Stargat3 Univ3rs3

by ThetaWolfe

The first three times Dr. Rush approached Charlie about the opportunity of a lifetime, Charlie kicked him out. The fourth time, they went through his student. It worked. Rating bumped to M for swearing and future M scenes. Slash and Het ahoy: Charlie x Greer, Matt x Chloe, Young x Rush, Eli x ?

10. Earth

*Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.*

"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone…it's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."

Earth

TJ sighed as she pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and jotted down notes on the chart. She shook her wrist and flexed fingers as her hand cramped, the pain causing her handwriting to barely be legible. Colonel Young turned to her as she walked around the table, boots echoing in the quiet room.

The clicking sound of the pen light had Everett wincing even before she shown it in his eyes. A gentle thumb on his brow to keep him from moving, Tamara tested his pupil reaction before replacing the tool in her kit. Confusion crossed his features as he gazed at her, the burning need he used to feel but a shadow in the pit of his stomach.

"What happened to us?" He questioned softly as she grabbed his wrist, turning it to take his pulse.

TJ's gaze flicked to him before she looked back down. "Don't."

"I'm sorry," he replied, grabbing her hand as she tried to pull away. "I never meant to hurt you."

Everett covered her hand in his much larger ones, squeezing in reassurance before he released his grip. Her hand fell limply to her side, confusion and lingering hurt crossing her features. As Young took in her gaze, one which used to captivate him so, he found he felt no desire for her anymore. A frown twisted his lips and Everett sighed.

"Colonel?" A voice called, it wasn't hers. Young jolted awake the dream fading as reality took over and Everett found he was alone in his office, Lieutenant Scott standing at his door. "Sorry, sir. They're waiting."

Yawning widely, he pulled himself forward to the edge of the couch and checked the time. Nearly three hours of uninterrupted sleep, that was almost a record. Too bad he had to be somewhere.

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"Sorry," Colonel Young mumbled as he walked slowly into the room. Camile Wray, the representative from IOA looked up from the table, annoyance crossing her features briefly before she diplomatically pushed the emotion aside.

"We're late," Camile replied, glancing briefly at the activated platform and the communication stone before her. Her hands were grasped tightly together, but her fingers shook despite the effort. If Young noticed her anxiousness, he didn't comment on it.

Sergeant Riley glanced at his watch and noted the time on the clipboard as Young took a seat across from Wray. Lips pressed tightly together, Camile grabbed the blue stone with nervous fingers before slowly placing it upon the platform within the white ring closest to her. Young quickly copied her movement, and then he was somewhere else.

The Colonel blinked his eyes rapidly for a few seconds as he got used to the sharper vision, taking in the sight of the small room within the Pentagon. The uniform he was wearing was military, the name Hamilton on the right side of his chest. A young woman sat across from him, long brown hair and slight Nordic features. Her position shifted and Young could see Camile through the posture she took.

"You're late," David's voice drew his attention to the only exit in the room. Colonel Telford stood in camouflage uniform like they all did, hands crossed over his chest and oozing irritation with every breath.

"It's my fault," Young quickly replied, pulling himself from the chair, braced for pain that never came. The body he was in felt young, a lot younger than himself by at least fifteen years. It felt good not to have his knee ache as a constant reminder in the back of his head of his age. Everett admitted quietly to himself that he should have retired years ago.

It was too late for that now.

Telford glanced briefly at the two before leading them out of the room. His long strides had Camile tripping slightly as she got used to the slightly shorter body. Everett grabbed her elbow briefly to help her balance and she smiled softly at him. Seconds later had them both jogging to catch up with the other Colonel, who didn't notice or didn't care that they had fallen behind.

The walk to the Homeworld Command conference room was short and only took a minute, but it felt much longer than that to Colonel Young. He could not explain it, but Everett had a sudden feeling of trepidation come over him as he crossed the threshold into the room and took in those gathered around the table.

There were at least twenty people in the small room, several scientists and high ranking military personnel seated around the table, even more standing. Young placed a few of the faces as IOA representatives. "Thanks for joining us, Colonel," General O'Neill tossed an orange between his hands before he started to peel it.

"Sorry, sir," Young replied, stepping further into the room as he glanced around suspiciously. "I wasn't expecting a party."

Telford immediately stepped in before the General could reply. "We may have figured out a way to get you home."

Brow furrowed, Everett's eyes darted to Camile. She gazed back at him with hope and shock at the news. "Surprise!" Jack grinned at them. A smile tugged at her lips, but a frown morphed his. She only had eyes for the smiling General, but Young's were taking in the faces of the others gathered in the room. He had a feeling he was not going to like what they had to tell him.

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"Now, the power flow issues are obviously the biggest variable," a scientist named Williams stood in front of the projector. He looked young, not as young as their own resident mathematician, but Williams exuded a sense of narcissism that only Rush could get away with. Young didn't like him. "But our simulations are encouraging. It's time to take it to the next level."

Camile shifted in her seat next to him, clearly interested as the lights turned on. She watched Young rub his eyes, mouth pinched and hand fisted under the table. Unease curled at the pit of her stomach as she took in the Colonel's own reaction to the news, but she refused to let it show in her face.

"Any questions?" O'Neill asked casually, but the majority of the room could easily tell that he had been dozing off for the three hours it took to present the 'solution'.

There were several seconds of silence as she took in the expressions of those around the room. Young was doing the same thing, but he hid it better. "It sounds dangerous," she started casually, face blank of all emotion.

"The IOA fully supports the implementation of this plan," an IOA representative commented calmly as he took a drink from his glass. He seemed unconcerned about the whole plan. It took several seconds to place him, but he looked vaguely familiar. It hit her then as she took in his relaxed posture. His name was Strom, and he was so far above her that Camile had only seen him in passing.

"I've seen it for myself: the situation on board is dire and justifies the risk," Telford inserted himself smoothly into the conversation. Camile watched as those around her began to nod their heads in agreement.

"Look," Young sighed, straightening in his chair. "I'm not gonna pretend to understand everything you guys are talking about, but it sounds like there's a chance that this plan could end badly." He said the word plan as if it were something dirty. Wray felt herself agreeing silently.

"You wanna get those people home. So do we," Telford argued, complete conviction in his tone.

Young gestured to the scientists, unconvinced. "I'm just saying maybe these guys can do a little more calculating."

"The fact is," Williams interjected, arms crossed with impatience. "We are at the stage where a practical attempt is the only way to get any more hard data."

Telford interjected without cutting the scientist off. "The goal is to save lives."

"And we don't want to put the ship at risk," Strom supplied in a placating manner.

"All we're asking is that you try," Williams gave Young a pointed look.

Colonel Young had to force himself to remain relaxed, even though he wanted to clench his jaw and cross his arms. "Well, this is something I would have to take up with everyone on board."

It was not a no, but it clearly was not a yes either. "Colonel," O'Neill interjected, standing smoothly as he gazed down at the other man. "My office." Young did not hesitate as he swiftly followed the elder man out of the room. Camile watched them leave as she prepared herself to face the scientists alone.

"Look," the General began as the door closed behind them. "If it makes you feel any better, Colonel Carter saved my ass dozens of times, using all kinds of whacky science I didn't understand."

Young stood at rest as Jack took position behind his desk. "Well, I can't force people to do something they don't wanna do."

"You're in command of that ship!" O'Neill argued, palms flat on the desk as leaned forward to get his point across. "It's not a democracy."

The Colonel glanced away briefly; shaking his head as he returned his gaze to the one man he respected most. "I'm sorry, sir. It's just...it's not that simple."

"Yes! Yes, it is! A United States Senator is dead. His daughter and dozens of other people are trapped a billion light years away from home. The President wants it done."

Young sighed softly; eyes riveted to the floor as he prepared himself for what he knew must be said. "Sir, with all due respect-"

O'Neill inserted himself, hoping to keep Young from the beginnings of insubordination. "You're being given a direct order, Colonel."

Everett returned his gaze the General, eyes locked a voice firm. "And I'm telling you that, regardless of the consequences to my standing, I'm going to take the situation under advisement. I will let you know my decision tomorrow."

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Camile smiled softly as her eyes hungrily took in the sight of the park and the people in it. A woman was roller skating down the sidewalk, jacket tied around her waist as the sun broke through the clouds. Several children shrieked in delight on the playground and a dog barked as a young man jogged by.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Strom asked as he turned to her, returning the mustard to the cart.

It took Camile several seconds to answer, mind lost to the joy of being back on Earth and off the ship. Even so, she found the absence of the constant hum of the Destiny disconcerting. "Oh, I'm fine," Wary replied absentmindedly as Strom paid the hotdog vendor.

He placed a hand on her back, gently steering her away from the stand as he gestured to the park with his hotdog. "Must be nice to get out, I imagine."

"It is," she smiled at him as he dropped his arm and took a bite of his lunch.

Wiping some mustard from his lips, Strom swallowed as they started a leisurely walk under the leafless trees. It was nearly winter; sunny enough to not be cold, but there was a definite chill in the air. "Everyone's very impressed with how you're holding up under the circumstances."

She glanced at the grass beneath her feet, taking a moment to enjoy wind on her face before she drew her attention back to the man. "I'm doing my best."

"You're our eyes and ears now," Strom told her, gesticulating with his free hand as they wondered along the path. "Your life…certainly the lives of everyone aboard, is the first priority, but you have to understand there's a lot at stake here."

It was only then that the smile left her face. The outside world lost a little of its joy, even as she squinted from the sunlight. Actual God-given sunlight. She could not remember the last time she felt such a thing. "You passed me up for promotion four times. I never really got a straight answer as to why."

"You are uh," Strom trailed off as he pulled his thoughts together. "A highly trusted, well respected member of this organization. You would not have been on Icarus in the first place if you weren't."

A self-deprecating smile crossed her features. "The point is: I know there's no way in hell you'd be talking to me right now if you had a choice," Camile stopped walking. She turned to face him, lip curling in a snarl as anger and suspicion warred with her natural caution when dealing with such a powerful person. "So, please, can we just cut to the chase?"

Strom grinned at her, amused and impressed with her gall. His gaze turned serious after a second, a predatory look in his eye that made her nervous. "Make this happen."

Camile scoffed lightly, the muscle memory of her temporary body falling into a parade rest. She was so focused on not digging herself into her own grave that she did not even notice. "I'm not a scientist. How can I do that?"

"You have influence," he told her, taking a step closer and crowding into her personal space. It took everything Camile had not to back away. "The people on board need to believe it'll get them home."

"Even if, in reality, it can get us all killed," she bit out, furious.

Strom leaned closer, practically leering down at her as a group of young mothers jogged by with strollers. "Not what I've been told."

"Why are you pushing so hard?"

"If this works, we think we might be able to use the data to re-engineer the process in one of our ships here in this galaxy."

It only took seconds for Wray to connect the dots. "Dial a Gate to Destiny without an Icarus-type planet."

