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.
Nathan was waiting outside, on the steps of the field hospital when Chris arrived with Charlotte, Mary and Adriana. His heart almost stopped, seeing the rest of his team assembled, along with SG-1. All of their faces reflected his apprehension, but before Chris could say a word, Janet emerged from the field hospital. She looked tired and solemn, but she smiled as she said, "He came through the surgery okay. I got the bleeding stopped, removed his spleen. There were some bruises on his kidneys, from the bounces he took on the way down, but that will heal."
"He'll be all right, then?" Buck asked. Janet sighed and sat down on the steps, rolling her neck from side to side. Carly came out of the hospital next, looking pale and tired. She had given her own blood to their brother, which accounted for her pallor. It wasn't until he noticed her shivering, though, that he realized how much time had passed during the questioning. He had lost track of time. Damn. It was night!
"He lost a lot of blood, and he'll be weak for some time, but I think he'll make it. We won't be able to move him for a few days, we need to give his body some time to start manufacturing the blood he lost. The blood which Dr. Tucker donated will help. He'll probably wake up sometime tomorrow. Since I know SG-7 as well as I do, and knowing that Vin isn't the only one who was injured, I'll suggest that each of you take shifts of two to four hours, since I think the ladies will want their turns as well," Janet replied.
There were several sighs and whoops of relief. At the colonel's side, Adriana drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and Chris put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, giving him a shaky smile. He didn't fool himself into believing that everything was fine now. But the wall which he had built over the last few days was starting to come down now. They were all starting to heal.
"I'll take the first shift ... Dr. Jackson, would you like to sit with me?" Charlotte asked. Chris and Adriana both immediately protested, but the archaeologist said firmly, "You listen to me. Everyone is exhausted. I'll be sleeping part of the time, but we all need to get some sleep, or we'll be no good to Vin. Besides. Daniel can tell me all about my baby girl." Even as the words were out, a small body came flying out of the mess tent.
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" a child's voice accompanied the small body, now hurtling toward Charlotte Richmond. The woman's eyes widened, and she turned, just in time to catch her daughter in her arms, swinging her up and off the ground. Charlotte held onto the little girl, as she chattered, "Mommy, I've been waiting so long, where were you? I've missed you and Daddy so much, what were you doing?"
"They were questioning the bad man who tried to hurt your mommy and threatened to hurt you, Tansy, just like I told you," Daniel Jackson replied. He smiled as Charlotte covered her daughter's face with kisses, then pulled back to look at her. Chris swallowed the lump in his throat. Adam used to do that. Throw himself into his arms when Chris came home, whether from work that day, or a trip.
"Really?" little Tansy asked, "you got the bad man? Dr. Janet told me that the bad man said he was gonna hurt me and you, Mommy, and she said that she and Dr. Daniel had to come first, 'fore me and Colonel Rafael, 'cause the bad man hurted someone else, somebody really, really important. She said that she had to make sure he didn't die, 'cause that's her job." Chris grinned ... the little girl really was a chatterbox.
"That's right, baby, and Daddy is guarding the bad man now. There's someone I want you to meet, honey, then we'll go find Daddy, okay? This is my friend, Adriana. Daddy and I knew her in Texas before you were born," Charlotte explained. She walked closer to Adriana, still carrying her child on her hip. Tansy's eyes widened and her mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise and delight.
"Adriana? That's my middle name! Are you the lady who helped Mommy and Daddy stay together? Mommy says I had a big sister once, but she died," Tansy stated, a shadow crossing her small face at the mention of her sister. She went on, before Adriana had a chance to respond, "Mommy and Daddy were both really sad, and Daddy wouldn't talk to Mommy forever, and then she says you and a very nice man helped her make Daddy start talking to her again. I told Daddy that wasn't very nice of him."
"I don't know that I helped your mommy and daddy start talking to each other, or helped them stay together, but they were my friends. Your name is the same as my first? My middle name is 'Kathleen.' My mother's name was 'Katrien,' and that's Dutch for Katherine. Kathleen is sort of Irish for Katherine, so I was sort of named after my mother. Is Tansy really your first name?" Adriana asked, reaching out to touch the little girl's face.
"Nope, it's Tanner! It's really funny, cause there's a little boy named 'Tanner' in my class, too. My teacher doesn't like to use nicknames, but she's gotta this time, cause she says a little girl shouldn't be named Tanner. Tanner Adriana Richmond!" the little girl exclaimed. Chris couldn't help but smile at her exuberance. And then it hit him. Tanner Adriana ... and he looked at Charlotte Richmond in surprise.
