Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a work of pure fiction. All characters and events depicted in this story are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Tags: *Nicolas Rush/Belle French, *Colonel Young, *Ronald Greer, *AU – Canon Divergence, *Loads of Angst, *Smut, *Adult Themes, *Reader Discretion Advised, *Episode 01x10 & 01x11
Summary: It went against every one of Belle's instincts to leave Rush there on the planet … alone … with the colonel. A decision she would soon come to regret. Ep 01x10 & 11 AU.
A/N: The prompt was: white shirt, snarky Belle, ep 11. Soooo this is what I came up with. I've never written Rushbelle before and of course, me being me, I do not always (not even a little) stick to canon, but there is some in here to fulfill the prompt. I was hesitant to even post this, but hey, too late now. I hope you like this. Regardless, my beta, AquaJasmine23, made me do it!
DESOLATION
By:
CharlotteAshmore
It shouldn't be this cold in space. She shouldn't be this cold considering the layers provided by the fatigues she wore. In actuality, she'd been sweating profusely on the desert planet with its rocky terrain and harsh climate. But that was before Colonel Young had ordered the team to return to Destiny. No matter how much Belle had insisted, she couldn't disobey a direct order. It went against every one of her instincts to leave Rush there on the planet … alone … with the colonel.
If there was one thing at which Belle had always excelled, it was being able to judge people. Her father had called it a gift; that she could read what was in a person's heart, and it had served her well over the years. Which was why she stood paralyzed with a deep bone-chilling cold as she stood at the base of the ramp with her eyes boring holes in the shimmering event horizon still active in the stargate.
She couldn't do this without Nicholas … didn't want to. After Gold had sacrificed himself to rid them of Pan's threat, after she'd watched him die and not one single person in the whole town had offered her comfort … well suffice it to say, she'd had enough. Even his precious, perfect son had left her weeping in the street in a state of mind-numbing disbelief and pain as she'd watched her true love disappear into the ether. She hadn't even packed, had merely grabbed her purse with the identification Gold had procured for her and walked out of town. If it hadn't been for the tea cup charm she wore on the thin gold chain around her neck, she wouldn't remember a thing. Another gift he'd bestowed upon her when he'd returned from Neverland, terrified of her crossing the line again without some form of protection.
Belle had hitched a ride to Boston where she'd holed up in an out of the way motel and given in to her grief. It had taken her a while to realize she couldn't remain where she was. She had unlimited funds thanks to the money Gold had insisted upon setting aside for her and she knew he wouldn't want her to spit on his memory by crawling into a hole and giving up. She had pulled herself together and gotten as far away from Storybrooke as humanly possible while still remaining in the states. She'd enrolled in the University of California with the intention of finding something to do with the rest of her life.
It hadn't taken her long to realize she had a head for numbers. She could get lost in her equations and forget about the pain of who and what she'd lost. That was how she'd met Nicholas Rush. She'd changed her major and ended up in his quantum physics class. Belle had been fascinated by him ... still was if she were honest. At first, she hadn't been able to help herself, as much as he resembled Gold, but then she'd come to appreciate his acerbic wit and ambition to bury himself in his work. After two years she had taken the position of his teacher's assistant, being the only person -really - crazy enough to put up with him long enough to take the job. When he'd joined the SGC, he'd insisted she come with him. She could think of things worse than being Nicholas's personal assistant … just not at the moment she'd agreed.
They'd been thrust into the Icarus project and it had seemed to breathe new life into both of them, the suffering of her loss of Gold and the pain he barely contained from the loss of his wife seeming to lessen as they'd thrown themselves into their work. They had grown closer in their quest to learn Ancient and break the code for the ninth chevron until she had realized she could call him friend as well as mentor. When Icarus had been under attack and their only hope of survival was going through the gate, she'd grabbed the rucksack containing their emergency belongings and hurtled after him. She didn't care where they were going as long as she didn't lose him. Belle would have happily followed him into hell if need be.
He needed her just as much as she needed him … no matter how much he was loath to admit it. It had taken months on Destiny to realize she did, in fact, love him. Not that she'd ever tell him. She couldn't bring herself to admit it to herself, much less him, because then she'd have to face her fears of losing yet another man she loved. They shared an easy friendship and she wouldn't jeopardize it for anything.
And now as she stood at the bottom of the ramp, frozen in fear, the countdown clicking down to two minutes, she couldn't breathe. The air in her lungs felt stagnant and the icy hand of dread squeezed at her heart. She knew how much animosity existed between the colonel and Nicholas, and it made the back of her brain itch and her skin crawl to know he was stuck on that planet with the man.
Lt. James paced several steps away, her rifle held loosely in her hands as her gaze flickered nervously between the gate and the clock ticking away over the doorway in the gate room. "We shouldn't have left them there," she said to no one in particular, giving voice to the elephant in the room.
Volker snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "What? So we could get stuck there too?"
Belle's breath hitched painfully in her chest, the little color remaining in her cheeks draining away. They were quickly running out of time and had she not been frozen in fear; her feet would surely be carrying her swiftly back through the event horizon to discover Nicholas's fate.
Lt. Scott held up a hand in a gesture of calm to ward off the anxious glares cast his way. "No one is stuck! Not yet," he stated, looking over his shoulder at Brody. "How much time?"
Brody glanced up from the console. "Twenty seconds."
Camille's brows drew together in a worried frown, staring at the gate like so many others in the room, waiting, waiting, hoping the two men would pass through the rippling surface of the puddle in time.
Colonel Young burst through the gate with four seconds to spare, stumbling down the ramp and catching himself before he could fall, his face bloody from the cut over his left eyebrow. Scott stared at him questioningly. "Colonel?"
Belle stood transfixed in horror as the wormhole vanished before her eyes and felt the FTL drive engage, unmindful of the tears burning at her wide, blinking eyes. Camille whirled on Young, aghast. "Where's Rush?"
Young limped forward, refusing to make eye contact with anyone as he stepped around Belle, his gaze focused on the door which would lead him down the corridor and to his quarters. "He didn't make it."
Silence engulfed the cavernous room, the only sound that of Young's limping gait and the soft hiss of his boots against the metal floor. He didn't make it … He didn't make it … He didn't make it … The words reverberated through Belle's mind in a litany of mocking whispers and the blood rushed through her in cadence with her thundering heart, breathing new life into her with a vengeance. Rage burned her, consumed her, and she was rushing forward, her hands clenched into tightly balled fists at her sides.
