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.
"You knew?" Buck Wilmington asked quietly once he sat down beside Vin Tanner. The Texan nodded quietly, and Buck asked in a low voice, "Dammit, Vin, why the hell didn't you tell me! She's my baby sister, how can I protect her if I don't know what's goin' on with her?"
"Weren't my place to tell you 'bout your own kin, Bucklin," Vin answered flatly, "and 'specially not when you weren't listenin' to Chris, neither. You don't listen to Chris, ain't no way you were gonna listen to me." Buck hung his head. Shit. The kid was right, dammit. But Buck had been so sure he knew his little sister. Of course, that was what had gotten him into trouble in the first place. Thinking he knew something ... and he knew nothing.
Always so sure that Adriana would always be there, that there would always be a tomorrow ... that JD needed him so much more than Adriana did. She was strong, she would land on her feet. She had other friends, she wasn't bothered by the time he spent with JD. Bull. Buck finally said softly, "I thought she didn't need me any more, Vin. She was twenty-five years old when she got here. All grown up, with her PhD in archaeology."
Vin looked at him like he had just grown two heads, and retorted, "You thought she didn't need you? Bucklin, are you outta your gourd???" Buck glared at the bedridden guide, who continued heatedly, "I grew up without a ma or a pa. Without any real kin, and bein' handed around ain't a family. You have a family, and she ain't never stopped needin' you! She needed you when she was in college ... oh, she handled herself right fine, once she realized it was okay to be herself, and not your pa's idea of what she was supposed to be!"
"She had you, didn't she? Just like Chris has you," Buck shot back. A muscle twitched in Vin's jaw, telling Buck that he had hit a nerve. The major hung his head, sighing, "Dammit, Vin, I'm sorry. I didn't even mean that. But she had you ... she still has you. How was I supposed to know she still needed me? She never told me! Never said that she wanted to spend more time with me!" The slight hurt in Vin's bright eyes gave way to irritation.
"I ain't her big brother, Bucklin, that's you!" the Texan growled. He shook his head, and said, "And she ain't never said nothin,' because she didn't want you to think she was bein' selfish. She was tryin' to respect what she thought you wanted. She thought you didn't want her 'round, that she wasn't good 'nough for you to spend time with. That hurt her, Bucklin. She thought you only loved her 'cause she was your sister and you was supposed to."
Tanner's voice was very low, but he could have been shouting at the top of his lungs. His bright blue eyes were burning holes into Buck's very soul. It had been hard enough, hearing from Chris that his little sister had been victimized by the very man sworn to protect her. But this ... This was another kind of hell. How he had failed his little sister so completely? Vin continued, his voice still very low, "Buck, these last eighteen months, when she wouldn't talk to you? It weren't 'cause she was mad at you, or even at JD. She was mad at herself."
Come again? Vin explained patiently, "She was mad at herself. And she was hurtin' somethin' fierce, so she hid away inside. Like she always done when she was hurtin.' I hurt her once, in Texas. I got mad at her for keepin' a promise. And she didn't talk to me, not 'til she stopped hurtin' enough to 'pologize. I was mad, 'cause I thought she didn't trust me. She made the promise 'fore she met me, so it weren't 'bout me at all. It was about her friend's trust in her. She couldn't break that trust, not until she had to. All she asked of me, was that I trust her. She didn't let me down. I let her down."
"I need to talk to my sister," Buck said numbly, barely hearing the last sentence. A thousand images, a thousand words, chased each other inside his head. He saw Adriana at her mother's funeral, the year after he had moved in with them. A small statue at their father's side, no tears streaking her pale, shocked face. He saw her when she had joined the SGC, caught in Vin Tanner's fierce embrace.
He saw her burst through the door behind Chris, once the echo of Vin's rifle had died away and Ella Gaines could no longer hurt anyone. He saw the hurt on her face, now, when his attention had been occupied with reassuring JD. He had pushed her aside then, as well. And so she had turned her attention back to comforting Mary and taking care of Vin. Just like she did so many times since then, though the comforting and caring was bestowed on a variety of people.
And then he saw her as she had been the previous morning when he had exploded into the Gate Room with the others, except JD. He saw her, cradled in the arms of Colonel Jack O'Neill as the leader of SG-1 put her on a gurney for transport to the infirmary. He looked up at Vin and repeated, "I need to talk to my sister. I need to make things right with her. What do I say to her, Vin? How do I make her understand how much I love her?"
Vin smiled faintly and replied, "You know how, Buck. You've always known." Buck nodded with a sigh. He looked over his shoulder as Chris rose to his feet. His oldest friend bent over and lightly kissed the top of Adriana's dark brown head, then kissed her hand. It never failed to amaze Buck, when he thought about it. Chris Larabee could be the meanest sonuvabitch on the planet. But he remained fiercely protective of his own. And Adriana was one of his.
"Vin ... thank you. For taking care of my sister in Texas. Whatever happened between the two of you ... you were both just kids. And you got through it," Buck said quietly. Vin responded with another smile ... the closed mouth grin which was as good as laughter from the easy-going young man. Buck added, needing to say the words aloud, "I'm glad she had you. I'm glad WE have you. All of us."
Vin grew solemn as he replied, "Twere my honor, Bucklin." Buck smiled, then laughed as the Texan yawned. Tanner made a shooing motion with his hand, then settled back against the pillows which Larabee had helped to arrange. Buck watched for a few more minutes, while Vin gave up his battle with sleep, and the blue eyes slid closed. Sleep well, kid, he thought, you've earned it. Now it's time I earned something else.
The moment of truth had arrived.
Chris rose, kissed first the top of her head, then her hand. He winked, mouthed, 'Love you, little princess,' then stole quietly from the room. He didn't tell her what had been said between him and Vin, and Adriana didn't ask. She didn't interfere in Vin's fights or friendships. Chris, and the other two, would be back in about two hours, so Adriana could finally finish telling this awful story. Maybe then the spirits of SG-3 would rest in peace.
Her eyes followed Chris from the room. He took her courage with him. Adriana tried to look her elder brother in the eye and found she couldn't do that. Janet, seeming to have developed psychic abilities, eased Vin's bed away from the brother and sister. A quick look around her brother told Adriana that Vin seemed to be asleep. 'Seemed' was the operative. One bright blue eye opened, winked at her, then closed again.
Buck settled his body on the bed beside her and asked very softly, "Look at me, Drina?" That did bring her attention to her brother's face. He was struggling to say something else, his eyes filled with pain and guilt and grief and anger. Buck asked hoarsely, "Why? Why didn't you ever tell me?" Around Buck, Adriana could see Janet checking Vin's bandages, making sure the wound wasn't infected. Vin grimaced, his eyes opening.
"How? And when? When was I gonna tell you? In my letters to you, while you were at the Academy? I thought you knew, Buck! Remember, after the coroner took Mama's body, you came back to the house. You picked me up, and I asked you how you knew that Mama was dead, that I needed you. You told me that a big brother always knows when his little sister needs him. That you would always know. I was eight years old, Buck. I believed you! I didn't know one of the neighbors had called you! I thought you knew ... I thought. . ." Adriana began.
Her voice cracked and she looked away from her brother. Her eyes met Janet's first, and the compassion in the brown eyes took her breath away. She looked next at Vin. There was moisture in the bright eyes. It never failed to amaze her. He looked so rough and rugged on the outside, but he had such a soft heart. Josiah had told her once, when she finally felt comfortable enough with him, that he had seen tears in Vin's eyes when Josiah told the guide about Josiah's sister Hannah. That didn't surprise her. And it did surprise her.
Now, the moisture in his eyes ironically gave her strength. She looked back at Buck and continued hoarsely, "I thought you didn't want me with you. I thought you knew, and thought I deserved what he was doing to me. Why not, I thought I deserved it. I thought I had done something wrong. It wasn't until I got to college, that I met Vin and Chanu and Claire, that I found out that I didn't do anything wrong. The only thing I did wrong was ... "
"You did nothing wrong, DeeDee!" Buck whispered. His eyes were intent on her, and the nickname took her breath away. She hadn't heard that in years. The story went, she hadn't been able to say 'Adriana' when she was a child, and 'Dee' was the best she could do. Buck cupped her face in his hands and repeated, "You did nothing wrong. He took your trust, and he betrayed it. Your mama never acted like she loved you, and he used that. You were a little girl, barely more than a baby when your mother died. All you wanted was someone to love you. Your mama had problems, your father was a bastard, and your brother was a fool."
