Colonel Young and Camile had gathered in the gate room; one of the few places that usually remained void of people. The sound of footsteps played as constant background noise as the two waited for Greer and Scott, a quietude settled between them. Everyone had found themselves preoccupied repairing the ship but everyone found their minds drifting to the innocent child they could do nothing to help, no one should have had to suffer the pain Rush, Cressida and Chloe felt.

"There you are." Said Young when Greer and Scott finally entered the room.

"Is there a problem, Sir?" Scott asked, a look of worry coating his features.

"A big one." Came Young's quick reply. "It turns out that the blue bastards known as the Nakai are coming after us. They've somehow managed to follow us over the gap between galaxies."

"How could they do that, Sir?" Scott asked. "And I thought the fire damaged our scanning ability."

"It did. Cressida set the fire, they did the same thing to her that they did to Chloe as you probably already know. Now though, she seems to be remembering things and she says they're coming.

"So that's why they gave her Rush's knowledge, to make it easier for her to sabotage us." Greer mutters to himself.

"Poor girl." Camile mumbled.

"So we were right about her the whole time." Lieutenant Scott summarised.

"Not knowingly." Began Camile, refusing to let it seem like Cress had plotted it all. "She only knows now because her body is breaking down."

Lieutenant Scott had the dignity to look ashamed of how his commented had sounded, he knew the kid wouldn't have hurt anyone willingly but he was still angry – broth with himself and with Chloe – about the break up.

"Cressida is dying, the Nakai don't need her now so she has no worth to them. If you want to see her or tell her anything then I suggest you do it now." Camile told them, Greer nodded sadly.

"I know this is hard – more so for Rush and Chloe – we've all grown to care for Cressida, even me. We have to focus on the impending attack though. They used her against us and then just tossed her aside deciding she didn't deserve to live, Cress has warned us though she's using the last of her strength to give us a chance so we're not going to let it go to waste." He took a breath. "We have no weapons or shields which means they'll just board us. Lieutenant Scott, I need you and Greer to gather anyone who can fire a weapon and prepare them for a fight. They'll want the bridge first but they'll board us somewhere they can't be ambushed in."

"Sir, if you want them ambushed we'll find a way to do it." Announced Greer. "For Cressida."

"You're good lads. Go on."

The Lieutenant and Greer obeyed and went off to do just as the Colonel had told them. Colonel Young took a deep breath and let it out in a powerful sigh, silence rained for a few moments until Camile stepped forwards and looked up at him; eyes full of melancholy.

"Chloe can't stop crying, she won't eat or drink." Said Camile. "And Rush-" She sighed just as the Colonel had. "- Rush has locked himself away in the blackboard corridor hell bend to figuring out a way to save her... in reality he's just hiding from the truth."

"You should go talk to him. He can't hide from this." Young knew how Rush felt, he and TJ were the only ones on board who knew the pain of losing a child.

XXXX

It didn't take long for Camile to do just as Young had suggested, she'd been planning on talking to him from the beginning but she dreaded it; she'd never comforted anyone through losing a child before; No! Don't think like she's already gone. There's hope. Always hope she told herself as she walked, she'd gotten so lost in her own thoughts hat she walked straight into Varro as they turned to head up the same hallway.

"Sorry, Camile. Are you going to see Rush?" His voice was full of concern as he fell in beside her.

"If I can get him to open the door, yes. It's gong to be hard though."

"I'm coming too, Cress is my friend."

"Sure, you certainly can't make things any worse."

The two set a fast pace up darkened hallways, twisting and turning corners rapidly in an effort to get to the blackboard corridor as fast as possible. Everything seemed to be coming to a head and they couldn't lie and say the crew was unafraid, they were afraid, for Cress, for Chloe and Rush, for th ship and their lives. The hope Camile had been attempting to cling to had started to dwindle even in those few seconds between bumping into the blonde and their destination came into view. Quickly she thudded her fist against the hard metal door.

"Rush! Rush, open the damn door!" She didn't need to check to know it was locked. As expected she got no response, Camile glanced over at Varro before going back to yelling through the door. "I know you're hurting and I am so sorry, no one should gave to go through this kind of pain but the whole ship is in danger. You can't bury yourself in your work like you did with Gloria. Cress needs you, you're her father."

Still no response came and all Camile could do was sigh, it was then that Varro stepped forwards with a determined but sad expression on his gruff but handsome features.

