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.
Vin Tanner isn't the man you think he is. No fucking shit, Dad ... he's my little brother! And instead of you just telling me outright, that I have a younger brother, that the man who has been my best friend for the last three years, is that younger brother, you decide to play Mr. Secret Agent! Chris Larabee paced back and forth behind the field hospital, where the battle to save that brother's life was now being waged.
And he was angry. Oh, he was so angry. He was angry with himself, for being such an ass during the last few days. He was angry with his father, for writing that cryptic letter. Vin Tanner isn't the man you think he is. No, Dad. He's more. He's my best friend, my little brother, he's more of a man than you could ever hope to be. Even at sixteen, when he first became a bounty hunter, he was more of a man.
Chris lashed out, kicking at any inanimate object he could. Rage surged through him, rage he hadn't felt in six years. And he welcomed the rage. He was angry with Dickie O'Shea, for setting everything in motion ... with Will Richmond, for not trusting them with the truth. With Vin, for being up on that damn ridge in the first place. For getting his fool self hurt, for being the protector he was.
But blaming Vin for being what he was, whom he was, wasn't an option. So the circle of blame started once more, with himself for lashing out at Vin, when he knew damn good and well Vin hadn't been chasing Charlotte Richmond. His father, for abandoning that five year old boy. Because the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Jessica Tanner tried to contact his father when she realized her sister was dying. After all, if she was incapable of taking care of two children when she was sixteen, why would she think she was any more capable at twenty-one? And why shouldn't the father of that child know?
No, his father had known. And he had abandoned that little boy, left him to disappear amongst so many other children. Where was the justice? Where was the justice, that Chris had lost his treasured child, and his father had just given away his own son? That was what Chris couldn't accept. Why had he, who had loved his son so very much, lost that little boy, and his father had simply ... let go of his? Why hadn't he fought for Vin, the way Chris would have? And Chris would have fought for both Adam and Vin.
It was ironic, really. Adam had died when he was five years old, and in a sense, so had Vin. His friend ... no. Not his friend ... his brother ... had told him a little of what he had been like before Julia Tanner had died. A sweet, mischievous, loving little boy ... not so different from Adam. Uncle and nephew, two losses separated by more than fifteen years. The nephew had lost his life, while the uncle had lost everyone in his life.
One final scream ripped free, and Chris fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Three years flashed through his mind in a heartbeat, and Chris whispered, "Oh, God, little brother. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He bowed his head, feeling tears roll down his cheeks. His brother. He had a little brother, his little brother was Vin. And no matter how many times he said it, Chris couldn't quite grasp it. Not because he didn't want to ... well, he didn't, but not because he didn't want Vin to be his brother. He didn't want to grasp that his father had abandoned yet another child.
"I know how much it hurts, stud," a soft voice said. Chris almost fell over in his haste to get to his feet. As it was, he did fall on his ass, and found himself looking up at Buck. The big man was shaking his head, his dark blue eyes blazing with fury. Buck? Was angry? Why? Didn't matter. Chris wanted to be alone. He opened his mouth, to tell Buck just that ... to go away and leave him alone, but found he could hardly breathe.
Buck continued, "I imagine you're thinking that I got no idea how you feel. Well, you'd be right. See, Miss Carly ... your little sister ... has been telling us about your old man and Jessica Tanner. And if you're thinking that your old man abandoned that boy, you'd be right. He said he couldn't do that to Pegeen. They had finally gotten things worked out, by the time Julia died. Hell, no wonder that boy has such a hard time trusting ... all the times he's been abandoned."
That bastard. When Chris got his hands on his father, he would squeeze the very life out of him. If only he could find a way to pay him back for what he had done to Vin, the years Vin had been alone after his mother died. And regardless of who had given birth to Vin twenty-seven years earlier, Julia Tanner had been his mother. She had loved him, had taken care of him, been there for him, taught him. She was the only mother who counted.
"I abandoned him, too, Buck," Chris said hoarsely. Buck sat down in front of him, and Chris shook his head, saying, "First, I let that ... fool ... who sired us both psyche me out with that damn letter, and then I pretend like I lost faith in Vin. You know what he told me, Buck? My dear old dad? He told me that he knew Vin was my friend ... but that Vin isn't the man I think he is. That was his half-assed way of telling me that Vin's my brother."
"No wonder you were acting like a bear with a sore-ass ... more than usual, at least. Damn prick. Whaddaya say we chain your old man and mine together, huh? Chris, I know you don't want to hear this, but I do know how much it hurts. Hell, when I found out what that old bastard had done to DeeDee ... hell, you remember!" Buck said. Chris had been on the verge of telling Buck to mind his own damn business, until Buck had brought that up.
And he did remember. It had been strange ... all those years, Buck had spent trying to look out for him, and calm him down. And now, with the revelation that the senior Wilmington had molested his daughter for all those years ... Chris found himself taking Buck's role, to calm his friend down. He said slowly, hoarsely, "I never thought about it that way. But ... you're right. We both let them down ... each of our younger siblings."
