Itchy Feet on the Dance Floor by Seanchaidh [Inspiration comes from several sources, mainly a long ago comment from Eric Paddon about the fact that since Chameleon was portrayed by the legendary Fred Astaire, someone should have made a comment in TMWNL or a fanfic, that Chameleon is a good dancer. Another inspiration is at the 20th Yahren Reunion, where the last day happened to be Anne Lockhart's birthday (September 6), and so with Richard Hatch leading us, we all sang her "Happy Birthday." Thirdly, ahem. Go to a convention where Hatch is attending, and if there's a dance, watch him in action. Voila. So, Eric, this one's for you!] There's one thing that you don't get used to when you're transferred from living on planets to cold metal ships. You feel like the atmosphere is dead, that your surrounding is as unfriendly as space itself. I don't understand how warriors can live for sectars, even yahrens, in these ships. I don't see how we're going to live for however long it takes us to Earth. I was a reformed con man, or at least I was when the Holocaust occurred. I got into the occasional mischief, of course, but when you reach my age, you're allowed to do almost whatever you want. So I would go to the local chancery -- wherever local might be at the time -- and have a few games of Pyramid, or whatever game had a good stake going. Romance a few of the ladies, and have a few drinks. Then move on. "Wanderlust" was getting to be my real name, and the lords knew, I'd been doing it most of my life. When I left home at the age of seventeen yahrens to seek out my fortune, well, I found it in the chanceries located on the Twelve Worlds and their various satellites and colonies. When I was a child, I'd never been able to stay in one place for very long, and my mother would say that I had itchy feet. She would smile, her blue eyes sparkling, and say, "Oh, Chameleon, your feet are so itchy, you can't stand still!" It must have been true. I loved to dance, and I took that up as a career early in my life. I traveled the Colonies several more times, even performing for a few groups of Colonial Warriors. Then I left that, going through a few other professions until I found myself working as a clerk, in my early thirties. And that was when I met my Gabriella. I'd dated many women, but she was very singular. Mature, but fun. We loved to go dancing, the two of us. She looked as though she were walking on air. And she was so beautiful, it would hurt your eyes to look at her for very long. I'm exaggerating, of course, but she was a beauty. Her parents disapproved of me the micron she told them about me. My love and I were ten yahrens apart, but you never would have guessed it by looking at us. The day I proposed to her was one of the happiest I'd ever experienced. After we were sealed, we moved to a town on Caprica called Umbra. It was a small farming community with lots of children and couples. A good community to raise a family, and an ideal place to start anew. I took up a position in the insurance business, and though it was bland, I was very enthusiastic because I was able to support Gabriella, and the baby that was on the way. The day our son was born is still etched in my memory. The child that was a combination of my wife and I, yet his own person... It just blew me away. When I watched Gabriella hold him in her arms, I knew that I could sit for centars and just watch them. Poetic, I know, but it often occurred to me that I was light yahrens from the man I'd once been. But that all ended, like the image in a mirror when the surface is shattered. The Cylons attacked Umbra, massacring thousands, including Gabriella. My son disappeared, and I didn't know whether he was dead like my wife, or among the other children who were now officially orphans. I searched for him, looking for my little boy, but to no avail. Unfortunately, I also fell back onto my old habits. And I never danced, because it reminded me of Gabriella. And then, after the Colonies were destroyed, my luck changed. I finally found my son, whose name was now Starbuck. Unfortunately, circumstances didn't allow me to let him formally know. My reputation as a con man didn't allow it, especially since this was the biggest one yet. What did my mother always used to say about telling lies? If you tell one, then you have to tell a bigger one to cover up the first? Well, this was the whopper of all lies. It wasn't pretty at all. So here I am, able to see my son from a distance. Small consolation. I see him as often as possible, taking the guise of being a friend. A father-like figure, the way Commander Adama has been for my boy. I appreciate what the man has done for Starbuck over the yahrens, but there have been times when I wanted to just push the man aside -- a feat in itself, since Adama is a much larger man than I -- while protesting, "But _I_ am his father, not you!" I can see traces of myself in Starbuck, like all parents try to do when they look at their children. But when he smiles, that's Gabriella's smile. Starbuck's got a few of her mannerisms, too. Sometimes I would smile to myself, thinking about what Gabriella would say if she saw him now. When not near my son, since he's a warrior and on the _Galactica_, I've been residing on the senior's ship. My companion