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.
For the next three hours, they searched. It took just that long to search the areas that would appeal to a little girl, but Vin had insisted on checking the ridge. No sign of Katie. The others were looking inside anything that could hold a little girl, or so Josiah had said before Vin and Charlotte had set out. The archaeologist glanced at Vin. She was worried about him, just as she was worried about Katie. Maybe she shouldn't have been worried about Vin ... he was an adult, after all. But he was her friend.
Josiah had grabbed his arm, just before they left, and said softly, "If you're thinking that the rest of us have lost faith in you, son, you're wrong. We've never stopped believing in you, Vin. Nathan, Ezra ... Buck and JD. All of us. And we should have told you sooner. I'm sorry." The guide had dropped his head, but Charlotte knew that he wasn't blaming the anthropologist. He was, as usual, blaming himself.
"Ain't yer fault, J'siah. Reckon I shut y'all out," Vin had replied, finally looking back up at Josiah. Yes, Charlotte thought, but your so-called best friend, the man who supposedly trusts you more than anyone else, has been shutting you out. You didn't find much support from anyone else in the team, except for Major Wilmington. How can you blame yourself for retreating to someone who has always trusted you?
Josiah hadn't answered him ... not with words. Instead, he slipped his hand around the back of Vin's neck, then squeezed Vin's shoulder with his free hand. Charlotte, who had spent so much of her life around men such as these men, understood the affection in those gestures. The love. Vin had just smiled at Josiah Sanchez, then he and Charlotte headed out.
They had finished their sweep around the perimeter when Vin sighed very quietly. Charlotte pretended not to notice. Instead, she observed, "This is a wonderful site. I can see why General Hammond suggested this for our base camp. I know ... the terrain makes you uncomfortable. But so long as we have the high ground, we'll be all right. I talked to Colonel O'Neill at lunch, and he said that Colonel Martinez would make this ridge his first priority."
"Reckon he's right. Rafael's a good man. Alright, we oughta head back, see if any 'a the others found the little lady," Vin finally said. He looked down the ridge, murmuring, "This would make a real good place for an ambush. I'm gonna have a talk with O'Neill, see if I can convince him to move on after lunch. This place is makin' me nervous." Charlotte looked at him anxiously, but said nothing.
As they made their way back down the ridge, they were met by an irate Chris Larabee, who growled, "Now you're running off with your girlfriend while we're looking for a lost kid?" Vin stopped and stared at him, his blue eyes widening with shock and hurt. Charlotte skipped shock, ignored hurt, and went right to fury. The guide started to speak, obviously to explain to the colonel that they had been searching for Katie as well, but Larabee hissed, "I need to know I can depend on you, Vin. Let me know when I can."
Charlotte watched in horror as all the color drained from Vin's face. He looked like Larabee had gut-shot him, and in a way, he had. He was swaying a little. After a moment, he whispered, "Drina." What? Oh God. Vin finally turned to Charlotte and said, "Carlota, I need ya to find Drina." Carlota. There was that nickname again. But Charlotte didn't argue even under normal circumstances, and certainly not when a friend was missing.
Vin continued, "If she and JD didn't find Larabee, there's a damn good reason. I need ya to find her. I'm gonna check the ridge again. And if that pieza de mierda has hurt her, I'm gonna skin him alive, right after Buck finishes beating the living shit out of him."
There was dead seriousness in his voice as he headed back up the ridge. He didn't say a word to Larabee. Charlotte, on the other hand, had plenty to say the colonel. She shoved him hard, hissing, "You miserable piece of shit. You worthless fucking bastard. How dare you say that to him? You ever hear of innocent until proven guilt, you son of a bitch? Did it ever cross your mind for even one millisecond that my dear husband was setting a trap, that you, as well as the traitor, fell into? How could you do that to him?"
"Back off, lady, you're just as responsible for this mess!" Larabee fired back, then turned away from her. Oh no, you don't, Charlotte thought, enraged, no, no, no! She grabbed his arm, swung him around, and decked him as hard as she could. Damn, that hurt! Larabee was the second man in the last week she had decked! It occurred to her, now, that he could have clobbered her when she had spun him around, but luckily, he hadn't.
"You know, Colonel Larabee, you are the worst excuse for a best friend I have ever had the displeasure of meeting! You fucking moron! Here's a little clue, since you obviously don't have the brains to even ask to buy one! My husband set the whole thing up! He was trying to smoke out the traitor, and he kept accusing Vin of coming after me, when anyone who fucking had eyes could tell Vin was just trying to do his job! But of course, the great Chris Larabee can never be wrong!" Charlotte hissed.
She had his full attention now ... he was staring at her with worried green eyes. Worried? Didn't matter. She had been in shock when Will told her everything. She wasn't in shock now, she was angry, and she was as angry with Chris Larabee for assuming the worst about his best friend as she was with Will for not trusting her and the others, and as angry as she was with Dickie O'Shea, for threatening the lives of three innocent children.
