Warning: There's a bit of smut in this chapter, so if that's not your thing, just skip it.
Chapter Seven: Earth
Rush grunted softly as Belle shifted in her sleep, dragging him out of his own slumber. Her nose brushed against his collarbone and her hair tickled at his upper lip, causing him to smile and tighten his arms about her, one hand slipping beneath her thin sweater to caress her lower back above the waistband of her yoga pants. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so peacefully, not counting the ten hours he'd gotten the day before yesterday when he'd had no choice and his body had forced it upon him. He somehow found that if he was forced to drag himself away from his work to sleep, he didn't mind it quite so much as long as Belle was wrapped so securely around him. He glanced at his watch in the dim blue light streaming in through the porthole. One hour before they needed to start their shift. Surprisingly, he wasn't in any hurry to find his way to the control interface room and begin the day. He'd much rather remain where he was with Belle's warm breath fanning hotly against his bare skin, her small hands trapped between them and curled into his chest, and her thigh between his own, pressed firmly against his burgeoning erection.
Rush trailed his fingertips along her arm and over her shoulder, pausing to run his thumb over the sensitive flesh below her ear, smiling smugly when she shifted restlessly against him, a soft moan escaping her parted lips. Slowly, he tilted her chin up, his hand cradling her face reverently as his lips closed over hers. Her eyes flew open, wide cerulean orbs filled with fear, her entire body tensing for fight and flight before recognition washed over her and she relaxed once more, her soft curves melding into his lean lines.
"Nicholas ..." she breathed happily against his lips, her short nails scratching lightly against his bare chest as she rubbed her knee gently over his denim-clad crotch. Then it was his turn to moan, the sound lost as his tongue glided over her lower lip. "How'd we get here?" she asked when he released his claim on her mouth to trail his lips along her jaw.
"You fell asleep on the console in the gate room, so I brought you to bed," he explained simply as he pressed his brow to hers. "You should have told me you were so tired, Belle. I wouldn't have asked you to continue working."
Belle freed one of her hands from their prison against his chest and snaked it into his hair, her fingers curling in the soft strands. "You didn't. I chose to work. What can I say," she sighed, nipping lightly at his lower lip. "You're a bad influence and are quickly turning me into a workaholic."
"You need more rest," he insisted, kissing her again.
"Hello, pot … meet kettle," she teased, giggling as he rubbed his cheek against hers, his stubble tickling her tender flesh.
"I'm serious. We'll have to endeavor to make certain we both get enough rest," he said, sincere in his vow to take care of her. If she insisted on working the same hours as he did, he would just have to make sure those hours weren't longer than what she could endure. He could only hope that he didn't get so lost in his work that he didn't notice when her energy was failing her.
A lazy smile curled upon her lips as she stretched against him, her slow careful movements deliberately provoking his desire. "Speaking of work ..."
His hands wandered over her hips and the curve of her behind, pulling her flush against him with a low rumble of pleasure. "We have time," he murmured, claiming her lips once more.
"Rush! It's about damn time I found you," came an irritable voice from the now open doorway.
Belle buried her head against Rush's shoulder, biting her lip to prevent the curses from spilling out from between her teeth as Rush turned his patented death glare upon the colonel, wishing the man to be cursed with the vilest tortures of the damned. "Did your mother never teach you simple etiquette, Colonel? Perhaps the courtesy of knocking upon someone's door before barging in unannounced?" he asked in an icy tone as he tossed the coverlet off and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"You weren't answering your radio," he shrugged as if that was explanation enough for his rudeness. He cast a glance towards the bed where Belle had pushed herself into a sitting position. "And neither was Belle. Of course, as secretive as you two are, no one had a clue as to where you had procured quarters for yourselves. I've been searching for the better part of an hour!"
"Eli, Greer, and TJ know where our quarters are located. You could have asked any of them, Colonel," Belle said dryly. "Or were you in too much of a hurry to bother?"
"Eli just said you had chosen quarters on this side of the ship, not which one of many you'd selected," he scowled at Rush's assistant.
Rush crossed his arms over his bare chest, his glare darkening dangerously as he listened to the exchange, his frustration growing exponentially. "Will we be getting to the point of your visit sometime before the new millennium, Colonel?" he asked tersely.
Belle huffed an irritated sigh and climbed out of the warm bed, padding barefoot to the door. At Rush's arched brow she merely mumbled, "Shower," and left the room, not in the mood for one of their arguments.
Rush rolled his eyes at the colonel and retrieved the forest green long-sleeved tee he'd worn the day before, pulling it over his head. Young cleared his throat, opting for a civil tone. "Look, Camille and I are using the stones this morning to check in with Homeworld Command. She needs to meet with her supervisors with the IOA and I need to fill O'Neil in on what's going on. We'd like you to come with us."
"No."
"I know McKay and Jackson are very interest -" he continued, expecting no less than Rush's acquiescence to his request. "Wait, what? What do you mean no?"
"Last I checked, Colonel Young, I wasn't suffering from a speech impediment and unless you just don't know the definition of the word …"
"I know what no means, Rush," Everett growled. "Why the hell won't you go?"
Rush's teeth gnashed together in vexation, his lips curling up into a sneer. "Why? Because the one and only time I chose to use the stones, I had the misfortune of switching with Dr. Christopher Peirce and returned to my body to find him sexually harassing Belle," he hissed angrily. "There's no need for me to return to Earth at the present." He didn't mention that he didn't trust his superiors at Homeworld Command not to hold him hostage in order to send one of their people in his place. He'd be captive in a strange body and a billion light years away from his work … and his Belle. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of him touching those stones any time in the near future.
Young frowned, shaking his head. "Why is this the first I've heard of this? The man needs to be reported."
"Well, we've been a bit busy, in case you haven't noticed. Everyone knows what a sexual deviant Pierce is, yet no one has been able to make any of the charges against him stick. He's too well connected. Besides, Belle doesn't want to pursue it as long as the man is not allowed on board Destiny again. You might want to bring that up in your debriefing with the general," Rush snarled through clenched teeth, trying to rein in his temper where the other scientist was concerned. "Was there anything else, Colonel?"
Young shifted uncomfortably as he pursed his lips, wondering how to broach the next topic without having the doctor's Scottish temper flare to dangerous proportions. "Yes. Do you think it wise to get involved with your assistant?" he asked. There … he'd said it. He forced himself not to take a step back as Rush's eyes darkened and narrowed menacingly.
"I believe we've already had this conversation, Colonel Young. What Belle and I do in our down time is no one's concern but our own," he fairly growled, his lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure.
"It does when it affects everyone aboard this ship." Young held up a hand to stave off the angry tirade he felt would be forthcoming. "Don't get me wrong, Rush. I don't have anything against your relationship with Belle. Whatever floats your boat, man, but if things turn sour, your little assistant has the means to fly us directly into the first black hole she comes across."
Rush felt his lips twitch with suppressed laughter. "No, Colonel, she wouldn't take out her anger on the entire crew. She'd probably be more inclined to lock me in my quarters and vent the atmosphere."
Young gaped at the scientist. "Rush -"
"I really wouldn't want to keep you from your meeting," Rush gave the man a pointed look to alert him to the fact that their conversation was over, "and I have several matters which require my attention before the beginning of my shift."
Everett shook his head in exasperation as Rush followed him out into the corridor. "Are you sure you won't reconsider coming with us?"
Rush arched a brow, crossing his arms over his chest. "No."
Young simply nodded and turned on his heel, disappearing around the corner with one last shout of, "Keep your damn radio on!"
Rush pivoted on his heel to return to his quarters to find his boots when Belle's growl of frustration filtered beneath the bathroom door.
"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!"
A frown furrowed his brow as he quickly made his way to the frosted glass doors, pausing a moment to knock. "Belle! What's wrong?" He heard more curses - in French, English, and Ancient - and something which sounded like worst bloody timing in the history of womankind. "Are you alright?"
