SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMERS: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al, SG-1 characters belong to Gekko, MGM, and Showtime. Adriana is mine ... don't mind if you borrow her, just give her back intact and give credit where credit is due.
SPOILERS: My previous stories, A Light in the Distance, More than Friends, Under the Sun, and Days of Yearning. Likely references to episodes in both seasons of Mag7 and all five seasons of Stargate SG-1.
WARNING: The usual ... mainly language and Adriana's continued presence. Also further reference to Wilmington Sr's abusiveness.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Mindy the border collie actually does exist, but she doesn't belong to me. However, according to her, I belong to her. Just an FYI.
Within a half hour of separating from the rest of the group, JD began wondering if it was too late to switch ... he would go with Vin and Adriana, and Buck and Ezra could hang out together. Buck was driving him crazy already, and JD found himself wondering why he was ever jealous of Adriana taking time with Buck away from him. Maybe because he had been an immature brat? Oooh, there was a concept!
JD adored Buck. The big major was his closest friend out of the others, although Vin was close behind. But Buck was more intent on flirting with the ladies than he was on riding the rides. Which, of course, was why JD was here! If he had gone with Vin and Adriana, he could have had the dual pleasure of having fun, and watching Vin have fun. Ezra liked to talk to the ladies as much as Buck did, it would have been far better for those two to hang around together.
But, General Hammond had decided that Ezra would be with someone ... two someones, actually ... who could appreciate the joys of an amusement park. JD smiled to himself as he shuffled ahead, remembering Vin's obvious excitement in the van. He had been practically bouncing in his seat, much to the amusement of the others ... especially Chris. Hell, JD thought Chris was having a ball just watching Vin!
JD hadn't been to an amusement park in years, and it was a bit like sensory overload. He didn't know where to start. He just wanted to have fun, rather than watch Buck flirt with exhausted young mothers. Buck had the fun part ... JD ended up playing with the little ones. Not that he really minded, since he loved kids. He had never stopped to think about it, that was just the way things were. But this was not turning into the vacation he had hoped for. He made a mental note to himself, to see if he could hang around with Vin and Adriana after lunch. Vin wouldn't mind, he was sure, unless ...
Naw. Naw, Vin wouldn't mind. He wasn't as sure about Adriana, but she had been really nice about answering his questions while they were waiting in the tunnel for Corkscrew Hill. JD still didn't think archaeology was fun ... and he never would, not after helping the archaeologists before the conclusion of things with Ella Gaines. But now, he could appreciate Adriana's love for her profession. And, it was a lot more interesting than he had originally thought.
Now, he couldn't say that he and Adriana were friends. But they were getting along better, and JD had noticed Buck beaming at him proudly. A few times, JD had been invited to sit with Adriana, when it was just the two of them in the cafeteria. They talked about the rest of the Seven, about Mary and Billy Travis. Safe topics. JD couldn't speak for her, wouldn't even try, but he wasn't really ready to talk about Buck, or what had happened when they had rescued General Travis nearly two years earlier.
The young cartographer's mind turned to the last gathering at Nettie's boardinghouse. Adriana had just moved out of her apartment and into a small cottage she was renting. It was only three bedrooms, not very big, but it gave her more room than her apartment. The day after she finished moving into her house, she had been adopted by a dog. JD laughed, remembering Buck's expression as he asked his sister, "Uhm, baby sister, don't you mean, you adopted the dog? Not the other way around?"
"No, Buck, I mean, she adopted me. A friend of mine at the animal shelter found out that a couple was moving out of state and couldn't take her with them. Amanda remembered that I could have a dog at my new house, and gave me a call. I went over to her house, and Mindy decided immediately that I was hers," Adriana had replied, reaching down to stroke the dark head of the border collie at her feet. Mindy was just a puppy, only about a year old. She was a beautiful dog, very affectionate with Adriana, but very wary around men.
Men, as opposed to little boys. She took to Billy Travis immediately, licking the little boy's face enthusiastically, and retreated to Adriana's side when any of the men ... especially the big men ... approached her. By the end of the visit, she would allow JD to approach her, even licking his hand, his face, whatever she could reach. Mindy was still a bit shy around the others, though Adriana had told him on the plane while Vin was asleep, that the puppy was getting used to Vin.
That had blown JD's mind. Animals, for the most part, loved Vin Tanner. Horses, cats, didn't matter. Mindy, however, was shy of him ... unless he was sitting beside Adriana, in which case Mindy allowed him to pet her. It seemed that if her lady thought someone was all right, all right enough to let him sit next to her, then Mindy would let a grown man pet her. But only if he was sitting next to her.
Which brought up an interesting question. At twenty-two, JD still looked very young for his age. Did Mindy think he was just a big kid? Is that why the puppy let him near? JD didn't know, but that was the last thing he needed. Someone else thinking he was a kid. Even if it was a beautiful border collie puppy. JD grinned to himself, remembering the way Casey had fussed over the puppy, and had been rewarded with a face-washing. And hand-washing.
