at least going to apologize?" Laura called after him. She wasn't entirely sure why she was pressing the issue with such an off-putting man. Though he seemed familiar for some reason.

"Not for something that isn't my fault," He replied without glancing back at her.

Laura seethed as she took off for the service desk. Between her on-again-off-again relationship with Richard and her run-in with a jackass in the hallway, she'd had it with all pigheaded men.

Room 412, Room 412, Room 412.

The orderly's words repeated in his mind. Lee Adama? He's in a spare room in the hospice wing. Room 412.

Bill cursed under his breath as he huffed up four flights of stairs. The damned elevator was taking way too long and he didn't have a second to spare. Once he'd gotten the call that his son had been injured in a flight accident, Bill's world had shattered just as it had the first time he had received such news. Oh, Gods, not Lee too.He took emergency leave and left Galactica on the first transport he could find.

Though a Lieutenant tried to assure Bill that Lee's injuries were not life threatening, he would not believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. Bill needed to see his son - alive, whole, and breathing. Nothing was going to slow him down.

That was until he nearly knocked a redhead to the ground because of his speedy gait. His tunnel vision abated enough that he managed to grab her elbow and prevent her fall.

"Godsdamnit," He thought."Why does everything I touch turn into a frakking mess?"

The overwhelming anxiety that had been bottled up inside him finally reached a breaking point. Bill was tired, worried sick, and agitated. Instead of behaving like an adult, he took his frustrations out on an innocent woman and blamed her for his carelessness.

She didn't let him get away with it, though. She demanded an apology as he plundered away. Bill wasn't sure if he found that admirable or irritating.

Finally arriving at Room 412, Bill cautiously knocked on the door as he entered. The room was quiet save for the clicking of the television tuner as Lee flicked through the channels. Taking advantage of the fact that Lee had not yet seen him, Bill observed his son from afar to determine his condition. Both of Lee's forearms were covered in thick, white bandages, an IV was attached to his right hand, and his face was marked with several scratches. Otherwise, he appeared healthy.

Bill cleared his throat to get Lee's attention.

"Dad?" Lee raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

"Your superiors were required to call your next of kin to report the accident," Bill said in an even tone. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," Lee snapped. "Better than Zak, anyway."

Lee turned his head back to the television and missed his father's wince. Rather than take Lee's bait, Bill sat down near the bedside and changed the subject.

"Looks like you've got some electrical burns on your arms. Lieutenant Davis told me your dash caught fire. Any idea what happened?"

"It wasn't my fault, okay?" Lee said in a clipped voice. "The godsdamn wires were fried and the frakker exploded in my lap after the launch. I had to eject and let the bird crash on the deck."

"You followed procedure," Bill quietly stated. "Did exactly the right thing to save yourself. I'm proud of you."

Lee glared at his father. "I knew how to do the 'right thing' to save myself? Are you saying Zak died because he couldn't save himself?"

"Son…" Bill sighed.

"No!" Lee yelled. "Zak died because he never should have been in a plane in the first place. That is your fault, not his!"

"I didn't come here to fight with you, Lee!" Bill shouted over his son. "I came here because my son was in an accident! I can't even express how it feels to get that phone call not once, but twice! I left my post because I wanted to be by my son's side. Nothing is more important than that. Do you understand me?"

Lee returned his father's hard stare as they sat in a prolonged silence. "I understand," Lee muttered.

"Good," Bill breathed his first sigh of relief in hours. "What did the doctor say about your injuries?"

"Second degree burns on my forearms and thighs, three bruised ribs on the right side, and a few minor cuts to the face."

"When do you get to go home?" Bill asked quietly.

"Tomorrow morning," Lee sighed. "They want to give me a bunch of antibiotics overnight. Make sure I don't get an infection from the burns."

"I could give you a ride home tomorrow." His father offered.