Buck nodded, saying softly, "That's right. I let DeeDee down, just as badly as you let Vin down. The thing is, stud, we both got second chances, whether we deserve 'em or not. Hell, do you think I've stopped thinking about how close I came to losing DeeDee for good with the Magyar fiasco? Not for a single day since it happened. I had already broken her heart, and she could have died without knowing how much I love her."
He shook his head, sighing, "Chris, I know this is somethin' else you don't want to hear, but I'm gonna say it anyhow. We don't say the words, not straight out, because we don't know how. But sometimes, we gotta learn. This is one time. You gotta tell Vin how much he means to you. Plainly. Outright. 'Cause he needs to know. And I can tell ya, old friend ... the first time you say the words, it's the hardest. Even when you're sayin' it to your little sister."
"You're right, Buck, that ain't somethin' I wanted to hear, but I can't unhear it," Chris retorted. Buck laughed unexpectedly, and Chris continued, "It's so easy, tellin' Billy, or Mary, or Adriana, how much I love them. Hell, it's never been hard to say the words then. The thing is, even before today, I considered Vin to be my brother, the younger brother I wanted when I was growing up. And we never needed the words."
"Before," Buck pointed out, "he had never had his world turned upside. Stud, listen to me! When that boy wakes up, and I refuse to even think that we'll lose him. It ain't gonna happen. He's got a woman who loves him, and a pain-in-the-ass big brother."
Chris grinned at that description, even as Buck continued, "And he's got the rest of us. There's no way we're gonna let him go. But when he wakes up, he's gonna find out that the gal whom he thought was his friend for all those years, is really his twin sister. He's gonna find out that the woman who will always be his ma was his aunt, that the woman who gave birth to him abandoned him twice ... hell, he ain't gonna know which way is up."
Buck took a deep breath, then said, "He's gonna need you, Chris. He's gonna need your strength. Lord knows, Vin's one of the strongest, most capable men I've ever met. But this would rattle any man, and a man who is already injured will be even more shaky. And yeah, he'll have all of us. But he'll need you most of all, because it's like he told me once. You need your big brother. Just like DeeDee never stopped needing me."
"I don't know that I can be strong for him right away, Buck. I'm still ... so ... angry. You don't know how badly I want to hurt someone ... anyone who even looks at me funny. I want to kill my father, I want to kill that bitch who kept abandoning her little boy. I don't know that I can be strong for him ... how do I tell him, Buck? How do I tell him ... all of this?" Chris cried out, the exhaustion now being replaced by the familiar rage.
"You don't. You can barely control your rage now, you ain't gonna be able to talk about it. You let Janet, or Carly, or someone else, tell him. Now, don't give me that look, stud. I know you. You want to handle this, because you're really Vin's big brother now, and that protective instinct is kicking into overdrive. But this is one time when you need help, Chris. Let Janet or one of the ladies tell Vin ... you just make sure he knows how much you love him," Buck said quietly. Chris buried his face in his hands.
After a moment, he looked up at Buck and said hoarsely, "You know, any other circumstances, with anyone else saying that, I would have shot them." Buck grinned mischievously, and Chris said softly, "Vin's my little brother." Buck's smile faded and he nodded seriously. Vin is my little brother. Well, he couldn't do anything about his father ... but maybe it was time to deal with Dickie O'Shea.
There was several moments of silence after Buck left. The way Adriana figured it, Chris would be running out of energy by the time Buck approached him. Which meant Buck was probably safe. She looked around as she wove her fingers through Mindy's coat, and realized that Teal'c looked like hell. Then she remembered asking Teal'c to retrieve Mindy from her tent. While it was true that Mindy was starting to trust the former Jaffa, it was also true that when she was afraid, Mindy got defensive. The explosions would have frightened her.
Dumb move, Adriana, she berated herself, you should have known that Mindy would react that way! She looked up at the big man once again, apologizing, "I'm sorry, Teal'c, I really wasn't thinking clearly when I asked you to get Mindy for me from my tent. And Mindy, I'm sorry, too ... I'm not being a very good mistress for you, am I?" Her dog responded to the apology, as she always did ... by licking Adriana's face.
"There is no need for you to apologize, Dr. Wilmington ... your mind was otherwise occupied. The first kill is always the most difficult ... and the first revenge kill is even harder. However. Perhaps the next time you make such a request of me, perhaps I should remind you that Major Carter would be a far better choice?" Teal'c inquired, raising an eyebrow. Adriana nodded, blushing a little. Yeah, that would probably be for the best. She looked over at Sam, who agreed with a smile of her own.
As silence fell once more within the group, Billy said curiously, "Mom? Chris isn't mad, 'cause Vin's his little brother now, is he? I mean, you always tell me that Vin and Chris are like brothers, and now they're really brothers. Does this mean he doesn't love Vin anymore?" Adriana raised her head, smiling ever so faintly at the little boy. Trust the very young to cut right to the heart of the matter. Adriana lowered her head once more, feeling very tired.
"No, honey, Chris still loves Vin very much ... in fact, I think he loves him more. I think what's making him so angry is because Vin had to grow up alone, when he should have had his big brother taking care of him," Mary replied. Adriana smiled at her friend's reply. That was a good way of putting it. She wondered, though, if Chris had realized how lucky he was ... he already knew his brother, already loved him.
