SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and Showtime. Adriana, Carly, and the Tanner sisters are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due. Mindy belongs to herself and my neighbors, though she still thinks my family and I belong to her.
SPOILERS: For Mag7, primarily both parts of Wagon Train, my previous stories, especially More than Friends, but also A Light in the Distance, Under the Sun, Days of Yearning, and Sun, Fun, and Ezra on the Run, also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: The usual, violence and language. Some h/c and possibly even a little smarm later on, but I'll be trying to get the smarm limited.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, she had once heard Vin say. And it seemed to apply to her right now. How could she have been so stupid? If Danny hadn't been suspicious before, he sure as hell was now. The trouble was, the possibility that her father had killed her mother had crossed her mind more than once in the last twenty years. But he had been miles away when it happened, he couldn't have done something so terrible.
Couldn't he, a voice inside her head mocked Adriana, he molested his little girl from the time she was eight. Isn't he capable of murdering that little girl's mother? But it didn't make any sense! Why would her father have killed her mother, what motivation, what could he have gained from such a terrible, brutal act? Unlimited access to you, maybe, that internal voice mocked once more, before Mother died, he never went into your room. Never ...
STOP! Adriana closed her eyes, collapsing against the wall of the elevator. She couldn't handle this right now. The confrontation with Will had taken more out of her than she had realized. What was happening to her? Why had she become so angry when Will attacked Vin like that? Hell, it wasn't anything new. He had done that ... and worse ... during the years in Texas. And then she had snapped at Danny, for no good reason.
The anger was finally coming to the surface. That was a lot of the trouble right there. She had put a cap on her rage for nearly twenty years. Her anger with her mother, with her father, with herself ... with Bucklin, and yes, with Chris. Even some of her anger with Vin. She hadn't wanted to admit to being angry with Chris and Vin, but it was there, nonetheless. Vin beat himself up enough for having to disappear, he didn't need to add to his guilt.
And like Buck, Chris already felt guilty for failing to protect her from her father.
She knew that. But the rage remained. The trouble was, as it had been explained it to her, she had kept a cap on her rage for all these years. It was a bit like a volcano. It could lay dormant for years, with pressure building up inside during that time. A cap would form over the top of the cone, causing the pressure inside to intensify. Until the pressure was too great, and the volcano finally erupted.
Funny. She had heard people say Chris was a volcano, but it had never occurred to her that she was much the same way. It made sense. They just had different triggers ... different things which would finally set them off. They both had their ways of blowing off steam, to release some of the pressure ... but Adriana honestly didn't know what would finally set her off. She had never been in that situation.
An uneasy sense told her that she would find out during this expedition, and Adriana wanted to reject that. She had to keep a cool head, had to be strong for the others. She couldn't risk their lives, or her own, by doing something stupid. However, Adriana was practical enough, and self-aware enough, to realize that by denying that part of herself, she would end up doing something very stupid indeed. Her best chance lay in acknowledging it.
Which means, she thought, that I have to find out when the briefing is, and what the situation is. I need to talk to Miss Nettie. She wished again that Carly had made it ... she had been so excited to find out that Carly was arriving at the SGC. Adriana was fairly certain that Carly didn't know the whole story yet, but that didn't matter. She had missed Carly, and she was looking forward to eventually seeing her friend again.
She had thought about talking to Mary, until she had found out that her friend knew Dr. Whitman. She would want to spend time with him. Catching up, as Adriana planned to do with Charlotte. And Will, if his head wasn't still up and locked. Once more, it occurred to her that Vin was right, that something was very wrong there. But she just couldn't imagine what it was. Goddess, this was making her head hurt!
Before she had left the base, she had told General Travis her plans. He had approved her request to leave, since the things she needed were at home. Home. She had to figure out what she was doing about Mindy while she was away. Her puppy had missed her ... and had spent every night, sleeping in Adriana's bed since she had gotten back from vacation. Too bad I can't take her with me, she thought, but I kinda think that's against regulations.
Maybe Nettie wouldn't mind taking her until I got back, Adriana mused as she showed her badge and authorization to the guard, she said something about that last time, but I had already lined up someone to dog-sit. And Mindy certainly seems to like her and Casey both. She headed to her car, still planning what she would do, even as she kept herself alert for any possible attacks. She was at Cheyenne Mountain, but her early years had taught her to be wary.
She didn't dare allow herself to think about the other part of her argument with Daniel. The argument about Vin. And her feelings for him. The trouble was, there was a part of her which acknowledged that those feelings had deepened and strengthened during the last few years.
Especially, she admitted silently, during our vacation last week. It had been so good to see him that relaxed. That happy. And maybe it was Mary wearing off on her. That was entirely possible, because now that Mary and Chris were starting to get together, Mary wanted everyone to be as happy as she was. Adriana wondered fleetingly if Chris would get jealous of the time Mary would probably spend with Gerard Whitman, then decided while he probably would, it was none of her business.
