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.
Teal'c looked like he had gone about ten rounds with Mike Tyson as he approached the group waiting outside the field hospital. Which was really funny, considering he had gone to Adriana's tent to retrieve her dog. The usually mild-mannered puppy was now in Teal'c arms, looking unhappy as only a dog could. And Jack just couldn't help himself. It was so unfunny ... one of his closest friends was fighting for his very life, they had been surprised by an attack from the rear ... the same rear which Jack and Teal'c had been watching. No, sir, it wasn't funny at all.
However, he couldn't resist teasing Teal'c, "Have a hard time with the little lady, big guy?" Teal'c merely looked at him, with that patented First Prime Look, the one that was just as scary as the Larabee glare ... to most people, at least. It had no effect on Janet Frasier, Vin Tanner, Jack O'Neill, or Adriana Wilmington. Or, for that matter, on her dog. At least, that was how it looked to Jack.
"She did not want to come with me. And when I picked her up ... " Teal'c began. He looked himself over with an expression of distaste, and added, "She was most displeased." That was the mother of all understatements. Despite his own displeasure, Teal'c was very gentle when he placed Mindy on the ground. She slunk over to Mary Travis, who had joined SG-7 outside the field hospital, along with her son and the Richmonds.
Mary and Charlotte soothed the puppy, who continued to eye Teal'c warily. The former First Prime returned the look, then asked, "There has been no news on Vin Tanner?" Jack shook his head. Adriana had gone in a few minutes earlier, to reassure Vin that she was all right. Nathan's idea. Vin was still unconscious, but it wouldn't hurt him to know that she and the kid hadn't been hurt. The dark eyes narrowed and Teal'c spat, "And what of that shovah, O'Shea?" Oooh, this was bad. This was very bad.
Mary Travis, however, answered him. She said quietly, "He's being ... detained. At least until we know more about Vin's condition. Chris thinks, and I agree, that the more information we have, the better position we're in ... and the better able we are to threaten O'Shea. I heard that it should only take Daniel a few hours to get back here with Janet? True, that's less time than it took all of us to get here, but is it time that Vin has?"
"I hope so. I tried to minimize the possibility that he would go into shock, and done everything I could without actually operating on him," Nathan explained. Mary nodded, tightening her arm around her son. Nathan continued, "Josiah is still inside, with him and Adriana. There's a lot that she needs to tell him, even after she tells him that she and JD are both fine." Jack looked at the medic questioningly.
"She's had an hour with him ... Chris, why don't you go back in and sit with them? Vin needs you to be there, too," Mary said quietly. Chris raised his eyes, looking more than a little doubtful, and the captain continued, "I won't lie to you, Chris, I know you hurt him badly. But if you think he can't hear you ... I think you're wrong. He'll hear you. Just like he's hearing Adriana now." The blond colonel took several moments to think this through.
"Can you boys handle what ... can you handle things while I'm in there?" he asked hoarsely as he pulled himself to his feet. Jack knew what he was asking. He wasn't questioning the competency of his men. He was asking if they would give him this time with his best friend. He received several thumbs' up signs and nods. Chris nodded to his men, his eyes meeting Mary's once more. And then he smiled.
Although, that reminded Jack. He approached the other man and said, "You and I have unfinished business, old friend." He decked Chris in one swift motion, ignoring the gasps and yells from the other members of SG-7. Jack glowered down at the stunned man, saying, "I swore Vin got first dibs when we figured out that you were drawing the traitor into the open ... and that if for some reason, he couldn't deck you, I would. Well, he can't ... so that was for Vin."
Nathan was already helping up Chris, who was massaging his jaw. The blond man said, "Since that was for Vin, I guess I can't take a swing at you. I imagine I can leave that for Dickie O'Shea, though." Jack smirked and reached over to shake Larabee's hand. The other colonel added, "But if you ever pull that again, Jack ... you won't get so lucky." The effectiveness of that threat was spoiled when Chris winked at him.
The colonel disappeared into the field hospital, and there were several moments of held breath, as those waiting outside waited for the sound of incoherent screams of rage, things being thrown, or Josiah trying to calm someone down. Those sounds didn't come, so Jack and the others began to relax. The SG-1 colonel looked around. The scientists had chosen two guards for the prison shed, and the two current guards looked grim.
The other civilians had shooed Mary and Charlotte away from the mess tent, telling them to rest. The men had been taking care of them for the last few days, it was their turn to take care of the SG teams.
And looking at those two ladies now, it was hard for Jack to pinpoint which of them looked more exhausted. Probably Charlotte, since Jack had heard how she tore a strip out of Larabee's hide earlier. Then she and Mary had tackled Dickie O'Shea when he tried to get away. Although, Mary had found it necessary to physically restrain Charlotte, who had tried to beat the living shit out of O'Shea. On the other hand, Will Richmond had taken care of that.
