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.
Them two were up to somethin,' but damn if Vin could figure out what that somethin' was. For the last several moments, ever since Carly returned from the stage, they had been whisperin' in the booth. And when Vin glanced over his shoulder, he saw Rafael and Will exchanging worried glances. That, alone, was enough to worry Vin. The idea of those two ever agreeing was akin to Maude suddenly deciding to adopt Drina.
But Vin forgot about the war council between the two members of the magic circle, as Priscilla Meadows called them back in Texas, turning his attention to the conversation going on at his booth. Josiah had mentioned that they totally missed the announcement about who had won the karaoke contest. Mary retorted that it didn't matter who won, because she had gotten Drina up on the stage, and Buck in turn got Chris up on the stage to sing.
Vin grinned, giving Drina a little hug. He would never forget the look on Buck's face when Mary said that, as if he was finally realizing that his sister and Chris had set him up. Ezra chimed in, before Buck could start blowing off steam and chasing Drina around the slowly emptying bar and grill, that of course it mattered who won. Nathan fired back with a teasing grin that he was only saying that because Ezra wasn't the one who won.
Typical fare for the Seven. Josiah once more broke in, saying that Mary was right, and with the things accomplished here tonight, they all won. Vin couldn't argue with that. He thought back to the shy young girl he had met years earlier in Texas, and knew she would have never gotten up on stage fully sober, even if she wasn't alone. And he had known both his twin and Charlotte to get Drina drunk a few times, to do just that.
Charlotte. There was another one who had changed drastically from the woman he first met. Who would have guessed that the lonely, miserable young woman he had met while searching for Raquel would turn into a hellraiser to rival Chris Larabee and Buck Wilmington, when partnered with Carly and Drina? On the other hand, Vin acknowledged, that probably wasn't a change, so much as a return to who she really was all along. But one thing hadn't changed about her ... she was still damn stubborn.
But that probably saved her sanity after losing Allison. Sheer determination. Which she had passed onto Tansy. Vin looked over his shoulder at the couple behind him. He had been told that Will didn't start backsliding until they got to the SGC, and were reunited with the rest of the old group. For the six years after Boudreau and the cabin, Charlotte had her husband back, her husband and Allison's father.
Or had she? Vin didn't know what to think. He didn't want to worry about it, but he knew Drina was worried about Charlotte. And when Drina worried, so did Vin. Oh shit. Now he knew he had it bad. And then he felt the warm pressure of her body fitted against his side, and decided it wasn't nearly as bad as all that. There was nothing wrong with loving someone, and wanting them to be happy.
Sure, he had wanted her to be happy, even before he realized he had fallen in love with her ... all over again, or for the very first time, whichever it was. The nineteen year old bounty hunter he had been had precious little experience with love. If his desire to break Eli Joe into a thousand little pieces if the outlaw touched even one hair on Adriana's head, then he supposed Daniel was right, and he had fallen in love with her in Texas.
But he wasn't sure that was the case at all. And in the end, did it really matter when he fell in love with her? They were together now, and it was right, and wasn't that all that mattered? Vin pressed a gentle kiss to Adriana's temple, and she favored him with a sleepy smile. He looked up, startled as he realized that aside from his booth and his twin's, there was only one more group of people left.
Inez had gone upstairs a few minutes earlier, according to Mary, and she was checking on Toria. Vin checked his watch, and realized it was eleven thirty. Usually, it would stay open until about two am, but since Inez was looking out for her niece, it would be closing early. The last group left, calling weary good-byes to the Seven and their extended group. For some reason, Maude had remained, and Vin wasn't entirely sure why.
With just the two booths remaining, the members of the Seven and their ladies began to clean up the saloon, to make things a little easier on Inez. Josiah grabbed Will by the scruff of his neck and steered him toward the kitchen. Josie commented that she heard her man say something about trash duty ... the trash taking out the trash. She really didn't like Will. And then there was Carly's answer, which wasn't fit to be repeated in even impolite company.
Buck had scooped Charlotte up into his arms and carried her onto the stage, where she could rest her ankle in peace, without having to worry about moving when they cleaned the booths. She had protested at first, until Aunt Josie firmly told her to hush up. Tansy needed her mother whole and strong, and Charlotte's ankle would never heal if she didn't take care of herself. Trust Aunt Jo to play the trump card!
Rafael had accompanied Will and Josiah to the kitchen, to help with the trash which had accumulated during the course of the night. Vin thought about the uneasy glances he had seen between Will and Rafael during the night, and grinned as he began to sweep under the booths and tables. He remembered doing the same thing in Texas, when the girls got going. A favorite activity of Charlotte, Dawn, Carly and Drina was to take a song all four liked, and break it up into four parts for each of the four women to sing.
