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.
A good night sleep had done wonders for Nathan Jackson's state of mind ... along with a shower and the smell of food. Rain looked up as he entered their kitchen, and said, "Since we're both off, I was thinking we could go shopping. Maybe for some crayons and a coloring book?" Nathan sat down at the table, eyeing his wife, who added with a smirk, "Or even more than one coloring book? Nathan, please ... I love Vin, too."
"I know you do, girl ... I know you do. I just ... I'm damn ashamed of myself. Vin needs me to be strong for him right now, and I couldn't do that for him. I can't reverse what happened to him. I just ... there have been so many times when he's been strong for me. Why the hell couldn't I do that for him? When he needed me most, why did I act like a damn kid?" Nathan asked, shaking his head.
Rain came around to his side of the table and knelt in front of him, taking both hands and holding them between her own. She said softly, "Nathan, listen to me. You remember what you always tell the others, about taking care of themselves, so they can take care of each other? Do you really think that's less true for you? You're right ... he needs you to be strong. But last night, you couldn't do that for him, so you pulled back until you could be strong enough. It's a strategic retreat, not a defeat."
Her logic was sound. He knew that. Just like he knew Rain loved Vin, too. Nathan continued softly, "I thought 'bout something else this mornin,' while I was in the shower. Tryin' to figure out how this is gonna affect JD and Chris. I mean, I thought about it last night. About how this would affect Chris. How would I feel if my baby brother got turned into a little kid. But I didn't really think about JD."
Rain just sighed and answered, "Baby, you keep forgettin.' Your baby brother did get turned into a little kid. Vin is just as much your brother as he is Chris Larabee's, and he was long before y'all found out about Evan Larabee." She spat the name out, as if it made her sick, and continued, "And as for JD ... why would you be worried about him? He's a grown man, he'll be fine with this."
Nathan shook his head, answering, "I don't think so, girl. See, I keep thinkin' back to when Adriana first got here, two years ago. How much JD resented her, and Buck didn't even spend time with her. Now, JD ain't the baby no more, and you can't tell me he don't resent that. Of course he does. And he'll hate himself for resentin' that little boy. I know the way his mind works." After all the time JD spent in the infirmary, Nathan had to know.
"I suppose I hadn't thought of that. But baby, that isn't your task. JD is a grown man. He's gotta deal with this in his own way, and you gotta deal with it in yours. And you can't tell me that you're not afraid of losing your heart to that little boy. You just can't," Rain replied. Nathan wouldn't even try, because he knew it was true. There were so many things about this situation which bothered him.
What was that machine? How would they get Vin back? If Nathan's instincts were right, and JD did resent the little Vin, how could they deal with that? What would they tell Carly when she came back with the other civilians and the new SG-3? For that matter, what would they tell Josie, if she came back early? Josie. Aw hell! The phone rang as Nathan hung his head and groaned. Rain left his side to answer it ... and her opening words made Nathan groan again.
"Hey, Josie! How's Texas? You're back in Colorado? Since when? Is that right? Well, good for her! Uhm, I would imagine Josiah is still at the base. Yeah. Yeah, Nathan was given a few days off. No, he's still asleep. Yeah, he was pretty exhausted. You're ex-military, you know how it goes. Oh, excuse me, I forgot ... once military, always military," Rain said, laughing. Nathan mouthed, 'thank you!'
She just winked at him and continued, "I'll do that. Okay. Give my love to Elizabeth. Sure. Bye." She hung up the phone, explaining, "Josie's back in Colorado, she and Lacey got in late last night. She's gonna spend the rest of the day resting ... the drive last night took a lot out of her. Which gives you all of today to contact Josiah, and let him know that his lady, Vin's aunt, is back in town with the youngest Tanner."
Rain evidently realized she said, then added, "She's back in town with Lacey. Anyhow, you boys need to figure out a way to either tell Josie what's going on, or figure out a way to keep her from finding out. That shouldn't be hard, but I know she's friends with General Travis. From what I've been hearing, he and General Hammond have been talking about having her reactivated and part of the SGC."
Lord, then it really would be a family affair! By Nathan's count, the two Wilmington siblings were both in the SGC, three of the Larabee-Tanner family, along with a possible addition when Lacey received her commission into the Air Force.
So if Josie was reactivated, that would make five members of that particular family. From Rain's expression, Nathan could tell his wife was thinking the exact same thing. But she confirmed it a moment later when she observed wryly, "Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. That would make five Larabee-Tanners at the SGC, and they would take over the compound! Not ... not that this would be a bad thing necessarily."
"Chris ain't never gonna make general, so I don't think that's gonna happen any time," Nathan replied. He saw his wife start to protest, and continued, "Rain, ya know there ain't too many men I respect more than Chris Larabee. But you know just as well as I do, that man will leave the service as a colonel, just like O'Neill will." Nathan stopped, feeling a strange surge when he thought about O'Neill.
