IV: Darkness
Rush met very few crew members in the corridors as he made his way to the infirmary. Those he did see, took one look at his sullen and angry expression and did their best to escape his notice. Not that he noticed, lost to his own thoughts as he was. What was I bloody well thinking? he thought, groaning inwardly. He'd kissed her … kissed her! in a moment of insanity. He could tell himself, all he wanted, that he'd done it to help her, to quell the panic and abject fear rising within her, but he couldn't quite convince himself it was true. He'd wanted to kiss her, more than anything he'd wanted in a long time, and he had completely taken advantage of the situation … of her. And the worst of it was that he wanted more, that one brief taste of her lips not enough to douse the fire in his blood.
It wasn't enough he'd stranded her here on Destiny, put her life in peril at his whim. He hated to admit it, but the colonel was right. If he hadn't wanted to dial Earth for fear of the explosion transmitting through the wormhole, he could have dialed elsewhere. There were many gates accessible to them, any which would have offered them relative safety. No, in his insane quest to unlock the ninth chevron address, he'd put her in danger … put them all in danger. He was a selfish bastard - would be the first to admit it - yet Belle had never turned her back on him. At his insistence, she'd embarked upon a very lucrative career, but he knew she didn't need the money. So why had she stayed? He snorted, knowing it wasn't his charming personality which kept her chained to his side. Was it the joy she found in her work … or something else?
"Don't let her lock me up again!" Belle's words reverberated inside his head, making the pressure behind his eyes throb anew. Who was her? What had happened to his little assistant before she'd come to California which would leave her in such a state of panic? She was always so reluctant to share anything which had to do with her past, locking it away in a hidden vault in her mind. And after four years of having her as his colleague, she'd just hours ago told him about her former love and his loss. Well, now that she'd begun to open herself up, he'd be damned if he'd let her close herself off again. If it wasn't too late, if he hadn't broken something between them by kissing her.
He was still glowering fiercely as he strode into the infirmary to find Belle arguing with TJ as the medic removed a blood pressure cuff from her arm.
"I'm fine, TJ," Belle assured her friend, rubbing her arm to restore circulation where the cuff had been. "It's not like this is the first time this has happened." She looked up at Rush as he came to stand beside the gurney she sat on. "Rush, tell her I'm fine."
Rush crossed his arms over his chest and focused his attention on TJ. "How is she, really?"
"Rush!" Belle hissed, seeing she would get no help from that quarter. "You're supposed to be on my side," she murmured sulkily.
His eyes warmed as they regarded her closely. "I am. That's why you're going to sit still and allow TJ to care for you."
Belle rolled her eyes, but held her tongue. For all his surly and gruff exterior, she knew he cared for her in his own way.
TJ continued her examination, frowning at the bruise purpling on Belle's temple. "Her blood pressure is slightly elevated, but nothing alarming. How long have you had this?" she asked Belle, skimming her fingers over the woman's temple.
Belle jerked away, flinching from the pressure exerted on the wound. "It's nothing. I got hit with one of the packs as we came on board."
TJ frowned, concerned for her friend. "Any dizziness, blurred vision, nausea?"
Belle shook her head, her cerulean eyes shooting daggers at Rush for his lack of assistance. "No, nothing."
"When was the last time you slept … or even ate, for that matter?" the medic asked, knowing sleep had been scarce among the crew since they'd landed on the Ancient ship. And Rush's assistant wasn't known to sleep much when she was bogged down with work. She pressed a small cup of water into Belle's hands. "Here, sip this."
Belle shrugged, doing as she was bid and sipping the water, relieved by the cool liquid sliding down her throat. "I dunno. I've been busy," she supplied lamely.
"When, Belle?" Rush asked.
Belle regarded him through narrowed eyes, a bit hurt that he wasn't taking her side. She didn't need a checkup when she was perfectly fine. "The day after you left for Earth to fetch Eli," she answered, raising her chin defiantly and daring him to scold her when he himself was just as sleep deprived as she was.
TJ shook her head in exasperation. "I won't keep you here in the infirmary overnight, Belle, but you've got to get some sleep … at least six hours. Now that we're here, with limited rations and no idea of when we'll be getting any supplies, you've got to take better care of yourself."
Belle brightened significantly. "I will, TJ, thank you," she said, hopping down from the gurney.
It was then the medic turned her attention to Rush. "Your turn," she intoned, waving a hand at the seat Belle had just vacated in a gesture for him to sit so she could examine him.
Rush uncrossed his arms, his brow knitting into a frown. "What? No, no, that's not necessary, Lieutenant," he protested.
"Oh, no, doctor man, if I had to submit, then so do you," Belle insisted, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward. He was so surprised, he allowed her to do so before he could think of an excuse as to why he should resist.
"It won't take long, Dr. Rush," TJ confirmed, hiding a grin as she helped Belle tug the flak jacket off his shoulders, leaving him in his t-shirt. "Have you been drinking lots of water since you returned from the planet?" she asked, pressing a cup of water into his hands.
He nodded around the cup.
Belle brushed the hair away from his brow, tucking a long strand behind his ear as TJ wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his bicep. "Do you happen to have anything for the sunburn, TJ?" she asked, frowning worriedly at the reddened flesh of Rush's face and hands.
"Blood pressure's normal, though he seems to be slightly dehydrated," TJ told them, refilling his cup.
"I can hear you, y'know," he mumbled around the thermometer she'd slipped between his lips.
She ignored him. "Just try to drink as much as you can. I know it's going to be difficult with the rationing, but we don't want you falling ill. Very few supplies made it through the gate, and I have to save them for emergencies, otherwise I'd hook you up to a bag of fluids."
Rush arched a condescending brow at the medic. "I assure you, I'll be fine."
TJ rolled her eyes, all too familiar with the pair's stubbornness. Sometimes she wondered how he and Belle got any work done at all without killing each other, both known to defend their arguments vehemently. She reached into her pack and pulled out several packets of aloe gel and handed them to Belle. "This should help with the burns. Do you think you could apply the gel while I go check on Dr. Franklin?"
Belle smirked at her friend, relishing the idea of smearing the substance all over Rush's burned face, making him sit still so she could care for him without his usual protests. "Oh, I think we can manage."
Rush eyed her warily as she ripped the packet open with her teeth and squeezed the cooling gel onto her fingertips. His lips parted on a sharp intake of breath as she stepped between his parted legs where they hung over the side of the gurney. She smiled shyly as she pressed her fingers to his brow and slowly began to work the gel into his irritated skin. A rosy blush rose in her neck to settle in the apples of her cheeks, and he had to wonder if she was experiencing the same rush of heat through her lower extremities as he was at her close proximity, her gentle touch. He fisted his hands and held them at his sides, forcing back the urge to curve them over her hips and draw her closer.
"I should have packed sunscreen, I suppose," she teased, trailing her fingers over the bridge of his nose.
His lips turned up in a faint smile. "Even the uncannily prepared Miss French can't think of everything," he murmured softly. His eyes were drawn to her mouth as she slipped another of the small packets between her teeth and tore it open. They closed as he bit down on the inside of his lip as she cradled his face in her hands and smoothed her thumbs languorously over his cheeks, the softness of her fingertips contrasting delightfully with the stubble on his jaw.
"Shocking, isn't it," she agreed. "Who would've thought we'd need sunscreen, eh?"
"Are you angry with me?" he blurted out, unable to rein in his wayward tongue before it loosed the question foremost in his mind.
