Chapter Text
Bill was sitting by Laura’s grave again. He made a habit of coming there at least once a day. He talked. He told her about everyday’s progress in building the cabin. It gave him a strange sense of calmness when he needed it most. But he also told her about the expanding settlement he was able to see from their cabin’s place in the elevated part of the highlands. He mentioned their people were doing fine because he knew it was her primary concern even hours before death. She wanted to be sure that the people they led here fare well in this new, beautiful world.
Every now and then Saul would come and offer some help but even he was coming less and less frequently now, Ellen wanting to move on and explore. Chief came once and helped with some works but it was a one-time occurrence and he did not show up again. Lee’s days, as far as William Adama knew, were filled with exploring and building the settlement. Bill told his son right at the beginning to leave him alone For once Apollo understood perfectly. Maybe he understood that seeing ‘her capitain Apollo’ brought some painful memories.
The settlement closest to the cabin was occupied mostly by what was left of the original crew of Galactica and housed such figures as doctor Cottle with his faithful Ishay, who refused to leave him with someone else. There was Hoshi taking care of communication and there were some pilots who occasionally flew supply runs with few raptors ready for flight. Helo and Athena made a habit of visiting with Hera who was growing really fast. Lee’s ‘permanent’ place was also there, as rarely as he came by.
“So…” asked Cottle lighting a cigarette he still somehow possessed after ten months on this new planet. Before him was Saul who has come back from a three week exploration trip. “Have you visited him?”
Nobody needed to specify who ‘he ‘ was.
“This cabin of hers is nearly finished.” Said Tigh grimly. “And so is he.”
“You think I should go and check on him?” Asked Sherman quietly probably already knowing the answer. “A could take some medicine… or booze…”
“You’re the last person to help him.” Saul gulped a good amount of this new alcohol they started to brew here. “He doesn’t need another reminder of this frakkin’ cancer she died of. I think I understand what’s gotten into him.” Saul looked at his wife, sleeping on the cot nearby. “He lost something important because of some frakkin’ prophecy. Something he never expected to find.”
“You suddenly became a romantic?” Sherman grumbled. “Never thought you to be the type.”
“Might have something to do with being a Cylon and all.” Saul said but he was still looking and smiling at Ellen. “Seriously doc, I couldn’t even think of anything to tell him.”
“I don’t think he wants anyone to talk to him now. We all knew it would happen sooner or later.” Said Cottle. “I thought she wouldn’t even get through the assault on the colony. I left Ishay with something to ease the pain when the time came. But surprisingly she made it.”
“It might have been better if she didn’t.” Suggested Saul. “Would have spared him that one hard day. On the other hand I think he wanted to be there for her.”
“What happens when the cabin is completed?” Sherman asked seriously.
“He has nothing more to keep him here.” Saul answered gulping a big portion of his drink.
“How long?”
“A week, maybe two I f he wants to decorate the place.” Answered Saul. “They loved books and he brought all of his collections and his furniture so probably…”
“But it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”
“Yeah. But we all did our part, he did his part, they both did. Maybe it’s finally time for them both to rest together after all the fight.”
“Still, it’s going to break a lot of people.” Commented Cottle. “The morale dropped significantly after Roslin’s death. Now Bill… It’s gonna be frakkin’ hard to keep the spirits up.”
Lee was travelling on foot for a week now. He was busily exploring the yet unexplored portions of land in the vincinity of the main settlement. It was an afternoon when he noticed a big storm gathering in the area. He was seven days’ walk from the settlement and he promised himself that he wouldn’t use the comm. device to call for a raptor unless he was in serious trouble or found something that needed immediate attention. Then he saw it. The large stone grave on a ridge from where there must have been a beautiful view on the valley nearby.
Lee came closer and noticed the fresh flowers that laid there and a cross made from sticks. There was also a pair of glasses by it which the young man recognized as his father’s. He put all the pieces together and understood that this must have been Laura Roslin’s grave, a place where his father put a lover to rest after she finally succumbed to her devastating illness. Lee knew Tigh had visited his father but knew also that the man was not brought to a final resting place of the woman. It was deeply intimate like the relationship Bill Adama and Laura Roslin shared, and just like that relationship it was prevented to become official and public. Being with her made his father happy and willing to fight for another day. The way he took care of his last lover was endearing to anyone privy to their interactions. He didn’t remember seeing his father so calm and content even when Roslin was at her worst, needing help even to raise from the hospital bed. It was hard to miss and maybe that was the reason Cottle let her from the sickbay at all. She too was calmer and happier in the company of his father.
And then he took her and left to accompany her on her last trip and to bury her. And he knew it when he decided to do that. It was hard enough for Lee himself, when he needed to say goodbye to Dee after she shot herself, but accompanying the loved one to the grave every step of the way and finally burying her with his own hand, laying her in the ground and covering in stones must have taken a lot.
“Lee?” asked a tired voice behind him. “What are you doing so far from the settlement? The storm is coming.”
“Dad?” Lee turned and saw a much leaner man than he remembered and was scared to see his father so fragile.”Oh my gods, dad…”
Lee virtually ran to his father and hugged him tightly noticing the loose clothes and, after looking into his face, sunken eyes.
