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.
Okay, things had just gone from screwed to haywire. First, there was the mishap planet-side. Mishap. Yeah. Right. And she was the Queen of England. And just which jackass decided to let Will Richmond, of all people, play with his staff weapon? Carly Tanner ignored just how squicky that sounded, as she acknowledged that maybe someone figured that Will could get rid of some of his excess anger.
She knew better, but she had known Will for almost ten years as well. As if that idiot triggering the rockslide wasn't bad enough, Charlotte broke her ankle while they were trying to outrun the rocks and almost died. If not for Liam O'Shea grabbing a hold of her and pulling her out of the way of the stone stampede, Carly would have probably buried a friend on that planet...and then been charged with murder, for killing Will.
So, she was in a bad mood when they arrived planet-side. She managed to hold onto her temper long enough to get the already-frightened Tansy to Sam Carter, who would in turn take her to Janet Frasier. But now, she found herself in the kiddie room with Mary and Chris. And a sandy-haired little boy who reminded her of pictures she had seen of her late nephew, Adam. To top it all off, Mary just referred to her by her mother's married name, when she knew damn good and well that Carly had legally changed her name back to Tanner!
She was on the verge of blowing up at someone, when Mary rose to her feet and grabbed Carly's sleeve. She said, "Kevin, we'll be right back. I'll send the other boys in, Chris, to help you with Kevin's bath. Carly ... I need to talk to you. Now." With a reassuring smile firmly in place for the confused little boy sitting in front of Chris, Mary dragged Carly back out into the hallway, and nodded to the members of the Seven who had tried to keep Carly from going into the kiddie room.
Ezra, Buck and Josiah all went in, Billy trailing behind them, and Carly looked back at her older brother's lady, fully intending to rip into her. But before she could, Mary said quietly, "There was an accident yesterday morning, Carly, while Vin was with SG-1." Accident? She knew how prone to accidents SG-1 was, but the last time she checked, JD Dunne was the Daniel Jackson of the group, the one who always ended up in the infirmary. Or, the owie magnet.
Mary continued, "There was ... a complication. The Gou'ald device which Sam was studying overloaded. You just saw the result." The result? Huh? What the hell was Mary talking about? Carly just stared at the other woman, trying to figure out what happened to her twin brother. Mary took a deep breath, released it, then said, "Carly ... the Gou'ald machine regressed Vin to a five year old boy. Physically and mentally."
Wait a minute. Carly could have sworn Mary just said Vin had been regressed to a five year old boy. She searched the woman's face, looking for any sign that this was a really, really bad joke on Mary's part. But there was only sadness and resignation there. Carly looked toward the kiddie room. Kevin. Mary said the boy's name was Kevin. Her twin's real name. She asked hoarsely, inclining her head toward the kiddie room, "Kevin? Kevin Parris Tanner?"
"Yes," Mary answered simply. There was a time, only a few months ago, when Carly would have laughed, told her it was a good try for a joke. But that was before the biologist signed on with the SGC. During her time on the planet, she spent a lot of time with Rafael (who, after going a few rounds with Will, needed to spend time with a logical, rational person). From him, she learned more about the Gou'ald.
"My brother's five years old. My brother's been turned into a five year old," Carly whispered, needing to say the words aloud. Yes, now that she thought about it, she could believe there was such a device. The Gou'ald were thousands upon thousands of years older than humanity. What was harder for her to accept was the fact that the little boy sitting in the room beside her was her brother.
"Yes. He ... he's been cleared of radiation. He's not sick. Just a little boy. A scared little boy who doesn't understand what's happening to him, but has started trusting us. We've told him that there's another Vin ... himself, the adult ... and that's why we're calling him 'Kevin.' To differentiate between him and ... well, you understand," Mary explained. She took a deep breath, then continued, "Chris is having a hard time with this, because he looks so much like Adam. Something we never noticed, in those old pictures your aunt had."
Carly smiled faintly, then stared in horror. Aunt Josie! She thought back to the email she received that morning, and said, "Oh damn. Mary, Aunt Jo is already back from Texas! Yes! She emailed me yesterday, said that she and Elizabeth were on their way back! She's probably home by now! And she said General Travis asked her to come to the SGC as soon as she had a chance, he wanted to talk to her about reactivating her."
"Oh ... shit," Mary growled. Carly blinked, unable to believe what she just heard. Did Mary just say 'shit,' or was Carly truly hallucinating now?
Hell, after the morning she had, that wouldn't have surprised her at all! Mary ran her fingers through her hair distractedly, then said, "Okay. You and I will check on Charlotte, make sure she's okay. Yes, we ran into them ... you. I think you were concentrating on getting Tansy out of the line of fire, just like Chris was concentrating on getting V ... on getting Kevin out of the line of fire."