She opened another packet of the gel and went to work on his irritated hands, a curious smile on her lips. "Why would I be angry with you? I understand why you didn't want me to accompany you to the planet. I didn't like it, but -"
"You know that's not what I'm talking about," he snapped, cutting her off. "I took unfair advantage of you back there in the maintenance corridor and you have every right to be furious with me."
Belle cursed inwardly as she felt her face flame. She turned away from him and wiped the gel from her hands on a cloth. "Come on, Rush, let's get out of here." She was thankful when he followed, falling into step with her as she took the direction which would lead them to their new quarters. "I'm not angry," she said finally as they passed by the sealed door which led into the dome room. "You were only trying to help me. It's what friends do, Rush."
Rush felt his gut twist and churn in disgust. Of course, she would think he'd only done it to surprise her, to shock her out of her panic because it was something unexpected coming from him. Did she really think he couldn't want her as more than a friend? And the way she was fidgeting nervously, her fingers twisting themselves into knots, he knew it wasn't the right time to broach the subject.
"Of course," he mumbled dryly, nodding. He let the matter drop and she relaxed, sighing heavily. "So, where are we going?" he asked, trying to map the route she'd taken in the back of his mind for future reference.
"To our quarters," she replied brightly. "They're away from the rest of the crew quarters and I can only surmise they were set aside for the ship's officers. Since we're the last to choose our staterooms, I suppose we can benefit from what I was able to secure for us. Young is going to want to remain close to his people and I know you like your privacy, so I thought these would be perfect for us … and I'm rambling again, aren't I?"
Rush chuckled softly. "You always ramble when you're tired," he said, following her down the dimly lit corridor until she stopped before a door and palmed the lock.
He had to admit she had chosen well, the space she'd claimed as his more than adequate. It was much larger than the other quarters on the starboard side of the ship and the relative privacy they offered would suit rather well.
Belle left him to explore the chamber and plopped down on the end of the bed before her legs gave out from beneath her in her exhaustion. "Toiletries in your kit on the dresser, clothes in the top right-hand drawer … oh," she eked out, biting down on a huge yawn. "Your laptop is there on the table and there are extra notepads and pencils in the nightstand on the left side of the bed."
He moved to the dresser and found himself marveling at her ingenuity. "Clothes? How—"
Her blush returned with a vengeance. "I may have … um … raided your room at Icarus. I mean, really … we didn't know this was going to happen, but I wanted to be prepared … um … just in case?" Her lips parted on a soft silent gasp as he bombarded her senses with the force of his smile, a true smile instead of the condescending quirk of his lips he usually wore.
"I'm clearly not paying you enough. This is grand, Belle, truly," he said sincerely, feeling his heart flutter a bit as she returned his smile with one of her own. "Are there any other discoveries you'd like to share?"
She couldn't hide the yawn which assailed her this time, and it was a moment before she could speak again. "There's a bathing chamber at the end of the corridor. Toilets, a few basins with spigots which should give us water once the tanks are filled … should we ever find a planet to restore our water supply … and there are some questionable looking showers, but I haven't had time to test them." She yawned again and stretched her arms over her head to release some of the tension which had built up in her shoulders. "Oh, and my quarters are just across the hall, in case you were wondering."
He sat down beside her on the foot of the bed and reached to pull his boots off. "Stellar job, as usual. Seems you kept yourself busy while I was away."
"Mmhm," she murmured sleepily, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"There's still much we have to do. I want to check the database thoroughly and learn as much as I can as fast as I can to ..." his voice trailed away as he felt her head come to rest against his shoulder, a soft snuffling sound falling from her parted lips. A puzzled frown overtook his features as he turned to look down at her dark head. He brushed the soft curls away which had escaped her ever-present bun and sighed. Her exhaustion and the stress she'd been under since they'd arrived had been more than she could bear, and her body had finally forced her into slumber.
Rush reached behind him and yanked the coverlet aside, revealing the smooth sheets beneath before lifting her slight frame in his arms and moving her to lie against the pillows. She didn't utter a sound as he removed her boots and set them on the floor beside the bed so she could easily find them when she woke. He pulled the coverlet over her, tucking her in comfortably. It was then he found himself unable to resist the lure to pull the pins from her hair. He'd never seen it down in all the time he'd known her, and he thought it odd that he'd never wondered before.
Belle rolled over onto her side, pressing her face into the pillow with a dreamy sigh and he realized she'd given him the perfect opportunity to give in to his desire. Before he could change his mind and convince himself this was an invasion of her personal space, he reached out and tugged the pins from her hair. He uncoiled the tight knot and a slow smile formed on his lips as it unfurled in his rough hands, long streaming curls of chestnut with a hint of auburn so soft it felt like silk.
"Oh, Miss French, you have been hiding, haven't you?" he murmured as he spread her locks out over the pillow and carded his fingers along her scalp with gentle pressure. She smiled in her sleep, pleasure finding her even in the arms of Morpheus. Changing his mind, he retrieved the pins from the nightstand and rose from the bed to change his clothes. He didn't know if he had the strength to move her to her own room without waking her and he didn't have the heart to disturb her. On the other hand, he in no way trusted himself to share a bed with the little temptress, especially not now when he knew her sweet lips tasted like ambrosia. No, it would be safer if he returned to the control interface room and got back to work. He slipped the pins into the pocket of his jeans, casting one last longing glance at Belle resting peacefully in his bed. He couldn't wait to see her reaction when she found no way to continue with her disguise.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush felt his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth as Belle walked into the control interface room, her eyes flashing with mild irritation and her glorious curls tumbling in sleek waves loose and free about her shoulders. It had been nearly impossible to hide her beauty behind glasses and a severe hairstyle, but he'd never imagined letting her hair down could make such a difference. She cocked a brow at him and Eli where they stood frozen in stunned admiration.
"Wow, Belle, I … um … hardly recognized you," the boy stammered, grinning sheepishly. "You look -"
Rush cut his eyes over at Eli, his upper lip curling up in a scowl. "Eli, don't you have work to do? If not, I'm certain I can find something to keep you busy."
Eli ducked his head, mumbling apologies and scurried over to his own console to begin running a diagnostic on the weapons system as Rush had tasked him before Belle had made her appearance, sneaking glances at her from beneath his dark lashes.
Rush swallowed reflexively as she made her way across the room to stand at his side, a cup of steaming instant coffee in her hand. He reached for the cup, and she smacked his hand gently, mindful of his sunburned flesh, yet making her displeasure with him clear. "You are a sneaky, devious bastard," she hissed in a deceptively soft tone.
He snorted a short laugh and reached for the cup again. And once again, she held it just out of his reach. "So, Miss French," he growled softly, reverting to the formal address he knew she despised. "You've come to taunt me with a cup of my favorite brew to show me how upset you are with me?" he arched a brow, the hidden smile at the corner of his lips belying the heat in his question.
Belle tilted her head to the side and regarded him silently for a moment, gnawing thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Of course not, Dr. Rush," she replied with false innocence. "It's merely incentive to assure me I get what I want." She stepped closer so the rich tantalizing aroma of one hundred percent Colombian assailed his nose.
His lips parted on a sigh as he took in the devilish mischief in her cerulean gaze. At the moment, he couldn't have cared less about the coffee. She was standing too close, invading his personal space - something which seemed to be becoming a habit between them - and the lure of delving his hands into her glossy chestnut locks and plundering her mouth was his greatest desire. "And … ah … just what is it you want, Miss French?" he asked, his voice a ragged whisper. He cleared his throat, inwardly cursing the tell which so readily pronounced his discomfort.