"You bastard!" was the only warning to the stunned occupants of the room as she launched herself at the colonel, landing on his back and attacking any part of him she could reach. She struck blindly at his head, wishing to inflict as much damage as she could. In no way could it hurt as badly as the pain ripping through her already damaged heart. "You left him there to die!"
Vaguely she heard Eli shout somewhere off to her right. "Belle! What are you doing?!"
More panicked shouts reached her ears from stunned crew members as they leapt into motion, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. He didn't make it … He didn't make it … He didn't make I t… It was the only thing which permeated the thick black viscous fury holding her in its grasp.
Young's knees buckled beneath the onslaught of her wrath, carrying him to the floor as frantic hands belonging to Greer and Scott fought to subdue her, dragging her off him and holding her tightly. The colonel whirled on her in shock, never having seen Rush's assistant behave so aggressively. Everyone on board Destiny loved Belle and those who didn't, respected her for her uncanny ability to soothe Rush, to make him listen to her when he snapped and snarled and ignored everyone else. He rose shakily to his feet, his arms held out to her in a gesture to ward her off, trying to show her he meant no harm.
"Now, Belle, you need to calm down," he said, striving for an even tone. Her eyes flashed furiously, and she doubled her efforts to gain her release. "It was an acci —"
"Don't give me that shit! You hated Nicholas. You sent everyone back to the ship, so you could finally dispose of the one true opposition to your command," she spat acidly, raking his form with her condemning glare.
"It was an accident, Belle," the colonel insisted. "We just stayed too long. On the way back, Rush tripped himself up, started a rock slide … I was ahead, but I just … I barely made it through."
Brody and Volker shared a look, and then focused their gazes away from the petite brunette, refusing to give voice to their own suspicions. Camille clamped her jaw shut, fearing to believe the worst no matter how much her mind screamed that Belle was right. Without proof, she had nothing to go on, nothing to take to her superiors on Earth. Eli shifted uneasily at Greer's side, ready to catch his friend the moment the sergeant and Scott saw fit to release her.
"Liar!" Belle hissed, tears streaming down her face, the fight going out of her. Her head spun from the sheer desolation which clawed at the pit of her stomach, leaving it writhing and roiling with despair. "You left my Nicholas … alone on an alien planet … one devoid of any resources to sustain him. You left him to die because you were tired of the power struggle between you. Couldn't let the opportunity slip by you, could you, Colonel?" Belle emitted a disdainful snort and shook her head when he didn't offer up anything in his defense.
She shook off Greer and Scott and straightened her jacket, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin defiantly. She looked every bit the royal she was … had been … would always be. She'd faced the Dark One and the Evil Queen; she would not be cowed before a mere Air Force colonel. Eli wrapped a comforting arm about her shoulders and led her off towards the door which led out of the gate room, stepping cautiously around Young, but she stopped him before they could leave the room, turning back to give the man one more contemptuous glare.
"I hope you remember and regret what you've done next time something happens to Destiny and Nicholas isn't here to save your sorry ass."
Belle jerked away from Eli and ran, needing to be as far away from Rush's betrayer as she could get within the confines of the ship. Her heart thundered in her chest in time with her booted feet pounding on the metal floor, her mind whispering over and over those same four words — He didn't make it — until she thought she'd go mad. She ran without direction, without purpose other than the need to be alone … alone with her thoughts, her memories of the man she'd come to love. He was gone, never coming back. There was no way to turn the ship around to retrieve him even if he was still alive — and not for one moment did she believe the colonel's lies about a rockslide — not without access to Destiny's core systems and the navigation control needed to accomplish such a feat.
A ragged sob tore from her chest as she pushed herself faster, harder, ignoring the stunned looks of the crew members she flew past in the corridors. Her lungs burned from the effort, her muscles pulling and straining to obey her commands to propel her forward. She relished the pain in her limbs, for it was nothing compared to the desolation in her heart. But no matter how hard she pushed herself, nor how much she wished it, she couldn't banish the memory of him. He was too much a part of her now. Would she always be destined to find love only to lose it?
Her steps slowed, and she leaned against the bulkhead, trying to calm her uncontrolled panting as her eyes took in her surroundings. Without thinking, she found herself in the deserted corner of the ship where her quarters were located, her gaze moving three doors down from hers to Nicholas's own chamber. He'd chosen this isolated corridor for one purpose … to keep them away from the prying eyes of the crew. He valued his space, his privacy, wishing to share with no one aside from her, the only person who had ever gained even a modicum of trust from him.
Belle pushed away from the wall, her feet carrying her further down the corridor. Her hand paused, hovering over the lock which would send his door sliding open, her breath loud in her own ears, the only sounds aside from the steady hum of the FTL drives. Gathering her courage, she palmed the lock and stepped inside, the lights flickering on as she entered. It wasn't the first time she'd been in his quarters. Many nights had seen them slumped over the small table there, arguing over calculations and equations as they tried to find ways to bring more of Destiny's core systems online.
Another sob tore its way out of her throat as she brushed her fingers over the half-finished chess set he'd been carving, knowing now they'd never get a chance to play. His bed was unmade, his pillow still holding the indention of his head, and she wondered just how many hours of sleep he'd had before his trek down to the planet with the team. Tears continued to course their way over her ashen cheeks as she stripped off the fatigue jacket and toed off her boots, collapsing onto the bed. She poured out the grief which threatened to consume her into his pillow, his scent strong as she rubbed her face against its cool surface. She wrapped her arms around it, clinging to it as if she'd never let go.
Belle could only curse herself over and over for leaving him there with the colonel. Nothing would ever convince her he hadn't left her Nicholas there to die out of sheer spite. She blamed herself. If she had stayed, he wouldn't be alone, wouldn't be without hope, wouldn't be gone. If she had stayed they would be together, come what may. If she had stayed …
*.*.*
Belle ignored the insistent tapping on the door to Rush's quarters and pulled the duvet over her head, relishing the blackness which engulfed her. Her eyes felt like someone had taken sandpaper to them and she couldn't find the strength of will to pry them open. She'd tried to sleep —really, she had — yet every time she'd given in to her exhaustion, she had been plagued by nightmares. Nightmares of Nicholas being stranded on that barren planet with only the crashed alien ship to offer him meager shelter.
He'd been so excited to investigate it, his sole reason for leaving Destiny to join the team in the first place. How long could he survive without food and water in such desolate conditions? Every time she closed her eyes she had seen his beloved face telling her to return to the ship, to go back with the others, confident he would join her before the ship jumped back into FTL.
