Disclaimer: BSG and One Special Night are not mine.

A/N: I'm still here! If you're still with me, I am so grateful for you. Have some kissy time and some added characters in thanks.

Chapter Seven: The Morning After

A sharp ache in the crook of her neck roused Laura from a delicious, peaceful sleep. She had slept dreamlessly for the first time in months - never once plagued by nightmares about her family or the anxieties of her job. As her eyes opened, she became aware of the rise and fall of Bill's chest beneath her cheek. There was still no light visible through the blinds but it had to be getting close to dawn.

"Oh Gods, we slept together," The shock of it woke her instantly. Laura closed her eyes tightly and cursed her own foolishness.

"Get a grip, Laura. You fell asleep on the couch together. Fully clothed. Completely innocent."

Still, she could hardly remember a time when she had simply slept next to someone. Such a thing was never possible with Richard. Their liaisons were quick and secretive in hotels and in Richard's office. Showing too much affection had been out of the question. That would lead to inevitable slips in public or in front of the press. Their relationship was purely sexual, nothing more. Their on-again-off-again arrangement had suited Laura just fine for the last few years. She had convinced herself she didn't need any of the entanglements that came along with a real relationship. Yet Laura had to admit that she enjoyed sleeping in Bill's arms. She could get used to the warmth, safety, and intimacy of such an embrace.

Bill stirred behind her, his eyes widening as he realized his surroundings. "I'm sorry. I must have dozed off."

Laura gazed up at Bill and found no words to speak. His face was open, caring and so deliciously close. The longer they stayed together in the cabin, the stronger the pull between them seemed to get. She knew he felt the same. Bill placed a gentle hand on her cheek and a coil of arousal tightened in her core. While Laura was just as confused as ever by her emotions, the urge to flee did not grip her heart and force her away from him. Bill's heartbeat thrummed against the hand she rested on his chest. She breathed deeply, angling her lips closer to Bill's.

He carefully tilted her chin, grinned, and placed his lips against hers. It was a sweet, chaste kiss that two shy teenagers might experience after a first date. Laura smiled against his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Bill groaned in surprise. Laura pressed into him as she nibbled lightly on his lower lip. He sat back and pulled her gently into his lap to allow his hands to roam her back and hips. Their lips never parted as he explored the dips and curves of her body. Laura moaned when his hands reached under her sweater to touch the bare skin of her lower back. Bill suddenly broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

"What are we doing, Laura?" His breath tickled her nose.

"Making out on the couch like a couple of horny teenagers," She quipped.

He didn't laugh at her attempt to lighten the mood. "You know what I mean."

She swallowed thickly. "I don't know what we're doing. Making a mistake? Taking advantage of an opportunity? Giving in to how we feel?"

They were silent for several moments, listening and feeling each other breathe.

"We should…postpone this until we know what we want." Bill's voice rumbled near her ear.

"Or maybe we should just enjoy this…" She nibbled his earlobe.

"I am," Bill squeezed her for emphasis. "But it's probably better if we don't rush into things."

Laura hummed thoughtfully. She knew his hesitance was not a rejection, though that might have been easier for her to manage. Rejection meant she could move on with her life and forget Bill Adama completely. She could also get along just fine if all he wanted from her was a one night stand. They certainly had the perfect opportunity for no-strings-attached sex. The chemistry between them was palpable and Laura was no stranger to a casual fling. Bill's reluctance proved he was looking for an emotional connection beyond a spark of attraction. Could she offer him such a thing? Did she want such a thing? The fact that Laura had no answers was all the confirmation she needed.

"You're probably right," She sighed deeply. "Who knows what will happen once the snow stops? We might go right back to hating each other again." Laura felt oddly cold as she shifted off of Bill's lap.

"Hate might not be the right word for it. A pain in each other's ass sounds more like it."

She giggled, somewhat amazed at his ability to make her laugh. "So, Commander Adama, now what are we going to do now?"

