SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and Showtime. Adriana, Carly, Lizzie, Josie and Jessica Tanner, as well as Evan and Pegeen Larabee, 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, and Full Circle, also all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: The usual, violence and language. Some h/c, more comfort than hurt, and smarm, but again, I'll be trying to keep the smarm down to a dull roar.
The rest of the day passed quietly. Much to her embarrassment, Adriana ended up sleeping through that movie ... and the next one which Chris put into the DVD player. By the time she woke up, Vin was dressed in baggy sweats, and Chris was sitting at her feet, quietly joking with Vin about the movie. Adriana didn't let on that she was awake for several moments. She just enjoyed listening to the banter between the two brothers.
Josie and Lizzie hadn't returned from their shopping trip, though that didn't surprise Adriana. It wasn't so much that Josie enjoyed shopping ... she just loved looking at things. She was a devoted window-shopper. Adriana resolved to say something to Mary about taking Josie on one of their shopping trips. While Josie hadn't said so, Adriana had a feeling that the former sergeant would remain in the area.
After all, she wanted to get to know her nephew again, and her niece was in the Stargate program as well. And, not for the first time, Adriana wondered exactly what kind of job Josie had done in the military, that would allow her access to the Stargate complex. She wouldn't ask her new friend ... she knew better than that. And after more than two years in the SGC, she also knew there were some questions that you just didn't ask.
And there were other questions which had to be asked ... whether you were in the military or out of it. Vin asked softly, "Somethin' I been wonderin' 'bout, Chris. Why does ... yer pa hate the military so much? Ya told me years ago, that part of the reason ya went into the service was 'cause yer pa hated it so much. But ya never told me why. Was it 'cause a' Vietnam? Aunt Jo done told me a little about that."
"No, it predated Vietnam. And I don't know why, Vin," Chris admitted. Adriana felt him shift against her chair, and the colonel continued, "The funny thing is, Mom understand that those in the service hate war even more than civilians. Father never did. Imagine JD, when we first met him ... how everything was written in absolutes for him, no shades of gray. That's how Father has been my entire life. It didn't bother me as much when I was a child, but the older I got, the more ... wrong it seemed."
"But ... JD was just a kid. And if he sees absolutes, then how d'ya think he ... I mean, he cheated on yer ma. Why don't he see it that way?" Vin asked. Now Adriana was wishing she had either told them that she was awake, or remained asleep. This was likely to get embarrassing, and she had no idea how to get herself out of this mess. Vin sighed and added, "Reckon it's 'cause he's one of them hypocrites."
"Yup, although don't try to tell him that. He swears it's different. I had this conversation with Mom after she got my email. The one I sent her when we got back, when you were released from the infirmary. According to Mom, he isn't taking anyone's life, so that makes it okay. Whatever. I don't have the time or the energy to waste on talking to him, because he won't listen. He didn't listen when I was in my teens, and he still doesn't listen now," Chris said bitterly.
There was silence between the two brothers, then Vin murmured, "Wish I could meet yer ma, Chris. Reckon I'd like her." There was a muffled laugh, and Vin added, "Hey, is it my 'magination, or has J'siah been eyeballin' my aunt Jo?" Adriana shifted in the chair, and Vin said with a laugh, "Reckon somebody's awake." Adriana opened her eyes and glared at him. He was starting to talk too much.
She gave a yelp as Chris grabbed her ankles and yanked her feet off the bed. He wasn't finished, though, as he pulled her out of the chair and down into his lap. Adriana struggled as Chris wrapped his arms around her tightly, the small woman sniping, "Damn cowboy!" The next second after that, she was on the floor, lying on her back and wriggling as Chris tickled her sides. He was sitting on her legs, so she had no way of defending herself.
Unless ... hmm. Gasping for breath, Adriana decided to try something that Mary had told her about. She knocked Larabee's hands away, and launched an attack of her own. Using the element of surprise, and his own body weight, against Chris, Adriana pushed him away from her, and onto his ass. A voice squealed from the doorway, "Doggie pile!" Which was how Adriana came to find Lizzie Tanner helping her to keep Chris on the floor.
The teenager threw herself to the ground, pushing Larabee's shoulders to the ground. Adriana, now sitting on the colonel's legs, looked at Lizzie with a questioning look, and the girl responded with an evil grin. Damn, she was just like her brother ... both of them! With only that look, Lizzie and Adriana began tickling Chris. It wasn't easy ... even with the two of them holding him down, he almost got free.
"All right, children, that's enough ... sheesh, I go away for a few hours, and you turn into a bunch of five year olds!" Josie said, laughing as she leaned against the door. Adriana looked up from tormenting Chris, and was almost knocked off his legs.
