SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMER: M7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. I'm notmaking any money from writing this story, I just love to write. Adriana is mine, as are Priscilla Meadows (and her students, except Will and Charlotte Richmond, who also belong to Trilogy, et al.), Carly Tucker, and Dawn Jackson (okay, so is Detective McCoy). You're welcome to borrow them, as long as you ask first, and return them intact.
SPOILERS: Mainly my twisted version of Wagon Train, Manhunt and Vendetta, references to The Collector.
WARNING: Original characters, some violence, nasty language in certain sections, and this is gonna be a LONG story. I'm covering three years in this story, so it's gonna be long. It's not gonna be 'day by day,' just the highlights, but it's still gonna be long.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This begins in 1992, eight and a half years before the events in The Light in the Distance.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Adriana's behavior when she's wiped out comes from observing my best friend in a similar state. I often tease her about how we don't need to get her drunk ... just watch her when she hasn't slept in twenty-four hours, and that's entertaining enough.
It was one am before everyone went to bed. Around ten, people started quieting down and all attention turned toward the movie which was playing at the time. Adriana fell asleep, her head resting securely on Vin's shoulder. He put an arm tentatively around her shoulders, to make her more stable, and she didn't pull away. If anything, she drew closer, seeking warmth from his body. And he felt warm. He didn't know what he had done to earn her trust, but it felt good.
As the students drifted back to their rooms, to get some sleep, Vin finally woke Adriana. Over the next hour, they sent more students to bed, and began cleaning up the rec room. The pizza boxes were the first to go in the garbage, followed by the plates. What could be recycled, would be. The soda cans went into a separate recycling bag, and the noise from the cans woke the remaining students. They stumbled off to bed, leaving Vin, Adriana, and Carly to finish the clean up job between the three of them.
As before, Vin put away the tables and chairs, while the girls disposed of the bags in the proper recycling bins and swept the floor. By the time they finished, all three were getting giggly and giddy. Or was that giddy and giggly? The question posed by Carly sent all three into fresh spasms of giggles. Vin couldn't remember ever laughing hard in his life. For the first time in years, he found himself actually behaving like a teenaged boy. And it felt so good. Like he actually belonged in this place, never mind his secret.
Carly was the first to head to her room, hugging Adriana. She was so tired, it seemed, she didn't even flinch when Carly hugged her. That was important, though Vin couldn't for the life of him remember why it was important, exactly. Adriana was unplugging her boombox, and started to carry it back to her room, but Vin quickly grabbed it from her. She blinked at him and he said before she could ask, "It's heavy. You're tired. I'll carry it."
"Maybe I should carry it," Dawn said, approaching the pair. She eyed Adriana, who was having a hard time standing up. She had gone to her room a few hours earlier and changed into a nightgown, slippers, and a robe. She had been cleaning up like that, and it was a wonder she hadn't tripped over the robe. The so-called 'den mother' continued, "I'll carry the boom box. You carry Adriana, the girl looks ready to fall over."
"D'ya mind if I do that, Adriana?" Vin asked. Adriana cocked her head to one side, and it didn't take much to figure out she was getting sillier and sleepier. She put her hand on his shoulder, and that was all Vin needed. He slipped his arm around her waist, then put his other arm under her knees and swung her into his arms. She giggled with delight, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her breath was soft against his cheek ... nope, she didn't smell of liquor.
"She always gets silly when she's this tired. She seems like she'sdrunk, but she's really tired. The last time I saw her get like this, she had been up for about twenty-four hours straight. She's not so on guard when she's like this," Dawn explained as she led Vin to the elevator. The bounty hunter looked at her, and Dawn explained, "Did you really think I wouldn't notice the looks you gave her? She's starting to trust you. Don't question it ... just accept it."
"Quit talking 'bout me," Adriana growled against Vin's shirt. He exchanged a grin with Dawn over her head, and Adriana mumbled, "Are you ticklish, Vin?" As she spoke, the arm which had been wound around his shoulders dropped, brushing his ribs. Vin barely managed to hold in a squeak. He was nineteen years old, he was a bounty hunter, and bounty hunters didn't squeak, dammit. Unless of course, he was being tickled, but that wasn't his fault.