She checked around her car as a precaution, then the backseats as she got in. She was being paranoid, and she knew it. But even as her emotions were starting to head out of control, she was taking back control the only way she knew how. She couldn't do anything about Vin. Or Will and Charlotte, and Mary seemed to have things well in hand with Chris. Which left just this. She would get through this, even if it was just muddling through. She would manage.
At the same time Adriana was heading to her home, a woman in her forties was slowly approaching the house which her elder sister called home. She hadn't gone home, after the ugly confrontation earlier that week. Her husband knew she had decided to stay, although he didn't know why. For that matter, she didn't know, either. She had lived with herself, with her secrets and regrets for more than twenty years. She could keep her secrets, could take them to the grave. If her sister would have let her. That, however, wasn't about to happen.
"It's about time you got here," Josephine Tanner growled, throwing open the door to admit her youngest sister. Jessica Tucker slipped inside, looking around the house. Funny. This was the second time she had been here in less than two weeks. She had seen more of her older sister in the last two weeks than she had in the last twenty years. Josie continued, stalking to the rocker where her things sat, "You're late. Carly called me this morning, she'll be picking up her car today. And it's time she knew everything."
Her sister's attitude grated on Jessica's already stretched nerves. She fired back, "That's not your decision to make, Josie!" Her sister glared at her, swinging her backpack into place, then scooped up her pocketbook. Josie stalked past her, making it clear to Jessica that regardless of what she wanted, Josie would leave, and tell Carly everything. No doubt, Josie would do her damnedest to make Jessica look bad in Carly's eyes.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that hard for her to do. Jessica's relationship with the girl had gone seriously downhill, ever since Carly had discovered that she had a twin brother. Worse, she had found it necessary to keep that secret from her newly discovered sibling. For that, Carly had been unable to forgive Jessica, even after eight years.
"Like hell it isn't my decision," Josie said, drawing Jessica's attention back to her enraged sister. Josie stood at the door, trembling with barely controlled fury, and continued, "You've had twenty-seven years to tell her the truth. Twenty-seven! She has a right to know, Jessica. They both do. Now, if I have to do this by myself, I will. But by God, I will not let you send that girl off to her reunion with her brother without all the facts! Carly agrees with me, it's time, and past time, for Vin to know the truth. That girl is more of a woman than you could ever hope to be!"
The door slammed behind Josie. Jessica watched her sister go, feeling the truth stab deep into her soul. Without realizing she was doing it, Jessica followed her. For twenty-seven years, she had kept this secret. She had stayed away from Texas, where everything had begun. No. No, that wasn't true. Everything had begun in Indiana, twenty-eight years ago. And yet, because of everything that had happened here, she had grown to hate Texas. Texas had taken her two sisters and her daughter from her.
She closed the door behind her quietly, taking one last look around the room where she had broken her daughter's heart, yet again. That was the trouble with the truth. It broke hearts. Lies ... no, she hadn't lied. She had just bent the truth a little. She was a Tanner, and Tanners didn't lie. A dark voice inside her soul, Tanners don't lie. They don't abandon their families. You've done both, and lost Carly because of it. Just like you lost your mother, just like you lost Julia, Josie, and Vin.
She ignored the voice ... she hadn't abandoned anyone. Her mother had needed her. Vin would be fine until she got there. They knew she was coming. It wasn't her fault they had sent him away before she got there. Jessica opened the car door and slipped inside, taking the passenger seat beside her sister. Josie pretended not to notice. Then again, she wouldn't. Josie had always been the strong one. She and Julia both had strength which Jessica lacked.
It made Jessica wonder ... where did Carly get that strength? From her grandparents? God knew, Paris and Clarice Tanner had been two of the strongest people whom Jessica had ever known. Or maybe from her stepfather? No, Carly's strength had shown itself even before Jessica's marriage when Carly was twelve. And Josie had been sickened by the very sight of her younger sister, so Carly hadn't met her aunt until she was eighteen years old
"How did you know? About this new project of Carly's?" Jessica asked as the two sisters set out for their destination. Josie spared her a disgusted look and didn't answer. Jessica continued, "It's classified, I figured out that much from what little Carly said. That's what confuses me ... you were just a sergeant when you got out, you couldn't have security clearance that high." This time, the look was downright contemptuous.
"Shows just how little you know, little sister. What do you think I do for a living? Sit on my ass and polish my nails? I've been working with Senator Standish. She knows as well as I do just what men will let slip with a woman around. She told me about the project which both Carly and Vin are involved with. And I already knew General Travis. It wasn't that hard to get the information I needed. Senator Standish will meet us at the compound, and get the two of us in," Josie replied. She added, "Carly can get in with her own credentials."
