A Light in the Distance

by Sablecain

Alternate Universe: Stargate

Part 1

"I can see the light in the distance,
trembling in the dark cloak of night,
bonfires are dancing,
dancing a waltz on All Souls Night."
-Loreena McKennitt, All Souls Night.

It had begun as a quiet day in the SGC. Most of the teams were standing down, recovering from the various missions and completing their paperwork. General George Hammond, the commanding officer of the SGC, was breiefing the leaders of two of his most prominent teams, Colonel Jack O'Neill, leader of SG-1, and Colonel Christopher Larabee, leader of SG-7. The intel they had received from PY6770 indicated that the two teams would be needed to aid the natives against the Gou'ald.

Most of the time, the respective SG teams could handle a System Lord menacing a particular planet. And in truth, just one team could have handled the System Lord (Lady?), a parasite who had taken on the guise of the Celtic goddess Morrigan. However, it became obvious to both Josiah Sanchez, the in-house anthropologist for SG-7, and Daniel Jackson, SG-1's archaeologist, that the inhabitants of Banba would be more inclined to put their trust in a large force.

The three men were finalizing the details, when the alarm interrupted the briefing. Hammond, O'Neill, and Larabee all rushed from the briefing room and into the control room. As soon as Hammond entered the control room, the technician announced, "Incoming traveller!" Before Hammond could ask, the answer was provided, "The signal matches SG-3, but they aren't due back for another two days, sir." As soon as the team was specified, Larabee's light hazel eyes narrowed. O'Neill placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, Chris," he muttered, "don't kill the messenger." One of Larabee's team was working with SG-3 for this recon mission ... according to the probes which had been sent through to PD3690, there was human life on the planet. At General Hammond's request, the team had been 'loaned' Vin Tanner, the tracker/guide for SG-7. The young Texan was also one helluva marksman ... and Chris Larabee's best friend.

Hammond didn't pay attention to the blond colonel ... instead, he ordered the technician, "Get that gate open, and I want a security detail in here. Have Dr. Frasier paged to the gate room as a precaution." As soon as the words were out of the man's mouth, the iris opened. At the same time, Dr. Janet Frasier was being paged to the Gate Room with a medical detail. The Marines had already arrived in the Gate Room and were taking up position.

The petite chief medical officer arrived shortly thereafter, with a tall, broad-shouldered black man, about the same age as the woman. Nathan Jackson was the field medic for SG-7, and whenever a member of SG-7 had been injured, he was in the infirmary with Dr. Frasier. It was, in fact, Janet Frasier who had recruited the medic. If the men of SG-7 were Jackson's brothers, then Dr. Janet Frasier was his sister, and her adopted daughter Cassie was his niece.

SG-7, while newer than SG-1, had garnered its own reputation. They were as good as SG-1, both in accomplishing their missions and in other, less pleasant ways. There was a running joke that the young cartographer with SG-7, JD Dunne, was in a competition with Dr. Daniel Jackson as to who could spend the most time in the infirmary. Some had taken that 'competition' one step further and set up a gambling pool, to see which man would spend the most time in the infirmary in a given month. It was all done very quietly, of course, to avoid attracting the attention of General Hammond and Colonel Larabee. No one knew for sure, but there were some who believed Colonel O'Neill placed a few bets as well.

So, there was always someone who was a bit richer at the end of the month. There never seemed to be a mission when either Dr. Jackson or Private Dunne didn't come back injured in some way. Sometimes, both men returned with an injury on the same day. Perhaps because they were both the youngest members of their team, no one was quite sure. But JD was safe in his quarters, and it was Larabee's best friend who was likely in danger, rather than O'Neill's.

This supposition was proven correct as two figures emerged from the iris ... Vin Tanner, supporting a dark-haired young woman. Dr. Adriana Wilmington, a floating archaeologist, was a civilian, like Daniel Jackson and her companion. Tanner cried out, "General, we got hostiles on our six, close the iris!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the general nodded in acknowledgment, and the tech's fingers were flying across the keyboard.

But it was already too late ... something exploded into the gate room, and as Tanner pushed the unsteady Adriana Wilmington ahead of him, that blast caught him into the back. The guards levelled their weapons, ready for any threat that might come through the gate before the iris was closed. But the shield ended any further attack, though everyone in the gate room could hear the thuds of people bouncing off the iris from the other side. It was a sickening sound, but right now, the SGC had other concerns.

Hammond left the control room, with O'Neill and Larabee hot on his heels. Jackson and Frasier were already at work. Jackson immediately pulled Dr. Wilmington from the fierce, protective embrace of her rescuer. She had passed out when she hit the ramp. The medic hissed, seeing the wound in the back of her thigh, then he saw the wound in the small of Tanner's back.

Tanner was the last person anyone could have imagined in the SGC. Standing a notch under six feet, the civilian had never made any attempt to be something he wasn't. And he wasn't military. His brown hair had remained shoulder-length, despite the occasional harassment he had received from more formal officers. According to base legend, when SG-7 had been formed three years earlier, Tanner had been added after aiding Jackson in a bar fight against several bigots. He had never met Jackson, but he didn't take kindly to people being harassed for no good reason. Nor did he take kindly to women being pushed around by men twice their size.

The following day, Captain Mary Travis, the woman who had been man-handled in the bar, had reported the incident, trying to soften the blow for the general. He didn't look kindly on his officers getting into drunken brawls. However, to her relief, Larabee (another participant in the aforementioned brawl) had already spoken to the general. Further, he had asked the general's permission to recruit the soft-spoken, gallant young man into the SGC.

Hammond had been leery of another civilian in the SGC, especially a young man with shoulder-length hair and with no visible contribution. However, he trusted Larabee's instincts, as well as the testimonials of both Jackson and Captain Travis, and he had begun investigating the young man. There were two things working in the mysterious stranger's favor. First and foremost, Larabee's instinct about him. Secondly, and George Hammond would have denied this vehemently if asked, but Mary Travis had pinpointed the young man's accent as Texan.

Hammond learned that the man was Vin Tanner, a twenty-four year old drifter with a reputation as a bounty hunter and a guide. Further investigation revealed that Tanner had run afoul of some criminals in Texas. A hit had been put out on him. Hammond had shaken his head when he learned of the $50, 000 hit. After he met the boy, he understood why. Tanner had an honor code, one about taking care of the innocent and the helpless. He was a protector at heart, and one whom Hammond wanted on his side.

Although Tanner agreed that Cheyenne Mountain would be far enough away until things settled down, he had misgivings about the general's ... suggestion. He wasn't military. He was a civilian, he wanted to remain a civilian. That was a problem the general could solve ... Daniel Jackson, and other archaeologist/anthropologists, had received special civilian clearance. General Hammond could arrange for Tanner to have that same clearance.

While he would have preferred Tanner get a regulation haircut, he would not force the boy to be something he wasn't. In fact, on some planets, Tanner's slightly rugged appearance would even come in handy. Some native peoples were frightened by uniforms, an uneasy reminder of their Gou'ald captors. Tanner's non-military appearance would ease those fears. So long as Tanner conducted himself like a gentleman and a professional, his appearance was his business.

And after hearing from Captain Travis, Hammond had known he would receive no complaints from the women of the SGC about Tanner. And there had been no problems, aside from an occasional bully. But when that happened, the others in SG-7 were usually at Tanner's side. For that matter, O'Neill could never stay out of a good fight, and Teal'c had as little use for bullies as the young Texan did.

Another problem cropped up ... namely, Tanner's lack of formal education. His mother had died when he was five years old, and he had been raised by a series of migrant workers, never remaining long enough in one school to learn properly. As a result, his formal education was almost non-existent. This was solved once Tanner swallowed his pride enough to admit this gap and ask for help. Between Dr. Frasier, Captain Travis, and the young woman now being lifted onto a gurney by Jack O'Neill, Tanner had begun making up for lost time.

While his grammar was still improving, and his colorful phrases had confused Teal'c on more than one occasion, the young man slipped into his old speech patterns more as a smokescreen than out of habit. He had learned that when he slipped into his old speech patterns, people underestimated his intelligence. That was a powerful weapon in its own right. It had given Colonel O'Neill unholy glee to unleash Tanner on the smarmy Major Maybourne. After the first go-round with the seemingly uneducated young man, Maybourne had learned to avoid Tanner.

So, despite his un-military appearance and his un-military posture, Vin Tanner had secured a place for himself in the SGC. There were some who resented him, for the freedoms he received as a civilian. There were others who simply didn't like the quiet, but mischievous, young man. But both SG-1 and SG-7 would have fought the very devil for him. While the SGC was a family, forged in fire and blood, sweat and tears, SG-1 and SG-7 had a particularly fierce bond, perhaps because their leaders were so similar.

As Teal'c and Josiah Sanchez gently lifted Tanner onto the other gurney, and Janet Frasier stepped over to check on him, observers turned their attention to Tanner's companion. Like Tanner, Adriana Wilmington was twenty-seven years old. She had gone with SG-3 and Tanner, since Three's archaeologist, Peter Kastner, had returned to Germany for his mother's funeral. She had worked with SG teams One and Seven, though the latter was rare. She was also the younger sister of Major Buck Wilmington, and the relationship was strained, at best.

As a college student at the University of Texas, she had become good friends with Tanner, and worked almost as well with him as Larabee did. While she couldn't communicate her thoughts to him with just a glance, as Tanner and Larabee did with each other on a regular basis, she trusted him implicitly, and was always in the Gate Room with Larabee when the guide returned from a mission with another team.

The two injured civilians were secured on their respective gurneys and removed from the gate room. By unspoken agreement, the Marine security detail had already left the Gate Room, but there were still too many people. There was a small mess to be cleaned up, and that couldn't be done until SG-1 and SG-7 were out of the Gate Room. General Hammond followed the small army down to the infirmary, where Dr. Frasier and her team would stabilize both young people.

