Chapter Six: Water

"Just give me a quick moment to gather your things and I'll meet you in the bathroom, hm?" Belle asked, her voice wavering only slightly as she tried to contain the excitement which hummed in her veins and had every nerve ending in her body singing soprano. She palmed the lock and slipped into his room, going to the dresser and retrieving his small bag of toiletries and a change of clothes.

He was scowling at his reflection in the mirror hanging over the bathroom counter with its double basins, regarding the dark circles under his eyes when she joined him. "Why didn't you tell me I looked so awful?" he asked, throwing her an accusing glare.

Belle set his things down on the counter and shrugged. "You look as you always do, Nicholas," she said, her heart skipping a beat as she used his given name, trying to familiarize herself with the feeling of it on her tongue. "Overworked, underfed, and in desperate need of sleep." And sinfully handsome, she thought silently, but she'd keep that to herself for the time being. It was a bone of contention between them, that he was negligent when it came to caring for his basic needs, and something she desperately wanted to correct. She was determined to see that he didn't drive himself into an early grave because he refused to take care of himself.

"Always brutal honesty with you, Miss French," he teased. She had a way of cutting through the bullshit and speaking with an honesty he no longer found as disturbing as he had when she'd first begun working for him. Now, he found it refreshing to know she meant the things which slipped so easily from her cupid's bow mouth. Rush turned the knob on the faucet, scowling down at the fixture when a trickle of water issued forth and then died away. "No water, I suppose?"

"The water level in the tanks is lower than what we'd like. The colonel had Brody seal off the pipes to the lavatories after he heard Eli's report … just until we can find a viable planet and replenish our supplies," she explained, hopping up on the counter between the sinks.

Rush arched a brow at her as she tugged on his waistcoat, pulling him between her parted knees and looping her arms lightly around his neck. His hands skimmed up the sides of her thighs and came to settle on her hips as he pressed his brow to hers, reveling in the freedom of now being able to touch her like this. "And the showers?"

Belle shrugged again, her tongue gliding over her lower lip as she contemplated answering him or kissing him senseless. For now, she thought, it would be best to satisfy his curiosity. "From what Eli has been able to determine, they don't use water, but rather some type of cleaning solution that forms a mysterious mist which beads up on your skin. I mean, I'm sure it incorporates some water, just not enough to be a detriment to our resources." She brushed her lips to his, unable to resist a moment longer and sighed happily. "Want me to show you how it works?" she asked softly against the corner of his mouth as his fingers tightened reflexively against her hips.

"I don't know," he murmured, nipping lightly at her lower lip, "Are you planning on joining me?"

She chuckled, unable to miss the note of hopefulness in his tone. "If I do, it's doubtful we'll ever get back to work." He backed off with a sigh of regret as she pushed gently against his shoulders and lowered herself to the floor, padding across the tiles and opening the frosted glass door of one of the stalls. "Give the lever a three-quarter turn and it should give you satisfactory heat and pressure … I mean ..."

"Belle ..." he began, taking her hand and raising it to his lips to press a kiss to her palm, pulling her closer and narrowing his eyes on the deep blush settling in her cheeks, "are you alright?"

"Fine," she assured him, nearly breathless with the desire coursing through her.

He wrapped an arm around her waist as he pressed the hand he held captive against his chest. "You're not fine; you're trembling. You've been growing increasingly agitated since we left the mess. Now, tell me what's troubling you."

Belle ducked her head, breaking their gaze. All the pent-up desire she was feeling was openly displayed in those sable orbs and her control was steadily slipping away from her. "I … Nicholas, it's been ..." She tried again. "It's been a long time since I was in a relationship, especially one that's relatively normal," she added the last under her breath.

"Relatively normal?" he asked, unable to hold back the small huff of laughter which escaped his smiling lips.

"It's complicated. I'll try to explain, but it can wait."

"And this is your idea of normal, is it?" he asked, one corner of his mouth lifting into a familiar smirk.

"Stop it, Nicholas. I'm trying to be serious," she admonished, smacking his arm without any real force. "I have a bit of a problem letting anyone get too close. You're the first person I've actually wanted to allow close to me, and the prospect of letting you in is a bit overwhelming. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

He nodded, trailing his index finger along her collarbone in a feather light caress. "Relax, Belle. I told you … I've wanted this … you … for a long time and not just because we thought we were going to die."

"You thought we were going to die," she snorted.

"Regardless," he said with a short bark of laughter, "we'll figure this out … whatever it is we feel for each other … together."

"Alright. I know you want to get back to work and I'm holding up your shower, so …" she hedged, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips before easing out of his embrace and backing towards the door. "Um … just leave your clothes under the sink and I'll see what I can do with them once we have water again ..." she smiled, slowly turning to leave him, casting one last shy look over her shoulder, confident they would indeed work things out as they embarked on this new phase of their relationship.

Belle returned to Rush's quarters, ready to bang her head against the bulkhead. What the hell is wrong with me? she thought, moving to the porthole and letting the FTL's bright glow calm her. I feel like a girl with her first crush instead of a woman fully grown. Gah! She wouldn't lie to herself, no matter how much she wished to do so. She couldn't deny the attraction between them, an attraction which had been there from the beginning … at least on her part. It wasn't so much that he favored Gold, not anymore.

When she'd first met him, the fact that they looked so much alike had been what had driven her to want to know him, but that was where the similarities ended. They both tended to hide their true selves behind a mask of indifference, but it had been much easier to break through Nicholas's walls. He wasn't as guarded and secretive with her as Gold had been and it was easier for him to trust her. As much as Gold had loved her - and she was certain he had - she doubted he'd ever been able to fully trust her.

She'd never thought she would find someone she could care for again, and had built up her own walls for fear of being heartbroken once more. Did she really want to take them down now? Could she trust Rush with something as fragile as her heart? She couldn't deny there was something between them, something fiery and electric which left her breathless and tingling from head to toe. But was the physical attraction they shared enough to risk heartache if she should lose him? Their working relationship had blossomed into friendship, but was it capable of developing into more if she would just let him in? He'd suffered loss just as she had. Gloria had only been gone three short years, and when he'd shut everyone else out, she'd been his constant, his rock.

What surprised her the most was the fact that she hadn't run from him when he'd gotten too close. The force of that realization nearly caused her knees to buckle. She'd closed herself off from everyone in the years after leaving Storybrooke, focusing on her studies in an effort to bury her heartache. She had changed colleges twice before settling at Berkeley, but something had made her stay … he had made her stay. He fed the craving she had deep in her soul, the desire to connect with another human being on an emotional level. Albeit those emotions stemmed from frustration and anger - at first - but he'd done something she hadn't thought would ever be possible. The numbness had receded, and she'd finally been able to feel again.