"I suppose you're right. I hope Jack's all right. I know Vin is as important to SG-1 as he is to SG-7, and this whole situation has to be killing Jack," Rain said softly. Nathan nodded, drawing his wife to settle in his lap. She continued, "The general, when he called last night, wanted to let you know that SG-3 will be returning within the next few days. They're waiting on word, from Colonel Martinez for confirmation of when they'll be ready to move out."
Nathan just shook his head, sighing. Like the other members of his team, he was all too aware of the complications which SG-3 and their civilian charges meant. But unlike the rest of his team, Nathan wasn't concerned with Will Richmond. During his last journey with them, Nathan learned Charlotte was quite capable of putting her husband in his place. Usually with a knee in his groin ... that was Nathan's favorite, at least.
No, Nathan was more concerned about how Carly would react when she found out her twin brother was turned into a child by Gou'ald technology. While she was Vin's twin sister, Carly was actually more like Chris in terms of temperament. Only more ... how could he put that politely? Only less controlled. Carly had a fiery temper, and there wasn't a member of SG-7 (or SG-3) who didn't know that.
On the other hand, the two negatives could cancel each other out. Carly had demonstrated she was just as good at dealing with Will, as Charlotte. She had been doing it ever since the magic circle began, back in Texas. There was an idea. Maybe it would be a good thing, if Will started acting up. It might distract Carly from her twin brother's current ... status. Rain said softly, "I had an email from Carly when I got up this morning."
That didn't sound good. Nathan looked at his wife questioningly, and Rain continued, "She confirmed what the general told me, and added that Tansy Richmond has been staying with her the last week." Come again? Rain sighed, "Tansy got scared by her parents' fighting." Nathan frowned. But Will and Charlotte fought all the time, from what he had been told. Had they protected their daughter from it up until now?
"That ain't new for them, Rain, they fought the whole time we escorted them. True, Tansy wasn't on the wagon train with her parents, but still ... " Nathan replied. Rain sighed once more and leaned back against Nathan's chest.
The SG-7 medic wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, wondering when he would be able to feel their child kicking and moving around inside Rain's womb. His wife answered softly, "It's different this time. Something ... something is different about the way they're fighting. It's even upsetting Carly, and she usually blows their fights off. At the beginning of her time on the planet, she cracked jokes about their arguments."
It sounded as if Carly thought the Richmond marriage was in trouble. Cracks had developed while SG-7 and SG-1 rode shotgun, but Nathan thought those were repaired once the truths were revealed. Rain continued, "Carly isn't worried about it, for Vin's sake. She doesn't think Charlotte would go after Vin again at all. She's worried because of Tansy, and because Charlotte's her friend."
This was news to Nathan ... the possibility that the Richmonds were facing true trouble with their marriage. The only reason it even mattered to him was because of the current complication involving Vin. He would have to keep an eye on that. Later. Right now ... right now, he had to spend some quality time with his lovely wife, with their unborn child, and with this wonderful breakfast she had fixed for him.
In the cafeteria, Kevin sat in the lap of the man he once thought was scary. He was told to call the blond man 'Chris,' and not to worry about a title. And as the little boy relaxed, he wondered why he ever thought Chris was scary. He wasn't. He was nice. Especially when he smiled. Kevin quickly realized that several things made Chris smile. Mary, the pretty blonde lady and the mama of the little boy, was one thing which made Chris smile.
The little boy Billy also made Chris smile, and Kevin watched Billy very carefully, to figure out if he did anything special. From what Kevin could tell, Chris simply liked being around Billy. With that mystery solved, Kevin decided next that the pretty dark-haired lady, the one whose eyes and smile reminded him of his own mama, Adriana ... she made Chris smile, too. He called her 'little princess.'
According to Major Buck (Kevin's new nickname for Mr. Wilmington), 'little princess' was a nickname Chris made up for Adriana. Like Kevin calling him 'Major Buck,' or the way Mama and Aunt Josie called him 'Vin,' even though his real name was 'Kevin.' The little boy accepted this, and decided that like his little sister, Major Buck also made Chris smile, even if they didn't talk about it. Chris said, when Kevin pointed this out to him, "Nope ... Buck doesn't make me smile. Buck's a pain in the a ... a pain in the neck." Kevin rolled his eyes. Chris didn't have to change what he was gonna say. He heard that all the time ... Chris was gonna call Major Buck a pain in the afterburners! Grownups!
"He still makes you smile, Christopher, admit it. Though Bucklin, I have to wonder. How on earth did you mistake that box of clothes in the office for General Travis?" Adriana asked, winking at the general who made Kevin feel so safe. Major Buck just growled at his little sister. Kevin tried not to giggle, and that attempt earned him a grin from the general. They hadn't stopped teasing Major Buck about that, not since he mentioned it earlier.
"Well, he ... heck, DeeDee! I was barely awake, I saw Ezra and the box of clothes, and it wasn't light ... I thought it was the general. 'Sides, I'll have you know, I wasn't sleepin' in my usual way last night," Major Buck blurted out. Kevin noticed with interest that the tips of his ears were red. The same way the tips of Mama's ears always got red when she was talkin' to Aunt Josie 'bout grown-up things. Hmmm ...
