Nicholas and Colonel Young had swapped with two men named Private Darrow and Corporal Summers according to their uniforms, one tall and blonde that housed Rush's consciousness and the other an almost perfect carbon copy of Greer. They were quickly lead down hallways and up flights of stairs all grey and seemingly endless as with every government base, all perfectly forgettable. When they finally reached Jack's office the Private leading them knocked loudly and waited for the grunted 'come in' before he pushed the door open and let the two men inside.
"...The last three weeks, Sir." Finished a man in full air force uniform as the Private closed the door behind them.
"Ahh, Rush, Everett." Said O'Neill who stood motionless – and probably bored – behind his desk.
"General." Greeted Colonel Young while Rush remained silent.
"Colonel Davis, you remember Colonel Young."
"Of course, pleasure to see you again."
He held out his hand for Young to shake and Nicholas resisted the urge to make some sarcastic comment about 'seeing' him again. Rush had heard of Paul Davis, a liaison from the Pentagon who'd been involved with the Stargate Program pretty much since day one, he'd been a Major back then and had mainly worked with George Hammond and SG-1 when on site; Rush couldn't remember much else. Reluctantly he shook the dark—haired Colonel's hand when it was thrust out towards him, Paul smiled.
"I've heard about your work with Destiny, the reports are truly fascinating."
"Thanks." Muttered the disinterested Scotsman.
"I'll leave you all too it. General, Colonel, Doctor Rush."
Paul quickly packed up his documents from Jack's desk into a briefcase and left without another word. Rush liked him, he knew when to shut up and go away. As soon as the door clicked shut behind Colonel Davis, Jack dropped into his desk chair and looked up at Young and Rush expectantly.
"We know how to get back to Earth." Deadpanned Rush, no easing into it just boom problem solved.
There was a split second pause where O'Neill tried to figure out if he'd heard Doctor Rush correctly – frankly Nicholas found it mildly amusing – and then he leaned to the side past Young and looked to the door.
"Davis!" He shouted hoping the liaison could still hear him, after a few seconds of nothing he called out to the Private guarding the door instead. "Private!" The door opened. "Go get Davis and bring him back here."
"Yes, Sir."
Almost as quickly as he had appeared the Private was gone again in pursuit of Colonel Davis. Young raised an eyebrow but no one said a word for the thirty or so seconds it took for Davis to return. The blonde Private shut the door behind the dark-haired man and Paul set down his briefcase again.
"Was there something, General O'Neill?" He asked polity.
"You're good with numbers, know what you're talking about when it comes to tech. Be my stand in Sam and listen to this."
"Alright, happy to help."
Paul folded his arms over his chest and turned to face Young and Rush. There was something about Davis that reminded Nicholas of his son but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Rush spent about fifteen minutes explaining what Cressida had come up with as slowly and as simply as possible but he could tell that Jack still didn't get it, the man was a pilot and a solider, science had never been his strong suit. When he finished there was a second or two of pause and then Jack looked to Paul with an expression that said go on then, explain.
Paul took a breath. "You'd be better talking to Colonel Carter, Sir, or maybe Doctor Jackson. However, it sounds to me like they want to channel the solar energy Destiny uses to re-charge and power it's systems into the gate and use that as a power supply to dial Earth."
Rush was pleased at least one person in the room understood what he was saying.
"It's obviously just a rough idea at the moment. I've got Cress, Chloe and Eli running the numbers again." He cleared his throat. "There's also the issue that the planet Iccarus base was on had a whole different composition to Earth and we have no access to substitutes currently."
"Is there any way we could perhaps mine asteroids or other planets for such things and essentially build our own?" Asked Davis.
"That was Ezra's theory." Answered the grumpy Chief Scientist.
"I'm not even gonna pretend I know what you're all talking about. Seems to me that whatever happens here it's going to come at a huge risk to Destiny and Earth." Jack looked up to Paul. "Davis, I need you to report to the Pentagon about this and then get me a transfer order for Rodney McKay, he's an annoying little Canadian but he's a geek like Carter."
"No McKay, he tried to railroad my work with the ninth chevron because he didn't like the way I worked. Just leave him in the Pegasus Galaxy where he belongs-"
"You're getting him." Said Jack quickly leaving no room for argument. "It's easier to get him here form Atlantis than it would be Carter, she's still in command of the Hammond. I know you don't like him, hardly anyone does but he's a good scientist." Rush grumbled something under his breath that no one heard and Young shot him a unpleased expression. Jack turned back to Colonel Davis. "Davis, I get the feeling you'll be spending most of your days here for a while, you'll have to download The Simpsons."