He wasn't the only one ... Adriana had a look of wonderment on her face. Buck, on the other hand, had a big ol' grin on his face, and Chris decided he didn't want to know.
Charlotte said, shrugging, "It seemed like the best way to honor you both. Will's the one who suggested it, actually. There really isn't a feminine version of Kevin that we both liked. Tanner is androgynous enough that we could get away with naming a little girl that ... androgynous as a first name, Major Wilmington, get your mind out of the gutter. And we thought Tansy deserved a name that was unique, which is why we didn't use her middle name. There is, after all, only one Adriana." This was said with a fond smile.
"Well. I think it's best if we don't hold up this family reunion any longer. Dr. Richmond, why don't you take your daughter over to see your husband? Dickie O'Shea has been tied up again, and I can't think of anything that would rub salt in the wound more than seeing your family together and happy. Show him, once and for all, that he lost," Josiah suggested. A wicked smile appeared on Charlotte's face.
"I'll go with you, Charlotte," Daniel offered, and Charlotte nodded her agreement. Before she left, she walked over to Adriana ... both mother and daughter enveloping the small archaeologist in a fierce hug. Adriana returned the embrace, grinning broadly. It looked like Buck was off the hook ... Adriana now had a niece and a namesake. Then the mother and daughter were heading for the admin building with Daniel.
Jack said, "I better go along ... the space monkey ... you know how he is about getting into trouble." Chris had been waiting for that, and Jack continued, "Now, why don't you get your asses in there? You didn't really think it was just luck that Tansy came out here when she did, didja?" Chris just laughed and steered Adriana into the field hospital, as Janet volunteered to go with Jack. She still had to look over Dickie O'Shea. Nathan would remain here, and monitor Vin's condition. But none of that mattered to Chris. Only his little brother mattered now.
He ... hurt. Aw hell, what had he done to himself this time? As awareness slowly returned, Vin was aware first of pain. And there didn't seem to be a part of his body which didn't hurt, which meant he had done himself up good this time. He would have groaned, but he didn't seem to have the breath to do that. Not a good sign. Not good at all. Instead, he lay still, trying to reconstruct his memories.
Except ... he wasn't alone. Vin forced his eyes open, hissing as a soft light hit them. Damn, that hurt! Two familiar bodies lay against him ... against his bed, rather. Chris, with Adriana wrapped in his arms. Both were sound asleep. He smiled, a smile which turned to the confusion he felt when he saw Chris there. Why was Chris there? He rarely kept a vigil at Vin's bedside after Vin had been hurt ... that was part of a silent agreement between the pair.
Usually, when Vin was hurt, there were other things going on, and Chris had other responsibilities. Why would Chris be here now? Was the danger past? Then a memory slammed into his unprepared psyche. I need to know I can depend on you, Vin. Let me know when I can. Vin inhaled sharply, and if he thought he had been in pain earlier, that was nothing to what he felt now. His entire torso exploded with agony.
Through the agony, he heard someone talking, then a hand closed on his forearm, whispering, "Easy, Vin, take it easy. You're all right ... at least, you will be. Just take it easy. Shhh." Chris. It was Chris who was talking to him. Vin was even more confused now. Then a second voice joined the first, telling him that everything was fine, everyone was safe, he could relax now. Just relax, let them take care of him.
Adriana. Slowly, things started to return to him. The search for Katie Whitman. The confrontation with Chris. Adriana and JD were missing. Searching for Katie again. The explosion. He groaned very softly, remembering everything now. But he began relaxing in spite of himself as Adriana gently brushed her fingers through his hair. Damn girl. Adriana said softly, "It's okay, Vin. Just relax."
"Chris ... ain't ... still mad?" Vin asked ... breathed, would be a better way of putting it, really. But Adriana understood what he was asking, and a gentle smile appeared. Another memory surfaced. He had been halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness, when he heard a voice. Adriana's voice. He couldn't remember everything ... but one thing was clear. Adriana telling him that she loved him.
"The only person I'm mad at, kid, is myself. I knew you didn't run off with Charlotte. There's a lot more I need to tell you, but you should rest now. Close your eyes, Tanner, and rest. We've got your back," Chris told him. Vin didn't have the energy to speak. He just closed his eyes, taking shallow breaths. Once more, he heard Adriana softly singing to him as she brushed her fingers through his hair.
