Work Text:
A Storm Between Friends
by Zach/Pairatime
"Frak"
"Is anything working?" Helo asked as he looked at the Raptor's engine trying to find anything that would work as Apollo tried to do the same from the cockpit.
"No everything is fraked, I'm not even getting any power, not even from my own suit," Apollo growled as he climbed out of the sideways ship. "What are you doing Helo you have a busted leg and Gods know how bad your ribs are."
"I'm not that hurt, my ribs are fine and we'd both be doing better if I can help."
"You're laying back down Lieutenant," Apollo ordered as he pulled Helo's arm over his shoulder to support his injured leg, "and this time you're not going to move, got it. Your only job is to make sure that fire doesn't go out, it may be the only way for Galactic to find us."
"Let's hope they don't have the same problem we did," Helo replied as he settled himself against a tree looking at the small fire the two of them had started.
***
"I want them found now Mr. Gaeta," Admiral Adama ordered as he looked up at the dradis screen that showed the planet.
"Sir the Pegasus has jumped away with the rest of the fleet to the backup position Sir, all but one ship," Dualla stated from her com board.
"Which ship hasn't jump, did the flare knock out their engines?"
"No Sir-"
"Their waiting for conformation that I've reached the Galactic, please let them know I have arrived Ms. Dualla," President Roslin explained as she walked on to the bridge with Billy right behind her.
"Ms. President why aren't you with the rest of the fleet?" Adama asked as he looked over at her.
"When you find them I plan on being here, not with the fleet. How is the search going?"
"Every Raptor and Viper we have that can fly is searching for them, but it's less that half of what we have. The solar flare got us with are pants down, we're lucky we only lost track of one ship. I ordered a stop to all water and algae shipments till we find them. The last signal we have puts them over the southern forest so that's our focus but it covers almost half the hemisphere. So far we haven't found anything, but we will," Adama explained as he pointed out the search patterns over the planet.
"And where's Hera with them both off the ship?"
"She's with some of the nurse in the infirmary, they're looking after her, and they'll take care of her."
***
"At least it not artic cold, this rain could be snow."
"We have that. But we need to get up to that ridge line. The water isn't draining here and they should be able to see us better from there if we can find a path," Apollo said as he looked up at the distance and steep ridge. "Think you can make it?"
"Don't worry Apollo I may not move that fast but I'll make it, I don't plan on drowning," Helo answered as he held up a long walking stick he was working on, "what's the chances they'll see the Raptor from the air do you think?" Helo added when he saw Apollo looking at the large trees that had fallen over onto the Raptor then they crashed.
"There's no way it's going to be seen from the air unless they are under a hundred or two feet. The ridge is only a few miles we should be able to make it by night fall it we start as soon as I get our gear together," Apollo guessed as he grabbled a couple of protein bars and tossed one over to Helo.
"How are the supplies doing? How long can we make it on this rock if we need to? And I'm grabbing some of it too Lee." Helo said as he unwrapped his bar.
"We can make it last four-five days if we need to and we can use the local resources if we have to. We'll make it, they won't leave us. You didn't see what we did when Starbuck got lost," Apollo answered as he unwrapped is own bar, "and this planets doesn't have half the problems that one had. We won't get left behind."
"I'm not worried about that, I'm with you," Helo paused for a moment as he finished is bar, "the Commander, sorry the Admiral won't leave you behind and if he tried the President wouldn't let him. You have that effect on people, always have. And beside I've been through all this before remember, only with out the hope of rescue, so I'm good."
***
"Hotdog, Racetrack either of you seeing anything?"
"Lots of green"
"And a few piles of brown to break it up."
"Ok people you should all have the fuel for one more pass then we need to head back, does any one not have the gas?...Ok drop another hundred feet then get your eyes back on the ground and find them"
***
"How's the search going," Roslin asked as she entered Adama's quarters.
"They've covered about half the continent covering the most likely areas but the forest covering is making it difficult to be sure," Adama sighed as he slide a image of the forest with marking all over it next to the president, "Part of the forest is moving out of the sun, that with the storm isn't making it any easier. At least the Cylons haven't showed up."
"Have you figured out how to protect the fleet if we get cough in another solar flare?"
