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 and I belong 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, Open House and Return to Innocence; also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: None that I know of ... I'm not planning on having any violence or any other mayhem in this story, but you know what the boys are like. Possibly some bad language.
Just as an fyi ... this series, this universe, ignores the events of the later fifth season of Stargate SG-1. Specifically, Meridian and Revelation. Which also gets rid of Jonas Quinn in sixth season.
"To borrow a phrase from my little sister ... this is a seriously frelled idea," Chris Larabee said as he finished putting on his shoes. His kid brother just grinned at him impishly from the doorway, folding his arms over his chest. Trust Vin to find amusement in this. He found amusement in the damnedest things. Just like his girlfriend. Come to think of it, maybe that was one of the things which drew them together. They both had a warped sense of humor.
Not that Chris had any room to talk, as he had been told more than once that the same was true of him. That was, of course, even assuming the other person in the conversation even recognized that he had a sense of humor. It was a popular misconception that he was grim and humorless. True, he didn't find the same things funny that Buck did ... or as many of the same things ... but that didn't mean he didn't have a sense of humor.
"Reckon ya best tell Drina that Larabee's picked up one a' her words, Mary," Vin called into the bathroom which sat right off the bedroom Chris shared with his fiancé. Unofficial fiancé, as he hadn't officially proposed to her, but that was how he thought of Mary, nonetheless. The colonel just scowled at his brother ... if he meant Adriana, he would have said his little princess, not his little sister. No, this time, he meant his youngest sister, nineteen year old Elizabeth, who was home from college for Christmas break.
"Well, Vin, I would, but it just so happens that Elizabeth has been spending a lot of time around lately, when she's not sneaking up on her mother and Josiah. Chris picked it up from her, during one of her many visits, instead of Adriana. Your youngest sister is still trying to get Chris hooked on Farscape. Not succeeding particularly well, but he's starting to pick up the lingo, so that's a victory of some kind," Mary replied, padding back into the bedroom. Her blonde hair was still wrapped turban-style in a towel.
"Is that what's happenin,' then? Hell, ain't Drina tol' her that she and Nathan have been workin' on Larabee for the last coupla years?" Vin asked incredulously. Mary just smiled and began to rub her hair dry. Chris turned his back on the pair, still grumbling under his breath. Truthfully, he didn't have anyone to blame for tonight, except himself. Vin offered to let him out of a promise Chris had made to his child self, Kevin.
But Chris had made a promise, and now he had to carry out his end of the bargain. That didn't mean he had to like it. He repeated, "This is a seriously frelled idea. But, since part of the entertainment involves watching Mary get up and sing, I'll survive." He immediately wished he hadn't said that, as his brother and lady exchanged a devious look. Chris growled, "No. No, you will not sing, not here."
"Aw hell, Larabee, ya ain't no fun!" Vin pouted, giving a very credible imitation of a five year old. But, that wouldn't work on Chris any more, not after having Kevin, the five year old version of Vin, in his life for nearly a week. Vin knew that, too. The second in command of SG-7 said, "Well, ya still ain't answered m' question. Ain't Drina tol' Elizabeth yet that she and Nate keep tryin' to get Larabee into that, even enticin' him by tellin' him all about them ladies?"
"Several times," Mary agreed, "but you know your sister. She's just as stubborn as you, Chris, and Carly. I'd even go so far as to say she's more stubborn." Chris couldn't argue with that. There were times when he thought his baby sister could even out-stubborn Mary. Which, when he thought about it, was a downright terrifying idea. Almost as scary as the idea of Mary and Adriana ganging up on some poor unsuspecting man.
"Y'all talking about me again?" the other half of that demonic duo asked, appearing in the doorway behind her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around Vin's waist, pressing her cheek against the side of his arm with an innocent look that absolutely no one in the room bought. Especially not after they saw what she was wearing. Vin looped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, drawing her forward until he could cross his arms over her chest.
That didn't keep Chris from staring in disbelief at his young surrogate sister's outfit. She was dressed, head to toe, in black. Black jeans that looked like they had been painted on, almost as tight as the black jeans Chris often wore, a black spandex camisole, a black shrug to cover her bare shoulders and equally bare arms, and black suede boots. Her dark hair fell loosely to her shoulders, framing her face.
As usual, she wore a bare minimum of make-up. Something about the time to put it on not being worth it. In fact, if not for three very important factors, Chris would have said she looked sexy. A) She was his little princess, the little sister he shared with Buck. B) She was his brother's lady. C) And he already had a lady.
But the first words out of Larabee's mouth, much to his chagrin, were, "Does your brother know you're wearing that?" The colonel found himself on the receiving end of a Wilmington glare, junior grade, and Chris muttered, "Never mind. Forget I said that." Forget that I just sounded like your father, when I'm not even old enough to be your uncle.