She informed him, still shaking with fury, "Will finally confessed everything to me, Adriana, and Vin earlier. Then JD Dunne came in and told us that Katie Whitman was missing. I told Vin that I would go with him to look for her, because he knew as well as I did that children are more likely to go to someone they know and feel comfortable with. Katie is comfortable with me. Corporal Dunne and Adriana were supposed to find you ... only now, they're missing. Along with Katie Whitman, and Dickie O'Shea!"
When she had mentioned Adriana and JD being missing, Larabee had blanched. But Charlotte wasn't finished with him yet. She continued, "Now, let's do the math here, and I'll go slow, so you can keep up. We have four people missing. One of whom made threats against my five year old daughter, to keep my husband from going to the generals. Katie Whitman obviously didn't make that threat, and nor did Adriana or JD Dunne. So you do the math, Colonel Larabee. You tell me who almost killed me and Billy Travis last night. You tell me who has Katie Whitman, and who may have hurt Corporal Dunne and Adriana."
"Dickie O'Shea," Larabee said numbly, and Charlotte nodded. By now, it felt like her blood had turned to lava in her veins. Her ears were ringing, she was so mad. Larabee continued after a moment, "I need to ... I have to get with the others. We suspected that it was O'Shea, but your husband kept being such an asshole, it made it hard to be sure."
Charlotte stared at the colonel, now feeling all the blood draining from her own face. The white-hot rage of only a moment earlier disappeared, along with all the heat in her body. Larabee continued, still in that numb voice, "God, Vin, what have I done?" He had known? All along, he had known that Vin wasn't ... that ... It made sense. Charlotte had overheard his comment to Will the day before. When they had stopped briefly, Vin had wanted to tell them it would be time to stop for the night soon. And he had known even then.
"You've known all along, haven't you? You knew what my husband was doing, or at least that Vin wasn't guilty of what Will was saying. You knew, and you let him believe that you had lost faith in him?" Charlotte whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. No. No, she had other work to do. After a moment, she opened her eyes and said softly, "You know, you're not worth the breath it would take to tell you exactly what I think of you. Right now, I've got a friend who needs me." And then she began her own search, praying it wasn't too late.
Buck was going to kill him. That was assuming there was anything left after Vin got done with him. And that was assuming he survived ... this! JD Dunne slumped back against the wall. His companion hadn't made a sound since they first ended up in here. He couldn't tell how much time had passed ... it was too damn dark. JD closed his eyes, remembering how he had gotten his ass into this situation.
After leaving Vin and Charlotte Richmond to look for Katie Whitman, he and Adriana had headed for the tool shed. It was something of a misnomer, as it was about half the size of one car garage. A quick glimpse inside had told both that Chris wasn't there. However, Adriana had noticed something strange. She had almost tripped over a box of explosives when they looked inside, and it seemed kinda ... empty.
She had knelt inside the shed, trying to find information on how much was supposed to be in the box, and JD took up position beside her. When each SG team was sent out on a mission such as this one, they received a full box of explosives. This was about half empty. Adriana had just finished her investigation, and told JD that they needed to find the others now, when JD had been shoved hard inside the structure.
The shove had knocked him off balance and into Adriana, knocking her into the wall, and the door slammed, then JD heard it lock. And a taunting voice said, "Sorry, laddie and lassie, but I can't let ye do that. Ye'll be safe enough in here durin' the fireworks." Dickie O'Shea! JD cursed himself for not keeping a better lookout. Vin had asked him to go with Adriana, to look out for her, and JD had screwed it up!
That was bad enough. But JD had quickly realized that Adriana was claustrophobic. Worse than that, she was even more claustrophobic in the dark, no doubt thanks to her bastard father. JD didn't leave her side ... there was nowhere to go, and he felt sure that having another person gave her an anchor. He didn't touch her ... didn't dare, not after what had happened that morning. He just wished he had done a better job of protecting her.
This morning. God, had it only been this morning? JD shook his head. By his reckoning, they had been in here about two or two and a half hours, maybe longer. Adriana had been unbearably silent, the kind of silence which said a person was trying to keep from screaming. So he was surprised when a soft voice to his right said, "I'm sorry." JD blinked, and Adriana repeated in that low voice, "I'm sorry, you're in here because of me."
"I'm in here because that jackass O'Shea got the drop on me, not because of anything you did or didn't do. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. Vin asked me to look out for you, and I screwed it up," JD replied. There was a sound from his right which could have been a laugh. JD couldn't tell. The only sounds he had heard from Adriana up until about five minutes ago had just been her breathing.
"He came to my room in the dark, you know. It would be pitch-black. No light in my room, not even from the moonlight. I would hear the door open ... his footsteps on the floor. And then feel his hands on me," Adriana said very softly. JD wasn't sure if she was talking to him, or to herself. He wanted to make her stop, he didn't want to hear any of this. But he couldn't have stopped her if he tried. It was like their prison had brought back the memories, and the dam had broken. She couldn't have stopped if she tried.
