Title: Frozen Out 
	Author: rita 
	Rating: PG-13 for language and suggestive situations.  Nothing graphic,
	folks - really!
	Disclaimer:  I don't own them, I just like to play with them.
	Warnings: Cute kid warning (sorry Anna).

	Summary: An exploration team crash-lands in the arctic zone of a planet. 
	Sheba uses the presence of Boxey to try to get Starbuck out of her way.
	Told from Boxey's POV (but try reading it anyway and let me know what you
	think).

	Feedback: Yes, please! (mommacita1@juno.com)
	Archive: Yes, just tell me where if it's other than By Your Command or
	Heart Attack.

	Grown-ups are really stupid, y'know?  I mean, they don't see what's right
	under their noses.  I know everyone thinks I'm just a little kid, but
	little kids understand a lot more than we're given credit for.  'Sides, I
	am the famous investigative reporter's son.  I must have gotten something
	from my mom.  

	Anyway, what I'm talking about is my dad and how he chooses his friends.
	He always tells me, "Boxey, you have to choose your friends carefully. 
	Make sure they don't just want to be friends with you because of who you
	are or what they can get from you.  Those are the users.  And don't you
	make friends with someone because of who they are or what they have that
	you want either.  That's dishonest."  Well, no problem there, Dad.  My
	best friend is Dillon.  He's an orphan, so I sure can't get anything from
	him.  And he doesn't want anything from me either.  But my dad!  He
	should take his own advice.  Let me tell you what I mean.

	See he's got a lot of friends.  Some of them, like Boomer, they're just
	really nice people and they only want the best for him.  They try to do
	things to make him happy, like taking me to the vids and giving Dad free
	time.  That's cool.  Some of them aren't really comfortable with Dad,
	'cause he's Grandpa's son and he's the Captain and all, but they don't
	like suck up to him or anything.

	Then there's Starbuck.  He's a really nice person, too - even though he
	always tells me, "Don't *say* that, kid!  You'll ruin my reputation!"  He
	really is nice anyway.  And he'd do anything for Dad.  I guess that means
	they're best friends, like me and Dillon.  But I think they'd both like
	to be more than best friends - but not in an icky way.

	Icky.  That describes Sheba.  And fake.  Dad always says, "Watch out for
	fake people - people who only make believe they like you."  Well that's
	Sheba.  She only makes believe she likes me.  She even kicked Muffit when
	she thought I didn't see.  But I did.  I caught her once trying to turn
	him off.  She said she was looking for a pair of sites, whatever that
	means!  Maybe it's like a pair of capstones in Pyramid.  Starbuck's
	teaching me to play Pyramid.  I think Sheba'd turn me off if I had an off
	switch.  I never said anything to Dad, of course, 'cause, like he says,
	"You can't choose someone's friends for them."    But I told Starbuck one
	time, and he laughed and ruffled my hair like he does, and he said, "Kid,
	you see straight through, don't you?  Well, if things ever get too tough,
	you can come and stay with me."

	I'm not sure what Sheba wants from Dad, but she wants something.  Dad
	doesn't seem to see it though.  He sees it with some of the others -
	mostly from the Pegasus.  Bojay is a user.  But Dad knows about him.  So
	does Starbuck.  It makes him sad though.  He says Bojay used to be his
	friend and he doesn't understand why he changed.

	And then there are other ways that grown-ups - some grown-ups - are
	stupid.  A couple of sectons ago, Sheba wanted to be alone with Dad.  She
	said she'd give me choco-mushies if I "made myself scarce".  So before
	sleep cycle, when Dad and Starbuck were just sitting and talking, and
	then Sheba showed up.  So I said, "Can I spend sleep-cycle with Dillon?" 
	Dad said, "Sure, go on over, just make sure it's okay with his folks." 
	Sheba was glaring at Starbuck, who was looking sad in that way that he
	thinks nobody's gonna notice, and usually nobody does.  He started to say
	something to Dad, then he shook his head and just said, "Think I'll head
	out, too.  I heard there was a big Pyramid game in the Ready Room
	tonight.  I'll walk with you, Boxey."  