General Hammond now had the unenviable task of calming Colonel Larabee ... while Adriana Wilmington was a floating archaeologist, Larabee considered her one of his, by virtue of knowing her since she was thirteen years old. He was too young to see her as a daughter, so she was often described as a combination of niece and sister. And of course, Tanner was his best friend, so he was doubly anxious. But Hammond would have help from O'Neill and his team.

Like Larabee, O'Neill had lost a child. And a wife, though to different circumstances. Larabee's wife had been killed in the same bombing which had killed their small son, Adam, three years before the formation of SG-7. O'Neill had lost his son to a shooting accident ... his young son Charlie had been playing with the colonel's gun, and accidently shot himself. The fallout from that tragedy had destroyed the marriage of his parents. Yes ... Larabee and O'Neill understood each other. Too well.

And now, a man whom they both considered a little brother fought for his life ... a woman whom they both regarded as a combination of niece and little sister had wounds of her own to heal. Everyone who knew Janet Frasier knew that she would use every means at her disposal to care for her patients ... for now, it was in her hands, and in the hands of whichever god they believed, to save those two people.

Part 1-B

It never got any easier, working on your friends. It was hard enough, watching the shell of your enemy die ... as she had seen the host body for Apophis die once before, before he was resurrected by the sarcophagus. But her friends? Oh, Janet Frasier had been in this situation countless times before, but she never hurt any less. It was never less difficult to remain focused, when all she wanted to do was cry in frustration ... or grief. But these were her friends, and Janet Frasier would give them nothing less than her very best. She would allow her emotions full reign later. Right now, Vin and Adriana needed her. Needed her to be focused. To be professional.

Adriana had joined the SGC two years earlier, and quickly became the little sister Janet had always wanted. Adriana had just graduated from the University of Munich, with her PhD in archaeology, and she was a mixture of wild young girl and staid professor. Time and maturity had softened her tendency toward the latter into a quiet professionalism, and the wildness had been tamed into a mischievous streak that came alive when the Four Corners ... Sam Carter, Janet, Mary Travis, and Adriana ... were together.

If Sam, Janet, Mary and Adriana were the Four Corners, then Vin and Adriana were Robin Hood and Lady Marian. The guide had been given the nickname of 'Robin Hood' after he had volunteered himself and SG-7's diplomat, Ezra Standish, to retrieve a stolen icon on one of the worlds they had visited. The nickname had stuck, and when Adriana had joined the SGC, it became clear the pair had a 'past.'

It was up to Janet Frasier to make sure they had a future. While Adriana was one of her closest friends, aside from Sam, Janet was also fond of Vin. It wasn't hard to be fond of Vin. Forgetting for a moment about his good looks, he was always a gentleman, always willing to help. It didn't hurt that he was a bit on the shy side ... and Janet believed he would have been able to stand against Hathor when she had seduced the men of the SGC.

Focus, Janet, she told herself. Even as they gingerly pulled the scorched material from Tanner's skin, even as she cringed. Even as the unconscious man groaned softly, she forced herself to focus. On the injury, what had caused it, and how she could treat it. The burn and tissue damage didn't fit with what she had seen of staff injuries ... blasts received from a staff weapon. Her first priorities were blood loss, possible tissue and nerve damage ... and infection.

Janet was vaguely aware of one of the doctors under her command seeing to Adriana, but Janet knew her friend would be all right. Vin was Janet's primary concern at the moment. All too aware that Vin was conscious on some level, enough to feel pain, she was as gentle as possible as she cleaned the wound. She knew Vin's allergies, knew what would make him sicker, and worked around that. And she tried not to think about the anxious members of SG-7, waiting outside the infirmary, for word on their injured friends. No. She had to keep herself focused.

"Run, Adriana! I'm right behind ya, girl, run!"

Adriana Wilmington ran, her exhausted legs and lungs screaming in protest. She heard Vin Tanner behind her, recognized the way he breathed, recognized his footfall. There was something else she heard, which she couldn't identify. The Gate was in sight, and Adriana felt fresh adrenaline run through her, giving precious strength to her legs, to her lungs, to her heart.

She reached the DHD first and immediately began dialing home. She had memorized the code for SG-3 upon Colonel O'Neill's insistence. Actually, he had insisted that she learn the codes of all the SG teams. God, it had given her a headache! But his insistence looked to be saving her life and Vin's, even if it couldn't save ... No. No, don't think about that! She concentrated instead on getting home ... there. Last chevron, and send!

A searing pain ignited in the back of her thigh, and Adriana slumped forward against the DHD. A strong arm immediately wrapped around her waist, pulling her upright, and then Vin was dragging her toward the Gate. Home. Vin's arm secure around her waist, her left arm draped over his shoulders. Adriana chanced a look over her shoulder and saw a weapon. Not a zat, not a staff. What the hell was it?

Whatever it was, the wielder was following them and aiming it at Vin's back. Would it follow them into the wormhole? She would have to ask Sam about that when they got back. Wait. If she waited until they got back to Earth, it might be too late. The pain was making her dizzy ... making it hard for her to think. She turned her head to warn Vin, but as she did, they entered the wormhole, and there were no words ... and then ...

"Vin! Look out!" she screamed. A pair of hands were holding her shoulders tightly, and a familiar voice was telling her to calm down, that she was all right, they had made it, she was safe. Nothing was said about Vin being safe. The voice didn't belong to Vin. Who then? Someone from SG-7, yes. Buck? No, wrong voice, and besides, JD hadn't been with SG-3, so there was no reason for her brother to be in the infirmary. That was where she was, wasn't it? Yes, the infirmary.

Chris? No ... no, the voice was wrong again. And Chris would have called her 'little princess.' Her eyes opened and she saw the brown eyes of Nathan Jackson staring back at her. He smiled gently as she blinked and repeated in an equally gentle voice, "You're all right, Adriana. You're back at the SGC, you made it back." Adriana took several, deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Had she been dreaming? Nathan cupped her face in his hands, saying, "Listen to me, Adriana. You can't be movin' around so much, not if you want that leg of yours to heal."

No dream. It had really happened. The memories flooded over her again. They had made it, but at what cost. Adriana thought of the last part of the dream, and whispered, "Vin? Where's Vin? I saw that thing pointed at his back, and tried to warn him, but then we were in the wormhole, and I couldn't say anything, and then we were in the Gate Room, and I ... don't remember anything after that. Vin's okay, isn't he, Nathan?" She hated the whining note in her voice, hated sounding like anything other than the adult she was supposed to be.

Nathan looked away, and Adriana had her answer. Nathan's hands began smoothing back her hair, almost unconsciously. Like he needed to do something with his hands, since he couldn't help Vin. He had to be free to reassure the others. The medic finally said, "He was hit as you reached this side, by whatever you saw planet-side. Hit him in the small of his back. Janet's working on him. And you know Janet." This was said with a weak attempt at a smile, but Adriana could see that Nathan was as worried about Vin as she was. As if anticipating her next question, Nathan continued, "Chris and the others are waitin' outside."

Adriana nodded. She had anticipated as much. And, she anticipated that Chris would want to talk with her when Janet allowed it. Nathan continued, an actual smile warming his face this time, "Ezra's been wearing a hole in the concrete with his pacing. Not rightly sure if he's more worried about you or Vin." That drew a stifled laugh from the archaeologist as she imagined her other surrogate brother wearing a hole through the concrete floor of the SGC. The trouble was, it was an easy image to summon. Ezra Standish was as notorious for his fierce protectiveness of women as he was for his gift with cards.

"You think he'll have enough winnings from his weekly poker games to pay for the damage?" Adriana asked impishly, her oddball sense of humor raising its head. Nathan rolled his eyes, barely suppressing a laugh of his own. The laughter died from Adriana's soul. God, what was wrong with her? Why was she laughing when Vin was hurt ... possibly even dying? She had known Nathan Jackson for two years. It wasn't easy to scare him. And if he was scared, that meant Vin was in a bad way.

Nathan obviously realized what was upsetting her, because the smile left his face as he said, "Now you listen to me, Adriana Kathleen Wilmington ... you ain't responsible for this. All right? And you ain't betraying him by laughing, by joking. You're helping him. You think fear is gonna heal him? Not a chance, little princess." Adriana blinked in surprise at Nathan's use of the nickname. Jackson shrugged and said, "It's a nickname that grows on you."

Adriana grinned and blushed, and Nathan added, "Better. Listen. You lie here and get some rest, and I'll let the others know how you and Vin are doing. If Janet needs my help, I'll be back. Just ... rest. And like I said, Drina, this ain't your fault. Vin chose to push you ahead of him when you came through. He chose to protect you. Don't take that away from him by blaming yourself. You wanna blame someone, blame whoever shot a man in the back."

A half-smile graced Adriana's face, at Nathan's use of Vin's nickname for her and at his last statement. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised, and murmured, "Wonder what will happen if Chris ever returns and gets his hands on whoever shot Vin in the back?" Nathan responded with a particularly evil grin, and with that pleasant thought, Adriana settled back. She was afraid for Vin. But she had faith in Janet's skill and Vin's fierce determination.

"Anything new?" Private JD Dunne asked anxiously as he joined the rest of his teammates outside the infirmary. Colonel O'Neill shook his head. He was sitting on the floor beside Chris, with Buck Wilmington on Colonel Larabee's other side, the big major's face pinched with fear. Captain Travis sat against the opposite wall, knees drawn to her chest, arms encircling her legs.

"Nathan just came out a few minutes ago. He says that Adriana should be fine, but Dr. Frasier is taking care of Vin now," Captain Travis replied wearily, indicating the medic for SG-7 with a bob of her blonde head, who was quietly talking with Josiah Sanchez beside General Hammond. She ran her hand over her face, adding, "I should call Orrin. He takes anything having to do with SG-7 rather personally, and I know he'll want to know about Vin."

Despite what she had just said, the blonde-haired captain didn't move ... while Vin was a good friend, Adriana was Mary's best friend. JD knew that she needed to be here for Adriana. JD sat down beside the woman, allowing his eyes to sweep across the crowded corridor. He had been in his room when he heard the commotion, but had been struggling through paperwork.