"Nicholas!" came her panicked reply. "Can you do me a favor and go into my quarters and grab that little pink box out of my rucksack, please?"
He nodded and then realized she wouldn't be able to see him through the door. "Aye, I'll fetch it," he called and turned on his bare heel to collect her mysterious box. He palmed the door lock and swept into the dark room, the only light filtering into the room, that of the blue FTL lights which surrounded Destiny. Her bright red rucksack wasn't hard to locate. It was in the same spot on her bed where she'd abandoned it days ago. Her bed had yet to be slept in since nearly every moment had been spent at his side, including the two nights she'd fallen asleep in his bed. A smug smile curved his lips when he couldn't find a reason to be sorry for that small fact. If he had his way, she would continue to sleep in his bed.
Rush pushed his errant imaginings aside and dug into the bag until he found the pink box … or what he thought was pink in the dim light. He took a more careful look at the item in his hands once he gained the corridor. His step faltered when he realized what she'd sent him after … and he groaned. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he cursed, staring down in befuddled disgust at the box of tampons. He very nearly dropped the damn thing. And she'd sent him for the box so she wouldn't have to come out and tell him the problem. "Subtle, Miss French, very subtle."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle thrust her head under one of the jets, letting the mist saturate her long chestnut locks as she continued to curse fate. Seriously, what did the gods have against her? Was she going to be doomed to always suffer one interruption after another? When she'd been with Gold, it had been the Charmings with some crisis or new villain to be dealt with. Now she was billions of light years from Earth and a decade removed from the inhabitants of Storybrooke, yet she still couldn't find a private moment with the man she … Whoa! … so not going there, she thought as the breath hitched painfully in her chest. I do NOT love Nicholas Rush. I might care deeply for him, but I do NOT love him.
Her inner voice snorted … and laughed, chortling, "Denial."
"Oh, shut up!" she hissed, smacking the heel of her hand against the shower stall, completely exasperated. She nearly jumped a foot as two sinewy arms snaked around her waist and gently hauled her back against a wet chest.
"I haven't said anything yet," Rush crooned softly against the curve of her neck.
A whisper-soft gasp escaped her parted lips as his hands fanned out over her stomach, the realization that she was very naked - and wet and exposed and vulnerable - with an equally naked Rush, robbed her of breath and sent heat curling through her veins. Her heart plummeted somewhere in the region of her feet because her little monthly visitor had decided to rear its ugly head to totally derail any romantic notions she may have had. Damnit!
She covered his hands with her own, her fingers entwining with his to stop the slow patterns he was drawing on her already over sensitized flesh. "I'm sorry, Nicholas," she groaned, her voice barely more than a whisper as she ducked her head, her wet hair framing her face and hiding the deep crimson color in her cheeks.
"Don't apologize for something which is completely out of your control," he chided, taking her chin and turning her face up to place a tender kiss at the corner of her mouth. "You think your body is the only thing I want from you?"
Belle raised her eyes to his, her heart fluttering madly as she took in the softness, the tenderness, and something quite frightening in its intensity reflected in his warm sable orbs. She couldn't do this, not now. "I … ah … I should have recognized the signs. I shouldn't have led you on," she murmured miserably, lowering her gaze.
"Are we always going to have such difficulties with communication between us?" he asked, his lips returning to her heated flesh as he trailed hot open-mouthed kisses along her bare shoulder.
She huffed out an exasperated little laugh, biting her lip to hold a needy moan at bay as his hands caressed her sides. "We always have, N-Nicholas. Now, just because we're … um …" her voice trailed away, flummoxed as to what name she should put on this new phase of their relationship. Unable to find a suitable title, she gave up. "I don't see why it will change."
"Now, because we care for one another?" he teased, nipping at a particularly sweet spot just behind her left ear. "Now, that we're a bit more than friends?"
"You care for me? It's n-not just sex?" she asked tentatively, her breath labored as his thumbs brushed the sensitive undersides of her breasts. Her hands clamped down on his wrists, refusing to let him proceed further until she had his answer. "Don't tease me, Nicholas."
Rush sighed heavily, ceasing his sensual torment as he wracked his brain for an analogy which would make her believe him. "If I had to choose between years of learning Destiny's mysteries or returning to Earth with you … I would choose you. That is how much I care for you, Belle."
Any other woman would have slapped him … or at the very least come back with some caustic remark, but not his Belle. She understood the meaning behind his hasty and albeit clumsy attempt to relay his feelings to her. "I care for you, too." She smiled shyly as she tipped her head back against his shoulder, finally relaxing into his embrace.
"You're mine, Belle … say it," he commanded roughly against the shell of her ear as his arm wrapped possessively about her hips. "You know I don't do anything half measure. I need to know that you belong to me," he rasped, sucking her flesh into his mouth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, marking her. "I need to know you want this just as much as I do."
"Yours," she breathed, her head swimming with desire as her body thrummed with the sensations brought about by his skilled fingers. In truth, she'd always been his, from the moment she'd gazed into his dark sable eyes so filled with the pain of loss and despair of ever finding happiness again. She'd been his assistant, his friend, and now his lover and there was no denying a part of her belonged to him whether she wanted to admit it or not. She wanted - no, needed - to belong to this man. He was worth risking her heart again. He was her Nicholas, and if she yielded herself to him, so would he yield to her. He would belong to her just as much as she would belong to him. "Yours," she repeated, more fiercely than before as she tipped her head up to capture his lips, to lose herself in his kiss, his touch.
A moan caught in Rush's throat, his arms tightening perceptively about her as her hot little tongue thrust into his mouth with more passion than she'd shown him thus far. She pressed her hips back, arching into his erection, seeking more contact, more friction and he would not deny her. He trailed his questing hands up her sides and lifted her arms, encouraging her to wrap them around his neck.
"Nicholas, we can't …" she whispered, blushing furiously. "I -"
"Shh," he murmured, his hands returning to draw comforting circles over her belly. "Just let me touch you, Belle." His tongue laved over the bruise purpling on her neck, and he smiled as a whimper escaped her parted lips, pleased that he already had her quivering in his arms.
Belle nodded jerkily, incapable of speech - something neither of them had thought possible - and curled her fingers into the sopping strands of his hair, tugging none too gently each time his lips found a particularly hot spot on her neck. Emboldened by her response, he cupped her breast in his hand, the mound fitting perfectly in his palm as he squeezed gently. He worried the taut nipple, his nails scraping deliciously against the rosy bud as his left hand glided over the outside of her thigh and then slowly inched upwards towards her heated center.
Rush screwed his eyes tightly shut as she writhed against him, his engorged cock trapped between his belly and the smooth curve of her behind, fighting diligently to stop himself from giving in to the urge to spill himself against her. This wasn't about him, but her … all for her. Her hands fell from his hair and ghosted over his hips, her nails digging sharply into his flesh as he cupped her sex, the heel of his hand grinding against her pubic bone.
"Críost trócaireach, mo chroí!" he growled, unable to stop himself from bucking his hips forward against her. He returned her arms to their previous position around his neck. "Don't let go."
"B-But I want to touch you, too," she complained, tugging on the ends of his hair as she slipped her fingers along his nape, scratching lightly.
He nipped at the lobe of her ear in punishment for arguing, a smile playing at his lips. "Later."
"But — ahh!" she wailed as he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, the motion sending heat spiraling south to her already throbbing sex as he slipped one long finger between her folds. "Nicholas!"
Belle thrust back against him so forcefully, overwhelmed by the sensations he evoked in her, he lost his balance and fell back into the shower stall with a soft oomph. Yet, he retained his grip on her. "You like that, my Belle?"
"You know I do!" she croaked, her voice hoarse with passion, her breathing labored as she ground down on his hand. "Don't stop, Nicholas, please."