To prevent her from doing any more damage, Vin replied, "Yup, but I'll drop ya if ya start." Adriana just sighed dramatically, and the arm draped over the back of his shoulders once again. Again, Vin grinned at Dawn, who was shaking with silent laughter. He didn't really mind Adriana's silliness ... it kept him from focusing on how much he hated elevators. Besides, it was good to see her like this. After what he had heard about her family, it didn't seem real likely that she had much of a chance to get silly.
At last, the elevator stopped and they headed to Adriana's room. She had fallen asleep, her body a dead weight against Vin. He had retrieved Adriana's wallet and keys from her robe pocket, giving them to Dawn as she put down the boom box, then she unlocked the door. Vin followed her into the room, smiling at the unholy mess. She wasn't a neat freak ... hell, her room looked like a twister had swept through it!
Dawn cleared off her bed, and Vin very gently placed her under the covers. As he turned to leave, he heard Adriana mumble sleepily, "Thanks, Vin."
He stopped and looked back at her, but she had already fallen back to sleep. Dawn was gently removing the robe from her body, and Vin quickly averted his eyes. He bobbed his head and left the room quickly. He was down the hall and down the stairs, ignoring Dawn's attempts to get him to stop. He had to get out of here. Now. Watching Dawn with Adriana just now, had brought back memories already dangerously close.
He stopped long enough to retrieve his jacket from the rec room, then burst from the dorm. Lord, he couldn't breathe! He took several deep breaths of the night air, wiping tears from his eyes. The air on the back of his neck stood up, and Vin spun, sensing trouble behind him. It was already too late ... something hard connected with his temple, and Vin collapsed to the ground, his legs suddenly feeling like wet noodles.
He passed in and out of consciousness ... when he was conscious, he was aware of the beating. He had been pulled to his feet while unconscious. His arms were pinned behind his back while something struck him. It wasn't until he had regained consciousness for the third time that it was a baseball bat now being used to break his bones. They had used a goddamn baseball bat to soften him up, and then took to using their fists and feet on him. It wasn't the first time Vin had been beaten up, but always in the past, he had managed to take out a few of them with him. This time, he was totally helpless.
Finally, his main attacker kicked him in his already broken ribs and one of the other men hissed, "Stay the hell away from Charlotte Richmond. Or the next time, we'll kill you, and that little bitch. 'Course, we'll have a little fun with her first, and maybe you too." Through a haze of pain, he realized that they meant Adriana. But before he could make his intent clear, what he would do to them if they hurt her, the last of his strength disappeared and Vin finally passed out.
It was breaking glass which woke Adriana the following morning. She had been having a lovely dream about her brother and Chris, and even Sarah, when the sound of tinkling glass shattered her own rest. She sat up with a jerk, staring a bit stupidly at the hole in her window, as well as the glass which now littered her floor. The girl was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, when she heard Carly's anguished scream, "Adriana! Oh, God, somebody call the ambulance! Dawn!!!"
It wasn't the words which got Adriana out of bed, it was the sheer terror in Carly's voice. She wasn't even aware of getting out of bed ... much less slipping her feet into her slippers ... much less walking across the room to stare out the window. The next thing she remembered was looking out of her broken window, to see Carly crouched beside a still figure lying face down in the grass. Something about that prone body looked so familiar. Who did she know who wore blue jeans and a brown suede jacket?
The pizza party. Vin. Oh, dear God. She raced out of her room and down the hall. Vin had been hurt. Disregarding her own state of undress, Adriana ran out of the dorm, joining Carly on the grass beside the injured man. Tears were running down Carly's face as she explained brokenly, "I got up early, so I could go for my morning run, and he was out here. He woke up a few times, but he wasn't ... he didn't stay awake. God, Adriana, he's been lying out here ever since the party last night!"
