Hours went by and even the engine room started to feel cold, if they took much longer to repair the systems – or more correctly put a band-aid on the problem – then Destiny's hull would start to over heat as they drifted closer to the system's sun. Young had wanted to send people down to a planet but lucky them had found the only system with no planted gates. All the scientists – including Lisa Park – had gathered on the bridge desperately trying to fix their growing problems; God they wished they had Eli. They were having little to no success though, as soon as they got one section working another shorted out. Rush sat in the command chair looking at the maps of Destiny to see if there was something he'd missed while Cressida sat on his knee writing long calculations down on her left arm with a black marker, she'd been calculating how long it would take until the gargantuan sun put too much strain on Destiny's hull and... well, killed them all basically. It wasn't a nice thought for any of the crew, especially the eight year old; she may have had the maturity of a twenty year old woman but at heart she was still a child.
Rush shifted and reached into his pocket to retrieve his well used notebook only to find it missing, he'd left it in his quarters when they'd gone to the infected planet and hadn't had chance to pick it up since what with everything gong on; looking to his daughter it explained why she had been writing on her arm rather than using his notebook as usual.
"Keep the seat warm for me okay, baby girl?" He smiled as he stood and sat her down where he'd been. She nodded, hardly looking up from her equation covered arm. "And keep an eye on Volker, idiot looks like he's going to start panicking any second."
With that Doctor Rush was gone, speed walking down the cooling halls and off towards his chambers, it was strange to find himself walking through a warm patch of air and then suddenly an ice cold one but he tried to to dwell on it too much. Taking a left he found Chloe coming towards him, he didn't react.
"Everything alright?" Chloe asked softly.
"I need my notebook." Was all he said as he continued to take long strides down the dark hallway, Chloe followed though.
"Hey, Rush." She started slowly and cautiously. "I know this isn't the time but we have to have this conversation and frankly I don't want to die not knowing."
"We're not going to die." He told her dismissively. "And what is it you want to speak about?"
"You know exactly."
Chloe was right, of course he knew, he just didn't want to talk about it. The door of his quarters came into sight. His head had filled with thoughts of what she would say, he already knew what she thought... or so he believed.
"Please, Nicholas. We can't just pretend it didn't happen."
That brought him to a halt outside his room, she never called him by his given name, no one did, except occasionally Camile.
"I thought that was what you wanted." He told her with a puzzled face having momentarily forgotten what he was doing. "You've been ignoring it since it happened."
Chloe sighed. "I just didn't want to talk about it in front of Cress and then you wandered off and would hardly look at me, then the ship." Chloe took a deep breath before looking Rush in his beautiful whiskey eyes. "When we first came here I was the least qualified person on board, just breathing air that another scientist could have used. I had Matt though, he made it easier. Then I was kidnapped and they messed with my head, did God knows what to me. They changed me but you helped me, you stopped me hurting the ship, you fixed me. Some people still look at me as though I'm dangerous, even Matt does at times, but then there was you." She looked at him with such honestly and something else he couldn't name. "You told me to pull myself together and look at the good, to take what they'd done to me and use it to help the crew. You helped me understand the knowledge inside my head. You showed me I could be useful, showed me I had a purpose and could help. And you never once flashed me one of those suspicious looks. Rush, you're the only one that treated me like I was still human. You look past what others won't or can't; my kidnapping, Doctor Perry's condition, Cressida being created rather than born. It's like you don't even see it." Chloe was starting to cry now and Rush felt a pang in his heart. "Rush, you have no idea how much that means, you made us happy."
"And your strapping Lieutenant doesn't?" He'd not intended for the question to come out in such a growled tone.
"He used to." She told him casting her eyes to the floor as though remembering the early days. "I'm not that Chloe Armstrong anymore though, so much has happened and it's not like he hasn't got someone else to make him happy and warm his bed." Rush didn't like where this conversation was going. "You remember the night I fell asleep in your room with you and Cress?" He nodded. "I went back to my and Matt's room thinking he'd be worried and angry but he wasn't there, he came in a few moments later saying he'd drank too much with Greer and had fallen asleep in the mess hall. He looked exhausted and couldn't quite hide the line of love bites going down his neck. I didn't put them there and it's not the first time I've seen them." She wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks.
How could that wing nut cheat on Chloe? She's so beautiful and perfect. Rush was honestly confused, to him Chloe was the ultimate woman; smart, beautiful, brave, funny, caring and full of fire.
"What do you want from me, Chloe?" He asked softly.
"I'm meant to love Matt... but I don't. Since waking up from stasis it's only gotten worse. I don't know what I want, not completely anyway. I know I want my daughter, that's for certain." She paused for a moment. "And I'm pretty sure I want you, my heart does. You make me happy, you treat me like a person, make me feel capable of anything and you're a wonderful father. I... I think I love you."
Rush didn't even pause for a second before he had her pressed against the large door and their lips locked; a battle of passion and fire. Quickly he lifted her into his arms and carried her into his room, throwing her down on the bed forcefully enough that she bounced; Chloe liked it. Rush ripped off his two shirts and tossed them aside not caring where they landed and toed off his shoes while the ebony haired beauty did just the same, everything around them had stopped, there was no impending doom or Lieutenants who were going to be incredibly pissed, just them. He unbuckled his belt and then Rush was on top of her, pressing his length against her naked form and pulling moans from her parted lips. A hand slid down her delicate body committing every curve, every mole and blemish to memory while the other plunged into her thick curls letting his nails scrape against her scalp. Their kiss deepened as Chloe pushed his jeans and boxers down and off in one smooth motion, Rush latched onto one of her rosy nipples and lavished it with attention as a hand slipped between her legs.
"Oh Rush." She gasped, a sound that only re-enforced his almost animalistic need to be inside her. "Please... stop teasing. I just... I need... just need you."
Chloe didn't want the soft gentle sex they'd had while in quarantine, she wanted raw passion filled fucking. Wanted him, needed him. When she suddenly flipped them knocking Rush onto his back he got the message – demand really – and gripped her hips as Chloe slid down onto his hard member.
"Christ, Chloe you're perfect." He growled as she started to ride him, slow at first but soon their rhythms joined and it grew faster, harder, deeper. He pulled her hips down hard, impailing her.
It had never been like this with Matt, he always had to be on top, be the protector. Matt treated her like a glass princess that could break at any second, Chloe didn't want to be a princess she just wanted to be a woman; Rush made her feel like that.
He moaned when she leaned down to kiss him, her nipples grazing against his naked chest. Rush was close, very close, he knew that but he couldn't leave her unsated, his right hand left her milky hip where little marks had started to form and made its way to her glistening core.
Chloe could feel it, that euphoric cliff coming into sight threatening to let her fall into the waters below. A few more thrusts and she came, walls tightening around Rush and pulling him over the edge with her.
"Nicholas!" She cried and collapsed on his chest, both of them panting.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her pink lips, smooth and gentle, after the rough he just held her close and made her feel safe. Matt treated her like a glass princess, Rush made her feel like a woman but more importantly he made her feel... loved.