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.
They set up camp about fifteen minutes later. Vin had found a river. They would have to cross it in the morning, but for tonight, it provided the perfect place to make camp. The children had been given the task of gathering fire wood, while the adults set up camp. Actually, the way Vin had phrased it was, he was putting Billy and Katie in charge of gathering up wood. Mary had smiled at the pride in both young faces at receiving such a responsibility.
Now, if only she could figure out what was causing Chris to behave as he had for the last few days. Even Billy, who had always adored Chris, was steering clear of him. Instead, the little boy seemed to glue himself to Vin's side, and Mary couldn't decide whether her son was seeking comfort from the tracker/guide/sharpshooter ... or seeking to protect and comfort Vin. With Billy, it could go either way, and she had learned recently that her little boy had nightmares about Ella Gaines hurting Vin two years earlier.
True, Billy hadn't been in the room at the time, but he had seen the blood on Vin's shirt. And, Mary thought, it wouldn't surprise me if he heard about Will Richmond attacking Vin. Billy, while still polite, kept his distance from the senior archaeologist. Charlotte Richmond was another story ... in fact, out of all the new adults, it seemed Billy was most comfortable with Charlotte. She wasn't the only one who had noticed, either. When they had stopped for lunch, Adriana had teased Mary about Billy's crush on older women. Mary had thrown a cookie at her.
As her son and Katie set to their task, Mary turned her attention back to the adults. Charlotte Richmond was watching over the children, a wistful expression on her face. Mary watched the archaeologist for a moment, then rose to her feet and walked over to the other woman, asking, "Mind if I join you?" Charlotte looked up and smiled, indicating she should have a seat. Mary sank to the ground, sighing, "I still can't believe I'm here. I've been in the SGC for four years, and this is my first mission."
"Is it really? You must be unbelievably excited," Charlotte said, grinning broadly. Mary nodded. Oh, she was. Unbearably, unbelievably excited. She wavered between writing things down in her notebook, and simply looking around in awe. According to Adriana, the Gou'ald had deposited Germanic peoples here, adding that it was a good settlement. She had observed that the terrain and landscape reminded her very strongly of Germany.
"I am ... Billy is, too. He was a regular little wiggle-worm while we were waiting to go through the Stargate. He couldn't believe he would be going to outer space. He even asked Jack O'Neill if we would be meeting aliens like the ones in 'Independence Day.' Put Jack into something of a bind, because how do you explain the Gou'ald to an eight year old boy? It was hard enough, explaining to him about Buck and Adriana's father, much less something like this," Mary admitted with a sigh.
Charlotte nodded her understanding, observing, "It's hard enough for an adult to understand. Mind you, children are a lot smarter than what we give them credit for. I suppose we underestimate them, to make ourselves feel better." Mary nodded. It was the best reason she had heard up to this point. Charlotte smiled brightly, as if trying to distract them both from the darkness which had been looming over their conversation, and continued, "You know, speaking of adults and children ... I'm still trying to believe this is really happening. Can you imagine ... going from barely making ends meet, to getting an opportunity like this? I mean, not just having a chance to uncover secrets of our world, but the secrets of other worlds? When I heard about General Hammond's offer ... I literally couldn't catch my breath."
"I can understand that. I joined the SGC not long after my husband was murdered. Can you believe, I almost turned it down. I'm so glad I listened to my father-in-law. He told me that this was exactly what I needed, and he was right. I can't imagine my life without the SGC. Without the Seven. And they've been so good for Billy, all of them have," Mary admitted. She watched the two SG teams setting up the tents, and smothered a giggle as one of the tents fell in on JD ... courtesy of Buck, of course. The suppressed giggle threatened to escape her, especially as JD waved his arms around under the canvas, swearing up a blue streak.
It made Mary very glad that Billy and Katie were distracted ... she couldn't fault JD for his language this time around. Charlotte laughed outright at the picture, observing, "Those two act just like siblings, don't they?" Mary nodded, and Charlotte continued, "I hope you get to meet Carly Tucker when she gets here. Oh, the stories I could tell you about her. She was always a corker. Some of the things she would do ... of course, where Claire and Chanu were concerned, she was ... well, she could be difficult."
"So I've heard ... both Vin and Adriana have told me about that. Still, my first clue came when someone mentioned her name to Chanu, and he responded with some rather graphic descriptions of her. I got the distinct feeling that they didn't like each other," Mary observed. That, of course, was a massive understatement. Chanu had a habit of describing Carly with what JD always called 'unprintable words.' However, she hadn't heard that Claire wasn't one of Carly's favorite people ... not that she could recall, at least. She added, "I didn't know, though, that Carly and Claire didn't like each other."