There was a little hitch in her breathing, as if she was trying to keep from crying. JD reached out to touch her, then pulled his hand back. No. He didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. Instead, he remained silent as she whispered, "I couldn't do anything. He was so big. At least as tall as Buck, and he seemed like a giant to me. I couldn't do anything, I couldn't fight him, and I couldn't scream.
"And all the time, he was whispering to me. Telling me that I would always be his, that he created me, that he made me ... and that ... " She stopped, tears in her voice, and for the first time, JD could hear her crying softly. JD blinked back tears of his own, easily imagining a little girl, easily imagining that little girl. So helpless ... and afraid ... and alone. Adriana whispered, "I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. When he wasn't telling me that I was his, he was saying that it was my fault, that I had made him do these things."
Again, her voice broke, and JD could take no more. He said, not even trying to disguise his own tears, "Would you mind if I held you, Adriana? I'm not real fond of the dark, either." That was a lame excuse, but he knew, even as emotionally shaky as she was at the moment, she still had her pride. There was a hitching laugh from his companion and a whispered, 'ok.' JD continued, "I'm putting my arm around you now, so don't break it, okay?"
This time, there was a definite giggle as JD put his arm around Adriana's trembling body. They sat like that for a long time, Adriana's head resting lightly on JD's shoulder as he held her and rocked them both from side to side. Neither of them spoke, but JD heard Adriana trying once more to fight back her tears. He didn't know what else to do ... and then he heard voices. No, he was imagining things. Or was he? Adriana whispered, "Did you hear that? It sounded like it was Charlotte."
JD released Adriana and went to the door, almost tripping over something in the process. In the first hour or so, he had yelled and pounded on the door until he was hoarse. But to no avail. Of course not, they were all out looking for Katie Whitman. Now, however, he heard Charlotte Richmond yelling, "Adriana! Corporal Dunne, where are you!" And JD Dunne attacked that aluminum door with all of his strength, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Behind him, he heard Adriana screaming, "Carlota, we're in here! We're in the tool shed!" JD stopped his banging and screaming as he heard hands fumbling at the lock. He stepped back, almost stepping on Adriana in the process. But she grabbed for his arm, hauling herself to her feet. The door swung open, revealing a very worried-looking Charlotte Richmond. As the corporal and archaeologist stumbled from their prison, Adriana was pulled away from JD's arm and into Charlotte's arms. The two friends held on for dear life.
"How did you know we were missing?" JD asked hoarsely as Charlotte quietly reassured herself that Adriana really was okay. JD shook his head. That didn't matter now, all that mattered was they had been found. He continued, "We gotta find either Colonel Larabee or Colonel O'Neill, Dickie O'Shea locked us in there. And half the plastiques in the explosives box are gone." Charlotte's head jerked up.
"Explosives? Never mind that, c'mon. Vin knew when Colonel Larabee hadn't been told about ... well, about Will told us, that something had happened to the two of you. He asked me to find you guys. Katie is still missing ... you didn't see her when that prick locked you in there?" Charlotte asked as they headed away from the shed. Both JD and Adriana shook their heads, and Charlotte swore under her breath.
"Jaffa!"
The cry echoed around the valley, and a cold hand closed around JD's heart. Oh no. No, no. no, no, not now! This could not be happening now! But it was. JD grabbed the hands of his two companions and headed for cover. He found Mary Travis taking shelter behind one of the jeeps and returning fire with the rifle she had brought with her. Billy was at her side, and she said tersely, "Weapons in the back. They've been behind us all this time. Adriana, Mindy is fine ... she's in your tent."
She was angry. Oh, she was so angry. But the green fire in her eyes was being directed to the enemy. JD grabbed two rifles, handing one to Charlotte, keeping the other for himself. Adriana withdrew her own pistol, lending more fire power. Over the next few minutes, Billy helped by keeping all of them supplies with ammunition. JD wasn't nearly as good as a rifle as Vin was, but he could use them. And slowly, the tide of the battle turned in favor of the Ta're as more and more Serpent Guards were put out of commission.
Or so JD thought. However, in the heat of the battle, he had forgotten all about the plastiques which had been stolen from the tool shed. He forgot, until there was an explosion behind him. Not a big explosion, really. A small one, an explosion to get someone's attention. All four adult defenders glanced back. Toward the ridge. To where a familiar figure was outlined against the early afternoon sunlight along the ridge. Vin, on the high ground, watching over them all, taking out the Serpent Guards at the front of the camp. JD didn't even want to know how they had gotten around the perimeter defenses.
Two others were at the base of the ridge. JD recognized one. Dickie O'Shea. The other was a Jaffa. Holding a staff weapon, and aiming it upward. O'Shea seemed to sense JD's eyes on him, and turned. He looked surprised to see JD, then he smiled coldly and tipped his hat. Even at this distance, JD could hear the traitor scream, "Fire!" The Jaffa fired, fired up the ridge, up toward Vin. And all hell broke loose.