Josie looked back to the bed, asking, "Are you all right, Vin? You haven't been laughing and breaking any stitches, have you?" Adriana glanced at the man in the bed, who was grinning broadly. He shook his head, his blue eyes twinkling as he watched his brother being pinned to the ground by two little gals. Josie continued, "Lizzie, let your brother up, I'm gonna need his help carrying in the bags." As she spoke, Adriana rolled off and to her feet.
"You need anyone to stay here, or should I help your aunt with the bags?" Adriana queried Vin. She squeaked as Chris grabbed her by her waist, tucking her under his arm as he had at Busch Gardens. She grabbed his shoulders to steady herself. Oooh, she was gonna get him but good. Mary had been talking about karaoke for the last several weeks ... why not take her best friend up on that offer? A devilish smile made its way across her face.
"Be fine, Drina, go 'head. Oh, and Chris, if I was ya, I'd watch m' back. Drina's got that look in her eye," Vin said helpfully. Okay, Adriana thought, that means both of them get it. It wouldn't take that much to make Vin blush ... the hard part would be getting him to the saloon on karaoke night. However, since he and Chris had just found out that they were brothers, all she had to do was help Mary convince Chris ... and the rest of the plan would fall into place.
Oh yeah. She was definitely up to something. And since he had just warned his brother, Vin knew that when his Drina struck, he would be in the middle. Vin would have laughed, but he didn't feel like spending the next hour in a world of hurt for a few measly minutes of amusement. So he just smiled as his brother carried Drina from the room, Lizzie practically skipping ahead of them. Aunt Jo winked at him, then followed the other three out to the car.
Vin took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain ricocheting through his gut and his ribs. He was having a helluva time getting a handle on his emotions. One minute, he wanted to be spending more time with his lady, the next, he wanted to be alone. He didn't know how much of it was his frustration ... being unable to do anything ... and how much of it was from other things. Like trying to figure out the two people who had created him.
He was actually starting to get a handle on Jessica Tanner. He couldn't bring himself to think of her as his mother. His mother had died when he was five, and regardless of who had given birth to him, that would never change. Vin felt terribly sad, thinking about Jessica Tanner. She had blamed everyone else for her decision to leave him ... her mother, Vin's ma, Aunt Jo, the neighbors for not realizing that she would come for him. Trouble was, they had waited two weeks. No word had come from her. It seemed that Chris was right ... she couldn't take responsibility for herself, and Vin wondered why that was.
His father ... Evan Larabee ... remained an enigma. In the last few weeks, since finding out that Chris was his brother, Vin had done nothing but think. He couldn't do anything else. The slightest motion left him in agony. So he had worked through his memories of his conversations with Chris, trying to find some clue in those conversations about the father whom they shared. And he still couldn't get a handle on the man, couldn't get a sense of him.
He found it much easier to form a clear picture of Mrs. Larabee ... Margaret Ann Delany Larabee. Pegeen. Born here in the United States of Irish parents, marrying at nineteen. Chris was born when she was twenty-one. That meant she had only been thirty-four when her husband had developed his mid-life crisis. Thirty-four. Only seven years older than Vin was now. How much older was her husband? It occurred to Vin that he didn't know.
She was beautiful to her son, that Vin did know. Chris had inherited the vaunted Larabee glare from his mother, not from his father, like so many thought. Vin had learned from his older brother that Pegeen Larabee was tough and feisty. And that Chris had fallen in love with Sarah because she was that much like his mother. Vin had heard, while he was growing up, that men often married women who reminded them of their mothers.
Had he fallen in love with Adriana because she reminded him of Julia Tanner? Vin didn't know. It would be a good question to ask Aunt Jo at some point ... if Drina reminded her at all of her elder sister. Vin thought then of his aunt. Like he had told Chris, he had noticed interesting vibes passing between his aunt and Josiah. The big man had never kept his liking for women a secret, and Vin recognized that his aunt was a very pretty woman.
All right. Let's say for the sake of argument that Josiah does like Aunt Jo. Forgettin' for a minute that Josiah and Josephine sounds right funny, I know that he would cut off his right hand before he would do anything to hurt her. That's good, 'cause I would hate to have to hurt him. Aunt Jo's still young, only forty-five. She's the real question mark ... would she be good for Josiah? Vin didn't know. But he would keep an eye on the situation.
He wondered about Buck, if this was how Buck dealt with him and Drina together. Vin would have laughed aloud, if he hadn't remembered with painful clarity what happened the last time he laughed. Hell, right now, he and Drina weren't 'together.' Yes, they loved each other, and they had both admitted that love wasn't platonic any more. If it ever was. But at the moment, Vin was in no condition to do anything about his feelings for Drina, and he knew it.