"That's a long story. Part of the reason was, Claire forged Adriana's name and signature on a credit card application. Carly never forgave her for that, because it could have led Adriana's father straight to her. There's actually a lot more involved, but that's the heart of the matter. You'd have to talk to Vin and Adriana to get the entire story. Carly didn't have much use for Will, either. I'd hate to see what would happen now," Charlotte added with a sigh.
So did Mary. She started to answer, but Billy was returning with firewood, Katie trotting along at his side. She asked her companion, "You any good with starting fires? Campfires, I mean?" Charlotte nodded and Mary continued, "Then I'll leave this to you, because I'm miserable when it comes to starting a campfire without matches. However, I can dig a pit for the fire. Billy, honey, did you happen to see any sticks I can dig with?"
"Captain Travis, we have digging equipment in the back of our jeep ... it looks like a little garden shovel. We use it for an artifact in shallow ground, but not shallow enough to use a brush. Give me a minute, and I'll get it. Oh, you'll help me, will you, Master Travis? Well, never let it be said that I would turn away the offer of help from a gentleman," Charlotte said, smiling as Billy slipped his hand into hers.
Mary smiled, both at her son and the easy way Charlotte dealt with the boy. She glanced away from Charlotte and Billy as Vin and Daniel put up the last of the tents. That was earmarked for Gerard Whitman and his daughter. Chris had been shutting her out ... but even so, she had found it hard to pick things where they had left off with Gerard. For one thing, she just wasn't the same girl she had been when she first knew Gerard. She wasn't even the same woman who had married Stephen Travis.
And Gerard had made it clear that he was interested in resuming that long-ago romance. In another time and place, Mary might have considered it. But it was the year 2000, and Mary had a wonderful support system within the SGC. She had a job she loved. And then there was Chris. Besides, she was afraid that if she even spent three weeks with Will Richmond, much less three months, she would kill him herself!
She looked back over her shoulder at Charlotte and Billy. Mary couldn't hear the conversation between her son and the archaeologist ... but she did see the alarm that flashed across Charlotte's face. Before she knew what she was doing, Mary was on her feet, heading for the jeep ... thinking perhaps that Charlotte had found something that didn't belong there. She had. And Mary had just enough time to see Charlotte push Billy away from the jeep before there was an explosion which knocked all of the adults to the ground.
Mary's ears were ringing as she pushed herself to her hands and knees. She tried desperately to get to her feet, but almost fell again. Only a pair of strong hands kept her upright, and as she looked up, she wasn't in the least bit surprised to find Buck Wilmington holding her. Chris, Vin, and Will Richmond had run over to the now-burning jeep. Mary tried to call out to her son, but the only thing that came out was a hoarse gasp.
"Help 'em, Buck, I got Mary," Adriana said, easing her arms around Mary's waist.
Buck dashed off as Vin lifted Billy into his arms. A moment later, Buck returned, cradling a stunned, but conscious Charlotte against his broad chest. She must have dove out of the way of the explosion, and covered Billy with her own body. Mary found that her legs could hold her, and Adriana helped her stand. As Vin approached with Billy, Will Richmond snarled, "I thought I told you to stay away from my wife!"
Buck lay Charlotte down on the blanket where she and Mary had been sitting only a few minutes earlier. Mary nodded to Adriana ... she was fine, see to Charlotte. Adriana nodded in acknowledgment, then dropped to her knees beside the still-stunned woman. Mary joined Buck as Vin turned to face Will Richmond. What happened next shocked everyone ... Mary could see the shock in their faces, as Billy physically shoved Richmond away from Vin, practically snarling himself, "You leave him alone, you big meanie!"
Richmond stared at the child in shock, and Mary used that time to slip to Vin's side. She put her hand on his shoulder, lending her silent support. Billy added, "That's all you are, just a big meanie! I wish Miss Charlotte had a nicer husband, one who's as nice as she is!" Will was just staring at Billy, his mouth hanging open. Better close it, Mary thought snippily, you might start letting flies in, and that's nasty, no matter what planet you're on!
"C'mon, honey, let's go make sure Miss Charlotte's okay. Buck will help Vin, if he needs any," Mary whispered to her son, easing him from Vin's arms. The little boy hesitated, then nodded. Miss Charlotte had saved his life, and he had to make sure she was all right. He glowered at Will one last time, then Mary set him on his feet. Billy scampered over to the blanket, where Nathan was already checking over Charlotte.
Mary had one more thing to do. She touched Buck's arm and said softly, "When you catch the traitor, I want in. Don't give me that look. You know exactly what I'm talking about. And I want in. Just as Charlotte and Adriana will. Whoever has been causing these incidents just tried to take my baby from me. And it just got personal." Buck's dark blue eyes held Mary's own green eyes for a moment. Then he nodded, a faint smile appearing. Mary smiled back, then walked to the blanket to see to her son and the woman who had just saved his life.