He'd become necessary to her, she thought with a groan. She cared for him, and if she weren't careful, it would be so easy for her to love him. Things were so desperate and uncertain on Destiny, however. Could she really risk her heart when she couldn't be sure of their future? She was so lost in her deep contemplations, she started a bit when the door whooshed open, and he strode into the room toweling his hair dry. Her mouth went as dry as the Sahara as she took in his form … wet hair, jeans slung low on his hips, his belt loose and the top button unfastened, his chest and feet bare. The towel was clutched in one hand, his boots and shirt clasped in the other.

"Belle … I thought you would be waiting in your quarters," he stammered, dropping his things on the sofa. "I would have finished dressing -"

"It's ok. You didn't know," she murmured softly. Her head reeled with the desire to touch him, the temptation of all that bare skin nearly overwhelming. She didn't like the way his hand drifted to the back of his neck to knead away the tension which still seemed to plague him. Do the brave thing, she told herself. Her muscles unfroze as she moved to stand before him, her need to comfort him asserting itself. She took the towel from his hand and tossed it onto the sofa next to his boots, tugging him forward. "Let me help?"

"With what?" he asked, his eyes darkening at the first brush of her fingers on his.

She met his curious gaze with a smile. "Lie down on your stomach," she replied, urging him down on the bed.

He frowned suspiciously at her over his shoulder as his knee came to rest on the mattress. "Why?"

Belle rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle push. "Just do it, Rush," she ordered, following after him as he settled his thin frame across the bed, doing as she bid.

He didn't complain as she arranged his limbs to her satisfaction, placing his arms at his sides so his face pressed comfortably against the sateen duvet. She sat next to him, pausing for only a moment before her hands splayed against his lower back. She couldn't resist the urge to run her hands over the broad expanse of his back, soft smooth strokes from his lower back to his nape, just enjoying the feel of his skin beneath her fingers.

She was rewarded with a low moan of deep contentment as he relaxed. "That's it, Nicholas," she fairly purred, her warm breath caressing the shell of his ear as she leaned over him. "Let go. Let me take care of you. Although, I can't promise you'll want to go back to work when I'm done with you."

Rush raised slightly from the mattress, but she pressed his head down firmly, tsking. "What are you doing?" he asked, a breathless note in his deep voice.

Belle's warm laughter washed over him, just as effective in arousing him as her firm but gentle touch. "I'm making you feel really good, aren't I, Nicholas? But if you don't relax I can't truly begin," she cooed, her hands lightly pressing and kneading as she worked over the tight muscles of his shoulders. He shifted his hips against the mattress, grinding into the soft surface. "Nicholas, you're not relaxing."

"How astute of you, Miss French," he snarked, his answer muffled against the duvet, followed by what Belle was almost certain was a string of softly uttered curses … in three languages … one of them Ancient. She didn't even know there were curses in the language of the Ancients. He shook his head fervently. "Can't."

"Yes, you can," she insisted. She pulled her iPhone from her pocket and scrolled through her music, pressing play when she came to a playlist beginning with Pachelbel's Canon and setting it on the bedside table. "There, that should help."

"I like that piece," he admitted, trying to relax his stubborn muscles as she'd asked. "I wasn't aware you favored it."

Belle absently hummed her agreement, sighing happily when she felt him loosen up and sink into a deeper state of relaxation, his muscles becoming more pliant beneath her nimble fingers. She began with the heel of her hand, just above the waistband of his jeans, and stretched out her forearm into the muscle to the left of his spine. As hard as she was pressing, she didn't want to go anywhere near the fragile vertebrae.

"Christ, woman!" he hissed, rearing up to turn and glare at her. Again, she pressed his head back to the mattress and shushed him. "Where did you learn to do this?"

Belle alternated between her wrists and forearms, slowly working her way up to his shoulders. She didn't answer right away, rising from the bed to kneel on the floor at his head. He raised curious sable eyes to her, the pupils blown wide, desire evident in their depths. She shrugged in response to his question. "I took a class my first semester at Berkeley … for fun. It was frivolous and stupid, but it helped me to relax, and I was able to release tension just as easily as my subject."

"I'd say it was money well spent," he murmured hotly as he reached for her.

Belle smacked his hand away. "Stop that," she laughed. "I'm not quite done with you." She positioned his head where his brow was pressed directly to the mattress, his neck straight and aligned with his spine. They would have to make do considering they weren't likely to find a massage table on Destiny. He stiffened immediately when her hands trailed softly over his shoulders and neck, a hiss of pain streaming from between his teeth. "I know it hurts, Nicholas, but I promise it won't when I'm done," she soothed gently, pressing her lips to his ear and feeling the tremor which rocked through his body. "Just relax."

"Talk to me, Belle, please. Anything," he rasped, trying to stop the instinctual tensing of his muscles. He felt as if he could listen to her talk forever if she continued using that soft, seductive tone. Parts of him were already applauding.

She leaned into the motion, letting her body weight carry her forward as her forearm dug into the knotted tendon between his neck and shoulder. "What do you want me to talk about?" she asked, trying not to let herself get distracted from her practiced techniques. It was distracting enough that he was allowing her to touch him in such a way, her fingers familiarizing themselves with the softness of his skin.

"I don't know … ah … oh, that feels so good, love," he moaned, the sound coming from deep within his chest. "Why don't you tell me why you fear dark cramped spaces?" Her hands stilled in their ministrations, and he could feel her closing herself off from him. "You don't have to," he rushed to assure her, "but you never speak of your past, and I thought ..."

"It's ok, Nicholas," she sighed, resuming her movements as she used the heel of her hand on a particularly tight knot. "Some things are just difficult for me to talk about," she hedged, realizing she was being unfair to him. He'd shared so much with her about his relationship with Gloria. It was wrong that she had never told him of her past. "The evil queen stole the princess and locked her away in her tower to keep the princess away from her true love," she murmured flippantly, gentling her fingers as she caressed the base of his skull.

Belle graced him with a tremulous smile as he lifted his head to look up at her, one dubious brow raised in question. She huffed, exasperated at her own difficulty to share as her hands fell away from him. She climbed up onto the bed beside him, turning to her side and propping her head in her hand as she faced him. "How do you feel now?"

Rush moved his head from side to side before he rolled onto his back to look up at her. "Better than I have in years," he admitted, rubbing absently at that one spot on his neck where he never seemed to find relief from the ache. It didn't throb painfully as his hand came in contact with it and he stared up at her in awe. "How did you do that?"

"It was nothing," she smiled, waving a dismissive hand. "I've been wanting to try that on you for quite some time, but I know you're not a very tactile person, Nicholas. I didn't want to encroach on your personal space, at least more so than you've already allowed," she explained, ducking her head shyly.