As he drifted off to sleep, he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if he got the words out. But he tried to whisper, "Love you, Drina." And he did. It had been something he had slowly become aware of, during the last few weeks. If there was any one time when it finally hit him, just how deep his feelings for her went, it had been last week, when they had been on vacation. The rightness of holding her, her smile when she was happy.
He had kept his feelings to himself during the last week, for reasons which weren't entirely clear to him. He just knew he wasn't ready to tell her, and he wasn't sure if she was ready to know how he really felt about her. After what her bastard father had done to her ... Vin's exhausted body and mind finally agreed, and he slipped back into oblivion. His dreams were chaotic ... explosions, both of the TNT version and that of human rage, haunting his mind.
The next time he opened his eyes, it was to find Janet Frasier smiling down at him. She shook her head, saying, "I should have known you would make a liar out of me. You've got to be one of the most unpredictable patients I've ever had, Vin Tanner!"
He mouthed, 'sorry,' and Janet continued, "Don't worry about it. I sometimes forget how stubborn you are. Chris and the others are waiting outside ... I'll get them in a minute, but first I need to talk to you." Vin frowned. Just how bad was he off? Janet didn't have that look she wore when she had to tell a patient that he or she was dying, but she did look worried. He searched his mind, trying to figure out what else might be wrong. Janet continued, "It's okay, Vin. I won't lie to you ... you were hurt very badly, but Daniel got me back in time."
Seeing that he wasn't about to just give up, Janet continued, "Keep in mind, the explosion was yesterday. Daniel practically flew back to the Stargate, returned to the SGC, and got me. We got back here a few hours after the explosion, and started prepping you for surgery almost immediately. You broke your arm and some ribs in the fall ... the bounces on the way down and the impact gave you bruised kidneys, and your spleen ruptured not long after I got here. Like I said, we operated ... and I expect you to make a full recovery."
She paused, then said, "Now, I'm gonna get Chris and the others. I can tell that you're starting to get sleepy again, so I'll ask them to keep it short. If you start falling asleep, don't fight it ... just let go. Your body needs a lot of rest after the trauma it suffered. We'll be returning to the SGC the day after tomorrow, where we can take better care of you. The Richmonds and Carly Tucker are getting set up. Carly wants to talk to you when you're feeling stronger. I told her maybe tomorrow."
Carly? Carly had made it? Vin smiled. The truth was, he was already starting to get sleepy again, but he wanted to see the others. He knew Adriana was safe, he had seen her. But he wanted to make sure the others were okay, as well. Janet went to the door and quietly opened it. Chris was the first to step through, his eyes intent on Vin. Even as sleepy as he was, Vin knew something strange was going on. Larabee was acting damn weird. Way he kept lookin' at him, it was making Vin very nervous.
Buck was the next into the room, a big smile decorating his face. He bounded right over to the bed and dropped to his knees, saying, "Hey, kid, it's about time you opened your eyes! This habit of yours, of ending up on your ass, is getting just a little old, Tanner!" Vin scowled at him. Oh, damn, that hurt. He closed his eyes at the sudden pain in his ribs. What the hell had he done? Moved the wrong way? Maybe.
"Easy, Vin, just lay still ... can't be making any sudden moves there," Nathan counseled. Vin opened his eyes to glare at the medic, who just grinned suddenly. Nathan shook his head, muttering, "Damn, didn't think I'd ever be glad to see that look directed at me. It's good to see your eyes open, Vin. You scared us but good." Vin would have reached out his hand to his friend, but that arm was broken, and he didn't have the strength to reach out with his other.
"You scared all of us, Vin," JD said, appearing in front of the other men. He sank to his knees beside the bed, studying Vin's face ... almost intently as Larabee had been studying him earlier. Now just what the hell was going on??? Then JD grinned, and said, "Nate's right, it's terrific to see your eyes open. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life, when that ridge blew up and took you with it."
Buck cuffed him in the back of his head, and Vin smiled sleepily. He was already starting to drift off. He vaguely heard himself mumble something to both JD and Josiah, who touched his shoulder. Wondered where Ezra was, maybe he was playing cards with one of the civilians? The last thing he heard before he drifted off to sleep was Janet telling the rest of the team to leave, to let Vin get his rest. They could talk later.