But something else caught his attention. So, instead of asking if Major Buck was talking about grown-up things, Kevin asked, "Major Buck? Why do ya call her 'DeeDee,' when her name's Adriana? I had two girls in my class, their names were 'DeeDee,' but one was 'Deirdre' and the other was 'Deanna.' I ain't never met no 'Adriana' before. And I liked J'siah's name for her. ' Drina.' That's prettier."
"Cause when she was a little gal, she couldn't say 'Adriana' properly. Best she could do was 'Dee,' and I started calling her 'DeeDee.' Vin thinks 'Drina' is prettier, too ... he's the one who gave her that nickname," Major Buck replied. There was a sadness in his eyes, and Kevin shrank back against Chris, wondering if he had done something wrong. Major Buck must have noticed that, for he said gently, "No need for you to apologize, son."
"Just so, young Master Kevin. And may I suggest, we finish our repast before the nefarious Dr. Richmond shows up? I've found the archaeologist in question ends up giving me a severe case of indigestion if he appears while I'm eating. Because just as soon as he begins his ranting and raving, the Valkyries ... namely Dr. T ... namely the lovely Dr. Tucker and her partner in crime, the lady Dr. Richmond, will swoop down," Ezra said.
Kevin was still figuring out what he was saying when J'siah began humming something from a cartoon Kevin liked to watch, but he couldn't figure out which one. Until Chris and Adriana began singing in unison, "Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit, kill da waaaaabbit, kill da wabbit!" That was it! Elmer Fudd! Elmer Fudd sang that while he was hunting Bugs Bunny! Kevin gave an excited little bounce.
Ezra groaned, clapping his hands over his ears, "Please, I beg of you, no more! My delicate hearing cannot withstand the ... the ... the destruction of such a fine music!" Kevin blinked at him. Huh? What did he just say? The little boy turned a confused face to Chris, who was still singing ... and why were his eyes sparkling like that? He winked at Adriana, who was still singing as well.
It was Mary who took pity on the confused child, saying, "Ezra's being silly, Kevin. He thinks Chris and Adriana should stop singing, because that music, 'Ride of the Valkyries' originally didn't have words to go with it."
Okay ... so? Why did that matter, 'long as the music was still good. Kevin decided that Mary was right, and Ezra was just being silly. General Travis added, chuckling, "Thanks, you two. Now every time I see Charlotte and Carly, I'll be hearing that in my mind." Adriana finally stopped singing and gave the general a really, really, really big grin. Kevin guessed that unlike Ezra, she had absolutely no problem being silly.
"No charge, General, absolutely no charge. Now, since my constitution is made of sterner stuff than Ezra's, and I'm finished eating anyhow, I'll head on out. If I encounter ... the source of Ezra's digestive distress, I can handle him. Kevin, I'm gonna leave Mindy with you. All you gotta do, until you go take your bath, is pet her and give her hugs. She doesn't like one of the men coming back. The last time she saw him ... " Adriana began. She stopped, her face doing funny things.
Chris said when Adriana didn't continue, "She just doesn't like him very much, Kevin, so we keep them separated." Oh. That made sense. Chris went on, as Adriana rose to her feet, "Meet you back here at noon for lunch, little princess, or are you still ... doing something else?" Adriana frowned and Kevin saw her mouth move. He was very proud of himself when he realized that she was saying 'something else' without words.
Then ... her eyes lit up and she replied, "Oh! No ... no, I'm taking a breather on that project. General, did you say SG-1 would be heading back to ... back to where they found Kevin?" The general nodded, and Adriana continued, "Okay. I have time to talk to Danny, then." She leaned over and squeezed Kevin's shoulder, kissed both her brother and Chris, hugged Mary and Billy, then shook the general's hand.
"Should we remind her to hug us next time, Josiah?" Ezra asked, sounding more like a little boy of Kevin's age than a grown up. As if she heard him, Adriana stopped as she reached the door. She smacked her head on the door ... ow! That must have hurt! Then she turned around and returned the table, hugging first Ezra, then Josiah. She held up two fingers, turned around, and headed out again.
"Girl needs to work on her about-faces ... ow! What was that for?" Major Buck grumbled as General Travis swatted him in the back of his head. Kevin giggled, especially after General Travis winked at him. Major Buck rubbed his head where he was smacked and glared at the general. Kevin could feel Chris shaking with laughter, and a quick glance at Billy told him that the older boy was giggling, as was his mother.
"General Principles, Major, I'm sure you've encountered him in the past," General Travis said. Kevin gasped in surprise when Chris almost fell out of his seat, laughing helplessly. The general fixed Chris with something which even Kevin recognized as a mock-glare, and said, "Colonel! Some decorum, please!" Chris sat upright, still laughing, and General Travis continued, "Kevin, you can't keep calling me 'general,' you'll end up getting confused. Why don't you ... why don't you call me 'Uncle Orrin,' at least for now?"
Kevin cocked his head to one side, considering that. He had Aunt Josie and Aunt Jessica, but he didn't think he had any uncles. He nodded with a bright smile.
