Again, I do not own Once Upon a Time or Stargate Universe (If I did, it would never have been cancelled; God damn MGM) Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hope you enjoy it! :)

Emma woke with a start, clearly not in the same place she went to sleep. Carl was gone; the bed was larger, the mattress harder and covered in silk sheets. There was a mechanical humming as if she were on a train. The sound was entirely foreign to her and she looked around cautiously, fearful of what she'd find. The room was dark save for the iridescent lights that leaked in through the small, odd-shaped windows, giving everything an otherworldly look. As she looked around the practically empty room one thing had become very clear – she was dreaming. It was probably an effect of whatever drug Jefferson used, but she needed to wake up, she didn't have time for this.

There was a loud sound coming from the wall, something was turning like a doorknob. Emma held her breath in terror as the wall opened, and another man who looked exactly like Gold walked into the room. He was distracted and angry as he closed the door behind him, obsessing over a little black notebook. His hair was longer like Gold's and he had a fuller beard than Benton. He, too, was dressed casually in jeans with a vest over a dark green t-shirt and white thermal. He had started removing his shirts, when Emma quickly cleared her throat. The man practically jumped out of skin, backing against the wall, his eyes wide as he stared at her in confused silence. Emma was propped up on her elbows on his bed, motionless as she stared back.

"Hi, I'm Emma…" she stated awkwardly. He said nothing, stared incredulously as he brought a small radio to his mouth.

"Eli, this is Rush. Has anyone dialed in on the gate?" he asked firmly, his hard, scrutinizing gaze never leaving her.

"Uh, nope, the gate's quiet." came the hesitant reply. He dropped the radio on the table, moving from the wall to the end of the bed. Emma was afraid he'd attack her if she moved, especially with the wild, accusatory glare in his eyes.

"I know everyone on this ship. I avoid them, but I know who they are. You don't belong here. Who are you?" he growled through gritted teeth. Emma swallowed hard, deciding it best not to give sarcastic answers.

"I'm Emma from Maine. Where am I?" There was something threatening about this version of Gold, making her want to skip this part and jump to the next one. Better yet, to just wake up entirely.

"Are you an Ancient?" he demanded, ignoring her question.

"An Ancient what? I'm twenty-eight years old – what the hell is 'an ancient'?" Emma asked defensively, confused at his words.

"I'll take that as no…" he breathed quietly. His gaze continued to study her as he moved to the side of the bed. "Well then, what are you? How did you end up in my bed on the far side of the universe?"

The tears filled Emma's eyes as she contemplated his words. "Look, I don't know what's going on. I was drugged by some guy in Maine, I woke up in Africa and when I went back to sleep there, I woke up here." There was an incredulous and murderous glare on the man's face as he stepped closer. Emma was truly frightened as he stared down at her.

"You know, there are very powerful aliens in this galaxy capable of creating an entire solar system. Do you know how easy it would be for them to plant you here and sabotage this ship?" his voice was low; threatening as he spoke.

And Emma thought Henry's fairy tale theory was out there – this guy was certifiable. Aliens building solar systems on the far side of the universe; talk about paranoia. Emma realized she needed to keep calm; he obviously saw her as a threat and if she made any sudden movements there was no telling what he'd do. Suddenly, everything slowed and Emma felt like she was being torn in two as the ship seemed to stop. Given her already dizzy and nauseas state, Emma was about to lose what little was in her stomach.

"What was that?" she asked hoarsely, her hand splayed over her abdomen. Rush studied her, looking at her for the first time like she was human.

"We dropped out of FTL…" he explained, as if she'd know what that meant.

"FT-what?" she repeated, trying to catch her breath. Rush rolled his eyes at her ignorance.

"Faster than light…it's how the ship travels so fast through space and time."

"Oh of course; why didn't I think of that?" she said sardonically, unable to stop herself.

"Wait here, I'll be right back…" he said moving swiftly to the door. Emma watched how it worked so she could run the moment he was gone. Her heart sank as she watched the green light turn to red. She scrambled off the bed, rushing to the wall and pressing the button repeatedly – nothing was happening. The bastard locked her in. She considered banging and screaming her head off, but she still didn't know who, or what, was out there.