Yes, Miss Mindy liked kids ... and ladies. She just wasn't too sure about men. JD wondered if she had been hurt by men. Amanda hadn't told Adriana about any abuse, to JD's knowledge, but that didn't mean anything. The young cartographer didn't understand it. Why would anyone hurt a defenseless puppy? What kind of sick bastard did that to anything helpless? Josiah had deemed such people cowards, Nathan had far stronger words, and Vin had just stared at Mindy very, very sadly.
That brought JD's mind back to the present. He wondered what kind of rides the others were riding. He thought about Splashus Maximus, and had to admit, he was looking forward to it, and the water rides. After three years in Colorado, he had forgotten how hot the East Coast could get. Growing up in Trenton, he had experienced sizzling summers and freezing winters. And that was a lot further north than Virginia was.
The days spent in Washington, DC had been boiling, to say the least, and the committee hearings hadn't helped either. JD had noticed that Chris always got a little more short tempered during the summer months. No explanation had been provided for this, since most people whom JD were more short-tempered during the winter months. Snow ... ice ... being plowed in after you had just finished clearing your driveway. It could get ugly ... and as Buck was so fond of saying, he did hate ugly.
JD heard little of what had happened in the committee meetings ... as soon as the SG-7 leader and the others got back to the hotel, Chris immediately changed into a swimsuit and dove into the pool. The ladies of the small group exchanged a look, then all changed as well. They waited, however, even after the rest of the men changed ... General Hammond expressing what was most likely on their minds. Chris needed to be alone.
He had, however, heard mumblings from Colonel O'Neill about that idiot Kinsey. JD didn't even want to know. While Maybourne was somewhat more tolerable these days when he popped up, Kinsey was ... now, how had Ezra put it? The young cartographer couldn't remember the words Ezra had strung together to describe the SGC's primary foe on their home planet, but he could remember what Vin said. And he really didn't think that was fit for the hearing of little girls or ladies. Vin hadn't either, which was why he had muttered it to JD while Mary, Janet, Sam, and Adriana were all in the pool with Cassie and Billy.
The line moved yet again, taking them further away from the pretty redhead whom Buck had been flirting with. JD rolled his eyes, wondering if Ezra had managed to get away from Vin and Adriana yet. Just before JD and Buck left Ireland, JD had encountered Adriana and softly suggested that if all else failed, she could get Ezra to think her leg was still hurt. Hmm. Now that he thought about it, wasn't that the leg which had been broken when the slab fell on her?
Oops, he didn't want to go there. Instead, he thought about Adriana's mischievous grin at his suggestion as she replied, "Nah, I don't think so. That was three months ago, JD, and Ezra knows about my recovery time." JD nodded in acknowledgment as the archaeologist continued, "But thanks for the idea. You just never know when it may come in handy." She had winked at JD, then sashayed off to join Vin and Ezra.
Which meant Adriana could be just as devious as Ezra, or even Chris, when it came to it. JD grinned to himself. Come to think of it, maybe it was time Buck's little brother and little sister joined forces and started giving back what he had been dishing out all these years. Oh, Adriana probably wouldn't be ready for another few months ... she was still a bit ... well, not really possessive or clingy. But she was glad to have her brother back in her life, one hundred percent, and she made no secret of it.
Give her a few months. Maybe after the first time Buck started worrying about Adriana and Vin's relationship. JD smirked. That sounded about right. Buck loved his sister and could be like a dog with his bone, when it came to looking out for her. It wasn't that he distrusted Vin, but still ... Adriana was his little sister. And she, while a bit quiet, had grown steadily more vocal over the last few years. The very first time Buck interfered in her relationship with Vin ... would be the last. JD grinned again. Yup. He was learning patience. He could be patient now.
At least until he saw Buck flirting with yet another beauty. This one from a young daughter. JD rolled his eyes. The little girl seemed to be about the same age as Billy Travis, and she didn't look pleased to see Buck flirting with her mother. Not in the least. Her small face was screwed up into a scowl ... in fact, she kind of reminded JD of Cassie when the teenager was protecting her mother from anyone whom Cassie deemed a threat.
Especially after the little girl punched Buck in the nose. JD bit back a giggle at the expression on the major's face, and the embarrassment on Terry Greer's face as she chastised her daughter Olivia. On second thought, if he and Buck stayed with these two for the rest of the morning, until they met up with the others for lunch and Splashus Maximus, things might just prove to be entertaining after all!
While the others had gone off to the various attractions of the park, Josiah and Nathan had found a quiet park bench ... quiet, of course, aside from the laughter of children and conversation of their parents. It wasn't that Josiah thought he was too old for amusement parks ... he was just real choosy about what he rode. He wasn't a young man any more. And Nathan had outright admitted he preferred riding with Rain. Huh. Surprise, surprise.