It wasn't until he heard Vin's name that he had left his quarters, and it was then that Teal'c from SG-1 told him that his friend had been seriously injured. Major Carter had added what she had learned from Colonel O'Neill, then JD had thanked the two members of SG-1. He ran as fast as he could to the infirmary without falling and breaking his neck. No sense in him adding to the SGC pool by ending up in the infirmary. Dr. Frasier definitely would not appreciate that, especially not if Vin's life was in danger.

"I'll notify your father-in-law later. I've sent a car for Billy and Cassie. Yes, I remembered she was babysitting him today," Hammond replied, referring to the captain's young son. Captain Travis nodded gratefully, and JD looked over at Buck. The cartographer was willing to bet his best friend and 'big brother' wouldn't relax until he could actually talk to his sister. Their relationship had hit the skids in the last two years, but Buck loved his sister deeply.

JD had never meant to come between the siblings. He had begged and pleaded to join SG-7 upon its formation, three years earlier. Colonel Larabee was a legend, even in the Army, and JD had known as soon as he heard of SG-7 that he wanted to be part of that team. For reasons never made entirely clear to JD, General Hammond had granted that wish, despite Larabee's obvious misgivings. And from the beginning, Major Buck Wilmington had appointed himself as JD's mentor, guardian, big brother, and a general all-around pain in the ass.

A year after the formation of SG-7, Buck's younger sister, Dr. Adriana Wilmington, had arrived at Cheyenne Mountain as a floating archaeologist. By that time, the 'cliques', for lack of a better word, had been formed within SG-7 ... and that was when the schism between the brother and sister began. The day after Adriana's arrival, JD had been seriously injured during what was supposed to be a routine mission, and Buck had spent all of his time in the infirmary until the teenaged private was out of danger.

That wasn't what caused the rift between the siblings. Even after JD healed from his injuries, Buck continued to hover over JD, completely ignoring his younger sister. JD had seen the archaeologist's patience fraying, and tried to convince the over-protective major to spend more time with his sister. Buck had laughed off his concerns, telling him that he could always spend time with Adriana. They had grown up together, after all, and Adriana was by this time a grown woman of twenty-five. It wasn't like she really needed him. Not like JD did.

Part 1-C

In the meantime, rather than losing herself in her hurt feelings, Adriana had begun forming other relationships. She had become good friends with Ezra, almost immediately, and Captain Travis had just as quickly become her best friend, along with Inez Rescillos, Dr. Frasier, and Major Carter. And Vin ... who had been a good friend of Adriana's when he was a bounty hunter and she was a college student ... became something more than just a good friend.

Still, Chris and JD both told Buck that he was driving his sister away. And JD knew it wasn't even a matter of Buck not wanting to spend time with Adriana, but every time he promised to spend time with her, every time Adriana had made a move to reach out to her brother, something interfered. The final break had come six months after Adriana's arrival. She had gone on a mission with SG-7 while Josiah took a leave of absence to visit his sister.

Their stated purpose had been to rescue General Orrin Travis, one of the key players in the formation of SG7, and the father in law of Captain Travis. Once the general was safely rescued, he would take them to the ruins where he had been captured, and Adriana was to evaluate them, based on her knowledge of ancient civilizations and cultures.

Ezra had infiltrated the prison where he was being held, and signalled Chris that the general had been located. Upon receiving that signal, Chris had split the rest of his team into pairs. Vin was with Chris, Buck was with Nathan, and JD was with Adriana. JD had overheard Chris asking Adriana to keep an eye on the young soldier ... keep an eye on him, like he was a child.

Even now, it wasn't something JD liked to think about. He had been with the team for eighteen months at the time, and he was still wont to rush into situations without thinking. Such was the case this time. Chris had radioed them to stay put, and Adriana had acknowledged the order. However, JD had pushed ahead, derisively telling the archaeologist that he was a soldier and he didn't take orders from her. His primary concern was saving Travis. As if that wasn't her primary concern? In order to keep the rash young cartographer alive, Adriana had followed him after contacting Chris and informing him of the situation.

This was something he found out later. At the time, he had only been aware of his desire to free the general. One moment, he and Adriana had been silently closing in on the general's position ... the next, all hell broke loose. To this day, JD wasn't sure what had alerted the guards to their presence, much less their position. But as he and Adriana neared the prison gate, where Ezra waited with General Travis, the guards had opened fire. Adriana, standing behind and to JD's right, had sworn softly.

Part 1-D

She had thrown herself into JD, pushing him out of the line of fire, and they both hit the wall. JD had blacked out when his head hit the stone wall of the prison. When he came to, he was in Buck's arms as Nathan examined him, while the newly freed Travis and Vin were tending to Adriana, who had received the brunt of the fire. But Buck had been so focused on JD, he had simply thrown his sister into the general's arms.

Even if Buck hadn't understood that his prior behavior had hurt his sister, even if his sister had chosen not to make an issue out of that, this was the final straw. Adriana could have been seriously hurt. As it was, she had sustained injuries to her hip and to her side, but nothing life-threatening, thanks to the quick thinking of the general and Vin. But the mission was almost fatal to the relationship between the Wilmington siblings.

Buck had spent the last eighteen months trying to make things up to his sister, but how exactly did you apologize for something like that? 'I'm sorry' seemed lame, at best. And Adriana, while remaining professional and business-like, had shut her brother out of her life entirely. When she spoke to him, it was as doctor to major, not as brother to sister. JD knew that troubled both Chris Larabee and General Hammond, but as long as Adriana conducted herself with professionalism, neither man would reprimand her. They had no basis.

And then this had happened. JD had known Buck didn't like the idea of Adriana going with SG-3. Even though Vin was going as well, the big major had been worried that something might happen to his little sister. Though Buck remained JD's mentor and big brother, he had begun trying to mending fences with his sister. And despite her aloofness, Buck had continued his attempts to break through to her. He had a reputation as easy-going and fun-loving, but Buck Wilmington didn't give up on anyone or anything.

It had been decided amongst the six remaining members of SG-7 that once Dr. Frasier gave her okay, and once Chris knew what had happened out there, Buck would remain with Adriana. It was time to heal this relationship, before the rift became too big. In truth, JD was a little angry with Adriana for remaining angry this long, but a conversation with Josiah had forced JD to look at it from her point of view. He tried to imagine how he would feel if someone began monopolizing all of Vin's time, to the point that he no longer had time for JD.

Each time JD tried to spend time with Vin, this newcomer had interfered in one way or another. And then, he took it one step further. He imagined if that someone had nearly gotten themselves killed because of their stupidity, and JD himself was seriously injured trying to protect the other person from their own idiocy. That put things into perspective. He could understand Adriana's point of view, but he still hurt for Buck.

"How are they, doc?" Jack O'Neill asked, interrupting JD's thoughts. The young cartographer looked up as the weary doctor emerged from the infirmary. The two teams, General Hammond, and Captain Travis all scrambled to their feet. Mary Travis slipped to her friend's side, putting a supportive hand on the petite doctor's shoulder. Janet Frasier smiled wearily in response as she looked at SG-7 and the general.

"Well, as I'm sure Nathan has already told you, Adriana will be fine. She's already figuring out what she can do in terms of light duties," Janet replied. There was a relieved sigh from everyone, and Janet continued, "Vin is more complicated, but we've got him stable, at least for the moment. He's not out of the woods ... we still have to worry about infection. Especially since I have no idea what caused that blast. But I think you could say I'm cautiously optimistic."

"When can we see them?" Chris asked, and Janet sighed again. Larabee continued, his pale eyes narrowing, "You're not telling me something, Janet. And it's something important." He ignored the calming hand which Jack O'Neill had placed on his shoulder, choosing instead to glare at her. Unfortunately for Chris, it worked about as well on Janet as it did on Vin and Adriana ... which was to say, not at all.

"Colonel, I'm not holding anything back. Adriana can have visitors at any time, but I want to run some more tests on Vin. I've never seen this kind of burn before, and I want to make sure I treat it properly. I know you're worried about him, sir ... but please, let me do my job," Janet replied. Larabee hesitated, then nodded. Janet continued, "Before we start the tests, Adriana is telling Vin that she's all right."

"He's conscious?" JD asked, speaking for the first time. Janet shook her head, and JD looked at Nathan Jackson questioningly. The field medic hadn't spoken at all since Janet had left the infirmary to update them on their two friends. That worried JD ... but if he wasn't asking any questions of the doctor, what did that mean? Nathan always asked questions when one of them was hurt, getting answers to the questions the others were afraid to ask. Or, JD thought, remembering something Josiah said once, asking questions we don't know to ask.

Jackson said now, "He ain't conscious, JD, but the last thing he's gonna remember is Adriana bein' in danger, even if he don't remember the exact details. He's gonna want to know that she's okay. She's laying the groundwork for his recovery. And, Janet is makin' sure Adriana will rest." Janet grinned at the medic, and JD shook his head. Chris and Vin could speak without words. So could Janet and Nathan. And the young cartographer had noticed that Adriana and Captain Travis communicating with just a glance.

"I'll let you know as soon as Vin's ready for visitors. Please, don't camp out in front of the infirmary ... especially you, Major Wilmington. That just stops up traffic, and what happens if we have an emergency off-world?" Janet reminded. Everyone laughed, easing some of the tension among the worried teams, and Janet continued, "Colonel Larabee, if you'll give me about five minutes, I'll have Adriana settled in her bed, if you'd like to hear what happened on the mission? It'll be awhile before Vin wakes up."

Now this was unusual. Janet Frasier was known to be fiercely protective of her patients, and she often insisted that briefings could wait until whoever was in better shape to answer questions. Chris replied, "I'd appreciate that, Janet. And if I know Adriana, she won't be satsified until she gets everything out of her system." That brought another laugh from those assembled ... Chris Larabee had known the young archaeologist for almost fifteen years, and in some respects, he knew better than her own brother did.

"That's exactly why you should talk to her now. I know Adriana too ... she'll insist on telling you everything she remembers. General Hammond, would you like to listen to whatever she has to say?" Janet offered, and the general nodded. Janet looked next at Colonel O'Neill, who nodded. The doctor continued, "Then I'll be back in about five minutes. It depends on how long it takes me to pry her away from Vin."

