Title: Flickering: A Cutting Room Floor Story
Author: Athena13 (athena13@ixpres.com)
Rated: G
Summary: Post-Fire in Space interlude between friends

Disclaimer: Um, it's been 20 years, we all know this 
already!

<><><><><><><><><>

"I'm sorry, but the patient has to rest now. You can come 
back and visit later," Cassiopeia said, keeping her grip on 
Boomer's arm.

"We'll be back later, Father," Athena leaned down and kissed 
her father on the cheek.

"I know," Adama stroked his daughter's cheek before she stood to leave.

"Bye Grandpa," Boxey tentatively hugged him. "Dad is taking me to see 
Doctor Wilker about Muffy."

"Good, good. He's a hero. I'm sure he'll be just as good as new," Adama 
patted his grandson's head.

Boxey skipped past his aunt and grabbed his father's hand. "Come on, 
come on," he pulled him towards the door.

Everyone watching laughed along with Apollo as he wished his father 
well and followed his excited son.

"You sure you're okay Athena?" Boomer squirmed out of Cassi's grasp and 
walked over to his fellow survivor.

"I'm fine, thanks to you," Athena placed her hand on Boomer's arm. "Did 
I remember to thank you?" she kissed his cheek.

"Only about a hundred times," Boomer averted his eyes shyly.

"Just making sure," Athena whispered in his ear.

"We'd better get going before that Med Tech tosses all our butts out of 
here," Starbuck called out.

Athena and Boomer shared an amused glance before turning away from each 
other. 

"Take it easy Commander," Boomer shook Adama's hand.

"You too Boomer, thank you for keeping my family safe," Adama squeezed 
Boomer's hand before letting go. Unlike Apollo and Starbuck, Boomer was 
extremely humble and never expected accolades for his service to the 
Fleet. Adama, however, recognized Boomer's cool head as an asset to 
Blue Squadron and he made a mental note to do it more often.

Having thanked her brother for his efforts in saving them, Athena 
wanted to voice her gratitude to Starbuck as well. "Thanks Starbuck, 
for saving our astrums," Athena patted Starbuck's arm and gave him an 
amused look before leaving the Life Center. 

"Gee, you got a kiss on the cheek," Starbuck grumbled to his friend as 
they too left.

"I'm better looking," Boomer straightened his shoulders.

"Not in my reflector buddy," Starbuck said through the fumarello in his 
teeth.

<><><><><><><><>

Athena rubbed a hand on the back of her neck as she continued down the 
corridor towards her father's chambers. Since her father wasn't going 
to be home for a few days at least and she needed some uninterrupted 
sleep, her father had suggested that she stay in his quarters for the 
time being. And considering how much nicer and more private the 
Commander's quarters were than the quarters she and another lowly 
bridge officer, Rigel, shared, she could hardly refuse.

Athena groaned as every muscle in her body ached. It had hardly been 
half a day they had been trapped, but her body was insisting it was an 
entire secton. She hadn't even taken the time to shower, merely doing a 
cursory scrubbing, before rushing to see her father. At this point she 
couldn't decide what was more necessary, sleep or a turboshower.

One thing she didn't want is anything to do with smoke and heat, not an 
easy goal on a ship in which there were still small fires burning. The 
smell of smoke was lingering in the air of the entire ship and it would 
likely be another couple of days before the air system was able to 
flush the smell out. Although it wouldn't be entirely gone unless and 
until repairs to the damaged areas could be made. As Tigh's assistant, 
Athena knew that she would have to deal with the damage quite a bit 
over the next sectars. She just refused to deal with it today.

Athena entered her father's quarters and contemplated the 
attractiveness of dropping into one of the couches and not moving any 
further, but sighed in resignation as she realized her father wouldn't 
appreciate her making his nice couches smell like charred battlestar. 

Without wasting time with the niceties, Athena began to pull her dirty 
uniform off as she headed for the spare bedroom. 

Within centons Athena was under the turbospray scrubbing the dirt, 
smoke and ash off her body and out of her hair. 

"Oh Lords, this feels good," Athena groaned in relief as she watched 
the dirty water slip down the reclamation drain.