these days is Siress Blassie. She's a lovely woman, not quite like Gabriella, but lovely nonetheless. And I've danced with her, but not with the carefree movements of abandonment that I'd experienced with my wife. Even so, I must have made an impression on someone with my dances. The _Galactica_ hadn't spotted the Cylons in sectons, and the squadrons were on various stages of alert. Some were on green, others on stand-by, including Starbuck. He's the only one who ever visits Blassie and me on the ship, so when I heard the doorchime to our small cabin go off, I was surprised. "Come in," I called, and I was surprised to see my guest. It was Starbuck's friend, Apollo, the dark captain who never seemed to smile enough. The first time I'd seen the man, I wondered what had attracted the two of them together. My son was so bright and cheerful, while Apollo was more moody and cautious. But their friendship was very strong, and I wasn't going to question it if it made Starbuck happy. "Hello, Captain. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Apollo had always struck me as the most confident of people, so when he hesitated, I frowned slightly. He stood awkwardly in the doorway for a micron or two before speaking. "I've actually come for, uh, some help." I nodded, motioning for the young man to come into the main room. Blassie wasn't in at that moment, so it was just the two of us. "Help with what, Captain?" He perched himself down on the edge of the chair opposite to me. "Starbuck's told me some stories about you, from your early yahrens. He says that you're a dancer. Or, rather, you were a dancer." "Yes, that's right," I replied, wondering where this was leading up to. I waited for him to continue, but noticed the slightly pink tinge to his cheeks. I wondered what Starbuck would say if he saw his friend in this condition. Finally, I had to prompt him. "And you need what...?" He coughed slightly. "I was hoping I could get some pointers from you about dancing." That was the last thing I expected to hear from him, and I nearly laughed. I stopped at the last micron though, seeing the seriousness of his expression as he waited for my response. "Dancing, Captain?" "Call me Apollo, please," he said quickly, then paused again. "Look, it may sound stupid, but I'm trying to make a good impression." "For a woman?" The pink color in his cheeks deepened slightly. "Actually, yes." "Ah, I see." I ran through everything I knew about Apollo, all stemming from what Starbuck had told me about his friend. I remembered hearing about a dead wife named Serina, and a long period of no relationships. Now, he had started going out with a warrior named Sheba. "Is your lady friend the type who likes to go dancing?" A half-smile came onto his lips. "Think of Sheba as a vaguely female version of Starbuck. She really likes to have a good time when she's out at parties, and I'm afraid that I'm not exactly like that. I'd rather spend my furlons with her in other ways, but she still likes to be out doing things." "We all need people who draw us out of our regular selves," I told him, eyeing him carefully. I'd seen some of the Triad games he played with Starbuck, and I knew that Apollo was a graceful athlete. Judging by the original embarrassing flush to his face, Apollo lost that confidence on the dance floor. "You're not much of a dancer then, Apollo?" "No," he said simply. "When we were in the Academy, we had to take mandatory dance instruction. Gemonese waltzes, the Caprican swing, things like that. Unfortunately, I don't recall many of those, and even then," he shifted position slightly and grimaced, "I always ended up looking stupid." "I see," I said again. "And so you want to learn so you can impress Sheba?" "Well... yeah, but it's more of a surprise," he admitted. "I have two sectars before her natal day, and I figured that it should be enough time for me to learn at least a few moves. Cassiopia's going to throw a party for her, and I'm going to sweep her off her feet." "Ah," I smiled. "You're quite the romantic." He looked pleased at my statement. "Do you think it's possible?" I mused upon the topic for a few microns, looking directly at the man sitting across from me. "Yes, I suppose so. Do you think you'll be able to make it over here about once or twice a secton in the meantime? I can teach you the basic steps, and if you don't mind, I'll get Blassie in here to help. You'll have to practice, though." "Once a secton I can do, maybe twice." A wry grin came across his face. "I can always dump some of my reports on Starbuck. It's a worthy cause, wouldn't you say?" Trying not to wince at the image of my son stuck in front of desk with a stack of reports in front of him, I smiled. "Starbuck's up for the challenge, I'm sure." "Then it's set!" He stood, then smiled. "I'll be on green for another two days. I can come back on the last day for the first lesson?" I nodded at him, seeing the smile lighting up his face. "At fourteen hundred centars?" "Until then," Apollo nodded. * * * Blassie was intrigued when I said that we'd be having a guest. I know she was expecting Starbuck, so when Apollo appeared in our quarters two days later, she was pleasantly surprised. Leading the captain in by the hand, we began the lesson. The basic dance was