The head archaeologist looked at Buck Wilmington now and asked, "Since this seems to be a time of account-settling, did you want to take a swing at me?" The major lifted his head, and Will continued, "Since I did that to your teammate ... thought you might want to repay the favor. Like Colonel O'Neill said, Vin can't do it." There was a brief flash of rage in the dark blue eyes, then Buck shrugged.
"It ain't gonna make a damn bit a' difference ... won't make me feel any better. And I really don't care about making you feel better," came the major's response. The only thing any of them cared about right now was Vin living. And as silence fell once more, Mindy seemed to sense that something was terribly wrong. She lightly licked at Charlotte's hand, then tilted up her head to lick her face. The scientist began struggling with her tears once more, and Jack had to look away. Hurry up, space monkey, he thought, hurry it up!
"You, Janet Frasier, are a very devious woman," Dr. Daniel Jackson said as he, Janet, and Carly Tucker sped back to the camp site. They had figured it would take Daniel at least two hours to return to the Gate. It had taken him half an hour. True, he had encountered some resistance, but he had simply run them down. Driven right through them. He didn't have time to waste with random Jaffa. A friend's life was in the balance, and Daniel had no intention of letting Vin down.
Once he had gotten back to the SGC, he found things even more chaotic than the mess he had just left, and Daniel didn't think that was possible. Maude Standish had arrived for a visit, bringing three women with her ... the rightful top biologist for the expedition, Dr. Caroline Tucker; Carly's aunt Josephine, a lady with mysterious ties to the SGC. So mysterious, both General Travis and General Hammond refused to discuss it.
And then there was Jessica Tanner Tucker, Carly's mother. Or was she her aunt? Daniel couldn't quite get that straightened out in his mind, as she had said that she was Carly's mother once, and her aunt another time. Whatever she was to Carly, it seemed that she was in league with their traitor. Which was why a civilian with no clearance was inside a highly, highly, highly classified military installation.
It seemed like the mother of everyone's favorite negotiator had become suspicious after Dr. Tucker's car was sabotaged. Josie Tanner, who seemed to be a friend of the senator's, called the other woman, asking for her input. She gave Maude Standish the facts. Her sister and her niece had two arguments ... one, just before Dr. Tucker left Illinois. That argument had resulted in Dr. Tucker heading first to Texas, to see her aunt and recover her equilibrium.
A second confrontation came about when Jessica Tucker followed the scientist from Illinois to Texas, a confrontation about family secrets. It was at this time that Daniel learned that Carly Tucker was Vin Tanner's twin sister, and she had planned to tell him of that fact when she reached Colorado. However, her car was sabotaged while in the garage. She had asked the mechanics to make sure it would be all right, since she had a long road ahead of her.
The sabotage was intended to prevent her from going anywhere ... not to hurt her. Josie Tanner found that suspicious. She found it equally suspicious, that the car broke down on the highway, only two days after a blowout argument between her niece and her younger sister. She wasn't the only one. Maude Standish had flown down to Texas, seeking answers. She got them. As she and Josie had feared, a blonde woman in her early forties, a woman matching Jessica Tucker's description, had visited the garage where Carly Tucker's car had initially been examined. She had given the mechanic a thousand dollars, to make sure her daughter never reached Colorado.
Upon receiving this information, Maude immediately contacted the generals in the SGC and informed them. They would arrange for Jessica to be given proper authorization to enter the compound, but they wanted to talk to her. In Cheyenne Mountain. It had been the contention of Orrin Travis that when she realized what she had done, and to whom she had done it, she would tell them who the traitor was. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way.
However, they did get one thing out of her ... and that was why Janet Frasier was such a devious woman. As a biologist, Carly knew her brother didn't need her blood. He didn't have a rare blood type, and at the moment, they didn't think he would need a tissue match, or an organ transplant. But as a sister, Carly wanted to do something for her twin. That was why Janet had agreed to let her give blood.
That, however, was not something which Jessica Tucker knew ... and Janet had been able to get other information from her. It wasn't a matter of national security, or even planetary security, but it was information that Janet needed as Vin's primary physician. Daniel was just glad he hadn't been there when Carly learned what Janet had ... that Vin had two other siblings. He had a feeling Carly's reaction had been rather ... vehement. There was also a younger sister, Elizabeth, who had been raised by Josie Tanner. And a half-brother, an older half-brother. Colonel Christopher Larabee.
The revelation about Chris and Vin sharing a father had almost knocked Daniel on his ass. He repeated now, "You are a truly devious woman, Janet. Did you have any idea that Colonel Larabee and Vin had the same father?" Janet shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at the silent woman in the back of the jeep. Carly hadn't spoken once since they had left ... it seemed as if every fiber of her being was focused solely on her brother.
