Eli turned a corner in his rush to the bridge only to slam straight into Cressida who only just managed to stay on her feet thanks to Vulpine who stood as a huge solid force behind her. In hindsight Eli was greatful that Rush hadn't brought the animal with him into the Control Interface Room.
"Cress?"
There was a flash of worry in her beautiful brown eyes and it instantly sent his heart into his throat.
"Eli? Ezra said Daddy was looking for you, he-"
"He already found me, but it's all fine." Interrupted Eli. "He actually helped me realise something." The male genius said to himself more than Cressida.
"He didn't try to kill you?"
Eli shook his head slowly and took Cress' soft hand in his, so warm, so perfect, Eli couldn't resist, he had to press a kiss to her palm.
"It's fine, really." He tried to ignore the spark-like pain in the back of his head where it was no doubt bleeding. Eli flashed her a smile but couldn't hide the nervousness in his voice. "Don't you want to ask what he helped me realise?"
"Okay, what did Daddy help you realise?"
She asked with little curiosity, Cress seemed to be in her own little bubble of 'how are you still alive' and really wasn't interested in what life lesson her father had no doubt bludgeoned into the math genius.
Eli took a breath, he felt ashamed for hiding from Cressida for so long, for hurting her, he felt confusion and was filled with reservation about his conversation with Rush. Eli even found himself honoured by Rush, … I'm glad it's you. You're the only one worthy of her. But stood there before the ebony haired beauty Eli just smiled at her, a sparkle in his eyes.
"That I love you."
Her dazzling orbs grew wide but she never got to say anything because Eli had leaned in to press his lips to her own, at first she didn't kiss back but soon Cressida passed through the wave shock and into happiness.
Yes she was much, much, younger than him, genetically enhanced and altered but Eli didn't care about that any longer. Eli knew her mind was probably more mature than his was, that she was funny and sweet and kind and smart, not to mention beautiful... so, so beautiful. He loved her and as his mother had once told him, 'love works in even stranger ways than God'. Eli loved her and for some strange reason he couldn't figure out she apparently loved him too. When they finally separated the sixteen year old just stared at him.
"But-"
"I know." He cut her off abruptly. "And I'm so sorry I hurt you, made you cry. I do love you, Cress. I think I always have but... you're just so young and I didn't want to take advantage. And you're gorgeous, you're way out of my league, I mean look at me, I'm just the geek that was still living with his Mom. But if Rush is right you don't care about any of that and as long as you're happy I don't think he does either. I love you."
Eli had never confessed his love for someone before, the closest he'd ever come was when he'd told his Mom he loved her cookies but that didn't really count. Truth shone boldly in his eyes though, a silent message to Cress to please God forgive him, to know he really did love her. He stood there for what felt like an eternity before she finally spoke.
"And my Daddy helped you realise that?" There was still shock in her voice and frankly he'd not expected that to be the part of his confession she focused on.
"Yeah, I thought he was going to kill me – still might if I upset you again – but he just wants you happy."
She grinned and shuffled closer to Eli until she could reach up and cup his stubble coated cheek.
"You better not upset me then." With that she pressed her lips to his, soft and gentle, a chaste kiss but no less passionate than the ones they'd shared a few days earlier. "I love you too, Eli."
How the hell did he get so lucky?
XXXX
A week or so went by and the crew of Destiny seemed to be relieved that Eli and Cressida had finally settled down and stopped dancing around one another, a fair amount of rations had probably exchanged hands, everyone knew Brody and Volker had been the ringleaders for the betting. Eli and Cress didn't care though, they just enjoyed being together, at least as much as they could be.
Eli knew if he went too far with her Rush would kill him on principle. None of that meant he didn't get to hold her as they slept, her warm cheek on his chest. The math genius had felt rather self-conscious the first night they did that even though he'd thinned down a lot since ending up on Destiny, but Cress had soon put all his worries to rest, she didn't care what he looked like – save for that adorable little grin of his – Cress just wanted him for him.
They'd gone to bed early for a change and as had become their norm they'd shared a bed. Eli couldn't sleep, he wasn't exactly uncomfortable it was just that he'd had her pressed up against him all night, her rather impressive chest to be exact. That and Vulpine snored. Loudly. About twenty minutes after he'd managed to deafen himself to the bunny-dog's snores and his eyes had just fallen shut ready to carry him off to the land of nod, Cressida sat bolt upright and scared the living daylights out of her boyfriend; that word is going to take some getting used to.
"Oh, that could work!"
She exclaimed into the darkness loud enough to wake even a snoring Vulpine, the animal leapt to his feet in instant fight mode until the world came back to him and he saw their wasn't any danger, no one to maul. Eli wiped at his eyes as he propped himself up on an elbow, brown hair sicking out at all angles.
"What are you talking about, Cress?"
It wasn't the first time he'd woken up to her basically shouting eureka! Due to the genetic engineering she and her brother seemed to have the ability to keep their subconscious mind working on problems whether they were awake or asleep – a skill Rush was clearly jealous of- it was probably also the reason Ezra said he didn't dream.