Rush circled her clit with his thumb, never giving her the direct pressure she craved, teasing her until she was writhing and mumbling incoherently in Ancient. He thought she might have cursed him there a time or two before he dipped a finger into her opening, pressing deeper and curling it to rub against a spot which had her howling. He groaned as she thrust her hips back into his throbbing arousal, unable to decide if she wanted the pressure of his hand or his cock. She was so hot, so wet, her body's natural fluids coating his fingers as he sought to bring her more pleasure. He covered her lips with his, his tongue thrusting into her perfect mouth in time with his probing fingers, so lost in a haze of pleasure he wouldn't have cared if the entire crew had walked in on them. Thankfully, they had relative privacy on this side of the ship … something for which he had his sweet girl to thank.
Taking advantage of his distraction, she reached back between them and cupped him, her fingers, gliding along his shaft, slick with the mist which surrounded them. He broke their kiss, his eyes flying open to meet her lust-filled cerulean gaze, his hand pumping faster into her, perhaps a bit rougher than he would have liked, but she moaned her pleasure against his ear, encouraging him to continue. She came with a shout, her walls clamping down hard around his fingers, her legs nearly giving out from beneath her. His arm tightened around her waist, supporting her as he thrust into her hand, her fingers painfully tight around his cock.
"Belle!" he cried, clasping her to him as he came hard, his seed spilling out against her pale flesh. He buried his face in her neck, biting gently at her already bruised flesh as he slumped against the shower stall at his back. It took him more than a moment to come down, for his breathing to return to normal. He turned her in his arms so her back would take the brunt of the mist spraying from the nozzles, and used his hands to clean her, his lips ghosting kisses over her temple as she rested against his chest. She allowed him to care for her without a word, content to let him minister to her.
He turned off the spray and reached for the large black towel hanging over the stall door, wrapping it about her before he lifted her in his arms and carried her out, setting her on the counter by the sink. "You alright?" he asked, brushing the wet strands of her hair away from her face.
Belle looped an arm around his neck, cradling his stubbled jaw with her free hand as she pulled him in for a tender kiss, and dispelling the worry which lingered in his dark eyes. "Never better."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush growled his disgust as he looked down at the untouched nutrition 'sludge' in his bowl, ignoring the disapproving glare Belle cast him as she took a bite of her own breakfast. She nudged him gently and nodded towards his bowl. "Nicholas, I know it's not the English muffin with sausage and extra crispy hash browns you favor, but it's all we have. Please."
His stomach gave an audible rumble at the mention of his favorite breakfast sandwich, and it was with great reluctance that he lifted the spoon to his mouth to appease her. He was rewarded with one of her bright smiles and he felt it was worth choking down the foul substance if it would make her happy.
"You're sure you don't have any more of that instant coffee hidden in the depths of that bag of yours? It would make this much more palatable."
Belle's face fell, her hand reaching for his nape to smooth her fingertips over the tension sure to be building in his neck. "No, I don't," she murmured sympathetically. "Hopefully, the next planet we're able to explore will have appropriate vegetation to enable me to make a proper tea blend. With the testing equipment we have on board, we should be able to find something nontoxic which will brew up quite nicely."
"Always the optimist." He shook his head before tipping the bowl to his lips to hurriedly finish off the contents held within. He frowned as she pushed her half-eaten breakfast at him. "Oh, no," he protested. "I've eaten my share. Finish it."
"I'm not hungry," she grumbled, rubbing her stomach absently. "You eat it, so it doesn't go to waste."
"Belle," he complained, his face twisting into a grimace. He held his breath and choked down the 'sludge' in one long swallow and then stacked her bowl on top of his. Becker nodded politely as he came by and whisked the dishes away. "Why don't you go back to bed if you're feeling poorly?"
"I can't. I need to talk with TJ about my little problem, which, come to think of it, is going to be the problem of every female aboard soon. I need to have Riley charge both my iPhone and our laptops," she continued, patting the case sitting on the bench beside her, "and there's so much work to do, I'll probably be swamped the rest of the week."
"Eli, Brody, and Park can help with the workload."
Belle arched a brow. "I see you didn't add Volker to that list," she retorted in a dry tone.
"Belle …" Rush said warningly.
"Fine," she agreed, heeding his warning where his least favorite astrophysicist was concerned. "And there's also several bays on C deck that I promised Ronald I would investigate with him. There's some equipment in one of them which might be quite valuable, but he hasn't been able to figure out what they do."
His visage took on the darkness of a thundercloud at the mention of the master sergeant and he felt the first stirrings of jealousy twist his gut. "You're going exploring with Sergeant Greer?" he asked, trying to maintain a neutral tone so she wouldn't pick up on the storm brewing within him.
Belle caught the slight tensing in his shoulders, however, and leaned close to his ear to whisper. "Don't be jealous, Nicholas," she crooned softly, her warm breath hissing hotly against his ear and sending gooseflesh to pepper his arms. "I'm certain by now that everyone who's entered the mess has seen the love bites on my neck. They know I belong to you."
A smug, self-satisfied smirk curled one corner of his mouth and he didn't even get upset when Colonel Young and Camille sat down opposite them at their table. "Rush, we need to talk."
Becker brought over a bowl of rations for Young and Camille and the colonel grimaced as he lifted his spoon. Belle sipped from her cup of water as she regarded them steadily. "Did you meeting not go well with General O'Neill?"
Camille raised her brows and shrugged. "Meeting? More like an ambush," she said bitterly. "Definitely not what we were expecting."
Rush tapped his fingertips against the side of his cup and pasted a scowl on his face, impatiently waiting for the colonel to explain. "I thought this was merely a routine debriefing, Colonel."
"Yeah, well, it seems HWC is all for trying to get us home and the IOA is on board with their approval. They seem to think the situation aboard Destiny is too dire for us to remain on board and are willing to take the risk," Everett explained, waiting for an explosion of Rush's temper and all the reasons as to why this could become an epic disaster.
Rush's teeth clenched with enough force to chip the enamel as he raised a hand to rub over the stubble on his jaw, but his voice remained calm. "And I'm sure the science team has worked through every variable and can guarantee our safety and the safety of the ship with one hundred percent certainty," he drawled acidly.
"Nicholas," Camille began, drawing his angry gaze, "of course, there are risks, but Director Strom assures me this is in our best interests. The president wants this."
Belle narrowed her eyes on the IOA representative, taking offense at her casual use of his given name. "Strom is a hack trying to further his career, Camille. He thinks if he can be instrumental in bringing us home, he'll get a nice fat promotion and a hefty bonus. Then he might be able to afford his mistress," she added with a smirk. "Question is … what's in it for you?"
Camille's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise as she gaped at Belle, wondering how the woman came by her information. Though she was reluctant to admit it, Rush's assistant was usually spot on with her intel. "What? How do you know -"
Belle waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. No one ever pays attention to me," she scoffed. She blushed prettily when she looked up to find Rush's gaze on her, his eyes filled with appreciation.
Rush slipped his hand into hers on the bench between them and turned his attention back to the colonel. "What did you tell O'Neill? Have you agreed with this foolhardy plan?"
Young didn't answer immediately, regarding the scientist warily. "Is this really about some deep concern you harbor for the people on board this ship …" he asked, pausing briefly, "or are you afraid you'll be replaced when the original away team is eventually brought on board?"
Belle could feel the tension radiating from Rush as he stared at the colonel, and she gave his hand a light squeeze of reassurance. "Well," Rush replied with cool disdain, "the decision is ultimately yours, Colonel." He rose to his feet and pulled Belle up beside him, reaching for her bag containing their laptops. He gestured for her to precede him from the mess, but couldn't resist one more dig at the man's command. "Let's just hope you make the right one."
Young pushed his bowl aside and rested his chin on his folded hands, sighing in frustration. Camille pushed her own rations to the side and placed a comforting hand to his shoulder. "You really didn't think it would be easy to convince Dr. Rush, now did you?"