Teal'c was angry. He was angry that they had been caught unawares, he was angry because one of the two colonels had taken his ruse one step too far. And he was angry because in these first few moments of the attack, he had realized that the traitor Dickie O'Shea couldn't have done this alone. He had to have had help. He would deal with that other traitor later, he would deal with both of them later.
Teal'c defended the civilians with his staff weapon, taking out Serpent Guard after Serpent Guard. When the tide began turning in their favor, Teal'c turned back toward the ridge, and stopped in his tracks. He saw the Jaffa and Dickie O'Shea. He also saw that the Jaffa's staff weapon wasn't pointed at the right angle, not if he wanted to take out the sharpshooter on the ridge. The young man who was taking out Serpent Guards with his own lethal accuracy.
Which meant ... An explosion distracted Teal'c, but only for a moment, as he realized what they were aiming for. Vin Tanner fired at the same time as the Jaffa did, which knocked off his aim. But not enough. A voice, which Teal'c recognized as belonging to Will Richmond cried out a warning to Vin Tanner. A half second after that, the ridge exploded and a familiar form was tossed from his position. And Teal'c could only watch in horror as a friend, a brother in arms, was thrown into the air and hit the ground hard.
The sharpshooter rolled down the hill, coming to rest only yards from the traitor and the Jaffa. Teal'c would never get there in time, not from where he was. But there was another who would, another could.
As the ridge had exploded, flinging Vin Tanner down the side like a rag doll, two screams of horror and denial had sounded together. Teal'c looked at the staff weapon in his hands, then looked at the figure now darting from one cover to another. The other three defenders behind the jeep laid down cover fire, keeping the attackers at bay. Yes. Teal'c lifted the staff high over his head, called the name of the newcomer, then threw it to the running figure.
The staff weapon was caught, and as Dickie O'Shea made his escape, the Jaffa raised his own staff weapon to finish off Vin Tanner. He never got the chance. The first blast knocked his weapon out of his hand. The second blast knocked him to the ground, but stunned him, rather than killed him. By this time, he was the only Serpent Guard remaining. All the others had been killed, or were now dying.
During his years among the Ta're, Teal'c had the opportunity to watch many movies, of various kinds. But at the moment, he was reminded of a Western. Not one particular Western, but as Adriana Wilmington made her way toward the Jaffa, Teal'c was reminded of a gunslinger at high noon. She would walk several steps, stop, fire the staff weapon. There was no expression on her face. Teal'c couldn't see her eyes, but he guessed they were equally expressionless.
Leaving the Jaffa to her very capable hands, Teal'c instead went first to check on Vin Tanner. Colonel Larabee had arrived there first, pulling the sharpshooter into his arms. Teal'c frowned. That may not have been wise. They did not know what sorts of injuries the fall had caused. And Vin Tanner was now unconscious, his head lolling in the crook of Larabee's elbow. Nathan Jackson was already making his way to the colonel and sharpshooter.
Deciding that Vin Tanner was in excellent hands, and knowing that if the Jaffa was not dead, he soon would be, Teal'c chose to pursue the other person responsible ... the shovah, Dickie O'Shea. But he found that had been taken out of his hands as the shovah had been tackled by a pair of furious Ta're women. Daniel Jackson would later sum it up this way ... Mary Travis had gone high, Charlotte Richmond had gone low, and Dickie O'Shea went down.
Will Richmond was now helping the two women with their prisoner, and Teal'c heard O'Neill say that since O'Shea was so fond of locking other people in the tool shed, he would enjoy being locked in there himself ... once they got rid of all the tools. Major Carter had immediately started removing the aforementioned tools from the tool shed, and Captain Travis, and both Dr. Richmonds, shoved the traitor inside.
Not, however, until after Will Richmond punched O'Shea hard in the abdomen, hissing, "That was for locking threatening my wife and our baby, you son of a bitch!" While O'Shea was still doubled over and wheezing for breath, his two female captors shoved him into the prison he had created for Adriana Wilmington and JD Dunne. With that one unable to endanger anyone else, they now began mobilizing to deal with the dead bodies of the Jaffa ... and their own wounded.
The bodies were disposed of by using each zat gun, three shots to disintegrate the body. The rest of his team were seeing to that detail. Teal'c walked over to Adriana Wilmington, now standing over the dead body of the Jaffa. The former Jaffa cringed a little.
In his years of service to the false god Apophis, Teal'c had seen many terrible things. He had done even more terrible things himself. But he did not know what was more terrible now. What remained of the Jaffa who had attempted to kill Vin Tanner ... or the expression on the face of the woman who had killed that Jaffa. Teal'c reached out a hand and very gently pried the staff weapon from Adriana Wilmington's fingers. It took a little effort, because she had a death grip on the staff, but Teal'c was stronger, and she was going into shock.