Buck knew it, too, and Vin had no doubt that in another few weeks, a month at most, he and Buck would talk. Vin was distracted from this train of thought when his aunt breezed back into his room, still laughing at the antics of her three younger helpers. Huh. Now, that was strange, now that he thought about it. For the first time, he realized that his aunt was only four years older than his brother. He wondered if Aunt Jo had thought about it.
It was hard to tell ... his aunt was unpredictable in some respects. He never knew what she would do next, much less what she was thinking. Although, the latter may have been due to the fact that she was a woman, and he had no clue how they thought!
Still, he just smiled at her as she collapsed into the chair which Adriana had vacated earlier. Aunt Jo sighed, "Lord, those three make me feel old. I was told, when I first got to Colorado, that Chris Larabee was a humorless type with no tolerance for bullshit. The next time Maude Standish tries to tell me something about a man, I'm not listening to her!" Vin just smiled, and Aunt Jo asked softly, "So. You feelin' all right?"
"Been better, been worse. Ya okay?" he asked. Aunt Jo thought that through, then nodded slowly. She reached over and brushed her hand against his forehead. Why, he didn't know. He hadn't been running a fever, to the best of his knowledge. Then again, even after he had awakened on the planet, he had been out of it a lot. They had sedated him for the trip back, after Will Richmond had apologized to him and given him the letter for Drina. The letter. He asked hoarsely, "Aunt Jo, wouldja do me a favor?" When she nodded, he told her of the letter which should be in his pocket.
"That's no problem, honey," Aunt Jo replied. She rose to her feet and went to the chair where Vin's jacket hung. She continued, removing the letter from the pocket, "You know, Carly's been telling me a lot about the Richmonds. You think she'll be able to handle Richmond by herself ... Will, I mean." Vin didn't know ... that was a good question. His sister ... Christ, would he ever get used to thinking of her like that ... sometimes had a short fuse.
And Will did his best to test her limits. In part because that was just his way, and also because he found it amusing. Vin had told him there were some who found testing Adriana's limits amusing. Will had looked at him in horror and retorted, "Are you kidding me? I am not that stupid! You did hear about what Adriana and Charlotte were threatening to do to Dickie O'Shea, if he didn't talk, right?"
No, Vin hadn't ... Will proceeded to explain how Charlotte's devious mind concocted the plan. It involved scaring the shit out of O'Shea, Will told him, by discussing a fictional event which had taken place years earlier, involving a knitting needle, a fictional kidnapper's feet, and torturing the location of a fictional child out of the aforementioned fictional kidnapper. Of course, O'Shea had no way of knowing this. He only heard what Charlotte was discussing with Adriana, and the disinterested way Adriana had answered, as if she was bored by the subject.
Shoving a knitting needle into someone's foot. Just thinking about it made Vin hurt. A knife was bad enough, but a knitting needle? That was duller than a spoon. Charlotte had told Will about what she was actually planning to do to the sonuvabitch who had threatened her child, if he hadn't talked. She had no doubt that Mary and Adriana would have helped. In fact, Charlotte had been downright certain that she might even have to share that task with the other two women, if it had come to that.
"Vin? You okay there?" Aunt Josie asked. Vin shook himself, then fought back a moan of pain. Dammit, when would he learn not to do that? Aunt Josie sat down on the bed beside him, giving him an anchor, and she said softly, "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to startle you. But I got worried when you didn't answer me." Answer? Oh, that was right. She had asked about Carly, and her ability to deal with Will Richmond.
"Reckon she will," Vin rasped out, still having a hard time breathing. He closed his eyes, an instinctive reaction to the darkness which was starting to steal his vision. Aunt Jo gently stroked his good arm, once more giving him an anchor, through the pain. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "Reckon she'll be fine. Even if Will pushes her too far, Carly will push back. And Charlotte will help her."
Aunt Jo grinned at that, her brown eyes twinkling, and she said, "Now that is something I'd love to see. Of course, you know it wouldn't be complete if Adriana didn't jump in as well, and I'm sure Mary would help too. She told me that she was afraid she would kill the worse half of that team within three weeks." Vin bit down on his lip, to keep from laughing. Yeah, he could just hear Mary saying that. She had made no secret of her irritation with Will.
After a moment, his aunt said softly, changing the subject, "Vin, I know you're frustrated. Frustrated with being helpless, with being unable to laugh ... being unable to hold Adriana, the way you want to. And I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you. Things will get better, I promise you. It feels like it won't right, now, it feels right now like you'll be tired and in pain and helpless forever. But you won't. And as long as I'm here, as long as your sisters and brother are here ... as long as Adriana is here ... you won't be alone."
