SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and the Sci-Fi Channel. Original characters (by now, y'all know which ones they are) are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due. Mindy belongs to herself and my neighbors, though she still thinks my family and I belong to her.
SPOILERS: For Mag7, all twenty-one episodes are fair game, along with my previous stories, and all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: This is a story about the return of Adriana and Buck's father. There will be references to the molestation suffered by Adriana, the murder of her mother, other references to violence against women. I will not be making these references graphic, but y'all need to be aware of it. I don't think any of us need graphic descriptions to know that these things are ugly.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I'm sure most of the SG fans have, by now, seen the episode 'Heroes,' but for those who haven't, I'll not spoil it. I'll only say. . .it doesn't happen in my universe.
She was running out of time. She could see it, in the way he looked at her child, even while she was in the room. She was running out of time, and running out of options. If only Bucklin was not in the Air Force Academy ... if only he could take his little sister away now. But Katrien Wilmington knew that wouldn't happen for at least another three years. Bucklin was only nineteen years old, and even if he didn't have his Air Force career to look forward to, it wasn't fair to ask him to raise his sister.
That was her job, but she had done a precious poor job of it. No, that was the wrong way of putting it. Adriana was a good girl ... well-behaved and polite. But Katrien had done a terrible job of protecting her child, of keeping her safe. Her attention was drawn to the backyard, and the unfamiliar sound of childish laughter. She smiled faintly as Bucklin picked up her eight year old daughter and swung her around, drawing squeals of delight from the little girl. He was so good with her, and Katrien knew he would make a wonderful father. He just needed to finish growing up. Then again, it might be that his sister would grow up first.
His sister. Her daughter. The child. Katrien's smile died as the words passed through her mind once more. She had only allowed herself to think of her daughter by name once during the last few moments. Katrien had distanced herself so much from the little girl, her child, in the last four years. The little girl she had carried for nine months, the child for whom she had endured eighteen hours of labor to bring into the world, and that child was the sweetest part of her life. Katrien had distanced herself over the last four years, in order to protect Adriana from the monster whom Katrien had married almost ten years earlier.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl," Katrien whispered, "what have I done to you?" Judge Avery Wilmington had only two noteworthy accomplishments in his life. Neither of them had anything to do with his career, first as a lawyer, then as a judge ... and both accomplishments were in the backyard. Bucklin and Adriana. And he didn't deserve either one of them. Not that Katrien deserved her daughter.
For her abysmal choices alone, she was a terrible mother, starting with the man she had married when she was twenty years old. Of all the men in the world, why had she chosen that one to father her daughter? It wasn't as if she couldn't have had any man she wanted. Of all the men in the world, why did Avery Wilmington have to be Adriana's father? And why did God give the poor child to a woman who had no idea how to be a mother?
If Katrien had any talent as a parent, she would have never chosen that monster in the first place. She would have never allowed his threats to take her child from her work as long as they did. Well. Enough of that. Katrien leaned forward, allowing her rage to steel her resolve. Her first order of business was to get Adriana away from Avery, before he had a chance to hurt her any more than he already had. Strangely enough, despite his unnatural desires, he hadn't touched her yet. If Avery was a man of his word, she would have thought it was because he had promised to keep his filthy hands off Adriana in exchange for Katrien's distance.
But Katrien knew he wasn't a man of his word, and that was why she was leaving him. One of many reasons. She would find a way to keep in contact with Bucklin, so he wouldn't lose his sister. Katrien only had one sibling, her half-brother Anton. They weren't particularly close. He had always resented her because their father had acknowledged her, but not him. He was born out of wedlock, and she was born in. In some ways, Katrien acknowledged, it was much like Bucklin and Adriana. But Bucklin never held the sins of their father against his sister.
No. Bucklin would not lose his sister. And once Adriana was safely away from her father, Katrien would set to repairing the damage she had done to her relationship with her daughter. Adriana didn't trust her, though she continued to try to be a good daughter. Her little girl's efforts to be a good daughter broke Katrien's heart, and it was all she could do to hold up this mask just a little longer.
As soon as I get her away from him, then I can start being a good mother to her again, Katrien thought, once more repeating the mantra which had been her sole comfort during the last year, ever since Bucklin appeared in their lives. Strange, how it was her stepson's appearance in their lives which had forced Katrien to face the truth. She had never been trying to protect her daughter ... rather, she had made it that much easier for Avery to further his unnatural plans. She had protected herself, not her daughter.
In the beginning, he had been very different, of course. He had been very sweet and charming, as men like him so often were. She had fallen in love and agreed to marry him, without really knowing him. And after they were married, he started changing. In little ways, at first. Small things which should have warned her, but didn't. She was so terribly young and in love, and more than a little flattered that this handsome, powerful, older man had chosen her.
He changed again after she became pregnant, becoming overprotective. Again, this didn't trouble her. She foolishly thought it was because he loved her. But it was never her whom he cared about. Only the girlchild she was carrying. Something she realized shortly after Adriana was born, and found her husband watching the sleeping baby in a way which frightened Katrien. That glimpse was Katrien's first clue that she had married a pedophile.
As the years passed, she realized that not only had she married a pedophile, but Avery's sole purpose in marrying her was to breed and create the perfect wife for himself. He had chosen her, because he thought she would be malleable. Katrien was young, yes, and very stupid in the beginning. But she could be damn tough when the situation called for it. And when she realized what she had done to her daughter, Katrien toughened up in a hurry. Unfortunately, so had Avery. A confrontation occurred four years earlier, shortly before Adriana turned four years old.