And now, Adriana wondered about her own brother. How had he felt when he found out that he had a sister? True, from what she had learned, Buck had found out about her shortly after her birth ... and Buck's mother had asked him as she was dying to find her. But Buck had never told her how he felt out when he found out he had a younger sister? Had he been happy? Upset that she wasn't a boy? Jealous? Angry? How had he felt.
"I was angry, too, Billy, when I found out that Vin was my brother. But not because he was my brother ... I was angry for the reasons your mom told you. I was angry because my mother lied to me ... our mother lied to me. And I was angry because all the time I was growing up, I never knew I had a twin brother. I was so angry. But never because Vin was my brother. I was angry, because he missed so much," Carly explained.
For the first time since the revelations, Adriana looked at her old friend. She vaguely knew she should have been angry that Carly had never told her, but she had taken so many emotional hits during the last twenty-four hours, she didn't have the energy to be angry. Billy looked over at Carly, and asked, "But how come didn't you tell him, Dr. Tucker? Didn't you want to tell Vin that he was your brother?"
"Yes, I did, Billy ... very much. But I had just met Vin, and truth be told, I was something of a coward. My mother ... our mother ... had asked me not to tell him. She wasn't ready for him to know, and I wasn't ready to tell him ... I was afraid he wasn't ready to know. So ... when I finally felt like I could tell him ... that's when he had to leave, so bad men wouldn't hurt me, or Adriana," Carly explained. Billy nodded, seeming to accept this.
But it was Charlotte who put into words what Adriana was thinking, Charlotte who said quietly, "You know, I can accept that. You were just a kid, and let's face it ... your mother wasn't exactly the most responsible person in the world. It was ultimately her responsibility to tell Vin, because she had all the answers to the questions he might have had. I just ... Adriana never knew, did she? Why didn't you ever tell her, Carly, she was your best friend!"
Surprisingly, it was Will who answered softly, "Because she was Carly's best friend. Carly didn't want to put Adriana in the same position Claire Moseley had. She knew that if she told Adriana that Vin was her brother, that secret would be almost impossible for Adriana to keep. So she kept that to herself ... carried the burden alone." Carly nodded almost imperceptibly, and with a start, Adriana realized that Will had known all along.
"I know I was wrong, Adriana ... and I'm so sorry for hurting both you and Vin. I just didn't see any other way at the time. Looking back now, I should have told you both when I had the chance. But like I said. I was young and a coward," Carly sighed.
I'm sorry. I should have done things differently. Adriana wondered if those words had been spoken at any time by Jessica Tanner. Based on what she had heard from Carly, it didn't seem likely. Strange, how the world worked. From what she had heard in the past, and was hearing now, two of the most irresponsible people in the world had a brief affair ... and produced two of the most responsible people Adriana had ever known.
Adriana's exhaustion left her with only the energy to think. There was no rage clouding her mind when she thought about Carly ... only Jessica Tanner and Evan Larabee. She thought of a nineteen year old girl, whose world had been turned upside down that night at the pizza party. She thought of that girl wrestling with the secret. Yes, it hurt that Carly never told her, but it wasn't from a lack of trust. She said softly, "We still need to talk some things out, Carly. But if it's my forgiveness you want ... you've got it."
"Dickie O'Shea, on the other hand, is another matter," Chris said, and everyone scrambled to their feet as he and Buck approached. Chris took a deep breath, and said, "I've been a bastard the last few days ... not just to Vin. I can't say I'm gonna be any easier to get along with, but ... I can apologize in advance." There were quiet murmurs. Chris went on, "We still gotta deal with Dickie O'Shea. The generals will want him in one piece, so that means Richmond and I can't be anywhere near him. Mary, Adriana, Ms. Richmond ... would you three like a shot at him?"
Twin, feral grins spread across Mary and Charlotte's faces at the offer. Mindy raised her head, sensing the change in atmosphere, and her tail started to wag. Adriana looked from the other two women to Chris and said, "I think that's a 'yes,' Christopher. What will you be doing, while we're torturing ... I mean, interrogating Dr. O'Shea?" This time, the feral grin decorated the face of her surrogate brother.
"Dr. Tucker and I will be taking care of our brother," came the reply. Adriana held his eyes a moment longer, then nodded. She rose to her feet, bringing Mindy up with her. Chris continued, "JD, Ezra, there's a room, just off the operating room, inside the field hospital. It's more of a partition with a curtain. I want you two to use that area, at least for the moment. I think the ladies might need some time to organize their plans. While they're doing that, find the jeep which has the office furniture, and assemble a rolling chair. Ezra, not a word about menial labor, I don't want to hear it."
Ezra simply nodded, though Adriana could tell he was disappointed ... he had obviously wanted a crack at Dickie O'Shea. He might still get it, she thought, if we can't sufficiently cow him. Chris continued, "While JD and Ezra are assembling the chair, Buck, I want you and Josiah setting up the main building. Get the civilians who aren't guarding O'Shea to help you. Jack, would you mind helping them as well? Teal'c?"