Emma paced around his room restlessly feeling like a caged animal. She contemplated just going back to sleep, since that seems to be when she changes places; but she was too angry to sleep. Part of her wanted to jump him when he returned, but that would certainly end badly and he would never believe her that she wasn't a threat. How long would he be gone? Emma fell to the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands.

Emma feared she might be having a brain aneurism given this massive headache. She'd make it a point to return the favor on Jefferson by connecting her foot to his temple when she woke up, hopefully breaking a few bones in the process. The door finally opened and the man walked in holding metallic mug. Emma was leery as he approached her slowly, offering her the cup.

"What's that?" she asked hesitantly, keeping her hands folded in her lap.

"Its water," Rush replied shortly, as if offended she didn't trust him.

"How do I know it's not poisoned?" Rush pulled the mug back, leveling her with a hard stare. He had the nerve to look annoyed and he was the one accusing of her of being an alien!

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would've brought you to the Col. of this ship and told him were a threat. He'd believe me, given that people don't just materialize out of thin air."

"So, why are you being nice to me?"

"Even if you were an alien, they would've given you a much better story. Plus, you'd be used to traveling through space and you wouldn't have had such a physical reaction when dropping out of FTL. So," he said, holding out the mug once more. "I brought this to ease your nausea."

Emma stared at him skeptically before taking the mug and sipping the water slowly. "So, who are you? Where I am?"

"I'm Dr. Nicholas Rush…you're aboard the Destiny." He stammered, still unsure of what to make of all this. Emma stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"A Doctor of what; what's the Destiny?" Emma prodded when he still stood like a statue beside the bed. Rush shook his head slightly and met her eyes.

"Uh, science, quantum physics. The Destiny is the spaceship we are all stranded on."

"The what?" Emma repeated breathlessly.

"We are all stuck in a spaceship on the other side of the universe." He explained, recoiling when she stood up as if afraid she'd hit him. She moved passed him to the window, peering out at the vast sea of pitch blackness that lay beyond the iridescent lights. If Emma thought waking up in Africa was confusing, nothing could have prepared her for waking up on a spaceship.

"Do you enjoy chess?" Emma turned, blinking at him in confusion.

"Chess?" she groaned in frustration.

"I enjoy playing chess…care to join me in a game?" he asked, motioning to the wooden chess pieces on his desk. With one last glance out the window, she moved towards him. She could help but notice the gold band on his left finger as she sat across from him.

"Is your wife on board?" he didn't even glance at his hand as he reset the chess board.

"No." came his bitter reply. Emma didn't press, wondering if perhaps he was divorced or if his wife was back on earth. Oh, Emma get a grip…he is a hallucination! She chided herself, shaking her head at her own thoughts. "So, what's your story?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He stared at her expectantly and Emma decided to just be vague. "Well, you're the second version of my boyfriend that I've met. I just left Carl Benton in Africa, who was a Special Forces commando who tortured someone to death and is now taking care of a bunch of boys. Gold, the man I'm dating on earth is a pawnbroker who lost his wife, son and true love. And now I'm with you on the Destiny and I'm just curious to know more about you."

Rush stared at her in disbelief at that statement and Emma couldn't tell if he was amused or frightened. He twirled the wooden chess piece between his fingers, reclining in his seat. Emma wondered if he would speak to her at all after this or just throw her off the ship. Rush seemed much closer to Gold's personality than Benton was, keeping his emotions bottled inside him beneath a callous exterior.

"I was married; a professor of quantum physics at the local college." He began softly, much to Emma's surprise. "My wife was, well, she was my soul mate. She died recently of cancer, alone…as I was too busy trying to solve the equation that eventually led us here." Bitterness laced his quiet words; the guilt he felt was almost tangible.

"I'm sorry for your loss…" Emma said empathetically. Rush nodded in thanks and continued.

"We were on a planet that came under attack and I could either dial earth or this address. At the time, no one knew where it led or what was on the other side. If I dialed earth I risked an explosion following through the gate and obliterating the whole of the human race. So, I decided it was better to risk our hundred lives than to wipe planet earth and humanity off the grid forever." Emma was stunned at what he said.