a popular Scorpian dance that was easy to learn. I demonstrated it to Apollo, then had him try to do it for himself. I could see his awkwardness right away, and he knew that both Blassie and I could see it, too. The familiar blush crept back into his face, but I waved it away. "Why do you feel awkward?" I asked him, and he shrugged. "Apollo, do you feel awkward when you're playing Triad?" He shook his head. "That's right. Now, you perform more elaborate steps in Triad than you do in most dances. Keep that point in mind." Well, I wasn't actually too sure about that, but he seemed to cheer at the news. With renewed interest, he took Blassie's hands, and tried it one more time. I called out encouragement to him, and I did see a definite improvement in his movements. After half a centar, we called it a day. I had to admit that I was impressed at how quickly he was learning, and even Apollo was looking a little brighter. That small improvement first day really made things easier the next secton when Apollo returned, and with each lesson, he was getting more and more coordinated. Three sectons before Sheba's natal day, I decided that he was ready to try something new. I sat him down in one of the chairs, ready to explain what I wanted him to do. That is, of course, if he wanted a bit of flair in their dance. He looked interested, but when I summarized it for him, he blanched. "A dip?" he repeated. I looked at his face with amused fascination. The range of colors Apollo's face could change to was getting to be extremely interesting. Red and white he could do very well. I idly wondered what he would look like with green or blue, but decided that the first two colors would be enough. "Yes, a dip." He actually seemed to wring his hands. "Uh, I don't know..." "You'll do fine," I chided him. "But..." He stared at the floor, then directly into my eyes. His voice dropped down to a stage whisper. "But what if I drop her?" I gave him a reassuring tap on the shoulder. "That's what practice is for. Oh, Blassie!" "Hmm?" She poked her head from our sleeping chamber, her hair somewhat askew. "Come! Let's teach our dear Captain how to properly dip his dancing partner!" I don't know why I was feeling so cheerful, but I was determined to make this work. After all, it was getting to be fun, and as both Blassie and Starbuck sometimes point out, I'm a romantic at heart. Just a bit of a wayward one, though. With a big smile, she came out to take Apollo's hands, who looked as though he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to do this. Before he could actually back out, I quickly began the instructions. Step, step, dip. Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but you'd have to be there to see it. A determined look came on his face, but before they began, Apollo made a weak joke. "Maybe you should put the cushions on the floor, just in case?" "You'll do fine," Blassie reassured him. "Besides, if you drop me, I'm taking you with me. And those cushions can be used for more than just cushions, you know," His pale expression darkened to a deep blush, and Blassie sent me a big grin. Clearing my throat slightly, if only to spare the poor boy more embarrassment, I started them off. Step, step, and dip! And he did drop her, but only for a micron. Warriors have wonderful reflexes, and true to form, he had Blassie back on her feet before she could land. Looking extremely apologetic, he started again. I was worried, to be truthful, that we'd have to start all over again, but his newly reacquired awkwardness was only temporary. By the end of his lesson, Apollo finally dipped her successfully. I applauded him when he brought Blassie upright, and the grin on Apollo's face was wider than I'd ever seen on him before. He stood there in front of me, like a child awaiting praise for a deed well done. "Well?" His voice was a little breathless from the dancing, and next to him, Blassie was in the same condition. By her smile, I was sure that she had enjoyed herself. "Think you could do it again?" I asked. He glanced at his dancing partner, then nodded. "Sure." I pointed at the chrono on the wall, trying not to smile. "Then you have another five centons to try it again." * * * I didn't mean to be hard on Apollo, but one dip didn't mean that he'd be successful all the time. But by the time Sheba's natal rolled around, I knew that my student was ready for his grand debut. Initially, I wasn't supposed to go to the party. Cassiopia had organized it aboard the _Rising Star_, and I didn't want to be the odd one out; after all, Starbuck and his friends were all many, many yahrens younger than Blassie and I. Even so, Cassie insisted that we attend. Sheba had always liked me, and after all, as Cassie insisted, I had to see the happy couple in action. At exactly nineteen hundred centars, the guest of honor arrived in the Astral Lounge along with her escort. Wearing a dress that I guessed had been specially chosen for the evening, Sheba looked radiantly beautiful. Next to her, Apollo was smiling quietly, dressed in his dress uniform as were most of the warriors. "Surprise, Sheba!" we all shouted, and she literally fell back a few paces, needing Apollo to steady her so she remained upright. Her brown eyes widened to twice their normal size as she