"Yes," he replied, nodding his head as the implications of what that could mean finally sunk into the woman's mind. "And get the team that was supposed to go in the first place back on board. Now that we know where the ninth chevron leads, this mission has taken on even more importance."

"Why isn't Rush here?" Camile shifted her weight, glancing automatically for Colonel Young's calming presence before remembering he had left before she had. She had gotten used to his company, always just a radio click away…she had gotten used to a lot of things on board the Destiny that she never thought she would.

"Ah," Strom rolled his eyes before his gaze settled on something further off. "We're not convinced Rush wants to come home." Camile blinked and shifted her gaze as she thought of the possibility. If Rush did not want to go home, then he would not let anyone else leave either. She questioned whether or not the Scotsman was capable of such a thing. It chilled her to the core when she realized that yes, Rush was certainly more than capable, and possibly willing to sabotage their chances of getting home. "And do I have to remind you how much you have to gain personally in all of this?"

She returned her gaze back to him slowly, a bitter smile twisting her lips. "Assuming I live."

Strom had no reply for that.

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Charlie pushed his mushy grayish brown food around in the bowl with his spoon, the chatter around him a calming white noise. He should not be here; he needed to be in the control interface room with Dr. Rush. But he had been kidnapped…again.

Brown eyes shifted sideways to Master Sergeant Ronald Greer who was sitting to his left. It was like the larger man made it his personal mission to…Charlie was not sure what exactly, but it scared the hell out of him. The man would show up and roughly haul him around from one place or the next with a grip around his arm or the back of his neck. Usually it was to the mess hall or to Charlie's own quarters. Occasionally he was roughly pushed into Colonel Young's office, but that had only happened twice.

The young math professor wondered if he simply could just answer his radio more, maybe the irate soldier would leave him alone. But sometimes he could not pull away from the numbers, and if Charlie was being honest with himself, it had been happening more and more. Though this was supposed to be the 'adventure of a lifetime' Charlie just wanted to go home and he used the numbers to cope, willingly losing himself in them as often as he could. There was no harm in it…at first. Clearly now he was seeing the consequences.

A sharp elbow in his side quickly pulled him from his thoughts. Charlie glared at the man next to him. Greer returned his stare with one of his own and the mathematician was quickly cowed. The soldier's gaze held amusement and something predatory that honestly terrified him. Doe brown eyes darted to his right, but the Lieutenant had been turned against him. Scott just gave the younger man's meal a pointed look and Charlie obediently began to eat it.

Thankfully both Eli and Chloe were oblivious to the interaction, but Tamara looked on in fondness. Though it had been weeks since she wrote that memo to herself to give Eppes a checkup, she had not been able to get him to the lab. The kid was like a freaking ninja, she just could not find him and the few times that she did, TJ could have sworn she had looked away only for a second. Apparently a second was all it took, because when she glanced back he had been gone.

The only one with any luck finding the professor had been Greer. It was almost two weeks ago when she noticed the Sergeant's strange interest in the younger man and she had gone straight to Young about it. The Colonel had seemed curious, but unworried. He had still called the Sergeant to his office and questioned him with the medic present. Greer had just given them both this amused smirk of his before replying, "Have you watched him?" And then he left as if it had explained everything. Young had been amused at first and something akin to understanding flickered in his gaze, but TJ was just left confused. Seconds later he was ordering Johansen to watch the young Professor Eppes.

So that was what she had done, for three days. TJ shadowed Charlie as Greer was planet-side with Mathew, James, and Spencer. The mission had been a bust, the food inedible and the water source too far away to make use of. They had jumped back into FTL with nothing to show for their efforts but sunburns and blisters.

Tamara had been appalled at Charlie's lack of self-health. The kid hardly ate and slept even less. He would doze for an hour a two and then work for a shift and a half, and if he ate at least once a day it was a miracle. She had watched as the second Greer was back from the mission he went into the side room Charlie had sequestered away in, the walls filled with chalk numbers. The Sergeant had said something, but Charlie did not seem to hear.

Moments later Greer came out, hand wrapped around the nape of the younger man's neck as he bodily steered Charlie to the mess hall. He had forced the kid to sit, retrieved his rations, and vigilantly watched until it was all eaten. It was only then that TJ understood. Greer was not obsessed or fixated, he was protective. Sergeant Ronald Greer was taking care of the professor, because Eppes was simply unwilling or incapable of taking care of himself.

When she had approached the Colonel with her findings, he had seemed unsurprised and a little amused. She was less so, because TJ knew it wasn't just Charlie. While observing Eppes, she had been forced to observe those he interacted with most: Eli and Rush. Eli was pretty normal, if a little clingy, but the kid ate three meals a day and slept at least ten hours a night. Rush on the other hand was nearly as bad as Charlie when it came to taking care of himself. When she had told Young this, he had given her this peculiar look before mumbling something along the lines of, "I'll take care of it," and "A lot of work."

Eli's voice pulled her back to the conversation and she leaned slightly around Chloe to hear him better. "The ship doesn't have enough power to dial back to Earth and - as we've seen recently - when the ship runs out of juice, it finds a star and refills its tanks. Now, theoretically, at that time the full power of the star should be available to us."

"Star power," Greer did not smile, but he was clearly amused.

"Yeah. It's brilliant!" Eli agreed before he added as if in an afterthought, "If we can somehow use the ship as a conduit and channel the star's energy into the Gate as we dial."

"That would do it," it was not quite a question, but Matt was able to get his point across.

Eli grimaced before he replied. "The problem is the whole 'ship as a conduit' part."

"Well, does anyone know when the ship will run out of power again?" TJ questioned, fingers sliding together as she resisted cracking her knuckles. It was a bad habit, but it was better than biting her nails.

"It's tough to tell," Eli admitted, face scrunching as he did a quick calculation in his head. "Based on current usage, probably gonna be several months."

"Three months, seventeen days, nine hours," Charlie supplied between mouthfuls of the tasteless gruel, distractedly staring at the condensation dripping from Greer's water bottle.

"Not if we can drain the power faster," Brody spoke from another table.

"Right!" Eli's hand flopped on the table as he gave a half shrug. "That's the part of the plan that sounded a little vague."

Riley frowned at him. "It's possible."

Matt cut in before a debate filled with nerd-lingo broke out. "So you guys are saying you're all for this?"

The other table was silent for several long seconds before Adam replied. "Let's see what Rush says."

"What about you, baby professor?" Greer questioned, nudging Charlie's side with his elbow. "What do you think?"

Eppes shifted away, scooting closer to Lieutenant Scott before he glanced up uncertainly. "What do I think about what?"

Eli gave him a strange look. "Seriously? Did you not hear a word I just said?" Charlie blinked owlishly at him. "About the plan…you know, 'the plan'. The one everyone's been talking about?"

"Oh," he mumbled, setting his spoon down in the near empty bowl. "What about it?" TJ bit her lip to keep from laughing, Chloe wasn't so lucky. The younger girl snorted quietly in amusement and Matt chuckled softly at Charlie's cluelessness and Eli's dumbfounded expression.

Greer laughed loudly, hand clapping Charlie on the shoulder roughly. The professor was jolted into the table with the force of it, but he did not protest the harsh treatment, he had an older brother after all. He also did not move away from the hand that was left gripping his shoulder. Early results have shown a constant increase of strength of 5.6% per second when trying to pull away from the stronger man. Charlie soon learned to just give into it, he bruised easily after all. And even though he would never admit it out loud, the caustic rough handling was beginning to feel comforting.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Eli questioned, voice catching strangely as he tried to get over his astonishment. How could his teacher do such complex math when he was not even paying attention…and who knew Greer could laugh?

Charlie raised his eyebrow slightly, staring at his younger student in seriousness before he replied. "No, it's a terrible idea."

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"Given how little we know about this ship-"

"Can't we at least try it," Camile cut Rush off. "And abort if something goes wrong?"

Everett watched as Rush shook his head, hand hovering over the console and tired eyes flickering between the two in the control interface room. Arms crossed, the Colonel's gaze darted down to his wrist and he twisted it to note the time. His watch no longer kept time with Earth. After a week on the ship he had a scientist reprogram it to keep time with Destiny's twenty-eight hour days. With the weird time schedule, 1400 hours became noon. It was currently 17:36, making it 3:36 pm Destiny time.

Young had spent much of the night prowling around the Destiny, familiarizing himself with the ship and the people. Rush had been working when Everett had turned in. Brow scrunched in concentration, Young tried to recall the last time he saw the man sleep; it bothered him that he could not.

Rush scoffed at the woman, hand rubbing the right side of his neck where it met his shoulder. He was looking away as he spoke, Highland accent thickening – whether it was in fatigue or annoyance, Young could not tell. "Well, unfortunately, the 'something goes wrong' part would most likely mean the ship exploding."

"Not according to the people who came up with the idea," Young argued back, but he did not sound convincing even to his own ears.

"Well, if only all science was that definitive, Colonel. You're just gonna have to choose who you wanna believe," Rush did not look away from the console until he was finished speaking. It was the sad but unfortunate truth, and no matter how much Rush pissed him off, Everett was inclined to believe the surly scientist over those white coated bureaucrats back on the Homeworld any day.

Camile shook her head in exasperation and annoyance; her high heels clicking loudly in the small room as she approached Rush. "Look Rush, we're just asking-"

"I know exactly what you're asking," he cut her off sharply. A shaking hand came up and rubbed at the base of his neck and Rush pinched his eyes closed as a headache pressed at the back of his skull.

Wray's lips pursed in a frown as pity shown in her eyes. They all knew how hard Rush had been working, and she felt guilt settle deep in her chest as she recalled Strom's words. She now understood that the reason Dr. Rush was not working on a way to get them home was not because he did not want too, he was just too busy trying to keep them all alive.

Everett watched intently as Camile raised a tentative hand, placing it on the scientist's forearm in comfort. But Rush did not take it that way. He flinched from the contact and jerked his arm away, a dark glare aimed at the small Asian woman. Camile stepped back from the harsh movement, hand falling limp to her side.

"If we are through here," Rush snapped at them, cheeks flushed in embarrassment at his reaction. "I have a lot of work to do." He turned from them, looking completely riveted at the console and ignoring them. His tense posture belayed his actions though, and Everett knew that Rush was completely aware of the others in the room.

Young sighed aloud as Camile scoffed, her face twisting in anger as she stomped out of the room. Everett was tempted to follow her, but he forced himself to stay as he recalled TJ's words in his office weeks ago. Something needed to be done about Rush and soon, before he crashed again. He scrubbed a hand down his face, palm catching on the several days' old stubble.

He saw Rush's eyes flick to him before returning to the screen. "Something I can help you with, Colonel?" The scientist asked nonchalantly, but his posture gave away his nervousness.

"Actually, there is," Young stepped closer to the man and he watched as brown eyes flickered back to him. Everett knew he had to approach this delicately, or it would turn into an all-out fight. A memory skimmed across the surface of his mind, one of Icarus Base.

