Title: Thoughts 6 - Boomer
Author: Athena13 (athena13@geocities.com)
Rating: PG
Classification: SBAR
Summary: Perception is the key to life

Disclaimer: These works are fiction stories based on the series 
Battlestar Galactica and its characters created and owned by Glen A. 
Larson. These stories are not being sold for profit and no infringement 
of any copyright rights are intended. All unrecognized characters and 
plot lines are mine and copyright protection is claimed. Any 
resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental.

Dedication: To those friends who just can't resist
~~~~~~~~

Now, Apollo and Starbuck are my best friends and as with most friends 
we have our self-assigned roles within the relationship. Apollo is the 
calm, yet temperamental one. When his temper isn't flaring he can be 
pretty stodgy and serious, melancholy even. Starbuck, on the other 
hand, is the impulsive one. He has a great sense of humor, loves a good 
time and thrives on a challenge. Me, I'm the happy medium, the more 
calm and rational one whose role it is to play mediator between the 
other two.  Sometimes this task involves shaking them up and forcing 
them to deal with issues head on. It's a role I take pretty seriously. 
And, I have to admit, I find it kind of fun. Last night I got to enjoy 
myself immensely. Let me explain.

Last night we were at dinner at Adama's, as we do pretty regularly. 
Usually it's just a pleasant and civilized affair, but I knew as soon 
as I arrived that something was up. 

Apollo was sitting down holding a glass of grog. Now, our staid Captain 
never starts an evening out with mind altering substances unless there 
is something on his mind, so I was immediately intrigued. I noticed 
Sheba and Adama looking at him curiously, so they were obviously not 
going to be of any help in figuring out what was going on. So I tried 
Athena. She, however, couldn't seem to put two words together. Athena 
is a normally articulate conversationalist so I assumed Apollo's mood 
had something to do with her. I didn't for a micron think they had been 
arguing. Besides the fact that she and her brother rarely argue, I knew 
it would take more than that to throw Athena that off-balance. So I was 
still wondering what had happened when we sat down to dinner.

It was then I realized that Cassi and Starbuck hadn't arrived yet. 
Suddenly, my mood took downward turn. All I could think was that 
Starbuck must have proposed to Cassi. That would explain Athena's upset 
as well as Apollo's. 

As I said before, Apollo and I are Starbuck's closest friends. Apollo 
and I have had numerous conversations about Starbuck's relationship 
with Cassiopeia, the former socialator turned Med Tech. While we both 
genuinely like her as a person, neither of us feel that she is the 
right woman for Starbuck to settle down with. If he was going to settle 
down with anyone. The general consensus was that Starbuck needs someone 
with a stronger will and an understanding of what makes him tick. It 
had been clear for a while that Cassi isn't that woman.

We're not clairvoyant or anything. In fact, at the beginning we had 
both thought she was ideal for him, but ever since her former lover 
Cain came back from the dead she had changed. For some reason she 
seemed less tolerant of his nights out playing pyramid and his need to 
take on every dangerous mission. Apollo and I, as well as Jolly and 
other friends, have been unwilling witnesses to a few fights wherein 
Cassi had given Starbuck some rather unhealthy ultimatums about his 
furlon plans. Don't think for a micron that Apollo and I were ganging 
up on Cassi, we were just worried about our friend. No matter how much 
Starbuck tries to pretend he's a carefree hotshot, we both knew he is 
really a sensitive guy underneath. Cassi's unilateral attempts to 
change him and the dynamic of their relationship had taken a noticeable 
toll on him. 

We were less likely, for instance, to see him having a good time. And 
he seemed so desperate to find something or someone to hang onto. 
Whether it was a putative father or a one way mission, our boy was 
looking for an escape from his life. And it had us worried. A warrior 
who becomes reckless only gets himself and his squadron killed. And if 
anyone deserved happiness, it's our friend Starbuck. So I had assumed 
that was what had thrown the siblings for a loop this evening. I 
couldn't blame them.