"I know that," Vin affirmed softly, "but I reckon what yer really sayin' is, y'all be patient with me. Reckon I just gotta learn to be patient with myself." Aunt Jo nodded, her eyes filled with compassion and pride. He wondered if Chris had told her about what he had said earlier, about being afraid of embarrassing them. Vin Tanner had never been worried about making a fool out of himself. But he had been alone, then, and now ... now, in addition to the five brothers he had discovered, he also had a brother by genetics.
He had two sisters, one of them a twin sister. He had an aunt. And he had a woman whom he loved, who loved him. The rules had changed, as Chris had said. And while Vin would never admit it, he was terrified. He was terrified of meeting his biological father, and finding out that Chris and the others were wrong ... that there was something so fundamentally wrong with Vin Tanner, that his father hadn't wanted him.
It was stupid. Made no sense, and Vin was a sensible man. But within the sensible adult remained a soul-wounded five year old boy who couldn't understand why no one came for him. What was wrong with him, what had he done wrong? Twenty-two years removed from that child, Vin Tanner nonetheless found himself keeping quiet about his fears ... and trying to protect his new family from finding out what a coward he really was.
I not only married a liar, but a coward, too. Wonder what that makes me?
Pegeen Larabee turned on her side, away from her husband, and tried to settle down long enough to sleep. But her mind was overflowing with images. Christopher still didn't know that they were coming. Pegeen hadn't decided if she wanted to let him know, or if she should just surprise him. She should tell him, she knew that. He was caring for his critically injured brother, and right now, he just didn't need a surprise.
She had been informed that while she was out 'aiding and abetting' the enemy, her husband would be remaining at their hotel. Coward. This had nothing to do with the military, it didn't even have anything to do with Christopher. This had to do with that young man, with her stepson. Vin. Giving up her attempts to sleep, Pegeen threw back the covers and slipped from the bed. She went to her suitcase and removed the envelope from a pocket.
Glancing over her shoulder ... Evan was still asleep ... Pegeen eased into the bathroom. She had received this two days ago, the day before they left for Colorado. It was from Vin's aunt Josephine ... somehow, she had found their address. Maybe Christopher had given it to her, maybe she found it some other way. Pegeen didn't know. The letter inside had been simple. "I thought you might be interested in finding out what you've been missing, these last twenty-seven years."
She shouldn't have opened it. She knew that. But when Pegeen had seen the manila envelope in the trash, her curiosity had been piqued. And then when she saw 'Tanner' with the return address, there had been no stopping her. She had opened the envelope, and found first the note, then another envelope. And in that envelope, addressed simply 'to the father of my son,' she had found photographs.
A beautiful little boy ... from newborn to baby, from baby to toddler, from toddler to child. About five years old, and Pegeen's breath caught in her throat. This was her son's little brother, then. His best friend, though he hadn't known it. What were the chances? That her Christopher would find his little brother, in a bar in Colorado, so far from where they both had grown up? That their eyes would meet, and each would know, without words, what the other was planning to do? What were the odds?
And yet, it had happened! That, by itself, was some sort of miracle. Pegeen blinked back tears, looking through those pictures now. She found herself falling in love with that little boy all over again, as she had the first time she had seen those pictures. Josephine Tanner, Vin's aunt, had included more recent pictures ... starting from when he was about nineteen or so. Pegeen didn't know how she came to have those pictures, since there was that jump from five to nineteen. Nor did she care.
She saw a teenaged boy, aged beyond his years. Physically, he looked nothing like Christopher. Her son had inherited her own blonde hair ... Vin's hair was darker. His eyes were blue, instead of green. But his smile, when he chose to use it, was just as devastating as her son's. Pegeen had always thought that her Christopher had a smile like the sun coming up, and Sarah had always agreed with her. Pegeen's fingers stilled, as she thought of her lost daughter-in-law, and grandson. Those responsible for that travesty were dead, but ...
Pegeen shook her head, returning her attention to the pictures. The most recent had been taken only weeks earlier ... when they had been on vacation in Virginia. It showed Vin with Chris, a lovely blonde woman, a little towheaded boy, and a pretty brunette. Pegeen flipped over the picture, touching the names again. The brunette was Vin's new girlfriend, Adriana, and the blonde was Mary. Undoubtedly, the same Mary who had exasperated, amused, enraged, and enchanted her son during the last three years.
Pegeen was looking forward to meeting her. She was bossy, stubborn ... even abrasive. She could be pushy and self-righteous, and an all-around pain in the ass. She was a reporter, and while Pegeen didn't like them, usually ... well, this was one she was willing to offer a chance. She had helped to bring her son back to life, and for that, Pegeen owed her dearly. She flipped the picture back over, still smiling.
