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 latter fifth season of Stargate SG-1. Specifically, Meridian and Revelation. Which also gets rid of Jonas Quinn in sixth season.
Vin Tanner was spittin' mad, and right now, he didn't care who knew it. Drina held his hand tightly, saying to the rest of their now-solemn group, "Just so you know ... I've extracted a promise from Charlotte. That if he ever hits her, or Tansy ... she'll leave him. If it comes to that, I'll be inviting them to stay with me." Vin found himself starting to relax at his lady's words. He shoulda knowed she'd do that.
"I kinda wish she hadn't sung that one ... Ezra would have done a great job with that Southern accent of his. But, you know, while she was singing, I thought of another one which would have been good, especially in her situation," Aunt Jo said softly. Vin looked at his aunt, who continued, "Solitaire ... one of Laura Brannigan's early hits. 'Solitaire, see what it's like now, solitaire, to cry all night now, solitaire, see how it feels to care.' Remember that one?"
Vin looked around at the ladies of the table, all of whom were nodding. Mary added, "Solitaire, it gets so lonely, solitaire, no one to hold me, where were you when I played solitaire. I must have been in junior high or maybe high schoolwhen that came out! Maybe '85 or '86. Evenin,' Maude, what brings you here tonight?" Maude. Vin had completely forgotten about her, though it was clear from Ezra's expression that he hadn't. Then again, he wouldn't.
"Good evenin,' everyone! Ezra, darlin,' are you plannin' to sing tonight?" Maude asked. Ezra's face turned an interesting shade of blue around his glass of wine, and Vin guessed that he was trying not to choke. Maude continued before he had a chance to answer (and spew wine all over the rest of them), "And my dear late husband ... Preston, that is ... always used to tell me that we had to get out and meet the constituents, honey. So that's what I'm doin' tonight."
"Besides," Aunt Jo put in with an impish grin, "I asked her to swing by tonight. I knew she was in Colorado, and I thought it might be fun, seeing how the other half lives and finds its entertainment." Maude looked around and Vin could see her struggling with her reaction. He wasn't the only one. Aunt Jo threw back her head and laughed, "Oh, Maude! You should have seen your face just now!"
"That was solely in reaction to that dreadful little man up beside the stage. I do believe I recognize him ... doesn't he write those terrible Westerns? Jock Steele, isn't it? Speaking of men who have delusions of literary aspirations!" Maude answered, shuddering. At the same time, Vin saw the man in question, and groaned. He had met Jock Steele in the past. He didn't like him. Maude added with a delicate shiver, "He does remind me of my late husband Preston, and no, Ezra darlin,' that is not a compliment."
"Delusions of literary aspiration? That's a pretty way of saying someone can't write. Not that I disagree. My flatmate in Germany brought one of his books to me, asking how accurate it was, since I lived in Texas. I read it through once and almost got sick. The next time I wrote Carly, I asked her to send me some real Westerns, instead of those modern day dime store novels. I never knew it was possible to be that bad, and still get published. What an education!" Drina said, shaking her head.
"Oh, I don't know ... JD seems to like him well enough," Buck said. Vin couldn't help himself ... he tensed. Buck immediately continued, "Damn, I'm sorry, Vin. I wasn't tryin' to push you into nothing." Vin waved his hand. He had to get over this, it wasn't Buck's fault. And he wouldn't ask Buck to choose between friends. Wasn't fair to Bucklin or no one else. Nor was it fair for him to get JD kicked off the team, because Vin was having a hard time forgiving him.
He had tried ... maybe not hard enough. But every time he found his guard relaxing around the cartographer, a memory would slam into his consciousness. Being small and helpless, crying out in fear as someone who had been protecting him was flung aside ... then pain beyond belief tearing through him. Vin knew JD hadn't caused the pain ... that was the result of his internal organs starting to return to normal size.
But the memory lingered. The memory of tugging on JD's pant leg, whispering, "I gotta pee!" The disdain in JD's eyes every time he looked at him, only to turn back to his conversation with a growled, "In a minute!" I'm not ready to let go, Vin thought helplessly, I'm not ready to forgive him. He had found it was easier to separate Kevin's memories from his own, though he cherished the love and tenderness lavished on him by the others.