Then the nightmares had changed, and she had been forced to relive the day she'd lost Gold, relive being frozen under Pan's magic and hearing her love tell her goodbye before sacrificing himself to save them all — to save her, Baelfire … his family. She'd promised him forever, once upon a time, yet she'd never received his promise in return. Now she'd lost them both and the pain left a gaping hole in her heart she despaired of ever filling again. What did she have left?
Belle knew Nicholas would want her to continue with the mission. Not the one Young focused all his efforts on … returning to Earth. No, Nicholas believed the Ancients had a greater purpose for sending Destiny hurtling through the stars, galaxy after galaxy. He would want her to uncover the mysteries which had become not only his obsession, but his life's work. How could she fail him? If she could just find a way to push past the crippling pain in her chest, the pain which made taking a simple breath unbearable agony, perhaps she could bury herself in their work once more. If she could just find it in herself to care.
The tapping continued and still she didn't rise to see who persisted in intruding upon her grief. She closed her eyes, another barrage of tears washing down her waxen cheeks as the door slid open. Her back was to the door, but she knew it could only be a handful of people come to check on her, Eli, Chloe or Greer being in the top three. A feeble attempt at a smile ghosted over her bloodless lips, bitten raw in an effort to stifle her sobs before she'd given up, as she thought of the way Nicholas's jaw would clench every time he found her deep in conversation with the sergeant. He hated the man with a blazing passion and Greer returned those feelings wholeheartedly, blaming Rush for them being stranded on the ailing ship. Eli had earned his grudging respect for his sheer brilliance and Chloe — well everyone loved Chloe and Nicholas was no different.
Eli paused just inside the door and took in the bleak surroundings, uncomfortable to be in Rush's personal space. He searched along the wall in the darkness, flipping on the lights and sighed as he looked down at Belle's small form huddled beneath the duvet, her legs tucked to her chest in an effort to hold herself together. He moved to the bed and sat down beside her, laying his hand upon her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. He'd come here when he'd found her quarters cold and empty, figuring this to be the only other place he'd find her.
"Hey," he said, his voice subdued and lacking the usual upbeat cheeriness that he normally exuded. "We missed you this morning … and yesterday morning." Belle didn't respond aside from clutching the pillow more firmly to her chest. "Me and Volker have had to rearrange shifts to y'know, make up for …"
Belle squinched her eyes shut with so much force it was painful and pressed her hand to the ache in her chest. "Rush …" she breathed, her voice raspy from disuse and the never-ending sobs which were her only constant.
He ducked his head, glancing away from her, fumbling for words which wouldn't come. Finally, "Yeah. We're all trying to pull together and keep the ship running and it's difficult at best. Belle … look, I know you cared for Rush, but do you really think he'd want you to just give up?" he asked, frustrated that he'd been volunteered to rouse her from her grief to get back to work. "It's been two days and we really need —"
"Get out," she murmured, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.
Eli winced. "I'm sorry! I know I sound insensitive … and I really don't mean to, but we need you, Belle."
"Now," she fairly growled, a bit more forcefully.
"Well, if you're not going to come to work, would you at least get up and try to eat something?" he asked, rising to his feet. She didn't answer, having said all she could manage on the subject without breaking down into a heaving mess of tears once again. She couldn't bring herself to even think of returning to the control interface room where she'd spent so many long hours with Rush, working day after day.
Eli paused at the door, glancing back over his shoulder at her unmoving shape under the duvet. "Alright, well, would you please let me know if I can help?" Still no answer. He palmed the door lock with a bit more force than necessary and left her alone, upset he couldn't help his friend.
*.*.*
The next morning, she wasn't woken with the insistent tapping, but rather the whoosh of the door as it opened to admit Chloe, accompanied by a scowling Greer. "Belle, it's time to get out of that bed," she said with cool authority, surprising Belle enough to uncover her head and look at the girl. "I know you miss him …"
"… why, I'll never know," Greer snarked under his breath, earning a narrow-eyed glare from Chloe.
"… but you can't just hide in here forever. It hurts … I get that. I lost my dad and the pain was so bad I wanted to find a dark place to bury myself until I forgot how to feel. But we have a mission … to keep this rust bucket running until we can find a way home. You have a job to do and by sitting in here, it's making the rest of the science team have to work extra hard to make up for the loss of not one, but two," the younger girl said, rifling through Belle's clothing strewn across the floor where she'd discarded it. She gathered up her jeans and boots and a white button-down shirt hanging across the back of a chair that Rush wore on occasion, figuring it might bring some modicum of comfort to her friend. "Now get up. You need to go take a shower and come to the mess to have something to eat before TJ comes in here and drags you to the infirmary to rehydrate you."
Belle pulled the duvet back up over her head and ignored them both.
Chloe and Greer shared a look and she sighed, shaking her head with resignation. Greer stepped forward and gave Belle one last warning. "Alright, little missy, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice," he told her in the same voice he used on his subordinates, waiting for her answer.
Belle shrieked in outrage as he scooped her up into his arms and tossed her over his shoulder, duvet and all. "Put me down, you lummox!"
"Nope," he drawled, following Chloe out into the corridor and setting off at a brisk pace in the direction of the showers. "You had your chance. Now we're going to do things my way … the hard way."
Belle cursed, pounded her small fists against his back and tried to dislodge herself from his firm grasp to no avail. He didn't release her until he reached the showers and gently set her on her feet, giving her a firm nudge through the door after Chloe. She gave him a look which would rival Nicholas's most threatening death glare and stalked off, pulling the duvet around her like a cloak. She knew he was only trying to help, but what her friends didn't seem to understand was that she didn't want it. She desired nothing more than to be left alone with her grief.
Belle cast a baleful glance at Chloe as she let the duvet drop from around her and pulled the long-sleeved sky-blue tunic style shirt over her head, tossing it on the floor next to the bench. The girl lowered her eyes, feeling a bit guilty for having to drag her friend out of bed, but knowing it was for her own good. Belle and Eli had done the same to Chloe after she'd lost her father.
She gathered up the duvet and Belle's discarded clothes and thrust them out the door at Greer with the request to bring them to the laundry Brody and Park had implemented. They were short on extra clothing, some having only what they'd been wearing when they'd come through the gate. Rush had been fortunate to have had Belle as his assistant, the girl having adopted an 'always be prepared' attitude. On Icarus Belle had carried around a rucksack which had never been far from her with all manner of things for both her and her boss; books, her laptop, a spare pair of glasses, several notepads, writing implements and whatever else she thought was necessary.
