A/N: I do not own SGU, and this drivel of my own over-active imagination. Please enjoy!

Chloe Armstrong stared at the FTL light that filtered in through the single window of her cell, her mind focused on the latest equations that Dr. Rush had provided her with. She had been happy that when the blue aliens had fixed whatever they had done to her that her knowledge of advanced mathematics had stuck around and not even the three years of being frozen had dulled her ability to calculate the jumps in her head. At the moment however she was deeply depressed that she was back under lock and key, guarded in a room away from the crew; this time for nothing more than punching Matt in the face for his rude comments on the time she had been spending with the science team.

She hadn't meant to punch him, she kept telling herself, but deep down she had enjoyed the moment immensely, especially seeing the shock across her lover's face that she would hit him. His insinuations had become blunter as time had gone on, and Chloe was finding herself quickly growing tired of his insecurity of her time spent with one pragmatic doctor. She rolled over on the bed, away from the window, her mind still lost in equations as the door opened. Her lunch for the day was being delivered by TJ today. The medic most likely had come to give her updates. Punching one of the crew, especially a military officer in the mess, could not go unpunished. TJ smiled at her as she set the tray down next to the bed, taking a seat on the chest nearby.

"Young has made an announcement that you are to be released at the end of the week." Tamara told her, wringing her hands together. "Provided that you make a public apology to Scott, and then keep your temper under control from there on."

"I don't think that will be an issue, TJ, except that I am not sorry for hitting Matt for what he said." Chloe sat up, taking a piece of dried fruit off the metal tray and popping it in her mouth.

"Regardless, make it sound convincing. You know you're being made an example of so that everyone else doesn't start randomly starting fights in the mess hall, right?" TJ pinched the bridge of her nose as they spoke, the whole thing causing her a massive headache here lately.

"Oh, it will sound convincing, but I think that this is the end of my relationship with Matt. His insecurities and his accusations are too much to handle any more. Coupled with the lying about his past with James, and his outright statements of me sleeping with Dr. Rush, regardless of the truth, I don't see how it will work out." Chloe hugged her knees to her chest, sighing heavily. "I'll ask Camille to get my things from his room and move them back to mine for now. I think it would be best if I don't prolong my intentions."

"Young will be disappointed, but I understand Chloe. If you can't trust the person you're with, then how can you continue to be with them?" Tamara had been wondering the same things lately, since they had all woken up at the edge of the new galaxy. Air, water, and food had been quickly procured, they were back in good shape as far as the necessities were concerned, but it was almost like everyone had woken up angry after the three years in cryo.

"Exactly." Chloe supplied, taking another bite of the dried fruit. She wasn't going to touch whatever was in the bowl on the tray, it smelled like boiled turnips, and who knew how it was going to taste; since it seemed to be something they picked up on one of the planets they had Gated down to recently. "I'll speak to the commander, if he'll come and visit me. Since I'm not allowed out yet."

"Make sure you speak to Scott before Camille. Extending the inevitable is cruel to him, as well as you." TJ nodded as she rose up off the chest and moved to the door way. "See you in a few days Chloe. We've got enough water now to have a girl's bath night. James wanted to know if you still had those bottles of nail polish from what you brought on board."

"Yeah, the pink and the red. Am I sensing it's a pedicure type of night?" Chloe smiled as TJ's face crinkled into a small laugh.

"I think so, and some of the recent plants I found on the last planet, when crushed, make a pretty decent shampoo. We were all thinking we'd get some hot water from the mess, an old crate, the nail polish and have a beauty night when you're up for it."

"I think I'd like that." Chloe smiled, still hugging her knees to her chest. "Better get back before you're accused of fraternizing with the "bad" kid." Chloe's smile went wider as TJ nodded, grinned, and then left, leaving Chloe with her lunch. TJ wasn't that bad, and James had never lied to her. It would be nice to wash her hair as well after all this time. The door hissed closed, and Chloe pulled the notebook Rush had left her close again. She was thankful he had sharpened the pencil for her before he had dropped it off, the graphite scratching along any blank portion of the paper she could use.

Maybe the next planet they Gated to would yield some fibrous plant that could be made into paper. The science team would appreciate that, especially since torn blank pages from her book and her journal had become such a precious commodity in the last few months. Paper making couldn't be that hard, could it? Mash up some plants, float them in water, and then let the fibers come to rest on a screen. Oh, a screen. That would be pretty difficult to make. Hadn't the ancient Egyptians rolled woven strands of papyrus together for paper? Chloe would have to check on someone's laptop when she was released. She was fairly certain she had heard Dr. Jackson say something to that effect in the videos she had been watching before the freeze. Maybe a girl's night, and figuring out paper would keep her occupied until the dissolution of her relationship with Matt blew over, maybe.

Matt, Chloe thought as she put the pencil down next to Dr. Rush's notepad, her fingers seeking out another slice of the dried fruit. He was willful and arrogant, but also kind and selfless – complete contradictions of themselves. And Chloe was stuck with a choice of waiting out the bad mood, or going ahead and ending the relationship. She was ready to end it – things had started to go bad before the freeze, and especially after the kind words Dr. Rush had for her after the aliens had set her right.

Dr. Rush. That man was a question wrapped inside an enigma, but he had been the one to risk everyone to make sure she hadn't come to any more harm. He had saved her in the beginning from the alien ship, when Young was going to blow it up with both of them still inside. He was ruthless, manipulative, and above all else, not to be trusted. Or so she had thought. Her time in the ice hadn't been sleep, she had dreamed the entire time. And her dreams had been of the two men that meant the most to her in the past four years. Matt…and Rush.

Chloe had thought she hated the older scientist for the cold dismissal of her father's death, of his pragmatic approach to her condition brought about by the blue aliens. As time had gone along, she had seen his reasoning in action, had witnessed the decisions behind those brown eyes, hidden behind the curtain of graying hair. Matt loved her, but he had too much red in his ledger to her, and she had too much red in her ledger to Rush. Love faded over time, or was replaced by lifelong friendship, of that Chloe was certain. Right now, she was certain she was no longer in love with Matt, but couldn't admit to herself that she was a guilty as he was for the rapidly deteriorating state of their relationship. She had tried over the past few weeks, Matt hadn't. Rush had been an ear, which ultimately had resulted in her punching of Matt, that and his disparaging comments about the older man.

Chloe sighed again, falling back prone on the bed as she contemplated the next few days alone. Alone with her thoughts and regrets of what would happen over the next few weeks, and the ultimate result of where her actions were taking her to; Dr. Nicholas Rush's bed. Strangely enough, Chloe found the thought mildly intoxicating as her eyes finally fluttered close and sleep overtook her.

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If you like music - This chapter was penned to: Waltz After Lasse in Lyby by the Danish String Quartet.