SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMER: Chris, Vin, Nathan, Mary, Inez, JD, Buck, Josiah, Billy, and Orrin Travis belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 (including Ally & Cassie) belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. I'm not making any money from writing this story, I just love to write. Adriana is mine, as are the assorted members of SG-3 and the natives. You're welcome to borrow Adriana and the natives, as long as you ask first, and return them intact.
SPOILERS: Bane (Stargate), Hathor (Stargate), episode where Apophis was sheltered briefly by the SGC (my memory is horrible, but Janet's reference to Apophis in the opening paragraph did actually happen in the show) , the second season premiere, when Jack first called Daniel 'space monkey.' And it does seem that Daniel gets hurt in the show as often as JD does. Also the The Nox (Stargate) and any episode involving the Tolan, the Tok'ra, or the Asgaard (I know, I really need to find the site with all of the episode titles, since there are almost ninety now, over the last four seasons) Also, my spin on Ghosts of the Confederacy (M7), One Day out West (M7), Working Girls (M7), Manhunt (M7), The Collector (M7), Obsession (M7), Penance (M7) and indirect reference s to Achilles (M7) and Lady Killers (M7).
WARNING: OFC (I know some people don't like 'em, so here's your warning), some violence, nasty language in certain sections.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Just in case you're wondering, 'Kastner' is a German name. My mother's family came over from Germany in the eighteenth century, prior to the American Revolution, and the original spelling of her maiden name, 'Cosner,' was 'Kastner.'
Also, when Vin says, "We have hostiles on our six," he's saying they're behind him. It's a military term ... six is behind and noon is straight ahead. I'm an Air Force brat who watches JAG ... and it sounded like something Vin would say in the presence of someone he considers a lady.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first M7/SG fusion. I've read one crossover, Eye of the Beholder, and heard references to another (title slips my mind, but the Scribe wrote it as part of her series), but I got the idea for an actual fusion while ruminating on the similarities between Jack O'Neill and Chris Larabee.
"I can see the light in the distance,
trembling in the dark cloak of night,
bonfires are dancing,
dancing a waltz on All Souls Night."
Loreena McKennitt, All Souls Night.
It had begun as a quiet day in the SGC. Most of the teams were standing down, recovering from the various missions and completing their paperwork. General George Hammond, the commanding officer of the SGC, was breiefing the leaders of two of his most prominent teams, Colonel Jack O'Neill, leader of SG-1, and Colonel Christopher Larabee, leader of SG-7. The intel they had received from PY6770 indicated that the two teams would be needed to aid the natives against the Gou'ald.
Most of the time, the respective SG teams could handle a System Lord menacing a particular planet. And in truth, just one team could have handled the System Lord (Lady?), a parasite who had taken on the guise of the Celtic goddess Morrigan. However, it became obvious to both Josiah Sanchez, the in-house anthropologist for SG-7, and Daniel Jackson, SG-1's archaeologist, that the inhabitants of Banba would be more inclined to put their trust in a large force.
The three men were finalizing the details, when the alarm interrupted the briefing. Hammond, O'Neill, and Larabee all rushed from the briefing room and into the control room. As soon as Hammond entered the control room, the technician announced, "Incoming traveller!" Before Hammond could ask, the answer was provided, "The signal matches SG-3, but they aren't due back for another two days, sir." As soon as the team was specified, Larabee's light hazel eyes narrowed. O'Neill placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Easy, Chris," he muttered, "don't kill the messenger." One of Larabee's team was working with SG-3 for this recon mission ... according to the probes which had been sent through to PD3690, there was human life on the planet. At General Hammond's request, the team had been 'loaned' Vin Tanner, the tracker/guide for SG-7. The young Texan was also one helluva marksman ... and Chris Larabee's best friend.
Hammond didn't pay attention to the blond colonel ... instead, he ordered the technician, "Get that gate open, and I want a security detail in here. Have Dr. Frasier paged to the gate room as a precaution." As soon as the words were out of the man's mouth, the iris opened. At the same time, Dr. Janet Frasier was being paged to the Gate Room with a medical detail. The Marines had already arrived in the Gate Room and were taking up position.
The petite chief medical officer arrived shortly thereafter, with a tall, broad-shouldered black man, about the same age as the woman. Nathan Jackson was the field medic for SG-7, and whenever a member of SG-7 had been injured, he was in the infirmary with Dr. Frasier. It was, in fact, Janet Frasier who had recruited the medic. If the men of SG-7 were Jackson's brothers, then Dr. Janet Frasier was his sister, and her adopted daughter Cassie was his niece.
SG-7, while newer than SG-1, had garnered its own reputation. They were as good as SG-1, both in accomplishing their missions and in other, less pleasant ways. There was a running joke that the young cartographer with SG-7, JD Dunne, was in a competition with Dr. Daniel Jackson as to who could spend the most time in the infirmary. Some had taken that 'competition' one step further and set up a gambling pool, to see which man would spend the most time in the infirmary in a given month. It was all done very quietly, of course, to avoid attracting the attention of General Hammond and Colonel Larabee. No one knew for sure, but there were some who believed Colonel O'Neill placed a few bets as well.
So, there was always someone who was a bit richer at the end of the month. There never seemed to be a mission when either Dr. Jackson or Private Dunne didn't come back injured in some way. Sometimes, both men returned with an injury on the same day. Perhaps because they were both the youngest members of their team, no one was quite sure. But JD was safe in his quarters, and it was Larabee's best friend who was likely in danger, rather than O'Neill's.
This supposition was proven correct as two figures emerged from the iris ... Vin Tanner, supporting a dark-haired young woman. Dr. Adriana Wilmington, a floating archaeologist, was a civilian, like Daniel Jackson and her companion. Tanner cried out, "General, we got hostiles on our six, close the iris!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the general nodded in acknowledgment, and the tech's fingers were flying across the keyboard.
But it was already too late ... something exploded into the gate room, and as Tanner pushed the unsteady Adriana Wilmington ahead of him, that blast caught him into the back. The guards levelled their weapons, ready for any threat that might come through the gate before the iris was closed. But the shield ended any further attack, though everyone in the gate room could hear the thuds of people bouncing off the iris from the other side. It was a sickening sound, but right now, the SGC had other concerns.
Hammond left the control room, with O'Neill and Larabee hot on his heels. Jackson and Frasier were already at work. Jackson immediately pulled Dr. Wilmington from the fierce, protective embrace of her rescuer. She had passed out when she hit the ramp. The medic hissed, seeing the wound in the back of her thigh, then he saw the wound in the small of Tanner's back.
Tanner was the last person anyone could have imagined in the SGC. Standing a notch under six feet, the civilian had never made any attempt to be something he wasn't. And he wasn't military. His brown hair had remained shoulder-length, despite the occasional harassment he had received from more formal officers. According to base legend, when SG-7 had been formed three years earlier, Tanner had been added after aiding Jackson in a bar fight against several bigots. He had never met Jackson, but he didn't take kindly to people being harassed for no good reason. Nor did he take kindly to women being pushed around by men twice their size.
The following day, Captain Mary Travis, the woman who had been man-handled in the bar, had reported the incident, trying to soften the blow for the general. He didn't look kindly on his officers getting into drunken brawls. However, to her relief, Larabee (another participant in the aforementioned brawl) had already spoken to the general. Further, he had asked the general's permission to recruit the soft-spoken, gallant young man into the SGC.
Hammond had been leery of another civilian in the SGC, especially a young man with shoulder-length hair and with no visible contribution. However, he trusted Larabee's instincts, as well as the testimonials of both Jackson and Captain Travis, and he had begun investigating the young man. There were two things working in the mysterious stranger's favor. First and foremost, Larabee's instinct about him. Secondly, and George Hammond would have denied this vehemently if asked, but Mary Travis had pinpointed the young man's accent as Texan.
Hammond learned that the man was Vin Tanner, a twenty-four year old drifter with a reputation as a bounty hunter and a guide. Further investigation revealed that Tanner had run afoul of some criminals in Texas. A hit had been put out on him. Hammond had shaken his head when he learned of the $50, 000 hit. After he met the boy, he understood why. Tanner had an honor code, one about taking care of the innocent and the helpless. He was a protector at heart, and one whom Hammond wanted on his side.
Although Tanner agreed that Cheyenne Mountain would be far enough away until things settled down, he had misgivings about the general's ... suggestion. He wasn't military. He was a civilian, he wanted to remain a civilian. That was a problem the general could solve ... Daniel Jackson, and other archaeologist/anthropologists, had received special civilian clearance. General Hammond could arrange for Tanner to have that same clearance.
While he would have preferred Tanner get a regulation haircut, he would not force the boy to be something he wasn't. In fact, on some planets, Tanner's slightly rugged appearance would even come in handy. Some native peoples were frightened by uniforms, an uneasy reminder of their Gou'ald captors. Tanner's non-military appearance would ease those fears. So long as Tanner conducted himself like a gentleman and a professional, his appearance was his business.