Adriana started to speak, but Buck silenced her, saying, "I ... am ... so sorry. That I wasn't there for you. That I pushed you away when you got here, that I've never told you how proud I am of you. You thought I knew about what he did to you ... and I thought you knew how much I love you. How proud I am of you ... how proud I've always been of you. And I didn't realize that you still needed me."
"It's not just you, Buck," Adriana said thickly, "I should have found a way. But I'm a coward, Buck, I always have been. I let our father ... do that to me for years. Until I finally left home when I was seventeen. I lied about my age, said I was eighteen, to avoid attention. I didn't want some well-meaning moron taking me back home. I don't ever want to see him again, Buck. I know I'm letting him win, but ... "
"Hey! You ain't allowed to talk that way about my baby sister, you hear me? You ain't a coward, Adriana Kathleen. You understand? You survived, you made it out. You didn't let him destroy you. You didn't use it as an excuse to hurt somebody else. And if you're not ready to confront him now, fine. That don't mean there won't come a time when you are. When you are. . .when you are ready ... you'll have all seven of us standing beside you. Got it?" Buck asked. Adriana nodded, blinking back tears.
Buck continued, in a much gentler voice, "Now. I don't love you, because you're my sister. I mean, that's not the reason I love you. I love you because you are brave, and kind, and funny and generous. I love you because of the way you take care of the people around you. I love you for the way you comforted Mary after she had to kill Ella. You wanted to see to Vin, but Chris was taking care of him. You wanted to see to me, but JD was there. So you took care of Mary, and you did a good job."
"She's my friend. She would have done the same for me," Adriana said simply. Then she thought of her conversation with Mary the previous night, and amended, "She has done the same for me. That's what a friend does. Something Vin taught me." Buck cast a look over his shoulder at the marksman and guide, whose eyes had closed when Adriana mentioned his name. The archaeologist saw the affection in her brother's smile.
"Vin's real good at that. He's pretty quiet, but he won't hesitate to let you know when you're being stupid. He ever do that with you? Nope, he hasn't had to," Buck replied. Adriana blushed. Oh, she didn't know about that. They had had some huge arguments in the years of their friendship, before the contract had been put out on him. Buck continued, "Now, let's see. Where was I? Oh yeah. The reasons I love you."
"You don't have to do that, Buck, I understand now. And I'm sorry for the way I've acted the last eighteen months. I know I've been a bitch. I just ... it hurt. And it's always been easiest for me to deal with something on the inside, before I can do anything else. I thought you were just apologizing because Chris made you ... that you ... that JD was more important to you. And I understood that, really, I did," Adriana said. She found herself babbling again, and not entirely sure why she was doing this. Just that it had to be said, it had to be out in the open, so she and her brother could go on.
"No more of that, baby girl. No more apologies from you. I've gotten an earful from both Chris and Vin about this. I love you. And no more stupidity from me. From here on out, I don't forget that you still need me. You think you can see your way to seeing JD as a little brother? He's always wanted a big sister," Buck requested hopefully. Adriana laughed in spite of herself, and Buck said, "I'll take that as an 'I'll try.' Deal?"
"Do you really need to ask?" she parried. Buck shook his head. They looked at each other for a long moment, then Buck scooped her into his arms, mindful of her injured leg. She found herself sitting on his lap, as she had when she was just a little girl, with his face buried against her neck. His mustache tickled her skin, but she didn't pull away. Oh, God. She had forgotten, how good it felt for her brother to hold her. How safe he had always made her feel. She had missed that.
And it was in the safety of her brother's arms, that she could finally say the words. No more euphemisms, no more looking away from it. Wrapping her arms around Buck's shoulders, she whispered hoarsely, "Our father molested me, Buck. From the time I was eight years old, he molested me. And it wasn't my fault. It was never my fault." Buck lifted his head, looked into her eyes, and very slowly shook his head.
"No, baby girl, it wasn't. And one of these days, when you're ready. . .he's gonna find out that he lost. He lost his wife. He lost his son. And he lost his daughter. He lost. And we won," he told her in a husky voice. Adriana managed a weak smile, then buried her face in her brother's shoulder. One demon had been faced and conquered today. Only one more was left. Secure in her brother's fierce embrace, Adriana knew she had the strength to face that demon.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I relied on memories of my own run-ins with predators, and conversations with close friends who endured that ugly violation when describing how Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra realized that Adriana had been molested, rather than books, which is the reason for Josiah's statement that every person will be different. How I handled it, and how someone else handles it, will be two different things. One friend of mine spun out of control for a while ... another shut it out until she was strong enough ... a third taught herself to protect herself against future predators. We all react differently, there is no one way to react and heal.
"Our father molested me, Buck. From the time I was eight years old, he molested me. And it wasn't my fault. It was never my fault."
JD Dunne felt his heart hit the floor when he heard those words, words he was never meant to hear. Words ... truth that he wasn't supposed to know. Numbly, the boy turned away from the infirmary and headed back to his room. For the first time since his mother's death, he found himself glad that he had never known his father. Adriana's father ... Buck's father ... had molested his little girl.
It wasn't that JD hadn't known such depravity existed. It just never happened to anyone whom he knew, at least not to his knowledge. And this wasn't just someone whom he knew. This was Buck's little sister, and by extension, Chris Larabee's surrogate sister.
She was a friend of Vin's, from when he was just a kid, younger than JD was now. Outside of Chris, she was probably the best friend Vin had. And the rest of SG7 had adopted her as well. Except JD. Ezra had quickly adopted her as the little sister he never had. Josiah's relationship with her had been a little rocky at first, since she had little trust for clerics, or anyone claiming to represent God. Maybe that was why she eventually let in Josiah. He made no such claims.
"Did you see Vin?"
The voice shocked JD out of his reverie. Ezra Standish looked at him, his green eyes narrowing, and he asked, "JD? Are you all right, son? Is Vin all right?" JD nodded and went to brush by the man. Ezra was having none of that, as he asked, "Then why do you look as if you and your partner in crime have had some monumental disagreement? Unless ... does this have something to do with Dr. Wilmington?"
"Did you know, Ezra? You two are close, almost as close as Vin and Adriana. Did you know?" JD demanded. It was obvious that either the other man knew, or had guessed, because he looked away from JD. The young cartographer hissed, "Damn you! Why didn't you tell us? I had to find out because I went to the infirmary to check on Vin, and I overheard her tell Buck! Why didn't you tell us!"
"Because, son, that was not my story to tell. Adriana never told me outright, but I observed in her behavior certain clues which led me to believe she had been victimized by her biological male parent. It was my supposition that she was not ready to divulge that part of her past to me, and I made no demands on her to inform me of this trauma," Ezra replied. There were two signs that he was deeply disturbed by the conversation. His Southern accent had thickened, and he had taken to using more formal language.
JD, however, didn't care. He was hurt and angry. He didn't know why. He just was. But before he could lash out at Ezra, for keeping him in the dark, Josiah rumbled, "The clues were all there, if you knew what to look for. None of us knew for sure, but we guessed. Nathan wanted to confront her about it, but I convinced him to wait until she was ready to tell us." JD looked around to find the two men behind him.
Nathan nodded, looking sheepish, and said, "And Ezra is right. It wasn't our story to tell. I asked Vin once, and he never answered. Just said that if something had happened to Adriana when she was a girl, she would talk about it when she was ready." JD was stunned. Vin had known about this? What, was he the only one who had no clue? Why? Nathan added gently, "And JD, don't beat yourself up for not seeing the signs."
"What signs? How did you know?" JD asked. Josiah looked around, then dragged the young cartographer into his quarters, the other two men following. For the first time, JD realized they had been out in the middle of the hall. Oh God. His alligator mouth would get his hummingbird rear-end into trouble yet. Chris was fiercely protective of his privacy, and the privacy of his. JD had found that out the hard way once, when he received the Larabee glare for asking why Adriana and Vin weren't dating.