JD lowered his head, fighting a grin. It seemed that was a common trait with the Wilmington siblings. They both tended to be mother hens. Adriana's form of mother henning was much more subtle than Buck's, but anyone who was paying attention could see that it was mother henning just the same.

"Alright ... the rest of you, get some sleep. We're standing down while Vin recovers, so catch up on your sleep, your paperwork ... JD, you still owe me your last mission report. Ezra, try not to win too much money," Chris told the rest of his team. JD nodded, acknowledging the order, as well as the necessity of standing down. They had been bound for PV2610 to set up camp for a group of scientists, and Vin's skills as guide and tracker would have been needed.

"I'll say a prayer for Brother Vin, and for our little sister Adriana. Captain Travis, did you want to stay here?" Josiah asked, and the captain nodded, worry still present in her green eyes. Sanchez patted the young woman's shoulder, saying, "She's a strong woman, Mary, and even stronger with her friends. Believe in her." Mary Travis responded with a faint smile, but some of the worry had left her eyes.

"Dr. Sanchez, can you remain on the base?" the general asked. The big man nodded. He placed a gentle hand on Chris Larabee's shoulder, then quietly rose to his feet. Ezra Standish followed a few minutes later, his green eyes masked once more. JD, however, knew better than to let that fool him. He had known Ezra for three years, and he knew how deeply the man cared for both their tracker and the floating archaeologist. Adriana had quickly become his surrogate sister, since she had seen through his protective mask with ease.

JD pushed himself to his feet, unready to start on his mission report. They would have at least a few days of down time, while the general figured out what their next mission would be. That, by itself, would depend on what the two colonels and the general learned from Adriana. In the meantime, JD would see if he could arrange a day's furlough, so he could visit his girlfriend Casey. He started to walk away, then saw Buck still seated.

He started to call out to his friend, then saw Nathan shake his head quickly. Buck needed to stay here ... not to be distracted by JD. The cartographer nodded, then slipped away. He would go to the chapel and light a candle for Vin. JD's mother had died the year before JD joined the army, and it was the cartographer's firm belief that his mama was an angel now, watching over him. JD wanted her to watch over Vin as well.

Adriana stared at a point somewhere on the wall opposite her bed. True to her word, Janet had allowed her a few moments with Vin before running more tests on him. And now, the archaeologist was left to wait ... wait to see if Vin would live or die. Wait to face the general, Chris Larabee, and most likely the rest of SG-7. That was not a prospect she greatly anticipated. Why was she more or less intact, while Vin may be dying? A question she couldn't answer.

She heard Janet warning someone not to tire her, and Adriana pulled her eyes away from that unchanging point as Chris Larabee entered with Jack O'Neill and the general. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the anger she knew she would find in the eyes of the three men. Once she felt stronger, she forced herself to meet the eyes of General Hammond first. But she didn't see anger there. Only concern. Confused, Adriana's eyes shifted to Jack O'Neill. He smiled at her and said, "Hey kiddo, it's good to see your eyes open."

She managed a weak smile, and her eyes shifted to meet the gaze of Chris Larabee. Her gut clenched, but there was only worry in his green eyes. No anger. No disappointment. Just worry. He said softly, "You had us worried, little princess." Little princess. He couldn't be angry with her, if he was calling her that. She swallowed hard, then angrily dashed at her eyes, at the tears which threatened to humiliate her. She was twenty-seven years old, goddammit, not a little kid!

"Can you tell us what happened out there, Dr. Wilmington? What happened to the rest of SG-3?" General Hammond asked quietly. She turned her eyes back to him. She could tell he suspected, at the very least, that they knew ... all three knew that SG-3 had been wiped out, except for Vin and Adriana. She swallowed hard once more, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. SG-3. Five individuals. Maybe that's why they were dead? Because they didn't know how to work as a team? If that was true ... well, it didn't matter. Not now.

"They're all dead, sir," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. Jack lowered his head, while General Hammond closed his eyes. Adriana found she couldn't raise her voice ... that would hurt her throat. So she continued in that whisper, "Vin tried to tell the major ... he tried to tell her about the sacred land. He could see it ... I could see it. She wouldn't listen. To either of us. Said we had no basis for saying we were on sacred ground."

Her vision became blurry, and she was vaguely aware of one of the men taking her hand. General Hammond said softly, "Take your time, Doctor. Take all the time you need." Adriana blinked back her tears, and realized that it was Chris who had taken her hand. She squeezed his fingers lightly, drawing one of his rare Larabee smiles. The Larabee glare was infamous in the SGC, but his smile wasn't often seen. Not often enough for Adriana's liking. Or Mary's.

"Vin tried so hard, General, so hard to make the major listen to him. We both did, I don't know what else we could have done to make her understand. And those two troublemakers just kept saying, 'and even if this is sacred ground, who cares.' I thought for sure Vin was going to hit one of them," Adriana said, uncomfortably aware that she was barely coherent.

"At the beginning, little princess," Chris said quietly, "start at the beginning. From the moment you and Vin entered the Gate Room. All right?" Adriana closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek, then she opened her eyes once more, focusing on Chris. The green eyes weren't shielded for once. There was only concern and ... love? Yes. Love. She had been a member for the SGC for two years, and she had forgotten that Chris was her big brother, as well as one of her commanding officers. It was so easy to forget that sometimes.

Adriana was a mission-oriented woman when she was out in the field, whatever the mission happened to be. Adriana focused on what had to be done. It was how she had survived from the time she had left home at seventeen, how she kept herself sane. It was easy to stay mission-oriented, even on this side of the Gate. Maybe too easy? Maybe it was her, not the SGC?

The only time her mind really wandered was when she was sick or hurt, or scared. Like right now. Right now, however, she was receiving a new focus. What had happened to SG-3. And she had received a new point of focus. The chameleon green eyes of her surrogate brother. She repeated, "At the beginning." She cleared her throat, and looked up as Vin was wheeled back into the infirmary. Janet still looked worried, but she also looked determined.

Dear Janet. The doctor had kept her alive in her first months in the SGC, by making sure Adriana didn't burn herself out. And then she looked at Vin, drawing strength from him, even while he was unconscious. If only by seeing him still breathe. She looked back at the two colonels and the general, and began, "I had gotten the call just as I finished my mission report ... "

Part 2

He knew the voice. Even as he drifted through a fog of pain and confusion, he knew that voice. All of the voices. There were four voices that reached through to him, distinct voices. A Texan accent, though different from his own drawl. A more clipped Yankee accent ... though Jack O'Neill would have denied being a 'Yankee.' He was an American, dammit! Vin loved teasing him about it though. And O'Neill teased him in return. All through Vin's first week in the SGC, he had noticed the colonel staring at him rather oddly.

Finally, despite his own nervousness in a strange situation, Vin got up the courage to ask O'Neill why he was looking at him so strangely. O'Neill answered, "Been trying to figure how I know you. I know I've seen you somewhere before. I just can't place you." Vin had denied ever meeting O'Neill, but the colonel was insistent. He had seen Vin somewhere, and he would figure it out eventually. It had become a running joke between the two men. To this day, O'Neill still insisted that he had seen Vin somewhere, before Vin's arrival at the SGC.

A third voice. Chris. Yeah, Vin knew that voice real well. Even with his eyes closed, Vin could see the expressions on his best friend's face, just from the tone of his voice. He was angry, worried, and he was trying to keep his anger from someone. Halfway conscious, Vin could sense his friend's tension. Why? Chris wasn't nearby ... the only person near his bed was Dr. Frasier. He was a tracker, a guide. He knew these things.

He heard the final voice, and things fell into place for him. Adriana. SG-3. That fool major, and those two trouble-makers. The breath-taking flight back to the Gate ... Adriana dialing home ... seeing her fall. The trip through the wormhole. Home safe ... and then blinding pain. And as Adriana Wilmington began to explain the course of events, Vin Tanner began remembering as well ...

Part 2-B

Three Days Earlier: SGC Gate Room

"Chevron seven, locked!"

He had travelled through the wormhole more times than he could count, but Vin Tanner always found himself taking a step back as the fluid burst outward when the coordinates for a new planet had been locked into the system. From the corner of his eye, he could see a diminutive figure doing the same thing. He caught Adriana Wilmington's eye, and she admitted with a rueful grin, "Instinct, I suppose. Even though it's never hit anyone."

Vin just winked at her in response, and received a second smile. He had always been able to make her smile. He murmured, "Well, best get ready to move out. Don't think Major Harris much likes stragglers." This time, Adriana rolled her eyes, indicating her opinion of the major. Vin shared it, but he just murmured, "Reckon it's a good thing that we're back here, not up there." He indicated the line of SG-3 in front of the two civilians.

It wasn't a situation which Vin particularly liked ... if he was a guide, he should be out in front. Major Harris had over-ruled him, telling him that she was military, and he wasn't. The not so subtle message being, 'shut up and follow orders.' The general gave the go-ahead for SG-3 to move out, adding his customary 'good luck.' Vin inclined his head toward the wormhole, indicating for Adriana to go ahead.

She made a face at him, her expression saying all too clearly what she was thinking ... as if she needed him to watch her back here? Ladies first, Drina, he thought. She understood, rolled her eyes again, and strode up onto the ramp behind the SG team. Vin smiled in approval, seeing the brown hiking boots she wore. Good girl. Drina had never been the stiletto-heel kind of girl, but he knew she would be more comfortable in hiking boots than combat boots.

As he stepped up to the ramp which would carry him into the wormhole, the guide's mind returned to Major Harris, one of the newest members of the SGC. Vin's gut told him that she wouldn't last long. In the last three years, Vin had the opportunity to see what kinds of officers would succeed. And he had seen which teams were the most successful overall, including his own SG-7 and SG-1.