"It is over, Adriana Wilmington. He is dead," Teal'c said gently. JD Dunne approached the pair, tears running down his face, and Teal'c held up a hand. The boy stopped where he was, and Teal'c continued, "He is dead, child. We must see to the living. Vin Tanner still requires our aid." He saw her mouth the guide's name. The archaeologist turned to face him and Teal'c said quietly, "You used your weapon with honor, Adriana Wilmington."
He allowed his hand to drop to his side, and Corporal Dunne rushed to the archaeologist. Something had happened while they were locked inside their aluminum prison. The boy stared fixedly at the corpse of the Jaffa, who no longer had a face. Teal'c could see Corporal Dunne fixing this image in his mind, so he would never forget it. And then, with the resilience of the very young, a faint smile appeared.
"Damn, Adriana ... you cooked his goose but good! If Colonel O'Neill was here, he'd say that was one deep-fried Jaffa!" Corporal Dunne said. Teal'c would have raised an eyebrow, but the boy was right ... that was exactly what O'Neill would have said. Adriana Wilmington, however, raised her head to look at JD, distracted from the reality of what she had done. She mouthed 'deep-friend Jaffa' and stared at JD.
"JD? That was almost as bad as your three-legged dawg jokes," the archaeologist said. Teal'c maintained a straight face ... both at her statement, and at the mock-anger he saw in Corporal Dunne's expression. Corporal Dunne, however, couldn't maintain his own expression, and began laughing. It seemed that Dr. Wilmington's descent into shock ended, because her lips began trembling, and she whispered, "Vin?"
"Nathan's seeing to him right now, Drina ... he's unconscious. The last I heard, he had a definite broken arm, because of the way he landed, and Nathan was afraid he had internal bleeding. Daniel is already heading back to the Stargate, to get Dr. Frasier ... Nathan says he can't do this alone," Corporal Dunne relayed. His voice cracked, then he looked at the dead Jaffa, and Teal'c saw his resolve firm once more. That was something else Teal'c hated about war, necessary evil that it was ... he hated seeing children like JD Dunne become adults under these circumstances. The young corporal said now in a quiet, hate-filled voice, "I'm glad you killed him. If I could have, I would have."
Major Carter approached, saying, "They're setting up a field hospital, so Nathan can get Vin's condition stabilized. He thinks Janet will need to operate. Are you two okay?" She directed this last question at Corporal Dunne and Adriana Wilmington, and the two young people both nodded. Major Carter glanced past them, at the dead Jaffa, and grimaced. She shook her head, and said, "I'll say this for you, Adriana, you're thorough."
"Not quite, Major ... not quite. Can I borrow your zat gun?" the archaeologist asked. Without hesitation, the major handed the small gun to Dr. Wilmington. She turned back to the Jaffa, and fired one, two, three times. And the body disappeared, as if it had never been there. She turned back and returned the zat to Major Carter, saying, "Thanks, Sam. I'm ready. Teal'c, Mindy seems to trust you ... could you get her out of my tent? I need to thank Mary for getting her there in the first place." Major Carter nodded. She put her arm around Adriana Wilmington's waist, Corporal Dunne looped his arm around her shoulders, and together, they headed for the impromptu field hospital. Teal'c watched them go, then went to the tent for the dog.
Before the attack, before Katie Whitman's disappearance, SG-7 had begun assembling the building which would now act as a field hospital. And now, it was a member of SG-7 being carried to the makeshift hospital, cradled in Josiah Sanchez's strong, gentle arms like he was just a child. They had eased the still-unconscious Vin from Chris Larabee's arms, reminding the colonel that they still had a chance to save Vin's life.
It was only that which prevented the guilt-ridden colonel from carrying Vin himself. Vin was only a few inches shorter than Chris, and it would have been difficult for him to carry the young man the distance to the field hospital. That, and Chris could hardly see. He'd gotten dirt in his eyes when he hit the ground beside Vin. He wasn't bleeding ... there was no actual blood on Larabee's fatigues. But he felt it stain his soul, nonetheless. God, Vin, what have I done? His words to Charlotte Richmond came back as he numbly walked behind Josiah.
Under normal circumstances, at least two people would have been carrying Vin, due to his injuries. Chris flinched, remembering what Nathan had told him when he had joined Chris at Vin's side. The medic had quickly checked Vin, while everyone else was finishing the firefight. Broken arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding. He could set the broken arm, but the internal damage would have to wait until Janet arrived.
Daniel Jackson had immediately commandeered one of the jeeps, yelling he would be back in a few hours. Chris had questioned that, until he was reminded that Daniel was one man, in one jeep, and the trip wouldn't take him nearly as long it had originally taken them. Besides, as injury- prone as Daniel was, he would drive fast ... but safe. Janet wouldn't be able to help Vin if he or Janet were dead.
He had known where Vin was, of course, in those three hours while they were all looking for Katie Whitman. That little girl had been found only minutes earlier, just after the firefight began. She had been held by the Jaffa, to ensure her father's cooperation. That was how the Jaffa had slipped in. Whitman had failed to alert them. Chris wanted to be angry with him, but didn't have the energy. Gerard Whitman had been trying to save his little girl.
