Practical
Of course the rumor goes out, almost immediately, that this is a crime of passion, not a government in exile making a stand. It's inevitable, given the nature of their escape, and the fact that the commander of the fleet who is relentlessly going after them is an angry and offended father.
"Are you going to marry him soon?" one of the girls asks as she serves Laura their best rations. "He's so handsome, and it's so romantic, him breaking you out of prison like that."
"Oh, you have great taste," another woman murmurs as she takes Laura's hand and genuflects. "I bet he's amazing in bed. You are so lucky."
No matter what, at least one person on every ship is certain that the story is simple: the president is in bed with her young co-conspirator. He's so handsome and devoted and clearly in love.
Clear as mud, Laura thinks ruefully. Having Apollo along has, in fact, been something of a struggle. They fight constantly, and every fight gets more dramatic and threatens to tear apart their alliance, so they're forced to hold back.
"No more running! We turn. We stand up to my father!" he yells at her, while the people wait outside, trying to hear. "All you seem to do is gather worshipers and wait with that beatific smile of yours. What is this, a fight for democracy or the cult of Laura Roslin?"
"We fight? With what? All I have, Apollo, are my supporters," she growls while he paces. "If you're not willing to use the weapons we have, we have already lost. The gods are a valuable, valuable part of what's available to us."
"You think you're a god," he accuses, stopping and glowering at her.
"You think I've lost my mind," she retorts. "If you don't trust me, why did you come? Billy at least had the decency to stay behind when he couldn't come any further."
"Do you think I could stay behind?"
"You are his son," she points out icily. "He is angrier at me than he needs to be because I am the bitch who stole his only son after sending Kara Thrace to die."
"I am not his puppet. And I'm not yours, either," he says, apropos of nothing.
"No, you aren't," she says. "I have a deep, irrational fear of puppets."
"I'm not your devoted love slave, either," Lee says, giving her a look that's half-surprised. "If another person asks me that..."
And that's when Laura starts to laugh, because of course he'd be embarrassed. He's never had an inappropriate thought in his life.
Pity.
"It can't be that bad," she says. "Most people who assume that we're lovers are surprisingly happy with the idea. At least the ones who've asked me."
Lee shakes his head darkly. "I've had to threaten violence," he says. "More than one man on this fleet has detailed fantasies about what you do in bed and what you'd be like doing it to him."
"Are the reviews good, at least?" she asks with a sigh.
"You, me, and Billy," Lee says. Laura's eyes widen, and she starts laughing. "Then there are the ones who ask if I feel bad about taking the old man's leavings, the ones who ask if they're pretty enough for you..."
"So I'm Ellen Tigh?" she asks.
"Basically," Lee says. "I don't understand how you can be so casual about this. According to rumor, you don't have time to be president because you're too busy having sex with the entire crew of Galactica. That can't be good."
"It's simple sexual frustration," Laura says. "Also, they don't really believe that. They're afraid of my reputation and don't quite trust a woman president, and they need a way to counter that fear."
Lee glowers. "I don't like it," he says.
"Of course not," Laura replies wearily. "Sometimes, Captain, you make me very, very tired."
"And you're worse than frakking Kara," Lee said. "I never thought any woman could get me madder than she does, but you're up there."
Zarek interrupts before this can turn into a much nastier fight, and he looks particularly smirky, which means everyone could hear them. Laura sighs. Fantastic, fabulous, wonderful, the whole resistance believes she and Lee are having sex in the thirty seconds they're not in other people's view.
"The Gemenoni representatives are here, Madam President," he says. "Are you ready?"
"Give me ten seconds, and I will be," Laura says, irritation robbing her of her usual edge when it comes to Zarek. "After all, Captain Apollo and I have so little time to have sex, so we have to fight at the same time."
"That's how I always was with my best lovers," Zarek replies smoothly. "The better the fight, the better the sex."
"Thank you for that wonderful insight into your life, Mr. Zarek," she responds snappishly. "Let's go."