Now, a half hour after leaving the rest of their party at the exit of Corkscrew Hill, the two men discussed the events of the last few days. Ezra had told Josiah about what had happened during the committee meetings ... Josiah had been anticipating what he heard, but it still made him angry. He was an anthropologist, a man of learning ... but he had received his degree, courtesy of the GI Bill. He had been a soldier, though it had been hard. He hadn't always been able to keep his cool.
After his sister had spun out of control, Josiah Sanchez had allowed few people into his heart. His students had been allowed partial entry, but not all the way. Daniel Jackson had been the exception. The boy had been crying out for attention, and Josiah couldn't turn his back on someone in need. Nathan Jackson, his companion now, was another who had penetrated that shield. JD Dunne, because he was so young, and in some ways, reminded him so much of Daniel Jackson. And, he allowed all of his new teammates the same access he had given his students for so many years. Up until he had visited Hannah and found himself accused of murder.
Then, someone else had catapulted through that last shield. Not because he had slipped under while Josiah wasn't looking, not because he had tried to penetrate the shield, but because he was just there. Josiah made a mental note to ask Chris if Vin had done the same thing to him when they first met. He had always cared about Vin ... hell, he was a good kid.
But in that week, Vin's staunch defense of Josiah had triggered something deep in Josiah. By the time it was all over, and rogue FBI agent Cyrus Poplar had been revealed as the true killer, Josiah had allowed Vin into his heart wholly. He had joined Daniel and JD as Josiah's 'sons.' Nathan had jokingly said in the past that Josiah could get a little 'Old Testament.' Which was Nathan's way of saying Josiah could raise some unholy hell, if you messed with one of his.
For Vin Tanner, Josiah would raise unholy hell. He had a renewed respect for Chris, after hearing Ezra's account of what had happened in the second meeting. He had already heard from Mary, when that lovely reporter was still fuming about Kinsey's attack on Vin's intelligence. If Kinsey and Mary ever met again, Josiah had the sense that Kinsey would have to learn the hard way, just as Ella Gaines had ... you didn't mess with Mary's little brother.
Josiah said now, "Don't know how Chris kept his temper. I've seen him gettin' just as Old Testament as me, Nathan. I know that man can be volatile. And I remember the last time someone called Vin's honor into question. Don't know how he kept his temper. Don't know if I could have." Nathan sighed, sitting forward on the park bench, smiling faintly as a group of youngsters raced past. No doubt, seeing in his mind the children he and Rain would have.
"Chris is a volatile one, no doubt. But he's smart, Josiah. He knows what's at stake, and it was a helluva lot more devastating, when it came from Daniel. People underestimate him, but Danny can be damn ruthless when it suits his purposes. He would have never survived Abydos or the last few years if he couldn't," Nathan answered. Josiah nodded, smiling faintly. Nathan continued, "So. Tell me about this movie night. Billy and me watched a bit of TV, but I could hear y'all laughing through the wall."
Josiah grinned and replied, "You did miss a fine night of entertainment, Nathan, and I ain't just talkin' about the movies. You know they rented a VCR from the hotel right?" Nathan nodded in answer, and Josiah continued, "Well, the ladies brought movies. You might say there was a historical theme to the ones we watched last night ... I hear that there are more in the stash, so we may watch more tonight. This time, get Ezra to baby-sit."
Nathan laughed outright, replying, "I was just thinking about him, about what he's doing right now ... wondering how Vin and Adriana are torturing him." Josiah threw back his head and laughed, remembering the 'what just happened there' look on Ezra's face as the guide and archaeologist had dragged him off, on their own personal adventure. If anyone could get Grinch Ezra to lighten up and have fun, it would be the guide who had never been to an amusement park, and the archaeologist who had been playing little mother ever since they had gotten here.
"I have no doubt that he's secretly enjoying himself, no matter how hard he tries to convince himself that he's miserable. You ready to move on?" Josiah asked and Nathan nodded. The pair rose to their feet, ambling along, smiling at each other when they saw children on the rides, or young lovers together. It caused an ache in Josiah's heart. He envied Chris for his Mary, Nathan for his Rain, JD for his Casey. He had been attracted to Maude Standish, but they didn't belong in each other's worlds. Emma Dubonet, the Emma Dubonet whom he had loved all those years ago, no longer existed.
When he had first arrived at Cheyenne Mountain, he had been quietly attracted to Janet Frasier, but convinced himself that she was too young for him. And after he found out about her failed marriage, he knew he wasn't the right one for her. She had already been through enough, a beautiful young doctor married once to a domineering bastard. She didn't need to be married to a man with so many demons of his own. Janet needed someone who could make her laugh.
By the time Josiah had met her, she had adopted Cassie as her own child, and that young lady had begun healing some of Janet's remaining scars. Instead, Josiah had chosen to think of Janet as a little sister ... she wasn't that much younger than Hannah. And with time, it had begun to get easier, actually believing that he saw her as a younger sister. A possibility of what Hannah could have been. Which wasn't to say he saw Janet as a replacement of Hannah.
