Disclaimer: major fluff ahead. After my last, angsty fic I am giving them here the joy they want and deserve.

It was true, after all.

It was true, he realizes in awe as the keel of the boat gently splits the water in two halves, sending foamy waves in oblique directions. The sunlight draws iridescences from the surface and the air feels both cool and warm, as spring breeze would, hitting the skin of his cheeks and his forehead.

Standing on the prow, clinging to the railing, Bill makes out a different color pattern ahead: blue turning green turning white, then a hint of light brown behind. Impatience kicks in; he can suddenly feel the pounding of his heart, the thrill along his nerves. Seconds later, the coastline appears before his eyes. There is a beach, just like she described; people are slowly gathering on the sandy esplanade. A minute or two later, a small crowd has formed already. His gaze scans it eagerly, blinking away the tears that well up in his eyes because of the wind, trying to get a clear sight from the distance.

Before he can even grasp what he is doing, he is already trying to spot her.

He remembers that night like it was yesterday. She was back from one of her treatments; she had made a close friend during her long hours in sickbay and that friend had just passed away. She told him she had dreamed; she saw herself in a boat heading to the shore. She had seen her mother, father, sisters, friends; but she had never gotten there. Before she could reunite with them, she was back. She had awakened.

She had been pondering what it all meant.

She used to be exhausted and edgy back then. However, she had been emotionally open that night with him, inviting him into her world of visions and doubts, questions and fears. Visibly shaken by her experience, she had craved his company, she had sought his insight. She had been willing to accept his help to explore the elusive meanings; for once, she had been neither reluctant to appear vulnerable, nor ashamed of needing him.

Then she had realized that he was in pain, that he felt lost too, and she had (yet again) pushed her own distress aside to comfort him. She had let all her love for him shine in her eyes for him to see. He had told her she was his faith. All of it had drawn them closer. Even closer than they already were.

She had spent the night.

Neither of them had known how much truth lay in those visions. Ultimately, they had clung to the moment, to each other, to the little time they knew they had left.

And now, after such long years, after such a hollow existence, after so much grief and loneliness, after so many defeats and questions and sorrows, now he finds himself on a boat, getting closer and closer to the shore, mere seconds away from hugging again all those people he had lost and he still loved.

In the eye of his mind, one presence outshines everyone else.

Her.

The keel hits the sand. The deck vibrates under his feet before the boat stops completely. He hurriedly scans the crowd one last time, hoping to finally see her. She just does not seem to be there.

He comes down the ladder, jumps off and turns around. People are approaching; a few ones are running towards him. Someone is really close already.

Zak.

Bill opens his arms wide to his younger son who falls hard into his chest. He holds him tight, rocks him side to side.

He will not let go. Not this time.

"Hey, dad." He hears over the buzzing of the blood in his ears. His senses are numb, on overload.

"Son." He rasps only.

That single word contains the universe.

It is exhilarating; it would be impossible not to get carried away by this mass welcome. He quickly loses count of the hugs, handshakes, kisses, and nods with which he graces his family, his friends, his crew; with which he acknowledges them and thanks them for their warmth, for their loyalty, for their happiness upon seeing him again. Never a believer, he had also never pondered what he expected this to be. He had not expected anything like this to happen in the first place. Now that he is here, he finds himself grateful that they still remember him; that they waited for him all this time.

On the back of his mind he starts to figure out that only those who are meant to be here are actually here. It is not everyone who once was part of his life that belongs in this reunion: this is only for and about the chosen ones, those he never forgot, those his heart still held dear when he himself passed away. All the others whom he cannot bring himself to care about anymore (crew members, relatives, old friends, whatever role they played in his life) are just missing.

As it should be.

He shakes away his daydream and brings his attention back to here and now. To Kara, who has thrown herself into his arms with the impetus of a viper and has been hugging him for a solid minute. Not that he objects. He inhales her scent, presses a kiss against her temple, cups the back of her head and strokes her hair, longer than it used to be, blonder than ever.

For having just set his foot on this land for the first time, he is feeling at home already.

This is the one thing that does not come as a surprise to him: home was always about whom, never about where or what. She was the one who told him so, and she was damn right.

Speaking of which…

Bill lifts his head and looks over Kara's shoulder. He observes the different groups of people chattering, drifting around; a few ones are leaving the beach already after having greeted him. She is most definitely not there. Anxiety grows in the pit of his stomach.

"Kara."

She lifts her head off his chest.

"Sir."

He gives her a tentative look.

"Where is she?"

Kara does not need to ask who the Admiral means. She turns around, frowning.

"The frak... You haven't seen her yet?"

Bill does not reply. Kara extracts herself from Bill's embrace and studies the crowd from where they are standing.

There is no one even remotely resembling Laura Roslin.

"Okay. This is weird."

His expression must be giving him away because Kara quickly adds:

"Don't worry, it's not like anything bad can happen to you here. It's so perfect it gets boring."

Despite his concern, Bill cannot help but smile inwardly. Kara must feel so frustrated some days with no enemy to fight.

"She must be… somewhere else." She resolves, taking a step. "Let's find her."

"Kara, wait."

His tone stops her on her tracks. Bill struggles to find the words.

"Maybe… maybe she's not expecting me." He looks up at her surrogate daughter again. His expression is dark and uncertain, but it is also direct and resolute.

If there is anything I need to know, just tell me.

Kara looks back at him intensely, immediately grasping what he really means.

"She's not here so it's sure as frak she is not expecting you today. But she has not stopped waiting for you. Not for a second."

Bill can feel a mix of relief and hesitation reflected in his own eyes.

"It's not like she talks about it. She was never one to waste time wallowing in her own miseries, never makes a big fuss over anything she wants or needs. But we all know better by now, don't we?"

She pauses, her eyes boring into his.

"Come on, sir. Let's find her. Let's make Laura Roslin happy."

Bill finally nods.

"Let's find her." He echoes.

Kara links her arm around his elbow. Walking quietly, they leave the crowd behind.

I am clearly not in the mood to make anyone (fictional or otherwise) suffer so Chapter 2 has also been posted :)