While General Hammond was a no-nonsense commanding officer, he was also aware that this was an ... unusual military base. By-the-book didn't always cut it, and he was willing to work with his people, as long as they were willing to work with him. Colonel O'Neill was one of the most obvious examples of this. Vin himself was another. He had worked his ass off in the last three years ... as a result, whenever he asked the general for something, his fellow Texan was more prepared to give leeway. In return, Vin worked even harder. But his primary loyalty was, and always had been, to Chris Larabee and the rest of SG-7.

Major Harris had just arrived at the SGC a few months earlier, and she had already pissed off half the base. Vin had seen her kind before ... it didn't matter if they were male or female, they thought they had all the answers. Sparks always flew when there were more than one strong-willed person in a small area, and Harris had already gotten on the bad side of Captain Travis, Major Carter, and Dr. Frasier. Vin shook his head. Nope, she wouldn't last long at all.

By his reckoning, in about a year, the general would get tired of her attitude, and have her transferred. Maybe to Siberia, to 'help' the scientists with the gate there. Vin smirked. He didn't think that would go over real well with the Russians. Well, he was a guide, not a diplomat. It was his responsibility to get SG-3 safely home. As he reached the gate, Vin turned and nodded to the general. Hammond inclined his head in response. Message received and acknowledged. It was his own personal ritual ... his silent promise to the general to bring them home.

He stepped into the wormhole, dizzied as always by the journey which took him to a new world. Vin could never keep track of all the letters and numbers which comprised the planet's names in the SGC, so he learned the native's term for their world. Which wasn't much better then a series of letters and numbers, since he only really visited the people closest to the gate in these trips. But at least it was a name, and not a number.

When he reached the other side, he saw Adriana to the side of the Gate, leaning against the naquada structure and quietly retching. She wasn't bringing anything up ... she had learned the hard way not to eat much before a journey through the gate. Vin cringed in sympathy. Poor kid. Even after two years, it still did a number on her. And the regular members of SG3 weren't faring much better. He checked on them all before heading over to Adriana, putting a reassuring hand on her back.

"I'm okay, " she answered breathlessly, "shit, you'd think after all this time, I would be used to this!" Vin just patted her shoulder gently. She took a few, deep breaths, then straightened up, still grimacing, and said in a low voice, "Vin, just between you and me, I've got a bad feeling about this. You mind if I stick close?" The guide was on the verge of teasing her, when he saw her eyes. She was dead serious.

Adriana didn't have instincts as Vin did. But she did get very strong feelings from time to time. Vin's instincts guided him, as did his knowledge of nature. As he had wryly observed to Chris once, experience was a powerful teacher. Adriana was guided by the knowledge she had gained through twelve years of primary school, four years of college, and three years of graduate work ... at least until she got one of her powerful feelings. Adriana had never confirmed it, but Vin believed she had received one of those feelings on the night they rescued General Travis. To this day, she couldn't explain why she had followed JD.

Vin and Chris were less than a minute behind her. She could have waited that time, easily. But she had followed JD, muttering something about making sure the fool kid didn't get himself killed. She had been questioned about it later, but Adriana denied ever making the statement. Vin believed she didn't remember making the statement ... didn't even remember why she had followed JD.

There had been other times. She had saved Vin's life once. He had been on leave from the SGC, and ran into trouble. Chris hadn't been particularly worried, since Vin had been known to lose track of time. But Adriana had been. Captain Travis told him later that her closest friend had been nearly frantic. Finally, the archaeologist had gone to General Hammond, armed only with her hunch. Hammond had responded by sending Colonel O'Neill with her to find Vin.

O'Neill and Adriana had found Vin in a Denver alley, barely conscious from a beating. Vin acknowledged that they probably wouldn't have found him if the young girl he had been defending hadn't found them ... and if Colonel O'Neill didn't know the girl, Ally. But they would have never been in that city, if Adriana didn't have her feelings. She wasn't psychic, she didn't know what was going to happen. She just ... knew things.

So, when Adriana murmured that she had a bad feeling, Vin's own hackles rose in response. He said in an equally low voice, "You sure it ain't because Major Harris is ... ?" She immediately shook her head, though Vin knew the two women didn't get along. Major Harris had protested when General Hammond assigned Adriana to SG3 for this mission, saying she didn't want some 'child prodigy' on her team while Dr. Kastner was away.

And Vin didn't think that was the case, but he had to ask. The guide answered, "Then you stick by me, girl. If you got a feeling that things might go to hell, they probably will." Adriana responded by slipping her hand into his. That gesture told Vin what words could not. She was not a physically demonstrative person, not in the SGC. Considered it unprofessional behavior. She was a civilian, but she tried to fit into the military structure as best as she could. Sure, she hugged distraught members of various teams when they had lost a friend in the line of duty, but that was a comforting gesture.

Vin returned the pressure, guiding her away from the Stargate. His eyes scanned the horizon as they walked. According to the probe which had been sent to the planet, smoke from a settlement had been spotted in a northeastern direction, or what was northeastern on earth. The probe had arrived as the sun was high in the sky, but the shadows had indicated to Vin that it wasn't quite noon. And the smoke had been spotted as the probe turned to the left.

"We're setting up camp here ... there's only a few hours of light yet," the major said in a tone of voice which told Vin there would be no arguing with her. Vin didn't like it. It would be too easy to ambush them here, near the Gate. The Gou'ald had learned in the course of their four year war with the SGC that when the Ta're, as they were called, came through the Gate, they could expect trouble.

He had tried to explain that to the major before they left, but she had never been ambushed on any of her missions, and therefore, it didn't happen. Vin rarely let down his guard around General Hammond, but he had found it necessary to ask the general's help in dealing with Major Harris. The general had understood, but told Vin, "Until she's ambushed at the gate, without proper cover, Vin, she won't accept that it's dangerous. I've talked to her about it as well, reprimanded her formally and informally, and she keeps doing it. The only thing left is experience. You do what you have to. You usually scout around while a team is setting up camp, don't you?"

Vin had nodded and the general had continued, "Then that's what you do. I know she's not easy to work with, son. Believe me, I've had more than a few complaints. The unfortunate thing is, Marilu Harris has the potential to be a fine commanding officer. But her world has been defined by offices ... she's a pencil pusher. And if she was anyone else's granddaughter, I would have shipped her out as soon as she arrived. But we're talking about the granddaughter of the Secretary of State, and the president made it clear that he wanted her here, leading an SG team."

"I understand, sir," Vin had replied. And he did. Hell, politics was politics. And the president was still the commander in chief, he was still the general's boss. He just hated the idea that someone might get hurt because this woman couldn't listen. He wasn't altogether convinced that he had done all he could to make her understand the danger they faced ... maybe there was something more he could say or do to show her ...

As if reading Vin's mind, the general had said, "One more thing, Vin. If one of the major's decisions results in harm to SG-3, a decision she made against your advice, it's not your responsibility, son. I want you to understand that. You are not responsible for her decisions. You can give her your opinion, you can say what you think, but she's in command of SG-3. It is her responsibility, if her actions harm to the rest of her team."

Vin had nodded his understanding, but he hadn't given up on getting through to the major. He didn't like her, true enough ... thought she was arrogant. Ezra had gone so far as to call her a 'condescending virago.' Which, Adriana had observed quietly, was just another way of calling her an arrogant bitch who was full of herself. Something Vin had already known, but he hadn't been sure if she was talking to herself or to him. However ... the major was a rational person. Sooner or later, she would have to see reason ... wouldn't she? Well, Vin had to at least try.

It was with that conversation in mind that he began orienting himself. The sun was again high, but it was past noon. He gauged the fall of his shadow, and guessed it was around one or two pm. He wasn't entirely sure about how the seasons worked on this planet, but it seemed likely that they had at least three hours of daylight left. It would take SG-3 at least that time to set up camp, so that left him plenty of time to scout around, see what he could find.

Adriana fell into step beside him as he headed in the direction of the smoke. Vin cast a glance sideways at his friend, studying her face for several moments. She was worried. Adriana had arrived in the briefing room before he had, since she was already on base. Vin had been called in early, since Chanu, the other tracker/guide, was still on his retreat with his wife Claire and their son. There had been some sort of a crisis with Claire's father, who was not about his daughter marrying a Native American, and Chanu had remained in New Mexico to support Claire.

He was on the point of asking her what she had heard while they were waiting for him, when the major called out, sounding more than a little annoyed, "What are you doing, Mr. Tanner?" Vin stopped where he was and considered what to say. He had been raised to show respect to women ... but he had an obligation to fulfill. While his primary loyalty was to Chris Larabee and SG-7, Vin was also loyal to General Hammond. He had promised the general that he would return SG-3 home safely. As the guide, scouting was his responsibility.

Part 2-C

The question was, how to couch that in respectful terms, especially since the major was really starting to try his patience. He didn't much care whether or not she liked his attitude, but he did need to be free to do his job. And they had discussed this during the briefing. She had known he would leave to scout as soon as they set up camp. At last, Vin turned to face the woman and replied quietly, "I'm doin' my job, Major. 'Fore we left, I promised General Hammond that I would get y'all back, safe and sound. I aim to do just that. I'm takin' a look around, gettin' the lay of the land."

"That's what my team is here for, Mr. Tanner," Major Harris replied. Vin didn't look away, focusing only on the woman. He remained aware of everything else, including Adriana, who had taken a step closer to him. Vin knew it wasn't her looking for protection, but his long-time friend was looking to protect him. She wouldn't interfere ... it would take every ounce of self control she possessed not to interfere, but she would do it.

At least, the guide amended silently, until things get outta hand, then all bets are off. Vin had known Adriana long enough to know her definition of 'out of hand.' It didn't quite match his own, but as a general rule, she was willing to trust him to take care of himself until the balance changed, and someone else got involved.

"Major, with all due respect," a new voice said quietly, "Mr. Tanner is our guide. General Hammond sent him to do a job. It only seems reasonable to me that you let him do his job. I've worked with him before, ma'am. I trust him with my life ... no. No, I don't trust him with my life, I trust him with my very soul. And I trust him with the soul of my little girl." Both Vin and Adriana looked at the speaker.