"There are many clues, Private Dunne. Like Mr. Tanner, I read people. I could tell, from the way she interacted with Mr. Sanchez and General Hammond, that she was extremely distrustful of men who were her father's age, or who could have a daughter her age. When I read her resume, I discovered that most of her mentors through college and graduate school were of the feminine persuasion," Ezra explained.
Nathan bobbed his head in agreement, adding, "That's right. There's somethin' else, too. The way she watches fathers and daughters. Like she's watchin' for the father to do somethin' wrong. You remember, she was real suspicious of Dr. Costas at first? Always watchin' him with his little girl Soraya? Then there's the way she was always flinchin' away from someone touchin' her when she couldn't see the person."
"There are a great many clues, John Dunne," Josiah said, speaking for the first time, "different people see different things. Experience teaches us different things. And not every survivor will react the same way to a trauma. Don't expect to see every survivor of molestation to react, to heal, as Adriana has healed herself. Oh, she's still healing. But she made a decision, conscious or unconscious, that she would not allow herself to become a predator. When she made that decision, she also made the decision not to become a victim. But a survivor."
JD looked at the three men. His mind was spinning. Too fast for him to latch onto everything. So it surprised him, as much as it surprised his three companions, when he said, "I want to be there. When Adriana tells what happened to SG-3. Josiah, you're always sayin' that we're a family. Well, Adriana's part of our family. Because she's Buck's sister, because Chris thinks of her as a sister. Because she's special to Vin. And a family takes care of each other. She needs us now. Even if she won't admit it, she needs us."
The men looked at each other. Ezra was smiling faintly, his green eyes reflecting nothing of what he was actually thinking. Nathan was nodding, as if JD had put into words what he was thinking. Josiah cupped his hand around the back of JD's neck and replied, "Then we should be at our little sister's side. Just as we'll be at her side, when she's ready to confront the false father. And there will come a time, John Dunne, when she must. When that day comes, will you stand with her? Will you be there to catch her?"
JD thought of the night they had rescued General Travis. Remembered his rage when he heard Chris ask Adriana to look after JD. As if he was nothing more than a child, who needed someone to hold his hand. He had taken out his anger with Chris on Adriana, who hadn't deserved it. She had responded by following and watching his back. She had saved his life, knocking him out of the line of fire. And for the last eighteen months, despite his best intentions, he had hated her for shutting Buck out of her life.
Only now was he starting to understand that maybe, just maybe, the archaeologist had reasons for what she had done. Reasons that had nothing to do with the brother she shared with JD. He had already heard that she had been molested by her father as a child. What if there was more to the last two years, than what he already knew? Didn't he owe it to her, to find out what that something was? Didn't he owe it to the family which he had found after his mother's death?
When she had knocked him out of the line of fire on that night, all those months ago, JD had no doubt that she had done it for Buck. And maybe she regretted it. But she had done it. JD owed her for that. He looked at his companions, and said quietly, "She didn't have to save my life. She could have waited for Chris and Vin. But she came after me. I owe her. Yes, I will stand with her. I will catch her when she falls. Even if she never loves me, the way she loves Chris, Buck, and Vin, they love her. And she loves them. That's enough."
"Then, gentlemen, and I do use that word loosely ... I suggest we remove ourselves from this domicile, and hasten to the bedside of our fallen comrades," Ezra said, sketching a mock bow. JD blinked, then grinned as he understood. Ezra wanted to go back to the infirmary, so they could all be there for Adriana when she finished telling the general about what had happened on that planet.
JD nodded. Besides, he wanted to see about Vin. He had been so worried about his friend. Despite his resolution, he had been unable to finish his mission report, much less head into town to see Casey. The four men left JD's quarters and headed for the infirmary. Unconsciously echoing Adriana's words from only a few hours earlier, JD resolved that it was time to finish this. For all of them.
An hour later, General Hammond reentered the infirmary, to find the entire SG-7 team present, along with Colonel O'Neill. He looked at Chris Larabee, who said with a sigh, "I couldn't talk them out of it. Josiah, Nathan, JD, and Ezra were here before I was. When I told them that the briefing would be finished, they told me that they knew, and they were staying to support Adriana. And Buck never left."
"It shocked me, too, sir," Adriana sighed, glancing over at JD in wonderment. It was no secret to anyone in the infirmary that the two weren't friends. Chris hid a smile. The cartographer was sitting on the bed beside Vin, leaning back ever so slightly to whisper something to his friend. Vin was lying on his side. Janet had finished her exam earlier, pronouncing him infection free. She would continue to check him, but it looked good.
Chris was just grateful for that good news. He didn't know if whoever shot Vin was a terrible shot, or if the wormhole had prevented the shot from being fatal. He went through the wormhole, he didn't understand the science of it. His eyes continued to move over his team. Nathan was also sitting on Vin's bed, but behind the marksman. Where else would Chris expect him to be? Nathan trusted Janet implicitly, but ever since the bar fight which brought Vin Tanner into their lives, Nathan had been quietly but fiercely protective of the young man.
That could have described any of the others, though. Josiah was leaning in a corner behind Vin's bed, where he could watch over the two wounded young people. Ezra occupied a space beside JD on Vin's bed. Buck sat behind Adriana on her bed, the archaeologist leaning back into his chest, with both arms wrapped around her. He was definitely worried about the telling of the rest of this story, and how it would affect his sister. He hadn't flirted with Janet once. Not a good sign from the ladies man. Not a good sign at all. And Chris had returned to his earlier chair.
"Are we ready to begin?" General Hammond asked, sliding into his chair. Adriana nodded, and Buck tightened his embrace around her. She cocked her head to one side and smiled at him. The tension and silence of the last eighteen months were gone. There was still awkwardness between the siblings, but their relationship was on the way to recovery. General Hammond continued, "Is everyone clear on Dr. Frasier's rules?"
"She went over 'em twice with JD," Vin rasped from the bed. Everyone laughed and Nathan caught JD's hand before the cartographer could swat his friend. The medic shook his head, a warning light in his dark eyes. JD immediately desisted, and Chris could tell from the tension in the boy's shoulders that he had forgotten Vin was still healing. The guide continued, "Since I'm more awake, might be puttin' in my own two cents ever so often."
"When he's not asleep, of course," Josiah rumbled, drawing another laugh. Josiah continued, "You're still healing, son. Don't push yourself. I think if you'll talk to Miss Adriana, she wouldn't want you to put your recovery at risk." Adriana immediately began shaking her head vehemently. Buck stopped that with a hand to the back of her head. He tilted her head, laughing softly at the glare which was his reward.
"Damn, Chris, my baby sister has been hanging around you too much, she's trying to pick up your glare!" the ladies man chuckled. The glare turned to a scowl, making Buck laugh harder. He kissed one temple, then told his sister, "Don't shake your head so hard, you'll give yourself whiplash. Vin, you listen to Josiah, and the rattling in my sister's head. Hey!" He levelled a scowl of his own at his sister, who had smacked Buck's thigh, and now had a wicked grin plastered to her face.
General Hammond chuckled at the apologetic look from Chris, saying, "No need to apologize, Colonel. After the stress of the last two days, it's good to see them like this. But they're ready to get started now, aren't they?" Heads bobbed in response, and General Hammond continued, "You can start whenever you're ready, Dr. Wilmington."
Adriana took a deep breath and turned to look at her brother. Buck nodded, a silent message passing between them. The others often spoke of the ability Chris and Vin had, to communicate without words. But Chris saw the same between these two. It wasn't psychic. But both Buck and Adriana were essentially open people. Now that the barriers had been shattered, the siblings could read each other's emotions in the eyes of the other.
"Before I get started, I want to say something. I knew Buck would be staying, to hear this. He swore to me that he would be here with me. But it really meant a lot ... Josiah, Nathan, I know I haven't been close with the two of you. And JD, you and I have to work out our differences. And it's not like Vin has a choice in being here," Adriana said.
Everyone laughed at that, especially when Vin threw another pillow her way. Buck picked the pillow back up, and tossed it back at the guide. . .hitting JD square in the face. Janet grabbed the soft projectile and replaced it under Vin, before a pillow fight could begin. Adriana grinned and winked at Vin, then continued more seriously, "So it really means a lot to me, that y'all are here."