"No," he admitted ruefully, "but it would have been nice, just this once, for him to put the needs of the crew above his own. He doesn't want to leave Destiny and doesn't care who's here against their will as long as he gets to remain. O'Neill isn't going to be happy with Rush's reluctance to implement this new plan."
"HWC and the IOA are already convinced Rush doesn't want to come home. I doubt his reservations are going to be taken into consideration. This is what's best for everyone on board," she said, trying to be convincing as she'd been ordered by her superior. Make this happen, Camille.
Young pushed himself up from the table and went in search of Scott and TJ to seek their advice and counsel, leaving Camille to sort through her own agenda.
X*X*X*X*X
Colonel Young stuck his head into the control interface room warily. Hours ago, when he'd come in to speak with Rush again about their new predicament, Belle had nearly snapped his head off. "Colonel, there are more pressing problems than a fiery death as the ship explodes. It would probably be less painful," she'd snapped. "Fiery death and dismemberment are better than every woman on board this ship realizing that there are no fucking tampons stocked in the infirmary!"
He'd flushed ten shades of red and left just as quickly as he'd entered, not even thinking of debating the issue with Rush's assistant. He'd simply mumbled quickly for Rush to see to the matter on his way out the door, ignoring the doctor's dismayed cry of, "Why the hell is this my problem?!"
"You can come in, Colonel," Rush drawled from where he sat at his console, an amused smirk on his face. "Belle has gone exploring with Sergeant Greer."
Scott prodded him into the room from behind and he took in those assembled for their impromptu meeting. Taking note that everyone working the problem was in attendance, he nodded to Eli to begin.
"The ship doesn't have enough power to dial back to Earth and - as we've seen recently - when the ship runs out of juice, it finds a star and refills its tanks. Now, theoretically, at that time, the full power of the star should be available to us. Yeah. It's brilliant! If we can somehow use the ship as a conduit and channel the star's energy into the Gate as we dial. The problem is the 'whole ship as a conduit' part," he explained hurriedly.
TJ sat forward on her bench, eyeing the young genius. "Well, does anyone know when the ship will run out of power again?"
Eli shrugged. "It's tough to tell. Based on current usage, probably gonna be several months."
Brody leaned heavily on the console next to Eli. "Not if we can drain the power faster."
Eli's gaze swung to Brody. "Right! That's the part of the plan that sounded a little vague."
Rush sighed as he consulted his notebook and then tossed it onto the console, realizing he'd get no work done until the meeting was over, and they'd cleared out of his space. "Given how little we know about this ship ..."
"Can't we at least try it, and abort if something goes wrong?" Camille interrupted, exasperated.
"Well, unfortunately, the something goes wrong part would most likely mean the ship exploding," he bit out.
"Not according to the people who came up with the idea," Young said, pacing around the center of the room before arguing his point. "They seem to be confident they can make this work."
Rush rubbed at his right temple and prayed for patience. "Well, if only all science was that definitive, Colonel. You're just going to have to choose who you want to believe."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush stalked along the corridor on C deck, glowering down at the radio in his hand. "Where are you, Belle?" he growled. She'd been gone since early that morning and he was beyond irritated. Everyone was walking on eggshells around him without his assistant there to act as a buffer for his temper. Now, Eli and Chloe were joining Colonel Young in using the stones. He would be returning to give the general his decision and Chloe and Eli would be enjoying some downtime with their families. He had to admit, the time away from Destiny would probably do them some good, but he couldn't help but resent the strangers roaming the corridors of his ship in the meantime. "Belle!"
Finally, her melodious tones came through the radio, answering him in Ancient. She slipped into the coarse dialect, speaking it just as fluently as he did. "I'm here, Nicholas. It's not like I stepped out for a bit of fresh air," she snarked, giggling.
"That's not funny."
"Sure, it is. You're just in a bad mood," she returned. "Ronald and I are on C deck, past the long row of water tanks, third corridor on the left."
Rush frowned, mentally mapping her instructions as he turned down the corridor she indicated. "That part of the ship is sealed off. We haven't had time to -"
"Just because you haven't explored this section doesn't mean it's sealed," she said patiently. "Rush, just hurry. I can't wait for you to see what I've discovered."
He quickened his pace, glad the corridors were illuminated so he wouldn't have to resort to the penlight he kept in his back pocket. He huffed a little laugh, thinking of Belle's enthusiasm with any and all things she found on the Ancient ship. Her discovery could be as simple as a crate of dishes. And he had to admit, he could use the distraction. He was not, however, expecting to walk into the room she'd directed him to … and find her well-rounded behind hoisted up into the air for all to see. Her torso was buried in the bowels of some type of machine and Greer had his hand on the back of her left thigh to keep her from toppling into the contraption.
"Sergeant Greer," he snarled with quiet menace, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "What is going on here?"
Before Greer could answer, a wad of wet cloth sailed over Belle's shoulder and smacked the sergeant in his grinning face. Her head popped out of the machine with a triumphant smile. "Got it! It was tangled around the agitator," she said, casting Greer a look of apology as he helped her back to her feet. "Nicholas," she gushed, turning her hundred-watt smile on him as she moved to greet him.
His entire demeanor softened towards her as he reached up to brush an errant curl behind her ear which had escaped the ponytail secured at her crown. "You missed the meeting," he said lightly. "Young is returning to Earth to inform Homeworld Command of his decision." He studied her face, noting the lines of stress near her mouth and eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"Not my best, if you must know," she shrugged. "I thought it would be wise for me to distance myself from as many people as possible in my present mood. You realize this issue with O'Neill and his IOA flunkies is not going to end well."
He glanced over her shoulder to see Greer gather the wet clothing and transfer it to another machine, making sure he was distracted before he gave Belle his answer. "It's out of our hands … for the time being."
She followed his line of sight and hummed her agreement before she took his hand and led him over to the bank of machines built into the hull. "I'm so excited, Nicholas. Laundry facilities!" she exclaimed, beaming at him. "This is going to make everything so much easier. They seem to work on the same principle as the showers, using a mixture of limited water and this cleaning solution which beads into a mist. I've already taken the liberty of testing it. Take a look."
Rush's brows rose in surprise. "This wasn't on the schematic," he said, moving forward to inspect the first machine.
"It was there. However, it was mislabeled as a storage room. Understandable, considering the number of Ancient crates we found in here. Ronald and I have barely scratched the surface with those."
He whirled on her sharply, a deep frown furrowing his brow. "You've opened the Ancient crates? There's no telling what might be in those sealed boxes. I expressly forbade you -"
"Oh, stuff it, Rush," she admonished with a dismissive wave of her hand before tugging on his arm to show him the treasures she'd unearthed by disobeying his orders. "Wait until you see."
"Watch her, Dr Rush. Once she gets started, it's difficult to get her out of those crates," Greer called teasingly after Belle as he switched on the dryer. He chuckled merrily as she turned and rolled her eyes at him.
The lids were stacked neatly off to the side to reveal the contents of the crates and Rush couldn't hold back the grin which spread over his face. "This is incredible."
"Isn't it?" Belle gushed happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement. "There's a crate of paper tablets, another filled with bedding … blankets, sheets, pillows. That's the largest one over there," she pointed to one against the far wall. "There are also some filled with cookware, cutlery, dishes and other things that will come in handy in the kitchens once we find a planet with some viable food sources. There are towels in that small one over there. We'll need to have someone cart those up to the lavatories. Here, give me a boost," she said, anchoring a hand onto Rush's shoulder and holding up her foot.
"Belle, I'm not going to help you climb into one of those crates. What if there's something hidden in the bottom and -"
"Pfft! Cup your hands," she argued. "I have to get in to reach what I want to show you. The hazards of being short," she deadpanned with a wry smile. "Besides, I've already explored this crate and it's perfectly safe."
