SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and Showtime. Original characters (mainly Adriana in this story, though others are mentioned) 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 an ... elong to her.
SPOILERS: For Mag7, all twenty-one episodes are fair game, along with my previous stories, More than Friends, A Light in the Distance, Under the Sun, Days of Yearning, Sun, Fun, and Ezra on the Run, Full Circle, and Open House; also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: The usual, violence and language. Quite possibly the most smarmy story I've ever written, but I'll try to keep it from becoming too syrupy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been wanting to write a story for some time about Vin as a child, but every time I thought I had something, I'd come across someone who had used it. And then, the Gou'ald, for once, came to my rescue. Imagine that.
Just as an fyi ... this series, this universe, ignores the events of the latter fifth season of Stargate SG-1. Specifically, Meridian and Revelation. Which also gets rid of Jonas Quinn in sixth season.
Jack O'Neill was supremely pissed off. It was supposed to be a routine mission. But since when did routine stay routine with his gang? Oh ... around ... say ... never? It wasn't much of a consolation that SG-7 was almost as bad. And now a fluke ... one honkin' big fluke ... had turned Vin Tanner, guide and sharpshooter, into a little boy. When Jack got his hands on the snake-head who dreamed up that particular machine ...
Well, that was assuming there was anything left of Colonel Jonathan O'Neill after Colonel Christopher Larabee got finished with him. Worse yet, as much as he wanted to, Jack couldn't blame Chris for being angry with him ... with any of them. Sure, Jack knew it was a fluke that it was Vin who was turned into the five year old. But he didn't think he would really care if it was a fluke that did that to his little brother, wouldn't care whose fault it was.
So how could he blame Chris for being Chris? At least Chris was staying calm. Jack didn't think Wilmington could have managed that, if the one turned into a little kid was the kid. Not that it would have happened, of course. It was generally recognized that JD Dunne and Daniel Jackson on the same mission was a very bad thing. They managed to get through some missions without injuries, but it was still best to avoid having those two together.
Even ignoring the fact that they were both the youngest, were often the ones who ended up in the infirmary after a mission gone bad (take those odds to Vegas, Ez), they just did not get along. While JD was finally getting along with Adriana (especially after the revelation that her prick father had molested her was made ... a revelation which seemed to knock the little brat on his ass), he still had a long way to go before Daniel fully trusted him. Which meant Jack had to play diplomat between big brother Buck Wilmington and Danny ... and Jack was no diplomat, everyone knew that.
Jack figured the only reason there was no trouble between the pair on the most recent mission, which involved SG-1 and those two members of SG-7, was because JD was too damn worried about Vin. Not that Jack could blame the kid for that. Sure, by that time, Vin was healing, physically at least. But he was still adjusting to the knowledge that Chris was his big brother ... by blood as well as by mutual adoption.
It was a helluva burden to bear, finding out just what kind of an ass your father really was. Jessica Tucker was starting to redeem herself. After the confrontation with Evan Larabee at the Open House, she stuck around for about a week, then returned to Chicago and her husband. Her relationships with her two daughters remained 'iffy,' but at least she was creating a new relationship with her son, as a friend.
Jessica made it clear from the beginning that she understood Julia would be Vin's mother forever. She had loved him, had raised him, had taken care of him. Jessica had given birth to him, but Julia had done all the work. Jack was glad she understood that. He hadn't been too sure of her, given her past track record with all three of her children. And he still didn't understand what caused her to wise up. He was just glad she wouldn't be making Vin's life miserable, unlike her former lover.
No, he thought, his mind shifting back to what had happened that morning, no, that's what the Gou'ald are for. He still couldn't figure it out in his mind, how Vin was suddenly a five year old child. He didn't know what happened, he didn't know what to do to make things right. Vin was a good kid. He had just recovered from the mission from hell (as Jack had taken to calling their wagon train duty in his mind), and now this happened to him.
And speaking of the mission from hell ... Carter said slowly, "Sir, isn't the Richmond contingent coming back within the next week?" Oh, wonderful, remind him of the civilian archaeologist from hell. No, O'Shea was dead, but Will Richmond was still a pain in the ass. In the last week before the mission this morning, the SGC had received no less than three communiques (a piece) from Carly Tanner, Gerard Whitman, and Rafael Martinez, each threatening him with severe bodily harm if he didn't shut his mouth and let them work.
Carly and Richmond mixed like oil and water. Not at all. (The same could be said of Jack, but he wasn't on the planet with the man) Whitman could go jump ... he was lucky he was even in the program after betraying them to Dickie O'Shea. Even if he did have a cute little girl. But it was Rafael who worried Jack. Rafael was one of the most calm, focused individuals Jack ever knew. And if he was threatening Dr. Will Richmond with severe bodily harm, things were likely to get nasty once everyone got back. Or, as more than a few had observed, not just nasty, but ready to head to hell in a handbasket.