Jessica cringed at the mention of Maude Standish. She had met the other woman on more than one occasion, and said, "That woman uses people and throws them away. What makes you think she won't do the same to you, Josephine?" She received another disgusted look from her elder sister. Josie was only two years older than she was, but you would have thought she was twenty years older, by the way she acted.
"What makes you think I'm not using her? Grow up, Jessica. Maude and I know what we're doing. We know we're using each other to get what we want. I'm getting information about my nephew, and she's getting a favor for the future. Maude's not a stupid woman, she knows I have connections and contacts that she doesn't," Josie fired back. She paused, then added bitterly, "Besides, Maude doesn't have the corner on abandoning people."
"That's not fair! I was twenty-one years old, barely making ends meet, and I thought Mama was dying!" Jessica exclaimed. Her sister would never forgive her for what she saw as Jessica's abandonment of Vin. She refused to see that Jessica had no choice. She could barely take care of Carly, much less Vin. And with their mother as ill as she was, she couldn't leave right then. It was the fault of the neighbors, for not being patient, for giving Vin away.
"You were making more money in a week than I was in a month! When are you gonna grow up, Jessica, and stop whining? You gave Julia your word that you would take care of Vin, and you broke that promise! And stop hiding behind Mama's illness. When you allowed her grandson slip through the cracks, and used her as an excuse, you broke her heart, Jessica! There are times when I wish I had said to hell with it, and taken Vin myself!" Josie hissed.
"Well, why didn't you? Miss High and Mighty, think you're so much better than everyone else! Why didn't you take Vin when Julia told you that she was dying?" Jessica snarled at her sister. She was sick of this, sick of Josie's attitude. Sick of the guilt which had been gnawing at her gut for the last twenty-two years, ever since her eldest sister's death. She hadn't caused Julia's death, and she hadn't abandoned Vin.
"I didn't take him because I was afraid he would get killed. It was the fucking 1970s in Southeast Asia, Jessica Persis! It was dangerous for a twenty-something woman, and it was even more dangerous for a little boy! Even if he wasn't killed, I wasn't willing to leave him alone, again, by dying!" Josie rasped out. Jessica flinched back against the car door. She knew that. She had criticized her elder sister for being selfish in the past, but her mother had reprimanded her, telling her that Josie was doing the right thing.
"All right, so you were off playing the noble hero. I was raising Carly. What made either of you think I could take care of another child?" Jessica asked. The look her sister gave her could have peeled paint. If Jessica didn't know better, she would have sworn that Josie had given birth to Carly. Physically, they looked nothing alike, but Jessica recognized the look on her sister's face. Carly had given her that Look more than once. And from what she had heard, Vin could have given her that Look as well. It stood to reason. He was, after all, Carly's twin brother. They had spent nine months together before birth. But Jessica had never been anything like either of her sisters. She wouldn't know about that.
Josie stopped the car and pulled off to the side. She rested her head against the steering wheel for several moments, before raising her eyes to meet Jessica's. She said in a low, cold voice, "You know, I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that. In fact, from this point on, I'm gonna ignore every word that comes out of your mouth, 'cause I'm pretty sure you can't do anything besides whine, 'it's not my fault, I'm not like you.' I've got better things to do with my time."
Jessica turned her face to the window. Would she never stop being the little sister? God, she was forty-three years old, but Josie was still treating her like she was sixteen! She was married, had raised Carly. What more did Josie want from her? She would find out, because it seemed that her sister wasn't finished with her after all. And as she always did when she was truly angry, Josie hit where she knew it would hurt most.
The middle Tanner sister said in a low voice, "You didn't raise Carly. That was Mom and Dad. The only good thing you did, the only accomplishment you have, is that you gave birth to two wonderful children. So, I would suggest you shut up and think about how you plan to tell Carly the whole truth. Including the fact that she and Kevin aren't your niece and your nephew, but your daughter and your son."
General Hammond was in a meeting at the moment, and couldn't be disturbed. That really didn't surprise Vin, but he had hoped to talk to the general. Another time. He had work to do yet. The guide ambled back to his room, nodding to the unfamiliar man who passed him in the hall. He looked to be about the same age as Josiah. Not particularly tall, but a mite on the round side. He had graying dark hair and a matching mustache.
He was aware of someone's eyes on him, and Vin glanced around warily. Still, the tackle from the back and side took him by surprise. His head connected with the wall, then he was spun around and a fist connected with his midsection, doubling him over. He fought back wildly, swinging with his arms and kicking out with his legs. A second punch left him unable to do anything other than stay upright. His arms were pinned to the wall, effectively restraining him. A voice hissed, "I'm not telling you again, Tanner. Stay away from my wife." Richmond!
