Starbuck stared at the corner around which Cadet Brie had
just disappeared.
The grin that he had bestowed upon her as she had strolled
out of sight
faded slowly into a frown.  "That was stupid," he muttered
to himself,
"really stupid, Bucko."  He felt like slapping his forehead,
but instead,
crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, gazing at
the ceiling
lights.  "Okay.  Let's see, I've just set myself up for
*two* dates on the
Rising Star.  Tonight.  Frak!"  This time he did smack his
forehead.

"I'm a frakkin' idiot," he muttered again, wondering if he
could somehow
swap patrols with someone and head out on deep recon for the
next several
days.  As he now glared at the corner, he realized suddenly
that he had let
himself be goaded in more ways than one.  Brie was much too
innocent to have
approached him on her own; she had to have been prompted by
the rest of her
squadron, coached, more likely by - Athena and some of the
others, probably.
He could picture them choreographing that whole scenario.

And he might have done a better job of deflecting Brie's
advances he had not
just left an all-to-similar situation in Blue Squadron's
billet.  "Blast
them!" grumbled Starbuck.  Giles and the others had put him
on the defensive
about the exact same thing. They had, in fact, pulled one of
their practical
jokes on him.  It had been meant as good-natured ribbing, he
knew that, he
knew that, but they had struck a raw nerve; although, he had
been careful,
he thought, to conceal his true irritation.  He had left the
billet laughing
on the outside but fuming on the inside.

And then to run into Brie not five centons later.  Not fair,
he mused, not
fair.  "Frak," he muttered again and started back on his way
down the
corridor, in the opposite direction from the now long-gone
cadet.  He has
mentally running through the list of possible ways to just
disappear for the
evening as he rounded the corner, not really watching where
he was going.

"Hot date tonight, lieutenant?"

Starbuck nearly jumped out of his boots.  "Cassie!" he
gasped as he stopped
in his tracks and stared at the blonde med tech, who was
standing, arms
crossed, leaning against the wall about a metron from the
corner.  The look
on her face - a mixture of anger, disgust and amusement -
told him that she
had heard everything.

"I - uh - was just, uh, on my way to see you," he stammered.
It sounded
lame to his ears as he said it.  His face was red; he could
feel it, as well
as the sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.  This was
too much, he
reflected wildly, for an instant.  What had he done to
deserve this?!

"Really."  Cassie eyed him for a moment, letting the silence
stretch and
watching him squirm, his eyes focusing anywhere but on her.

"I, uh, I, well . . ." His voice trailed off.  Better to
just wait for her
reaction, he decided.  If he couldn't explain his
foolishness to himself,
how could he explain it to her?

All at once, Cassiopeia broke out laughing.  Starbuck just
stared at her,
feeling totally bewildered now.  Not only were the Fates
playing their cruel
jokes on him today, but they were openly laughing in his
face, he decided
glumly.

"Starbuck," Cassie said, still chuckling, "it amazes me how
someone who
could con the laser off a Cylon, I'm sure, could let a first-
yahren cadet
walk all over you like that."

"I, uh . . ."  He could still not think of anything remotely
intelligent to
say,  but he felt his face turning a shade redder.  He
studied her face, her
expression, for a moment, then finally said, "Why aren't you
mad and ranting
about what a callous louse I am?"

Cassie was smiling now.  "Because," she said, "I *know* you,
remember?  And
while you may be the hottest pilot in the Fleet, when it
comes to women . .
."  She shook her head.

Starbuck still couldn't believe it.  "So you're not mad at
me?"  he said
carefully.

"Irritated, yes,"  Cassie admitted, "but angry, no - not at
you, at least."
She glanced at her chronometer.  "Look, I'm late for my
shift.  Let me know
later what you want to do about this -- situation, okay?"

"Do?"  Starbuck muttered.  He ran a hand through his hair.
What he wanted
most was to just disappear for the evening and not have to
deal with any of
it.  But that was not an option.

Cassie tipped her head as she studied his glum expression.
He wasn't afraid
of facing the cadet, she realized, but of facing himself -
and his true
feelings.  One way or the other, whether he chose to spend
the evening with
Brie or not, he would have to take a long, hard look at just
*why* he had
gotten himself into the situation in the first place.
"Yeah," she said
softly, "it's up to you.  There's just one thing I ask,
too."  She put her
two fingers under his chin and guided his gaze to meet hers.
"Just be
honest with yourself - and with me.  Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," he said, giving her a wry look.

"Gotta go - I'm late!"  She gave him a peck on the cheek and
hurried off
around the corner.

Starbuck gazed at the empty corridor, but this time a smile
crept over his
lips.  He knew what he had to do - had better do.  She'd let
me do it, he
realized.  She'd let me spend the evening with Brie.  He was
free to let
loose and show the cadets that he was still the old
Starbuck.  He
knew that they'd all be there to watch; he knew he'd been
set up.  And the
amazing thing was that Cassie would still be there for him,
even if he chose
to prove that he wasn't "tied down," as Brie had put it.
Damn, he realized,
and it's *because* she'd let me do it that I just *can't.*

"She's caught me," he said to himself, shaking his head,
smile still in
place.  No games, though, no ploys, and no lies. And he owed
her the same
honesty.   To Hades with what the cadets would be saying
after he told Brie
that the date was off.  And to Hades with what the other
pilots would say,
if they ever found out about this . . . and he had a feeling
they would.
There were just no secrets among the warriors - and he was
sure that the
women would never let him hear the end of this one.  Fine,
he thought to
himself, fine.  I deserve it.  But even more, Cassie
deserves the truth.

Starbuck took a deep breath and set off down the corridor
towards the cadet
quarters.

The End