And after hearing from Captain Travis, Hammond had known he would receive no complaints from the women of the SGC about Tanner. And there had been no problems, aside from an occasional bully. But when that happened, the others in SG-7 were usually at Tanner's side. For that matter, O'Neill could never stay out of a good fight, and Teal'c had as little use for bullies as the young Texan did.
Another problem cropped up ... namely, Tanner's lack of formal education. His mother had died when he was five years old, and he had been raised by a series of migrant workers, never remaining long enough in one school to learn properly. As a result, his formal education was almost non-existent. This was solved once Tanner swallowed his pride enough to admit this gap and ask for help. Between Dr. Frasier, Captain Travis, and the young woman now being lifted onto a gurney by Jack O'Neill, Tanner had begun making up for lost time.
While his grammar was still improving, and his colorful phrases had confused Teal'c on more than one occasion, the young man slipped into his old speech patterns more as a smokescreen than out of habit. He had learned that when he slipped into his old speech patterns, people underestimated his intelligence. That was a powerful weapon in its own right. It had given Colonel O'Neill unholy glee to unleash Tanner on the smarmy Major Maybourne. After the first go-round with the seemingly uneducated young man, Maybourne had learned to avoid Tanner.
So, despite his un-military appearance and his un-military posture, Vin Tanner had secured a place for himself in the SGC. There were some who resented him, for the freedoms he received as a civilian. There were others who simply didn't like the quiet, but mischievous, young man. But both SG-1 and SG-7 would have fought the very devil for him. While the SGC was a family, forged in fire and blood, sweat and tears, SG-1 and SG-7 had a particularly fierce bond, perhaps because their leaders were so similar.
As Teal'c and Josiah Sanchez gently lifted Tanner onto the other gurney, and Janet Frasier stepped over to check on him, observers turned their attention to Tanner's companion. Like Tanner, Adriana Wilmington was twenty-seven years old. She had gone with SG-3 and Tanner, since Three's archaeologist, Peter Kastner, had returned to Germany for his mother's funeral. She had worked with SG teams One and Seven, though the latter was rare. She was also the younger sister of Major Buck Wilmington, and the relationship was strained, at best.
As a college student at the University of Texas, she had become good friends with Tanner, and worked almost as well with him as Larabee did. While she couldn't communicate her thoughts to him with just a glance, as Tanner and Larabee did with each other on a regular basis, she trusted him implicitly, and was always in the Gate Room with Larabee when the guide returned from a mission with another team.
The two injured civilians were secured on their respective gurneys and removed from the gate room. By unspoken agreement, the Marine security detail had already left the Gate Room, but there were still too many people. There was a small mess to be cleaned up, and that couldn't be done until SG-1 and SG-7 were out of the Gate Room. General Hammond followed the small army down to the infirmary, where Dr. Frasier and her team would stabilize both young people.
General Hammond now had the unenviable task of calming Colonel Larabee ... while Adriana Wilmington was a floating archaeologist, Larabee considered her one of his, by virtue of knowing her since she was thirteen years old. He was too young to see her as a daughter, so she was often described as a combination of niece and sister. And of course, Tanner was his best friend, so he was doubly anxious. But Hammond would have help from O'Neill and his team.
Like Larabee, O'Neill had lost a child. And a wife, though to different circumstances. Larabee's wife had been killed in the same bombing which had killed their small son, Adam, three years before the formation of SG-7. O'Neill had lost his son to a shooting accident ... his young son Charlie had been playing with the colonel's gun, and accidently shot himself. The fallout from that tragedy had destroyed the marriage of his parents. Yes ... Larabee and O'Neill understood each other. Too well.
And now, a man whom they both considered a little brother fought for his life ... a woman whom they both regarded as a combination of niece and little sister had wounds of her own to heal. Everyone who knew Janet Frasier knew that she would use every means at her disposal to care for her patients ... for now, it was in her hands, and in the hands of whichever god they believed, to save those two people.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just so there's no confusion ... I do like Buck. In fact, Dale Midkiff is one of my favorite actors. And as any writer can tell you, when a character tells you to do something, you do it or you don't get anywhere. I had a mega-argument with Buck over the events described in this section and the next. He finally convinced me to trust him, that it would all make sense. So bear with me, it will make sense.
It never got any easier, working on your friends. It was hard enough, watching the shell of your enemy die ... as she had seen the host body for Apophis die once before, before he was resurrected by the sarcophagus. But her friends? Oh, Janet Frasier had been in this situation countless times before, but she never hurt any less. It was never less difficult to remain focused, when all she wanted to do was cry in frustration ... or grief. But these were her friends, and Janet Frasier would give them nothing less than her very best. She would allow her emotions full reign later. Right now, Vin and Adriana needed her. Needed her to be focused. To be professional.
Adriana had joined the SGC two years earlier, and quickly became the little sister Janet had always wanted. Adriana had just graduated from the University of Munich, with her PhD in archaeology, and she was a mixture of wild young girl and staid professor. Time and maturity had softened her tendency toward the latter into a quiet professionalism, and the wildness had been tamed into a mischievous streak that came alive when the Four Corners ... Sam Carter, Janet, Mary Travis, and Adriana ... were together.
If Sam, Janet, Mary and Adriana were the Four Corners, then Vin and Adriana were Robin Hood and Lady Marian. The guide had been given the nickname of 'Robin Hood' after he had volunteered himself and SG-7's diplomat, Ezra Standish, to retrieve a stolen icon on one of the worlds they had visited. The nickname had stuck, and when Adriana had joined the SGC, it became clear the pair had a 'past.'
It was up to Janet Frasier to make sure they had a future. While Adriana was one of her closest friends, aside from Sam, Janet was also fond of Vin. It wasn't hard to be fond of Vin. Forgetting for a moment about his good looks, he was always a gentleman, always willing to help. It didn't hurt that he was a bit on the shy side ... and Janet believed he would have been able to stand against Hathor when she had seduced the men of the SGC.
Focus, Janet, she told herself. Even as they gingerly pulled the scorched material from Tanner's skin, even as she cringed. Even as the unconscious man groaned softly, she forced herself to focus. On the injury, what had caused it, and how she could treat it. The burn and tissue damage didn't fit with what she had seen of staff injuries ... blasts received from a staff weapon. Her first priorities were blood loss, possible tissue and nerve damage ... and infection.
Janet was vaguely aware of one of the doctors under her command seeing to Adriana, but Janet knew her friend would be all right. Vin was Janet's primary concern at the moment. All too aware that Vin was conscious on some level, enough to feel pain, she was as gentle as possible as she cleaned the wound. She knew Vin's allergies, knew what would make him sicker, and worked around that. And she tried not to think about the anxious members of SG-7, waiting outside the infirmary, for word on their injured friends. No. She had to keep herself focused.
"Run, Adriana! I'm right behind ya, girl, run!"
Adriana Wilmington ran, her exhausted legs and lungs screaming in protest. She heard Vin Tanner behind her, recognized the way he breathed, recognized his footfall. There was something else she heard, which she couldn't identify. The Gate was in sight, and Adriana felt fresh adrenaline run through her, giving precious strength to her legs, to her lungs, to her heart.
She reached the DHD first and immediately began dialing home. She had memorized the code for SG-3 upon Colonel O'Neill's insistence. Actually, he had insisted that she learn the codes of all the SG teams. God, it had given her a headache! But his insistence looked to be saving her life and Vin's, even if it couldn't save ... No. No, don't think about that! She concentrated instead on getting home ... there. Last chevron, and send!
A searing pain ignited in the back of her thigh, and Adriana slumped forward against the DHD. A strong arm immediately wrapped around her waist, pulling her upright, and then Vin was dragging her toward the Gate. Home. Vin's arm secure around her waist, her left arm draped over his shoulders. Adriana chanced a look over her shoulder and saw a weapon. Not a zat, not a staff. What the hell was it?
Whatever it was, the wielder was following them and aiming it at Vin's back. Would it follow them into the wormhole? She would have to ask Sam about that when they got back. Wait. If she waited until they got back to Earth, it might be too late. The pain was making her dizzy ... making it hard for her to think. She turned her head to warn Vin, but as she did, they entered the wormhole, and there were no words ... and then ...
"Vin! Look out!" she screamed. A pair of hands were holding her shoulders tightly, and a familiar voice was telling her to calm down, that she was all right, they had made it, she was safe. Nothing was said about Vin being safe. The voice didn't belong to Vin. Who then? Someone from SG-7, yes. Buck? No, wrong voice, and besides, JD hadn't been with SG-3, so there was no reason for her brother to be in the infirmary. That was where she was, wasn't it? Yes, the infirmary.
Chris? No ... no, the voice was wrong again. And Chris would have called her 'little princess.' Her eyes opened and she saw the brown eyes of Nathan Jackson staring back at her. He smiled gently as she blinked and repeated in an equally gentle voice, "You're all right, Adriana. You're back at the SGC, you made it back." Adriana took several, deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Had she been dreaming? Nathan cupped her face in his hands, saying, "Listen to me, Adriana. You can't be movin' around so much, not if you want that leg of yours to heal."