<><><><><><><><>

Half a centar later Athena was dry and dressed in her most comfortable 
pair of sleepers. Ones she knew her brother would get a great laugh out 
of if he caught her in them, since he had bought them for her when she 
graduated the Academy as a joke. The real joke was that Athena wasn't 
in the least bit insulted by the juvenile sleepwear and had, in fact, 
adopted them as one of her guilty pleasures. She had decided today was 
the perfect day to wear them, huddled under the blankets, and had asked 
Rigel to drop them and some other things off on her way to the bridge.

"Now, bed!" Athena happily declared, tossing her hairbrush down. Athena 
looked longingly at the bed before turning down the covers. Just as she 
sat down on the bed the door chimes rang.

"No!" Athena cried out, her shoulder's slumping. Resigned, Athena 
pushed herself up and headed for the door, stubbornly refusing to grab 
her robe. Whoever it was might get the hint and leave her alone 
quickly.

Athena looked at the security panel and saw that it was Starbuck and 
with a relieved sigh she pressed the key to open the door.

"Hey hero," Athena waved him into the room and took a seat on a couch.

Starbuck walked in hesitantly, eyeing her smiling countenance.

"Sit down Starbuck. There's no one else here and you look as tired as I 
feel," she leaned back against the side of the couch and hugged her 
knees to her chest.

Starbuck smiled wearily and sat down next to her on the couch. "Hey, 
nice threads," he broke out laughing as he took in her pink and white 
lacey sleepers. 

"Compliments of my big brother," Athena shook her head and let it drop 
onto her knees.

"They're cute. Boy, bet if I had seen you in those while we were 
dating," Starbuck said with a leer in his voice, showing that they had 
both been able to put past behind them and resume their close 
friendship.

Athena snorted.

"Yeah well, can't make the crowds laugh every time," Starbuck shrugged, 
slipping his feet onto the table in front of him.

"If Dad saw you do that," Athena said ominously.

"He's not here and you won't tell on me," Starbuck said confidently.

"True, true," Athena nodded. "So did you come here so I can thank you 
again for saving our lives? My life?" Athena's asked him in a more 
serious tone.

"Nah," Starbuck pulled his jacket off. "I just wanted to see you."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sheba told me what happened to you guys 
out there," Athena reached out and touched his arm. "It's a relief to 
be able to touch you too." Starbuck placed his hand over Athena's.

"When I heard that you were trapped with Boomer and Boxey in the 
Rejuvenation Center I was so scared you were all lost," Starbuck said 
quietly a few centons later. 

"I can't say I felt differently," Athena smiled self-deprecatingly. 
"Boomer got us all through. He held it together until you, my brother 
and Sheba could rescue us. And Muffit, can't forget Muffit. You were so 
great to find him for Boxey."

"I didn't find him, I just directed them where to bring him," Starbuck 
dropped his hands back to his lap.

"Well, you have a way with my nephew. You're going to be a great father 
someday," Athena told him.

"You think so?" Starbuck looked at her questioningly.

"Definitely. You relate to kids really well. My students still ask me 
when you're going to come back and talk with them," Athena shook her 
head. "It's probably because you still have a lot of little boy 
qualities yourself."

"Oh thanks," Starbuck sounded stung.

"I didn't mean that as an insult. I just meant you haven't forgotten 
what it's like to be a kid or how to have fun," Athena rushed to 
explain.

"Yeah," Starbuck sighed and leaned his head back.

"Listen, you really should get some sleep," Athena sat up and put her 
feet on the floor.

"Hmmm," Starbuck gave a noise of agreement even as his eyes slid shut.

"And perhaps that sleep should be gotten right here," Athena smiled and 
headed for the other room. She appeared less than a centon later with a 
pillow and blankets in her arms.

Dropping her load on the floor, Athena bent over and took the 
unresisting warrior's boots off and turned him until he was laying on 
the couch. Then she placed a pillow under his head and covered him with 
a couple of blankets.

"Sweet dreams, and thanks," Athena kissed her hand and pressed it 
against Starbuck's forehead. 

Starbuck smiled as Athena headed to her bedroom and her own sweet 
dreams.

END
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