Paul stifled a chuckle in order to remain his usual stoic self.
"Yes, Sir."
Jack rose to his feet.
"Everett, Rush, I'll have cake waiting for you when you're back on Earth."
XXXX
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as the Homeworld Command searched for a planet such as the one Iccaus base had been on or materials to substitute another, it was very slow going and the civilians were starting to lose hope again; they all were. Rush had spent most of his time on Earth with McKay – much to his annoyance – while Eli and Cressida had dedicated their time to making sure the engines could cope with what they were asking them to do. Chloe had dubbed herself a 'drifter' and seemed to float between the bridge and Control Interface room; during the time Rush was aboard Destiny she'd been talking him out of killing Doctor McKay as well.
Young still had reservations about the whole idea but they had no other choice for getting home. General O'Neill had been on board several times in the last few weeks and still seemed to be non the wiser, he was a hero not a math guy, but his presence did wonders for crew morale, it showed that Earth hadn't forgotten them.
To be entirely honest Rush didn't care what Jack did as long as he, his children and his science team could carry on with their work. He'd seen the way Chloe had lit up at the prospect of returning to Earth, of being able to hug her mother in her own body, to introduce Cressida and Ez to their grandmother. And Rush was damn well going to make it happen for his beloved Chloe. If anyone deserved to be happy it was her. The stress had started to get to him and Nicholas had been snapping at almost everyone, at one point even Ez but he'd been apologetic only a few seconds after that.
The emergence of his stress snark had somehow resulted in Chloe gasping out his name as he thrust into her wet heat. How that woman had fallen in love with him still remained a mystery to him but Rush had long ago stopped caring how, the how wasn't important. What was important was the fact that she truly did love him; he'd never stop being grateful for that.
Suddenly she let out a strangled scream as she fell into her bliss and tugged Nicholas in after her, he only just had the mental capacity to pull out and avoid filling her with his seed. Panting she collapsed against his sweaty chest and just clung to him for a few moments in silence. His hands left her hips to snake around her thin body and keep her close as though she were a dream that would evanesce as though she'd never existed.
"Feel better?" She purred into his chest as a finger lightly drew little patterns against his skin.
"God yes!" He responded which made her smile.
"Just think, back on Earth there are condoms."
Rush chuckled at that.
"Ooh fun." That only made Chloe laugh, an angelic sound that vibrated through his torso.
"I love you, Nicky."
"Aye, I love you to."
The two lay there for a time in a gentle quietude, Rush's arms wrapped around her body and they were happy. After Gloria had died Rush hadn't thought he'd ever know happiness in any sense of the world again but then Chloe had come along and brightened his life. There were days when she'd be asleep next to him and he'd wonder what her life could have been like if they'd never come to Destiny, would she have been happier in that life? Surely there was someone better suited for her back on Earth, someone younger and better looking, someone she could have walked down the street with without being stared at. He knew Chloe loved him and she'd never care what others thought of their relationship, but Rush knew she could have done better. He couldn't dwell on that life though, they didn't exist in that other world they were in this one, they were on Destiny and the most beautiful woman in the universe had given him her heart.
Nicholas and Chloe had just started to nod off when the radio crackled and Cressida's voice echoed from it; that had become a common occurrence.
"Daddy, I think we're good. Young's just come back and he says the Tok'ra have found a suable planet, it's already got a gate on it so we can gate there and then Earth."
She sounded excited and rightly so. The line stayed open and they could hear it change hands.
"It's Earth or dead time, Pops."
"Oh, very comforting, Ezzy."
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Grumbled the younger Rush seemingly unaware his parents could still hear him.
"No-"
Nicholas cut in abruptly, if he hadn't their little argument would have gone on for a good ten minutes.
"Would you two quit it!" The fell silent instantly, it hadn't been a question. Chloe would have called it his dominant father voice. "Your mother and I'll on the bridge soon, get everything started without me and keep an eye on Volker, he's an idiot. Rush out."
He let the black radio fall against the bedsheets and pulled Chloe closer so as he could press his lips to her own, so soft, so perfect in every way.
"I think it's home time, Sweetheart."