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, More than Friends, A Light in the Distance, Under the Sun, Days of Yearning, Sun, Fun, and Ezra on the Run, Full Circle, Open House, Return to Innocence and Karaoke Night; also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: Mainly language. If need be, I'll be writing two versions of this story... the PG-13 version and the steamier version. If a steamier version becomes necessary, you can email me privately to read it. More on that as the story develops.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just as an fyi ... this series, this universe, ignores the events of the later fifth season of Stargate SG-1. Specifically, Meridian and Revelation. Which also gets rid of Jonas Quinn in sixth season.
If it was possible to piss off her friend any more than she already had, Carly Tanner didn't know of a way. Adriana wouldn't even look at her, but Carly had seen the anger flashing in her dark eyes, as well as the way her mouth became a thin, white line. She was definitely pissed. Dammit! There were a few times when Carly wished she, like her twin, had learned the virtue of keeping her mouth shut.
Like now. Or, how was it that Chris was always putting it to JD Dunne? One of these days, he'd learn not to let his alligator mouth override his hummingbird rear-end? Something like that. One of these days, after she learned to keep her mouth shut, Carly would have to ask Chris where he learned that one. It was always funny to hear him say that, and even funnier to see the look on JD's face.
Well, Carly hadn't pushed her twin quite as far as the bratchild, but it was close enough. And she was in danger of pushing Adriana that far (although, she would never leave Adriana's back uncovered, for any reason). And unfortunately, her aunt was right ... she had been behaving as if she didn't think Vin and Drina could be trusted to 'do the deed.' Which couldn't have been further from the truth, at least in Carly's mind. Her twin and his lady weren't children and they weren't slow witted.
But, oh God, she was getting frustrated! What no one would discuss was how short-tempered her twin was becoming. To be totally blunt about it, he seriously needed to get some. That might alleviate his ... temper. Although, to be honest, the last few times he had gotten into an argument which threatened to turn into a fist fight, it was always with Will Richmond ... and he was someone who could drive a saint to drink. Carly Tanner didn't know too many saints, and she didn't know of any within her family.
And in her brother's defense, Vin didn't go looking for fights with the man. He, in fact, simply ignored him as much as possible. Unfortunately, ignoring wasn't always a possibility, and Will seemed to be aching for a fight with Vin. Why, Carly had no idea, when it was Buck who kissed Charlotte at Karaoke Night. For some reason, though, Will still seemed to feel threatened by Carly's twin brother.
Especially since Charlotte was now threatening to move out, if Will didn't straighten up and fly right. Hmm. Come to think of it, Will started acting up right around the time Charlotte threatened to move out, and take Tansy with her. Carly knew that the mother and daughter had spent the night with Aunt Josie and Lacey after Karaoke Night, and Josiah spent the night as well to guard the women.
Carly also knew about the promise Charlotte had made to Adriana, to leave Will if he ever struck her or Tansy, in any way, shape, or form. What she didn't know was whether or not Will knew about that promise. It was a pretty good bet that if Charlotte did leave Will, she would move in with Adriana, at least at first. Their friend had an extra bedroom in her house, and if worse came to worse ... well, Carly's ex-roommate could usually think her way out of a problem.
Now, with the remaining walls crumbling, it was just a question of time before Vin and Drina took the next step in their relationship. That could also play into Will feeling threatened by Vin. Stupid, of course ... if he would just behave and treat his wife with respect and consideration, it wouldn't be necessary. But like both Adriana and Lacey had said, on varying occasions, the man's head was up and locked ... possibly permanently.
There was another factor in Carly's attempts to push her twin and Adriana into bed together, though she would have never admitted it to the other women, much less her baby sister. It kept her from worrying about her own relationship with Rafael Martinez. He had been pulling back from her since Karaoke Night, and Carly didn't understand why. She had asked him on more than one occasion what was wrong, and he denied that she had done anything wrong.
When Carly Tanner was a young girl in high school, she had never understood why some of her friends didn't just pursue the guys they liked. Ten years later, she was starting to understand. It was hard as hell to pursue someone when you weren't even sure if they felt the same way. And her own feelings for Rafael were so damn intense, the fear of rejection was equally intense.
Then, a voice inside her head observed, you should understand where Vin's coming from. He loves Adriana, and she loves him. But he's not sure if she's truly ready for the next commitment. They've committed their hearts to each other ... but in a way, committing their bodies to each other makes them even more vulnerable. Unlike her twin (Vin actually admitted to her once that he was still a virgin, then promptly swore her to silence), Carly had had lovers.