He paused for a moment. "We can go back to sleep. Once it's light out, I can hike back out to the road and try to find some help."

"You must have lost your mind if you think I'll let you hike out there alone." Laura glared at him.

"I would rather you stay in the cabin in case someone comes looking for us here."

She snorted. "That's likely."

"It is likely," Bill said firmly. "I'm sure you will have an office full of assistants trying to track you down once you don't show up at work in a few hours. It tends to make the news when politicians go missing."

Laura felt her stomach drop. "Oh, Gods, I hope not."

"We have all morning to worry about it. I would rather we get some sleep while we can."

"Okay. On one condition." Laura spoke in her most diplomatic voice. "Let's go upstairs to the bedroom."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "I thought we just agreed to take things slow…"

"I am not coming on to you, I promise." She chuckled. "It's just that my neck is killing me on this couch. I am sure it is not doing your back any favors either. There is a perfectly acceptable mattress upstairs. We can take up the blankets and get a few more hours of rest."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Excellent argument, Madam Secretary. I can't argue with that."

"That's a first, Commander." She retorted. Laura stood and stretched her arms over her head.

"Very funny," Bill's back and knees popped in protest as he moved off the couch. "Are you sure you can get upstairs with your ankle?"

Laura nodded. "I'm fine."

Bill grabbed a candle and followed her up the stairs to the modest master bedroom. The only furniture in the room was a simple wooden dresser and a bare king-sized mattress on an antique frame.

"Which side of the bed to do prefer?" Laura asked.

"You decide. I'm used to a rack less than half this size."

She smiled softly and settled on the right side. The bed frame squeaked under her weight. Bill laid down next to her and pulled the blanket over them both. The bed frame crackled loudly with every small movement either of them made.

"It's a good thing we decided to take it slow." Laura mused. "We would probably break the bed."

She stifled a giggle at Bill's answering cough. He wrapped his arm around her middle. "Is this okay?"

"It's perfect." Laura admitted. "Good night, Bill."

"Sweet dreams, Laura." He whispered sincerely.

"Hello, you've reached Laura Roslin. Please leave a message at the tone. If this is a business concern, please try calling my office directly and an aide will assist you until I can return your call. Thank you for your patience."

"Straight to voicemail again," Billy Keikeya sighed. That was the tenth time he had called his boss. He'd already left her four messages and now he was starting to get worried. Secretary Roslin always returned his calls promptly.

Billy had broke the unwritten rule and called her house phone. No answer. He had checked in with the doorman of her building only to have his fears confirmed; she had apparently never made it home the previous night.

Normally he would consider Secretary Roslin's whereabouts to be none of his business. It wasn't his job to keep tabs on where his boss spent the night. But it alarmed Billy that Laura had never called after promising she would. She was a consummate professional. It was unusual for her to have forgotten to call him about a proposal the night before a meeting. It was unconscionable for her to have missed their morning briefing by more than twenty minutes without any warning or explanation. Something was very, very wrong.

Warring with himself over how to explain Secretary Roslin's impending absence to the public, word came through that the Quorum had postponed all meetings for the day. Half the delegates couldn't make it into the city because of the storm.

Billy breathed a sigh of relief but it was short-lived. He still had to track down his missing boss. He tried not to fear the worst as he braved the slushy streets in order to find Laura. He had decided to try White Willow Hospital, the last place he knew she had been seen. Unfortunately his only lead was turning out to be less helpful than he had hoped.

"You're sure you saw her leave the hospital?" Billy questioned the greasy-haired hospital attendant.

"For the last time, yes," The attendant said in a bored tone. "She's the redhead that nearly talked my ear off about getting her car towed."

"She didn't call an aide or a driving service?" Billy tried to quell the panic that threatened to seize him at any moment.

"I'm not her assistant, dude. You are," The teenager stood behind the desk. "And I'm off duty as of right now."

"We're not finished here!"

"Unless you wanna pay me overtime, we're done," The arrogant boy shuffled away into the employee only area.

