AN: Ok so here we are with Darkness. The visit with Emily doesn't happen, but that's because Emily never exists. Don't know quite what I'm doing for this chapter, but I do know the surprise will be revealed! And Everett will find out! Woot! Ok… on to the chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I only own my resident SGU nut! :D
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TJ sat on the bed she shared with Everett and put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe it. She had figured out what the small pains were and she was scared. She didn't have either the equipment or experience for a baby. She placed her hands on her stomach. She was going to have to tell Everett and she wasn't looking forward to that.
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"We did some calculations based on our estimates of the water depth and tank dimensions ..." Brody started. A bowl of 'mush' was handed to each member. TJ looked at the contents as she sat next to Everett, who mixed his up a bit. TJ idly wondered if the food was good for her changing body.
"And the winner is?" Everett asked sarcastically. TJ smirked as she ate, Everett's hand resting on her knee under the table.
"Ninety-one forty-six liters" Eli replied. Everett nodded.
"Well, it wouldn't fill a back yard swimming pool" he muttered, trying to determine how much their rationing could be eased. "We could all use a shower" he said giving a pointed look at Matt and Eli. The room fell into laugher as they tried to defend themselves. Everett shook his head at their antics and smiled.
"OK, folks. Let's have a better day than yesterday. Thank you" he said in dismissal. The others filed out of the room while TJ ate some of her soup. Everett smiled at her before watching Rush take his ration and sit down across from them. One of TJ's hands fell to Everett's leg to keep him from jumping up and beating the crap out of the good doctor. "I ordered you here twenty minutes ago."
"I've been working - throughout the night, actually - trying to find out why our power reserves are so low. I'm quite concerned, and so should you be" Rush said downing his ration. Everett stared at him hard and waited for him to continue. TJ watched the two in worry, hoping Rush wouldn't piss Everett off too badly.
"How bad is it?" TJ finally asked. Rushed finished up his soup and handed the bowl to Becker.
"I haven't been able to access any of the main systems yet, so I don't know" Rush yelled at her. Everett tensed and it took all TJ had to keep him seated.
"Don't you dare take your anger out on her again. Am I making myself clear?" Everett asked through gritted teeth. TJ ran her hand over his tense shoulders trying to get him to relax.
"Yes sir" Rush said sarcastically. The lights flickered and Rush groaned standing up. He leaned over and pointed his finger in Everett's face. "Could you please stop people running around, activating every bloody system they can get their hands on?" Everett nodded.
"I will." Rush nodded and quickly left the room. "That man is a lot of work" he muttered to himself. Everett's shoulders dropped and he took in TJ's tired and worn face. "Are you doing ok?" he asked. TJ smiled at him.
"I'm ok, but I need to talk to you" she said. Everett nodded and gave her his full attention, but was soon interrupted when the next group came in. He groaned. "It's ok, we can talk later" she said assuringly. Everett gave her a small smile and nodded.
"Later" he said. TJ smiled and watched as Everett once again took over his position as commander of the ship. "Rush says the power reserves are dwindling" he reported.
"What do you want us to do? The man likes to work alone" Volker said. Everett looked down. Volker was right.
"We help him. It could be that Rush is just starting the fire so he can put it out, or it could be that he's so far ahead of us, he can see problems that none of us can see, but either way we need to get in there and help" he said.
"Well, with the way Rush's been treated, you can hardly blame him for wanting to work alone can you?" Camile asked. TJ rolled her eyes.
"It's pretty hard not to blame him, considering" she said. Everett smirked as TJ spoke up. She looked around at everyone else's face and the only one not convinced was Camile. "I mean, we could have been back on Earth, back home, but Rush was so determined to dial the ninth cheveron that we ended up stuck on this ship" she explained. Camile's face remained impassive.
"Well, we're stuck with Rush for now. Scott is checking out the other shuttle, seeing if it's operational. TJ, Greer, you two join him when we're done here, so off you go. Dismissed." Everyone filed out of the room, TJ and Greer waited while Everett and Camile discussed Senator Armstrong's body.
"You alright Lieutenant?" Greer asked watching TJ. TJ shot him a small smile.
"Fine, just thinking" she responded. Greer smiled at her. Everett smiled as he walked back to her and Greer. Greer saluted him and moved to wait for TJ outside in the hall. Everett set his hands on her shoulders.
"Please be careful out there" he said. TJ smiled and moved closer to him wrapping her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck and kissed him gently before standing on her tiptoes.
"I'm pregnant" she whispered before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Everett standing alone to process the words.
"Colonel Young sir, what's my assignment?" Becker asked, bringing Everett out of his thoughts.
"Recipes, Becker. For the love of God, recipes!" he called out as he walked out of the room.
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"Turn it off" Everett said. He had just watched Riley bring a flashlight with dead batteries back to life. It was incredible, but he had to watch as the young scientist's face fell. "Rush says we have power issues, but as soon as he gives the go-ahead, you kids can go crazy. For now, help me pass the word to stop pushing buttons." He turned and walked away, hating seeing the disappointment in Riley's face.
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"Everyone is holding off their work until you've given the green light" Everett said as he limped in. He was focused on TJ's words playing through his mind. He was going to be a dad.
"Thank you" Rush said snippily. Everett sighed. He had to have this talk with Rush now so he and TJ could spend some time talking tonight.
"Look, I want you to know that I'm well aware that in the field of Ancient technology, you're pretty much - and any other subject I can think of - you're the best I've got. But we can't be working at cross-purposes" Everett explained. Rush snorted.
"All I ask is that you check with me before issuing orders" Rush said, not even looking at Everett. He stared at Rush in shock for a few moments before he snorted.