Although, looking back now, Vin was thinking maybe the reason Will always felt so uncomfortable when they did that was because the four women were so damn dangerous together. Mary had laughingly called the get-togethers of the women 'war councils.' Vin immediately got a mental picture of her, Sam, Drina, Janet, Charlotte, and Carly sitting around a fire with war paint. It took him a long time to get that picture out of his head.
"Batter up!" his brother called and Vin jerked up. He realized that he had been sweeping the same area for the last five minutes, and had yet to push the dirt and dust into the waiting dustpan in his brother's hands. Vin neatly swept the pile into the dustpan, and Chris said as the pair ambled to the next set of booths, "Where'd you go? You looked like you were a thousand miles away, little brother."
"Nah ... no further than Texas," Vin admitted and Chris looked up at him. There was a faint smile which Vin didn't fully understand, and that worried him. He thought he knew all of his brother's expressions by now. Vin continued, dropping his voice, "Been thinkin' about them early years. Wish ya could meet Dawn, cowboy. Ya think Mary, Drina, Carly, and Charlotte are dangerous now? Ya ain't seen nothin' yet."
"So I keep hearing. Both Ezra and Nate have been telling me a little about her. Don't tell either of them I said this, but I think Ezra has always had something of a crush on the lovely Dr. Jackson, as he calls her," Chris replied. Vin responded with a knowing grin of his own. He should have known he wouldn't be the only one to pick up on that. Well, they always knew Ez had good taste in women.
Chris continued after a moment, "You know, ever since Carly and the others got back, she's been telling me a lot about those Texas years. I can see why Priscilla called you guys 'the magic circle.' Sounds to me like you really were magic." Vin nodded with a soft smile. Chris continued, "She told me about the four-part harmony game they used to play. That's what she called it, at least. How much you wanna bet they'll get Mary in on it eventually?"
Vin snorted as he pushed the last pile into the dustpan, replying, "No bet! Or, a sure bet. I ain't 'bout to bet on whether they're gonna drag her into it ... the only question I got is, when it's gonna happen!" Chris just laughed and dumped the contents of his pan into the trash bag being held open by a sleepy-looking Carly. Vin did a quick head count. Yup, they were the last ones to finish, though Josiah, Will, and Rafael were still outside.
Buck was flirting with Inez over by the bar ... Vin never even saw her come down. Probably while he was busy sweeping. Of course, Bucklin wasn't gettin' nowhere. Ezra, for all his protests that a gentleman didn't engage in menial labor, had been put to work, wiping down the tables and counter tops. Maude was sitting at the bar, watching them all. While Drina, Aunt Jo, and Mary were folding up the table cloths which covered the individual tables and putting them away.
Charlotte was still on stage, quietly picking at Inez's guitar. Vin smiled, remembering all the times she played the guitar while the other girls were singing their parts of the four-part harmony, as his twin had put it. Oh, it weren't the right term, he knew that, and he knew Carly knew it. But Carly liked to do things her own way. She always had. Vin figured it was part and parcel of being a Tanner. At least, that was what Chris and Aunt Jo had been tellin' him lately, though Vin figured it could have somethin' to do with bein' a Larabee as well.
"Figure someone should go help Charlotte," Carly said around a yawn, and started to turn toward the stage. She ever so conveniently left the bag in Chris' hands, and while he could handle it, no problem, Vin snagged his sister's wrist. She looked at him innocently and he just ignored it, indicating instead the bag which still had to be tied. Carly shrugged out of Vin's grasp, saying nonchalantly, "Oh, fiddle-faddle!"
"Little sister, I would strongly recommend you at least stabilize the bag until this is closed," Chris said, glancing at Vin. The silent communication flowed between the two brothers, Chris asking without words, can you see to Charlotte? Vin nodded and headed for the stage. He totally missed the second bit of communication, this time flowing between his twin and his elder brother. The mischievous glint in Carly's bright blue eyes, and the warning in Larabee's green.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 'The Mystery' was written by Julia Stanley, and was performed by British group Alkaemy on their debut album, 'The Merlin Mystery.'
Those two were up to something. Chris didn't know his sister, or Charlotte, the way his kid brother did, and he knew right now. They were up to something, and somehow, it hinged on getting Vin up onto the stage to help Charlotte. Get Vin up onto the stage. For the second time in less than five minutes, Chris jerked his head up, first to look at the retreating back of his younger brother as Vin headed for the stairs, then at his sister.
Carly just smiled sweetly, but before Chris could do or say anything, Vin was approaching the stool where Charlotte had been resting. Everything fell into place then. The suggestion that Charlotte should be on stage, where she wouldn't need to worry about being in the way of the cleaners. Inez quietly carrying the guitar over to the archaeologist while Vin's back was turned. Chris looked over at the saloon owner, who just smiled sweetly.