	So we left together and, just to prove not all grown-ups are stupid,
	Starbuck stopped me as soon as we turned the corner and said, "Okay, kid,
	we both know Dillon's an orphan and he lives on the Orphan Barge and gets
	shuttled over here for lesson period.  So where were you really going?" 
	See, Dad knew that, too; at least I told him the same time I told
	Starbuck, when I first met Dillon.  So I told him the whole story and he
	just said, "Choco-mushies, huh?  Well, I can see how that made lying to
	your dad worthwhile, but you gotta learn to be more subtle.  What if he
	remembered that Dillon was an orphan, like I did?"  Well, I felt stupid
	then, and I thought Starbuck was gonna take me back, but he didn't.  He
	took me over to the Orphan Barge, got permission to take Dillon for the
	night, and then took us both back to his quarters. He even gave us
	choco-mushies. So Starbuck made my lie into the truth, and Dad and Sheba
	got to be alone together.  But what did Starbuck get? He even gave up the
	Pyramid game - if there really was one.

	Or take what just happened.  I came in from lesson period and Dad was
	waiting for me.  He told me him and Starbuck and a bunch of other people
	were going to explore this new planet Grandpa found with the scanners, so
	I had to go stay with Aunt Athena.  I said, "How about if I stay with
	Dillon instead?" and Dad said it was all right as long as his folks
	didn't mind.  Just then Starbuck came in to hurry Dad up.  So he got me
	packed and kissed me - yuck! - and then said, "Remember to thank Dillon's
	folks for me." Starbuck started staring at me just then.  I pretended I
	didn't notice and called Muffit and said good-bye and have fun exploring
	to them and started out the door.  The door was almost closed when I
	heard Starbuck say, kind of snickering, "Uh, 'Pol, you do remember that
	Dillon's an orphan and doesn't have any folks, don't you?"  So Dad called
	me back and told me how disappointed he is in me for lying and how he
	can't imagine where I learned to do that - then he looked right at
	Starbuck, so I knew he was being what he calls "sarcastic" - and then he
	told me to get right to Aunt Athena's *now*.  This time, when I went
	through the door, I heard Starbuck ask, "And you think he'll go to
	Athena's?"  And Dad sounded all outraged and said, "Of course!  I *told*
	him to."  Dad should listen to Starbuck more.

	So I went right to the shuttle bay and snuck on the same way I did the
	last time - except this time I had extra clothes and stuff packed - and,
	well, the same thing happened.  Okay, there were no Cylons this time and
	I guess the whole planet wasn't ice, but where we ended up sure was.

	The first I realized we were in trouble was when I heard Starbuck
	yelling.  "Frak!  There must be a dampening field in the upper
	atmosphere!  Captain!  I've lost all power.  I'm bringing her in on a
	glide." He always calls Dad "Captain" when they're on duty and Sheba's
	around.  He says it helps him remember to keep his distance. Whatever
	that means.

	"Do the best you can, Starbuck," Apollo replied.  "Try to land us in the
	temperate zone - near the equator."

	"I'll do what I can.  Boomer - can you give me a hand up here?"

	Then we got bounced around and I had to hold Muffit's muzzle to keep him
	from barking.  Then there was a big thump - just like last time - and I
	decided I'd better crawl out on my own and let Dad know I was there.  

	When I got the cargo hatch open and crawled out everybody was standing
	around glaring at Starbuck.  Dad was really mad.  "Lieutenant!  I *told*
	you to put us down in the temperate zone!" he yelled.  He only calls
	Starbuck "Lieutenant" when he's really mad.  I kind of hid behind the
	open hatch, so Dad wouldn't get even madder.

	Boomer tried to explain to Dad that Starbuck had done the best he could
	with no power and the thermals in the atmosphere, whatever they are.  I
	think Dad knew what he was talking about, because he started to back off,
	but then Sheba put in, "Well, what do you expect from a hotshot like
	Starbuck, Apollo?" and she put her arm around him.