And that was before you factored in Vin's metamorphosis this morning. Thinking about that, or rather, about Carly's reaction to her twin suddenly being five years old, was enough to make Jack's already pounding headache get worse. He couldn't let himself hope that Charlotte Richmond would be able to keep the peace ... from what Rafael had said, she was as annoyed with her husband as Carly was.
Oh, things just kept getting better and better all the time. Daniel said, finally answering Carter's question, "Yes, they're coming back this week, and yes, it promises to get ... interesting around here." Jack glared at his friend. 'Interesting?' 'Interesting' was watching Adriana try to put a hook in a worm when they had taken her fishing. Unbelievable. With all the time she spent with Chris, you would have thought the girl had done some fishing.
'Interesting' was listening to Daniel and Conklin the last time they got into an argument (which also taught Jack that scholars were very good with insults. He didn't realize how good until Ezra explained half the words the two highly pissed off archaeologists were using on one another). He would have used interesting to describe Vin dealing with Maybourne during the President's visit, but 'interesting' didn't work in that situation. That was just plain entertaining.
So, no, Jack didn't find the upcoming war in the SGC in the least bit interesting. He found it downright terrifying! That was just Richmond, Carly, and that team. He didn't even want to think about what would happen when Chris returned the following day with Adriana. Jack was starting to wish he was the one turned into a munchkin, instead of Vin. Teal'c said softly, interrupting Jack's pity party of one, "I am troubled by something."
All heads turned toward the Jaffa, who continued slowly, "We are all aware of what has transpired this morning. And of the consequences to us. We are also aware of the consequences to those who hold the greatest amount of love for Vin Tanner. Particularly Colonel Larabee. But something has made itself known to me, and I do not know if anyone else has considered this." Jack blinked at the big man. Yes, annnnnnnnnnd?
"What is it, Teal'c?" Carter asked, turning to face the former First Prime more completely. By this time, all of the remaining members of SG-1 were facing Teal'c, who looked very, very concerned. They were all concerned ... they were all worried. Jack was even willing to bet, they all felt guilty. But there was something else in the big man's expression. Something which made Jack hope the Jaffa kept his mouth shut.
But wishing upon a star had never done any good, and this was no different. Teal'c said slowly, "In addition to the events of this morning, we also know of the terrible wrong done to Adriana Wilmington by her father." Yes, annnnnd? Jack was still hoping to get a piece of that piece of shit, when he finally showed up, as Vin and Chris were convinced he would. Teal'c said, as if he was discussing the weather, "Dr. Wilmington may believe that she is ... like her father."
As JD Dunne would have said, if he was here ... huh? But a half second after that, Daniel said, "That's kind of a reach, isn't it, Teal'c? I mean, surely Adriana knows by now, after everything that has happened, that she's nothing like her father." Like her father? As in ... ? Oh, for cryin' out loud! There was no way, none, nada, upso, in the world that girl could be anything like that worthless piece of shit.
"Daniel, Teal'c has a point. Look at it this way. Slowly, Vin and Adriana have started breaking down the walls and moving toward greater intimacy. Janet was the first one who noticed, but she was right," Carter interrupted.
Jack raised an eyebrow questioningly and Carter explained, "Ever since Vin could move without support, they're almost always touching. Now, add to that, her boyfriend has just been turned into a little boy. It has to bring back memories, sir." Jack had to mentally twist his head sideways to get that particular logic. And it scared him when it did. Carter continued, "The thing is, Adriana doesn't understand that she's not a predator. She isn't into power, or control. But I don't think that's gonna matter to her."
Wonderful. Great. Super. So, they had the civilian from hell returning from his mission, with three, no four, people pissed off at him. They had Vin turned into a little boy. Chris and the rest of SG-7 were ready to kill him and the rest of SG-1. Adriana would start second-guessing every move she made around that child, fearing that she would turn into her father (fat chance of that happening ... more odds for Ez to take to Vegas). And, Jack realized, SG-1 had hit an all-new low. They were discussing the love life of someone on another team. They had to get outta here and back to that planet, before Jack started watching soaps!
Years earlier, during a conversation with Carly, Charlotte, and Dawn (a drunken conversation, to be sure), the theory had been advanced that life was a soap opera. Adriana didn't know about that, but as she opened the oven door to ease the lasagna inside, she had the uneasy sense that her life had just turned into one of those things. She had only to look at her boyfriend's family ... and her own ... to say nothing of the events which were currently spinning right out of control. But she tried to focus her attention on dinner. At least for the moment.