That sounded about right. Mary continued after taking a deep breath, "After we check on Charlotte ... shit. Scratch that idea." Wow. Twice in just a few minutes. Mary took another deep breath, then said, "I'll check on Charlotte. You go in, get Josiah alone, tell him that Josie is back. Once I've talked with Charlotte, I'll ... I don't know." Right in front of Carly's eyes, the normally composed Mary Travis was unraveling.
The woman shook her head, murmuring, "None of us had ever known what Vin's early life was like, and now ... now we're giving him a second childhood. And that's when it hits. That my little brother, the man who has saved my life, my son's life, Orrin's life ... isn't a man any more, but a helpless little boy. A scared, helpless little boy who trusts us for God only knows what reason."
Mary raised green eyes to Carly, saying, "Do you understand? That man, whom we've depended upon so many times ... needs us now. Like he's never needed us before, and we're still struggling to get a handle on why this has happened to him. Chris and Adriana ... you know what those two are like. They've buried the anger deep, and if Will pushes either of them, you'll see some fireworks."
Carly put her hand over Mary's, saying softly, "Mary. Listen to me. I'm here now. You don't have to hold you, and Chris, and Adriana together alone any more. I'm here. I'll help you. Charlotte has a broken ankle, but she can still give you her support, and you know she will. You're not alone any more." Mary took a deep breath and nodded. Carly saw evidence of tears on her lashes, but didn't bring it to her attention.
And after a moment, Mary said, "Sorry. I didn't even realize ... look, I'll go check on Charlotte. You ... you do whatever has to be done in here." Carly nodded and impulsively, slipped her arms around Mary for a brief hug. The embrace was returned, then Mary headed in the opposite direction, toward the infirmary. Carly watched her go, deeply troubled. For the first time, she realized what an emotional minefield her family had become in the last day and a half.
While Carly could see why Chris and Mary, and the others, would welcome this chance to take care of little Kevin, she could also understand the toll it had taken on everyone. Especially the people who hadn't realized the toll on themselves ... the ones who had been trying to be strong for everyone else thrown into chaos. She wondered if Chris realized that Mary was just now starting to struggle with Vin's transformation.
And yet, it was only reasonable. Mary loved Vin, too. But she had been concentrating on taking care of Chris and Billy. Chris was concentrating on taking care of Adriana, and Drina ... Well, Carly knew her friend was probably wavering.
If Carly knew her former roommate as well as she thought she did, Drina was wavering between letting her control go and taking care of those around her. Like Chris, she found comfort and stability in taking care of people, when she couldn't take control of the situation. She would do what she could, instead of what she wanted to do. It was both a weakness and a strength. The trouble was, Will was back planet-side now, and he wouldn't allow that.
Which might not be a bad thing. In fact, Will's jealousy might even work in their favor ultimately. She just didn't know if he was stupid enough to incur Adriana's wrath, when she was already struggling to maintain her control over her emotions. Well. That wasn't her problem at the moment. Carly went back into the kiddie room to tell Josiah that her aunt was back in Colorado ... and to make up for lost time with her brother.
Once Charlotte Richmond was settled in the infirmary, Jack headed back to the Gate Room, this time to meet up with his team. He knew, after the confrontation in the hall, that Adriana wouldn't be talking to Danny. Her encounters with Will Richmond inevitably left her shaking with fury, and sometimes even incoherent. Jack didn't blame her. He couldn't even look at the man without wanting to smash in his face. Just like Maybourne ... but there was an idea. Lock Richmond into a room with Harry Maybourne. Now that was entertainment!
Daniel was the first to arrive in the Gate Room, about twenty minutes before their scheduled departure time. He was fumbling through his equipment, muttering under his breath, and almost walked right into Jack. The colonel put both hands out to keep his friend not only from walking into him, but to keep Danny in an upright position. Daniel looked up, blinking as only Daniel could, and said, "Oh. Jack. Sorry. Didn't see you there."
Jack seriously considered responding with a 'ya think,' but held his tongue. He was getting better at that as the years went on. Of course, his attempts at diplomacy still sucked, but he was mellowing. Sort of. Jack asked, resolutely turning his mind away from that, "I take it you didn't encounter Adriana on your way here?" Daniel responded with a befuddled look, struggling to push his glasses up and maintain his hold on his bags.
Jack alleviated that problem by pushing up Daniel's glasses for him, and the young man replied slowly, "Nooooo ... the last time I heard, she was planning to kick our collective butts for allowing her boyfriend to be turned into a five year old boy. Has that situation changed?" Jack nodded with a grimace, and Daniel continued, "Well, I know Drina's not as dangerous as Larabee, but you're still not pleased with that."