"Not a clue ... and if it makes you feel any better, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out. Sure, they can communicate without words, I've seen them do it. But, so do Mary and Adriana, and those two are absolutely no relation. I just never thought that they would be blood relatives, much less brothers. And Carly ... I honestly thought she would choke Jessica to death when she overheard. If Josie hadn't grabbed for her ... " Janet replied.
"It could have gotten ugly. And we know how Buck hates ugly," Daniel observed. He shook his head, adding, "It's ugly enough at the site. Especially if Will Richmond is still being an ass." He shook his head, thinking about the mess he had left behind. As soon as the words were out of Nathan's mouth, about not being able to do this alone, Daniel had been running for a jeep. There was no time for debating, only for doing.
"I'm not making excuses for the man, but you don't know how far I would go for Cassie," Janet told him, and Daniel nodded. That was true. Janet added, "On the other hand, after meeting his daughter, it's hard to believe that he has raised such a sweet little girl. She's spent the last few days with me in the infirmary. Very curious little girl. It almost broke my heart, when I told her that she couldn't see her mommy and daddy just yet."
Tansy Richmond wasn't in their jeep, but in the jeep that followed them by a few hours. Colonel Martinez had volunteered to take the little girl to her parents. It was a good choice. Rafael was a patient man ... he could even listen to JD Dunne rattling on without even looking like he wanted to stuff a gag in the kid's mouth. JD had gotten better in the last few years, but he still got on Daniel's nerves.
And for her part, Tansy was fascinated with the Latino colonel. She asked him question after question, even before they went through the Stargate. Daniel smirked, remembering how she had reacted to that! There were times when he ... no. No, he wouldn't think about that. He and Janet had walked through the Stargate together, with Tansy between them, and Carly Tucker trailing behind them.
They waited the two minutes it took for Martinez to get through the Gate with his men and their jeep, then Tansy was turned over to them, and the trio of adults were headed for the camp site. By now, Daniel had been gone about two hours, and he hoped Vin was still alive. He knew that internal bleeding was iffy ... some people could hold on for longer than others. Nathan was a good man, he would have kept Vin from going into shock, and that would buy them some time. But Daniel was still worried.
Carly Tucker spoke for the first time, saying hoarsely, "If my brother dies, I want first crack at Dickie O'Shea. Richmond isn't my problem ... I'll let his wife deal with him. But O'Shea is mine." Daniel grimaced. See, the trouble was, once Chris Larabee knew that his best friend and second in command was his little brother, that wouldn't happen. Carly would never have a chance at O'Shea, because Larabee would tear him apart, limb by limb.
"You may want to take a number ... O'Shea has already been damaged, although he can wait for care, Janet," Daniel replied. He found himself on the receiving end of two stares. Daniel elaborated, "Well, as I said, when the Jaffa ignited the plastique, and the ridge exploded, that's when Vin was hurt. The Jaffa was in the process ... well, it was obvious that he intended to kill Vin. However, Adriana put her two cents in, and when I left, she was doing a rather good imitation of barbecuing him. Anyhow, O'Shea started to take off, and met with resistance. Mary Travis went high, Charlotte Richmond went low, and O'Shea went down."
He glanced back at Carly as he finished the sentence, and was rewarded with a malevolent smile. Oh shit. Something told him that this gal would be a helluva lot more dangerous than her twin brother. Carly said softly, "Remind me to thank Captain Travis and Charlotte when we get there ... and when will we get there?" They were about another mile out. Hang on Vin, Daniel thought, just a little longer!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have a vague memory of singing the song in this section ... butit was in Sunday school twenty years ago, and I don't remember the name of it. I call it Angels Watchin' Over Me in my head, but I couldn't say what the official title is.
She didn't know how long she sat there in the dark. When Nathan and the others had urged her to go to Vin, she hadn't hesitated. That was the easy part. Taking his hand, telling him that she and JD were fine, they hadn't been hurt, that was easy. What came next was hard. And so, because she couldn't find the words, Adriana Wilmington just sat beside Vin's cot on the cold floor, holding his hand tightly between her own hands.
She was aware of Josiah watching her ... never speaking. Never judging her. Just ... watching over her. Watching over Vin. Their own guardian angel. She sang softly, "All night, all day, angels watchin' over me, my Lord ... all night, all day, angels watching over me." Where did that come from? She could vaguely remember someone singing that to her, many years ago, but she couldn't remember who.
And it didn't matter to her, not right now, because as soon as she opened her mouth, the dam burst. She whispered, "They told me that I have a lot to say to you, and they're right. I just don't know where to start. You may be unconscious, but I know you, Vin. You're hearing every word I say, and I know you're thinking I should start at the beginning. If only I could. I can't even figure out where the beginning is, what it is."