Rush shook his head at her and cupped his hands beneath her sandal-shod foot, lifting her slight weight to give her a boost to sit on the edge and then drop down easily inside. She disappeared from view, and he hurried to the edge to look inside. A second later, her hand appeared holding what looked like a jumpsuit … followed by a pair of trousers and a shirt, a pair of boots and several pairs of socks. The jumpsuits and trousers were black in color and seemed to be made of some type of lightweight sturdy material he'd never seen before, something clearly man made by the Ancients and durable enough to last. The shirts, colors ranging from white to grey or dark green, were also light in weight, sturdy, but of the softest fabric he'd ever touched.
"So much for the Colonel's orders to leave the Ancient crates untouched," he remarked dryly.
"Nicholas, darling, you are killing my buzz!" she snarked, peering over the edge of the crate at him. "There are four more crates with similar items in various sizes. Some of the members of the crew only have the clothes on their backs and aren't as fortunate as you and I. Think of what this discovery will mean to them. And there is more than enough for everyone on board."
"You're right about that," he agreed, taking in the sheer amount of crates which were still unopened. "It's not so farfetched to think that the Ancients would have thought this far ahead considering they were eventually planning to use the gate to come aboard to man the mission." He glanced over his shoulder to locate Greer and assure himself the sergeant was busy before he stepped to the edge of the crate and caught her lips in a swift kiss. "Well done, my Belle."
Rush didn't easily dole out praise - or often - and Belle beamed with pride. "With … um … with the extra bedding, I think I may also have solved our other problem," she murmured, ducking her head sheepishly as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "I'll have to get with TJ on that project immediately. I need to show her the crate full of what looks like medical equipment as well."
"Yes, well," he mumbled uncomfortably, "let's worry about that after we get you out of there."
"I still think it would have been better if she'd found a freezer full of Angus burgers and bags of French fries." Greer chuckled as he sauntered over to the crate and gave Rush a hand at lifting Belle out. "You know, all this is fine and good, but it's going to be a short celebration if Homeworld can get us home." Rush and Belle snorted at the same time and then shared a look of mutual surprise. Greer cast them a blank look, now seeing why Eli found them creepy at times. Rush had his own mini me. It came with spending entirely too much time in the other's company - or on the rare occasions that he'd seen - soul mates.
"Greer, come in. Where the hell are you?" came Scott's voice over the radio.
"I'm here, sir," Greer answered.
"Rush isn't answering his radio and I need him in the communications lab. We have a situation."
Rush lifted the radio from his belt, inspecting it briefly, and realizing he'd left it on the frequency he and Belle used exclusively. He shrugged and switched it back to the open channel used by the military personnel and his science team alike.
"We're on our way now."
Belle linked her fingers with Rush's and let him lead her from the room, casting one last longing glance over her shoulder. "I really hope it's not some dire catastrophe. I want to see what else I might find. Eli can help when he returns. He's been dying to get into some of the Ancient crates."
Rush smiled at her enthusiasm. "Let's hope."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush took one look at the rigid set of Lt. Scott's jaw and the cold gleam in his eyes and knew things had just gone from bad to worse. He studied the colonel and groaned inwardly as he noticed the odd posture. "Colonel Telford," he acknowledged. He could practically hear Belle grinding her teeth as she stood beside him.
"Dr Rush … and the insubordinate Miss French," he said by way of greeting, his voice cold. "I'll just get right to it, shall I? I've been ordered to enact the rescue plan put forward by the IOA."
Rush felt his gut twist with a mixture of anger and trepidation. "Rescue plan?" he asked, wanting his suspicions confirmed. He shifted to the right barely an inch towards Belle in an effort to protect her from the colonel. There had always been a mutual dislike between the two, but he and Young had always been there to intervene. There was no telling what the man would do to her if left to his own devices.
If Telford recognized the protectiveness of Rush's stance, he chose to ignore it. "I brought Doctors McCormack and Williams with me," he smirked, referring to the new inhabitants of Eli and Chloe's bodies. "I believe you know them."
Rush nodded. "Indeed."
"I've already set them to work," Telford continued despite the charged tension between them. "Effective immediately, I'm assuming command of the Destiny."
X*X*X*X*X
Rush was worried … well, more worried than usual when he was confronted with Telford and his ambitions. This time he had more to consider than just himself. This time he had Belle to think about and he would be damned if he let that egotistical prick hurt her, even inadvertently. Telford had assembled the crew in the gate room, flanked by the scientists he'd brought along and the ever-present IOA brown nose, Camille Wray.
He and Belle sat at the primary console, and he dimmed the lights in that corner of the room in deference to the headache she was suffering. She hadn't said a word since they'd left Telford and his flunkies in the communications lab and he knew from experience the wealth of anger she harbored, thrumming just beneath the surface.
He leaned his right elbow on the console and propped his chin in his hand, his left wrapping around Belle's waist, making it clear she was more than welcome to use him for support for her aching back. She relaxed back against his chest with a relieved sigh, but her arms remained defiantly crossed over her bosom. She hadn't even spoken when she'd gone to fetch a jumpsuit for Dr. Williams, nor had she answered the questions of where she'd gotten it. Silence from Belle was never a good sign.
It didn't help her simmering rage any that one of the first acts Telford performed with his new command was throwing Greer back into lockup for the offense he'd committed on Icarus. Her circle of friends were slowly dwindling and there was nothing she could do about it. Her nails dug painfully into his thigh, and he winced as he returned his attention to the questions flying back and forth across the cavernous room.
"And what if the power flow can't be controlled?" Riley asked.
Belle pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. It was entirely too strange to see Dr. Williams speaking with Eli's voice and moving with such calm grace instead of the frenetic energy which abounded in the boy. "Well, if there are any dangerous fluctuations, we just shut it down and allow the ship to continue powering up."
"Early tests show it should work," Brody said a little dubiously.
Telford sighed wearily as he turned to address the crew. "We're not going to be putting you in any more danger than you're already in just by being here."
Belle snorted and cut her eyes over at Rush as he gently squeezed her hip, warning her to remain silent until they were alone.
Dr McCormack shifted nervously, still not quite comfortable in Chloe's body. "From what I gather, supplies are desperately short, and given the condition of the ship, it could experience a fatal breakdown at any time."
"I'm sure they won't give a damn about the condition of the ship when they're assembling the away team to re-board her," Belle snarled in a heated whisper near Rush's ear in Ancient. Riley, Volker and Park were the only crew members who would be able to understand her statement, and they were across the room. "They're only thinking about their agenda and could care less about the loss of human life."
Rush shook his head, but still refused to answer. He wouldn't give Telford an excuse to look closer and find the seething rage lurking just beneath his own skin.
Camille stepped up to quell the nervous whispers generating about the room. "No one is trying to alarm you unduly, but we can't continue to scrape by barely surviving."
"Obviously, we can't say for sure that this is going to get you home, but the best minds we have are working on this and I'm sure you'll agree ..." He turned and caught Rush's eye, making sure the doctor was listening well to his impassioned speech. "… it's well worth pursuing."
Rush slid off his stool without a word, grabbing Belle's hand as he went to insure that she followed, and stalked out of the gate room.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle took a deep breath and focused on the cables in her hand. She was really trying to focus on the work she was doing to help Brody convert the useless wires into an adapter which would allow them to make their laptops compatible with Destiny's computer. At least the interlopers hadn't taken over the control interface room, instead feeling more comfortable working in the gate room for the time being. Brody laid a hand over hers and gently removed the mangled mess from between her fingers.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, scrubbing both hands over her face in an effort to restore calm to her shattered nerves.
"It's ok. I think I've almost got this one ready," the engineer said quietly as he concentrated on his task.
"Belle, why don't you take a break," Rush suggested from across the room where he sat at his console. "You won't be able to do more until the diagnostic of the weapons system is complete."