took in the sight of her friends and fellow warriors all gathered around her. "By the lords of Kobol..." were the only words able to leave her lips as she continued to stare at everyone in shock. I could see the grins on Starbuck, Cassiopia, and Apollo's faces as they watched her, especially when tears seemed to flood Sheba's eyes. "Thank you... all of you." I smiled to myself as her friends all surrounded her, some with gifts, others with hugs. I returned to my table, where Blassie was seated. Together, we sat down to a semi-quiet dinner, while we observed the younger people across the room. My attention was lingering mostly on Blassie when I heard the music change genres. Up until then, it had been mostly background music, but now it was very suitable for dancing. I kept on watching the dance floor, waiting to see my student take the initiative. And finally he did. Across the room, I saw Apollo rise from his seat, holding his hand out to Sheba. If the look on her face earlier was surprise, then this had to be absolute shock. After all, as Starbuck once commented to me in a quiet voice, Apollo did _not_ dance willingly. Guiding her by the hand, the Captain soon had her on the dance floor, and to a nicely smooth song, they began to dance. With a critical eye, I watched him carefully, and I grinned as I saw that he was doing everything right. A few centons later, the new song that was played changed the tempo to something more upbeat, and Apollo was still doing very well. By this time, the shock had worn off Sheba's face, and she seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, even if there was still a look of wonder in her eyes. By that time, I think almost every person who was a friend of Sheba and Apollo's were watching the couple as they moved on the floor. They were moving so smoothly that I was suddenly reminded of a picture that used to hang in the community hall back on Umbra. It was a picture of Gabriella and myself, and though we were both blonds while the couple before me were brunettes, the effect was still the same. We both looked like we were made to fit in the other's arms. Allowing myself to remember happier times, I became so absorbed that I jumped when Blassie pulled on my sleeve. Looking at her while she leaned in, she whispered, "The dip is coming up." And it certainly was. I held my breath, hoping that Apollo would remember the afternoon where we'd practiced that again and again. Counting down the steps, I hoped with all my being that he would succeed. Finally, it arrived. Step, step and dip! A little unsteady, but he still did it. If anything, he held her longer than he ever had with Blassie, and when Sheba was finally upright on her feet, a look of total amazement was on her features. Apollo, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to go do a dance of his own in sheer exuberance. What resulted instead was a tight embrace, and then they kissed. With a quiet smile, I turned away from the dance floor as the music ended, and almost everyone who had viewed the couple in action applauded. Blassie reached across the table to grasp my hand in hers, and gave me a wide smile. "I think we should do this professionally," she said, then laughed. "Congratulations, teacher!" I smiled in reply, then became aware of someone pulling a chair up to our table. Starbuck grinned at us as he plunked himself down, then glanced back at the dance floor as a new song began. He shook his head in amazement, seeing that Sheba and Apollo were still up there, then turned his attention back to us. "In a word," he began, "I'm amazed. Simply astounded. You got ol' two left footed Apollo to dance properly? Do you _know_ how long I've been trying to do this?" I heard Blassie laugh in reply, but I smiled at him, looking into those blue eyes that were the same shade as Gabriella's. "My dear boy, these things take talent and patience." The reaction was perfectly Gabriella, though her snort would have been a little daintier. "Yeah, but this is _Apollo_ we're talking about! I mean, I remember our Academy days. He couldn't remember if he were supposed to move his left foot or his right, and," he motioned the movement of dipping, "all that? Dropped all four of his dance partners on the floor." I winced, not really surprised. "Apollo didn't show you anything while he was learning in the last two sectars?" "Ah, he'd grin about it at meal periods whenever Sheba wasn't around, but nothing else, really. Not to me, anyway, though I think I should have started to get jealous." He laughed at he was about to say. "He kept on 'borrowing' Cassiopia so he could practice." That aspect was me, definitely. I gave him a patient smile, and said sweetly, "Then why don't you and Cassiopia come over to the seniors' ship, and we can give you two a lesson of your own?" "I'd love to," he grinned, "and I'm sure that Cassie would love it, too. I love dancing, you know." "I can understand," I nodded. If only he knew how much I understood. "Yeah? It's kind of like I sometimes have itchy feet, and the only way I can relieve them is get out and go dancing." He smiled, then looked at me strangely as I laughed. "What? Are you okay, Chameleon?" "I'm fine, my boy," I laughed, watching his expression turn into a smile. "I'm just fine." The End