Title:  The Morning After
	Author:  Skybyrd
	Archive: SURE!!!, just let me know the URL
	Warnings:  Sucky title, but you know that already.
	Pairing:  Adama/Boomer
	Feedback: skybyrd@skybyrd.net

	Summary: The sequel to An Informal Meeting.

	**I'll just pop in on Father, have him sign these reports, then I
	can go to bed!** Athena thought as she entered the code to her
	father's quarters.  **He'll probably be just waking up, so I'd
	better be quiet!**

	She tiptoed into her father's bedchamber and almost screamed!  He
	was in bed, NAKED, curled up with BOOMER who was also NAKED!
	Athena was so shocked, she didn't know what to do.  She  just stood
	there a micron, and felt nothing.  Then without warning she felt
	everything.  Anger, at her father for not being true to their
	mother, shock at realizing her father was still a man, with a man's
	needs, amazed not only that her father swung that way, but that
	Boomer did too.  She was also a bit embarrassed at standing there
	gazing at them.  They looked so right, sleeping on their sides,
	Boomer snuggled up to Adama's back, his black arm encircling her
	father's form.  She quietly backed out of the room, and fled the
	quarters.

	Athena didn't know what to do.  She had to get these reports
	signed.  She had to have sleep, but most of all she had to make
	sense of what she saw.  Her eyes weren't focused on where she was
	going, and she bumped into something.  Er... someone.  Colonel
	Tigh.  ACK!  Colonel Tigh.

	"Good Morning, Athena."  Tigh smiled at her.  "I'm just on my way
	to join your Father for breakfast.  Is he up yet?"  Tigh was
	confused as he watched Athena's face melt into a mask of horror.

	"NO!  You can't!"  She wasn't quite coherent, but she knew she had
	to keep Tigh from seeing what she saw.

	Tigh's eyes narrowed.  This wasn't like her at all.  "And why not?"
	he asked silkily.

	Before Athena could stop herself, she blurted out, rather loudly
	because of her anxiety, "Because he slept with Boomer, and Boomer's
	still there!"

	Tigh's reaction was a bare blinking of the eyes, before he grabbed
	Athena by the arm, none to gently.  "Hush!  Do you want someone to
	hear?"  He looked around, and then dragged her bodily into a nearby
	storage room.

	Athena was still in shock at the vision that filled her head.  She
	sank down on a nearby crate and just shook her head, trying to
	clear her thoughts.

	Tigh watched her, and understood her confusion.  But his first
	loyalty was to the Fleet, and then to Adama personally.  "And you
	know this how?"

	Athena related the incident in a monotone.  "I had reports that
	needed to be signed.  I thought I'd catch him as he woke up, and I
	could finish up my duty shift and head to bed.  I never even
	thought... so I just went in, and was quiet in case he was still
	asleep.  Well, he was still asleep, without a stitch of clothing
	on.  And in his bed was Boomer, also without any clothes on.
	Boomer was wrapped around Father.  There was a smell... I know what
	they did."  She buried her face in her hands at the last.

	Tigh sighed.  It looked like she was right.  "Ahhh... well.  You
	sound upset.  What is it you are upset about?  That it's your
	**father** having sex?  Sex between two men?  That it's Boomer?"
	He couldn't help with this until he knew the problem.

	Having the questions put to her in such a way helped her settle her
	mind, and emotions.  She cocked her head and thought a minute.  "I
	think it's because it's **Father**.  I mean, I know this sounds
	weird after what I just said, but there was a rightness about
	them."  She paused, obviously searching for the right words.  "When
	we were growing up, there was plenty of affection between my
	parents, but it wasn't... I mean... it didn't... "  She was growing
	frustrated at her inability to express herself.

	"There weren't any sexual undertones to their affection for each
	other?"  Tigh had lost count of the times he'd had this
	conversation with young officers.  He also remembered his own
	awakening regarding his parents.

	Athena threw him a grateful look.  "Yes!  That's it!"  She frowned
	as she tried to gather her thoughts further.  "I think it was just
	the shock of it.  It's only been about 10 microns since I saw them,
	but already, I'm feeling less and less upset.  I think it helped to
	put a finger on it."  Her eyes lit up as she had another thought.
	"And about the male sex thing... I think it helps a bit.  He's not
	replacing my mother, he's going for something different.  That
	makes it easier, I think.  Even though it's still a bit...
	unnerving."