The last thought which chased Vin as he drifted into oblivion was that nagging sense that something wasn't quite right. They weren't lying to him, no, but they weren't telling him something. He could see it in Janet's eyes ... in Larabee's ... in JD's. They weren't telling him something, and it was something important. He sighed, giving up, and fell asleep. The next time he woke up, he would make them tell him. Injuries be damned.
A gunshot woke him. Vin jerked awake, then moaned under his breath. He spent the next several moments, bringing his breathing under control. Oh God, that hurt. Even through the haze of pain, he heard JD exclaimed, sounding indignant, "You don't shoot nobody in the back!" The hell ya don't, kid, Vin thought, not ever'body has Larabee's code a' honor, and the sooner ya figure that out, the better off y'all be.
"The hell you don't. In case you hadn't noticed, Corporal Dunne, that man nearly killed Vin, as well as the rest of us! Now, I'm not about to let him get away, and take the chance of him trying again. If I have to shoot him in the back to do it, so be it, but I'm not putting my family, or anyone else's family at risk!" Charlotte exclaimed. Charlotte? She had been the one to shoot O'Shea, from the sound of it.
"She's right, JD. Now, I find out that you woke up Vin, and you'll have other things to worry about," Chris warned. Chris. Chris was agreeing with Charlotte about shooting someone in the back. JD was mumbling under his breath, then there was silence for several moments. Finally, Chris said, "You were right, you know. I just wish we had a chance to find out who the System Lord is. SG-1 will be coming back with the rest of SG-3 and SG-17 when we get back to the SGC." There was another long silence, then Chris said softly, "I was wrong about you."
There was the harsh sound of laughter, and Charlotte replied, "Oh, I don't know about that, Colonel Larabee. Maybe if I had done things different, made Will tell me what was going on, instead of just being mad at him ... maybe I could have prevented some of this. And maybe Vin wouldn't be laying in there right now. Janet says he'll be fine, but to see him there, so helpless. I just start getting angry all over again." Charlotte sighed and whatever she said next was too quiet for Vin to hear.
There was no chance of him going back to sleep now, so Vin simply stayed awake and listened to the conversation. He didn't know how long he had slept, but while he was still weak and tired, there were questions which needed to be answered. Chris said, "You did what you could. Trust me on this, Charlotte, I know what I'm talking about. I've been where your husband is. I lost my wife and son six years ago. If Will didn't want to tell you what was going on, nothing you would have done would have made a difference."
"I suppose you're right. I just didn't understand what was going on. And I was scared, Colonel Larabee. You've seen the real Will the last day and a half. The man who started out on this trip ... that's not the man I married. That's the man he became after our older daughter died, ten years ago. That's the man he was for two years after that, only worse, because he completely shut me out then. And I didn't know how to get him to talk to me. Then or now. I couldn't help thinking that maybe there was something I could do ... could have done," Charlotte confessed with a sigh.
"There was nothing you could have done, at least not this time around. And I'll be honest with you, if I had been around before you two worked things out, and you had been drawn to Vin, I wouldn't have had much use for you. I want to think I would have understood. But right or wrong ... " Chris began, then exhaled. Vin couldn't actually see the other man, but in his mind's eye, he could see Chris shaking his head.
"I didn't have much use for myself, Colonel. I hated myself for being ineffectual, for not doing something. It wasn't until Boudreau and his friends beat up Vin that I started ... doing something. And it felt so good, Colonel. I felt like I had been stuck in a time warp for the last two years, and I was finally alive again. I couldn't ever get my little girl back, and to my mind, my marriage was over because I thought Will was responsible for the attack. But dammit if I wasn't gonna get my life back," Charlotte said.
There was another long silence. A companionable silence, a comfortable silence, like the ones of old between himself and Chris. At last, the colonel said, "Think you oughta start calling me 'Chris,' since we're practically family. You named your little girl after my baby brother and my surrogate sister, I reckon that makes her their niece, in a way. So that makes us family." Baby brother? What the hell? Larabee didn't have no brothers, not outside the Seven!
Charlotte laughed and replied, "You should have seen Tansy's face when Will told her that you were Vin's big brother. I had just brought her out of the hospital. She wanted to see Vin. I wasn't sure, but it wasn't like he had tubes running everywhere. She was very quiet when we came out, except to ask why you were sitting there on the hospital stairs. I told her that Vin was your little brother. She brightened up and said, 'so that's why he's so scary! He's mad 'cause somebody hurt his little brother!' After that ... "
Vin's blood ran cold. Brothers? Maybe Charlotte just meant that SG-7 had become a family, and that he and Chris were like brothers. God knew it was true. There had been so many times in the last three years he had wished that Chris really was his brother. But the next words from the colonel drove the breath right out of Vin's lungs.