"No, it's okay," Bill was surprised by the lack of hostility in his son's voice. "Starbuck already said she'd be in to 'pick up my sorry ass and kick it from here to Picon' for scaring her."

"That sounds like Starbuck," Bill smiled slightly. "She's on shore leave now, right?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, she's taking a break for Winter Solstice early this year."

"What about you, son?" Lee looked puzzled. "What are you doing for Winter Solstice? It's coming up next Saturday."

"I don't really know, Dad," He sighed. "Mom and Robert are taking a cruise on Leonis. They invited me along but that's the last thing I want to do."

"I used to love Winter Solstice when you were little," Bill spoke softly. "Maybe we could have dinner this year. Invite Starbuck along."

Lee shifted hesitantly. "I…don't think that's a very good idea, Dad."

Bill's expression remained unreadable. "That's fine. It was just an offer."

Eager to relieve the awkward tension in the room, Lee flipped to the sports channel on television. "The Buccaneers are playing the Tauron Bulls in ten minutes. Last game before the holiday."

"Twenty cubits says the Bulls crush the Buccaneers."

Lee quirked a small smile. "You're on, Old Man."

Fueled by righteous indignation, Laura made quick work of tracking down her mother's doctor. Once she was satisfied with the updates on Judith's condition, she returned to her mother's bedside and buried herself in paperwork instead of going home.

Who knew that anger was so good for productivity? In no time at all, Laura looked up to find it was already dusk. She stood at the window and peered out to see thick snowflakes falling furiously.

"Great. Now I get to drive through rush hour in a snowstorm," Laura murmured as she gathered her things.

Judith's chest rose and fell in an irregular rhythm. The nurses had assured Laura that this was normal, but it still made her anxious that any one of those breaths could be Judith's last.

"I'll see you soon, Mom," Laura whispered in her mother's ear. "It's getting close to Winter Solstice. We'll have to break out the decorations and celebrate in style."

Laura tried her best to deny the nagging truth that gripped her heart; this was going to be her mother's last Winter Solstice.

"I love you," Laura kissed her mother on the forehead and quietly left the room.

Laura shuffled through the hospital parking deck as quickly as possible. The snow kept falling without any signs of stopping and the wind was bitter cold. She could feel a chill setting in despite her thick coat and scarf. Thankfully, her car had been parked under an awning. There would be no need to scrape two inches of snow off the windshield.

Thoughts of a bowl of soup and a very large hot toddy hastened Laura's desire to get home. She climbed into the driver's seat but nothing happened when she turned the key in the ignition. Determined not to panic, Laura tried several more times to get the engine to turn over. Still nothing happened.

"No, no, no," She groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

After a dozen more attempts to start the car amid fits of swearing, Laura made her way back into the hospital to find the number for a tow truck. Her awful day was now reaching comical proportions.

"…he passes to Gabriele…Allard blocks…passes to Floyd…Anders intercepts! Anders scores! That's the game, folks! A nail-bitter to the end, but the Caprica Buccaneers win in overtime!"

"Ha! I told you, Old Man!" Lee laughed in triumph. "The Buccaneers always deliver a win."

Bill smiled and pulled twenty cubits out of his pocket. "I guess I can donate money to the invalid."

Lee smirked. "Hey, I might be a little burned up but I could still kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Bill said in an amused tone. He glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's getting late. I haven't been back to my apartment in six months, so I'd better go see if it's still standing."

"Aren't you going back to Galactica?" Lee asked.

"No," Bill answered. "I'm thinking of following Starbuck's lead…taking extended leave for Winter Solstice. I haven't had an actual vacation in years."

"Oh…that's good," Lee said hesitantly. "I'm headed back to the Atlantia once I heal up. Probably just stay on the base for the holiday. Lots of work backlogged this time of year."

Bill nodded absently. He recognized that his son was trying to put as many miles between the two of them as possible. He understood. One televised Pyramid match wasn't going to change their turbulent history.

"Have a good holiday, Lee." Bill met his son's eyes. Neither of them had the words to describe what they felt in that moment.