He had threatened to take Adriana away from her if she divorced him. She had absolutely no problem believing that. He was a judge, after all, he knew the law. When that stopped working, she thought she was free. She was wrong. Avery next threatened to hurt their little girl if Katrien didn't start distancing herself from her baby. And Katrien, who had grown up with a domineering father, had believed him.
That was no excuse, of course. While she was growing up, she had hated her mother for not standing up to her father, and yet, here she was, doing the exact same thing! Worse, she had hated her mother for the wrong reasons. All this time, she had hated her mother for not standing up to her father ... but most of the time, when her father punished her for nothing Katrien had done, it was because of something which Katrien's mother had done.
My father was a control freak, Katrien thought bitterly, a domineering, anal-retentive bastard and my mother was a self-centered bitch who allowed her child to be punished for things she had done wrong. I swore to myself that I would be a better mother, and I failed! She narrowly resisted the temptation to dive into self-pity. That road led nowhere, and it would prevent her from doing what had to be done to save her daughter. She had to smile at that. She had given up on saving herself, but not on saving her daughter.
Perhaps it was the second sight, or a premonition. Perhaps Katrien Wilmington had accepted that there was no way out for her. She didn't know, not in that moment, not in that hour, not on that day. She just knew that time was running out for her and Adriana. She also knew that the best time for her to make her escape was while her husband was away. Each year, he took a fishing trip with some of his bench buddies, as he called them. They would go out of state for two weeks. And that would be the perfect time for her and Adriana to escape.
But those plans would never come to fruition. Only two weeks later, the day which Katrien Wilmington had chosen to escape with her daughter, the young Dutch woman was brutally murdered in her home. Her mutilated body was found by her eight year old daughter, who had come from school early. Adriana Kathleen Wilmington came home because she was sick, but what she saw that day would haunt her for the rest of her life. However, she wouldn't be the only one haunted by the events of that morning.
She slipped silently from their bed ... so silently that if he hadn't already been awake, he might not have noticed. Then again, maybe he would have ... the removal of her warmth from his side might have awakened him. That had happened before, especially since they were still getting used to this change in their relationship. He waited for twenty minutes, thinking she had gone to the kitchen for a drink of water. When she didn't return, he left their bed, carefully skirting around the dog in the center of the room. Scaring Miss Mindy would NOT be a good thing.
He did find his lady in the kitchen, but she wasn't eating or drinking anything. Instead, she was leaning against the counter, palms flat against the Formica, and she stared out at the night. He didn't say anything right away. There had been a day, only a week after their first night together, when she had a nightmare and he startled her when he joined her in the kitchen. He wasn't about to do that again, though it didn't look like she had anything sharp in her hand.
Still, with his Drina, Vin Tanner knew it was never a good idea to make assumptions. The last few days had been difficult, for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which was a confrontation with a man she worked with, at Tapestry. The confrontation had brought back memories Drina had buried for the last several years, and for that alone, Vin wanted to kill the son of a bitch. That wasn't even taking into account what he had actually done to her.
Vin tried to tell himself that what happened was in the past, and that James Sherwood could no longer hurt Drina. That some of what happened between them happened before Vin even met his lady. He tried to tell himself that he didn't have the right to rip out the bastard's guts, no matter how badly he wanted to. He tried to tell himself a lot of things, but when all was said and done, the fact remained.
James Sherwood had hurt the woman Vin loved. And he had made the mistake of approaching her, and then threatening her. That would not be tolerated. Drina and Bucklin's old man hadn't made himself known, so Vin couldn't do nothin' to him. But James Sherwood was another story entirely, and Vin privately swore to do a helluva lot worse than simply ripping out the older man's guts if Sherwood ever came near Drina again.
Then there was the continuing problem of Will Richmond. The man seemed to change his moods and personality about as often as ordinary people changed clothes. There had been a three day lull when he behaved like a human being ... that was the same time James Sherwood made his presence known. And then there were other days when his Mr. Hyde persona kicked in, as Mary put it. Then again, Mary wasn't particularly impressed with Richmond, even on a good day.
As Richmond's moods became more erratic, the magic circle started closing around both Charlotte and Tansy. So long as Richmond still had good days, Charlotte didn't want to leave him, didn't want to give up any chance that he would stabilize. But Vin knew, just as Drina did, that it wouldn't happen. And Charlotte couldn't live her life like that. Wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to Tansy. Carly had told her that, as had Lacey, against Aunt Jo's advice.
Vin's aunt was a right smart lady. She knew that Charlotte had to do this on her own, weren't no one else who could do it for her. Vin knew that, as much as it drove him insane. He knew it, and instead, he concentrated on the slender, dark-haired young woman standing in front of him. She said softly, "I didn't mean to wake you. Had another bad dream." Vin nodded, though she couldn't see him, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
Drina sighed, leaning back against him. Her hands clasped around his wrist as she turned in his arms to lightly kiss his jaw. Vin took the opportunity given and kissed her proper-like, and Vin felt her smile. The sharpshooter tightened his arms around her, wanting to absorb whatever was makin' his Drina so sad. He couldn't do that, so he held her instead. Sometimes, it was all you could do. They pulled apart after a moment, smiling faintly at each other. Vin gently dropped a kiss on her shoulder, saying nothing. One thing about his Drina, she would talk about whatever was botherin' her when she was ready. And not a second sooner. Kinda like him.