Chris said, "Yeah, well, I get my hands on my father, and he's gonna find out just how scary I can be. His idea of telling me that Vin is my brother, my actual flesh and blood brother, is a letter saying that Vin Tanner isn't who I think he is. I don't know who makes me madder ... that prick who provided sperm to make Vin, Carly, Elizabeth and me, or myself, for actually believing my father's cryptic words and no longer trusting Vin."
Carly???? Carly was a blood relative? His sister? And who was Elizabeth? But things were starting to fall into place. The sense that someone wasn't being fully honest with him. Chris was his brother. Not just because they had sort of mutually adopted each other, but because they had the same father. A father who had known about him? Yes ... he had known about Vin, but for how long? Had he come for Vin, only to find him gone?
He needed to calm down. Vin shifted on the bed, moaning at the pain from that simple motion, and his foot connected with something solid. It slid off the bed and hit the ground with a thud. Half a second later, Chris was running into the room, Charlotte right behind him. Green eyes met blue ... then Chris breathed, "Oh Jesus. I'm sorry, Vin. I'm so sorry. Charlotte, could you ... would you mind leaving my brother and me alone for a few minutes?"
Charlotte nodded once, glancing at Vin. She mouthed, 'I'm sorry.' Then she slipped out of the hospital once more, leaving Vin and Chris staring at each other. Vin could barely speak, emotions and words kept tumbling over each other. He didn't know what to say, what he could say. Finally, he whispered, "You're my brother ... really my brother?" Chris nodded, his green eyes filled with anger and guilt and regret. Vin swallowed hard, ignoring his exhaustion, ignoring the pain, and said, "Tell me. Tell me everything."
Tell me everything, his brother had said. The trouble was, Chris didn't know where to begin. He said as much, telling his new brother, as he sat down beside him, "I don't know where to start. We didn't plan on telling you until you were stronger. Like Janet said, your body suffered one helluva trauma ... you needed to heal before getting hit with so much at the same time. Hell, I don't even know where the beginning is!"
Chris rubbed his eyes, sighing, then began, "I'm guessing you already heard me and Charlotte. You know that you and I are brothers, that we have the same fathers. I was thirteen years old when my father walked out on my mother and me. He came back a year later, all contrite and pleading for a second chance. Mom didn't give him that chance straight-away ... he had to earn it. It took him a long time." He looked over at his brother, who nodded quietly in understanding. Good. Glad Vin understood, 'cause Chris sure as hell didn't.
He continued, "In the year he was away, he was teaching at another college. A sabbatical, you might say. He was having a mid-life crisis. He met a young girl at a college football game. The woman who ultimately gave birth to you and your twin sister." He saw the question in his brother's eyes ... woman who gave birth? Twin sister????? Chris said softly, "Carly is your twin sister. You and she were born March 17, 1973. But Vin, you gotta know this. Your mother didn't give birth to you."
Vin didn't speak, just stared at him, a tense expression on his face. But he could again see what Vin was thinking, in those eyes of his. Chris said very softly, "Julia Tanner was your mother, and no one can ever take away from her. But she didn't give birth to you or to Carly. Julia adopted you, unofficially, but the woman ... the girl ... who actually gave birth to you was her youngest sister, Jessica. Then a sixteen year old girl."
Vin went white, his lips parting. Chris took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say next. How the hell was he supposed to explain what came next? He was having a hard enough time understanding it himself, much less explaining it to Vin! But it wasn't necessary. Vin rasped, an old pain appearing in his eyes, "When she was dyin,' Ma told me 'bout my aunt Jessica. She said that I would be goin' to live with her, 'cause Ma couldn't take care a' me for much longer. But she never came for me."
Chris shook his head and said hoarsely, "No. I mean, I know she didn't. Your grandmother was very sick at the time, but she was mending. Your aunt Josie, who was in Southeast Asia, returned to the States a few months later. She wanted to take you, after Julia's death, but she was afraid that something bad would happen to you. An innocent little boy in a dangerous place. She never forgave herself for that."
"I remember that. I remember Ma tellin' me that Aunt Josie couldn't come back to the States, 'cause she was makin' sure I would be safe. I loved Aunt Josie. Don't remember her real well, but I know I loved her. I used to dream that she would come for me, and find me, and take care 'a me. I used to dream 'bout my pa findin' me. But he didn't come for me, neither. He knew, didn't he, Chris? He knew 'bout me?" Vin asked. Tears were shimmering in his eyes.
