Chapter 9: Revelations and Betrayals
When Amber entered his quarters and immediately settled herself on the floor at the foot of his bed, Rush wasn't that surprised. After all, waking up this morning in such a compromising position was embarrassing to say the least. He understood that she didn't want to repeat the incident.
"Here at least take the pillow and the top sheet." He said as he held his hands out for her to take the items from him.
Amber didn't say anything, she just simply stood up and took the pillow and sheet with a nod of her head and set them on the floor before drifting off to sleep. Her silence had surprised him however; he hadn't believed Eli when he said that she was avoiding him especially when she asked him to accompany her to her quarters.
Rush just reasoned that she was tired and wary of what had happened today and with the possible reactions from the crew tomorrow after seeing her use her ability publicly in the mess hall. As he got into bed and was drifting off to sleep, he couldn't help but miss the feeling of her sleeping beside him.
When he awoke several hours later at the start of a new day. Rush was again surprised and also concerned when he sat up and noticed that Amber had already left the room. He quickly got ready and picked up his precious notebook before opening the door to his room and almost bumping into Colonel Young.
"Good, you're up. Destiny's stopped at another planet. We're gathering more water due to ours is already tainted. Get breakfast then meet in the Gate room. We've only got seven hours this time." Young briefed him then presumably headed towards the mess hall.
Rush rubbed his eyes and took a moment to think. He hadn't programmed in their new requirements to tell Destiny to stop for them. The he concluded that Amber must have done it, as she's the only one who would've figured out the control input system. 'That would explain why she had already left.'
When he reached the mess hall it was relatively empty. The only ones there were Colonel Young, Lieutenants Johansen, Greer, James and Scott along with Sergeant Spencer and Eli. Rush walked to Becker and received his first meal that wasn't just protein slop, this still had the protein slop but it had fruit slices mixed in so that it looked a lot like porridge.
Joining them at the end on the table, sitting next Eli, the discussion instantly changed topics as he sat down.
"So is it another ice planet?" Scott asked as he finished his bowl. "I'm not going if it is."
Everyone chuckled for a minute before Lt James answered, "No, Dr. Grey informs me that it's a forest but there's a river flowing near the Stargate.
"She sent a Kino through? Without me?" Eli spoke mockingly exasperated. "I've been replaced!"
Again everyone laughed except Rush who suddenly shivered at Amber's behaviour. It just seemed off to him, however he deduced that she was just keeping her mind busy away from everyone's. After that, they all finished eating and made their way to the Gate room where Amber started dialling the planet.
"Right I want Greer, James and Spencer to head this mission, Doctors Grey and Rush will joining you." Colonel Young said as he handed them all water canisters that could hold a couple of litres.
"I'll go too!" Eli piped up excitedly as he picked a spare canister and joined the group.
"Alright, good luck, we'll see you soon." He dismissed and the small group passed through the event horizon.
Upon reaching the other side, they all paired up: Greer and Rush, James and Eli and Spencer and Amber and headed in three different directions.
Lt James and Eli were quietly walking through the forest, careful not to trip over the undergrowth and not walk into low hanging branches when Eli starting speaking.
"They kind of go together don't they?" He stated more than asked her as he came to walk beside her.
"Who? Scott and Chloe?" She asked puzzled as to who he was referring to and why he had suddenly brought up such a subject.
"No, Amber and Rush. I mean there's quite an age difference but they just kind of belong don't you think?" He turned to look at her so he could read her reactions and better understand her.
"They're both loners, both prefer to be alone for different reasons mind you. They're both geniuses and about the only ones that understand each other. It makes sense to me, I guess you could call them kindred spirits." She smiled and Eli couldn't help but laugh and smile with her.
Lt James abruptly stopped and paled swiftly turned in the direction that they had come from.
"What is it?" Eli asked worriedly, figuring that her military training had just kicked in and she thought she heard something.
She cursed under her breath and started running back in the direction of the others. "There's no time! Move!" She shouted back at him and he wasted no time in sprinting after her.
Meanwhile elsewhere Amber and Spencer were standing on the edge of a cliff looking down at the rapid waters below.
"That's a long way down." He said stating the obvious and whistled at the sight. "Perfect place for an accident. Now radio him." He ordered when he looked over at his beautiful accomplice.
She just looked back at him with an evil grin decorating her angelic face. She lifted the radio to her lips and pressed the button and spoke excitedly into it. "Rush we've found something that you're really going to want to see! We're only a mile west of your position."
"I'm on my way." He replied back into his own radio. He turned to look at Greer who was filling up his canister from the steady flowing stream.
"You go and look at things, I'll collect the water. Hand me your canister." Was all Greer said as his canister was nearing full.
Rush gladly handed the canister over and hurriedly made his way over to Amber's position. It didn't take him that long to cover the distance between them and he reached a small clearing where he saw Amber with her hands behind her back smiling sweetly at him.
"Where's Spencer?" He asked when he noticed that the marine was nowhere to be seen. Rush made his way over to her not realising the danger he was willingly walking into.