Well, that was three conspirators. He glanced next at Mary and Drina, both of whom were engaged in conversation with Josie. No, it didn't look like those two were up to their pretty eyes in this particular shitpile, but only because they hadn't been asked. What was it that Josiah was always saying? Too many cooks spoiled the soup? And Nathan looked like he was just now figuring out what was going on. Chris was glad he wasn't the only one.
When Inez went upstairs to check on Toria, she had taken Rain upstairs with her, since the other woman wasn't feeling well. It wouldn't surprise Chris at all if Rain spent the last several weeks of her pregnancy in bed. That was the way things were looking at the moment. And while medicine had come a long way, there was still no substitute for bed rest. Knowing Nathan as he did, Chris had no doubt his friend could ensure that Rain would come through, she and the baby both. Hell, look at the way Nathan took care of them!
That thought was interrupted as he heard Charlotte picking out notes on the guitar. The melody seemed vaguely familiar to Chris, and he tried to place where he heard it before. Vin sat down on the stage, as Charlotte was in no hurry to leave. Chris supposed he really couldn't blame her, though after tonight, he really wished she would just hurry up and leave her husband, so his little princess and little brother didn't worry so much about the big oaf.
That was Chris Larabee's main concern. He didn't pay attention to other people's business, until it started to affect his family. Well, after tonight, it definitely affected his family, though that was as much due to Buck kissing Richmond's wife right in front of him. Chris knew exactly what Buck was doing. That was a whack with a cosmic clue by four, if he had ever seen one. But there was a part of Chris which worried Buck was being irresponsible in that kiss. Especially given how much Buck enjoyed kissing Charlotte, never mind her husband's reaction.
Then an unfamiliar masculine voice began to sing softly. It took Chris a few minutes to realize that it was his brother singing ... he had never heard Vin sing. It took him another few minutes to pick out the words, and realized that he did, indeed, know this song. He had been hearing the ladies in his little circle singing it for the last week, ever since his sister first bought the CD while on a trip to a local mall with Drina and Lacey.
I'm holding the stars in my arms tonight.
Distant are the memories
that you try to leave behind.
And you can feel, the touch, that made you feel so weak.
Hold onto your secrets,
'cause they're always mine to keep.
Time moves in circles
and what goes around
will come around again.
I'll go on living
somewhere in your dreams
You will be mine again ...
Inside the mystery.
Chris stopped what he was doing and stared as his brother's voice grew steadily stronger. Charlotte had stopped picking at the guitar and started actually playing it. Chris looked around, to see that everyone else had stopped to listen and watch. Charlotte looked away from Vin, directing her eyes to Chris ... and smiled. This was what she was up to, then. She and Carly had engineered this, between the two of them ... waiting until after everyone was gone before maneuvering Vin onto the stage. So the only people who would hear him were the people who loved him (well, except Will, but he didn't count anyhow).
You'll find the magic
in a forgotten place.
I will be waiting there for you,
with an angel's kiss to taste.
And in the heart, of the storm, as it passes by,
you can almost hear my name in the whisper of the night.
Time moves in circles, and what goes around,
will come around again.
I'll go on living, somewhere in your dreams
You will be mine again,
inside the mystery.
By now, Adriana had reached the front of the stage, where Vin was singing. From Larabee's position, he could see that his little sister and Vin were staring at each other ... and knew that was exactly why Charlotte ... or Carly ... had chosen this particular song. Time moves in circles, and what goes around, will come around. I'll go on living, somewhere in your dreams You will be mine again ... inside the mystery.
Didn't that sum up Vin's relationship with Drina ... hell, it could be anyone! He and Mary, Vin and Drina. Even, if you stretched it, Ezra and Dawn ... and Chris found himself hoping against hope that his friend would get that chance Nathan was talking about, after singing 'Good Run of Bad Luck,' (and did that song prove just how well Nathan knew Ezra or what?). He just hoped Dawn was worthy of both her cousin and the man who most likely had loved her for years.
I will be waiting right here for you ...
I will be waiting right here for you ...
In the front of the stage, only a breath away from where Vin sang, Adriana had begun dancing, spinning around and around, her eyes never seeming to leave Vin. The lyrics sent a chill down Chris Larabee's spine that had nothing to do with the cold blast of air which was brought into the saloon when the last bag of trash was carried out to the dumpster by Rafael. Josiah and Will both stood beside the door, transfixed. Chris wondered if it was because of Vin singing ... Or because of the girl dancing, only inches from where the man she loved sang?
