By Deb
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: Mainly Obsession, my own More than Friends, Under the Sun, and various Stargate episodes.
WARNING: original characters, some violence, nasty language.
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Prologue
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While this is an AU sequel to Obsession, I've changed Ella's relationship with Hildy. That's the main difference, at least right now.
'Without a trace, feeling the past slipping through my fingers,
here in my heart where the memory lingers on,
days of yearning, seasons turning,
a night in December, I'll always remember.'Days of Yearning, Miriam Stockley (written by Miriam Stockley and Ian Lynn)
She had first seen Christopher Larabee at a Christmas party, nearly fifteen years earlier. They had both been newly commissioned second lieutenants in the United States Air Force. They had probably seen each other around the hallways of the Air Force Academy, but it hadn't registered with either of them. Surprising, because she always noticed handsome men. And Chris Larabee most certainly was a handsome man.
They were together for almost a year, until he was transferred and that was the last time Lt. Ella Gaines had seen of her lover. But it wasn't the last time she had thought of him. Ella had fallen in love with Chris, and past experience had taught to hold on when she wanted something. She had lost everything else in her life, everything that had ever mattered to her ... she would not lose Chris.
She was very good at hiding her true self from the world, she had been doing it her entire life. She made sure that no one saw the insecure, scared, scarred little girl she had been at one time ... presenting instead the competent, capable woman she had become.
But in hiding that part of herself from the world, she also hid from herself. She never realized that just as her mother had been dependent on alcohol to get through the day, and her father had been dependent on inflicting pain upon others to ease the pain inside, Ella had become dependent as well. Chris Larabee was her life, she had to have him at her side. She needed him. Despite her growing hatred of the Air Force for taking him away from her, she remained in the organization, realizing that she would have a better chance of getting him back if she was still in the Air Force as well. Ella was many things, but she wasn't stupid.
And then he had gotten married, shattering Ella's world. How could he marry someone else? Didn't he know that Ella was the only one for him, that he was the only one for her? At first she had hated him for breaking her heart, but as the years wore on, she slowly turned that hatred to his wife ... she must have tricked him into marrying her. Chris couldn't possibly love her, and there was no way she could ever love Chris the way Ella did.
Ella's hatred then extended to the child. She wouldn't think of him as belonging to Chris. No. His wife was a slut, who got pregnant with another man's child, then convinced Chris that the brat was his. Ella could accept nothing else. She could accept no other child of Chris Larabee's, other than her own. No one around her saw the cracks in her sanity. No one saw her descent into madness.
She hired someone to watch the Larabee family, feeling her hatred grow with each report. And then, three years earlier, an opportunity presented itself. Chris and his new best friend, Buck Wilmington, were going out of town for a week. There was a class they were required to take, to make their next promotion. And Ella saw her chance. She gave her spy new instructions. Kill the wife and child, but make it look like an accident. Ella knew Chris ... she knew that if he believed they had been murdered, he would never let it go. And she would never have him.
The plan had worked ... almost perfectly. Because it was then that Ella's own life spun out of control, beginning with the death of her uncle. He had been the one stabilizing force in her life ... and now, he was gone. Ella had been devastated, taking a leave of absence. She could barely function, much less take care of Chris, who was out of his head with grief. By the time Ella returned, Chris had started taking the most dangerous missions possible, and she lost her only tie with him. She turned her attention to her uncle's young step-daughter, Hildy, who followed Ella into the Air Force ... and eventually, to the SGC.
Ella had always known that eventually, Chris would cross her path again. And he did, when he took on command of SG-7. She had heard about that through one of her contacts planet-side, while she was on a mission with the rest of her team. Ella had been ecstatic ... her path to Chris was clear. But now, there were two more complications, despite the efforts of her spy. One such complication was Captain Mary Travis, the public relations officer for General Hammond, and the daughter-in-law of General Orrin Travis. Rumor about the base said that Chris was drawn to the blonde widow. Ella refused to believe it. Chris belonged to her, and he always would. Once she and SG-3 returned to base on a full-time basis, nearly a year after the formation of SG-7, she had begun her campaign to win back her former lover. Fate seemed to smile on her, when SG-3 and SG-7 was given a mission together.
However, the second complication was far more dangerous than the first. Vin Tanner, the guide, sharpshooter, and second in command for SG-7. How he managed that, Ella had no idea, since he was a civilian and held no rank. But, second in command he was, acknowledged as such by the others. And she had known as soon as she saw him that he would be trouble. Vin Tanner had frightened her.
He could see through her. And Chris listened to him. Oh, he didn't at first, but ... No, the next time they met, Ella would have to do something permanent about Vin Tanner, and Mary Travis. She couldn't tolerate the threat either of them posed to her future with Chris. She had sacrificed so much ... her first attempt to win back Chris, a few months earlier, had ended with her own second in command, Jack Averill, dead (though that was his own fault ... he had shot at Chris, he deserved to die).
And Hildy. Hildy had turned on her, but she had fallen in love with Buck Wilmington. How could she blame her young cousin for trying to save the man she loved? Even if he didn't deserve her ... no, Ella found it far easier to forgive her sweet cousin for her betrayal, since Ella could understand that. But Jack had tried to kill Chris ... and for that, she would never forgive him. Besides, he was the one responsible for them being stranded off-world.
The fool had let it slip to Janet Frasier that some wouldn't come back alive, as Ella found out near the end. At least, Ella was assuming that was why none of the men she had sent back through ever came back. Either they were taken into custody ... or they were dead. It didn't matter. Ella could still use the Stargate. And sooner or later, she would come across another SG team ... and when she did, she could return to Earth for what was hers. And when she did ... God have mercy on the souls of Mary Travis and Vin Tanner!
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Part One
"What are those two up to?"
Colonel Christopher Larabee looked up from his breakfast, and over at his fellow colonel, Jack O'Neill. The older man was staring in wonderment at the now-common sight of Ezra Standish, negotiator for SG-7, deep in conversation with Dr. Adriana Wilmington, floating archaeologist. Chris grinned and looked at his friend, replying, "Jack, this is Ezra ... you know better than to ask that!"
