I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Even though I've finished the story it's all in bullet points and I haven't had time to type up much of it this week. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.

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Eli Wallace came back to himself suddenly and with a sense of having never been away even though he knew that wasn't true. He drew in a deep breath, cold air filling his lungs as he blinked rapidly, his body stiff from lack of use. The chamber door slid open releasing him but before Eli could say a single word or even finish blinking away his sleep Chloe had jumped on him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Eli!" She slammed into him with such force that Eli nearly collapsed.

She'd clearly missed him and it suddenly dawned on him that he'd been in that chamber far longer than the few weeks to a month he'd hoped for, that had been his best case scenario. For a long time Eli just stood there with his arms full of Chloe, his best friend, he gripped her tightly as though she'd suddenly vanish and he'd be locked back in that chamber but no, this was real – she was real – and he was safe.

It took a few minutes but Chloe eventually released him taking a few steps back and Eli's hazel brown eyes finally noticed the others in the room. Colonel Young and Lieutenant Scott both stood just inside the door, Doctor Park and Mister Brody had been sat cross-legged before a her laptop – she can see! That brought a smile to his face – Rush as usual looked sleep deprived but far less grumpy and standoffish than was normal as he stood before Eli with his hands on his hips.

"Do you feel strange at all?" TJ asked as she entered the room and went straight to him.

"Hello Eli." Greeted Camile as she followed the blonde medic in.

"Hey Camile, TJ." Eli grinned before answering Tamara's question. "A bit stiff but nothing else." He told her truthfully.

Rush watched silently while TJ performed a basic check up on the young genius, Chloe had her best friend back and he could already see her relaxing. Good, she needs some peace, the Scotsman thought to himself, she deserves to be happy. When he'd first come to Destiny he'd been hyper-focused on discovering her secrets and had cared about anything, or indeed anyone else, however, somehow he and the stunningly beautiful Chloe Armstrong had drifted together. Even before they'd discovered Cressida there had been something connecting them, originally Nicholas had believed it to be her new-found intellect and their kidnappings but over time he'd come to understand that there was something else indescribable connecting them. Chloe made him happy – an emotion he'd been almost forgotten – she reminded him that there was more to the universe than just his work. Rush had long since passed having an affinity for her, they were too genetic for his liking, he loved her, was devoted to her. Doctor Rush wasn't stupid, he knew Lieutenant Scott still glared at him for stealing his girlfriend but the Chief Scientist didn't particularly care, Chloe was his, Cressida was his, that little boy in the infirmary was his. Chloe kept saying it and she was right, they were a family. He couldn't stay focused on his thoughts though and forced his attention back to Eli and the rest of the crew.

"... I don't see any issues but I still want to see you in the infirmary." TJ finished with a smile.

"Sure. Hey, Rush, how did you manage to fix the pod?" Eli asked as he, Rush and Chloe followed TJ down Destiny's long halls to the infirmary. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Chloe reach for Rush's hand.

"We stripped parts from the other hyper-sleep chambers to repair yours, took us a while to get the parts salvaged though."

"Well at least you got be out, so, em, thanks." His face grew even more puzzled at the sight of his best friend and the grumpy Scottish scientist seemingly happy with their hands laced with one another. "Okay, seriously, what's going on with the two of you?" He asked quickly as they turned into the infirmary. Eli stopped dead upon seeing two unconscious children, an older girl who looked just like Chloe and a younger boy with damp Rush colored hair. "How long have I been asleep?! Chloe, what's going on?"

For a moment he thought he was dreaming.

"It's kind of a long story."