No dream. It had really happened. The memories flooded over her again. They had made it, but at what cost. Adriana thought of the last part of the dream, and whispered, "Vin? Where's Vin? I saw that thing pointed at his back, and tried to warn him, but then we were in the wormhole, and I couldn't say anything, and then we were in the Gate Room, and I ... don't remember anything after that. Vin's okay, isn't he, Nathan?" She hated the whining note in her voice, hated sounding like anything other than the adult she was supposed to be.
Nathan looked away, and Adriana had her answer. Nathan's hands began smoothing back her hair, almost unconsciously. Like he needed to do something with his hands, since he couldn't help Vin. He had to be free to reassure the others. The medic finally said, "He was hit as you reached this side, by whatever you saw planet-side. Hit him in the small of his back. Janet's working on him. And you know Janet." This was said with a weak attempt at a smile, but Adriana could see that Nathan was as worried about Vin as she was. As if anticipating her next question, Nathan continued, "Chris and the others are waitin' outside."
Adriana nodded. She had anticipated as much. And, she anticipated that Chris would want to talk with her when Janet allowed it. Nathan continued, an actual smile warming his face this time, "Ezra's been wearing a hole in the concrete with his pacing. Not rightly sure if he's more worried about you or Vin." That drew a stifled laugh from the archaeologist as she imagined her other surrogate brother wearing a hole through the concrete floor of the SGC. The trouble was, it was an easy image to summon. Ezra Standish was as notorious for his fierce protectiveness of women as he was for his gift with cards.
"You think he'll have enough winnings from his weekly poker games to pay for the damage?" Adriana asked impishly, her oddball sense of humor raising its head. Nathan rolled his eyes, barely suppressing a laugh of his own. The laughter died from Adriana's soul. God, what was wrong with her? Why was she laughing when Vin was hurt ... possibly even dying? She had known Nathan Jackson for two years. It wasn't easy to scare him. And if he was scared, that meant Vin was in a bad way.
Nathan obviously realized what was upsetting her, because the smile left his face as he said, "Now you listen to me, Adriana Kathleen Wilmington ... you ain't responsible for this. All right? And you ain't betraying him by laughing, by joking. You're helping him. You think fear is gonna heal him? Not a chance, little princess." Adriana blinked in surprise at Nathan's use of the nickname. Jackson shrugged and said, "It's a nickname that grows on you."
Adriana grinned and blushed, and Nathan added, "Better. Listen. You lie here and get some rest, and I'll let the others know how you and Vin are doing. If Janet needs my help, I'll be back. Just ... rest. And like I said, Drina, this ain't your fault. Vin chose to push you ahead of him when you came through. He chose to protect you. Don't take that away from him by blaming yourself. You wanna blame someone, blame whoever shot a man in the back."
A half-smile graced Adriana's face, at Nathan's use of Vin's nickname for her and at his last statement. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised, and murmured, "Wonder what will happen if Chris ever returns and gets his hands on whoever shot Vin in the back?" Nathan responded with a particularly evil grin, and with that pleasant thought, Adriana settled back. She was afraid for Vin. But she had faith in Janet's skill and Vin's fierce determination.
"Anything new?" Private JD Dunne asked anxiously as he joined the rest of his teammates outside the infirmary. Colonel O'Neill shook his head. He was sitting on the floor beside Chris, with Buck Wilmington on Colonel Larabee's other side, the big major's face pinched with fear. Captain Travis sat against the opposite wall, knees drawn to her chest, arms encircling her legs.
"Nathan just came out a few minutes ago. He says that Adriana should be fine, but Dr. Frasier is taking care of Vin now," Captain Travis replied wearily, indicating the medic for SG-7 with a bob of her blonde head, who was quietly talking with Josiah Sanchez beside General Hammond. She ran her hand over her face, adding, "I should call Orrin. He takes anything having to do with SG-7 rather personally, and I know he'll want to know about Vin."
Despite what she had just said, the blonde-haired captain didn't move ... while Vin was a good friend, Adriana was Mary's best friend. JD knew that she needed to be here for Adriana. JD sat down beside the woman, allowing his eyes to sweep across the crowded corridor. He had been in his room when he heard the commotion, but had been struggling through paperwork.
It wasn't until he heard Vin's name that he had left his quarters, and it was then that Teal'c from SG-1 told him that his friend had been seriously injured. Major Carter had added what she had learned from Colonel O'Neill, then JD had thanked the two members of SG-1. He ran as fast as he could to the infirmary without falling and breaking his neck. No sense in him adding to the SGC pool by ending up in the infirmary. Dr. Frasier definitely would not appreciate that, especially not if Vin's life was in danger.
"I'll notify your father-in-law later. I've sent a car for Billy and Cassie. Yes, I remembered she was babysitting him today," Hammond replied, referring to the captain's young son. Captain Travis nodded gratefully, and JD looked over at Buck. The cartographer was willing to bet his best friend and 'big brother' wouldn't relax until he could actually talk to his sister. Their relationship had hit the skids in the last two years, but Buck loved his sister deeply.
JD had never meant to come between the siblings. He had begged and pleaded to join SG-7 upon its formation, three years earlier. Colonel Larabee was a legend, even in the Army, and JD had known as soon as he heard of SG-7 that he wanted to be part of that team. For reasons never made entirely clear to JD, General Hammond had granted that wish, despite Larabee's obvious misgivings. And from the beginning, Major Buck Wilmington had appointed himself as JD's mentor, guardian, big brother, and a general all-around pain in the ass.
A year after the formation of SG-7, Buck's younger sister, Dr. Adriana Wilmington, had arrived at Cheyenne Mountain as a floating archaeologist. By that time, the 'cliques', for lack of a better word, had been formed within SG-7 ... and that was when the schism between the brother and sister began. The day after Adriana's arrival, JD had been seriously injured during what was supposed to be a routine mission, and Buck had spent all of his time in the infirmary until the teenaged private was out of danger.
That wasn't what caused the rift between the siblings. Even after JD healed from his injuries, Buck continued to hover over JD, completely ignoring his younger sister. JD had seen the archaeologist's patience fraying, and tried to convince the over-protective major to spend more time with his sister. Buck had laughed off his concerns, telling him that he could always spend time with Adriana. They had grown up together, after all, and Adriana was by this time a grown woman of twenty-five. It wasn't like she really needed him. Not like JD did.
In the meantime, rather than losing herself in her hurt feelings, Adriana had begun forming other relationships. She had become good friends with Ezra, almost immediately, and Captain Travis had just as quickly become her best friend, along with Inez Rescillos, Dr. Frasier, and Major Carter. And Vin ... who had been a good friend of Adriana's when he was a bounty hunter and she was a college student ... became something more than just a good friend.
Still, Chris and JD both told Buck that he was driving his sister away. And JD knew it wasn't even a matter of Buck not wanting to spend time with Adriana, but every time he promised to spend time with her, every time Adriana had made a move to reach out to her brother, something interfered. The final break had come six months after Adriana's arrival. She had gone on a mission with SG-7 while Josiah took a leave of absence to visit his sister.
Their stated purpose had been to rescue General Orrin Travis, one of the key players in the formation of SG7, and the father in law of Captain Travis. Once the general was safely rescued, he would take them to the ruins where he had been captured, and Adriana was to evaluate them, based on her knowledge of ancient civilizations and cultures.
Ezra had infiltrated the prison where he was being held, and signalled Chris that the general had been located. Upon receiving that signal, Chris had split the rest of his team into pairs. Vin was with Chris, Buck was with Nathan, and JD was with Adriana. JD had overheard Chris asking Adriana to keep an eye on the young soldier ... keep an eye on him, like he was a child.
Even now, it wasn't something JD liked to think about. He had been with the team for eighteen months at the time, and he was still wont to rush into situations without thinking. Such was the case this time. Chris had radioed them to stay put, and Adriana had acknowledged the order. However, JD had pushed ahead, derisively telling the archaeologist that he was a soldier and he didn't take orders from her. His primary concern was saving Travis. As if that wasn't her primary concern? In order to keep the rash young cartographer alive, Adriana had followed him after contacting Chris and informing him of the situation.
This was something he found out later. At the time, he had only been aware of his desire to free the general. One moment, he and Adriana had been silently closing in on the general's position ... the next, all hell broke loose. To this day, JD wasn't sure what had alerted the guards to their presence, much less their position. But as he and Adriana neared the prison gate, where Ezra waited with General Travis, the guards had opened fire. Adriana, standing behind and to JD's right, had sworn softly.
She had thrown herself into JD, pushing him out of the line of fire, and they both hit the wall. JD had blacked out when his head hit the stone wall of the prison. When he came to, he was in Buck's arms as Nathan examined him, while the newly freed Travis and Vin were tending to Adriana, who had received the brunt of the fire. But Buck had been so focused on JD, he had simply thrown his sister into the general's arms.
Even if Buck hadn't understood that his prior behavior had hurt his sister, even if his sister had chosen not to make an issue out of that, this was the final straw. Adriana could have been seriously hurt. As it was, she had sustained injuries to her hip and to her side, but nothing life-threatening, thanks to the quick thinking of the general and Vin. But the mission was almost fatal to the relationship between the Wilmington siblings.