She knew how passion could drive all sense from a person's head, and of the vulnerability Vin meant. She felt sick, remembering her own first time. She was nineteen, the first semester of her sophomore year, and had caught the idea of one of the jocks on the football team.
She was just starting to learn the truth about her family, and she supposed she wanted to strike back at her mother for her lies. It was a piss-poor reason for losing your virginity, but Jared's touch had driven all thoughts of her mother from her mind. Oh yes, Carly knew exactly what her twin meant. He was almost twenty-eight years old ... and in some ways, she would imagine it would be harder for him.
He would have more self-control than Jared or Carly had exhibited, but Carly agreed with Daniel. She believed that Vin and Adriana fell in love with each other years earlier ... which meant that when they finally consummated their relationship, that was eight years of suppressed passion finally igniting. Which meant ... Vin was afraid. Not just of misreading the signals Adriana was sending out. No, he was also afraid of the fire which might burn them both.
That, then, changed everything. Vin was one of the most thoughtful, most careful men she had ever met. He wasn't a control freak ... but he did take a step back and evaluate things before making a decision. And for all that ... control ... to become undone. My god. It had to be terrifying for her twin. Adriana was just as controlled in her own way. But where Vin feared that fire of passion, Adriana was assuming control in another way. She was calling the shots, at least in her own heart, in the continuing battle against her father.
This was all starting to give Carly a headache, and she started to understand why her aunt and the others to stay out of it. For the first time, she started to see how many different things were going into this decision, for both her twin and Adriana. And she was embarrassed. This would be the first time either of them made love, they both wanted it to be as special and as right as was possible in this imperfect world.
Adriana would have to take the reins, because Vin was in part so afraid of hurting her. She would have to be the one who made him understand there was no way he would ever hurt her. In part because, Adriana wouldn't allow that to happen. She had survived her father's molestation and his attempts to destroy her very soul. She had survived her mother's neglect. And, as both Carly and Adriana knew, Vin would die before he harmed her.
Which left what? Carly understood now that she had to stay out of this. It was none of her business, and she knew neither her twin nor Adriana would welcome any further interference. On the other hand ... on the other hand, she could always support them both. Maybe remind her brother that Adriana was a helluva lot stronger than she looked? True enough, the archaeologist looked rather fragile, thanks to her petite frame ... but she was strong.
Yes, that was something she could do. She could listen, if Adriana needed to work something out in her mind ... whether it was related to Carly's twin or not. And as Carly rejoined her aunt at the table, after dumping her tray in the dumpster, she found herself feeling not only sheepish at her earlier interference, but also much more relaxed. Maybe she would ask Adriana later, after Drina had a chance to cool down, for help with Rafael.
Sometimes, an outside perspective was needed ... and maybe, Adriana could figure out what was troubling Rafael.
The pair weren't close friends, but sometimes, you learned more that way. The two respected and liked each other, but they didn't hang out together. On the other hand ... Drina did hang out with Liam O'Shea at times. And, just as Daniel Jackson had become Jack O'Neill's best friend, and her twin was their older brother's best friend, it was quickly becoming obvious that the young Irish major was becoming Rafael's closest friend, as well as his second in companion. Yes. Yes, that was a good plan. And consequences she could live with.
Over the next two days, as the weekend approached, Vin became aware of his sister watching him very carefully. His twin sister, that is. And watching him in a way that made Vin extremely uncomfortable. And that fact made him even more uncomfortable. Finally, on the Friday before the Medieval Festival, Vin decided to confront Carly. The guide and sharpshooter tended to say things straight out ... well, 'cept for the time when he asked Ezra for some help.
And the more difficult things were ... like telling Chris that Ella Gaines was trouble ... the more blunt Vin tended to be. He didn't know no other way to be, and he had never been asked to change. Which was a very good thing, because Vin had no intention of being something he wasn't, for any reason. On Friday afternoon, hours before he and Chris were to meet Daniel and Josiah to finish choosing their costumes, Vin found his sister in her office.
He asked quietly, "Ya wanna tell me what's goin' on? Why ya been lookin' at me like m' fly was unzipped or somethin,' sister?" Carly looked up and sat back in her chair. She sighed and pushed herself back from her computer ... what the hell was she working on now? Vin continued as she walked around the front of her desk, "If ya thought I wouldn't notice ... yer wrong." Carly settled herself next on the end of the desk, regarding Vin with an even blue gaze.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she began, "I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you. That's part of my job as your sister, especially your twin sister." Vin just glared at her. She was stallin.' He knew she was stallin,' and the only question was, why was she stallin.' Carly evidently realized that his patience was limited at the moment, for she continued a bit reluctantly, "And I was trying to figure out who among your team knew about your plans for Adriana ... aside from our brother and Josiah." It took Vin a moment for the words to penetrate to haze around his brain.