Gen ... Uncle Orrin ... reached across the table and ruffled Kevin's hair. The little boy made no protest, since Aunt Josie did that all the time, and uncles were like aunts, only boys. Uncle Orrin continued, "Well, then. Since Chris seems to have this well in hand, I'll head back to brief SG-1 before they leave. I'll see you at lunch, Kevin. Billy ... Mary. Boys." The little boy named 'Billy' jumped up out of his seat and scurried over to him, hugging him tightly.
"Bye, Grandpa ... don't worry. I'll help Mom and Chris take real good care of Kevin," Billy said. Grandpa? Kevin had never known his grandpa. Mama always looked really sad when he asked about his grandpa, but didn't answer. And Kevin hated seeing his mama look that sad, so he tried to keep from asking about him again. Maybe Billy could explain to him about grandpas. After he had that bath. EW!
SG-1 had received the word early that morning, from General Hammond himself. They would be going back through the Stargate to investigate that Vin-shrinking thing, just as soon as SG-3 returned. They would be going after, so there wouldn't be any difficulties between the two teams. Or rather, between the civilians and SG-1, since Jack had no problem with Rafael Martinez or his unit.
That was fine with Jack. He was just edgy enough right now to pop Richmond but good if he even looked at the man. Richmond had a bad habit of getting on Jack's nerves, even when he wasn't punching Jack's friends. His mother always used to say that leopards didn't change their spots. In Jack's ever so humble (alright ... not so humble) opinion, Will Richmond was a leopard. And there was no way he would ever change.
Jack was actually on his way to breakfast when a familiar voice called, "Jack!" O'Neill looked up as Adriana Wilmington approached from the opposite direction. Well, this looked promising ... she didn't have that 'screw with me and you're dead' expression he had learned to fear. The one she seemed to wear a lot during the wagon train from hell. She smiled and said, "Jack, good ... I hope this means Danny's up as well."
"He is ... getting his gear together in his office. You know ... his archaeologist and language things. I take it this means you don't want to take a swing at me? You can, you know. I won't report you to General Hammond," Jack suggested, tapping the tip of his chin with two fingers. What the hell ... between Chris and Adriana, the latter would probably not hit as hard. Adriana looked at him, utterly baffled, and Jack explained, "For letting your boyfriend get turned into a five year old kid. You ... do ... know about that, don't you?" The bafflement gave way to understanding, and she nodded.
"Yes, I do know about that, Chris told me last night, and no, I have no intention of taking a swing at you. Yesterday, I probably would have, but not today. I've had the night to calm down, and so has Chris. In fact, he's with the munchkin now, along with Ezra, Josiah, my brother, Mary and Billy, and General Travis in the cafeteria. No, I need to talk to Daniel before Will and the others show up," Adriana replied.
"Well, as long as he doesn't run into Dunne first, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. You know the corporal's not at the top of his Christmas list, or whatever passes for Christmas. I don't mind tellin' ya, kid ... I'm glad we're heading out. Things are in an uproar around here anyhow, and I don't like the idea of Richmond coming back, especially not when he's got his wife, Carly, and Rafael all pissed at him," Jack observed.
"Will's primary goal in life is to piss people off, I think. I don't think a week went by, while we were in Texas, when he didn't put his foot in his mouth at least once. Sometimes more than that. He had this unerring gift to get us into fights. He would shoot his mouth off, and then Charlotte, Vin, and I would end up having to get his ass out of trouble. Charlotte would go in first, then Vin and I would go in to protect her," Adriana sighed.
Oh yeah, that sounded like Richmond all right. Jack asked, "So, how do you tolerate him? From what I heard, you two were pretty good friends ... once upon a time, better friends than you were with Charlotte." He had a hard time believing that, remembering what he did of the days before their return to the SGC with the critically injured Vin. She and the lady Dr. Richmond, along with Mary and Carly, never seemed to be separate. Buck Wilmington muttered about an all-new version of the Four Corners, God help them all.
The major's sister smiled faintly and replied, "It's true. I didn't become friends with Charlotte until my sophomore year, the dig-turned-search and rescue where I met Vin. I'd known her for about a year or so prior to that." Jack shook his head in amazement ... then again, he had only to look at himself and Daniel to understand exactly what she meant. Adriana continued after a moment, "Will can be very sweet. So charming, in fact, that when he does his Jekyll and Hyde thing, it totally throws you off."
There was a sadness in her eyes, and Jack asked softly, remembering what he heard about the confrontations between the pair before they left the SGC, "You mean like when he blamed you for Vin's wandering eye, for not keeping a better leash on your man?" Adriana's eyes shifted to his face, startled, and Jack shrugged, saying, "JD Dunne has a hard time keeping his mouth shut when he's worried or mad."
"And JD was with you guys on the first mission after we dropped them off. Gotcha," Adriana replied, nodding her understanding. Jack made a ch-ching sound, like a cash register. His companion took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. Yeah, that's a real good example. He started improving, after Vin was nearly killed. I think it scared him ... seeing him come tumbling down like that. Like ... like a rag doll a child threw down some stairs. And then, right about the time Carly rejoined them on the planet, he did this one eighty. She finally told me about in email ... I checked before we left this morning. It's starting to get ugly."