"There's nothing we need to do, the flare didn't damage any of our systems just jammed dradis and commutations, the only ships affected where Vipers and Raptors but there is not much we can do there, I have the Chief looking into it but it's not a common problem."
"How many where affected?"
"Eight Vipers are down and three more that should be, four Raptors are down with three more that are only just flying, and Lee's. His Raptor was just far enough in space to get hit by the flare but not far enough to escape the planets when his engines died. It was just bad luck. Where's Billy?"
"He's watching Hera until a particular comms officer gets off duty I believe."
***
"Did we miss anything?"
"No I think we got it all Apollo."
"Then lets get moving. This ground is way to wet for my liking" Apollo said as he looked at the flowing water that had almost reached his ankle.
"One of these day I`m going to stop going from raining forest to raining forest."
"At least you liked trees. You always loved survival training."
"Mostly anyways, there was one part I didn't like, especially that last year."
"You found that camp so fast you still hold the second fastest time."
"I didn't want to miss your birthday, not that year."
"That was one of the best birthdays I've ever had, Kara was wild that night."
"My Gods I swear it looked like she and Zak were going to frak right there on that pool table if the owner hadn't kicked us all out."
"Zak..."
"Sorry I shouldn't have-"
"No, no it's fine. You knew him. You were there when it happened, one of the few of us left."
"So how we dealing with that rock line up ahead, are we going through or around it?"
***
"Hay Starbuck up at two O'clock I think that's the Raptor, what do you think."
"I think you're right Hot Dog, Kat bring in the Raptor and get a better look."
***
"So much for making it to the top of the ridge," Helo complained as he watched water and mud cascade down the ridge in a number of places.
"At least we found this cave, it could have been worse," Apollo added as he joined Helo at the mouth of the cave.
"Hopefully it'll blow over soon. They won't be able to see us if we're under here."
"No but it does give us time to rest. Now sit down and let me look at you leg," Apollo ordered as he pulled out their med kit.
Helo moved farther back into the cave before he slowly sat down trying to keep his leg straight, "it's just a broken leg it can't kill me and it doesn't even hurt. And you can't do much for it anyways."
"I can keep it wrapped and make sure you've taken your pain meds. You're my responsibility Karl."
"No, I'm not," Helo barked as he grabbed the bandages from Lee. "You made it clear you didn't want the fraken responsibility remember. I can wrap my own leg."
Lee leaned back and watched for a minute cursing himself for hitting one of Helo's buttons as Helo worked on wrapping his own leg. "Frak Karl it's be easier for me to do that," he said before he grabbed the bandage back from Helo, "I though we were past what happened. The last month-"
"We've ignored it," Helo said cutting off Apollo, "we don't talk about what happened, we talk about everything but. Even Kara dances around it, you think she hasn't wondered what's up when we started doing what ever it is we are doing. And what the frak are we doing. You spend almost as much time with Hera as I do. We spend most of our free time together," Helo was yelling at Apollo as he started to push himself up.
"And is something wrong with that, we were good together, we are good together, why can't that be enough?"
"Because I remember how it ended. I remember how you ended it and I don't fraken plan on going through that again. Everything was great, and you just ended it. No discussion, no real explanation, just ending it. So no it can't be enough."
"Helo, Karl I gave you my reason. I told you why I wanted it to end."
"And you were lying through your teeth, we were together for over two and a half years. You were my Erus for two years I know when you're hiding something and when your lying Lee."
"Karl-"
"And you know what, that's what hurt the most. That you lied to me. I trusted you with everything, everything Lee, and you fraken lied to my face about something so important. So no you don't get my full trust again, not so easily."
"Helo I-I sorry, I needed to end it and I didn't know what to say, I'm not perfect and I never said I was. I make mistakes; I've made some big mistakes. What happened that day was one of them. I hurt you and I never wanted to. But I found out where you were being transferred...I panicked. I'm not proud about what I did."
"You panicked. That's your excurses. Lee you don't panic. You can face down the whole fraken Cylon fleet and you'll calmly plan the best strategy to hurt them but you will not panic. I want to know the truth. What the frak happened," Help yelled as he pushed him self up to his full heights.
"You're right I don't panic most of the time but most of the time my fraken Servus isn't being transferred to my fathers command," Apollo yelled as he pushed against Helo, pressing him up against the cave wall.
