Title: Cat's play

Author: Yoyi-Yi

Summary: Someone has started to act like a cat aboard Destiny.

Notes: One-shot without beta, OoC, horrific English. Beware! And enjoy.

Cat's Play

Chloe was walking down the corridor humming her favorite song when she heard it. She froze instantly. It was a strange noise. Carefully, she moved towards where it came. Little by little she started to recognize the sound: a purr. A purr really loud. The feline who's making that sound must be big, she thought.

She was almost there when the purr stopped. Frowning, she hurried to look over the corner, nearly stumbling on Rush.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed.

"Careful."

"Sorry, doc. I thought I heard..." she stopped. No, he wouldn't believe her. "No, it's nothing."

"As you say. See you latter."

Chloe continued with her pace, or so she was about to do when she heard it again. As she turned she saw Rush's back. The sound was coming from him.

00=00

Bent over a console in the Apple Core. Working at some data gathered by the kino. Eating and laughing in the mess hall. Eli was now more than used to Destiny. He couldn't hear anymore the hum of FTL. That was why he didn't believe Chloe when she said she heard Rush purring. Without knowing, Eli was used to his purring and discarded the sound as some of FTL's.

It's only when Eli is dragging a string behind him when he notices. Someone was following him. When he turned Eli saw Greer jumping from nowhere to catch the end of the threat. The young mathematician froze.

"Greer?"

But the Sergeant response was a mewl. His pupils were dilated.

"Are you ok, man?" Another mewl. "Ok. You are starting to frighten me."

Greer smiled at him in a way that's not exactly reassuring.

"Eli, are you there. This is Scott, come in."

Eli almost jumped out his skin when Matt radioed him.

"Ye... yeah. What's up, Matt?

"We have a situation with Dr. Rush. Apparently, what he an a couple of people ate the last time we where on a planet has some side effects. Have you seen Ron?"

"Eh... He is right in front of me. Should I run for my life?

"What? No, no. Just keep him entertained until we arrive. It's not contagious so don't worry."

"Eh... ok. If you say so..." Eli wasn't that sure of that. "How much should I entertain him?"

"You tell us where are you and I'll answer that."

Eli did. They where here shortly after that, trying to catch a very playfully Greer.

00=00

"This situation is stupid!" cried Volker, again.

"I know. I heard your last fiftieth complains," said Brody.

"Ok, guys, I have lost it again or someone stole it."

"What, Eli?"

"Oh! It's nothing. It was just a ball I was trying to make. So we could play, you know? But it disappeared again."

"Again?" asked Volker.

Eli nodded. "Yes. Again. It disappeared first some days ago. And now..." he stopped, realizing who could have it. "Oh, no."

"What is it?"

"Hey, did TJ treated all the food-poisoned?"

"Hm... I think she did," was Brody's answer. The man scratched his chin, hesitant. "Oh, no."

"I knew it," cried Eli. "He has it."

Volker seemed confused. He clearly didn't catch the hint. "How is he?" directed to Brody.

"Rush," answered both Eli and Brody.

"What? Didn't TJ...?"

"No, she didn't. She treated all the rest but not Rush. He's sneaky and no-one found him, so we all forgot," said Eli, rubbing a hand on his face.

"So... hm... What do we...?" But Volker was interrupter when their radios cracked.

"Eli, Brody, Volker, this is Young, whoever come in please."

"Col. Young, this is Volker, what's the matter?"

"Some of our stuff has disappeared and we have kino footage in which we can see Rush taking it. Do you know where is he?"

"I'm afraid no, sir. He has taken something from us too. If we see him we will tell you ASAP."

"Thank you. Now, if you have the time, could you help looking for him?"

"Sure, Volker out."

The three men looked at each other.

"His quarters!" "The Bridge!" "'Gate Room!"

They talked as the same time.

"Ok, I'll go take a look at the Stargate Room, Brody, you go to his quarters and Volker to the Bridge."

The other men nodded and they started the search.

00=00

Scott had just told the colonel where Rush was when he saw Eli coming to his way.

"Is he in there?" asked the mathematician.

"Indeed he is. I saw him with my own eyes. We sealed all the exits so he can't scape."

"And now, what?"

"We wait 'till Col. Young arrives."

"Why? Why don't just go in there and catch him?"

Scott gave Eli a look of disbelief. "'Coz we tried that already and didn't work. He is like a snake."

Eli snorted.

"You mean like a cat," intervened Chloe. Scott smiled at her. "Hello, my boy."

"Hello, kitty girl."

They kissed. Eli shifted, feeling awkward.

"So, um... Is Rush in here? In the 'Gate Room?"

"Yes. We had a kino there too. But apparently he got it of, so we can't see anything now."