Even with that separation of memories, Vin found himself growing angrier on behalf of that child. He was just a little boy, dammit! He hadn't been present when Buck, Josiah, and Ezra made their decision to go to a toy store, to try to make this second childhood of his so much happier. But if there was a problem because of it, then dammit, JD should have taken it up with Buck, instead a' goin' after a five year old kid! There weren't no excuse for that!
He wasn't ready to forgive JD, but he wasn't ready to confront him, either. He didn't trust himself, and while Buck was still upset with the kid, Vin knew the major would be fit to be tied if Vin choked the living shit out of JD during a confrontation. And then JD Dunne was the least of his worries, as the annoying little fella approached the table, shattering Vin's reverie with, "Senator Standish, I thought I recognized you!"
"That's Senatah Wingo, Mr. Stein," Maude answered. Anyone who had spent any time with the woman at all could tell she was trying to get rid of Jock Steele. Anyone, except of course, Steele himself. Maude turned her attention away from the little fella, saying, "Now, Mr. Tanner, my darlin' baby boy tells me that you finally broke down and admitted how you truly feel about that lovely young archaeologist!"
"Steele," the writer corrected, oblivious to Maude rolling her eyes, "and what a great story that would be! A bounty hunter, born on the wrong side of the tracks, the result of an illicit affair between a middle-aged college professor, and a beautiful young girl! He falls in love with a young archaeology student ... only to be separated by a cruel act of fate and the emotional baggage of her mother's death and her father's sexual molestation of her ... finding her years later by accident! That would be a best seller!"
Vin sat up straight from his slouch, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the oblivious writer. Now just how in the hell did his private life become public knowledge? Looking around the booth, he saw a common anger as his friends and family looked at Steele. But there wasn't just anger in Aunt Jo's eyes ... there was also resignation. She had as little use for Steele as Vin himself did, which meant ...
Aw hell. But before he could pursue that thought, Adriana's icy voice cut into the little fella's ramblings, "Mr. Steele. You are, of course, permitted to write what you wish ... but understand this. If you attempt to turn my life, or the life of my boyfriend, into a book without our expressed permission ... there will be consequences of the direst sort." Vin looked at Drina in shock. Oh, she was royally pissed!
"You're a public person, Dr. Wilmington, your life is fair game for us. Especially given your personal tragedies ... it could be inspiring for other victims of sexual molestation to see your life," came the answer. Son of a bitch! Just when Vin didn't think it could get any worse, here came something else! Even if he hadn't been looking at his lady, Vin would have known she was enraged, by the way her body stiffened beside him.
"Mr. Steed, I don't think you understand what my niece is saying She is a private person ... an archaeologist who digs in the dirt. She is not a singer or a writer, she is not an actress or a politician. Therefore, she is not, as you so crudely put it, 'fair game.' You know about the molestation ... well, my niece has been violated once. And I will take drastic action of my own before I allow a little pip-squeak like you to violate her again!" Aunt Jo hissed.
"And we all know what drastic action means to a membah of the United States military, now don't we, Mr. Stubbs?" Maude added sweetly.
Vin had the distinct pleasure of seeing Steele swallow hard, as he managed to squeak out, "I ... it's St ... Steele. A ... an ... and ... I ... I ... I'm sure we can come to an agreement of some kind! It is a magnificent story ... but maybe I could change the details? Give her a percentage, maybe? Ten percent is fair, don't you think?" Aunt Jo continued to just glare at him ... up until an all-too-sweet smile lit her face.
"I have a better idea ... why don't you write a story about the woman you mentioned a moment ago? My sister? I know she's the one who told you about Vin and Drina's background, but she has such an interesting story to tell. Why don't you call her right now ... there's a phone over there," Aunt Jo continued. The little man nodded eagerly and scrambled off ... apparently not noticing that the phones were right beside the stage. Aunt Jo sat back, muttering, "Remind me to kill my sister the next time I see her!" Yeah ... and Vin would help her!
Julia Tanner was his mother, but he accepted that Jessica Tanner gave birth to him. He had believed she at least loved him a little. But after hearing of this betrayal, Vin wasn't so sure. The fun started to go out of the night, until Inez announced, "And now for our next entertainer! Ezra Standish, singing Michael Peterson's 'Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie.' Ezra ... the floor is yours!" Aw, now this he had to hear ... Ezra Standish, singin' country music!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Despite checking twice, I couldn't find a year for when Michael Peterson's self-titled debut album, the source of Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie. Sometime in the late nineties, according to my Swiss cheese memory.