"I've called the ambulance ... you girls haven't moved him, have you? Oh, Adriana, honey, go back inside and change!" Dawn exclaimed. Adriana didn't move. Couldn't seem to move, it felt like her muscles had locked her in place.
Even her eyes ... she couldn't seem to look away from the prone figure. Oh God. Dawn knelt on Vin's other side, and whispered, "Hey sweetheart ... good to see your eyes open. Do you know who I am?" A strangled groan was the response, but Dawn seemed satisfied. A moment later, Adriana found out why as Dawn said, "He's alert, but in a lot of pain. He's got one helluva bruise on his forehead ... that's why I was so concerned, but his eyes are following me. Vin, honey, do you know who did this to you?"
"Drina ... hurt?" came the barely audible, slurred whisper, "no hurt Drina. Kill you." Dawn cast a puzzled glance at Adriana, and the girl raised her hands helplessly. She had no idea what he was talking about. But her confusion was driven right out of her mind with his next words, and her blood froze as Vin murmured, "Charlotte ... stay away. Hurt Drina." Dawn looked even more puzzled, but it only barely registered with Adriana.
"Vin, did someone do this to you, to make you stay away from Charlotte? Did they threaten Adriana, too?" Carly asked. Dawn watched his face for several seconds, then looked up at the blonde girl and bobbed her head once in acknowledgment. That shook Adriana out of her shocked state. Carly leaned forward, her voice gentle despite the fury in her expression, and whispered, "Rest easy, Vin, you protected Adriana. She's safe."
"Tell him you're okay," Dawn mouthed, and Adriana was finally able to think properly. She still couldn't speak, so instead, Adriana rose to her feet and circled until she was standing beside Dawn, and Vin could see her. She sank to her knees, touching his hand gently. It took him a moment to focus on her, then she saw the relief in his eyes. But she saw the bruises on his face, and God only knew what kind of damage they had done to the rest of his body.
There was no more time for talk, because the paramedics had arrived. Dawn whispered, "We'll meet you at the hospital, honey, the ambulance is here to take care of you. Adriana, why don't you go upstairs and get dressed while the paramedics are looking over him? Vin? Would you like Adriana to ride with you?" This time, Adriana could see the barely-visible bob of his head, and the girl leaned forward ... she meant to kiss his cheek, but didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was.
So she contented herself with lightly touching his hair, then rose to her feet and ran back into the dorm. As she went through the door, she heard the paramedics asking if they knew what happened to him, the vital information such as his name, age, allergies, and anything else. It occurred to her that she didn't know how old Vin was. When they first met, she had guessed he was in his middle or late twenties, but he had seemed a lot younger the previous night. She was hopeless when it came to guessing ages.
She skidded to a stop as she reached her room, already mentally sorting through her drawers. She was unaware she had left the door open, until one of the guys asked in a low voice, "They say that guy who was hanging around with you at the party last night was found, beaten up pretty badly ... is that true?" Adriana jumped a half mile into the air, then collapsed against the door of her wardrobe, trembling. The boy continued, "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to scare you." Adriana nodded in acknowledgment, still shaking. Once she felt stronger, she responded.
"It's true. Carly Tucker found him this morning when she went out for her morning run," Adriana replied. She found the sweats she was looking for, and said, "I'm gonna open the closet door, so I can get dressed, but I'm listening." The boy nodded and Adriana opened the door of her wardrobe, so that she was hidden from his view while they talked. It occurred to her for the first time that Carly got up pretty early for her morning run, around five or so.
"How long was he out there? I mean, I don't know what time you guys went to bed, and what time he left, but he had to be out there for a few hours," the boy said. Adriana nodded thoughtfully, even though he couldn't see her. The boy continued, almost musing to himself, "Let's see, it's five thirty now ... so he's been out there for what, six hours? Damn, he's lucky to still be alive!"
Five thirty? Shee-it! No wonder she was having such a hard time thinking clearly! If she remembered correctly, she had finally gotten to bed around two the previous night. Or rather, earlier this morning. She said quietly, "About three hours ... and with the way they worked him over, he's real lucky he's still alive." Adriana grabbed one of her scrunchies and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. A shower could wait until later.