Buck had spent the last eighteen months trying to make things up to his sister, but how exactly did you apologize for something like that? 'I'm sorry' seemed lame, at best. And Adriana, while remaining professional and business-like, had shut her brother out of her life entirely. When she spoke to him, it was as doctor to major, not as brother to sister. JD knew that troubled both Chris Larabee and General Hammond, but as long as Adriana conducted herself with professionalism, neither man would reprimand her. They had no basis.
And then this had happened. JD had known Buck didn't like the idea of Adriana going with SG-3. Even though Vin was going as well, the big major had been worried that something might happen to his little sister. Though Buck remained JD's mentor and big brother, he had begun trying to mending fences with his sister. And despite her aloofness, Buck had continued his attempts to break through to her. He had a reputation as easy-going and fun-loving, but Buck Wilmington didn't give up on anyone or anything.
It had been decided amongst the six remaining members of SG-7 that once Dr. Frasier gave her okay, and once Chris knew what had happened out there, Buck would remain with Adriana. It was time to heal this relationship, before the rift became too big. In truth, JD was a little angry with Adriana for remaining angry this long, but a conversation with Josiah had forced JD to look at it from her point of view. He tried to imagine how he would feel if someone began monopolizing all of Vin's time, to the point that he no longer had time for JD.
Each time JD tried to spend time with Vin, this newcomer had interfered in one way or another. And then, he took it one step further. He imagined if that someone had nearly gotten themselves killed because of their stupidity, and JD himself was seriously injured trying to protect the other person from their own idiocy. That put things into perspective. He could understand Adriana's point of view, but he still hurt for Buck.
"How are they, doc?" Jack O'Neill asked, interrupting JD's thoughts. The young cartographer looked up as the weary doctor emerged from the infirmary. The two teams, General Hammond, and Captain Travis all scrambled to their feet. Mary Travis slipped to her friend's side, putting a supportive hand on the petite doctor's shoulder. Janet Frasier smiled wearily in response as she looked at SG-7 and the general.
"Well, as I'm sure Nathan has already told you, Adriana will be fine. She's already figuring out what she can do in terms of light duties," Janet replied. There was a relieved sigh from everyone, and Janet continued, "Vin is more complicated, but we've got him stable, at least for the moment. He's not out of the woods ... we still have to worry about infection. Especially since I have no idea what caused that blast. But I think you could say I'm cautiously optimistic."
"When can we see them?" Chris asked, and Janet sighed again. Larabee continued, his pale eyes narrowing, "You're not telling me something, Janet. And it's something important." He ignored the calming hand which Jack O'Neill had placed on his shoulder, choosing instead to glare at her. Unfortunately for Chris, it worked about as well on Janet as it did on Vin and Adriana ... which was to say, not at all.
"Colonel, I'm not holding anything back. Adriana can have visitors at any time, but I want to run some more tests on Vin. I've never seen this kind of burn before, and I want to make sure I treat it properly. I know you're worried about him, sir ... but please, let me do my job," Janet replied. Larabee hesitated, then nodded. Janet continued, "Before we start the tests, Adriana is telling Vin that she's all right."
"He's conscious?" JD asked, speaking for the first time. Janet shook her head, and JD looked at Nathan Jackson questioningly. The field medic hadn't spoken at all since Janet had left the infirmary to update them on their two friends. That worried JD ... but if he wasn't asking any questions of the doctor, what did that mean? Nathan always asked questions when one of them was hurt, getting answers to the questions the others were afraid to ask. Or, JD thought, remembering something Josiah said once, asking questions we don't know to ask.
Jackson said now, "He ain't conscious, JD, but the last thing he's gonna remember is Adriana bein' in danger, even if he don't remember the exact details. He's gonna want to know that she's okay. She's laying the groundwork for his recovery. And, Janet is makin' sure Adriana will rest." Janet grinned at the medic, and JD shook his head. Chris and Vin could speak without words. So could Janet and Nathan. And the young cartographer had noticed that Adriana and Captain Travis communicating with just a glance.
"I'll let you know as soon as Vin's ready for visitors. Please, don't camp out in front of the infirmary ... especially you, Major Wilmington. That just stops up traffic, and what happens if we have an emergency off-world?" Janet reminded. Everyone laughed, easing some of the tension among the worried teams, and Janet continued, "Colonel Larabee, if you'll give me about five minutes, I'll have Adriana settled in her bed, if you'd like to hear what happened on the mission? It'll be awhile before Vin wakes up."
Now this was unusual. Janet Frasier was known to be fiercely protective of her patients, and she often insisted that briefings could wait until whoever was in better shape to answer questions. Chris replied, "I'd appreciate that, Janet. And if I know Adriana, she won't be satsified until she gets everything out of her system." That brought another laugh from those assembled ... Chris Larabee had known the young archaeologist for almost fifteen years, and in some respects, he knew better than her own brother did.
"That's exactly why you should talk to her now. I know Adriana too ... she'll insist on telling you everything she remembers. General Hammond, would you like to listen to whatever she has to say?" Janet offered, and the general nodded. Janet looked next at Colonel O'Neill, who nodded. The doctor continued, "Then I'll be back in about five minutes. It depends on how long it takes me to pry her away from Vin."
JD lowered his head, fighting a grin. It seemed that was a common trait with the Wilmington siblings. They both tended to be mother hens. Adriana's form of mother henning was much more subtle than Buck's, but anyone who was paying attention could see that it was mother henning just the same.
"Alright ... the rest of you, get some sleep. We're standing down while Vin recovers, so catch up on your sleep, your paperwork ... JD, you still owe me your last mission report. Ezra, try not to win too much money," Chris told the rest of his team. JD nodded, acknowledging the order, as well as the necessity of standing down. They had been bound for PV2610 to set up camp for a group of scientists, and Vin's skills as guide and tracker would have been needed.
"I'll say a prayer for Brother Vin, and for our little sister Adriana. Captain Travis, did you want to stay here?" Josiah asked, and the captain nodded, worry still present in her green eyes. Sanchez patted the young woman's shoulder, saying, "She's a strong woman, Mary, and even stronger with her friends. Believe in her." Mary Travis responded with a faint smile, but some of the worry had left her eyes.
"Dr. Sanchez, can you remain on the base?" the general asked. The big man nodded. He placed a gentle hand on Chris Larabee's shoulder, then quietly rose to his feet. Ezra Standish followed a few minutes later, his green eyes masked once more. JD, however, knew better than to let that fool him. He had known Ezra for three years, and he knew how deeply the man cared for both their tracker and the floating archaeologist. Adriana had quickly become his surrogate sister, since she had seen through his protective mask with ease.
JD pushed himself to his feet, unready to start on his mission report. They would have at least a few days of down time, while the general figured out what their next mission would be. That, by itself, would depend on what the two colonels and the general learned from Adriana. In the meantime, JD would see if he could arrange a day's furlough, so he could visit his girlfriend Casey. He started to walk away, then saw Buck still seated.
He started to call out to his friend, then saw Nathan shake his head quickly. Buck needed to stay here ... not to be distracted by JD. The cartographer nodded, then slipped away. He would go to the chapel and light a candle for Vin. JD's mother had died the year before JD joined the army, and it was the cartographer's firm belief that his mama was an angel now, watching over him. JD wanted her to watch over Vin as well.
Adriana stared at a point somewhere on the wall opposite her bed. True to her word, Janet had allowed her a few moments with Vin before running more tests on him. And now, the archaeologist was left to wait ... wait to see if Vin would live or die. Wait to face the general, Chris Larabee, and most likely the rest of SG-7. That was not a prospect she greatly anticipated. Why was she more or less intact, while Vin may be dying? A question she couldn't answer.
She heard Janet warning someone not to tire her, and Adriana pulled her eyes away from that unchanging point as Chris Larabee entered with Jack O'Neill and the general. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the anger she knew she would find in the eyes of the three men. Once she felt stronger, she forced herself to meet the eyes of General Hammond first. But she didn't see anger there. Only concern. Confused, Adriana's eyes shifted to Jack O'Neill. He smiled at her and said, "Hey kiddo, it's good to see your eyes open."
She managed a weak smile, and her eyes shifted to meet the gaze of Chris Larabee. Her gut clenched, but there was only worry in his green eyes. No anger. No disappointment. Just worry. He said softly, "You had us worried, little princess." Little princess. He couldn't be angry with her, if he was calling her that. She swallowed hard, then angrily dashed at her eyes, at the tears which threatened to humiliate her. She was twenty-seven years old, goddammit, not a little kid!
"Can you tell us what happened out there, Dr. Wilmington? What happened to the rest of SG-3?" General Hammond asked quietly. She turned her eyes back to him. She could tell he suspected, at the very least, that they knew ... all three knew that SG-3 had been wiped out, except for Vin and Adriana. She swallowed hard once more, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. SG-3. Five individuals. Maybe that's why they were dead? Because they didn't know how to work as a team? If that was true ... well, it didn't matter. Not now.
"They're all dead, sir," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. Jack lowered his head, while General Hammond closed his eyes. Adriana found she couldn't raise her voice ... that would hurt her throat. So she continued in that whisper, "Vin tried to tell the major ... he tried to tell her about the sacred land. He could see it ... I could see it. She wouldn't listen. To either of us. Said we had no basis for saying we were on sacred ground."