Time moves in circles and what goes around,
will come around again,
I'll go on living somewhere in your dreams
You will be mine again
inside the mystery
Long after Vin's voice faded into silence, Charlotte continued with the melody, as Adriana continued to dance, her dark hair flying about her face as she spun, her arms raised high above her head. Sarah had loved to watch ballet dancers, and Drina was now executing a series of nice pirouettes, though flat on her feet. As the last strains of the melody died away, Adriana stumbled against the chair, and the spell was broken.
Yes. That was exactly what she had done, damn her. With her guitar and the melody, Charlotte had woven a spell of her own ... one which led Vin to get up onto the stage and sing in front of them. Which led Adriana to dance, as she had never danced before. And even as he damned her, Chris Larabee was actually blessing her. She had done which no one else could have done, not with bets or challenges or dares. She made Vin sing and Adriana dance.
Aw hell ... he couldn't believe he just done that! But as Vin Tanner lightly kicked his feet against the brick wall under the stage, he found he couldn't regret it too much. He had never allowed himself to sing before, except in the shower. No one, not even the ladies, had ever heard him before. And now, his entire family (except his grandfather and Jessica) were gathered in front of him, staring at him in wonderment.
Vin ducked his head, blushing, and Charlotte said, "You did great. I'm really proud of you." The guide felt himself turn even redder, and felt her hand on his shoulder. More loudly, Charlotte continued, "I could use some help this time ... really. I'm not gonna try to drag anyone else up onto the stage and sing." Vin looked up at the audible groan, and Charlotte continued with a laugh, "Well, Buck, you could do an encore, but I don't think it would be as much fun this time around!"
"Why, little darlin,' if you want me to kiss ya again, all ya gotta do is ask!" Buck retorted. Vin laughed, turning to look at Charlotte as Drina hopped up onto the stage beside him. She put her hand on his thigh, the warmth burning through the denim of his jeans. Charlotte just rolled her eyes, and Buck continued with a glance around, "I imagine this is about as good as it's gonna git, 'less the lady of the house has somethin' else for us to do?"
Buck waggled his brows at Inez, who whapped himself the head with a dishrag. Everyone laughed as they all started for the stage. On Vin's other side, Chris settled himself, his arm still around Mary's waist. Just when the hell would his brother git up off his ass, and formally ask her to marry him! If this kept up, Vin was sure Mary would have to do the askin,' and that would really get Larabee's goat. On the other hand, it was worth thinkin' about, just for that!
Drina settled her head on his shoulder, and Buck yelled as he jumped up onto the stage beside Mary, "Hey now, you two, none of that! You put that finger away where it belongs, Adriana Kathleen Anne Wilmington!" Vin didn't even bother to look around ... he didn't have to see Adriana's hand to know she had just flipped off her brother. Vin was starting to think, based on his observations of his lady and her brother, as well as his own relationship with Chris, that younger siblings were created for the sole purpose of irritating their elder counterparts.
"And where, exactly, would that be, Buck?" Mary teased, snuggling against Chris as he put his arm around her shoulders. Vin did look, then, just to see Buck's expression. Chris leaned back and looked at Buck expectantly. He winked at Vin as he did, and the guide could see Mary was smiling impishly. Well, based on what he had been hearin' tonight, once the ladies got Liam O'Shea settled with someone they thought was good enough for him, they would be going after Buck and Ezra next.
The ladies seemed to think Dawn would be perfect for Ezra, and Vin knew for a fact the lady could handle herself. She would fit in perfectly with the other ladies of the Seven. Which left Buck. Whoever the matchmakers had in mind for Buck needed to be feisty, stubborn, and more than willing to stand up to Buck. The trouble was, most of the women who fit that description were already spoken for.
"Aggh ... never mind! Can't never win an argument with none of ya! And Charlotte, quit laughin,' it ain't that funny!" Buck retorted. Vin felt his lady laughing silently. It was late, and she was tired. And after having fun, like she done ... like they all done ... tonight, she would be getting silly. Which meant, sooner or later, Adriana would totally lose control of her laughter. Mary would follow, and it was anyone's guess who came after them.
"Of course it's that funny, Buck! Didn't ever hear that ... what was it? Aretha Franklin? Sisters are doin' it for themselves? I think that's who did it, at least," Charlotte fired back. Vin looked over his shoulder, and she winked at him. Drina saw the wink as well, and fell, laughing, across Vin's lap. Her head rested on his knee, and Vin eased her upright, but kept his arm around her. She was getting past silly now, and heading for giddy.
"Does anyone else find that notion as scary as I do? I mean, Mary and Adriana were bad enough. Mary, Adriana, Charlotte, and Carly ... that's the stuff nightmares are made of," Ezra said, his grammar slipping with his own exhaustion. He was sitting on Drina's other side, and yelped when Drina smacked the back of his head. At least, she was intending to smack the back of his head, but she ended up smacking the back of his neck instead.