Dr. Tyler Costas was a few years older than the guide and the archaeologist, no more than twenty-nine or thirty years old. His wife had died the previous year, leaving the botanist to raise their small daughter on his own. The little girl, Soraya, meant the world to him ... there wasn't a member of the SGC who didn't know about his fierce devotion to the little girl. For him to be willing to entrust his child's very soul to Tanner was a compliment of the highest order.

Apparently, even though this incarnation of SG3 had only been together for three months, his teammates understood that. Major Harris looked from Costas to Tanner, then to Adriana, who still flanked Vin protectively. She said, "All right. Dr. Costas, you're planning on taking more samples for Dr. Frasier?" The man nodded. While the probe had taken soil samples for testing, Janet had requested the botanist bring back further samples for testing purposes. The major continued, "Fine. We'll be setting up camp. If you're not back by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning, Tanner, we leave without you." Vin sensed Adriana stiffen, but she remained silent. Easy, girl, he thought, don't need ya goin' off half-cocked.

"You do that," he replied agreeably, then set out in the direction of the smoke. Adriana remained at his side, her petite body trembling with silent rage. She needed to get away, he knew her well enough to know that. But he wanted to provide her with an out. Vin said softly, "You don't gotta come with me, Adriana, they're stayin' put, at least for the moment. I know, you gotta get away, but you can go with Tyler."

Before Adriana could reply, Major Harris asked, "Where are you going, Dr. Wilmington? You don't need to go with Mr. Tanner, that's not your job. Stay here, while my team sets up the perimenter and patrols the area." Aw hell, Vin thought with an inward sigh, now why didja have to go and say that, Major? Don't you know yet, tryin' to tell Adriana how to do her job is a real good way to piss her off?

"On the contrary, Major Harris," Adriana replied in an icy voice, "going with Mr. Tanner to locate this possible settlement is part of my job. I've found in the course of my career that often, there are ruins near a newer settlement, ruins of an older civilization, or just a previous settlement of the planet's inhabitants. If I investigate those ruins, I have questions I can ask the current settlers." The major's mouth opened and closed.

"Besides," Tyler Costas chimed in, a wicked gleam appearing in his dark eyes, "you don't need some child prodigy around, pestering your men, do you?" The major's face turned bright red and the botanist did a neat about-face, chuckling under his breath. Right, Vin thought, now's a good time for me and Adriana to hightail it. Vin was no coward, but he had no desire to be around that woman when she lost her temper.

"We'll be back by sunset, Major Harris. That's only a few hours away, all I need," Vin told the major, then headed northeast, in the direction of the smoke. He was vaguely aware of Adriana quietly swearing beside him, and bit his lip to keep from laughing. Even though it was funny 's hell when she got this mad. He knew better than to laugh at her when she was so angry. Once the venom had been exhausted, Vin said softly, "You okay?" Adriana responded with a sidelong look of her own, then a rueful grin appeared.

"Sorry," she said softly in answer, "I gotta control that need of mine to jump in and protect you, even when you don't need protecting. I'm all right. She was just ... agh! Vin, if I ever get like that, have Mary or Janet or Sam bitch slap me into next week. She's gonna get someone killed! Hell, I don't know the first thing about anything other than history and digs, but even I know that in a strange environment, you don't camp without cover of some kind, and the Stargate does not count!"

"You know a lot more than you think, girl," Vin disagreed, "I seem to recollect you carryin' your weight when I was guidin' your group back in Texas." Adriana shrugged, and Vin continued, "And the general's right, she's got promise. She could be as good as Chris or Jack one of these days." He was greeted with a disbelieving look, forcing the guide to amend, "All right, if she had started at the SGC when she was JD's age, she coulda been that good."

Not unexpectedly, Adriana's face closed up at the mention of the cartographer. Drina didn't exactly hold grudges, but she kept her distance from both her elder brother and JD, unless her work required her to do otherwise. She wasn't really angry, but she ... just didn't want nothin' to do with either of 'em. Vin wasn't happy about it ... had tried to talk to his long-time friend about the continuing rift with her elder brother, but Adriana refused to discuss it.

"Comparing that ... that ... that harpy to Private First Class Dunne is an unbelievable insult to someone whom you call a friend. Even if she had been here when she was that young, I have a hard time believing she could be anything other than an obnoxious bitch. Vin, I've known women like that my entire life. Women and men, because it's got nothing to do with gender. They don't listen. I worked with someone like her, when I was putting myself through college. She may have booksmarts, but the woman doesn't have a lick of common sense. I don't have much common sense, but I do have some. She has none," Adriana answered in a heated voice.

Now that did surprise Vin. Not her blatant dislike for the major, but her back-handed defense of JD. He supposed he wasn't being entirely fair to her. Adriana might not like JD, but she was a fair-minded woman ... she tried not to allow her likes and dislikes to enter into her professional opinion of people. He had asked her about that once, and she had answered, "He learned from his mistakes, yes?" When Vin agreed, Drina had shrugged and added, "Nuff said."

The two friends were quiet for a long time as they walked, then Adriana said quietly, "You know, I can handle abrasive. I love Mary like a sister, she's my best friend, but she can be abrasive at times, usually when she's trying to protect someone she loves against a possible enemy, or when she thinks she has something to prove. Sam is the same way, I understand. She doesn't have anything to prove any more, so she's relaxed. But that woman isn't abrasive, she's obnoxious. Mary and Sam are willing to listen and learn. She's not."

Vin said nothing, and Adriana sighed, "Of course, I know that Mary believes I hold a grudge entirely too long, and I should let Bucklin back into my life." Again, Vin remained silent and Adriana admitted, "I want to. I just don't know if I've got the courage or the strength to risk myself again. I'm a coward, Vin. I told you that from the beginning." Vin shook his head with a sigh of his own, even as he continued to scan the area with his sight and hearing.

"You ain't a coward, Adriana Wilmington. I reckon this ain't the first time you feel like Buck has let you down," Vin answered at last. Adriana looked at him quickly, her startled expression telling him that he was right, and Vin went on, "It was never nothin' you said. It was what you didn't say. You were hurt, when Bucklin kept puttin' JD first for all those months, but you weren't real surprised. You know he loves you, don't you?"

"I know," Adriana admitted, "I know that. Vin, no matter what you think of me, of my relationship with Buck, I do know that my brother loves me. And I love him. God, it wouldn't have hurt so much, if I didn't love him so much. I just can't figure out what I did wrong when we were kids, Vin. What did I do so wrong, that he doesn't want me around? He didn't want me around after my mother died. Did he blame me because our father never married his mother, and he did mine?" Her voice was on the verge of breaking, and Vin cursed himself.

Hell. All this time, he had thought she was still angry with Buck and JD, but the truth was, she blamed herself. He took a quick look around, and finding an area a few yards away where he could keep an eye out, led her over to it. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, even as she blinked them back determinedly. But she had been keeping this inside for a year and a half, and the dam had burst.

Adriana internalized things, Ezra had said once. She kept things inside, rather than ranting. Ranting drew attention to oneself, and he had the impression from her that she preferred not to draw attention to herself. Vin knew very little about her childhood and teen years, only that she had left home when she was seventeen, as soon as she finished high school. The fact that she said so little told him what her home life had been like. There were times when silence said far more than any words ever could.

She had known when she started talking about this, her insecurity and fear would be revealed. Even among people she felt she could trust, Adriana found it hard to let herself be vulnerable. In this respect, she was a great deal like Vin. With that flash of insight, Vin also understood her immediate bond with Ezra. He kept a supportive, protective arm around her shoulders while she composed herself. This wasn't the time or the place for a heart-to-heart talk, but Vin wanted her to know he would be there for her.

Once she could look at him without her lips trembling, Vin said quietly, "We can't talk about this right now, girl. But we will later. And until then, you gotta know this. This ain't your fault. None of it. Buck don't just love you because you're his sister ... he loves you 'cause you're you. Same reason Chris does. Now Bucklin, he's just lost sight that you need him. He ain't stupid, but he don't realize that you still need him. But he will. I promise, Drina."

Adriana nodded. Vin had figured out, from what was said and what wasn't said, what had happened to his friend after Buck left when she was eleven. He had figured it out from the way she reacted sometimes to an unexpected touch. And he said softly, "And ... I reckon Bucklin don't know what your pa done to you." Adriana's head jerked up at that, and Vin added, "I'm a tracker, Drina. I read people, like I read trails, like you read books." Which wasn't a pretty way of putting it, but it got the message across.

"You ... " she whispered, licked her lips, then continued, "You don't think less of me? You don't think ... " Her voice broke, but she forced herself to continue, "You don't think I deserved it?" With that whispered question, her composure shattered once more, and broke Vin's heart at the same time. There was no way she deserved what had been done to her. No one deserved that. A pa was supposed to protect his little girl ... not hurt her like that.

Vin had never been particularly good with words in such situations. He had a hard time, speaking his heart. But Adriana had learned to read him, just as he had learned to read her. And a faint smile touched her lips as she read the negative response in his eyes. Vin wished he could find the words to tell her, outright, that it wasn't her fault. That there was nothing she could have done to protect herself. That she shouldn't have found it necessary to protect herself, although now he was positive why she had taken her self-defense lessons with Teal'c so seriously.

But she had one last question, and one that would again break his heart. She whispered, "Vin ... you figured it out. I think Ezra has, too, although we've never talked about it. And it wouldn't surprise me either, if Josiah had figured it out. But ... . Buck doesn't know, does he?" Vin shook his head ... no, he didn't think so. Adriana continued in that low voice, "Why not? Big brothers are supposed to know."

Vin didn't have an answer for her. He just knew that if Buck had realized, there was no way Adriana would have remained in that house. Once more, words failed him, and he put his arm around her shoulders, giving a brief, fierce one-armed hug. After a few moments, she got herself under control once more and murmured, "Sorry. I put us behind. I just ... " Vin hushed her by gently kissing the side of her head.