"We would be nowhere else, my dear girl," Ezra replied, "even if you show a regrettable lack of taste in your comrades. However, since you know Mr. Tanner from your adolescent years, it is a lapse which can be forgiven." He flashed a grin at the dark-haired archaeologist as he spoke, then his green eyes flickered to Vin. Despite his words, his gaze was filled with affection as he looked at the guide.
It was unusual for the Southerner, even now, to be so open about his feelings. He had been part of SG-7 for three years, and while he was more open with Adriana, he still found it difficult to admit how much he cared for the others. The team leader was willing to bet, however, that the possibility of losing Vin had shaking the Southerner. It had shaken them all. Especially JD, who rarely had to face losing one of his friends. Chris knew it had shaken him.
"I can't believe I'm agreeing with Ezra, much less twice in one day, but he's right about one thing. We wouldn't have been anywhere else," Nathan added from his position. Adriana twisted around once more to look at her elder brother, who had a goofy grin on his face. Chris chuckled. Buck looked extremely pleased with himself, as if he had planned this.
"Thank you," Adriana said simply. She looked over at Vin, who bobbed his head. He was relaxing behind JD, and Chris knew it was a matter of time before he fell asleep. A glance at Adriana told him that she saw it as well. . .and felt it was was better that way. Maybe she was. He did know, as protective of Vin as Adriana was, that she would take a burden from him, to shoulder it herself.
She took a deep breath and said, "I need to recap, General, for the others. I don't think either of the colonels had a chance to tell them what happened?" She looked at Chris and Colonel O'Neill as she spoke, and the men shook their respective heads. Adriana began at the beginning, or as close to the beginning as she could remember. She told them of the skirmishes with Major Harris, of the meeting with Nadya, and then return to the base camp.
"He ... said ... what?" Buck growled. Even across the room, Chris could feel the rage from his oldest friend. A glance at Adriana told him that she was feeling it too. And she probably knew, as Chris did, that if the late captain had survived whatever happened next, Buck would have most likely would have torn him apart with his bare hands. And Ezra would have helped him.
"Now, brother Buck, you must pity a man who can't see, and I would say Captain Nelson was quite blind. What creates a woman's beauty isn't the perfection of her face, but the warmth of her soul. The same is true of a man," Josiah rumbled.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Mistah Sanchez, and I find our Dr. Wilmington quite lovely. The man was a boor, and if he was alive now, it would greatly please me to teach that cur a lesson in manners," Ezra drawled, his eyes shooting green fire. Uh-oh.
"I thought you said he was a bore ... can he be a dog, and boring at the same time?" JD asked. The innocent question eased the tension in the room once more. Chris cast a sidelong glance at the boy, who grinned at Adriana impishly. Oh Lord. He had been around Vin and Ezra too much. He had started learning how to use his innocence to his benefit. God help them all. She winked at him, and received a delighted grin in response. And God help them all if those two decided to join forces!
"Mistah Dunne, I know you are not as uneducated as you like to present yourself, so I will ignore that. Now. As I was sayin' before I was so rudely interrupted, I would have been quite pleased to teach that ill-mannered lout about the way to treat a lady, but it would seem, from what our young lady has told us, the Magyars did quite well in that respect. Now, I would like to hear what exactly our ill-fated compatriots did to incur the wrath of those good people," Ezra replied.
"I think that's his way of saying he wants to hear the rest of the story," Chris interpreted. That brought another laugh, and Chris said more seriously, looking back at Adriana, "Whenever you're ready, little princess." Adriana nodded, taking a deep breath. Yes, she was ready. He could see it in her face. She had been ready ever since this morning. Chris would make sure there were no more interruptions.
"The following morning, we broke camp. Despite the ... easing of tensions between us and Major Harris, Vin still felt more comfortable in his camp. And I felt more comfortable staying with him. I know what you're going to ask, Josiah, and I don't have the answer. I don't know if it was one of my feelings, like the one I got when Vin was in trouble in Denver. I just thought it would be a really bad idea if I left him. I suppose I felt safe with him," Adriana replied.
She waited for the interruption, but it never came. She glanced at Chris, who turned a mild version of the Larabee glare on her. She smiled gratefully, understanding at once. The glare was being directed at anyone who even looked like they would speak up. He nodded with a gentle smile of his own. Adriana continued, "We met Nadya in the forest, the same place we had seen her the day before. Introductions were made, and Nadya welcomed SG-3 to her home. She answered the questions from Dr. Costas with the same patience she had shown me the day before."
Adriana accepted the glass of water which Janet had handed her and took a sip, then continued, "The trouble didn't begin until that afternoon. Nadya had invited us to look around, but asked us to stay out of a particular cottage. I think Nadya had a sense of most of SG-3, for she asked us if we had any control over them. I told her that we weren't even part of the team, and that they tended to discount what we said. She looked terribly sad, even when I told her that we would do our best to keep an eye on them."
"Not particularly diplomatic, but truthful," Ezra observed. Adriana nodded with a grimace. She knows that, Ezra, Chris thought with some irritation. As shy as Adriana always had been, she was also honest. She had explained to Chris once that past experience had taught her that it was better to tell the unpleasant truth when dealing with other people, rather than trying to sugarcoat things. Even if the natives didn't like the truth, they respected the sign of good faith. It seemed this Nadya had been no exception.
"I know, Ezra, but I'm an archaeologist, not a diplomat. She told me that she understood, but she wasn't sure if her people would. And that if SG-3 got into trouble, she would try to protect us. That's when she told me what was in that little hut," Adriana explained. She took a deep breath, and Chris saw Buck's arms tighten around her protectively. Yes, Buck, Chris thought, she needs your strength. She needs it now, more than ever.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I was five years old, I actually visited the Roman ruins in Trier, Germany. I remember them as awe-inspiring ... and terrifiying.
"When we spoke yesterday, I told you of my mother's death," Nadya said, walking alongside Adriana as they watched over the village together. The archaeologist bobbed her head, wincing at the memory. Nadya put her hand on her shoulder, saying, "Your mother loved you, Adriana. Even if she could not speak the words, she did love you." Adriana stopped and turned to face the woman. Nadya sighed, "I know things. I know that you fear your mother did not love you."
Adriana took a deep breath, then released it slowly. She didn't like to think about her mother. Nadya continued, "I have always been able to ... have always known things. Just as I knew our benefactors were not humans." Adriana looked at the woman, startled. Nadya shrugged, adding, "I do not know what they were. But they were not like us. Or you."
The chieftain took Adriana's arm and the two women began walking again. They were silent for several moments, then Nadya said, "The hut ... that was forbidden to your people when they first arrived ... that is where we hold the ashes of our lost for a year. The ashes of their bodies are all we have left of them, for their spirits have already flown. Once a year passes, we scatter their ashes."
Nadya was looking at Adriana's face as she spoke, as if searching for something. The archaeologist didn't answer for a long time, as she struggled with what to say. The burial practices didn't exactly surprise her ... she was, after all, an archaeologist. She had studied such things in school. But she was aware that this was a test, and she walked a fine line, between being honest and passing the test.
At last, she gave up and decided to answer honestly, telling the woman, "Where I come from ... we bury the body of our lost in the ground, and put a stone above it. The body is just a shell, and the spirit, as you say, has flown. But it gives us comfort, to go to that stone, and talk to them, as if they were still here with us. Some of my people do as you do ... some keep the ashes of their lost in a container. Some scatter the ashes over water or in the wind." There were still other practices, but Adriana didn't feel like getting into a discussion about mummies.
"That would be very practical. We need the land for farming," Nadya observed and Adriana just smiled faintly. Nadya continued, "I tell you this, because I trust you. I have watched your SG-3, as you call them, and I do not trust them. I do not trust the woman with the red hair, the one you call 'Major.' And I do not trust the man with her, the one she calls 'Captain.' I do not like his eyes."
Adriana said nothing, since she couldn't argue. Nadya went on, "The one called 'Costas' is very curious, and he does not say we are wrong. He is a man to be honored. The other one, whom is also called 'doctor,' I do not trust. He calls us 'barbarians' behind our back. I heard him tell Kevin that it was impossible for our people to be brought here, because he had never heard of such a thing. The boy, McCabe, is young and can learn." Now Adriana did sigh.