It had been a few months after his posting, and he had taken an almost instantaneous dislike to the gruff doctor. A soldier under Telford's command had also taken a dislike to Rush, but unlike Young he made it known. They exchanged scathing words and not so subtle insults for weeks before the Colonel was forced to intervene.

Though willowy and of slight build, Rush was one hell of a scrapper. He gave as good as he got and fought dirty. To be honest, Young wasn't sure which one would have come out on top if the fight had continued. The display had not likened him to the man anymore, but it damn well sure made him respect the scientist.

Even now, Young could see that Rush was gearing himself up for a fight. His hands were clenched and his body was folded slightly, ready to spring from the stool to either run or tackle. The Colonel did not want to find out which. Settling on a plan quickly, he hoped to be spontaneous and confusing enough that Rush would not know how to react.

Everett placed a hand on the junction where Rush's shoulder met his neck, the same place Rush was constantly rubbing at when he was tired. He dug his thumb into the top of the spine when Rush tried to pull away, pulled him closer, forcing him to retake his seat or fall. Though wile, the Colonel was clearly the stronger of the two. Fingers digging into the console in a white knuckled grip, Rush retook his seat.

Rush's eyes darted to the gun holstered on the Colonel's hip and Young could feel the scientist's pulse jumping from where his fingers were pressed against the carotid artery. "Calm down, Rush. I'm not gonna hurt you."

He tried to sound reassuring, Rush did not find it so. His heart was pounding as the Colonel loomed over him and Everett could feel the slight trembling as Rush fought to remain still. The scientist opened his mouth to speak but swallowed thickly instead, tongue darting out to wet suddenly dry lips. Young would have found it amusing if he was not strategizing on the best way to get what he wanted. The only way for that to happen was to keep Rush off balance but not so much that he lashed out. It was a delicate process.

Young turned, pulling Rush along with him. Nicholas stumbled out of his chair, the Colonel's hand the only thing keeping him from becoming acquainted with the floor. He staggered after the taller man for several step before he was able to regain his balance. Rush gapped at him in shock, and Young fought to keep the smirk off his face. The scientist was almost complacent when he was so thoroughly confused.

"Colonel, wha-"

"Do you know what time it is, Rush?" Everett interjected lightly, voice taking on a playful tone.

Rush spluttered for several seconds, the hand tightening as he tried to jerk away. "What, no! Colonel! I demand-"

"It's lunch time, Rush," he continued jovially. Everett fought not to laugh at the incredulous look the angered scientist gave him. Thankfully the mess hall was not far from the Control Interface Room. Rush was just getting his bearings, body tensing as he prepared to fight when he was propelled into the cafeteria.

Young released him just before the doorway and Rush turned to him furious. The Colonel smiled at him, eyes sliding across the room and Nicholas' mouth snapped shut with an audible click as he took in the people. Cheeks flushed in anger, Rush turned to leave, but a heavy hand on his elbow halted him. He fought the automatic reaction to flinch away as Young smirked mischievously, pulling him further into the room.

"Thank you for joining me, Dr. Rush," Everett spoke loud enough to be heard by those near him, making it seem like Rush wanted to be there. Nicholas glared at the man and bit his tongue to keep the scathing reply behind his teeth. There was nothing he could say that would not cause a scene.

As Young pulled them into the food line - his restraining hand looking like a friendly touch to outsiders - Rush glowered and seethed in silence. As much as he hated to admit it, the situation had been well played. Minutes later, seated at the same table, they ate their lunch in silence. If anyone noticed the way Rush glared hatefully at the man across from him, or the smug grin of the Colonel, no one commented.

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"Nothing to worry about," Chloe told Eli as they stood around the table. Sergeant Riley was jotting down notes as Eli fiddled with the Kino. "Doesn't hurt at all."

"Do I look worried?" Eli questioned, trying to sound nonchalant but failing. Chloe crossed her arms, shivering slightly from the cold as they waited for the Colonel and Professor Eppes.

Chloe smiled softly at him, giving Eli a half shrug. "A little."

Eli smiled ruefully back at her. "Just trying to figure out what I'm gonna say to my mom."

"My family thinks I'm on sabbatical in Africa," Hunter commented, not looking up from his notepad.

"So, when it's time to come back, what do I do? Click my heels three times?" He changed the subject, laughing uncertainly.

Chloe snorted in amusement as Riley glanced up at them. "There's no way for you to disconnect the transmission yourself. The base needs to be manually shut down. There's a device on the other side as well, and turning either off will sever the connection."

"Pretty cool."

"Easiest way to swap consciousness with someone across the universe I've ever seen!"

Eli chuckled softly as Young strolled into the room. "What's with the Kino?"

"First time using the stones," Eli explained, bouncing in place. "Very exciting!" Young shared a glance with Chloe and she grinned at him. "Hey, where's Professor Eppes?"

Chloe looked down the hall as Eli questioned the Colonel, but she saw nothing. "He's not coming," Young replied. When he received confused glances from the two, he elaborated. "Said something about it being unnatural, didn't want his mind to be in somebody else's body, and then proceeded to give me statistics on what could go wrong. I didn't stick around."

Eli smiled sheepishly at the two. "Yeah, sounds like the Professor."

Young turned to Riley, giving him a slight nod before they all picked up the stones and placed them on the platform. Seconds later, Hunter watched as they shifted around, getting used to the new bodies. Telford rotated his neck and Doctor Williams grabbed Eli's shirt, tugging at it in distaste. "Any chance I could get something else to wear?"

Telford glanced around for Doctor Bailey, but didn't see a fourth person. "Sergeant," he snapped, turning to Riley, "Where's Professor Eppes?"

"Oh," Hunter replied, not intimidated but Telford's aggressiveness. "He decided to stay."

"What do you mean he decided to stay?!"

Dr. McCormack, in Chloe's body, scoffed at them. "He can't just decide to stay, this isn't a democracy."

Riley stared up at her with a blank look. "Professor Eppes is a civilian, who is currently neither working for -nor contracted with - the military or the government. Colonel Young has no authority over him. Professor Eppes declined to use the communication stones, which is in his rights as a civilian."

Telford clenched his jaw, annoyed. "Get me Doctor Rush, the First Lieutenant, and Professor Eppes, now!"

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Young watched as Chloe and Eli looked over their temporary bodies in fascination. Eli especially as he shifted around, turning to the camera footage of the room. Already used to the sensation and Telford's taller but thinner body, Everett waited patiently as the two civilians got familiar with the process. Eli smiled brightly, waving at the camera as he pointed to the screen.

"Wow!" He laughed, voice taking on an unfamiliar pitch. "Check me out!" Chloe smiled endearingly at him as he turned his attention back to the hands that were not his. "Okay, this is weird. The people we're in can't hear us, can they?" He asked Chloe uncertainly.

She smiled, red lipstick dark against tanned skin. It was not her face, but Eli could see his friend beneath the body. "No."

Doctor Bailey stood from the chair, face pinched in consternation. "Colonel Young!" The older man snapped, jowls shaking as he heaved his overweight frame closer to Telford's body. "What is the meaning of this?" Young's only response was to raise an eyebrow. He found it more difficult to do in David's body, his muscles not used to it. "Where is Professor Eppes, I was supposed to switch with him."

"Professor Eppes has abstained from using the stones at this time," Young replied condescendingly.

The man spluttered but could not get a word in as Eli cut in, oblivious to the tension in the room. "I wonder what they're doing with our bodies?" He chuckled. Young's eyes darted to him at the comment, concern pulling his lips down into an unnatural frown in Telford's body. The realization of the fact that Telford and two 'scientists' were now aboard Destiny just hit him. A feeling of trepidation ran down his spine.

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Telford gazed at the strange piece of wall art as he waited in the side room far away from the Stone Room that was safe. The door hissed opened behind him and he turned as three people entered dutifully. Lieutenant Scott looked uncertain and Professor Eppes appeared confused, but Rush was full of suspicion.

"Colonel Telford," Rush began, brown eyes taking in Young's body, but the slight off centering and antagonistic posturing. Nicholas would know Telford anywhere in anyone.

"I'll just get right to it," he began, voice cutting as if talking to disobedient children. Charlie shifted uncomfortably from behind Doctor Rush. "I've been ordered to enact the rescue plan put forward by the IOA."

"Rescue plan?" Rush's voice filled with disbelief, but his body was tight with tension.

Matt shook his head, hands gripped tightly in front of him as if to restrain himself from doing something stupid. "I don't understand."

Telford approached them slowly, getting used to Young's slightly off gait as his knee throbbed. Charlie resisted the urge to back away and Matt's gaze kept shifting between the Colonel and the Scientist. "I brought Doctors McCormack and Williams with me. I believe you know them," he commented to Rush.

"Yes," Nicholas replied slowly in confusion.

"I've already set them to work. Doctor Bailey was supposed to come as well but since Professor Eppes has refused to use the stones, he was left behind." His dark gaze turned to the smaller man and Scott shifted slightly in front of Charlie to pull the man's gaze away from him.

"What about Colonel Young?" Matt questioned, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of his stomach.

Telford turned his piercing gaze to the Lieutenant slowly, eyes fixing on all of them as he spoke with dark conviction. "Effective immediately, I'm assuming command of the Destiny."

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"You replaced me?" Young fought to keep the anger out of his voice as he stood before the General's desk. He was already in deep water; Everett didn't need to dive any deeper.

"For now," O'Neill commented nonchalantly.

"Without waiting to hear my answer?" He could not keep the incredulousness at bay if he had tried.

Jack leaned forward, elbows on his desk as he folded his hands before his face. "You were going to say...?"

"Give us more time."

O'Neill did not look surprised. "Then you were going to be disobeying a direct order."

"Sir-"

"Look," Jack cut in and Young sighed heavily as he turned his gaze to the ceiling, knowing what was about to come. "I offered you command of the expedition. You were my first choice. But you turned it down. Your exact words, as I recall, were, 'I don't think it's still in me, sir.'" O'Neill gesticulated as he tried to drive his point home.

"Well, I'm there now, sir," Young replied arms uncrossing as he pulled them behind his back, leaning forward as he fought to control his rage. "Whether I like it or not…whether anyone likes it. This is wrong and you know it. I spent most of my career looking up to you because you always did the right thing even if it meant disregarding the chain of command."

"Colonel," O'Neill interjected, leaning back in his chair as he observed the angered man. "Don't think I like this."

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"They can't do this to us, can they?" Eli did not quite shout in disbelief. They were all sitting in a small coffee room around a low table. Chloe was seated on the only couch, leaning forward slightly as her blue eyes darted between the two men. Young shifted his eyes away as the low cut shirt was pulled down further, revealing more cleavage of a body that was not hers. Chloe did not seem to notice which led Young to believe that she did not normally wear such shirts.

"Well, for now, they have. Look, I think it comes down to the fact that they don't trust Rush - and the truth is, I can't blame them. They don't understand the full situation and they wouldn't listen to me even if I felt inclined to explain it."

"What are we supposed to do?" Chloe questioned, eyes telling him that she would follow whatever order he gave.