"Less dangerous than Larabee? Ha. Shows how little you know. Besides, we dropped on her shit list, thanks to Richmond, the Wonder Dummy. Which is probably where Carter is ... Carly Tanner took Tansy to her quarters. Why she didn't take her directly to the infirmary, to be with her mother, I have no idea," Jack muttered. Daniel just blinked, and Jack explained, "There was a rockslide, triggered by the Wonder Dummy, and Charlotte was hurt."
"Oh ... and you saw Drina before all this got started? She's no longer in a mood to kick our collective butts? And this happened after Richmond got back?" Danny asked. Jack started to answer, but Carter arrived at the moment, looking very disgusted. The archaeologist asked softly, "What happened, or don't I want to know? And by the way, where's Teal'c? Or should I even ask, since it seems everything's gone haywire?"
"Teal'c is behind me ... he had yet another run-in with Conklin. And if he doesn't shoot that little twit, he has more restraint than I do. He wants to come with us on the mission, sir ... Conklin, I mean. Doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no.' And then that jackass, Will Richmond, has totally terrorized his daughter with his jealousy toward anyone who even looks at Charlotte," Carter fumed.
"Be they a threat to his marriage or not," intoned Teal'c as he entered the Gate Room, staff weapon in hand. He inclined his head, adding, "The patience demonstrated thus far by Colonel Martinez is beginning to wear thin ... I believe it is only a matter of time before that patience wears out." Yeah, whatever ... right now, Will Richmond wasn't Jack's problem. That was getting his team back to the planet where the current nightmare began.
To that end, he noted that the Gate began its revolutions, each chevron locking into place. Over the last day, ever since SG-1 returned with the pint-sized Texan, information had been sent back to the SGC, with atmospheric changes and any other information which might prove pertinent to the Earth-based resistance fighters. Including changes in radiation. However, there was no radiation ... hence, no protective clothing. Jack just hoped they could figure out what the hell that thing was, and what it did ... to prevent any further catastrophes.
The last chevron was locked, and the expected fluid blasted into the room, as the wormhole opened. Which meant it was time for them to go to work. Jack said as much, observing, "Much as I've enjoyed this episode of ' The Edge of Night,' or whatever the soap of the week happens to be, we've got a mission. Mind you, Richmond being his usual pain in the ass self distracts Adriana and Chris from ripping us a new one, but let's find a solution to a problem we can do something about, shall we?" Sam lowered her eyes, though Jack could see a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"SG-1, you have a go ... good luck and good hunting," General Hammond said. Jack nodded to his commanding officer as he led his team through the wormhole. It took them to the Gate outside the City. Jack shook off the sense of déjà vu ... after all, he had been here before. And instead, he set to doing his job. Making sure there were no snakeheads in the area. In addition to finding that machine which kiddified Vin, Jack had no intention of losing any one else. For any reason.
They made their way once more to the chamber where their friend was kiddified the day before ... shit. Was it only yesterday? Seemed more like a week to Jack. And as the team spread out, Jack said softly, "Carter? Make sure you don't turn that thing on again." Carter nodded, looking more than a little sheepish, and set to studying the device. Meanwhile, Daniel turned his attention to the writing on the wall. Literally, in this case.
It occurred to Jack that Daniel hadn't done that the previous time. Why? That's right. He was trying to place the architecture and time period. He hadn't had a chance to check out the writing on the wall. Daniel said, "Sam. Don't touch anything." Carter froze where she was crouched, still trying to read the information on the device. Daniel continued, "Don't touch it at all. The entire device is one giant turn on switch."
"Danny?" Jack asked, startled by the change in his friend's demeanor. So startled, he didn't make a smart-ass remark about the 'giant turn-on switch.' Daniel looked over his shoulder with a worried look, and Jack continued, "Would you like to share with the rest of the class how you figured this out ... and why you didn't figure this out the last time?" Carter rose to her feet, dusting off her hands and knees.
"I was still trying to figure out which culture was the basis for this planet. It didn't hit me until we went through the Gate on our way back ... once I knew what culture, I had an idea of which language I would need. That's what I've been doing the last day and a half. Do you remember after the Magyar mission almost went south, and Adriana was on light duty?" Daniel asked. Jack grimaced. How could he forget? Daniel continued, "While she was on light duty, I gave her all the information we had so far ... she catalogued it, then turned it over to Bree Lincoln, who created a database."