The two members of SG-1 made it plain that they would have no problem helping, and Daniel added, "I think Sam and I can help out, too, just tell us where you want us." Chris turned a speculative eye toward the archaeologist, and Adriana couldn't help the grin which appeared when Daniel backed off a little bit. Too late for that, Danny, she thought with an impish smirk, you've gotten yourself into it now!
"Actually, Daniel, I want you and Major Carter here. Carly and I will be inside, in case Janet needs to give Vin any of our blood. That's why Carly won't be helping Mary, Adriana, and Dr. Richmond. I want you two to stay with the other Dr. Richmond, and keep a look out for any more Gou'ald, and for Rafael. If you see anything suspicious, signal the rest of us. If I know Rafael, though, he'll signal first," Chris replied.
"Chris is right, space monkey. Although, instead of just sitting here, why don't you take a jeep and head back out of the valley? Patrol the area. That way, we have an early warning system," Jack observed. He pretended not to notice the dirty look Daniel shot him for calling him 'space monkey.' Again. Adriana exchanged a look with Carly, who was watching the exchange with a mixture of amusement and amazement.
"I think I'll do that ... coming, Sam?" Daniel asked. The major pushed herself to her feet, still grinning, and the pair headed to the jeep. As they walked, everyone could hear Daniel muttering under his breath, though no one could quite make out what he was saying. Jack simply gave them all a bright smile. For the first time since the shattering explosion which had nearly killed Vin, Adriana found herself feeling some degree of 'normal.'
"And I'll keep watch here, Colonel Larabee. No one will be allowed to hurt Vin again," Will promised. He was acting like himself again, like the sweet, if somewhat blustery, big brother she remembered from Texas. Adriana still didn't know if she could forgive him. She understood, as she told him ... he had been trying to protect his wife and child. And he hadn't meant what he said to her, hadn't meant to hurt her or Vin. But he had hurt them.
And usually, she found it easier to forgive people who hurt her. This, however, wasn't usual, there was nothing usual about this situation. Chris nodded, then looked at her. And what of Chris? Buck said quietly, "There's somethin' y'all should know. This is one time when I can do this, without worryin' about havin' a razor at my throat. Chris ... got a letter from his old man, tellin' him that Vin wasn't who Chris thought he was."
Mary understood immediately, saying, "That was his way of telling Chris that Vin is his brother? By telling him ... oh for the love of heaven!" Adriana dipped her head. She would enjoy watching the fireworks when Evan Larabee came for his children, as she knew he would. He would find himself confronted by his future daughter-in-law. It should prove to be one helluva show ... Adriana might even sell tickets. Assuming Jack hadn't done that already.
"Maybe you should sell tickets, Chris, to see who gets to ream your dad's ass first," JD suggested as he and Ezra headed off to the furniture jeep. Buck cuffed the young corporal in the back of his head, drawing a glare from JD. Adriana just winked at the young man, who saluted in return. He mouthed, give 'im hell, Drina! The archaeologist nodded, tipping an imaginary baseball cap. That got her a grin, then Ezra dragged him off.
"That's not a bad idea, come to think of it. Someone can sell tickets, and of course we've gotta have popcorn and cokes. Ezra running a betting pool, about who will lay into Larabee Sr. the worst. Personally, my bet is on Chris," Jack observed.
Chris didn't deign to honor that with a reply. Just gave Jack his customary Larabee glare, then headed into the field hospital. Not that Jack was particularly impressed or worried, of course. Truthfully, Adriana would have been worried if that Larabee glare had worried Jack. Talk about pod people taking over! Carly started to follow her eldest brother (just out of curiosity, I wonder which of the twins is older, Adriana thought)
Half way up the steps, Carly stopped. She turned and walked back down again, walking over to Adriana to envelop her in a fierce embrace. Adriana returned the hug, smiling slightly as Carly whispered, "I've missed you! And I promise, we'll talk later." Adriana nodded, and Carly hugged her one last time. But as she started to pull away, once more to follow Chris, it was Adriana's turn to surprise Carly.
She lightly kissed her friend's cheek, saying, "That's for Vin." Carly stared at her ... then a beautiful smile lit up her face. She nodded, her eyes brightening, then headed into the hospital. Adriana watched her friend go, then turned ... and found several pairs of eyes on her. She asked, more than a little irritated, "What? Haven't you ever heard of giving a friend a good luck kiss?" Smirks from both Richmonds, Mary, Jack, and even Teal'c were her response.
"Yessssss ... but everyone knows by now that you and Vin are a helluva lot more than just friends, Drina. Just because it took you eight years to admit it. We know how you really feel about him," Charlotte replied with an unholy grin. Adriana found her attempt to glare at Charlotte hampered by the blush now rising up over her body and into the roots of her hair. Aw hell, she hated it when that happened.
"That's right, kiddo ... you love Vin, and you know it. Now be a woman and admit it, to all of us lowly types," Jack added, laughing. Adriana growled at him. Again, it was singularly unconvincing, because of the way she was blushing, and Jack said as much, advising her, "Gotta work on that glare, kid. When you blush, it makes it damn hard to take that glare seriously. Chris, on the other hand, rarely blushes. If ever."