To her right, Billy was carefully spreading butter over the pieces of bread. When Mary and Billy arrived, about half an hour earlier, Adriana and Chris quickly learned that Billy knew the truth. Not only did he know the truth, but he was perfectly happy about the situation. This meant he got to be Vin's big brother, and he would take care of him and protect him, just like big brothers did. Adriana realized, even if Chris didn't, what else Billy was saying. With Vin now as a little boy, and Billy as his big brother, that made Billy like Chris.
Chris and Mary were in the front room with Mindy now. Adriana was painfully aware of how selfish she had been. Chris had comforted her, and she couldn't be strong for him. At least, not strong enough. She had heard Chris quietly weeping in Mary's arms ... Adriana hadn't been strong enough for Chris, not if he was just now letting himself react to this latest threat to his younger brother.
And in a curious kind of way, it was a threat, though not to his life. But it was something which had implications for Vin's future ... both immediate and distant.
"Drina?" Billy asked suddenly, and Adriana looked over at the child. He had finished buttering the bread, and was looking around with a puzzled frown. He needed the garlic bread sprinkle. She put her hand on the bottle, then tossed it to the little boy, who caught it easily. Billy continued as he turned his attention back to his work, "Why is JD jealous of Vin?" Come again? Adriana turned back to look at the boy, almost burning her fingers on the rack.
"What makes you think he is jealous?" she asked, and Billy just gave her a Look. If it hadn't been so serious, she would have laughed. As it was, she checked the lasagna's position in the oven, then closed the oven door, and turned on the timer. Once she was finished with the preparations, she sat down on her stepstool, saying, "I won't ask you where you got that idea. Do you ever think about your mom and Chris eventually having children?"
Billy nodded, and Adriana continued, "Well, it's not exactly the same thing. Because you've been an only child all your life, and I know your mom and Chris. They would work very hard to make sure you didn't feel left out. But you wouldn't be the only child any more. Something similar is going on with JD. Except, instead of no longer being an only child, he's no longer the baby of the family."
"But why does that bother him? I'd be happy about not being the baby any more. I'm not a baby," Billy pointed out quite logically. Adriana smiled faintly and settled back in her chair. She tried to think of a way to answer the question. But before she could, Billy asked next, "Was Buck jealous when you were born?" Now that was a very good question. She didn't know. That was one question she never had the nerve to ask. It was enough that her brother loved her, that he had never stopped loving her (even when she was a dolt). It didn't matter if he was jealous when she was born.
Instead, Adriana replied, "I don't know. I don't think so, but he never said anything to me. And Billy, even though JD and Buck are best friends, they're not the same person. It's like, Chris and Vin are brothers, and before they found out they were brothers, they were best friends. But they're not the same people. Any more than your mother and I, or Carly and I, are the same people. So, different rules apply."
"Do you think Aunt Carly was jealous?" Billy asked. This time, Adriana shook her head. That, she knew for sure. She asked Carly once, before her friend returned to her project, and Carly told her flat out, no. It was possible that she was lying, but Adriana didn't think so. Billy continued, "I just don't understand why JD would be jealous. Vin needs him. Vin's always been there for JD when he needed him, and now Vin's a little boy. Why isn't JD happy that he's not the baby any more?"
"I wish I could answer you, Billy," Adriana sighed, "because I don't fully understand it. Then again, I've never been in JD's position. Sure, I've gotten the wind knocked out of me, so to speak, but ... " And she stopped. Backed up. Thought about what she said. Gotten the wind knocked out of her ... there was something important there. Think it through, Adriana. Think it through. Gotten the wind knocked out of her. A sensation, not exactly unpleasant, but a breathtaking feeling. Like the way she felt, the first time Vin smiled at her.
Why? Something had surprised her. Like the discovery that Chris and Vin were brothers. It had knocked the wind out of her ... but it hadn't changed her, or them. It was simply a new addition to the equation. Like something she had always known, without realizing she knew it. That was it. It didn't affect her stability. That was it. Adriana answered, choosing her words very carefully, "Billy, do you remember when Chris came into your life? How that changed everything, even your mother?"
The boy nodded and Adriana continued, "Vin ... no, that's not what I want to say. Your mother is the most stable person in your life, the one person you've always been able to count on. And it could have ended up that Chris took up all her time. You would have been jealous of him then, right? Because he was taking your mother away from you, even though he wasn't really. It's the same idea, Billy. Buck is the most stable person in JD's life. And now, suddenly, Buck's attention is being diverted to this child. JD is no longer his main focus."
"But Vin's a little kid now, and JD is all grown up," Billy pointed out and Adriana nodded. The little boy was silent for a few moments, then said, "But this is like when you came here, at first. And JD was jealous of you, even though Buck didn't spend time with you. He was afraid you would take Buck away from him. And he's afraid now that Vin is taking Buck away from him, even though he isn't really."