Her perfectly arched brow rose just a notch higher as her grin widened. "My hairpins, if you please," she demanded, holding out her hand.
He decided two could play her game and he turned back the console. "Why would you think I have them? Perhaps they fell out as you slept."
"If that were the case, they would have easily been found when I searched for them. They aren't anywhere in your room. And that's another thing," she retorted, taking a small sip of his coffee. She hid the smile threatening at her lips as his head jerked up, his eyes zeroing in on her action, nearly salivating for the aromatic beverage. "You could have sent me off to my own quarters last night. I didn't mean to chase you from your bed. Did you sleep at all?"
Warmth spread throughout his chest at her obvious concern for him, and he motioned for her to turn around and give him her back. When she eyed him warily and protested, he forcibly turned her, his deft fingertips gathering the hair at her temples and carefully pulled it back, pinning it at her crown and leaving the remainder of her locks to hang loose about her shoulders. His actions so surprised her, she absently released the cup into his grip as he reached for it.
He closed his eyes as he savored the rich brew against his palate. "You didn't chase me from my bed, Belle. I had work to do and saw no reason to disturb your sleep to move you," he told her, moving aside so she could scoot in beside him to study the pages of data on his screen. He ignored Eli as the boy coughed. "Besides, you sleep like the dead."
Belle snorted. "That one time doesn't count!"
He gaped at her incredulously. "You slept through an entire dissertation on the benefits the stargate program could make on -"
"Rush!"
"You were snoring," he snarked, daring her to argue.
Belle's face flamed, knowing if she didn't change the subject, he'd tease her mercilessly the rest of the day. "Fine," she acquiesced, focusing on the console. "What are we doing about unlocking the core systems? Have you had any luck thus far?"
"No, unfortunately."
"Why is power being diverted to the weapons system?" she asked, frowning down at the screen before entering several keystrokes on the keyboard to bring the system into sharper focus for her perusal. "Eli, are you doing that?"
"No, I'm cataloguing what systems we have available as opposed to those that are damaged, so we know where we stand if they're needed … not that I'm saying they're going to be needed, mind you … but," Eli stammered, flipping through his own data.
"Well, someone is messing around where they have no business. Eli, find whoever it is and have them shut down," Rush growled, draining his cup and setting it aside. More of Young's meddling in the ship's systems, no doubt, he thought bitterly. The man needs to keep his nose out of the scientific aspect of this mission and leave me and my team alone to work instead of complicating matters.
Belle laid a comforting hand on his arm, and he shook himself out of his dark thoughts. "What is it?"
"Nothing," he snapped. "Let's just get back to work, shall we?"
X*X*X*X*X
Rush sipped from his cup of water and grimaced as he moved his hand to rub at the ache in his temple. The pain was growing steadily worse, and it was distracting him from his work, forcing his concentration down the proverbial toilet. Destiny's power reserves were crap and only getting worse. Soon, the reserves would be all but gone and then their already tenuous situation would grow dire. What was worse was that nothing he did seemed to improve it, no matter how he tried to divert it … it just wasn't there. Without access to the core systems, he didn't want to contemplate the repercussions.
His long wiry fingers moved from his temple to the knot of tension at the top of his spine, rubbing absently. It was a pointless exercise as nothing seemed to ease his pain. He couldn't have been in a fouler mood. The precious few packets of instant coffee had run out days ago, the small bottle of Advil Belle had stashed away was dwindling as he had taken to eating them at the same rate Belle gobbled down Jolly Ranchers, and the colonel was on his last nerve. He'd blown off the morning meeting to discuss their supplies and the need to replenish them. Rush didn't think he'd be welcome even if he had chosen to attend. The consensus of the crew was that they were happiest if the doctor were far removed from them. They still resented him for opening the gate onto Destiny instead of Earth. Not that he gave a damn. Belle's opinion of him was the only one that mattered.
Rush tossed his notepad against the console and stormed out of the control interface room, his visage dark and dangerous. He found Dr. Park in one of the access rooms, the panel lit up before her. "I turned these systems off for a reason," he growled, pointing a finger at her.
"Dr. Rush, Colonel Young asked -"
"I don't give a bloody damn. They need to stay off!" He waited until she'd dialed back the power and switched the system off before leaving her there. He stalked down the corridor to the mess, wondering irritably if his little assistant might be there. He didn't relish having to choke down a bowl of the yellow milky protein porridge they were forced to consume twice a day, but he knew Belle would scold and cajole him unless he ate, and it was less time consuming to forego her nagging.
Rush entered the mess and his mood plummeted further. Belle was sitting at a table surrounded by Lt. Scott, Greer, Eli, and Chloe, seemingly enjoying the conversation with her friends. He ground his teeth together, surprised they didn't disintegrate into chalk. She should have been working with him this morning, and instead she was having a grand old time with the mouth-breathers she'd claimed as her mates. He beat back the green scaly jealous beast clawing at his chest and found a seat at the table with only one occupant, Camille. He never lifted his head as Becker set a bowl of porridge before him. He could feel her curious gaze, yet he refused to give her the courtesy of acknowledging her. He knew it was petty and spiteful, but the jealous monster gnawing on his good sense refused to allow him to do anything but sulk and lick his wounds in silence. And, as if things couldn't get worse, Young limped over and took the seat across from him, blocking his furtive glances at Belle. Bloody fucking wonderful!
"I ordered you here twenty minutes ago," Young said matter-of-factly as he propped his elbows on the table.
Rush continued to eat his rations, making the man wait. "I've been working," he said, wondering how he was able to keep a civil tone. "Throughout the night, actually. Trying to find out why our power reserves are so low. I'm quite concerned and so should you be."
Young frowned. "Ok, how bad is it?"
Rush sighed in frustration as he swirled the spoon around idly in his bowl. "I haven't been able to access any of the main systems yet, so I don't know," he snapped.
"Nicholas, you look exhausted. Maybe you should take a break," Camille suggested, casting him a concerned look.
"Get the information we need and make some informed decisions, and we report ..." Young rattled on, his voice trailing off as a hollow rattling reverberated through the mess hall and the lights began to flicker.
Rush dropped his spoon with a loud clang into his bowl and clasped his hands before his tightly compressed lips, desperately trying to suppress the urge to yell. Finally, he pointed both of his index fingers at the colonel. "Could you please stop people running around activating every bloody system they can get their hands on?"
Young nodded. "I will."
Rush picked up his bowl and let it drop back loudly against the table. "That was delicious," he snarked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "Thank you very much." He rose from the table, his eyes briefly meeting Belle's in a heated glance before he stalked out of the mess.
X*X*X*X*X
"Eli, I said no!" Belle insisted, stepping around her friend and continuing down the corridor.
"Aw, come on, Belle," the young genius pleaded, fiddling with the Kino remote and positioning the sphere in her line of sight. "I just need you to say something about yourself. I'm compiling this footage for my documentary project. If you don't record anything, they won't know who you are."
"Who is they, Eli?" she asked, shoving the Kino away and arching a brow at him.
"They is whoever might find the finished product," he smiled brightly, clearly excited with his new project. "Please? You'll set a good example and encourage others to join in."
A pained expression settled on her features as she glanced skeptically at the Kino. She'd made avoiding cameras and any forms of media into an art form and here Eli wanted her to give an interview. "Eli ..."
"Please!"