Chris didn't know if he could be strong enough for Vin now, because so many times, he relied on Vin's strength when things got rough. You have no choice, he told himself firmly, you're his brother, his older brother. You couldn't be there for him when he was a little boy, after his mother died, but you can now. So don't blow this, dammit! You've already failed him once, now be the man your father never was!
Chris answered hoarsely, "He knew. He told Jessica that he had finally gotten things worked out with my mother. He couldn't ... ask her to raise another woman's son. But Vin, I know my mother. She may have hated our father ... she may have hated Jessica ... but she would have taken you. I know she would have taken you. And she would have loved you." Vin looked down at his hands. Chris sighed, "Damn, Vin, I wanted to wait until you were stronger. You've been through enough all ready, you didn't need this." Vin looked up at him, and Chris was horrified to see a single tear running down his face.
Vin Tanner didn't cry. He was one of the most stable, most solid people Chris had ever known. He had given Chris his own quiet strength on more than one occasion. He didn't cry. Until now. Vin blinked, then whispered, "How long has Carly known? From the beginnin,' when we first met?" Chris lowered his eyes, nodding, and a soft cry escaped his little brother. A cry which broke Larabee's heart.
"She knew ... wanted to tell you, but Jessica insisted that it wasn't time for you to know. I know it hurts, Vin, but she was a nineteen year old kid. A kid who was being used by her mother, because that woman didn't have the guts to face you. You know, it blows my mind. Two of the most irresponsible people ever put on this planet produced two of the most responsible people I've ever known," Chris said softly.
"I ain't mad at her, Chris! God! I just cain't figger out why neither of them wanted me! I was just a baby, cain't figure that I done anythin' wrong," Vin answered. It took Chris a moment, then he realized that Vin wasn't talking about Carly ... but about Evan and Jessica. And Chris found his fury rising once more. Not at Vin, though there was some anger there. It was a natural reaction to abandonment. Wonder what you had done wrong, to deserve it.
"Now you listen to me, Kevin Parris Tanner," Chris growled, grasping both of his brother's shoulders, "you did nothing wrong! Jessica couldn't raise any of you ... not you, and not either of your sisters. Your aunt Josie raised Elizabeth, Julia raised you, and your grandparents raised Carly. None of you are to blame. You just had the bad luck to be born to a woman who never grew up, no matter what her parents and sisters did."
"Aw hell ... yer gonna use that ever' chance ya get, aincha?" Vin muttered. Chris blinked, then grinned, realizing that Vin meant his full name. He just laughed softly, slipping his hand around the back of Vin's neck. It was one of the few signs of affection which his brother could tolerate from other men, that and the forearm grasp which he had always used with Chris. As Vin had said on more than one occasion, if Chris had ever touched his hair, he would have broken his hand. Lucky for both of them, that wasn't Larabee's style.
"Damn right, little brother! Vin, I can't take away the years you spent alone. I can't even take back being an idiot for the last few days. But if you'll let me, I can be the older brother I've always wanted to be ... and the brother you've always wanted," Chris told his brother. Vin looked at him, then nodded very slowly, his eyes never leaving the colonel's face. Chris smiled. Still cupping the back of his brother's neck, Chris leaned forward, finally taking Buck's advice and telling his little brother just how much he meant to him. Buck was right. The first time was always the hardest. But as Mary and Adriana had both pointed out to him, the hard part was over. He had already known Vin ... already loved him. Now, they just had to pick up the pieces.
When he pulled back, Vin was blinking rapidly, though from exhaustion or tears, Chris couldn't tell. He answered hoarsely, "Same here. But I'll shoot ya if ya ever say that out in public." Chris grinned, and Vin asked softly, "Did Drina hear me? When I told her that? First time I woke up?" Chris nodded. Yes. Yes, Adriana had heard his mumbled, 'love you, Drina,' and had broken down in Carly's arms once she got outside.
"She heard. You two have some talking to do. She's right outside. At least, she was when O'Shea tried to escape. She was just coming in to see you. Would you like me to get her?" Chris asked. He could see the indecision in his brother's eyes ... did he talk things over with Adriana, or did he learn more from Chris? Using the privilege of being a big brother, Chris made that decision for him, saying, "You'll be staying with me, once we get back home. We'll have plenty of time to catch up then."