"I didn't think you'd want to," he said mildly, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to her palm. A rosy blush rose in her neck to stain her cheeks, a pleased smile curling her lips, but her expression was still guarded. "Now, would you like to tell me what you meant by the fairytale analogy?"

Belle bit down thoughtfully on her lip, wondering how she'd be able to clearly explain her complicated past without revealing too much of the truth. Not that she didn't want to be honest with him; she did. But on the other hand, she didn't want him to think she was clinically insane. She dug the memories from the vault of her mind and waited for the familiar pain to assail her, for the ragged hole in her chest to tear just a little more. She gazed down into Rush's warm gaze and felt her heart lighten as he squeezed her hand where it rested against his chest. No more than a dull ache greeted her as the memories flooded through her mind, and it brought a smile to her face to realize that he was helping her heal just as she'd helped him.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I seem to have a thing for fairy tales." Belle took a deep breath, thankful for the patience her usually manic doctor rarely displayed. "I was nineteen when I met Gold. My father had gone to him for a deal ... um … to help save his business. Gold was powerful, rich, well connected," she told him, struggling to modernize the events of her past for his benefit. "However, Papa wouldn't agree to his terms."

"What were they?" he asked softly as he reached up to brush a long curl behind her ear.

"Me," she said simply. "He wanted me. And don't look at me like that, Nicholas. It wasn't like that … at least not at the beginning," she scolded when she saw the look of outrage cross his features. "He thought it would be amusing to have me come to work for him as his maid. Of course, my father threw a fit, refused him, but I knew there was no other way. So, I made my own deal with him. I agreed to his terms and left that very day to go to his home."

"You said something about true love. He doesn't sound like someone you'd easily fall in love with, Belle," he remarked dryly, knowing what a tender heart she had. She needed to be treated with the same kindness she displayed for others.

"It took me a while to see behind the cold mask of indifference and the delight he took in making others suffer. It was just a front to protect his heart. It was easy to love him after that. And we did … fall in love, that is, but he was afraid … afraid I couldn't truly love him … and he sent me away. He didn't know that doing so would leave me vulnerable to his enemies … one particularly nasty witch," she bit out, wrinkling her nose.

"You're doing it again," he teased. He wrapped his arms about her, unable to resist any longer and pulled her down to lie across his chest. She went willingly into his embrace, propping her chin on her folded hands so she could continue to meet his eyes.

"I know, but she really was." She sighed contentedly as he stroked his fingers through her long, unbound hair. "I had decided to return and confront Gold and make him see that we could be happy together, but before I could, Regina abducted me and locked me away in the asylum. She said she was trying to protect me … trying to save me from the beast. In truth, she merely wanted to use me as a pawn to gain power over the man I loved. She even went so far as to tell him I'd died."

Rush gaped at her. "He never looked for you?"

"Of course, he did, but Regina was powerful in her own right and was quite adept at covering her tracks. He eventually found me, and we were happy until … well I don't care to go into that again," she trailed off, her eyes closing briefly as his hands skimmed lightly over her back. "You know the rest. I came to California, tried out a couple of schools before I settled on Berkeley and became your assistant. I just … after being locked up for so long, I have a problem sometimes with dark cramped spaces."

He had to fight to contain the rage which battled through him, rage on her behalf that someone would so mistreat her. His arms tightened about her shoulders, and he rested his head atop her crown as she pressed her face into the side of his neck. "You had to grow up fast, didn't you, love?" he asked.

"I did," she agreed, "but it led me to this wonderful adventure … in space, no less. The work I've been doing challenges me, fulfills me, and I can't say I have regretted a moment of it. It's something I never could have thought of in my wildest imaginings. And ..." her words trailed away as she lifted her head to brush her lips to his, enjoying the way they fit so perfectly against her own, "… it led me to you. I may be a little broken, but I want to try … to let you in … if you want me."

Rush rolled over with her, reversing their positions and stared down into her wide eyes, so filled with uncertainty and just a bit of fear. She was trying so hard to be brave, to reach out and grab on to what she wanted with both hands. She was wrapped so firmly about his heart, he'd never be able to let her go. "I've always wanted you, Belle," he murmured huskily, tracing the curve of her lips with the pad of his thumb. "Even when I was trying so hard to push you away."

"You're sure it's not just because we might die due to some catastrophe that might befall us up here … or because your choices are somewhat limited for companionship?" she asked, looking away as she fought against her insecurities.

He cradled her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze, his thumbs smoothing over the rose-tinted skin of her cheeks. "I could be stranded up here with an all-female crew and I'd still not want anyone but you, Belle. I will always choose you."

Her eyes closed as she wrapped her hand around his nape, her fingers twining in the strands of his soft hair, pulling his head down to close the distance between them. His lips slanted over hers almost reverently, gently coaxing the fire which hummed within her into a fiery blaze. He kissed her as if he loved her and it frightened her with its intensity because she couldn't return it with equal fervor. It would take time, but she was willing to try. She cared for him so deeply, and knew it wouldn't take long for those feelings to blossom into love. Then again, she could just be doing what she did best and denying what was in her heart to protect herself.

With Rush she didn't have to compete with dark magic, or formidable enemies, or some curse or crisis threatening to pull him away from her. Of course, there was the animosity which existed between him and the colonel and the threat of limited supplies and malnutrition to deal with, but she felt it was minor in comparison to her life in the Enchanted Forest and later in Storybrooke with Gold. Rush shared his work with her, his thoughts, his ideas. But to have his love? Without any of her previous bad experiences to stand in their way?

It took her a moment to realize he'd stopped kissing her and she flushed guiltily as she looked up at the concern etched on his face. "Where'd you go?" he asked, studying her.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, offering him an apologetic smile. "I was just thinking … that if I had to be stuck on an Ancient spaceship billions of light years from Earth, I'm so glad you're here with me." She pulled him back down to her, this time pushing her wayward thoughts to the back of her mind and giving herself over to the pleasure of his kiss.

He moaned softly as she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and bit gently before sucking it into her mouth. Her tongue pushed past the ridge of his teeth as his arms crushed her tightly to him, his hands unable to be still as they explored her back, slipping beneath the cream colored sweater she wore to smooth over her bare flesh. She could feel him holding back, respecting her need to go slow, but at the moment, all she could focus on was how very much she wanted him. She writhed against his thigh as it slipped between her legs to press against her core, the burning need there more prevalent than her good sense.

"Belle? Belle, have you seen Rush? He's not answering his radio."