When they did, his jaw fell open and he glared at his sister. Carly raised her hands, continuing, "I didn't mean to interfere ... I was already told about that once. I was just a little concerned, because it's not like you, talking about your ... concerns with other people. Though, I guess since one of the people you asked for help was Chris, maybe I shouldn't be so concerned. But ... you are my twin."
Rage swept over Vin, and for a brief, red-filled moment, he understood exactly how his older brother felt when Buck told Mary about Sarah and Adam. Vin struggled to fight back his emotions, and once he could respond even somewhat calmly, he replied hoarsely, "Just how in the hell did ya find out ' bout me asking 'Siah, Jack, and Chris for advice?" He saw his twin mouth 'Jack' in evident astonishment.
But she replied, "Because someone told me about a conversation they overheard between you and Josiah, about Adriana. And Chris ... well ... that's kinda obvious. Besides. Daniel told me. I guess he figured, since I'm your twin, that I already knew." Vin closed his eyes. He would not kill Daniel. He would not kill Daniel. It wouldn't do no good, the cat was already outta the bag, so to speak, and General Hammond wouldn't really take kindly to him killin' the top archaeologist/Egyptologist in the base.
Carly continued, "Like I said, I got told once before ... Aunt Jo and the others told me to leave it alone, that you and Adriana were smart people who could figure out what to do. I guess I was trying to cover my backside, and make sure most people in the base didn't know." Okay, Vin really couldn't argue with her for that. He would wait to see whether or not he needed to kill Daniel after he found out how many other people knew what he was up to.
Vin decided not to ask who heard the conversation between himself and Josiah, when he first began thinking the night. He didn't want to know, and with his current mood, he would probably rip into whoever did overhear then told Carly. Right now, he needed all of his concentration on the next few days. Especially hiding whatever water globe he found from Drina, since the ladies were also going to the Medieval Fest.
And come to think of it ... hmmm. Ya know, he decided, that might just work. Vin leveled another gaze at his twin, saying, "I need yer help, Carly." He winced a little at the way she perked up, but continued, "I need ya to distract Drina tomorrow at the Festival. Chris and me got a little plan ... or did Daniel tell ya 'bout that, too?" Carly shook her head vehemently, and Vin continued, "This is what we're gonna do." He approached his sister, and once he could whisper the plan without having to worry about anyone else hearing, he did so.
Carly's grin grew broader and broader as she listened, then she said, "I'm on it, brother mine. In fact ... I think I'll suggest that we take two separate cars. The ladies in one, the guys in another. Honestly, twin, I don't know how you were planning to do the deed, three months in the future. You two can barely keep your hands off each other!" Vin felt his face turning bright red. He couldn't argue with his sister ... he had a real hard time limiting himself to just holding Drina's hand, but around Bucklin, it was necessary. Although, maybe the next time Buck gave him a hard time, maybe Vin should point out that Buck now blushed when he looked at Charlotte.
He replied only, "I been waitin' for eight years, and didn't realize I was waitin.' Figured I could wait for another three months." That was proving to be far more difficult than he anticipated, especially since he admitted to himself that the barriers were falling quickly. And, since he talked to Josiah about what he was thinking. It was harder to deny what he was feeling. It was gettin' downright embarrassing ... he had needed to take cold showers no less than four times in the last three days.
The worst part was, Drina didn't do a damn thing. Just kissed him ... or smiled at him. Sometimes, just lookin' at her was enough to send him to the showers. Facing facts, Vin couldn't run from it any longer. He couldn't hold out for another three months, achin' like he was. But he wasn't no goddamn animal. Maybe he wasn't as smooth as Buck or Ezra, but he would do this right for his lady ... or die tryin.'
Buck Wilmington, for once, wasn't worrying about his sister's relationship with Vin Tanner. He wasn't even fussing over JD Dunne, though that was no longer because of his estrangement from the youngest member of SG-7. Over the last week, ever since JD dealt with Will Richmond, the two ' brothers' started to find their way back to each other. No, there was something else weighing on his mind.
There was something wrong with him. No, not with his animal magnetism ... that was still intact. But ... he didn't seem to find the joy he once found in flirting with women. Not even his banter with Inez held the appeal it once did. Buck wasn't the only one who had noticed this. Inez had, also, and asked him what was wrong ... if he was feeling well. His attempts to woo her had been halfhearted lately.