Initially, Ezra Standish had cursed Charlotte Richmond in five different languages for choosing the song he had wanted to do. He could have sung his own version, but that would have been so ... Well, Ezra Standish followed no man ... and no woman. He knew with his Southern accent, he could have, in the words of Vin's youngest sister, the inestimable Lacey, 'kicked some serious ass.'
However ... that was not to be. And after the bombshell regarding Vin's birth mother, Ezra found himself glad he opted for his second choice. If only to see the look of horror on his mother's face when she realized her darlin' baby boy, who had been raised on classics and on opera, would be singing country music. Up until tonight, Ezra would have died before admitting to enjoying country music. Oh, the horrors!
But Vin's transformation into a child hadn't just changed the guide and sharpshooter. It changed the entire team, it changed the dynamics of the team ... it changed Ezra himself. He was taught appearances were everything, growing up ... but he found he couldn't hide any more behind those appearances. And if he was really honest with himself, he would admit it began long before the transformation. Before the disastrous wagon train (and would someone please shoot the male Dr. Richmond before Chris did, and thus incurred the wrath of both generals?).
It, in fact, started at Busch Gardens and giving a Rebel yell on the Alpengeist. Ezra was sure if his mother knew of his incredibly juvenile behavior while at the amusement park, she would be having words with Senator Warner for suggesting Busch Gardens to them on that fateful day. So, this had been a long time coming. In addition, he often found himself paired with Buck when his quarters needed to be cleaned ... after all, they worked in the SGC, and things routinely went haywire.
Buck was a country music aficionado, and despite the teasing from his erstwhile junior shadow, wasn't just in it for the ladies of country music. One of his favorite singers was Michael Peterson, and the song Ezra was about to sing was Buck's second favorite off that album. The first favorite was a wonderful little ditty called 'Too Good to be True (To You),' which, when Ezra thought about it, applied quite nicely to the male Dr. Richmond.
As Ezra reached the stage and took the microphone, he said, "As Inez so kindly explained, my contribution is Michael Peterson's 'Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie.' I desire to thank my good friend Buck Wilmington, who introduced me to the wonderful world of country music, and his younger sister Adriana for kindly loaning me the CD's which her brother did not possess." As he finished his sentence, the words rolled up in front of him on the TelePrompTer, and the music began. With a mischievous smile for his friends in the booth, Ezra began to sing,
I was twelve when Daddy said to me.
"Don't take to drinking boy, that road don't lead to nowhere.
And don't you ever let me hear you swear’ ... Don't you dare!"
He told me stealing is a lazy man's way.
Something for nothing leaves you hell to pay.
So don't lie, then you can look the whole world in the eye.
(Honey I try)
But since I met you girl, I'm breaking every rule
I must confess I'm just a backsliding fool
Ezra paused, grinning at his teammates, and even from this far away, he could see Chris rolling his eyes. Even as a smile tugged at his lips, totally spoiling the effect. Ezra winked at his friends, as he sang out,
I want to drink from your lovin' cup
Swear I'll never give you up, Steal all your kisses underneath the moon.
I wanna lie here close to you, look what you made me do
Darlin' you're the reason why, I drink, swear, steal and lie!
The negotiator noticed Vin leaning over to say something to his lady ... only to realize that Vin wasn't saying anything. He was singing along. Adriana threw back her head and laughed, then picked up Vin's hand, kissing his knuckles. The tender gesture caused a moment of jealousy in Ezra, even though his feelings toward Adriana weren't of that sort. It was ... a desire to have that someone special at his side.
But he forced the jealousy and the desire away, concentrating instead on the moment, starting the next line of the song,
Last night I threw away my twelve-step book
Finally faced the fact that I am hooked on you.
There's nothing more that I can do (ain't no use)
Cause every time I see your angel face
My halo disappears without a trace (I swear)
Girl, I admit I haven't got a prayer (but I don't care)
Well I know this ain't exactly how I was raised
But heaven help me honey I ain't changing my ways
This line of the song never failed to make him smile, because it sounded so familiar to him. That, and it reminded him of Buck. When Buck was head over heels for a woman, she was the only woman who existed at that moment in time. While he still joked with Inez about when she would fall into his arms, the major knew she wasn't the right one for him. He didn't even know who that woman might be, although Hildy had gone far in touching Buck's heart. Who knew what might have happened, if they had the chance?