She would have died anyhow. Chris knew that ... she would have died, or ended up a slave, or something equally ugly. But Gerard Whitman hadn't known that, he hadn't know the Gou'ald the way the SG teams did. And Whitman hadn't created this situation. That had been Dickie O'Shea ... with help from Will Richmond. And Chris himself. Yes, he had known exactly where Vin was ... looking for Katie, along with everyone else.
He just hadn't known that Charlotte Richmond was with him, and when he had realized that, the words burst out of Chris before he had the chance to stop them. Had seen Vin go white with the attack. Not just the attack, but his fear for Adriana. If Chris didn't know the whole story, then it was because Adriana hadn't had the chance to tell him ... and the only thing that could have kept Adriana from telling Chris everything she knew was if something had happened to her.
At that moment, when he realized that Adriana and JD were in danger as well, everything was forgotten, including his ruse to draw O'Shea out into the open. But it was too late. Vin had already headed back up to look for Katie. And Charlotte Richmond had torn into him, both barrels. Only guilt had prevented him from ripping into her just as badly ... guilt and fear. Two emotions which had been Chris Larabee's constant companions for three years.
Josiah carried Vin into the field hospital, Nathan already setting up. Chris couldn't do anything. He was totally helpless. Mary and Charlotte had dealt with Dickie O'Shea, at least for the moment. Adriana had taken out the Jaffa who had ignited the explosion. Adriana had? Yes, there she was ... being led away by JD and Major Carter. They were all right then. Nathan and Josiah would take care of Vin, at least until Janet got here.
There was nothing for Chris to do. No. That wasn't true. As Nathan and Josiah set to work, stripping the clothes away, Chris approached the bed. He didn't touch Vin. He couldn't bring himself to do that. But he did get as close as he could, without getting in Nathan or Josiah's way, and whispered, "You gotta fight now, Tanner. You gotta fight, 'cause there's a helluva apology I owe you. But for now ... I never stopped believing in you. Never."
"He needs to hear that, Chris. That'll help," Nathan said softly. Chris nodded. He would repeat the words later, when he knew Vin would hear them. He brushed at his eyes. Damn dirt. Kept getting in his eyes. Chris nodded again, to Josiah and Nathan, then stumbled from the field hospital. He found Buck and Ezra waiting anxiously, as JD approached with Adriana. The remaining members of SG-1 had started the cleanup, organizing the civilians. But where was Teal'c?
Except for Mary and Billy, who approached from the opposite direction. Chris said heavily, "Daniel's gone for Janet. They figure he'll be back in a few hours. In the meantime, they're taking care of the injuries which they can treat. Nathan doesn't want to risk Vin's life by operating himself. He's using that new glove the military's been testing, for internal injuries. He's not even sure how bad the damage is."
"Then all we can do is wait," Mary said softly. Chris nodded numbly. He didn't know what else to do. Mary took a deep breath, then released it, saying, "All right. All right, I'll collect Charlotte, and we'll see about getting food for all of you ready."
Chris was about to say they had just eaten lunch, when he remembered everything that had happened in the last few hours. The sun would be setting before too much longer, and he knew people would be getting hungry. But not him. He couldn't eat. Mary said quietly, "I don't know what's been happening the last few days ... but I do know Vin. He's not about to give up without a fight. C'mon, Billy."
The little boy followed his mother, looking at the field hospital disconsolately. A few minutes later, Will Richmond approached with his wife, but it was Charlotte who asked softly, "How is Vin?" Chris shut his eyes ... damn, why couldn't he get away from this dust and dirt! He opened his eyes as Charlotte buried her face in her hands. The minutes ticked away as the archaeologist cried softly. Adriana and JD both looked as if they were about to join her. Buck had put his arms around both siblings, and Adriana buried her face against her brother's chest.
"I owe y'all an apology," Will Richmond said hoarsely. Chris looked at the senior archaeologist, who continued, "It's time I told you everything. I've known from the beginning what O'Shea was up to. I knew, as soon as he bragged about helping to sabotage Carly Tucker's car, even before the general knew that her car had died on her. He warned me that if I told anyone, he would kill my wife and daughter."
O'Shea seemed to be good at that ... threatening the lives of children. Chris was sorely tempted to head over to the prison shed, and see how O'Shea did against grown men. Looking at the faces of his men, he could tell they couldn't decide if they should beat the hell out of O'Shea, or Richmond. The man continued, "Charlotte and I ... we lost another child. Another little girl. And I couldn't face losing another child. I couldn't face losing my wife. So, I ... manufactured the plan which has been in play the last few days."