"But what the frak did that matter? We both new that I was going to be transferred for months!" Helo yelled back pushing Apollo away to give him some space, "And how the frak did you know were I was going, I hadn't told you yet, I'd just found out."
"I was giving the heads up by Admiral Rockson. He knew about us so he told me that morning because it meant he wasn't going to be able to get me transferred to the same commanded. He had been planning on trying but it wasn't going to be an options any more."
Helo just looked at Apollo for a moment before he said anything "Is that why you ended it, because we were going to be posted to different ships. Gods Lee, we could have made it work. We would have made it work. You should have trusted we would have made it."
"That wasn't it...my...I'd never told my father," Apollo said looking at Helo before turning away from him and looking out at the rain, "He didn't know I had a Servus. That's why I panicked. That's why I ended it."
Helo just froze staring at Apollo before speaking, "We were together for over two years Lee. Kara, you brother, the War Academy, the entire fraken flight school all knew but you never told you father!" Helo yelled as he limped over to Lee before he slammed the other man in to the cave wall, "we talked about making it permanent, getting a priest blessing in a temple and you never told your father I existed. Gees Lee I thought I fraken meant something to you."
"You do, we did. Frak Helo you can question a lot of things but don't question that I loved you. I wanted it to be forever, but...I fraken panicked. Erus-Servus relationships were just one more thing my father and I fought about. If he knew I had one and with someone under his command...I didn't know what he'd do. I wasn't going to risk what he's might do."
"You did it to protect me, frak Lee I could have taken it. I would have taken it for you. But you-" Helo stopped as he let out a grow of frustration. "I know its cliché but when you told me it was over I felt like my world was ending. That I'd never be able to go on. I didn't care about anything. If it hadn't been for Kara being there..."
"I'm sorry Helo. I should have, I should have made a different choice but I didn't. I made the choice that I did and I can't change it."
"When what change. Your father can't have missed how much time we've been spending together. Even the president knows how much time you spend with Hera. What changed?"
"The world ended and I thought you were dead. I through... I felt like I have lost you all over again. And then you where back, alive, only you were with her and I was jealous. I know I didn't have the right," Apollo whispered as he turned to look at Helo before brining a hand up to Helo's face, "But I was. That's what changed."
Helo brought his own hand up to cover Apollo's, interlocking their fingers, "I never stopped loving you, even after I fell in love with Sharon, what I feel for you never changed."
"Good," Apollo said as he pulled Helo into a kiss.
***
"They found the Raptor. Hotdog spotted it half under water in a valley. The forest drains into a single river and they landed right in the flood zone."
"Of course they would, with both of them on one ship we should count our selves luck the planet didn't turn toxic just in that forest," the President complained as she joined the Admiral by the center dradis.
"Hu, I suppose we should, they must have left the raptor for higher ground. The Vipers are checking the mountains and ridge lines for them but the rain isn't helping but now we know were they when down."
"The sooner we find them the better, she can't know but Hera is acting like she knows something is wrong. She won't settle down and the nurses tell me the only ones that can ever get she to settle done after being worked up are Lt. Agathon and captain Apollo...they have become very close haven't they."
"Yes they have. They spend most of their off time together or watching Hera."
"Did they know each other before?"
"They both knew Kara, they probably met before."
Before they could go any farther they were interrupted by Miss. Dualla, "They found them Sir, Starbuck says they found them."
***
"Well boy it's just like old time, you two never did know how to lock a door," Starbuck said grinning as she watch the pair try and get their cloths back on as quickly as they could.
"We know how to lock a door-"
"You just liked picking them," Apollo finish for Helo as he helped the other man with his pants, "it wasn't this hard getting them off."
"Well, when I can walk in on a view like this why I would let a little thing like a lock stops me," Starbuck added struggling not a laugh at everything.
"Some how I don't think Hotdog agrees with you Kara," Helo commented as he pointed over to the other man who was hitting his head against a tree as Kat stood next to him laughing.
"Kat enjoyed it a little to much," Apollo said as he zipped up his flight suit.
"Come on Lee it's not every day a girl gets to see two boys like you two so active," Starbuck suggested before she couldn't keep it in any more and just started laughing.
"We're never going to live this down are we?"
"Not likely no," Apollo said as he watched Starbuck laugh and laugh and laugh...
The End.