The giggle coming from Mary told him the chances of that happening, and for the first time, he realized that the two were ... ahhh, hell. Light and dark. Where Adriana was head to toe in black, Mary was dressed all in white. White jeans, a snug white top which showed a hint of decolletage, and a white shrug. The two young women exchanged a devilish grin, and Chris groaned, "Ah hell. You two are gonna be the death of me yet, assuming my baby brother doesn't do that for ya first."
Adriana disengaged herself from Vin and went over to Mary, putting her hands on the blonde woman's shoulders and leaning down until she could press her cheek to Mary's. Then the two gave him identical smiles of pure innocence mixed with pure deviltry, complete with wide eyes. Yup. These two would be the death of him, Chris realized, and damn if he wouldn't enjoy every minute of it, too!
Damn, it was fun to watch Chris squirm! Vin Tanner leaned back against the doorway, smirking as the two ladies pressed their cheeks together, presenting their 'evil twin' faces to the world. His own lady winked at him, straightening up and laughing at Larabee's groan. One of these days, cowboy, Vin thought, reckon ya might learn not to underestimate them two. ' Specially when they git that there light in their eyes.
Vin didn't do anything ... aside from admiring the view. He still couldn't believe Chris had gone through with his promise, the promise he made to Kevin before the transformation back to Vin. But that was his brother ... although, Vin knew Billy had something to do with it. Chris was conscious that Billy looked up to him, and wanted to set a good example for the boy. Just because the boy wouldn't be accompanying them tonight ... Lacey (Vin finally got used to calling his sister that, instead of 'Lizzie') would be babysitting him. And Mindy.
Although, in Mindy's case, it would actually be 'puppy-sitting.' The dog in question wound her way around Vin's legs, sniffing and licking at his hands, before heading first to Chris to be petted, then over to the ladies. The guide smiled as Mindy received lavish attention from his older brother. He would give anything to have a video camera right now. There were still a few people at Stargate Command who thought of his brother as being cold and dour.
The man now laughing as Mindy graced him with a face-and-hand washing was anything but. I wish, Vin thought wistfully, people could see the real Chris. The one playin' with Mindy. He wasn't terribly sure where the thought came from. Vin wasn't one who usually cared about what other people thought. He knew the truth about himself, he knew the truth about his brother. He supposed it was a remnant of his time being Kevin again.
It was strange ... he had told the generals that a part of the adult Vin Tanner remained aware and active in Kevin's mind. Vin knew everything that happened. He knew about Drina leaving the bathroom almost in tears when she saw Chris helping Kevin to dress after his bath. He knew about Buck leaving, first to confront then comfort his sister. He knew about JD ignoring the child in his care to talk to someone whom Vin knew he didn't even like.
And while Kevin had gone back to his place, returning Vin to himself as an adult, a part of that child lingered in Vin's heart and mind. He seemed to be seeing things differently. Like his brother. Never before had Vin wished others could see Chris as he did ... as his family did. What did it matter if only some knew the truth about Chris Larabee? That made them part of a cherished inner circle, trusted and loved by his brother.
And, he acknowledged, that was the point, wasn't it? The real Chris Larabee was there, for anyone to see, if they bothered to take the time. Look past the obvious. What he had done. Nathan, Ezra, Josiah, Buck. Adriana, Mary. Billy. General Travis. SG-1. And ... JD. Vin felt a coldness steal over him as he thought about the cartographer. Since that first time, only days after Vin's return to the SGC as an adult, JD had made two more attempts to talk to Vin. Talk at Vin, and the sharpshooter wasn't ready to listen or talk.
Instead, he turned his attention to reassuring the various members of SG-1 that they weren't at fault. Especially Sam Carter. She carried a lot of guilt for Vin's transformation, and the guide hoped she was settled in the truth now. Sam was a woman who burned with curiosity, about the world, about the universe, about everything. That was who she was. She couldn't change that, and remain Sam Carter ... and Vin wouldn't want her to change.
Any more than she would want him to change. Just as Sam Carter burned with curiosity, to learn, Vin Tanner took care of other people. He didn't know if he would say he was a protector, the way Mary and Adriana and the other ladies did, but he did know he took care of people when they let him. That was part of what made his time as Kevin so strange. Someone else taking care of him like that.
Vin's thoughts strayed to the stuffed dog which sat on his bed ... one of his souvenirs from that time, a gift from Josiah. He knew he should give those toys to one of the orphanages in the local area, but he couldn't bring himself to give away those gifts from the heart. Not even the Sit-n-Spin. Hell, even as an adult, he took a few spins around on it. He was reading the books which Ezra gave him ... started while he was still in the infirmary. He wished now that he had swallowed his pride and asked for help sooner. It was one thing to hear Adriana tell him the stories behind the stars and the constellations. It was another for him to read it ... it gave him an independence he never had before.