Wyatt. His father was Curtis Wyatt, a powerful senator in Washington. Like Major Harris, he was only in the SGC because of his family connections. Dr. Cole Wyatt was, to be blunt, narrow-minded. He had told her, within an hour of meeting her, that she wouldn't last in the SGC because she was a crackpot, a reference to her paper on the Sphinx controversy. The weird thing was, Wyatt wasn't an Egyptologist or a geologist. He wasn't even a historian. He was a physicist.
She replied, "There are many among our people who do not understand how little we actually know about our universe, about our world, about our own history. Dr. Wyatt is one such person. Major Harris is another ... she cannot understand there are things beyond her experience. She is not a bad woman. She became very angry with her captain last night when he behaved badly toward me."
"But can she learn?" Nadya wanted to know. Adriana cocked her head to one side, and Nadya explained, "We agreed that even if you and Kevin are ignorant of our ways, you are willing to learn. And you are willing to listen. That is why we chose you." Now Adriana was confused. What did she mean by that? Nadya explained, "It was not random. We had decided that the Ta're who came exploring would be the ones most likely to listen. You and Kevin were exploring. And you listen."
Adriana sighed. She didn't know how to answer this. Perhaps Nadya understood, for she gently squeezed the archaeologist's shoulder and said, "It matters little. If I am right, and I pray I am not ... I believe I can save some of you. I will try. But I cannot save all. Major Harris must save herself. No ... no, I can see it in your eyes. You cannot save her. Only she can do that. You can tell her that the hut is a sacred place. You would have known it, even if I had not told you."
"How would I have known? I've never been in there. It's a sacred place to you, Nadya, I will not desecrate it," Adriana replied. Nadya just smiled and took the young woman's hand. Adriana saw that they were heading for the hut, and cast a glance around for Vin. Nadya saw the action and she nodded with a smile. Adriana called to her friend, "Vin ... come on."
The guide had been studying the village, noticing the tracks made by the people, learning what foods were poisonous. He looked up at Adriana's summons and thanked the woman who had been teaching him. Adriana smiled to herself as he joined her and Nadya. The chieftain explained, "I wish to show you and Adriana a special place, Kevin. As a sign of respect. I only ask that you touch nothing within."
"You have my word," Vin promised. Nadya inclined her head and led them inside. It was the ultimate irony. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a simple hut. The inside, however, was the exact opposite. Adriana caught her breath as she looked around. Vin murmured something, then added, "This is a burial place. Drina, these are urns! I thought it was dirt in them containers, but it's ashes."
"I knew you would know it was a sacred place," Nadya said quietly. Adriana stepped to Vin's side, un-nerved. Yes. There was death in this place. It didn't frighten her, but it did at the same time. There were no souls screaming for release. She had heard those before once, many years ago. Before she had joined the SGC. But this place, though filled with light, reminded her of the Roman ruins in Trier.
When she had gone to Germany for her graduate work, she had gone to the ancient city of Trier within only a few weeks of her arrival. While there, she had visited the remains of the amphitheater, where once gladiators had fought. She had walked in the underground tunnels, where the lions and other animals had been kept. It was a dark, forbidding place. To this day, Adriana didn't know if she had imagined things, or if there were ghosts in that place.
She shivered and Vin put his arm around her, drawing her close. Each of the containers was unique, but there was a common design. Colored glass, like the kind you would find in a stained glass window. Her flat-mate in Germany, Petra, had a votive candle holder which reminded her of these urns. You actually placed the candle inside, and the light of the candle enhanced the colors of the container.
"The souls of your lost are still here, Nadya," Adriana said in a low voice, "there are some who are ready to be free." She didn't know where it came from, she just knew it. Maybe that was what Nadya had seen ... what had drawn Nadya to them. Adriana just knew things, and so did Nadya. Like calling to like. She shivered again and huddled against Vin, gratefully accepting his warmth. The souls meant no harm, not to her. But she could see her mother's brutalized body in her mind's eye.
"Yes. Come. I have caused you harm, and it was not my intention," Nadya said gently. Adriana tried to protest she was fine, but she wasn't. Not when she saw her mother's body every time she closed her eyes. Vin quietly led her from the sacred place, and the image faded. Dear Lord. What had happened to her in there? She forced her eyes open once more, as Vin seated her next to the woman who had been teaching him.
"Rest here. Your mother continues to haunt you, Adriana, but she does not seek to take you with her. I do not know what she wishes. I am a guide, I am not a seer. But even if she did seek to take you, I know Kevin would not allow that ... and he has a very strong spirit. As do you, if you would just accept that," Nadya replied. She looked at the woman and spoke in that curious blend of languages, then said, "Rest. Margit will look after you."
Adriana took several deep breaths, still unable to understand what had happened to her in there. It was almost like a claustrophobic attack, like the one she had in elevators or the one she had in the Roman ruins. But that had been underground, and while the hut was small, she wasn't THAT claustrophobic. She worked in Cheyenne Mountain, for God's sake. Vin kept his arms around her, and she allowed herself to relax into his embrace.
She must have fallen asleep. She didn't remember dreaming. But when she opened her eyes, she heard Margit chattering away, her tone sounding scared, and Vin's arms were no longer wrapped around her. Adriana sat up, rubbing her eyes ... and felt her heart drop. Vin was standing between Captain Nelson and the hut where the ashes of the dead were kept. At Nelson's side was Wyatt.
But Vin wasn't alone. While Adriana hadn't had much time to talk to the young communications officer, Loren McCabe, she had decided he was a good kid. That decision was reinforced as she listened to the conversation. The boy, who couldn't have been any more than eighteen or nineteen, was fiercely arguing with the other two men, defending Vin's assertion that they couldn't go in there.
Nelson, who had at least five inches on Vin and thirty pounds, physically picked up the guide and threw him to one side, then swatted McCabe away. Vin was on his feet immediately, snarling, "You don't go in there, Nelson! That place is sacred! You done promised that you wouldn't, now be a man and keep that promise!" Nelson back-handed him, knocking Vin off his feet again, and McCabe scurried to Vin's side, helping the guide up.
Adriana saw Major Harris approaching and thought that some order might be restored. She left Margit's side and ran to the major, gasping "Major, you have to stop them! You gave your word to Nadya that you wouldn't go in there, that we would respect their wishes! They are going into a sacred place, it would be like desecrating a cemetary!" The major looked at her, pure ice in her eyes.
"Do you believe everything you're told? We saw you go into that hut, Dr. Wilmington! Do you really think that if it was truly a sacred place, she would have taken you in there?" the major replied coldly. Adriana felt ice spread through her veins. Oh God. What had she done? Maybe she had failed the test after all. Maybe she should have told Nadya 'no' when she had led her in there. If that was true, she had condemned Vin to death as well.
The major shook her head in disgust and kept walking, right into the hut behind the others. Adriana had no choice to follow. She raced to catch up. Thank God she had plenty of practice in keeping up with people who had longer legs. Like Vin.
Her friend was now trying to remove the rest of SG-3 from the hut, saying, "Dammit, Major, we have to git, now! This is a sacred place ... even if Nadya hadn't told me, I woulda known it! This is where they keep the ashes of their dead! Major, I done heard what you said to Adriana, and you ain't right. Nadya asked us in here, so we could tell y'all. It was a sign of respect, and I ain't about to stand by and watch y'all disrespect Nadya, the way y'all disrespect Adriana and me. I ain't tellin' you again. Git. Now."
Nelson laughed then, and it made Adriana's blood run cold. From her position, she could see the major wavering. A half second before the major would have spoken, Nelson picked up one of the containers and Adriana couldn't hold back her gasp. That knowing had come back. She knew exactly what he was about to do, and knew there was nothing she could do to stop him. He said, looking into the container, "Looks like dirt to me. You pee in dirt."
Maybe there was time to stop him after all. But even as he spoke, he dropped the container onto the floor. She heard a low, ragged cry emerge from McCabe's throat, and saw that he knew as well. As Vin tried desperately to stop the captain, Wyatt grabbed the guide and held him fast. The captain unbuckled his pants, and allowed the trousers to slide down. Adriana was sick. She couldn't watch. She couldn't look away. Yellow stained the gray ash and the brown dirt, and from behind her, Adriana heard a scream of anguish.