"Scary? Those four? Honey, you ain't seen nothing yet! Scary is the four of them, plus me and Lacey ... oh, yes, Sam and Janet, and Inez after about three drinks on a Girls Night Out. That, my boy, is scary!" Aunt Jo retorted, leaning back against Josiah's chest. He rested his chin atop her head, wearing a contented grin. Aunt Jo looked over at Maude, and added, "Oh yes ... and scary is also your mother and I on the prowl."
The images conjured up by those words resulted in Ezra spewing his drink ... what the hell was he drinkin,' anyhow ... all over Drina. Fortunately, she was wearing her parachute pants, and no ice cubes emerged along with the drink. She looked at him in amazement, then looked at Vin, then looked right back at Ezra ... and burst out laughing. Ezra glared at her, growling, "I hardly see what's so amusin,' Dr. Wilmington!"
"You are, Ezra, of course!" came Drina's merry reply. Ezra looked at the remainder of his drink, then looked at Drina. Vin immediately realized where Ezra was planning to dump his drink ... ice cubes and all ... and shook his head vehemently. No. No way, not gonna happen. Ezra pouted like a five year old, but righted his glass and took another sip. Much to Vin's relief, Adriana didn't say anything more.
Pouted like a five year old. Wasn't that how this started? Because Chris wanted to keep a promise he made to a five year old boy? Vin looked at his brother thoughtfully, and Chris kissed the top of Mary's head, then looked at Vin. The brothers looked at each for several moments. Then, in the language that was theirs alone, Vin asked, So ... why? Why'dja do it, Chris? Weren't a promise. Why?
Because I wanted to ... because it was the best way of giving Mary and Adriana what they wanted, without them realizing they had won. Because a five year old boy had too many other promises to him broken, starting with the promise his biological mother made to her dying sister. Because I wanted to. Do I really need any other reason, little brother? Have we ever really needed any other reason, to do these things? Chris asked.
The answer, of course, was no. They never needed a reason ... much less doing something for someone they loved. Or, as the case might be, several someones. And Vin's mind went back once more to his five year old self. He said softly, looking directly at his brother, "I know I gotta forgive JD, cowboy. I just ain't sure how I do it." Chris put his free hand on Vin's shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze.
"When you're ready, little brother. When you're ready. Don't force yourself, don't do anything you're not ready to do. Remember. We don't want, or need, you to be anything you're not. Vin Tanner has always been good enough for us ... so has Kevin. Okay?" Chris asked. Vin nodded. He thought about what he had been thinking about, at the beginning of the night. People in the SGC, other than SG-1 and SG-7, seeing his brother as he really was. As he was right now.
It didn't really matter, he knew now. Sure, it would be nice. But the important thing now was, he knew. Drina knew. The rest of their team knew. Jack and his people knew the real Chris. The real Chris, as Vin had decided at the beginning of the night, was there for all the world to see ... if they just bothered to look. The loving, laughing older brother who kept a promise to a little boy, long after that little boy returned to the adult.
Ezra told him once, not long after he returned to himself, that Chris retained the persona he developed after Sarah and Adam's deaths for his own reasons. And Vin knew that. He knew that Chris was actually amused by the perception of him as a brusque, mannerless lout. Only a few years ago, he wouldn't have been, but Chris had relaxed. He had a job he enjoyed, coworkers he respected (for the most part ... Conklin and Will came immediately to mind for ones Chris didn't respect), and a woman he loved.
A few times, during the last few years, Vin saw the enraged demon who had taken over after his sister in law and nephew were murdered. He had seen the darkest part of his brother's soul, and he hadn't looked away. Vin knew their blood relationship had nothing to do with it. Vin was no stranger to the dark sides of men ... he saw it in himself and others when he was a bounty hunter. Maybe that was why Chris, even at his worst, never really scared Vin. Because the bounty hunter had seen just how depraved people could be.
But Vin also knew that enraged demon wasn't the real Chris. The real Chris was sitting right here, beside him. His green eyes focused on Vin, even as his lady relaxed against him. Chris, who had been his brother and friend, long before they found out about the blood connection between them. Behind him, he heard Charlotte quietly strumming the guitar, since no one was going anywhere.
And it was Josiah who began singing at first, followed by Aunt Jo ... and then, surprisingly, Chris. This, then, was the whole point of Karaoke Night. Not what had gone before. But now. This being a family. Maybe that was the key to forgiving JD. That they were a family. And when you were a family ... when you loved someone, you forgave them anything. At the very least ... it was a place to start.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "You've Got a Friend" was written by Carole King. Doesn't it have the Seven written all over it?