And the sail boat sat on his dresser. The gifts touched the soul of the adult Vin in more ways than he could have ever said. Just as the memory of a sleepy Mary reaching down to pull him up onto the bed and beside herself and Chris after he had a nightmare went to the very heart of him. It was a little awkward at first, reconciling the emotions and memories of that five year old child, with facing the women who had taken care of him during that time.
He remembered lying between Mary and Chris in their bed, his head resting against Mary's collarbone, while Chris shielded his small boy-body. Watched his back. He remembered falling asleep, feeling so terribly ... safe. He remembered waking up, almost in a ball and pressed against Mary's body. He remembered hearing Mary and Chris softly talking over his head, looking down to see Billy sitting at the foot of the bed.
Billy. That little guy had surprised everyone ... first with his determination that he would be Kevin's big brother, and look after the child. And he did! Vin remembered waking up in the infirmary once, after returning to being an adult, to find Billy sitting beside him on the bed. Billy had just smiled at him and said, "I'm glad you're okay." That was it. But there was a short pause and the blue eyes grew sad, as Billy added, "But I'm gonna miss Kevin. I liked being a big brother. Do you think Kevin liked having one?"
Vin had put his hand on the child's shoulder, a silent invitation which Billy accepted. The eight year old lay down beside the man on the bed, putting his arm over Vin's chest. The guide answered softly, "I know he did. And ya done a real good job of lookin' out fer him, Billy. What's more, he ain't never gonna fergit that, neither." It was easier for him to refer to his child-self as 'Kevin,' rather than 'me.' He didn't know why. It was just the way things worked.
Billy was silent for a long time, then he whispered, "Does he remember when we were playing, and pulled a trick on Chris?" Vin tightened his arms around the child, remembering very well. Billy and Kevin had gotten up early one morning, after a night in which Kevin had no nightmares, and filled a basin with ice cold water. Knowing more or less how Chris got out of bed in the morning, the two boys placed the basin near the foot of the bed.
So, when Chris awoke and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet encountered ice-cold water. It was, in a large part, inspired by Billy's rendition of the time Ezra left the cat locked in the bathroom overnight, and Adriana encountered kitty droppings the following morning when she went in to take her shower. The two boys were rewarded by very un-Chris-like yelp, followed by him chasing them around the house.
Vin answered softly, "He remembers. Chris sure can make a lotta noise, cain't he?" Billy giggled at that, and then neither spoke as they drifted off to sleep. Vin was awakened briefly when Billy was lifted from his body by his mother, then went right back to sleep. It was so good, not sleeping so much any more. When he slept all the time, he wasn't able to settle things with the others ... the ones he could settle with, at least. The ones whom he couldn't ... well, that would wait a little longer.
Nearly two weeks removed from that conversation, Vin watched as three people very important to him finished getting ready for their night out on the town. Vin was sure it hadn't escaped his brother's notice that Adriana and Mary had dressed almost identically, except one was in black and the other in white. The sharpshooter thought with a half smile that if Ezra were in the room with them, he would have titled the pair, 'Two Faces of Beauty.' That brought up something else, though, something important. Vin wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, or if he was seeing Adriana through different eyes ... or if his lady really had changed during the last few weeks.
It seemed to the sharpshooter that she was different now. More playful ... more ... Damn. Vin didn't know how to describe it. Drina wasn't a cold woman. Vin had seen her get downright fiery, under the right circumstances. But the best analogy he could think of was that the ice which had protected her heart for so many years was melting. She was more playful ... less reserved, even more mischievous.
Not that he was complaining, of course. He liked the changes in her, if they were changes and not things that had been there all along. In fact ... Hey! Vin jumped and whirled around as a hand connected with his butt. His aunt Josie grinned at him impishly, her brown eyes dancing with laughter, as she said, "Stop your woolgathering, Kevin Parris, the gang's all here. Hello! You girls look ready to kill!"
Josie gave Vin's butt another swat, then moved forward into the room to admire Adriana and Mary's matching outfits. Josiah came up behind Vin, putting his arm around the guide's shoulders, and murmured, "She's been in rare form today ... which makes me wonder exactly what tonight will be like." Vin just shook his head in amazement as he watched his aunt with his ' sister' and his lady. That made two of them!
It would take a devilish imagination to come up with the idea for their outfits. As it happened, that could have applied to any of the Four Corners. Which, technically, should now be the Eight Corners, since it included, in addition to the originals of Mary, Adriana, Sam, and Janet, the newcomers of Carly, Charlotte, Josie, and Elizabeth. And at times, Casey as well, though she wasn't present at the moment.
However, this time around, the idea belonged solely to the two women now wearing the outfits in question. Darkness and light, yin and yang. A psychologist could have had a field day, trying to interpret the messages being sent by the two women in nearly identical outfits, save for the color choice and a few other minor details. But the simple fact was, they dressed the way they did just because it was fun.