She paused, taking several breaths. She rested her forehead against their entwined fingers, murmuring, "I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life, Vin ... when I saw that ridge explode, and you ... just falling down. I don't think I was even that scared when Carly found you that morning, after Boudreau and his boys worked you over. I guess, in part, because I didn't know you as well as I do now ... and because a beating is a helluva different from being tossed off a hill, like you were today."
Adriana closed her eyes as the image flashed through her brain again. She had taken up a defender's position behind the jeep with Charlotte, Mary, and JD. Billy was to her left, as she took shots with her pistol around the front of the jeep. There had been a small explosion, which distracted her from the firefight. And who had set off that explosion? It had been away from the civilians, so she didn't think it was the Jaffa ... was it one of the civilians?
In any event, Adriana's attention had been drawn to her six ... where she found a Jaffa, standing side-by-side with Dickie O'Shea. There's the proof you were looking for, Chris, she had thought, the solid proof you want. And then all rational thought was driven from her mind as she focused on the direction of the staff weapon. Up the ridge. Toward Vin. What the hell was he trying to do, he couldn't hit Vin from this angle and distance!
Except ... he fired well below Vin's position ... and a shattering explosion shook the very earth. The plastique which she and JD had discovered missing from the tool shed had been placed along the ridge while everyone else had been looking for Katie Whitman. When Adriana raised her head again, it was to find Vin flying down the hill, a blur of brown and tan. She screamed, "No!!!!" as his body hit the ground with a force that made her cringe, even as she screamed.
She barely registered JD screaming with her ... barely registered getting to her feet and moving from cover to cover. The only thing she knew was Vin was down. He had been hurt, and an all-consuming fury swamped over her. She was burning up and freezing cold at the same time. She numbly heard Teal'c call her name and something made her look up, something made her catch the staff weapon which he had tossed to her. Instinct, maybe? She didn't know.
She just knew that she had to kill that Jaffa. Even before he pointed his staff weapon at Vin's unmoving body, even before Dickie O'Shea started running away, she knew that the Jaffa had to die. She made that her focus, her entire purpose for drawing breath in those moments. He would die slowly, and painfully. He would know who killed him ... he would see it coming. He would know he was dead before he drew his last breath.
She made good on that promise, firing blast after blast into the Jaffa, until he was no longer recognizable as humanoid. Until he was a charred thing. She had been known to tease Buck about his Hyper-Luxan Rage, but she had a rage all her own. She had killed that Jaffa quite deliberately ... not blindly, but purposefully. Calculatingly, making sure he was in terrible pain as he died. And it was still over too quick.
She said now, "You wouldn't have recognized me out there, Vin. I don't recognize myself, even now. I always knew about the rage within me, the rage I've been trying for so long to submerge. I became a cold-blooded killer, Vin, but I expended some of the rage I've been feeling the last few days. I used it on that Jaffa, because he tried to kill you. It's not the first time I've killed. Not even the first time I've killed a Jaffa. But it is the first time I've killed for revenge. Yes, the first few shots were to keep him from hurting you again ... but after that, it was only about revenge. For hurting you, for trying to kill you. For everything we've been through in the last few days, because of Dickie O'Shea." Because of Will ... because of Chris. Because everything seemed to be falling apart, and neither of us knew what to do.
She removed one hand to gently stroke his hair. She whispered, "I remember when you told me that I was one of the few people who could get away with doing this. Because Chris knew better, knew you would break his hand if he ever did it. And you're right, he does know that. That's why he leaves it to me. He says he's been tempted a few times, when you've been hurt so badly. But he left you with your pride."
She paused again, then pulled her hand back from his hair. Adriana said, "Maybe it's because he understands what an intimate gesture that is. Stroking someone's hair. The kind of gesture you show to someone who is your child ... or ... your lover." The moment of truth had come. The time for hiding, the time for running, was over. She had realized that, as soon as the ridge exploded. Damn Dickie O'Shea.
She repeated, "Lovers. You know, we always used to say that we were more than friends, and not quite lovers. We told people that we weren't a couple. That I wasn't your girl, your woman, your lady, and that you weren't my man. I wonder ... were you lying? I know I was. I couldn't admit to myself that I was lying, because I was too damn afraid. Of losing you, whether to my father's perverse desire to keep me as his possession, or by driving you away.
"See, my father swore to destroy anyone who tried to take me from him. I belonged to him, you see. And I was so afraid that ... agh. Dammit, why is this so hard! I never admitted to myself, much less anyone else, how I really feel about you, because I wanted to protect you! And I wanted to protect myself, because I was afraid you would reject me." There were footsteps behind her, but Adriana ignored them. Josiah wouldn't let anyone hurt either of them. And if they had tried to hurt Josiah, the 'thump' his body would have made would warn her.