Buck Wilmington knew as the first strains came from the guitar, what Charlotte was doing. And yet, he didn't start to sing. Not yet. He left that to Josiah, who was in some ways, the father of this small family. One of three or four. Josie Tanner joined in next, her brown eyes shining with laughter and love. And then, Chris started to sing. The leader of SG-7 kept one arm around Mary's shoulders, and he put the other around his brother's shoulders.
Buck picked up the song on the fourth or fifth word, smiling when he saw his little sister singing around the yawn which almost split her face into two. She gave him a sleepy smile, snuggling against Vin once more. Cuddle bunny ... that was what his mother used to say about him. Looked like the same was true of his baby sister, and Buck marked it up to yet another thing about his sister that he had to learn.
When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
Here, Buck smiled first at his sister, then at Vin. There was one missing tonight, but he had resolved not to think about that. And he had succeeded, but as they sang, Buck found himself missing JD, and wondered if he was the only one. No ... no, Buck was sure he wasn't.
You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.
Buck looked again at Chris, who had been part of his life for almost fifteen years. In the beginning, it had been hard to get used to the change in their friendship. But the truth was, they were still friends. Chris would be there for him, even when he thought Buck was wrong, or in the wrong. Just as Buck would be there for him. And for Vin, this unexpected little brother whom Buck had seen as a rival in those early days. Who had been there for Buck. The big major winked at the civilian who had his arm around Buck's sister, and got a smile in return.
If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
and soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Beside Vin sat DeeDee, her head on Vin's shoulder, with her right hand resting on his thigh, and her right arm draped around Ezra's shoulders. It occurred to Buck that her position had to be uncomfortable, but she gave no indication of that, or any wish to move from where she was sitting. And then there was Ezra, the last to be drawn into the family. But once Ezra made the choice to be part of this team, to let down his guard ... he held nothing back. Much less from the dark-haired young woman with her arm around his shoulder. In a way, Buck knew that Ezra had been more of a big brother to DeeDee, and that hurt. But he got a second chance, one he didn't throw away.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
That verse inevitably brought back memories of Ella Gaines ... the discovery that she hired Cletus Fowler to kill her rival. It brought back memories of Montana, of cradling Vin in his arms and trying to stop him from bleeding to death. It brought back memories of Mary Travis killing to protect them and Billy.
Buck inhaled sharply, because the image of Vin lying in his arms came back with terrible clarity. As did the image of the knife embedded in his friend's abdomen. But Ella Gaines was dead now, and she could never hurt anyone whom Buck loved again. Vin was safe and healthy and strong once more, never mind the brief detour into childhood he had taken. But, Buck didn't want to forget Kevin ... of the small body curled up in his arms, of a small face buried trustingly against the side of his neck. He didn't want to forget Kevin, or where his other surrogate little brother had come from. He didn't want to ever forget that.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Buck looked up as Will Richmond stormed out of the bar and grill, and hid a smile at Inez walked over to join them beside the stage, muttering under her breath in Spanish. His knowledge of Spanish was limited, despite his sister's valiant attempts to teach him, but it sounded like the lovely Mexican lady was cussing out the resident idiot. Inez didn't have much use for men like Will Richmond. Buck looked back at Richmond's wife, who didn't even seem to notice her husband's latest attitude eruption.
Instead, she was smiling and laughing as the others gathered around her, and Buck heard Charlotte say, "Well, when I was in college ... college, not grad school, I was in music theatre. And every night, after we finished our rehearsals for the play we were working on, we would all gather 'round this piano and sing Billy Joel's 'Piano Man.' I guess that's what I was thinking about when I started on the guitar again, but that didn't seem to be real appropriate for this bunch." She yelped as Carly lightly smacked the back of her head, and responded by whacking Carly's butt. Ezra and Chris had to separate the pair, though Buck didn't think they were in any danger of starting a catfight.
"Now, now, children ... behave yourselves, and Carly, put your tongue back in your mouth where it belongs, before I tie it into a knot!" DeeDee called as Vin and Mary helped her to her feet. Buck remained where he originally sat down, watching in amusement as Carly responded with the European version of flipping someone off ... then almost fell off the stage, laughing when DeeDee fired back, "No thanks, you're not my type."
"No, Caroline, her type is your twin ... hey!" Charlotte giggled. Buck couldn't see what was going on, but he did see Charlotte wriggling away from Carly as the blonde girl went for her friend again, the bright blue eyes sparkling with laughter. Ezra grabbed the female twin by the waist and pulled her back yet again, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. Buck knew damn good and well Carly and Charlotte had set up Vin, but he didn't know which of them decided to wait until everyone else left, before getting Vin up on the stage.