"And we know how your brother hates ugly. Great," Jack growled. He shook his head, and Adriana just looked at him sympathetically. Jack continued, "So, what does Carly think? Rafael's about ready to kill him, and he won't tell me why. Probably knows it wouldn't take much before I hauled off and knocked that idiot clear into the twenty ... damn, we're almost in the twenty-first century. Okay, the twenty-second century."
"Yes, Jack, it's the year 2000 ... almost 2001. Technically, the new millennium begins in just a few weeks, but ... " Adriana began, then shrugged. Jack almost laughed aloud. The damn girl just never seemed to stop surprising him. Adriana added with an impish grin, "You know me and technicalities. When you've been doing the work we have for the last three years, what's a measly three hundred sixty-five days?"
Jack grinned and Adriana continued, "And Carly says that Will's being Will. He's jealous, he's insecure, and he's scaring the hell out of Tansy. Charlotte tried to protect her at first, but it's getting harder and harder. That's why Charlotte suggested the sleepovers with Carly. And Jack, you should know ... he's starting to scare Carly as well. Not just Tansy, but Carly." Jack looked at the young archaeologist. While he didn't know Carly a s well as he knew her twin, he did know that she wasn't easily frightened.
"Okay, kid, thanks for the warning. Listen, you head on over to see Danny. He'll be glad to know you're not planning on beating the hell out of any of us," Jack observed. Adriana just grinned at that, and Jack ruffled her hair. She glared at him ... still had a ways to go before she rivaled one of Chris Larabee's glares, but she was definitely improving. Probably partially due to the influence of her boyfriend.
Vin. Jack's smile left his face as he thought about the guide. How the hell did that thing do that to him? More to the point, how in the hell would they get him back to ... well ... to being Vin? Carter had suggested this morning, when they learned they would be returning to the planet where Vin was kiddified, contacting the Tok'ra. Jack, never a big fan of that set of Gou'ald, started to veto that idea, until Carter reminded him that Skaara was with him. Skaara still had the memories of Klorel. The kid didn't like calling upon those memories, but to help his friends and allies, he would do so. He had in the past.
There was a good chance, once they knew what that machine was, Skaara could help them figure out how to reverse the effects of the machine, and restore Vin to his fully adult status. Jack couldn't help agreeing there. He was almost to the cafeteria, and certain freedom, when a voice over the intercom announced, "Colonel O'Neill to the Gate Room, Colonel O'Neill to the Gate Room. Dr. Frasier to the Gate Room, Dr. Frasier to the Gate Room."
As Vin would have said if he had been here ... aw hell! Jack did a sloppy about face and headed back toward the Gate Room. What was he needed there for? SG-3 was the only team due back today. The others had just left on their respective missions, or were due to return the following day. The last reports from all of them had been positive, though Jack knew that could change in the blink of an eye. And the fact that Janet was being paged as well was not a good sign. Not good at all.
He arrived at the blast doors at the same time Janet Frasier did, and asked, "What, did someone finally kill Richmond?" Janet shrugged, looking as lost as Jack felt. The blast doors opened, admitting them, and the pair stepped into the Gate Room. As the blast doors glided closed behind Jack, the first of SG-3 stepped through the Gate, and after that, several more followed. Rafael would be the last ... guarding the rear.
Then the civilians paraded through the gate, the traitor Whitman carrying his daughter Katie, followed by Carly Tanner with Tansy in her arms. Then Jack understood why Janet was called to the blast doors. Right behind Carly and Tansy was Charlotte, leaning heavily against Rafael, followed by a shamefaced Will and Major Liam O'Shea, Rafael's second in command. The young Irishman nodded to Jack. What the hell happened?
"Welcome back, SG-3. Debriefing will be at fourteen hundred hours ... so rest. You've earned it. Colonel O'Neill, if you wouldn't mind helping Dr. Richmond to the infirmary, so Dr. Frasier can check her over?" Hammond requested. Jack smiled at Charlotte, who managed a pained smile in response, and the colonel carefully lifted her into his arms. He winced when he saw how swollen her ankle was.
"Got it while running away from a rock slide which my dear husband triggered," Charlotte muttered. Jack rolled his eyes. Why didn't that surprise him? As he carried Charlotte from the Gate Room, Will trailing behind him like a chastised puppy, Jack decided that he was keeping that menace on two feet away from Kevin. Lord only knew what would end up happening to the poor kid ... and Jack had every intention of making sure Kevin became Vin once more. More to the point ... that he lived long enough to make sure that transformation took place.
Between her meeting with Jack and finding Danny, Adriana was stopped by half a dozen women in the SGC, wanting to make sure little Kevin was all right. That didn't surprise her at all. After what happened a few years earlier, with Stacy Ferguson and Ella Gaines, it would have surprised her more if the women hadn't asked after him. Adriana smiled ruefully, thinking of the emails she received, suggestions about what to do to Ferguson.