"That's wonderful, Daniel, I'm very happy for ya'll, but that doesn't answer the question," Jack replied, feeling as if he was being very patient with the young archaeologist. Daniel sighed, raking a hand through his sandy blond hair. Jack simply waited patiently ... or, at least, as patiently as he could. A glance at Teal'c told the colonel that the Jaffa was as baffled as he was himself. Jack wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Right ... okay, it's like this. While we were here yesterday, I took a piece of paper and traced the lettering. Contact paper, since I couldn't get a handle on the language. I thought at first it was because I didn't know what culture we were dealing with. So, I scanned that into our database, and still came up with nothing. But something Charlotte told me in her last email before they headed back reminded me that I had to know where to start. That's what confused me, Jack ... I wasn't reading things in the right order," Daniel explained.
Okay, now they were getting somewhere. Daniel went on, "As soon as we got in here, I went in reverse. And that's when I figured out the entire device is a huge turn on switch. It was a dream machine. It fulfilled the desires of the user. Now, I know what you're gonna ask. How can we use it to turn Vin back into an adult, and I don't know yet. I'll keep reading." Jack simply nodded and inclined his head for Teal'c to join him outside. They could keep watch while Carter and Daniel puzzled this out. He just hoped Chris was having an easier time right now.
Chris Larabee was having the time of his life. He couldn't remember having this much fun since ... well ... since before Adam died. He had forgotten how much fun it was, bathing a child. Or just watching a little one play in the water. Right now, though, it was time to finish washing his hair since the little guy was turning into a prune. Chris was holding the child steady, while Carly worked the tangles and dirt from the brown hair.
Under all that dirt, was a cute little boy. Chris already knew that, and in the back of his mind, he kept having to remind himself that this was his brother. But at the same time, he didn't want to remember. Especially not when Kevin giggled every time he splashed Chris. The colonel would give a mock growl and splash him back, drawing even more giggling. According to Janet, the little boy didn't have any of his adult counterpart's memories.
Chris wasn't so sure of that. The more time Kevin spent with them, it seemed like the more he trusted them. As if he remembered, on some level, that they were his friends ... his family. Which gave Chris hope, in turn, that they would get his brother back. Vin was still in there somewhere. The young man who had gone to Nathan's aid all those years ago, who watched his back, who tried to warn him about Ella Gaines.
Carly rinsed the shampoo from Kevin's hair, carefully guarding his eyes with one hand while she eased the nozzle gently over his head. Then she smiled and said, "All done! Chris, if you could hold him another minute, I'll get a towel ... thanks, Ezra." Chris grinned. Ezra, Buck, and Josiah hadn't left the room in all the time they had been giving the little boy a bath. Any time Chris or Carly needed shampoo or soap, one of the men would get it for them.
Chris didn't know where Mary was ... the last Carly said, she was on her way to the infirmary. SG-1 was heading out, to see about getting Kevin turned back into Vin. And Carly had told Josiah that Josie was back early from Texas ... something was going on with Elizabeth, and Chris would find out what that something was later. Carly and Josiah were trying to figure out how to tell Josie what had happened to Vin.
And at first, Chris wasn't sure why she would need to be told, until Carly explained that the generals planned to return Josie to active service. They thought she would be an asset to the Stargate program. In other words ... oh shit. Well, Chris would let Josiah and Carly deal with Josie. His first ... and only real ... priority at the moment was Kevin. Who was now standing in front of Chris, shivering as the colonel dried him off.
Buck had handed Carly a second towel, for the little boy's hair, and once more, Chris found himself flashing back to giving his son baths. It was a favorite time for father and son. Chris had been Adam's hero, and while the little boy loved spending time with his father and hero, the colonel loved the simple act of being with his son. Loved watching his little boy splash about in the water, play with his toys, and just be a little boy.
It was those memories which made him renew his commitment to the United States military. The image of his son playing in his bath was a reminder of why he was doing this. Until he remembered that he had been unable to protect his son from Ella Gaines.
Those memories of his son took his breath away now, as he dried off this five year old brother of his. Because after Julia died, Chris wasn't sure if there was ever anyone who gave him baths and played in the water with him. Vin had said, more than once, that he wasn't abused or struck after his mother died. But he was afraid, and he wasn't loved. Until he encountered Priscilla Meadows, then the other ladies of the magic circle.
At last, a squeaky clean, still naked little boy stood in front of him, and Chris smiled, saying, "Much better. Now, if one of our friends could give us some of the clothes which Mary brought for you." He looked over his shoulder expectantly. Only to be greeted with three sheepish-looking expressions. Chris sighed. He wouldn't ask. He didn't want to know. Instead, he turned his face back to Kevin and said lightly, "Well, it seems like those silly people forgot to bring your clothes. So, I'll wrap you up in a towel, and carry you back to the office where the box is." Kevin just looked at him, frowning.