"Damn it," Billy said under his breath. Unsure what to do next, he re-listened to the voicemail Laura had left him over twelve hours ago.

"Hi, Billy. My car broke down at the hospital. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to come get me. Commander Adama offered to give me a ride and I'm just desperate enough to accept. I'll call you once I get home…"

"Can I help you, sir?" A friendly-faced woman greeted him from behind the service desk. Her name-tag read Emily.

"Yes! I'm looking for my boss - Laura Roslin, the Secretary of Education. She was here visiting her mother here yesterday afternoon. Her car broke down and she left with someone named Commander Adama. Do you have any idea who he is?"

"No, I'm afraid not…"

"Who's looking for the Commander?" A voice interrupted Emily. Billy looked behind him to find a blonde woman dressed in military-issued tanks.

"I am. I'm Billy Keikeya, Assistant to the Secretary of Education," He shook the woman's hand. "Do you know the Commander?"

"Yeah, I know the Old Man. He's my commanding officer. I'm Lieutenant Kara Thrace."

"Maybe you can help me. Have you seen Commander Adama around here recently?"

Kara furrowed her brow. "No. I didn't know he was planet-side. Why are you looking for him?"

Billy explained his predicament for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Huh," She chewed on her tongue. "That sounds like the Old Man all right."

Billy didn't know what to say. He was saved from responding when the blonde suddenly launched herself at a young man struggling to get out of a wheelchair.

"Lee, you colossal frakking idiot," The blonde hugged the fair-haired man. "I thought you were dead."

"It's good to be wrong sometimes, Starbuck. You should be used to it by now," Lee carefully wrapped his bandaged arms around her. "Thanks for coming to pick me up. Let's grab some omelets somewhere. The hospital food was killing me."

Billy stood awkwardly off to the side. He decided to try calling his boss once more.

"We might have to take a little detour, Lee," Kara said, finally loosening her grasp. "It seems like the Old Man got lost in the snowstorm."

Lee furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

While Kara filled Lee in on the situation, Billy heard the sound of a familiar ringtone.

"Oh, this phone!" Emily the attendant groused. "Someone found it on the counter last night and it won't stop ringing! Does anyone know how to turn it off?"

"That's Secretary Roslin's phone!" Billy exclaimed, showing his own ringing phone as proof. "Where did you get it?"

"Eric found it, that oh-so-charismatic young man who works the night shift. I was going to take it to the lost and found but I hoped someone would come back for it. The way it keeps ringing, I figured someone would be frantic without it."

Billy took the phone from Emily to examine it.

"Your boss must be awfully forgetful," Kara smirked. "Probably too busy chatting up the Old Man to remember her phone. Bet they're cozy together at his place right now."

"Get a grip, Kara!" Lee looked affronted.

"I doubt it," Billy said at the same time as Lee. Secretary Roslin had the utmost respect for military personnel but she thought very little of the institution as a whole. Billy had seen her argue ethics with several different military officials over the years.

"Why would my father go out of his way to give a strange woman a ride home?" Lee asked.

"Have you ever met him?" Kara replied.

Lee laughed slightly. "I guess you're right."

"Could one of you call the Commander to see if he made it home?" Billy's eyes darted between his new companions.

"He doesn't have a cell phone," Lee replied. "And if he just got back planet-side, I'm sure he hasn't connected the phone at his apartment yet."

"We're going to have to go on a rescue mission," Kara said with mischief in her eyes. "I've got my Jeep. It can handle the snow just fine. Let's drive around town and see if we can find them."

"I guess that's as good a plan as any…" Lee trailed off.

"I'm in," Billy agreed. "Even if I'm overreacting, at least it'll feel like I'm doing something."

"Then let's get going!" Kara zipped up her oversized camouflage coat. "We can start by heading toward the Secretary's house. If I know the Old Man at all, he took great pains with his precious cargo."

Lee rolled his eyes and Billy followed along, wondering what in the worlds he had just gotten himself into.