"No need to apologize, Miss Drina," he replied, returning to the nickname he had used when their friendship had first began. It made her smile, as it was intended to, and Vin continued, returning his attention to the business at hand, "Still, I reckon we should get going. We have about two and half hours of daylight left, and we got some ground to cover. You ready to go?" Even as he was speaking, he was rising to his feet.

Part 2-D

All the time he had been talking and listening to Adriana, Vin's eyes had kept sweeping the area. And he had seen over the top of Adriana's dark brown curls as he kissed the side of her head, smoke. White smoke, the kind which came from camp fires. And since he could see the smoke, which wasn't that far away, and not the fire, it seemed a reasonable reckoning that it wasn't a village burning.

His eyes shifted back to Adriana, who remained seated for the moment. She responded with a weak smile and took his offered hand, answering, "Reckon I am." He scowled at her, though there was no heat in the expression, and she added, "And would you quit callin' me 'girl,' already? I'm twenty-seven years old, only three months younger than you are! Keep it up and I'll call you 'Kevin' in front of Jack." Now his scowl was more serious, but her spirit was rebounding, and she just laughed. She was laughing at him. But that was fine, because he would have rather had her laughing at him than crying. Vin didn't take him too seriously, he could handle people having a joke at his expense. Hell, he laughed as hard as the rest!

"Don't go there!" Vin retorted. Adriana laughed as he pulled her to her feet, and Vin kept a companionable arm around her shoulders as they headed in the direction of the smoke. Still, despite his annoyance at her threat, of revealing his real name to Jack O'Neill (and God only knew what Jack would do when he found that out), he was glad to have the old Adriana back. It scared the hell out of him when her barriers dropped.

At this point in the narrative, Adriana was forced to stop as she related her conversation with Vin. Chris Larabee could see that she had no choice. His heart was screaming. He had loved this girl from the time he met her, when she was only thirteen years old. Why hadn't he seen it himself? Why had it taken him nearly fifteen years, what had taken Ezra and Vin so little time to discover?

A quick look to his right told Chris that Jack O'Neill was struggling to deal with this revelation as well. They had both lost their children ... that someone would deliberately ... God. Chris wanted to be sick. But he had a duty to listen to the rest of the story, as sick as it might make him. He owed it to Adriana, he owed to Vin. Even without hearing the rest of the story, he could tell how it ended. As soon as Adriana had related what she had heard in the briefing room before Vin's arrival, and the exchange at the Gate, Chris had seen it.

But Adriana needed to tell this story, if she was to heal. General Hammond needed to hear this story. But Chris Larabee swore to himself once he had the opportunity, he would ... Hell. Do something. Anything to get rid of this unholy rage. In the six years since Sarah and Adam's deaths, he had finally released the desire for revenge, the need to strike out. But now, that black, blind rage was back.

Adriana was still struggling to regain her composure. Chris squeezed her hand and said softly, "Vin was right, little princess. It ain't your fault. So you take as much time as you need." He observed Janet Frasier heading in their direction, and realized immediately that they wouldn't hear the rest of the story tonight. A glance at his two companions told him that they had come to the same conclusion.

The tear streaks on Janet Frasier's pretty face also told him that she had heard at least part of Adriana's narrative. However, her voice was steady as she said, "I think that's enough for tonight, gentlemen. Adriana needs to get some sleep. Vin is stable. I didn't give him a sedative, though I wanted to ... I'm still evaluating the test results, and until I find something familiar, I don't want to give himself that might cause his condition to deteriorate. I never thought I would say this, but for the moment, it would be best for Vin if he remained unconscious."

Chris nodded, understanding at once. He didn't want to. He wanted to hear the rest of the story, now. He wanted Vin to wake up, now. But there was very little in this situation he could control, and it was making him crazy. Janet continued, "You have five minutes. I know you want to say good-night to both Adriana and Vin. Adriana, after they leave, I'm going to give you another pain-killer. The earlier medication has probably worn off."

Chris could tell from Adriana's sudden, pained expression that the doctor was right. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, whispering, "I need to say good night to Vin, little princess, but I'll be right back. Okay?" She nodded, once more blinking back tears, and Chris gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then rose to his feet. He went to Vin's bedside, pointedly ignoring the whispers as Jack and Hammond talked with Adriana.

He knelt beside his best friend and said softly, "Hey cowboy. Hope you can hear me. Adriana's okay. You got her back, safe and sound. You did good out there, Vin. Adriana's only told us part of the story, but I can figure out the rest. So you don't worry about a thing. You just concentrate on healing, understood? That ain't a suggestion, Tanner, that's an order. You've done your part ... we'll take care of the rest."

He gave Vin's wrist a gentle squeeze, then turned back to Adriana. Jack was bending down, whispering something to her that made her laugh. O'Neill grinned smugly, then kissed her cheek. Chris noticed Adriana's surprise. Hammond said with a laugh, "I can look the other way when need be. This is an extraordinary circumstance, Adriana. And we're not out in public. Jack wants to kiss your cheek, and you're not opposed, that's fine."

Adriana giggled at that, and Jack added with that grin firmly in place, "Besides, it's not like I'm kissing your other cheek." It took the young archaeologist a few minutes to figure out what he meant, then she groaned aloud. Chris glanced over at Janet, who had covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Crude, but it had eased the tension in the room. As much as Chris wanted revenge, he knew he had to wait.

"Get some sleep, Dr. Wilmington," General Hammond said softly, "we'll continue this in the morning. That's an order." Adriana responded with a tired, lopsided grin, then closed her eyes. The general and the older colonel left the room. Chris went to Adriana's side and her eyes opened once more. The pair looked at each other for several moments. Rarely was Adriana's guard down. In fact, Chris thought this was the first time her protective mask had dropped since her arrival at the SGC. That was a frightening thought. He had always considered Adriana an open person ... now he found out that she had her own secrets.

"Do you want me to tell Buck?" he asked finally. He knew it was his story to tell. Under normal circumstances, he would have had her tell her brother about what happened when she was a child, and he was away at the Air Force Academy. It wasn't his story to tell, it wasn't his business. But ... these weren't normal circumstances. Adriana was shaky at the moment. And if she had to tell Buck about this, as well as deal with what had happen on that planet at the same time ... No. In a way, Chris had failed his 'little sister' by not realizing sooner what was going on. He couldn't protect her from her father. He would protect her this way.

"You don't do that, Chris. You got so mad at Buck for telling Mary about Sarah and Adam," Adriana pointed out. Damn the girl. Chris struggled to find a way to explain his guilt in this matter, but Adriana said softly, "You have no idea how much I want to say yes, Chris. I don't know if I can take ... Buck's gonna be so mad." She cringed, muttering, "Dammit. Now I'm whining. I'm sorry, Chris."

"Don't be, little princess. And you're right, Buck is gonna be mad. But he's not gonna be mad at you. That's why I'm offering now. I know you're feeling ... well, not like yourself. Adriana, I wasn't there to protect you when you needed me. You let me handle Buck, and you get some sleep. Okay? Let me do this for you?" Chris asked. Adriana stared at him for several moments, then bobbed her head in agreement.

Chris smiled, more relieved than he really wanted to admit ... and worried at the same time. How in the hell was he supposed to tell Buck? Adriana hadn't specified what happened, hadn't told them in graphic detail, but that was beside the point. Their father had shattered her trust, had betrayed her. And like Chris, Buck Wilmington did not handle betrayal very well. It was bad enough that his father had abandoned his mother, and married another woman. It was bad enough that Buck's mother had become a prostitute to support her son. But for Buck to find out that his father had ... God!

But he would deal with that in a few minutes. He needed to talk to the general yet, and, he had to finish his conversation with Adriana. Telling himself that he was getting soft in his old age, Chris wrapped the young woman in a fierce embrace. She returned the hug with more strength than Chris had thought she had, and whispered, "I love you, Chris." The statement caught him off-guard, but he didn't allow the embrace to slacken.

Instead, he tightened his arms around her, answering, "Love you, too, little princess. Now go to sleep." He felt her giggle, and kissed the top of her head. When he released her, she scooted down in the bed, allowing him to tuck her in. Chris rose to his feet, his eyes meeting Janet's. Her brown eyes were filled with sorrow and rage. He silently asked her to look after Adriana, and she just as silently agreed.

The women called themself the Four Corners, the Snoop Sisters. The latter nickname was easier to understand than the former. Mary had tried more than once to explain the 'Four Corners' nickname, but had only been able to say 'you had to be there to understand, Chris. Remind me, the next time we're all together at the Saloon, to have the four of us explain it, together. It'll make a lot more sense.' Mary. God, did she know about this? Not likely, not if Janet, Adriana's own doctor, didn't know.

With one last look at his little sister and his best friend, Chris Larabee left the infirmary. When Vin awakened, Chris knew it would be necessary for him to have one helluva conversation with him. Vin would blame himself for SG-3's fate, and that was a conversation which both Chris and General Hammond needed to have with him. For now, however, he was grateful just that Vin Tanner was in his life. One day, he would tell Vin that, in words. Chris sighed. Words. He needed to talk to Buck. Now. The conversation with Hammond and O'Neill would wait.

As he left the infirmary, Chris located a nearby phone. He punched in the number for Buck's quarters. His old friend answered on the first ring, and Chris said, "Buck, no questions asked, stay where you are. We need to talk. It's about Adriana. No, no. She's fine. Physically. I'll tell you when you get there. No. No, I want us to talk privately first. It's up to Adriana if she wants the others to know. Yes. I'll tell you when I get there. Five minutes. Bye."

Part 3

"Major Carter? Mind if I ask you a stupid reporter question?" Mary Travis asked, falling into step beside her friend. Major Sam Carter looked up from her notes with a smile and nodded. Mary continued, glancing over her shoulder at the infirmary, "Ever since Adriana and Vin got back, I've been hearing a lot about Major Harris and her habit of camping right beside the Stargate. What I want to know is, why is that a bad idea?"

Sam regarded her friend as they walked. They hadn't been friends at first ... both were strong-willed, stubborn women. Sam sometimes lost track of ... other things when her scientific curiosity had been piqued. Mary could be absolutely ruthless when it came to protecting hers. Her son, her family, her little circle of friends, whatever. In the beginning, she and Chris had tangled quite frequently because of that.