"Fucking hell!" Rush cursed, his head jerking up to glare at the offending radio he'd removed from Belle's waistband and shoved under the pillow. He brushed Belle's hand aside as she reached for it, taking a moment to trail the flat of his tongue up the length of her neck before biting gently just below her ear. She bucked against him, her nails scoring his back as he clicked the comm button. "What is it, Eli?" he asked, his voice hoarse and raspy with desire he hoped Eli couldn't pick up on over the radio.

"Rush? What are you doing with Belle's radio … oh, ah, well ..." he stammered in embarrassment as realization dawned on him … or more like smacked him upside his brilliant head.

Belle giggled. She could practically feel the blush heating Eli's face … and slapped a hand to her mouth to prevent the boy from hearing.

Rush sucked her earlobe into his mouth and rubbed his thigh against her core, her laughter morphing into a moan. He pressed the comm button again. "Whatever crisis has arisen couldn't have waited for our return to the control room, I take it?"

"Um … nevermind … I was running diagnostics and we've got a problem. We're losing water."

Rush groaned and pressed his brow to Belle's shoulder, realizing their time together was at an end. "I'm sorry, Belle, but ..."

"… we've got responsibilities, I know," she said, kissing the corner of his mouth before she rolled from beneath him to straighten her clothes and gather his shirt and boots. "Billions of light years from home and I'm still having to suffer interruptions," she grumbled.

Rush laid back and cursed fate. "Eli, we'll be right there."

X*X*X*X*X

Belle groaned as she took the small notepad and studied page after page of algorithms and equations which needed to be entered into the ship's computer. At least it would give her something to keep her hands busy while she listened to the colonel's most recent tirade. Already she could feel the tension radiating from Rush as she stood at his left elbow at the console. All the hard work she'd put in to get him to relax would be for naught if this kept up.

Young stalked around the center of the control room, and Belle was surprised to see he'd abandoned his crutch. Eli leaned on the console across from them, propping his chin in his hand, frowning thoughtfully. "Maybe it evaporated when we went through the star," he mused.

Rush shook his head. "No, Eli, it's a closed system."

"Besides, if the shield protected us from feeling the heat, you have to realize the temperature couldn't rise enough to cause evaporation in the tanks," Belle murmured absently, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

"You know, all that water went somewhere. We're down to half of what we had when we got here," Everett growled, looking at each of them in turn before addressing Rush directly. "You're the one trying to get the recycling system up and running. Maybe there's a leak somewhere."

"No," Eli objected, "the ship says it's fine, and Brody has been over the system more than a few times. He assures us there aren't any leaks. It's solid."

"If what you're saying is accurate ..." Rush paused, Belle's rapid keystrokes drawing his attention for a moment. "Belle, that's not what I have written ..."

"I know, I fixed it," she replied, her strokes never ceasing as her eyes moved quickly between his notes and the screen.

Rush gave her a skeptical look as he grabbed her hand to still her movements while he double checked her work. "Nicely done, Belle," he praised her with a small smile, his conversation with the colonel forgotten for the moment. He looked back up, dragging his gaze away from Belle, to find both men staring at him impatiently. "As I was saying, if your findings are accurate, then we've got a serious problem."

"Well, we wouldn't if you did what I asked you to do in the first place," Young sneered, making another circuit around the room in his agitation.

"Oh, please. Can we stick to one problem at a time?" Rush snapped, rubbing his hands over his face to quell his irritation.

"Running out of water wouldn't matter if we would just dial Earth and go home," Young replied, bringing up the same argument which kept him and Rush so at odds.

"Bloody hell, not this again," Belle mumbled under her breath as she dug into her pocket for a Jolly Rancher. She hoped the sweet fruity candy would aid in keeping her tongue busy so she wouldn't give in to her desire to argue with the man.

"I've already explained that to you," Rush stated, trying for a patience he was far from feeling.

"The ship's recharged, the power reserves are full ..."

"That's the point. They're not," the doctor insisted. "We're at less than forty percent of their original design capacity. I -"

The colonel cut him off with a mirthless chuckle. "Think I can't tell when somebody just pulls a number out of his ass?"

Rush cast him a look of disgust as he felt Belle bristle at his side. "What?!"

"Uh, I actually pulled that number out of my ass. He's not making it up," Eli interjected, no more pleased with the colonel than the other two occupants of the room.

Rush sighed, wishing the man would just leave him and his team alone to solve their latest issues. "Look, if Destiny was ever capable of dialing back to Earth, it was thousands of years ago when the Ancients originally intended to come here, but not now." He stared Young down for several minutes before the man finally looked away.

"Have Brody check the system again. I need to borrow Eli."

Eli looked back and forth between the scientist and the colonel before following Young from the room. Belle nudged his shoulder with hers, speaking quietly as she began to enter the calculations into the computer once more. "Let it go, Nicholas."

"That man is ..."

"… infuriating. I know," she commiserated with him. "He's not happy unless he's meddling in affairs he has no knowledge of, but he's our fearless leader after all," she snorted, rolling her eyes, "and we're subject to his dictates."

"Belle, even if every member of the crew were dipping into the stores and hoarding it away, it wouldn't account for the forty thousand liters which have gone missing," he grumbled, turning to look at her.

She closed his notepad and reached around to tuck it into the back pocket of his jeans, a teasing smile on her lips. "Regardless, we're going to have to find out what's happening to our water supplies before we find a viable planet to resupply. It would be pointless to refill the tanks and have this happen all over again."

His arms came around her, steadying her as she swayed on her feet. The FTL drive had disengaged and the soft tone which echoed through the room alerted them to the countdown clock above the door. "Are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "You get dizzy every time we drop out of FTL."

"Come on, we need to get to the gate room," she said, urging him towards the door. "And don't worry about me, Nicholas. I had problems with ear infections when I was a child and I still have trouble with my equilibrium at times. You've commented on my clumsiness enough over the years."

Rush took her hand, twining his fingers with hers. "My dear Miss French," he drawled. "You may fall into my arms anytime you please."

X*X*X*X*X

The stargate was already open, the puddle shimmering with a faint glow when Belle and Rush entered the gate room and moved to the primary console. Eli stood next to Riley at the other, a Kino remote clasped in his hands. He'd already sent the Kino through the wormhole and was just waiting for the data to come across the screen on the remote so he could send it to the console. Belle surreptitiously surveyed the occupants of the room from beneath her lashes, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the sly, knowing looks some of the crew members were casting in her direction.

Rush felt her tense beside him, her attention clearly focused away from the data scrolling across the screen. "Belle, what is it?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing … yet," she replied evasively. She turned her gaze to the data and gave it her full attention, making it clear she would say nothing more for the time being. "What have we got?"

"There's only one planet in range. We're getting readings now," he said, not liking what the computer was providing for them.