Young acknowledged her silent commitment as his gaze darted to Eli's determined expression. "They've given you permission to see your families as long as you guys follow the rules." It was a silent command to keep their heads low and stay out of trouble.

"Look," Eli cut in, face twisting in anxiety. "I hate to go there, but what happens if they screw up and the ship explodes?"

The Colonel's face turned stern and voice grave, but he could not bring himself to lie. "Most likely we will die here, too." He paused as Eli and Chloe traded concerned looks of fear. "Look, apparently they're just doing some preliminary testing, information gathering, nothing too crazy. Right now we have the favor, both Rush and Eppes are still on the Destiny. They weren't planning for that. Between the two of them and the support of Lieutenant Scott and Sergeant Greer, the crew should be safe." He would not say more, not while they were being monitored.

"So what you're saying is: live it up while we can," Eli smiled nervously, but there was no real effort put into it.

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Greer shoveled the tasteless gruel masquerading as dinner into his mouth, eyes riveted on the table. Matt sat across from him, the other tables full except for theirs. Charlie was absent from this meal, hiding in the Control Interface Room with Doctor Rush. Greer had felt inclined to leave him there, he was safer with the surly Scotsman as a buffer than anywhere else at the moment with the power trip Telford was having. The Colonel still needed Doctor Rush and he would not do anything to piss him off as of yet.

Scott glanced up as the sound of footsteps echoed from the hall. He raised his eyebrows in warning at the Sergeant as Telford and two marines marched into the mess hall. Greer continued to eat, appearing nonchalant as his back remained to the door and thus the visitors, but Matt could see the tension lining his shoulders. "Colonel Telford, I presume," his southern accent became thick as he mocked the man without turning around.

"Sergeant," Telford replied. It was not a greeting, but a silent command. Greer sat for a few more seconds in defiance before he stood and turned to face him, tilting his head back to gaze down his nose at the man. Telford clenched his teeth at the silent insubordination, but he only turned and walked out. Greer followed after as the two marines, men he had trained, reluctantly led him out into the hall.

Telford marched quickly down the corridor, stopping when he finally found an unused living quarter. The hissed as he activated the wall panel, sliding open to reveal the empty room. Greer strolled into the small room without prompt, turning to give the Colonel a scathing glare. "He can use the facilities," Telford told the escort, smirk barely suppressed. "That's it."

The doors hissed as they locked and Greer seethed from behind them.

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Williams stood on the bench in the mess hall as the scientists and those that were needed gathered around. Charlie stood next to Brody, shifting uncomfortably in the packed room. Doctor Williams was in Eli's body, and Charlie could not bring himself to look at the man who was masquerading as his student. He had even changed out of Eli's clothes.

"And what if the power flow can't be controlled?" Riley Hunter questioned, causing a stir in the crowd as the implications of danger was brought to attention.

"Well, if there are any dangerous fluctuations, we just shut it down and allow the ship to continue powering up." The if it could be shut down was left unsaid.

"Early tests show it should work," Brody commented, sounding uncertain and dubious. The whole situation had left him and many others feeling uncomfortable and out of sorts at the impromptu take over from Homeworld.

Telford cut in before the uncertainty could get out of control. "We're not going to be putting you in any more danger than you're already in just being here."

Doctor McCormack, the young lady in Chloe's body interjected with another argument for the plan. "From what I gather, supplies are desperately short."

"And, given the condition of the ship, it could experience a fatal breakdown at any time," Williams added. Charlie felt like they were pushing the plan too fast, too hard. There was another agenda, but whatever it was Charlie could not see it.

Telford turned to Camile as if he expected her to contribute, but Wray kept her gaze planted on the floor and refused to comment. He narrowed his eyes at her, the Colonel had been told by Strom to expect her support. But he could not know how guilt ate at her and all Camile could see was Rush's tired and exhausted gaze as he fought to understand the ship, Charlie's rapidly thinning frame and the bruises under his eyes as he worked day in and out to keep them alive. And all she could recall was the Rush's voice and how it had wavered in fear as he fought against the plan.

Telford glared briefly at the small woman but continued on without her support. "Obviously we can't say for sure that this is going to get you home, but the best minds that we have are working on this and I'm sure you'll agree…" he paced the room, gazing around at the assembled crowd before he spotted the one he was looking for. Rush stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. They made eye contact, and though he was addressing the entirety of the room, his words were meant for Rush alone. "…It's well worth pursuing."

Rush stared at him a moment longer, face expressionless as he turned and quietly left the room.

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Telford walked into the Observation Deck, sighing in relief as his gaze settled on Rush. It had taken nearly two hours to track the man down, the crew of the Destiny surprisingly helpful in leading him in the wrong direction. Telford still was not certain if that was intentional, or if Rush's movements were so erratic that nobody really knew where he was. If the damned man had just answered his radio – his gaze fell on the table, the radio was off. Telford scoffed, of course it was.

Rush was sitting at one of the metal tables, laptop in front of him and hunched over the screen with abhorred posture. "Doctor Rush," he acknowledged as he walked further in the room, halting just before the bench as he gazed out of the floor to ceiling windows.

"Colonel," Rush replied caustically, gaze fixed on the screen.

Telford ignored his tone, eyes fixed on the flowing colors of the FTL vortex. "It is spectacular, isn't it?"

Rush glanced up at the man before he too took in the scene. "Yes," he agreed quietly, nearly reluctant. He had to proceed cautiously; Colonel Telford was not like Colonel Young. The man was unpredictable, known for quick violent outbursts that never got reported. Rush never did like him.

Telford waited for a heartbeat, turning away from the beautiful view and walking over to the seated man. "If this plan has any chance of succeeding-"

"Which it doesn't," Rush snapped at him. Telford halted a half a pace away, not quite hovering but nearly. Nicholas turned to him, keeping both eyes on him as a tight feeling of foreboding settled in his stomach. He never thought he would admit it, but Rush wished for Young just then. "Control over most of the ship's operational systems is limited at best. Navigation, propulsion and many others have been locked out entirely by a master code which we have had no luck in breaking." When he turned back to his laptop, Rush made sure to turn his head so Telford remained in his peripheral at all times.

"Thought you might wanna know we've come up with a way of draining the power," the Colonel did not quite sigh in frustration.

"Yes, so I heard. Many of the power conduits have been badly damaged, and firing the ship's weapons system - without either repairing them or isolating the damaged areas - would be prohibitively dangerous."

"Yeah, that's what we're working on right now. Just wanted to keep you informed," Rush watched him leave until he turned and disappeared around the corner.

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"She's not gonna understand," Eli told Major Green, the air condition on high as the math student talked around in circles through his slight nervous breakdown. "She can barely follow an episode of 'Star Trek'!"

Green turned to the younger man. "You don't have to tell her," he reminded him for the fourth time; hopefully Wallace would hear him this time.

Eli opened the car door slowly, walking up the steps to the front porch. Each step felt harder and harder, as if his feet were waited down in cement. Too soon, he was on the porch, knocking on the front door that he had insisted be painting Tardis blue when he had gone through a 'Doctor Who' phase.

The door opened before he could lose his courage and run back to the car. Before him stood his mother wearing a bright red shirt under a burgundy sweater. Her eyes looked tired, more wrinkles lining them then he remembered. A feeling of guilt clenched around his heart as he took in her frazzled appearance and exhausted demeanor. Had he done this to her?

"Yes?" She asked tersely and Eli was shaken out of his observation.

He smiled at her nervously. "Hi. Uh-"

"Can I help you?" She cut in, annoyance coloring his tone.

"My name is…" he started hesitantly, debating silently with himself before he sighed in defeat and cowardice. "...Philip. Philip Fry. I work with your son."

Her demeanor changed instantly, shifting forward as hope and desperation warred across her face. "You know Eli?"

"We've recently become very close…" his eyes darted around as if unsure if it was a statement or a question.

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Chloe could not tear her gaze away from the mirror, the reflection of a woman she did not know staring back at her. Her mother gazed at her sadly from the doorway, knocking softly before she entered. Chloe turned to her, smiling with lips that were not hers. Her mom smiled back, coming to sit next to her on the bed.

"It doesn't feel real," her daughter said sadly, shaking her head as her eyes took in her bedroom. "It's like a bad dream."

"You're here," she told her, gazing at the strange face. "If this is the only way, I can live with that."

"I can't stay this way forever, Mom."

"I know," she replied, fighting to make eye contact, afraid that she would not see her daughter in the gaze. "Everyone's working very hard to get you home."

"I'm trying to get through this, I am," Chloe choked on the words.

Mrs. Armstrong reached over, taking her daughter's hand, because no matter what body she was in, this was her little girl. "Your father always used to say-"

"'One step at a time.'" There was a silence that seemed to stretch forever. "I miss him so much."

"Me too," she replied, wrapping her daughter up in her arms, Monique hugged her tightly. "Me too."

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Sparks flew from the torch as Riley welded the pipe together, the spacesuit making it hard to see. Brody stood a little further off, checking the integrity of the wall he had just patched. He stood, stepping away from the wall as he turned to Riley.

"That's it for me."

"I'm almost done over here," Riley replied.

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Rush looked up from the console where he had been monitoring the two fixing the corridor. Telford, Williams, and McCormack walked in, the Colonel exuding anger while the scientists had a permanent twist of annoyance across their faces.

"You're stalling," Telford snapped at him and Rush resisted the urge to sigh.

"I'm doing things the way they need to be done," Rush replied with no emotion, fingers darting around the screen.

Williams stepped up next to Telford, gesturing angrily with his hand, imploring Rush to listen to his reason. "Now, we've isolated power to forty percent of the operational weapons system and it should be good enough to get us a read on our power reduction capability."

Rush shook his head through the entire spiel, pursing his lips to keep the scathing words at bay. Telford leaned closer, trying to intimidate the Scotsman. "The next time we drop out of FTL-"

"No, look, look," Rush argued back, anger seeping into his tone. "This ship is old and damaged. The computers aren't registering half the things they're supposed to," he gestured to the console in exasperation. "I want manual confirmation before activating any system that comprehensive."

"Over eighty percent of this ship is inaccessible without spacesuits right now," Telford snapped back, tone taking on an authoritive bite to it as he tried to stare the doctor down. "With only two suits, doing it your way could take months."

Rush turned back to the console, voice calm and firm. "If that's what it takes."

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Brody sealed the door as Riley activated the ship's communications through the suit. He was breathing hard, visor collecting his breath and condensing into fog leaving behind droplets. "Doctor Rush, we're ready here."

"Okay," he replied through the radio, voice cracking over the system. "Sending power through." Riley moved back towards Brody, peering through the small port window in the bulkhead. They held their breaths and crossed their fingers, but seconds later steam erupted from the pipe that Riley had been welding. An alarm began to sound and Rush's voice came crackling through the communications. "Riley!?"

"Looks like a coolant leak," Riley replied.

Brody turned to him, communications with the ship still open. "I thought you got it."

"Yeah, so did I."