She didn't need to look behind her to know that the scream of denial, of pain, of fury, had come from Nadya. She moved closer to McCabe, who slipped his arm around her protectively. He had been so quiet, through the entire mission. But she had caught his eyes on her a few times, pleading with her. Pleading with her not to judge him, based on Nelson's behavior. His eyes pleaded with her now. And she didn't know what he was asking of her.
She just knew that if she closed her eyes, it was no longer Loren McCabe standing there, but JD Dunne. The blond hair had turned black, the blue eyes to hazel. JD was a little older than this boy, but the similarities were still there. Looking at Vin, who had gone still, and bone-white, she could see that he felt the same way. Saw it in the way he mouthed, 'JD,' at the boy. And then, the moment was broken. She saw McCabe, not Dunne.
Wyatt hissed, "What have you done?" He released Vin, who inched closer to McCabe and Adriana. The guide stood protectively between them and anyone who would have harmed them. In other words, he was putting both Wyatt and Nelson on notice. The second either of them moved against Adriana or McCabe, he would take them out. He was already angry for the desecration, and for letting his guard down enough to take that hit earlier.
Nadya brushed past the stunned major, past McCabe and Adriana. She pointed a slim finger at Nelson, and said in a shaking voice, "He is the first to die." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned to face the major and hissed, "And you are the second. Kevin and Adriana tried to warn you. Tried to tell you. But you would not listen! That was my mother's container he destroyed! My mother's ashes ... "
And then she could not continue. Vin whispered, "Aw, hell." Adriana couldn't have agreed more. She swallowed hard and left McCabe's protective embrace to try to comfort Nadya. She put her arms around the chieftain and held her close. She thought once more of her mother's body, of the blood which had soaked the bed, the blankets. Dear God. It had been Nadya's mother. What had they done?
There was dead silence in the infirmary. Then Chris Larabee whispered, "My God." Silence fell once more. No one knew what to say, it seemed. There was nothing anyone could say. Chris looked over at Vin Tanner, who was sitting up in bed. His face was lined with pain, but it seemed his best friend couldn't stay asleep with the voices in the room. He had to live through this hell with the woman who had been there as well.
It was General Hammond who said quietly, "You did nothing wrong, Adriana. Vin. Do you understand me? You did nothing wrong. You tried to warn SG-3, and they wouldn't listen. You did everything you could to stop them." Chris looked from his best friend to his surrogate sister, who was quietly shaking her head. If Vin's face was lined with pain because of the wound to his back, the lines straining Adriana's face came from a very different pain.
"There has to be something I could have done. I should have told Nadya 'no' when she wanted me to go into the hut, but I was afraid she would ... God. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, I thought I should be respectful and do as she wished, but then the major got the wrong idea," the girl replied. Funny. He rarely thought of Vin as a boy, even though he was the same age as Adriana. Then again, he hadn't known Vin when he was a boy, as he had known Adriana since she was thirteen.
"Adriana. You did nothing wrong. You did what you thought was right at the time. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I should have never put you in that position, either of you. I should have realized, myself, that the major wouldn't listen to someone who was younger than she was. And there was nothing you could have done to stop Nelson ... both of you tried. I know you two. If there was a way you could have stopped them, you would have," Hammond said.
"He's right, little princess. You didn't make the decision to go into that hut, despite making a promise to the contrary. And you didn't make the decision to literally piss on someone else's beliefs. That's exactly what Nelson did. Maybe there was something you could have done different ... and maybe it wouldn't have made any difference," Chris quietly advised. He saw Vin nodding in his bed. As if he wasn't just as bad as Adriana, thinkin' this was somehow his fault? He would deal with Vin later.
Adriana closed her mouth, shaking her head. Vin said into the silence that followed, "That weren't even the worst part. The worst part came next. I don't 'member all of it. Adriana can fill in the blank spaces. But she's been talkin' long enough. It's my turn." All eyes turned to the former bounty hunter. Vin took a deep breath and said, "Nelson wasn't finished. Not by a long shot. He just didn't know when he was beat ... "
"Well," Nelson drawled into the silent hut, "if I die, I ain't going alone. And that bitch doesn't count." His eyes scanned the hut, then a cold smile lit his face. Vin's blood turned to ice. He knew it would come to this. He hadn't been sure how it would happen, but he knew it would come to this. Nelson murmured, "I get to take you out, Tanner, and I don't even have to answer to Hammond. Not such a bad way to go out."
Vin was ready for him. He thought. But again, the fight was dirty, as Wyatt locked his arms around Vin from behind. Dammit, not this again! Vin tried to free himself and keep Nelson at bay. It was only when he felt Wyatt trying to drag him that he realized Wyatt was trying to protect him, not help Nelson. Unfortunately, the captain used Vin's inability to protect himself and locked both hands around Vin's throat.
Aw hell, not this again! Wyatt, perhaps realizing his mistake, released Vin, and allowed the young man to fight back. But his body had already been robbed of oxygen in those crucial seconds. He was weakening, dammit! Nelson hissed, "I guess if touchin' those is a reason for these idiots to kill, then I'll just have to make sure you touch one of 'em. Maybe more than just one?" He propelled Vin backward, even as Vin continued to fight desperately to stop the progression. Except ... something happened.
His back never hit the containers. Instead of being slammed into the wall, Nelson released him unexpectedly and Vin felt a body slam sideways into him, knocking him to the ground. Gasping, he looked up to find the worried blue eyes of Loren McCabe staring back at him. He smiled weakly and whispered around his bruised throat, "Thanks, kid." McCabe returned the smile, and it was like seeing JD Dunne in his place.
"I had help," the boy said shyly as he moved off Vin and helped the guide up, "Wyatt held Nelson." Rubbing his throat, Vin turned to thank Wyatt. But Wyatt was gone. Nelson was pinned to the ground by Dr. Costas, tears running down the other young man's face. And only a few yards away, Dr. Cole Wyatt lay dead, Nelson's knife still protruding from his gut. In a detached part of Vin's mind, it occurred to him that Nelson's pants were still pooled around his ankles. How odd.
Vin shook his head and moved to Adriana's side. He put his arm around her, feeling the tremors wrack her body as she tried to comfort Nadya. His own legs were shaking, but he ignored it for the moment. Adriana needed him right now. She needed him to be strong, because as he looked at the pale face of his friend, he knew what she was thinking. She was once more thinking about her mother.
"It is written," Margit said, putting her hand on Nadya's shoulder, "that the outsider who touches our dead must die. There is nothing written about the outsider who is forced into touching our dead. Little sister, we must not kill either of the boys. The red-haired woman, yes, for not honoring us ... and that one, for showing such disrespect for the dead. But if Kevin had struck our dead, it would have been wrong for us to kill him."
Nadya nodded, wiping away her tears. 'Little sister,' she had said? Vin exchanged a look with Adriana, and the chieftain said, "It is so written. Understand this, Ta're Nelson. You sought to end the life of our friend Kevin, by forcing him to touch our dead. You will die instead. But you will be given one more opportunity for redemption ... to choose your death. Die the honorable death of a warrior ... of the death of a coward."
"What are you offering?" Major Harris asked quietly. Her eyes moved around the hut, settling on Vin and Adriana. Two of the Magyar men had gently pried Costas' hands from Nelson, while two more men had carried the body of Cole Wyatt from the hut. Vin didn't know what would happen to the body, but that would wait until later. According to Margit, the body of a Magyar was not cremated until the third day after the death. Whether Wyatt would receive that respect, Vin didn't know.
"Ta're Nelson must fight our champion in hand to hand combat. If he defeats our champion, he is permitted a warrior's death. If not ... he will die according to our laws," Nadya answered. Her eyes flickered to Vin and Adriana, and she added, "These fights are not to the death. We cannot afford to lose people, not with the harvest coming in. I will decide when the battle is won. And I will choose our champion."
Vin knew what was coming next. Had known it, as soon as Nadya had looked at him. And he knew, no matter how much he hated it, he couldn't say 'no.' Harris replied, "I agree. What will happen to Tanner, Dr. Wilmington, Dr. Costas, and McCabe?" The boy had taken up position behind Adriana, though Vin wasn't sure if the youngster was trying to watch their back or just stay away from Nelson.