Her vision became blurry, and she was vaguely aware of one of the men taking her hand. General Hammond said softly, "Take your time, Doctor. Take all the time you need." Adriana blinked back her tears, and realized that it was Chris who had taken her hand. She squeezed his fingers lightly, drawing one of his rare Larabee smiles. The Larabee glare was infamous in the SGC, but his smile wasn't often seen. Not often enough for Adriana's liking. Or Mary's.
"Vin tried so hard, General, so hard to make the major listen to him. We both did, I don't know what else we could have done to make her understand. And those two troublemakers just kept saying, 'and even if this is sacred ground, who cares.' I thought for sure Vin was going to hit one of them," Adriana said, uncomfortably aware that she was barely coherent.
"At the beginning, little princess," Chris said quietly, "start at the beginning. From the moment you and Vin entered the Gate Room. All right?" Adriana closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek, then she opened her eyes once more, focusing on Chris. The green eyes weren't shielded for once. There was only concern and ... love? Yes. Love. She had been a member for the SGC for two years, and she had forgotten that Chris was her big brother, as well as one of her commanding officers. It was so easy to forget that sometimes.
Adriana was a mission-oriented woman when she was out in the field, whatever the mission happened to be. Adriana focused on what had to be done. It was how she had survived from the time she had left home at seventeen, how she kept herself sane. It was easy to stay mission-oriented, even on this side of the Gate. Maybe too easy? Maybe it was her, not the SGC?
The only time her mind really wandered was when she was sick or hurt, or scared. Like right now. Right now, however, she was receiving a new focus. What had happened to SG-3. And she had received a new point of focus. The chameleon green eyes of her surrogate brother. She repeated, "At the beginning." She cleared her throat, and looked up as Vin was wheeled back into the infirmary. Janet still looked worried, but she also looked determined.
Dear Janet. The doctor had kept her alive in her first months in the SGC, by making sure Adriana didn't burn herself out. And then she looked at Vin, drawing strength from him, even while he was unconscious. If only by seeing him still breathe. She looked back at the two colonels and the general, and began, "I had gotten the call just as I finished my mission report ... "
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I couldn't help myself. Knowing that Eric Close was in an episode of one of the last MacGyver seasons, I couldn't resist ... which is the reason for the running joke between Vin and Jack about Jack knowing Vin from somewhere.
He knew the voice. Even as he drifted through a fog of pain and confusion, he knew that voice. All of the voices. There were four voices that reached through to him, distinct voices. A Texan accent, though different from his own drawl. A more clipped Yankee accent ... though Jack O'Neill would have denied being a 'Yankee.' He was an American, dammit! Vin loved teasing him about it though. And O'Neill teased him in return. All through Vin's first week in the SGC, he had noticed the colonel staring at him rather oddly.
Finally, despite his own nervousness in a strange situation, Vin got up the courage to ask O'Neill why he was looking at him so strangely. O'Neill answered, "Been trying to figure how I know you. I know I've seen you somewhere before. I just can't place you." Vin had denied ever meeting O'Neill, but the colonel was insistent. He had seen Vin somewhere, and he would figure it out eventually. It had become a running joke between the two men. To this day, O'Neill still insisted that he had seen Vin somewhere, before Vin's arrival at the SGC.
A third voice. Chris. Yeah, Vin knew that voice real well. Even with his eyes closed, Vin could see the expressions on his best friend's face, just from the tone of his voice. He was angry, worried, and he was trying to keep his anger from someone. Halfway conscious, Vin could sense his friend's tension. Why? Chris wasn't nearby ... the only person near his bed was Dr. Frasier. He was a tracker, a guide. He knew these things.
He heard the final voice, and things fell into place for him. Adriana. SG-3. That fool major, and those two trouble-makers. The breath-taking flight back to the Gate ... Adriana dialing home ... seeing her fall. The trip through the wormhole. Home safe ... and then blinding pain. And as Adriana Wilmington began to explain the course of events, Vin Tanner began remembering as well ...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I was in college, I had a professor who went to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland to do his graduate work. He received his MA & PhD in three years, and thus, the impetus for Adriana receiving her PhD at the age of twenty-five. She's not brilliant, just a bookworm.
Certain observations about the military (such as Adriana not showing physical affection in the SGC) come from nearly thirty-one years of listening to my parents, both of whom served in the military.
"Chevron seven, locked!"
He had travelled through the wormhole more times than he could count, but Vin Tanner always found himself taking a step back as the fluid burst outward when the coordinates for a new planet had been locked into the system. From the corner of his eye, he could see a diminutive figure doing the same thing. He caught Adriana Wilmington's eye, and she admitted with a rueful grin, "Instinct, I suppose. Even though it's never hit anyone."
Vin just winked at her in response, and received a second smile. He had always been able to make her smile. He murmured, "Well, best get ready to move out. Don't think Major Harris much likes stragglers." This time, Adriana rolled her eyes, indicating her opinion of the major. Vin shared it, but he just murmured, "Reckon it's a good thing that we're back here, not up there." He indicated the line of SG-3 in front of the two civilians.
It wasn't a situation which Vin particularly liked ... if he was a guide, he should be out in front. Major Harris had over-ruled him, telling him that she was military, and he wasn't. The not so subtle message being, 'shut up and follow orders.' The general gave the go-ahead for SG-3 to move out, adding his customary 'good luck.' Vin inclined his head toward the wormhole, indicating for Adriana to go ahead.
She made a face at him, her expression saying all too clearly what she was thinking ... as if she needed him to watch her back here? Ladies first, Drina, he thought. She understood, rolled her eyes again, and strode up onto the ramp behind the SG team. Vin smiled in approval, seeing the brown hiking boots she wore. Good girl. Drina had never been the stiletto-heel kind of girl, but he knew she would be more comfortable in hiking boots than combat boots.
As he stepped up to the ramp which would carry him into the wormhole, the guide's mind returned to Major Harris, one of the newest members of the SGC. Vin's gut told him that she wouldn't last long. In the last three years, Vin had the opportunity to see what kinds of officers would succeed. And he had seen which teams were the most successful overall, including his own SG-7 and SG-1.
While General Hammond was a no-nonsense commanding officer, he was also aware that this was an ... unusual military base. By-the-book didn't always cut it, and he was willing to work with his people, as long as they were willing to work with him. Colonel O'Neill was one of the most obvious examples of this. Vin himself was another. He had worked his ass off in the last three years ... as a result, whenever he asked the general for something, his fellow Texan was more prepared to give leeway. In return, Vin worked even harder. But his primary loyalty was, and always had been, to Chris Larabee and the rest of SG-7.
Major Harris had just arrived at the SGC a few months earlier, and she had already pissed off half the base. Vin had seen her kind before ... it didn't matter if they were male or female, they thought they had all the answers. Sparks always flew when there were more than one strong-willed person in a small area, and Harris had already gotten on the bad side of Captain Travis, Major Carter, and Dr. Frasier. Vin shook his head. Nope, she wouldn't last long at all.
By his reckoning, in about a year, the general would get tired of her attitude, and have her transferred. Maybe to Siberia, to 'help' the scientists with the gate there. Vin smirked. He didn't think that would go over real well with the Russians. Well, he was a guide, not a diplomat. It was his responsibility to get SG-3 safely home. As he reached the gate, Vin turned and nodded to the general. Hammond inclined his head in response. Message received and acknowledged. It was his own personal ritual ... his silent promise to the general to bring them home.
He stepped into the wormhole, dizzied as always by the journey which took him to a new world. Vin could never keep track of all the letters and numbers which comprised the planet's names in the SGC, so he learned the native's term for their world. Which wasn't much better then a series of letters and numbers, since he only really visited the people closest to the gate in these trips. But at least it was a name, and not a number.
When he reached the other side, he saw Adriana to the side of the Gate, leaning against the naquada structure and quietly retching. She wasn't bringing anything up ... she had learned the hard way not to eat much before a journey through the gate. Vin cringed in sympathy. Poor kid. Even after two years, it still did a number on her. And the regular members of SG3 weren't faring much better. He checked on them all before heading over to Adriana, putting a reassuring hand on her back.
"I'm okay, " she answered breathlessly, "shit, you'd think after all this time, I would be used to this!" Vin just patted her shoulder gently. She took a few, deep breaths, then straightened up, still grimacing, and said in a low voice, "Vin, just between you and me, I've got a bad feeling about this. You mind if I stick close?" The guide was on the verge of teasing her, when he saw her eyes. She was dead serious.
Adriana didn't have instincts as Vin did. But she did get very strong feelings from time to time. Vin's instincts guided him, as did his knowledge of nature. As he had wryly observed to Chris once, experience was a powerful teacher. Adriana was guided by the knowledge she had gained through twelve years of primary school, four years of college, and three years of graduate work ... at least until she got one of her powerful feelings. Adriana had never confirmed it, but Vin believed she had received one of those feelings on the night they rescued General Travis. To this day, she couldn't explain why she had followed JD.