Adriana just rolled her eyes and headed off to the mess tent. Vin's life was still in danger, but now, she had hope. Janet was in there. He had a pain in the ass older brother, a stubborn twin sister, and ... her. A woman who loved him very, very much. She stopped in midstride. She had said the words before, but until now ... until now, it hadn't really felt real. She loved Vin Tanner. She had probably always loved him.
When he woke up, they would see what happened. If he didn't want her, she would live with that. But she wanted to give him that choice, a choice she had never given him before. A choice she had always been afraid to give him. But almost losing him had taught her something. She was being given a second chance ... and while Adriana had more than her share of flaws, she wasn't a stupid woman. She didn't squander second chances.
It took Mary and Charlotte only a few minutes to catch up with her. She glanced at each of them as they traded looks over her head. Then she said, drawling the words out, "You two look like you're about to ambush someone, and this time, I don't think it's Dickie O'Shea."
"Ambush, no. But we made a decision, Mary and me. We knew your attention would be on watching Vin's back through this whole mess ... so we decided that we would watch yours. Just because you've let go of watching over Vin for the moment, doesn't mean that we'll stop watching your back. We're just making sure you're all right. We can't do anything to help Vin. But we can help you," Charlotte replied.
Adriana looked at her two friends, then smiled. What had she been thinking? Vin had far more than just herself, Carly, and Chris. He had Mary, and Charlotte, the rest of the SG-7 team, as well as the entire SG-1 unit. He had everyone back at the base. Try to take Vin from them? They would see about that! Her smile broadening, Adriana told her friends, "Then let's make sure Dickie O'Shea doesn't try to hurt anyone else. Anyone got any good ideas?"
Two hours later, Josiah came for them. The main building was up and one of the rooms that would end up as a storage closet would be the interrogation room. It was small, nearly as small as the prison shed. Josiah had checked with Chris on his way to the mess tent. Janet was still operating, but both siblings were hopeful. The surgery would take another several hours, but Vin was still fighting.
JD and Ezra had placed the single chair inside that storage closet, and while Josiah was retrieving the ladies, Gerard Whitman and Will had gone to get Dickie O'Shea. He would remain in that storage closet for about twenty minutes, alone except for the guard. Bound to the chair. Will and Gerard hadn't decided yet who would remain with O'Shea as the guard. It was agreed whoever took that duty would remain absolutely silent during those twenty minutes.
In the last two hours, while they had finally received nourishment for their bodies, Mary, Charlotte, and Adriana had reached several agreements. They had agreed, first, that their whole purpose was to frighten the man into revealing everything. Dickie O'Shea had either hurt, or threatened to hurt, someone whom they loved. And in Mary's case, he had done both. Only Charlotte's quick reflexes had saved her son's life.
And he had tried to kill Vin. The last time someone had tried to kill her little brother, she had killed them herself. But Mary was a realist, and she knew she would have to get in line for that particular task this time around. However, that didn't mean she couldn't scare the living shit out of him. If anything, Chris strongly encouraged the three ladies to scare the living shit out of the traitor. They still didn't know anything about the System Lord, or why he had betrayed them. However, they did have a place to start ... Carly Tucker had come to the mess tent during a break, to give them that. His connection to her mother.
Twenty minutes after Josiah came for them, the three women made their way to the new administrative building. No one spoke until they were inside the storage room. JD was standing guard, his face solemn until he saw the trio. He pushed himself to his feet, saying, "Glad to see you ladies ... mind if I stick around to watch? I could use some entertainment. The last I heard from Buck, Vin was still hanging on."
"That's what Carly told us, Corporal Dunne, and you'd be more than welcome to stay and watch," Mary told the young man. He frowned, confused by the 'corporal,' then he saw the way O'Shea was eyeing them. He winked at her, signaling his understanding, and Mary turned back to the recalcitrant scientist. Charlotte and Adriana had taken up position on either side of the room, so they formed a triangle surrounding O'Shea.
That had been Charlotte's idea ... rather than group together, and give him one focus, they would form the triangle, giving the illusion that they were coming at him from all sides. Which wasn't really an illusion, of course. Charlotte and Adriana both nodded ... they were ready. Let the game begin! Mary turned back to the bound scientist and fired the first volley, saying, " Mr. O'Shea. At present, you stand accused of kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and we're still counting up how many counts of attempted murder. Do you have anything to say for yourself, before we turn you over to Colonel Larabee?"
"A military court-martial, is it? Ye stupid bitch, ye can't do anythin' to me! I'm a civilian, yer military laws hold no sway over me!" O'Shea spat. JD started forward, his eyes hardening, but Mary shook her head. No, she had control over the situation. Mary turned her attention back to the civilian. She stared at him for several moments, not saying a word. Then she smiled very, very coldly.
O'Shea looked at her, the barest hint of fear appearing for the first time. Mary tapped her foot once against the floor, and Charlotte took up where the captain had left off. She pushed off the wall and approached the man who had threatened her child. Mary slipped back, watching in silence, and Charlotte said, "You're under the misconception that civilian rules pertain here. In case you hadn't noticed, we're on another planet, clear across the universe, and you don't have access to the Stargate. We could kill you, and no one would ever be the wiser for it. The generals, they might be a little suspicious, but really ... who's gonna miss you?"
