Brown eyes opened slowly and the world drifted back to Rush as though walking up from a deep dreamless sleep and the first thing they found was his sweet Chloe smiling up at him. Young was already awake but Rush couldn't have cared less about that, he quickly stepped from his stasis chamber and took the woman he loved into his arms. Their lips met quickly, soft but needy, their slumber had only been a few seconds to them but their minds knew the truth and felt the urge to be close; to touch.

"Morning, Sweetheart." He said when they finally parted; other chambers opened but neither paid any attention.

"Morning, Nicky." She greeted. Chloe's arms snaked around his neck keeping him close as she breathed him in.

She'd hated him at first, thought him arrogant and self-centred with too much ego but now that Chloe knew him and the hardships he'd been through, knew how caring and loving Nicky really was she couldn't imagine her life without him. Chloe loved him with everything she had.

"Hey!" Announced Eli the second his chamber opened andhe'd stretched, Eli was just happy to wake up along with everyone else.

Suddenly there was a snarl and out the corner of his eye Eli could see Varro go into instant fight or flight mode. From the doorway came a large fur covered animal with sharply pointed ears, it had to be the size of a fully grown tiger possibly bigger and Eli's eyes went wide.

"Enough, Vulpine." Said a deep Scottish voice that was soon followed by Ezra. "You know them."

At the age of fourteen Ezra had shot up, almost taller than Rush and his hair had grown longer to hang around his face in a soft of organised mess, it didn't quite brush his shoulders like his father's but it was certainly getting there. His clothes were better fitting as well, as though it had been tailored, of course nothing like the detailed work of a professional but they fitted well, more surprising was that his pants seemed to be made of a purple-black leather, as were his boots.

When Cress entered the room Eli's eyes went wide, her legs seemed to go on forever and were wrapped in the same purple-black leather that her brother's were. Her stomach flat under a gold-bronze top that had clearly been reworked from the outfits Chloe had made for her long ago. Her hair hung around her porcelain face in loose natural curls and her eyes had only become even more dazzling; almost azure. If ever asked Eli would deny it but her eyes weren't all he'd been staring at, she still wore his blue hoodie – though over the years it had faded somewhat – it had zipped up to just under what really had his attention, her impressive chest. Cressida no longer looked like a child but a young woman of sixteen, the gold-bronze tank top had a deep V that unintentionally showed off her cleavage.

When his mind finally snapped back to him Eli realised that Chloe and Rush had enveloped their children – their teenagers – in their arms. Colonel Young kept a close eye on Vulpine who had become undeniably huge. After a time the parents finally released their children Cressida beamed.

"Eli!"

She raced to him and jumped full force into his arms almost knocking him over. Cress clung tightly to him as though they'd not seen each other in years and Eli quickly remembered that she hadn't.

"Missed you." She told him.

"I missed you too, Cress." Carefully he set her down on her feet, God she's beautiful.

"Where is TJ?" Asked Colonel Young, he'd been quiet so long that everyone had almost forgotten he was there.

The siblings looked at one another for a moment with a smile before Cress answered his question.

"We woke her up about a week and a half ago." She could see Emmett was about to erupt with questions so got in there first. "Since we had the time to go through Destiny's system we've been looking for an ALS cure, it took three and a half years but we found something. At first we didn't think it would work so we woke TJ up to help us with all the medical details and after a week or so we had a plan. TJ went back to sleep while we worked on and then woke her up a week later, she checked everything over and-" Cress cut herself off so Ezra finished for her.

"We cured her. She's in the infirmary resting, you should go and see her."

No more than a second later Young and Varro were gone from the room, quiet footfalls being the only indication they'd ever been there.

"You cured TJ?" Asked Chloe in disbelief.

ALS had loomed over Tamara for years and they'd all known they were running out of time to save her life. It haunted not only TJ but Varro and Colonel Young as well, all that horror and anticipation had ended though, the Rush siblings had figured it out though; TJ would live.

"We did." Smiled Ezra.

While Rush agreed it was wonderful that Tamara had been cured but he'd found himself focused on Vulpine and his substantial size. Last he'd seen the creature was around the equivalent of a fully grown Labrador but he'd far surpassed that in four years, he was certainly fully grown now and Rush was thankful they'd had Vulpine since he was a cub because otherwise Rush seriously doubted they could have tamed him.

"When did Vulpine get so big?"