No ... no, Janet deserved better than that, and so did Hannah. Interrupting his dark reverie, Nathan said, "So, tell me more about this movie night. What movies did you watch? You said most of 'em had a historical theme to them ... hell, Janet and I can barely get most of them yahoos to sit through an examination, and now you're tellin' me that they actually sat through movies? What about Daniel and Drina? I'm surprised that they didn't pick it to death."
Josiah saw a wall of rocks and steered his friend in that direction. It was the perfect place ... shady enough, and sunny enough at the same time. He sat down with a sigh. Damn, he was getting old! He rocked back as Nathan sat beside him, enjoying the sun, then turned to his companion with a smug grin. He replied, his eyes dancing, "I didn't say that, Nathan." The young man raised his eyebrows questioningly, but Josiah didn't say anything more.
"All right, I'll bite then ... Lord, you're gettin' as bad as Vin, and no, that ain't a compliment!" Nathan retorted in mock-exasperation. Josiah regarded his friend affectionately. Like hell it wasn't. While Josiah had only lately become Old Testament when it came to the young guide, Nathan had always been like that. It wasn't just about the guide's aid when they first met. But Nathan had always seemed to consider Vin special. The healer sighed, "So what are you saying, Josiah?"
Josiah smirked and replied, "Well, it went something like this. Daniel kept piping it with, 'That's wrong. That's wrong,' about every ten minutes. Well, Drina finally bapped Daniel and reminded him that they were supposed to be having fun, Mary eventually threatened to bring out the duct tape and all was well." Nathan just gave him one of his own patented 'I know better' looks, and Josiah completed obligingly, "Well, for the rest of that movie, at least. And that was 'Gladiator.' It started all over again during the next set of movies."
Nathan looked at Josiah in amazement, asking, "Okay, now that I believe. But back up a sec ... you're telling me that Drina actually bapped Daniel on the head and told him to shut up and enjoy the film? Are we talking about the same Adriana Wilmington who always leaves the explanation of what they do to Daniel Jackson, because she doesn't feel she has the patience? The same Adriana Wilmington who keeps her mouth shut so tightly when dealing with ignorant senators and Maybourne, she's been known to come close to breaking her own teeth?" Josiah sniggered, remembering the incident in question, when Maybourne had pissed off Adriana.
The anthropologist replied with an evil grin, touched with pride, "Oh, did she ever ... of course, we were watching a movie at the time. And the last time she encountered Maybourne, they weren't talking about the movies, but about real life. Remember?" Nathan nodded thoughtfully, and then Josiah continued, "Anyhow, after she finished bapping Daniel and telling him to just shut up and enjoy the movie, then she and Mary started teasing Vin mercilessly."
Nathan was obviously still having a hard time processing this. While they had gotten off to a rocky start, things were eventually patched up between the medic and the archaeologist. In fact, the last time someone had gone after Nathan because of his skin color, Adriana had put her two cents worth in before anyone else had a chance. Then Vin had stepped quickly to her side, not saying a word. Within moments, all of SG-7 surrounded them. Problem solved. At last, Nathan asked, looking at Josiah again, "And Colonel O'Neill? I can't imagine he was silent through all this, aside from congratulating Drina."
Josiah simply chuckled and replied, "He just shut up and watched the movie. Well, after nearly getting beaned by a few pillows, for making a reference to chick flicks. I think you can imagine how that went over with the ladies." Nathan's broad grin told the anthropologist that he could, indeed, imagine how this went over with the five women who had accompanied SG-1 and SG-7 on their vacation.
Josiah paused as something occurred to him. After a moment, he observed, "Wonder if Vin has noticed just how many people have picked up on his nickname for Adriana?" He and Nathan were among those who had also begun calling the archaeologist 'Drina,' and Daniel Jackson had been one of the first to 'borrow' the nickname. Buck continued to call his little sister 'DeeDee,' though Josiah preferred 'Drina' by far.
Nathan laughed quietly, answering, "Reckon he has. Ain't a lot that boy misses, whether we're talkin' about tracks off-world, or the way teammates interact. Hell, when he does miss somethin,' I start to worry, that usually means he's sick or somethin.' Although, the last time I mentioned that to Colonel O'Neill, he said that either Vin's sick or he just trusts us to watch his back. But yeah, I think he's noticed."
Josiah smirked at the colonel's observation. Cassie had been known to observe to her mother and 'Aunt Sam' that Jack was a lot smarter than he let on. Cassie was a very smart young lady. Give her a few years, and she would be just as scary as Sam when she was pissed. The anthropologist asked, thoroughly enjoying the discussion, "Wonder if it bothers him at all? And if it does, I wonder how we would tell?"