She closed the door, in time to see the boy's confused expression. He had left early, and Adriana explained a bit brusquely, "We were up until two, cleaning up. So he was out there for about three hours, before Carly found him this morning. I have to go. I promised Vin I would ride with him to the hospital. Purse. Shit, I need my purse." She didn't have time to look for it in this disaster area, so she grabbed her pouch instead, and dumped her wallet into it.
"I hope he pulls through, Adriana," the boy offered and Adriana nodded, motioning for him to go ahead of her. She locked the door quickly and headed downstairs, still holding the keys. Dawn met her at the doors, as the paramedics eased Vin onto the stretcher. The den mother plucked the keys from Adriana's fingers and tossed them to the boy. He said, "You want me and a few of the guys to get to work, cleaning up the glass?"
"You got it. Adriana, already talked to the medics, they know you're riding with them. They're getting ready to leave. Soon as I can, I'll meet you at the hospital, I just need to find someone to cover for me, then Carly and I will be on our way. He'll be fine, hon," Dawn said. Adriana nodded numbly, then followed the paramedics to the ambulance. He sure didn't look like he would be fine. She hoped she was wrong. Please God, she had to be wrong!
When Priscilla Meadows was a little girl, she remembered her father saying, 'sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.' She didn't start understanding that until she was an adult. Amazing, how much smarter your parents were as you got older. Priscilla knew that Adriana Wilmington believed she had all the answers, but the truth was, the only thing Priscilla knew for sure, was how little she really knew.
She had thought she was doing the right thing, steering Vin ever so gently away from Charlotte, and toward Adriana. She still thought she was doing the right thing, even if Vin did become cross with her for her ... misdirection. Regardless of whether Will (or Charlotte) knew it or not, Charlotte still had her husband. But if Priscilla had anything to say about it, Vin wouldn't get caught in that trap. Which was why she told him to go to the library when Adriana would be there. She knew all too well that Adriana would lose track of time ... that it would be late before she left the library. And she knew Vin wouldn't allow a vulnerable young girl to walk home alone, much less at night.
That Adriana had found the courage to ask Vin to join them at the bi-weekly pizza party in her dorm was icing on the cake. Truth be told, Priscilla was more proud of Adriana for that, than she was with herself for her misdirection which sent Vin to Adriana in the first place. She knew how shy Adriana ordinarily was ... good-looking guys terrified her. By all rights, Vin Tanner should have rendered her speechless.
But he hadn't. Both Charlotte and Doug had told her, when they reached the camp, that Adriana had stood up to Will, on Vin's behalf. Priscilla had accepted this as if she had expected it, but she hadn't. She knew Adriana had a backbone ... but the girl seemed reluctant to demonstrate it. Adriana would, if asked, had said that she wasn't doing it for Tanner, but for Raquel. Perhaps it was true. But it was the first time Adriana had reacted in that way to a man.
And make no mistake ... Vin Tanner had only been alive for nineteen years, but he was most assuredly a man. And right now, he was a man who was greatly irritating Priscilla. She had expected a report from him about the pizza party by now. She knew he got up early, and it was seven am now. She tried to tell herself that he was probably sleeping in. Even as she tried to force herself to relax, the telephone rang. It was about time!
But as she answered the phone, she became aware of two things. First, her caller was crying. Second ... it was a young girl calling her. Not Vin. Someone who knew of her, but whom Priscilla didn't know. Her unspoken questions were answered as the girl said, "Dr. Meadows, you don't know me, but my name is Carly Tucker. I'm a friend of Adriana Wilmington's. She asked me to call you."
Adriana? What was wrong with Adriana? Priscilla's blood froze. But Carly Tucker continued, "I'm at the hospital. Adriana's fine, but she's ... she can't talk right now. This isn't about Adriana, it's about Vin Tanner. He was beaten up pretty badly last night, and Adriana thinks you should come to the hospital as soon as you can." That was all she needed to hear. Vin was hurt? He had been beaten up? Carly Tucker lived in the same dorm as Adriana, had the beating occurred at the dorm? But why? Who did Vin know at the dorm, other than Adriana, or was it one of those random acts?