Adriana continued after a moment, "It was another one about my mother. Finding her that day." Her voice cracked a little, and Vin tightened his arms around her yet again. Yep, he had figured that was the case. Over the last several months, for one reason or another, more of Drina's memories had been awakened. There was Vin's own regression to childhood, her admission to Buck and Chris that her old man had molested her. Too many other things, too many other triggers. That coulda been a real bad thing, but Drina wasn't alone no more.
She was still in therapy, and Vin was encouraged that she had made a commitment to follow through with that. Janet had been worried about that, he knew. Adriana was a lot like her menfolk. She had a real hard time asking for help, and this was one burden no person should ever have to carry. Much less carry alone. In addition to her therapist, she had the magic circle, plus the Four Corners. She had Vin, of course, to say nothing of her big brother. All of her big brothers, really, but especially Bucklin.
"I gotcha, Drina," Vin whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. He laughed softly as a familiar furry body wormed her way between him and his lady, adding, "Reckon ya got Miss Mindy, too. Think we might woke her up?" He was rewarded with a soft laugh from Adriana, and Mindy nosed his hand, demanding to be pet. Vin just chuckled very softly, reaching down to pet his other lady, who promptly began to lick his hand.
"Possible," Drina answered with a soft laugh, "entirely possible." She sighed quietly, then added, "I don't know, Kevin. For twenty years, I've made myself forget as much about my mother as possible, and now, it seems like everything is coming back at once. I know that memories can only be dammed up for so long, before they start coming through the cracks ... but this feels so strange. Like ... like someone is trying to warn me."
"Mebbe they are," Vin answered seriously. Drina turned in his arms to look at him, and Vin continued, "Drina, think about it. Most a' the time, when ya dream, it don't make no sense, right?" She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes from his face, and Vin went on, "But every time you've had this dream, it ain't like that. It makes sense, it makes too much sense, it's too clear." Again, Drina nodded.
"That's what scares me, Vin ... that's why it feels like someone is trying to warn me," she answered in a low voice, her hazel eyes fixed on his own blue. Vin didn't know what to say to that. It sounded like she thought she needed to be lookin' over her shoulder for her old man. But, she wasn't alone no more. Vin knew everything now. She had told him about every incident, about each shame her father had inflicted on her. Vin knew everything. He would watch Drina's back ... and he knew the others would watch his.
Elsewhere that night, another member of SG-7 was dealing with a different sort of parental trouble. Ezra Standish sighed, rubbing his forehead, as he once more read through the email from his mother. There was an upcoming gala at the museum, celebrating something or other, and his mother wanted to attend with him. However, why she wanted to attend this particular fete was proving to be problematic.
It wasn't his mother's fault (for once). Rather, Ezra was having a difficult time focusing on the words, because of an infernal headache. He hadn't even gone to bed yet, and the way things were going right now, it seemed unlikely that he would get any sleep tonight. He was fortunate, as SG-7 had the week off. They and SG-1 had just finished a supremely successful mission, and for that, the generals had given both teams the entire week off. Until this evening, Ezra had planned to spend that week doing ... absolutely nothing.
That was before a series of disasters struck. First, that annoying miscreant, Will Richmond, had rear-ended Ezra's car. That was bad enough. But the reprobate had the gall to blame Ezra for it, when both men knew that it wasn't. Charlotte Richmond had been in her husband's van, and she told Will that it was his own fault. True enough, she hadn't been particularly polite about it, but she only got involved after Richmond yelled in Ezra's face.
With Charlotte's entrance into the conversation (if it could, indeed, be called a conversation), things went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. Richmond had turned the full force of his rage against his wife, and it was only Ezra's intervention, along with timely aid from Jack O'Neill, which prevented from all hell breaking loose. Speaking of disasters, Ezra knew it was none of his concern, but why in the world didn't Charlotte end the disaster which was her marriage? Especially before it ended her life?
And if her husband's temper continued to get violent, Ezra was afraid that was entirely likely. Charlotte kept telling people, while apologizing for her husband, that he wasn't always like that. Well, Ezra knew that. He had seen the chastened Will Richmond in the immediate aftermath of the wagon train from hell. But that was beside the point. Never mind what Richmond was like once. This was what he was like now, and Ezra was concerned for Charlotte's small daughter Tansy. This couldn't be good for her, after all.
Then there was the actual damage done to his beloved car. Until it was repaired, it was not recommended that he drive it. Jack O'Neill had ever so kindly offered him a ride, and rather than wait on one of the others, Ezra had accepted. The ride home was uneventful (thank God), and Ezra thanked the colonel profusely. He had planned to heat up some leftover lasagna, brought over for him by Adriana and Vin.
Here, Ezra stopped and smiled. He couldn't have been the only person who had noticed the changes in those two. It was so obvious to him. It was obvious even to his mother, who had chastised Ezra for allowing Adriana to get away from him, this conversation taking place shortly after the wagon train from hell. Ezra pointed out to Maude that he loved Adriana as a little sister, and she had suffered through one kind of incest already. His mother's reaction had surprised him.
She had looked thoughtful and sad, and replied something to the effect that she had thought as much, but didn't want to believe it. A very strange remark, for a woman who had made her living for the first forty years of her life in the dark side of life. It didn't surprise him, however, that she realized that Adriana had been molested. Maude was a shrewd woman. It was part of what made her such a good con artist.