The pair traded looks, and Josiah thought to himself that the only way he knew was if bodies or bullets started flying. Nathan answered, "Doubt if it bothers him ... he woulda let us know. That boy don't have the Larabee glare, but he still has his way of makin' it known when he's pissed off." Amen to that, brother, Josiah thought, then Nathan asked with a thoughtful frown, "That's somethin' else? We've heard the stories about why Buck calls her 'DeeDee' and why Chris calls her 'little princess,' but has Vin ever told you, or anyone else, about his nickname for Adriana? The story behind it?"
Josiah shrugged as he remembered his conversation with the archaeologist, and answered, "Honestly, there ain't much of a story there, Nathan. Drina told me one time, once we got back from Montana. It seems that only a few weeks after they first met, Vin was leaving her dorm and got the hell beat out of him by some hooligans. They told him to stay away from this friend of Drina's, then threatened Drina if he didn't do as he was told. When he came to, he could barely talk ... the best he could do was 'Drina,' and the name stuck."
Nathan's dark eyes narrowed in a way Josiah had come to recognize. As Josiah had silently observed only moments earlier, when it came to Vin, Nathan could get just as Old Testament as Josiah himself. The anthropologist said quietly, "It's in the past, Nathan, and they took care of the men who hurt Vin. It's over. We can't do nothin' to undo what was done to either of them. Or to your mother."
Nathan took a deep breath, then released it. Josiah had a pretty good idea what was bothering his best friend. While Nathan had guessed a long time ago Adriana had been molested by her father, the words had been spoken aloud. When that had happened, the resulting fallout among SG-7 and the other teams stirred up memories for the medic, and Nathan now understood why Daniel Jackson had reamed JD for abandoning his post (the reason JD was late meeting them before they left for Montana, they had learned). It was hard, dealing with memories sometimes.
At last, the young medic looked up at Josiah and said, "You're right. I'm sorry." Josiah reached over and gently squeezed the other man's shoulder. There was no need to apologize. Nathan had only hurt himself this time. Although, Josiah had no doubt that if the bastards who had attacked Vin had been nearby, Nathan would have inflicted serious damage on them. Once Nathan composed himself, he said, "So tell me more about these movies. What all did you watch? Though, from what you've said, watching the others was about as entertaining as the movies."
Josiah chuckled, remembering the rest of movie night, "Oh, it was. Mary actually threatened to sic Tickle-monster Billy on Daniel, if he didn't shut up during the Indiana Jones movies. Adriana reminded him, again, that they were watching for entertainment purposes. That this was an adventure movie about an archaeologist, not an archaeology movie. That didn't work, and that was when Mary threatened to sic Billy on Daniel."
Nathan raised an eyebrow, grinning broadly, and asked, "Indiana Jones? Now I almost feel sorry for Daniel. Must have been hell on him." While Nathan had never watched movies with the young man, Josiah had overheard Daniel venting about Indiana Jones wannabes who made things that much more difficult for real archaeologists. To which Adriana had added indignantly that Indiana Jones had cemented her love for archaeology. It remained a sticking point between the pair.
Josiah's answering grin threatened to split his face in half, as he replied, "Especially with five women in the room. Five women who can be very dangerous when they want. And five women who made no secret about their opinion of Harrison Ford." 'Gulp, pant, thud, swoon, in that order,' was how Mary had phrased, drawing nods of agreement from the other women in the room, including Cassie.
Nathan immediately began laughing at this description of the reactions of the women. Josiah could tell from his friend's expression that the medic was easily imagining the expressions of the women in question. Still grinning, Nathan said, "Oh yeah. Definitely hell for Daniel." Josiah nodded his agreement. The medic took several breaths, then said, "You know something, I'm tired of sitting and I'm tired of walking. What do you say, we find ourselves some amusements? Maybe one of the games in the arcades?"
"Best offer I've had all day, Brother. Let's go see if we can't win something for the children ... no matter what their age," Josiah replied. Nathan burst out laughing, and the pair went off in search of the many arcades in the park. Everyone in the SGC would have guessed that JD was the member of SG-7 who spent most of his time playing video games, and he did ... but Josiah never could resist arcade games, of any kind.
Ezra Standish had come to the uncomfortable conclusion that at some point during their time in Corkscrew Hill, evil fairies had come out of the screen and inhabited the bodies of his two companions. Never, in the three years he had known Vin Tanner and two years he had known Adriana Wilmington, had Ezra ever known either to behave like this. Like ... like ... well, like a pair of ten year olds!
Usually, the young archaeologist left the pranks and such to her elder brother. She spent most of her time working with the other archaeologists. Which wasn't to say she didn't have a sense of humor. She did ... she was just more adult than her brother in some ways. Refined. At least, that was what Ezra had always thought, until today. He wasn't sure he would ever forgive his young companion for shattering his illusions about her.