Vin and Chris were less than a minute behind her. She could have waited that time, easily. But she had followed JD, muttering something about making sure the fool kid didn't get himself killed. She had been questioned about it later, but Adriana denied ever making the statement. Vin believed she didn't remember making the statement ... didn't even remember why she had followed JD.
There had been other times. She had saved Vin's life once. He had been on leave from the SGC, and ran into trouble. Chris hadn't been particularly worried, since Vin had been known to lose track of time. But Adriana had been. Captain Travis told him later that her closest friend had been nearly frantic. Finally, the archaeologist had gone to General Hammond, armed only with her hunch. Hammond had responded by sending Colonel O'Neill with her to find Vin.
O'Neill and Adriana had found Vin in a Denver alley, barely conscious from a beating. Vin acknowledged that they probably wouldn't have found him if the young girl he had been defending hadn't found them ... and if Colonel O'Neill didn't know the girl, Ally. But they would have never been in that city, if Adriana didn't have her feelings. She wasn't psychic, she didn't know what was going to happen. She just ... knew things.
So, when Adriana murmured that she had a bad feeling, Vin's own hackles rose in response. He said in an equally low voice, "You sure it ain't because Major Harris is ... ?" She immediately shook her head, though Vin knew the two women didn't get along. Major Harris had protested when General Hammond assigned Adriana to SG3 for this mission, saying she didn't want some 'child prodigy' on her team while Dr. Kastner was away.
And Vin didn't think that was the case, but he had to ask. The guide answered, "Then you stick by me, girl. If you got a feeling that things might go to hell, they probably will." Adriana responded by slipping her hand into his. That gesture told Vin what words could not. She was not a physically demonstrative person, not in the SGC. Considered it unprofessional behavior. She was a civilian, but she tried to fit into the military structure as best as she could. Sure, she hugged distraught members of various teams when they had lost a friend in the line of duty, but that was a comforting gesture.
Vin returned the pressure, guiding her away from the Stargate. His eyes scanned the horizon as they walked. According to the probe which had been sent to the planet, smoke from a settlement had been spotted in a northeastern direction, or what was northeastern on earth. The probe had arrived as the sun was high in the sky, but the shadows had indicated to Vin that it wasn't quite noon. And the smoke had been spotted as the probe turned to the left.
"We're setting up camp here ... there's only a few hours of light yet," the major said in a tone of voice which told Vin there would be no arguing with her. Vin didn't like it. It would be too easy to ambush them here, near the Gate. The Gou'ald had learned in the course of their four year war with the SGC that when the Ta're, as they were called, came through the Gate, they could expect trouble.
He had tried to explain that to the major before they left, but she had never been ambushed on any of her missions, and therefore, it didn't happen. Vin rarely let down his guard around General Hammond, but he had found it necessary to ask the general's help in dealing with Major Harris. The general had understood, but told Vin, "Until she's ambushed at the gate, without proper cover, Vin, she won't accept that it's dangerous. I've talked to her about it as well, reprimanded her formally and informally, and she keeps doing it. The only thing left is experience. You do what you have to. You usually scout around while a team is setting up camp, don't you?"
Vin had nodded and the general had continued, "Then that's what you do. I know she's not easy to work with, son. Believe me, I've had more than a few complaints. The unfortunate thing is, Marilu Harris has the potential to be a fine commanding officer. But her world has been defined by offices ... she's a pencil pusher. And if she was anyone else's granddaughter, I would have shipped her out as soon as she arrived. But we're talking about the granddaughter of the Secretary of State, and the president made it clear that he wanted her here, leading an SG team."
"I understand, sir," Vin had replied. And he did. Hell, politics was politics. And the president was still the commander in chief, he was still the general's boss. He just hated the idea that someone might get hurt because this woman couldn't listen. He wasn't altogether convinced that he had done all he could to make her understand the danger they faced ... maybe there was something more he could say or do to show her ...
As if reading Vin's mind, the general had said, "One more thing, Vin. If one of the major's decisions results in harm to SG-3, a decision she made against your advice, it's not your responsibility, son. I want you to understand that. You are not responsible for her decisions. You can give her your opinion, you can say what you think, but she's in command of SG-3. It is her responsibility, if her actions harm to the rest of her team."
Vin had nodded his understanding, but he hadn't given up on getting through to the major. He didn't like her, true enough ... thought she was arrogant. Ezra had gone so far as to call her a 'condescending virago.' Which, Adriana had observed quietly, was just another way of calling her an arrogant bitch who was full of herself. Something Vin had already known, but he hadn't been sure if she was talking to herself or to him. However ... the major was a rational person. Sooner or later, she would have to see reason ... wouldn't she? Well, Vin had to at least try.
It was with that conversation in mind that he began orienting himself. The sun was again high, but it was past noon. He gauged the fall of his shadow, and guessed it was around one or two pm. He wasn't entirely sure about how the seasons worked on this planet, but it seemed likely that they had at least three hours of daylight left. It would take SG-3 at least that time to set up camp, so that left him plenty of time to scout around, see what he could find.
Adriana fell into step beside him as he headed in the direction of the smoke. Vin cast a glance sideways at his friend, studying her face for several moments. She was worried. Adriana had arrived in the briefing room before he had, since she was already on base. Vin had been called in early, since Chanu, the other tracker/guide, was still on his retreat with his wife Claire and their son. There had been some sort of a crisis with Claire's father, who was not about his daughter marrying a Native American, and Chanu had remained in New Mexico to support Claire.
He was on the point of asking her what she had heard while they were waiting for him, when the major called out, sounding more than a little annoyed, "What are you doing, Mr. Tanner?" Vin stopped where he was and considered what to say. He had been raised to show respect to women ... but he had an obligation to fulfill. While his primary loyalty was to Chris Larabee and SG-7, Vin was also loyal to General Hammond. He had promised the general that he would return SG-3 home safely. As the guide, scouting was his responsibility.
WARNING: In this section, there's implications to past child abuse/molestation. Nothing graphic, but I figure, better safe than sorry.
The question was, how to couch that in respectful terms, especially since the major was really starting to try his patience. He didn't much care whether or not she liked his attitude, but he did need to be free to do his job. And they had discussed this during the briefing. She had known he would leave to scout as soon as they set up camp. At last, Vin turned to face the woman and replied quietly, "I'm doin' my job, Major. 'Fore we left, I promised General Hammond that I would get y'all back, safe and sound. I aim to do just that. I'm takin' a look around, gettin' the lay of the land."
"That's what my team is here for, Mr. Tanner," Major Harris replied. Vin didn't look away, focusing only on the woman. He remained aware of everything else, including Adriana, who had taken a step closer to him. Vin knew it wasn't her looking for protection, but his long-time friend was looking to protect him. She wouldn't interfere ... it would take every ounce of self control she possessed not to interfere, but she would do it.
At least, the guide amended silently, until things get outta hand, then all bets are off. Vin had known Adriana long enough to know her definition of 'out of hand.' It didn't quite match his own, but as a general rule, she was willing to trust him to take care of himself until the balance changed, and someone else got involved.
"Major, with all due respect," a new voice said quietly, "Mr. Tanner is our guide. General Hammond sent him to do a job. It only seems reasonable to me that you let him do his job. I've worked with him before, ma'am. I trust him with my life ... no. No, I don't trust him with my life, I trust him with my very soul. And I trust him with the soul of my little girl." Both Vin and Adriana looked at the speaker.
Dr. Tyler Costas was a few years older than the guide and the archaeologist, no more than twenty-nine or thirty years old. His wife had died the previous year, leaving the botanist to raise their small daughter on his own. The little girl, Soraya, meant the world to him ... there wasn't a member of the SGC who didn't know about his fierce devotion to the little girl. For him to be willing to entrust his child's very soul to Tanner was a compliment of the highest order.
Apparently, even though this incarnation of SG3 had only been together for three months, his teammates understood that. Major Harris looked from Costas to Tanner, then to Adriana, who still flanked Vin protectively. She said, "All right. Dr. Costas, you're planning on taking more samples for Dr. Frasier?" The man nodded. While the probe had taken soil samples for testing, Janet had requested the botanist bring back further samples for testing purposes. The major continued, "Fine. We'll be setting up camp. If you're not back by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning, Tanner, we leave without you." Vin sensed Adriana stiffen, but she remained silent. Easy, girl, he thought, don't need ya goin' off half-cocked.
"You do that," he replied agreeably, then set out in the direction of the smoke. Adriana remained at his side, her petite body trembling with silent rage. She needed to get away, he knew her well enough to know that. But he wanted to provide her with an out. Vin said softly, "You don't gotta come with me, Adriana, they're stayin' put, at least for the moment. I know, you gotta get away, but you can go with Tyler."
Before Adriana could reply, Major Harris asked, "Where are you going, Dr. Wilmington? You don't need to go with Mr. Tanner, that's not your job. Stay here, while my team sets up the perimenter and patrols the area." Aw hell, Vin thought with an inward sigh, now why didja have to go and say that, Major? Don't you know yet, tryin' to tell Adriana how to do her job is a real good way to piss her off?