That was the reason she was still in the hallway when Jack came barreling through, yelling, "Make way, got an injured woman here!" Adriana moved to one side, her eyes widening when she saw Jack carrying a white-faced Charlotte to the infirmary. Okay. Danny could wait a few more minutes, she wanted to find out what the hell was going on. Will couldn't meet her eyes as he walked past, and Adriana fell into step beside Liam O'Shea.
Liam hadn't had an easy time of it when he first joined the SGC. It took no time at all for people to find out that he was the youngest brother of Dickie O'Shea, and it was a situation where the sins of the brother were visited upon another. Liam was fourteen years younger than his late brother at thirty-six, and he had joined the US Air Force at the age of twenty-two. While he was a little more relaxed with Adriana, once he realized she didn't hold his brother's actions against him, he still hadn't explained how he came to enlist in the American Air Force when he was Irish.
Not that she was really thinking about that right now. And Liam said softly as they walked side by side, "That eejit she's married t' did it again." That didn't surprise her, but what exactly had Will done *this* time? The man seemed to be a walking, talking disaster area lately. Liam explained, "He triggered a rockslide while playin' around with a staff weapon. Hit a large rock that held a lot of other rocks in place."
Aw ... hell! Liam continued with a sigh, "Charlotte was workin' nearby, helpin' Carly wi' some of her clean up. They had just finished loadin' up the last of Carly's results, when the rocks came down. Charlotte broke her ankle while they were runnin' away. The colonel provided the eejit with a new arsehole." Adriana grinned at that. Yeah, she could imagine he did. Rafael was a lot like Chris ... and one of many traits they had in common was an utter disdain for, as Liam liked to call Will, 'eejits.'
"So what was the eejit doing, playing around with a staff weapon?" she asked. Liam flashed her a smile. Despite his unfortunate relationship to Dickie O'Shea, the young major quickly found himself popular with the ladies in the SGC. Professional as always, that didn't stop the unattached ladies from giving Liam an admiring once-over. Adriana didn't blame them. If she wasn't in love with Vin, she would have given Liam second, third, and fourth looks.
And that was before discovering that he was as pretty on the inside as he was on the outside. That was how little Tansy Richmond put it, and Adriana's unofficial goddaughter was no fool. According to Carly, Tansy had a crush on Liam of epic proportions. Liam treated her with gentle respect, never treating her like a child ... which made her adore him even more. Huh. Too bad Charlotte couldn't fall in love with Liam, or someone like him.
Once upon a time, Will Richmond was one of Adriana's dearest friends. But she was steadily running out of patience with him and his constant insecurity. And she was starting to see a time in the future when Charlotte would run out of patience as well. Right now, her friend was still struggling to hold onto her marriage. She had two children with Will ... Allison, now dead for so many years, and Tansy.
But from what Carly told her, to protect her child, Charlotte might have to give up on her marriage. Adriana didn't want that for her friend. She didn't want that for Tansy. But children were sensitive, particularly to changes in atmosphere. Tansy could feel the tension between her parents. If Will truly started backsliding, acting the way he did after Allison's death, and the way he did before the confrontation with Boudreau ...
Boudreau ... the cabin. Vin.
She swore under her breath in German, then tugged at Liam's sleeve, keeping him back from Will. The man didn't take change well, and he was liable to freak out when he heard this. Liam gave her a confused look, and she murmured, "Something happened during SG-1's most recent mission." Now Liam gave her his own version of the 'ya think?' look, and Adriana stifled a giggle. Okay, maybe that was a bit obvious. Something *always* happened to SG-1.
"They encountered a Gou'ald machine. Apparently, it overloaded ... and Vin is now a five year old boy," Adriana explained softly. Liam, who had dropped back but continued walking, stopped in his tracks. He looked at her, his dark brows drawing together in puzzlement, and Adriana nodded. She continued, "Yup. Daniel Jackson was literally carrying him when they returned to the base. Now. Care to guess how the prize pain will react?"
"To put it most simply ... he'll go apeshit," Liam retorted succinctly. He shook his head, continuing, "Adriana, I'm not exaggeratin.' The man is ... t'tally obsessed. If another man even looks at Charlotte, he flies int' a rage. That's why Rafael is gettin' so angry wi' him. It's not just Richmond's overall attitude which troubles him ... it's the way the eejit reacts t' any man who pays attention t' Charlotte, includin' Rafael himself."
That sounded about right. Which meant they were in for some stormy weather. Adriana didn't think much about Liam's quick acceptance of what had happened to Vin. He had been here for a few months, and within the first week, any exclamation of 'that's impossible' tended to vaporize, never to return again. Within the SGC, anything was possible, especially after more than four years.
The archaeologist did wonder if she should warn Chris about Will's need for an attitude adjustment, especially since Vin ... Kevin ... had gotten over his initial shyness, and was now demonstrating the openness that his adult self showed with Chris. She winced, realizing that it wouldn't be necessary when Will's voice carried back to them, filled with contempt, "Babysitting now, Larabee? What did you and your men do this time? Or maybe I should ask, which one of your men screwed up this time?"
