Laura Roslin sat in her chair on Colonial One staring out the window at the ever present Battlestar Galactica. She studied its strong yet scarred exterior. She smiled softly, thinking about the life that thrived within its sturdy bulkheads. She thought to herself how the ship reminded her a lot of its Admiral. She shook her head to clear herself of those dangerous thoughts. He was still furious with her for keeping Hera Agathon from her parents. She knew the real reason he was so upset was because he felt betrayed. She didn't trust him with the information and that hurt him. The ironic thing was she did all this to keep him from getting hurt. She was interrupted when her aide Tory suddenly appeared in front of her. Laura glared at her and was about to tell Tory off for probably the fifth time today when she noticed her Vice President standing behind her. Laura's eyes narrowed seeing the smirking face of Tom Zarek clearly sizing her up. She crossed her arms defensively. She waved Tory off and Tory, with a look of barely contained frustration, left the makeshift office.

Zarek carefully eyed Laura Roslin trying to gage her mood. She was wearing pants so she wasn't in a flirty mood. Her glasses were on so she was all business, he couldn't help but notice her beautiful flaming red hair cascade down around her shoulders framing her beautiful and stern looking face. Her green eyes glinted in anger directed at him for interrupting her in whatever she had just been thinking about. He stole a glance out the window and saw the Galactica looming overhead. So, she had been thinking about the Admiral. Something that would normally put her in a good mood, but Zarek knew their relationship was tense at best after the Hera scandal as the press called it. Taking in all this information Tom came to the only possible conclusion, she was pissed and he had better tread carefully.

He sat in the chair she offered him and she waited for him to speak. Tom nodded lightly trying not to show his fear. If word got out hat Laura Roslin intimidated him he would be ruined.

"Laura" he said in greeting.

"Zarek" she spat. Tom smiled, so, today he wasn't Tom, he wasn't even Mr. Vice President. Tread carefully indeed.

"I'm just going to cut to the chase. With everything that has happened I think you should step down" he said waiting for her to explode. She remained calm her politician mask firmly in place. To his surprise she even seemed to be considering it.

"And who would take over for me?" She asked seriously. Tom stumbled unprepared for her calm logical question. He had expected a fight not well whatever this was. Defeat, acceptance, dare he say relief.

"Ah well" he cleared his throat, "Me of course. I already have the support of the quorum and the people. I could-" He was cut off by her sharp laughter.

"You are forgetting one very important person who's support you don't, and won't have, but so desperately need"

"Yours?" Zarek asked annoyed. Laura shook her head and gave him one of those smiles that made him want to bend her over her desk and take her right there. The thoughts running through his head only fueled his already rising anger. She nodded toward the window, toward Galactica. "Adama"

"Exactly" she said standing. He rose with her "I'm late for a meeting thank you so much for wasting my time" she said icily. She tried to move around him, but Tom blocked her path. His anger had reached its limit with this impossible woman who had to have the finest pair of legs in the fleet. He longed for them to be wrapped around his torso pulling him closer as he frakked her long and hard.

"You're sleeping with him, convince him" Tom snarled. Ever the politician Laura did not reward his outburst with one of her own. She merely glared at him and again tried to move around him. He grabbed her arms roughly and slammed her against the bulkhead. He thought he caught a glimpse of something in her eyes, but it was gone before he could discover what it was.

"Hey!" He heard Kara Thrace shout behind him. "Let her go or I will shoot your frakking brains out!" She shouted. Tom turned and saw she did have a gun trained on him and Laura's marines were entering as well. He backed off raising his hands slowly. His fingers still tingling with the sensation of the feel of Laura beneath them.

"Madam President?" Adam, Laura's head of security and trusted friend, asked.

"Let him go" she said after a shot pause. She resisted the urge to reach up and stroke her arms that were slightly throbbing. "It won't happen again will it Mr. Vice President?" she asked her voice strong and with a hint of warning to it.

"No it won't Madam President" Tom said turning to leave. Adam was in his face in a second.

"Touch her again, even look at her funny and I will not let it go" He said in a steely voice.

"Adam" Laura said deeply grateful for his affection and devotion, but also realizing this could easily get out of hand. Adam was very overprotective. He had been through everything with her. He had been with her since the worlds ended, backed her up no matter what she did and even made himself her personal guard on New Caprica. Before and after the cylons came back. She was relieved when she saw Adam take a step back and allow Tom to leave.