Jack acknowledged this with a bob of his graying head, his brown eyes shifting from the negotiator to his small, dark-haired companion. Chris followed his gaze, a fond smile appearing as he regarded his little sister.
Three months had passed since her arrival at the SGC, and she seemed to be settling in, about as well as could be expected. The night she had arrived, after dinner, Adriana had expressed her hope to repair her relationship with her brother. Chris had been willing to break his own rule, about staying out of the business of others, in order to help her. But unfortunately, things began going bad almost immediately. The day after Adriana's arrival, SG-7 had left for a mission ... halt the Gou'ald invasion of a planet friendly to Earth.
They had accomplished their objective, but at a high price ... Private JD Dunne was badly injured during the firefight. Once they returned to the SGC, Buck spent all of his time in the infirmary with the kid. Adriana had ventured in a few times, with food or coffee for her brother. Probably figuring she could get him to talk to her, but Chris could have told her that until JD woke up, Buck wouldn't eat, drink, or talk.
So ... why hadn't he told her? Maybe he had hoped he would be wrong. But he realized when she left the infirmary, and walked into Vin Tanner's arms, that he wasn't. Buck had shut her out. Again. And each time Buck pushed her away in the days that passed, Chris could see a little more hope die in her eyes. Worse yet, Buck didn't even realize he was doing it. The others did. And Josiah had even tried to tell him that his sister just wanted to be there for him, but Buck's attention was focused solely on JD. There was no room for anyone else.
Chris had watched in silence as Adriana at last turned away from her brother, though not completely. Instead, she turned her attention to other things ... to her new surroundings. She renewed her relationship with Chris, surprising the rest of SG-7 by being as adept at making him laugh as Vin was. She picked up where she had left off with Vin, and Chris understood, within just a few weeks, of why Adriana characterized her relationship with Vin as being 'more than friends, and not quite lovers.'
And, she had become friends with Ezra Standish almost immediately. If she wasn't with Vin, while they were both planet-side, then she could usually be found with Ezra. Rarely Nathan or Josiah. She seemed a little hesitant around Josiah, and thanks to an incident early in her first month at the SGC, was only civil to Nathan. He had, unfortunately, forgotten his own words about her being able to take care of herself and tried to intervene during a game between Adriana and Ezra. The fallout hadn't been pleasant, especially since Adriana didn't raise her voice once.
She didn't scream when she became angry ... she hissed. Chris hadn't been present for the confrontation, but Vin had. Ever since, both the archaeologist and the medic avoided each other as much as possible. The only piece of common ground, at the moment, was Vin himself. That young man strode into the cafeteria, arguing animatedly with Chanu. Chris sat back, grinning as Vin shook his head at something Chanu had said.
At the table where Adriana and Ezra now sat, Adriana looked up, and smiled as Vin entered the room. She said something to Ezra, then slid out of her chair. She stopped in her tracks, frowning. That's right, Chris thought, Chanu has been taking care of Claire the last few months ... been on leave. So she hasn't seen him yet. Claire's third pregnancy was proving difficult, and General Hammond had given Chanu open-ended leave to care for her.
Chanu tapped his chin, and Adriana took a mock-swing at him. Chanu caught her fist easily, then pulled her in for a hug. Jack looked at Chris and said, "Oooohkay. Would you like to explain this to me?" Chris burst out laughing, and even as Ezra joined the small group. Jack repeated, looking more than a little exasperated, "I'd really like to know what's going on, are you planning on telling me, or do I need to guess?"
"Goes back to something that happened not long after Adriana first met Vin, when they first became friends," Chris replied, remembering Adriana's narrative. He had just told her about Chanu being on base, then questioned her about the incident in question. He knew they made peace between them ... Vin had told him that. But Adriana, while quiet, was not known to be forgiving toward those who had hurt her friends.
Chris knew that from personal experience. And he questioned why she had forgiven Chanu, especially after hearing her description of what had happened that day. Finding Vin unconscious in the dorm room she shared with Claire Moseley, after being choked with the belt of her bathrobe. Adriana had looked at him and replied, "Who says I ever totally forgave him? Yes, I made peace with him, and we get along. But I doubt I'll ever completely forgive him."
What Chris had just seen, Chanu sweeping Adriana into a hug, might have seemed to indicated otherwise, but Chris knew his little sister. Adriana operated on two levels. The first allowed her to joke and laugh with people, even the ones she didn't know very well. The second allowed her to let her guard down with people whom she trusted. While she had said that she would likely never forgive Chanu, a better translation would have been, she would never truly trust him.
Jack said now, drawing Larabee's attention back to himself, "Ah. And do you plan on sharing this with me, or are we gonna play twenty questions? Not that I really mind, since I end up doing the same with Daniel anyhow, or the Tok'ra, but ... " Chris looked over at his friend with an amused grin. Jack sighed and gave up, observing, "Okay, you win. This falls under the Larabee-need-to-know basis."
"It's not that," Chris replied, shaking his head, "it's just hard to explain. Suffice it to say, early on, a few months after she met Vin, actually, Chanu seriously pissed off Adriana ... to the point that she decked him. And if Vin hadn't been there to stop her, she probably would have beat the crap out of Chanu. Oh, don't let her size fool you. Buck and I taught her how to defend herself. She ran away from home when she was seventeen, and learned a few other things about protecting herself and kicking butt when necessary. Don't know the specifics, but my gut tells me their father was abusive."
"Bastard," Jack growled and Chris nodded his agreement, eyes shifting back to Vin, Adriana, Ezra, and Chanu. After a moment, Chanu nodded to the others and left the cafeteria. Ezra stuck around a moment longer, before taking Adriana's hand and kissing it. Chris grinned, seeing the way she blushed, then the negotiator followed Chanu. He had some reports to finish, Chris remembered, from the last mission. Ezra seemed to thrive on paperwork, as much as Chris hated the stuff. Chris ... and Jack ... and Vin. Daniel Jackson didn't seem to have a problem with it, and nor did Sam Carter, but those two were peculiar anyhow.