"Why cain't I git dressed in m' other clothes?" he asked, looking from Chris to Carly and back again. Chris indicated the dirty clothes hamper behind him, and Kevin responded with a martyred sigh, and said, sounding very much the way he did ... the way he would once he was an adult again, "Reckon I kin let ya carry me." Chris tried very hard not to laugh. Yup. That was his independent, stubborn baby brother!
But he didn't laugh, because he knew how the child would take that. Instead, he carefully wrapped the boy in a towel provided ever so thoughtfully by Josiah, then lifted Kevin into his arms. On impulse, he pretended to gnaw on the side of the little boy's neck, drawing squeals and giggles from Kevin. Carly was laughing ... then her smile faded as she saw something over his shoulder. When Chris turned, there was no one there.
And Buck was looking very upset as well. Scratch that ... he looked downright murderous. When Chris looked back at his sister, Carly mouthed, "Adriana." Huh? What did that have to do with anything? Carly leaned forward, tucking the towel a little more securely around Kevin, and whispered, "Adriana came in just now, while you were putting the towel around V ... around Kevin. She looked like she had been poleaxed, and ran out."
"Is Miss Drina okay? She looked ... scared," Kevin said as Chris rose to his feet. The two adults closest looked at him intently, and the little boy continued, "Like my mama done, one time, when a strange man come up to her while we was shoppin' at the mall." A strange man? Approaching a young woman and her small child? An icy finger trailed down the colonel's back, but it was Carly who understood what the boy was trying to say.
She cupped his cheek and said softly, "Honey, when Drina was a little girl, her papa did bad things to her. I think she might have remembered more of those bad things just now. Not because she thought Chris and I were hurting you, but because ... well, for a long time, she didn't talk about what happened. She thought it was her fault that her papa hurt her." Chris looked at his younger brother, who was trying to puzzle out what Carly was saying. He couldn't remember when 'good touch/bad touch' became known, so he wasn't sure if it would mean anything to the little boy who believed the year was 1978 or 1979.
Chris again looked around, now trying to see the other men. He saw what he was looking for ... Buck's expression had gone from murderous to shocked. All the color had drained from his face, and Josiah had to keep him upright. Chris saw him mouth his sister's name. And as the Larabee siblings started for the door, Buck bolted out of the room, as if the very hounds of hell were after him. And maybe they were.
And in the end, no further explanation was needed. Kevin had learned that Miss Drina and Major Buck's father hurt Miss Drina. That was all he knew, that was all he needed to know. Once more, as he had in the hall when standing up to Will Richmond, Kevin's latent Robin Hood tendencies made themselves known, as the child who had been easygoing (albeit scared) up to this point, began seething in fury. Child or adult, it didn't seem to matter. Kevin Tanner was, is, and ever would be a protector.
Oh God, how could he have been so stupid!
Buck Wilmington stormed down the corridor, thoroughly infuriated not just with himself, but with his father. He was furious with his idiot sire for what he had done to DeeDee, to the damage which remained to his sister's soul. And he was furious with himself for never even considering more memories would be awakened by this situation. Furious with himself for his initial rage toward his sister when she fled from the bathroom.
What did he say to her? How did he make it up to her, for thinking the worst? Hell, he wasn't even sure what he was thinking ... only that it wasn't what it should have been. He had only seen the worried look on Kevin's small face, and Buck Wilmington's papa-bear instincts had kicked into high gear. Buck was still worrying over this when he turned the corner ... to find his sister curled up in a doorway a few yards away.
This was a section of the base not often visited, and knowing his baby sister, she probably found it during her explorations. Her sanctuary. Buck advanced slowly, his heart breaking at the uncontrolled sobbing he heard from his sister. He had never heard her cry like that. Not even after she found Katrien's body, when she finally allowed herself to cry. Not even when Vin was almost killed on the wagon train from hell.
All the major wanted, at that moment, was to take his little sister into his arms and never let her go. Protect her, as he hadn't while she was growing up ... from their father and god only knew what else. He wanted to hold her, wanted to stop the tears, stop the hurt. He wished she was a little girl again, when 'kiss and make better' actually worked.
As it was, he would be lucky to get within an inch of his sister, without her turning into a pint-sized version of Xena, complete with the 'ai-yi-yi' shriek. But Buck also knew his sister needed him to be strong for him. So, how did he do this? Touching her from behind wasn't an option. No. No, he had to do something else. Buck circled around his sister's shaking body, then knelt in front of her. He whispered her name ... not his nickname for her, but her own name. Adriana lifted her head to look at him, and Buck's heart broke all over again, seeing her misery.