"Ma'am… Laura how could you just-"

"Kara if I put him in the brig he would get the attention he wants. I can handle Tom Zarek"

"And if next time you can't?" Kara asked worry lacing her voice. Laura looked first at Kara and then at Adam and knew he wanted to know the same thing. Laura found herself wondering when she and Kara had formed this bond. On New Caprica they had started getting to know each other. Before the cylons came and then shared experiences in detention. In fact it seemed after New Caprica she had the support and respect of every crew member that had been on that gods forsaken planet. She cared for Kara and this display showed Kara cared for her as well. She didn't want Kara or Adam to worry

"There won't be a next time" She said looking at both of them. She could tell she wasn't helping to reassure either of them. "Not even Tom is that stupid" she added. Kara turned to leave, but Laura called out to her. "Not that I think he would care anyway, but don't tell the Admiral about this ok?"

"It would matter, he lov-"

"Whatever we had I killed it. I'm surprised I haven't had another trip to the brig yet. Please Kara?"

"Is that an order?" Kara asked stiffly.

"No it's a request from a friend" Laura said softly. Kara softened and started leaving the room.

"This is going to frakking bite me in the ass. Why do I-" Laura laughed as she heard Kara scold herself down the corridor. She looked over at Adam and saw him eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm fine" she lied smiling.

The next day Bill and Tom waited for Laura so they could begin their meeting. Both men were lost in their own thoughts of the same beautiful, stubborn woman they were waiting for. Bill was thinking about how much he loved her. His anger at her part in the Hera scandal was fading. He wanted to be angry, but he loved her and not seeing her everyday was killing him. He had felt what life was like without Laura Roslin when he had jumped away from New Caprica. He didn't like it so when they came back he made sure to let her know exactly what she meant to him. Words couldn't describe how happy he had been when she had returned his love with the same intensity he felt for her.

Tom was thinking of Laura in a very different way. He was worried about his outburst. And the fact that seeing something he chalked up to fear flash in Laura's eyes when he had her against the bulkhead kept replaying in his mind. He wanted to see that again. He wanted to feel the power of bringing Laura to her knees, see the unmasked fear in her eyes, and perhaps even some begging couldn't hurt. He knew he would have to be careful. Kara and Jack would be watching him more carefully and if his newly formulated plan was to succeed he needed to be careful.

The hatch opened and Laura strode into the Admiral's quarters a very annoyed, very pissed off look on her face.

"I get it Tory! Enough is enough!" She shouted at her slightly trembling aide. Both men found themselves feeling sorry for the young girl. Laura's wrath was not aimed at her yet she was receiving the brunt of it. Both men felt responsible for her anger. One was troubled by it the other turned on by it. "Sorry to keep you waiting gentlemen the press conference lasted longer than I thought it would." Tom looked over at her security who normally would leave the room. The guards were stationed inside the hatch instead of outside and Adam never took his hand off his gun and was never farther than three feet from his president.

"Adam what's with the extra security?" Bill asked concerned. "Something I should know?" Laura looked even more annoyed at being talked about like she wasn't there. Tom and Bill noticed Jack wanted to say something, but his loyalty to Laura was unwavering.

"No nothing is wrong let's just get this meeting over with shall we?" Laura said shortly. She saw something like pain cross the Admiral's face, but pushed her hope aside. So the meeting went on. Everyone wanted it to end. The tension was as thick as soup. Laura was worried Adam would lose it and shoot the Vice President, Tom was worried for the same reason, and Bill was worried because he knew something was going on, it concerned Laura and Tom, and no one would tell him what it was. Finally when the meeting was coming to a close Tom stood up abruptly.

"Laura can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Tom asked. Adam tightened his hold on his gun.

"I don't-" Adam started, but was cut off with a look from Laura. She nodded to Tom and followed him outside. Adam followed leaving a very confused Admiral behind them.

"Are you going to tell him?" Tom asked trying to gage Laura's position by the way she reacted.

"No I'm not going to tell him, not for your sake for his, but if it happens again I won't be so forgiving." Laura snapped walking down the corridor. Tory fell into step behind her casting a suspicious glance at Tom. Tom leaned against the bulkhead as a man came up to him.

"What do you think sir?" The man asked.

"Tomorrow we move. My mistake cost us, but in the end all of this will be worth it. We need to get rid of her guards. Especially Adam. That's your job Orion. After that bring her to airlock 57 where a raptor will be waiting with a trusted pilot inside. Go with them to the Astral Queen where I'll be waiting. We've only got one shot at this." Tom said shaking Orion's hand. Orion nodded and walked back the way he came. Tom smiled and looked out a window at the fleet. Soon all this would be his.