arrow_of_apollo | [theatrical_muse] 256

256 - What do you hope for?

He'd borrowed, begged and bartered to get it. Hell, Lee had almost had to lie, steal and cheat to make it happen, and he was the Commander of the biggest and most technologically advanced battlestar in existence. But all his authority and influence couldn't create gold out of steel and diamonds out of thin air. There were a lot of things in short supply in their rag-tag little fleet, especially with the strain of trying to establish a planetbound colony. People were making do and trying to cobble and jury-rig whatever they could.

One man, trying to acquire himself something that in all practicality was at the best extraneous and unnecessary was not high on anyone's priority. Anyone's except, of course, Commander Lee Adama's.

A brief and very static-y wireless call down to New Caprica had gotten him in touch with former President Roslin, who had given him the name of the jeweler that had fashioned Admiral Adama's rank insignia. Lee managed to track him down with minimal help, and did everything he could to procure the materials the old man needed. But in the end, it was worth it.

Standing outside the hatch of his own quarters on board Pegasus, Lee paused and took a moment to gather himself. It was only a little bit successful. His heart was still pounding in his chest and damn if he wasn't already starting to sweat. Sure, part of that had to do with that half a stone that had suddenly appeared on the scale last week, but he was a lot more nervous than he was out of shape.

Lee slipped his hand into his pocket, just touching the ring to reassure himself. It was so simple and so small that "humble" was an accurate word and "simple and quaint" would be the best compliments possible. But it was there, a thin circle of gold and a slightly off-center chip of diamond, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Scratch that, he decided as he spun the wheel, stepped through the hatch and found Dee waiting for him, the second.

Lee was down on one knee, the ring out and his lips moving, even though he could barely hear his own voice. Dee's eyes were huge, brighter and wider than ever before, and her hand was covering her mouth. Lee hoped he was saying the right words, the ones he'd practiced. He hoped Dee was taking the surprise well.

He hoped he was making the right decision, and that Dee would understand that when he told her how much he loved her, she believed him, because it was true. He hoped she wouldn't ask him any questions he didn't know the answer to. He hoped she would say "yes".

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