Author: Regency

Title: Meant to Live

Spoilers: None at all.

Rating: PG.

Summary: He was meant to live. She was not.

Author’s Notes: AU; Character Death.

Disclaimer: Ron D. Moore owns it all.

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She ran through the rioting crowd of civilian towards the comparatively small military contingent. He was there among them.

She’d appeared out of nowhere, not even a flash. He’d saved her life thirty years ago and now she was here to return the favor.

People were frightened. They wanted answers. They had weapons. Shots were fired and screams went up in a raucous cacophony of fear. She didn’t hear it past the blood pumping in her ears.

There was one gun, one marksman with one mission. William Adama had to die.

He seemed so far away, but she drew inexorably closer, pushing past the masses with desperation clear in her eyes. She was losing sight of him. He was moving.

She growled in frustration but plowed on. He disappeared behind of an armed group, to leave perhaps. He appeared again a yard away. She adjusted her course and continued. She didn’t know the gunman, so she couldn’t stop him. All she could do was stop the bullet.

Suddenly, he was right before her and the gun went off again. He turned to her and was stunned at the sight of her. History in the making, she thought.

She threw herself into him, full speed and he naturally fell backwards. But not in time for the bullet to miss him…or her, in front of him. She jerked against his chest, looking into his eyes. They held astonishment and horror.

She only shuddered as they slammed into the ground, the air leaving both their lungs. In that moment, the people calmed around them, watching in varying emotions of shock -- or glee depending on who you asked.

He touched her face tenderly, disbelieving his very own eyes. Wisps of red hair framed her face, where they’d escaped to from the braid down her back. She wore a flight suit and combat boots. Her cheeks were flushed. She wasn’t his.

He said her name softly, supporting her and trying to stem the unending flow of blood from her back. She smiled at him, knowing the assassin had failed. The future was assured. Adama would live.

“Laura.” But she would not.

She was never meant to.