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Do you have any information for me ... is he in surgery, what's going exactly?" Priscilla asked, already searching frantically for her shoes. Dammit, where were they? Front door. Exactly where she had left them the previous night. Shoes. Now she had to think about her purse. Funny. She knew Vin was only nineteen, but in a way, he seemed so ... strong to her. To imagine him in the hospital ... or was it just that she considered him a son, as she considered Adriana a daughter?
Priscilla had never had any children, and so she had 'adopted' her students as her children. She loved them, worried over them, scolded them when they were foolish, would have breathed fire to protect them. But never before had she felt this heart-stopping fear. Vin was hurt ... badly hurt. A beating could be life-threatening ... But the girl was speaking again, and Priscilla struggled to focus on what she was saying.
"They're trying to stabilize him. I'm sorry, I need to go. We're on the second floor waiting room. The police want to talk to me ... Dr. Meadows? Could you do one more thing before you leave to come here? Make sure Charlotte Richmond stays away from Vin? She's the reason he was beaten up ... whoever beat him, said that if he didn't stay away from her, they would kill him and then they would go after Adriana. Dawn thinks her husband is behind this," the girl on the other end of the line told her.
No. Not possible. Even before the sentence was finished, Priscilla knew Will had nothing to do with the beating. Will had a lot of faults, and Priscilla knew just how threatened he felt by Vin Tanner. She also knew what men were like when they felt threatened by someone or something ... but he wasn't a coward in that respect. He would not have other men beat up another ... and he most definitely would not threaten Adriana. Their friendship had been shattered during the search and rescue of Raquel Hernandez, but Will cared about Adriana. That hadn't changed. The dynamics had changed, but he still cared for her.
However, it would only be a matter of time before the police started questioning him. Priscilla reiterated her promise to be there as soon as possible. And she fully intended to keep that promise ... however, first she had another phone call to make. She dialed Will's home phone number. He answered on the first ring, and Priscilla said quickly, "It's Priscilla, just shut up and listen, the rest of your life could be at stake."
When Will didn't protest the early hour or her terseness, Priscilla continued, "I just got a call from a girl named 'Carly Tucker.' She's a girl who lives in Adriana's dorm ... Adriana is fine, at least for the moment. Now, remember, keep quiet until I'm finished. Vin Tanner was attacked just outside Adriana's dorm last night. He was told, after being beaten half to death, that if he didn't stay away from Charlotte, they would come back and kill him ... and then they would kill Adriana." It took less than thirty seconds for her meaning to sink in, then he exploded.
"I would never hurt Adriana! I wouldn't mind beating the living crap out of Tanner, but I sure as hell wouldn't send someone else to do it!" Will blurted out. Priscilla waited patiently for the young man to calm down, which took several moments, but at last, he ran out of expletives. And he wondered why Charlotte preferred Vin's company????????
But Priscilla said nothing of this to Will. The man was proud, and he wouldn't take kindly to the inference that he was a bad husband ... even though he was. Will was silent for several moments, then said very quietly, "What was Tanner doing at Adriana's dorm, and why are you telling me this? You should know me better than that, Priscilla!"
"Because the police will start asking questions. They will learn that you and Vin tangled during our search for Raquel ... that your wife is very attracted to him. It's such an old story, Will. A man stops loving his wife, and she seeks comfort from a handsome younger man. An argument can be made, even though it isn't true, that this young man was beaten while leaving the dormitory of his girlfriend, also nineteen years old, who was also threatened," Priscilla replied.
"Tanner ... is only nineteen? He's just a kid!" Will blurted out, then said more thoughtfully, "Wait a minute. If this was about Charlotte, then whoever beat him up could have done it any time. And it would have to be someone who was on the dig. The time and place was chosen very carefully. Outside Adriana's dorm. It's someone who hates both of them." Priscilla smiled. Part of being an archaeologist was being a detective, a historical detective.