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The alarm continued to ping around the room, quiet enough to not be distracting, but annoying enough to get someone's attention. Rush's fingers darted around the console, typing in commands as Telford and the two scientists peered over his shoulder.

"There's a problem. Power's backing up in the relay," Rush told them, whether he was talking to the two in the suits or those in the room was anyone's guess.

"Shut it down!" Telford snapped at him.

"I'm trying. It's not working."

"The problem is contained," Williams stepped in, reaching over and pointing to something on the screen. "It's restricted to that corridor."

"That's not the point!" Rush barked at the younger man in annoyance.

Telford scrubbed a hand down his face. "How big an explosion are we talking about?"

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"I'm going in," Riley did not quite shout as he hit the panel to unseal the bulkhead. "I can seal it."

Brody turned, grabbing him as he tried to pull him away from the door. "Are you crazy? You can't go in there!"

"We're on the hull!" Riley yelled at him, shoving the smaller man aside and stepping over the threshold. He stopped long enough to seal the door as Brody pulled himself off the floor and ran for the bulkhead. He was too late, the door was sealed.

Riley moved over to the venting steam, crouching on the ground to grab the torch.

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"Rush!" Telford shouted angrily as he demanded information, distracting the doctor as he tried to divert the energy.

"We're in FTL!" Rush bellowed at them, gesturing widely as he tried to explain it as quickly as possible and come up with a solution. "If it punctures the hull, disrupts the shield at all even for a microsecond, then the entire ship could be in jeopardy."

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Brody gazed through the window in trepidation, bouncing slightly as he cursed softly. Riley desperately tried to weld the break, but a spark hit the coolant and the gas ignited. There was a moment, half a heartbeat when the spark lit and the flames erupted into an inferno of heat and fire. Riley was thrown across the corridor, low gravity doing nothing to ease the blow as he crashed into the wall with a crunch and crumpled onto the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

"RILEY!" Brody cried in anguish, but there was no reply.

The fire extinguished quickly with no air to feed it. Riley lay unmoving on the floor, blood decorating his visor like the water droplets from his breath. Brody screamed.

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Brody trembled slightly from his position sitting on the floor. He had been sitting outside the Infirmary for nearly three hours, covered in sweat that quickly cooled in the too cold ship, leaving him shivering. But he refused to leave and change, not while Riley was still being treated. Rush stood not far off, leaning against the wall. Brody had honestly been surprised that the man had not wondered off yet to start working on a new problem.

The sound of footsteps drew their attention, and Adam scrambled to stand quickly as TJ approached them. He looked at her anxiously as Rush came to stand beside him. "It's, um," she started, voice cracking as she turned her gaze to the floor. "It's gonna be touch and go."

Adam swallowed around the lump in his throat as his gaze was riveted on his friend…his best friend. Riley looked so fragile, laying on the steel table, white blanket covering him and bandages wrapped around his head. Rush passed him, pausing to lay a hand on his shoulder. Brody did not turn to him; he did not even seem to notice. Rush sighed and left for the Mess Hall.

The walk was longer then he remembered, but that may have been because he was moving slower than usual. Rush berated himself silently for getting attached to these people, their chances of survival dwindling every day. Getting attached would only lead to heartache, but it was too late for that. How could he not get attached, already he found himself seeking out the company of certain people, Eli for one, Eppes was another.

He would not admit it out loud but every now and then he even sought out the Colonel. Not for conversation, most definitely not, but sometimes he had this need, this urge to just see the man. Most of the times the interactions he had had with Young had ended in arguments and scathing remarks, but somehow he was beginning to enjoy their exchange of sarcastic quips and badly veiled threats. It made him uncomfortable for Telford to be walking around in Young's body.

It had only been a few seconds from when he had gotten his food and sat down to eat it before said man walked up and sat across from him. Rush paused in eating his breakfast, gazing up at the man with exhausted eyes. Nicholas could not remember the last time he had slept, certainly not with Telford onboard. He did not trust the man.

"We're proceeding with the test next time we drop out of FTL," the Colonel told him, voice cold and demanding.

"Colonel," Rush sighed as he set his spoon down. He always hated being the voice of reason. Usually he was on the other side of the argument, and somebody else was telling him to shove his idea where the sun does not shine. "The man nearly died."

Telford's lip curled in a snarl, hand coming up to point accusingly at Rush. "You're the one who put him in jeopardy."

"I was trying to make sure you didn't kill us all," Rush made the statement seem almost casually amused.

"I'm not going to," Telford bit out caustically.

"Okay," Nicholas began, word escaping like a sight. "I accept responsibility for what happened, but you forced the situation, and activating the weapons system the way you're proposing…is completely reckless," his lips twisted in a snarl at the last few words, brown eyes heated in a glare filled with anger and hate.

Telford rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Come on, Rush. These people are in danger just being here, evidenced by what just happened. The ship is falling apart. They're the wrong people for this. We need to get them home."

"Yeah, well, there's a right way of doing that."

"We are doing it the right way."

There was a pause, the silence lasting only a few seconds before Rush brought his gaze back up to the Colonel. "That's a matter of opinion."

Telford folded his hands on the table, thumbs tapping together as he brought his temper down to a manageable level. Rush was more stubborn then a mule and David likened him to steel. He would break before he would bend. "Look," he began, mind in furious action as he tried to think of the best way to get the scientist's cooperation. "I know that we've had our differences in the past-"

"Yeah," Rush butted in, chin tilting up in a defensive reaction. His accent thickened slightly as he griped at the man. "You wanted me off the expedition team. I remember."

"It was my duty to express concern for how everyone else felt about you," Telford replied calmly, hand waving around as if to gesture to the 'everyone else'.

"So are you suggesting that my judgment is now somehow clouded? Or is it that I'm just plain lying?" Rush questioned, voice dripping with darkness. His head tilted like a bird as he scrutinized the Colonel.

Telford smirked deviously, leaning forward on bent arms to sneer at the other man. "Admit it, Rush. After everything that's happened, you're afraid they're not going to let you come back," his voice was taunting and Rush held his gaze for a moment before he stood fluidly and left the Mess Hall, leaving behind his barely eaten dinner.

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The phone rang as Eli stood before the mirror, hands going up and down his stomach. It was weird to be suddenly so thin, but Eli hoped that one day he could look like that in his own body. With the way food was rationed, it should not have been long now.

"Hello?" Eli answered the phone as he flopped himself down on the hotel couch.

"Hey, it's me," a voice that was not Chloe's came through the phone, but Eli could recognize her particular cadence and pronunciations in anyone.

"How's it going?" Eli grinned enthusiastically as he made himself comfortable.

"Uh, OK. How'd your mom take it?"

Eli grimaced before answering. "Couldn't do it. I told her I was a co-worker."

"I told my friends I'm Cousin Liz from out west."

He laughed for a few seconds, amusement clear in his tone. "I may have over-sold the job. I said I was gonna change everything for mankind as we know it!" His face twisted into something a little more self-deprecating. "What the hell, right? Might as well make her feel like I left for a good reason."

"You did," Chloe argued.

"Right. I guess so," but he did not sound convinced.

There was a moment of silence before Chloe decided to change topics to keep the mood light. "So, uh, some of my old friends are taking 'Cousin Liz' out on the town to see Janelle Monae. You wanna come hang out with us?"

"Hell, yes!"

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Colonel Young sat in the car outside of a quant two story house on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The house was old and had the appeal of a home well loved. Two vehicles were parked in the driveway, a black government issued SUV and an old station wagon. The lawn was well maintained; trim short but still bright green despite the cold. The garden was bare of flowers but the ground was freshly turned. It took nearly too much effort to pull himself from the vehicle that Homeworld Command had lent him.

The walk up to the front porch seemed to take forever. Dead leaves crunching under his booted feet as he walked up to the door. Everett paused there, hand raised to knock before he steeled himself. The door was answered promptly by a young man of roughly the same height and build as he…well, when he was in his own body that was.

"Can I help you?"

"Agent Eppes?" Young questioned unnecessarily, he had gone over the dossiers of every one of Professor Eppes' family and friends in the car. When the man nodded in confirmation Young relaxed into a parade rest. It was obvious he was military, even without the uniform. "My name is Colonel Telford, may I come in?"

Agent Eppes' eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he moved aside none the less. Young inclined his head in gratitude before entering. Though he hated masquerading as somebody he was not, the family he was visiting was not cleared to know about the Stargate or anything pertaining to it. The Eppes brother led him into the kitchen where two older men were sitting. A young woman of Middle Eastern decent was at the counter preparing some sort of salad. It took only a moment to put the faces to the names of the dossiers he had read.

Amita Ramanujan moved away from the counter and joined Alan Eppes, Charlie's father, and Doctor Larry Fleinhardt, Charlie's professor, at the table. "Donnie?" Alan questioned, standing slowly as a warm smile settled naturally upon his face. "Who's your friend?"

"Colonel Telford, sir," Young answered before 'Donnie' could. "I'm here about your son."

Alan raised an inquiring eyebrow, smile sliding from his face as the corners of his mouth turned down. "Don?"

Donald Eppes' gaze flitted between his father and the Colonel, confusion prominent in his expression. Young found himself smiling despite himself. "No sir, your other son."

Everything seemed to freeze at the words. The silence that followed was palpable and Young shifted in uncertainty. "Charlie?" Alan whispered, face twisting in grief. The older son looked like he had been punched in the gut while Amita and Doctor Fleinhardt turned their gaze upon the Colonel. "What happened? Where is he? Is he okay? He said he would write but that was over a month ago. We haven't heard anything and nobody will tell us-"

Colonel Young lifted his hand to halt the desperate words. "Mr. Eppes, your son is fine."

Alan seemed to crumple into his chair in relief and Don hurried over to him in worry. Amita rose quickly, gesturing to an empty chair. "Please," she implored him to sit as she rushed to the cabinet and started to get water for everyone. Everett waited patiently as she gathered beverages, letting the family settle with good news before he presented the bad. Doctor Fleinhardt gave him a queer look as he took the proffered glass and took a sip.

"Colonel Telford, was it?" Larry questioned as all attention turned to them. Everett nodded his head as he took another sip. "Charlie's okay? Truly?"

"Yes," he replied honestly, hands folded on the table as he set the glass down. "Look, there is a lot I can't tell you," the 'it's classified' went unsaid but clearly understood.

"What can you tell us?" Don did not quite snap as he took his own seat next to his father. Amita and Doctor Fleinhardt were crowded by the end of the table; Everett sat alone on the other side.

Young sighed, running a hand through hair that was not his. That was a very good question, and Everett found that he had to pick his words very carefully. "Professor Eppes and his student, Eli Wallace, were transported on site at the scheduled time," he began hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably as four sets of eyes fixed on him. "Shortly after arrival a…situation unfolded."

Larry blinked at him oddly, hands folded before him. "What kind of situation?"

Everett paused, words running through his head before settling on a half-truth. "The base was attacked." The collective gasp of surprise and disbelief was expected, Amita bursting into tears was not. "Professor Eppes," it was weird calling him that after calling him Charlie for so long, "and his student, along with eighty-six others were able to escape."