She leaves Lee to stew, and definitely goes overboard in accepting the worship of the Gemenon contingent, which embarrasses Laura terribly once she realizes what she's doing. What in the name of the twelve colonies does this prove? After about fifteen minutes of awed whispers, Laura has had enough.
"The gods are most definitely to be thanked," she says curtly. "However, we should not get in the habit of refusing to act and think for ourselves. I am defending the democratic way of life of the Twelve Colonies, and I am gratefully accepting what help the gods give me. However, my first resources are the facts and the world around me. We know we have found Kobol, and that Kobol is the most likely source of factual information about Earth. Kara Thrace's mission to Caprica, while it may seem illogical, is in fact quite rational. We have information from the scrolls that the Tomb of Athena opens using the Arrow of Apollo, and certainly the ancients would have provided a way to find these things as failsafes in time of crisis."
"Are you arguing against literal interpretation?" one of the representatives asks. "What about what you've experienced?"
"I'm arguing that these are extraordinary times," Laura says. "But even in extraordinary times, our reliance on fact and logic should not be laid aside. We must seek Earth using all the tools at our hands. There has been far too much hysteria and division lately. Until we can agree that our interpretations may be different but our aims are in concert, the promise of Earth will elude us."
He's waiting for her when she leaves the room.
"Hi," Laura says shyly.
"Hi," Lee says, just as shyly. "I heard the speech."
"What did you think?" she asks.
"You're incredibly good at winning people to your cause," he replies. "And I'm sorry for doubting you. It's just driving me crazy. You're doing important work, and people think we're just...fools in love."
He looks away from her, at his feet, and Laura almost laughs triumphantly. So that's why he was so upset about the comments. It feels good, in a way, to know that she's not the only one wrestling with the ambiguity of this partnership, and the pain of what necessity requires.
"Why do you always say it's just me? We are doing important work together. I couldn't do this without you," she says, stopping him and moving them into a quiet corner. "Don't you think you're important to this, too?"
"I think that you're the most important part of the equation," Lee said to their shoes.
"And I am going to die in a few months," Laura answers. "Who leads the people then? Zarek? Baltar? Your father? I can do a lot in a little time, but I still only have so much. I need to know there is someone I can trust."
He pauses, looks up, and chuckles. "Are you asking me to stand for election with you?" he asks.
"That depends. Are you going to say yes?" Laura asks.
Lee pauses again, and it suddenly seems to sink in the way they're standing, the position that they're in. "If I say yes, then," and he looks at her, "Then it means we can't..."
"I know," she says. "But we have to be practical, don't we? And things will start looking different when Kara comes home."
"Don't," he says very sharply. "I defied my father and my whole life for you. Don't pretend that there's nothing between us."
"I'm not pretending," Laura says sadly. "There's nothing between us. You are my successor and I am your mentor. That is what's between us, Captain Apollo."
"You know that's not how it has to be," Lee says quietly. "I..."
"Don't," she says fiercely. "I am this close to breaking, Captain. I am dying, and alone, and scared to death because I don't know if the gods are talking to me or if I am leading humanity to extinction based on a drug-induced fantasy."
If he tells her that he loves her, the game is over. She knows this. She couldn't resist the earnest devotion in those blue eyes of his, that kissable spot on his upper lip, the way he would wrap his arms around her and make everything go away for a little while. And Laura knows she could make him happy, happier than even the Thrace girl could, because there is no one else for her in the world but him, and Lee wants so desperately to be loved for himself alone, and not for his name. And she does love him, so much that it pains her not to be able to tell him so.
But they have to be stronger than that, and he is better off than to find himself entangled with her in her remaining days.
"I'll stand with you," he says, pulling back.
"Good. I'll see you on the shuttle," she says, turning and fleeing, stumbling as she goes.
A broken heart should not hurt so much at her age. Especially not a self-inflicted broken heart.
It does anyway.