Among her gifts as a con artist (and as a politician), there was the gift to assess an individual, both their strengths and weaknesses. These were things she had to know, especially when she was running for office or running a con. No, it didn't surprise him that Maude had realized just what kind of a monster Avery Wilmington was. Her sadness surprised him, as did her offer of help. She told him that if the Seven ever needed help in taking down that son of a bitch, she would be there. Then again, maybe that shouldn't have surprised him. Maude had been a con artist, but one thing she absolutely loathed was anyone who harmed a child.
After all, she had helped the Seven and Mary expose the men who had killed Stephen Travis, and who had tried to kill little Billy. Maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised that his mother's outrage would be ignited by a judge who had molested his young daughter, and who had probably killed his wife. Of course, there was no solid proof to the latter, but Ezra wasn't interested in a court case. Only in protecting his family.
Family. Ezra sighed, returning his attention to the email from his mother. A second read-through told him that his mother had been asked to cut the ribbon on a particular exhibit. Further, much to his surprise, Ezra learned that his mother had helped fund the expedition which resulted in this particular exhibit. More to the point, she had been a driving force behind it. Which raised two questions. First, what did his mother get out of it, and secondly, did she use taxpayers' money to do it?
Both questions were fair enough, especially the second one. After all, one of the first things she had taught him was to never use his own money? On the other hand, his mother was in politics now, and she was certainly not stupid enough to do something which could cost her everything. His mother was an enigma, even to him. Or maybe, especially to him. And in the end, it didn't really matter. The only thing he had to decide was whether or not he would accompany his mother to this gala.
It was totally on a whim, but he decided he would. Not because he had to worry about his mother asking Josiah to go in his place ... that would never happen, thanks to one Sergeant Josephine Tanner. While his mother and Josie were best friends, there were some things which Josie absolutely would not tolerate. First among those things was betrayal, and Maude knew that. Dr. Josiah Sanchez was now off-limits.
No, it was a mere whim that made him decide to go to the gala with his mother, three nights from now. With that decided, some of his headache eased. He quickly emailed Maude with his answer, and moved on. A third of his personal email was spam ... all of which Ezra deleted without a second thought. However, a subject line kept him from deleting one email from an unfamiliar user id.
The subject line read, 'Remember Kyra.' The only Kyra he knew was Kyra Jackson, Nathan's cousin. Ezra frowned thoughtfully, then double-clicked on the item. The user id belonged to one 'denmotherDJ@connect.com.' The reason for this became very clear as he began reading it. It was from none other than Dawn Jackson, and a smile crossed Ezra's face as he read the email.
'Hey Ezra! Bet you don't remember me, but I'm willing to bet you remember my sister Kyra. And I know for a fact you remember my cousin Nathan, because you work with him. : ) Yup, it's me, Dr. Dawn Jackson, psychologist and den mother. Thus my email addy. I decided I liked the idea of being a den mother, and so, that's what I chose when I set up my personal email. And in case you're wondering how I got YOUR email addy, wonder no more. It's very simple. I got it from Carly Tucker.' Ezra had to think for a minute whom she meant by 'Carly Tucker,' because the name was vaguely familiar. However, he couldn't place it.
Then he remembered. Carly Tanner once went by 'Carly Tucker.' As he continued to read, he smiled, seeing that Dawn remembered that as well. The very next paragraph began with, 'Ooops! As some of my younger patients have been known to say, my bad! When I figure out exactly what that means, I'll let you know. It's no different from my generation saying, 'to go,' in place of, ' to say.' And now I'm making myself feel old ... referring to my generation.'
Ezra laughed aloud at that remark. He had noticed the same tendencies himself. Many a time, he had caught Adriana, whose own grammar was usually fairly refined, saying, 'I went,' meaning that she had said something. Usually when she was too tired to think clearly. And he had also noticed Lacey Tanner using the 'my bad' comment. Dawn continued, ' In any event, I now remember that Carly has taken back her rightful name of 'Tanner,' and heaven help you all. According to Charlotte, there are now no less than four Tanners among you!'
Ezra did a quick count, and realized she was indeed correct. There was, of course, Vin Tanner, the original among the Seven. Then there were his two sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth, as well as his aunt, the original Tanner herself, Josephine. That wasn't counting Paris Tanner or his youngest daughter, Jessica. Those four were bad enough, without drawing Paris or Jessica into the mix, especially if Ezra's own mother was around. Maude hated Jessica with a passion.
The Southerner chose to distract himself from thinking about his mother's ongoing feud with Jessica Tucker, by reading the rest of Dawn's email. He had a feeling that it was best if he didn't know what caused the feud between his mother and Jessica. However, Ezra found himself swallowing hard when he came to the ultimate point of the email. Dawn had been talking with the rest of the magic circle (meaning Charlotte, Carly, and Adriana), and she had decided that she would set up a practice in Colorado Springs. However, Dawn wanted him to keep it a secret, as she wanted to surprise her friends.
Ezra had no trouble with keeping Dawn's imminent arrival a secret. What did trouble him was the way his heart jumped in his chest when he read that line. Dawn was coming here. His face seemed to burn, the way he did after Vin Tanner talked him into wearing a dress to help rescue Mary from Wickes. Dawn was coming here. Oh Lord, help him. Dawn was coming here, to Colorado Springs. He could hardly wait!
Eventually, Adriana returned to bed, curling up beside Vin in the bed they had been sharing for the last few weeks. He was sound asleep, his heart beat strong and steady under her ear. Adriana took comfort from those things, and in the way his arms curled around her so protectively. But she wasn't at ease, not even after telling Vin about her dream.
