Chapter 8
(Adama's POV)

Okay, so I have to admit that Cottle does have a point when he says that we are probably going to need Sam and Lee to work together on this one and that if we want them to be able to do that the two of them are going to need a major attitude adjustment. The problem is that that is going to be easier said than done. After all, Lee has always been very protective of Kara... or maybe I should say that he had always been very protective of her because that changed the day she left to settle on New Caprica. Oh, I know that part of it has to do with the fact that he never quite forgave her for daring to marry Sam in the first place, but I also know that there is a lot more to it than that. In fact the truth is that the two of them had been growing apart for some time before that but that was when that distance suddenly turned into a chasm.

Of course, even though that is something that I am going to have to look into sometime soon, I don't think that should be my top priority, not right now. Whatever happened between them I have no doubt as to the fact that Lee has already forgiven her... though --depending on what caused that rift in the first place-- getting Kara to forgive Lee may turn out to be a little more complicated.

I am still thinking about that when, as I am going over Cottle's words, I suddenly realize that there is something he isn't saying.

"Wait, you said that both Lee and Sam will need to know but you only mentioned telling Sam when she starts coming around," I point out.

"Well, Anders is not military and he is not your son," he reminds me.

"In other words, you expect me to be the one to tell Lee," I say, not really looking forward to that particular conversation.

"Seeing how you already know I think that would be best... and you may want to do it sooner rather than later."

"But you are going to wait a few days before telling her husband."

"True, but then again her husband is not blaming himself for volunteering to open an airlock for her. That's the difference," he reminds me and I can't help but to acknowledge that he is right, that in Lee's case putting this off would only serve to make matters worse. The problem is that even though on a rational level I understand why he is saying that it would be best for Lee to hear this from me and why he is saying that the sooner he is told about it, the better, the truth is that I don't want to be the one to tell him, especially not now, not while I'm still struggling to wrap my mind around the idea myself.

"I'll get to it but right now I want to know what are we supposed to be doing here," I say, realizing for the first time that everything Cottle had said up until now about what we can expect had been carefully edited to avoid any references to his suspicions.

"To tell you the truth I'm not entirely sure. I told you what the odds were and what I think some of the obstacles we are bound to encounter are likely to be but..."

"But what?" I prod, not liking that hesitation in the least. I've known Cottle for a very long time and experience has taught me that when he hesitates things are bad, very bad.

"But it's more complicated than that," he finally admits.

"Do I even want to know?" I ask, wondering if this can possibly get any worse.

"No, you don't, but you probably should."

"What is it?"

"Well, the truth is that when all is said and done, what we have here is a woman with an all-male support system and there's nothing we can do to change that. Now, knowing Starbuck, that suits her just fine and ninety-nine percent of the time it is not an issue, in fact she clearly prefers it that way... unfortunately this time around I suspect that we may well have stumbled onto that one percent and that is likely to turn into a problem."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if she needs someone to talk to she is unlikely to find anyone who can even begin to relate to what she is going through among those she trusts and that she is not likely to open up to someone she doesn't already trust so she is probably going to find herself stuck. Considering that you, your son and her husband are the three people she is closest to I would say that this could end up getting ugly fast because you would be hard pressed to find a less suitable lot to act as a support system if you tried. Hell, out of the three of you her husband is the only one who is not her superior officer, the only one she doesn't feel the need to act like a soldier with... and I'm afraid that that boy has already made such a mess out of things that there's no way she is going to be turning to him any time soon."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm not sure. Right now all I have is a whole lot of speculation and I'm still hoping to be wrong about this but..."

"But all the evidence seems to point in that direction," I finish for him, knowing that while what he is saying is technically true, the circumstantial evidence is pretty damn overwhelming.

"Yes... and I'm afraid that that may end up putting you in a tough spot."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Whatever she needs..." I say without even slowing down to consider what I could be volunteering for here, knowing all too well that I have an awful lot that I have to make up for in the first place.