"Ya don't mind?" Vin asked softly and Chris shook his head. His brother sighed and added, "Thanks, Chris. For ... tellin' me the truth. I knew somethin' weren't right, just couldn't figger out what it was. Thanks for not tryin' to protect me. I needed to know." Chris reached down and lightly squeezed his brother's knee, then patted his shoulder. He gave Vin one last smile, then went out to find the woman who was becoming his sister in many ways.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song which Will quotes, I'm sure many of you who also grew up in the eighties (or before) will recognize. It's from 'The Search is Over,' by Survivor.
She was shaking like a leaf. For the third time since Chris had told her that Vin wanted to see her, Adriana pushed a nonexistent lock of dark hair back from her eyes. Stop being such a ninny, she scolded herself, you're acting as if you were facing a firing squad! This is Vin, for crying out loud! She couldn't help thinking that maybe, facing a firing squad would be easier than what came next with the man she loved.
At last, however, she squared her shoulders and walked into the recovery room ... which was actually the same as the operating room. Vin was staring at the opposite wall, but looked in her direction as she approached. He smiled ... that devastating smile, the one that always tied her heart and tongue into knots. Vin said softly, "Hey. Was startin' to wonder if ya planned on standin' there all night."
"Just gathering my courage. Hey yourself. I would ask how you're feeling, but I can tell that would be a stupid question. I can see that for myself," Adriana replied. She stopped at his bed, staring at him intently. Was she supposed to sit on his bed? On the floor? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to hurt him. Vin settled the decision for her by taking her hand with his good hand and pulling her onto the bed beside him.
He had reached across his broken ribs to take her hand, and a sheen of sweat appeared on his face. But he wouldn't let her pull away. Adriana eased him back against the pillows, and he rasped, closing his eyes against the pain which he had to be feeling now, "Aw hell. 'Case I ain't mentioned it lately, I hate bein' hurt. Hate bein' in hospitals, and I hate bein' helpless." Adriana found herself smiling in spite of herself. She hadn't forgotten that, but couldn't blame him for reminding her.
He opened his eyes after several minutes, and said softly, "Chris tells me that ya heard what I said, earlier. First time I woke up. I ... wanted to tell you that it's true. What I said. I do love ya, Drina." He was talking too much, too many words at one time. He struggled to breathe for several moments, and Adriana kept her hands on his shoulders, not knowing what else to do. He wasn't the only one who hated being helpless.
"It's okay, Vin. I heard you ... you don't have to say it again, just rest. We almost lost you," Adriana said softly, hating to see him in such pain. She should have also remembered that when Vin Tanner had decided something needed to be done, he finished it. It was, like his tendency to take responsibility for things he couldn't control, one of his more endearing traits, as well as one of his more exasperating.
"I love ya, Drina. I ain't sure what comes next, but I wanted ya to know that," Vin rasped. His voice was weakening, so Adriana silenced him the most effective way she knew how. She kissed him. It was just a light brushing of her lips against his, but it worked. When she pulled away, he was silent, staring at her with those amazing eyes of his. He blinked, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
Adriana released his shoulders and put her right hand on the other side of Vin's body, stabilizing herself. It also served to keep Vin in a prone position. He didn't need to be moving around, after all. With her free hand, she touched his face and said softly, "Vin, I told you. I heard you, you didn't have to say it again. Save your breath, and your energy, for recovering. Now I want you to be quiet, and listen to me, okay? Just listen."
He nodded and once she was sure she had his undivided attention, she continued, "I love you, Vin Tanner. And we will take each day as it comes. Your sister will be going back with us for a few days, to help you get settled, and you can get to know her all over again. Before you ask, yes, she has the permission of the generals. Actually, it was more like insistence on their part. We'll have to wait on the sex thing ... I don't think either of us are ready for that yet." An impish grin lit his face at her last comment, and she just knew what was coming. You left yourself wide open for that, Adriana Kathleen, she told herself. But she couldn't regret it, not when it made her love smile like that.
"Reckon waitin' on the sex thin' would be a good idea," he teased. Adriana made a face at him, and Vin just grinned again. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, murmuring, "I love you. I waited eight years to say that to you, and now it seems like it's all I can say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put both of us through this, I'm sorry it took me this long to wake up and stop being such an idiot. I'm sorry I almost let my father win."