Chloe had been surprised to learn Belle kept two spare changes of clothes in there - packed away in vacuum sealed bags ...amazing things, that - to take up as little space as possible - as well for her and Rush. "You never know when you might find yourself in a situation where such things will come in handy, especially working for the SGC," she'd explained.
No one on board Destiny believed Rush deserved Belle, yet the girl seemed happy to be his assistant, putting up with his mercurial moods with grace and aplomb. Apparently, Belle's feelings went much deeper than what any of them had assumed for her to be taking his death this hard. The radio crackled at her side and she clicked on it, lowering the volume so as not to disturb Belle as she showered.
"Chloe, go ahead," she answered.
"How is she?" came Eli's hurried reply. "Park and Camille said she didn't look very happy when they saw the three of you pass hydroponics."
"She's grieving, Eli, how do you think she is?" Chloe sighed, wearily rubbing her hand over her brow. "It's going to take her some time."
She heard Eli groan. "I'm going on break soon. Meet you in the mess?"
Chloe agreed and switched off, clipping the walkie to the waistband of her black stretch pants. Belle made quick work of her shower and dressed with calm efficiency, not meeting the other girl's gaze in the hopes that it would discourage her from a conversation she didn't want to have. She toweled her hair as best as she could and pulled a comb through her long chestnut locks more forcefully than necessary, unmindful of the pain in her scalp. Nothing hurt more than her heart anyway.
Tears sprang to her eyes again as she pulled the white shirt over her shoulders, unable to help herself from thinking of how Nicholas looked wearing it when she could get him to wear something different than his usual white long sleeved undershirt and green tee. She pulled the collar close to her nose and inhaled, his warm musky scent still prevalent in the soft fabric. A sob tore from her throat as she fastened the last button and Chloe pulled her into a hug.
"I'm so sorry, Belle," she crooned, rubbing soothing circles onto Belle's back in an effort to comfort her. She held her until the tears subsided a bit and led her out of the showers to find Greer leaning against the bulkhead, cleaning his nails with a small pocket knife. He fell into step behind them as they made their way to the mess. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded when they arrived, only a few stragglers occupying a table or two. Their gazes slid away from Belle as she entered, but she ignored them and found a table in the corner she and Rush usually favored when she was able to drag him away from his work long enough to make him eat.
Becker brought her a bowl of root porridge and a cup of tepid tea and set it before her. She sipped the tea gratefully, the brew helping to quench her parched throat, but she steadfastly ignored the porridge. She didn't think her churning stomach could handle the vile substance no matter how much she needed to eat.
Eli came in and sat beside her, a shy, hesitant smile on his full lips. "You look better," he said, blushing furiously as she cut her cerulean eyes at him. "I mean at least less rumpled … not that you looked bad before, but … guh!"
Chloe laughed softly and shook her head while Greer simply raised an amused brow at him. Even Belle managed a weak smile. She listened to her friend's playful banter, occasionally stirring the porridge in her bowl. After her third cup of tea, she began to feel a bit better ... physically at least. She couldn't bring herself to participate in their discussion about the 'tomatoes' they'd just harvested in hydroponics. She was glad she hadn't tried any, however, when she saw the face Chloe pulled. Rush and the colonel were topics they happily avoided.
Belle raised her gaze, realizing Chloe had asked her a direct question and stiffened. Scott and Young had just entered the mess and her eyes locked with the Colonel's, dredging her anger back to the surface. Eli's rambling efforts to keep the conversation going petered to a halt as he noticed the two officers several feet away, his dark eyes swinging worriedly between the colonel and Belle. But she didn't make another scene as she had in the gate room. She pushed her untouched porridge aside, rose to her feet and stalked purposefully from the room, ignoring the colonel when he called her name.
*.*.*
Belle threw herself into her work, welcoming the long hours she could lose herself trying to bring more of the core systems online. It was what Rush would have wanted. Her friends still tried to draw her out of the control interface room to eat and sleep, but she couldn't find comfort in the mundane tasks. When she was working, she didn't have to think about how much she missed Nicholas, didn't have to think about the pain which still ravaged her heart and made it hard for her to breathe.
She obeyed the colonel's orders, but she refused to acknowledge him, much less speak to him. He'd taken Rush from her, the one bright spot in the bleakness of their situation, and the hate she felt for him rivaled even that of what she'd felt for Regina while held captive for so many years in her tower.
Belle worked quietly and diligently. He'd been gone for a week now and with each new day, she prayed the pain would lessen. It didn't. Now it was fueled by rage and hate she was forced to hide away in a dark corner of her soul. She had to work and live with these people and couldn't let her feelings get in the way. She would even welcome the numbness she'd experienced when she'd lost Gold, but she was too furious to let it come.
Her radio crackled at her side as she made her way down the corridor to start her shift. "Yeah?" she asked.
"Belle," Eli's frantic tones carried over the walkie. "I need you in the control interface room."
"I'm on my way already," she answered, clipping the walkie to the waistband of her jeans and hurrying her pace. Her brow crinkled in confusion. Some new disaster to avert, no doubt, she thought wearily. She stopped just inside the room, freezing when she saw the colonel and Lt. Scott staring worriedly at the digital display in the center of the room. "What the hell is going on, Eli?" she asked, hurrying to her console.
"It just showed up," he said, indicating the image of the alien ship on the screen.
"Never mind that," Young barked brusquely. "Get our weapons online."
Belle ground her teeth together, more worried about their shields than Destiny's guns. Her fingers flew over the console, diverting power from unused systems to supplement shield power.
She could hear Eli breathing heavily as he worked to follow the colonel's order, his anxiety palpable in the room.
Volker stood off to the side, staring at the digital display in horror. "Something's happening," his voice quavered as he stated the obvious.
"I think they're launching smaller ships," Eli commented, casting a nervous glance at Young. The colonel turned to Scott and ordered him and Greer to the shuttle, hoping they could somehow divert some of the fire away from Destiny's already damaged hull.
Belle focused on her screen, pleased to see the shield power was at a stable level.
"Only thirty percent of the weapons are coming online," Eli huffed in irritation.
Belle answered without looking away from her screen. "Rush put limits on how many could be activated at once."
"Right! Right, after what happened to Riley and he was injured. We were still in the process of checking each gun's functionality," Eli said.
A blast rocked the ship and Belle was forced to grab onto the console to maintain her balance. "Well, find a way around it, Eli," Young snarled. He rounded on Belle. "You know more about Rush's procedures than anyone, Belle. Can't you find a way to give us more power for the weapons system?"