"How bad was it?" Don questioned as his father began to look queasy.

Young sighed scrubbing at his face as he remembered counting survivors and ticking off names from the roster of those unaccounted for. It was not until five days later that he learned nobody else made it out but those who escaped through the gate. "The base was destroyed, no other survivors." There was a moment of silence as the implications passed through them.

"When, uh," Alan began, clearing his throat. "When are you bringing my son home?"

And that was the crux of the situation, when were any of them coming home. "We are working on it…"

"But…" Larry prompted.

"It isn't that easy."

"What the fuck do you mean it isn't that easy?" Don shouted, hand slamming on the table. "Of course it's that easy, go and fucking get them!"

"Don-"

Alan tried to interject but the FBI Agent did not give him the chance. "No dad. You look here, Colonel whatever your name was. That's my baby brother out there, you go and get him!"

The quiet that followed his outburst was tangible. Several seconds seemed to pass before the Agent deflated back into his chair. Young's gaze turned compassionate as he looked at him. Don only wanted to protect his little brother, but he could not, not here on Earth billions of light years from the Destiny.

"We have no way of reaching them," he began quietly, words nearly whispered. "And they have no way of getting to us. They are so far behind enemy lines you couldn't even imagine," it was not quite the truth, but Young thought that the situation fit close enough. "Right now your brother is alive, a few stones lighter then you last saw him but that is his own damn fault," a few chuckles went up around the table. Clearly Charlie's forgetfulness was not a new development.

"Please," Alan began, brown eyes imploringly turned to him. "Be honest, how bad is it?"

"Honestly?" Everett asked, waiting for confirmation to be certain. He continued once he received it. "Not good. They have limited supplies, food is being rationed, but they don't have enough to last another month. Water is a fluctuating priority, they did find a water source several weeks back, but they had to leave it behind. Luckily they were able to collect enough to last to the end of the month. Power is an ongoing issue, but they have shelter so that counts for something."

He gave them a few moments to let the information sink in before he continued. "Right now Command is working on a way of getting them home, but if you want my personal opinion…I don't think it will work," Everett held up a hand to stall the questions. "I can't go into details, but the plan is dangerous, maybe even fatally. If we knew the exact location we could work off of that but-"

"Couldn't you use a satellite to locate their position?" Amita asked, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

"No," he answered, but he refused to explain any further stating it was another one of those 'classified' situations. "Look," he continued after a few moments, guilt eating at him as he took in their desperate expressions. "Charlie is doing okay, he's not great…nobody is, but he is okay."

"Is he, uh…" Alan started, his eyes red but dry. "Is he eating, you know sometimes, he uh-"

Don cut in as his father was loss for words. "Sometimes he gets lost in his head and forgets the important things."

Everett snorted in amusement. "I know exactly what you mean, trust me. He isn't the only one onb-" he stopped himself mid word, having almost said 'onboard the Destiny'. Clearing his throat awkwardly he continued after a few seconds. "Well, he isn't the only one. Colonel Young, he's the uh…the one in charge of the survivors, well anyway, he's making sure everyone is taken care of. Sergeant Greer has taken it upon himself to make sure your son eats and sleeps at least the bare minimum."

A moment of stunned silence before Alan's eyes started to crinkle in amusement. "Really? I could never pull Charlie away from those blackboards with a crowbar if I had tried."

Everett laughed with the group, the conversation taking on a little lighter tone. "Well, Greer is twice Charlie's size and doesn't really give the professor a choice." When Don's eyes snapped to him in suspicion, Young found himself clarifying. "It's not what you think, Greer would never harm you son," he told Mr. Eppes. "You see the…third?...day there Charlie saved the Sergeant's life along with Lieutenant Scott's and inadvertently the entire crew," at their confused looks he clarified. "A situation came up and Sergeant Greer and Lieutenant Scott were carrying precious cargo that the others needed in order to survive…without it they would have died in less than a day. Charlie…uh," he paused unsure how to phrase it without revealing too much. "Well, Charlie 'kept the way clear' with the possibility of losing life and limb…anyway, Greer feels like he owes him so he's been watching out for the professor."

"Really…my Charlie did that?" Alan asked both stunned and proud. Everett nodded to him slowly in confirmation. "When do you think he'll be home?" He asked quietly, voice breaking uncomfortably over the words.

Everett gazed at their hopeful faces and felt pity twist in his gut. He did not have anything waiting for him if – no, when he got home, but Charlie did. His family cared deeply about the professor and the Colonel felt envious for a moment. "Hopefully within the next few months, but…" he reached across the table, hand settling on the father's wrist in comfort. "It could be a lot longer than that."

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Young was sitting on the back steps of Charlie's house, beer in hand and gazing at the happy friends and family. Though the news that Charlie wouldn't be home for a while, the fact that he was alive and okay seemed to lighten everyone's spirits. Alan was barbequing stake and ribs on the grill, his son talking sports next to him while draining another beer. Amita sat at the picnic table laughing at them.

A contented smile spread across his face as a chill wind blew past, ruffling his hair and bringing the scent of winter with it. The sound of footsteps had him turning, Doctor Larry Fleinhardt coming out from the kitchen. The older man settled on the step next to him, a cup of hot tea cradled in his pale hands. A comfortable silence settled over them for a few minutes before a feeling of vertigo overtook the Colonel.

He reached to grab the banister, except his hand hit metal. When he opened his eyes, he was back on the Destiny

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Scott walked into the Control Interface Room, body tight with anger as he tried to make himself relax. Chloe and Eli were working on the consoles near the Colonel and it took Matt a few seconds to remember that the people walking around were not who he thought they were. McCormack in Chloe's body turned to him as he marched into the room, but she didn't look at him like Chloe did, and soon dismissed him and returned her attention to the screen.

He glanced around for Rush or Eppes, but they both were conspicuously absent. Not that he blamed them. From what he had gathered, Rush and Telford did not have the best of relationships, even worse than Rush and Young. And Charlie, well, he was so wound with tension that Matt would not have been surprised if he had snapped.

Several hours ago Scott had tracked him down into the coolant systems where he had sequestered himself away in. With Greer in lockup, Matt had taken it upon himself to make sure that the 'baby genius', as Greer put it, got something to eat. Despite the fact that Greer seemed to make Charlie uncomfortable at the best of times, the professor had been surprised and a little sullen when he heard the news that the Sergeant had been detained.

As soon as he had eaten his rations, Charlie had disappeared down the hall and by the time Matt reached the junction, the mathematician was nowhere in sight. He had heard from Volker that the two new scientists Williams and McCormack had been hassling him for help so he was not surprised at all that the little professor had found himself a hidey-hole.

"Excuse me. Colonel? Can I have a word?" He asked, hoping his tone did not sound as frustrated to them as it did him.

"One moment," Telford said to the scientists, holding up a single finger and walking over to Scott.

"It's about Sergeant Greer-" Scott paused as Destiny dropped out of FTL and Telford stumbled forward and caught himself on console. He stared around the room in confusion and Scott gave him a concerned look. "Colonel Telford?"

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Telford's hand hit wood as he leaned against the porch railing, staring around the yard in confusion. Larry moved closer, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Colonel, are you okay?"

David turned to him slowly, but his eyes showed no recognition, seconds later it was gone and Larry questioned if he had seen it at all. "I'm fine, just a little jet lagged," Telford replied, but he sounded unsure.

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Young's gaze turned around the whole room, taking in Chloe and Eli as they too shared in his confusion. "It's not," he told Scott as the Lieutenant flustered around him like a concerned mother hen. "It's Young. What just happened?"

"We just dropped out of FTL, sir."

"Uh, what's going on?" Chloe asked as she leaned forward on the console, hand raised above a bunch of buttons as if she had been about to input something.

"It must have disrupted communication between the stones," Eli supplied as he took in his new uniform.

"Scott, listen to me," Everett interrupted. "We don't have a lot of time. You've gotta-"

"Colonel Young?" Scott asked hesitantly as Young stopped speaking mid-sentence. "Colonel Young!" He tried again when he got no reply.

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"That's some form of jet lag you've got there," Larry told him as Young stumbled against the counter. The others were still outside, but the doctor and he had relocated into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Everett began, clearing his throat. "It was a really long flight." Several billion light years' worth.

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

"What just happened?" Telford asked as his brain started to finally kick in. Being pulled from one body to the other and back without warning had left him confused and off balance.

"We just dropped out of FTL," Scott replied, déjà vu settling upon him.

"Looks like it might have temporarily disrupted the communication device," Williams supplied. It was officially getting weird with how repetitive he was finding the situation. Eli had just said similar words barely moments ago.

"We have to fix that," Telford commented as he turned and started marching down the hall in long strides.

"Sir," Scott began hesitantly following the man along the corridor. "I think Colonel Young wanted me to shut down the stones."

Telford stopped suddenly and Scott nearly ran into him. The Colonel turned sharply, face tight as his lips pursed in anger. "This is no longer his command. Is that clear?" He waited for a moment for any sign of insubordination, but Scott held his tongue. "The device stays on."

Scott watched him retreat further down the hall and he sighed softly as he steeled himself to do what he knew he must.

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Young drove down the freeway quickly, weaving in and out of traffic as the sun set in the distance. The phone was pressed tightly against his ear as he drove to the hotel that the Air Force had set him up in. "A glitch?! That's one helluva glitch, General."

"That's what I'm being told, Colonel," Jack replied over the phone, sounding unworried and carefree. If Young had not known the General so well, the nonchalant attitude would have pissed him off. "They're working on it."

"Yes, sir. Just let me know," he replied hanging up the phone. If only the glitch would have lasted several seconds longer.

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

Eli sat upon the couch across from Chloe, nearly yelling in order to be heard. "They said it was some sort of glitch, apparently," he told her as he put the phone in his pocket. "It won't happen again."

"How do they know?" Chloe's words slurred as she tried to keep Eli in focus, but then decided that settling on one Eli was the better way to go.

"I don't know," Eli replied smiling, and Chloe winced as the double vision faded in and out. "Right now, I don't care! Did you see the girl I was dancing with?! She wrote her e-mail address on my hand!"

"I hate this," Chloe replied, lifting her glass to her lips while Eli gazed at the words on his palm in elation. "I hate everybody."

Eli's hands folded into his lap, an enduring expression crossing his features. "Hey, Captain Buzzkill," his voice was flat as he reached over and pulled the glass away as she attempted to down the entire drink in one go. "Whoa-whoa-okay. No more drinks for Cousin Liz!" He laughed quietly as set the drink on the table to his left, too far for Chloe to reach.

Chloe's hand came up, nearly hitting him in the face as she pointed across the dance floor. "You see those two over there?" He followed her finger to a pretty blonde and snobbish looking pretty boy. "My best friend Celina and my ex-boyfriend."

Eli turned back to her, eyebrows scrunched in as he smirked at her. "You could do better," he told her honestly, smiling out to the dance floor as she continued to glare at the two. "D'you wanna dance?"