Fun. There were times when Adriana could have sworn she was making up for lost time where that was concerned. Through most of elementary and high school, Adriana had concentrated solely on surviving, rather than on having fun. Surviving ... keeping her sanity intact. It wasn't until she got to college that her life truly began. It was there that she began to figure out who Adriana Wilmington really was. She supposed that was true of most people ... she never really asked anyone else, always fearing that she would be ridiculed for being 'weird.' For being 'different.'
Goddess knew, that happened enough while she was growing up. She hadn't just learned about hiding in plain sight to protect herself from her father, though that was certainly a large part of it. No, she also learned to protect herself from the cruelty of people her own age. Maybe that was why she always gravitated to those who were older, even if it was just by a few years. Chris, Dr. Meadows ... Will and Charlotte, back when Will was capable of acting like a human being.
Claire taught her to let her guard down with people her own age, paving the way first for Vin, then Carly. Adriana didn't get to spend much time with Claire, since her arrival at the SGC. Claire had her children and her classes to teach, and Adriana had her work. Claire had Chanu. And now ... Adriana had Vin. Or, at least she would. Soon enough. It was the situation with Claire which allowed her to understand a slight distance between Chris and Buck, one which she noticed when she first arrived at the SGC.
Perhaps it was everything they'd dealt with during the last few weeks that had put her in such an introspective mood. She didn't know. She was just ... growing aware of the changing nature of relationships. Maybe because, for the first time in her life, she was in one. She had relationships in the past, sure ... but she had never been in one, and that changed her perspective toward the world. But wasn't that the way of the world?
People changed, their priorities changed. It didn't mean they no longer cared about each other. Adriana knew from talking to Vin that Buck would give up his life, would kill for Chris. And the same was true for Chris Larabee where Buck was concerned. It was simply a different kind of friendship from the one she remembered from her teen years. It just happened. But Adriana also came to realize that no matter what happened between her brother and Chris, the blond colonel would never stop loving her. She would always be his little sister, his little princess.
Lord and Lady, she was digging in deep tonight! The point of the evening was to have fun, not to wax philosophically. Adriana smiled to herself and looked back at Mary. Speaking of changes! When Adriana first arrived at the SGC, all those months ago, she regarded the blonde woman at her side with some trepidation. She wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe the sudden resurgence of insecurity had something to do with it, her fear that she wouldn't be good enough.
She had been having a hard time, wrapping her mind around what she was seeing. She had never heard of Stargate Command, of course. It was top secret. And at first, Adriana couldn't understand why the military would want her, a young archaeologist. The ink was barely dry on her degree, she was unlikely to find any credible work because she was willing to listen to the possibility that the Sphinx was far older than anyone had guessed.
And then, to find out the nature of the SGC, and the work she would be doing as a floating archaeologist for the various teams ... to learn, in time, that she gained her position because of that willingness to think outside the box, as the saying went! It took her breath away, and while she didn't know at the time she received the offer because of her paper on the Sphinx, the entire idea that someone thought she could ... do ... this kind of work ... left her reeling and dizzy with the exhilaration and the fear. The always-present, ever-secret, fear that she wouldn't be good enough.
Except ... she was wrong. She was good enough ... oh, sure, she had made some mistakes. The wagon train came immediately to mind. But overall, the generals were very pleased with her work. Mary Travis, who, though friendly, had scared Adriana so badly in those early days had become the best female friend she had since leaving Texas. It hadn't been easy for the blonde captain, Adriana knew that ... but Mary didn't give up. She thought Adriana was worth the effort.
An opinion shared by the slender, sexy, smiling young man standing beside Josiah Sanchez. Vin Tanner had always thought she was worth it. Always thought she was good enough. Always believed in her. Vin cocked his head slightly to one side, his smile growing questioning, and she mouthed, I love you. Vin blushed, but drew his hand to his lips, blowing her a kiss off his fingertips.
No words had formed, but they didn't need to. That gesture was Vin's own declaration of love. Josiah rumbled, his arm still around Vin's shoulders, "If I tell you that you look scandalously radiant, Miss Adriana, would you slap me?" The compliment forced a surprised giggle from the young archaeologist, who rose to her feet, Mary following suit. Adriana could feel her face burning, even as she saw Vin's eyebrows raise.
"Josiah, I'm not sure if you should worry about me slapping you. Although, I can now understand why Vin often refers to you as a 'silver tongued devil.' Personally, I think you should be more worried about Vin and his rifle ... or Josie," Adriana replied, glancing toward Josie Tanner. The blonde woman just grinned, opening her hands and shrugging. Not that Adriana allowed that to fool her. She had been around the ex-Army sergeant long enough to know the woman was just as dangerous as her nephew.