"Oh, baby girl," he whispered. She all but threw herself into his arms, sobbing helplessly against his shoulder. Buck didn't say anything after that ... just held his little sister, tenderly stroking the back of her head. He eased himself into the doorway with her, pulling her onto his lap. She was holding on for dear life, as if she planned to never let him go. And Buck held on just as tightly. And slowly, oh so slowly, the sobs began to slow down, until each sob was a hitching breath.
"I ... I ... don't know wh ... wh ... what happened! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I just ... I saw him. I saw Chris dr ... dr ... dressing him, and ... " Adriana gasped out, her voice muffled by his shirt. Buck didn't say anything, just continued to hold her. He heard her swallow hard, and then she said, "It was like ... like seeing into the past. When I was a child. I ... I wasn't seeing Chris and Kevin any more."
She shivered, and Buck simply tightened his arms around her. Adriana was silent for several moments, murmuring, "It came out of nowhere, Bucklin. I mean, all through this whole thing, not once ... I never thought about our father." That wasn't true, and Buck knew that. He remembered blowing against a bare little tummy in the general's office, and his sister's stricken face. The stricken expression was there one moment, and gone the next ... and until now, he had no idea what that stricken look meant.
Buck kissed the side of her head, remembering what she said. She saw Chris dressing Kevin. When the little boy was out of the tub. The major felt an icy finger trail down his spine. That opened a door in her memory. He whispered, "I gotta know, baby girl. Did ... did some of it happen in the tub? After Katrien was murdered?" That was where his instincts were leading him right now.
Instincts which were proven right when he heard an anguished sound from his sister. Buck closed his eyes, fighting back tears of his own, as Adriana whispered, "Oh goddess, yes. Every night. That's why I don't take baths anymore. Showers seem ... cleaner to me. Washing away ... everything. Please don't make me tell you anything more. I don't ... I don't think ... " Her voice broke, and Buck once more tightened his arms around her.
And if she was reaching the point where she could no longer breathe, then Buck would have never known, because her own arms were tightening about his waist. He whispered, "Don't tell me unless ya wanna, baby girl. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Now at that, Adriana did pull back, studying his face curiously. Buck cupped her face in his hands, whispering, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him. I'm sorry I didn't take you with me, after I graduated from the Academy. And no. No, don't say it's okay, because it ain't okay."
"You had your life, Bucklin. You had no way of knowing," Adriana said hoarsely. That was no excuse. He should have known. Should have seen the way his sister withdrew into herself unless she was alone with him and Chris, by the fear which appeared in her eyes when she saw their father. Adriana added, "If anyone should be sorry, it's me." Now where the hell did she get a lunatic idea like that?
She removed one arm from his waist, to reach up and wipe away her own tears ... then his. Then she whispered, "I forgot. About you coming to the house of a man who abandoned you and your mother. Acted as if you didn't even exist. And you ignored all that. For me. I forgot that. I only remembered the recent past. I ... " Her voice broke, and Buck pulled her back into his arms. He pressed another kiss to her forehead, feeling as if he had been kicked in the chest.
She felt guilty for the rift between them, for all those years. A rift he helped to create, first by putting her off when she wanted to visit him, then by shutting her out when she arrived at the SGC. Buck whispered, "Wasn't your fault, baby girl. I got so caught up in protecting you from what my life was like, I forgot to include you in my life. And then I was so ashamed of the way I treated you ... things went from bad to worse."
There was a soft sniff, then, "We're a pair, aren't we?" Buck just laughed, and didn't answer. Wasn't much he could say to that. And so, for several moments, neither sibling said anything. Until Adriana sighed softly, "Did I upset Kevin badly?" Buck didn't answer at first, choosing instead to think about what he was saying this time. And, replaying the entire scene in his head, Buck realized the child hadn't been upset ... worried, yes. But not scared.
He answered honestly, "No. I think he was more worried about you than anything else." He felt his sister nod her head against his chest, and Buck asked slowly, mentally kicking himself for not seeing this possibility before, "Adriana ... baby girl ... it isn't just your memories, is it? What's been bothering you all day?" There was a startled gasp from his sister, and Buck wanted to shake her ... or maybe kill their father. The major said softly, "You're nothing like him, little sister. Your boyfriend has been turned into a little boy. That doesn't make you a pedophile."
"I was afraid. Because children are so small and powerless. That's what I remember most about being a child. Not just ... it, but being so damn helpless. Not knowing what I did to deserve what he was doing to me ... because if I knew, I'd stop doing it," Adriana replied softly. Buck had learned during the last few months that it was common for abuse survivors to blame themselves, even if the abuser didn't outright tell them that it was their own fault, that they made the abuser hurt them.