"Aw hell," Adriana muttered. This would definitely get ugly, especially since Chris was still pissed about Vin's ... kiddification. She started to move forward, seeing Jack carry Charlotte into the relative safety of the infirmary ... and seeing the way Chris transformed from a laughing, loving father/older brother/uncle, into a scowling colonel confronted with a sizable pain in the ass. But Liam stopped her, by edging slightly in front of her. A quick glance at the Irishman told her that his blue-gray eyes were sparkling with mischief. Adriana nodded. Chris could take care of himself, and Kevin, without any help from her.
But before Chris, or anyone else, could say anything to the annoying chief archaeologist, a little voice blurted out, "I don't like ya! Ya ain't very nice!" At first, remembering the entertainment during the wagon train from hell, as Jack described it, Adriana thought it was Billy once more chastising the prize pain. Until she realized this little voice sounded much younger, and had a distinctive Texan accent. Definitely not Billy. Though that youngster was wearing a smile which reminded Adriana of his mother in her hellion mode.
Now both Liam and Adriana edged to one side, to see the confrontation a little better. A second glance at the major told Adriana that Liam was thoroughly enjoying this. Which told her something else. Through the years in Texas, when she and Vin were friends, she had occasion to see Will freak out over a perceived threat to his wife ... or to a perceived threat to his marriage. Liam was on the receiving end of one of those freak outs.
Will was staring at the little boy held firmly in the SG-7 colonel's arms, his expression best described as 'wop-jawed.' Mary stepped up behind her son, putting her hands on his shoulders, and said with a smile identical to Billy's, "Dr. Richmond! You've met our honored guest. This is *Kevin Parris Tanner,* whom SG-1 found in the ruins of the ancient city during their last mission." It didn't escape Adriana, Mary's emphasis on Vin's full name.
Unfortunately, it *did* escape Will's attention, as he retorted, "You just can't get away from these Tanners, not even in outer space! Hell, he even looks like him ... what is he, the quantum mirror Tanner's bastard son?" Oh ... shit. Adriana and Liam looked at each other, then moved to Will's side. Adriana knelt in front of him, putting her pointer finger down on the ground, extending both arms as if she was measuring his height, while Liam checked either side. Will asked, "What the hell are you two doing?"
However, it was Chris who answered icily, "I'd imagine they're measuring you for your coffin, Richmond. You weren't paying attention to what my fiancee said." Fiancee? Adriana looked at her best friend, who blushed and looked down at her feet. Uh-huh. She would find out more about this later. Chris repeated, "The boy's name is Kevin ... Parris ... Tanner." Adriana stepped back, to see if it would register with Will this time.
Surprise, surprise, this time it penetrated that thick skull of his. His jaw dropped clear to the floor, and Kevin glared at him. He put tiny fists on his hips and said, "I don't like him, Chris. He ain't nice. He ain't nice to nobody!" That also got through the haze surrounding Will's head, and he stepped forward, his eyes snapping. As one, the men of SG-7 present closed ranks around Chris and Kevin. Adriana had no doubt that they would have pulled their guns on Will, if they thought it was necessary.
At this point, it was a game of chicken, and while Kevin had drawn back against the colonel's chest, he was still glaring at Will. It was just a question of who would back down first. To expedite matters, Adriana said very softly, "It takes a real big man to threaten a five year old boy, Dr. Richmond. You can be a jackass, but I never had you figured for a bully. Of course...I'm often wrong about people."
Her words had the desired effect as Will backed down. Chris brushed around him, pinning him with a glare that would have scared even Teal'c. Okay, so maybe his reputation as a hard ass was in place for a little longer. As he passed her, Chris whispered, "Nice job, little princess. Just try to keep me from killing him?" Adriana couldn't make any promises ... because if Will didn't straighten up and fly right, she'd kill him herself!
Dr. Janet was wrong. He wasn't brave. Not at all. That big man, the one Chris said Adriana was measuring for his coffin ... he scared Kevin. A lot. The little boy snuggled against Chris, feeling a little safer than he did a few minutes earlier. And along with the fear was anger. Kevin didn't understand everything the mean man said, but he did understand that he didn't like the other Vin. Didn't like him at all.
And for some reason, that made him not like Kevin, either. He didn't understand that. But maybe it was like the other one ... the old man who looked like he had swallowed a lemon. What had Uncle Orrin called him? Dr. Conklin? Maybe it was like that. Maybe he didn't like anyone. That made Kevin feel a little better, but he was still ashamed of himself for being afraid of that man.
Chris said softly, "You don't need to be ashamed of being afraid, Kevin. I know he's scary." Kevin looked up at him, and Chris continued, "He's big and he's scary and he's not very nice." The little boy nodded his agreement, and Chris continued, "I want you to understand. You did nothing wrong. Will Richmond feels threatened by anyone his wife smiles at ... and she smiles at children a lot."
Huh? That didn't make any sense. Chris continued, "I know, that makes no sense, but it's true. Years ago, their daughter died. It almost destroyed their marriage ... my brother Vin and Drina, helped them put it back together again. Except ... Will's wife Charlotte has always been fond of Vin, because of how nice he was to her then. And Drina is one of her best friends. So, Richmond is very jealous of the other Vin."