It was out of a nightmare. Charlotte had known from the beginning that there was a traitor who was sabotaging the mission. But until this moment, it hadn't truly impacted. Not until she and young Billy Travis were almost killed. She couldn't seem to stop shaking, and didn't even realize she had started verbalizing her thoughts until she actually heard the words coming out of her mouth.
"It happened so fast ... I saw it, and knew something ugly was about to happen. I just grabbed him, threw him to the ground, then started rolling away as fast as I could. I didn't even know if that would be enough, but I couldn't think of what else I could do," Charlotte said between gasps. Adriana was sitting at her side, gently rubbing the heel of her hand across the back of Charlotte's shoulders.
"You did good, Charlotte, you did fine. You saved Billy's life. Shhhh, it's okay. Nathan, how is she, was she hurt at all?" Adriana asked, slipping her arm around Charlotte. The archaeologist leaned into her friend's embrace, still trembling. Adriana responded by drawing Charlotte against her body protectively. She was doing it again. Leaning on Adriana. But right now, right at this moment, there was no one else to lean on.
"She's more shaken than anythin' else, Drina. Miz Richmond, I need ya to let me know if ya get to feelin' poorly. Okay?" Nathan Jackson asked her. Charlotte nodded, and Nathan gently tucked a blanket around the back of her shoulders, which eased some of her shivers. Adriana wrapped the blanket around her a little more fully, then drew Charlotte's head to rest on her shoulder. Charlotte almost cried, missing Tansy terribly at that mother's gesture.
"I can watch over her tonight, Nathan," a familiar voice said softly, and Charlotte lifted her head to see Mary Travis approaching with Billy. Charlotte tried to speak, tried to make sure Billy was all right, but Mary continued, "My son is fine, thanks to you ... now let me return the favor. You can stay with us tonight, and any other night you want." Charlotte tried to speak once more, but still shook.
"Mary, was it my imagination, or was Billy telling off the prize pain there?" Adriana asked. Captain Travis just laughed, and Adriana added, "Billy, remind me to high-five you later." Billy just glowered in Will's direction, and the look on the little boy's face made Charlotte laugh. It wasn't much of a laugh, but it made her feel a little better. During the few days she had been in the SGC, she had often heard even more about the Larabee glare, and had actually seen it used.
In about twenty years, Billy would have a glare all his own. But for now, the look he had given her husband could be described as a junior Larabee glare. Charlotte said, holding her hand to the little boy, "Thank you, Billy ... I was getting very angry with my husband, but you did a much better job of telling him off than I could have." Billy squeezed her hand, sitting between her and his mother on the blanket.
"Miss Charlotte, why did you marry him? He's mean! He's not nice to anyone, not to you, not to Drina, not to Vin!" Billy asked, frowning. Charlotte happened to look at Adriana's face as Billy spoke, and saw a cold expression in her eyes. No, cold wasn't the way to describe it. Glacial ... icy ... maybe even dead? Dammit, Will, she thought in exasperation, are you trying to alienate everyone?
"Billy, honey, let Nathan look at you," Captain Travis said, distracting her son from verbalizing exactly what he thought of Charlotte's husband. Late husband, judging from the looks he was getting from several members of SG-7, if he didn't watch his step.
If he didn't straighten up and fly right, it was just a matter of which Wilmington would tear him apart. If Adriana's dog didn't do it first. An earlier confrontation between Will and Adriana had resulted in urine-soaked shoes for Will. Dog urine. It could have been much worse, Colonel O'Neill had told Will. Much worse. It had been funny, but she knew Adriana chastised the dog later. Mindy couldn't just pee on the shoes of anyone she didn't like.
And speaking of dogs, where was Mindy? Charlotte turned her head ever so slightly, until she discovered Mindy herding the Whitmans and the other scientists away from the burning jeep. Charlotte looked back at the wreckage. She tried to remember if there was anything important left in the jeep, aside from their equipment. No, they had unpacked everything else. The field journals were all right, and everything that had been in the jeep when it had exploded was replaceable. Slowly, the tremors eased, until Charlotte could focus on the explosion.
She and Billy had been rummaging in the back of the jeep, Billy chattering away about his father and about Chris Larabee. He also wanted to know if she had any stories about Vin. He had heard so many from Drina, after all. Charlotte had been having a hard time finding the shovel she had promised Captain Travis, and thrown a blanket back. She hadn't known that the unfamiliar box with a digital countdown was a bomb, but she didn't stop to think that it wasn't. Charlotte had picked up Billy, holding him close against her body, and threw them both to one side.
The ground shook under her as she and Billy rolled away. Billy, bless his sweet, brave soul, hadn't made a sound. He must have been scared. But until the jeep blew up, he didn't make a sound. A cry of fear. Charlotte had been shielding him with her own body, and she had taken the brunt of the energy released in the explosion. She wasn't sure, but she thought she might have blacked out, because the next thing she knew, Major Wilmington was scooping her into his arms, and she heard Billy talking excitedly to Vin through her ringing ears.