As Charlotte put her hands on the arms of the chair and leaned forward, until she was practically nose to nose with O'Shea, Mary glanced down ... his legs were secured as well. She looked back at JD, who just smirked and tipped his hat. Charlotte breathed, "Personally, I think we would be doing the world a public service if we just killed you. You almost killed me, Billy Travis, and Vin Tanner. You threatened to kill my daughter and Katie Whitman. Adriana, do you remember in Texas, the second time we worked with Vin on a search and rescue?"
Second time? Mary exchanged a confused look with JD, who looked as lost as she felt. Adriana, who had been studying her fingernails closely, answered absently, "The one where that little girl was kidnapped? Yup, I remember. I was just thinking about that, actually. Trying to remember how long it took me to get the blood out from under my fingernails."
Blood? Fingernails? What was she talking about??? Charlotte turned her head, ever so slightly, keeping one eye on Dickie O'Shea, and winked at Mary. Then she turned her attention back to O'Shea, observing, "I think it was something like three or four days. I know it took me forever to get the bloodstains out of my jeans. I was kinda hoping you paid attention to what Vin did to that guy, to get him talking."
"Why ... you want me to do the same thing to this pile of manure? I suppose I could. JD, you may want to wait outside, this is likely to get ugly. And I don't want any of the children walking in and finding us doing what has to be done. I'm not as worried about Chris or Jack, but I don't want to have to pay for Billy or Katie's psychiatrist bills," Adriana replied in that same bored tone of voice.
She looked up and regarded O'Shea thoughtfully, saying, "You know, while you're out, you may want to ask Nathan if we can borrow a spare knife ... knives always work so much better than knitting needles. I know, Charlotte, we did the best we could with what we had, but I can't help thinking there wouldn't have been quite so much blood if we had used a knife. Will had the only knife ... Vin's ... at that turd's throat."
"You know, I hadn't thought of that, but you have a point. No pun intended. We need a knife anyhow, to cut his legs free. We can't very well do this with his boots on. Would you mind doing that, Corporal Dunne? We'll be safe in here with him while you get a knife. It doesn't have to be a sharp knife," Charlotte said with an angelic smile. JD's eyes flickered from O'Shea, to each of the three women. And an unholy grin appeared.
"Be my pleasure, ma'am, but I think I'll get Josiah to stand guard. I've heard about this thing you're talking about, and I've always wanted to see it done. That's if this is the same one I think I remember Vin telling me about? It involves the feet?" JD asked. Mary chanced a look at O'Shea ... his bravado was quickly crumbling, but he was still trying not to show how terrified he really was. Before they had entered the building, she had noticed Charlotte whispering something to Adriana, and wondered if this had been a last minute plan of attack.
"That's the one. I was starting to think Vin had never shared it with you. I know you're the youngest, JD, but you shouldn't be shielded. Especially from interrogation techniques that Buck might forget to teach you," Adriana said, coming up to stand between JD and Charlotte. The young corporal just grinned and left the room. Adriana turned her attention back to O'Shea, her eyes traveling down to his knees. She said, a devilish smile of her own appearing, "You know, ladies, it occurs to me. We don't have him bound enough."
"Not enough? Drina, his hands are bound around the back of the chair, his ankles are bound at the base of the chair ... what do you have in mind? And please, please, please ... tell me it doesn't entail anything remotely sexual!" Charlotte exclaimed with some exasperation. By way of an answer, Adriana just gave her friend an 'oh please' look, then removed her belt from her jeans. Charlotte cocked her head to one side, obviously trying to figure out what she was up to. After a moment, though, she just shrugged and removed her own belt. Mary wasn't wearing a belt today ... she had given her belt to Janet, to use as a restraint during surgery.
Charlotte handed her belt to Adriana, who silently bound the two belts together. Mary couldn't see how she was doing it, but she was sure she would find out later. She looked up, a bright smile taking the place of the devilish one. She said in a perky voice, "I think it's playtime, don't you, Mr. O'Shea? They tell me it's play time, while we're waiting for Corporal Dunne. I don't think they'll mind if I play with you while they wait."
Perky? Uh ... no. Even for Mary, who knew Adriana, the transition from bored psychopathic interrogator to perky little girl was jarring. She couldn't imagine what O'Shea was thinking, since she was watching Adriana at the moment. However, she had been watching O'Shea earlier, and seen the first flickers of fear, which was probably why the other two kept changing on her. Charlotte was watching the traitor, at the moment, and her satisfied smile told Mary that this new part of the plan was succeeding. A woman changing personalities in midstream, so to speak, would have that effect.
Adriana still had that bright smile pasted to her face as she skipped behind O'Shea and looped the bound belts around his equally bound wrists. Mary had left her position to watch what her friend was doing. Adriana winked at her, and held the loose ends of the belt in her hands. She said in a singsong voice, "I gonna pull and you gonna sit, and we have fun, okey-dokey, artichokie?" Okey-dokey, artichokie? Where did she get that from? Never mind, stay focused. And Mary saw the last of the bravado starting to fall.