Vin struggled to breathe around the pain, and the shock, and the fury. He wasn't just furious with Richmond for the attack, but also with himself for not seeing this coming. He had thought Richmond was in the quarters he would be sharing with Charlotte. It seemed he was wrong. Pinned against the wall, Vin could now see where Richmond had been ... a dark corner along the opposite wall. Where, apparently, he had been lying in wait for Vin. Hell ... the man could have been a bounty hunter himself!
"Ya gonna threaten Drina, the way Boudreau done?" Vin hissed around the pain. Richmond paled. It was obvious that the man hadn't even considered it. Good. He would just make sure it stayed that way. Vin added, driving home his point, "I swear to ya, Richmond, ya lay one finger on her, and it ain't just me ya gotta deal with ... but I'll be the one hurtin' ya most." He made eye contact with Richmond.
"And after he's done with you, then it's my turn," a distinctly familiar voice growled. Vin found himself free, and he pressed a hand to his bruised abdomen as an infuriated Buck slammed Richmond into the opposite wall. At the same time, JD moved to Vin's side at the same time, supporting him and casting a protective glower in the direction of the struggling archaeologist. Buck continued, "Now, it ain't nothing personal. Yet. But if I ever see you lay a finger on him, or on my sister, it's gonna get real personal. I just got my little sister back, and I'll be damned if some prick who can't treat his wife right is gonna get her killed. Got it?"
"I just want him to stay away from my wife ... I got no plans to hurt Adriana, for any reason. I love her, too, you know. Even back when you were ignoring her, Major," Richmond fired back. JD shifted ever so slightly, so that his body was between the archaeologist and Vin. The guide would have protested, but at the moment, he was struggling to keep his breakfast, what little he had eaten, down. Goddamn sonofabitch!
Buck slammed Richmond into the wall a second time, and growled, "If I was you, I'd watch what I said, Richmond. There are only two reasons I haven't ripped you apart, limb by limb, for attacking a member of my team ... one of 'em is my little sister. The other is, you're not worth the time in the brig. So just remember this. You screw with Vin Tanner, you screw with all of us. You wanna go at it in fair fight, that's one thing. But you rushed him from behind, didn't even give him a chance to defend himself. And one other thing ... I'll be watching out for that pretty wife of yours, too. Maybe if you were more worried about protecting her, instead of your pride, you'd be sleeping with her, instead of on the floor."
Buck released him and stepped back to stand at Vin's side, glowering at Richmond all the while. JD added quietly, "You heard the major. Get going. And ask Dr. Conklin what happened, why he's stuck in cataloging artifacts. I don't know about your previous digs, but General Hammond won't put up with your crap. And neither will we. C'mon, Vin, we should get you to the infirmary, let Janet take a look at you."
The pair had moved Vin in the direction of the infirmary before he had a chance to protest. But not before he noticed two things ... one, Will Richmond's expression. He didn't look angry or even chagrined. Rather, he looked ... triumphant. As if Buck, Vin, and JD were doing exactly what he wanted them to do. He noticed one other thing. The man whom he had noticed earlier, before Richmond's attack, watching the entire scene with an intrigued expression.
Then Buck was talking to him, asking him if he was okay, and, "What happened? Didn't you hear him come up behind you? Never mind, forget I asked that. There was no way you could have protected yourself, not the way he attacked." Vin looked up at the big man, who added, obviously furious, "Did you see that, JD? Did you see the way he came at Vin?"
"I saw, Buck, I saw. Just like I saw Vin looking around, like he knew something was coming. Are you okay, Vin? Never mind, I didn't ask that. Let's just get you to the infirmary," JD said. Vin didn't have the energy to protest ... and his mind was spinning. He once more remembered Richmond's triumphant expression. Why? What did he want from them? And what had they given him, with that last encounter?
It seemed he wasn't the only one wondering, for JD asked slowly, "Did anyone else see Dr. Richmond's face? When we walked away? He didn't look mad, Buck. He looked ... well, like he was glad. Like we were doing something he wanted us to do." Vin nodded. So he wasn't the only one who noticed. Buck was unusually silent, and it seemed as if he was concentrating on getting Vin to the infirmary.
After a moment, however, he said softly, "I don't know what's going on, boys. But I will tell you this ... I'll be keeping a real close eye on him. JD, son, you got Vin?" JD nodded, and Buck eased his arm from Vin's waist, saying, "Good. Get him to the infirmary, I want to talk to Chris. Something's going on, and Chris should be aware of it." He put his hand around the back of Vin's neck, adding, "As for you, you just let Janet take care of you."
"Reckon that's the plan, Bucklin," Vin drawled, "and thanks. Reckon I coulda taken him, but I'm glad ya came along when ya did." He was rewarded with one of Buck's broad smiles, along with a ruffling of his hair. Vin glowered at the big major, then Buck walked away, allowing JD to complete his own task. Vin took as much of his own weight as he could, trying to alleviate the burden on JD. His head was starting to throb now as well, and he was glad he hadn't protested when Buck decided that he needed to see Janet.