"I'm fine, Nicholas," she told him, slipping into Ancient. "I just can't seem to relax knowing those stooges are in Destiny's computer with the express purpose of destroying our ship."
"Yes. Many of the power conduits have been badly damaged, and firing the ship's weapons system - without either repairing them or isolating the damaged areas - would be prohibitively dangerous," he said, ignoring the exasperated huff from Brody because he couldn't understand them. He would never be on board with Telford's plan to drain the ship's power using the antiquated weapons system. It needed work.
"We could easily resolve this matter, Nicholas, if we could just disconnect the stones."
Rush sighed and raked a hand through his hair, giving her his full attention. "And how do you propose to do that when Telford has the communications lab under guard? Believe me, Belle, I am open to suggestions."
Belle's shoulders drooped dejectedly. "Colonel Young wouldn't put us all at risk. I don't understand why the general would even agree to this."
He's under pressure from the IOA and the president. His choices are limited."
"I hate to interrupt what I'm sure is a fascinating conversation," Brody snarked, bristling that he hadn't been included, "but I think I have it." He held the adapter out to Belle. "You wanna give it a try?"
Rush's brow creased as he watched his assistant take the cable from Brody. "You're sure this is going to work without Destiny overloading the hard drive and frying our laptops?" he asked, rising from the seat at his console and moving to stand behind Belle at hers.
"It'll work, Nicholas. Before Eli left - when we first started discussing the possibilities - we wrote a program that would stop the ship's computer from inadvertently downloading data into our laptops." She pulled up the program on her computer and entered the commands to begin, plugged the adapter into the port on the console and hit enter. Her mouth immediately fell open in dismay as the console whirred to life beside her.
"Unfortunately, you two geniuses didn't write anything into the program to prevent Destiny from accessing your own data," Rush chuckled. "I'll have to amend it before we try this with my own laptop."
"Crap!" she cried. Her fingers flew rapidly over the keyboard to prevent her files from merging with Destiny's mainframe to little avail.
"Let's just hope you didn't have a virus on your laptop," Brody said as he watched the files transfer. "Wow, Belle, just how many music files did you have on there?"
Belle looked from him to the computer sitting on her lap. "Damn, I left my flash plugged in! And don't castigate me for my music. It helps me concentrate." A small smile played at her lips as she remembered Gold introducing her to iTunes. She had nearly as many music files on her flash as she had e-books on her Kindle and that was saying something.
Rush's hand crept along the back of her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles there as he leaned over her shoulder to peer at the screen of her laptop. "Well, at least you have a backup now," he deadpanned.
"Very funny, Nicholas." She entered a few more keystrokes and downloaded the completed diagnostic of the weapons system onto her laptop. "There. The program works at least."
Brody began going through the files which had uploaded into Destiny's computer on the console and then paused as the sound of guitar and drums filled the room. Rush's gaze swung to the man in horror. "I'm working on it!" the engineer yelled over the din.
Rush moved back to his own console and then turned his gaze to Belle. "It's on the intercom system! This infernal noise is blasting all over the ship!"
Belle bit her lip to stifle the laughter bubbling to her lips, but wasn't able to hold it back for more than a moment as AC/DC's Highway to Hell filtered loudly from the hidden intercom speakers. Brody joined in her laughter, tapping his foot along with the music. "Oh, come on, Rush, could we have chosen a more appropriate song?"
Rush dropped his head in his hands, wishing for a pair of industrial strength earplugs. "TURN IT OFF!"
Belle's eyes narrowed slyly, and she quickly entered a series of keystrokes on both her laptop and the ship's console. "Um … I think I'm going to take that break now." She was out the door of the control room before he could stop her.
Rush's radio crackled to life. "RUSH!"
Brody winced as Telford's voice shrieked over the device. "I take it he's not an AC/DC fan."
"Rush, what the hell is going on? How are we supposed to work with this noise?" Telford blustered.
A slow calculating smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pressed the comm button. "Colonel, I assure you we are working to resolve the problem. Chalk it up to some minor technical difficulties."
"Do something!"
Rush clicked off the radio and smirked at Brody. He shouldn't be surprised that Belle wanted to bedevil the invasive science team the IOA had sent. "Mr Brody, turn it up."
X*X*X*X*X
Belle's fun lasted about an hour … including spying on the interlopers through a Kino as their frustrations reached epic proportions and saving the footage for Eli to enjoy if - WHEN - he got his body back. She'd finally taken pity on Rush, who she knew didn't like the music, and decrypted her commands to confine her music files to the control room. However, the look on Telford's red face still brought a smile to her lips as she worked with Rush to repair the ship.
Brody and Riley had volunteered to don the spacesuits in order to repair some broken coolant pipes in a quarantined section of the ship, and her eyes rarely moved from the console as she monitored their progress. "Pressure's still fluctuating, Nicholas," she murmured as she rubbed at the small of her back and shifted for a more comfortable position.
The suits, thankfully, were directly connected into the comm link and they were able to maintain contact without the need for their radios. "That's it for me," Brody said, closing the open valve of his welding torch and backing out of the corridor they were working in.
She watched as Riley did the same as he finished up and joined Brody, sealing the door behind him. Belle tensed visibly as Telford stormed into the room, his two scientists on his heels.
"You're stalling," Telford accused angrily.
Rush gritted his teeth in order to maintain a neutral tone as he turned to look at the colonel. "I'm doing things the way they need to be done."
"We've isolated power to forty percent of the operational weapons system, and it should be good enough to get us a read on our power reduction capability," Dr Williams said, trying to reassure Rush.
Rush shook his head as Telford leaned in closer to him at the console, doing his best to intimidate the shorter man. "The next time we drop out of FTL …" Telford snarled.
Rush, however, refused to back down, arguing, "No, look, this ship is old and damaged. The computers aren't registering half the things they're supposed to. I want manual confirmation before activating any system that comprehensive."
"Over eighty percent of this ship is inaccessible without spacesuits right now. With only two suits, doing it your way could take months," Telford sneered.
"If that's what it takes." Rush argued, his voice deathly quiet, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Dr Rush, we're ready here," came Riley's voice over the link, breaking into Telford's diatribe.
"Belle, send the power through," he ordered, focusing on his screen as she entered the commands and data began to scroll on the console. He cursed as an alarm sounded. "Shut it down! We've got a leak."
"Riley, what do you see? The Kino is out in the bloody corridor with you and Brody, and my visuals are cut off," Belle said worriedly.
"Looks like a coolant leak," the sergeant relayed as he moved to open the door between himself and the spraying pipe.
"Belle, shut it down!" Rush commanded.
"I'm trying!"
"Shut it down!" Telford demanded, hovering between the two consoles helplessly.
"We're trying, Colonel. It's not working," Rush told him, swiftly entering commands into the console.
"The problem is contained. It's restricted to that corridor," Dr Williams retorted.
"That's not the point," Rush fumed, casting a look of disgust at the scientist.
Telford raked a hand through his short cropped black hair and huffed an irritated sigh. "How big an explosion are we talking about?"
"No!" Belle cried, watching the Kino relay as she sent it into the corridor after her friend. "Riley, don't go in there! Let us try to seal it off from here."
"We're in FTL. If it punctures the hull, disrupts the shield at all, even for a microsecond, then the entire ship could be in jeopardy," Rush hissed at Telford. He abandoned his console to go to Belle's where he could watch the relay with her. "Sergeant Riley, this is inadvisable. Get out of there … now!"
Riley ignored their advice and relit his torch, determined to seal off the leak. The ship rocked violently beneath their feet as a spark hit the spray of coolant and the gas ignited, sending Riley flying across the corridor and crashing into the opposite wall.