"He's allowed to look, Drina, he's just not allowed to touch. If he touches, then I have to hurt him. And I think scandalously appealing suits in this case. But ... why black? Did you decide to raid Christopher's closet?" Josie asked. Vin choked back a laugh, almost doubling over from the effort not to all-out lose it. His companion patted his back, a wide grin almost splitting his own face in two.
"Josie, I know Chris wears tight jeans, but I think this would be pushing it," Adriana replied, gesturing to her own jeans, which weren't nearly as tight as they looked. A good thing, too. She had a feeling she would be laughing a lot, and she'd need to breathe to do that. Tight jeans made it really, really hard to breathe. Or laugh, without popping at least one button or snap, whatever the case might be.
Josie laughed at that, replying, "Point taken. Okay, kids, I think it's time we got going. Elizabeth brought some videos for kids ... her old Transformer tapes ... and she'll want to watch those with Billy, and without any comments from us." The other adults acquiesced, leaving the bedroom to head into the living room where Buck, Ezra, Nathan and Rain were enraptured by the same cartoon which held both Billy and Lacey's attention. The archaeologist grinned. If only she had a video camera. The others at Stargate Command would never believe it. Ezra Standish, watching an old Transformers cartoon.
"You know," Adriana confided, "I always had a thing for Rodimus Prime. Poor thing, so angsty and full of self-doubt. Trying to live up to Optimus Prime, when all he really needed to do was find his own niche as the leader of the Autobots." With an uncomfortable flash, Adriana realized she could have just as easily been talking about herself. Something which someone else had realized, as Vin slipped his arm around her waist.
"Reckon he ain't the only one, Drina," Vin rasped out, drawing her in tightly against his body as Mary kissed her son good night and hugged Lacey. Adriana didn't answer, just held onto her man with all she had inside. She was almost ready. The walls were crumbling, and that, she realized, was why she had been thinking about the past and her own insecurity. Because she was starting to see she wasn't that person any more.
When she was a child, she saw a bumper sticker or something which said ' today is the first day of the rest of your life.' Adriana felt that was true. While she had never been to karaoke night before, she had the strong sense that wouldn't be the only change in her life tonight. But for the first time in her life, it didn't scare her ... because Adriana Kathleen Wilmington knew with absolute certainty that Vin Tanner would be there to catch her.
Buck Wilmington hadn't heard Josiah Sanchez describe Buck's baby sister as 'scandalously radiant,' but he wouldn't have argued. As it was, he was struck speechless by his sister's attire. And once he stopped wondering if she had shrunk some of Larabee's clothes, Buck was tempted ... seriously tempted ... to order her to change clothes. Two things stopped him. Josiah's raised eyebrows and the fact that the only change of clothes DeeDee had was her nightgown and the clothes she wore to Chris and Mary's house.
Lacey had offered to wash Adriana's jeans and sweatshirt with the rest of the clothes, for the following day, after Billy went to bed. Still, Buck was seriously tempted to go ahead and order his sister to change clothes, especially after he saw the way Ezra was looking at her. Buck wanted to reach over, stick his tongue back into his mouth, then close his gaping jaw. On the other hand, it wasn't often he saw Ezra at a loss. Even Nathan, who was happily married to Rain, gave his little sister second, third, and even fourth looks. Rain didn't seem to object.
Josie said, evidently expressing the thoughts of the females in the room tonight, "Look, but don't touch. Because if you do touch, Adriana won't be the one paying the price." Josie's eyes dropped to Josiah's nether regions, and the big man gulped. The former sergeant continued with a sweet smile that fooled absolutely no one in the room, "Remember ... her beauty is no excuse for your lack of control."
This was greeted with 'absolutely,' 'hear hear' and 'amen' from the other women in the room. Except Lacey, who blurted out, "You look absolutely great, Drina! Wow! I bet you're gonna knock the guys dead tonight!" DeeDee turned crimson with embarrassment, but she didn't look away. In fact, her grin got even bigger, even as she swooped down to hug first Billy, then Mindy. Well, at least nothing was showing that shouldn't be showing!
"Thanks, hon. If you guys run out of entertainment, I brought a few movies. They're in my duffle bag," Adriana replied, straightening up to hug the young girl. She glanced over her shoulder as she drew back from Lacey, adding, "Don't worry, Mare, it's nothing little eyes shouldn't be seeing. You know me better than that." Out of sight from her son (but not her man), the blonde captain responded by sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes.
"Okay, okay ... can we get this show on the road? You women, take forever ... ow!" Chris growled, glaring at his lady, who had just swatted his behind with her purse. Mary just grinned and winked at Adriana. Buck covered his mouth with his hand, trying desperately to laugh silently. That, however, was a gift which Vin had ... and Buck did not. Chris just turned his glare on the elder Wilmington, snarling, "Buck ... !"