"Check with you? No, see, you've got it backwards. If you're doing something, I wanna know what it is, and this is not a request. If there is an issue that affects everybody on this ship, like we're running out of power ..." Everett explained. Rush shot him a look.
"I think I already told you that one" he snipped. Everett held back the groan. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, picturing TJ and their baby.
"I'm not here to snipe your back or piss you off, but if we're gonna be on this ship for any length of time, we need to be on the same page. Now, who can I bring in to help?" Rush looked at him like he was nuts.
"Honestly? It may take longer than we've got to bring someone else up to speed" Rush said. Everett smirked and slapped his hand down on the consol to show he had made the final decision.
"Volker it is!" Everett said before turning on his heels and walking out of the room. "You can tell him to sit on his hands if you want to" he said before leaving the room.
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Everett sat at his desk and stared at a piece of paper. He was trying to read it, but his mind kept wandering. He didn't want to raise their child on this ship, but as long as he or she was protected and loved, then Everett was happy. He looked up when he saw movement in his peripheral vision.
"You - you've gotta be kidding me" Everett said muttering.
"Oh no" Volker said. Everett sighed and dropped his head. That man could not make things easy for him could he?
"That man is a lot of work" he muttered as he pushed his chair back and stood. Rush was going to hear it.
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"You arrogant son of a bitch! They needed to try things to get back home before we die because someone dialed the ninth cheveron instead of Earth because of NOTHING!" Everett yelled. He and Rush were at it, again. Rush rolled his eyes.
"It was simply a better option…" he started. Everett reeled his arm back and let it fly into his jaw. Everett heard a sickening crack and smirked.
"Because of you my wife and unborn child are stuck on this damned ship" Everett yelled as Rush fell to his knees. Everett looked down at him before grabbing his radio. "TJ, Rush needs a medic in the Gateroom" he said before turning on his heels and leaving.
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"Eli, since these two incompetent scientists can't figure out how to get the ship working again, what are you doing?" he asked, turning his furious gaze from Volker and Brody to a curious gaze on Eli.
"I put a Kino in a search mode and sent it into unpressurised areas of the ship, looking for an active console somewhere. Nothing yet. Also, I was looking into if there's any way we could integrate the shuttle's power with the ship's system ..."
"So you are trying to work the problem?" Everett asked, his gaze hardening as he turned his stare back to the two scientists.
"Yes sir" Eli responded.
"Does the computer-hacking drop-out have to save our asses or are you gonna get your heads out of yours?" Everett asked. He watched as the two scrambled so they didn't feel the same wrath Rush did a bit ago. Everett smiled at Eli. "Sorry about that" he said. Eli smiled.
"It's cool" he replied. Everett smiled and nodded.
"I'm going to be gone for a few hours to report this mess. Yank me back if you need me" Everett responded.
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Everett walked out of the room to a waiting Peterson. Peterson looked down at his watch and back up.
"That didn't take long" he commented. Everett chuckled humorously.
"Doesn't take very long to say, "We're screwed."" Everett said. Peterson looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, sir. Wish there was something we could do" he said as he and Everett walked back towards where the stones were. Everett sighed thinking of his small family stuck on the ship.
"Me too Peterson, me too."
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"Sir, I understand that you gave me a direct order, and I respectfully suggest it would be a complete waste of time" Scott said as Everett came back to his body. He shook his head.
"What would be a waste of time?" he asked. TJ sighed and turned around as Matt tried to divert Everett from the topic he entered.
"Well Telford wanted me to do something" Matt said. TJ laughed at his poor excuse.
"What the hell was Telford just ordering you to do?" Everett demanded. Matt sighed and looked at the floor. "Matt."
"Use the communication stones to report that you need to be replaced" Matt said. Everett sighed and nodded, dropping into a nearby seat.
"Well, he's probably right about that."
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Everett headed toward his and TJ's quarters. As he walked down the hallway and pulled his gun as he saw something in the darkness.
"Don't shoot! It's just me!" Eli's voice called out. Everett frowned as Eli and Riley came out from around the corner and into the light, seeing the KINO flying next to them. He put his gun back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Took a wrong turn!"
"Wrong turn, really? You're gonna stick to that story?" Eli asked as he saw TJ walking out of their room. The two shrunk when they realized they were caught red handed. "We're gonna pass very close to a gas giant in a few minutes. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. We're short on radios. Help me spread the word. Go. Help. Now" Everett ordered. Both men nodded and ran off as TJ walked closer. Neither one looked her in the eyes.
"What was that?" she asked as Everett wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He shook his head.
"Nothing. Come on, we are going to pass by a gas giant soon. I figured it might be cool to see" he said. TJ smiled.
"I'd love to see it" she said. As they passed by a hallway, a group of people were sitting with their backs against the wall.
"No-no, no. I need everyone away from the walls. Away from the walls. The turbulence could break your back" Everett said making sure everyone complied. He didn't want anyone to get hurt. He and TJ pressed on to the shuttle. He held TJ in his arms as the shaking started. She looked out the window in awe.
"I'm so happy TJ, you have no idea" he whispered in her ear, his hand sliding down to cover her stomach. TJ let tears spring to her eyes. They would be a family and Everett would protect them both with his life.
"Shit, our trajectory has changed" Rush muttered. Matt looked at the screen. This was so not good.
"Changed?" TJ asked from Everett's arms. Matt looked over his shoulder.
"What are you talking about, Rush?" When Rush didn't answer, he looked over at Matt, his hold on TJ and the baby tightening in fear. "Lieutenant, what the hell's he talking about?"
"Well sir, we are headed for the sun" Matt answered. TJ's heart fell to the pit of her stomach as Everett's shoulders dropped. They were totally screwed.
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AN: Ok so there you have it… a little change in the timeline but I think it works! Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought Cassie's flame policy still stands! Thanks for reading now please review!