"Maybe I should give it a go?" It wasn't really a question but the blonde still phrased it as one.

"This is my job, Varro." Camile replied quickly, almost snapping at him.

"But you're not a parent and don't have any siblings. You already know about one brother but not the other one. He was a lot younger and I basically raised him. I know the sort of things going through his head." Sorrow crossed Varro's face.

"Okay, fine." She relented.

Camile had to admit it was true, she wasn't a mother and no matter how many books she read or classes she took she'd never be able to understand Rush's pain. Knowing it was all up to the blonde Camile stepped back and leaned against the heated wall; just another reminder of their impending doom. After a brief pause and a deep breath Varro knocked softly on the door, the sound echoed gently.

"Doctor Rush, this is Varro." He paused only for a moment. "When I first came to this ship no one trusted me and I can't really blame them for that, I understand why. Roles reversed I would have felt the same, but TJ placed her trust in me and saw the good just like you did with Cressida. You were the first to trust her, to treat her like a person and not a threat, you have no idea how much that can mean to someone. Cress is a little girl, she may act mature beyond her years but she's still a child and you putting that faith in her is the most important thing that's ever happened to her. Cressida lights up when she sees you, it's the same look my brother gave me, pure happiness, and I bet every time she smiles at you like that you forget everything and just think of how much you love her." He paused once more and closed his eyes for a moment as though remembering something painful. "Now you're loosing her. The Nakai are taking Cress from you and you just want to run away to somewhere where time will stop and you don't have to feel anything. Trust me I know, I felt the same when my little brother died. I wanted everything to stop, it was like being surrounded by white noise where my mind just stopped functioning. I never got to say good-bye, and you may not want to say it, may think that means giving up on her, but it's not, it's being a father. Cressida is scared and in pain, she needs her Daddy to be holding her hand and for you to tell her how proud you are, how much you love her. Cressida is dying and not being able to change it isn't failing her, hiding away and leaving her alone is. If you stay here you will be failing her. She doesn't need a hero she needs her father, just be with her."

Silence rained, so void of sound that not even Camile's and Varro's breathing could be heard; were they even breathing? Finally, just when Varro was about to give up the door clicked and slid open revealing Rush; the man looked like a shell of himself. He didn't move nor speak so Varro continued.

"Cress is a beautiful young girl and I am glad to call her my friend, but you're her father."

"What was your brother's name?" Rush asked almost silently.

"Kokai, his name was Kokai."

Slowly Rush nodded. "Thank you, Varro."

Without another word Rush took a deep breath and then started down the mass of hallways towards the infirmary. Camile and Varro stood there for a moment gazing into the blackboard corridor to see the almost obsessional scrawling across the walls, if they'd left him be any longer Rush might have spiralled into something he couldn't crawl back from.

"I'm sorry about your brother."

Camile's words pulled Varro back to the world around him but he didn't answer, instead they tuned and followed the path Rush had just taken.

Just as everyone had expected Chloe still stood by Cressida's side, tense and gripping her child's hand. The eight year old had been propped up but was still in pain; unbeknownst to her mother Cress had been hiding just how much pain. Despite all that her pale face still lit up when her father returned to her side.

"Daddy!"

"It's okay, Little One, I'm here. I love you." Cress smiled up at him as he kissed a tear stained Chloe quickly. "I'm not going to leave you again, Baby girl. We can still figure this out."

"We can't." She said almost mutely. "I wasn't meant to live, I'm just an experiment."

"Don't say that!" He told her angrily and far louder than he'd intended. "So Chloe didn't give birth to you and I wasn't there when you were born, it doesn't mean you're not our daughter." Varro had been right, he needed to be by her side.

Before Nicholas could say more Colonel Young entered the room, said something to TJ in a hushed tone and then cleared his throat drawing the room's attention.

"I'm sorry to interrupt and please know I wouldn't be here asking questions if I had any other options." He took a step towards the bed. "Cress, do you have any idea when they'll get here?"

"Please just leave her alone." Chloe begged as another round of tears started and Young had the decency to look apologetic.

Cress coughed. "Not long. I was suppose to damage Destiny's shields when they got close enough. Don't ask me how I knew they were close, I just did." She tilted her head to the left looking past Young to Varro. "Uncle, what did I look like when you saw me before the fire?"

"Em, dazed, like you were sleep walking. You're voice was monotone. Why?"

"Because I have an idea."