	Tigh couldn't hold in his laughter, and as he chuckled, Athena
	threw him a hurt look.  He quickly explained, "I heard something
	very similar from your father when he heard about Apollo and
	Starbuck.  Adama had such respect for Serina, I think it would have
	been difficult to accept any other **woman** in Apollo's life.  But
	Starbuck, well, they've been inseparable for so long, it almost
	seemed right."  Tigh smiled fondly at the memory of that
	conversation.

	Athena smiled at the vision Tigh painted for her.  She was so like
	her father, that it scared them sometimes.  "Well, except that
	Boomer and Father haven't been inseparable.  Well, that I know
	of."  She added as an afterthought.

	Tigh nodded.  "No, they haven't.  But I do know this.  Boomer was
	invited over by your father to thank him for his part in saving
	your lives when the fire hit.  I also know he was planning to open
	a certain bottle of ambrosa.  And if I know the two of them, they
	finished the bottle, and then started something else."  Tigh
	chuckled and Athena gave a weak smile.  It was still hard for her
	be comfortable with the thought.  "I do know this.  They both are
	not inexperienced when it comes to same sex loving."

	He stopped and gave her the Colonel stare, guaranteed to scare the
	truth out of any young officer.  "What do you plan to do with this
	information?"

	Athena didn't like being on the receiving end of that stare.
	"Nothing.  Not a fracking thing.  None of my business, none of
	anybody's business."  She did know that much.  In fact, if she had
	gotten more time to sort things out before meeting Tigh, she
	figured she wouldn't even have told him.

	Tigh nodded once.  He thought so, but he had to make sure.  "Good.
	Now, about those reports.  I can sign off on them, and you can get
	some sleep.  Things will seem clearer after you've had some
	sleep."

	Athena nodded, and handed the reports to Tigh.
	Uncharacteristically, he broke decorum and gave her a small hug.
	"Now go get some sleep, and I'll see you next duty shift."

	Athena nodded, feeling better already.  They left the storage room,
	each to their own destinations.

	***************

	Boomer rose to wakefulness quickly.  He instantly knew he wasn't in
	his own bed.  But he didn't know where he was.  He blinked his eyes
	a couple of times, and was rewarded with a pounding in his head
	that almost made him throw up.  He groaned then noticed the weight
	on his arm.  He turned his head, and his brown eyes saw the back of
	his Commander's head.  **Oh FRACK!  It wasn't a dream!**  He
	groaned aloud.  How could he do this?  He made a pass at Adama!
	And Adama had returned the favor.  What would happen next, would
	the Cylons offer unconditional surrender?

	Adama heard the groan, and fought his way out of foggy sleep.  It
	felt nice to be cuddled up to Boomer.  **BOOMER?** He saw the arm
	his head was resting on.  It was brown, with long delicate fingers
	at the end.  **Boomer.  I slept with Boomer!**  He didn't know
	whether to laugh or cry.  Part of him wanted to roll over and kiss
	the lieutenant 'Good Morning', the other wanted to just lay here
	and pretend that it had never happened.

	Boomer, unaware of Adama's being awake, eased his arm from under
	Adama's head, each movement causing his head to throb more and
	more.  As much as he enjoyed the evening, both before bed and
	after, he thought it best to sweep this under the rug, if
	possible.  He couldn't leave, though, without at least
	acknowledging what the evening had meant to him, even if it was the
	only time he'd speak of it from now on.  His eyes grew tender as he
	leaned over, and gave Adama a kiss on the back of the neck,
	lightly, very lightly, so he wouldn't wake the older man.  "Thank
	you, Adama, for the best night of my life.  I enjoyed my time with
	you. ALL my time with you." He whispered, letting his desire and
	longing enter his voice, the only time he would show such
	emotions.

	Boomer sighed as he rolled over, and gingerly rose from the bed.
	Listening for any change in Adama's breathing, he tiptoed out of
	the bedchamber, trying to ignore the pain, and dressed as quietly
	as he could, given the circumstances.  He picked up the empty
	bottle.  He wished he could take it as a momento, but he didn't
	dare.  Sighing softly, he placed it back on the table, and left
	Adama's quarters.

	When Adama heard the door close, he rose from his bed.  He wasn't
	sure what to think, what to do.  He had the exact same feelings as
	the man who had just left.  It felt so nice to be with someone who
	understood.  Who knew what he was feeling.  Who could take his mind
	off the pressures of command, even if only for a few hours.  It was
	a luxury he hadn't had in a long time.  He wanted more of it.  More
	of the lieutenant's jokes, questions.  More of that attentive gaze
	from those beautiful brown eyes.  The question was should he take
	it?  How should he, if he decided to?  If this were before the
	destruction, then Boomer, if he was amenable, would transfer to
	another command, and they could continue the relationship.  That
	option wasn't available, now.