The footage from the Kino gave a clear picture of the area surrounding the gate, a snowstorm raging violently. Eli groaned. "Whoa! Looks like we entered the Hoth system!" He rolled his eyes when he was met with silence and dubious looks. "Empire Strikes Back? The second Star Wars movie? Oh, come on!"

Belle shook her head with an indulgent smile playing at her lips. Rush shared a frustrated glance with the colonel and read off the planet's properties. "Minus forty-seven degrees Celsius."

"Is that water ice?" Eli asked, interrupting.

Belle frowned. "Yes, but the atmosphere's dangerously thin. And poisonous. Point one three percent molecular oxygen, ninety five percent carbon dioxide with a hint of argon. Nasty stuff!" she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Yes, but it's the only planet in range and we have little choice," Rush said, archiving a copy of the information into the database.

Young seemed to visibly relax now that an end to their crisis was in sight. "We're gonna have to use the spacesuits we found, but if that brings back half a ton of ice, I'll take it. Shut the gate down for now while we suit up." He lifted the radio from his belt and called for Scott, ordering him to the gate room to prepare.

"Don't even think about it, Belle," Rush growled near her ear.

"Don't know what you're referring to, Nicholas," she answered with wide, innocent cerulean eyes.

"You're not going."

"I didn't ask to go."

"You're thinking about it," he argued with a wry twist of his lips.

"The thought never even crossed my mind." No matter how much she was looking forward to her first trip off world, she didn't want her first foray to be closed up in a space suit. She wanted to feel the breeze on her skin and the sun shining in her hair … and Nicholas at her side with his warm palm pressed to hers.

Rush snorted and switched off the gate.

X*X*X*X*X

Belle stifled a yawn and sipped at the dwindling reserves in her canteen as she pulled up the schematic of the ship and isolated the section Rush had shown interest in exploring when they had time. If they ever had time when something wasn't demanding their immediate attention. The colonel and Scott had donned the Ancient spacesuits and gone down to the planet. They had eight hours of air and eleven hours until the ship jumped back into FTL, so that should be plenty of time to gather the ice needed to replenish the tanks and get back. Rush hadn't been happy to learn the ice near the gate was toxic and the two man team would have to venture farther afield, worried over the time it would take to transport the ice back to the gate. Thankfully, Eli had solved that problem by rigging a sled with Kinos supporting it. The contraption hovered several feet above the ground and would hold a sizeable load for transport.

Rush was still in a bad mood, seething that the colonel had left TJ in charge while he and Scott were off on the planet. Which was why she'd left him in the gate room and returned to the control interface to put some much needed distance between them before his disagreeable temper could spill over onto her. She'd scolded herself for abandoning him to his work, but she wanted to cling to the wealth of feelings he'd stirred in her earlier for just a bit longer. A steady hum of pleasure still burned in her veins, and she sighed, wishing she'd turned her radio off when she'd had the chance. The actuality of being in Rush's arms was so much headier than what she'd experienced in her dreams of him, and she wanted more.

She was pulled from her reverie by Greer's clear voice coming over her radio. "Miss Belle, TJ wants Spencer taken into custody until the colonel returns. Any idea where we might lock him up?"

Belle groaned and rubbed a hand over her face before entering commands on her keyboard to pull up a schematic of the ship. "Hang on, Ronald, I'm looking. What did he do this time?"

"Hoarding. We found food and water rations in his quarters. He claims he brought them over when we boarded, but you know his excuses don't hold weight," the master sergeant said over the ranting Spencer was doing in the background.

Her opinion of the marine sergeant dipped another twenty points. Everyone was suffering due to the lack of supplies, yet in his greed, he was only making matters worse. "Ronald, there's a holding area on C deck not too far from the storage tanks. You could probably hold him there until Young gets back. The rooms cannot be opened from the inside, so you probably wouldn't even have to post a guard."

"Will do, Miss Belle, thank you. Greer out."

The quiet of the control room soothed her as she stretched her arms above her head. It could be somewhat eerie without the hum of the FTL drive after growing so accustomed to it, but she liked it. She propped her chin in her hand as she sat forward on her stool and tried to focus on the screen, her eyes drooping sleepily as the data whirred by. She was nearly asleep when the radio chirped again, TJ's soft voice almost a whisper as it came over the open channel.

"Belle, Eli, Rush, anyone ..."

"TJ what's wrong?" Belle asked, all traces of sleep banished as she heard the nervousness in her friend's voice.

"I don't know … yet. Do you have a Kino anywhere down here on C that you can send to my location?" the medic asked, trying to keep the note of fear from carrying over the radio.

Belle rapidly flipped through several screens until she could access the Kino near the storage tanks which held their water supply. "I do, TJ, where are you?"

"North corridor. Hurry."

Belle lifted the remote in her hands after linking it to the footage on her console and sent the Kino flying off in TJ's direction, slowing it moments before it collided with the back of her head. She stopped it altogether to hover over the medic's left shoulder. Belle gasped, staring at the screen. "What the hell is that?" she asked. "It looks like a miniature sandstorm."

"There's no wind to make it swirl like that," TJ said, taking a cautious step forward towards the vortex. "It's not sand, either. More like tiny flying … creatures."

As Belle watched through the Kino's camera, the particles swirled and slowly formed into a semi-solid shape, mimicking TJ's face. "Meet me in the gate room. We need to tell Rush."

The swarm swirled again and moved off down the corridor, disappearing from view and TJ relaxed, nodding as she moved away to meet Belle.

Belle was nearly running when she reached the gate room and almost collided with Rush as she halted next to his console. Young's voice could be heard over the com link, cheerful with the news he was imparting. "Destiny, this is Young. We've got pure ice."

Rush nodded in relief as he stared down at the console, holding up a hand asking his assistant to wait until the link was severed. "That's excellent news."

"It's a frozen waterfall. We should be able to break it up into manageable pieces and haul it back," the colonel reported.

Rush turned and glanced at the countdown clock above the doorway, noting they had plenty of time. "We'll be ready for you." He turned to Belle. "What's wrong?"

"Why does something always have to be wrong?" she sputtered defensively, smirking wryly. "Never mind."

TJ and Eli, whom she'd met in the corridor in her trek to the gate room, joined the scientist, crowding around his console. "Did you tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Rush asked irritably, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat back on his stool.

TJ briefly explained what she'd seen as Belle brought up the Kino footage on the console to show them. Eli stared at them in horror. "So, what are we talking about? Like, one little cloud of bugs, or are they all over the ship?" he asked.

TJ shrugged. "I'm not even sure that bugs is the right word for them."

"Ha!" the boy exclaimed excitedly. "What about cloud?"

Belle shushed him. "Eli! Keep your voice down. We do not need to incite a panic."