But, even knowing that ... it took all of his self-control to keep from telling his sister forcibly that she wasn't responsible. She knew that now. In her mind. She was slowly coming to accept it in her heart. The sexual abuse began when she was eight years old, continuing until she was seventeen. But she only began to heal within the last few months, which meant she wasn't finished. Adriana continued, "I was afraid. That I was like him. That ... desiring the man, who became a child ... that would make me like him. And until I saw you two in the office, when Mary, Billy and I got here with Mindy ... I didn't realize I was afraid of that."
Here, again, Buck remained silent. Adriana continued slowly, as if she wasn't even sure what she wanted to say, and was fumbling through the words, "But then ... it's like ... he wasn't Vin. Not my Vin. Not our Vin. He is, but he isn't. He's a child, a lost child. And I didn't want that. I wanted to protect him. Take care of him. I'm not like our father, after all, Buck. I'm not like him at all."
Buck simply hugged his sister again, whispering, "Damn straight you ain't like him, baby girl. You're nothin' like him. You're stronger and better than he could ever hope to be. You're stronger than your mama was, too. And I don't want you to ever forget that." He felt Adriana nod against his shoulder, and Buck said softly, "We don't have to go nowhere, baby girl. Not if you don't want to." With a soft sigh of assent, Adriana finally released the last bit of tension. And the two Wilmington siblings simply sat in that abandoned corner of the SGC, until they would be needed again.
Chris had just finished helping Kevin to dress in the general's office, when General Hammond joined them, saying without preamble, "I just heard from SG-1. They know what happened, and they're on their way back." Chris snapped his head up. Hammond continued, his face softening as he looked at Kevin, "Listen, son, I need to talk to you ... need to talk to Chris and the other adults. It's about a missing friend of theirs. You won't mind, coming back later, will you?" Kevin looked from the general to Chris inquiringly.
The colonel said softly, "It'll be fine, Kevin. Maybe you can find Billy, too." Kevin's face brightened at that suggestion, and Chris realized the little boy felt a little more comfortable with Billy than he did with any of the others. He gently tapped the end of Kevin's nose with one finger, making the little boy look at him cross-eyed, an expression which made Chris laugh. He swung Kevin down and the little boy scurried into the hall ... to be met by a surly looking JD.
Hammond said, putting his hand on the top of Kevin's head, "Kevin, this is Corporal Dunne. He'll be escorting you to the infirmary, where Billy is waiting with his mother. Corporal, I trust I made myself clear, regarding this child's safety?" The elder Texan's bright eyes bore into the young corporal, who remained sullen. However, he nodded, and Hammond knelt in front of Kevin, turning him gently to face him.
Chris looked from his little brother to JD, and added a silent warning of his own. JD dropped his eyes, and Chris returned his attention to Hammond. The general said softly, but just loud enough for Chris to hear him, "Don't pay any attention to him, Kevin. The other Vin is one of his friends, one of his very best friends, in fact. And JD is very worried about him. You've done nothing wrong, son, and I don't want you to think you did."
In other words, Larabee thought, his attitude isn't your problem, so try not to take it personally. He wasn't sure if the little boy understood, even after Kevin nodded solemnly. As the two boys left the room, Hammond rubbed his temples and sighed, "Corporal Dunne was very disgusted at the idea of drawing 'babysitting' duty. But I don't want him at this meeting, and in addition, it's time he dealt with whatever is troubling him. Does anyone know where Major or Doctor Wilmington are?"
"Adriana ... had a breakthrough while we were giving Kevin a bath, and Buck went to make sure she was alright," Carly explained, leaning against Orrin's desk. Hammond looked at her blankly, and Carly went on, obviously uncomfortable, "A breakthrough. Where her sperm donor is concerned." Now Hammond's eyes widened, as he realized what she meant, then narrowed again.
However, he didn't say anything, choosing instead to say, "All right. Chris, Dr. Sanchez, and Mr. Standish. I want you in the briefing room in fifteen minutes, I'll page them both to join us there. SG-1 is due back in about an hour, and there are some things I want to discuss with you in the meantime. Dr. Tanner, your aunt will be arriving shortly with your sister. I want you to brief her, both of them, on what's happened. We plan on asking Elizabeth to join the SGC once she graduates from college."
"Oh joy," Carly muttered, and Chris just gave his sister a sympathetic smile. Between attending this briefing, and telling Josie Tanner about what happened to her one and only nephew, Chris would have no trouble whatsoever making a choice. And confronting Josie would not have been the choice he would have made. Carly continued, "All right. You know Aunt Jo will want to see the little guy, don't you?"
Hammond nodded, and Carly muttered, "Then it's off to the guillotine for me. Say something nice about me at my funeral, dear brother." Chris responded by kissing his sister's cheek, then Carly left the room, as if she was, indeed, marching to her death. She was muttering all the way, and Chris looked at Hammond questioningly. That was three of them. He had already said he didn't want JD at the briefing.