That wasn't the only thing which concerned her. As she had planned, she and Buck had lunch together the day after her first night with Vin. While she wasn't ashamed of her relationship with Vin, she wasn't ready to announce it to the world, either. Much less to Buck, who didn't think anyone was really good enough for his baby sister. That was something which she had expected and prepared for.
Adriana knew her older brother, had come to know him very well over the last few months. Buck was still struggling with Vin and Adriana as a couple. She didn't think he was ready to deal with the knowledge that they were lovers. It was a good bet that Chris and Mary had figured it out. Well, Mary knew ... but she was pretty sure that Chris figured it out without any help at all from Mary.
So, she kept this piece of information to herself, at least for now. Instead, she and Buck caught up on other parts of their lives. She learned that JD was carefully winning back Vin's trust and respect. Strangely enough, in this time while she herself adjusted to being Vin's lover as well as his girlfriend, JD Dunne was a safe topic for them to discuss. Rightly enough, JD's first priority was rebuilding his shattered relationship with Vin, but the boy had made overtures to her as well. She hadn't rebuffed him, and saw a grateful gleam appear in JD's eyes.
They talked for a time about JD, then Adriana told her brother that Mary and Chris were starting to talk about a wedding date. After her brother gave a shout of 'hallelujah,' Buck started telling her about what had gone on during their last mission, a recounting which never failed to either inform her or amuse her. Vin usually didn't talk about missions, unless something truly upset him. Buck, of course, was the exact opposite. Everyone knew that. Adriana had heard people talk about the difference between her brother and her man. Few, aside from the Seven and their ladies, ever saw the similarities.
But what troubled Adriana now wasn't her conversation with her brother. As usual, she had enjoyed her luncheon with her brother immensely. Rather, it was a brief talk with Inez, while Buck was in the men's room. She had her first clue that something was off, when Inez approached her only moments after Buck left her, asking if they could talk. In Spanish. Adriana agreed immediately, and in that same language, Inez explained why she wanted to talk to her privately, without Buck around.
What Inez had said shocked Adriana to her very core. She had wanted to tell Inez that she was wrong. But something stopped Adriana from saying any such thing. Maybe it was the utter solemnity in Inez's usually laughing dark eyes, or a memory. In any event, she kept her peace and let the other woman say what she felt had to be said. And then she promised Inez that she would consider what was said.
She had wanted to deny it. Wanted to remind Inez that this was Buck they were talking about, but she just couldn't do it. Was it really possible that Inez was right? Inez sometimes saw things which she didn't, for various reasons, after all. Adriana didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to believe that her brother's heart would be ripped out. There were other possible endings, but they all frightened her. Happy endings usually escaped these situations.
'I think Buck is falling in love with Charlotte Richmond,' Inez had told her in Spanish. Could Adriana truly afford to deny this, given what she had seen at Karaoke Night, when Buck kissed Charlotte? Worse yet, could her brother afford the heartbreak of falling in love with a woman whose marriage was rapidly dissolving around her? Charlotte couldn't afford an affair right now, as it might cost her Tansy. And Adriana knew that Tansy was the center of her friend's universe.
Adriana didn't know what to do. Buck was eleven years older than she was, after all. He had been charming ladies since she was a small child herself. It wasn't as if she had any experience to call upon, to help her brother. And he was a grown man, what business did she have even thinking about intervening? He was her brother, and she loved him. She didn't want to see him get hurt.
It would have been an iffy situation, even if Will Richmond was a fully rational human being, but lately, Adriana had doubts about his rationality. His jealousy was quickly getting out of control. That wasn't the only thing about him which was out of control. She arrived late on the scene, after Will rear-ended Ezra's car ... while Ezra was still in his parking space. Will was out of control, and there was nothing any one could do until he crossed the line.
That was why Charlotte hadn't left him yet. She still held out hope that she could find a way to bring him back to her. She still loved her husband ... and Adriana suspected that Will was all she had left of Allison. If she gave up on him, then Allison was gone from her forever. Charlotte's logic occasionally escaped Adriana, but she thought she understood her friend this time. Which didn't mean she liked it any better.
Still, as Vin had told her repeatedly. It wasn't her decision to make. Yes, she knew that. But that didn't stop her, or the rest of the magic circle, from encouraging Charlotte to make contingency plans. She had agreed, a bit reluctantly, because at the moment, the only way she would leave Will was if he ever hurt Tansy. And she didn't want to believe he would ever get to that point, given his continuing grief for Allison's death.
Even so, she wasn't willing to bet her younger daughter's life on that. With that settled, the magic circle had agreed upon a plan ... the entire magic circle, including Janet and Sam. If Will ever went too far, it would be handled within the SGC. Bringing in the police would be too complicated, even though the domestic problems of the Richmond family had little direct impact on national security. But having the police involved would still complicate things. No, they decided, if things reached the critical level, General Hammond would be contacted immediately. He had no tolerance for such things among his people.
He had agreed when Janet Frasier brought the plan to him, and adding that if he ever received that phone call from Charlotte or Tansy, he would send SG-1 to the Richmond residence. It seemed he was worried that if Will did go too far, there wouldn't be enough of him left for Hammond or General Travis after Buck and Josiah were finished with him. Sam observed wryly that this was still a possibility with Teal'c, Jack, and Daniel. Hammond knew that, but he would take his chances with SG-1, rather than SG-7.