"FINE!" she snapped, fighting against the anxiety pooling in her chest. "My name is Belle, I'm twenty-nine years old and I'm assistant to Dr. Nicholas Rush. I postponed work on my doctorate in astrophysics, so I could join the Icarus project and I have an unhealthy obsession with hard fruity candies, Jolly Ranchers in particular," she said hurriedly and then cast Eli a warning glare before she stepped out of range of the device.
"That's it?" Eli asked, a crestfallen expression settling on his features.
"Eli," Belle growled in frustration as he centered the Kino directly before her. She cast a narrow-eyed glare at the offending sphere. "This is not for a dating service. What I've told you is more than enough." She didn't want to disappoint the boy, but she was not going to spill all her secrets to a floating camera. Once more, she stepped around the Kino and started off down the corridor.
Chloe chuckled softly as she fell into step beside her. "I see he roped you into his little project, too, huh?"
"Yes, unfortunately. I find it rather difficult to deny a man when he's practically begging on his knees," she retorted dryly, making sure her voice was loud enough to carry.
"Hey!" the boy protested, following behind his two favorite ladies, uncaring of where they were leading him.
"Eli," Chloe asked in a sweet cajoling tone. "Do you think you could show me how to use that shower you were talking about at the meeting this morning?"
"You haven't tried it yet?" Belle asked, surprised. The senator's daughter always looked so neat and well-groomed, she couldn't see how she'd managed without showering thus far. Chloe shook her head. "You really must. It's an experience you don't want to miss."
"It doesn't shoot some weird goop at you, does it?" she asked warily.
Eli programmed the Kino to follow them and dove into the topic with gusto. "No, it's like a mist and it beads up on your skin … it's really cool. Not as in cool to the touch, just really awesome. I haven't analyzed the properties of the solution yet, but I think there might be some kind of cleaning solution mixed in with the water on a molecular level."
"Would you mind showing me?" Chloe asked Eli, a hopeful expression on her lovely face. Eli, as taken as he was with the young woman, jumped at the chance to offer his assistance. "Will we see you later at dinner, Belle?"
"Oh, yeah, I'll be around … if Rush doesn't decide to make us work into the night again," she smiled wryly.
Belle waved them off and continued her trek to the control interface room, dragging her feet - literally - in no hurry to be confronted with Rush's less than pleasant mood. She cursed inwardly as she turned the corner and nearly collided with Colonel Young. "Colonel, I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, Belle. Where are you off to?" he asked conversationally, though Belle knew it was anything but. It was more likely that he was fishing for information.
She shrugged noncommittally. "Keeping busy, Colonel. I'm on my way now to grab a Kino and inspect some of the unknown sections we haven't been able to explore yet. I'm hoping I can drag Riley away from his duties to accompany me now that Chloe has Eli occupied elsewhere and Scott and Greer are inspecting the shuttle to see if it's flight worthy." He looked at her in surprise. She cast him a secretive smile. With her network of friends, there was very little which escaped her notice. And she, in turn, kept Rush apprised of her vast intel.
"Belle! I have to show you this," Riley said, approaching her from an alcove off the corridor. "Do you have your phone on you, by any chance?"
"Yeah, I do," she answered, pulling it from the back pocket of her jeans and handing it to her friend.
Volker stood next to a long flat plate protruding from the wall. "You're going to love this, Belle. It's the answer to a prayer."
"What is it?" she asked curiously, standing next to Riley as he laid her phone on the metal plate and flipped a switch. A low hum emitted from the device.
"Dr. Volker, just the person I wanted to see," Young smiled brightly at the scientist.
Dale visibly paled. "Uh-oh."
"Dr. Rush needs help solving the power issues. You've just been volunteered."
Belle arched a brow at the colonel, knowing just how Rush would react to his least favorite team member offering his services. "Colonel, that's not necessary. I'll go."
Young shook his head. "No, Belle, you've been putting in more than your fair share with Rush. You deserve a break."
"But -"
"Volker's really looking forward to it. You wouldn't want him to ignore a direct order, now would you?"
Belle pasted a falsely bright smile on her lips which in no way matched the murderous gleam in her eyes. He was being spiteful and petty, wanting only to rile Rush more than he already had and between the lack of sleep and the stress Rush was under due to the problem he was trying to solve, she knew it wouldn't end well for anyone involved. Poor Dale.
She turned her back on him, silently seething and Riley pressed her now fully charged phone into her hands. She gasped in surprise. "That's brilliant, Riley! Do you think you could charge Rush's laptop battery for me later?"
"Sure. Just bring it to me when you have time, Belle." He waved a hand towards the plate. "We've tweaked it to work with Earth's technology. For now, we have to be careful not to leave them on the plate for too long or it fries the battery, but … not bad, huh?"
Young chuckled, relieved one of their problems had been solved, but it would have to wait for later. "It's great."
Riley beamed under the Colonel's praise. "Isn't it?"
"Turn it off," Young said.
Riley's face fell and Belle's eyes narrowed on their commanding officer with displeasure. "Why?" she asked.
"Well, Rush says we have power issues."
"But we have all these things to recharge," Riley sputtered in disappointment.
"I know, but as soon as he gives the go-ahead, you kids can go crazy. For now, help me pass the word to stop pushing buttons," he ordered, his tone brooking no objection. With a nod, he limped off down the corridor, her angry gaze burning into his back.
Belle felt sorry for her friend. He'd been so happy to have found something useful to do to break the monotony of monitoring the database on the gate room console. She dug a strawberry Jolly Rancher from the pocket of her jeans and pressed it into his hand. "Don't worry, Riley, we can do it later. In the meantime, you can come exploring with me."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush tossed his notepad against the console and raked both hands through his hair, a soft string of curses falling from his thin lips as the ship rattled and groaned, the lights once more flickering on and off before resuming their dim glow. He groaned as Volker tentatively stepped over the threshold of the control interface room. Just what I fucking need now!
"Hey, heard you could use a helper," Volker squeaked, easing into the room.
"Well, you heard wrong," Rush snapped irritably, rubbing at his temples and the unrelenting throbbing which plagued him. His headache was steadily blossoming into a full-blown migraine, and his fellow scientist was only going to make it worse.
"Yeah, Young said not to take no for an answer," he shrugged, shifting his broken arm - still in a sling - uncomfortably.
Rush didn't bother looking up from his console, grinding his teeth against the pain in his head. "If he wanted to be helpful, he would have sent Belle or Eli instead."
"Well, thank you for that, but Eli's a kid, really, and Belle's just your assistant: I'm an astrophysicist, so ..." he muttered defensively.
Rush sighed wearily, leaning against the console and dropping his head into his hand. "Mr. Volker, I neither need, nor want your help, alright?" he snapped, trying to maintain the thin thread of control he desperately clung to.
Volker winced. "Look, he's just going to drag me right back in here, and you know it. Come on," he cajoled.
Rush sneered, but he gave in … for the moment. "Right, I'm concerned that Destiny is on the verge of losing power. Look for yourself."
Volker stepped up to the console Rush had planted himself before and made to look at the screen. Rush flung out his arm, pointing to the console to his right. The ginger-haired astrophysicist ducked his head sheepishly, a blush creeping up his neck at the silent reprimand. "This ship's been flying around for the better part of a million years."
"Don't you think I know that?!"
Volker studied the screen before him. He was knowledgeable in Ancient, but not nearly as good as Park or Belle in his translations. "So, I don't understand why all of a sudden ..."