Buck shook with laughter, raising his hands in surrender, but it was DeeDee observed, "Chris, please, don't even attempt your glare on us. Remember, we heard you singing 'kill da wabbit' at breakfast one morning." That was it. He was done for. Buck lost it. He laughed helplessly, having to lean against the sofa to stay in an upright position. And he couldn't look at his sister's impish grin, or he'd lose it all over again.
"You ... are ... so ... dead!" Chris growled. But Buck could see the laughter in his old friend's green eyes, and in the smile just dying to be born. He wasn't the only one. Billy was laughing almost hysterically, falling against Lacey's shoulder. But the colonel wasn't giving up just yet, as he tried again, "Little princess, you best start watchin' your back, ' cause you have no idea when I'm gonna get you back!"
"I watch her back, Larabee ... 'course, I watch her front, too," Vin returned, speaking for the first time and smirking. Buck lost it all over again. Damn that boy, when he got his hands on Vin ... ! And then it hit him. Vin was talking about Buck's baby sister. He was talking that way about Buck's baby sister! He wasn't allowed to talk about Buck's little sister ... it just wasn't right, even if she was his girlfriend! Vin just folded his arms over his chest and smiled at Buck, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter. The major didn't even dare to look at his sister ... he didn't trust himself right now. And if Vin's eyes were twinkling like that ... naw. Naw, he wasn't even gonna think that!
"And on that note," Mary laughed, her own green eyes twinkling with amusement, "we should leave. Billy, behave for Lacey, and Lacey, don't let him stay up past his bedtime. Be good, have fun, and don't eat too much candy while we're gone ... yes, I know both of you better than that." She kissed Billy one last time, accepted a face-washing from Mindy, hugged Lacey, then herded the still-laughing Buck and everyone else from the house. Behind them, Buck heard Lacey muttered, 'free at last!' Mary called over her shoulder, "I heard that, Lacey!"
"You were meant to hear that, Mary!" came the sassy retort. Buck shook his head. This would definitely be an interesting night ... Mary, DeeDee, and Josie were in rare form. Carly would be meeting them at the bar, and she was always in rare form. He just hoped Richmond stayed away ... maybe baby-sat his daughter, while Charlotte went out and had some fun. Buck's good mood darkened, as it always did when he thought about the worse half of that duo.
In the weeks since Vin's return to adulthood, Will Richmond's attitude toward the general population of the SGC had grown progressively uglier. Buck got that he felt threatened by the guide. It didn't take no oracle to figure that one out. What he didn't get was why. Vin was happily involved with Buck's sister, Charlotte loved her husband, she and Vin were just friends now. If they were ever anything more than that, which Buck doubted, that was in the past.
But Will was pushing Charlotte's patience to the breaking point, and things had gotten to the point where not even Adriana would talk to the male Dr. Richmond, not unless it had to do with work. And that was short, quick, and to the point. She didn't spend any time with him that she didn't have to. Charlotte and Tansy ... that was a different story. She always made time for her old friend from college, and the closest thing DeeDee had to a niece.
And that, in turn, made Richmond even uglier. Buck hated ugly. He hated ugly even more when it threatened to harm his sister. Things were still settling within SG-7, after Vin's transformation to and from a child. Buck was able to talk to JD, without wanting to strangle him, and the same was true of Josiah. At least, until JD started complaining about how Vin was still shutting him out.
Both Buck and Josiah kept trying to explain to the kid ... he had to give Vin time. The more he pushed, the more the guide would pull away. The cartographer had to be willing to give Vin the time he needed to heal ... otherwise, the wound would remain open longer than it had to. But JD still didn't seem to understand. He had to do this on Vin's time, and on Vin's terms And Buck didn't know what he could do, what would get through to the kid. Aside from smacking him upside the head with a clue by four, as his sister put it.
Buck looked ahead to his sister, who walked at Vin's side, her arms around his waist. She looked like she was tucked literally against the sharpshooter's side. And Vin looked like he would never let her go. Good. Buck would hate to have to kick his ass. Never mind that it was contradicting what he had been saying earlier. His baby sister had fought long and hard to get to where she was now, and Buck wouldn't allow anyone to undermine that.
Buck didn't wonder at his contradictory attitude toward his sister's relationship with Vin. He didn't even notice it. It was just ... there. Part and parcel of being an older brother was the desire to see a younger sibling happy ... and the desire to pound anyone who could hurt them into dust. Buck knew Vin would die before he would willingly hurt Adriana. That was never in question. But ... DeeDee was his little sister.
Buck Wilmington had spent the better part of his adult life, studying women and understanding what he could about them. He had been told once that he had a fifty-fifty shot.
When Buck asked what the other person meant, it was explained to him that some men turned on their mothers, for being single. For being prostitutes. That was simply unfathomable to the boy who had taken care of his mother after she was beaten by a 'client.' There were some men like that. Who enjoyed hurting other people. Who got a perverse sexual thrill out of it. And it had killed that child, seeing his beloved mother in such pain.