"On the contrary, Major Harris," Adriana replied in an icy voice, "going with Mr. Tanner to locate this possible settlement is part of my job. I've found in the course of my career that often, there are ruins near a newer settlement, ruins of an older civilization, or just a previous settlement of the planet's inhabitants. If I investigate those ruins, I have questions I can ask the current settlers." The major's mouth opened and closed.
"Besides," Tyler Costas chimed in, a wicked gleam appearing in his dark eyes, "you don't need some child prodigy around, pestering your men, do you?" The major's face turned bright red and the botanist did a neat about-face, chuckling under his breath. Right, Vin thought, now's a good time for me and Adriana to hightail it. Vin was no coward, but he had no desire to be around that woman when she lost her temper.
"We'll be back by sunset, Major Harris. That's only a few hours away, all I need," Vin told the major, then headed northeast, in the direction of the smoke. He was vaguely aware of Adriana quietly swearing beside him, and bit his lip to keep from laughing. Even though it was funny 's hell when she got this mad. He knew better than to laugh at her when she was so angry. Once the venom had been exhausted, Vin said softly, "You okay?" Adriana responded with a sidelong look of her own, then a rueful grin appeared.
"Sorry," she said softly in answer, "I gotta control that need of mine to jump in and protect you, even when you don't need protecting. I'm all right. She was just ... agh! Vin, if I ever get like that, have Mary or Janet or Sam bitch slap me into next week. She's gonna get someone killed! Hell, I don't know the first thing about anything other than history and digs, but even I know that in a strange environment, you don't camp without cover of some kind, and the Stargate does not count!"
"You know a lot more than you think, girl," Vin disagreed, "I seem to recollect you carryin' your weight when I was guidin' your group back in Texas." Adriana shrugged, and Vin continued, "And the general's right, she's got promise. She could be as good as Chris or Jack one of these days." He was greeted with a disbelieving look, forcing the guide to amend, "All right, if she had started at the SGC when she was JD's age, she coulda been that good."
Not unexpectedly, Adriana's face closed up at the mention of the cartographer. Drina didn't exactly hold grudges, but she kept her distance from both her elder brother and JD, unless her work required her to do otherwise. She wasn't really angry, but she ... just didn't want nothin' to do with either of 'em. Vin wasn't happy about it ... had tried to talk to his long-time friend about the continuing rift with her elder brother, but Adriana refused to discuss it.
"Comparing that ... that ... that harpy to Private First Class Dunne is an unbelievable insult to someone whom you call a friend. Even if she had been here when she was that young, I have a hard time believing she could be anything other than an obnoxious bitch. Vin, I've known women like that my entire life. Women and men, because it's got nothing to do with gender. They don't listen. I worked with someone like her, when I was putting myself through college. She may have booksmarts, but the woman doesn't have a lick of common sense. I don't have much common sense, but I do have some. She has none," Adriana answered in a heated voice.
Now that did surprise Vin. Not her blatant dislike for the major, but her back-handed defense of JD. He supposed he wasn't being entirely fair to her. Adriana might not like JD, but she was a fair-minded woman ... she tried not to allow her likes and dislikes to enter into her professional opinion of people. He had asked her about that once, and she had answered, "He learned from his mistakes, yes?" When Vin agreed, Drina had shrugged and added, "Nuff said."
The two friends were quiet for a long time as they walked, then Adriana said quietly, "You know, I can handle abrasive. I love Mary like a sister, she's my best friend, but she can be abrasive at times, usually when she's trying to protect someone she loves against a possible enemy, or when she thinks she has something to prove. Sam is the same way, I understand. She doesn't have anything to prove any more, so she's relaxed. But that woman isn't abrasive, she's obnoxious. Mary and Sam are willing to listen and learn. She's not."
Vin said nothing, and Adriana sighed, "Of course, I know that Mary believes I hold a grudge entirely too long, and I should let Bucklin back into my life." Again, Vin remained silent and Adriana admitted, "I want to. I just don't know if I've got the courage or the strength to risk myself again. I'm a coward, Vin. I told you that from the beginning." Vin shook his head with a sigh of his own, even as he continued to scan the area with his sight and hearing.
"You ain't a coward, Adriana Wilmington. I reckon this ain't the first time you feel like Buck has let you down," Vin answered at last. Adriana looked at him quickly, her startled expression telling him that he was right, and Vin went on, "It was never nothin' you said. It was what you didn't say. You were hurt, when Bucklin kept puttin' JD first for all those months, but you weren't real surprised. You know he loves you, don't you?"
"I know," Adriana admitted, "I know that. Vin, no matter what you think of me, of my relationship with Buck, I do know that my brother loves me. And I love him. God, it wouldn't have hurt so much, if I didn't love him so much. I just can't figure out what I did wrong when we were kids, Vin. What did I do so wrong, that he doesn't want me around? He didn't want me around after my mother died. Did he blame me because our father never married his mother, and he did mine?" Her voice was on the verge of breaking, and Vin cursed himself.
Hell. All this time, he had thought she was still angry with Buck and JD, but the truth was, she blamed herself. He took a quick look around, and finding an area a few yards away where he could keep an eye out, led her over to it. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, even as she blinked them back determinedly. But she had been keeping this inside for a year and a half, and the dam had burst.
Adriana internalized things, Ezra had said once. She kept things inside, rather than ranting. Ranting drew attention to oneself, and he had the impression from her that she preferred not to draw attention to herself. Vin knew very little about her childhood and teen years, only that she had left home when she was seventeen, as soon as she finished high school. The fact that she said so little told him what her home life had been like. There were times when silence said far more than any words ever could.
She had known when she started talking about this, her insecurity and fear would be revealed. Even among people she felt she could trust, Adriana found it hard to let herself be vulnerable. In this respect, she was a great deal like Vin. With that flash of insight, Vin also understood her immediate bond with Ezra. He kept a supportive, protective arm around her shoulders while she composed herself. This wasn't the time or the place for a heart-to-heart talk, but Vin wanted her to know he would be there for her.
Once she could look at him without her lips trembling, Vin said quietly, "We can't talk about this right now, girl. But we will later. And until then, you gotta know this. This ain't your fault. None of it. Buck don't just love you because you're his sister ... he loves you 'cause you're you. Same reason Chris does. Now Bucklin, he's just lost sight that you need him. He ain't stupid, but he don't realize that you still need him. But he will. I promise, Drina."
Adriana nodded. Vin had figured out, from what was said and what wasn't said, what had happened to his friend after Buck left when she was eleven. He had figured it out from the way she reacted sometimes to an unexpected touch. And he said softly, "And ... I reckon Bucklin don't know what your pa done to you." Adriana's head jerked up at that, and Vin added, "I'm a tracker, Drina. I read people, like I read trails, like you read books." Which wasn't a pretty way of putting it, but it got the message across.
"You ... " she whispered, licked her lips, then continued, "You don't think less of me? You don't think ... " Her voice broke, but she forced herself to continue, "You don't think I deserved it?" With that whispered question, her composure shattered once more, and broke Vin's heart at the same time. There was no way she deserved what had been done to her. No one deserved that. A pa was supposed to protect his little girl ... not hurt her like that.
Vin had never been particularly good with words in such situations. He had a hard time, speaking his heart. But Adriana had learned to read him, just as he had learned to read her. And a faint smile touched her lips as she read the negative response in his eyes. Vin wished he could find the words to tell her, outright, that it wasn't her fault. That there was nothing she could have done to protect herself. That she shouldn't have found it necessary to protect herself, although now he was positive why she had taken her self-defense lessons with Teal'c so seriously.
But she had one last question, and one that would again break his heart. She whispered, "Vin ... you figured it out. I think Ezra has, too, although we've never talked about it. And it wouldn't surprise me either, if Josiah had figured it out. But ... . Buck doesn't know, does he?" Vin shook his head ... no, he didn't think so. Adriana continued in that low voice, "Why not? Big brothers are supposed to know."
Vin didn't have an answer for her. He just knew that if Buck had realized, there was no way Adriana would have remained in that house. Once more, words failed him, and he put his arm around her shoulders, giving a brief, fierce one-armed hug. After a few moments, she got herself under control once more and murmured, "Sorry. I put us behind. I just ... " Vin hushed her by gently kissing the side of her head.
"No need to apologize, Miss Drina," he replied, returning to the nickname he had used when their friendship had first began. It made her smile, as it was intended to, and Vin continued, returning his attention to the business at hand, "Still, I reckon we should get going. We have about two and half hours of daylight left, and we got some ground to cover. You ready to go?" Even as he was speaking, he was rising to his feet.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had actually decided, long before I read anyone else's stories, that in all of my universes, OW and otherwise, Vin's real name was Kevin, not Vincent. Somewhat to my chagrin, I discovered as I read through some fics, I wasn't the only one with that idea. Still, even though I didn't borrow the idea from anyone else, I figured it would be best to say that out right.
Chris may be a leetle out of character in this section. My take on him is, you mess with one of his, and God help you ... but he can be very sweet and gentle. It's all a matter of perspective, and my feeling was this would be how he reacted under these circumstances.