	That got Dad all riled up again. He pushed Sheba away and said, "What? 
	Don't you have anything to say for yourself, Lieutenant?"  Starbuck just
	looked sad and shook his head. "Well, then, while we're contacting the
	Galactica and setting up camp, your job is to gather enough firewood to
	see us through the night.  

	Starbuck just said, "Yes, sir," and headed for the cargo hatch.  That's
	when he spotted me.  I was shivering a little because I didn't get my
	jacket out of my pack, so he took his off and wrapped it around me.  Then
	he called, "Captain!  I think you should come over here to see this."

	Dad came stomping over, still mad at Starbuck for crashing the shuttle in
	the cold zone. He started to yell at him again, but then he saw me and
	got all worried about me.  I don't think he noticed Starbuck didn't have
	a jacket on anymore.  He just ordered him to get the wood without even
	looking at him.  Starbuck didn't answer back or anything.  He just said,
	"Yes, sir," again, pulled a sledge out of the cargo storage, and went
	into the woods.

	Sheba was in charge of setting up the camp.  She had a couple of people
	make a fire circle with stones that were laying around and others collect
	the wood that the shuttle had knocked down. Then she had the tents set up
	close together in a circle around the fire and assigned two people to
	each tent.  Of course she put herself in the tent with me and Dad.  There
	was one tent left over.  When Deirdre had started to set it up, Sheba
	stopped her, telling her Starbuck could set up his own tent. And then she
	had the other tents set up so close together there was no room for that
	one in the circle.

	Starbuck came back dragging the sledge full of wood for the fire. 
	Everyone - even me - was all bundled up by then and huddled around the
	fire, except Dad and Boomer. Dad was still in the shuttle trying to
	contact the Galactica and Boomer was setting up the emergency beacon in
	case Dad couldn't get through.  We made room for Starbuck to bring the
	sledge up. I still had his jacket on under the parka Dad gave me, so he
	was just in his tunic and leggings and he looked really cold.  There
	weren't any more parkas, 'cause they'd only packed enough for the
	exploring team and I messed up the count. But when I started to undo the
	parka to give it to him, Sheba called me over to stack the wood and told
	him to go set up his tent.  

	The sledge's ropes were all sticky with something.  Deirdre was helping
	me stack and when she saw the ropes, she looked over at Starbuck.  He was
	having trouble setting up the tent - he kept dropping things.  Deirdre
	said, "Frak Sheba and Apollo!" and went to help Starbuck.  Sheba came out
	of our tent and saw her and got really mad.  They started yelling at each
	other, but then Dad came out of the shuttle and Starbuck said something
	to Deirdre real low and Deirdre walked away.  

	Sheba ran over to Dad and took him around the camp showing him how
	everything was set up. And Dad said what a great job she'd done, even
	though everyone else had done all the work.  Dad did notice Starbuck's
	tent almost in the woods by itself, and Starbuck just sort of sitting on
	the ground in the entrance, and asked about it, but Sheba said, "I guess
	he doesn't feel sociable."

	When supper was ready, Starbuck didn't come to get any food, but after
	Deirdre whispered to Boomer, he took seconds on his plate and brought it
	over to Starbuck.  First Starbuck shook his head no, but Boomer insisted,
	so he tried to take the plate, but he almost dropped it.  Boomer put the
	plate down and grabbed Starbuck's hands, then started to get up, looking
	angry, but Starbuck reached up to stop him.  Boomer almost never looks
	angry, so I got a little scared. But Deirdre was already on her way over
	with a med kit and Boomer sat back down and helped her bandage Starbuck's
	hands.  Then she fed Starbuck while Boomer chewed him out.  I tried to
	get Dad's attention, but Sheba was being all lovey-dovey with him, and he
	just patted me, like I was Muffit or something, and wouldn't listen.