It could have gone the other way. He could have blamed her, for allowing herself to be treated like that. Again, it wasn't something Buck even considered. And it sickened him, that there were people like that in the world. The same people, no doubt, who taught his little sister that she deserved to be molested by their father for all those years. As Buck slid into the van which would take them to the saloon, he looked again at his sister's face. She looked so happy! And Buck thought, hoping his father could hear him, You ... lose.
About thirty minutes after the others left, Billy and Lacey had finished watching the old Transformers tapes, Mindy curled up between them. Billy had a hard time believing his mother ever watched the cartoon from the late nineteen eighties, but Lacey wasn't nearly as surprised. In the last few months, ever since she had first arrived in Colorado to meet her older brothers, Lacey had come to realize that both of he future sisters-in-law were unpredictable.
She had only to remember a girls night in, with all the single ladies, the week before. Casey, Adriana, Mary, Lacey's mom, Lacey herself, and Carly, had congregated at Lacey and her mom's house for pizza, wine, movies, and general silliness. Vin was still recovering his strength, and Lacey's mom had decided that what they all needed was some fun. No guys ... they were still worried about Vin, even though Janet said his aches and exhaustion were perfectly normal.
Lacey grinned, remembering the image of a slightly soused Mary dancing around her mom's kitchen, with a glass of wine in her hand and her free arm around Adriana as they sang along with the radio. That was what had given her mom the idea of getting Chris to make good on his promise to Kevin. No one had explained to Lacey what exactly that promise entailed, but she was pretty sure no one would ever explain, either.
The tape was ending, and Lacey rose to her feet, saying, "So. What should we watch next? I think that's the last of the Transformer tapes. Let's have a look in Adriana's bag, see what she brought." Lacey knew both women well enough she wouldn't find any She-Ra or some such thing. That wasn't Adriana's style, even before her mother died almost twenty years earlier. And Mary ... Mary's choice in cartoons was explained by having four older brothers and no real female influence in her life until she was a teenager.
Lacey was stunned to learn that Mary's mother died when she was only four. She had thought both parents died when Mary was a teenager, which was what she was originally told. Instead, she learned, Mary's stepmother also died in the accident which killed her father. It was less time consuming to refer to them as her parents, rather than her father and stepmother, even though she never regarded her father's second wife as her mother.
It explained a lot about Mary. Lacey didn't want to think about ever losing her own mother. And losing her when she was just four ... even younger than Vin was when Aunt Julia had died. Lacey's attention was drawn back to Billy as he said, "Let's watch tv, and watch the other tapes later, ok ay, Lacey?" The teenager ruffled the boy's hair, wondering how she would react if he started calling her 'Aunt Lacey.' Perish the thought!
As usual, there wasn't much on to hold the interest of both a nineteen year old girl and a soon-to-be nine year old boy, but they eventually settled on the Discovery Channel, which they watched for the next hour, Mindy eventually falling asleep. And Lacey left briefly to change into her nightgown. When she returned, she glanced at her watch and realized the others would be reaching the saloon. She grinned. For the first two hours before the singing started, it was just like any other night, with dancing and darts and everything else.
Around nine pm, the fun would start. Mary had told her she and Adriana figured out a way to get Chris up on the stage, but that would come later. She and Adriana had already agreed they would get up and sing. And in a quick call to Inez before leaving the house with her mom, Lacey had been gifted with the promise that Inez would make a copy of the video tape for her. According to Inez, Charlotte was planning to attend ... if only to people-watch.
Lacey knew the lovely Mexican woman was hoping Charlotte would be alone, since her idiot husband had such a flair for starting fights. Usually by opening his big mouth. Lacey giggled, remembering what Mary told her about Adriana and Major O'Shea (who was almost as cute as Major Davis) measuring that idiot Will for his coffin, after he went after Kevin. For that alone, she'd ...
The door bell rang, and Lacey found herself on the verge of pausing the tape, until she remembered it was on the regular tv. Dammit, dammit, dammit! She sighed and left the sofa, and left Billy entranced in the program, then headed back to open the door. When she did, she promptly wished she'd left it closed ... because JD Dunne had seen fit to grace her brother's house with his presence.
It occurred to her in the back of her mind that she was starting to sound like Ezra, and she shook that off. She could use it later, to drive Chris nuts. Instead, she turned her own version of the Larabee glare onto the unwanted visitor on the doorstep. Who, oblivious as ever, asked, "Can I come in?" Lacey rolled her eyes. She really needed to work on the glare. Either that, or next time she shouldn't answer the door in her Scooby-Doo nightgown.
"No. Billy and I are watching tv, the others are at karaoke, and I swear to God, if you give me even a little reason, I will kick your ass clear to the moon," Lacey growled at the newcomer. He gave her a little reason. He smiled.