A chance ... that was all any of them asked. Some of their prayers had been answered, as Ezra looked at Vin and Adriana, Chris and Mary, Josiah and Josie, and Nathan and Rain. Some were in the process of finding that chance, like Rafael and Carly. Some chances were being ignored ... like that insufferable buffoon Will Richmond. And some, like Buck and Ezra, had yet to find that chance. But they'd keep looking.
For now ...
I want to drink from your lovin' cup
Swear I'll never give you up, Steal all your kisses underneath the moon.
I wanna lie here close to you, look what you made me do
Darlin' you're the reason why, I drink, swear, steal and lie!
Ezra finished with a somewhat sadder version of the mischievous smile he wore at the onset. A sadness which slowly lifted as he looked again at the table where his friends, his family, sat. They were cheering, and the look on his mother's face was worth all the pangs of jealousy in the world. He replaced the microphone on the stand, sketched a neat bow, then returned to his table amid applause.
Damn, that felt good! As he approached his table, both Vin and Adriana raised their palms And Ezra was in such a mood, instead of shaking their hands, as he might have under ordinary circumstances ... he responded with a high-five for each of them. His reward was a delighted grin from his 'little sister,' and the sight of Vin Tanner's all-too-rare laughter.
But the final surprise was on him that night, even as Josiah got up to sing his own selection. Ezra swiped Adriana's glass of wine to take a drink, ignoring her glower and muttered 'drink and steal, definitely.' As he sat down, Maude said, "Ezra, you really do remind me of your father at times." Ezra almost choked on his stolen wine ... his father? She never talked about his father!
Which was why he didn't interrupt her as she continued with a dreamy smile, "You looked just like him, just now, up on that stage. Oh, he loved to sing ... and he was very good at it. Not that you should get it into your head to start a singing career now, of course." Ezra rolled his eyes. That was Maude for you. But this time, his mother didn't have the last word.
That went to Josie Tanner who said softly as Josiah reached the stage, "Oh, I don't know ... Ezra's still young. Just as long as he kept his singing as his second priority, I don't see why he shouldn't do something he enjoys. I swear, Josiah better do this song the way he was requested, because if he doesn't ... !" And just what was Josiah singing? Josie grinned at him, adding in a (dare he say it?) singsong voice, "It's a sur-prise!" Oh ... wonderful. He hated surprises!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 'Kyrie' belongs to Mr. Mister, and was released on their 1985 album, 'Welcome to the Real World.'
Back in the early and mid 1980's, Josiah had become intrigued with the idea of expressing one's spirituality through music. This was nothing new, it had been done through the ages. But was there a way to express one's spirituality without, in the words of his students, shoving it down the throats of those around you? In 1985, Josiah realized it was quite possible, and that discovery changed his life.
It was in 1985 that the now-defunct rock group, Mr. Mister, released their album 'Welcome to the Real World.' On this album were two number one hits ... the first, 'Broken Wings,' which Josiah had liked well enough, but it didn't strike a chord with him. Not like the second number one did. Not like the song he was about to sing. He said, "Thank you, Inez. My contribution, as my colleage Mr. Standish put it, is an old song from the 1980's. I'm willing to be a lot of people here tonight weren't even born when this came out ... or they're too young to remember ... 'Kyrie,' by Mr. Mister."
He saw the smiles on the faces of his younger companions ... yet another song they remembered. Vin had joked that when they weren't singing country songs, they were revisiting the 1980's. That was when so many of them grew up and came of age. He saw Adriana smile, and wondered if she knew what the song meant. He knew her memories of her early years were unpleasant (to borrow a phrase from Ezra), and that she found no support in her church.
And yet, there was that smile which Vin loved so much, and if Josiah strained his eyes, he could see her tapping her fingers in time to the music. She might not have understood the lyrics as a young girl ... understood the meaning of the lyrics ... but he was willing to bet she understood now. She was a smart girl, after all. Josiah favored her, his own lady, and Mary with a wink, then launched into the song, silently praying he wasn't too old to do this after all.