She wasn't the only one who noticed. So had Janet Frasier, though that was as much due to him asking her if she knew of any bugs going around the SGC lately. He actually felt fine. He just ... didn't really feel like flirting. He found himself ready, willing, and able, however, to defend any woman from any sort of mistreatment. That hadn't changed. He just couldn't figure out why he didn't really have the desire to flirt with anyone. Hell, he couldn't figure out when it changed, which would have made his life a lot easier.
The big major shook his head. Well, enough of that. He wasn't getting his work done, and he really needed to finish this paperwork. Buck hated paperwork, but it wouldn't get done on its own. However, he hadn't even gotten three paragraphs down before his mind took another detour. This time, what he would do to Will Richmond the next time the archaeologist went after a member of Buck's team.
Honestly, Buck didn't understand why the generals didn't just send the idiot back out into the field ... alone. He enjoyed that idea, especially when he thought about the most recent bit of trouble Will had caused. For some reason, despite the fact that it was Buck who kissed the man's wife, Richmond continued to harass Vin. And while his friend was a patient man, Buck knew that Vin's patience was running out.
Further, the major knew the only reason Vin was restraining himself was to protect Charlotte and Tansy. The better half of that married couple had quietly started packing a bag for herself and Tansy, as Will's behavior grew more boorish. According to Lacey Tanner, who had been spending a lot of time around the SGC, Charlotte had told Will that if he didn't get his head out of his ass, she'd walk out and take Tansy with her. Further, those were her exact words.
Buck snickered ... oh, he wished he could have been a fly on the wall for that conversation! Charlotte was pretty anyhow, but he bet she was gorgeous when she was furious, her eyes shooting fire. Hell, it might be worth making her mad, just for the making up part! Buck cast his mind back, trying to remember if he had seen Charlotte when she was angry during the wagon train from hell.
He probably did, but was focusing on other things. Like, watching Vin's back. And his front, in case Richmond decided to attack him again. 'Course, if he had been that stupid, DeeDee would have removed his liver from his body and roasted it over an open fire. The imagery created by that thought made Buck wince. What was he gonna do about that girl? She was just as stubborn as Chris and could be as headstrong as JD.
Truth was, there wasn't much of anything he could do about his sister at this point in time. And if he was really honest with himself, he would admit he didn't really want to do anything about her ... just love her. Enjoy her sense of humor (especially when she was ripping Will a new asshole ... though the first time that happened, it took Buck two hours to pick his jaw up off the floor. His sister was not supposed to know words like that!), among other things.
And again, Buck sighed, realizing he had gone way off base with his current line of thought. Why was he bothering with Richmond? Charlotte seemed to have that under control, and much as he hated to watch any woman suffer, he had to accept her time table. Until she was ready to leave him, Buck really couldn't do much of anything. Well, at least until the son of a bitch struck her or Tansy ... at which point, Buck would remind Charlotte of her promise to his sister. Something Buck had every intention of doing!
With that settled, Buck again turned his attention to his paperwork. On occasion, the more experienced members of the SGC were asked to lead SG expeditions ... usually, consisting of cadets like Jennifer Hailey and new recruits to the SGC. Buck was tapped one such time, a matter of days earlier (right around the time of the war council, not that he knew anything about the war councils held by the Four Corners) and that was the report he was now writing. He didn't mind stubborn, opinionated young cadets like Hailey. Even if she wasn't a woman, he would have liked her. Not that Buck was stupid enough to touch her. Hayul, no! He loved women, that didn't mean he wanted a sexual harassment complaint! Besides, as young as she was, that would practically be cradle robbing.
And then there were others, who couldn't find their ass with both hands and a flashlight. Buck supposed they could turn them into decent personnel for the SGC, if they could teach them to think outside the box, as the saying went. Maybe next time, he should take his sister or Daniel Jackson ... those two were real good at thinking outside the box. Trouble was, he wasn't sure if that was something which could be taught.
To the best of his knowledge, it was always something she had done. He couldn't count the number of times she came up with something out of left field when she was a little girl. It was something about her that Chris always loved, because he did the same thing. Hell, that explained that! Chris always loved her because her mind worked just like his own. Buck grinned, remembering some of the wild ideas Chris had when they were younger. Hell, even now!
