Title: Guarding Angel

Author: Laheara

Summary: Rush's and Eli thinking about their lives before and now on Destiny. What they are learning from each other and how it will help with the grand adventure ahead.

Main characters: Rush and Eli, Non-slash, friendship

Disclaimer: My first SGU fic. I don't own anything of it, but if they want to give me Rush I wouldn't say no. LOVE him to pieces. Rush and Eli are my favs in the series. I've already got over 2gigs of captures of Rush from the eps. Robert Carlyle is an amazing actor.

Rush smiled as he watched Eli from across the room. The boy was playing with one of his beloved floating KINO balls and showing Brody all the things it could do. He had become their resident KINO master and quite a good inventor. Of course his most useful creation, so far, has been the grav-sled made of KINOs, used to bring back the ice and Lt. Scott. Rush was telling the truth when he'd said it was ingenious.

Rush's thought were taken back to when Young had accused him of lying that Destiny isn't recharging fully because of all the damaged conduits and Eli jumped in to defend him. Rush had to admit he was surprised by the action. As Scott had said before, half the people on the ship wanted him dead for stranding them all here, and the others weren't sure if they could trust him. Greer certainly wasn't the only one who wanted a piece of him.

It seemed everyone here believed him to be a cold-hearted bastard who only cared about himself and what he wanted. Rush had to admit that it hurt when Eli even fell into that assumption when he asked if Rush even cared that Senator Armstrong had died to save them. Rush's heart had sank and he needed a few seconds before he could answer so he just stared at Eli. It was the same when Lt. Scott had pleaded with him to find a way to get them home and he had to ask what made them all think he wouldn't try.

It was true that if he found a safe way to get everyone home he would tell Young and help them work with the SGC to do it. But this idea of using the suns power to dial the gate wasn't going to work with the amount of damage they had. Perhaps when everything was fixed and/or properly routed around it could work. But that would not be for a long time.

Of course, IF, he did find a way to safely get them home, HE would not be joining them. He told Young the truth when he said that it was his life long desire to be somewhere like this. To be a part of something Ancient and important and he would not leave willingly. He had tried to get permission to go to Atlantis but had been denied because they wanted him working on the 9th chevron problem.

It has been an incredible moment when he'd learned Atlantis finally was on Earth. He'd managed to convince the IOA to let him go there. He's said it was to study some information in the database about distance equations and the 8th and 9th chevrons. Really all he wanted to do was go there and walk around the city just enjoying being somewhere so beautiful and meaningful. He even got to fly in a cloaked puddle jumper to get there.

He'd been happy to meet with Dr. McKay, whom he had spoken with previously. Rush felt comfortable with McKay, since his knowledge of science and the Ancients was equally impressive.

On that note, Rush felt the need to stretch his legs and decided to go wander around Destiny. He stood, worked out the kinks in his neck and shoulders, finished his cup of water, looked around the room with a smile of contentment and walked out of the control room.

Eli noticed Rush's departure and watched him leave while still talking to Brody. He'd noted that Rush seemed much more calm and happy lately, as apposed to his frosty behavior shortly after their arrival. Of course, Eli knew he was jonesing for coffee and smokes, which did explain a lot.

After them thinking they were going to fly into a sun and die, Rush seemed much more willing to talk to the people who were rude to him. A lot of people seemed mellow out after that event. Seems the idea of loosing our new home hit everyone and they realized that Destiny wasn't as bad as they thought.

Eli had not taken the ship for granted at all. It was, after all, only the second spaceship he'd ever been on. This ship was full of secrets and fun things for him explore. He couldn't even image life without the comforting presence of a KINO quietly hovering nearby.

He was grateful to Rush for teaching him the Ancient language, both in the game and for real since they'd started working together. It made walking around the ship all the more fun since he could read the inscriptions leading into every area. There was even poetry to read in unlikely places. It was a very pleasant language and he admired the minds of the race that created it.

Another mind he admired was Rush's. The man was certainly a loner, just like Eli. Although most of the time Eli didn't want to be alone, he just couldn't seem to make friends that stayed with him. He was never a popular kid, girls never talked to him first and he couldn't hold down a job to save his life. He'd even dropped out of MIT because he was bored and intimidated by all the other guys who were brains like him but actually had friends.

Come to think of it, his life was pretty pitiful and meaningless. The only person he had in the whole world who really cared about him was his mother. His mother who was sick and he couldn't even keep a job long enough to help with her medical bills. Eli felt worthless and so he would just hide in video games and mindless chats with strangers on Twitter and Facebook.

Then he found the Prometheus game and was able to loose himself in it for three months working through the levels and enjoying the real challenge of the puzzles. Then he cracked the core equation to activate the weapons and POW. General O'Neill and Dr. Rush show up at his door the next day and he finds himself in space looking down at the Earth.