"Exactly! The thing is, Billy ... even though you and I understand this, it's not something we can explain to JD. He has to figure it out on his own. What we can do is give that little boy all the love and protection we can. You were right earlier, when you said that you're Vin's big brother now. Now, you can't do everything ... but you can do some things. You can pick up the slack for JD, until he gets things figured out, can't you?" Adriana asked.
The little boy straightened his shoulders and saluted Adriana, much to her delight. She leaned forward and kissed the top of his head, saying, "All right then. Why don't you carry that tray over here, and we'll get that bread in the oven ... and then you can help me set the table." Billy bobbed his head, and Adriana rose to her feet once more, opening the oven door. Billy very carefully carried the pan from the counter, then Adriana took it and slid it into the oven.
"I think you'll make a good mom, Adriana. Mom says that, too. She says she bets that you and Vin will get married before she and Chris do, but that's okay, 'cause you got more history than they do. Whatever that means," Billy confided as Adriana set the second timer. The archaeologist looked at the youngster in amazement, and Billy added with a shrug, "I hear them talking in the car sometimes, when they think I'm asleep." Now that sounded familiar. How many times had she done just that when she was a kid? Listened to Chris and Buck talking on the way home from a ball game?
"Well," Adriana replied, grabbing Billy under his arms and swinging him up off the floor, much to his delight, "you really shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, young man." She adjusted her stance, then began swinging Billy ... ugh, he was about as heavy as a baby moose! Then she said, "But in this case, I guess you didn't have much of a choice. What else do your mother and Chris say in these conversations?"
"Well," Billy said, giggling as his feet passed between her knees, "Chris says that if your daddy ever comes back and tries to hurt you, he and Buck will kill him. Mom says she'll help him, and so will Vin, and Aunt Carly. Drina? Should I call Lacey, 'Aunt Lacey,' even though she's younger than JD? She didn't ask me to, and Aunt Carly did. What do you think?" Adriana thought she better try to catch her breath before she answered, as Billy's casual comment knocked her for a loop.
However, after a moment, she replied, "I think you should call Lacey what she wants to be called." Whatever it is this week. But she kept that part to herself, continuing as she settled him on his feet once more, "Now ... why don't you get the silverware? And remember ... bring the entire box, you save walking time that way." Billy nodded and she gently turned him in the proper direction, before swatting his behind.
Billy just glared at her, before dissolving into laughter, then scampered off to find the box of silverware. Adriana leaned back against the counter, brushing a stray lock of hair back from her eyes. So, Mary thought she would be a good mother, that she and Vin would beat her and Chris to the altar, and had vowed to help Chris kill her father if ... when ... he returned. Not for the first time, she wondered if anyone had ever considered using children as spies. There had been a children's crusade, after all (though it was generally acknowledged that was a really bad idea). Still, it was something to keep in mind ... for future reference.
General Orrin Travis had been half-afraid that Wilmington, Standish, and Sanchez would come back with, if not the entire store, then at least a good portion of it. He was pleasantly surprised when a light knock on the door came about an hour after Billy and Mary left. Vin...Kevin ... was still asleep, and Orrin made a note to himself to ask Janet about that. She said that he was fine, but shouldn't he be awake by now?
"We come bearing gifts ... is the little guy awake?" Buck Wilmington asked in a stage whisper. Behind him, Josiah rolled his eyes ... then looked downright panicky when the little boy started to stir. Orrin glared at the trio ... don't even think about moving, then went to the child. Honestly, you'd think a baby was waking up, instead of five year old boy. Kevin opened his eyes to look up at Orrin, revealing a pair of very confused blue eyes.
Orrin gave him a reassuring smile and said, "It's all right, son, you're safe. Do you remember who I am?" Kevin studied him for a few minutes, then some of the tension left the small body. Orrin's smile broadened and he said, "Good. Now, I want you to meet three people who are very good friends of mine ... and they have some things you might like. Are you ready to meet them?" A faint nod, then Orrin shifted his body sideways, allowing Kevin to see the three men standing in the doorway.
Josiah Sanchez approached first, very slowly, one arm going behind his back. He knelt in front of the boy. He smiled very gently and said, "Hello, son ... my name's Josiah. And you're Kevin." The light brown head bobbed once. Josiah reached out a huge hand toward the little boy, careful to keep it low, so the child didn't think he meant to strike him, then asked, "Would it be all right if I shook your hand?" Again, that was met with careful consideration, before Kevin reached out and took Josiah's large hand, which quickly engulfed his tiny one.
Encouraged, Orrin continued, "Kevin, do you remember when we told you about the other Vin? How he has a girlfriend, Adriana?" Kevin nodded warily, and Orrin went on, "Adriana is in the same profession as Josiah. She's an archaeologist, and he's an anthropologist. But an archaeologist is also an anthropologist." Now Kevin looked at him, totally confused. Okay, a little more information than he really needed.