"But ya didn't, Drina. Ain't neither one of us was ready," Vin answered softly. Adriana shrugged, and Vin added, stronger this time, "Drina. Ya did what ya had to, we both did. If I had known, all those years ago, that I loved ya ... the time weren't right. Not for ya, not for me. If Eli Joe had hurt ya, when he went after me ... I woulda ended up on the run anyhow, 'cause I woulda killed that sonuvabitch. Way I wanted to kill Dickie O'Shea when I realized y'all was missin,' both of ya."
"Dickie O'Shea can't ever hurt anybody again. Charlotte and Chris saw to that, Vin," Adriana told him. Vin nodded. He looked exhausted, and Adriana gently traced the line of his jaw, the stubble grazing her finger. She asked softly, "Why don't I let you get some sleep? We're heading back to the Stargate tomorrow, and while all of Rafael's men are lining the jeep with cushioning, it's still gonna take a lot out of you."
"No ... stay," Vin replied softly, "I want ya to stay." Adriana just looked at him, and Vin repeated firmly, "I'll sleep, but I want ya to stay." The archaeologist looked at him for several moments, then nodded. He closed his eyes, taking a breath, and within seconds, he fell asleep. All the talking he had done, the emotional turmoil of the last few hours, had taken its toll on him. She just hoped he didn't suffer a setback.
She gently stroked his hair back from his forehead, leaning forward to kiss him lightly. She wasn't ready to make love with him yet. For now, it was enough that she loved him, and that he loved her. He had a lot of other things to worry about ... from what Carly had told her, both Josie and Jessica Tanner were waiting for him back at the SGC. Adriana smiled grimly. She was looking forward to meeting Jessica Tanner. Of course, she knew she wouldn't be able to say the same thing for the woman who had given birth to Vin and Carly.
Carly had also told her that her aunt Josie had said just before she left the SGC that she would be contacting Lizzie, their younger sister. She would fly out to Colorado this coming weekend ... wait a minute, what day was it back home? It occurred to her that she had lost track of the days, especially since Vin had been hurt. It didn't really matter. She would get some rest, while Vin got to know his family, especially his siblings and Aunt Josie.
And right now, Adriana was sure she could sleep for a week. She looked down at the bed. Nope, too narrow. Her current position was killing her back, so she eased herself to the floor. Once she was a little more comfortable, she put her hand on Vin's shoulder and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes. Chris would give them a few more minutes, then he would be in here. She knew Chris. He was struggling between his desire to give his brother breathing space and his desire to protect Vin.
The revelations had been hard on him, as hard as they had been on Vin. While Vin had been unconscious, she and Chris had started repairing their relationship. He had told her how he felt. The man who never talked about his feelings, who almost always showed the world a stoic face, had broken down and told her everything. His rage, his regret, his guilt. The resentment he had squashed, realizing he was no longer the only child, no longer special. The guilt over that resentment, especially when he remembered what kind of life his brother had.
He could have never said those things to another man, because men didn't like to talk about their feelings. They didn't like to admit love, not even when the love was for their brother. And yes, he did love Vin, with a ferocity that took his breath away. He loved his brother deeply, and he was so proud of him. And Chris was determined to make up for those lost years in any way he could. He was afraid, too, of crossing the line, of pushing too hard, of trying too hard to protect his little brother.
And his little sisters ... Chris was at a total loss, until Adriana reminded him that he already had one little sister. Her. He just had to give himself time, and get to know Carly and Lizzie. She could tell he was already becoming fond of Carly. Adriana was biased, of course, but she was allowed. And if Lizzie was anything like Josie Tanner, whom Carly obviously adored, then Adriana had no doubt that Chris would love her, too.
She smiled, sighing a little as she settled next to the man she loved. She heard footsteps, then a soft voice. Will Richmond. He murmured, "And now at last, I hold you. Now all is said and done. The search has come full circle, our destinies are one." Adriana grinned. She would have to tease Will about that later, since he had always trumpeted how much he hated that song. Which, of course, Carly, Adriana, and Charlotte had always loved.
And yet, it was so appropriate. Things had, indeed, come full circle. Vin and Adriana had met, eight years earlier, in a search for a child. They had finally admitted their love for each other during a mission which had, as a component, protecting three children. Their friendship had begun with Will and Charlotte starting the first steps toward the healing of their marriage. Now Will and Charlotte were starting that process again, but with more help this time, while Vin and Adriana began their own journey, with help of their own. Full circle.
The End
Completed Nov. 22, 2001