She touched her son's face, then looked at Vin Tanner closely ... as she had the first time she had seen the picture, she looked for resemblances between her husband and the boy. The only similarity she had found was the coloring. But that didn't bother her. She touched Vin's face, as she had Christopher's, and whispered, "You helped to bring Christopher back to life, too, Kevin. You were one of the few innocents in this whole sordid situation. And God forgive her, your birth mother abandoned you. You're my son now, Vin. Regardless of what my husband wants, I want you. And I want your children to be my grandchildren."
She gently kissed the forehead of the young man in the photo, then replaced all of the pictures back into the manila envelope. Feeling more at peace with herself now, with that promise made, Pegeen pushed herself to her feet, grimacing. She was getting entirely too old to be sitting on cold bathroom floors. She turned out the lights and shuffled across the room, depositing the envelope back into the suitcase.
She sighed quietly, and slipped back into bed, thinking about Vin. He had been critically injured in a fall, though Christopher hadn't specified what kind of a fall. Suffered from a broken arm, broken ribs, and some internal injuries. He would spend some time healing ... body and heart. He knew that he had been abandoned, by both of his biological parents. And the boy would have nothing to do but think.
Through her son's letters, Pegeen had come to know Vin Tanner. She could guess how things would go for him. The rage, the confusion, the fear ... what had he done wrong? Pegeen Larabee was no psychiatrist, but she had worked with abandoned children in the past, when she was a teacher. Maybe that was what was keeping her awake now. Vin Tanner was her son now. She didn't know what his early life had been like, after his mother died, Christopher had never said. And, there was a part of her which felt she didn't want to know.
Still, she had to do something, to make up for those years. Christmas was coming up. Yes ... it was a little over two months away. Enough time for her to plan ... to get to know her new son, find out what she needed to know. She had learned from her older son that Vin had two other mother figures in his life right now ... his aunt Josephine and Nettie Welles. And from what she had heard about those two ...
Well. Pegeen had no doubt that things would get interesting. Nettie Welles by herself was formidable, from what she had learned, but Nettie Welles with Josephine Tanner? And add to that mix, Pegeen herself? Pegeen had come to the conclusion that her husband was a coward, since he refused to face himself or his son. That was his loss. Pegeen didn't intend to lose what her husband had already lost. She smiled to herself, drifting off to sleep as she thought about how she could make her new son's first Christmas as a member of this family, a memorable one.
Vin eventually drifted back to sleep, as Josie knew he would. She looked down at the letter in her hands. She had already decided, despite her own curiosity, that she wouldn't read it. It was meant for Adriana ... to Adriana, then, it would go. Josie rose to her feet and lightly kissed her nephew's cheek. He moaned softly in his sleep, but didn't awaken, and Josie quietly slipped from the bedroom, and into the living room, where the other three were now watching tv.
She went to the sofa where Adriana was lying on her side, watching ... whatever the program was. Drina's hazel eyes flickered away from the program, and she smiled up at Josie. The blonde woman dropped to her knees, whispering, "This is something Vin wanted you to have, Drina. It's from Will Richmond." Adriana pushed herself up onto her elbows, frowning thoughtfully as she accepted the envelope.
"Thanks, Josie," the archaeologist murmured, her eyes flickering back to the television screen. Josie now recognized the program as a documentary about Egypt. What Josie hadn't been expecting was her daughter's total fascination with the program. Adriana looked away from the screen, to Lizzie's face, and murmured, "She wanted to watch this. Said she's still figuring out the difference between an Egyptologist, an archaeologist, and an anthropologist."
"Lizzie's always been fascinated with history ... that's why I was so surprised when she chose premed. On the other hand, ever since she met up with y'all, she's been questioning Josiah about ancient cultures and their medical practices. Wouldn't surprise me at all if she ends up in the Stargate program herself," Josie answered softly, and Adriana nodded with a faint smile. She was fingering the envelope, as if she wasn't really sure she wanted to open it.
Knowing that it was none of her business, but feeling as if this girl was a member of her family anyhow, Josie asked in a low voice, "You wanna talk about it?" Drina shook her head, which didn't surprise Josie, but she had wanted to make the attempt. Josie had learned that the girl's father had molested her from the time of her mother's murder, when she was eight, until she was seventeen, and she ran away from home. Josie had wanted to kill the bastard when she heard that, but was informed that Chris and Buck had first dibs on him.
Adriana's experience had reminded Josie once more why she had never married. She had Lizzie to think about, after all, and Josie wasn't willing to entrust her little girl to just anybody. With everything that had been happening recently, hearing about how Vin had grown up, Josie had worried that she hadn't been enough for Lizzie. True, Lizzie had grown into a feisty, bright girl who could take care of herself ... but Josie still worried.