The wind blows hard against this mountainside
Across the sea into my soul
It reaches in to where I cannot hide
Setting my feet upon the road
My heart is old it holds my memories
My body burns a gemlike flame
Somewhere between the soul & soft machine
Is where I find myself again
It sometimes felt just like that, too. Wasn't that what drew him to Vin Tanner, not just the tracker's fierce defense of him during the Poplar situation? Somewhere between the soul and the soft machine is where I find myself again. Vin's quiet calm and steady way of dealing with a situation was something he envied, and Josiah didn't fool himself into thinking that Vin didn't have his own wellspring of rage and frustration. But he had learned to deal with it, and Josiah was still struggling.
Kyrie Eleison
Down that road that I must travel
Kyrie Eleison
Through the darkness of the night
Kyrie Eleison
Where I'm going will you follow
Kyrie Eleison
On a highway in the light
SG-7 had become his highway in the light. Oh, a few of them could ignite his rage. Buck, JD, and Ezra, usually. Nathan worked too hard at healing people, rather than igniting their fury. Chris just wanted to be left alone, and that was something Josiah could give him. Vin had no interest in teasing him until Josiah was enraged, unlike the first three.
His rage could be ignited when one of his 'brothers' was harmed. And suddenly, as Josiah sang, his eyes never leaving the booth which contained so much of his family, the song lyrics suddenly took on a whole new meaning, one he had never thought of before. SG-7 was his highway in the light, just as Orrin Travis set him on that road that Josiah had to travel.
When I was young I thought of growing old
Of what my life would mean to me
Would I have followed down my chosen road
Or only wished what I could be.
Oh, Lord that was so true! Josiah knew a great deal about those wishes to be what he could be. The Army talked about being all you could be, fulfilling that potential locked inside of you, inside every person. Josiah had strived his entire life to meet his own potential, and always, he failed. He had tried to please his father ... he had failed. He had tried to protect his sister. That, too, failed.
He had only to look at the most recent events to know he had failed once again. When Vin was turned into a child, though he was with SG-1, didn't Josiah feel like he let his young friend down? And didn't he feel guilty for delighting in the five year old child Vin Tanner had been once upon a time? Despite his words to Koje, many years earlier, Josiah didn't have his balance back. He was still fighting his father. And his father was still winning.
Kyrie eleison,
Down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison
Through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison
Where I'm going will you follow
Kyrie eleison
On a highway in the light.
The booth was singing along with him now. Vin with his arm around Adriana's shoulders, that young woman moving in time with the music in the booth. Josiah fought back a smile.
For some reason, when he looked at those two, 'where I'm going, will you follow,' seemed particularly appropriate. Long before Vin met up with SG-7, long before he found his brother, the girl at his side had fought at his side, watched his back, would have followed him into hell and back. And he would have done the same for her.
There was applause as he finished the song, and Josiah replaced the microphone in its cradle, jumping down from the stage. Not one of his better moves, as his aging joints protested the impact. He made his way back to his friends, all of them beaming. Adriana said as he reached them, "Dammit, Josiah, you're gonna make me dig out my old tapes, aren't you? I loved that song when I was a teenager."
"Ya love 'most all the songs done here tonight, Drina, and the competition is 'bout over. Reckon ya need to be thinkin' about what song Bucklin's gonna be singin' while the judgin' is goin' on," Vin pointed out as Josiah took his place beside Josie once more. By this time, Josiah had seen a devilish smile appear on the faces of his friend so many times tonight, he had started numbering one. The devilish smile which now flashed across Adriana's face was Devilish Smile Number 35. And counting.
"Who says I haven't? Get ready, Bucklin, because I know exactly what I want you to sing!" came the purred response. Josiah turned his attention away from his aching knee as Buck leaned over to his sister. Adriana whispered something and Josiah watched in fascination as Buck's dark blue eyes grew wide first in surprise, then with an evil mischief which was Buck Wilmington's alone. Oh-oh. This did not bode well for someone! Buck gave his sister a firm, smacking kiss on her forehead, and then he was off to the stage. Oh yeah. After that little performance, someone was definitely in trouble.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: SPEW ALERT! Please do not eat or drink anything while reading this section ... it would be highly painful! I found it difficult to finish this section, because I was laughing too hard to type. With that in mind, 'Too Good to be True (To You)' was released by Michael Peterson, on the same album as the previous Michael Peterson contribution.
Now he was worried. Vin wasn't sure if he should be, but he was. That expression on both the Wilmington siblings usually meant trouble. His instinct told him that he had nothing to worry about ... at least for the moment ... but someone was in trouble. He just hoped it was the jerkoff behind him, and that the brother and sister hadn't concocted a plan to harass Ezra. Not that he really believed Adriana would do that, especially not with Maude present.