"She's fuckin' crazy, get her away from me," came the plea from the man in the chair. Adriana began skipping around the room, dragging the chair with her. Now Mary could see why they were using a rolling chair, although she didn't think Chris intended it for that purpose. O'Shea continued, "She's crazy, ye know she's crazy!" Charlotte just rolled her eyes as Adriana built up momentum.
"If she's crazy," Charlotte replied, raising her voice ever so slightly to be heard over Adriana singing 'You Spin Me 'Round Like a Record' in that little-girl voice, "then you've made her that way. She's in love with Vin Tanner, you moron, has been ever since she was in college. And where is JD with that knife, she's starting to make me dizzy!" Mary was glad she wasn't the only one who was getting dizzy.
Ka-BOOM! The door exploded inside with the force of small explosion. Adriana squeaked and released the chair, which spun right into the wall. There was a muffled grunt of pain. Charlotte muttered, as she moved to shield Adriana from the incoming storm, "Don't ask me to feel sorry for you, you miserable piece of shit." A black hurricane stormed past the three women. Forget the small explosion. Chris Larabee on a tear was worse.
With two quick slices, Dickie O'Shea was free ... free to be slammed up against the wall, Chris growled, "You bastard! You messed up big time!" Adriana dropped the belts and the act at the same time, as the same thought which had crossed Mary's mind had to have crossed hers. The most likely thing to push Chris over the edge was ... something had gone wrong with the surgery. A glance over at Charlotte told her that the other archaeologist had come to the same conclusion.
Dickie had had enough. He screamed, "I'll tell ye everythin,' anythin' ye want to know! Oh Mary, Mother of God, protect me from these crazy people ... oof!" Mary winced as Chris released him and punched him hard in the gut. Ouch. Second time today. Make that third, Mary counted silently, seeing Chris draw back his fist again. O'Shea wheezed, "Tell ye everythin,' swear I will, but keep these crazy people away from me!"
"That first was for calling my little sister crazy," Chris breathed, "and the second was for trying to kill my little brother. I don't like it when people call my little princess 'crazy,' asshole. And I really don't like it when people try to kill my baby brother, especially when I just found out that he's my brother. Now talk, or so help me God, I'll let Adriana do exactly what she was planning to do with the knife." Whatever that was, Mary thought, since Adriana never specified. Which was, of course, the point. Use a man's imagination against him. Very sneaky. Very evil.
"You can start by telling us how you came into contact with Carly Tucker's mother," Adriana said, dropping the act and relaxing. Chris had said, 'tried to kill.' That meant Vin was still alive. Mary squeezed her friend's hand as the colonel deposited the still-wheezing O'Shea in the rolling chair once more. Adriana added in her normal tone of voice, sounding like herself for the first time in hours, "You know, Chris, you scared the shit out of me, too."
"I know, little princess, and I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, you scared the shit out of me while I was listening outside the door, and I heard you skipping around like that. I really thought things had really unhinged you," Chris replied as he pushed O'Shea up against the wall, then leaned beside him. His purpose was clear ... he was there to ... motivate ... O'Shea to tell the truth. Hell, Mary or Charlotte could have beaten him up just as easily.
"Ye asked me about Carly Tucker. Her ma contacted me, about two weeks ago. She said that she knew I was second in line for top biologist on a new project. Didn't know what the project was, didn't care. Her daughter had let it slip durin' an argument. But if Dr. Tucker joined the project, there was a good possibility some nasty family secrets would come to light, and she didn't want that to happen. She didn't want the family secrets to come to light ... I wanted the top position. It was suggested we work together," O'Shea began.
"Do you know how Jessica Tucker found your address and phone number?" Charlotte asked and O'Shea shrugged. Charlotte muttered, "I don't see how that matters. That woman had her own child's car sabotaged, so another child wouldn't find out ... damn, that woman is messed up. How does the mechanic figure into this? Did you know anything about him, or was that something Jessica Tucker took care of alone?"
"I knew the mechanic. I got him that job, so he owed me. I didn't actually care if she lived or died, but I figured if she died, it would be more trouble. So when he called me, and wanted to make sure he was just to disable the car, so that the harm would be to it, not to her, I told him to do what the lady said," came the response. Unexpectedly, Adriana smiled grimly, and O'Shea asked nervously, still wary of her, "What?"
"Oh, he won't be doing you any more favors. Carly brought a letter for me, from her aunt. She wanted me to know that your old buddy had been returned to jail. That's the favor he owed you, wasn't it? You put in a good word with him, when he got out of jail. I would imagine that assuming he survives this time through, when he gets out, he'll come looking for you," Adriana observed with a nasty smile.
"All right, we've got the background information now. What was the reason for the sabotage. And why did you try to kill everyone with that jeep bomb?" Mary asked. Chris, Charlotte, and Adriana all looked at her, and Mary explained, "We keep thinking that it went off at the wrong time. We were right, but wrong. He didn't take into account that the time would be slightly different ... he had planned for it to go off while we were still traveling."
"But Mary, it's getting to be the end of the year on earth, so the days would be shorter. Unless he miscalculated the time difference. Newbie error, that would explain it. I remember the first few times I went through the Gate, the timing totally screwed me up," Adriana murmured. She shook her head and added, "That's neither here nor there. The lady asked you a question. Why the sabotage after?"