As Ezra left, Vin and Adriana came over to join the two colonels. Vin held out a chair for Adriana, and she slipped into it easily. Chris noted this change as well. The Adriana he remembered had been a little on the klutzy side, although some of that had dissipated with the self-defense lessons. And maybe, Chris thought, it was her age at the time. Maybe she just grew out of it.
"Hey cowboy," Vin said, turning another chair around before straddling it. Chris turned a mock glare on his best friend, but Vin just laughed at him. As always. A quick glance at the pretty young archaeologist told Chris that Adriana was struggling to keep from laughing herself. Vin went on, his bright eyes sparkling with mischief, "Drina was just tellin' me about her lessons with Teal'c, usin' that infernal staff weapon."
It was Larabee's turn to hide a grin. Vin's extraordinary skill with the rifle didn't carry over to the staff weapon. While he was hardly inept, Vin also wasn't particularly skilled with the staff, either. On the other hand, both Vin and Adriana had told him about her ineptitude with the rifle, including a story about the two of them holding off Richard Boudreau and several of his goons. Vin had laughed as he explained Adriana's habit of firing at something else, in order to hit her actual target. The scary thing was, it actually worked.
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Part Two
"That's right, Teal'c told me that he was teaching you to use the staff weapon, and a few other tricks he picked up over the years. Now, how was it that Standish put it? Oh yeah ... 'so Dr. Wilmington can augment the self-defense skills already taught to her by our esteemed leader and the major.' So, how are you doing with the Gou'ald's answer to the rifle?" Jack inquired. Adriana looked at her laced fingers, blushing. Chris grinned, knowing that expression. Jack continued, "I mean, Teal'c hasn't thrown up his hands and quit ... which he has been known to do, when dealing with a particularly inept student ... "
"Anyone we know, Jack?" Chris teased, then laughed at the glare sent in his direction by the other colonel. He glanced first at Vin, then at Adriana. Vin's smile was, as Mary once put it, in its blinding phase. Adriana was struggling to hold in her giggles, and Chris wondered ... He looked over at his little sister ... caught her eye ... and winked. That almost sent her over the edge, but she managed to contain herself. At least for the moment.
"Nice try, Jack, but you ain't nearly as bad as Chris. Reckon he could even scare Apophis with that glare a' his," Vin put in, laughing. Jack threw a Look his way, complete with narrowed eyes and an 'oh, very funny' cast to his features. Vin just laughed and continued, "Anyhow, seems Miss Drina is becomin' right ... now, how was it that Ezra put it? Oh yeah ... right proficient with them staff weapons."
"They're lighter than rifles, and I don't have to worry about breaking my shoulder when I use them," Adriana interrupted. Her slight shift in her seat told Chris what she was about to do, as well as the sudden, mischievous grin which appeared. Chris was sitting beside Vin, and moved his feet out of the way. He felt the whoosh of air as Adriana's foot brushed past his shins. Vin jumped and Adriana said with a sweet smile, "Behave." Chris almost fell out of his chair laughing at Vin's expression.
Not a word, cowboy ... I seen her worse, ya don't need to be encouragin' her, was the message in Vin's glare. Chris righted himself, still laughing. Oh, this was perfect. After the last year, and all the times Vin and Jack had joined forces on a practical joke, Chris was getting revenge in a very unexpected fashion. He winked at Adriana again, and she just smiled. Damn, it was good to have her back in his life!
"So what's the next mission? Know the general wanted us for a briefin' tomorrow, what's the deal?" Vin asked, trying to distract both friends. Obviously, he was hoping to avoid any more kicks by getting Adriana's attention off him, and onto work. That was something Chris had learned in the last three months ... Adriana loved her job. Even the tedious hours of picking through a site, she loved. He had learned, quite by accident, that she considered herself a detective of sorts. When he thought about it, it didn't surprise him that much.
"SG-7 is heading for PF5672 ... Adriana, you're coming with us. That's backwards, actually. We'll be accompanying you and the rest of the team to PF5672. Just got the orders a few hours ago," Chris replied, and saw two pairs of eyes widen. However, he noticed that Adriana didn't look as surprised ... maybe she already knew about going to PF5672, but not which team would be accompanying them?
"The general will give you guys the details in the briefing, but when SG-1 investigated the planet, we found something the archaeologists might enjoy. The space monkey will be going with you, and SG-7 is acting as back-up, in case the snake-heads show up," Jack observed. He paused, then added ruefully, "Not that the Gou'ald are the only troublemakers in the galaxy, or even the universe."
"Based on the information so far, we'll be rotating guard duty ... one at the site, while others take patrols, and the ones who remain rest. I'm in the process of writing up a schedule. The archaeological site will provide the best cover, so we'll be camping in there for the night," Chris told his two younger companions. Vin nodded, absorbing this information, as he did all the other bits of information which came his way.
"I knew that a team of us would be going to the planet, and I knew which archaeologists would be going, including myself. I just didn't know which team would be accompanying us. Chris, I don't have a problem with that, but I gotta warn you, some of the others won't like the idea of camping near the site. They'll be worried about causing contamination to the ruins. One of them has been causing a lot of ruckus already ... Dr. Conklin," Adriana warned Chris, naming an archaeologist on one of the other teams. The colonel grimaced, recognizing the name almost immediately. He had been here almost as long as Daniel Jackson himself, and had taken an instant dislike to almost everyone in SG-7.
Vin remained silent, even though he was one of the members of SG-7 whom Conklin hated most. Within a few months of the formation of SG-7, Conklin had gone to General Travis to get the guide kicked out of Cheyenne Mountain, saying they didn't need his kind there. His kind. Whatever the hell that meant. However, the general had little patience with Conklin ... he wasn't a bad man, but he was inclined to let innocent people die in order to 'keep the peace.'