Josiah interposed, "It doesn't matter, son. I was out today, and saw this." Orrin smiled in approval. Josiah was taking a very good approach, keeping it low key and no fuss. Josiah removed a stuffed animal from behind his back, and Orrin had the privilege of seeing an expression which no one had ever seen on Vin Tanner's face before, not even at Busch Gardens, if Josiah's reaction was any indication.
The blue eyes became very, very large, and without even realizing he was doing it, Kevin reached out for the animal ... then pulled his arms back at the last moment, as if expecting to be punished. He regarded Josiah very solemnly, and the anthropologist eased himself into a sitting position. Orrin was fairly certain he would need Buck's help to get Josiah up off the floor when it was time. Josiah was younger than he was, but he was also bigger.
Josiah asked, his blue-gray eyes intent on the child, "Do you like him? He was sitting on the very top shelf ... all of the other toys gone. Just him. And I thought to myself, now there's a dog that needs a little boy to love him." The stuffed Snoopy was held loosely in his hands, an open invitation for the child to take him, without any pressure. Slowly, very slowly, Kevin reached out and put his hands on Snoopy.
As if thinking that Josiah would take him away, Kevin wrapped his hands around Snoopy's ears, the only thing small enough for his hands to grasp. Josiah didn't move, and perhaps relieved by this, Kevin put his arms around the stuffed dog, holding tightly. He whispered, "I can keep 'im? Ya ain't gonna take him away?" A sudden burst of rage exploded within the general, at the hesitance ... at the fear. But he controlled it.
"No, Kevin, I won't take him from you. He's yours now. To keep forever and ever," Josiah replied. A shy smile worked its way over Kevin's face, and Orrin saw him mouth, 'thank you.' Josiah ruffled his hair in response and said, "My two friends found other things that needed homes. Can they come in?" Kevin looked at the doorway, his eyes becoming very guarded, then he looked back at Orrin.
It took the general a moment to realize what the child was asking. He was so unused to seeing Vin Tanner so hesitant ... but, this was a five year old child, not a grown man. He had to remember that. Orrin nodded, indicating that it was all right, and Kevin gave a tiny bob of the head. Josiah said softly, "Buck, Ezra, come on inside and met Kevin. I think he'll give all of these toys a good home."
Buck, it seemed, was influenced by Josiah, for he lowered his voice as he entered the room, and said, "Hey there, little guy. I'm Bucklin ... but everyone calls me Buck. Unless my baby sister is mad at me."
"Which is quite often, as the major has an unbelievable ability to put his lower extremities in his oral orifice, all the way up to his knee ... and beyond," Ezra observed, coming in behind Buck. Oh, he was definitely nervous. He was now using twenty dollar words, instead of the usual ten dollars words. The little boy just stared at Ezra, as if the negotiator had spoken in a foreign language ... which, Orrin supposed, he had.
Josiah smiled at him reassuringly, saying, "Don't worry if you can't understand him, son, you wouldn't be the first person. This is Ezra. All he said is that Buck ends up making his younger sister mad a lot, because he tends to put his foot in his mouth." Ezra mouthed indignantly, that's what I just said! But he didn't verbalize it further, and Josiah asked, his voice growing very soft, "Kevin, son ... did your ma ever read to you?"
"Uh-huh. She read to me when it was bedtime. Sometimes, if m' aunt Josie was 'round, she would read to me, too. She's way far 'way. Mama said she couldn't come for me, 'cause the place where she was, was real dangerous. And Aunt Jessica ain't come for me. Not yet. Maybe I been a bad boy?" Kevin asked, his eyes widening. Orrin swallowed hard, trying to remove the sizable lump which had taken up residence in his throat.
But it was Ezra to the rescue this time, abandoning his twenty dollar words for language a small child could understand. He crouched in front of the little boy, saying, "You most certainly were not a bad boy. I have it on very good authority, the very best in fact, that you were a very good boy. You are not to worry that your behavior is the reason your aunt has not come for you. Now, I have three books which were very special to me when I was a child your age. It would be my honor to read them to you."
Again, Kevin looked at Orrin, asking without words if this would be all right. Orrin nodded. Yes ... yes, he could trust these men. Swallowing his obvious fear, Kevin scooted ever so slightly to one side, allowing Ezra to sit down on the cot with him. With the boy in good hands, Orrin rose to leave, but a tiny hand caught his, and Orrin stared down into pleading blue eyes. And immediately felt guilty for even thinking about leaving. He just smiled gently and sat down on the cot beside Ezra Standish, pulling Kevin into his lap. Buck Wilmington closed the door behind him, as all five settled in to listen to the legend of King Arthur.