"I was told not to let the expedition succeed in its mission. I don't know who gave the orders, it was an email I received. I was given twenty-thousand dollars when I got the top space, with another twenty-million to be deposited in my bank account when I returned alone, with neither of the SG teams or the civilians," O'Shea answered. Mary wondered if anyone else had noticed that the Irish accent had disappeared.
"Who? Who told you to kill us all, and who gave you the money?" Charlotte asked. O'Shea just stared at her, hatred in his eyes. Charlotte simply stared back, hissing, "Listen to me, jackass! I've got more reason than anyone in this room to hate you, and that includes Colonel Larabee. Sorry, Colonel ... but this sorry-assed bastard threatened my little girl, he almost killed me, and he turned my family upside down!"
"I think that's Charlotte's way of telling you she'd sooner kill you than look at you," Adriana interpreted. She smiled unpleasantly, adding, "Course, I'd have to agree with her. I just can't decide how to kill you. And I'd have to get in line behind her and Chris, since you made the mistake of trying to kill his little brother. Now. Charlotte asked you a question. Who paid you, and who wanted you to make sure all of us were dead?"
O'Shea replied with a deep sigh, "I don't know. I just got an email. It wasn't traceable, I asked a friend. I got here, and realized that ... I could do other things. But I had to get rid of you. Captain Travis is right, the bomb was supposed to be going while we were still on the road. I had been told that we would probably be on the road until eight pm local time ... Colorado time, I mean. That damn guide ... unhhh!"
"He keeps this up, he'll end up with broken ribs," Adriana said as Chris stepped back. She shook her head, and said, "You know, O'Shea, in case you haven't figured it out ... and goddess knows you aren't that smart, despite your Ph.D ... that 'damn guide' is the colonel's kid brother."
"Oh, trust me, little princess, by the time I'm finished with him, he'll have a lot worse than simple broken ribs. By the end of the day, I want him to have an idea of the pain Vin will be in when he wakes up. And my little sister ... the blonde one, that is ... has a few things to say to him as well," Chris replied. Adriana mouthed 'ow,' and Chris said, "So, you decided to double-cross both us, and your mysterious benefactor."
"Has anyone thought to check him for Gou'ald infestation? According to Vin, he was being very naughty last night. I still think I should have gone after him when I saw him signaling last night," Adriana muttered, shaking her head. Chris put his hand on her shoulder, glaring at Dickie O'Shea all the while. Mary grinned ... if the Larabee glare didn't work on Vin, Jack, Janet, or Adriana, it obviously did work on O'Shea.
"Well, Richmond and Gerard didn't mention glowing eyes when I questioned them outside, but I don't think it would hurt to check," Chris replied. It wasn't nearly as easy as it should have been, but when he realized they were planning to take off his clothes, Dickie O'Shea started fighting frantically. The next few hours passed in a blur, as they had to fight to get each necessary article of clothing off. Mary lost track of time, but at last, the question was answered. O'Shea was clean ... at least, in that respect.
"Thank you so much for your cooperation, at least now we know we can kill you by regular means. That brings us to the last question I've got, though I can't speak for the ladies. Who is the System Lord who is your new master, O'Shea? Who was the head guy?" Chris asked. O'Shea shrugged. Not an acceptable answer. Chris picked him up out of the chair and slammed him into the wall, growling, "I want an answer, O'Shea! And if you think I'm a bad-ass, you ain't seen the rest of my team when they're pissed!"
"I don't know! The only one I knew was the one whom that crazy little bitch killed, after we brought the ridge down! And that was a right fine explosion ... aghhhh!" O'Shea gasped. Mary sighed and shook her head. The man just wasn't very smart, was he? Maybe it was time she enlightened him, since he obviously still thought the old rules applied. In some ways, this was much like the Old West ... and each outpost would deal with such traitors in their own way.
Actually, now that she thought about it, O'Shea was lucky he was having to answer to Chris, rather than Will Richmond. Chris was being constrained by his need for information. A constraint which Richmond didn't have. He didn't have to report back to the generals. Although, Mary didn't fool herself. If such a thing had happened even six months ago, she didn't think even the good of the mission and the SGC could have prevented Chris from killing O'Shea for what he had done and tried to do. However, that wasn't for him to know. Really, it wasn't even for the Richmonds to know, because it wasn't their business. On the other hand ...
"You don't seem to understand yet, Mr. O'Shea. You think that you're somehow above the law, or that the law will protect you. It won't. This is a new world, Mr. O'Shea, and while we have to be careful in the way we interact with other peoples, we can and will do what we must with people like you. If Colonel Larabee deems it necessary to hang you at high noon tomorrow, rest assured, there isn't a one of us who will argue with him," Mary said quietly.
She would have said more, but JD burst into the room, gasping, "Chris ... Carly ... Janet ... field hospital!" O'Shea hit the ground with a thud as Chris turned away from him. Mary reached down and took Adriana's hand. The young man took a deep breath, then said, "Stay with him ... Dr. Richmond and me. You go!" That was all that had to be said. Chris ran out of the room, with the three women hot on his heels. What had happened?