Although, it was Vin who came up with the idea of Ezra in a dress to help smoke out Wickes ... on the other hand, Chris came up with the idea of gathering up as many villagers as they could find during one of their earlier missions, both men and women, to trick the resident System Lord into thinking they had encountered an entire army of Ta're. Teal'c was still shaking his head over that, especially since most of the people in SG uniforms didn't even have weapons.
The incident took place on a planet where the SGC had an outpost ... the entire population of the SG complex had been knocked for a loop by a local virus, because they didn't have an immunity the local population had developed. SG-1 and SG-7 went to the rescue ... and while SG-1 was helping Janet Frasier to locate the source of the virus and protect the sick Ta're, SG-7 went to work.
Once the rest of Janet's medical staff arrived, SG-1 joined SG-7, passing out uniforms to the villagers. The Gou'ald was a renegade, with fewer men than Colonel Anderson, from SG-7's first mission. And by this time, the Ta're had made their presence known. Chris knew, just as well as anyone, that sometimes, perception was more important than reality. So, he used the perception of greater numbers against the Gou'ald.
It worked. Some of the wannabe's men stayed ... but more left. Much more. Most of his men hadn't even completed their Jaffa training. The fake-out had worked. Years later, Buck Wilmington shook his head in fond remembrance. He had told his sister that story, and she nearly fell off her chair, laughing. When she was finally composed enough to talk, she chortled, "So much for the 'Chris as a Neandert'al' scenario!"
And he had strayed once more. Buck shook his head ruefully. He was tempted to say to hell with the paperwork, but he knew if he blew it off now, he would keep finding excuses not to do it, and then his ass really would be grass. All he needed now was JD to come into the room and ask him to come with him into town, and he'd be screwed. The kid had finally understood that he had to let people heal on their own time ... and forgive him as they were ready.
He was a good kid ... but like Buck himself, he didn't always think first. Buck could admit to that, not only because it was true, but because Josiah observed that he and his sister balanced each other out.
Adriana thought too much ... not to the point that it got her into trouble by making her indecisive. That girl could be damn decisive when she wanted to be. But she could see the consequences of the actions (unless she was in her own personal red zone, like when that Jaffa almost killed Vin on the wagon train), and she braced herself for those consequences. Looking at it that way, Buck saw that Josiah was right. He and DeeDee did balance each other out.
But wasn't that true of Chris and Vin? While he knew, just as well as anyone, that Vin could and would kill, the darker side of the older Larabee brother was closer to the surface. They had seen part of Josiah's dark side emerge when the rogue FBI agent Poplar tried to frame him for murder. JD's dark side emerged, to a degree, during the situation with Kevin, but it occurred to Buck ... rather uneasily at that ... that they hadn't yet seen Vin's dark side. And he wondered. What would it take?
Vin was up to something. She knew he was up to something. She could tell, because she had known him for such a long time. But that was okay, because Adriana was up to something as well. As Chris would have said, if he knew what was going on, she was up to her pretty eyes in this particular shitpile. On the other hand, she wouldn't lay odds that he didn't know they were both up to something.
No, when she thought about it, that was one wager not even Ezra would take. The chances of Vin being up to something, and Chris not being involved were infinitesimal. Very, very, very small odds. Three and a half falls out of four, if one brother was involved in mischief of the benign sort (and not so benign), the other brother was up to his ears in the same shitpile. That was the way it worked.
Now, if Chris, out of that mean streak he had ever since she could remember, decided to get Buck involved, it was just a question of time when JD got involved. And that was, of course, assuming he wasn't already involved. All of which boiled down to, when one of the Seven was involved in mischief, it was just a matter of time before the others got involved as well. She had decided, when she started making her own plans earlier, that if she needed the aid of any member of the Seven, it would be Josiah.
Nathan was out, because he was worried about Rain and Adriana didn't want to distract him during an uneasy time for the parents-to-be. JD wasn't even in the equation, because he would end up telling Buck. And Buck wasn't told for obvious reasons. If she could get away with it, her brother wouldn't know about the change in her relationship with Vin for several months yet ... long after the deed was done.
She had thought about asking Ezra, but he had a style very different from Vin. What the negotiator found seductive, might leave Vin cold. And she most assuredly did not want that. She actually thought about asking Chris, until she realized that would put him in a position where he would have to keep a secret from Vin. He could do it, but Chris wasn't comfortable with it. And Vin had a radar which told him when Chris wasn't comfortable about something. Nope. Process of elimination left Josiah.