But in the end, wasn't it better to have no male in her life, than a bad one? At the same time, that hadn't been entirely true ... there had been good men around, who took Lizzie fishing and taught her to ride and shoot a gun. Things which Josie knew how to do, but her girl needed a father figure of some kind. There was also her father, though he was in Chicago, and Lizzie only got to see her grandfather during the holidays.
But no man in the house, every day, no man of the house. Maybe Josie's standards were set too high, because she expected all men to be like her father. Daddy. Since Adriana had to work through this thing with Will Richmond on her own, Josie patted the girl's shoulder and went to Chris. She knelt beside his recliner, whispering, "I need to call my father, update him. I'll pay you back later."
Chris waved his hand with a slight smile. Josie didn't worry though. She would find out from Vin how much the call to Chicago cost and reimburse Chris anyhow. She rose to her feet and went into the kitchen, dialing her father's number. He answered on the second ring ... probably had the cordless. She said, "Hey, Dad ... it's your brat-child." Laughter greeted this remark, a reference to Josie's childhood, when she was definitely the brattiest of the three Tanner sisters. Josie continued, "Just thought you might like an update on your only grandson and partial namesake."
"How is Kevin? Is he healing all right? Did they catch the bastard who tried to blow him up?" her father growled. He didn't know most of the story ... just that Vin had been badly injured in an explosion. That was all Josie could afford to tell him, and she hadn't even wanted to tell him that. When did the child become the protector, trying to protect the parent from bad news? For her, it had started with her mother's death ten years earlier, and the revelation that Jessica had abandoned Vin after Julia's death.
"He's doing fine, Dad. The guy who tried to kill him is dead, he can't hurt Vin or anyone else ever again," Josie reassured her father. She heard him repeating this information to his second wife, her stepmother Rebecca. That was something else. Josie hadn't been terribly upset when her father remarried five years earlier. Jessica, on the other hand, had thrown a fit, from what she had heard.
"Rebecca wants to know when he'll be strong enough for us to come visit. She couldn't believe it when I told her I had never met my grandson. And her oldest daughter is about Kevin's age," Paris said. Josie winced. Although she didn't really have a problem with her father remarrying, she couldn't say she really liked her stepmother. She made her father happy, but Rebecca wasn't among her favorite people. Especially not when Rebecca started trying to matchmake ... then, she really drove Josie nuts. The second-born Tanner sister swore that Rebecca wouldn't get a chance to do that to Vin. Starting now.
"Well, do you think you could get away this weekend? There's an Open House at the Academy, and we're all going. You can meet Vin's older brother, Chris, and his lady, Mary. And I know Vin would love to meet you. He asked about it, and when he could introduce you to his girlfriend Adriana, as well as his brother ... Chris and the other five," Josie replied. She smiled faintly as her father told his wife that Vin already had a girlfriend.
"I want to know a little more about Chris and this Adriana ... want to know if this girl is good enough for my grandson," Paris said a bit gruffly. Josie supposed she couldn't blame him. Vin's biological mother hadn't shown very good judgment with the father of her children, and neither Julia nor Josie had ever married. She hooked a foot around a stepstool, dragging it over to where the phone rested in the kitchen.
"Well, she's twenty-seven years old, an archaeologist. Her older brother Bucklin works on the same squad as Vin. She and Vin have known each other for eight years. She was Carly's roommate in college ... remember Carly talking about her? She was very quiet most of the time, but very strong-willed?" Josie asked. She had been in the room when her niece told Paris about college, during phone conversations.
Paris responded with an 'ahhhhhh,' as he did remember, and said, "She's that Adriana, then. I always wondered, when Carly talked about her, if there was something more between her and Kevin. Why did it take them this long?" Josie looked back into the living room, trying to decide how much to tell her father. There was a very specific reason, but Adriana had told her about her father because she trusted her, Josie. Adriana didn't even know Paris.
With that in mind, she said carefully, "I don't think either were ready, Daddy. And Adriana has been healing from parental abuse. Trust is hard with her." That much was true. Anyone who paid attention to the cues would be able to tell that Adriana was an abuse survivor, and her father had always paid attention to cues from people. It was something he had taught his girls, and it seemed Julia had begun the process with Vin.
Her father was silent for several moments, then he said quietly, "What you're not saying, Josephine, is that this child was molested. She's been getting help, then?" Josie assented, and her father continued, "All right. But I still want to meet her. It's not that I don't trust you, Josie, but Kevin is my grandson. I couldn't be there through most of his life. I just want ... I want to make sure she can take care of him, the way he deserves."
What her father meant was, he wanted to see that for himself ... wanted to watch them together. Josie could respect that. She said, "I'll make a deal with you. I'll give you the time you need, if you promise to make Rebecca keep the Man-eater at home. Vin's recovering from nasty injuries, Daddy, and he just doesn't have the energy to fight her off right now." She listened as Paris translated her request for Rebecca's benefit.