"You too, Dad," Lee sank down into the bed as he watched his father leave. He pressed the call button for a nurse. A little more pain medication would help numb his warring emotions.

Bill wandered the hospital hallways at a much slower pace this time around. Visiting hours were winding down and many people were bundling up in their coats to brave the storm outside.

On the ground floor, Bill glanced over at a wall-mounted TV in the lobby. A red band obscured the top of screen and warned that the snowstorm was about to become a blizzard. Not thrilled by the prospect of driving two hours in the midst of a blizzard, Bill made a beeline toward the exit. Yet something in the corner of his eye caused him to stop.

A woman in an expensive black coat was clearly having trouble at the information desk. Though she was out of earshot, Bill sensed her frustration from the animated motions of her hands as she spoke. A little closer study of the woman's profile provided a revelation for Bill. Not only was this the redhead he nearly ran over in his haste to find Lee, he had met this woman before.

A heavy pang of guilt gripped his chest. Ignoring his better judgement, Bill edged toward the information desk.

"…you're telling me no one is available?" The redhead asked in a clipped tone.

"No, ma'am," A bored-looking teenage attendant replied. "I called three different towing companies. They've all got a backlog of service calls because of the storm."

"Did any of them say how long I'll have to wait?" She spoke slowly, as one would to a very small child.

"Two to three hours at the soonest," The boy yawned. Bill could practically feel the anger radiating from the exasperated redhead.

"Well, thank you so much for your help," The woman said sarcastically. She turned and was suddenly face-to-face with Bill. Her piercing stare was full of fury, but the deep green of her eyes captivated him so much that he was momentarily speechless.

"We've met before…" Bill stammered.

She scoffed. "I should think so! I was the innocent bystander in your little hit and run earlier tonight."

"I didn't mean that," He ran a hand through his hair. "I've seen you before. At Adar's Inauguration Dinner. You gave a speech about public school funding."

The redhead narrowed her eyes as she studied him. "You're a military man." There was no question in her voice. Also no endearment.

"My entire career. Worked my way up to commanding a Battlestar," Bill said defensively. Few things annoyed him more than sanctimonious politicians. He was damned proud of his work and none of Adar's talking heads would change his mind.

"You're Laura, right? Part of Adar's cabinet?" His comment held the same amount of hostility as hers had.

"Yes. Though most people call me Secretary Roslin," She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Look, Mr…?"

"Adama. Commander Bill Adama." If she could throw around titles, so could he.

"Commander Adama," Laura spoke his name as though it were distasteful. "Is there something I can do for you? Because if not, I have several things to attend to right now."

Bill shifted his weight. Laura Roslin was nothing if not to-the-point. "I just…wanted to apologize. For running into you earlier. I haven't been myself lately, but that's no excuse for my behavior. I'd like to make it up to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you always this tardy with apologies?"

Unbelievable. He'd know this woman for mere hours and she was already giving Carolanne a run for her money in fraying his nerves.

"Listen, Secretary Roslin," Bill barely concealed his annoyance. "I overheard your conversation about car trouble. I wanted to apologize for earlier by offering you a lift back to Caprica City."

Bill felt a small rush of triumph as Laura's haughty expression morphed into one of surprise.

"I…With you?" She fumbled for a response. "I don't think that's a very good idea. We hardly know each other."

"I'm offering you a ride home, not a ring," He groused. "It's already after dark. The snow's going to keep the tows busy for hours. There's no way you're going to get anyone else to come out here in the middle of a storm. But if you're comfortable spending the night in the hospital lobby, suit yourself."

She considered him for a long, drawn out period before replying.

"Fine," Laura said with finality. "I don't suppose I could ask my assistant to drive all the way out here to pick me up. Let me leave a message at the desk and I'll follow you out."

She turned away without a second glance at him. Bill fought the urge to take back his offer. This was going to be a long, long drive.