Which left Charlotte now wondering. What kind of explosives had been used? It was powerful enough to knock the others to the ground, from what she overheard. And yet, she and Billy had received minor injuries. Because they had been on the ground already when it went up? That could be. Charlotte didn't know enough about explosives to be sure about that. She did know, however, one thing.
As Nathan Jackson looked over Billy Travis, Charlotte looked at Mary Travis and said quietly, "When they catch whoever is doing this, I want in." The captain looked away from the examination of her son when Charlotte spoke up. A cold smile appeared on the captain's face, and she nodded. Adriana released her hold on Charlotte, allowing the older archaeologist to look at her friend. She knew without being told. Adriana was in as well.
"Now that's a combination to terrify any sane man ... the three a' you, joinin' forces against this particular traitor. Dr. Richmond, you weren't here at the time, but the last time we had a traitor in the SGC, one of the archaeologists almost beat her to death. After that, General Hammond refused to let Mary or Adriana anywhere near her ... he was afraid either of them, or both, would finish the job," Nathan observed. Mary and Adriana just exchanged a look, both women blushing, though obviously not distressed.
"She almost got Vin killed," was all Adriana would say. Really, all she had to say, because that was all the explanation Charlotte needed. Charlotte looked at her two companions, and wondered if the traitor was really stupid enough to take on the three of them. They would see. Adriana continued, "Charlotte, I'm gonna get with Daniel, and see if we can leave y'all some equipment, to replace what you lost."
"Thanks, hon," Charlotte replied as Adriana eased herself to her feet. She smiled as Adriana exchanged the promised hi-five with Billy, and turned her attention back to Mary, saying, "I think the three of us should stick together as much as possible from here on out. I know Adriana's gonna be busy, watching Vin's back ... what do you say, you and I watch her back?" Mary simply nodded, smiling faintly. And another partnership was born.
Buck Wilmington had returned to help put the fire out after taking Charlotte Richmond to safety. He was half-tempted to douse the flames by throwing Will Richmond into it, but didn't. Lord, if that idiot didn't keep his trap shut, Buck would take some drastic measures. What the hell was wrong with him, getting in Vin's face when Vin had been looking after Billy? Buck was the one carrying Charlotte to safety, not Vin. If things weren't already so outta control, Buck would have seriously considered making a play for his sister's friend.
But that was the thing. Things were already out of control, and Buck had no desire to make things worse. Chris was being an idiot, and Vin had started withdrawing from all of them, not just Chris. He, JD, Josiah, and Ezra had watched the withdrawal in concern ... it was as if Vin had thought because Chris had lost faith in him, they had, too. That wasn't true, of course. Like Vin had told Chris when they set out, whatever had happened between him and Charlotte in the past, was past. It concerned only them, no one else.
Adriana certainly didn't seem to be jealous, and a blind person would have had to miss the signs there. Buck had been accused of being clueless in the past, especially where his sister was concerned. But he had been making up for lost time during the last few months, and ol' Buck could see the signs. His baby sister was head over heels for Vin, even if she wasn't willing to admit it. The poor kid was probably scared to death.
He watched her now, leaving Mary to look after Charlotte, while Adriana went first to speak with Daniel, then headed over to check on Vin. He hadn't been hurt, but she had been sticking close to him ever since this nightmare began. Buck was curious. Mary had told him that she wanted in when they caught the traitor. He had been surprised, but he shouldn't have been. Whether he was the target or not, her little boy had been placed in danger.
Buck could remember from his own childhood that his mother was at her most ferocious when she believed he was being threatened. She was a prostitute and Mary was a captain in the Air Force, but they were both devoted mothers. Both would move heaven and earth for their children. On the other hand, Buck still didn't think it was a good idea for either Travis to be here. Not even on a scientific expedition, because he had seen just how dangerous those 'routine' missions became. Considering how often Daniel Jackson ended up in the infirmary ...
It wasn't that Mary couldn't take care of herself. She was damn good at it, really. The thing was, these new worlds were a lot like the Old West that fascinated JD so much. They were largely untamed, a term which always made Vin roll his eyes in disgust. And they were deadly. However, this wasn't the first expedition which had taken families along. Buck knew that. And he also knew that General Travis felt that Mary and Billy would be safer with SG-7 and SG-7, than they would have been at the SGC.
Hell, Buck wasn't even comfortable with Adriana being along. It hadn't been that long since he had almost lost her for good, no more second chances. He didn't want to lose her, didn't want her in any kind of danger. He wasn't dumb enough to say so to her, of course, since she was already in the process of turning Will Richmond into a popsicle just by looking at him. And since Chris was also aggravating her, Buck didn't want to get in the middle of that.