She raised her eyes and stared at him coldly. "No. He put those protocols in place for a reason and I'm not going to put everyone in danger because you want to play space cowboy." It was the first words she'd spoken to him since the scene in the gate room and he was taken aback by the venom in her tone.
He whipped back around to face Eli. "Come on, Eli."
The boy's tone rose several octaves as more blasts battered the hull of the ship and rocked the floor beneath his feet. "Hey, hey, first real space battle over here!"
"Eli, activate the forward battery."
"That's what I'm trying to do," he answered in a sing song voice under his breath, the colonel pressuring him not helping anyone.
Brody fell forward over his console and sparks lit the dimness of the room behind him as they took another hit. "We're taking heavy fire."
The colonel swung around to Belle again. "Can you boost power to the shields?"
"I'm working on it, but shield power is being drained by the weapons. We have surges happening all over the ship," she snapped bitterly.
"The weapons system wasn't ready for this," Eli shouted over the buzzing alarms.
"Eli, everyone on board this ship is counting on you."
"I don't need to hear that," the boy cried despondently, working furiously.
"You can do this," the colonel encouraged.
"No! No, I can't!"
"Yes, you can," Young reiterated.
Finally, Eli lost his temper. "Why is all this on me? Why not him?" he asked, pointing a finger at Brody. "Or Belle?"
Young was quickly losing patience. "I don't care. All of you! I need this ship working now!"
Belle glared angrily at the colonel, her voice filled with quiet menace as she hissed, "You should have thought of that before you got rid of Rush."
Young stalked towards the door, casting his eyes downward guiltily. "Just fix it!" he commanded and left the room.
*.*.*
Belle leaned against the back of Eli's chair, looking over his shoulder at the Kino footage displayed on the screen of his laptop. Somehow Chloe had been abducted during the attack, the aliens cutting into the bulkhead and sucking her up through the hole into their ship. "So, what's going on now?" she asked, finding herself once again out of the loop as she stared at Young on the screen as he was restrained to a chair by Lt Scott. "How are we going to get Chloe back?"
"Did you hear about Young trying to use the communication stones this morning to contact the SGC and ending up on the alien ship?" he asked, zooming in to get a better view.
"Um … no."
"Well, he did and now he's going to try to see if he can't do it again to locate Chloe on the ship and somehow get her back," he explained, focusing his attention on his keystrokes.
"How long's he going under?" she asked, chewing distractedly on her thumbnail.
"Twenty minutes or so. I'm just hoping he can find her."
The radio crackled, and Belle answered Brody's call, leaving Eli to his task and heading back to the control interface room. So much for a break during the lull in the fighting. She took her place at the console once more and concentrated on what she needed to do to get the shields more stability for what was sure to be another volley of enemy fire once they'd rallied their forces.
Eli came running back into the room half an hour later, his walkie held up to his mouth as he took over his own console, the ship rocking violently as the aliens began hitting them with a fresh wave of blasts. "Guys, you may have noticed they're attacking us again!"
"Eli!" Young barked into the radio.
Belle couldn't care less about the colonel or his newest temper tantrum. "Did he find her?" she asked, worried for her friend.
"I don't know! I had to come back here when the aliens started attacking again. I wasn't able to find out anything," he said, glaring down at his screen. "Our shields aren't going to hold for much longer!" he yelled into the walkie.
Young sounded out of breath as he answered, "Bring the main weapon online. Fire on the big ship. Do it now, Eli! Return fire! Everything we've got!"
"That idiot is going to blow us all up," Belle hissed, seething with a roiling rage she fought to contain. "And what about, Chloe? Is he actually going to fire if she's still aboard?"
Brody's face was grim as he shrugged. "We can't keep this up. The whole weapons system is overloading. Shields are down almost fifty percent."
"I know!" Eli cried, the stress clearly getting to him.
Young barreled into the room and snapped, "Report!"
Eli didn't bother to look up, his gaze fixed on the screen as he tapped in various keystrokes. "Bad and more bad."
Belle cast the colonel a pointed look, her gaze full of contempt. "Too much power is going to the weapons. Our shields are going to fail."
"Bolster the shields. Devote all remaining weapons power to the main weapon. Keep firing on the big ship," Young insisted, his voice brooking no objection.
"You're going to kill us all!" Belle yelled, her chin raised defiantly as she stepped away from the console, wanting no part in the commander's lunacy.
"Wait!" Brody said suddenly, his gaze focused on the large digital display which dominated the center of the room. "They're retreating."
"Keep firing!" Young hissed.
Eli stared at him incredulously, his mouth gaping. "We fire again, and we risk blowing ourselves up."
"I don't have a choice. Do it!"
Belle threw her hands up in frustration and whirled on Young. "You want to kill us, be my guest, but you'll do it without me," she retorted, her furious stride carrying her to the door.
"Get back here, Miss French … now!" the colonel called after her, but she had already gained the corridor and rounded the corner which would lead her back to Rush's quarters. If they were going to die, she would be alone in the one place she felt safe with Nicholas's presence there to comfort her in her final moments.
Eli slumped over his console, sighing in relief as the large alien ship disappeared from the screen while Brody drained the power from the weapons and reinforced the shields.
*.*.*
Greer and Scott stepped behind a protrusion in the bulkhead, weapons drawn as a torch cut into the hull from above. Scott stepped forward, trusting Greer to cover him as the detached piece of hull slammed into the metal floor, leaving a gaping hole. A tall lithe form dropped through the hole to land on her knees and then he was enveloped in Chloe's strong embrace as she held on to him, relieved to be back with her lover. Greer's eyes widened, a frown knitting his brow as another black clad figure plummeted through the hole and fell back against the bulkhead, breathing heavily.
Greer raised his gun, pointing it at the man. "Colonel Young said you were dead," he drawled.
Dr. Nicholas Rush looked up at the sergeant, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Did he? Did he say how it happened?"
"Rockslide."
"Well, obviously he was mistaken," he replied, rising to his feet.
Greer put his pistol away and reached for his radio. "Colonel Young, this is Greer; come in."
Young came back, his voice sounding tired and drawn. "Go 'head."
"You are not going to believe this."
*.*.*
Rush made his way to his quarters, his bare feet cold against the metal floor and the black wetsuit he was dressed in chafing against his now dry skin. He had refused to see the colonel to clear the air until he could change and find his little assistant. Thoughts of her had been the only thing which had kept him sane during his captivity. And he was certain Young was in no hurry to face him. Granted while the colonel had been in possession of the alien's body — thanks to the communication stones — he had freed Rush, but it didn't cancel out the fact that Young had tried to kill him by abandoning him on that planet.