Adriana took a deep breath, resting her free hand on his chest, and whispered, "I was afraid you would reject me when I finally told you ... told you that I love you." There. The words were said. But there was more she still had to say. The words tumbled out of her as she repeated, "I love you, Vin. I love you, and I don't want to lose you. If you don't love me, that's fine, I understand. It's okay if you don't love me."
By now, tears were running down her face unchecked. A familiar voice, just past her shoulder, whispered, "He does love you, little princess. He may not have figured it out yet, but he does love you." Chris slipped his arms around her from behind, and because he had warned her that he was there, Adriana was prepared for the contact. She tried to find the anger of the last few days, for not trusting them, and found only emptiness. She was so ... very ... tired.
Chris rocked her from side to side, just as JD had in the shed, and whispered, "I saw his expression, when he realized that you never had the chance to tell me about Will's confession. When he threatened to skin O'Shea alive if he had hurt you ... I knew. Love knows love, little princess, and I know how I would have felt if someone had done that to Sarah. When I looked at Vin, I saw that reflected back at me. He loves you, Adriana."
"Don't suppose you would mind if I had an easier time believing him if he says it?" Adriana asked hoarsely. She fully expected him to walk out in a huff.
Much to her surprise, however, she felt Chris shaking with laughter as he murmured, "No, not at all." Some of the wounds caused during the last few days began to heal, then, with his arms around her. Some, not all. Just enough for her to start forgiving him for hurting her, and hurting Vin. Especially after he reached out and covered Adriana and Vin's hands with his own, murmuring, "I'm sorry, kid, I should have trusted you. I never lost faith in you ... I knew you weren't chasing Charlotte ... but I should have trusted you with the truth."
Adriana tried to tell Chris that he was right ... he should have trusted Vin. But the emptiness had grown into a great abyss, and she knew that if she opened her mouth, she would fall into it. And she couldn't do that. She had to keep it together ... she had to be strong for Vin. They didn't know how long his recovery time would be. And she refused to even acknowledge the possibility that he wouldn't make it. Because if she did that, it would be just as bad as giving up on him. And she wouldn't do that. She would never do that.
Chris continued, "There's ... hell, I don't even know where to start. Did you know that Charlotte Richmond chewed my ass out? You should have warned me about her, pard, the woman can tear a stripe out of a man's hide. She's got a way with words that would make both Nettie and Ezra jealous. I should have thought to ask her if she knew Nettie, and if she had learned that knack from Nettie."
Adriana found herself giggling a little. She tried to imagine Miss Nettie and Charlotte taking a strip out of someone's hide, and decided that if that happened ... if those two ever joined forces, their shared victim wouldn't stand a chance. Hell, he, or she, wouldn't have any hide left after that! And Adriana decided she didn't want to be the one who pissed both of them off at the same time. One was bad enough!
There was the sound of a car outside, and voices raised. Chris murmured, "That's Janet. Daniel's back with Janet already! C'mon, little princess ... we should let the lady work." Reluctantly, so reluctantly, Adriana allowed Chris to pull her to her feet. She kissed the back of Vin's hand, before gently placing it on the bed beside him. She had time for one last 'I love you,' before she was pulled from the field hospital. And then she had to trust in Janet.
Janet had asked Nathan, as soon as she arrived, to give her a few minutes alone with Chris. She had things to discuss with him. Carly made herself scarce, knowing what Janet was doing, and knowing that she would only get in the way. She would be nearby if she was needed. But for this first, delicate task ... it would be best if she was out of the blast zone. While Janet was talking with Chris, Nathan and Josiah would prep Vin for surgery.
She had found Chris leading Adriana from the field hospital, and Janet's blood ran cold at the sight of tears running down her friend's face. This did not look good. She gave her friend's hand a gentle squeeze, then headed into the field hospital to check on Vin's condition. He had just begun bleeding internally ... that was good. The rupture had just occurred, so the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been.
His arm had been set, and Nathan had left his ribs alone, not knowing how Janet would want to handle the surgery. The glove which had diagnosed the internal bleeding had been a little off ... they still had bugs to work out on that. Still, best to be safe than sorry. Nathan had also kept Vin from going into shock. That was good. Very good. That had probably bought her some time. She just wished that the upcoming confrontation with Chris wasn't necessary.
If it had been anyone else, she probably could have gotten away with her request, and explained later. Not Chris Larabee. She knew that. She made allowances for it, and this time, especially, since it affected him so personally. Of course, that didn't mean she wanted to be anywhere in the immediate area when he confronted his father, and/or Jessica Tucker about their respective abandoning of their son. Janet Frasier was a brave woman, but that was something that made her shudder.