Rush stared at the man contemptuously, his voice rising. "Well, we showed up and started doing things, how about that?"
"Like what?"
Oh, this one is as thick as a dead tree stump! "Dialing back to Earth, for one!" he snarled.
Volker snorted and cast his superior a condescending look. "Come on, we had to try." Rush shot him a glare which should have fried him on the spot. "Look out the window, man. We're flying faster than the speed of light. How close to the end of the rope can we be?"
"You're obviously not capable of seeing the signs," Rush hissed, his eyes narrowed menacingly. He could have happily choked Young for sending the man in there just to bedevil him.
"Ok," Volker said, maintaining his soft tone. It was best to treat Rush like a wild beast when he got like this … approach with extreme caution. "Well, speaking of signs, when was the last time you slept?"
Seriously? I don't get enough of this crap from Belle? "Look, if you know what you're looking for, there are clear indications that power is being channeled into life support and away from ..."
Volker did the equivalent of poking the beast with a sharp pointy stick, and interrupted Rush in the middle of his tirade. "How can you know that? We're still completely locked out of the core systems."
"OUT!" Rush bellowed, the color rising in his face as he slammed his hand down on the console, glowering at the man with all the pent-up rage he'd been suppressing for the past two days.
Volker paled, realizing his mistake - too little, too late - as it were. "Okay, I'll … forget I said anything."
"NOW!"
Volker cowered behind his console. "No, I'll just work quietly."
"Well, it's too bloody late for that now, isn't it?" Rush growled, his teeth bared, and his eyes flared wide. "I told him you'd be a waste of time! A waste of time we can ill afford! If you can't see the signs staring you in the face, then you're no good to me! GET OUT!"
Belle passed Volker in the corridor, his jaw tightly set in anger as he left the control interface room. Her brows drew low over her brow as she strode into the room, concerned when she saw the high state of agitation Rush was in. "What the hell is going on in here? I could hear you yelling all the way from the mess."
Rush regarded her slyly, slowly turning his head to glare at her. "Well, well," he snarked acidly. "So nice of you to take time out of your busy schedule to join me."
Her lips parted on a stunned gasp. "What?!" She ripped the radio from her waistband and thrust it out for him to see. "I am always available to you, Rush. You haven't called for me once today. What has gotten into you?" She let her hand drop to her side, refastening the radio to her belt. Regarding him closely, the manic glint in his eyes, the tight press of his lips and the lines of pain at the corners of his eyes, alerted her that something more was going on than she'd previously thought. This outburst was more than lack of sleep or stress from his job.
He shook off her hand as she reached out and gently laid it on his forearm. "You're the one who complains when you're not assisting me, Miss French, yet you found it more important to dally with your soldier boys and Eli instead of being here," he snarled, jabbing a finger at the console, "where you belong!"
"Dally? Seriously, Rush?" she asked dryly … right before she smacked him on the shoulder. "Have you taken leave of your bloody senses?!"
He rubbed at his shoulder, his sable eyes flashing with venom. "No, Miss French, I happen to have full use of my faculties. And instead of having you at my side to try to resolve this issue, Young sends Volker ... fucking Volker! … in here with his ineptitude. Apparently," he growled, advancing on her, using the few inches he had on her to intimidate her, "you don't care about the mission any longer. Perhaps I should have left you there in California. If I had known you -"
"How dare you!? I'd like to know how you think you would've gotten this far without me!" she yelled, her voice rising several octaves in her anger, her cheeks flushing crimson as she held her ground. "I gave up my doctorate for you! I left the fucking planet for you, Rush. If that doesn't prove my dedication, I don't know what will! I've had to put up with your brooding silences, your temper tantrums, your rants, and your insane demands. I deserve your respect, you ass … not your contempt nor this irrational behavior directed towards me!"
His upper lip curled back over his teeth in a cold sneer. "No one forced you to accept the position as my assistant. If I remember correctly, you couldn't pack fast enough. You have no one to blame but yourself, Miss French, so deal with it! You're stuck with me now."
Belle poked him hard in his chest, relishing the small grunt of pain that issued from his parted lips. "That's right! I chose to join you on this project and unless you want me to make your life an absolute living hell, Rush, you'd better pull yourself together. I will not tolerate this from you! I've already had to put up with far too many people underestimating me in the course of my life. They took advantage with no regard for my feelings, and I'll be damned if I let it happen again." With that, she turned on her heel, wanting to be as far away from him as possible in the limited confines of the ship.
"Just where the hell do you think you're going? This isn't finished, Belle! We have work to do!" he called after her.
"When you pull your head out of your ass, come find me!"
"Belle! Belle, wait!" But she was already gone. His one ally on the whole ship, in his whole universe and he'd just succeeded in pushing her away. Rush slumped against the console and grabbed his head in both hands as his migraine worsened. Now he had to come to grips with the fact that he'd hurt Belle. He'd let his jealousy and stress and a myriad of other emotions goad him into hurting her. FUCK!
The ship groaned with a hollow grinding sound and the lights flickered and died. But this time they didn't come back on as they had before. Worse yet … Destiny dropped out of FTL. "Perfect!"
X*X*X*X*X
Belle charged into the infirmary, still seething with blinding fury. The observation deck had been occupied by several members of the crew and she hadn't wanted her dismal mood to spoil anyone's down time. She didn't feel like going to her quarters, afraid in the relative peace of her personal space she would break down in angry tears or worse … give in to the temper she normally kept hidden and break something she would later regret. Perhaps if TJ weren't too busy, talking to someone might help relieve some of her suppressed rage. It was times like these that she missed Archie and Ruby. She missed having someone to confide in. As much as she valued the new friendships she'd established, she still found it hard to trust. Now, she felt as if she didn't have a choice. The desire to unburden herself had led her to the medic and she already felt a little better.
She drew up short when she entered the room, finding more than a few of the beds occupied. "TJ, what's going on?" she asked, stepping to her side.
The woman looked up with a weary smile as she saw her friend. "Hey, Belle, nothing to be alarmed about. Just a few of the crew suffering from withdrawals … headaches, jitters, irritability. Nothing I didn't expect with the lack of coffee and tea on board," she explained as she counted out tablets from the bottle of aspirin she held. "What's wrong; you look upset?"
"Rush," she growled. From her tone, she didn't need to elaborate, that one word saying everything TJ needed to know.
TJ bit back a chuckle, knowing Belle wouldn't appreciate her humor. "Worse than usual?"
Belle followed the medic to a secluded corner where she'd set up a small space for herself while she was working and sat down in the chair provided. "You could say that," she murmured, toying with the thin strip of material she had tied about the end of her braid.
"You want to talk about it?"
Belle hesitated for only a moment, years of keeping things to herself sticking her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Usually, his anger is directed at someone else … never at me. He's always shown me nothing but the utmost respect and for him to blow up at me when I was merely trying to help. Ugh! I'm so furious with him!"
TJ's brows disappeared into her hairline. "He yelled at you?"
"Yes," she admitted with a wry twist to her lips. "Our arguments are usually very intense, but never like this. I mean … I've seen him manic before, but I'm usually able to talk him through it. He'd already run poor Dale out of the interface room. I was just trying to ask him what was wrong. I wanted to help him."
TJ reached out and covered Belle's hand with her own, her brows drawing together in a concerned frown. "Belle, he didn't -"
"Of course not!" Belle hissed, staring at the medic as if she'd lost her mind. "At least not physically. Rush isn't the violent type. He will defend himself, certainly, if he has to, but he's more prone to completely take a person apart with that acerbic wit of his."