"In other words, you set Vin up. You made sure someone was always watching when you attacked him, and you made sure O'Shea was always watching," JD stated quietly. Richmond nodded, and JD explained to the rest of SG-7 present, "Adriana and me figured it out. Since Chris was being so difficult, we told Jack instead. We didn't have anything concrete, so we knew Jack would be more willing to listen. And he's the one who told us that Chris had set a plan of his own into motion."
"With the level of trust witnessed in the last few days, or rather, the lack thereof, it's quite miraculous that Vin has been the only casualty," Ezra said in an equally quiet voice. He was staring at both Chris and Richmond. The Southerner continued, "I am hardly the most trustworthy member of this little band. But for Mr. Tanner to be treated in such a way, being made to believe that his best friend had lost faith in him, so a killer could be caught ... "
His voice shook, and Ezra couldn't finish. Adriana raised her head and said hoarsely, "You're wrong, Ezra. I trust you." Buck gave his sister a one-armed squeeze, and Adriana continued, "I understand what both of you did. I just don't know that I can trust either of you again, any time soon. Dammit, Chris, you could have trusted me! You could have trusted all of us! You may not have lost faith in Vin, but you sure as hell stopped trusting him!" Chris had no answer for her ... for any of them, for he saw the same feeling in each pair of eyes.
He was spared from having to answer when the door opened behind him. Chris turned and Nathan said quietly, "He's holding on. He woke up briefly ... passed out again after Josiah told him that JD and Drina were okay. He was awake long enough to threaten some serious damage to O'Shea hurt either of them." He paused, looked at Adriana, and said softly, "I think he would know you're there ... whether he's awake or not. I think you have a lot to say to each other." Adriana swallowed hard and Buck released her, giving a little push.
"Go, baby sister. Let Vin know you're okay ... 'cause you know he ain't gonna relax until he knows you're safe. I imagine he needs to hear your voice to really believe it," Buck said. He winked at her and Adriana managed a weak, watery grin. She wobbled her way toward Nathan. Stopped just long enough to look at Chris, who had a hard time meeting her eyes ... and then she continued on her way into the field hospital. And now it was just SG-7 and the Richmonds.
Jessica Tucker was stuck in a nightmare. She hadn't been able to stop crying since she had arrived here. Her sister and daughter had formed an alliance against her, had formed an alliance with Maude Standish. Those three had kept at her for the last few hours, demanding to know the identity of Jessica's long-ago lover. Jessica had shared details of her pregnancy with the twins, had told them everything except who had fathered her children.
They had finally taken a break about half an hour earlier. She was alone in the cafeteria. No one would come near her. Jessica tried to tell herself that was fine ... her head was pounding from all the crying she had done in the last few hours. She didn't want anyone near. That was a lie, though. Maybe her sister was right ... maybe Jessica had told so many lies during the last twenty-some years, she had forgotten how to tell the truth.
Maybe she had forgotten even why it was important to tell the truth. No, that wasn't right. She knew that. She remembered it every time she saw the contempt in her daughter's eyes. The distrust in Josie's eyes. The disappointment in the eyes of her parents when they had found out she went back on her word to her sister. She had tried to tell them that Vin was fine, that his father had come for him, like he promised.
Jessica closed her eyes, remembering her conversation with the father of her children. She had written him in care of the university where he taught, as soon as she found out that Julia was dying. She knew Julia would contact Josie first. She was more responsible ... and stronger ... than Jessica. But she also knew that Josie wouldn't be able to care for her small nephew. That left the father. Even now, after all these years, she couldn't bring herself to think of him by name. She had known, even as she wrote him, that he wouldn't claim his son.
Her parents had known it as well. And when Jessica tried to tell them that he would claim his child, they had known it for the lie it was. Just as Jessica had known the lie, even as she spoke it. She didn't look up as her daughter and sister entered the cafeteria ... however, she did look up when a voice boomed, "Incoming traveler ... signal matches SG-1." Jessica frowned. Did that mean something? Evidently, it did, since Josie and Carly looked at each other ... then broke into a run, practically flying out of the cafeteria. Not knowing what else to do, and frightened by the actions of the pair, Jessica wiped away her tears and followed them.
Right into a room overlooking what seemed to be a giant stone donut, filled with liquid. But the liquid remained within the stone ... how was that possible? A moment later, a young man emerged from the stone donut, and fell to his knees as the liquid disappeared. General Hammond leaned forward, asking, "Dr. Jackson, what happened? Why are you alone, where is everyone else?" A quick glance at Maude Standish told her that the senator was terrified.
"The others are fine ... most of them ... but I need Dr. Frasier to come with me. Vin was hurt ... it's too serious for Nathan to treat. Internal bleeding, likely damage to internal organs. We have to go as soon as possible," the young man gasped. Doctor? But he seemed about the same age as her own children, only a few years older, if that. Then again, Jessica's daughter was twenty-seven, and a doctor. He just ... looked so young!