Having JD along helped to curb Buck's tendency to overprotect his sister. He could fuss over them both, without either wanting to kill him. Much. JD said now, evidently noticing the way Buck watched his sister as she approached Vin, "How long do you think it'll take before that ice princess facade finally shatters, and she takes a swing at Richmond? Ezra's setting up a betting pool, sponsored by Colonel O'Neill."
Buck snorted and replied, "Takes a swing at him? Kid, take another look. He pulls another stunt like he did after the jeep exploded, and DeeDee taking a swing at him will be the least of his worries! He does something like that too many more times, and she's liable to kill him, no questions asked." Buck tore his eyes away from his sister and Vin, to look at the smoldering wreck. Lord, he wished one of the explosives experts had been here! Figure out what exactly had been used.
The major continued, "And you know my money's on my sister, not Richmond. How long will it take before he pushes her too far? Couldn't say for sure ... and I don't think she knows, either. I just know it'll happen. I'll try to give ya a little warning, kid, so you don't get caught in the crossfire." JD just looked at him in surprise, and Buck sighed, "Trust me, kid. I learned the hard way. You don't want to be in my sister's way when she goes on a rampage."
At JD's confused look, Buck pointed out, "Look at it this way, kid. She learned from Vin, from me, and from Chris. Now, just learning from me and Chris, that's bad enough. But she learned quite a few things about fighting from Vin." JD cringed, remembering the times when he had seen Vin in battle. Buck nodded and added, "Add to that, she's a woman. A small woman at that. She's gotta use everything she's got at her disposal."
"So, you're saying, she fights dirty," JD observed. Buck nodded. Yeah. Yeah, that was a good way of putting it. She fought dirty. JD peeked at him, asking, "D'ya think she'd kick Richmond in the balls, the way she did Chris, if he made her mad enough?" Buck tried not to laugh at the perfectly serious question? Would she? The proper question wasn't, would she, but how hard and how often?
"Lemme put it this way, kid. Mary told me before she and Billy went over to check on the lady Dr. Richmond, she wanted in when we catch the traitor. She wants in, and it's a better than even chance that both DeeDee and Charlotte Richmond will want in. Now. I ask you, kid. Would you want those three ladies pissed off at you?" Buck asked. JD inhaled sharply as he thought that through, then shook his head vehemently.
"I would not care to bet against those three," Ezra observed, sidling up to them. He had been helping Gerard Whitman to comfort little Katie. The negotiator continued, nodding his head toward Adriana, "But I think you both misjudge our dear Dr. Wilmington. Oh, I have no doubt that she fights 'dirty.' But she chooses her fights very carefully. And it is my judgment that she would not consider the worst half of the Richmond team worthy of her energy. No. When that miscreant finally pushes her too far, Adriana will use the weapons of words."
Buck looked at the negotiator, then nodded slowly. Yes. Yes, that sounded right. When you physically attacked someone she loved, within her sight, she would fight back, physically. But in a situation like this, where Richmond had done far more than hurt her, and hurt Vin, she would use words. He had learned that lesson, just as painfully, after rescuing General Travis. He had hurt his sister deeply. Even after all this time, the memory of that confrontation still stung.
Having his own words thrown back in his face, the same words he had growled at Vin for leaving JD to go back for the archaeologists. Rescuing someone who probably didn't deserve to live. He had always thought that his sister hadn't heard the confrontation in the hall. He was wrong. Oh, he was so wrong. Buck said now, "Ez's right, JD. Richmond pushes DeeDee too far, and she ain't gonna use her fists or her feet. She's gonna use words."
"Precisely," Ezra said, his green eyes narrowing, "remember, Corporal Dunne, that words wound, just as painfully and just as deeply, as fists or feet, guns or knives ... or explosions, as we witnessed just a few moments ago. When the male Dr. Richmond finally goes too far, Adriana will search her memory for that which will wound him most ... and she will use it. To use a more coarse, but equally valid, phrase ... she will go for the jugular."
JD listened in silence, his eyes flickering from Buck to Ezra and back again. The young man said in a troubled voice, "Ezra, you talk as if you've actually seen Adriana do this. When? And how? The only times I knew about, when Adriana lost her temper, was when Nathan was giving you a hard time, not long after she first got to the SGC." That was the only time he had been present ... but there were other times.
"I have never witnessed such an event, no," Ezra admitted quietly, "but you'll notice that the major does not disagree with me. You've spent the last few months observing your sister, Buck."
The major nodded, trying not to give away how apprehensive he was. Ezra was right. The trouble was, he couldn't predict what his sister would do at any given moment when she was calm ... how could he even begin to guess what she would do when she was angry? Worse yet, he had found out how Mindy reacted when there was an implied threat to her mistress ... how far would the dog go to protect Adriana? And what about Chris?