She knew he wouldn't tell any of the others what they discussed. The only person he might tell would be Josie, but she didn't think that was particularly likely. And even if he did, Josie knew the score. They already had the 'I trust you, but if you hurt my nephew, I'll wipe the floor with you' conversation. Since Julia was dead, and Jessica was ... well ... Jessica, Josie had taken the role of Vin's mother in this situation. She then apologized to Nettie, when that worthy woman told her that she and Adriana had already had that conversation, but reminded Nettie that while she had that conversation, Josie had not.
Nettie conceded the point, then added a bit sternly that she had yet to have that conversation with Josie, since Josiah was one of hers as well. Adriana quietly left the Welles kitchen at that point, before one of two things happened. Either a) she started laughing uncontrollably at the image which presented itself in her mind, or b) the two strong-willed ladies forgot that they were friends and allies.
In any event, Nettie knew what she was up to, and, much to Adriana's surprise, thoroughly approved. Nettie then reminded the young archaeologist that as much as she loved Vin, she knew the young man could be ... well ... not dense. There wasn't a damn thing wrong with that boy's intelligence. But both women knew that Vin could sometimes be overprotective (as opposed to smothering), and needed a nudge.
When Adriana worried about Nettie's perception of morality, the older woman took both of her hands and said softly, "Now you listen to me, girl. Life is short. It may not seem that way to a young girl like you. But at my age, I don't give a rat's ass about a piece of paper which says the two of you are married. You and Vin love each other. You love each other, you respect each other, you are committed to each other. And I can trust both of you to take care of each other. That's the only important thing to someone like me."
Nettie and Josiah were the only people who knew of her plans, though she was still struggling to figure out what she would do with Mindy. In some ways, Mindy really was like her child, and she had to be very careful. The border collie was as protective of her as Vin was, and Adriana worried that she might be frightened by whatever she heard. Okay. Time to drop that particular line of thinking, before her face was red enough to act as a beacon for a local airport at midnight, to borrow Jack's phrase!
While Josiah had been informed that he was to simply listen, Nettie took a more active role in Adriana's plans. Vin was a bright young man, and he would realize if he had been set up. They had to be careful. Nettie liked Adriana's idea of inviting him over for dinner, but nixed the idea of the whole nine yards.
Instead of half killing herself when they got back from the Medieval Fest, Nettie suggested that Adriana track down some leftover lasagna in her freezer. Adriana often had wine with Italian food, so that wouldn't send up any red flags for Tanner. The archaeologist came to realize that Nettie was suggesting a far more subtle means of seducing Vin, rather than the obvious. Once the food and set up was organized, Adriana next asked for help with her clothes.
Following Nettie's line of thought, Adriana realized that if she wore the black outfit she wore to Karaoke Night, she would probably tip Vin off. So that was out. Nettie suggested instead that she wear a simple top and jeans. Not a T-shirt, because that was too rough. And that was when Nettie Welles, boardinghouse owner and Vin Tanner's self-appointed foster mother, blew her mind.
While she knew Adriana didn't have any silk tops, she did suggest a top which felt silky to the touch. Nettie had never been able to figure that out, but for some reason, that seemed to be more seductive to men. So, Adriana tracked down a top in her wardrobe which fit the guidelines, and just to see what Nettie meant, ran her hand over it. It felt smooth, but more than that, it reminded Adriana of the soft, silky feel of a baby's skin.
So that was out of the way. And with each step taken, Adriana realized that seduction was more than what she ever thought. Nettie laughed and reminded her that part of seduction was sensuality. And part of that was ' sense.' Taste, touch, smell, sight ... four of the five conventional senses spoken for. Which left hearing ... which music should she play? Again, the name of the game was subtlety.
By this time, Adriana had come to realize that Nettie was enjoying herself as much as Adriana was. But on this particular issue, Nettie was stumped. Well, that was something she had to work on. Still, she had at least twenty-four hours to make a decision. She figured she was doing pretty good, considering she only had two decisions to make in the next twenty-four hours. She was just relieved that out of her little group, only Carly was affronted that she wasn't sharing details about what she was doing.
Charlotte told her it didn't matter, as long as she was doing something. Mary didn't even want to hear about it. That's my little brother you're talking about, Mary reminded her, her green eyes dancing with laughter, and I wanna hear about that, about as much as you want to hear about how your brother is in bed. Adriana took her point. Lacey said much the same thing, though she was much more ... vehement about it. And Josie didn't want to hear about her nephew in that way. Like the others, she just did not want to hear the details. Long as the deed would be done, and Adriana would do right by Vin, that was all she cared about. Adriana couldn't argue ... she'd feel the same way in their position.