Kevin wished he could remember what today was. He didn't think it was Christmas or his birthday. And these men didn't seem to want anything from him. He had heard stories, stories which he didn't know if he should believe. But in his experience, nothing was given, without something in return. These men were giving him toys and books, offering to read to him.
What did they want from him in return? As Kevin listened to the story of King Arthur and his knights, the little boy glanced around, studying each face. What did they want from him? Each of the grownups were focused on the story, not on Vin. No, he couldn't think of himself as Vin, because you never knew when the other Vin would come back. And Kevin was nothing like him. He wasn't tall or strong, or brave. No matter what Dr. Janet had said.
On the other hand, Dr. Janet was a grown-up and his mama had been a grown-up. She always knew what he was thinking ... why wouldn't these men know as well? Why wouldn't Dr. Janet know? Maybe Dr. Janet was right, and maybe he was brave? But if he was brave, then why was he so scared? Kevin Tanner didn't think of himself as brave, not when he hadn't stopped being scared from the moment he was told his mother was dead.
And then something Mr. Standish was saying caught his attention. Mr. Standish read, "And though Gawain was greatly afraid, he went forth ... because he was a knight." Kevin blinked, thinking that through. Gawain was a knight of the Round Table ... and he had been afraid. But Kevin thought grown ups were never afraid. He frowned, puzzled by this. Mr. Standish asked softly, "Is something wrong, Kevin?"
"Ya said that Gawain was scared," Kevin answered very quietly and Mr. Standish nodded. Kevin swallowed hard and continued, "But how come? I thought grown ups weren't never scared. Of nothing. I thought ... I thought if ya was scared, then ya weren't brave?" Mr. Standish put the book to one side and turned to face Kevin, his green eyes very serious. Kevin uneasily wondered if he had done something wrong in questioning the story, but it was too late to take back his question now.
It was General Travis who answered, "Kevin, many years ago, my son was killed ... and my grandson saw the men who did it. He was five years old, the same age you are now. And he believed that grown ups were never afraid. But he's wrong. You've heard us talk about the other Vin." Kevin nodded, remembering what he heard ... how brave, and honest, and kind he was. Kevin wouldn't say so, but that's exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. Just like the other Vin.
General Travis continued, "The other Vin has an older brother, Chris. And long before they found out that Vin and Chris were brothers, they were best friends. Now, Chris had a wife and son, who died. Adam, his son, was just about your age when it happened. Chris told Billy, my grandson, something very important. Something Billy has never forgotten, and I don't want you to forget it, either."
Kevin nodded his understanding, and the general continued, "He told Billy that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do ... is just to keep living. Because when Chris lost his wife and son, the thing that scared him most was getting up in the morning, and knowing he would never see either of them. He was right. Because even though I still had my wife, and Mary and Billy, I was afraid after I lost Stephen. But I kept going, just as they did. You are a very brave boy, Kevin. Because you've kept going, even though you lost your mother. And she'd be very proud of you."
Kevin blinked back tears, feeling very, very sad for the other Vin's brother. Mr. Sanchez added softly, "Listen to the man, son. Gawain was afraid, but because he did what had to be done, that made him brave. Being brave isn't not being afraid, Kevin. It's doing what you have to, even though you're afraid. Just like Billy and his mother did, after the general's son was killed, just like you have, just like Chris did."
Kevin nodded slowly, and asked very softly, "Could ya start readin' again, Mr. Standish?" The man nodded with a broad smile and he began reading again. But even as he paid attention to the story the man was currently reading, Kevin was thinking hard. The little boy never really had a father ... he had his momma, and sometimes, his aunt Josie came to visit ... usually with presents for both Kevin and his momma.
But until he went to live with the Montrose family, after his momma died and Aunt Jessica didn't come for him, he wasn't around men much. And he didn't like Mr. Montrose ... not at all. He didn't like Mrs. Montrose either. And as strange as this place was, Kevin had decided he liked it better here. There was General Travis and General Hammond, Dr. Janet. And he had decided he liked these men, too, even though he was scared of them at first. They were so ... big!
Kevin hugged Snoopy, resting his cheek on the top of the dog's head. He always wanted a dog, but Mama told him he wasn't big enough yet. Maybe when he was ten and could help her take care of a dog. Kevin fought back tears. He missed his mama so much. And Aunt Josie. He missed Aunt Josie, too. Mama told him that she was going way far away, and that it was very, very dangerous. But she had to go, to make sure nobody ever hurt Kevin.
Kevin didn't understand what his mother meant, so he asked one of the neighbor ladies. Mrs. Gonzales usually took care of him when his mama was working, and called Mama 'mi hija.' Mama just told him it meant she and Kevin were very special to the lady. Mrs. Gonzales told him that his Aunt Josie was a very brave lady, just like Mrs. Gonzales' son was very brave. Kevin knew better than to ask about her son. Teo died before Kevin was born, in a way far away place. She always lit candles for him on his birthday and on the day he died. But sometimes, on those days, Mrs. Gonzales told him about Teo. About how brave he was, and he did his duty, even when so many were cowards and let others die in their place.