"Vin? What did you mean about Adriana being hurt?" JD asked thoughtfully. Vin looked at the young cartographer, who continued, "I could tell in the cafeteria that Dr. Richmond ... the lady Dr. Richmond, I mean ... that she really likes Adriana. So why would the other Dr. Richmond threaten to hurt her?" Vin took a deep breath, then winced. Damn, that hurt. Hell, at least Will had done his own dirty work, instead of sending someone else to do it.
"Was talkin' 'bout somethin' that happened, back when Drina and me first became friends. Charlotte was still havin' marital problems at the time, and she was kinda ... well, she kinda liked me, 'cause I was nice to her. Anyhow, there was this guy on the dig, who wanted Charlotte for himself. He thought I might be competition, so he and some of his pards jumped me outside Drina's dorm, and beat the livin' shit out of me. Then, they threatened Drina," Vin explained.
JD was silent for several moment, then said, "He wants us to watch him. . and he wants us to watch out for Dr. Richmond ... his wife, I mean. Well, that was gonna happen, even if he hadn't attacked you. I gotta tell ya, Vin ... Chris is real suspicious." Vin looked at his friend, startled, and JD continued, "I don't think he trusts the lady Dr. Richmond. After you and Adriana left, Chris muttered something about her being trouble." Yeah, he had kinda gotten that impression. Chris was right to be suspicious. He was just directing that suspicion in the wrong direction.
JD continued, "But I don't think she is. I would tell Chris, but I don't think he would listen to me. I don't think he'll listen to anyone about this. Not even you, and not even Adriana." That wasn't like Chris. The blond colonel could be a hard man, sure, but he wasn't unreasonable. JD added quietly, "He's afraid you'll get hurt because of her. That's what Nathan said, at least, after Chris left to talk to Adriana. The worst part is, you've already gotten hurt, and we haven't even left the planet."
"I'm okay, JD ... I'll just let Janet make sure he didn't do no permanent damage, then we'll get back to work," Vin replied. JD nodded, but Vin could see the concern in the hazel eyes. He smiled and said, "But thanks, kid. I'm glad y'all came along when ya did." An answering smile lit JD's face as he helped Vin into the infirmary. Still, Vin was worried. If he had questions earlier, then he had even more now. What was going on?
JD left Vin in Janet Frasier's care. The pretty doctor was quietly furious when JD and Vin explained what had happened. It seemed she had already had a run-in with Dr. Will Richmond, and the senior archaeologist hadn't impressed her in the least. JD always did think Janet was a good judge of character, as well as a good doctor. JD said 'later' to his friend, then headed toward his quarters to check his equipment.
The cartographer for SG-7 was worried. He knew Chris was worried, too. Everyone had seen how Will Richmond reacted when he saw his wife touching Vin. Well, duh! She hadn't seen him in five years, she had cared about him a lot, and while Adriana hadn't told him the bit about the guy beating up Vin to get him to stay away from Charlotte, she had told him that Charlotte had been a rock for her after Vin's disappearance and before Adriana left for Germany.
So of course she was happy to see him. And she had been touching his cheek, the way Nettie sometimes touched JD's cheek. Big flippin' deal! That didn't give Dr. Richmond the right to rip into Vin the way he had! JD had watched with interest when Adriana stepped closer to Vin, like she planned to get in Richmond's face herself. That would have been funny to see, as little as she was, but JD appreciated the sentiment.
And then to find Richmond attacking Vin like that! JD's blood boiled as he thought about it, remembering the way his friend's body had sagged when Richmond punched him. He remembered what Adriana had said, about taking a number to kick Richmond's ass. He decided that he would take the number right behind hers, if Buck hadn't already taken it. And knowing Buck, that was entirely possible. His friend had never entirely forgiven himself for attacking Vin after JD's screw-up on Adriana's first mission.
According to the general ... General Travis ... the briefing would be held the morning before the mission. He wondered if Adriana knew that. Casey and Nettie had been invited to her place for dinner ... so had Vin and JD, but JD had things that had to be done. With the purchase of Casey's jacket, JD now had nothing to get her for Christmas. And, he had kind of left his quarters in a mess when they left on vacation. His mother would have chewed him out, if she could have seen what his quarters looked like right now. He knew for a fact that Chris and both generals wouldn't have been pleased, either.
He tried to focus on that, rather than on the image which were burned into his brain: Will Richmond hiding in the corners of the corridor until Vin passed ... the archaeologist attacking Vin. It wasn't that Vin couldn't take care of himself. JD knew better than that. Hell, out of all of them, Vin probably spent the least amount of time in the infirmary. He had pored over the descriptions given of plants on other planets, so they always knew what they could and couldn't eat, if their rations ran out.