General Travis had fought for his country in more than one war. He was also a student of history, and he saw how well appeasement worked. Conklin's essential attitude was 'give the Gou'ald what they want, and they'll go away.' It didn't work that way, something that Conklin didn't understand. Not even after General Travis had cited Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister of Great Britain before Winston Churchill, did Conklin understand.
It was at that point, as Conklin explained that Chamberlain was long dead, and they were talking about the Gou'ald, that General Travis had given up. At least, given up on convincing the archaeologist. However, he made it very clear that if Conklin wanted to get rid of Tanner, or any other member of SG-7, he would have to go through Travis himself. The young guide had won the general's respect and trust. And with that conversation, Conklin lost any respect Travis might have held for the man.
"You let Danny worry about Conklin," Jack advised, "you just do your job, kiddo." Adriana nodded, slumping back in her seat, but Chris could tell she was still worried about the recalcitrant archaeologist. Jack smirked, adding, "Besides. If he's not real careful, Conklin may find himself on the wrong side of Mrs. Potter's spatula one of these days." Chris cringed, thinking of the widow of a member of another SG team. Sergeant Bruce Potter had been killed in the line of duty, during a mission, by a member of his own team. He had escaped into the forest of the planet where the murder had taken place, and when the survivors stumbled back through the Gate, General Hammond had sent SG-7 after the murderer, Lt. Lucas James.
Conklin had not been happy about James being brought back. The lieutenant was the nephew of Senator Stuart James, a current ally to the Stargate program. Surely the life of one sergeant wasn't worth ending the Stargate program? Yes, it was a terrible tragedy, but if the Stargate was shut down, due to lack of funding, they wouldn't have any way of protecting the earth against the Gou'ald. General Hammond fired back that he wasn't about to let anyone under his command, nephew to a senator or not, get away with murdering another.
Not only had Lucas James been returned to the SGC, but both Generals Hammond and Travis had confronted Stuart James. No one was entirely sure what happened in that meeting, but the program remained intact. In the time which had followed, Gloria Potter had been provided with a job in the cafeteria of the SGC, and had become friends with Mary Travis. She made no secret of her contempt for Dr. Conklin, or her affection for SG-7.
Vin said quietly, "Reckon there ain't much I can do 'bout his opinion of me. But Colonel O'Neill, I want ya to give Daniel a message for me. Tell him if Conklin pulls a stunt like he done last week, he's mine." Jack nodded and Chris grimaced at the reminder. Everyone in the base had heard about what Conklin had done. SG-1 had pulled guard duty during that dig, and Conklin had nearly gotten everyone killed by giving their position away to the Gou'ald.
Come to think of it, Conklin really was a bit like Maybourne, when it came to getting other people killed. As much as he detested Maybourne, though, he considered comparing the other colonel and Conklin to be something of an insult to Maybourne. For all his faults, Maybourne was a realist, instead of an ostrich. Didn't make Chris like or respect him any more, though.
"I can't promise anything, Vin, but I'll pass the message along. After that little stunt, Conklin should count himself lucky that he's even part of this program. And after Teal'c and Daniel got finished with him, he should count himself lucky that he's even drawing breath. I haven't seen Daniel that pissed in a long, long time," Jack advised. Vin nodded, his blue eyes as cold as ice. Chris understood. Vin was fiercely protective of his, just as Chris was.
The blond colonel knew what he would do to Conklin if anything happened to Adriana because of one of his dumb stunts. None of it particularly pleasant. However, he didn't like to think about what Vin would do. His best friend wasn't a cruel man ... there was very little malice in the former bounty hunter. But there was a hardness in him. Vin Tanner was quite capable of killing ... and if you hurt someone he cared about, then he would show no mercy.
"I think you boys are forgetting one minor little detail," Adriana said in a semi-sweet voice. The three men looked at her, then at each other a bit warily, seeing the feral look in her hazel eyes. Adriana continued, "You're assuming that if Conklin pulls a stunt like that again, there'll be enough of him left for Daniel to deal with after the rest of us finish with him." She punctuated this statement by raising her eyebrows ever so slightly.
"Sounds fair to me," Jack said agreeably, "just try to promise to leave enough for Daniel. And me. And Chris. And Vin. I know for a fact that Chris will be extremely put-out if Conklin almost gets you killed, and you kill Conklin before Chris had a chance to at least scare the living shit out of him. And of course, there's what Vin'll do to him. Although, now that you mention it, I think General Hammond may be a little put out, if there's nothing left."
"I take your point, Colonel," Adriana replied, laughing. She fell silent, sitting back in her chair. Chris knew her well enough to realize that she was going off into a secret place. Vin obviously realized the same, and began questioning Jack about his previous mission. The kid was curious about every planet all of the SG teams visited. With a fond smile, Chris sat back in his seat, listening to two good friends talk away.
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Part Three
Jack didn't have a chance to get very far with his story, for he was called to theGate Room. SG-4 was returning from the planet, with more information about the area where they would be working. This was the fourth or fifth recon mission, and none of the missions had revealed any inhabitants. That meant little, because Apophis and the other System Lords had a nasty habit of showing up unannounced after hundreds of years of leaving a planet alone. So, it was best to be on alert. After he left, Chris and Adriana began discussing possible problems for the archaeologists and SG-7.
Even as he listened to the conversation, Vin was lost in the past few months. It was still so hard for him to believe that Adriana was really here. He had spent as much time with her as he possibly could, in the last few months. And Chris encouraged him ... actively so. Vin liked to tease the colonel that it was just an excuse for Chris to spend more time with Mary. Chris never denied it verbally, but his eyes always conveyed what words would not. You got a shitload of catching up to do, Vin. Quit razzing me about Mary, or I'll do some catching up of my own.
And Chris was right ... he did have a lot of catching up to do. But how do you play catch up for three years in three months? Especially when you both have other responsibilities, something which neither Vin nor Adriana ever lost sight of. Plus, Adriana liked to spend time with Ezra and Chris, and she was slowly letting down her guard with Mary. While she and Claire had repaired their friendship, things were never truly the same between them again, and Adriana had a hard time giving her trust.