“You shouldn’t be here, Lee.” Bill said.
“I didn’t know where you decided to go, Tigh didn’t tell me where did he find you. And I was just travelling.”
“The storm is coming. You’re too far from the city to get there before it hits.” The older Adama said matter of factly. “Come, stay with me.”
“Okay.”
Lee followed his father not far from the gravesite, near the small lake with a clear water, now dark with coming storm. There was also a lot of beautiful vegetation there and flowers, which must have been his father’s supply for the grave. He was impressed with a size and overall look of the cabin. Made of timber, it was not too small and not too big, just a quiet personal space for two people.
“It’s beautiful, dad.” He said when they entered the place and Bill lighted a single small candle to maintain some light since the storm seemed to drain all of it from the outside world. “You did a great job. I think she would’ve liked it if she was able to see it.” Then Lee looked around just to see that there was a lot of furniture he did remember from his father’s quarters from Galactica. The couch stood proudly in front of a fireplace that his father was just getting to life, a rug underneath it. There was a passageway into a smaller room where he could see a rack, which has been clearly taken out from the beloved ship with part of the bulkhead, some smaller cases and chests of drawers, a desk near the window in whet Lee suspected was a part for kitchen. The cabin was obviously finished and decorated. It was done now. Suddenly a large and unknown piece came into his vision. Across from a fireplace there was a huge and clearly handmade bookcase filled with precious volumes.
“Wow, so many books.” Lee said coming closer and examining the titles. “I didn’t know you had so many of them. And so various, I might add. I remember you as a mystery type, not romance and biology one.”
“One romance novel was the only book Laura brought for the trip to the Galactica decommissioning ceremony, mine are the mysteries. The rest is a gift from the settlers. Apparently Sherman shared some stories about the sickbay routine the first night we were here and he was drunk. People decided they would make it a gift for the last trip of their beloved President and prophet. It would be rude and not Laura-like if I refused those gifts.”
Lee noticed that when his father mentioned Laura his face visibly beamed. He was almost smiling.
“So now you have most of the books that survived two apocalypses?” Lee joked.
“Probably all of them if you don’t count Cottle’s little stash. He gave one too, you know, but not all of his volumes.”
“You know which one is from him?” Lee didn’t cover his amusement. Additionally he saw that talking looks to be good for his father.
“A big green one with gold letters on the front. He said Laura was always looking at it curiously when she visited his office.”
“Dad…” Lee decided to broach some more difficult topic as well.
“Yes, son?”
“Don’t you think someone should be living with you?” Young Adama said. “I mean, to help you, to be there if something happened?”
“No.”
“We’re all afraid that if something happens to you no one will notice and…” Lee wasn’t allowed to finish.
“I don’t want to be found, son.” Bill declared. “When the time comes and I feel it close now, I want to go without all the fuss, just like she did.”
“Dad…”
“I am tired, Lee, very tired. I didn’t even notice until she was gone, how much of my life was fueled by her presence. I felt alive again, a feeling I didn’t expect to have when I was finishing my speech at the decommissioning ceremony.” Bill looked at his son with so much calm and conviction in his eyes that Lee suddenly was able to understand at least some of it. “My time has come, son, to let go. I’ve done my share and I need to relinquish control.”
“Can we at least visit you from time to time?”
“You, Saul and Sherman are always welcome, Leland.” William Adama smiled. “But please, keep Ellen far from me – I need my last days to be peaceful.”
Bill’s attempt at humor was in fact funny and father and son soon laughed together.
Laying that night on the couch in the living room of his father’s cabin Lee contemplated what he saw that day. After dinner they sat in front of the fireplace and talked a lot about those eventful years that brought them to this point. They noticed that a lot of the most important moments, the most meaningful and healing ones have been somehow connected with Laura Roslin and that they were thankfully much closer now than they were ever before. “Good way to go” commented his father and ended their conversation for good. And Lee knew he was right.
Lee wondered what would have happened if it was Adar that survived and assumed the presidency that was his by law after the attacks. So much wouldn’t have happened and so much would have been bad still. Now they were on Earth, on a beautiful, green planet that offered a new life for all of them. Sadly the one who led them there was not alive to enjoy the new home. The only consolation was a fact that Laura Roslin lived long enough to see Earth and, according to his father’s words, died happy and amazed about the beautiful place.
Lee told his father about the evening of rememberance ceremony held in the main camp for Laura Roslin the second night after her death. Almost everyone visited and even Athena said some kind words. Tigh mentioned her role in the Resurgence on New Caprica, Ellen just nodded, Cottle was asked to say something but wasn’t able to do so in the end.
All this made the old Admiral shed a tear but it was a good tear, one of beautiful memories rather than inconsolable grief. Lee suspected the latter emotion was just hiding under the surface waiting for a day his father wouldn’t have strength to go back another mile back to the cabin and deciding to stay by the grave forever.
Lee was trying to make the most of this visit, suspecting that it might be the last one, depending on his travels and his father’s mental wellbeing.