His lady was leery of the senator. She didn't make it a habit to interfere in the relationships of others, especially not when both parties were adults. It was asking for trouble, and Vin agreed with her. But that didn't change the fact that Adriana had never been comfortable with the blonde socialite-turned-senator. Part of it was her own past as an abandoned child, even though she was now questioning her own memories of her mother.
Strangely enough, even as Adriana pulled back, Maude moved forward. Vin thought that might be because this was a challenge for the other woman. She wasn't used to a woman turning away from her for any reason other than disgust at her previous occupation or jealousy because she was still beautiful. She wasn't used to the wariness in Adriana's eyes, and it intrigued Maude. Vin thought it was asking for trouble. But Maude was Ezra's mother, so he really couldn't say nothing. At least, not until Maude did something to hurt Drina.
But Maude wasn't his primary concern at the moment. Drina kept shooting looks over her shoulder at Will and Charlotte. The male half of that pair had grown steadily more boorish over the course of the night, even after Carly explained Charlotte's preferred choice of song, 'Lover of Mine,' to him. A woman desperately reaching out to a man she loved, whom she feared no longer loved her. Despite that fear, despite the fear of rejection.
So, whatever song Drina had chosen for her pain in the ass colleague, it was definitely chosen to smack him upside the head with a clue by four, as she liked to call it. He was right. Buck took to the stage, snapping up the microphone with a single quick motion. The man was a born performer. In a way, Vin envied him that ease with himself. The guide knew if he got up onto that stage, he wouldn't be able to get two words out.
Buck said, "Since this is the free-for-all, I thought I'd make it easier on y'all and break the ice. This song is sent out to all the men out there who don't appreciate their wives or their girlfriends ... whether they cheat on 'em or not. You best start treatin' them ladies right ... or somebody's gonna come and take 'me away." Subtle, Bucklin, Vin thought, shaking his head, real subtle. And his jaw dropped when Buck launched into the song.
You were all she ever wanted, that was once upon a time
She was all you every needed, that's what makes it such a crime
How you took her heart for granted, how you threw her love away
Now you still don't understand it, if you did, you'd never say...
Oh my god ... she didn't. Oh yes. Yes, she did. Vin looked at his lady in a combination of amusement, amazement, wincing as he heard Charlotte practically spit out whatever he was drinking. She was as ... shocked? As Vin was? No, Vin thought she was probably more shocked than he was. Drina had pretty much ignored Will unless she had to during the last few weeks. Up until now. Ouch.
It was too good to be true...
What did you expect a girl as good as her to do?
What do you think would make that woman go and find somebody new?
She's not too good to be true..
She's just too good to be true to you.
"Hey, didn't Michael Peterson have dancers in the video to this song?" his aunt asked over Buck's voice. Vin looked over at Aunt Jo warily. What was she up to? Mary nodded, a gleam appearing in her green eyes, and Aunt Jo continued with an impish grin, "What do you think, should we back up Buck on this one?" Again, Mary nodded, and the pair moved quickly out of the booth. Though, not quite as quickly as their men did. Obviously, they didn't want to get in the way of their ladies. Smart. Very smart.
His aunt and Mary stood expectantly in front of the booth containing Will, Charlotte, Rafael, and Carly. There was a mini-exodus from the booth, as Carly joined her aunt and eventual sister-in-law, and Vin snagged Charlotte's wrist, observing Rafael taking up position beside Chris. Charlotte started to protest, and Drina leaned forward, murmuring, "Vin just wanted to make sure you were out of the line of fire."
Charlotte mouthed 'line of fire' with some confusion, looked at first Vin and Drina, then over her shoulder ... to see her recalcitrant husband alone in the booth with two female Tanners and Mary blocking his exit. Once Charlotte and Rafael were safely out of the line of fire, the three women began to dance in time to the music, acting out the words, for lack of a better phrase.
Just because she never said so, doesn't mean she didn't see
Everytime you stole an apple off somebody else's tree
Late last night that lipstick letter she left on the bedroom door
Said "You don't get it, and you ain't gonna get it anymore!"