Then Starbuck showed up during our second course, alone and with a palm 
print on his face. Now this was by no means the first time Apollo and I 
had seen such a mark, but last night it was a great relief. Whether he 
had tried or not, obviously he and Cassi were not engaged. Apollo and 
Athena's discomfiture didn't end, however, so I was back to trying to 
figure out what was going on.  

Since Starbuck was no stranger to the right hook from a woman, his 
obvious distress seemed a bit out of character. Especially since I had 
long ago figured out that he wasn't really in love with Cassi.  So 
unless he was still convinced he was, his upset seemed out of place.  
And even that explanation fell flat when I noticed that he couldn't 
look anyone at the table, other than me, in the eyes. Plus, he was 
uncharacteristically quiet. Between the being quiet and being unable to 
look Apollo in the eyes I knew that something really bad had to have 
happened. And since I didn't know what was going on I was 
diplomatically keeping my mouth shut.  That is until I saw the look 
Starbuck gave Athena during the second course of our meal.

One look said it all, and the poor girl didn't even see it. Or any of 
the others he sent her way all throughout dinner. I mean, it was 
intense. Burning hotter than the suns on Scorpia. That's when it all 
clicked and I just couldn't leave well enough alone. 

I had been secretly praying for this for sectars - Starbuck had finally 
realized that he was in love with Athena. I mean, Apollo would never 
admit it and I would never have said it to him, but I always thought 
Athena was or would be the perfect woman for him. She had known him for 
yahrens. She never put up with his games, yet she accepted him for who 
he was and never put undue pressure on him. She had enough of her own 
life and interests that she didn't need Starbuck at her beck and call 
every cycle. And she absolutely and totally adored him. And as much as 
he tried to play it cool, I could tell the feeling was mutual. I know 
Apollo and I would often hear about some pretty heavy stuff from 
Starbuck long after he had already discussed it with Athena. She was 
just plain good for him. She even had her own impulsive side. It needed 
a little honing at the time, but it kept our boy on his toes.

By last night, however, both Athena and Starbuck had matured so much I 
knew they were perfect for each other. Not in a giggly, annoying way 
mind you. There would always be friction, but of the sort both of them 
needed to feel alive. There was no way I was going to let the 
opportunity pass to push them together. So I goaded him. I mean this 
was even better than the first night Starbuck brought Cassi with him to 
one of these dinners. I had thought that was in rather poor taste, 
Adama's blessing aside, for Starbuck to bring his new girlfriend to his 
former girlfriend's family dinner. Athena, bless her heart, handled it 
with grace, although all of us had been waiting for laser fire. 
Starbuck would have deserved it for that heartless action. I guess this 
was a little payback from me for hurting the woman I consider my little 
sister too. 

So during the second course I not-so-casually asked him to explain the 
palm print on his face. The poor man blushed. So I kept asking him 
calculatingly annoying and naive sounding questions, trying to get a 
straight answer. Unfortunately, Sheba bore the brunt of my little plan, 
and I don't think she's too happy with the outcome due to the fact that 
she's close with Cassi. But she'll get over it, especially when she 
sees how happy Apollo is now.  No seriously.  

You see, somewhere during my merciless questioning of Starbuck Apollo 
caught on and apparently decided that I was right and that Starbuck 
belongs with Athena. I caught the encouraging smile he gave Starbuck. I 
could tell Adama felt the same way, but the man isn't our Commander for 
no reason. Perception is a job requirement.

I was kind of sorry that Athena seemed to miss the entire by-play 
entirely. She sat there through dinner looking terribly upset and 
silent. Although how she missed the looks Starbuck was shooting her I 
have no idea. Especially since she was looking at him plenty too. But 
that was to be resolved pretty soon.

After dinner Adama cleared us all out. And the man was not at all 
subtle. When I got back to the barracks last night Starbuck wasn't back 
yet and he was gone before I woke up this morning. I know he was back 
because his fumarillos are sitting on his chest. He even made his bed, 
so I guess things turned out all right with Athena.

I guess if Starbuck is going to settle down with one woman I'd better 
get started on that love life of my own now. I wonder what Rigel is 
doing tonight?

END