What followed was a quick debriefing. Vin had been critically injured in a fall, while looking for a little girl, the daughter of a scientist on the expedition. And Dickie O'Shea had been caught ... it was over anyhow, she found she didn't care about his apprehension. Her daughter already knew about what she had done. It didn't matter anyhow. In any event, he was in custody. And if they wanted Vin to live, the young doctor, an archaeologist named Daniel Jackson, needed to leave with Dr. Frasier, immediately.
Dr. Frasier, Jessica found, was a pretty young woman in her thirties, and she was ready to go almost immediately. Carly, of course, wanted to go with her ... he was her twin brother, and she was now in charge of the biology team. But there were a few more tasks to complete, before they departed. Three of the five members of SG-17 were now ready to go, ready for their guard duty, including the leader of the team, Rafael Martinez.
During the last few hours, during the breaks in the interrogation, Jessica had learned a great deal about what her son did here. He was the guide and sharpshooter for SG-7, second in command, unofficially, to Colonel Christopher Larabee. That had nearly given her a heart attack. She never thought she would hear that name again, but she had covered her shock. There was work to be done. She couldn't tell them what they wanted to know, but she wanted to know as much as she could about her son.
He had been a member of SG-7 since the beginning, three years earlier. She learned from the base gossip that he had met Colonel Larabee during a bar fight, when both men went to the aid of a third man, Nathan Jackson, who was now the medic for SG-7. She had also learned that her son was considered a hero, just by virtue of his work in the SGC, and to protect the world from the Gou'ald.
He traveled to other worlds, fought along side men, freed people. He was a protector, just like Julia and Josie, just like his grandparents. He was loved by many within the SGC, envied by some, and hated by others who kept it to themselves. Mostly. He was everything Julia had ever hoped he would be. The only thing missing from his life was a woman, although it was rumored he had an unofficial girlfriend.
Dr. Adriana Wilmington, whom Carly had mentioned while she was in college. She had been part of that magic circle, along with both of Jessica's twins. And now, the circle was about to be completed once more. Jessica had learned that Carly was worried about how Adriana would react once she found out that Carly was Vin's twin sister, and it was a secret Carly had kept from her best friend for all those years.
Jessica considered her daughter's worry almost funny, with the secrets she herself had kept over the years from her friends and family. But she wasn't foolish enough to laugh at her daughter. The way Carly felt about her right now, the girl was liable to take a swing at her for laughing. And the way Josie also felt, she would probably help her. No. Best to keep her laughter to herself. Jessica wasn't ready to face those consequences either.
Dr. Frasier said now, "All right, I think that should do it. Carly, I'll ask you to stay near. I may need you to donate blood. You have the best shot, since you two are twins. Rafael, you're sure it won't be a problem for the others to meet up with you in three days time? If Vin's condition is as bad as Nathan says, it'll be that long before we can move him." Rafael nodded, his dark eyes filled with quiet determination.
"They will be there, Janet ... you see to your patient, and we will watch over you," the man replied. Dr. Frasier just smiled and went back to the infirmary to finish gathering the supplies she would need to save the life of Jessica's son. Jessica sat down. Vin could die. That was something which never occurred to her while she was walking around the SGC, listening to the stories of her son's missions.
Vin could die. Her son was still so young ... only twenty-seven. He deserved to live. He deserved to love, to let himself love that Wilmington girl, if he wanted to love her. If he felt that strongly about her. Without realizing she was doing it, Jessica rose to her feet once more and followed Dr. Frasier to the infirmary. She didn't know what she was doing, but every time she tried to tell her feet to stop, the message from her brain was ignored.
She startled Dr. Frasier when she said very softly, "You said that Carly would be the best possible match, since they're siblings, since they're twins." The young doctor spun around, raising something in her hand. Jessica made a mental note to not frighten this woman again ... and if she did, to make sure she was standing a good distance away. After a moment, the doctor nodded, and Jessica continued, "What about other siblings?"
What are you doing?!?!?! But despite the refrain in her head, Jessica couldn't stop now. Dr. Frasier asked, "Does Vin have other siblings? Full siblings work best, but half-siblings have been known to work as well, if they have the same blood type. And I already know that Vin and Carly have the same blood type. That's the thing ... at the moment, I don't think we're looking at any organ transplants."
Jessica swallowed hard, knowing she was about to commit to something potentially ugly. But she loved her son. She couldn't take care of him ... wasn't enough of a woman to take care of all of her children. But she did love Vin, and if what she was about to tell Janet Frasier could make a difference in saving him ... well, it was like Josie was always saying. She was forty-three years old. It was time she started dealing with the consequences of her actions and her words.
"Vin has two other siblings ... a full sibling, a younger sister. Elizabeth. She's nineteen. My sister Josie has been raising her. I don't know if she knows the truth, probably. Josie probably told her when she was about fourteen or fifteen. Carly doesn't know Lizzie is her sister. I went away for a few months, when I started to show, and before Lizzie was born," Jessica replied. Dr. Frasier nodded, and Jessica steeled herself for what came next. She said, "He also has a half-sibling. A brother. Colonel Christopher Larabee, commander of SG-7."