Vin snickered as the trio put their hands on their own hips with 'you don't get it,' then leaned forward, removing one hand from their hips to waggle a finger reprovingly at Will, shaking their heads as they sang, 'And you ain't gonna get it anymore!' Beside him, Drina was laughing helplessly, her small body sagging against Vin's as she started losing muscle control. Obviously, her plan worked better than she planned.
It was too good to be true...
What did you expect a girl as good as her to do?
What do you think would make that woman go and find somebody new?
She's not too good to be true..
She's just too good to be true to you.
Now Bucklin belted out the song, leaving the microphone behind on the stage as he came down the stairs. It didn't matter, because everyone in the whole damn place was singing along and clapping. He was heading straight for the two booths, and the members of SG-7 remaining in the booth drew closer together, Vin pulling Charlotte with him as he pushed Adriana toward Nathan.
It was too good to be true...
What did you expect a girl as good as her to do?
What do you think would make that woman go and find somebody new?
She's not too good to be true..
She's just too good to be true to you.
As the song ended, the three women each pointed a finger at Will, their free hand placed firmly on the corresponding hip. Buck put his arm around all three women at once, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek, then came to the booth. He swept a bow to the still-shocked Charlotte and took her hand, pulling her lightly to her feet. Aw hell. What's Bucklin up to now?
Vin found out a moment later, when Buck established eye contact with Will for a brief moment, then put his arm around Charlotte's waist, swung her into a deep dip, and kissed her quite firmly on the lips. Holy Shit! He didn't! Oh yes, he did! After almost four years as a member of SG-7, Vin didn't think it was possible for Buck to surprise him any more. Damn, was he wrong about that!
He understood the meaning of the kiss, of course ... it was rather blatant. It was a warning, in and of himself. Do right by your lady, or someone will take her away ... if she didn't walk away on her own. Buck righted Charlotte as Carly slid into the booth, then gently eased the stunned archaeologist into the booth beside Vin's sister, then took his own seat, a shit-eating grin on his face. How in the hell did you top something like that???
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Spew alert two!
Chris couldn't decide whether he wanted to reach over and bap his old friend or not. More to the point, he wasn't sure if he could. He wasn't drunk. But he had almost fallen out of his seat (could you do that in a booth?) when Mary had gotten up with Carly and Josie, and danced to 'Too Good to be True (To You)' as Buck sang.
Part of it was the shock of his normally self-contained lady dancing like that ... and part of it was the look of pure shock on Will Richmond's face when he realized he was being ganged up on. Chris knew exactly why Adriana chose that song ... a quick glance at her face was the final straw for the SG-7 colonel. He had almost fallen over into Josiah, laughing almost hysterically. To say her expression was smug was something of an understatement.
Still, even though Richmond deserved it for being an ass to everyone in his sphere of influence, Chris was concerned that Buck might have gone too far with the kiss. There was also the question of how it would affect Charlotte. They didn't know if Richmond had gotten physical in his attitude toward his wife, but Buck's kiss would definitely be a provocation.
But that's Richmond's choice to make, he thought, Buck initiated the kiss. He made that choice. I don't think it was the right one, but I can't live Buck's life for him. If Richmond does raise his hand to his wife because of that kiss ... then she has to choose whether or not she'll stay with him. And God, if he hits her or that little girl, I hope she walks out immediately! Josie said softly as they all joined together in the booth, "Buck, I think you or Josiah should have a word with Dr. Richmond. Make him realize that if he hurts Charlotte because of what just happened, there will be consequences."
"I'd be more than happy to show brother Richmond the error of his ways," Josiah rumbled, his blue-gray eyes lighting up. Chris almost groaned. Especially since Josiah was as prone to go to the rescue of a damsel as Buck was. And he was twice as likely to break some heads in the process. True, his budding relationship with Josie balanced that out, but in some ways, it exacerbated it. Josiah, now that he had a lady in his life, had even less patience with men who took their women for granted. Like Will Richmond.
I have, Chris lamented to himself, an entire team of Robin Hoods! Which was something Jack often teased him about. It wasn't just Vin, Buck, and Josiah. No, Ezra had Robin Hood tendencies, even though he usually cloaked them. JD ... hell. Chris rubbed his hand over his eyes. What were they gonna do about JD? Vin was still struggling with how to react to the kid, and Chris felt the same.