That hadn't happened, as yet. General Hammond wanted them well-stocked when they were the first SG team on a planet. Until the flora and fauna on the planet could be tested, they weren't to eat anything found on the planet. JD had fretted about that, until Vin rightly pointed out that just because a plant looked like something edible on Earth, didn't make it so. And JD had learned from Vin that the best way to take care of yourself, and those around you, was to think before acting.
His first impression of Richmond was of a man who never thought before acting. . simply reacted, without thinking anything through. Not his actions, and not any possible consequences to his actions. However, the man's reactions earlier, first to Buck grabbing him and slamming him into the wall, and then when he didn't realize JD was watching him, didn't dovetail with each other, much less JD's first impression.
The cartographer continued to puzzle through this new problem as he headed for his quarters. He hoped while he was straightening up his room and locating his equipment, something would fall into place. However, as he neared his quarters, he became aware of a man falling into step at his side. JD looked up, to find the man from earlier. The newcomer gave the young man a genial smile and said with a slight Irish accent, "G'day t' ye, Corporal Dunne. I saw Dr. Richmond attack your friend. I'm Richard O'Shea ... Dickie. I'm the head of the biology team. Such a terrible thin,' the attack on your friend, and t'tally wi'out provocation."
"Yeah, it was pretty ugly," JD answered guardedly. He had noticed the man watching the confrontation between Vin and Will Richmond. He had done nothing about it ... Dickie O'Shea, was it? JD filed the name away, sure that either Buck or Chris would want to know. If he had seen the attack on Vin, why hadn't he done anything? JD had only caught the barest glimpse of his face ... he had honestly been more worried about helping Vin. But he did remember the surge of rage at the blatant interest in the biologist's face. Not fear. Greed. As if he had seen something he could use to his benefit. JD had gotten the picture, however. Big neon letters on the man's forehead saying, 'trouble' couldn't have alerted him any better to this man's desire to make things difficult for everyone.
"Ye may want t' say somethin' to your leader about Dr. Richmond and his wife. A man like that canna be trusted, and it would be far too easy for such a beautiful lady t' seek comfort in the arms of another. Yer friend was already attacked once ... I understand he has a history with the lovely Dr. Richmond. Her husband is a callous brute ... would hard t' blame the lass for seekin' comfort from an old friend," the biologist observed.
It took all of JD's self-control to keep from decking O'Shea at that moment. He remembered what Travis had said about a traitor, and wondered if O'Shea was the traitor in question. That gave him the extra restraint he needed. He willed his hand to remain at his side, and instead, replied, "I'm sure that won't be necessary, but it probably wouldn't hurt to give Colonel Larabee a heads up."
If JD could head off O'Shea, by making him think that they were suspicious of Richmond, they might have a chance of finding out what was going on. It wasn't that JD trusted Will Richmond, or even his pretty wife, but he trusted this man even less. JD wasn't good at deception. He was, in fact, a painfully honest young man. But he would do his best to keep this man from realizing that he was under suspicion.
It was a trick he had learned in the years he had been with SG-7 ... misdirection. Out of all of them, Ezra was the best at it, but he wasn't the only one who used that particular trick. JD had seen many of the others doing the same thing. Oh, they didn't call it that. Vin, when he used the same ploy, called it a smokescreen. It was something which hadn't set well with JD in the beginning. Honesty is the best policy, after all. However, it had taken him less than a year to realize that sometimes, deception was the best policy, especially when dealing with a particularly brutal enemy. And there weren't too many enemies who were more brutal than the Gou'ald. There were some ... but not many.
So yes, this time around, he would use the smokescreen, the misdirection, the sleight of hand. JD had also learned to trust his instincts during the last three years, and his instincts were yelling now for him to hold back from this man. With that in mind, the cartographer smiled again and said, "You know, the more I think about it, the better I like the idea. Mr. Tanner is our colonel's best friend, after all."
JD gave his best guileless smile, and saw an answering smile appear on the face of the other man. O'Shea inclined his head to JD, and walked off. It seemed that JD's own ploy had worked, for the young man could tell O'Shea never even suspected that JD was lying to him. He didn't look the least bit suspicious. That was good. At the very least, it bought them some time. JD watched him go ... and instead of continuing toward his quarters, did a somewhat sloppy about-face, and headed back to find Buck.
Maybe, if he hurried, he could catch up with Buck before his friend reached Chris. As he walked, JD began making plans. He had no doubt that Buck would try to keep this latest incident from Adriana, trying to protect his younger sister, but JD knew that wouldn't work. She'd find out. It would be best if she heard it from them. He also had to tell Chris. He wanted to reach his colonel before Dr. Frasier did. He trusted the doc, but this was something that involved SG-7.