And Vin! Vin had a sly, impish sense of humor ... often teasing Ezra, as he had when he had viewed Ezra in nothing but a tablecloth. But unless that odious vermin Colonel Maybourne needed to be taken down a few pegs, the young guide was fairly straightforward and businesslike in his actions. Of course, when Maybourne was being a pain in the afterburners, as Adriana had so delicately put it once, then things got entertaining.
But nothing ... nothing, at all ... in his association with either had prepared Ezra for the last two hours. He had been run all over the park. The first hour had been spent just looking. No rides. No games. Just checking out the various countries, and making notes about what they wanted to ride. Vin, of course, wanted to ride everything. But he wanted to look first, he wanted to ... to check over the terrain. Even when he was playing, the guide was working. While Vin had been eyeing the various landmarks around them, Ezra and Adriana exchanged a glance.
Only this time, it seemed, he was making mental notes about the lay of the land, so they didn't wander around in circles. That was fine by Ezra. He hated wandering around in circles, hated being dragged around like a damn equine. What was it that Teal'c had once said, about undomesticated equines not pulling him away from the side of his colonel? That was exactly how Ezra felt now.
And to admit he was actually enjoying himself? Never! He was the brains of the operation. He had insisted that Adriana get something to eat, and Vin had obligingly found a place where they could get something light to eat, and something to drink. She looked a bit better, and Ezra insisted that Vin could wait a little longer before they went on the wilder rides. That was fine with Vin, who was still looking.
There was so much to see, so many attractions. And while he would never admit the enjoyment he derived from just simply wandering about the park, he could not deny the enjoyment found in watching Vin and Adriana. Vin was more relaxed than Ezra had seen in months, and for the first time, Standish realized that the committee meetings had been a source of stress for the young man. He hadn't been there, no ... but they had caused him distress.
Kinsey had a grudge against SG-1, against the SGC, against General Hammond. And he would use SG-7 as a weapon against Hammond and the rest of the SGC. SG-7 was the most unconventional team in the SGC, but they were also one of the most effective. Even Maybourne, who had mellowed during the last year or so, had admitted that. Ezra still didn't like the spook, but he was more worried about Kinsey.
Kinsey wanted General Hammond out of the command position of the SGC. He also wanted to be president, and quite honestly, Ezra couldn't have said which possibility scared him more. He and General Hammond had sparred on occasion, just as he had sparred with General Travis, Colonel Larabee, and Nathan Jackson. But he was a good man, an honorable man, and one who was willing to take the chances needed to defeat the Gou'ald.
Senator Kinsey didn't seem to understand the danger posed by the Gou'ald. Neither had Ezra, not at first. Until he had seen some of the things done to the slaves under Gou'ald power. Until people he cared about had been harmed by the snake-heads. The trouble was, SGC was fighting a battle on two fronts. They were fighting the Gou'ald, and their own people. The spooks, like Harry Maybourne, and the true believers, like Senator Kinsey.
Maybourne cheated, but he was an honest cheat. He didn't pretend to be something he wasn't, and perhaps that was why Ezra had a little more respect for him. The former police negotiator detested cheaters such as Senator Kinsey. He didn't just cheat ... he cheated badly. And he lied about what he did. He wasn't cheating, he was simply doing what was best for the country. What was best for the country. Ezra shook his head in disgust. God help America, if Senator Kinsey was what was best for it.
He looked at his two companions again. Yes, Kinsey had tried to use SG-7, but found they weren't easily used. They did not go gently into that good night. They didn't know how.
Chris Larabee, while still a volatile man, had learned a few things during the last few years. He was no longer simply responsible for himself, or even just for his team. SG-7 still came first with him, and that, General Travis had been known to observe, was how it should be. But he didn't expect either of the generals to put the good of SG-7 above the good of the SGC. Yes, Chris was still volatile, but that wasn't what made him so dangerous. What made him dangerous was his tenacity and his commitment to his.
Ezra hadn't had many friends in his life. The way he had grown up made that very difficult. Even now, as he slowly let down the guard around his heart, it was hard for him to imagine having a friendship such as the one shared by Chris and Vin, or JD and Buck, or Nathan and Josiah ... even Mary and Adriana. Yes, Buck had become a very good friend, but it wasn't the same. And Ezra counted Buck's little sister as one of his best friends, but he had never been able to communicate with her, with just a glance, as she could with Mary.
He couldn't imagine how Chris had felt during the committee meetings, when Vin was being derided by that miserable curmudgeon, Senator Kinsey. He only knew how he had felt. Pure, potent fury. While he couldn't claim to be Vin's closest friend, the guide was important to Ezra nonetheless ... and Standish knew that Vin Tanner had been a better man at sixteen than Kinsey could ever hope to be. He hadn't even known the guide at the time, and he knew that.
So to hear Kinsey speak of his friend is such derogatory terms ... Only his lifetime of keeping up appearances had prevented Ezra from verbally ripping out that bastard's throat. What had prevented Chris Larabee from doing the same? Perhaps knowing that to give way to his fury would be self-gratification, but would actually hurt Vin? That was a possibility. Chris was willing to take responsibility for his actions ... hell, even two years after Ella Gaines' death, he was still blaming himself for the actions of that murdering bitch!