JD echoed his thoughts, saying, "So, what's gonna stop her from reaming Chris at some point? I mean, they haven't been getting along since before we left ... Mary still teases him about the time Adriana kicked him in the balls for trying to stop her from doing something. She was just a kid then ... what's she gonna do now?" Buck almost groaned. Now *that* could get ugly. And he did hate ugly!
Ezra, however, shook his head and replied, "Nothing to fear there, son. Our esteemed leader has been steering clear of Dr. Wilmington. Although, that does remind me ... what exactly is causing Colonel Larabee's recent behavior? Buck? You know him better than JD or myself, do you have any idea what happened to make Chris doubt Vin?"
Buck looked away from his two companions grimly, his eyes seeking out and finding his oldest friend. Once before, when he had shared information about his old friend's past, he had lived to regret it. Just barely. But this was different ... and his two friends had a right to know something of what was going on. Buck looked back at JD and Ezra, answering, "I imagine it's time I told you a little something about Evan Larabee ... "
"You okay?"
Vin didn't even turn around at the voice. He knew who it was ... the only person who would even think about approaching him while his back was turned. He answered as he washed his hands in the river again, "I'm fine. Ain't the one who almost got blowed up." He wiped his hands on his jeans, then turned to face his companion. He asked, "What about ya? Everythin' goin' okay with the civilians?"
Adriana eased down to sit cross-legged beside him on the riverbank. She was silent for several moments, then replied, "Mostly, yeah. Daniel and I are gonna pool our resources for Charlotte's lost equipment. Katie Whitman is still crying, but that's to be expected. The adults are pretty shaken, and that's to be expected, too. And you didn't answer my question, Kevin. Are you all right?"
Damn the girl. Just how was he supposed to forget how stubborn she was, if she insisted on reminding him every time he turned around? She wouldn't let this go. Vin admitted, "Reckon I been better. Things been pretty tense lately, and this explosion's gonna make it worse." Drina responded with one of her Looks ... the one which meant she wasn't going to accept any attempt on his part to brush her off.
To that end, he said, "I'm fine, Drina. Reckon I oughta have a little talk to my little protector there. Don't rightly know who was more shocked, me or Richmond." Adriana threw back her head and laughed. Vin shrugged, feeling his face warm a little at the memory. Billy Travis, all of eight years old, physically pushing away Will Richmond and warning him to leave Vin alone. And the look on Richmond's face.
"Oh, that was too funny for words! I didn't see your expression, but I sure saw the prize pain's face," Adriana laughed, her eyes twinkling. She shook her head, adding, "Mary may have a little talk with Billy, but not much of one. Kind of like the 'talk' I had with Mindy after she marked her territory. Wait, that's male dogs ... anyhow, after she turned Will's shoes into a urinal. Buck scolded me for that. He thought Mindy deserved a medal for that."
So did Vin, actually. Still, he understood where Drina was coming from. There would really be hell to pay if one of the generals upset her at some point, and Mindy pissed on their shoes. He said after a moment, "Richmond ain't the problem. Oh yeah, I wanna shoot him. Like when he got in my face earlier. But he ain't the problem." Drina looked at him, her eyes focused solely on his, and he shook his head, muttering, "I cain't figger it out, Drina."
"I know this isn't a consolation, but I don't think it's anything you did. Chris had been acting a little off-kilter even before Charlotte and Will showed up. It's just that's when everything hit at once ... Will's behavior, the traitor. Bucklin, JD, and I narrowed it down to a few days ago, when Chris got a letter from his father. Although, he also thought we were holding something back from him, something important ... I set him straight," Drina observed.
"Almost wish we was keepin' somethin' important from him ... almost wish it was somethin' I done. Then I could fix it somehow, but I cain't fix nothin' when he don't trust me. Hell, Drina. The last three years, the two of us, we could practically read each other's minds! It was like the first time we met, at the bar. Neither of us had to say nothin,' we just knew what the other was gonna do," Vin sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes.
Drina remained silent. Vin looked at her. She looked tired, too. The last few days had taken its toll on her, but somehow, she had kept it together. He asked slowly, remembering what she had said a few minutes earlier, "Ya said somethin' about Chris gettin' a letter from his pa. 'Fore you said that you set Chris straight about us keepin' somethin' important from him. What did ya mean about that?"
"Well, it turns out that Chris had seen us talking, right after Will made his dramatic exit. We were talking about the baby, and how Charlotte hadn't said anything. I guess you didn't mention it to Chris, because it wouldn't mean anything to him, and Chris got suspicious about what we were talking about," Adriana replied. Vin glared at her. That wasn't what he meant, dammit! And she knew that!