And Chris should hear it from another member of the team, rather than an outsider. Janet Frasier hadn't been there, hadn't seen Will Richmond's various reactions ... hadn't seen Dickie O'Shea. JD had. The young man mentally apologized to Adriana, but talking to Chris had just gone to the top of the priority list., whether Buck had already talked to Chris or not. He would email Casey or the archaeologist later, to let her know about the attack on Vin.
Chris Larabee was not a happy man. He didn't like surprises. Unless that surprise entailed Mary ... never mind. He would not go there. But he didn't like surprises, nor did he like the sense that two people whom he trusted deeply were holding back from him. He wasn't entirely sure what Vin and Adriana were keeping from him, but he could sense something wasn't being said. It angered him ... and it scared him.
Vin never kept things from him ... well, not after finally admitting that he knew Adriana, that they had been friends in Texas. And the last time Adriana had kept anything from him ... Chris was still dealing with that revelation. It made him afraid, because whenever those two kept something from him, it was usually big, and something that had the potential to turn everything upside down. As had Vin's admission that he had been friends with Adriana, as had Adriana's revelation that she had been molested by her father until she was seventeen.
Somehow, what they were now keeping from him involved the Richmonds. He knew that Charlotte Richmond and Adriana had been friends, that Will Richmond had once regarded her as a little sister. What had Adriana said, when she and Charlotte had been reunited? Something about Chris being the reason why none of Will Richmond's glares had ever worked on her? That told Chris that the trio had been very close, once upon a time.
What worried him was Vin's involvement. It occurred to him that Charlotte was the lonely married woman who had inadvertently brought Vin and Adriana together, all those years ago. Vin had told him a little of that time. She was a lovely woman, true enough, and Chris knew quite a bit about Vin's soft heart, especially when it came to women in need. Since her husband was behaving like something of an asshole, would old habits come back ... leading Charlotte to turn to Vin for comfort?
And if she did, what effect would that have on the rest of them? Vin had never fallen in love, never really let down his guard enough to fall in love. Chris knew his friend, and suspected that when Vin fell in love, he fell hard. Chris Larabee wasn't a man who interfered in the affairs of others, married or single, but when the actions of one man endangered the others, then he made it his business.
Chris tried to tell himself that he was making something out of nothing. This was Vin, for God's sake! When had Vin ever let them down.. .when had he ever let Chris down, for that matter? Larabee sat back in his seat, staring at the computer screen. After the confrontation in the cafeteria, he had come back here, to his office to revise the mission list. General Travis had returned to speak with General Hammond about Adriana going along.
Honestly, Chris wasn't sure he liked that idea. During the last few months, ever since their return from the Magyar world, Adriana had mainly worked planet-side. It would be her first major mission, and he knew for a fact she was seeing a therapist now. He was worried about her. He was worried about the emotions which were being stirred up, the memories, and he was worried about her physical safety.
He had said as much to General Travis, adding that he wasn't entirely sure what the generals expected Adriana to do on this trip. Was she supposed to be a diplomat, a soldier? She had no specific role to play in this mission, and Chris realized that made him as uncomfortable as anything. General Travis had responded that she and Daniel Jackson would be pulling double-duty. This would be the first time in the field for the Richmonds, and they would need ... guidance. They would also be armed, so they would be both archaeologists and soldiers.
Chris still didn't like it. He didn't like Will Richmond, he had a bad feeling about Charlotte Richmond, and he really didn't like feeling like he couldn't trust Vin. He knew his friend would never set out to hurt any of them, but in a situation like this one, where there was already a traitor involved, Chris couldn't afford to doubt any of his people. Much less the man who was the source of so much of his own strength and stability.
If Buck, or any other member of his team, had said as much, Chris would have shot him for saying such a thing. But Chris was nothing if not honest with himself, and he knew that he relied heavily on Vin. And admitting that he needed anyone, that he relied on anyone but himself was asking for trouble. He had needed Sarah, had relied on her ... and she had been taken from him. But he now knew he couldn't go it alone. He had tried that. It didn't work.
Chris turned his attention back to the screen ... at least, he tried. He tried to focus on the mission, and on the reports brought back by previous teams But he kept seeing Charlotte Richmond touching Vin's cheek. Kept seeing the look in Vin's eyes when he realized she was standing right behind him. And he just couldn't shake the feeling that the woman would end up causing trouble on this mission. Maybe not because she wanted to ... he didn't know enough about her to say for sure. But even when you didn't want to cause trouble, it happened. If nothing else, Charlotte Richmond would be a catalyst for that trouble.
There had been something between them, once upon a time. Chris was willing to bet money on it, and he was no stranger to what could happen when former lovers reunited. He had only to think of Vin lying in a hospital bed after their second encounter with Ella Gaines. Chris had no idea who it would be this time ... would it be Buck? JD? Josiah, Nathan, Ezra? One of the civilians? A member of SG-1? No. Chris didn't know how he would prevent a second near-tragedy from happening, but he would find a way.