"Exactly," she replied. It was something she had thought about when she called Will. Too many things seemed out of place to the professor. Why had Vin been attacked outside Adriana's dorm ... why had she been threatened ... why had Charlotte Richmond been drawn into this? From what Vin had told her, he hadn't seen her since the dig, and he had only received those two messages from her.
And, it seemed Will had a good idea who had attacked Vin. Who had a reason to hate both youngsters. Who had been on the dig. The grad student snarled, "Boudreau. And that sonuvabitch is setting me up. I need to see ... what the hell?" Priscilla could heard Will muttering under his breath, thenhe hissed, "She's gone to him. At the hospital." Charlotte. Come on, Will, Priscilla thought, don't let your pride get in the way this time.
"I'll meet you there, Will," she said. The words were simple, but they were an order. She hung up before Will had a chance to agree or disagree. Her gut told her that Will was right. Boudreau was behind the attack on Vin. If he saw Charlotte at the hospital (and her instincts also told her that one of his goons would be there), then not only would Vin's life be in danger, but Adriana's as well. Her children needed her now ... she wouldn't let them down.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: The song which Adriana sings to Vin is "Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier," an American adaptation of an old Irish lament, 'Shule Aroon.' It was brought to the States in colonial times by Irish settlers, and was popular during the Revolution. Ergo, it no belong to me!
He ... hurt. As Vin slowly drifted back to awareness, two thing struck him. The smell of the hospital ... awwww, hell, not again! That was the first thing.
The second? The fact there didn't seem to be a part of his body which didn't hurt. A soft voice reassured him, he was in the hospital, he was safe, it was okay. If he could have, Vin would have laughed. Safe? Vin hadn't been safe since he was five years old. He slowly forced his eyes open, to find a girl who seemed familiar. Somewhere in his pain-fuzzy mind was the name which went with the triangular, pale face, dark brown hair, and nearly black eyes.
An image of his companion laughing. Pizza party. The very dark eyes now almost green as she laughed at something. Pizza party ... the dorm ... Adriana. He mouthed her name, and she smiled a bit weakly, saying, "Don't try to talk ... you've got broken ribs, Vin. Save your breath, okay?" For the first time, he realized she was holding his hand. More memories. Carrying her to bed. Watching Dawn tuck her into bed. Leaving when the memories became too much for him.
Being jumped outside the dorm, and the beating that followed. The threat. Sudden rage filled Vin's soul. They had threatened Adriana. Cowards. Dragging an innocent girl into this. Goddamn cowards. But she was alright. At least for the moment, but Vin was starting to remember what had led him here. They wanted him to stay away from Charlotte. He hadn't seen her in nearly a month. But what if she came to see him? Vin had to protect Adriana ... had to get away. The first time he tried to move, however, he realized that was impossible, as pain exploded through his entire body, dulling his senses and stealing his breath.
"Vin! Lie still! The doctors say that you don't have any internal bleeding, just some bruising. But you've got to lie still," Adriana said through the haze. Vin found himself clinging to her hand, and hating himself for the need to hold onto her. But her answering grip was fierce, and as the pain subsided, Vin realized that no one could have pulled her away. It made him feel a little less weak, a little less helpless.
"I'll tell you everything I know, but you've got to promise you'll lie still or they'll kick me out," his companion promised and as Vin pushed his eyes open once again, he saw the serious expression in her eyes. He lightly squeezed her hand in agreement, and Adriana explained, "From what we could figure out, you were jumped as you left the dorm early this morning. Carly found you when she went out for her morning run. She got Dawn and me, Dawn called the ambulance. We figure you were out there for about three hours before Carly found you."
Vin vaguely remembered waking up once or twice after his attackers left him, but said nothing. Adriana continued, "I came with you in the ambulance The doctors set your broken arm and taped your ribs. They were more worried about your head injuries, but Dawn told them that you were following her movements. Said you didn't have a concussion, but would have one helluva headache." Vin almost did smile at that. Would have?