Didn't matter ... he should probably keep an eye on them two. He remembered the general ... Travis ... saying something about hearing 'Ride of the Valkyries' every time he saw Mary and Charlotte together. Buck thought Travis should revise that, to include Carly Tanner. The girl was just as dangerous as her twin brother, maybe even more so. But then, so was Charlotte. Buck gazed at the strawberry-blonde archaeologist, as he thought about the kiss. There was a part of him which hoped Will Richmond kept taking for granted. But he would never tell anyone that. Nor would he tell anyone just how much he had enjoyed kissing Charlotte.
Once he could move, JD had practically crawled to his car. Damn, he really needed to watch out for Lacey's knees! Inside his car, he waited until the pain in his groin had eased to something manageable. Shit. That had been really stupid of him. He had gone to Chris and Mary's because he knew they would be at the saloon tonight, and he wanted to talk to Lacey in private. But he had bungled that.
The idea was, talk to Lacey and see what she had to say about winning back Vin's trust and respect. Instead, he behaved like a child, and quite frankly, once the humiliation went away, JD knew he had come across like a whining child at that. Maybe what he really did need was that knee in the groin. And if he thought that was painful, there was also the look in Billy's eyes. Christ, if he ever had any doubt that JD screwed up, those doubts were gone now.
Then again, Billy had risen to the occasion when Vin was kiddified. The eight year old had happily become a big brother to little Kevin, instead of resenting the child because he was no longer the youngest. No longer the special one. He had taken care of Kevin. Been what Kevin, what Vin, needed him to be, instead of pouting. Christ. JD had spent all this time, whining because he was treated like a child. And when he was needed to be a man, he acted like a child.
Well, much as he wanted, there was nothing he could do about that now. He could only move forward. So, once he could move with some level of comfort, JD left the ranch and headed to the saloon. By the time he reached the bar and grill where they spent so many nights over the last few years, only a few cars were left ... and from inside the saloon, he could hear singing. JD turned off the engine, swallowing hard as he listened to his friends singing.
One line especially made his throat hurt. Because it reminded him of what he had, up until this last mess. His family. His friends. The respect of the people he worked with, respect he gained back after the mess which also cost Conklin his career. And that's when it hit. He won back their respect once. He could do it again.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
The door swung open and Will Richmond stormed out. JD's eyes narrowed. Now there was trouble, just waiting to happen. Especially when the pissed-off archaeologist caught sight of JD, leaning against his car. Richmond altered course, steaming toward JD, and said without preamble, "I'm just gonna tell you this once, boy. You keep that space-age Casanova away from my wife, or there will be hell to pay!"
JD's hackles rose, not just at the threat, but at being called a boy. Never mind that was actually how he had been behaving lately. The fact was, Will hadn't been behaving like an adult lately, either. JD pushed off his car, getting right up into the annoying archaeologist's face, and spat, "Well, maybe if you'd do right by your wife, maybe Buck wouldn't be paying attention to her! What did he do, dance with her? Make her smile? Maybe even make her laugh?"
"He kissed her! Right in front of me, after humiliating me in front of the entire crowd! And that bitch little sister of his was encouraging him!" Richmond retorted. JD raised an eyebrow, staring at the fuming man. Well, from what he had seen, it didn't take much to humiliate Richmond. He really was a small man. Oh, sure, he was bigger than JD, in the physical sense. But he was easily threatened, and entirely too proud. JD overheard Josie Tanner say once that the fact that his wife was so much stronger than he was threatened him.
"Did he now? Go Buck!" JD retorted. Richmond started for him, but JD was ready. In a move taught to him by Vin, and practiced countless times over the last three years, the young cartographer caught the man's wrist and swung him around, until his face was mashed against JD's back passenger window. If JD had really wanted to, he could have put Will's head through the window. As it was, he would have to clean it of Richmond drool. Replacing the window would have been a real pain in the ass.
"Now you listen to me, you pathetic little weasel," JD hissed, unaware of how much he sounded like both Vin and his 'big brother,' Buck, in that moment, "I have had a really bad day. I got kneed in the groin by a girl, realized that I wasn't a little boy's hero any more, and came to the conclusion that I've been acting like a first rate jackass ... and an immature one at that. The last thing I want to deal with is some overgrown whiner like you who can't treat his wife properly. So I'm just gonna warn you this one time. First. Start treating your wife better, and you won't have to worry about space-age cowboys, like Buck, or scruffy guides."
Because if he was feeling threatened by Buck, for sure he would be feeling threatened by Vin as well. More history there, and history was a damn powerful thing. More to the point, Buck always interfered when he thought a woman was being badly treated by her husband. It wasn't even a matter of whether it was his business ... that was simply how Buck was. JD learned years earlier to just deal with it. He always lost arguments with Buck when he tried to talk his 'big brother' out of it. And as for Vin ... hell, no one could argue with him when he made up his mind to do something!
