Written August 1998 This story is based on the television show Battlestar Galactica created by Glen A. Larson. This story was written for reading enjoyment and not to infringe on any copyrighted laws. Most of the characters are from Battlestar Galactica and some are just made up by me. Nightie, Crushie, Thingie Written by Kate Edited by Tracy Definitions: Night - evening time, darkness from sunset to sunrise Crush - an infatuation by someone for someone Thing - #1object without life, #2a matter, fact, action or deed, #3 personal possessions, #4 a living being It was quite in Alpha landing bay. The vipers were battle ready to fight with the cylons. The flight crews were now off duty. The maintenance crews had also left. The supply specialists had left even earlier. The supply personnel had distributed all parts received, as of this cycle and the parts bins were empty waiting for more deliveries. The updated supply list of needed parts had been sent to the Fabrication Ship. All repair jobs were completed until more of the critical repair parts could be obtained. As long as there were parts on hand, the crews worked. The transportation personnel had provided the means for the delivery of passengers but also equipment, foodstuff, parts and other types of supplies whenever and wherever needed. The shuttle pilots flew the shuttles, but the transportation people made all the necessary arrangements to see that the items or people got to where they were going. Now they too were off duty until the morning cycle work shift reported for duty. Yet, if an alert was called that was another story. It always depended on whether the cylons would find the fleet and attack. The quiet in Alpha landing bay was very pleasant. It was now nighttime. Or what use to be considered nighttime on the twelve worlds before the destruction of the Colonies. Only third duty shift detail was around. In the landing bay that consisted of several Colonial security guards who would make their rounds all through the landing bay as well as other specific areas in their duty assignments. If by some chance there was a battle alert or battle drill, then the guards had other duty assignments to report to while the bay filled back up with the flight crews and pilots. The maintenance, transportation, and supply teams would also show up for specific assignments during the battle alert. The landing bay would become very active even if it was nighttime. The nighttime quiet always depended on the cylons. **************** She would sometimes come to the landing bay to check the security details at night. The peace and quite would help her calm down after a hectic day and she could think about anything she needed to or just wanted to remember. Tonight her mind was wondering to memories of Caprica many yahrens ago. She was thinking of her family all those yahrens ago during a very special secton on her fifteenth natalcycle. What had her mother called it? A crush. Yes, now she remembered. She had just become fifteen yahrens old. She had told her mother that she did not want a party this yahren. Her dad was a Colonial Warrior and lucky to get a furlong during this time. She had wanted to spend time with her family as a family, just the three of them on her natalcycle. On that cycle, they had gone to the aerodrome to meet her dad. While waiting for his transport to arrive, she had watched all the warriors in their uniforms come and go through the aerodrome. She could tell the veteran warriors from those who had seen little action. There was always a look about those who had fought the cylons. Some of the young warriors would walk by her and smile then say "evening, ma'am" to her mom. Others would only stare at her and give her a smirk with an almost knowing stare of what she was thinking. Her mother would give her a disapproving look immediately following those smirks. Yet, she enjoyed the stares as well as staring back, after all this was a safe way to flirt with these young warriors as they hurried to and from their transport and with her mother at her side. She knew the flirting would stop as soon as her father showed up. He was an impressive man in his own right as well as a Major in the Colonial Fleet. Her mother had tried to warn her dad, it was not always the young men who started the flirting. However, her dad would always insist that his little girl was not like that. She was too young and innocent. He'd tell his wife she just didn't understand those young male warriors, these young barely men warriors the way he did. He was one after all and had been young like them many yahrens ago. If any of those young warriors dared to stare at his little girl, he would give them one of his fatherly/Major looks that said "move on, mister and now!" She was still his little girl and it was never she who started those looks! He knew it was the fault of those young male warriors in their uniforms. Those uniforms made them stand out in the crowds and since they were on furlong, they had to be looking for a good time. Her mom would give him one of her all knowing smiles and just shake her head. She knew their daughter and she had been young just like her daughter. She knew females could start things just as well as the males. Their daughter was a stubborn, determined, headstrong young person. All traits just like her father. Her mom would always warn him that their daughter might have him fooled, but not dear old mom. She remembered looking up and seeing her dad coming toward them. She jumped up and ran to him giving him a very comforting hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. She remembered turning around and watching her mom walking up to the two of them. Her dad let go of her to hold his wife and kiss her. That evening they had celebrated her natalcycle at their home. Later that week they went on picnics in the park, walks in the nearby forest trails, going to Caprica City's Opera House (because mom liked it), three triad games (because dad was a fanatic about triad), and spent lots of time at their home. The last evening cycle of dad's furlong was spent at her maternal grandparents house for a family evening meal. Later friends would come over for a visit with dad and mom. Dad had not been on speaking terms with his own dad for some time, but her mom had invited them to the meal. She remembered that her grandparents had a very large house for just two people. A very grand house compared to the one they lived in. More than once she had been to the political gatherings there when large amounts of people would show up for some sort of function. Both sets of grandparents would be there as they were involved in whatever was going on in Caprica City as well as the rest of Caprica. Her grandparents on both sides were influential in Caprican politics. Damn bureaucrats, dad would call them with such disgust in his voice. Mom thrived in that arena. Many people called her politically active. There were always more and more causes for her every year. Mom and dad met because of their