After a moment, he replied, "Deal ... especially if you promise to keep your sister away from Rebecca while we're there." Josie almost howled at that. Her sister was far more blunt about her dislike of Rebecca and her oldest daughter than Josie herself was.
It was, in fact, Jessica who had first given Louisa Perkins that nickname. And, considering Jessica had made herself scarce during the last few weeks, especially after the tongue-lashing she got from Adriana, she didn't think that would be a problem. Instead, she said, "Daddy, I don't think that will be a problem. Drina ripped into Jess but good, so we haven't seen much of her lately. And when Drina hasn't been around, then either Carly or Lizzie have."
There was a brief silence, then Paris sighed, "You'll never forgive your sister, will you?" He knew the answer to that. As blatant as Jessica was in her dislike of Rebecca and Louisa, Josie was just as blatant in her inability to forgive her sister. She could have forgiven Jessica for anything else ... but not for causing harm to a child. Worse yet, she knew that she had influenced her daughter's attitude toward her biological mother.
She had found that out this morning. After a moment, her father said quietly, "I'll make plans to fly out there this weekend. Lizzie told me that she doesn't return to classes until Monday. Says she'll make up for it with summer classes, if need be. So I'll get to see all of my grandchildren together, at the same time." Josie smiled. Yes, he would. After all these years, it would be good to have all of them together.
Adriana was only vaguely aware of Josie leaving the room. Her attention was focused on the letter in her hands. On whether she would read it now or later. Was she ready? The most recent mission had left her shaken, for more than one reason. Not the least of which was her own reaction when Vin had gone down. The blind rage which had taken over. She hadn't realized she had that much rage, that much hatred within her.
Her conversation with the generals once they returned to the SGC had gone better than she expected. Instead of chastising her for using excessive force (since mercy and compassion weren't virtues understood or appreciated by the Gou'ald), they had instead brought up the danger she could have been in, under different circumstances. They pointed out that she had left her back open ... that she couldn't afford to make mistakes like that. She knew that. She knew that she couldn't leave her back open, that she couldn't afford to let the fury to take over. Maybe that was part of the reason she was standing down, after she finished recharging the staff weapons.
Enough of this. Adriana was getting restless, and it was time to finish this, once and for all. She ripped open the envelope determinedly, her attention focused on that. She didn't see Lizzie turn her head to look at her and frown, nor did she see Chris giving her a concerned look. It was time she started dealing with this, no matter how ugly it got. She fumbled with the now-open envelope, almost tearing the letter from the pocket.
She opened the letter, and stopped, seeing the salutation. Drina. When the hell had so many people started calling her by Vin's nickname for her? So many outsiders? Except, Will wasn't really an outsider, was he? He had been Adriana's friend before she had met Vin. Even if their friendship wasn't particularly equal, that wasn't the point. When had she started thinking of Will as the outsider? It had been, she realized, during this mission. When he set out to estrange himself from his wife and from her.
She swallowed hard and began reading, focusing on the words.
Drina.
By the time you read this, I imagine it'll be a few days, if not a few weeks. I've spent the last few days, trying to figure out how to make things up to you, and to Vin. You know everything that happened ... how O'Shea threatened Charlotte and Tansy. What you may not know is that while Charlotte figured out that you ... that ... well, she figured out about your father, I never did. If I had, I would never have said what I did about you and Vin.
Thing is, kiddo ... I've known for a long time that you two love each other. Hell, I've known since before either of you left Texas. I've been told that Chanu has said that I kept calling you Vin's girl, because he would be less of a threat to me. That's only partially true. But I've always believed that you and Vin belonged together. It was just that first year, I had to give him a hard time. Didn't want him thinking that I would let him hurt you.
But of course, he would never hurt you. That was always my job, and I always did it so well. Too well, because I always said or did the wrong thing, and had no idea how well I was hitting the mark. Some things never change, kiddo. I guess I'm one of them. What I'm trying to say, Drina, is ... I'm sorry. I don't know how I'll make it up to you yet. But I will. Take care of yourself, little lady.
Will.
Adriana allowed her head to drop back against the pillows once she finished the letter, and closed her eyes. Will had known all along? How the hell had he known, and Adriana hadn't figured it out until she saw Vin tumbling down that ridge? No, that wasn't right, either. She had started figuring it out before they even left. It was just that ... the attack on the ridge made it impossible to run and hide any more.