So a plan was in place. Charlotte had an emergency bag for both her and Tansy sitting inside her closet. Just in case. Each member of the magic circle knew their part. Since there were now eight in the magic circle, including Charlotte herself, there would always be someone still planet-side, with whom Charlotte and Tansy could stay. They had done all they could, but Adriana still worried that it wouldn't be enough.
Even so, her exhausted mind started to shut down. She snuggled against Vin, his arms tightening around her reflexively as another memory flashed through her mind. It was a memory, wasn't it? Adriana thought so, even though she had seen something similar only days earlier while she and Charlotte were securing Tansy in the car before heading to the flea market. The image burned into Adriana's mind showed the archaeologist a five year old version of herself, grinning happily as her mother tucked a blanket around her securely.
And as that memory carried her into dreamland, Adriana wondered sleepily if there was something about Charlotte which reminded her of her mother. Good memories, instead of the coldness which Katrien had shown her for so long. Maybe that reminder of those years when her mother loved her was part of the reason why she and Charlotte were friends. But Adriana was too tired to think about it further, and without further ado, she finally fell back to sleep.
"Hey Charlotte!"
It was now two days until the museum gala, and the official opening of the new exhibit. All of the SGC's archaeologists were invited, but not all of them made their decision as yet. In this last group was Charlotte Richmond. She was studying the information brought back by SG-12 from their last mission, and trying to decide if she should ask Janet to watch Tansy while she went to the gala, when she heard a familiar voice call her name.
She looked up and smiled as Vin Tanner approached her. Oh, good, she wanted to talk to him anyhow, though not about Stargate business. He grinned back at her, asking, "Hey, have ya seen Drina at all today?" Charlotte raised her brows at her friend, smiling a little at the question. Vin actually blushed and ducked his head, adding, "Wanted a second opinion."
"A second opinion? I suppose I can do that. Although, considering your relationship, I wouldn't think you'd need a second opinion. Not even Buck knows her as well as you do," Charlotte observed. Vin turned even redder, and the archaeologist slapped his shoulder, adding, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Kevin Tanner! I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that she tells you what's bothering her more than she tells anyone, except maybe Mary."
"Don't wanna bother Mary right now. Way Drina is talkin,' my brother's finally gettin' his ass movin' in the right direction. Drina ... she seems a mite occupied. Been havin' dreams 'bout her ma. It ain't like her, Carlota, not in the least," Vin replied, sounding anxious. Charlotte looked at him sympathetically. This whole relationship business was something very new for Vin, and he was struggling with his new parameters.
The trouble was, given the state of her own marriage, Charlotte didn't think she was in any position to tell Vin anything. She replied, "Well, maybe it's just the changes in her life lately, Vin. I mean, your relationship has changed again, and maybe Drina is wishing her mother was still alive, so she could talk to her about these things." Vin didn't look particularly convinced of that. Charlotte couldn't remember the last time she dreamed, which was another reason she didn't really feel like she should advise Vin about this.
"Everythin' happens for a reason," the tracker replied firmly. Charlotte didn't argue with him. For one thing, it did no good. For another, she wasn't so sure that he was wrong. But at the moment, she had her hands full with just dealing with Will on a regular basis. Her husband was becoming more and more out of control, and Charlotte was nearing the end of her patience. She was beginning to fear that there would be nothing to hold their marriage together ... not even love. As if reading her mind (how did he do that?), Vin asked softly, "How much longer are ya gonna hold on, Carlota? Where is the line in the sand?" She looked at him, wanting to lash out at him, but lacking the energy.
"We've had this conversation before, Vin. I'm not ready. I ... I don't know. Dammit!" she swore, running her hand through her hair. It was growing back ... with everything which happened lately, she didn't have time to get it cut. Just one more distraction, one more part of her life which was going to hell in a handbasket. Charlotte closed her eyes, saying very softly, "I almost gave up once, before the time was right. I don't want to make the same mistake twice."
"He's outta control, Charlotte, ya know that. I heard about what happened with Ez, the other day. Both a' the generals are runnin' outta patience with him. I've heard more than one person say he oughta be shipped out to the field, by himself or with Maybourne," Vin answered. Charlotte smiled in spite of herself. That actually didn't surprise her. Vin went on, "You plan on keepin' yer promise to Drina?"
Promise? Oh yes, the promise. The promise that she would leave Will, this time for good, if he ever struck her or Tansy. She nodded. Yes, she would keep that promise, though she didn't believe it would ever be necessary. Will might be spinning out of control, but she didn't believe that he would ever hurt her or Tansy. But she did keep that night bag packed in her car, just in case Will started frightening her again.
"All right then. Just as long as ya mean to keep that promise. I know Will's startin' to scare Drina," Vin replied. That surprised Charlotte. She knew Will totally destroyed his friendship with Adriana over the last few months, but this was the first time anyone mentioned anything about her friend fearing Will. That made Charlotte uneasy in response. She was too close to the edge to see the danger ... perhaps she should listen to her friends?
"I swear to you, Vin, just as I did to Adriana. If he ever hits me, or Tansy, I will leave him. For good. He won't have any more second chances after that," Charlotte told her long- time friend. Vin nodded, still looking worried, and Charlotte continued, "Now, tell me what's really bothering you about Adriana. I know it's not just these dreams she's been having. There's something more which is bothering you."