"But how come he's afraid of anybody she smiles at?" Kevin wanted to know. That was what confused him. The scary man who Chris called 'Will' was *big,* Kevin couldn't imagine how anybody that big would ever be scared of anything. He was at least as big as Mr. Montrose, and Kevin *knew* he was never afraid of nothing. Chris sighed and Kevin rested his head on the man's shoulder, suddenly feeling very tired.
"Because, Kevin ... Will knows he's at fault for almost losing Charlotte before. He's afraid of losing her now. Losing her, and their little girl Tansy. And the more afraid he is, the more of a jerk he is. The trouble is, when he starts acting like a jerk ... or, as Adriana said, a bully, he makes Charlotte angry, and he scares Tansy," Mary explained, and some of Kevin's confusion eased with that explanation.
He was afraid of losing his wife and little girl? That Kevin could u nderstand. After losing his mama, the little boy understood about being afraid to lose Chris and Mary, Major Buck and Adriana, Uncle Orrin, J'siah, and Mr. Ezra.
But that man shouldn't act like that, not if it made his wife angry with him and scared his little girl. That wasn't right. He said so, too, and Chris replied, "You're absolutely right, Kevin. But Will isn't very smart. Oh, he went to school for a lot of years, and he has a certificate saying he went to school for a lot of years. But he's not as smart as the other Vin, and that's the other reason he's jealous of him. Because he knows my brother is smarter than he is."
Kevin had almost forgotten that Chris was the other Vin's brother, and the little boy looked at Chris curiously. He said softly, "Ya miss yer little brother, doncha, Chris?" The man's arms tightened around Kevin, though not in a bad way. It was a hug like Mama used to give him, when she was sad but didn't want him to know it. She was sad a lot, which made Kevin sad. He wanted to make her smile again. Wanted to make Chris smile again.
"Yeah, I do. He's not just my little brother, Kevin. He's my best friend. And he was my best friend, long before I knew he was my little brother," Chris answered softly. Kevin frowned. Huh? What did Chris mean by that? The blond man explained, "I didn't grow up with my little brother. I didn't even know I had a little brother until I almost lost him. He grew up alone and sad. And I've wished so many times I could have known him then. So I could have taken care of him, the way he deserved."
Saddened by the sadness in his new friend's eyes, Kevin removed one of his hands from the man's shoulder and put it against his cheek. Chris smiled, making the shadows go away from his eyes, and kissed the palm of Kevin's hand. The little boy giggled, very pleased with himself for making Chris smile again. His new friend said softly, "I love my brother very much, Kevin. And maybe I should tell him that more often. It's just ... we're men. And we were both taught that wasn't how men behaved."
Kevin nodded. He had just learned that from Mr. Montrose. When his mama was alive, she told him that she loved him all the time. Remembering that, Kevin found himself trying not to cry. It didn't always hurt, and that scared him. Did that mean he didn't love his mama no more? Miss Mary asked softly, "What's wrong, Kevin?" Startled, the little boy looked at the pretty blonde lady, who was watching him with sad eyes.
"It don't always hurt when I think about my mama, Miss Mary. I miss her, but it don't always hurt," Kevin explained, rubbing his tears away with his fists. He saw Miss Mary and Chris exchange a glance, then Chris stopped walking and carried Kevin into a big room. Chris settled Kevin down, then knelt in front of him, a hand on each of Kevin's shoulders. Miss Mary crouched beside him, both looking very serious.
"Kevin, I want you to understand something, and this is very important. It won't make your mama sad that it doesn't always hurt. In fact, that would make her very happy. She doesn't want you to hurt, she wants you to be happy," Chris said softly. Kevin looked at his new friend, not sure if he could believe what Chris was saying ... and wanting so desperately to do just that. Chris continued, "Do you know how I know that?"
Kevin shook his head. He expected Chris to say that he knew that, 'cause he knew Kevin's mama. But he was wrong, and what Chris did say shook him. The man who made him feel so safe said softly, "Because I lost my little boy, Kevin, my little boy and his mama. Six years ago. But I know ... I know, if I had died, and left Adam, I would have wanted him to be happy. I wouldn't have wanted him to always hurt. I'd want him to start feeling better. And that's what your mama wants for you, too. She wants you to remember her, and never forget what she taught you. But she also wants you to be happy."
Kevin stared hard into both pairs of green eyes. Miss Mary wasn't smiling at all. Her face was very serious as she nodded. And she looked just like Mama did when she wanted him to understand something very important. He was on the verge of asking ... something ... when a pretty blonde lady burst into the room where the three sat. She said, all in a rush, "I've got Tansy with Sam Carter ... Chris, why does she look like someone killed her dog? Hi, Mary ... who is this little guy? Hi, sweetie!"
Kevin watched in amazement as Chris dropped his head. What was wrong? Miss Mary said, putting her hand on his shoulder, "This is Kevin ... SG-1 found him on the planet. I'll explain everything in a minute, Carly, including why Sam looks like someone killed her dog. Kevin ... this is the other Vin's twin sister, Carly. Dr. Carly T ... Tucker."
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