It was like something out of a movie and he had to pinch himself several times to be sure he wasn't actually dreaming. Especially when he met Chloe and she not only talked to him but seemed interested by all the things she knew about him. Eli also liked Scott right away; he seemed just as blown away by all of this as Eli and admittedly hadn't been part of it much longer.

Of all the people he'd met since this dreamlike journey had began, he seemed to connect with Dr. Rush the most. He didn't know why, or if the scientist even cared about him other then for his math skills. But Rush seemed the misunderstood loner that everyone shunned and distrusted, SO much like Eli's own life. Maybe he just sensed a kindred spirit.

What surprised him soon after was that even though there were actual big school graduates here, Rush still preferred to work with him over people like Brody and Franklin. He'd kick out those people and come drag Eli to the control room to help him with the newest problem. This man was a genius in every sense of the word and likely knew more then Eli would ever be able to learn. He was fascinated and humbled by the attention someone like Rush was paying to him.

He also was surprised how fast the man was becoming important to him. He was usually the first person to try to defend Rush now. After all, he owed him that much for bringing him into this incredible new world. Eli also saw something that others didn't in Rush. That the man did have a kind and sensitive heart that was hurt by many of the things people said and did to him.

On many occasions, Eli had caught Rush wince or close his eyes in sadness over a snide or thoughtless comment someone would shot at him or say knowing he could hear them. Or intentionally running into him in the mess making him loose part of his ration but he would simply sigh and keep walking instead of confronting them. They seemed to enjoy seeing how much he would take before just leaving, which is what they really wanted. But oh yes, when there was a crisis and they needed saving, everyone would look to Rush for some brilliant way to make it all better again.

This behavior really irritated Eli, especially when it came from Col. Young, who was supposed to protect them all. But as with many other people, after the sun incident Young did start showing Rush more respect.

Eli was startled out of his thoughts when he turned a corner and finally realized he'd caught up with his teacher. He stopped short and just watched as Rush was inspecting a plaque on the wall, which told of the mission of the Destiny. Eli watched as he gently touched the writing and ran his fingers lightly over the little raised model of Destiny in the top.

Eli had noticed this with how Rush looked at everything, even doors. Rush was always appreciative of the art in the design and made the time to take it all in rather than just figuring out what it does. It was Rush who had explained the reasoning behind the gold star design on the dialing consol and most of the doors. The stars symbolic nature showing that this old and powerful ship was run by something even more ancient and powerful.

Eli must have made a sound because Rush looked up in surprise and mild annoyance before seeing who it was. Then his face softened and he smiled as he waved Eli over next to him.

"It's it lovely? And the detail on the model is astounding." He said looking at the plaque again.

"I hadn't found this yet, even with the KINOs. Kinda like us placing markers to explain the importance of things we build." Eli also reached out and ran his fingers over the small detailed image of Destiny.

Rush nodded and smiled up as his student. "Yes, I think you'll find the Ancients were much more like us then you might think. They obviously believed in symbolism and pursuit of knowledge in exploration, as we do."

"Wouldn't it be incredible to meet one?" Eli thought of the hundreds of questions he'd like to ask. Given Rush's knowledge of them he knew that number would be tripled from him.

"We have a few times. Mostly Ascended Ancients but there were two times we met real flesh and blood ones. But then both times, they were killed before we could learn anything from them. Such a waste." Rush looked saddened.

Eli smiled at how kind-hearted this man really could be. He couldn't understand why no one else ever saw this. "Well I'm sure they would have loved to meet you."

Rush looked up with wide eyes. "Me?"

"Well yeah, I mean, you've spent years of you life studying them, their language, their culture, their science, and even music and literature. I know you said that there are two other guys, Jackson and McKay who know a lot about the Ancients too, but do they care as much as you do?" Eli could see the question surprised Rush and he was kinda sad. Even Rush didn't think he was special sometimes.

"I can't speak for them, but I think anyone who really studies the Ancients to know them, not just their technology, would fall in love with the people. They were amazing and advanced but still in many ways very human. They made mistakes, they tried and failed but kept going and in the end left things like Destiny and Atlantis and the Stargates behind."

Rush and Eli continued walking and ended up in the observation room. They walked to the window and leaned on the railing to look out at the massive ship. Rush smiled as he took a deep breath. "I really have fallen in love with this ship, just as I did when I first saw pictures of Atlantis. The way she seems to know what we need, she takes care of us like a friend, or perhaps closer to a parent."

Eli smiled too, following Rush's gaze around the ship. "Yeah, even given how badly the ship is banged up and that people have died, I still feel safe here. Like the ship wouldn't let anything really bad happen to us. It's almost like we have a guardian angel looking out for us."

Rush truly smiled at that analysis, a smile that reached his eyes and he put a hand on Eli's shoulder. "Yes, I do believe you might be on to something there, my boy."

THE END

Reviews are appreciated. I'm also working on another Rush and Eli multi-parter.