"I think I wanna go over there and punch him in the face," she replied drunkenly.

"Hey! Hey!" Eli did not quite shout as he grabbed her arms and shook her a little to get her attention. "I have an idea!" When she dragged her gaze to him and settled on one of the Eli's, he continued. "How 'bout we get outta here?"

Getting out of the club was more difficult than Eli had first believed. Trying to dodge bodies while half supporting, half dragging his best friend who refused to use her legs as not easy. She seemed to sober up a little when they got outside, the fresh air doing wonders. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy." Eli mumbled as they tottered down the street and to their rented car.

"This is awful," Chloe told him as they passed the line of people still waiting to get in. "I'm not even drunk at all."

"Really?!" Eli laughed as he fished the keys out of his pocket. "'Cause you seem drunk."

"My head's just all foggy."

Eli chuckled softly to himself, amused. "Almost there. Come on, come on."

"Usually it makes me feel better," she commented as he helped her over to the car.

"Huh!" He grunted in amusement but she did not seem to notice.

"At least for a little while."

Eli unlocked the car and helped her into the passenger seat. She seemed to pour into the seat, boneless and limp. "It usually makes me dizzy. And then I fall asleep." The door slammed shut and he rushed around to the other side and got in just as the rain started to fall. He turned to Chloe as she made a strange gasping noise and found her bawling, mascara running down her cheeks as she cried. Turning skywards in mock despair, he tried to lighten the mood. "Just once, I'd like to go out with a girl and not have it end with her crying."

"My life was so shallow and pointless," Chloe mumbled through her tears, wiping her face and smearing her makeup. "And then I started working with my dad. I really thought that I could do something, make a difference."

"You can."

She just started to sob harder. "These aren't even my tears!"

"I'm sorry," Eli bit out as he tried not to laugh at her but failed. He took a moment to pull himself together long enough to speak without laughing. "If it makes you feel better, I had a really great time tonight."

She sniffled, turning to him and trying to smile through her tears. "I'm glad."

"D'you know the last time a girl that hot told me I was cute?" He paused to think about it. "Never."

Wiping her tears she turned to him as she began to calm down. "Doesn't it bother you that she wasn't really talking about you?"

Eli looked down to the seat, chest tight with sadness. "Well…" he mumbled quietly. "When you put it like that…"

She turned to him quickly, mortified at her words. "Oh, I didn't mean that. Come on. You're cute!" He scoffed as she leaned closer. "The real you." For a second he thought she was going to lean in and kiss him. But of course she did not. "What?" She asked, confused at the expression that had just crossed over his features.

"Nothing! Go on…you were saying?"

"And you're funny too. And you're a genius…"

He flushed in embarrassment. "Oh..."

"And..." she paused and Eli leaned his head back, suspecting she was going to say something else embarrassing.

"Don't say it."

"...you're a good friend," Chloe finished, and Eli sighed in resignation.

"Yes," he said bitterly. "That's me. I'm a good friend!"

Chloe leaned back into her seat. "I don't wanna be trapped on that ship. And I don't wanna be stuck here like this. I can't feel anything, can you?"

Eli gazed at her fondly, smiling a little. "Well-" he started, but she continued as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"You know what's the worst part about having a father like mine?"

"Whoa," he blinked, forehead scrunching in confusion as he tried to follow her train of thought. "How did we get onto that?"

"You can't live up to it. He was so great." She sighed heavily. "I'll never be like he was," she started to cry again, and Eli leaned forward in worry. "My dad definitely would have punched Josh in the face!" She bit out angrily through the tears.

Eli giggled quietly to himself, trying to keep quiet in his amusement as Chloe wallowed in her misery. "Wow!" He laughed, starting the car. "I think I'm gonna take you home."

"Could you take me home?" She asked as if she did not hear him. Eli turned to her, bewildered.

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

Camile entered the Observation Deck slowly, gazing out at the stars in wonder. She would never get old of the view, but she would give it up in a heartbeat if that meant she could go home. She approached Rush slowly, trying to gage his mood from his posture as he leaned against the railing. He turned to her as she stopped next to him, smiling hesitantly, but he did not smile back.

"A lot of people are behind this," she stated, voice low and uncertain.

"Well, a lot of people play the lottery. What's surprising is they'd do it with their lives," his accent was thick, soothing to listen to, but the words held bite.

"I know you're opposed," she continued. "I have serious concerns myself. I'm just wondering how much safer it might be if you and Professor Eppes were involved."

"Have you brought this up with Charlie?" He questioned curiously.

She stared at him for a moment before scoffing in exasperation. "I tried, I had actually intended to talk to him first…but I couldn't find him," Rush snorted in amusement as she stared out the window sullenly. A few seconds later Camile turned back to him. "Doctor Rush, please, all I'm asking is that you just make sure they don't do anything to get us all killed."

Rush regarded her with an emotionless stare and Camile fought not to fidget under his gaze. The sound of weapon fire and the bright flash in space drew their attention out into the darkness.

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Greer watched the weapons discharge from the small window with trepidation as Scott paced the tiny cell. "They can't keep me locked up in here forever," Greer told him quietly.

Scott looked over at him, taking in his twitchy form and barely caged fury lurking behind nearly black eyes. "But you know he will, long as he can. What you did..." he left the sentence unfinished; it did not need to be.

They chuckled quietly, remembering the incident. "He had it coming to him. Look, just shut down the damn stones."

Scott shook his head sadly, looking down to the floor. He couldn't bring himself to meet his friend's gaze. "I'm not you, Ron. He's our commanding officer-"

Greer turned to him angrily, words biting on his tongue like lashes. "Colonel Young is our commanding officer!"

"Telford's got guards posted twenty-four seven. What am I supposed to do?"

Greer turned back to the window, annoyance covering his features. He knew what he would have done, but Matt…Matt would not do what needed to be done unless there was no other choice. "This better work."

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Telford entered the Gate Room with quick strides, intent evident in his posture. His gaze zeroed in on Rush, the scientist hunched over the far left console. "What are you doing?" He asked, approaching the Scotsman.

Rush glanced up from the console, gaze darting around the empty room. Being alone with Telford made him uneasy, and Nicholas comforted himself with the fact that he was closer to the exit then the Colonel. He had always been fast; he could make it if he had too.

"I'm making sure we still have enough power to control these consoles when approaching the star."

Telford bit back his suspicion, a smug grin fighting its way on his face. He knew the surly man would come around eventually, now only if he could find Professor Eppes. "Doctor Williams says you've come up with a way of improving the odds of success."

"Well, I don't wanna die, Colonel."

"Good. Hopefully we've proven that's not our goal."

He walked away just as the lights started to go out and Destiny was plunged into darkness.

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Everett stepped out of the shower, towel around his waist as steam billowed out of the bathroom. He swiped a hand across the foggy mirror, leaving behind droplets of condensation. David's reflection stared back. Blinking, he opened his eyes and found himself back aboard the Destiny.

"What?" He questioned glancing around confused. His eyes settled on the Scotsman. "Rush?"

Rush gave him a puzzled a look and seconds later it came to him. The Colonel's demeanor had changed into something he was more familiar with. Nicholas would never admit it, especially out loud, but a felt something tight uncoiling in the pit of his stomach and the feeling of relief wash over him. "Colonel Young!"

Young gave him a look full of determination. "Rush, don't let them g-"

"Colonel?" Rush questioned, taking a half step towards the man before that tight feeling returned. It wasn't Colonel Young anymore. Telford turned to him with a confused expression. "Colonel Telford, everything okay?"

Telford seemed to pull himself together as he straightened. "It will be soon enough," he said indomitably and marched further down the dark corridor. Rush was left standing there with a feeling of foreboding settling over him. He needed to find Eppes immediately.

Nicholas' long strides carried him quickly further into the heart of the ship, plan already forming in his mind. He had an idea of what Colonel Young was trying to say…maybe he should get Brody?

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Eli felt a moment of disorientation as he found himself back in his own body, Chloe looking around confused as Rush stared at them in interest. "All right, this is ridiculous!" He exclaimed to Rush in indignation, protesting the situation. "Jumping back and forth without any warning is completely-

"-unacceptable," he finished back in his hotel room on Earth. He took a moment to re-adjust, staring around in disbelief. "Seriously!?"

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Nicholas watched as the entire crew began to gather in the Gate Room, lugging the small personal bags that carried what little possessions that had survived Icarus. The marines filtered in, marshaling the people into something resembling order, but Rush had eyes only for one person. Professor Eppes was nearly the last to trickle in, and Rush noted that he did not have his own bag with him.

Their eyes met between the shifting crowd and Nicholas raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Charlie nodded back subtly and the Scotsman turned back to the console just as Destiny plunged into the star. Charlie tried to make his way over to the other scientists, but a tight grip on his forearm halted his progress. Turning, he saw the recently released Sergeant Greer smirking down at him.

Charlie flinched back trying to pull away, but Greer tightened his grip and yanked sharply causing the smaller man to stumble into him. Doe brown eyes darted around to the others surrounding them, but nobody seemed to notice the exchange. Tentatively he looked up, meeting the dark gaze filled with amusement. "I don't think so," the Sergeant began, words sliding together like silk. "You're stayin' right here."

His eyes darted to the group surrounding the console and to Colonel Telford, his back to them. Charlie stopped struggling immediately; he wanted to be nowhere near that man. He feared Telford; there was just something off about him that Charlie couldn't place. He settled almost meekly against Greer's side as the Sergeant threw a heavy arm over his shoulders.

Rush and Volker looked over from their console to the other one that Williams, McCormack, Brody, and Telford surrounded. Volker shifted anxiously beside him and Rush bit back the snide comment that sat on his tongue.

"Diverting power flow to the Stargate," Williams' voice flowed across the room. "Ready to attempt dialing."

Telford looked at the console before meeting the gaze of the scientist. "Do it."

Williams started the dialing sequence as Telford turned to the Stargate. His eyes roamed the crowd momentarily as the Gate lit up and started to spin. Charlie heard Greer chuckle in amusement as he tried to burrow closer to hide from the Colonel's gaze. Non-the-less, the Sergeant twisted until the professor was hidden by his bulky frame.

A hush fell over the crew as the Gate started to lock coordinates. Chevron after chevron began to lock and the tension was wound tighter as the group of survivors prayed for it to work. The fourth chevron locked and the room began to shake. Telford took a hesitant step back as the crowd began to murmur in uncertainty. He turned to Williams just as electricity began to spark all around the Gate.

"Step back!" Scott yelled and the crew surged away from the Gate. Charlie was lucky that Greer had positioned them closer to the bulkhead so nobody trampled on them. "Everyone back up!"

Telford rushed over to the console as Williams' fingers darted across the screen. "You're gonna overload the capacitors!" Brody shouted at him.

"Bringing power flow down," Williams sounded calm, but Brody could see his hands shaking as he tried to regain control.

The Gate continued to spin, locking another chevron even as electricity arched all around its surface. The room was filled with shouting and cries of alarm as the Gate unrelentingly continued to dial.