"And it usually doesn't take much to set him off. What was it this time?"
"He accused me of dallying with Scott and Greer over breakfast instead of attending to my duties. I didn't linger in the mess any longer than usual and then I got right to work. Granted, it was in another part of the ship instead of the control room, but I was working," she said defensively. "It sort of spiraled from there."
TJ took in the sheepish look on her friend's face and her lips bloomed into a surprised smile. "It sounds to me that perhaps he was upset more that you were seen with Scott and Greer rather than where you were working."
"What?"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was jealous."
"Jealous?" Belle asked a mere second before she burst out laughing. "TJ, you know he doesn't feel that way about me. I've been his assistant for four years. I think I would've noticed if he felt something more than friendship."
The blonde shrugged. If Belle wasn't able to see the signs so blatantly evident, she wasn't sure she should try to convince her. "You're sure? Rush treats you differently than everyone else. He's softer, more patient. It could be he cares for you and just hasn't realized it yet."
Belle waved a dismissive hand. "No, I don't think so. When I met Rush, he'd just lost his wife. He was angry all the time and the only way he felt he could cope with it was through his work. I think the only reason he tolerated me then was due to the fact that I would work equally hard to help him succeed. It took a long time to earn his trust and it just blossomed into a grudging friendship." She looked down at her hands clenched in her lap, remembering their early days when she felt as if she were walking on eggshells to keep from provoking his temper over the smallest matters. "It's hard not to lose faith when you've suffered a loss like that. I'm just glad I could be there for him."
TJ groaned inwardly, realizing Rush wasn't the only one who had strong feelings in his relationship with Belle. "Are you speaking from experience?"
Belle shrugged, catching her lip between her teeth to stop herself from spilling her guts about her life in Storybrooke. She'd locked her past away and that's where it would remain buried. "I shouldn't have yelled at him," she deflated, filled with remorse for making a bad situation worse.
"Four years is a long time, Belle. If the two of you moved from a good working relationship into a friendship, it's not so farfetched to think his feelings could have changed for you."
"I -" The lights flickered off and cast the room into darkness, the emergency lighting finally coming to life. "Well, crap!" Belle sighed in irritation.
TJ groaned and rushed over to reassure several of her patients. Belle remained where she was, imagining the temper tantrum Rush must be pitching in the control interface room at the loss of power. She debated whether or not she should try to find him and see if she could help somehow, but decided against it. Even though she felt guilty about giving in to her anger, she was still hurt he'd taken out his frustrations on her.
"What do you think happened to the power?" the medic asked as she resumed her seat. "And better yet, will Rush be able to fix it?"
"I don't know," Belle answered truthfully, her eyes straying to the door of the infirmary as she fought to remain seated. She refused to run to Rush and offer her assistance after the way he'd yelled at her. He could come to her when he'd calmed down. "He's been working the problem, but I don't know if this is going to be something easily repaired. There's still so much we're learning about the ship."
Colonel Young's voice was amplified as it came across both Belle's and TJ's radios simultaneously, interrupting their conversation. "TJ, we could use a medic in the gate room," he said, his voice nearly drowned out by Rush yelling in the background.
"Was that Rush?" TJ asked Belle, but the woman had already dashed for the exit. She sighed and grabbed her medical kit to follow, taking Belle's swift exit as a yes.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle raced to the gate room, winding her way through the darkened corridors and praying she didn't run into anyone in her haste. Volker and Young were standing over a prone Rush, looking at one another as if wondering what to do.
She pushed Volker aside and dropped down next to Rush, her hands fluttering uselessly as she looked for wounds. "What happened? What did you do to him?" she accused, glaring at the two men over her shoulder.
"We didn't do anything to him, Belle. He was ranting … not an unusual occurrence," Volker muttered under his breath, "… and he just collapsed."
She dismissed them from her thoughts now that she was sure they hadn't harmed him in any way and smoothed her hand over his brow. "Rush, can you hear me?" she asked, leaning close to his ear, worry evident in her soft voice. She should have trusted her instincts earlier, having known something was wrong, instead of losing her temper with the man. "Rush, please … open your eyes. I won't even get mad if you yell at me again."
TJ came in and knelt at his other side, pulling the necessary equipment from her bag to examine him. "It's alright, Belle," she soothed, wrapping a blood pressure cuff about his bicep.
"What the hell is wrong with him, TJ?" the colonel asked. "Did he have some kind of mental break?"
Belle flashed him an icy look. "You don't have to sound so bloody hopeful, Colonel," she fairly snarled at the man.
TJ shook her head. "No, it's been happening all morning. People are suffering caffeine and nicotine withdrawals. Belle, how much coffee does he drink? Does he still smoke?" she asked, trying to remember clearly what little she knew about the scientist.
"He cut back on smoking once we joined the Icarus project and his trips back to Earth to buy more were limited, but he drinks more coffee than any one person should. If I didn't make him eat on a regular basis, he'd consume nothing but coffee," she admitted with a wry smirk.
TJ removed the cuff and stored it back in her bag. "His blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, but not dangerously so. When was the last time he slept?"
Belle snorted derisively. "Rush, sleep? Seriously? The man thinks he's a cyborg and therefore not required to sleep. He'll pass out over the console before he willingly takes himself off to bed. It's probably been more than thirty-six hours since he slept."
"I thought it was one of your jobs to make certain he did," the colonel said dryly, leaning heavily on his crutch as he addressed Belle.
Belle gnashed her teeth together, not bothering to look at the smirking man. She sat back on her heels, absently carding her fingers through Rush's hair as she watched his face for any signs he might be returning to consciousness. "Performing miracles is not in my job description."
"What do you propose, TJ?" Young asked. "We can't just leave him in the gate room."
"Between the stress, the withdrawals and the lack of sleep, he needs rest," she gave her professional opinion, packing up her kit.
He shook his head, mumbling, "That man is a lot of work." He retrieved the radio from his belt. "Sergeant Greer, could you please come to the gate room. Dr. Rush requires assistance to his quarters."
Greer snickered over the open channel, but otherwise held his comments. "On my way, sir."
"Belle, I need to see to my other patients. I'll come by later and check on him, ok?" she asked, rising to her feet. Belle nodded, thankful for her friend.
Greer arrived shortly thereafter and took in the situation with a rather pleased smile. He bent over the prone doctor and hoisted him over his shoulder. With a grin, he turned his attention to Rush's assistant and gestured towards the door of the gate room. "Lead on, Miss Belle."
Belle ignored the colonel as she led Greer out of the gate room and down the correct corridor which would lead them to Rush's quarters. "What are you smiling about, Ronald?" she asked, arching a brow in his direction. "You don't have to look so pleased by Dr. Rush's misfortune."
"I didn't say a word," he chuckled.
She made a noise of displeasure at the back of her throat as she palmed the lock and preceded him into the room. Greer dumped him unceremoniously on the bed and she smacked him on the shoulder. "Not so rough! I swear, Ronald, you don't have a gentle bone in your body," she scolded.
"Aw, he'll be alright, Miss Belle. You worry too much."
She fussed over Rush, plumping the pillow beneath his head and assuring herself she'd made him as comfortable as possible before she turned to Greer. "Be that as it may, he's a human being … not a sack of grain." She led him out and watched him make his way down the corridor before going to her own quarters to retrieve one of the few paperback novels she'd had stuffed into her rucksack.