"Second ... you threaten a member of my family again, and I'll see to it that you can't father any more children. I've learned a few things from Vin Tanner. Since you've been scarce while Charlotte sat in the infirmary with Tansy, that would actually be a blessing not only to Charlotte, but to any future children. I don't like you, Dr. Richmond. You showed some promise, once we set up camp after the wagon train. But you have this bad habit of threatening my family. And I don't like that. Not at all," JD hissed.
And somewhere during the few minutes, something else had changed within JD Dunne. Gone was the last of his resentment toward the rest of his family, for shutting him out during the last two weeks. And yes, he had resented them all. Until now, when he understood that they were doing the same thing he would do once he finished with Will Richmond. When you were so angry, you could barely control what came out of your mouth, that was the only thing you could do. And Will Richmond had made him that angry.
Worse, he had threatened JD's family. And when all was said and done, despite the last few weeks, those men and women inside the bar and grill were still JD's family. They just needed time to heal themselves, and to forgive JD. This was a situation where a simple 'I'm sorry' wasn't enough. Sometimes, words made things worse instead of better, and the more JD had pushed, the further they had retreated.
All right. Then starting right now, JD would do whatever had to be done. And right now, someone had to make sure Will Richmond understood the consequences of messing with his family. JD still couldn't believe that Buck had actually kissed Charlotte, but he also knew he was only hearing part of the story. And of course, Will Richmond was totally incapable of taking responsibility for whatever he had done. While Buck loved women, and often could be found with ladies whose husbands didn't appreciate them ... this felt different to JD.
The young cartographer released Richmond, saying, "Now, I'm gonna let you go. But understand me, and don't ever forget this. I'm sure Buck has told you ... now I'm telling you. SG-7 is a family. We look out for each other, we take care of each other, we even fight each other. But when someone from the outside threatens us, we take action. So, you decide you go after Buck, because he kissed your wife, and it ain't gonna just be you and Buck ... it's gonna be all of us. Including his sister."
Will actually swallowed hard at that last comment, and JD guessed that Will had seen Adriana in action. JD never had, though he came close when he grabbed Adriana's arm a few times. And she was someone else whose respect and trust JD had to win back. Especially for shoving her while Vin was still Kevin. JD continued, "So just remember that. You want to keep your wife? You start being there for her when she needs you. Charlotte's a pretty lady. Wouldn't take much at all for one of the other Robin Hoods in the SGC to decide to take her away from you ... take them both away from you."
Will froze, and JD continued, thoroughly enjoying himself, "Oh yeah ... let's see. Just in our team, there's Buck, Josiah, Vin, and Ezra. Then there's Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson, in SG-1. Don't know Major Davis that well, but I'm sure he could probably be a Robin Hood under the right circumstances. Then there's Major O'Shea ... he's Irish, of course. We Irish love our women ... Buck's Irish, too, you know." Just because Buck preferred not to think about his father's side of the family. He often said that Adriana was the only other good thing that his father ever did ... and he managed to ruin that as well.
JD shoved Will away from the car, seeing through the windows that the others were starting to head for the door. Hmm, that was interesting. Carly and Josie Tanner were supporting Charlotte's weight between them. Would have been more fun if Buck was carrying her. But that wasn't the issue at the moment. JD shifted his eyes back to Will, saying, "One other thing. Leave Vin and Drina alone."
Through the window, he could see them locked in a passionate kiss. Buck kept turning around to look, and probably harass them, but Chris kept turning him back toward the door. Probably telling the overprotective big brother to leave them alone. Well, now JD was telling Will that. The elder archaeologist just glared at JD, who retorted contemptuously, "Oh please ... I've had to field the Larabee glare a thousand times over the last few years ... do you really think that can scare me? I'm not warning you a second time. Leave them alone, or face the consequences."
"I'd listen to that young man, if I were you," Josiah said clearly into the chilly winter night, "you were already warned once." Will looked from JD to Josiah, then back again. He stormed off toward his own car, and Josiah called over his shoulder, "Jo, we're driving Charlotte home tonight. Better yet, let's pick up Tansy, then they'll both sleep over. Lacey will probably be staying with Chris and Mary tonight."
Josiah turned his attention back to JD and nodded once. JD felt his chest swell at that nod, because he saw the pride in the gesture. He had just taken his first step back toward his family. But it wouldn't be the last. JD wouldn't let it be. He looked past Josiah, through the window, to Vin. He was still locked in that passionate kiss with Adriana, and JD heard Buck yell at the pair to get a room.
I will make this up to you, Vin. I swear it. Like the song says. I know I've got a friend in you ... and you've got a friend in me. I'll be that friend again, Vin. I'll be that brother.
The End
Completed Sept. 2002
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