"We have no interest in taking their lives. They will be permitted to leave," Nadya replied. She looked straight at Vin and added, "I choose our champion. Kevin." Aw hell. Dammit, he was afraid of this! But he nodded his agreement, feeling Adriana tense beside him. He gave her a little one-armed hug and looked down into her eyes. He could see she didn't like this either, but she wouldn't try to stop him.
"No! No, please ... Tanner's already been hurt, that's giving Nelson an unfair advantage!" Harris blurted out. She shook her head, repeating, "No."
"You can't renege on your agreement, Major," Adriana stated as everyone was ushered from the hut, "You've already agreed to the terms. Hell, after what just happened, I'm not even sure if the Magyars will agree to a treaty with us! But you are not going to break your promise. Do you understand me, Major? You will not break your promise to these people! Vin, is there anything you need me to do?"
"Naw. And thanks," Vin replied as Nadya led them to a clearing. Adriana just smiled, though Vin could see how worried she was. The Magyars made a circle and Vin shrugged out of the brown suede jacket, handing it to his friend. He said, "I'll be fine, Drina. Believe in me." Adriana just smiled, accepting the jacket, folding her arms around it. Vin impulsively kissed her forehead, drawing a surprised smile.
"You're talkin' to the wrong woman, Tanner," she drawled. Vin laughed, and Adriana slowly backed away from him. As she reached the edge of the circle, Nadya put her arms around the archaeologist, though Vin couldn't be sure if Nadya was restraining Adriana, or trying to comfort her. He turned toward his opponent, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Vin tensed and turned in the opposite direction to face Harris.
"Nelson fights dirty, Tanner. Watch his right hand. He'll keep it at his side, as if it's hurt, then use it when your guard is down," Harris told him softly. Vin raised his eyebrows at the woman, and she continued, "Maybe if I'd listened to you and Dr. Wilmington in the first place, none of this would have happened. You tried to tell me, but I ... Just watch yourself, all right? It's bad enough, having Wyatt's blood on my hands. I don't want yours."
Vin nodded his thanks, and Harris melted into the circle. He turned his full attention to Nelson, focusing only on the captain. As expected, Nelson tried to throw him off by insulting Adriana, Vin's mother, using every slur he knew of. He insulted Nathan, Chris, JD, Buck, Josiah, and Ezra. The guide tuned out what was being said, focusing instead on the fight at hand. He remembered what Harris had told him.
A trick he had learned years ago was to fool your opponent into thinking he had the upper hand. Something which Vin now used, for even as Nelson continued his needling, he launched a kick to Vin's side. Vin spun away easily, responding with a kick of his own to Nelson's chin. The captain staggered back a few steps, but didn't fall. He shook off the effects of the kick and spat out the blood. Probably bit his tongue, Vin decided.
"You'll pay for that, you long-haired freak. You ain't nothing but a goddamn sissy, and I'm gonna prove once and for all ... " Nelson roared. Vin just sighed. Little less talk, little more action, he thought, and kicked out once more. This time, his boot landed square in the captain's midsection, doubling him over and effectively silencing him. Vin watched as the other man wheezed and fought for breath, his eyes never leaving Nelson.
"He's all talk, no action," McCabe yelled from the circle, "he ain't gonna fight Vin, he's gonna try to talk him to death. You're the coward, Nelson. You always have been, you always will be! And even if you lived to be a hundred, you'd never be the man Vin Tanner is! Never!"
Nelson's head snapped up at the boy's voice, at the taunt, and his eyes narrowed. Vin nodded. Yup, that was it. He prepared himself for the attack. Nelson would do one of two things. Either he would go for a body slam, barrel into Vin, or he would come up swinging. The smart thing to do would be a body slam, given his greater height and weight. The trouble was, as much as Vin had been around the man lately, he wasn't sure how smart Nelson was.
The answer came a half second later as Nelson launched himself at Vin. The guide, however, used Nelson's size against him. He dove to his right, effectively taking himself out of the line of fire, and Nelson landed face first in the dirt. Vin rolled to his feet as Nelson hit the ground, ready for the other man. He realized that the roll hadn't taken him quite to where he wanted to be, so he back-pedaled, making sure Nelson couldn't grab a hold of his boot. Nelson rose from the dirt, enraged.
Vin kept moving in a circle. Any time now, Nelson would lose his cool, and while Vin knew the other man would get in more than a few blows, he also knew that Nelson would be much more vulnerable. When people lost their cool, it made them more prone to mistakes. Vin hadn't survived as long as he had on his own, without learning such things. While not a small man ... he was almost six feet tall ... he was slim, and people often made the mistake of thinking him weak. As he had grown and matured, Vin had learned to use that misconception to his advantage. It was nothing he learned in a class.
Adriana had once said, when someone challenged Vin on his lack of formal education, that Vin had received a PhD from the school of hard knocks. She later explained that while she had more formal education, Vin's education was of the practical kind. The kind that kept a person alive. It was a curious kind of a compliment, but Vin had accepted it happily. Those kinds of compliments, he knew how to accept.
"That ... does ... it. You're dead, Tanner, if I have to squeeze the life out of you myself," Nelson hissed. It was time. The captain hurtled toward Vin, fists flying. Instead of retreating, as he had before, Vin met the attack head on, matching Nelson blow for blow. Nelson was holding nothing back. Nor was Vin. Through the haze of adrenaline, Vin could see the surprise in the other man's eyes, surprise followed by rage.
The punches and kicks were traded with even more ferocity. Both men were angry, but Nelson's anger was controlling him. Vin's anger was being channelled, making each blow count. He was aware of the other man's punches, but he didn't really feel them. He was too focused on finishing this. Nelson was tiring quickly. Vin allowed a few more punches under his guard ... Now. He almost smiled to himself.
Instead, as the right arm came in an arc toward Vin's face, the guide grabbed it and spun the staggering Nelson around, twisting the arm behind his back. Nelson cried out in pain. Vin backed up a few steps, still holding the captain's arm, then kicked the other man hard in the ass, releasing Nelson at the same time. The momentum from the kick and from Nelson's attempts to free himself pushed him a few yards away from Vin. Exactly as the guide had meant to happen. It was time to finish this.
As Nelson staggered around to face Vin, the guide lashed out with one last kick to Nelson's face. The captain just toppled to the ground, and didn't get up. Vin tried to walk over to the man, to see if he was still breathing, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. Nadya called in a clear voice, "The fight belongs to our champion!" At the same time, she released Adriana, who ran to Vin, skirting around Nelson. Smart girl.
However, as the Magyars came forward to claim the man, it was established Nelson was out cold. Adriana reached Vin's side, swinging the suede jacket around his shoulders. He accepted it gratefully, as he began to shiver. The adrenaline rush was ending, and Vin ached all over. Adriana put her arm around his waist, sliding his arm across her shoulders, and he hissed in pain at even the slightest pressure on his ribs.
"Loren, I could use your help," Adriana called, then murmured, "Sorry, Vin, didn't mean to hurt you." He shook his head, trying to stay on his feet. He felt Adriana hitch her thumb through one of his belt loops, stabilizing them both. Her hand rested on his hip, instead of his waist. Vin would have teased her about it any other time, but he didn't have the energy to joke, and he didn't think Adriana was in the mood for it.
As McCabe joined them, taking Vin's other side, he told the other two, "Nelson dies tonight. Nadya told me to help you take care of Mr. Tanner, Dr. Wilmington. Dr. Costas is helping with the preparation of Wyatt's body. Nadya says we are to take his body back with us through the Stargate." Adriana nodded her understanding. At least, Vin figured it was understanding, as he was concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other.
"What about Major Harris?" Adriana asked softly, and Vin felt McCabe shrug. He hissed in pain, and Adriana said, "Easy, Loren, be careful. You shrug, that puts pressure on Vin's body. He's in enough pain. Major Harris couldn't believe I'd stand by and let that ... now, what would Ezra say in these circumstances? She couldn't believe I would let that miscreant beat you to a pulp. I told her that I had faith in you."