"I have an idea to get back to Earth." That got Eli's body to snap to fully conscious, his eyes were wide. Cress turned to face him in their bed. "I need you to go get Ezra and take him to the bridge. I'll get Daddy and Mom."
Before she'd even finished her sentence Cress was out of bed and pulling on her black-purple leather pants in a rush to get dressed. As soon as she'd put her top on Vulpine padded over to the door and booped the door release with his nose – clever boy – then waited for his Misteress.
"Eli, now please, this is important. I know I woke you up and you're not good when you're sleepy but please hurry up, honey."
The girl with ebony hair leaned over the bed and pressed her lips to his for a brief moment and then she was gone along with Vulpine. Eli found himself nodding to an empty room as the last remnants of sleep left him, he stretched almost sinfully and then finally managed to clamber out of bed to pull his jeans over his blue boxers.
XXXX
I stood there in the blackboard corridor flanked on both sides by what I'd come to think of as the 'main crew' of Destiny while the scientists tried to explain Cressida's plan to everyone without a phD. I'd been pretty good at high school science but that had been a lifetime ago before the Air Force and becoming a Colonel, and frankly I didn't understand much of what they were saying. There was so much math in there that after 'dial Earth' my eyes sort of glazed over, the Rush family and Eli had spent the last seven hours talking about it – I know, I counted – before they decided to finally share with me and the others. Cress and Ez – as usual – seemed awake and motivated, a trait they no doubt got from Chloe while Rush kept pointing to different lines and symbols in the equations they'd precisely written on the walls.
Somehow through my haze I managed to glance up at Lieutenant Scott and Sergeant Greer and as expected they shared my dumbfounded expression, hopefully Eli and Chloe would simplify it a little for everyone who wasn't a scientist or created to be a genius.
One thing was for certain though, all of them seemed on board with the idea – which was a miracle in itself – even Volker had remained quiet and appeared supportive. Ezra had hardly spoken since they'd all been called into the blackboard corridor, too busy scribing down the equations with his back to everyone; turned out pink chalk was all they'd got left. Even though I didn't understand half of what they were telling me I knew this was our only real shot for getting home and I for one was looking forwards to the chance at some new underwear, and seeing my pay after our little stint in space.
Me and Rush had our problems – trying to kill each other for instance – but his children might have just saved all our lives. Ez and Cressida didn't seem to want to admit it but I and everyone else knew that going to Earth would be good for them, it might even convince Cress to stay, that girl was far too much like her father in my opinion. All of those were thoughts for another day though. Don't count you chickens before they hatch and all that.
After God only knew how long of them talking I felt my legs go numb, no, that was wrong, it was more like I sort of noticed they were when my stomach rumbled. I needed them to stop, the general idea I got and we could talk about it more after some real sleep.
"Okay, okay." I said while my hands gestured for them to shut up. "Is there any chance of blowing up the ship with this plan?" There was a pause that I didn't find comforting.
Chloe stepped forwards. "There's always a risk, Colonel Young, but we think that we can make sure it's only a tiny risk."
Again, I didn't find that overly comforting.
"As long as we calculate correctly." Added Eli.
"And life doesn't screw us over, of course." Said Ezra rather unhelpfully, I could practically hear Camile raise a not at all pleased eyebrow; would have been comical under different circumstances.
I sighed. "Alright. I'll inform General O'Neill, Rush you're coming too."
"Fine," Grumbled the Chief Scientist. "though it might be an idea to let me explain to Colonel Carter since her head won't explode."
Ahh the Rush smugness, I wondered where that got to.
"Uncle Jack's not the best when it comes to maths as you've probably noticed." Added Cress in a nostalgic tone.
I could sense us starting off down a tangent and quickly pulled us all back, Alice could go by herself down the rabbit hole.
"Colonel Carter or not, you're explaining it to Stargate Command and they're going to sign off before any of you start working on it. If we lose that gate we're all dead."
"I'll try and keep people calm." Said the voice of reason that was Camile Wray. "As soon as everyone else hears about a plan to get home they'll be demanding we just do it."
She was right, Camile usually was at the end of the day even though I didn't want to admit that.
"Scott, Greer, if the civilians cause a problem try to handle it without a show of force, I don't need another mutiny."
That really was the last thing I needed. Scott and Greer nodded as I knew they would and sounded off with their yes sir's. We had a plan. We had hope. It still amazed me that Cressida and Ezra had been created to help the Nakai destroy us and take over Destiny and yet, there they were saving us all again. Looking back I still wouldn't have blindly welcomed Cress into our crew, protecting us all was my primary mission, but I'm glad she and Ez are now part of that 'us'. I don't care how bloody redacted or classified it gets, when we get home – because I have faith that we will get home – my report is going to be filled with every single thing those two have done to save us, every selfless and painful act. They're more human than any of us.
XXXX
I wrote that last part about six different times and I wasn't ever happy with it, for some reason I just descided to try it as a first person POV from Young and it all just sort of clicked.