Carly had backed off with her pushing, but that didn't keep her from asking about what Adriana was planning. The last time she asked, Adriana almost beaned her with the nearest lamp. Carly was really starting to get on her nerves ... and the next time she asked, Adriana would remind Lacey of her blackmail material. She had told Carly that, as well ... and been rewarded with the sight of her longtime friend turning scarlet. Nothing more was said at that point.
As Adriana looked over her list one more time. Okay, with the exception of Mindy and music, she was more or less set for the following night. All she had to do tonight was ask Vin to come to dinner the following evening, after they got back from the Medieval Fest. Adriana nodded her head sharply and didn't even realize she had done it, much less that she had picked up the mannerism from Vin. All right then. Next item.
With the suggestion to dress in costume for the Medieval Festival, they had spent the last few days tracking down outfits. Surprising no one, given Ezra's nickname for Vin, Carly had chosen to dress as a female Robin Hood. Most of the women, since it was winter and so frelling cold, were wearing trousers. Adriana's choice was a peasant blouse and a flowing skirt, which would cover her long underwear. By her figuring, they would be at the Festival for about five or six hours, returning to their homes at four thirty.
If she asked Vin to come over at six thirty, that would give her plenty of time. She hoped. Well, at least she gave herself a two hour cushion. Okay. The following day was taken care of. Now that all of that was out of the way, she could turn her attention back to the report she was writing for General Travis. During her last expedition through the Gate with Danny and the other archaeologists, they had taken a Russian archaeologist with them. General Travis wanted to know how it went. Before she could go to the Medieval Festival or seduce Vin, she had to finish that damn report!
Saturday morning was clear and cold. It had been decided that since both Josiah and Aunt Jo had large vans, Josiah would pick up all the men and Aunt Jo all the women, just as Vin and Carly had agreed. Since both JD and Vin lived at the boardinghouse when they weren't at the SGC, Josiah picked them both up there first, before heading next to the ranch. The van was silent as the two youngest members of SG-7 acclimated to the warmth of the van.
Buck would meet them at the ranch when they picked up Chris. As was often the case anymore, Buck and Drina spent the night at the ranch the night before a gathering. The women would have extra warmth, since Drina had decided to take Mindy with her. That would prove interesting ... Mindy was almost as curious as JD or Casey. Correction ... the border collie was almost as curious as JD and Casey, combined.
Not that Vin had much room to talk about, when it came to curiosity. But ... now, how was it that Josiah put it? Oh yeah ... his 'curiosity had been tempered by experience.' Vin preferred to forget what Adriana had said to that. It was bad enough, remembering the way she smirked when Josiah said that. And as for JD ...
JD. The boy sat in the front with Josiah, riding shotgun, for lack of a better word. Neither was entirely sure what Josiah was doing, since Casey would be riding with Aunt Jo and the other ladies, and Aunt Jo was already making her rounds, as Nettie put it. Neither had spoken a word since JD got into the van. At last, JD said from the front seat, "Casey says that you and Adriana are getting ready to take the next step. That's good."
Vin looked away from the window, and at the young cartographer. He wasn't entirely sure why his hackles rose with JD's statement, but there it was. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of people knowing his private business ... especially not this private. JD continued, "Casey found out, 'cause of a conversation she heard between Josie and Nettie. It was actually about Josiah, but you were mentioned too."
Say what? Vin looked at the cartographer, frowning with more than a little confusion, and JD sighed, "Aw hell, Vin. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you no more! I don't know how to talk to you, I don't know how to apologize. That ain't even right ... apologizin' is the easy part ... tellin' you just how sorry I am about what I did ... that's the hard part. I want to make it up to you, but I don't know how."
Vin sighed, answering, "An' I don't know what to tell ya, JD." He thought it would be entirely too obvious, telling the cartographer that he had hurt Vin (as well as his child counterpart, Kevin) with his behavior and his actions. Besides, Vin was also aware that to say that would sound entirely too much like whining, and if there was one thing Vin Tanner didn't do, it was whine. Didn't do no good. Something occurred to him, then, and he looked at JD.
He added softly, "Ya know ya didn't ... Janet said it were only a matter of time 'fore my innards start growin' again. Back to adult size." JD hung his head, and Vin continued, "I'm tryin' to say, ya didn't cause it to happen." JD looked back up at him, the hazel eyes suddenly filled with an alien expression. Not angry ... but an expression which Vin didn't remember ever seeing before.