Vin smiled wearily, both at Adriana's imitation of Ezra and at her words. There had been a time, years ago, when they first met, when she had tried to go to his aid during a fight. Koje had stopped her, telling her that she needed to have faith in him. It had been hard for her, to stay put. She was a protector by nature, wanting to protect her friends when they seemed to be in trouble. But sometimes, you did the most good by standing back and letting someone fight their own battles. It was a hard lesson to learn. Vin knew that.
"Let's get him to one of the huts. Did Nadya say who would clean up the mess which Nelson made?" Adriana asked. McCabe peered around Vin to smile impishly, and Vin realized, even as Adriana voiced the answer. She said, with more than a little astonishment, "Nelson has to clean it before he dies, doesn't he? He made the mess, he's gotta clean it up." McCabe bobbed his head, and Adriana murmured, "Still like to know about Major Harris."
"I don't know, ma'am. Nadya said something, once you came to help Mr. Tanner, about redemption. I didn't ask," McCabe answered.
They had reached the hut pointed out by Margit as the three had left the circle, and McCabe asked, "Ma'am, meaning no disrespect, but have you ever done this before?" Vin would have laughed, but now that he wasn't walking, he had nothing to focus on. Nothing, except keeping the exhaustion and blackness at bay for a little longer. Adriana carefully eased him down onto some blankets, and Vin groaned softly at the motion.
"Oh yeah. Not the first time ... won't be the last. Get me some strips of cloth. I need to bind his ribs. I'll need a cloth and some water to wash his face. Dammit, Tanner, if Nelson hadn't done so much damage already to that pretty face of yours, I might take a swing at you myself! What were you doing out there?" Adriana scolded. She eased the jacket from his shoulders again, then began unbuttoning his shirt. He tried to protest, but that took too much energy. Adriana hissed at the bruises covering his torso, and Vin closed his eyes.
"Never mind the Magyars. I'll kill him myself. I'm sorry, Vin, I'm not mad at you. I shouldn't yell at you. You did the only thing you could, and you fought smart. I'm sorry," she muttered. She sounded close to tears, and Vin tried to open his eyes, tried to tell her that he would be fine. But he just kept sliding toward the blackness, until he couldn't fight it any longer. McCabe was there. It would be all right, to rest for a little while.
In a way, Adriana was relieved that Vin had passed out. She hated like hell to cause him any more pain, and she knew that would happen. As a precaution, Adriana did a quick check for internal damage, as Nathan and Janet had taught her. The impromptu exam identified no internal bleeding. And the ribs weren't even broken, just bruised. Probably make things worse if she bound them, so Adriana instead inspected the cuts and bruises on Vin's face.
As she worked, McCabe just sat beside her. The boy was very quiet, and she finally asked, "What's on your mind, kid?" She looked up, to find Loren staring at her. His bright eyes were filled with tears, and for the first time, it occurred to Adriana how hard this had been on the kid. He had just been assigned to SG-3 ... it was his first assignment. Par for the course within the SGC, the routine mission had turned out to be anything but.
"Hey," she said, turning away from Vin, "it's okay, Loren. I know how all this must seem to you." Even as she spoke, however, she immediately regretted her words. She had no idea how this seemed to the boy. No idea at all. She said more gently, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I've been in the SGC for two years, and my first mission wasn't nearly as traumatic as yours. It wasn't supposed to be like this." It was never supposed to be like this.
The next thing Vin heard as he slowly drifted back to consciousness was a soft, young male voice talking. It took a moment for the guide to orient himself, and remember what happened. Lord, he hurt. But he was alive. McCabe said clearly, "I just don't understand how Wyatt, or Nelson, or Major Harris ended up in the SGC. I mean, it seems to me that if you can't have an open mind, you don't ... you shouldn't be an explorer. And that's what we are, isn't it?"
"I can't explain it, Loren. I don't understand it myself. But try not to judge Major Harris or Dr. Wyatt too harshly. Dr. Wyatt gave up his life to save Vin, and Major Harris warned him about Nelson before the fight. I didn't even see Dr. Wyatt circle around behind Nelson, much less see Nelson stab him. How in the hell did he manage that, anyhow?" Adriana asked, turning back to Vin. She blinked, then smiled and said, "Well, hello there. And how are you feeling?"
"Ya 'member when I got so sick, your senior year a' college, and ya took me back to your apartment? Took care 'a me for a spell? 'Member my answer when ya asked that then?" Vin asked hoarsely. Adriana's grin broadened as she nodded, and Vin added, "More a' the same. Feel like a damn mule kicked me, and if there weren't a lady present ... " Adriana placed a finger over his lips to silence him, laughing at the same time.
"I get the picture. Now shut up and rest. We're fine, I'm almost finished doctoring your wounds. My warrior, my hero," she said playfully, and Vin growled at her. She just laughed, giddy in her relief. After a moment, though, her laughter died and she said more seriously, "I checked you over, just like Janet and Nathan taught me. You don't have any internal bleeding, and your ribs are just bruised. Not even cracked. I'll wrap them if it hurts to breathe, but I figured it would be worse for the moment."
"Reckon I'll be fine. Been hurt worse. You sure you're okay?" Vin asked and Adriana nodded. Damn, he wished she would start laughing at him again. The worry in her eyes hurt his heart, and to make her laugh again, he teased, "Ez woulda been takin' bets on that fight, ya know that, don'cha? And I reckon Colonel O'Neill would have placed a bet a' his own. Who would he bet on, ya think?"
"You," Adriana said firmly, "I said once that you and Nelson would end up tangling at some point. Colonel O'Neill said I was right, and he wanted to be there when it happened. Won't he be disappointed?" Vin laughed, then winced. Okay, so his ribs weren't ready for that just yet. Adriana continued, "Anyhow, he told me that Nelson might be bigger, but you're smarter, and his money was on you."
"Reckon I'll have to thank him for that. Nice ta know he's got faith in me," Vin replied. He leaned his head against the post, closing his eyes. Lord, he wasn't looking forward to returning to the SGC. Not now. Not like this. He opened his eyes to find Adriana staring at him. She just smiled, almost sadly, and Vin said quietly, "So Nelson dies tonight. Y'all hear anything about Major Harris? 'Bout what they plan for her?"
"Loren here heard something about redemption, for her part in the fight, but nothing aside from that. And Nelson is dead. They executed him a half hour ago. I was praying you would stay unconscious through his screams. Guess Josiah is right, and there is a God after all," Adriana replied. Her face was very pale as she spoke of the execution, and Vin guessed that just hearing the screams would haunt Adriana for a long time to come. He wished he had been awake. Wished he had been able to protect her.
"I'll be all right now, Dr. Wilmington. Thanks for listening," McCabe said suddenly, drawing the attention of the pair to him. He offered a weak smile, and added, "I need ... I need to be outside for a while. I'll stand guard. You just take care of Mr. Tanner." Adriana nodded with a smile, and McCabe looked at Vin, adding, "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, sir. Maybe if I hadn't been such a coward, if I had spoken up before ... "
"My name is Vin, kid. And you got nothin' to 'pologize for. You done all you could, and then some. You ain't to blame here," Vin replied hoarsely. He grimaced with pain. This position wasn't doin' nothin' for his wounds. He had to find a way to get comfortable. After the boy left. However, with an ease that came from years of friendship, Adriana drew him forward, then slid behind him, so that he was reclining against her.
Her body, as slim as Vin's own, was much more comfortable than the pole and Vin relaxed in spite of himself. Adriana murmured that she was fine, she had enough strength to hold him where he was. The exhaustion was mounting once more, and Vin allowed his head to rest against her collarbone, feeling her cheek against his forehead. McCabe knelt in front of the pair, answering, "You aren't to blame, either, Vin. Take care of him, Dr. Wilmington."
Vin felt Adriana nod, and the boy left, to take up guard position outside. Vin murmured, "You know, I'll be fine. You don't gotta do this."
The trouble was, he knew this position was the most comfortable for him. It seemed she knew it as well. She whispered, "Did it ever occur to you, Kevin, that I want to do this? Now just lie still and rest. I got a gut feeling that tomorrow's gonna be a nasty day." Vin sighed, too tired to argue with her. He fell asleep in her arms, feeling strangely safe in the protective embrace of someone who had known him a very long time. Just 'cause she was no bigger 'n a minute ...