He knew Buck and Josiah could talk to the kid without wanting to strangle the living shit out of him ... good for them. Now if Chris could just get his own rage under control. That was proving to be easier said than done. He had found that if he limited his contact with the boy to just passing along information about the mission, he found it much easier to control his temper. He just didn't know if the team could last under that strain.
And there was a part of him which thought he was being too hard on the boy. Until he remembered it wasn't just the mistakes which made him so angry, it was JD's continuing attitude. JD kept expecting Vin to forgive him on JD's terms Chris supposed it was only natural, as JD had never pushed Vin too far in the past. Always before, Vin let things go without a grudge.
But never in the past had JD hurt Vin this badly, either. Never before had he betrayed Vin's trust so completely. Something JD still didn't understand. Unbeknownst to the others, Chris had made a quick stop when he went to the bathroom earlier.
Well, Mary knew about it, because he had told her he would call Lacey and see how things were. His youngest sister informed him of JD's arrival at the ranch, and it had taken all of his self-control to keep from putting his hand through the wall. That, and a reminder of just how bad it hurt when he did something stupid like that. Chris flexed his hand, wincing at the memory.
Then again, the last time Chris had done that was during his out of control days, right after Sarah and Adam's murders ... more specifically, the bender when Buck had informed him that Adriana was graduating from college and Buck wouldn't be there. Hell, he had been so furious with Buck for that! Chris lost his family, they were taken from him, and Buck had just thrown his away!
Well, the siblings had finally gotten things back on track. This stunt here tonight just proved it. The old relationship would never truly come back ... but the siblings were working on making a new one. Better ... stronger. And Chris knew, if his brother (or either of his sisters) had been sitting next to him, and heard what he was thinking, the next adjective would have been 'faster.' With this retro kick to the night, between the songs of the eighties, and the unforgettable sight of Ezra watching old Transformers cartoons (personally, after Optimus Prime, Chris had always liked Bumblebee best. Not that he would have told any of his friends, or his family about it ... hell, no!), a reference to 'The Six Million Dollar Man' or 'The Bionic Woman' would have fit right in.
As Buck once more hi-fived his little sister, Chris observed ruefully, "I just hope you didn't just land yourself in more hot water. Think you mighta crossed the line a little bit with that kiss. Mary, so help me, you start singing 'This Kiss,' and you will suffer the consequences!" She offered him a smug smile in reply, which made him wonder exactly what kind of consequences would fit the crime.
And in the end, it wasn't Mary he needed to worry about this time. Adriana, who had been in an extremely weird mood all night, launched into the song in question ... at least, until Vin silenced her in an extremely passionate kiss, pushing her backward in the booth until both of Adriana's suede-booted feet were sticking straight up in the air. Chris decided he didn't want to know what else was going on there. He really didn't want to know. Especially not when he heard Buck yelp in dismay, "That's my sister, Tanner!"
"Children, children ... uh, Vin? Are you gonna let her up for air any time soon?" Josiah began, only to question the young sharpshooter in mid-chastisement. He had his answer as the aforementioned booted feet came down to table level, and two tousled heads came up. Okay, Larabee, get your mind out of the gutter. Adriana just blinked at them all, a goofy grin the size of Texas on her face. Chris happened to glance over at Ezra, and realized why he hadn't heard a word out of the other man ... the Southerner was just staring at Vin and Adriana in awe.
"Mistah Tannah ... that was quite exceptional!" Ezra finally managed. Vin turned his head toward Ezra, with a goofy grin the size of the entire United States. He looked just as dazed as Adriana, and Chris realized it wouldn't be too much longer before the last walls between those two were gone. As in ... by the end of the night? Assuming big brother Buck didn't decide to go haywire?
Chris decided to redirect his old friend's attention by reminding him of the kiss with Charlotte Richmond ... and the potential fallout. He said, "I know better than to ask if any trouble with that jerk was worth it, Buck ... " The major grinned, successfully distracted from the sight of his younger sister and Vin now practically joined at the hip (don't go there, Larabee, you don't want those pictures in your head!)
"Well, hell, Chris, of course it's worth it! Just to see the look on that prick's face was worth it. And speaking of which, he's off to the gent's room ... Josiah, whaddaya say we have a little talk with Doc Richmond ... make sure he understand the consequences if he hurts that pretty wife of his?" Buck asked. Josiah responded with a smile that was positively scary, and the two men traipsed off ... leaving a very exasperated colonel to wonder what the hell would come next?
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