"Well, except the cloud was alive. It was almost like thousands of tiny ..." the medic paused, searching for the right word to describe what she'd seen. "… alien creatures."

Rush nodded calmly, listening attentively. Eli shifted, looking nervously at each of them in turn. He nodded his head fervently. "Yeah, I have a problem with everything you just said."

"What you've just described is, uh … well, it's the same as Lt Scott claimed he saw on the desert planet," Rush said quietly.

TJ agreed. "That's what I was thinking and maybe some of them followed him back here."

"We'd have noticed them," Eli argued.

Belle tilted her head to the side, lost in thought. "No, not if only a few came through the gate. They're like tiny grains of sand."

"And then what?" Eli asked dubiously. "Started reproducing?"

TJ rubbed at her temples. "Well, if it's a living organism, then yeah, they would."

Eli paced anxiously before the console, unable to keep still a moment longer. "Ok, so now we've got aliens. What if they start bursting out of our stomachs?"

Belle leaned over to whisper in Rush's ear. "Is that another of his movie references?"

Rush shrugged, never having been a movie buff. He had always been too consumed with his work to enjoy the mindless activity of watching television or going to the movies.

"I don't think they're dangerous. It almost felt like they were trying to communicate."

"Lt. Scott used the same word," Rush stated.

Eli snorted. "Yeah. At the time, you said he was delirious."

"Well, I was wrong, Eli," the doctor hissed. Turning to TJ, he asked, "What do you intend to do?"

"I guess we should stop everyone from wandering around the ship," she said hesitantly, hating the role of leadership Young had thrust upon her.

Rush rose from his seat and stepped away so she would have access to the console to make her announcement. His brows rose in surprise as she finished and stepped back. "You're not going to tell them?"

"That we have aliens?" Eli voiced in a snarky tone.

"I think it will be better if we don't … for now," she nodded and turned on her heel to find Greer.

Eli clucked his tongue in disgust. "You people are always finding a reason to lie. It's not right."

Belle started after the boy as he stalked away, but Rush's warm fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back to his side. "Let him go, Belle. Give him time to cool off."

"He doesn't understand," she sighed wearily, leaning a hip against the console.

"He will," Rush assured her. "He's honorable and good and only wants to do the right thing, but eventually he's going to have to face the harsh reality that you can't always trust in full disclosure, that it's for the greater good to keep people in the dark. It comes part and parcel with any military operation to keep panic to a minimum."

X*X*X*X*X

Rush stared down at the offending protein bar Belle pressed into his hand and stifled a groan. The damn things tasted like sawdust. At least she'd just refilled her canteen and set it to the side of the console, so he'd be able to wash it down. Greer and Eli had a small contingent of soldiers offloading the ice from the Kino sled and she'd taken the opportunity of his distraction to cajole him into eating something. Instead, he slipped the bar into the back pocket of his jeans for later.

Belle had other ideas, however, shaking her head and grabbing for it. She peeled back the wrapper, giving him no choice, and pressed it back into his hand, the look on her face daring him to argue with her. "Eat, Nicholas. It's either this or the sludge; take your pick, but you are going to eat."

He opened his mouth to argue, but before he could protest, she snatched the bar from his hand and stuffed the end into his mouth. "Damn bossy female," he grumbled around the mouthful of protein bar, feeling as if he'd choke on the dry sustenance.

"That's why I get paid the big bucks," she snarked, handing him the canteen.

"Destiny, this is Young. How's it going up there? Hurry it up. We wanna do one more run," came the colonel's voice over the comm link.

"We're offloading the sled now," Belle returned, taking the canteen from Rush as he hurriedly finished off his dinner.

Eli came over and leaned on the front of the console, rubbing his hands together to warm them and restore the feeling to his numb fingers, Greer having already sent the sled back through the wormhole for another load.

"Just so you know, uh, another matter has come up, Colonel Young. We have it under control," Rush assured him, grimacing at the bit of food that seemed to be stuck in his throat.

Eli took that opportunity to voice his own view of the situation. "We have aliens on the ship. They just shredded Gorman."

"WHAT?!" Young growled. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Millions of tiny flying razor blades floating around the ship like piranha," Eli screeched, waving his hands exuberantly.

Rush's lips curled over his lips as his teeth gnashed together in vexation. "Corporal Gorman is alive. Lt. Johansen is attending to him now."

Eli ignored the doctor's glare and leaned over the console to make sure the colonel heard him. "He's probably not gonna make it."

Belle cut him a heated look, the warning clear in her eyes. "Eli, stop."

"That's it, we're coming back," Young sighed wearily.

Rush leaned on the console, his irritation growing. "No, no, no, that's not necessary, Colonel. Eli is overreacting. We believe the creatures are the same as those Lt Scott encountered on the desert planet. They must have followed us back through the gate."

Scott's voice filtered through the link. "No, I doubt those things I saw were dangerous, sir. They helped me."

"Gorman may have provoked them. We'll know more once he comes to," Rush said.

"If he comes to," Eli grumbled under his breath.

Rush continued as if he hadn't just been interrupted. "In the meantime," he stressed with a cold look at the boy genius, "Lt Johansen has ordered everyone to remain in their quarters. They're nothing more than a nuisance at this point, Colonel, but we desperately need more ice."

The colonel agreed that they'd deal with it when he and Scott returned to the ship and Rush disconnected the link, glaring at Eli as he did so. "You're gonna have to learn when to shut up," the doctor hissed.

Belle's gaze swung between the two, her own irritation growing. Rush was being overly harsh with the boy and Eli was firm in his belief that the lies needed to stop.

"You can't just lie to the guy and expect me to -"

Rush cut him off. "Once back into FTL, it could be days before we find another planet capable of replenishing our water supplies. This ice represents a fraction of what we need to stay alive. We need more."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean that you can -"

"Yes, it does!" Rush insisted, talking over the boy. "Just stop acting like a child, please."

"Enough, you two!" Belle chimed in, making a timeout gesture as she stepped between them. "Off to your respective corners."

Rush continued to glare at the younger man, feeling slightly guilty at the shock and hurt written clearly on Eli's face. He was the first to break their stare-off, turning on his heel to return to the control interface room. "Belle," he called over his shoulder without turning to see if she were following.

"We'll be there in a bit, Rush," she returned calmly, her voice flat. There was no use in antagonizing him in front of his protégé. His shoulders tensed visibly as he stalked off down the corridor.

Belle linked her arm through Eli's and smiled kindly up into his cherubic face, leading him slowly from the gate room. Their slow pace would hopefully give both him and Rush a chance to cool off. "Eli, don't let Rush get to you," she said hesitantly, "but you also have to understand his point of view."