However, Chris would never willingly push his own punishment to someone else. There had been a time, only a few years earlier, when Chris would have gone for the man's throat. But, he had changed ... mellowed. Now, he was much more conscious of the good of the team ... and he knew Vin wouldn't want him to do anything that would put the team at risk. Chris wasn't the only one who was more conscious of the good of the team. So was Ezra.
The former police negotiator looked at his two companions, his green eyes flickering from the distant blue eyes of Vin Tanner to the bowed dark head of Adriana Wilmington. That was part of the reason why Ezra was here today. Not just because General Hammond had practically threatened him with a court-martial, although that certainly played into his decision. But because he had seen the expressions of the other members of the team when General Hammond had passed the suggestion of Senator Warner along.
Not for the first time, it occurred to him that he had been suckered into this whole amusement park thing by the general, when he had said it had to be unanimous. And an abstain vote counted as a 'yes.' Yes, he probably was had. Ezra would never be as enthusiastic as JD or Cassie, he didn't remember ever being that enthusiastic. But he would not be the reason for his friends staying in that infernal city.
Mind you, he had no intention of actually riding any of the rides. It had been a long time since he had played any arcade games, and while they weren't the sort of games he normally played, it was the best he would do there. However, that was where the general really got him, when he put him with Vin and Adriana. Ezra hadn't minded at first, since he didn't ever think they would be acting like a pair of children.
That had been his major mistake ... how exactly did he expect Vin, who had never been to an amusement park, to react? Yet, it was still rather jarring for Ezra to see the normally quiet guide happily singing along with his tiny companion, swinging her hand in time with the music. It was also jarring for him to see the equally reserved archaeologist do a handstand on the pavement, crying, "Spot me, Vin!" The guide would then grasp her ankles and hold her steady. Somewhat.
Not that the pair had left him out of their shenanigans ... oh, no, not in the least! At one point, while she was skipping along, Adriana had grabbed Ezra's hand and twirled him. Ezra had never been twirled, much less by someone so much smaller than himself. She had just giggled at his expression of discomfiture, released his hand, and skipped over to Vin's other side, switching hands. Mother would have been appalled. Her 'darlin' baby boy,' being twirled like a ballet dancer, by someone who was the size of the average ballerina.
That, however, made it worth any embarrassment or humiliation Ezra might have suffered as Adriana continued dancing around, pirouetting around Vin as if she really was a ballerina. Imagining the look on his mother's face if she had seen the little group. Curiously, the silly pair of youngsters got very few strange looks. A few amused looks, certainly, and Adriana had been recipient of more than one envious look, for the females in question no doubt believed the pair to be a couple. Oh yes ... just imaging the look on Mother's face was quite enough to make it all worth while to Ezra!
While that particular trio was catching up on nourishment, Chris Larabee was relaxing in the sun. He had leaned back against the park bench while Mary Travis walked her son over to the chosen ride of the moment. And while Mary watched her son wriggling eagerly in his seat, just waiting for the ride to start, Chris watched Mary. The feeling of rightness had only grown as the hours passed. Billy squealed in delight, waving at Chris happily as the ride started, and Chris returned the wave, grinning broadly. Once the ride was started safely, Mary walked back from the fence, smiling. Chris took off his sunglasses and smiled back.
"You look very relaxed, Colonel Larabee. No worries about the Gou'ald, no growling about Senator Kinsey, or grumbling about your team?" Mary teased gently.
Chris reached his hand out to her and drew her to his lap, savoring the rightness. Yes, it felt good, it felt right to hold her like that. Chris didn't want to take it too fast ... wanted Mary to be sure this was what she wanted. He knew he was being overcautious ... Adriana had told him that more than once. And it wasn't like Mary couldn't take care of herself ... he knew she could. But Chris had failed the woman he loved once ... he couldn't bear to make that mistake again.
He could say that here, in the silence of his own mind. Here, where he wouldn't receive any argument from a determined little sister, a stubborn best friend/little brother, or a garrulous old friend. He had failed Sarah and Adam. He had failed to see the danger from Ella Gaines, a woman whom he thought had gone on with her own life, as he had gone on with his own life. And here, in the silence of his own mind, Chris could admit to one other thing.
He loved Mary Travis. He had been falling in love with her over the last three years, but falling in love and actually loving someone weren't the same thing. Chris had learned that from both Sarah and Ella. He loved Mary, and it was becoming easier to imagine the rest of his life with her. However, for the moment, he had to keep that between himself and Mary. God help him if Adriana or Buck found out about it. On that particular subject, Adriana was just as bad as her brother ... one time when Vin's theory that Adriana was really a Larabee fell apart at the seams. Rather spectacularly, at that.