00=00

Eli and Chloe saw from a safe distance through the kino control all the operation. Rush was playing with the ball and other objects in the middle of the room. His purrs were loud enough to be heard and Chloe couldn't stop laughing at it.

Soon enough, Col. Young, Lt. Scott, Lt. James and Lt. Johansen were commanding their own teams to catch Rush and carry him to the infirmary. But things got complicated when the soldiers couldn't catch him and Sergeant Greer came in.

Greer and Rush started to dodge the rest while playing with the ball and if any of the soldiers approached the ball they both would hiss in disappointment. After a few rounds in which the soldiers almost caught one of the men, Young called in withdrawal.

Eli and Chloe were laughing their asses off. With the retreat, both men put their guards down and that was when TJ manage to catch Greer. Rush, being that he was older and he was Rush, could get off the trap.

"Oh! They caught him," pointed Chloe.

"Yeah, but Rush still has my ball."

"Don't worry, Eli. They'll get it back."

"Yes, Eli," said TJ, coming from the 'Gate Room. "After a little rest we will come back."

"TJ, do you know what has gotten into them?"

"Food poison," she sighed. "But it's ok. Ronald only needs a bit of rest, and all the others are totally back to themselves."

"Then, why is Rush acting like this?"

"That, I don't have the slightest idea."

00=00

When Col. Young came back to the 'Gate Room he found no one inside. He frowned. Rush was supposed to be in there. He radioed, asking. No-one has left the 'Gate Room since they caught Greer. So, Rush must be still in here, Young thought. Better find him quick and get his ass in the infirmary. His odd behavior was more than annoying.

Young paced in the room, trying not to make any noise. He stopped near the consoles that opened the Stargate. Where is that man? Before he could be lost in his thoughts he heard a noise. He looked around, startled. The sound came again, from the Stargate.

Carefully, he approached it, rifle in hand ready to be used. When he came up to it, he stopped. The sound was louder here. It was a purr-like sound. Then a mewl. Surprised, Young looked up and saw Rush in there, lying in the top of the ring, looking down at him with a smile, purring.

"You are having fun, are you?"

"Yes," his answer was like a mewl. In fact, he was still mewling a little.

"What are you doing up there?" Young asked.

"Taking a nap."

"Up there? Are you cra..." he stopped mid sentence. "Yes, you are."

Rush laughed a bit. He had Eli's ball in one hand. Young saw, bewildered, how Rush licked his lips before talking again. "Do you want to play?"

"To play what?"

"With my ball. Of course."

"Rush, that's Eli's ball. He made it so all could play. And you want it to be all yours."

"Well, I saw it first," he almost sounded as if he were apologizing, almost. "And it rolls."

Young was still stunned. Rush was still up there, toying with him, purring and mewling. He almost could swear that he saw a tail.

"Get down and go see TJ. You have been poisoned."

"I'll tell you what I hear from your mouth: Blah, blah, blah..." said Rush, mockingly.

Young had had enough. He took off one of his boots and threw it at Rush. The first didn't hit him, but the second unbalanced him. Rush ended up hanging from the ring with two hands, the ball in the floor, scowling and swearing and huffing.

"Get down, Rush." snarled Young.

With a hiss Rush let go and landed with both hands and feet. Young caught him now by the collar of his t-shirt. Rush struggled but stopped when Young's fingers brushed his neck. Young was surprised when he stopped, though, not knowing why he did. A second brush and Rush purred strongly. Young felt slightly embarrassed when he realized that.

"So you like it here," Young mumbled more to himself than to Rush, stroking Rush's neck.

"...back..." Rush whispered between purrs.

"What?"

"Touch me in the back of my ears," he demanded.

And Young did. He touched him there too, being rewarded with more purrs.

00=00

Hours latter, everything looked like was gone back to normal. Eli had his ball, Greer and the others seemed ok and didn't act weird, all the things Rush had stolen were back to their original place.

"So, TJ, did you treat Rush in the end too?" asked Eli nonchalantly at dinner time in the mess.

"No. He didn't show himself in the infirmary."

"What!?"

"Yeah. Col. Young managed him and got all the stuff back. But when I asked him where was Rush he told me that he had send him to take a nap."

"And you don't think that's dangerous?"

"Well, the colonel told me that he had all under control. He said that he knows how to maintain Rush under control now. Something like this is an advantage."

"Uh... I wonder what is it," said Chloe.

And they wondered. But none of them came with the truth.

Deep inside Destiny's corridors, in Rush's quarters, the mathematician was curled up in Colonel Everett Young's lap, purring satisfactorily while the colonel stroked his neck.

Not that he would ever tell, but Young always wanted to have a pet.