Luckily, Mary understood that, and kept a balance of including Adriana and giving her space. Vin made a mental note to ask Mary how she managed that, and see if she would mind passing it along to Nathan. The medic had seriously riled up the new archaeologist almost immediately. Vin should have seen it coming ... Nathan and Ezra still sparred. They had gotten better about it ... especially after Ezra had shared his memories of the trial.
Vin had known about Dawn's sister Kyla, and her rocky marriage. Dawn had never outright said that her brother-in-law was abusing her sister, but Vin knew his friend was worried. There were other things about the situation which bothered Dawn, and because he was a bounty hunter, she had asked his opinion. The more he heard, the more suspicious he had become. Still, he was relying on gut instinct, and he knew that wouldn't be good enough in a court of law.
So, now Nathan knew that it wasn't his skin color which bothered Ezra, but his last name. Vin couldn't say that he really blamed Ezra for being sensitive about the trial, or about the way he had been treated by Kyla Jackson's family ... nor could he blame Nathan for trying to protect his family. He had learned early on in life that the hardest choices weren't the ones involving the big decisions. The big decisions were easy. It was the difficulty of seeing two sides of the story, and seeing that both had validity ... and staying out of it so those involved could work it out.
When Adriana had arrived a few months earlier, Vin had made it a point to warn Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra that his friend was easygoing, but she did have her pressure points. Her buttons, as Vin had heard them called. And one thing that got her steaming mad was even the idea that someone was patronizing her. Vin hadn't had any need to warn JD, since the young cartographer was somewhat leery of the newcomer, and spent little time with her.
Nathan had evidently forgotten that warning, because he had come into the rec room, where Ezra and Adriana were playing cards, and warned Ezra not to take advantage of Adriana. Ezra had sighed with exasperation, saying that he was simply enjoying a game of cards with a new friend. Vin hadn't heard what was said next, but Adriana was on her feet, glaring daggers at Nathan. By the time he had arrived at the table, Josiah only a few steps behind, Adriana was reading Nathan the riot act for patronizing her.
Vin had known she was particularly furious, because her voice had dropped to just above a whisper. Chris had said that she hissed when she was angry, but that wasn't exactly true. She didn't scream or yell, but she didn't hiss, neither. She did, however, storm out of the rec room. After a glance at Vin, Mary had gone after her, to make sure she was okay. Nathan had looked like he had been poleaxed, and Vin had sighed, "I done told ya, Nathan. If she even thinks you're patronizin' her, she's liable to turn ya into roadkill. I know, ya was only tryin' to protect her, but ya forgot ... she knows a few things about takin' care of herself."
When Nathan had asked if he should apologize, Vin had shaken his head, and Josiah added, "No, brother, the best thing you can do is give her space. And wait for her to make the first move. If I read our new sister right, she feels as if you've insulted her twice over. First, by saying that she's not smart enough or strong enough to take care of herself, and second, by questioning her choice of companions."
"Ain't that the same thing? And why she so pissed, Nathan was just trying to look out for her," JD asked, entering the conversation for the first time. This time, even Nathan looked exasperated, now that he was getting over his shock. It weren't that JD was stupid. He wasn't. He was a right smart kid, but he didn't always think. Vin looked to Josiah for help, but the answer came from an unexpected source.
"Because, Private Dunne, I suspect that like our esteemed guide Mr. Tanner, the lovely Dr. Wilmington is most cautious about whom she trusts. One must earn her trust, before she will allow such a person to watch her back, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Tanner and Colonel Larabee," Ezra observed. Vin looked at the negotiator, who added with a shrug, "The young lady does not confide in me, but I find what she doesn't say, as telling as what she does say."
"Huh?" JD blurted out, sounding hopelessly confused. This time, it was Josiah who came to the rescue. However, as he did, he touched Vin's shoulder and nodded to the doorway. Vin understood at once, and left to the sound of Josiah translating Ezra's reply into a form of English which JD could understand. Vin had gone after Mary and Adriana, trusting Josiah to explain the situation to JD. And even if he couldn't, Nathan understood now.
That had been ten weeks earlier. Slowly, Nathan and Adriana were edging toward a truce, if not outright peace. Thanks in part to Josiah's excellent advice, Rain's diplomatic skills, and Nathan heeding Josiah's advice. Adriana continued to regard Nathan with suspicion, but she was lowering her guard. Come to think of it, though, that described half of SG-7. Including JD and Buck. The guide's smile disappeared.
Vin was no psychic ... was flat-out contemptuous of the so-called psychics he saw on tv. But it didn't take a psychic to realize that there was trouble ahead for the Wilmington siblings. And Vin had a sick feeling that this mission would end up either causing that trouble, or making the existing trouble even worse. He knew Adriana well enough to know she wouldn't put him into the middle, but he had a sneaking suspicion he would end up there anyhow. Didn't feel right, not being able to take up for his friend, but that was beside the point. He was starting to understand how helpless she had felt when she couldn't fight at his side.
Hell, nothing about this whole mission felt right! What was worse was, Vin didn't know if it was his own gut instinct, or the idea that this would be his first mission working with Adriana since her arrival. It wasn't like they had never worked together before. But Vin was no fool, and he knew it would be different. They had other archaeologists with them, as well as the rest of SG-7, and that mixed things up.
"Earth to Vin, anyone in there?" Adriana asked, drawing Vin's attention back to the here and now. The guide smiled at his friend, still unable to believe that she was really here. But she was. And things would be different this time. Adriana smiled back, saying, "I'd love to stay and chat with you boys, but I have some work to do before my meeting with Daniel and the others. I have a feeling Daniel will want to know what to expect from SG-7."