All the time he had been talking and listening to Adriana, Vin's eyes had kept sweeping the area. And he had seen over the top of Adriana's dark brown curls as he kissed the side of her head, smoke. White smoke, the kind which came from camp fires. And since he could see the smoke, which wasn't that far away, and not the fire, it seemed a reasonable reckoning that it wasn't a village burning.
His eyes shifted back to Adriana, who remained seated for the moment. She responded with a weak smile and took his offered hand, answering, "Reckon I am." He scowled at her, though there was no heat in the expression, and she added, "And would you quit callin' me 'girl,' already? I'm twenty-seven years old, only three months younger than you are! Keep it up and I'll call you 'Kevin' in front of Jack." Now his scowl was more serious, but her spirit was rebounding, and she just laughed. She was laughing at him. But that was fine, because he would have rather had her laughing at him than crying. Vin didn't take him too seriously, he could handle people having a joke at his expense. Hell, he laughed as hard as the rest!
"Don't go there!" Vin retorted. Adriana laughed as he pulled her to her feet, and Vin kept a companionable arm around her shoulders as they headed in the direction of the smoke. Still, despite his annoyance at her threat, of revealing his real name to Jack O'Neill (and God only knew what Jack would do when he found that out), he was glad to have the old Adriana back. It scared the hell out of him when her barriers dropped.
At this point in the narrative, Adriana was forced to stop as she related her conversation with Vin. Chris Larabee could see that she had no choice. His heart was screaming. He had loved this girl from the time he met her, when she was only thirteen years old. Why hadn't he seen it himself? Why had it taken him nearly fifteen years, what had taken Ezra and Vin so little time to discover?
A quick look to his right told Chris that Jack O'Neill was struggling to deal with this revelation as well. They had both lost their children ... that someone would deliberately ... God. Chris wanted to be sick. But he had a duty to listen to the rest of the story, as sick as it might make him. He owed it to Adriana, he owed to Vin. Even without hearing the rest of the story, he could tell how it ended. As soon as Adriana had related what she had heard in the briefing room before Vin's arrival, and the exchange at the Gate, Chris had seen it.
But Adriana needed to tell this story, if she was to heal. General Hammond needed to hear this story. But Chris Larabee swore to himself once he had the opportunity, he would ... Hell. Do something. Anything to get rid of this unholy rage. In the six years since Sarah and Adam's deaths, he had finally released the desire for revenge, the need to strike out. But now, that black, blind rage was back.
Adriana was still struggling to regain her composure. Chris squeezed her hand and said softly, "Vin was right, little princess. It ain't your fault. So you take as much time as you need." He observed Janet Frasier heading in their direction, and realized immediately that they wouldn't hear the rest of the story tonight. A glance at his two companions told him that they had come to the same conclusion.
The tear streaks on Janet Frasier's pretty face also told him that she had heard at least part of Adriana's narrative. However, her voice was steady as she said, "I think that's enough for tonight, gentlemen. Adriana needs to get some sleep. Vin is stable. I didn't give him a sedative, though I wanted to ... I'm still evaluating the test results, and until I find something familiar, I don't want to give himself that might cause his condition to deteriorate. I never thought I would say this, but for the moment, it would be best for Vin if he remained unconscious."
Chris nodded, understanding at once. He didn't want to. He wanted to hear the rest of the story, now. He wanted Vin to wake up, now. But there was very little in this situation he could control, and it was making him crazy. Janet continued, "You have five minutes. I know you want to say good-night to both Adriana and Vin. Adriana, after they leave, I'm going to give you another pain-killer. The earlier medication has probably worn off."
Chris could tell from Adriana's sudden, pained expression that the doctor was right. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, whispering, "I need to say good night to Vin, little princess, but I'll be right back. Okay?" She nodded, once more blinking back tears, and Chris gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then rose to his feet. He went to Vin's bedside, pointedly ignoring the whispers as Jack and Hammond talked with Adriana.
He knelt beside his best friend and said softly, "Hey cowboy. Hope you can hear me. Adriana's okay. You got her back, safe and sound. You did good out there, Vin. Adriana's only told us part of the story, but I can figure out the rest. So you don't worry about a thing. You just concentrate on healing, understood? That ain't a suggestion, Tanner, that's an order. You've done your part ... we'll take care of the rest."
He gave Vin's wrist a gentle squeeze, then turned back to Adriana. Jack was bending down, whispering something to her that made her laugh. O'Neill grinned smugly, then kissed her cheek. Chris noticed Adriana's surprise. Hammond said with a laugh, "I can look the other way when need be. This is an extraordinary circumstance, Adriana. And we're not out in public. Jack wants to kiss your cheek, and you're not opposed, that's fine."
Adriana giggled at that, and Jack added with that grin firmly in place, "Besides, it's not like I'm kissing your other cheek." It took the young archaeologist a few minutes to figure out what he meant, then she groaned aloud. Chris glanced over at Janet, who had covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Crude, but it had eased the tension in the room. As much as Chris wanted revenge, he knew he had to wait.
"Get some sleep, Dr. Wilmington," General Hammond said softly, "we'll continue this in the morning. That's an order." Adriana responded with a tired, lopsided grin, then closed her eyes. The general and the older colonel left the room. Chris went to Adriana's side and her eyes opened once more. The pair looked at each other for several moments. Rarely was Adriana's guard down. In fact, Chris thought this was the first time her protective mask had dropped since her arrival at the SGC. That was a frightening thought. He had always considered Adriana an open person ... now he found out that she had her own secrets.
"Do you want me to tell Buck?" he asked finally. He knew it was his story to tell. Under normal circumstances, he would have had her tell her brother about what happened when she was a child, and he was away at the Air Force Academy. It wasn't his story to tell, it wasn't his business. But ... these weren't normal circumstances. Adriana was shaky at the moment. And if she had to tell Buck about this, as well as deal with what had happen on that planet at the same time ... No. In a way, Chris had failed his 'little sister' by not realizing sooner what was going on. He couldn't protect her from her father. He would protect her this way.
"You don't do that, Chris. You got so mad at Buck for telling Mary about Sarah and Adam," Adriana pointed out. Damn the girl. Chris struggled to find a way to explain his guilt in this matter, but Adriana said softly, "You have no idea how much I want to say yes, Chris. I don't know if I can take ... Buck's gonna be so mad." She cringed, muttering, "Dammit. Now I'm whining. I'm sorry, Chris."
"Don't be, little princess. And you're right, Buck is gonna be mad. But he's not gonna be mad at you. That's why I'm offering now. I know you're feeling ... well, not like yourself. Adriana, I wasn't there to protect you when you needed me. You let me handle Buck, and you get some sleep. Okay? Let me do this for you?" Chris asked. Adriana stared at him for several moments, then bobbed her head in agreement.
Chris smiled, more relieved than he really wanted to admit ... and worried at the same time. How in the hell was he supposed to tell Buck? Adriana hadn't specified what happened, hadn't told them in graphic detail, but that was beside the point. Their father had shattered her trust, had betrayed her. And like Chris, Buck Wilmington did not handle betrayal very well. It was bad enough that his father had abandoned his mother, and married another woman. It was bad enough that Buck's mother had become a prostitute to support her son. But for Buck to find out that his father had ... God!
But he would deal with that in a few minutes. He needed to talk to the general yet, and, he had to finish his conversation with Adriana. Telling himself that he was getting soft in his old age, Chris wrapped the young woman in a fierce embrace. She returned the hug with more strength than Chris had thought she had, and whispered, "I love you, Chris." The statement caught him off-guard, but he didn't allow the embrace to slacken.
Instead, he tightened his arms around her, answering, "Love you, too, little princess. Now go to sleep." He felt her giggle, and kissed the top of her head. When he released her, she scooted down in the bed, allowing him to tuck her in. Chris rose to his feet, his eyes meeting Janet's. Her brown eyes were filled with sorrow and rage. He silently asked her to look after Adriana, and she just as silently agreed.
The women called themself the Four Corners, the Snoop Sisters. The latter nickname was easier to understand than the former. Mary had tried more than once to explain the 'Four Corners' nickname, but had only been able to say 'you had to be there to understand, Chris. Remind me, the next time we're all together at the Saloon, to have the four of us explain it, together. It'll make a lot more sense.' Mary. God, did she know about this? Not likely, not if Janet, Adriana's own doctor, didn't know.
With one last look at his little sister and his best friend, Chris Larabee left the infirmary. When Vin awakened, Chris knew it would be necessary for him to have one helluva conversation with him. Vin would blame himself for SG-3's fate, and that was a conversation which both Chris and General Hammond needed to have with him. For now, however, he was grateful just that Vin Tanner was in his life. One day, he would tell Vin that, in words. Chris sighed. Words. He needed to talk to Buck. Now. The conversation with Hammond and O'Neill would wait.
As he left the infirmary, Chris located a nearby phone. He punched in the number for Buck's quarters. His old friend answered on the first ring, and Chris said, "Buck, no questions asked, stay where you are. We need to talk. It's about Adriana. No, no. She's fine. Physically. I'll tell you when you get there. No. No, I want us to talk privately first. It's up to Adriana if she wants the others to know. Yes. I'll tell you when I get there. Five minutes. Bye."