Returning to his quarters, she curled up on the sofa and toyed with the frayed edges of the cover as she watched her boss. He'd finally pushed himself too hard and would now have to suffer the consequences. She set the book on the small table next to the sofa and sighed, realizing the emergency lighting wasn't going to be enough by which to read. Wearily she laid her head against the cushioned armrest and closed her eyes, determined to be with him when he woke. She couldn't very well get any work done with no power, and she didn't fancy wandering about in the dark. A few hours of sleep would probably do her good.
X*X*X*X*X
"Belle, it's TJ, come in."
Belle set her hairbrush down on the low table by the sofa in Rush's quarters and reached for her radio. She ran her fingers through the still damp chestnut locks, freshly scrubbed from her shower. Thankfully, the showers worked on a different system and weren't affected by Destiny's loss of power. She'd donned a clean pair of black yoga pants and a thin pale cream-colored cashmere sweater and a flat pair of her favorite strappy sandals. The familiar clothes had been chosen for comfort when she'd packed them in a space bag and dropped them in her rucksack months ago and now she was happy to have them with her.
She turned the volume down on her radio so as not to disturb Rush and pressed the com button. "Yeah, TJ, I'm here," she answered.
"I'm sorry I haven't been to check in on Dr. Rush. He still sleeping?" the medic asked, concern evident in her soft tone.
"Yeah, he's still out … although, he's been a bit restless for the past hour or so. He should be waking soon, I expect."
TJ sighed, sounding uncomfortable suddenly. "I hate to ask, Belle, because I know how badly Dr. Rush needs to rest, but I need you to wake him. Colonel Young needs to see him as soon as possible over here in the shuttle. It's important."
Belle's lips turned up in a faint smile as her gaze raked over Rush's sleeping form on the big bed. "No, TJ, it's alright. You know he's going to be a veritable bear because we've let him sleep for so long as it is. We'll be there shortly."
"Thanks, Belle. Johansen out."
She rose from the sofa and rubbed her clammy palms nervously against her outer thighs as she inched herself towards the bed. She didn't know how Rush would react to her presence after the abominable argument they'd had earlier, but there was no other recourse. He'd be more cantankerous than usual if she let him sleep and he missed out on something important regarding the ship.
She eased onto the edge of the bed to sit next to him, her hip pressing gently against his side, and she had to quell the tingle which seemed to ripple over her flesh as it radiated from the spot where their bodies touched. Get a grip, you goose! she scolded inwardly as she reached out timidly and rested her hand against his chest. She smiled as she felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm. Unable to find it in her to move, her gaze swept over his face, noting the dark circles ringing his eyes and the five o'clock shadow which darkened his jaw. If he continued to disregard simple matters such as eating, sleeping and showering, his health was going to decline and then he'd be no good to anyone. Not that she cared whether anyone else benefited from his genius, but she knew their mission would be doomed to failure without him. I need him, she thought ruefully, finally admitting it to herself. She'd just need to make sure he put forth a better effort to take care of himself whether he liked it or not.
Belle brushed a lock of hair away from his brow, reveling in the softness as the strands caressed her fingers. She took a long moment to take advantage, gently massaging her digits over his scalp before finding her voice. "Rush, time to wake up," she murmured softly. "Come on, Rush."
Her hand drifted from his temple and down along his stubbled jaw, cradling it gently. She started slightly as he covered her hand with his own calloused palm, pressing it firmly to his face as he turned his head and nuzzled into her touch. She felt a blush creep up her neck to settle in her face as his lips brushed against the sensitive flesh of her palm and she wasn't certain if the small moan which echoed in the room came from him … or her. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and her heart clenched painfully as she wondered if he were dreaming of his dearly departed wife. He'd suffered so much, and she felt it somehow wrong that his subconscious couldn't give him peace even in his dreams.
"Belle ..." he sighed softly, his lips pressing a kiss to her palm.
Her eyes flared wide and her lips parted on a gasp as her name fell from his lips. Wait! What?! But she didn't have long to contemplate as his sable eyes flew open to meet her startled gaze. He sat up swiftly, bringing himself face to face with her, his lips mere inches from her own. She raised her free hand, the one not trapped in his strong grip, and carded it through the hair over his left ear, fairly drowning in deep pools of sable as he held her gaze. What could he have possibly been dreaming if he was reacting to her like this?
His arm curled around her waist, pulling her closer with a groan, her chest pressing gently into his. "Belle ..."
It dawned on her then that he must still be disoriented from sleep, and she could have screamed in frustration. He didn't know what he was doing, still wrapped in a haze between waking and dreaming. It just wouldn't be fair to him if she used his vulnerability to her advantage … it really wouldn't. Yet, she had that little voice niggling at the back of her mind which reminded her of how much she'd enjoyed the brief kiss they'd shared days ago in the maintenance corridor. That same voice pecked at her mind, cajoling her to take what she wanted and there was no denying that she wanted Nicholas Rush … the desire churning in her blood was testament to that.
Hell! I'm only human. Her hand slid around the back of his neck and pressed gently into the knot of tension at the top of his spine, just beneath his nape, urging him forward and closing the distance between them. Her lips closed over his and she marveled at how perfectly they fit together. She forced back her raging desire, contenting herself with getting acquainted with the shape and texture of his lips, afraid if she moved too far, too fast, she'd break something between them. His hand tightened almost imperceptively against hers as he continued to hold it to his cheek, his lips parting beneath hers and a low rumble of pleasure sounding low in his throat.
That sound encouraged her, confirmation that he wasn't averse to her advances. Oh, how she wanted to deepen the kiss, to slide her tongue into his mouth to taste, to savor, to explore, and it was with great restraint that she settled for soft nibbling kisses. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to take that leap into a deeper relationship with him, still so afraid to risk her heart, but she couldn't continue to fight her attraction for the man. She'd wanted him for far too long. Just one taste would never be enough, but it was a start. "How did … you sleep?" she whispered against his mouth between kisses.
Rush tensed beneath her gentle touch and his eyes were wide as he drew away from her, dropping his hands to his lap as he took in his surroundings. "Oh, Belle, I'm so sorry. I -"
She pressed a finger to his lips, cutting off what was sure to be a long drawn out apology. "Hush. You've done nothing wrong," she chided, smiling shyly.
His tongue snaked out to wet his lips, almost as if he were trying to catch the last hint of her taste on his lips. "Belle … I shouldn't ..."
She darted forward and pressed another soft kiss to his lips, her actions meant to assure him he hadn't done anything to which she was opposed. Reaching out towards the nightstand to his left, she retrieved a cup of water she'd set there for him when he woke and popped the cap on the bottle of Advil she kept beside it, shaking out two of the pills into her hand. "Here, take these," she said, placing the items in his hands.
She cast him a pleased smile when he did as she asked without his usual complaints. "How did I get here?" he asked, his voice hoarse and raspy from his prolonged sleep.
"Greer brought you here for me. I doubt I could have managed on my own," she teased. "You passed out for a little while."
He dropped back against his pillow again, his head spinning. He lifted a hand, heavy with weariness and rubbed at the painful throbbing in his temple. "How long?"
Belle pressed the tiny button on the side of her dainty gold watch and the face lit up with a faint blue glow. "About ten hours."
"Has anything happened?" he asked, reluctant to meet her gaze.
"Not since we lost power." She took the empty cup and refilled it from the canteen before pressing it back into his hands. "You haven't missed a thing. How do you feel?"
He raised up on an elbow and drank greedily from the cup. "Embarrassed."
