Adama smiled at his wife and pulled her closer to him.  She
smiled and savored the feeling of having his arms around her
once more.  She felt secure, and she also felt the passion
behind his embrace.  "No, you're not going mad.  This is
real or we're both dreaming."
He leaned forward and she felt his lips brush softly against
hers.  Ila leaned against her husband as he deepened the
kiss, sending waves of desire through her own body.  Despite
the things that were still out of place in her memory, she
remembered this.  She remembered their love.

Part 5:
She placed her hands on his chest and moved them slowly to
his shoulders.  He pulled her a little closer, pulling her
up onto her toes.  He broke the kiss and looked down into
her blue eyes to see the look of love he remembered so well.
"Do we need to put a sign on the door darling?"
He smiled at Ila's suggestion and led her over to the seat
under the view port.  He sat down and pulled her into his
arms.  For now, it was enough just to feel her warmth
against him, to smell the scent of berries and flowers that
was uniquely her.  She fit perfectly against him, her head
resting just under his chin.
They were interrupted a few centons later by the sound of
the intercom being activated.
"Commander, we have the Warriors from the Rycon."
Adama sighed and stood up.  "Enter."

Outside the door, Apollo looked at Starbuck.  Apollo had
been about to just enter, but Starbuck had insisted he
announce them first.  He opened the door and led the group
into the room.  Apollo watched his father look over the six
warriors originally from the Rycon.   He regarded each of
them silently before stepping behind his desk.
"The six of you inspected the Spica after we left the
Colonies?"
The senior officer among them, a lieutenant, spoke.  "Yes
sir.  We did."
Adama nodded and looked at Ila who was sitting silently on
the other side of the room.  He then returned his attention
to the warriors.  "Do any of you remember seeing this
woman?"
He gestured towards his wife and the six men turned around
to look.  One of the younger sergeants spoke.
"I do sir.  I saw her on the Spica."
"Did she give you a name, or was she speaking at all?"
The young blond haired warrior frowned in thought, trying to
remember from nearly a yahren before.  "I don't remember her
speaking at all.  She seemed to be in shock, but I didn't
think she was injured badly enough for transport back to the
Galactica."
Apollo and Starbuck both looked at the warrior.  Apollo
spoke.  "You didn't think shock and not knowing her own name
was important enough for the Galactica's doctors to treat
her?"
Anger tinged Apollo's words.  Adama looked up at his son.
"Captain, please."
"Commander, if she'd been brought over here then, . . . ."
Adama cut in.  "Captain.  This is not the time."  He turned
back to the sergeant.  "That's all you remember?"
"Yes sir."
"Thank you.  You're dismissed."
The warriors left the room and Apollo moved to stand across
from his father.
"Father, if that flight sergeant had brought her here when
he saw her, we would have had Mother back then, not a yahren
later."
Adama looked at his son.  "Apollo, if we had been more
observant ourselves not a sectar ago, Ila would have been
found then."  Adama spoke, referring to the time that the
Spica passengers had been aboard the Galactica.
Ila stood up and crossed the room to stand between her
husband and son.  "Would you two please not argue like this.
It's over now and we're together now.  No guilt or blame is
on anyone.  I can't even recall how I got to the Spica.  I'm
just grateful I'm here now."
Apollo and Adama looked at each other for a moment and then
at Ila.  "You're right.  Apollo, you and Starbuck go finish
your duties and we'll see you at dinner."
"Yes sir."

*    *   *    *

"What do you mean that they've both been caught?!"  The man
snarled at the cowering man at his feet.
"Colonial security located Matias and took him to the
Galactica, and they already had Nero."
The taller man stared at the cringing form before him.  His
plans were ruined, almost.  He'd been so hopeful when he'd
seen Adama's wife on the Gemonese Freighter, obviously not
herself.  He'd thought she'd been killed in the attack on
the Colonies.  As soon as he'd seen her, he'd started
planning again, she seemed to have memory loss, and he'd
planned to use that to his advantage.
Nero's last report, about her realizing who she was had come
as a shock, and he'd been forced to act more quickly than
he'd wanted to.   He'd handle this himself, after all, he
could surely get clearance to board the Galactica, he had a
spotless reputation.  All he had to do was avoid Commander
Adama.

*    *    *    *

Ila looked over at her husband.  Adama was seated at his
desk, finishing some reports before dinner.  "Adama, you
haven't said anything about Zac.  Is he all right?"
Adama looked up at his wife.  He knew Salik had thought it
too soon to tell her, but he couldn't lie and putting it off
would only make her suspicious.  He stood and crossed the
room.  He took a deep breath.  "Ila, sit down, please."
She sat down slowly, never taking her eyes from his.  He sat
at her side and turned slightly to face her.
"Zac and Apollo were on patrol the night the Cylons
attacked.  They were the ones who discovered the ambush at
Cimtar and headed back to warn the fleet.  Adar wouldn't
listen to me when I recommended going to alert, but I
readied the Galactica anyway.  Zac's Viper was hit and he
had to come in without his high engine.  He made Apollo
leave him to warn the fleet since the Cylons were jamming
their commline."
He paused, the sight and sound of his son's Viper exploding
mere metrons from safety still clear in his mind.  "Apollo
landed, Zac was close and radioing for help.  Ila, I . . . I
should have ignored Adar and gone ahead with launch then.  I
could have done it and . . . .Zac was killed just short of
the landing bay."
Ila saw the tears in Adama's eyes and took his hands in
hers.  She wasn't sure of her own voice, her throat felt
tight with the urge to cry.  The room was silent for several
centons as they held each other.  She finally pulled away to
look at him.  "You launched then?"
"Yes.  Adar wouldn't do anything.  The Galactica was the
only ship to launch all Vipers.  With Apollo's report, I
guessed that the Basestars were attacking the Colonies and
headed for home as quickly as I could."
Ila nodded.  Adama hoped it wasn't too much for her.  He
knew Salik had warned against telling her so soon.


*    *    *    *

Cassie looked at Starbuck.  "Are you sure it's all right?"
There were standing just outside the Commander's door.
"Yes.  The Commander invited me and you."
"It's a family dinner."  Cassie spoke slowly, glancing
around to avoid meeting his gaze.  She couldn't seem to get
her nervousness across to him.  She didn't know Ila at all
and while the Commander had accepted her, she felt strange
being introduced so quickly and on this first time for the
family to be together after such a separation.
"Yes. It is.  Why are you so nervous?"  Starbuck frowned at
her.  She already knew everyone except Ila and Starbuck knew
Ila would love her.
"It's their first dinner together since Ila reappeared."
She finally looked up at him as she spoke.
"Right a celebration.  Let's go."  Starbuck just looked at
her, still not sure what was wrong.  He raised his hand to
sound the buzzer for the door when Apollo approached with
Boxey.
"Hey Starbuck!  Hey Cassie!  Dad said I get to meet my
grandmother tonight."
Starbuck smiled down at the boy.  "That's right kid."  He
looked up at Apollo.  He wondered how much had been said
about Serina, about Zac.  He certainly wouldn't bring either
up just in case.
Apollo just opened the door and went in with Boxey ahead of
him and Starbuck and Cassie behind.