She just gave him an innocent smile, which fooled him not at all, and continued, "Now, you asked about the senior Larabee. How do I politely describe him? Uhm ... okay. Here's the thing. I've never met the man. Buck has. He loathes Evan Larabee. Absolutely detests him. Almost as much as he hates ugly." Vin raised his eyebrows. He knew how much Bucklin hated ugly. That was saying a lot.
Drina went on, "From what I can gather, Evan Larabee walked out on Chris and his mother when Chris was thirteen. A mid-life crisis. He didn't bother saying 'good-bye.' Just left a note one Sunday morning before Chris or his mom got up."
"Shee-it!" Vin muttered. Hell, that would do it, too! He tried to imagine how he would have felt if his ma had just up and left him when he was that age, to 'find herself,' whatever the hell that meant. That was one thing that he could be grateful for. He had learned by accident once that havin' him interrupted his ma's plans, but when he had apologized for that, she had told him that he was the greatest gift she had ever received. And the only time she had ever left him, she didn't have no choice in the matter. She woulda never abandoned him willingly.
Drina sighed, making herself a little more comfortable, and explained, "It was about a year before he came back. He spent that time 'finding' himself. Forgive me if I don't sound particularly sympathetic, as I've come across countless people who are really lost. Anyhow, when he did come back, all contrite, it took another several months before Pegeen Larabee let him back into their lives. Chris never truly forgave him, and for the next several months after that, Evan tried to regain the ground he lost in that year. By the time Chris was sixteen, Evan was stooping to potshots to get his son's attention."
"Don't reckon I better mention any a' this to him ... don't want him at yer throat with a razor. I just don't get ... " Vin began, then fell silent, shaking his head. Drina reached out and took his hand. Like he had told her, he wished it had been something he had done to make Chris stop trusting him. In the past, Vin had always been able to help ... but how could he help his friend if Chris wouldn't let him in now?
It was the beginning of an uneasy night for everyone. The initial shock had given way to anxiety. The civilians were particularly anxious ... understandably so. None of them were used to being under fire. Strangely enough, while she wasn't military, Adriana had stopped thinking of herself as a civilian during the last two years. She had found it necessary to kill, had known the sick horror of someone dying in her arms.
The SG teams, on the other hand, were just plain angry. Chris swung between being angry with Mary for wanting to come along, with the generals for saying she could come, and bring Billy with her, and with whoever was responsible for these attacks. Buck, on the other hand, was focused in his anger ... whoever had rigged the jeep to explode and Will Richmond. Adriana grinned to herself, remembering her brother's soft inquiry if Will had an on/off switch.
Will. Her earlier anger remained, but there was something ... off ... about the way he was acting. She could have understood his behavior years earlier, before he and Charlotte had worked things out. But each of his attacks on Vin had been totally unprovoked ... the last one, he had gotten in Vin's face about being near Charlotte, when it was Buck who had carried her to safety.
That made absolutely no sense ... hell, neither Chris nor Will were making any kind of sense! She could understand Chris, sort of ... he was under stress with the traitor, with having to put up with a bunch of overbearing civilians, and having to deal with Will, while struggling with whatever had been in his father's letter. But Will? She simply couldn't make any sense of it. It made no sense.
Adriana leaned back against her bedroll, Mindy snuggling closer to her. The archaeologist absent-mindedly stroked the dog's head as she sorted through the pieces of the puzzle in her mind. She and Vin had always said that they were friends, not lovers. Never mind how she felt about him, that wasn't important at the moment. So, Will knew better. Why had he said something ... why had he make that remark about Vin not getting any from her?
True, JD had told her about what he witnessed when Will attacked Vin in the corridor, and she had been thinking about that possibility, right ... right up until the second confrontation. When Mindy had peed on his shoes. Adriana frowned, trying to focus on things, moment by moment. What had she been doing? Vin had to check on something, or was that when he was talking to General Hammond? He had been talking to General Hammond, yes.
JD and Adriana had met in the cafeteria, comparing notes. They hadn't decided what to do with the information they had to that point, because it was all hunches and guesses. Nothing solid, nothing they could take to either colonel, much less either general. However, they had agreed to keep an eye on all of the scientists in the expedition ... keeping a particularly careful eye on Dickie O'Shea, since he gave JD a bad feeling.
She had ... what had come next? Where had she been, when she encountered Will and Charlotte? Mindy had been with her in the cafeteria, receiving snacks from Mrs. Potter. That's right. Adriana had thanked Mrs. Potter, and agreed to update Vin, then left JD at the table. She had encountered Will and Charlotte in the hall, on her way to Vin's quarters. Right. Mindy's tail had started wagging her when she saw Charlotte.
Adriana had ... she had given Will a faint smile. As if nothing had happened between them, because she was still mulling over her meeting with JD, and her conversation with Janet the day before. Yes. And it was then that ... Will said what he did. Adriana drew her mind back from the pain and rage, focusing instead on the pieces of the puzzle. Focus. Concentrate. Don't hear the words ... look at his face.