By the time Janet had emerged from the field hospital with her instructions to Nathan and Josiah, Colonel Larabee had returned the still-weeping Adriana to her brother. Buck immediately began comforting his little sister, blinking back tears of his own. Mindy had left Mary and Charlotte, bounding over to her mistress. Intention being, of course, to lick away her lady's tears. Between Buck and Mindy, Adriana was in very good hands. It was telling, how worried Buck was, about his sister and Vin ... he didn't even try to flirt with Janet or Carly.
Janet led Chris to the side of the building. She had been rehearsing this speech ever since she had left the SGC, and Carly had asked her to tell Chris ... everything. But just how did you tell a man that his best friend and second in command was his younger brother, the product of a one-night stand between his middle-aged father and a sixteen year old girl? Hell, they didn't even know how this would affect Vin's official standing in SG-7!
Chris was impatient, which she understood. He asked as she began pacing, "What's this all about, Janet, shouldn't you be in there with Vin?" Janet nodded, more to placate Chris than to actually agree with him. Yes, they had to move quickly, but Janet wanted this out in the open, before she operated, so she didn't have to explain it to Chris in the middle of the surgery. She still didn't think they would need tissue samples, but she wanted Chris to know the truth, in case she was wrong. And now that the moment was at hand, everything had flown right out of her head. Naturally.
"Colonel, please ... before I operate, I need to explain some things to you. And I have no idea how to tell you this. It's bad enough that I have to tell Vin when he wakes up that he has a twin sister, who is probably getting her ass reamed by Adriana as we speak," Janet retorted. That was something else Janet and Carly had agreed upon ... while Janet was talking with Chris, Carly would explain to Adriana about ... everything.
Chris was mouthing 'twin sister,' when Janet finally dropped the second bombshell on him. It was certainly not the most graceful revelation she had ever made, but it was the best she could do. She told him, "There is a possibility I will need to ask for your tissue, and possibly your blood. Not very likely. I know that you have the same blood type as Vin, but I think Carly will be able to handle it. If not, I need you to be ready to donate blood to Vin."
"Of course ... Janet, whatever you need to do to save Vin's life, do it! I'll do whatever I can, we all will! I just ... I thought tissue matches were needed for family members ... why would you need to match my tissue with Vin's?" Chris asked with a frown. Janet took a deep breath and closed her eyes, drawing upon that strength which allowed her to give family members bad news. Except, this time, the bad news was of a different sort.
"Because, Colonel," Janet said as gently as she could, "Vin is your half-brother." Chris stared at her. His eyes glazed over, and his mouth formed the word, 'no.' He shook his head in denial, in disbelief. Janet knew better ... knew it wasn't because he didn't want Vin to be his brother. He was in shock, and she wished she had time to be gentle with him. She continued, "Yes, Colonel. He was the result of a tryst between your father and a sixteen year old girl named 'Jessica Tanner,' as was his sister Carly."
Chris couldn't seem to draw breath, so Janet continued, "It was during that year when your father was ... away. He met Jessica when she was at a football game, a college football game. She and a friend had gone to the university where your father was teaching, where the friend's brother played football. Vin and Carly were born nine months later. Jessica couldn't take care of both children, so she asked her older sister Julia to take care of Vin."
"Vin is my brother," Chris wheezed, "he's my brother?" Janet nodded. Chris continued hoarsely, "Oh, God, what have I done to him? What have we done to him?" Janet released her breath ... they were running out of time, and she needed the colonel's cooperation. Now. She put her hand on the colonel's arm, forcing him to look at her. Chris blinked and whispered, "Whatever you need, Janet. Whatever you need ... my blood, any of my organs, whatever it takes ... you save my little brother. You save him."
The shell-shocked man of only a moment ago was gone ... somewhat. At least for the moment, though Janet knew that would only last so long. Chris had only put his shock aside for the moment. He had remembered that his little brother still fought for his life, and that Janet had work to do. She had no doubt that this wasn't over ... that someone would pay dearly for the lies and the secrets. But Chris had made a decision in that moment, that his brother, his critically injured brother, would not be the one to pay.
Janet nodded once, then ran inside to the field hospital, where Nathan and Josiah were just finishing up their work. They had sterilized things to the best of their abilities. Josiah asked softly, "What do you want us to do now? We've sedated him ... he's all the way under. Do you need us outside, or in here?" Janet changed quickly into sterile clothing, so she wouldn't end up infecting Vin, and flinched at the sound of Chris Larabee bellowing incoherently in rage outside the field hospital.
No, Vin wouldn't be the one paying for the mistakes of his parents, but if someone didn't get out there, pronto ... someone who was physically stronger than Chris ... then someone else might pay that price. And Janet really didn't need any more patients right now, she had to concentrate on Vin. She couldn't afford any distractions, of any kind. Not other patients ... and not Chris Larabee on a rampage.