"Maybe not ... but you know, just as well as I do, that if I hadn't shown up drunk and started pushing everyone around, that you wouldn't have gotten upset. And Janet also said, the adrenaline rush started the process. I caused that adrenaline rush, which was more than a small body could handle ... I was listening very carefully when she explained it to Chris. I was still hungover, but I could listen," JD replied.
Vin allowed his head to drop back against the seat, suddenly feeling very tired. During the last few days, he had got a description of each of the water globes which Adriana currently owned from Mary, Billy, Chris, and Buck. Bucklin didn't know about Vin's plans ... because Vin didn't need that aggravation. Bucklin was having a hard time, accepting that his little sister weren't a little girl no more.
So, there weren't no way he would tell the other man what Vin was up to. He kinda liked his head ... and other body parts ... exactly where they were. The guide knew that Josiah knew ... and Chris, of course. But so far, everyone who knew had agreed not to tell Buck.
Ohhhh ... that was an idea. Lord knew, with everything he had been trying to accomplish during the last few days, he could use all the help he could get. Vin said softly, "JD, ya wanna make thin's up to me, reckon there's a way ya can start." JD looked at him and Vin rolled his head to one side, to look the cartographer right in the eye, and said, "Ya can give me yer word ya ain't gonna tell Bucklin 'bout what ya know." JD's eyes widened.
"Are you kidding? Vin, I want to make things right with you ... and if I told Buck that you plan on making your relationship with Adriana ... well, you know ... he'd kill you!" the boy retorted. Vin smiled and leaned his head back once more. JD added, dropping his voice even though they were currently alone in the van, "Do you, ah ... need any other help? I mean ... with ... you know." Vin looked at the cartographer blankly.
And then it hit him, what JD was saying. Vin felt his jaw drop open and he whispered, "Uh ... no. No, reckon Drina and I can figger that part out purty good on our own." Much to his embarrassment, he felt his cheeks burning. His only consolation was that JD was blushing just as fiercely. Did the whole goddamn team know he was still a damn virgin? Vin looked away, noting with some relief that Josiah was approaching.
"I know that ... I just ... sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just ... is there anything I can to make things easier for you? In the planning, I mean? You know when Casey and I ... I mean ... I know places where you can get candles. Things like that," JD replied. Vin relaxed as Josiah approached the van and winked at him. He turned his attention back to JD, giving the young corporal a smile.
"Thanks, JD, I'll let ya know if I think of anythin' I need. What ya can do right now, is gimme a call if y'all find a water globe ... the finest water globe ya ever did see. A ... what the hell did Daniel call it? A centerpiece? Yeah ... a centerpiece for all a' her water globes," Vin replied. JD nodded, a smile lighting his face and his eyes at the same time. It was the first time in weeks things felt even a little normal between them.
The driver's side door opened and closed, letting in a blast of cold air. Josiah pulled the door shut with a tug ... which would have been a slam for Vin. JD whispered, leaning in close to Vin, "You'll be grateful for that cold air, once your night happens." Vin felt his jaw drop, then heard Josiah roar with laughter from the front seat. JD sputtered, "But it's true! I mean ... " A quick glance out of the corner of his eye told Vin that Josiah had turned to look at them.
Then the big man said, "JD ... put a sock in it, son. Sorry it took so long, boys, but I got a call from Chris while I was in the house. Been a slight chance of plans. Ezra will meet us at the Festival ... with Maude. So, we'll pick up Chris, Billy, and Buck at the ranch, then see about Nathan." Vin winced. Rain's pregnancy continued to worry the medic, who acknowledged that he was fairly certain Janet would confine Rain to bed for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Josiah continued, "Josie had just picked up Mary and Adriana when Chris called me. He sounded a bit relieved ... sounds like them two were off on one of their missions to drive Chris nuts." JD snickered at this, and Josiah continued mildly, "Don't laugh too hard, son."
The boy looked at Josiah expectantly, and the anthropologist continued, "Just remember, by the time we get to the Festival, Casey will have been with the other ladies for quite a while. And you know what she's like when that happens." He winked at Vin in the rearview mirror, as the guide struggled against a grin. Especially when he saw JD's mouth opening and closing, in what Carly always called 'the stranded fish look.'
And really, he could easily imagine how relieved his brother had been when Chris called Josiah. Vin knew Adriana and Mary, after all. That sounded like them two. Ever so often, the evil twins would get it into their heads that it would be fun to make Chris totally crazy. Not that Vin could argue too terribly much with that. He knew it was fun to drive Chris nuts. Sitting back, Vin closed his eyes as JD started ranting about how Casey was after she had spent any time with the other ladies. He had some plannin' to do.
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