They began to walk again, and Vin replied, "Ya know that Drina's been in therapy for the last few months, has been ever since the Magyar expedition." Charlotte nodded. She wasn't here at the time, of course, but she heard about it. And she was glad Drina was finally in therapy. Vin went on, "See, what really bothers me is, with all them memories she suppressed for so long ... she suppressed some of the good memories, too."
"And now she's getting those back," Charlotte observed. Vin nodded, and the archaeologist continued, "You know, I don't know that much about psychology. I took some courses, trying to help me understand Will better. I think it was a case, though, of a little knowledge being dangerous." Vin smiled at that, and Charlotte went on, "It seems to me, though, that Drina suppressed the good memories for a real good reason."
Vin just raised his eyebrows at her, and Charlotte explained, "It's something I've noticed myself. The bad memories hurt worse, when you put them beside the good ones. Again, I'm no therapist, but Adriana may have shut out the good memories as well, because it was easier to hate her mother and blame her for the abuse which Avery Wilmington inflicted on her. It's totally understandable. Where her parents are concerned, Drina is still an eight year old girl."
"Ya mean, she reacts like a child, like the little girl she was when her ma died?" Vin asked. Charlotte nodded. Vin was silent for several moments, then asked, "That ain't everything, though, is it? That don't explain why the dreams scare her so bad. Ya cain't tell me, Charlotte, that you ain't noticed the dark circles under her eyes lately." Charlotte ignored the somewhat accusatory tone and went with the truth.
"Of course I have, Vin, but it's like I said. I know your relationship with her has changed. I thought the two of you were up to some bedroom acrobats, and that was what was keeping her awake," she replied with a faint smile. Charlotte usually didn't mention the change in their relationship. Vin was sensitive about some things, and she didn't want to upset him. Not just because Adriana would skin her alive, but because he was her friend. Vin turned bright red with embarrassment, and Charlotte added, "I'm not trying to embarrass you, Vin, just trying to explain. Maybe Adriana isn't ready to talk about whatever's bothering her."
"She does talk about it, though. She has this recurrin' dream, and it's scarin' her. Last night, after she left our bed, I asked her about it. She says it feels like somebody's tryin' to warn her. That's scarin' her, and it's scarin' me. The only thin' which makes any sense is that ... " Vin began. His face went very cold, and Charlotte looked from her friend to her husband, who was glowering at them both. Not now, dammit! She tried to remind herself that Will was still her husband, that he was Tansy's father, just as he was Allison's father. But every day, he made that more and more difficult.
"What the hell are you doin' with him, Charlotte?" Will snarled as he approached. The archaeologist didn't answer. Rather, she folded her arms over her chest, tucking her papers under one arm. Will repeated, "I said, what the hell are you doin' with him? You're my wife, not his. Go chase after your own woman, Tanner, maybe you can keep her from gettin' involved with things that ain't none of her business."
Oh, that was such a bad idea, on so many different levels! What was Will thinking? He wasn't. That was the problem. Vin's blue eyes narrowed and he replied, "Well now, that all depends on what ya consider her business. I ain't like you, Richmond. I don't push my wife or kid around. Drina knows what she's doin,' which is more than I can say for you." Charlotte swallowed hard, seeing that things were just about to spin out of control. She saw in in her husband's eyes, and she began to speak, to try to deflect Will's fury.
It wasn't necessary. A commanding voice said, "That's enough, both of you. Dr. Richmond, I believe you have some papers for me?" Charlotte looked around her husband, to see General Hammond behind him. Will, strangely enough, backed down. Charlotte numbly turned the papers over to him, though she was still going over them. The general glanced over them, then said, "We need to discuss this, Doctor ... we'll go to my office."
General Hammond looked back at the two men, adding, "Mr. Richmond, you are plucking my last nerve. Don't push me too far, or I'll take the advice of Colonel O'Neill and dump you on a solo field assignment. I think Colonel Maybourne might enjoy having some company, wherever he happens to be. Mr. Tanner ... I believe Colonel Larabee is looking for you." Vin dipped his head in acknowledgment, touched Charlotte's arm, then sauntered off.
How totally like Vin, and Charlotte felt herself smiling in spite of herself. Will was glaring daggers at his back, and General Hammond added, "Mr. Richmond, don't make me do something you'll regret. You have work to do." Will turned to face him, struggling to bring his fury under control, and the general turned back to Charlotte, saying, "Now, this information which SG-12 brought back. Have you had a chance to evaluate it?" "I was just starting to go over it, sir. From my prelim reading, it seems likely that the the Gou'ald used this as another way station, for lack of a better word ... a stopping place from Earth to another planet. There are a variety of different artefacts, from a variety of different cultures," Charlotte answered. The general led her away, toward his office, and Charlotte released a breath. Maybe Adriana and the others were right. Maybe it was time to give up on Will.
As if Vin didn't have enough to worry about, now there was Charlotte's stubborn tenacity where her husband was concerned. Technically, it wasn't any of his business, but Vin Tanner was never one to let a little thing like a technicality bother him. Was a time, sure, years ago, when he was attracted to Charlotte. She was lonely and pretty and sad. Vin Tanner could never turn away from a woman like that.
But that was years ago, and he had Drina now. Drina, who was one of Charlotte's best friends. The night before, he heard her mumble something to herself about Charlotte remindin' her of her mama. This morning, when he had some free time, Vin decided to investigate that possibility. It made sense to him, when he thought about it. Maybe Will wasn't quite as bad as Avery Wilmington (especially if Vin's gut was right about the son of a bitch killing his wife), but he was bad enough.