"He doesn't need to be asking you that, though ... Daniel's a smart kid, he can figure it out on his own," Chris observed and Adriana laughed. Vin knew, though, just as Chris did, that it wasn't the same thing. Because of her relationships with Vin, Chris, and Ezra, Adriana had a viewpoint that was unique. And Daniel, as the archaeologist who had been with the SGC for the longest period of time, was the unspoken leader of the group. While Conklin had no respect for the neophyte, Daniel wanted to hear what she had to say.
Vin suspected that her dissertation about the age of the Sphinx had something to do with that. Adriana was willing to consider alternate possibilities, which could always get Daniel's attention. He himself had offered the theory that the pyramids had been built by aliens ... and he had turned out to be right. Despite the outlandishness of his theories, despite the ridicule he had suffered, Daniel hadn't backed down. Nor would Adriana, not until either of them were offered a good reason to believe something different. That gave them two things in common.
Vin turned his attention back to Chris. He murmured, as Adriana left the pair, "You as worried about this as I am, cowboy?" The colonel looked back at him, and nodded. Vin knew then that once they had more information, he and Chris would be making plans of their own.
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Part Four
"Before you ask, no, you're not late. Worried about your first mission?" Daniel Jackson asked as his newest colleague entered the room. Dr. Adriana Wilmington flashed him a smile that hid none of her nervousness. She was honest. That was always nice. Daniel hated phonies. The Egyptologist continued, "We're still waiting on Dr. Conklin. The boys in SG-7 shouldn't complain about Standish being late. Conklin is almost always later." He grimaced and rolled his eyes. Adriana laughed as Daniel guided her to a seat. He had already found out that she shared his opinion of Conklin.
Everyone knew about her connections in SG-7. Conklin had tried to get her kicked off the mission because of those ties, and because of her youth. Daniel himself had started to speak up for the newcomer, but Adriana had beat him to the punch. And so, instead, Daniel had sat back and enjoyed the show as the tiny young woman coolly informed Dr. Conklin that while she could respect anyone who doubted her because of her age ... since the ink on her Ph.D. was barely dry, respecting someone who cast aspersions on her ability to do her job was something else.
Conklin had begun to sputter, and Adriana moved closer, her voice dropping at the same time. She had told him, "In case you didn't understand me the first time ... I don't care if you have a problem with my age. But I am a professional, Dr. Conklin. And if you'd like to take my professional behavior up with General Travis or General Hammond, go right ahead." He already had, and they both knew it.
That was how Daniel learned not to let Adriana's diminutive size fool him. She could take care of herself, whether she was playing cards with Ezra Standish, taking further self-defense lessons from Teal'c, or matching wits with Dr. Conklin. Then again, Daniel admitted, despite his education, Conklin doesn't exactly have much in the way of wits, so it's not exactly a fair fight. Still, he had enjoyed watching the newcomer put Conklin in his place.
The chances were better than even that Chris Larabee knew how dangerous his 'little princess' could be ... but he remained fiercely protective of her nonetheless. Little princess. Larabee never failed to amaze the Egyptologist. At first glance, Larabee was a hard bastard, and Jackson knew he could be ... but that tender diminutive softened the colonel's bad-ass image. Of course, no one ever made a stink about Larabee's attitude toward his little 'sister.' Not too many in the SGC were that stupid.
But it didn't go un-noticed, and a few who made the mistake of targeting Adriana, to get to Larabee, usually found themselves nursing a sore head, and a sore ass. And that was usually before Tanner heard about it. Jackson grinned, picturing the last idiot who had thought Adriana was an easy target. The lucky thing was, those newcomers who behaved 'inappropriately' didn't stay long, because the general didn't have any patience for that sort of thing.
"The general's gone too far ... he's putting that bunch of cowboys on guard detail!" Dr. Conklin spewed as he entered the room. Ohhhh, thank the gods Larabee isn't here, Daniel thought. There's only one thing that gets him madder than messing with one of his, and that's calling him a cowboy. Vin and Adriana could get away with it, as could Mary Travis when she was in one of her mischievous moods. But few others.
"Did I," Adriana asked in a pseudo-sweet voice, "just hear you call my brother a 'cowboy,' Dr. Conklin?" Daniel could have died laughing, seeing the look on the other man's face. 'Deer in the headlight' seemed to sum up his expression. By all rights, he shouldn't enjoy this, and shouldn't let a girl who had been at the SGC a bare three months talk that way to someone who had been there much longer. But Daniel was enjoying this, and no one else bothered to stand up to Conklin. Which led to an interesting question ... why did Adriana? Why didn't she just roll her eyes and go on, as she did with some of the others?
Conklin had said once, out of Adriana's hearing, that she only did it because she knew Larabee and the others would back her up. But Daniel knew SG-7 was a team of professionals. They weren't thugs, Larabee was just protective. Yes, Larabee would back up Adriana, but that wasn't the issue. She didn't throw her weight around ... hell, until Conklin shot his mouth off, she usually just did her job and kept to herself.
She wasn't antisocial or unfriendly. But she was still learning what kind of behavior would be allowed, and how far she could go. Not unlike a kid with her parents, even though Adriana was twenty-five, the same age as Vin Tanner. And she wasn't actively pushing the envelope ... except with Conklin. She was more like feeling around the edges of it, and she had made it clear to Daniel that she had no desire to get kicked out of the program. But she wouldn't tolerate Conklin's slurs against her family.
Which was why she now continued, "I mean, really, I don't care whether you call Chris a 'cowboy' or not. I call him that all the time. But you call him a cowboy, like it's a bad thing." Daniel almost lost his coffee at that point, remembering the previous week, after Sam had a run-in with Conklin. The archaeologist had sputtered angrily after she had reamed him for almost getting the rest of his team killed, calling her a bitch.
Sam's companion, Mary Travis, had piped up, "Why, Dr. Conklin, you say she's a bitch, like it's a 'bad' thing." That response, coming from the normally reserved captain, had Daniel rolling on the floor with hysterical laughter when he found out. He would have expected that come back from Sam ... or Mrs. Potter ... or Inez. But not Mary Travis. Apparently, neither had Dr. Conklin, for his jaw had dropped open in shock. Sam had been teasing Mary about that for the last week.