Kevin didn't understand what Mrs. Gonzales meant ... just that she hurt when she talked about her son. She would always get angry when she talked about those people, but right behind the anger were tears. And when she started weeping for her Teo, Kevin would hug her. Mrs. Gonzales would return the hug, whispering that he was such a good boy, and Julia should be so proud of him. By this time, Kevin knew that his mama's name was Julia. He always thought it was so funny, how his mama was Julia, and her sisters were Josephine and Jessica.
But it still hurt to think about Mama, and so Kevin began listening to Mr. Standish again. Funny ... Kevin never noticed, until now, how Mr. Standish talked a little different than the other men. The little boy listened a little more intently. He didn't sound as funny as the others did. He sounded more like Kevin and his mama. Aunt Josie talked a bit funny, too, more like General Travis, but Kevin never really asked why.
He heard her teasing Mama once, about talking like a Texan now. Well ... wasn't that what she was? Then again, Mama told him that not all of their family lived in Texas. Just the two of them. Aunt Jessica lived in Chicago, with his gramma and grandpa, while Aunt Josie lived all of the place. That was another strange thing. How could you live in more than one place? Was it like Kevin, after his mama died, and he went to live with someone else?
Which brought Kevin's attention right back to the men in the room with him now. He liked these men. He liked Dr. Janet ... and he decided he didn't ever want to go back to the Montrose family. With that settled, Kevin burrowed against Mr. Standish's side, still hugging Snoopy tightly. He wanted to go and play, but right now, he would listen to the story. He missed his mama reading to him.
"Getting anxious?"
Chris turned at the sound of his younger sister's voice. Adriana was leaning against the door frame, arms folded over her chest. In the kitchen behind her, Chris could hear Mary and Billy giggling as they washed the dishes. Mary insisted that since Adriana made dinner, she would do the dishes, and Billy insisted on helping his mother. Which left Adriana and Chris with nothing to do. Chris replied, "Not exactly anxious."
"More like nervous, then," Adriana proposed and Chris sighed, running his hand through his hair. He didn't even know how to describe how he was feeling. Scared ... anxious ... nervous. How did he deal with this five year old version of his brother, this child who reminded him so much of Adam, it hurt? And ... how were the others dealing with this? While Chris was Vin's older brother, he knew that the others loved Vin just as much as he did.
"All of the above ... plus angry. How in the hell did this happen, little princess?" Chris asked. He wasn't looking for an answer, not from Adriana. She sighed and sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs at her ankles. Mindy jumped up onto the sofa and settled next to her mistress, resting her head in Adriana's lap. The archaeologist slowly stroked the dog's head, and Chris smiled in spite of himself at the contented growls coming from Mindy as she made herself more comfortable. He had needed this.
"We're talking about the Gou'ald, Chris. My gut tells me that this wasn't meant as a weapon ... given what I've heard so far, it sounds like ... something else. I don't know what. But something. I know you're not really angry at Jack, even though you want to be, and that makes you mad. Because you have no reason, no explanation. No one to blame," Adriana replied. Chris glared at her, and Adriana added, "I know you, Chris. I know the way your mind works, and I know the way your soul works. Right now, you're okay ... but tomorrow, when we go to the SGC, and you see that little boy ... it's gonna be a helluva struggle. Because Vin won't recognize you. He might even be afraid of you, and he's never been afraid of you ... not once in the last three years, not even when you were at your worst."
She paused, then continued, "And I owe you an apology." Chris looked at her ... say what? What the hell was she talking about? Adriana continued, "I should have realized you hadn't ... I should have been stronger for you. You needed me to be strong for you, and I was too selfish." Aw ... hell! Chris shook his head and went over to sit on the sofa, taking the opposite side from Mindy.
"No, little princess," he replied, taking her hand, "you weren't being selfish. Because more than anything, right then, I needed to be strong for someone else. Someone who recognized me, someone who wasn't afraid of me. I needed a focus, other than myself. Even if you had tried to be strong for me, I wouldn't have let you. Call it my damn pride, but there are times when a man needs his pride. And that was one of those times."
She squeezed his hand, and they sat in silence for several minutes. Mindy had fallen asleep, or so it seemed, and Adriana leaned against Chris. What he told her was true. He had needed to be strong for her, because it was the only way to deal with what he was feeling at the time. Chris Larabee always found it easier to protect, than to be protected. And there was a part of him which hated for his little sister to see him weeping from fear.