Hammond replied, "Mr. Jackson will be coming in ... he planned to do so anyhow, since he has coloring books for the boy. I don't want Corporal Dunne at the briefing, because I'm sure I'll have enough interruptions from you ... and JD doesn't have your self-control, Chris." Larabee snorted at that. There was a frightening concept. And Hammond said seriously, correctly guessing the source of the derision, "You have a lot of self-control, Chris. You just choose to pretend to be a loose cannon. It leads other people to underestimate you."
"All of which leads to a very interesting question, General Hammond ... exactly what did SG-1 learn on their return trip, if you're so concerned about Colonel Larabee and Corporal Dunne's reactions?" Ezra asked, putting into words what everyone was thinking. Hammond eyed the police negotiator for several moments, and it worried Chris that he couldn't read the general's expression. Hammond wasn't one to wear a mask, not the way Chris or Ezra did, but there were times when shutters dropped over his soul.
At last, he replied, "I'll let SG-1 explain that. For now, I need to speak with Dr. Frasier. Dismissed." The men in the room saluted him, and Chris watched the general leave. Now that, he decided, was interesting. I've never seen the general do that before. Either SG-1 didn't tell him more than what he told us ... which I find very unlikely ... or he wants this to be explained only once. Chris was leaning toward the latter, and as he got ready to say as much to the other men in the room, the general's voice could be heard over the loudspeaker, paging Buck and Adriana to report to the Gate Room as soon as possible.
As the intercom clicked off, a very ticked-off Charlotte Richmond entered the office on a pair of crutches, with her husband and Mindy on either side of her. Oh, this was not good ... and just how in the hell did Mindy end up with Charlotte? That question was answered as Charlotte eased herself onto the desk, twin red dots burned into her cheeks. She said without preamble, "Mindy decided she would come with us ... give me some puppy first aid."
Mindy settled herself at Charlotte's feet as the archaeologist rubbed her good ankle along the dog's silky coat. Chris reflected that Miss Mindy was definitely partial to puppy first aid when it came to an injured person. Janet Frasier noticed the same thing, and she noticed how the patient healed better after a visit from Mindy since the first time Adriana brought the border collie to the SGC, months earlier.
Charlotte looked directly at Chris, asking, "What happened? All I know is that adorable little boy in the hall is Vin. How did it happen, and how can we turn him back to our Vin Tanner?" Chris looked from Charlotte, to Mindy, and then to a very sullen Will. The man was actually pouting. He looked like a damn two year old! Chris looked back at Charlotte questioningly, and she said, "I threatened him with a crutch in the crotch next time he shot off his mouth." Chris winced. What was it with Charlotte and Adriana, and threatening men like that?
However, he didn't ask the question. Instead, he explained, "While Vin was on a supposedly routine mission with SG-1, they encountered a Gou'ald device of some kind. It overloaded, and when SG-1 could see again ... Vin was a five year old boy." Charlotte's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, and Chris added, "Apparently, SG-1 is on their way back already. They found something, when they went back to the planet."
"First off, Colonel Larabee, you should know by now that there is no such thing as routine when it comes to SG-1," Charlotte said. Chris inclined his head, unable to argue with that logic. The archaeologist continued, "And second ... SG-1 didn't leave that long ago. What did they find this time that they missed the last time?" This time, Chris shrugged. He was clueless in that respect. Charlotte added, "And third ... can we get him back?"
"We can," Chris said quietly, "we're just heading over to the Gate Room, to find out what SG-1 learned when they went back to the planet. We can get him back, and we will. In the meantime ... " Chris smiled and added, "In the meantime, we're enjoying this little boy." Charlotte's eyes softened, and Chris admitted, "And you're right, of course. Where SG-1 is concerned, there is no such thing as 'routine' anything. Throw someone as unpredictable as my kid brother into that mix, and you got a disaster just waiting to happen"
Charlotte nodded, and the remaining members of SG-7 filed passed her, heading for the door. Chris looked at her husband and said very softly, "And as for you. I'll only tell you this once, Richmond. You stay away from that child. Because if you don't, and something happens to him because of you ... you won't have to worry about that crutch of your wife's connecting with your crotch. I'll shove it somewhere else."
There was a flash of anger in Richmond's eyes, but he nodded his understanding. Chris walked past, and Mindy jumped to her feet. She had evidently decided that she had given Charlotte all the puppy first aid she could ... it was time for her to find someone else who needed her. She padded at Larabee's side, as Chris wondered if Kevin was alright ... or if JD would try to ditch the munchkin at his first opportunity.
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