Title: Thoughts of You

Author: Azura Nyx

Characters: Eli/Chloe, Dr. Nicholas Rush

Type: Romance/Drama/Friendship

Length: 1, 400 words, 2 chapters

Warnings/Author's Notes: Spoilers for the episodes 'Time' and 'Life.' The characters do not belong to me because they are property of MGM. There is some foul language and sexual insinuations in this story.

Rating: PG- 13 (T)

Summary: Eli is shy about expressing his feelings to Chloe. Will this slow down the progression of their friendship?

Thoughts of You

Chapter 1

As Destiny flew through hyperspace, Chloe and Eli were sitting together on a bench, enjoying the miraculous and beautiful view of space's colors; red, orange, blue, aqua green… it was all so breathtaking. Chloe leaned in and kissed Eli on the cheek. Turning his head towards Ms. Armstrong, there was an expression of bewilderment etched upon Eli's face.

"I-I'm sorry," apologized Chloe. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just this view is very quixotic."

"No, no…I'm not at all uncomfortable by that- just surprised," Wallace answered.

Ms. Armstrong smiled, and rested her head upon Eli's shoulder. "Can I be honest with you about something?"

Grinning widely, Eli joked, "Oh! I don't know about that, Chloe. I'm quite the gossiper, ya know."

"I'm sure," Chloe giggled, joking as well. She sat up straight and peered into Wallace's brown eyes. "In all seriousness though, I…feel… very relaxed when I'm around you, Eli. In fact, it's so strange, but it seems as though you've become my shoulder to cry on when nobody would listen."

"Nah," dismissively started Eli. "Lt. Scott has been there for you as many, if not more, times than I have. He cares for you a lot."

Apprehensively peering down to the floor, Ms. Armstrong commented, "You'd be surprised."

"What does that mean," a puzzled Wallace inquired, trying to attract Chloe's gaze once again.

"I know he cares about me, but ever since he found out that he has a son… I-I don't know. He's been… indifferent around me," Chloe explained.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean to hurt you," Eli began. "The guy's a little anxious about the situation… anyone would be."

Shaking her head in disagreement, Armstrong replied, "That's not what I mean. Matthew never looks me in the eyes anymore when we talk. There have been numerous occasions when we argue that he almost says to me by accident, 'If I could, I would go back to Annie.' But he always apologizes and tries to act like we can work everything out."

Wallace was lost for words by this. He didn't know if he should console her or…what? What could Eli say? He didn't want to get in the middle of Chloe and Lt. Scott's relationship, but he also got the hunch that Armstrong was right in her assessment. "It could very well be that he nearly said that just because it was the heat of the moment," nervously surmised Eli.

"You don't really believe that," Chloe stated, fixedly staring at Wallace. "I know you don't, and I know why you're saying that."

Trying to be rational, Wallace said, "If I didn't believe what I'm saying to you, then why would I-"

"Stop... pretending, Eli," Armstrong crossly insisted. "Just stop it. Don't you remember what you told me when I died…er… could have died?"

Sitting down by Chloe's bedside whilst in the infirmary, Eli tensely remarked to her, "Why do people always wait until times like these to tell someone how they really feel?" Wallace laughed tremulously. As tears welled up in his eye sockets, he tried to fight from crying. Eli then continued, "It's so stupid. I-I just ...."

He stared off for a moment, pondering whether or not he should say more. Eventually, however, he chose to. "Ah, screw it," he said, shifting nervously in his chair. "When I'm near you, things are just ... better. You don't even know how amazing you are!It doesn't matter!"

Sighing as he takes Chloe's hand in both of his, Wallace serenely says, "I've never had a best friend before; never - never known anyone like that before; never loved ... um ...." Eli pauses for a moment, surprised and a little embarrassed the term 'love' whirled off of his lips. "I just… need to make sure you know that I'm here for you. Always will be."

Eli peered down at Chloe and sorrowfully begged, "Please don't die."
On the brink of tears, T.J walks up to Chloe and checks the dying woman's pulse. As Eli hopefully looked up at the medic, she ruefully said, "…she's gone." Angered and filled with a multitude of indescribable emotions, Eli trekked out of the infirmary.

"No. I don't remember," Wallace blandly lied to Armstrong.

Chloe bit her lip as she peered off to the side, tears streaming gradually down her face. "Right. I'm sure you don't," she sardonically answered. Ms. Armstrong raised herself off of the bench to leave, but Eli immediately grabbed her wrist.

"How do you remember an alternate event that never happened," inquisitively asked Eli.

Turning herself to face Wallace, Chloe replied, "Before changing the course of action to prevent everyone from dying, you wrote an entry about what you said to me in your diary and, somehow, it stayed there after everything had been… corrected, I guess you could say."

"You read my diary," Eli asked. Armstrong couldn't tell if he was irate or astonished or both.

"It was lying by my bedside when I woke up," she hurriedly explained. "I thought it was mine since ours look so much alike."

"Oh, right! Because once you opened it up and read a passage from it, you didn't realize it wasn't yours," harshly exclaimed Wallace, his arms crossed in resentment.

"Okay…yeah… so what I did wasn't right, but when I realized you were writing about me I couldn't stop reading it. I highly doubt you wouldn't have done the same," Chloe angrily retorted. "In any case, here's what I meant to give you," she continued, throwing to Eli what appeared to be a diary…her diary at him, and she stomped off.

As soon as the door slammed Eli threw the journal to the floor, refusing to look through it. He was angry at Chloe and figured he had every reason to be. After all, a five year-old understands the meaning of 'privacy,' so Ms. Armstrong certainly comprehended the word and there was no excuse for what she had done.

However, after Wallace calmed down a half an hour later, he contemplated the situation on a deeper level. Eli sighed, strolled over to the diary and picked it up. The first entry read:

Eli, I know you will read this, so there's no sense in me being indirect about it. The past few months I have known you have been nothing short of a blessing to say the least. In that light, I feel as though there have been times I overlooked our friendship by being with Lt. Scott. Being that as it may, you probably have thought that I never noticed your affection for me… the love you feel towards me. You couldn't be more wrong. I feel the same way about you- always have.

I realize now the relationship between Matthew and I cannot compare to what you and I have, especially after the time, although it was an alternate moment, when you told me I was your best friend and that you loved me.

For the first time in my life I feel truly loved because of you. Not to mention I can be myself when you're around! I don't have to pretend. I can be as crazy and goofy around you as I want and you'd still care for me. Simply put, I want you to know that I appreciate you.

Love,

Chloe Armstrong

Reluctantly, Eli closed the journal and sat it next to him. He put his head in his hands and thought aloud, Oh my God! What in the hell have I done?

Wallace became extremely nervous and pensive, uncertain of what he should do next. Should he apologize to Chloe, or just forget what he read and attempt to distract himself by heading to the lab? Eventually, however, he initially chose the latter.