Conklin's reaction now was the same. He stared at the young woman in obvious shock, and Daniel took advantage of that, saying, "Okay, this is the situation. SG-7 has been given guard detail. If I know Colonel Larabee, he'll be working out the shifts and patrols with Vin Tanner as soon as he finds out. Which means by the time we leave, SG-7 will have their people ready. We all know the colonel's reputation ... he'll give his life to protect any of us, because we're his responsibility. That's why we're meeting him halfway. No one is to take any un-necessary chances. I think you'll all remember what happened several months ago? Stacy?"
The archaeologist in question ducked her head, blushing. SG-7 had been on a recon mission with the young woman when the Gou'ald attacked. While the rest of SG-7 had found cover for themselves and the other civilians, she had been frozen in place. Not even an incoming glider had been able to move her. Vin Tanner had bolted from cover to push her out of the way, and received a broken arm and a few broken ribs for his trouble. As the Jaffa on the glider had swooped down, he had lashed out with a kick which sent the guide sprawling.
"Yeah, I don't think there's been a week when Vin hasn't received flowers from Stace because of that, either," one of the other women teased. As both Mary and Sam had guessed the previous year, Tanner had become very special to the women of the SGC. If he had really tried, Daniel had no doubt he could have been even more popular with the ladies than Wilmington.
Daniel could see Adriana tensing up, as she did when she perceived a threat to Vin's safety. The threat was past, but one of the first things he had learned about her was, she was fiercely protective of her friend. Not just her family, but she had a shared history with Vin Tanner. They had been friends in college, and that bond remained, despite the years apart. Daniel had no doubt whatsoever that she would kill for the guide, if need be.
"Okay, good, we're clear on that point. Now, I've asked Adriana to answer any questions you might have about the team. Adriana, it's all yours," Daniel said. The classic 'deer-in-the-headlights' look appeared on her face, but she swallowed hard and moved into the center of the room, where the others could see her. And that was when it hit Daniel. She was shy. So was Tanner, but he had figured that out within just a few minutes of meeting the guide. Adriana covered up her shyness ... until she couldn't hide anymore.
"Well ... uhm ... like Daniel said ... most of you have been here long enough to know how Chris reacts to threats against one of his people. While we're on that planet, we're being pulled into that protected circle. But he does have a temper on him, and if you put the lives of everyone else at risk, you will hear about it. Believe me, you will hear about it. If you put your own life at risk foolishly, you'll hear about it," Adriana began.
"It's 'Colonel Larabee' to you, little girl," Conklin put in. Ooh, better head this one off at the pass, Daniel thought. Conklin had been one of the first archaeologists to sign on, and really, Daniel didn't know what he was doing here still. Well, there was the matter of access to classified information, but still. The Egyptologist rose to his feet and walked to Adriana's side. She could handle this, he knew that ... but that wasn't the point.
"Actually, Dr. Conklin, as Adriana is a civilian like the rest of us, she doesn't have to call Colonel Larabee by his title. I call the leader of SG-1 'Jack,' which is his first name. The generals both believe it should be up to the individual commanders. Colonel Larabee told Dr. Wilmington on her first day here that she was to call him by his first name," Daniel replied, putting emphasis on Adriana's title. He fixed Conklin with his best approximation of the Larabee glare, then continued, "Adriana, the floor is yours."
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Part Five
How do I always do this to myself? It never fails, Adriana Wilmington thought, looking around the room. Conklin was still glowering at her ... screw him anyhow. No, on second thought, that wouldn't be a good idea. Dammit, dammit, dammit! She had prepared a list of things about Chris which the others might need to know, and it had just flown out of her head, thanks in part to Dr. Sourpuss.
Well, there was no help for it now. Remembering what Charlotte had once told her, Adriana chose one person to focus on. Make it one on one, Charlotte had told her, and that way, it won't be a crowd of people. She had laughed then, almost embarrassed, and added, Public Speaking 101. A must for anyone who is planning on teaching, especially if you get nervous in front of crowds.
Adriana silently blessed her friend, and began, "Well, like I was saying a minute ago. Chris won't hesitate to tell you if you're out of line. I know a number of people accuse him of playing favorites with his team, and within his team, but I can tell you from personal experience, if you screw up, it doesn't matter who you are. I think you all know Chris pretty well, at least as well as anyone is allowed to know Chris, so I'll share my perspective on the others."
For the next forty-five minutes, she did exactly that, explaining her longtime friendship with Vin and her viewpoints of the rest of SG-7. She admitted that she didn't know the others very well (including her elder brother Buck, although she didn't mention that), then concluded by saying that if anyone had any specific questions relating to the mission (making sure she stressed that part, 'the mission'), she would be happy to answer them.
There were no more questions and Adriana turned the floor back over to Daniel, who began to explain what they would be doing. He glanced at her and nodded. He knew she already got this spiel, so she relaxed with a quiet sigh. She hadn't allowed her mind to go wandering while she was explaining her understanding of SG-7, but now that she was free, she found herself thinking about the one sticking point to her wonderful new job.
That was, of course, Buck. While he wasn't exactly shutting her out, or rather, hadn't been recently, their relationship really hadn't improved much lately. Adriana had made the decision on the flight back from Germany that she wouldn't run anymore ... that she would stand and face her demons, including her bizarre relationship with her brother. That was one tremendous way Petra had helped her. Adriana wasn't ready to see counseling or therapy about her father, but this was something she could do. That was before she knew that her best friend and other big brother were waiting for her in Colorado.
She had renewed that promise to herself during her first night at Cheyenne Mountain. That was something Vin had always done for her ... he had taught her to believe she was capable of anything, and after seeing him, touching him, she really believed she could make things right with Buck. It had been a long time since Buck had seen her, of course he had made new friends, and this kid JD probably needed all the help he could get. Or so she kept trying to tell herself, trying to ignore how much it had hurt when Buck had foregone hugging her in favor of hassling his new best friend. She was being stupid, of course. She was twenty-five, not fifteen anymore.