Belle covered her mouth with her hand, her lips parted in a silent scream before she grabbed her radio and called for TJ and Scott, sending them off to see about the fallen man.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush held Belle tightly against his chest, his fingers stroking the back of her neck as they waited outside the infirmary for news. Her silent tears soaked the front of his shirt, but her heartbreaking sobs had quieted quite a while ago. Brody sat on the floor, leaning back against the bulkhead and chewing anxiously on his thumbnail. He felt responsible for not being able to stop the younger man from his foolhardy mission.
The door whooshed open, and TJ emerged from the infirmary, her face grim and drawn with fatigue and worry. "It's, um, it's going to be touch and go," she informed the group.
"Is he going to make it?" Belle asked, pulling away from Rush and glancing over TJ's shoulder into the room where she could see Riley lying still and lifeless on the gurney, an IV hooked to his arm and a swath of bandages wrapped carefully about his head.
"I don't know," the medic answered truthfully. "I'll let you know something as soon as I can run more tests. For now, he's stable."
Belle nodded and let Rush lead her away from the infirmary as Brody went to sit beside Riley's bedside. She had to bite back more tears and fight to restore calm, thinking if Telford hadn't come aboard, her friend wouldn't be fighting for his life. One more reason for her to hate the colonel.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush glanced anxiously at Belle as she sat beside him in a secluded corner of the mess, idly swirling her spoon around in her metal bowl. "Try to eat, Belle," he encouraged her quietly, forcing himself to choke down his own food.
"I'm not hungry," she murmured, pushing the bowl away and staring down at her hands. Instead, she pulled a grape Jolly Rancher from her pocket and popped it into her mouth, toying with the thin cellophane wrapper. "That idiot is going to drain all our power and proceed with the test. He's already caused one accident," she ground out bitterly. "He's going to end up killing us all if he insists on this madness."
"It's not over yet," he snarked with a sly grin.
Belle tensed as Telford entered the mess and made his way over to their table, sitting opposite them without even a by-your-leave. "Colonel," Rush acknowledged as he lifted his spoon to his mouth.
"We're proceeding with the test next time we drop out of FTL," he announced without preamble.
"Colonel, Riley nearly died. Wasn't that enough to show you -" Belle hissed.
"You and Rush are the ones who put him in jeopardy," Telford cut her off.
"We were trying to make sure you didn't kill us all!" she countered.
"I'm not going to, Miss French. I'm going to get you all home."
Rush could feel her muscles tightening as her thigh pressed against his and he knew it wouldn't take much more to set her off into actions they'd all regret. "Enough," he cut in, casting her a warning look before leveling Telford with a pointed glare. "I accept responsibility for what happened, but you forced the situation, and activating the weapons system the way you're proposing is completely reckless.
"Come on, Rush. These people are in danger just being here, evidenced by what just happened. The ship is falling apart. They're the wrong people for this. We need to get them home," Telford tried to reason with the scientist.
"Yeah, well, there's a right way of doing that."
"We are doing it the right way."
"That's a matter of opinion," Belle mumbled under her breath as her cerulean eyes narrowed on the man.
"Look, I know that we've had our differences in the past ..." the colonel said, ignoring Belle's cattiness.
"Yeah. You wanted me off the expedition team. I remember," Rush murmured bitterly, his brogue thickening as his frustration grew.
"It was my duty to express concern for how everyone else felt about you."
"It was your duty to be a controlling prick," Belle spat, her voice dripping with venom.
"So, are you suggesting that my judgment is now somehow clouded? Or is it that I'm just plain lying?" Rush interjected before the colonel could reprimand Belle. He didn't need her locked up with Greer for the duration of Telford's command.
Telford huffed a short mirthless laugh, leaning his elbows on the table. "Admit it, Rush. After everything that's happened, you're afraid they're not going to let you come back."
Belle was on her feet in a second, Rush bounding up beside her to pull her away from the table before she could let loose her acerbic tongue. He pulled her from the room, his arm around her waist to make sure she didn't turn to expound on what a worthless cretin Telford had shown himself to be.
X*X*X*X*X
Rush didn't release her until they gained the observation deck. She stumbled slightly as the ship dropped out of FTL. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled, backing her into the railing before the window. "You have got to stop openly baiting Telford, Belle."
"How can I not when he's openly trying to kill us all?!" she yelled back at him. "He's trying to derail all the good we've done since we came aboard and then …" she paused, her eyes flashing blue fire, "… then he's done nothing but belittle and insult you since he took command. The man has no clue as to what is going on up here and has no right to make you look like a subversive out for yourself!"
Rush gripped her upper arm and pulled her into him. "And I won't have that man lock you away from me because you can't keep your fucking mouth shut! I know you can't stand him, but we are going to have to tread carefully without the theatrics!"
Belle wrapped her free arm around his neck and pulled his head down, her lips crashing into his, diverting his passion from anger into something much more pleasant. He was afraid … afraid to have her removed from his side. She was quite experienced with what fear could do to a man and she drew on that knowledge to soothe him. Her hormones had been driving her all day. It was time to use her head.
He didn't respond at first, flummoxed by her abrupt change, but as her hot little tongue pushed into his mouth, the tension eased from his body as it stirred to life beneath her touch. She melted into him, and he released her arm to wrap his own about her waist and press her flush against his body, caging her between him and the railing at her back. Her hands tightened in his hair as he took command of the kiss, the stinging in his scalp only adding to his pleasure and he had to force himself to rein in his passion.
"I'm not going anywhere, Nicholas," she purred against the corner of his mouth as they came up for air. She pressed her brow to his and stroked her fingertips over his stubbled jaw. "I promise."
"You're the only person I can trust, Belle. Everyone else on this ship believes me to be some self-serving bastard," he admitted ruefully. "I couldn't stand to see him lock you up as he did Greer."
Belle tucked her head beneath his chin and locked her arms around his waist. "He won't. I'll try not to lose my temper again, but what are we going to do about him? We need to get Young back up here where he belongs."
"Indeed." He rested his chin atop her crown as Destiny's guns began firing. He was silent as he watched the guns dispel their charges, cringing at the thought of the power being wasted. Slowly, a smile curved up the corners of his mouth. "I think I have an idea."
X*X*X*X*X
"Wait! Are you serious?" Belle gasped, following Rush as he entered the gate room and took up his position behind the primary console. "You're actually going to take someone else into your confidence?"
He held up his thumb and forefinger a half an inch apart. "Maybe just a wee bit," he said, his nose crinkling as he smirked at her. "Trust me."
"I do," she insisted, taking her place at his side. "But does Brody?"
"He trusts that I won't let Telford kill us all," he said simply. "You look rather suspicious without your rucksack, love. Shouldn't you have fetched it?"
Belle smiled, warmth spreading through her chest at the endearment. "No, I think not. That thing is heavy and I'm not carting it around unnecessarily." The entire crew was gathering in the gate room, carrying the meager possessions they'd brought with them from Icarus. The marines marshaled them into positions away from the stargate so they could wait patiently for Destiny to begin its descent into the star.
Rush didn't answer as he eyed Telford. The colonel took his place at the secondary console with Brody and the two scientists, Williams and McCormack. "Just relax, Belle, and do not let your emotions come to the fore."
Belle schooled her features into a mask of indifference and promised to make him pay for that little remark later.
"Diverting power flow to the stargate. We're ready to attempt dialing," Williams announced, pleased with the readings he was getting on his screen.
"Do it," Telford authorized, a smug smile on his face as he turned to watch the gate, leaving Dr Williams to activate the controls. The gate lit up and began to spin as the first chevron locked into place.
Belle pressed a bit closer to Rush as the second chevron locked in place. No matter his reassurances that everything would be fine, she still found herself trembling in anticipation of something going wrong. She dug a Jolly Rancher out of her pocket, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth as she concentrated on the readings scrolling on the console, focusing her attention away from her fear.
Everyone stood waiting in nervous trepidation as the next chevron locked in place. As the fourth moved into position and locked with a clang, the ship shuddered, sparks and white lines of electricity crackling about the whirling gate. Belle turned her anxious gaze on Rush, but he was busily watching Telford and the two scientists.