"Time?" He asked hoarsely, then grimaced at the pain in his throat. Adriana reached to one side for a styrofoam cup and held the straw to his lips. The water eased the dryness and he repeated, his voice somewhat less hoarse, "What time is it?" He bit back a gasp at the pain, but that was all he would allow himself. His mind was starting to clear, and he wanted answers now. From what he remembered, he had been beaten up, to make sure he stayed away from Charlotte Richmond, and Adriana's life had been threatened as well.
What Vin had to do now was figure out who was responsible for the beating. He thought briefly about Will Richmond, then dismissed it. Richmond would have never threatened Adriana. Vin had little use for the man, or the way he treated his wife, but Vin's instincts told him that the man wasn't a coward to threaten an innocent girl. His pride may have been wounded by Charlotte paying attention to Vin, but threatening Adriana just didn't sound right.
So it was someone else. The question was, who? Adriana said, now answering his question, "It's ten am. You've been here ... oh, about four hours. The doctors finally let me in when Dr. Meadows explained that you didn't have any family. I have a feeling that she got a bit creative with the truth." Vin frowned, then winced at the answering pain caused even by that simple motion, and Adriana went on, "I think she told the doctor that I'm your girlfriend. Not likely, but at least you wouldn't be robbing the cradle if I was your girlfriend. You didn't tell me that you're my age."
"Didn't ask," Vin parried and tried not to laugh at Adriana's answering glare. He didn't want to think about how badly he would hurt if he did laugh. Vin continued in a voice that was raspier than usual, "And 'sides, don't think of m'self as bein' nineteen. Don't really think of m'self as any parti'lar age. Just am." He didn't tell her that most times, he saw other people his own age as much, much younger.
"I think I understand. No more talking. Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up again," Adriana promised. Vin smiled sleepily. He didn't doubt that she meant it, but he also knew there were circumstances beyond her control. Adriana continued almost hesitantly, "Would you ... would you like me to sing to you?" He looked at her, startled. No one had sung to him since he was a small child. Not since his ma died.
"I'd like that," he replied simply. He had never heard her sing before, didn't know if she could sing, but that didn't matter to him right now. He was hurting and he was tired, too tired to be on guard. He had only known this girl for a few days, really, but he knew Dr. Meadows thought highly of her. And he trusted Priscilla Meadows. He was willing to trust this girl. She smiled, and that smile warmed Vin more than the blankets covering his aching body.
She began singing very softly. It was a pretty enough voice, not strong enough to be professional, and not trained enough even if it was a strong voice. It shook at times. But it was gentle and soothing. Vin allowed himself to relax. He got lonely some times. Wished, in the darkest parts of his heart, that he had someone to love him ... take care of him. He could take care of himself, he was strong. But that five year old boy who missed his ma remained. Vin had tried to hard to make that child go away, but he couldn't seem to.
He felt gentle fingers on the side of his head, on the part of his forehead which wasn't bruised, as Adriana sang a song he didn't recognize, about a boy going off to war, and his girl selling everything she owned to buy a sword for him. It was right pretty, even if he didn't fully understand it. As he began to drift, he found himself focusing on the words, "She sold her rook and she sold her reel, she sold her only spinning wheel, to buy her love a sword of steel. Johnny has gone for a soldier."
Vin had no idea what a rook or a reel was, but he had heard of a spinning wheel. Adriana had stopped singing briefly, then continued, "She'll buy a dress, she'll dye it red, and in the streets go begging for bread. The one she loves from her has fled. Johnny has gone for a soldier." There was a crack in the soft contralto, then Adriana muttered, "Give up everything for a man. Dumbest thing I ever heard of."
Vin tried to ask Adriana what she meant, but she continued talking to herself, murmuring, "I can't imagine feeling that way about a man. Any man. If there was a man alive whom I could rely on, who would be there to catch me, that might be different. But give up everything I own, give up my livelihood, only to lose the man I sacrificed it for ... I don't think I could bear that. Don't think Vin would want to leave, think he would be honorable. But things happen. And love isn't worth that risk. It just isn't."