And so, instead of dwelling on that, she had renewed her relationships with Vin and Chris, and quickly made friends with Ezra Standish. The morning before SG-7 headed out on the new mission, however, Adriana received a surprise visit from her elder brother. Buck had hugged her fiercely, apologizing for not talking to her the night before. The two siblings agreed they had a lot to talk about, and Buck promised that they would talk after he got back.
It never happened. It hadn't happened in the three months Adriana had been at Cheyenne Mountain. Maybe she had waited too long to repair her relationship with Buck? Hell, maybe he had never really wanted a sister, and only made do until his 'little brother,' JD, came along. Adriana didn't know. And the more she tried to be there for him, while he was so worried about JD, the more he pushed her away.
It had taken her a while, but she eventually got the picture. JD came first in Buck's life. If Adriana was talking to her brother and JD showed up, Adriana no longer seemed to exist. It hurt, but Adriana had forced herself to accept it. She still had Chris, Vin, and Ezra, after all. Captain Travis seemed very nice. And then there was Dr. Janet Frasier, who helped Adriana stay on an even keel. The young archaeologist's emotions were often out of control in the early weeks of her new job, and she found herself swinging between being the young professional and getting silly with the kids.
Given enough time, Adriana thought she could trust Josiah Sanchez. She wasn't comfortable with him yet, or with Generals Travis or Hammond, but she was getting there. Colonel O'Neill ... he was like an overgrown kid in some respects. She found it hard to remember at times, despite the graying hair, that he was older than Chris ... and that helped her to feel more comfortable with him. Josiah Sanchez, however, worried her. He reminded her of Koje, and Koje had always been able to see into her soul. She wasn't sure she was ready for Josiah Sanchez to see into her soul.
Nathan Jackson. Despite their ... now how did Ezra put it that one time? Adriana got a kick out of Ezra's big words. She loved teasing him about purposely using ten dollar words to confuse the hell out of JD Dunne. And of course, he never argued the point with her. But, despite their less than auspicious beginning, she was beginning to develop some respect for Nathan. He had a big heart ... unfortunately, he didn't always think before he spoke. Not that Adriana could claim to be Little Miss Perfect in that department.
After that first clash, Ezra had quietly taken Adriana aside and reassured her that he could take care of himself with Mr. Jackson, but thanked her. She admitted that she knew he could take care of himself, but unfortunately, she was cursed with a fiercely protective nature. And Nathan had really, really pissed her off. She had left home when she was seventeen years old, worked in various hellholes to pay for her college education, she didn't need Nathan Jackson, or anyone else, making decisions for her. And that included whether or not someone was taking advantage of her. What the hell did he think she was, stupid?
In any event, it seemed that someone (maybe Vin?) had warned him to back off, which he had. Adriana was grateful for small favors. That gave her time to get to know Ezra Standish, the final member of the team. Ezra. She smiled. Like Vin and Chris, he could make her laugh. He hid behind masks of his own, but for reasons she didn't fully understand, she could see past those masks from their first meeting. Why?
As Dr. Meadows used to say, Adriana thought, why ask why? According to the information she had received, they wouldn't be leaving for the planet until the following Monday.
It was Thursday now, and General Hammond had already given SG-7 leave for the weekend, beginning after the briefing the following day. As he tended to do, he also gave Mary Travis leave with SG-7, and Adriana as well. The archaeologist wondered if the rather obvious attraction between the pretty blonde captain and her surrogate brother had anything to do with that ... and why wasn't a fuss being made about fraternization? Maybe Vin could answer that.
The team wouldn't be planet-side for the Fourth of July, and Vin's landlady, Nettie Welles, was having an early picnic for them. From the way Vin had talked about her, she reminded Adriana a lot of Dr. Meadows, whom Adriana missed to this day. She was more than a little nervous about meeting the woman who had become a surrogate mother to Vin, but her promise to herself rang in her ears. She wouldn't be afraid any more.
And so, as Daniel closed the meeting, Adriana rose to her feet. She had some things in her room which she needed to find. Like, her car keys. She had promised Vin a ride back to the boardinghouse the following day, but they would have to swing by her apartment and pick some things up. Daniel smiled at her, and Adriana returned the smile. She enjoyed working with Daniel, even if he was more absent-minded than she was.
Her smile died as Conklin stepped up behind her and whispered, "Tanner doesn't belong here ... we don't want his kind in the SGC! And if you know what's good for you, you'll make sure he understands that. I'll see that entire team gone, one way or another!" Adriana's spine stiffened. She took a step forward, then turned to face Conklin. She wondered if her rage showed in her eyes, and decided she didn't care.
"I'm only gonna say this once, Dr. Conklin," she growled, "you leave Vin Tanner, and the rest of SG-7, alone. Because I can guarantee, if anything happens to him, or any of the others, you'll be the first person blamed. Think long and hard about that, Dr. Conklin, and about what you want your future to be. Oh, no, I'm not threatening you. But think about this ... what do you think the generals would do? And the beauty of it is, I don't have to say a damn word to either of them, your big mouth will end up cutting your own throat!"
Conklin's jaw had dropped, but Adriana paid no attention. She stepped closer to the man, hissing, "As for Vin's 'kind,' as you put it ... what kind is that? The kind of man who puts himself at risk for others? The kind of man who protects? You know, Dr. Conklin, you're absolutely right. A man who risks his life on a regular basis for sniveling cowards like you doesn't belong in an outfit dedicated to saving the Earth." She spun on her heel, still fuming.
And as she headed away, she heard Daniel say, "You know, I seem to recall you dismissing her when she first got here. Still think she's a doormat?" Adriana couldn't help herself. She giggled softly, imagining Daniel's somewhat bemused look as he looked at Conklin. She had no doubt the eldest archaeologist would go to the generals about her insubordination. That's why she was heading there herself now.
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