"Don't be, Rush. TJ said you're going through caffeine and nicotine withdrawals. It's to be expected," Belle tried to soothe him, fidgeting with a loose thread on the duvet. "You're not the only one suffering from the effects. So are about a dozen others."
"You weren't there, Belle. I was a complete raving lunatic," he sneered in disgust. "Young probably wants to toss me out of the nearest airlock."
Belle ducked her head, watching him carefully from beneath her lashes. "Worse than our own little blow up in the control room?"
At that subtle reminder, he was instantly filled with remorse. He sat up again and took her hands in his. "Belle, I'm sorry. Despite the withdrawals, it's still not a suitable excuse for my actions. Not with you." He added that last in a tone fraught with emotion and she felt her belly twist into a knot of longing.
"Hmph," she murmured. "Indeed, it wouldn't be a good idea to alienate the only person on board who likes you," the teasing tone back in her voice as she leaned on the arm she had braced near his right hip and reached up to brush the hair away from his eyes.
He couldn't bite back the half-moon grin which pulled up his lips. "You like me?"
"You know I do, you stubborn Scottish ass," she whispered softly, her eyes twinkling with affection. "But I'm still a bit peeved with you."
"Belle ..."
"You should have told me," she scolded gently. "I could have helped you. There's nothing I could have done for the lack of coffee or cigarettes, but there are other things I could have done to help ease your pain. I'm quite adept at soothing ravaging beasts."
"Are you now?" he asked, arching a dubious brow at her.
"I am. Perhaps after this latest crisis is overcome, I might show you. But for now, we have to go. I was going to let you sleep until you woke on your own - probably the first real sleep you've had since we came on board - but the colonel wants to show you something," she said, rising unsteadily to her feet. "Then when he's done, we can grab something to eat - as much as I abhor that sludge we're forced to consume - and you can shower. This power shortage has one small advantage," she rambled, tossing him his boots.
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"You can take care of everything you've been neglecting on a personal level." She turned, all hints of her teasing banished from her face. "I won't have you collapsing again because you fail to take care of yourself, Rush. I … ah … I don't want to … I can't … do this without you. This is our mission."
The breath hitched painfully in his chest as he witnessed the determination and concern for him on her lovely features. Something had shifted in their relationship and there was no way he was going to let this new opportunity to have things grow between them pass him by. "I'm not going anywhere, Belle. I promise."
X*X*X*X*X
Young turned to greet them as they entered the shuttle. "Come on in, you two."
Belle was rather surprised at his seemingly good mood, all things considered, but quickly dismissed it from her mind as she caught the view from the cockpit windows. "Nice," she breathed, taking in the giant Red Dwarf in their path.
"Orbital insertion trajectory?" he asked of no one in particular.
Lt. Scott grinned. "That was my first thought."
Greer nudged him on the shoulder. "I thought your first thought was we were gonna fly into the damn thing," he joked.
Scott cast him an irritated glance, but otherwise ignored him, giving Rush his full attention. "No, sir. I'm guessing we'll get close enough to kiss, but not enough for capture."
Belle inched closer to the window, absolutely fascinated by the view before her. Never in her wildest imagination had she ever thought she'd see something she'd only read about in her books. It was all too incredible.
"An aerobraking maneuver?" Rush asked, stepping behind her and bracing a hand on either side of her hips on the window. He rested his chin on her shoulder and grinned, whispering so only she could hear. "You're going to catch flies, Miss French," he teased.
Belle snapped her gaping mouth shut with an audible pop and smirked at him over her shoulder.
Scott continued. "Well, the math's over my head, but yeah, we should come out of a slingshot somewhere in-system."
Rush moved away from Belle and inspected the panel before him with someone's idea of sticky notes full of translations for the corresponding buttons and switches. "Where there are habitable planets," he said, his sharp mind still on the conversation going on around him.
"Well, we're still too far out to know if they're anything more than rocks," Colonel Young added, leaning wearily on his crutch, "but we found three candidates before Big Bertha here filled up the sky."
"So, this trajectory is no accident, then?" Belle asked, her curious gaze swinging between the two officers.
"Apparently not, but we'll know for sure once we're clear."
Scott checked his watch. "Which'll be in six minutes."
Rush peeled off the translations and raised a condescending brow at Scott and Young. "Who translated this? You know it's completely backwards." No one bothered to answer so he turned back to the console and replaced the sticky notes in the correct position.
Scott shared Belle's obvious excitement over the upcoming slingshot maneuver the ship would be making in mere minutes. "Well, pull up a chair, sir. This'll be a show you don't want to miss."
Rush urged Belle into the co-pilot's seat and took the pilot's seat for himself, wanting her near to hand so he didn't have to worry unnecessarily for her safety. He would have plopped her firmly in his lap if it wouldn't have raised questions he wasn't prepared to answer. Whatever was beginning between them was no one's business but their own and he didn't want to start idle gossip. "There's going to be some severe turbulence when we contact the atmosphere," he informed them, strapping himself in.
Young turned to exit the shuttle. "I'll pass the word."
"Colonel," Rush called out, stopping the man before he could leave, "about our previous conversation ..."
"Rush, no need to apologize," Young cut the scientist off.
Rush snorted. "I wasn't about to. I'm trying to explain I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms ..."
Again, the colonel cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I know all about it." He made his way down the ramp, Greer falling into step beside him. "Man's a lot of work," he commented dryly. "Lot of work."
Rush reached over and assured himself Belle was firmly strapped into her seat. "Don't be afraid, Belle," he murmured softly, offering her his hand should she wish his support through the upcoming maneuver.
She turned her bright cerulean eyes on him, excitement gleaming within their depths and linked her fingers with his. "I'm not. This is going to be amazing," she fairly squealed.
He shook his head, grinning at her exuberance as the ship rumbled and shook beneath them.
"Thirty seconds to contact. Hang on!" Scott said, his voice rising to be heard over the groaning of the ship.
Belle gripped tightly to Rush's hand as the ship picked up speed. The turbulence made her stomach roil with a mixture of fear and excitement, but she had faith in Destiny to hold together and see them safely to the other side. She had nothing to compare the feeling of hurtling through space at breakneck speed to, but she knew she'd never forget it. And then they were through and back out into the vastness of space, the three planets Scott had mentioned clearly visible.
"Whoooo!" the lieutenant whooped. "Hell of a ride, huh?"
Rush huffed a short laugh and settled his gaze on the screen embedded into the panel. "Yes, yes it was." He gave Belle's hand one last comforting squeeze before releasing her. "Now, let's find these planets you were talking about."
Scott pointed out the shuttle window. "There they are, dead ahead."
"Yes, we should be able to analyze the atmosphere of the nearest planet within a few hours."
Belle unbuckled her harness and moved to stand behind his seat so she could view the data displayed on his screen. "Oh, no."
"What?" Scott asked, not liking the worried note in Belle's voice.
TJ moved to his other side, her brow wrinkling as she made her way towards the cockpit. "Problems?"
Rush sighed. "Our trajectory has changed. The planet has altered Destiny's course more than we'd hoped."
Young came back into the shuttle in time to hear Rush's declaration. "What are you talking about, Rush? Lieutenant, what the hell's he talking about?"
Belle turned to level him with a grim stare over her shoulder before gesturing to the view through the window. "Destiny's on a collision course with a star, Colonel. We're going to fly right into it."
a/n: Remember, my darlings … comments are love. Thank you to everyone who tuned in to read the new installment. Mwah!