"You know, Chris, glaring at that screen won't get the mission list done ... it won't even kill the computer. Then again, I don't think that's what you want to do," a familiar voice said from the door way. In spite of himself, Chris tensed, his hand automatically going to his holster. Jack O'Neill raised his hands in the classic gesture, adding, "Easy, cowboy, I'm one of the good guys, remember?"
Chris glared at the other man, replying, "You've been hanging around Tanner too much." Jack just grinned impishly and Chris added, "Either Vin or Adriana, and after last week, it's anyone's guess. What do you want, Jack?" His question sounded curt ... even rude, even to him, and he cringed a little. Jack simply looked at him with raised eyebrows and Chris added with a sigh, "Sorry. Got a bit on my mind, shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"Oh, but if you didn't, you wouldn't be the Chris Larabee we all know and love. The Richmonds on your mind?" Jack asked. Chris looked at the other colonel, who continued, "Hey, I was in the cafeteria when things went down. And I heard about it again from Danny, who had heard about it from Adriana, who was still shaking from being so pissed off. She's left the compound, incidentally, so don't look for her to return for a while."
"Does General Travis or General Hammond know about this?" Chris asked. Jack nodded and Chris muttered, "Forget I asked that. We're talking about Miss Overachiever here, the girl who plays by the book as often as Ezra breaks each of the rules in that same book." Jack again raised his eyebrows, startled at that description of the archaeologist. Shit. What the hell was wrong with him, that he was taking things out on someone who couldn't even defend herself?
"Chris ... is there something you need to get off your chest? I mean, I'm not real happy about having to escort that prick Richmond, and the even bigger prick O'Shea. Carter characterized those two as being in a giant pissing contest, and nobody knows what's the prize for whoever has the biggest whizzer. But I don't think that's why you're acting like a bear with a sorer ass than usual," Jack observed.
Chris just looked at the other colonel, who added, "And turn those headlights down, Chris, your patented Larabee glare doesn't work on me, any better than it works on Vin or Adriana. Or Doc Frasier, for that matter." That was true enough. Not even when Chris had first arrived at the SGC, when he was still out of control, had Jack been afraid of him. That was one reason they had gotten along so well.
"It's not just Richmond ... I haven't met O'Shea yet. Vin and Adriana are holding out on me, Jack," Chris answered quietly. Jack took a seat beside the blond man, as Chris continued, "I've known Vin for three years, and he has only held out on me once. At the beginning, when he was trying to figure out if he could trust me, if he could tell me that he had known Adriana. And in the years I've known Adriana, the only time she's ever kept something from me was ... "
"When she was keeping the same secret from Buck," Jack observed and Chris nodded. He knew it wasn't necessary to say the words aloud. All of them, in fact, avoided discussing it. Sometimes, he and Buck talked about what they would do to protect Adriana from her father.
But none of them ever directly referred to what had happened, to their failure to protect that innocent child, years earlier. Because it was a failure on their part. Jack said quietly, "You know, Chris, it sounds like you're saying you don't trust Vin and Adriana. Did it ever occur to you that the reason they haven't told you something, is because they aren't sure it's true? And unless they have solid proof, they don't want to tell you?"
Yeah, that had occurred to Chris. But he had always listened to Vin's instincts. What was different this time? But Jack wasn't finished. He continued, still in that quiet voice, "It also sounds that you're afraid Vin doesn't trust you. Maybe he's right not to. You're judging him, and Charlotte Richmond, because of something that happened years ago. You're assuming that Vin won't be able to do his job properly. Why should he trust you, if you aren't willing to give him the benefit of the doubt?"
"Because this isn't just about me and him. There are a lot of lives at risk here, Jack, you should know that better than anyone else! I have to know he's gonna be there when I need him," Chris fired back. The trouble was, of course, Jack was right. Underlying everything was Larabee's fear that his best friend, the man who had become like his little brother, didn't trust him. Jack rubbed his eyes and rose to his feet, heading for the door as Chris watched.
He didn't speak until he reached the door, saying, "You're right, Chris. You do need to know that he'll be there. But ask yourself. He knows that Adriana will be with us. You know he would cut off his hand, hell, cut his eyes out, before he allowed any harm to come to her. Or Captain Travis and her boy. Maybe, if you can't trust him to watch your back, you should trust him to take care of them. Whether you realize it or not, you and Adriana are the two main constants in his life."
Jack quietly left the room, leaving Chris to wonder what the hell that meant. Jack was another commander, why didn't he understand just how dangerous this mission was? They had to worry about the Gou'ald, about a traitor, and about a possible old attraction flaring up between Vin and the wife of the lead archaeologist. And then he wondered why he was so uneasy about the confrontation he had witnessed earlier, and what it could lead to.