"So you just sealed the fate of a hundred people without giving them an option?" Emma asked incredulously. Wonderful, a completely sociopathic version of Gold… she mused, claiming a black pawn with her white knight. His hard, cold brown eyes glared at her sending a shiver down her spine…the man was nothing of not intimidating.

"There was no option. It was risk it or die." Rush stated darkly.

"So, when you say 'dial', are we talking about phones; antibacterial soap?" she teased, clueless as to what he was talking about.

"The Stargate…" Rush said matter-of-factly like she knew what he was talking about. At Emma's blank stare, Rush stood, motioning with his finger for her to follow. The door opened, and Emma remained close behind him as he led her through the ship. Even with the lights on, the corridor was dark and ominous, and the empty halls were eerie and cold. She could hear the grated metal ground beneath her feet as she clung to his arm nervously, half expecting some alien to come jumping out at her and scare her awake.

He led her to a large open room, the centerpiece of which was a monumental stone circle that was built into the floor. There were strange symbols carved all around it, and Emma brushed her fingertips delicately over the massive structure. In all her life she had never seen anything like it. Rush circled around her as he explained how it worked – how it brought them to new worlds.

"This is incredible…" she whispered in amazement, unable to tear her eyes away.

"So, tell me, how you ended up here?" he asked almost politely, his hands clasped behind his back. He motioned with his head for her to follow him as she answered his question.

"Uh, well, I was drugged back in Maine and as I said, I seem to be hallucinating the man I'm dating in various places only with varying past circumstances. Trust me, you aren't real and at any moment I will wake up and kick Jefferson's ass."

"Jefferson is…?" Rush asked, listening intently to her tale.

"He's the guy that drugged me…" Emma said emotionless, wondering where he was taking her. Rush nodded, staring at her once again as if trying to make sure she was human. Emma hardly paid any attention, however, as she was too preoccupied studying her surroundings with fascination. Every corridor looked the same and she wondered how people weren't getting constantly lost.

"Anyway, like I said, I'm just dreaming; meeting my boyfriend over and over all throughout space and time." She continued in his silence, keenly aware that Mary was running out of time.

"Interesting…" he mumbled beside her. Emma knew better than anyone how crazy it sounded as she was the one living it. Changing the subject, she made the mistake of asking a question about the ship itself and Rush was off. She nodded silently with a polite smile as Rush explained the history of the ship, the ancients and ascension. She had no clue what any of it meant, but it was fascinating to think about.

"I was, uh, abducted by aliens a few months ago…as was another young woman on board." He blurted abruptly. Emma stared at him astonished and somewhat frightened – it suddenly made sense why he was so hostile towards her.

"I'm sorry, that had to be terrifying…"

"Yes, it was. We were held in water tanks as they searched our minds, trying to figure out who we were; what we were doing aboard this ship. Luckily, we escaped and made it back to the ship." He paused in the corridor outside a wide open door.

"Wait here," he said, walking into the room. It was noisy and dark, looking almost like a bar, only with the most extravagant alcohol dispenser she'd ever seen. On second thought, Jefferson just might become her supplier. This was an amazing drug – she was already planning a second visit to Carl Benton. Was it technically considered cheating if you slept with a man who had your boyfriends face and it happened in a dream? Emma chided herself, shaking herself from her thoughts. She needed to wake up – Mary didn't have time for her to be traipsing all throughout space and time meeting Gold over and over again.

"Shall we?" Rush asked, holding a bottle full of what she assumed to be alcohol of some kind. "There's something I think you should see…" Emma forced a smile, falling in step beside him. There was something hidden beneath his eyes, something dark and Emma couldn't quite place it.

"Where are we going now?" she asked, not certain that she trusted him.

"The observation deck…" he replied, as if she knew what that was.

"So, you've been drugged and you ended up here on Destiny with us." he repeated; clearly not buying her story. "That is quite the story, Miss Swan…" Emma nodded in response as she blindly followed him.

"I know how crazy it sounds…"

"Well, I myself have seen some incredible and crazy things since being on this ship. And all I can tell you is that I know I'm real…" Of course you would think that, you're a hallucination… she thought idly. But before she could respond, Rush turned to her and smiled, "Welcome to the far side of the universe…" he almost whispered with a small smile, his thick Scottish accent even more pronounced.