With a growl, Lacey grabbed his collar, hauling him into the house, and kicked the door shut with her foot. She slammed him into the wall, hissing, "You think that's funny, do you? You think that's so goddamn funny? Let's see how you like this!" Lacey jammed her knee into JD's crotch, then let him drop to the ground. She glared down at him, then stepped back when she realized he could probably see up her nightgown.
"Lacey! Don't you hurt her!" Billy cried out, leaving the sofa to shield Lacey protectively. Huh? And then it hit Lacey. Billy was here when JD showed up at the house, three sheets to the wind, and shoved Adriana out of his way to get to Kevin. Billy saw everything. The teen put her hands on Billy's shoulders, gently maneuvering him until he was at her side, Mindy quivering on Billy's other side. The pup didn't like violence between her humans ... of any sort. Even the playful kind.
JD forced himself into a sitting position. Lacey noted with grim satisfaction that he was having a hard time breathing, much less talking. While she had learned that particular trick when she was still just a child, Vin had taught her a few ways to put a little more power into it. Come to think of it, despite the brevity of her visits and the fact that they were all too rare, Lacey had managed to learn a lot from her brother. At last, JD managed to wheeze out, "Well ... at least ... I'm ... inside." Damn. He was right. How could she have been so stupid?
Billy repeated, scowling at the somewhat prone cartographer, "I'm not gonna let you hurt her!" Lacey squeezed his shoulder gently, partly to comfort him and partly to calm him down. The boy continued, "I thought you were our friend, JD!" Ow. From the look on JD's face, it seemed like that hurt the cartographer more than her own knee in his groin. She could change that ... or she could let Billy get rid of some of his own anger.
JD pushed himself to his knees, saying softly, "I am your friend, Billy. I screwed up really badly, but I want to apologize. I want to make things right with you, and with Chris, with Vin, and everyone else." Lacey just glared at the cartographer. Oh, puh-leaze. Next, he'd be bringing on the violins and the puppy-dog eyes. JD ignored her and continued earnestly, "Vin isn't ready to give me another chance. Are you?"
"You would have let those men hurt Kevin. He was just a little boy, JD, littler than me. And you tried to hurt Adriana. You were mad at Buck and Chris, but you hurt Kevin," Billy answered. The child wasn't saying anything that hadn't already been said ... anything that was new. But in those simple words were found a far more devastating truth. This was the first time, in the three years since SG-7 was formed, in the three years since they came into Billy's life, that any of his heroes had let him down. Much less so spectacularly.
Did JD understand that? Evidently not. Did he understand that the consequences of his actions and his attitude reached far beyond his team, and Lacey's family? The answer to that as well was evidently not. JD said, "You're right, Billy, I did, but I'm sorry. You know Vin's like my brother, and ... " Lacey just sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward. Really, would it take a massive clue by four before he finally understood. JD glared at her ... and speaking of really needing to work on the glare ... and said, "Look. I am trying to apologize, and make things right, but you're not making it any easier for me!"
That ... did it. Lacey Tanner grabbed JD by the shirt ... again ... and slammed him into the wall. Again. She said in a very, very quiet voice, "Billy, wait for me in the living room. I'll be fine. But my language won't be, and I don't want you hearing what I'm about to say. Your mother would wash out your mouth with soap, then hold me down while my mother did the same to me." Billy looked at her very carefully, then dipped his head in agreement. The boy went back into the living room, to watch the rest of the program, Mindy trailing behind him.
Lacey turned her attention back to JD and hissed, "Now you listen to me, jerkoff! We don't have to make things easy for you! You screwed up ... that doesn't mean we kiss up to you. Shut up!" She slammed him into the wall again as he started to speak. Lacey fought to bring her rage under control, then continued, "In case you haven't figured it out yet, it isn't just the stunts you pulled while my brother was kiddified. It's your whole attitude.
"You're not the victim here, JD. But from the beginning, all you've done is whine. You're whining now. 'Poor, poor pitiful me, no one will forgive me, oh woe is me!' Well, I have had enough! You want my brother's forgiveness? You start by taking responsibility for your screwup and you start by respecting his wishes. Got me? Or have you forgotten that once upon a time you respected ... loved ... Vin?"
"I still do!" JD protested. Lacey released him and stepped back, folding her arms over her chest, to favor the cartographer with an 'oh really?' look. It was one she had learned from her mother, and often she found herself using it on recalcitrant males. JD was one of the most recalcitrant she had come across. He shook his head, saying, "It's not good enough. Nothing I do or say. It's not good enough. Okay. Fine. I'll leave. But I'll be back."
He stepped around her and opened the door, slamming it hard behind him. Lacey slid down the wall, muttering, "Arnie, you ain't." She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. God, she hated losing her temper. She always felt sick after it was over. She opened her eyes when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, and saw Billy standing there with Mindy. Lacey offered him a weak smile, saying softly, "It's okay, kid ... it's just the letdown which is always hard." Always.
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