families involvement in politics. For several generations past, their families had always been involved in the activities of the military and politics. Both sides had served in the Colonial Military, but none had ever made a career of it. At least, not until dad had tasted the military life. He seemed to thrive in it and he had never cared for politics. He only became involved long enough to keep his dad happy until he went to the Caprican Military Academy. While there, he decided to become a viper pilot. He had even amazed himself at how good he was at flying a viper. While taking the required command and staff courses, he scored high much to his amusement, and the bonus, he enjoyed these classes. After the evening meal, he announced he had been selected for promotion to Colonel. Everyone became very silent for several microns not looking at dad's dad. Mom went to his side, gave him a kiss, and congratulated him on the promotion. She remembered following her mom's lead and told dad how proud she was of him. Mom's parents did the same. Dad's dad was angry. He had always hoped that without being promoted in the military, dad would finally join them in the politics of Caprica, yet before grandfather could say a word, the entrance bell had chimed signaling the arrival of the other guests. This was the last time dad would ever see or speak with grandfather. The invited guests were friends of mom and dad's. They had been invited to come for a visit with dad before he had to leave in the morning. She was not interested in these guests and retreated to the library. She remembered her grandmother loved to read what her grandfather called trashy romance novels. Now that she was fifteen, grandmother told her that she was old enough to read some of those favorite novels. Grandmother had loaned her the number one favorite to read. When starting to read the novel, her mom came into the room, and told her to come out and greet everyone. Since mom never approved of grandmother's novels, she decided to quickly go say hello and come straight back to read. When she entered what grandmother called the gathering room, she had seen the most handsome boy she had ever noticed. He was a young adolescent who seemed only one yahren older than she was. He had the lightest lemon color hair like the brightest flower in mom's small flower garden and the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen. His eyes reminded her of the pictures she had seen of the oceans on Aquaria. She continued to stare into those deep dark blue eyes. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It seemed like her lungs could not get enough oxygen as she took several short breaths to fill them. She tried to breathe normally, but could not remember how or even if she ever did. The one thing that she did remember was that he had been the most handsome boy in her life that she had ever met and wanted to know all about him. He wasn't from Caprica City, but from another place way south in the farthermost regions of Caprica. His parents did not talk like them. They spoke very slowly and in a dragged out form. These speech patterns sounded so different from those of their city. She never did go back to the library to read her grandmother's favorite novel. She stayed in the gathering room to watch this handsome boy for the rest of the evening. She didn't understand the feelings and emotions her body was sending to her brain. This was a new experience for her. The morning of the next cycle came and the three of them went to the aerodrome so dad could catch his transport back to the battleship he served on. While sitting side by side in the uncomfortable chairs, dad had one arm around her mom's shoulders while holding her mom's hand with his other hand. She remembered how happy they were sitting there in each other's arms and with their thoughts. When it was time for him to depart, he let go of mom and stood up to look at the two of them. She remembered how he hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear to take care of her mom. Then he turned to her mom to embrace her without saying anything and kissed her. He let her mom go, turned away from them and walked to his transport. On the way home, she remembered asking her mom about the feelings she had experience the evening before. She told her mom everything she had felt toward the young boy and how she longed to see him again. Was that how love started and felt like? She remembered her mom saying, "No, dear, that's a crush." Her mom smiled at her and she smiled back. **************** She finished her security checks and spoke to the guards. The landing bay was so quite that it made her want to stay a while longer. Here the memories came so easy and quickly, especially the good memories. She decided to continue walking around the landing bay, thinking back only a few cycles ago while at the Officer's Club. She went to speak to Cass and had been told Cass was off duty. She then went to the Officer's Club thinking that Cass might be there with Starbuck. On the other hand, was this just an excuse for her to go to the club and hope he would be there with Starbuck and Cass? After all most of the time, Boomer was with Starbuck, especially at the club. When she had arrived there, she found them sitting at a table fairly close to the entrance doors. After speaking to Cass, she started to leave but Starbuck insisted she stayed and have a drink with them. She accepted the invitation and sat in a chair across from Boomer. Starbuck did most of the talking telling stories about gambling games and missions that had been boring as well as daring. Boy, oh, boy could he spin those tales as no one else could. Now her thoughts returned to this handsome male warrior. His dark skin, black hair, and those almond shaped mysterious dark brown eyes. Those eyes reminded her of the color, richness, and comfort of her dad's favorite leather chair that had been in their home back on Caprica. However, those eyes also had that mysterious quality that spoke volumes, but held secrets only he knew and would never tell. Whenever she was near him, she'd feel her heart pounding in her chest. When it came to her lungs and breathing, the word "hyperventilate" came to mind. She loved to listen to his voice whenever he spoke. It was so soothing and calming to listen to. She no longer stared like she use to all those yahrens ago. It was more of a glance now and only whenever he spoke. She had committed to memory the features of his face, but still wanted to gaze upon them whenever she could. She headed for the lift so she could get to her office, write her duty report, and then call it a cycle. As she waited at the lift, she started thinking of her mom again. She knew that if her mom were still alive, they would still discuss the things that she felt. What might mom have to say about her feelings and emotions about this Warrior? She could hear her mom say, "Dear that's a nightie, crushie, thingie." Then the two of them could laugh with each other. The End