"You okay, little princess?" Chris asked softly. Adriana looked up ... she hadn't noticed the television was off. She hadn't noticed that Lizzie had left the room. It was just Chris, kneeling right beside her, his green eyes never leaving her face. Without speaking, she passed the letter to Chris. He was silent for several moments as he read, then looked up at her and asked once more, "You okay?"
"I don't know, Chris," she admitted wearily, "I just don't know. Everyone talks about you and that glare of yours. How you turn into a different person when it comes to Sarah and Adam. I talk about Buck's Hyper-Luxan Rage. Vin is always soft-spoken, but when he's angry, his voice ... you barely hear his voice. Do you understand what I'm saying? Of course you don't, I don't even understand what I'm saying." Chris shook his head and reached his hand out to cover hers, making sure she saw the contact coming.
"You're wrong. I know exactly what you're saying. What you did ... how you reacted when we almost lost Vin scared the hell out of you. And you've been having nightmares ever since, because you have no idea how to control it. The thing is, little princess, that's part of the problem. You've been controlling it too well. For twenty years, you have controlled that rage so well, that you couldn't even admit it was there," Chris replied.
Adriana felt as though she had been hypnotized, because she couldn't look away from Chris. He continued, "But now, you know it's there, and that's the very first step. You've already asked for help, you're in therapy. And I am so proud of you for that! That takes a lot of courage, little princess, to admit that you need help. To admit that you can't do it alone. No one can do it alone, Adriana. I sure as hell can't. I needed Mary, and your brother, Vin, and the others, before I could get through losing Sarah and Adam."
He raked his free hand through his blond hair, adding, "And it wasn't really over for me, not until Ella was dead. Even then, it took me time, before I could really let go. Because it wasn't me who killed her. I felt as though I had failed Sarah and Adam, by failing to avenge them. And I felt like I failed Mary, because she was the one who was standing in front of my two best friends, wielding a rifle. She has to live with killing Ella ... not me."
He looked back up at her and said, "What I'm trying to say, little princess, is that you've been working so hard, these last few weeks. Making sure that Josie felt welcome, making sure that things with Carly had been worked out ... making sure that Vin got all the time he needed with us. When have you taken care of yourself? Have you been making your appointments to your therapist?" Adriana nodded ... her brother had insisted on that.
"Yeah. It's just ... it's like things are locked up inside of me, Chris. I talk to her, but not about this, 'cause I can't figure out how to say it. And how in the hell do I tell her about the Stargate, or how Vin was hurt, or anything like that? I felt more comfortable in the general's office, when they were telling me to be more careful! I tell her about my father, and about my mother, and ... But I don't know how to tell her about Vin. Or about almost losing him," Adriana explained.
"Then tell me. Listen. You are still my little princess, my little surrogate sister. And you always will be. Vin is asleep right now, and even when he wakes up, Lizzie will watch over him. Right now, my gut tells me that you need me, because I've been where you are. I know about that rage, little princess. That need to inflict pain on someone or something, to make someone else hurt the way you are. I know about that," Chris said softly.
How did she say it? The blind, white-hot rage she had felt at the time of the second explosion, when Vin had begun his unwilling descent? The roaring in her ears, her inability to draw breath. She whispered, "I felt like my blood was on fire. Not just boiling, but ... it was like it was literally on fire. I don't know, the best I can do, the best analogy I can make is ... my blood felt like it had turned to lava in my veins. And I wasn't just shooting at that Jaffa any more ... but at my father, at Dickie O'Shea, even my brother, you, and Will. It was like everything came to a head at once."
She looked up at Chris and said, "I wanted him dead, Chris. I wanted him to pay for what he had done to Vin. For what Dickie O'Shea awakened, when he locked JD and me in that tool shed. For forcing me to confront the darkness ... in more ways than one. That's why I kept firing. He wasn't a danger to Vin any more, but it was no longer just about protecting Vin. It was about making ... it was about revenge. I crossed the line, Chris."
"We all do, from time to time. I won't lie to you, little princess. It ain't an easy road. But ... we're all traveling together. You know Josiah, that seven men, one destiny crap he spouts. It's not really crap. I just tell him that, 'cause we don't want no one else figuring out that I'm more than the volatile loose cannon everyone thinks I am," Chris said. Adriana found herself giggling in spite of herself, and Chris glared at her. She just giggled again, and Chris grinned before he went on, "But you've been there during the last few weeks, taking care of us. I can take care of you and Vin at the same time. If you'll let me. If you'll let us."
"Reckon I don't have much of a choice, cowboy," Adriana said with a faint smile, "it seems to me that you seven are a package deal. I get one of you, I also get the others. Now, I already had you and Buck. So, that means I get three more brothers, and an uncle. And since I get you and Vin, I also get Josie, Lizzie, and Carly, as well as Mary, Billy, and General Travis. Like I said. Package deal."