Disclaimer: SGU and it's Characters belong to their respective owners which, sadly, is not me. I do, however, own Alex and her story line and squad, etc, etc. This has come from my mind because my mind knows no boundaries.

lunarwitch16: Thank you, I will definitely try.

Out of Sorts

=Rush's P.O.V=

I took a seat outside, cigarettes in hand and coffee on the table next to me. The sun had risen only a half hour before and I had barely slept at all. I yawned scrubbing my hands over my face and lit a cigarette before glancing up to Alex as she walked out, eyes tired, body sluggish. "Morning"

"Mornin'" She murmured hoarsely taking a seat on the chair opposite me before pulling out her own cigarette's and lighting one.

"You look tired"

She looked up and shrugged, hand shielding her cigarette from the morning's wind that usually blew across from the Naquadria plains. "Spent most of the night trying to re," Her voice cracked causing her to clear her throat. "Repair the jet Telford took out yesterday" She took a deep drag on her cigarette closing her eyes briefly and letting the smoke out with a heavy sigh.

I gave a nod watching her, her eyes were lightly bloodshot around the edges, either a sign she had indeed spent a good deal of time on the jet over the night or a sign she'd been in tears over the night. "Are you sure that's all? You seem," I paused looking for the right words. "Out of sorts"

Alex looked up and shook her head. "I'm fine Nick" She ran a hand up through her hair and closed her eyes chewing on the end of her cigarette letting her other hand trace patterns on the table top.

I took her in for a moment. She's not fine, why the hell do women always have to say that when they're not fine? I sighed inwardly. Something's upset her; I just have to tread carefully to figure out what it is. I reached out placing a hand over hers only to have it shrugged off. "See you're not fine"

"I'm just tired Nick," She looked up. "Honestly, it's just lack of sleep" She closed her eyes again continuing to chew on the end of her cigarette.

I shook my head lightly taking a drink from my coffee and placed it lightly back on the table, my eyes never straying from her face, she did indeed look tired, she usually did some days but this was a different type of tired, it was a mental tiredness. "I just want to make sure your ok Alex"

"I'm fine"

"Your obviously not, I can see it Alexandra"

She opened her eyes to look at me before standing and crushing the end of her cigarette into the ashtray. "I have to get back to work" She stated tiredly turning away to head back inside effectively ending the conversation over what was wrong.

Bloody women. I shook my head lightly. Far too complex sometimes. I watched the sun rising even higher into the sky and looked out across the horizon. I would hate to see the formula for cracking the code to women's emotions. I chuckled lightly before shaking my head and standing before crushing the end of my cigarette into the ashtray before heading back inside to do some more work.

=Alex's P.O.V=

I sighed heavily stopping my work briefly and leant against the workbench stretching my spine and muscles.

"Hunter"

I glanced under my arm at Young and sighed heavily. "What?" I asked tiredly as I straightened up and turned towards him.

He stalled taking me in before looking to the jet and then back to me. "You worked on this all night?"

I looked to the jet and snatched up a rag beginning to wipe my hands. "Yeah" I looked to Young before looking to one of the jets being taken out for a test flight.

"Have you slept?"

"A bit" I could see exactly what he wanted to ask.

"Are you alright?"

I threw the rag back onto the work bench. "Yeah," I turned away back to the particle laser behind me. "Fine, just tired" It was the truth whether anyone chose to believe me or not, I was just god damn tired, mentally more so than physically.

"How's the laser coming along?"

I glanced to Young as he came to stop next to me. "Its fine, I'll test it later and see if it works as well as tweaking it to perfect it"

"Alright, radio me before you test it"

I gave a nod picking up my screwdriver before starting work on the laser again, both Greg and Maria working on the jet behind me. I looked up to Young when he hadn't moved and raised an eyebrow slowly. "Something else I can help you with?"

"Are you free this afternoon?"

I shrugged lightly. "I guess so"

"Great," He nodded lightly looking from his hands to me as he placed them behind his back straightening up. "I thought a game of soccer might do us some good, your squad members against some of mine"

I let a slight smile quirk at my lips before glancing up to him. "Its football and sure," I nodded to the tarmac out the hanger doors. "I'll ground the jets unless it's necessary and we can play out there"

Young gave a nod. "Alright, I'll go round up some of my men and come get you later on"

I gave a nod and turned back to my work before quickly turning back to him. "Hey!" I called after him. "I hope you realize I'll be playing too and if I'm playing you've got to play to"

"I wouldn't dream of sitting this out"

"Good, hope you don't mind getting your arse kicked then"

"We'll see Alex, we'll see"

I turned back to my work before grinning, the mood I'd been in slowly dissipating into a much better mood, my usual, slightly eccentric, slightly crazy mood.

"Hey"

I looked over to see TJ standing here and nodded lightly. "Hey," I turned back to the Gatling gun we'd lifted from the jet so I could finally fix it properly. "Young send you down here to check on me?" I queried leaning over the gun to unscrew part of it.

"Yeah, he said you seemed a bit out of it this morning"

I shrugged lightly. "Nightmares," I glanced towards her. "They get the best of everyone once in a while," I looked back to the gun. "I try not to make a habit of it"

She stopped next to the work bench. "Nightmares?"

I nodded lightly. "Well not exactly nightmares but more like memories, something I'd just rather forget some days"

"What happened?"

I looked up to her before sighing softly, very few people knew about Sean and even less had queried the sudden name change once I'd come back from my month off. "Sean" I stated.

She nodded lightly. TJ was one of the few people who knew about him and the torment I had gone through after he'd died, the constant nightmares, the constant pain and suffering I had forced myself to endure because there was nothing I could have done to stop what had happened to him, the suffering I had put myself through because I never got to say goodbye or kiss him one last time.

"So I heard Young challenged you to a game of soccer"

I grinned lightly, "Football," I corrected her. "And yes he did," I looked towards her. "You going to be playing?"

She shook her head lightly. "I'll probably be fixing up whoever gets hurts"

I grinned sheepishly. "I apologize in advance"

"Why?"

"If you've ever faced me in a match of football you'd know but trust me at least one person will get injured"

She laughed softly and nodded. "Alright, well try to go easy on them then"

"I'll try but no promises"

She nodded lightly and left heading back towards the elevator leading to the upper base complex hidden within the mountain.

Updating Stolen Tune as well because I'm on an RC kick right now so I may update again later tonight.