Not because he didn't trust Adriana. Trust didn't enter into this picture, not at all. Rather, Chris knew that if he had broken down then, he would have never been able to stop, because he was drowning in his pain and rage. It wasn't until Mary got here, and Chris more or less had his rage under control, that he felt comfortable in letting go himself. Adriana was taking care of Billy, in the guise of having him help with lasagna.
And Mary wasn't his little sister. She was the woman he loved, and like Sarah before her, she took care of her man, just as he took care of her. It shouldn't have made a difference, his baby sister and his beloved, but it did. Although Adriana was twenty-seven years old, no longer a child, Chris still find himself ... well, he took the opposite direction from Buck, where Adriana was concerned. She was a grown woman, but she was still his little sister.
"We may have a problem," Adriana said suddenly, and Chris looked at her. She looked down at their hands, then her eyes flickered back to meet his, and said, "While we were in the kitchen, Billy asked me why JD is jealous of Vin." Come again? Adriana explained, "JD is no longer the youngest, Chris. He's jealous of Vin, he resents him for the change ... and he's angry with himself because of that. You know how he reacts in those situations."
Chris did, indeed, know. He wanted to defend the kid, remind Adriana that while JD had been jealous of her, she was an adult, and Vin was, at the moment, a child. However, he didn't. In part because he knew she was right ... much as he hated to admit it, she was right.
He heard JD sneer at Adriana, just before the disastrous mission that almost shattered the relationship between the Wilmington siblings for good, that Buck knew what she was. JD, when he felt threatened, could get downright ugly. Most of the time, JD got that when he was afraid someone he cared about would be harmed ... and ironically, he got ugliest when someone was threatening Buck ... or Vin.
Chris wanted to believe that the kid wouldn't get ugly with a child. Adriana continued, as if hearing his thoughts, "I don't think that JD will get ugly with Vin. But ... he may ignore him. Now, you know as well as I do, even in the SGC, Vin has enemies. We love him, but there are a number of people who hate him because of what he's accomplished, because he's not even military, and he's won the respect of both generals."
Chris could see where Adriana was going with this, and said softly, "You aren't afraid he'll attack the boy ... you're afraid he won't watch his back." Adriana dipped her head in acknowledgment, and Chris was silent for several moments. Then he asked, "What do you want to do?" Adriana blinked and Chris continued, "There's a good chance I won't be allowed near the child ... if that's the case, I want you and Mary watching out for him."
"Billy has already said that if JD can't be a proper big brother to Vin, then he'll do it. Frankly, Chris, I think Billy is looking forward to being a big brother ... no, that's not a hint. You should know me better than that. Depending on what Janet's found out ... General Hammond may allow Vin to come home with you. If that's the case, we're okay. But as long as Vin is at the mountain, someone with a grudge may think he's fair game," Adriana replied.
"It's hard for me to believe anyone out there is that stupid," Mary said, coming into the living room, Billy just behind her. She sat on the arm of the sofa, while Billy climbed into the colonel's lap, and Mary continued, "But I suppose it's best to be safe. Until General Hammond gives his okay, Billy has told me that he'll look out for Vin at the SGC." The little boy nodded, turning to face Chris with a determined air.
Chris ruffled the child's hair, smiling. Then Mary asked softly, "Chris ... will you be okay with this? The general will probably ask if you want to take Vin home with you. Should we contact Jessica? Josie will be here before too much longer, and I don't know what we'll tell her if Vin isn't back to normal then." Chris shook his head. He had been thinking about contacting Jessica, since she was still Vin's mother by birth.
"The only way we bring Jessica into this is if we tell him that she's just a friend. To do anything else would confuse him. If I could trust Jessica to just be that friend, instead of her viewing this as an opportunity to make up for lost time ... I'd say 'yes.' I don't trust Jessica that much. What about Josie? I know we can trust her to do what's best for Vin, but do you think it will confuse him?" Chris asked.
Looking at the faces of his two female companions, Chris could tell they agreed with him about Jessica. It wasn't a matter of whether he liked or disliked her. He didn't trust her to do the right thing for Vin, because of her guilt. And Josie ...
"It depends on how we handle it ... Vin's five right now, but he's not stupid. He may find it strange that there are two Josie Tanners in the world," Adriana pointed out. Chris sure as hell couldn't argue with that. Adriana was silent for several moments, then said softly, "What if we just introduce her as Josiah's lady? He doesn't have to know her last name is Tanner, and he may not think to ask."
"Or," Mary said slowly, "we could tell him that she's a distant cousin ... who has the same name as his aunt. I hate to lie to him ... but this is a complicated situation." Now that was an understatement. The three adults fell silent, and Chris tightened his arms around Billy. He understood how Mary felt ... not wanting to lie to Vin, but as she said, this was a complicated situation. They had to be very careful.
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