He could only imagine the shape of disrepair his ship had fallen into in his absence. But all that could be settled later. He needed to find Belle. Both Chloe and Greer had been rather tight-lipped when he'd asked after her. As was her habit, she hovered over him like a mother hen, so she had to have been worried about him when he hadn't returned to the ship with Young. At least he hoped she had.
He'd been in love with her for years, not realizing it until he'd been offered the position of lead scientist on the Icarus project. He had worried she wouldn't want to give up her work on her degree to follow him into unknown territory. That worry had led him to look deeper into feelings he didn't want to even begin to explore, knowing she didn't feel the same. How could she?
He was a right old bastard in the way he treated her. No different really than he treated everyone else, but he'd come to the point where he questioned himself as to why — or how — he could treat her kindness with such low regard. Hell, Belle French was the only person he could honestly call his friend.
Rush passed her door, wondering if she was in her quarters or somewhere else on the ship. He'd find out soon enough, he thought, palming the lock and stepping into his quarters to flip on the lights. He froze, his hands falling to his sides as he stared at the sight of his assistant sprawled out on his bed in nothing but a scrap of lace covering her delectable behind and … his white shirt. What the fuck!? He squinched his eyes shut and counted to ten, clearly hallucinating. His captivity must have had a stronger psychological impact on him than he'd originally thought.
Her sweet voice, reminiscent of wind chimes, washed over him in a silken caress despite the bite to her words. "Eli, I am not coming back to the control room. Young can go screw himself if he thinks I'm going to aid him in his lunacy."
His dark sable eyes drank her in, from the top of her spiraling chestnut curls to the tips of her bare toes, unable to say a word as his entire body tightened with need. She clucked her tongue in irritation and rolled over onto her back to glare at the intruder, her face going stark white when her eyes came to rest on him, her lips parting on a startled gasp. She swiftly sat up and crawled to the foot of the bed, rising shakily to her feet as she approached him, tears glistening in her cerulean eyes.
"Belle …" he breathed, his lips curving into a hesitant smile. "What are you doing in here?"
She didn't answer, her hands lifting to cradle his face as she assured herself he wasn't a dream, that he was really standing before her. The wetsuit should have been a dead giveaway considering even her imagination couldn't have conjured such a monstrosity.
"N-Nicholas," she whispered, the tears spilling over her lashes. "You're alive. You're real." She threw her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his chest, feeling as if she'd never be able to get close enough. Her emotions … happiness, elation, relief … battled for dominance within her, the struggle leaving her weak. His arms slowly closed around her as he yielded to her embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
Rush didn't have the willpower to push her away, too happy to be back where he belonged and the one person he truly cared for clinging to him as if he were her lifeline. He reveled in her muted sobs, realizing she cared for him on some level other than mere boss and employee. She truly did care for him, even if it was only friendship.
Her dainty hands carded through his shaggy brown hair, her nails scraping lightly over his scalp and the back of his neck, making him shiver. How long had it been since someone had touched him with affection and tender regard? The blood racing through his veins thrummed loudly in his ears, his body tightening even more, and he knew he needed to distance himself from her before he gave in to the ache she stirred in him and caused him to do something they would both regret.
Every nerve in his body protested as he wrapped his strong hands around her upper arms and pried her from his body. He forced himself not to purr at the fact that she was draped in his clothes or that he'd found her in his bed wearing them. He was almost afraid to contemplate her reasons for doing so. He barely recognized his own voice when he spoke. "Belle, I'm fine," he assured her, clearing his throat as he tried to set her away from him.
Belle, however, refused to let go, her hands tightening in his hair as she pulled his head down to brush her lips to his. He was too stunned to respond, standing motionless under the gentle press of her lips. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, the saltiness of her tears mingling with his own unique taste as her tongue glided sinuously over his lower lip, mindful of the cut there. "I thought you'd died — you were dead, Nicholas!" she cried, her voice gaining in strength, her lip trembling as she pulled back to study his face.
"I didn't, Belle," he replied softly, his hands moving to rest atop her shoulders as his thumbs stroked lightly over the sides of her neck, her pulse fluttering frantically beneath her alabaster skin. "I was just … delayed a bit."
"I never should have left you alone with him." She tried to struggle free of his restraining hands to press her body to his once more and huffed an irritated sigh when he held her back.
"And just what do you think you could've done, hm?" he asked, gracing her with one of his condescending smirks. "You would have gotten caught in the rockslide, too, and then where would our ship be without at least one of us to hold it together?"
She reeled backward angrily, arching a brow at him as she crossed her arms over her unbound breasts and tapped her foot impatiently. "Really? That's what you're going with? To me, of all people?" she asked, hurt he would even attempt to lie to her.
He stepped around her, pulling at the fastening at the back of his neck, the collar of the wetsuit unbearably tight against his throat. "Well isn't that what our dear colonel told everyone?" he returned evasively. He never had felt comfortable lying to her face. She had the uncanny ability of seeing right through him. It unnerved him as little else did.
Hysteria was quickly building in her chest. The pain she'd suffered, thinking he'd died, the shattering of her heart when she realized she'd lost another man she loved, her fury at the colonel for taking him from her and lying to cover his own ass and finally the immense relief at his return … it was all too much for her to bear. She grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her.
"Don't lie to me, Rush! You have no idea what I've been through this past week," she raged, her hands flat on his chest as she smacked him … hard … and shoved him into the bulkhead beside the door. "That bastard left you on that planet to die. If I hadn't left you … if I had stayed …" Tears streamed down her face, her features twisted into a mask of pain. She pounded her tiny fists against his chest as she sobbed, unable to restrain the heart-wrenching sounds erupting from deep in her chest. "You were alone, without hope and … and … you needed me, and I couldn't go back for you. I nearly died when you didn't come back."
The breath caught in his chest at her confession, realizing their separation had been just as hard for her as it had been for him … harder in fact for her because she believed he had died. He wrapped his arms about her shoulders and pulled her close, trapping her flailing hands between them. "Why?" he asked, needing to hear what he dared not hope. "Why, Belle?"
"Because I need you, damnit," she wailed, burying her face against his neck as she continued to sob.
He stroked his fingers through her long silky locks and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Why?" he asked again. "You're so strong, Belle. You would have been fine without me." Not the mess I was without you. Please, sweetheart. Say it. I need to hear you say it.