While they were in Virginia, Vin asked Buck about his step-mother. It was the night after their visit to Busch Gardens, and Mary and Adriana retreated to the room they were sharing. Buck was quiet for a long time, before telling him that Katrien was a strange woman. At the time, he hated her, for the way she treated his little sister, but Buck lately found himself thinking about the past a lot.
Certain things didn't make sense to him. If Adriana was raised by such a cold woman, wouldn't her personality show it? Certainly, she was shy in the beginning, there was no question of that. But once she felt comfortable with a person, her natural warmth shone through, along with her warped sense of humor. Vin interjected, of course, at that point that Drina's sense of humor was always more warped when she was around Mary.
Buck laughed at that, replying that it worked both ways. For some reason, his baby sister brought out Mary's latent evil streak. They were light and dark, but the only friendship stronger than theirs was Chris' friendships with Buck and Vin, because they had more history together. Buck continued that in those early years, Katrien was as cold toward his father as she was toward Adriana. Which made Buck think that she was cold.
But it made no sense. The nineteen year old Buck Wilmington couldn't reconcile the coldness with the longing glances she would send toward Adriana. As if she wanted to sweep her daughter into her arms and never let her go. On the other hand, she seemed genuinely cold toward Buck's father ... eyeing him warily, and making sure he ... he stayed away from DeeDee? She always stiffened when he went near DeeDee. Did she know? Vin listened intently, trying to make sense of it himself. It didn't make no sense to him, neither, but as the months passed, and more memories tore free from Adriana's healing psyche, Vin grew more certain that Katrien Wilmington did love her daughter ... just as much as Charlotte loved Tansy. Or Allison.
Was that the connection between the two women, then? Not just the similar men they married? No, that didn't make no sense, neither. For one thing, Katrien was very young when she met and married Avery Wilmington. Not as young as Vin's birth mother when he and Carly were born, but still very young. It was possible, of course, that there was another child born to Katrien before Adriana.
But not likely. No. It was something else. And Charlotte never distanced herself from Tansy. If anything, she was probably over-protective. Charlotte never entirely forgave herself for Allison's death, though she didn't have nothing to do with it. No, there was some other common denominator there. Something which bound Charlotte and Katrien, and something very important. Find that common denominator, and ...
What? Vin didn't know. In a way, he felt that he had to unscramble this puzzle to protect his Drina. Will wasn't Drina's father. Really, aside from Vin's dislike of both men, he wasn't anything like that bastard. Much as Vin detested the senior archaeologist, he knew that Will would never do to Tansy, the things Avery done to Drina. It just wasn't in him. Vin shook his head.
"Trying to solve the problems of the world, little brother?" Chris asked and Vin shook his head again. He looked at his brother questioningly, before a wide grin spread across his face. Chris glared at him, growling, "Not a word out of you, Tanner, or so help me ... " Vin didn't say a word. He was laughing too hard. There were times, especially during the last few weeks, when Chris arrived at the base, smelling of a hint of cinnamon. The first time it happened, Chris explained that it was lingering from Mary's air freshener, in her car.
Today, however, was something entirely different. Vin, who came to recognize certain scents during the last few weeks, recognized it immediately. The younger brother asked with a mischievous grin, "Got into Mary's perfume bottles, didja?" Chris growled at him, and Vin only laughed harder. He knew what it was, of course. He discussed the prank with Mary ahead of time. She was only too eager to help, especially after hearing Chris repeatedly tease Vin about smelling of coconut the morning after his first night with Drina.
"I will have a long, long talk with her tonight," Chris bit out. However, his eyes were sparkling with hidden laughter, and Chris added, "Damn, I can't believe she did that! I mean, this is Mary we're talkin' about! Mary! She's been spending way too much time with your girlfriend! She actually switched bottles on me! She took one of my old cologne bottles and poured some of her perfume into it." Vin almost slid down the wall, laughing helplessly, not just at his former teacher's trick, but at his brother's reaction.
Damn, he thought, trying desperately to bring his laughter under control, when Mary told me that she would take care of it, she weren't foolin.' I gotta watch out for her, make sure I don't piss her off none! When he could finally compose himself, Vin replied, "Well, what the hell did you do to piss her off so badly, cowboy? Like you said, she musta got that prank from Drina ... reminds me of her cherry soda for beer prank."
Chris groaned, "Don't remind me ... Orrin does that for you every time he and Evie are over for dinner!" That sent Vin into fresh spasms of laughter. For some reason, he could just bet. Though stiffly professional when he was on the job, Orrin Travis also had a wicked sense of humor. In fact, the general could probably give the entire SG-7 team pointers on pranks. According to General Hammond, he and Orrin often played pranks on each other when they were younger. Come to think of it ... hmm, there was an idea!
However, all Vin would say was, "Just don't piss her off no more, cowboy. Mary's right dangerous when she wants to be." Chris shook his head, and Vin continued, "General Hammond tol' me that ya wanted to see me. I figger it don't have nothin' to do with how sweet ya smell." Vin ducked as his older brother took a swipe at his head, laughing again before adding, "Then again ... "
For the moment, Avery Wilmington, his wife, and her tie to Charlotte were forgotten. But the problem remained just below the surface of Vin's mind, always simmering, always trying to find ways to be solved. Vin Tanner never gave up on anyone or anything. And when it entailed the life of the woman he loved, a pit bull wouldn't be more tenacious. He would find the answer ... sooner or later. That was a promise.
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