THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: FINDING KOBOL

          They exited the stairs just as Deedra appeared from the far end of the columned walkway leading into the Tombs' first door.  "Admiral!" she exclaimed.

          "Status?" he asked at once, looking toward where their camp had been to find only flames.  "The squadron?"

          "Fine, Sir.  Thanks to Harry's warning, we weren't in the camp when they started bombing.  Athena and the others are going after the Cylons while I came to find all of you.  Baltar?"

          "Trapped under a heavy block of stone.  They tried to free him--"

          A sound.

          It was a sound they all knew well, and in a bare micron, several lasers were drawn and they were turning just as three Cylons appeared.  It was as he was turning, that he saw Roark's  Aunt Serina directly in their line of fire.   Before he thought about what he was doing, he moved to push her aside just as the Cylons opened fire.

          They both went down, the burst of pain he felt was like nothing he had ever felt before, and he had felt a lot of different types of pain in his time.  Dimly he heard the Cylons going down, then, moments later the scream of his name, hands on him, rolling him. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

          They stood in the corridor leading into the Life Center, having been ordered to wait there as soon as they had brought them up, Severus, Sebastian, and Robin rushed the two life pods into the open room and sealed the doors.

          Just over a centar later, Schyler came out, shaking his head to Rodolphus and Roark as he moved to Apollo and Boxey, spoke softly with them, then took them both to see Serina.  They came out a short time later, tears on their cheeks. 

          "Son?" 

          Apollo shook his head.  "She's gone, Father."

          "I don't want her to go!!"  Boxey cried.  "I don't want her to go!!"

          "I know you don't, Boxey," Apollo squatted before his stepson, "none of us do, but there was nothing more that could be done.  She's gone to a better place, a place where she's not in pain.  Come on, let's go over here while we wait for news on Evan." 

          Roark stood in Rodolphus' arms, Harry and Rabastan on the other side of him, his father stood beside Rodolphus, calmly running fingers through Roark's thick hair.  Off to the side, Thorin, Roark, and Apollo stood off to the side, a crying Boxey in his arms, watching the four men do their best to keep Roark grounded as they waited for news.

          It would be another three centars before the doors opened.  Severus exited first, followed by Sebastien and Robin.  The looks on their faces...  "No..." came the whisper, silver eyes filling with tears.

          "We've done all we can," Severus came forward.  "Roark, listen to me--"

          "He can't.  He can't leave us."

          The horror in his tone had Severus shuddering.  "He's fighting, Rory.  With everything he has left in him, but the laser--It did a lot of damage--"

          "Severus...PLEASE!"

          He shook his head slowly as the corridor began to fill with those of his family who had been given the vaccine and were back on their feet.  Sebastien came forward, took his hands, and brought him against him.  

          "Sebastien," he burrowed into him.  "Please tell me he's going to be alright."

          "I have never lied to you, Roark, and I'm not going to start now.  You have to prepare yourself.  You're going to have to go in there, and you're going to have to let him go."

           Rodolphus made a sound.  A sound that had all of them looking at him.  His face, while stoic, was very pale.  He moved, extending his hand, "Rory," he murmured, "come."

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          His eyes opened, the bright blue dulled by pain, though the Docs had given him their highest-grade pain reliever.  "Hey, gorgeous," he rasped, "Dolph."

          "You fool," came gruffly as he bent to brush a kiss to his lips.

          "Serina?"

          "She's gone.  Laser bolt hit you both."

          "Damn," he murmured, his eyes slipping closed.  A forehead touched him and salty tears fell on his face.  Slowly, his hand lifted and cupped his cheek.  "I love you," he breathed.  "From the moment I saw you on Aquaria...the way you handled Riddle..."

          "You didn't tell me you were on Aquaria."

          "Restricted.  My files, Roark.  You and Dolph--"

          "Evan...PLEASE--"

          Fingers touched his lips.  "You will never know how much I wish you didn't have to go through this...that I would be fine and we'd live a long and happy life together, have a couple of children...but it's not going to happen.  I'm sorry, beautiful."

          "I love you," he whispered, pressing his lips to Evan's.

          Evan's hand slipped slowly from his face.  "Take care of each other," he whispered, his eyes slipping closed, his chest falling still.