"He went off to explore some more, leaving the two of us alone." Rush didn't miss the hidden meaning in that sentence and was only slightly taken aback when Amber wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.
"I thought that you wanted me to see something?" He asked his voice a little husky. Being in close proximity to Amber always clouded his clear and sharp thought process.
She didn't say anything, she just gently pressed her lips against his and the instant they made contact they were kissing passionately. Rush couldn't remember the last someone had kissed him, it had been so long ago and his heart ached for his wife however he couldn't find the will to pull away.
Then the next thing he feels is coldness on the back if his neck and Amber abruptly pulls away from him, smiling wickedly.
"Nice work Dr. Grey." Spencer's deep voice speaks behind him and Rush is filled with disgust.
"Gladly. It's not everyday I get to kiss men to their deaths." She lifted her fingers to her lips and licked them as if tasting death itself.
"Spencer, what did you to do her?" Rush asked as he studied Amber's new posture and facial expression, it completely didn't resemble her normal behaviour. It was clear to him that she had been overwhelmed by Spencer's hatred, he felt so stupid for not seeing it sooner.
"We had a little chat where I insisted she touch my head." He replied angrily and shoved him forward.
Rush stumbled and landed on his hands and knees and rotated his head back round and his eyes widened when he saw that Amber was now holding the 9mm handgun to his head.
"Awwww, poor thing. Now hurry up and walk off the edge for me will you?" She spoke mimicking that of a spoiled child. "I'm tired of your existence." She finished as she flashed him that famous sweet smile of hers.
"Amber… please, don't do this." He gently tried to reason with her. 'If I can just get through to her, I know she's still in there.' Rush thought to himself and hoped that he wasn't wrong for once in his life.
"Like that's going to work!" She exclaimed and shook her head and kicked him down onto his back and placed her foot on his chest. "There's only one thing I want right now and that's for you to die."
"Amber… please." Rush pleaded with her, he would gladly die for her if it was necessary but he couldn't stand her like this. It wasn't who she was, and he'd give anything to have her back to her usual self.
"Quiet!" She yelled at him, her cerulean green eyes glaring with rage into his chocolate brown eyes as she slapped hard across the face.
"Enough." Spencer commanded and pushed Amber away and picked Rush up by the shoulders and holstered him so he was standing on the edge of the cliff.
'Promise me that, when you finally find whatever it is you're looking for, you never let go.' The sudden voice echoed in her head and she had no idea where it came from. She blinked a couple of times and the thought was gone as quickly as it had arrived.
Amber stared back into the eyes of the man she was about to help murder and saw a familiar face.
'I want you to have it Aunt Amber! It'll keep us with you.' Lucy's sweet innocent voice floated through her thoughts and her face came into view, those same chocolate brown eyes that held such wonder and happiness in them.
Those eyes, they looked a lot like Rush's.
"Stop!" Lt James' voice boomed behind them.
All three of them turned to face her and were shocked to see that she had her gun drawn on Spencer.
"Put him down on the ground Spencer!" She yelled at him and Spencer snarled and cursed under his breath before he shouted back at her.
"There's nothing left for me! I can't go back now that you all know!" He yanked Rush up and was about to dive over the edge when Amber lunged at him.
Everything from there happened so fast it was a blur.
Spencer turned on Amber and fired his gun at her but it was too late, she had already broke his hold on Rush and flung him to safety while the force that she lunged at him with pushed Spencer over the edge and her hands wrapped around his shoulders so she was joining him. Strong hands hooked under her arms and snatched her out of Spencer's arms and she safely on the cliff edge with her legs hanging off while Spencer fell to his watery grave.
The two of them were gasping, Amber with her back and head resting against Rush's chest and shoulder with his one arm loosely around her waist.
'To truly love someone; is to always put their feelings before your own.'
Amber smiled to herself when she thought of her father's words; these memories along with the man sitting behind her were melting all that anger and hatred away.
Rush was confused and exhausted and downright covered in dirt but was happy because he currently held Amber in his arms. He heard Lt James approaching them and moved his hand away from Amber's waist when he felt it.
That awful hot sticky substance that could only mean one thing.
Blood.
Not just anybody's blood, but Amber's blood.
'Damn it! He shot her!' The thought screamed through his entire being and he panicked when he felt her limbs loosen and she relaxed into him.
"Amber? Stay with me!" He called to her, shifting his body around so that she was lying on the ground and he was kneeling next to her.
"Eli dial Destiny and get Johansen here with her med kit!" Lt James shouted behind him but Rush didn't care. All that mattered to him was the young woman lying on the ground in front of him.
Lt James was there in an instant kneeling on the other side of Amber's form and lifting up her t-shirt and pressing bandages to her stomach.
When he saw Amber's eyes begin to flutter he chocked out to her. "Don't leave me, you can't leave me."
Before she lost consciousness she just had to say one thing to him. One thing just in case she never saw his face again.
"I love you."
A/N: I hoped you liked that chapter and that it made sense. Please let me know your thoughts.