Emma stopped in her tracks – her breath caught in her throat as she stepped onto what she could only assume was the observation deck. There before her – seeming close enough to reach out and touch – was a giant, sand-colored planet with translucent rings around it, reminding her of Jupiter. But she knew they were far beyond their own galaxy. Not too much further away, just behind the massive planet was the sun. If Emma didn't know better she might think it was a painting, perfect in its awesome and breathtaking stillness. After what felt like an eternity she took a step forward, taking in the black night sky littered with stars and the various moons that surrounded the planet. She fell to the couch beside Rush with a breathless sigh, unable to look away. Never in her entire life did she ever imagine that she would see anything so magnificent.

"It's quite extraordinary, isn't it?" he asked, handing her a mug as she sat down.

"Is this what you see every day?" she asked instead.

"Indeed, most days…I'm usually in the control room trying to make sure we don't all die up here…" Emma nodded in sheer wonder, her gaze drifting skeptically to the drink he offered.

"So, I've been drugged and now you wanna get me drunk?" she asked sarcastically, taking the mug and swirling its contents. Who would've guessed there would be alcohol in space?

"I got the alcohol more for me and I thought it would be rude not to share. Besides, you aren't even here, as you said, you're dreaming. So what's the harm?" He said with a suggestive smirk. Emma shrugged, tossing the glass back. The sharp bitter taste made Emma gag, burning its way down her throat.

"Ugh, it tastes like rubbing alcohol…" she said disgusted, handing the mug to Rush.

"Oh, sorry, love, I should've mentioned that…" he chuckled, not a shred of remorse in his voice. Emma needed something to rinse her mouth out with as she returned her gaze to the view before them.

"Do you regret that you ended up here?"

"I regret that so many people who don't want to be here, are…and that they will never see their loved ones again…" he said sadly, showing the first signs of human emotion she'd seen all night. "But this ship, being here – this was my destiny. And even if there was a way home, I wouldn't take it."

"Why?" He tossed back the mug, wincing and holding his breath as he swallowed the bitter liquid.

"…Because there's nothing left for me to go home to. This ship is my home now; my life would be meaningless on Earth. At least here…at least here I can be useful, learning the secrets of the universe. And who knows, perhaps even gain the knowledge and the power to change things for the better." Emma nodded in silence, wondering if he needed to actually believe that in order to better deal with the mistakes that he's made. From the death of his wife to stranding everyone on this ship, it's no wonder he wants to stay afloat in the vastness of space. All at once, the dizzying weakness surged through Emma's body. She gripped the edge of the couch firmly, her head swimming and her body swaying.

"Are you alright, Emma?" Rush asked, one hand gripping her arm as the other stroked her back.

"What was in that? Did you drug me?" Emma accused, looking into the shocked, albeit amused face of Dr. Rush. He split into four Rush's as Emma tried to focus, the room spinning around her as he stood quickly, allowing her to lay down.

"It was alcohol," he said, lifting her legs onto the couch. "According to you, you're already drugged. Why would I drug you again?" Emma lay on her back, holding her head as if it would make the room stop spinning. Her insides felt as though they were being liquefied and she knew her legs wouldn't support her weight if she stood. Emma closed her eyes against the pain, convinced that she was dying. The nausea twisted in her stomach like a knife causing Emma to curl in on herself.

"Do you want me to get the medic?" he offered suddenly, concern evident in his voice. Emma couldn't help but smile at the thought, but she knew it would be pointless. The drug needed to work its way out of her system.

"No, thank you. I just to need to sleep…I'm so tired." She said breathlessly. "If you don't mind, could you just hold me?"

Without question, he curled up behind her. It was a tight fit, but he was so slight and small as it was and their bodies molded perfectly to each other. The only good thing about Rush was that his voice was as soothing as Gold's. Committing that view to memory, Emma closed her eyes, allowing herself to imagine she was in Gold's bed, being held in his arms, and that it was his words that comforted her.

Emma travels to England next, where she meets Father MacAvoy

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