	Everyone went to bed right after eating, 'cause it was so cold, even in
	front of the fire.  Dad wrapped me up in my bedroll, then wrapped me and
	my bedroll into his bedroll with him.  Then he called Muffit over and
	made him lie down practically on top of me.  I was so hot I fell right to
	sleep.  But I woke up in the night because Sheba was trying to do icky
	stuff with Dad.  Dad tried to tell her no for a while, but I guess he
	really liked what she was doing, 'cause after a while he stopped pushing
	her away.  Anyway, I remembered Starbuck had said if it got too bad, I
	could stay with him - and he was alone in his tent anyway - so I got up..
	I turned Muffit off so he wouldn't give me away - *I* know how to do
	that, even if Sheba doesn't - and shoved him up against Dad so he'd think
	I was still there.

	I crawled out of the tent and closed it again.  I couldn't get it closed
	all the way, but I figured they would be too busy to notice the cold.  It
	was *very* cold.  Boomer and Deirdre were on guard duty and making sure
	the fire didn't go out, but they were doing that lovey-dovey stuff, so
	they didn't notice me.  When I went behind the tents, it was even colder.
	I wished I had kept the bedroll wrapped around me, but it was back in the
	tent and I didn't want to go back and risk getting caught.

	I got to Starbuck's tent and there was a funny noise coming from inside
	it.  The tent wasn't closed at all, I guess because Starbuck couldn't
	work the seal with his hands bandaged.  Starbuck was making the noise.  I
	could see by the auto-light that he was all curled up in a ball and he
	was shaking.  He looked up when I sealed the tent after I crawled in. 
	"Too cold," he told me.  "Too cold for you here.  Go back to your dad." 
	There was stuff frozen on his face and I could hardly understand him
	because his teeth were chattering.  I asked him where his bedroll was and
	he said something, it sounded like "punishment".  Then he tried to laugh,
	but he couldn't.  He started choking and then he got very still.  He
	wouldn't answer me when I called him and nothing happened when I shook
	him. I shook him again, really hard, and he coughed and then started
	shaking again.  His eyes were open, but I didn't think he saw me.

	I got really scared.  I unsealed the tent and started hollering for help.
	Boomer and Deirdre came running up and all the tent auto-lights went on.
	Boomer came into the tent and brushed my face with his gloves.  He told
	me not to cry because the tears would freeze on my face.  "Is that what's
	wrong with Starbuck?" I asked.  That's when he looked at Starbuck, who
	was making that funny noise again.  I never heard Boomer use words like
	he did then.  He tried to straighten Starbuck out and wrap himself around
	him.  Deirdre had started into the tent after him.  He motioned to her
	and she joined him, holding Starbuck between them.  Then Boomer yelled,
	"Where's Apollo?"

	I guess almost everyone was outside the tent door by then.  Someone
	called out, "He's *busy*."

	Boomer's voice was real nasty when he called back, "Well, get him un-busy
	and *fast*."

	Then I heard Dad's voice asking what was going on and Sheba's explaining
	that Starbuck deserved to do without because he'd gotten us "into this
	fix."  Then Dad said, "Shut the frak up and stay away from me," and came
	into the tent.  He stayed there for a long time, just staring.  Then he
	said, "Oh, Lords!" and tapped Deirdre on the shoulder.  "Let me in there,
	Dee," he said.  He never calls any of the cadets by their names, let
	alone their nicknames, when he's on duty, so I knew he was really upset.
	"I can cover him better."  Deirdre nodded and crawled away and Dad slid
	into her place.  

	"I'll go move a tent right up to the fire and heat up some stones to warm
	it inside," Deirdre volunteered.

	Dad nodded.  "Take mine," he said. "Sheba can sleep in this one after we
	move Starbuck.  Let her keep her bedroll," he said.

	Deirdre snorted like she does and said, "If you insist, Captain." Then
	she went out and I heard a little bit of ladies' voices shouting, then it
	got quiet.

	Dad and Boomer grabbed each other's shoulders and locked their legs
	around each other making a human bedroll with Starbuck inside. "Why
	didn't you tell me?" Dad asked Boomer and I could tell he was getting mad
	again.