Belle shook her head violently, denying his words, her nails digging into his chest through the thick rubber suit. "I c-can't do this without you, Nicholas."
"Tell me why, Belle," he murmured, gently tilting her chin up to meet his gaze.
"B-Because I love you," she admitted, the words burning her throat as she finally found the courage to tell him what was in her heart. He pulled her to him, his mouth crashing down on hers in a searing kiss, his teeth nipping at her lower lip to get her to open for him. She gasped as his tongue invaded the inner recesses of her mouth, sliding sinuously against hers as he sought out every crevice, every hidden secret which made her melt her soft curves into his lean lines.
She fit so perfectly in his arms, as if she was made to be there, made with the express purpose of bringing him pleasure. Not just in body, but heart and mind as well. "When? When did you know?" he asked when they had to part to catch their breath. But he'd be damned if he released her, his lips trailing a path of burning kisses to her ear.
"S-Since Icarus … when we started working on breaking the code Eli eventually solved," she panted, unable to keep her hands still as she searched for a way to peel him out of the wetsuit.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, giving her a pained stare as he flipped them around, so it was she who was pressed against the cold steel of the bulkhead. "All this time we could have been together, Belle." He pressed his hips against hers, pinning her between the heat of his body and the cool metal. One hand slipped into the hair at her nape, fisting the locks between his long fingers, the other sliding along her thigh and beneath the hem of her … his … shirt to cup the rounded swell of her ass.
She grabbed a handful of his own hair and pulled hard, forcing his mouth away from the sensitive flesh of her neck. "Me? It's not like you've been forthcoming with any feelings you might have for me," she countered, her eyes flashing blue fire. "You never gave the first hint you might return my affections, so don't snarl at me for not telling you."
His expression gentled and a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Oh, Belle ... You know me better than anyone, yet you can't see how much I love you. How could you not?" he asked softly, his brogue thick as he brushed the knuckles of his right hand over her tear-stained cheek.
"Y-You love me?" she asked, peeking at him uncertainly from beneath her lashes. She'd been through this once before with Gold when she'd first realized she loved him. The signs were clearly there and yet she'd somehow missed them. How could she not have seen?
"Aye, sweetheart, I do. Why do you think I was so insistent you join me on the Icarus project? I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you." He cringed, staring at a spot on the wall over her head. "I didn't think —"
"What? You thought I couldn't want you?" she asked, huffing a laugh at their complete and utter blindness. "Even when I couldn't admit I loved you, there was never any doubt as to how much I wanted you." She used her grip on his hair to pull his mouth down to hers once more, banishing the last of his doubts beneath the gentle persuasion of her lips.
The pain she'd suffered over the past week, the mind-numbing agony of his 'death', deserted her in an instant as he clasped her to him to be replaced with joy and her heart felt lighter than it had in years. He was alive, and he loved her. He pressed into her, the hard evidence of his arousal digging into her hip and she moaned as he bit down on her lip, sucking it into his mouth.
Her moan turned into a sound of frustration — from him or her or both of them, she couldn't be certain — as her hands slid over the unnatural feel of the wetsuit, the slick material barring her from the pale flesh beneath. Finally, her fingers brushed against the hidden fastenings at the back and with a good bit of tugging and pulling, she was able to free them. She was surprised when the top separated from the bottom, having thought it was all one piece, but happy nonetheless when she was at last able to bare most of him.
As the cool air of the room met his warm skin, he shivered, drawing away from her questing hands to search her face. "Are you sure this is what you want? If we do this … if you give yourself to me, Belle … there's no going back."
She could hear the possessive note in his voice and something deep within her responded with equal fervor. "When I thought you were gone, that I'd never see you again, I moved in here hoping to keep you with me a little longer." She scratched her nails lightly down his bare chest and shifted her hips beneath his in invitation. "I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to. Do you want me to stay, Nicholas? Do you want to be with me?" she asked, her voice a seductive purr.
Rush nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed, trying to force the word past the lump of emotion which threatened to rob him of speech. "Yes. I'm yours … if you want me," he answered, his voice barely more than a whisper. Her only answer was to slide her hands up around his neck and pull him into her, molding her body to his as she claimed his mouth. Too many years, so much time wasted when they could have been together, nights of wanting, hoping, dreaming he could have her like this and now she was finally his.
Belle smiled darkly, her eyes blown wide with desire as she pushed against his shoulders, advancing on him as she guided him towards the bed a few short steps behind him. The back of his knees bumped into the edge of the bed and he fell heavily onto the mattress, his hands reaching for her, encircling her waist and pulling her down with him. She straddled his hips, pressing herself against the firm bulge of his arousal, a strangled cry erupting from her throat from the sheer burst of pleasure burning in her core. She pushed him back against the sateen duvet and buried her face against his neck, biting gently on the tendon where his neck met his shoulder and then laving the mark with her tongue, reveling in the low growl he emitted from deep within his chest, the sound sending another wave of heat spiraling through her limbs.
She explored him with hands, lips, teeth, tongue, every available inch of skin bared to her, her movements frenzied as if she were afraid he'd be taken from her at any moment and still it wasn't enough. His own hands weren't still as he worked hurriedly to unfasten the buttons at the front of her shirt until finally, he could push the offending garment off her shoulders and toss it aside. His breath caught in his chest as he took her in, the slight pink flush of her face, spreading over her neck and chest, the protrusion of her clavicle he wanted to mark with his teeth and the gentle swell of her breasts with their rosy peaks which just begged for his touch.
Belle batted his hands away as he reached for her, scooting lower over his thighs as her mouth followed the path her hands had so recently taken to explore the flat plane of his stomach, her teeth grazing a rather sensitive spot just below his navel and making him howl. He had lost weight in his captivity and the thought made her angry, promising herself she'd see to it he didn't miss any meals as was his habit when working. She would strive to make sure he took care of himself whether he wished to or not.
She caressed the sharp angles of his hips, her fingers slipping under the waistband of the remaining piece of the wetsuit he still wore, her eyes meeting his briefly, as if asking for permission, before pulling them down over his hips. They landed with a faint plop next to the other part of the suit lying upon the floor and she would take great pleasure in disposing of them later. She didn't want them visible to serve as a reminder of what he'd suffered.
Belle gazed at him appreciatively, her eyes raking him from tip to toe. He was a fine-looking man and it made her heart flutter with pride that he belonged to her. She ran her hands along the insides of his thighs and his cock twitched, a low groan slipping past his lips as his back arched, begging for her touch. She reached out, curling her fingers around his shaft, never taking her eyes from his expressive face. His lips parted on a gasp as she lowered her head and swirled her tongue over the tip of his cock.
