A few peaceful days went by and the crew of Destiny found themselves in something resembling normal; which had become highly unusual. Rush and his beautiful Chloe had spent the time happily introducing Ezra to Destiny's systems, not that he'd needed much help. Ezra was just as intelligent as exceptional as their daughter Cressida.

The four of them really were a family of scientists. Chloe adored that word, family, ever since childhood Chloe had wanted a family of her own, as a little girl she'd imagined the whole – possibly hackneyed – fairytale fantasy with flowers and a Prince Charming but as she'd grown up and matured she'd started to think about a real marriage and where she could meet Mister Right; what they'd name their children. Chloe hadn't thought of any of that though after arriving on Destiny, she'd been with Matt for months before thoughts of her marital and maternal dreams had started to re-emerge. However, something had always seemed wrong between them though, something difficult to describe like a bookshelf without any books, or a loved one's house after they'd died. Something she'd never really wanted to talk about or even acknowledge. Rush though, with Nicholas Rush everything had always felt right, perfect, meant to be. The grumpy Scot might not have looked like a traditional Prince Charming but her was her Prince Charming, their son and daughter were perfect even if she'd not given birth to them. Who'd have thought she'd be happy with a grumpy Scottish pariah twice her age and two children an alien race had genetically engineered to destroy them. They were a strange little band of people thrown together from across the universe but they were blood. They were family and they loved one another.

After Gloria had died Rush had buried himself deep in his work slipping further and further into a dark abyss but Chloe was a light flickering in the void. The ninth chevron had been about discovering secrets of the universe but instead he'd discovered so much about himself.

XXXX

It was late, Rush and Chloe had spent all day in the Control Interface Room with Cress and Ezra working away happily. The children worked in almost perfect tandem as though they'd been doing it for years, it had warmed the hearts of their parents. Cressida and her little brother might have been remarkable in every way but they were still only eight and six years old, children who needed their sleep; no matter how nocturnal Cress tended to be.

As Rush and the gorgeous woman he loved carried their kids, who had started flag and droop, into their quarters. Cress hung in her Daddy's arms with her head rested on his shoulder lovingly while Ezra had practically passed out in his Mother's. Rush hit the door release and stepped aside for Chloe to go first, she flashed him a soft smile as she passed and lay Ezra down on the bed before pressing a loving kiss to his forehead, his bold blue and brown eyes blinking sleepily up at her. Chloe had worked hard to sew Ezra his own set of clothing just as she'd done for Cressida, soon he'd be free of the oversized black t-shirt commandeered from Airman Dunning.

Nicholas lay his baby girl down beside her little brother before pulling the covers up and tucking them in with a small smile, Rush wasn't one for grins, occasionally hysterical laughter but not grinning. He brushed a stray strand of chestnut hair behind her ear as she fought the urge to sleep, Cress wasn't going to win though.

"Goodnight, baby girl." He said fatherly. "Night, Ezra."

That moment was probably the most domestic Rush had ever encountered but he wouldn't change it for the world.

Chloe pressed gentle kisses to their foreheads while Nicholas tucked them up lovingly. Cressida's dazzling blue eyes fluttered shut as sleep snaked its arms around her and tucked her into the realm of dreams. Normally Chloe would tell them a story while Rush turned out the lights and made sure they were perfectly comfortable, a story wasn't needed though, the little tykes had worn themselves out.

When their parents left them to sleep Cress turned almost instantly onto her side away from the door and towards her brother, eyes closed and one hand under her pillow. Her first night in that bed she'd cried and asked her Daddy what was wrong with her, if she was evil, but those days had long since ended.

Destiny's engines had just started to lull Cress off to sleep with their purr when Ezra rolled over and cuddled into his sister's chest, it startled Cressida so much that her eyes flew open and her body tensed for a moment. Ezra's hands were soft and gentle, innocent too, his body was warm and Cress found herself wondering if this was how Rush had felt when she'd first hugged him, I like it. Before that though had even really finished darting through her large mind she'd snaked her arms around him just as her parents would. She couldn't remember anything that had happened when she'd originally arrived on Destiny but it didn't take an intellect the size of Cressida's to realise it was fear she'd felt, fear her little brother still felt.

"You're alright, Ezra." She told him quietly.

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." She took a breath.

"I'm scared of the dark, the-"

"You don't need to be." She said with a sense of certainty. "The dark can't hurt anyone." She paused. "Do you want to know a secret, Ezra?"

"Uh-huh."

"You can't tell anyone, especially Mommy and Daddy." The little boy with Rush's hair nodded into her chest. "Everyone thinks I don't remember... that I don't remember what the Nakai did to me. At first that was true, I'm not sure how I can still have the memories but I get these... flashes. When it started it just felt like I'd done certain things before but now... I see things when I'm asleep. I don't remember all of it but I remember opening my eyes for the first time and seeing the Nakai just staring at me. I remember the heat when I set the ship on fire, being chased by creatures on an alien world. Mostly, though, I remember pain, like being hauled over broken glass."

"I won't tell." Her little brother muttered as tears started to well in her azure eyes.

"My point is, I remember all those horrible things but I'm not scared, not anymore, because the Nakai are gone. We're finally free of them. I'm not saying there aren't other monsters to be feared, I'm just saying- I don't know what I'm saying." She ended quietly with a sigh.

"I think you're trying to tell me you'll keep me safe."

Cress chuckled half-heartedly. "At least someone knows what I'm talking about."