"I, my dear Captain Travis, am on vacation, and as such, will allow nothing to vex me," Chris replied in his best imitation of Ezra Standish. Mary blinked at him, then threw back her head and laughed. She hugged him tightly, an embrace which Chris happily returned, then continued, "But to answer your question ... not even Jack O'Neill or Daniel Jackson's uncanny ability to get into trouble could worry me today."
Mary snickered and replied, "Better add Sam to that mix ... I saw her glaring at a few guys earlier, when they were ogling Cass." Chris winced, but knew she was right. Sam Carter was very much the protective aunt. Mary continued, "So. Tell me what else you're thinking about, since you won't let the guarantee of SG-1 getting into trouble worry you. And we both know that where SG-1 goes, trouble follows ... though SG-7 is just as bad."
Unfortunately, that was true ... trouble most often followed JD, though he had gotten a break when it had been Vin who had been hurt planet-side, only a few months earlier. But while JD was the youngest, trouble didn't limit itself to him. It just seemed that he was the most danger-prone out of them. On the other hand, there was Buck's habit with the ladies, Ezra and his cards, Josiah and his demons (of which, Chris shared more than one), Nathan's memories, and Vin's own haunted past.
In an amusement park, there was even more potential for trouble ... mainly for Buck and JD, since Buck couldn't resist a lady ... much less a pretty lady ... much less a pretty lady in need. He had gotten even worse about that, ever since his reconciliation with his sister. JD would naturally find some way to get hurt ... it gave Chris a headache, just thinking about it all. He wondered if he would have to worry about Josiah and Nathan, and decided not to. They were grown men ... they could take care of themselves.
He hoped, at least. He thought about the last group ... Ezra, Vin, and Adriana. He actually had as much faith in those three as he did in Nathan and Josiah. He knew Adriana could be, in Chanu's words, a little hellcat. But Chris figured the three would counterbalance each other, at least enough to keep each other out of trouble. Vin only became troublesome when he saw someone in need ... and if that happened, Chris knew the other two would back him up.
Still, he found himself thinking how glad he was that General Hammond had suggested' to Ezra that he join Vin and Adriana. If he had been with JD and Buck ... Mary was evidently thinking the same thing, because she said thoughtfully, "You know, I was just thinking. You know that when Buck isn't hanging around with JD, he and Ezra are together. That's scary, imagining what kind of trouble those three would have gotten into today."
"Buck and his flirting, JD being accident-prone, Ezra being Ezra ... is that what you mean?" Chris asked and Mary just smiled at him. He would have gone on, but he found himself with his arms full of a beautiful blonde captain, as well as her eight year old son. One of them by themselves was a handful, but two? Chris grunted in surprise as the little boy threw himself against the two adults, but kept a hold of both Mary and Billy.
Not for the first time, Chris could see his son when he looked at Billy. Oh, Adam was a few years older than Billy ... he would be turning ten here shortly, if he had lived. But they had a similar spirit. But the reminders no longer brought tears to the colonel's eyes. He would never stop missing Adam, and he accepted that. Just like he accepted that letting another little boy into his heart wouldn't be a betrayal of Adam. Any more than letting another woman into his heart wasn't a betrayal of Sarah. It was time to let go.
"That was so much fun, what can we do next, will you go on a ride with me, Chris?" the little boy chattered as he removed himself from his mother's grasp and grabbed the colonel's hand. He pulled Mary and Chris to their feet. The two adults exchanged a look over the top of the boy's head, Mary grinning broadly and Chris making his best attempt at a long-suffering look. Where Billy Travis was concerned, however, he could never keep that up for long. Members of his team, however, were another story. Especially certain members of his team, who had the amazing ability to end up in the infirmary about as often as Daniel Jackson did.
As Billy pulled them along, Chris told Mary, "You were asking what I was thinking about. I already told you part of it. The other ... well ... I was thinking about Vin's expression when we came in here." Mary nodded, looking almost sad at the memory. Chris said softly, "That's why General Hammond asked them to take Ezra ... he figured Ezra couldn't hold out against those two. Vin, who's never been to an amusement park, and Adriana, who has made it her mission in life today to make sure he does everything he wants."
"General Hammond is a wily one," Mary agreed, "but we're not talking about the others any more. Understood? I trust Adriana to take care of Vin and Ezra, and you should too. The others can fend for themselves. We are going to enjoy ourselves and each other." Chris grinned, looking over her bare shoulders and legs, drawing a flush to her cheeks. Mary added, still blushing, "Now, that's not what I meant, Colonel Larabee!"
"Too bad, I'm already enjoying myself, Captain Travis!" Chris retorted, still grinning. Mary laughed again. In his mind's eye, however, Chris was seeing Sarah ... and she was smiling at him. He had been told ... he had let down Sarah once already. He wouldn't do it again. With that, he quietly turned away from his past, and toward the future ... the beautiful young woman who was his companion today and the little boy between them.