She sighed quietly, then began singing again. This time, however, Vin didn't focus on the words. He was too sleepy, and the sound of her voice lulled him to sleep. He was a drifter, he would be the first to admit that. It had become a part of him, moving on after a certain time. But he would never abandon someone. When he woke up, he would tell her that. She was earning his trust, and until she betrayed him, he would never abandon her.
The phone had awakened Charlotte Richmond. Not that she had been asleep, exactly. The early mornings were the hardest for her ... even now, two years after her daughter's death, she still found herself waking up around the time Lindsay would have awakened. Maybe if she hadn't lost Will with Lindsay, she would have been able to move on, instead of remaining in this time warp. But she had lost her husband the morning they awoke to find their baby dead.
And so, when the phone rang, Charlotte had picked up ... not realizing that Will had answered on the kitchen phone. Which was how she learned that Vin Tanner had nearly been beaten to death after leaving Adriana Wilmington's dorm. That his life had been threatened if he went near her again, and Charlotte's pent-up frustration finally had an outlet. For two years, she had endured Will's silence and contempt. It was only recently that she had tried seeking comfort from others. While she liked the other students on the dig well enough, Vin Tanner was the first person who had touched her heart.
Charlotte didn't listen to the entire conversation. She didn't need to hear. Will's pride had taken a beating when she paid attention to another man, and he had responded by having some of his rougher friends beat up the man who caught her eye. Damn you, Will, she thought angrily, it was bad enough when this was between the two of us, but what were you thinking?
She had heard Priscilla Meadows say that Adriana's life had been threatened as well. Charlotte didn't believe for a minute that Will had any intention of harming the girl. He cared about her, thought of her as a little sister. And after this summer, Charlotte would have cut off her right hand if she honestly believed Will would allow any harm to come to the girl. But she didn't believe that. Why would anyone drag an innocent college sophomore into this? That simply made no sense.
She dressed quickly and left a note on the bedstand. Will could be stupid when he was angry, and if he realized the police might come to him for answers about Vin's beating, God only knew what he would do. She wrote simply, "You've gone too far, Will. You don't want me. I'm going to someone who does. Harm anyone else, and I swear I will ruin your life." She didn't sign it. She didn't need to.
Charlotte left the house quietly and made her way to her own car. There was one hospital near the college, and she was willing to bet that was where they had taken Vin. She would take him some place safe when he was released from the hospital, and then they would leave the country. Make sure Will could never find them. Maybe Brazil, or Mexico? She would have to ask Vin. She had heard from Priscilla Meadows that Vin was only nineteen. Had he ever been out of the country? Well, no matter. Charlotte would take care of him. It was partly her fault that he had been hurt.
As she drove, Charlotte next thought about Adriana. She felt more than a little guilty for not keeping in touch with the girl. In the last two weeks of the dig, the teenager had been a godsent for Charlotte. It had been so long since she had someone to talk to, and who cared if her new confidant was nineteen? It seemed, looking back now, that Adriana had expected her two graduate friends to drift away once the dig was over, but Charlotte still felt badly about it. When she had needed someone, Adriana had been there, and that was a shabby way to treat someone.
She would make it up to Adriana. It occurred to her that Vin and Adriana were the same age, and if Charlotte didn't fear for Vin's life, she would have tried to matchmake for them. They would have made a cute couple, but the young man's life was in danger, and would remain in danger as long as he remained here. Which left Adriana. Just to be safe, she had to find a way to protect the sophomore. Charlotte didn't believe that Will would hurt her, but she didn't want to take any chances.
She had no doubt that Priscilla Meadows would help to take care of Adriana, and probably Doug Andrews. Beyond those two, Charlotte didn't know. But she had to do something. And so she drove, and she planned. And she prayed that she was right, that her husband ... soon to be ex-husband ... wouldn't hurt Adriana.
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