"He just suddenly shot up about a year into the galaxy crossing and sort of didn't stop until he got to holy crap size."

"He seems to have a pack mentality as we first believed so he's of no danger to anyone unless I tell him to be, he sees me as the Alpha." She turned to the creature and bent to tickle him behind his ears and in her best baby voice said. "Whose my deadly little boy?"

Chloe smiled when Cress had to step backwards to avoid Vulpine knocking her over, Vulpine wasn't letting her go no he'd got her attention. Ezra took the opportunity to cuddle into his mother's side.

"We missed you, Mom."

"I know, darling, but we're back now."

XXXX

Soon after everyone had woken up and got their bearings Colonel Young had called a meeting for the crew, well, most of the crew; the civilians had been allowed to relax in their quarters. Young stood dead centre of the mess hall with Scott and Greer at his side, Chloe and Camile sat with Eli at the table Cress and Ez perched on while Varro and TJ sat at the metal table beside them. Rush leaned against the wall right beside the door as though ready to escape at any moment; Vulpine sat at his feet. Though Young resonated authority it was the Rush siblings that spoke.

"We've been in this galaxy – which we're calling the Jumble Galaxy due the mess of the place – for about a month and a half, we would have woken you sooner but we've been focused on TJ and then there's the solar flare issue. Ezra and I decided it would be best to avoid waking the crew until we were certain that the flares hadn't caused any damage to our systems or risk to you all. This is the third solar system in this galaxy."

"In the second there were a lot of gated planets so we've been gathering fresh water and food, even found some animals hence the cool pants." Ezra gestured to his leather covered legs.

"There's jerky too thanks to Vulpine's hunting skills, stake as well."

"Oh you are a goddess, woman." Grinned Eli, his mouth watered at the thought of a stake.

He'd not intended that to sound so strange, or at least it sounded strange to him but Cress and the others didn't seem to notice. Eli had been listening to the meeting of course but he just couldn't stop thinking about how grown up she looked, tall, slender and Eli hated at how many times he'd looked at her cleavage.

"Once everyone has had some time to adjusted to being awake again we'll get going on breakfast." Added Ezra.

"Great!" Varro clapped his hands together. "I'm starving."

"I'm sure everyone will be grateful for something to eat." Said Camile. "It'll help people ease back into being aboard Destiny."

"Cressida," began Colonel Young. "what is the situation with Stargate Command?"

"Uncle Jack is awaiting you, Sir, you're to use the stones tomorrow morning and he wants Camile to build a rota for the crew to go back and see their family." Camile nodded but said nothing.

"Good, I'll check in with the General tomorrow and hopefully we can get back to figuring out how to get home."

"We're sorry, Sir. Me and my sister tried to get the gate to dial Earth but we've not really gotten anywhere, especially after finding we could cure TJ."

"You two did the right thing." Chloe smiled at her son and daughter. "You saved TJ."

"Thank you."

Tamara had said that so many times before but she felt the need to remind them. They'd not just saved her life but saved her from suffering in silence too.

XXXX

It was very late when Rush walked onto the bridge from the Control Interface Room, most were in the mess hall dining on the fresh meat that his children – his teenagers – had procured with the aid of Vulpine but Rush wanted to get back to work. For a few moments he just stood there and watched as Ez and Cress worked in a content silence, they were very efficient. Ezra was taller than his sister now, not by much but taller nevertheless and it was clear that they'd become almost inseparable over the last four years – not that anyone could blame them. Vulpine nudged his hand in search of tickles behind his long rabbit-like ears, of course the animal quickly got what he wanted.

"You two should go relax." Cressida and Ez looked up as he made his way to them with Vulpine following him. "I'm awake now and you've more than earned some sleep."

"It's alright, Daddy." Smiled Cressida. "We're fine, you still need to get your bearings."

Rush pushed a stray strand of hair behind his sixteen year old daughter's ear with a soft smile.

"Bearings got, now go and relax. You've been working solid for four years."

"Alright." Smiled Ezra.

"Thanks, Daddy."

Nicholas pulled his children into a hug and held them tight for a moment before Cress leaned up and pressed a kiss to her father's cheek.

"Just don't stay up all night, okay Pops?"

Rush released them and nodded. With a come on Vulpine thrown over her shoulder the Rush siblings were gone leaving their father to settle in and get back to work.