Alone, Together, Apart, Forever
by Phoenix

Alone.

     Never before could she remember feeling so alone. Not in the cockpit
of her viper, only cold space surrounding her, as she flew a solo patrol.
Not in the great vastness of the Galactica as she walked during a
sleepless period of light cycle. Not even in the days following her
father's disappearance, and the unbearable loneliness that had darkened
her soul.
     Of course, she had the stars as companions. Beautiful, cold, distant
points of light that knew nothing of love. What did they care? She had
been right the first time; she was alone.
     She had no idea of how many centars she'd spent in the celestial
chamber. She didn't even know why she was there, in a place where *he*
could find her.
     Did she want him to find her? Sheba wiped the tears from her eyes;
tears that she hadn't even realised she was crying. Yesterday, she would
have wanted him to. Yesterday, *she* would have gone to find *him*.
Yesterday, she *had* gone to find him.
     She had been leaning against the transparent tylinium of the dome
for so long, she couldn't stand any longer. Sliding slowly to the ground,
tired beyond belief, she tried to find the answer. Instead, her mind
would focus only on those few centons she had spent with Apollo the day
before. Arguing, talking, and then...
     She could still feel his warm skin under her fingers as she'd turned
his face to hers; his soft lips as she'd brushed her own against them.
She hadn't been able to tell him, even after that, how much she loved
him. She'd hoped that he'd be able to tell from her eyes, see in those
smouldering dark embers, the depths of her feelings.
     But he hadn't.
     Elsewhere on the Galactica, the celebrations would still be going
strong, probably long into the night and possibly into the early reaches
of morning. Was Apollo with them? Her head said she didn't care, but her
heart...
     Her heart cried out that she did. Sheba looked out again towards the
beauty of the stars, reminding herself just how much she loved Apollo's
special place.
     Apollo's special place.
     He'd shared it with *her*, as well as Starbuck and Cassie. Surely
that meant *something*.
     "Oh, Apollo," she whispered, shaking her head.
     They'd shared so much since she came to the Galactica. The mission
to Gommoray; their first mission together. The battle afterwards. She'd
been injured, badly she remembered. The pain had been excruciating, but
Apollo had been there to help her. He had been the one to lead her back
on board the Pegasus. He had been the one who had stroked her hair,
soothed her, while she lay on that stretcher. He had been the one who had
truly made her believe that her father was still alive when, along with
Adama and Starbuck, he had come to visit her in the Life Centre.
     The mission to put out the fires in the landing bay only three days
later. The mission to the planet where they found Count Iblis...
     Apollo had sacrificed his life for her then. Sometimes she still
couldn't understand why. How she'd treated him during that time, she
thought she didn't deserve to be forgiven. Yet, he had, and somehow a
bond had developed between them, a bond that Apollo had seemed reluctant
to acknowledge. Even now...
     She shook her head angrily. Why couldn't he see that there was
nothing wrong with caring about someone; nothing wrong with *needing*
someone?
     All of a sudden, the deafening roar of the Galactica's thrusters
announced that someone else had entered the chamber, interrupting her
thoughts. She could tell who it was before he even began to speak; she
had been expecting him, after all.
     "Sheba?" Apollo was surprised to see her sitting on the floor, arms
wrapped around her knees, head turned away from him, cradled in the
softness of her hair. "Are you alright?" His tone was soft, concerned,
and yet he was treating her as if nothing had happened. "Everyone's been
looking for you."
     "What about you, Apollo?" She whispered, almost to herself.
Nevertheless he heard her.
     "Why do you think I'm here?" His tone was one she'd never heard
before; it confused her. Even surprised her. It was almost... tender.
     "I don't know," Sheba murmured, her gaze locked on the star-field.
She couldn't turn to look at him for fear of what she would see when she
looked into those clear green eyes. Part of her almost wanted to fight
with him, challenge him as she always did, and find herself back on
familiar territory, but his words stopped her.
     "Why do you think I'm here?" She heard them echo in her mind as she
felt Apollo sit down beside her. Why *did* she think he was there? She
was almost afraid to answer.
     Still, she did not turn to face him, her eyes staying captured by
the beauty of stars and space. He waited patiently for almost a centon,
considering her answer before asking another question.
     "Are you sure?" That soft tone again.
     "Maybe you want to tell me I was wrong?" She replied suddenly, her
anger beginning to surface again as she spun around to face him for the
first time. "Tell me I was stupid, thinking you wouldn't come back. Tell
me-"
     "I'm done fighting with you, Sheba," Apollo interrupted her loudly,
his exaspration getting the better of him. He reached out to touch her
arm. "I didn't come here for that." His voice was quieter now as he
noticed the tears that had been streaming down her beautiful face.
     She stood up suddenly, the anger not leaving her voice, as she
attempted to move away from him. "Why then?"
     He rose with her, his left hand refusing to leave her arm, as his
other one reached out and unexpectedly drew her mouth to his.
     Almost immediately, her anger disappeared, replaced with a passion
that almost surprised Apollo.
     Both of his hands entwined in her hair, tilting her head to an angle
that suited him, as her arms slipped around his waist and her eyes
closed. So many times, Apollo had wanted to do this; just take her into
his arms and let her feel what he had felt unable to say.
     One of his hands dropped to the small of her back as he pulled her
closer. The other moved slightly so his fingers could caress her soft
cheek.
     As he finally pulled back, gasping for breath, her eyes fluttered
open, shocked at the words that suddenly passed his lips.
     "I love you, Sheba." He whispered earnestly. "I have for a long
time." She looked so confused and almost... hurt; it tore at his heart.
"I'm the one that's been stupid; I should have told you before. Please,"
he murmured. "Forgive me."
     She stared up into his deep green eyes, nodding, as her own brown
ones sparkling with fresh tears. As he had only centars before, just when
she had almost given up on him, he had come back to her. But...
     As stubborn as she could be, Sheba found it impossible to stay angry
with him. How could she, after an admission like that? Even after he'd
kept her waiting so long.
     Apollo must have sensed her line of thinking, for he drew her back
into his arms in a tender embrace, stroking her long brown hair as he
rested against his cheek against it. "I'm sorry for not coming to find
you when I got back," he whispered. "I just... needed some time to think
things through."
     "And?" She asked hopefully as her head raised from its position on
his chest, her eyes capturing his so he could not look away.
     "You were right about me," he confessed, pulling back so he was face
to face with her. "About Serina-"
     "I shouldn't have said that, I-"
     Apollo silenced her, placing a tender finger on her lips. "That's
not important now," he said quietly. "I never really considered the
possibility that I was trying to get myself killed until I was crawling
about on that base star. I tried to ignore what you said but..." He
swallowed. "It's true."
     She pulled back slightly so she could speak. "Apollo-"
     "No, Sheba," he stopped her. "I really didn't think what you were
saying was... well... what I mean is... I've got Boxey, and he couldn't
go through losing another parent. I've got my father, Athena, Starbuck...
and," he whispered as he leant to kiss her again. "I've got you."
     Sheba felt herself begin to cry again, as Apollo spoke the words
she'd been waiting what seemed like an eternity to hear.
     He did care.
     And it showed, in the gentle way he held her; the tender way he
kissed her; the loving way he spoke to her and wiped away the happy
tears.
     "I love you, too, Apollo," she whispered. "I know," he replied
softly. "I know."
     Underneath the beauty of the stars, the light of the heavens, they
stood together, locked in a passionate kiss that was to seal them always,
and forever. 

The End