"Josiah, outside ... I just had to give Chris some bad news, and he's not handling it well. Make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Nathan, you're with me. We're running out of time, and I shouldn't have spent so much of it with Chris, but we may need him later," Janet said tersely. Josiah nodded and left the field hospital as yet another bellow of rage exploded from Chris, along with the sound of something being knocked over. Janet looked at Nathan and said, "Let's do it."
Buck was only vaguely aware of the pretty blonde who had arrived with Janet and Daniel. He was aware that Charlotte had jumped to her feet and thrown her arms around the newcomer, and he was aware that the newcomer was pretty. But his attention was divided between his little sister and the field hospital. At least, until he heard the first scream, "GODDAMN THAT SONUVABITCH! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"
At that, both Buck and Adriana looked up. Adriana whispered, wiping away her tears, "That was Chris ... is he mad at Vin?" She frowned, looking up at Buck. The major shook his head. No ... no, he didn't think so. If anything, he would probably be mad at Richmond. His sister added, "No, that doesn't make any sense. Maybe he's talking about Dickie O'Shea. Hey, Carly ... good to see you."
Carly, the pretty blonde still hugging Charlotte Richmond ... okay, make that gorgeous blonde ... responded with a weak smile. Charlotte finally released her, and Carly dropped to her knees to take Adriana's hand ... because there wasn't any way in the world Buck was letting go of his sister. She had scared the hell out of him when she screamed ... hell, he got the shit scared out of him when he realized that she and JD were missing.
And then that scream ... which had sounded almost inhuman. Buck had looked around, in time to see Vin catapulting through the air. A millisecond after that image shattered his heart, a second soul-shattering image was burned into his brain. His little sister leaving cover to take down the Jaffa who had just tried to kill a member of their team. God, she had added ten years to his age when she had done that! He would have to have a little talk with her about it later. Like, maybe once his heart beat normally?
"I don't think it's Dickie O'Shea he's cussing out, Drina ... I think it's his father. Or maybe I should say, our father," Carly answered. Huh? Buck stared at the blonde, taking some comfort in knowing that every other pair of eyes were focused on her as well ... and each face registered the same shock Buck was now feeling. Carly continued slowly, almost painfully, "I have so much to tell you, Drina, and I don't know where to start. Don't know if you'll ever forgive me." Ohhh, this did not sound good!
Buck twisted around to look at his sister's face. DeeDee was just staring at Carly as if she had spoken in another language, one which she didn't or couldn't begin to comprehend. The biologist hung her head, then looked over at Will Richmond. Now what did that mean? Finally, Carly took a deep breath and said, "The first thing you need to know is ... Vin is my brother, Adriana. My twin brother. I've known ever since the night I met him."
Twin sister? Vin had a twin sister? And even as that penetrated Buck's mind, Carly Tucker continued, "There's more. We were the result of a ... tryst ... between a middle-aged college professor and a sixteen year old girl. The sixteen year old girl was named 'Jessica Tanner,' the youngest of three sisters. The middle-aged college professor was named 'Evan Larabee,' already the father of a thirteen year old boy, Christopher."
Whoa. Buck shook his head. He could have just sworn ... Did she say 'Evan Larabee,' or was his mind playing tricks on him? He couldn't possibly have heard that, because that would mean ... He looked at Carly, who smiled very sadly and said, "All this time, Chris Larabee thought he was an only child ... but he has a younger brother and two younger sisters. He's one of the lucky ones, though ... his little brother is already his best friend."
"Vin is ... oh my God. And that's what Janet just told Chris!" Mary breathed. Carly nodded, and Mary continued, "I still don't understand. Is Chris angry with his father for sleeping with a sixteen year old girl and cheating on his mother, or is there something else? Granted, that's reason enough to be angry, but that ... is beyond anger. What haven't you told us yet, Dr. Tucker? I'm sorry, I'm Mary Travis ... it's nice to finally meet you."
Carly Tucker smiled weakly and replied, "Nice to meet you, Captain Travis, I've heard a lot about you from Adriana's letters. And you're right ... there's a lot more you don't know. You see, our mother decided, quite rightly, that she couldn't take care of two children. She asked her eldest sister, Julia, to take care of Vin, while I remained with her. She likes to say that she raised me, but the truth is, my ... our ... grandparents did that.
"Aunt Julia died when we were five. At the time, the middle sister, our Aunt Josie, was in Southeast Asia, in the military. She couldn't justify putting a child in that kind of danger, so Aunt Julia returned to our mother to take care of Vin. Mother agreed. Except ... when Aunt Julia finally lost her battle with her illness, Mother didn't go to Texas for Vin. She never went for him. And by the time Aunt Josie returned from Southeast Asia ... Vin had disappeared."