"Belle, he's lying! I can't condone what he's -"

She cut him off with a shake of her head. "He's not lying, Eli. He's withholding information with the intention to tell the Colonel upon his return. They are off on that planet trying to secure supplies we need to survive. They're in a very precarious position doing so and they don't need the added stress of what's going on here." She squeezed his arm reassuringly when he didn't answer. "He has all of our best interests at heart. Don't let his rough exterior sour your disposition towards him. We all have to work together."

"It's still not right," he grouched.

"Things are not always black and white, Eli. You have to consider the grey areas in-between." She gently urged him into the control room and took in the doctor's stiff posture where he hunched over his console. "Nicholas, might I have a word out in the corridor?" she asked, her resolve firm as she noticed Rush's hostile gaze.

He didn't protest, however, as he followed her from the room. "Yes, Miss French?" he asked, his voice colder than it had been in a long while.

Belle bristled, her eyes narrowing. "Don't you Miss French me, Nicholas Rush. Especially after you've had your tongue in my mouth," she hissed in an angry whisper as she backed him up against the bulkhead, so close she could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

His eyes flared hotly, but he didn't acknowledge her statement, knowing that topic would be better discussed behind closed doors … and without so many clothes. "Belle, he's being unreasonable. He -"

"No, he's not. Nicholas, he was taken - quite literally, I might add - from his home and put into this situation by our military against his will. He's unfamiliar with procedures and proper protocol and doing the very best he can. You can't just talk to him as if his opinions or ideas don't matter."

Rush took her hands in his, sighing heavily when she slid her warm palms over his. "He's going to have to learn, Belle. He can't go running off to Young every time he doesn't agree with me," he huffed, gentling his tone with her. "Our survival rests on those supplies. They don't need to be distracted while they're down there."

"I know, and I agree with your reasons if not your tactics. He looks up to you, Nicholas. Don't ruin a good working relationship with him because of your temper," she warned softly, brushing the hair away from his eyes, her hand coming to rest against his unshaven cheek. "All I'm asking is that you try."

He leaned into her touch, briefly closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Belle, I can't make any promises. This mission is too important to coddle the boy."

"And I'm not asking you to," she assured him, "but if you don't make a better effort to get along, you'll have two options. He will either work with you or against you. It's your choice." She gave him a long searching look and then turned on her heel to return to the control room, leaving him to think about what she'd said.

X*X*X*X*X

"Do you really think it's a good idea to let Ronald run about with a flamethrower … a homemade one at that?" Belle asked as she peered nervously at the screen on the console where she sat next to Rush. "He's enjoying himself far too much, in my opinion."

He snorted, choking back a chuckle. "Well, he's got the bugs trapped now in one of the storage rooms," Rush said, entering the command into the computer and sealing off the ventilation in the room.

"Yeah, but how long is that going to hold them? They've been gobbling up our resources at an alarming rate … and multiplying. We've got to find a more permanent solution." She watched anxiously as the swarm began searching for a way out of the room.

"TJ, Rush ..." the colonel's voice carried over the comm link, a slightly breathless note in his usually deep baritone.

"Yes, Colonel, we're all here," Rush answered as TJ and Eli crowded in around his console on either side of him and Belle.

"We've got a problem. Scott and I were on our way back and he fell through the ice into a crevasse. He's wedged in there pretty good."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Eli acknowledged that with a shrug of his shoulders. "We still have time on the clock before we jump."

"Eli, it's not as simple as that," the colonel cut in. "During the last tremor, I think the ice tore a hole in his suit. He's losing pressure. Scott says it's hissing out pretty steadily."

Belle covered her mouth with a shaking hand, comforted somewhat when Rush slipped his fingers around her other one. "An hour at most," he whispered quietly to Belle. He pressed the comm button. "Colonel, you have to consider the amount of time you have left now."

"I'm aware of the damned time, Rush," Young snarled angrily.

"All I'm saying is that if you delay much longer ..."

"Listen to me. I know exactly what you're saying and I'm not going anywhere without Lt Scott, and that's the way it's gonna be!"

A new voice sounded angrily behind them, and they turned to find Chloe standing frozen behind them, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes flashing with stunned outrage. "What is the matter with you?" she hissed, her eyes shooting icy daggers at Rush.

Rush flushed in surprise. "Miss Armstrong. You should return to your quarters," he mumbled awkwardly.

"And you know where you can go."

Rush turned back to the console, refusing to get into an argument with the overwrought girl. "Look, Colonel, I understand your desire to rescue Lt Scott, of course. But only you can decide how much time you have left. Lieutenant," he said, addressing Scott directly, "if Colonel Young remains there trying to free you, to pull you up by himself, there's a chance he might not make it back." He squeezed Belle's hand, leaning over to whisper. "How is Park coming with the other suit?"

"She stopped working on it when I confined everyone to quarters," TJ winced.

"Just keep the gate active, Rush. We're gonna make it back in time with your damn ice, which is all you really care about," the colonel snapped.

"Colonel -" Rush protested, but the man had already severed the link.

"How can you have such little regard for human life?" Chloe asked, tugging on Rush's shoulder until he turned to face her. "He's one of us! He's doing the best he can ..." she cried, pausing as a sob rose in her throat to choke her. "He didn't ask to be here."

Belle pushed to her feet, a sympathetic smile on her lips. "Chloe, none of us asked to be here, but we have to think about this from a logical standpoint. We cannot sacrifice everyone for one -"

"Of course, you'd defend his actions, no matter how deplorable they may be … now that you're sleeping with him." Chloe sneered at Rush's assistant, all former lines of friendship crossed in light of those hasty words.

Eli nearly choked on his tongue as he stared in horror at the senator's daughter, but Rush's gaze never wavered from Belle. He could feel the cold fury emanating from her petite frame as her brow raised higher and higher by the second. TJ stood frozen, waiting for the other shoe to drop and Belle to lose her temper.

Belle advanced slowly on the taller girl, her hand wrapping around Chloe's wrist in a painful grip. "I think we need to have a little chat, dearie," she hissed with no hint of the sweet woman she projected to everyone.

"Uh … Rush?" Eli asked, his worried gaze trained on the doorway where Belle and Chloe had disappeared. "Should we … maybe … go after them? Chloe's a bit bigger than Belle."

Rush snorted as he turned back to his console, schooling his features into a bland mask so as not to betray the anxiety rising in his chest. "It's not Belle you should be worried about, Eli. Best we get back to work. I'm sure they'll work out their differences."

TJ shook her head. "I'm going down to help Greer with our bug problem."

"What are you going to do?" Eli asked, following her as far as the door.

"I have an idea."