She squealed in surprise as his strong hands gripped her upper arms and dragged her upwards along his body. "No, Nicholas, wait!'
"No, my turn," he growled, rolling her beneath him. He needed to devote his attentions to her, needed to let his ardor cool a bit to regain some of his flagging control. He twined his fingers with hers, pinning them to the mattress above her head and curled his leg over both of hers in an attempt to still her thrashing.
"Nicholas, please. I need to touch you," she cried, straining against his hold.
He chuckled softly, his breath fanning hotly against the shell of her ear, sending delightful shivers down her spine to settle in the small of her back. "And if you do, we'll be done before we can begin."
Rush trailed hot open-mouthed kisses over her neck, his short beard scratching pleasantly against her skin. He moved lower, nipping at her collarbone, paying special attention to the hollow between. He paused, raising his head to kiss her again, swallowing down her mewling whimpers as he plundered her mouth. He transferred both her hands to one of his and ghosted his fingertips over her nipple, smiling faintly as he watched her face bloom with a fresh blush of desire and arch beneath him, seeking more of his touch. He added just a bit more pressure and she cried out his name, he rolled it between his finger and thumb and she moaned, but it was her scream when he took her into his mouth that had him surging against her hip to relieve the ache steadily building in his groin.
He continued to toy with her breasts, reveling in her soft cries as his hand drifted lower over her soft belly, the muscles contracting under his touch. He squeezed the rounded curve of her hip and slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of her lace panties, dragging them down her thighs. He had to let go of her to slip them off her, and she immediately pulled him back atop her, her hands fisting his soft hair as she bit his bottom lip and glided her tongue past his teeth.
Belle pushed against his shoulders and hooked a leg over his hip, maneuvering him onto his back, tweaking his flat nipple when he protested. "No," she hissed, sitting astride him. "No more games, Nicholas." He nodded vigorously, just as desperate as she was, needing to feel her surround him with her heat.
A low rumble of pleasure sounded in his chest as she wrapped her small hand around his cock and brought it in contact with her slippery folds, rubbing the blunt head against her clit before pressing him to her entrance. Slowly, she lowered herself down on him, taking all of him until she was filled with him, the look of pure bliss on her face nearly enough to make him come. Her silken folds shifted and fluttered around him as she adjusted to him. It had been so long … for both of them … it took effort on both their parts to hold on to the tenuous control which was quickly deserting them.
Rush drew little circles over her hip bones as he waited for her to move, his patience rewarded as she lifted up and slowly eased back down. "Now who's playing games?" he teased, growing harder within her as she found a rhythm she liked.
She leaned over him, planting her hands in the center of his chest as she quickened her pace, the delicious friction as he slid in and out of her, the rub of her clit in just the right way every time they came together, his questing hands tracing over her warm flesh was more than her touch-starved body could handle and she broke apart around him, his name a reverent prayer on her lips.
He rolled her over, pulling her beneath him as he thrust back into her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he changed the angle, allowing him to thrust deeper, harder, faster until she was racing towards another climax as he pounded into her, chasing his own. He bit down into the tendon where her neck met her shoulder, harder than necessary, to stifle his cry, the sound somewhere between a groan and a growl, sucking her flesh into his mouth, leaving behind the mark of his possession.
He couldn't find the strength of will to move, didn't know if he could move if he tried, feeling guilty that he must be crushing her with his weight, but she didn't make the slightest sound of protest. They were pressed so tightly together he could feel her heart beat a rapid tattoo against his chest as they fought to catch their breath. Her fingers carded through his damp hair, her lips trailing soft kisses against his temple, his girl perfectly content to hold him as he recovered. Finally, he rolled to her side and pulled her into his chest, one arm around her shoulders and the other about her waist.
"Nicholas?" she asked, after a long moment.
He pressed a kiss to her brow and tightened his embrace as if he were afraid she'd try to escape. "Yeah?"
"I missed you," she whispered, dropping a kiss over his heart. "Try not to leave me again, ok?"
Rush leaned up on his elbow and brushed the hair away from her brow, his gaze troubled as it met hers. "I promise. I missed you, too … more than I would've thought possible."
Belle bit her lip thoughtfully and tilted her head back to stare up at him. She didn't keep him waiting. "Y'know for two scientists who are supposed to be so brilliant when it comes to solving Destiny's secrets, we're really quite stupid when it comes to basic human emotion ... especially our own."
"Perhaps it's just easier to bury ourselves in work than open ourselves up to heartache again." He twined his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to his mouth to press a kiss to her knuckles. "It wasn't Destiny I was thinking about when I was on that alien ship."
"Liar," she said softly, knowing his precious ship was never far from his thoughts.
"Well maybe just a little," he admitted. "I was mostly concerned with what would become of you when I didn't come back."
She ducked her head sheepishly, hiding a grin. "I may have made a complete cake of myself in front of the entire crew."
"Doubtful," he drawled in a dry tone.
"I … um … I attacked the colonel and accused him of lying when he claimed you'd died in a rockslide."
He laughed. "Did you now? I would have paid good money to see that. Did they find you a step stool, so you could reach?"
She pinched his nipple for that remark. "Hey! He's lucky I didn't have a weapon. Ask Eli."
"I'll bet he was surprised to see the reserved little Miss French unleash that hot temper," he chortled, grabbing her wrist and pinning it to the mattress to ward off more of her retaliatory pinches. "Perhaps Eli has Kino footage. He does for every other bloody thing on the ship."
Belle's brows drew together in a deep frown, all thoughts of teasing vanishing. "You can't let him get away with leaving you there, Nicholas." Dawning horror crossed her face. "Oh, my god, he fired on that ship while you and Chloe were still aboard. He risked all of our lives and yours to keep you from reporting him. Something must be done about him … soon."
"It's his word against mine, my Belle."
"I don't care," she insisted. "Who knows what he'll try next to be rid of you."
Rush leaned forward and molded his lips to hers, more interested in her soft curves pressed to his bare skin than he was about what would surely be in store for the colonel when he was done with him. "We'll deal with it … later."
"Nicholas, I —"
He rolled atop her, his hardening length pressing against the juncture of her thighs, testament to the fact he wouldn't discuss Young any more that night. "Later."
Belle sighed and raked her nails over his back as his head dipped to trail kisses along her jaw. "Mmhm … later."
THE END