	He looked at himself in the mirror, and cringed.  He couldn't
	understand why Boomer wanted him.  Gray hair, black eyebrows, his
	body, though well toned, showed his age.  He shook his head
	ruefully, knowing what his decision was, and who he would talk to
	about it.  There was only one other person on the Galactica who
	would understand wanting a relationship with a junior officer.  A
	same-sex junior officer.

	He walked over to the comm, and punched in Apollo's code.  It was
	answered by Apollo's mate, Starbuck.

	"Good morning, Starbuck, is my son up yet?"  Adama asked with a
	smile, wondering how Apollo would react to Adama's news.

	Starbuck wondered at the tone in the Commander's voice.  "Yeah,
	he's in the turboflush.  Should I ask him to call you?"

	Adama couldn't believe his luck.  He could leave a message.  He
	still wasn't sure what he would say, but he knew he needed to do
	this today.  To put it off to another day wouldn't be fair to
	Boomer, or himself.  "Just ask him to stop by my quarters after he
	drops Boxey off at lessons, please."  Starbuck agreed to pass on
	the message, and they disconnected.

	Plan in motion, Adama took a turbowash, and then dressed, and
	cleaned up the living area.   He just had time to finish that task
	when the door chime sounded, and Apollo entered.

	"Good morning, Father.  You wanted to see me?"  Apollo was
	curious.  Starbuck had told him there was an odd note in his
	father's voice.

	"Good morning, Apollo."  He gave his son a hug, then they sat on
	the same longseat that he and Boomer shared the previous night.
	Adama had to fight the memories that rose.  He wasn't sure how to
	begin, so he just began at the beginning.  "You know who I had
	invited over here last night, and why, don't you?"  Apollo nodded.
	"Well, we sat talking for centars, and we had a bit much to drink.
	In fact we finished the bottle."  Adama still wondered how they had
	managed that.  "And, well, um things got a bit.. um, well..."
	Adama trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

	Apollo almost laughed to see his father so discomfited.  He thought
	he knew where this was going, now.  "And you slept together,
	right?"

	Adama cleared his throat at his son's bluntness.  "Well, yes, son ,
	um, we did."  Now what should he say?

	Apollo reached over and gave his father a pat on the hand.
	"Father, I, of all people, understand.  Which is why you called me
	here today, I suspect."  It was Adama's turn to nod.  "And you want
	to continue this... beginning?"  Another nod.  "And you don't know
	how?"  One more nod.  "And you want my advice both on how to
	approach Boomer, and how it will affect your job?"  Adama laughed
	and nodded.  His son knew him so well.

	Apollo smiled understandingly at his father, and rose to pace the
	room, as he worked out is thoughts.  "Well, knowing Boomer, he
	snuck out of here this morning, and will pretend that it never
	happened.  Unless you say something.  So you need to invite him
	back over, and have a long talk.  Without ambrosa, this time."
	Apollo couldn't help but tease his father.  "I think that will let
	you know what to do next.  If he returns your regard," And I bet he
	does, Apollo added to himself, "then we four can work on the other
	problems."

	Adama started.  "Four?"  He was confused.

	"You, Boomer, me and Starbuck."

	Adama nodded in agreement.  "I understand.  I think that's a good
	idea, Apollo.  But how should I contact him?  I don't want to comm
	him in the BOQ.  And, well, I don't know where he hangs out off
	duty, but going to see him would give the same set of problems.  So
	how should I go about this?"

	Apollo smiled again, this time indulgently.  "Well, seeing how you
	have an 'in' with his Captain, who knows that Boomer won't be on
	duty for another four centars..."  He trailed off as he activated
	the comm, and called the Bachelor Officer's Quarters, "Greenbean,
	this is Captain Apollo.  Please ask Lieutenant Boomer to come to
	the Commander's quarters at his earliest convience, please."
	Greenbean agreed to pass on the message.  Apollo disconnected the
	comm, and grinned at his father's dumbfounded expression.

	He winked at his father, then left the quarters, whistling.  This
	was going to be great!  Boomer and his dad should get along
	famously.  They'd figure out the problems, and would settle in
	together nicely.  Now to warn his sister and his husband.