X*X*X*X*X

Belle didn't slow her furious stride until she reached the observation deck, thankful TJ had confined everyone to quarters so the room would be cleared of those who tended to congregate in the cavernous room in the evenings. She let go of Chloe's wrist as they crossed the threshold and palmed the door lock, the great doors whooshing shut behind them. The younger girl was breathing heavily whereas Belle hadn't even broken a sweat. But then, Belle had conditioned her body through her hobby of long runs around the Berkeley campus and later through her sessions with Greer. Both were great stress relievers and now she found herself thankful for taking the time to put her body through the grueling workouts.

Her voice was calm when she spoke to the girl and only one who knew her well would be able to hear the underlying fury. "This habit you've developed of attacking Dr. Rush needs to stop."

"He wants to leave Matt on the planet!" Chloe spat defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Matthew knew the risks when he went down there. Would you have us lose the colonel as well should he indeed remain there to rescue him?" Belle asked, glaring stoically at the girl. "Choose, Chloe."

Chloe shook her head, angry tears washing down her ashen face. "It's not the first time he's tried to play God with all of our lives, and you'll go along with whatever St. Rush throws your way," she said bitterly, thinking of his cold disregard when the senator had sacrificed himself to give them another day to solve the problems with the life support system.

"NO! I'm thinking of this from Rush's point of view. You are thinking like a woman in love. The ice is necessary to the survival of the eighty or so people aboard this ship. It is imperative that it reaches us. If Young stays to rescue your boyfriend, who suffers? The crew for certain as we slowly die of dehydration, but also Scott who cannot be helped at the moment and Young because of his stubbornness."

The fight went out of the girl, and she collapsed onto a bench near the center of the room, giving into her anguish. Belle felt a moment of empathy with the girl, putting herself in Chloe's shoes. If Rush were trapped, well … she refused to think on that. She'd been through enough with Gold. She wouldn't put herself through unnecessary anguish thinking what if.

She moved to sit beside the girl and wrapped an arm about her, pulling her to rest against her shoulder as she cried. "Chloe, Colonel Young is doing everything he can to free Matt. You just have to have faith," she said gently, remembering Snow and Emma and their unfailing faith in their family.

Belle pulled a grape Jolly Rancher from her pocket and pressed it into Chloe's hand as her sobs subsided into a few sniffles. The girl smiled, her lower lip quivering slightly as she unwrapped the candy and slipped it into her mouth. "I'm sorry … for what I said to you back there. I didn't mean ..."

"Sure, you did," Belle deadpanned, stroking the girl's ebony locks. "You meant every word and you know it, but it's nice to hear you say otherwise."

"How can you be so nice and still tolerate Rush?" Chloe asked incredulously as she lifted her head from Belle's shoulder to meet the woman's gaze.

Belle huffed a short laugh. "You don't know him like I do. Few people do," she admitted ruefully. "After he lost his wife, he only got worse and for a while the only time he would even speak to me was about our work. It took him a long time to get better. Grief can do terrible things to a person." She was silent for a long moment. "Nicholas is like a cactus, for lack of a better reference. He's prickly on the outside with a softness beneath."

Chloe snorted. "You're an odd woman, Belle, and I am truly sorry for what I said in the control room. I had just come in to see if maybe you'd heard something about Matt … and Rush … I was just so angry to hear him say what he did."

"I know," Belle crooned, reassuring the girl, "but can I ask you what made you think Nicholas and I are sleeping together in the first place?"

Chloe blushed, staring down at her feet. "I … um … well, the way you two were kissing in here yesterday. I just assumed ..."

Belle bit down thoughtfully on her lip, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Well, we're not."

"Yet," Chloe teased, bumping her shoulder with Belle's.

"Perhaps," Belle relented, "but that's not something which is anyone's business. The entire bloody ship doesn't need to know."

"Miss French!" Belle cringed as she heard that irritated voice screech through her radio. "Where are you?"

"Observation deck," she answered.

"The bugs have been dealt with and Colonel Young is on his way back to the ship with Lt Scott. Gate room … now! Rush out."

Chloe's smile was blinding as she heard the news and took off at a run. Belle's exhaustion prevented such a pace for her now that their crisis was nearing an end and she followed at a more sedate walk. She was glad, however, that she and the girl had been able to talk through their problems instead of letting them fester and breed more ill feelings.

The Kino sled was being unloaded when she finally entered the gate room and sat down on the stool next to the console, ignoring Rush's scowl. She yawned widely and propped her chin in her hand as she watched Scott being taken to the infirmary. "What'd I miss?" she asked, yawning again, her eyes drooping heavily. "How did TJ get rid of the bugs?"

"It was really rather clever of her. She had Riley and Dunning wheel a large barrel of water down to where we'd sealed them off. When she had us open the door, they went for the water and she sealed them inside long enough to send the barrel through the gate," he explained, consulting his notepad before entering several commands into the computer.

"And Scott?" she asked, her voice slurred with sleep as she rested her head on her folded arms.

"A tremor caused a shift in the terrain and loosened enough to free him. The colonel was able to pull him up and load him onto the sled to drag him back to the gate. He'll be fine," he related the news, explaining what had gone on while she'd been settling her differences with Chloe. "And what of Miss Armstrong? Have you mended your fences? Belle?" he asked when she didn't answer.

A small smile curved up the corner of his mouth as he looked down at his Belle, sound asleep on one corner of the console. It wasn't the first time she'd lost her battle with fatigue after a long day of working at his side, and surely it wouldn't be the last, but this was the first time he'd be able to put her to bed without having to disturb her rest. He shoved his notepad into the back pocket of his jeans and lifted her into his arms with all the care he could muster, hardly jostling her in the process.

He carried her down the long corridor until he gained the hallway where their quarters were located, pausing a moment to debate whether or not she'd want to sleep with him or her own room. This new phase of their relationship was too new, and he hoarded it almost jealously - and it's not like she was awake to argue or protest - and he wasn't the type to molest her while she slumbered. He threw his shoulder into the door lock and carried her into his quarters, laying her gently on the bed, removing the radio from her waistband and sliding her sandals from her feet, taking in the red painted toes with a chuckle. Within moments, he had her tucked under the blankets in the center of the bed and she let out a soft snuffle as she turned her face into the pillow.

Rush toed off his boots and socks and pulled the long sleeved t-shirt over his head, tossing it onto the end of the bed for tomorrow. He laid his radio on the nightstand next to hers and slid under the duvet with her, realizing just how tired he was himself. It had been too long since he'd been able to rest properly, and he had a feeling having Belle beside him would provide the best rest he'd had in well … forever.

a/n: I hope you are all still enjoying the story. Great big shoutout to those who continue to tune in every week to read and comment. You don't know what it means to me to hear your thoughts on the story. See you next week! *Huggles!