She saw fear staring back at her. Fear and guilt. Even as he took another slice at her soul, he was staring at her, begging her silently to forgive him. JD had been right. What had Vin said, about Will being a pain, but not the cause of his concern? That was why. Not because Will wasn't getting on his nerves ... he was ... but because Vin was focusing on other things. Because Will wasn't the threat. He wasn't the traitor.
Okay, Adriana, think. Back up. Look past Will and Charlotte in the hallway. They aren't important at the moment. Look past them, there are other people in the hall. Who's that guy, watching them? Focus on him. Oh God. JD was right. About everything.
Dickie O'Shea had been watching the second confrontation between Will and Adriana. Just as he had been watching Will's attack on Vin. A coincidence? Not real likely. Adriana was a scientist, she didn't believe in coincidences, not under these circumstances. Just like the attack on Vin, the confrontation with her had been staged. For the benefit of the head biologist. Dammitalltohell, she had been used!
With that angry oath, Adriana hurled the pen across the tent. Mindy looked up from her lap, alarmed, but the archaeologist managed to compose herself, then calmed her dog. Damn you, Will, she seethed, what were you thinking? Now that she was seeing more of the picture, she realized JD was right. Will had staged everything, had purposefully alienated her, and Charlotte, and Vin, and everyone else.
She was still gonna kick his ass when this was all over. If only for not trusting her with the truth. The truth. Okay, she wouldn't ask Will for the truth, she would start with Charlotte, see what her old friend could tell her. Adriana's gut told her that neither Richmond had mentioned their child for a very specific reason ... and Charlotte could tell what that reason was. If nothing else, she could point Adriana in the right direction.
"Stay, Mindy-Mindy," Adriana whispered, patting the ground. She needed to talk to Charlotte, and she wanted as little attention on her as possible. The dog whined, but did as she was told. With Mindy settled, Adriana poked her head out of her tent. First, find Mary and Billy's tent, since Charlotte was staying with them for now. There. She remembered, because Will had thrown another fit when he realized it was right beside Vin's.
Charlotte responded by jamming her knee between his legs, which silenced him quite effectively. Adriana would have to remember that ... especially since it had silenced Will for the remainder of the night. She smirked to herself, then turned her attention back to the mission at hand. So she knew where Charlotte was ... now to figure out where O'Shea was, so she didn't draw his attention.
For a moment, she wished she had Vin's spyglass with her, then she located him. He was some distance away ... what the hell was he doing? Never mind that right now, move your ass, girl! Her instincts yelled that O'Shea was up to no good, but she ignored them for the moment. In a few seconds, she was at Mary's tent, glancing over her shoulder all the while, keeping one eye focused on O'Shea.
Mary opened the tent flap and Adriana scuttled inside, taking several deep breaths. Billy was asleep, so she kept her voice low as she looked at her old friend, asking, "Charlotte, I gotta know the truth, and I apologize for being blunt. What happened to the baby you were carrying when I left Texas?" Her friend's jaw dropped, and Adriana hissed, "Listen to me! This is important! If you have ever trusted me, Charlotte, trust me again now. What about the child?"
"We have a five year old daughter. Her name is Tansy. Will wanted me to keep her a secret from the two SG teams, for her safety," Charlotte answered, "she's back at the base ... at the SGC, I mean. After ... I couldn't face losing another child, Adriana. When Will told me that Tansy might be in danger, I agreed to keep her existence a secret, at least until I could reassure him that no one in either SG-1 or SG-7 would ever hurt her. I trusted you, and I trusted your judgment, but Will's even more overprotective of Tansy than I am."
Adriana reached over and squeezed her friend's hand, murmuring, "I know. I never doubted you." Her mind, however, was racing. So, Will and Charlotte had another child. A child in danger, or so Will had told Charlotte. It was another piece to the puzzle, but she didn't know how it fit. Adriana looked back at Charlotte and said, "We've got work to do tomorrow, Carlota. Will's been holding out on all of us, you up to a confrontation?"
Charlotte inhaled slightly at the old nickname, the Spanish version of her name. Carlota. Dawn had called her that once when they were all drunk and silly, and Adriana had picked up on it immediately, since she loathed all other common nicknames for Charlotte. Her friend looked back at her now and nodded, her features grim with determination. Adriana turned her attention back to Mary, saying, "I can't explain anything right now ... will you trust me?"
"On the condition that when we catch the traitor, you'll let me help," Mary replied. Adriana just grinned. She never had any intention of keeping Mary out of the loop. Mary continued, "Then tell me as soon as you can." The archaeologist nodded. Yeah, that was the plan. For now, she would return to her tent. In the morning, she would update both JD and Vin. Vin, especially, had to be there when Will finally told them everything.