"Limitations are not holding!" Brody's voice somehow carried over the desperate racket of the survivors.

Rush turned to them, anger coloring his features as he addressed the narcissistic scientist. "Because this system wasn't meant to handle this much power."

The ship began to shake more violently as the shield fought to remain active, the only thing protecting the crew from instant death. "Stay calm!" Telford yelled at the panicking people.

"The shield is failing!" Rush shouted back, sending them into another bout of hysterics. Despite what he knew, Charlie found himself clinging to Greer's arm as the ship trembled and the Stargate sent off currents of electricity high enough to vaporize anyone it touched.

Williams bit back his pride, hand fisting over the console as he forced the words out. "Colonel, we need to abort."

Telford eyes darted between the Gate and the people in frustration lips pursed in anger before gesturing angrily to Williams. "Shut it down!"

The scientist quickly turned back to the console, typing in the abort command, but the Gate continued to spin. "It's not working."

Telford stormed over to him, face tight with unconcealed rage. "I thought you said you could stop it!"

"I know!" He shouted back, fingers still darting around the screen, but the console continued to beep negatively at him. "It won't shut down!"

Telford glared at him for a moment before turning his ire to Rush. The doctor turned away, staring at the Gate in what Telford translated as resignation. Clenching his eyes shut in frustration he waited a moment, one heartbeat into the next before resolve settled over him and he steeled his mind. He turned to McCormack and Williams, sharing a look before retreating from the Gate Room. Seconds later the other two follow him.

Scott ran after them, halting under the threshold in rage. "Where the hell are you going?!" Rush's gaze met Brody's and he nodded slowly to him. Brody nodded back quietly and grabbed his radio before hurrying after the Colonel and the two scientists. Scott turned to Rush, racing over to him in a panic. "Do something!"

Rush looked up at him, inclining his head in acquiescence, he picked up his radio and waited.

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Brody raced after the three retreating from the Gate Room. It was not hard to stay out of site since they were focused on one thing, and that was reaching the Stone Room. Telford paused at the door, keying in his code to unlock it as he dismissed the marines outside of it. Rushing into the room, he flipped the power switch and the Colonel Young was left standing there, gazing around in confusion as the ship trembled.

Eli and Chloe stood next to them and understanding dawned on them all. The plan had failed and Telford and his team had aborted, leaving them to die. Young turned as Brody ran into the room; the younger man grabbed his radio and activated it.

"They're gone."

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"Thank you," Rush replied, relief flooding him as he set his radio down calmly and depressing a button. Seconds later the Stargate went dark, the chevrons disappeared as it slowed and then finally stopped. All went quiet as the electricity died out and the lights came back on leaving the crew scared and confused.

Moving from behind the console, Rush addressed the room calmly as the crew began to gather around him. "If I can have everyone's attention please. I'm sorry to have to tell you that, uh, we will not be going home…not yet, anyway. But you can all relax and return to your quarters. The ship will not be exploding..." he smiled at them, a true smile that made the corner of his eyes crinkle and made him appear ten years younger. "…at least not today."

"Normal power levels will be restored soon, right?" Scott questioned as he approached him slowly.

"Yes," Rush replied, giving the crowd a quirky smile as his eyebrows raised imploringly. "Thank you!" It was said as if to ask 'why are you all still standing here?' Seconds later the crew broke apart, murmuring softly to themselves as they left the Gate Room.

Camile strode up to him, fury in every step as she fought not to cry. TJ followed after her in confusion, Greer dragging an unresisting Charlie behind. "You staged the whole thing!"

"So all of this was just to get rid of Telford?" TJ questioned.

"Had to be done," Rush replied nonchalantly, posture appearing relaxed, but Charlie could see the subtle signs of tension lining his shoulders. Doctor Rush did not like being boxed in and Charlie tried to inconspicuously move further away, but Greer's tight grip on his arm halted him before he could even shift his weight.

"So you're sayin' that the ship was never gonna explode?" Greer questioned, leaning in close to intimidate.

"Oh no," Rush turned to him, tone almost cheerful. "We would most definitely all be dead had Professor Eppes not put certain limits in place. I also arranged for the alarms and warnings to go off regardless - a bit of theatre. Always nice."

The four turned to Charlie, and the young professor tried to shrink away, but Greer forcefully yanked him forward. "You knew?" Greer demanded.

"Of course he knew," Rush replied caustically. "Who do you think input the algorithm that made it all possible?"

Charlie gulped as Camile turned her furious gaze to him. "I, uh…" doe eyes darted between Greer and Rush.

"Oh, please," Rush cut in before a situation could arise. "Their plan was never gonna work."

"You could've warned us," Scott snapped at him. "You scared the crap out of everybody."

"Well, I didn't know who was on my side, did I?" Rush supplied bitterly. Eyebrows twitching upward as if to say 'think on that'. Moments later he was gone, striding down the hallway that was slowly getting brighter as Destiny recharged. The others watched him leave, speechless, and Charlie took the opportunity to slip away.

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Colonel Young paced the around the table, Telford matching him step for step on the other side. The group of scientists that had come up with the plan was in attendance, along with the IOA representatives, General O'Neill, and multiple military personnel. "Colonel Telford removed not only any sense of command but the two scientists that designed and implemented the program that was causing the crisis."

"The situation appeared to be irreversible," Williams argued, pale and sweating in his blazer.

"Of course, and Doctor Rush and Professor Eppes were able to avoid catastrophic disaster."

"Yes," Williams bit out. "And we'd like to see how they did that, along with the rest of the data collected during the experiment."

Young glared at him angrily a smile twisting his lips into something sinister. "Yeah, those were people's lives you were experimenting with," he sounded disgusted that he had to remind him of that.

"We were trying to get them home," Telford argued back.

The Colonel stopped his pacing, the look he gave Telford could have melted ice. "You cut and ran," the words were pressed together like heated metal, full of anger and hissing in fury.

Strom cut in before a verbal and possibly physical fight broke out. "There was no point in three more lives being lost if it could be avoided."

Jack turned to Strom, surprised at the man's blasé attitude for human life before he addressed Everett. "Colonel Telford was following orders," it was obvious though that the words left him reluctantly.

"Sure," Young murmured disbelievingly before he changed the topic. "After much consideration, we've decided to stay in communication with Earth. I hope personal visits for everyone on board will still be permitted."

"That depends, Colonel," Strom told him, shaking a finger like he was talking to a naughty child trying to negotiate his way out of trouble.

"Consider it done," O'Neill stepped in. Strom looked over at him in surprise, not having expected the General to overrule him.

"Thank you, sir," he said appreciatively before he glanced down to his watch, converting the time to Destiny's clock. "I'm afraid the time that I've allotted for this briefing is now up," he threw a look at Telford, full of barely repressed rage. "General," he nodded politely at Jack before leaving the room.

Jack's face twisted into confusion, but he quickly wiped away all expression as Strom turned to him furiously.

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

Eli sat at the console in his room as he watched Young's speech for the third time. It was a good speech, inspiring while commanding. Eli wished he could talk like that. "We're going to have to be tough, disciplined. The road may be longer than many of us hoped. We will have to sacrifice, compromise, work together without exceptions."

The Kino turned to Chloe and Matt who were standing side by side. Eli paused the footage and zoomed in on their hands. Their hands were clasped tightly together, Chloe's thumb stroking the back of Matt's fingers as the Colonel addressed the crew. Eli gazed at the image sadly, accepting the fact that he would always be 'the friend'.

Young walked into the room quietly, finally back in his own body and comforted by the fact. "I thought you did a good job," Eli told him, gaze still fixed on the screen. "People need to know the truth...but they also need hope."

"I need you to do something for me," Young told him quietly, arms crossed as he leaned against the open bulkhead.

Eli swung his chair around, smiling slightly. "Sure thing."

"Go over the data collected as they tried to dial the Gate."

"I have already. There's a lot I don't understand."

"Well, then, you need to learn - as fast as you can, and you talk to whoever you have to," Young told him. "Scrub any fingerprints you find," at Eli's confused look Young clarified. "If the whole thing was staged I don't want Homeworld Command knowing about it. Make it look legit if it's not."

Eli gazed at him in trepidation. "You want to lie about what happened?"

"No," Young told him, straightening as he peered down at the younger man. "I just don't want this kind of situation to ever happen again. What Rush did was reckless, the fact that he dragged Professor Eppes into it was even worse…but they stopped the ship from possibly exploding, taking us with it. This could have ended very badly, Eli."

The silence that followed Young's exit was disturbing and Eli quickly fumbled to fill it. The video continued to playback, and Young's digital voice filled the small room. "We are going to survive. We are going to make it home. Make no mistake. My first priority is to make sure that we all return to those we love."

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

Young walked down the hallway slowly, taking his time as he entered the Observation Deck. He found Rush, lean frame leaning against the banister as the FTL vortex flowed passed the window. Young joined him, settling close enough that Rush could feel his body heat.

Nicholas turned a little to face him, tense with anxiety but he did not move away. There was several minutes of silence, and Rush began to relax as they just shared each other's company. "What you did was stupid," Young started, his accented drawl filling the room. "And reckless and pulling Charlie into it was by far the dumbest thing you have ever done."

"Colonel," Rush started, shifting away from the man as he geared to exchange insults with him. Nicholas flinched back as Young moved quickly, hand rising only to settle on the scientist's shoulder. Whether it was to comfort or to keep him from running away, Rush didn't know.

"Let me finish," and Rush felt his throat tighten and his stomach clench in apprehension as he settled back against the banister. Young did not remove his hand, in fact he shifted closer, and it was all Rush could do not to lash out at him. "I wanted to thank you."

"What?" he asked in bewilderment, turning to look at the Colonel. His brown eyes raked across the other man's form, looking for tells that this was not Colonel Young. But no, Rush recognized his posture and the quirky head tilt he did when he was amused.

"Don't act so surprised, Rush. The plan was never going to work and it could have potentially killed us all."

Rush blinked at him in confusion for several moments, but Everett's gaze had returned to view. Unfortunately his hand remained so the scientist could not just slink off and assimilate this new reaction in the privacy of his own quarters. After a while, Rush returned his focus to the Destiny, watching the vortex swim past her frame. Pretty soon he began to relax, even with the Colonel's hand on his shoulder, and though he was loathe to admit it, he began to find it comforting.

O0O~O0O~Page~Break~O0O~O0O

Special thanks to Child of Dusk who gave the pairing (Charlie x Greer) a name. They are now dubbed CHEER!

Total pages: 70

Word Count: 18,664

YAY! A New Record!

I think I'm getting carpal tunnel, maybe I should stop doing these chapters in one sitting. Oh and a little factoid I just found out in my advanced English class (Tech Writing) that using contractions (wasn't, don't, can't) is improper grammar outside of "talking". Yeah, I did not know that.

In other news…ooh the plot thickens. If you noticed cut scenes and changed scenes, yeah…I'm doing that for a reason.

-Theta