	"I didn't know," Boomer told him.  "All I saw were his hands.  I figured
	once he was inside he'd be okay, wrapped in a bedroll."

	"I tried to tell you, Dad," I said. "But you were too busy with Sheba."
	When Dad looked around, I realized he hadn't even seen me.

	"What?" he said.  "What are you doing here."

	"The kid found him," Boomer answered before I could think what to say.
	"Good thing he did.  I don't think Bucko would've made it 'til daybreak."

	Then Dad held out an arm to me and I snuggled in with them to help warm
	up Starbuck. After a while Deirdre came back and said the tent was ready
	and Dad carried Starbuck out.  He poked his head out of the tent to say
	he was gonna stay with Starbuck, and Deirdre and Boomer said they'd take
	me to their tent.  But I didn't want that.  I wanted to be with Starbuck
	until I knew he was all right.  I said so and Dad said okay. That
	surprised me, but I didn't say anything in case he changed his mind.  I
	just crawled into the tent and into the bedroll - right up against
	Starbuck.  He felt icy cold, even though the tent was warm.  Someone had
	turned Muffit back on and he was lying on top of Starbuck's legs, keeping
	them warm with his generator. Dad lay down on the other side of Starbuck
	and pulled us close together. We couldn't hold Starbuck as good as Dad
	and Boomer had, but the tent was almost hot  with the heated stones
	Deirdre had put under the bedrolls, and Dad left it unsealed so the heat
	of the fire came in.

	Next thing I knew, there was light coming in, even though I could still
	see and feel the fire.  I raised my head and saw that Dad was awake.  He
	was stroking Starbuck's face and hair, like he does to me when I'm sick. 
	Starbuck's skin looked white in the daylight - not skin-color white, but
	really white - and his eyes were still open but not seeing anything.  "Is
	he going to be all right?" I whispered. Dad looked over at me and I saw
	that he was crying.  I don't even remember him crying when Mom died.  It
	really scared me.  "Dad?"

	"I don't know, Boxey, I don't know.  I hope so," he whispered back.

	"This is all my fault," I said, and I started to cry, too.  I'm a big boy
	and I know only babies cry.  But if my dad could cry about this, so could
	I.

	"No, Boxey," Dad said.

	"Yes, it is," I explained.  "If I hadn't been on-board, Starbuck would
	have had a parka and a bedroll."

	"No, Boxey," Boomer said from the entry to the tent.  "If you weren't
	here, Sheba still would have found a way to get Starbuck in trouble.  You
	just made it easier."  He turned to Dad.  "Just heard from the Galactica.
	There's no dampening field.  Whole thing was sabotage.  They're sending
	another shuttle down with a medical team. And a security team to take
	charge of Sheba."

	So the other shuttle came down and Cassie was on it.  I like Cassie, even
	if she does keep trying to convince Starbuck that he loves her.  She's
	really a nice person, just "misguided" Boomer says.  Starbuck told me a
	long time ago not to worry about it; he's not the sealing kind. He said
	he couldn't keep my dad out of trouble if he got himself sealed to
	someone else.  

	Anyway, Cassie fussed over Starbuck and chased everybody else away. Then
	she and the med team took Starbuck into the second shuttle.  Dad and
	Boomer fixed the shuttle we came down in and had the second shuttle's
	pilots take the landing party to the place they were supposed to land.
	Dad put Boomer and Deirdre in charge of the exploration.  So me and Dad
	and Starbuck went back to the Galactica with the med team and the
	security team and Sheba.

	Starbuck's okay.  I listened to Grandpa explain to him and Dad what
	happened.  It was all a plot to "discredit" Starbuck - whatever that
	means - so Sheba could get Dad. She got Bojay to help her mess up the
	shuttle.  But then he felt bad about it, so he went and told Colonel
	Tigh.  Just like on the vids. 

	But nobody seems to understand why Sheba thought she had to hurt Starbuck
	- if that's what "discredit" means - in order to seal with my dad.  Not
	even Starbuck. At least that's what he says. Sometimes Starbuck can be a
	stupid grown-up, too; or at least act like one.

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