Scott began yelling at the crew for them to get back and keep their distance from the sparking gate. "Step back! Everyone back up!"
Telford walked back to the console Dr Williams was manning as Brody announced, "You're going to overload the capacitors. The limitations are not holding."
Williams rapidly entered several commands. "I'm bringing power flow down now."
Despite the electricity arcing around the gate, it stopped and locked in the fifth chevron before spinning on. The crew shifted nervously, trying to move further away from the sparking gate.
Rush leaned heavily on the primary console and glared at Telford. "This system wasn't meant to handle this much power, Colonel," he stated firmly, daring the man to contradict him.
The metal floor of the gate room shook violently beneath their feet. "The shields are fluctuating. They're not going to hold." Belle tried to divert more power to the shields. "I'm locked out, Rush! Do something. Make them stop," she cried, her panic very real.
Telford held up his hands. "Everyone, stay calm! We've got this under control."
Dr Williams gave Telford a pointed look. "Colonel, we need to abort."
Telford clenched his jaw as he stared at the gate in frustration. "Shut it down!" he ordered angrily.
Williams typed in the commands to shut down the program, glancing up worriedly when the gate continued to spin, approaching the sixth chevron. "It's not working!"
Telford stormed over to his side and stared at him incredulously. "I thought you said you could stop it at any time during the sequence!"
"It should have worked, but it won't shut down! There's nothing I can do to stop it!" the scientist hissed frantically, fear causing sweat to bead at his temples and upper lip.
Rush's gaze was unwavering as Telford turned to glare at him, the colonel certain that Rush could have done something to save the experiment. He closed his eyes briefly, his mind whirling as he thought of what action he should take. With a nod to the two scientists who had accompanied him to Destiny, he turned on his heel and left the gate room, McCormack and Williams falling hurriedly into step behind him.
Scott ran to the doorway. "Where the hell are you going, Colonel?"
Rush fought to keep the smirk off his face as he nodded almost imperceptively at Brody. The engineer picked up a radio from the console and left the room, following after Telford and the scientists.
Scott whirled around to face Rush. "Do something!"
Rush calmly lifted his radio from his belt and waited, his free hand reaching out for Belle's in an effort to reassure her. She was pale and her eyes were dark with a fear she was trying very hard not to show.
It was a tense minute or so before Brody's voice filtered over the radio. "They're gone," he confirmed.
"Thank you," Rush said, clipping the radio back to his belt. Belle exhaled noisily in relief. If Telford and his flunkies were gone, that could only mean Colonel Young, Eli and Chloe had returned to their bodies. He pressed a button on the console and the gate went cold, slowing to a stop, the electricity dissipating as silence reigned in the room.
The lights came back on in the room now that the gate was no longer sucking energy from their power reserves as Rush emerged from behind his console to address the crew. "If I can have everyone's attention please." He waited for the crew to press in closer, so he didn't have to shout. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that, uh, we will not be going home. Not yet anyway, but you can all relax and return to your quarters. The ship will not be exploding …" he said with a small smile. "… at least not today."
Belle snorted. Rush was relishing the attention and all she could do was shake her head.
"Normal power levels will be restored soon, right?" Scott asked, needing confirmation.
Rush nodded. "Yes." He looked around at the crowd and offered up a quirky smile. "Thank you."
The crew murmured warily amongst themselves as they began to break up and leave the gate room. Camille, TJ and Greer - who had been released when Telford thought his experiment would be a success - crowded around Rush before he could make an exit. Camille was seething, her anger palpable in the cavernous room.
"You staged the whole thing," she practically snarled.
"So, all of this was just to get rid of Telford?" TJ asked, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting a suspicious glance in Belle's direction though her words were for Rush. Belle met her gaze steadily and shrugged apologetically. "And, of course, you weren't alone."
"Had to be done," Rush said quietly, nonplussed.
Greer arched one dark brow. "So, you're saying that the ship is not gonna explode?"
"Oh, no, we would most definitely all be dead had I not put certain limits in place. I also arranged for the alarms and warnings to go off regardless - a bit of theatre. Always nice," Rush said, his mouth turning up in a half moon grin that Belle was hard pressed not to chuckle at. He was met with several furious glares. "Their plan was never going to work," he insisted.
"You could've warned us. You scared the crap out of everybody," Scott growled acidly.
Belle abandoned the console and moved to his side, taking the hand he held out to her. "Well, I didn't know who was on my side, did I? Or rather, who else was on my side," Rush murmured the last, meeting her gaze, his sable eyes sparkling with warmth. Without another word, he and Belle left the gate room hand in hand, leaving the others staring after them speechless.
X*X*X*X*X
Belle dropped her spoon into her empty bowl and smiled at Rush. "Well, I can't say that was fun," she grumbled, knowing he would know that she was referring to the gate room incident and not their unappetizing dinner.
"Oh, I don't know, my Belle. I had fun making Telford look like a fool," he huffed out a small laugh, his nose crinkling as he grinned at her. "I told you there was nothing to worry about."
She glanced around the deserted mess hall and then leaned into him, brushing her lips to his. "So, who was worried?"
He snorted.
"I wasn't worried … I was bloody well terrified!" she whisper-shouted, smacking her hand lightly against his chest. "You didn't say anything about the sparking electricity around the gate. I was afraid it was going to catch fire."
Rush reeled her in for another kiss, this one deeper and fraught with a wealth of emotion. When they parted, he smoothed a lock of hair which had escaped her ponytail, behind her ear, his eyes meeting hers in a meaningful look she'd rarely seen when he wasn't speaking about his work. "I would never deliberately put you in danger, mo ghrá."
"Oh damn," came a familiar voice from the doorway. "Sorry!"
Belle giggled. "No, Eli, come and join us!" she called, waving him over.
A blush rode high in his cheeks as he moved to sit opposite them. "So," the boy began, looking anywhere else to avoid looking at Rush. He really was getting tired of walking in on the two of them. "How come you guys didn't stick around for Colonel Young's speech?"
"And listen to him expound about how we all need to work hard and stick together?" Rush asked, rolling his eyes as he lifted his cup. "Cheers."
"Don't worry. I have a Kino in there recording it for posterity. I'm going to add it to the documentary, so I'll watch it later while I'm editing," he said. "But I was wondering about something, and Greer told me you were the one I should ask, Belle."
"Sure," she agreed with a bright smile, happy to have Eli back with them.
"What am I wearing?"
Rush pulled her up from the table before she could answer. "Why don't we save that for tomorrow, shall we? Belle will fill you in first thing in the morning. It's been a long day."
"I promise, Eli," she called over her shoulder. "Nicholas!" she scolded when he'd pulled her out into the corridor. "That was rude!"
"No, it wasn't. Actually, it was quite reasonable coming from me," he snarked playfully. "If I had let you tell him where you'd gotten that jumpsuit, the two of you would have run off to C deck and spent the rest of the evening exploring those crates."
"And you have other plans, I take it?" she asked, biting down on her lower lip as she peeked up at him from beneath her lashes.
His eyes darkened as they turned down the corridor which led to their quarters. "What do you think?"
A/N: Ooooh, can you tell I just cannot stand Telford or Camille? Big surprise, huh? Also, here's a question I will now put forth to my readers … when reading or writing a chapter, how long is TOO long? Inquiring minds and all that. Love and hugs, my darlings. Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend.
"Críost trócaireach, mo chroí!" is Irish Gaelic for "Merciful, Christ, my heart!" just in case you were wondering. Also, my beta and I got into this long drawn-out discussion as to what would happen with no supply line and no way for all those women on board to have access to feminine products … or FFS, Midol? Come on, people! Can you seriously say you haven't thought the same thing? So, this is my way of filling in the blanks for her.