There was a stunned silence, then Charlotte Richmond asked hoarsely, "You're telling me that your mother abandoned her five year old son, after agreeing to take care of him? Why??"
That was what Buck was wondering. He didn't dare look at his sister's face. He didn't think he wanted to know what was going on inside her head. Carly Tucker wiped away her tears, and answered, "The short answer is, she was too irresponsible to keep her promise. She will give you a multitude of excuses ... she thought my grandmother was dying, our father had said he would take Vin. But the simple fact is, she was still a child. She didn't think it was fair that she should have to take care of Vin, when she was already supposed to be taking care of me."
She bowed her head, then raised it once more, adding, "She's still not responsible enough. Vin and I have a younger sister, Elizabeth. Until today, I thought she was my cousin, because my aunt Josie has raised her. My mother couldn't take care of another child, so she gave Lizzie to my aunt. Lizzie's in college now ... she's nineteen. And unlike Vin and me, she knew that we were her brother and sister."
"But ... you were eight when your sister was born?" Mary asked slowly. She was trying to figure it out. Trying to make sense of it. The trouble was, there was nothing ... there was no way she could make sense out of this. Mary continued, "I understand that your mother was only sixteen when you were born, and that's a terrible responsibility for someone so young. And even at twenty-one, it's not easy. But you're saying that ... your mother was what, twenty-four when your sister was born? And she still couldn't raise two children?"
"Captain Travis, my mother couldn't raise one child. She says she raised me, but the fact is, she was more of an aunt or older sister to me, than a mother. My true parents, while I was growing up, were Paris and Clarice Tanner. They taught me right from wrong, good from evil. Just as Aunt Julia taught Vin, just as Aunt Josie taught Lizzie," Carly replied hoarsely. She dropped her head again, sighing, "At least she could recognize that she wasn't responsible enough or mature enough ... at least she had the sense to give up Vin and Lizzie."
"That brings another point to the discussion," Ezra observed, "you said that your mother used the excuse that she believed your father, Professor Larabee, would take Vin after the death of his mother ... and yes, I do consider Julia Tanner to be Vin's mother, regardless of who gave birth to him. Did she truly believe this, or did she make herself believe this? In your opinion, since you cannot know her mind."
Carly lifted her head and smiled at him wearily, saying, "You would have to be Ezra. Adriana's told me a lot about you, too. And the answer is, Mother made herself believe that. Professor Larabee told her that it was impossible for him to open up his home to Vin. He had finally gotten his marriage straightened out, and he didn't want to endanger it. He couldn't understand why Vin was living with Aunt Julia in the first place."
"My God," Daniel whispered, shaking his head. Yeah, Buck thought, that pretty well sums it up. He was willing to bet that Chris didn't know most of this. All he knew right now was that Vin was his brother ... and they had heard little pieces of his childhood. It had to be killing Chris ... knowing now that he had a little brother, a little brother who had endured nearly fifteen years of hell before finally finding a family. A family which included his twin sister, though he hadn't known it, and Buck's own sister.
"You should go to Chris, Buck," Adriana said in a voice made raspy from crying. Her fingers moved lightly through Mindy's coat. It was the first time she had spoken since she and Chris had come out of the field hospital. Buck looked down at his sister. He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave her right now ... hell, in the mood Chris was in, he wasn't sure if he wanted to leave his sister and deal with a Larabee rampage.
But Adriana twisted in his arms, looking into his eyes and adding in that raspy voice, "He needs you, Bucklin. His little brother is in there ... Chris has to be feeling guilty about the last few days. You're the best person for the job. I'll be fine." She tilted her head back toward Carly, adding softly, "I have unfinished business of my own to attend to." Carly lowered her eyes, evidently knowing what was coming.
"You sure, baby girl?" Buck asked, and Adriana nodded with a faint smile. Hell, if he was honest with himself, he would admit that he did want to check on Chris. The incoherent screams of rage had grown muted during the last few minutes. Yes, Josiah had left the field hospital several moments earlier, but when all was said and done, Buck had the most experience at diffusing a Larabee rant. Buck kissed the top of his sister's head, whispering, "Try to leave her with some hide, baby girl. She only just found out she's a Larabee, after all."
His sister moved, enough to let Buck up, and she squeezed his hand. But as Buck walked back to the area behind the field hospital, he had to wonder. How would he have felt, if he had suddenly found out after twenty-seven years that he had a younger sister, a young woman who had already become dear to him? A sister who was the result of a brief fling between a middle-aged man trying to find himself and a teenaged girl? And how would he have felt, if that sister's very life hung in the balance? Buck had to admit ... he would have been on a rampage, too.