Janet Frasier had actually helped to forge their friendship, because she was their common link. And it had been Janet who taught them both how much they had in common. Oh, they still got on each others' nerves, but they had reached an understanding, then became friends. Sam told the other woman, "It's just the two of us, Mary, 'Sam' is fine." Mary responded with a rueful smile, and Sam realized she had taken refuge in formality without thinking.

That still left Mary's question. Sam explained as they moved slowly away from the infirmary, "By itself, it's not a bad idea. It all depends on the terrain surrounding the Gate, whether or not there's cover in case of an attack. We could tell, when we sent the probe through, that it was in a clearing, with trees surrounding. Have you ever wondered why, when we send a probe through, the general has started asking Vin to be in the control room when pictures from the probe come through?"

Mary bobbed her head and the major continued, "You weren't the only one. I questioned the general about it. His answer was, Vin was evaluating the area before we get there. For example, I was in the room when he told the general that the area would be perfect for an ambush. He pointed out that the only real cover is the Stargate itself, whereas potential attackers had the trees surrounding the clearing." A glance at her companion told Sam that Mary was starting to understand. No one had ever said Mary Travis was stupid.

"And the major had never been on a mission where she was attacked at the Gate, so she didn't see the possible danger. Still, I would think as a ... well, she's not a soldier, since she's in the Air Force, but I would have thought she would see it was a good place for an ambush," Mary observed. Sam nodded. The two women were silent. After a moment, Mary asked next, "Why isn't the Stargate considered good cover? I mean, haven't you ever gotten into a fire fight near the Gate, and used it as cover?"

"Yes, but it's not an ideal situation. We know so little about naquada, how it would react to fire. One thing I've learned, you don't make assumptions about the weapons of whoever is attacking. It's just not a chance you want to take. And there's also the possibility of damage to the DHD. Do we know gunfire ... or zat fire ... or staff fire ... will damage the DHD? Is that a chance we really want to take, under non-controlled circumstances?" Sam asked.

"I see your point. Sam, have you reviewed the tapes from the security camera, of what happened when Vin was hit by that blast?" Mary asked. Sam nodded, and Mary continued, "What do you think happened? What do you think it was?" Sam sighed, running her hand through her short blonde hair. She had learned from Janet that the burn wound didn't match wounds from zats or staff weapons.

"I don't know. From what I understand, Adriana didn't get a good look at the weapon before they came through the wormhole. It could be anything, Mary. There's still a lot we don't know about the wormholes, about how ... about how energy is diffused in it. It could have focused the blast, it could have dispersed it. Until I actually see the weapon, there's ... it's hard to say. But until General Hammond hears the rest of the story, he will not authorize anyone else to go through the Gate to investigate," Sam replied.

"And maybe not even then," Mary observed. Sam nodded. Everything would depend on what General Hammond learned from Adriana the following morning. All she knew, after the colonel emerged from the infirmary, was that they would pick up the questions in the morning. Mary sighed and murmured, "I wish I could be there for her. But Janet just shooed the men out, and I really need to get Billy. I still can't believe the general would let me bring him here." Sam smiled, seeing the shock in her friend's face.

"Well, as long as Billy is kept away from the Gate Room and other areas, there's no reason for him not to be here with his mother. And Cassie knows to keep him away from those areas when she's watching him, just as she keeps Soraya away from them," the major answered. The two women fell silent, Sam understanding that Mary was thinking of Soraya, who was now most likely an orphan. At least the little girl hadn't witnessed her father's death, as Billy had when he was about her age.

After a moment, Sam said quietly, "Look, you don't plan on asking Adriana any questions. Why don't you just ask Janet if she would mind you sitting with her? I'll look after the kids." She caught the question in Mary's eyes before she asked, adding, "I'm sure I don't mind, Mary. I've missed spending time with Cassie, and Billy's a terrific kid. It'll be good practice for me." Mary smiled and squeezed Sam's hand, then turned back to the infirmary.

She had only gone a few steps, then turned to say, "Thank you, Sam." Sam smiled in response, then Mary headed for the infimary. As she watched the public relations officer return to her best friend's side, Sam's smile slipped from her face. The men were gone from the infirmary. It was time she had a talk with Colonel O'Neill. She wanted to find out how much he had learned. Sam's instincts told her that this was far from over.

"What's going on with Adriana that you couldn't tell me over the phone?" Major Buck Wilmington demanded as soon as his old friend entered his quarters. Fifteen minutes had actually passed since he had received the call ... fifteen, nerve-wracking minutes. Chris just glared at him, barely at the end of his limited patience. But there was more than just anger in his friend's eyes. There was sorrow. And grief. Buck asked, suddenly finding it very hard to breath, "Vin?"

"Still hanging on. I just had to stop thirty times between here and there, because people wanted to know what happened out there, and I still don't have the answer to that. Sit down, Buck. You aren't gonna like it. Adriana is fine, physically. It's just ... God. How do I tell you this?" Chris asked, running his hand over his hair. It became even harder for Buck to breathe. Something was wrong with his baby sister.

"Chris ... tell me," he whispered, "please, tell me what's wrong. What's happened to Adriana?" Chris sighed and indicated a chair, then slumped into another chair. Buck did sit down. If Chris had to sit down to tell him, then he had better sit down. He lowered himself into a chair, his eyes never leaving Chris.

"It's not what has happened to Adriana, it's what did happen to Adriana. This ... this has something to do with why she hasn't spoken to you for so long. Not since the rescue mission," Chris replied. Now Buck's blood was turning to ice water. The last eighteen months had been hell for him, trying to find a way to make amends to a sister who wouldn't even speak to him, unless it dealt with a mission.

Buck wasn't sure what he was expecting to hear. Maybe that somehow, she had been injured worse than anyone realized when she pushed JD out of the line of fire. Or something directly dealing with that day. He was expecting anything other than what Chris now said. His old friend said quietly, "Adriana isn't angry with you. She blames herself. She's been trying to figure out for the last eighteen months what she did wrong when you were kids, that you don't want her around. Her theory is that, you've never forgiven her, because your father married her mother, and not yours." Buck flinched at the reminder of his years without his father, while his mother grew old before her time. But she had always loved him, and always taken care of him.

"That wasn't her fault. Hell, she wasn't even born 'til I was eleven years old, Chris! How can she think I blame her for that?" Buck asked. Chris just looked at him sadly, and the big man realized his friend wasn't finished. Not even close. Buck licked his lips, murmuring, "There's more. Tell me, Chris. Tell me where my baby sister would get a cockeyed idea like that." But even as he verbalized the question, an answer was already starting to occur to him.

"She was what, eleven, twelve years old when you graduated from the Academy? Her mother died when she was eight? Your father ... not a prize by anyone's reckoning, raised her. Remember what he did to your mother. What do you think he did to that little girl, who looked so much like her mother? Think about it, Buck," Chris replied. Unspoken were the words, 'don't make me tell you.' Chris didn't want to say the words.

Part 3-B

He didn't have to. Buck was already seeing the picture, and he didn't want to. He whispered, shaking his head in a denial he didn't truly believe, "No. No, he couldn't have. No, Chris." He kept shaking his head, begging his friend with his eyes to tell him this wasn't true. Even as his heart acknowledged it. He didn't want to accept that his father had done such a thing. And that Buck hadn't been there to protect his little sister.

"Yes. Adriana ... always thought you didn't want her around. You're her big brother. She was sure you knew. Until recently," Chris answered in a low voice. Buck buried his face in his hands with a low groan. What had he done??? Suddenly, things which had struck him odd since his sister's arrival began to make sense. The way Adriana jumped when someone touched her without warning. How quickly her actual anger had died, after they had rescued Travis, to be replaced with what he thought was indifference and aloofness.

He realized how that she had given him what she thought he wanted. What he didn't understand was, why she didn't realize he was trying to make up for that. Why didn't she know how much he loved her, how sorry he was for hurting her? Shit! What was he doing, blaming her? He was her older brother, it was his job, his responsibility, to protect her ... take care of her. As he had been taking care of JD.

"God. I thought she didn't need me any more. She's twenty-seven now. I thought JD needed me more," Buck whispered. Chris said nothing, and Buck continued, "What was I thinking? You don't stop needin' people as you get older. Hell, I'm thirty-eight years old, and I need JD. All of ya. I just don't tell y'all because it ain't seemly. And I threw her into the general's arms to get to JD, like she was a bag of trash!"

Trash. That was how his father had treated her. Like she was put there to service his needs and wants, to satisfy him. Buck's rage against himself began changing. Oh, he was still angry with himself, and he needed to do some major grovelling to his sister to ease his guilt. But he was now realizing that while he could have done a better job of looking out for his little sister, there was one other person who deserved his fury.

An image flashed through his mind of his mother. He had been eighteen when she died. Out of respect for her wishes, he had begun spending time with his father and step-mother.

Adriana's mother was born in Holland, and spoke English with a charming Dutch accent. He hadn't understood her ... not because of her accent, but because Buck's mother had showered him with affection, and Katrien showed her daughter none. A year after his own mother's death, Katrien was brutally murdered. Eight year old Adriana had found her mother's body ... but the murderer had never been found.

He remembered his father at the funeral, weeping hysterically, while his little daughter stood at his side. She looked like a little statue, she was so still. Buck didn't doubt that his father had mourned his wife, but that didn't give him the right to use his little girl like that! But then again, he had learned the hard way that his father used people. Buck loved women. To him, they were the most amazing creatures on the face of the planet. And while he had learned the hard way that they weren't the perfect angels he had believed they were, the good women he found were all the more beloved for the dark angels among them.

And his father had used women most of all. Buck's own mother. Katrien. Adriana. A white-hot fury burned in Buck's soul and he turned his dark blue eyes to his oldest friend, hissing, "That bastard. He's dead, Chris. I get my hands on him, and I will break his neck. I don't care if he is sixty-five years old, he deserves to die!" Now the rage was flowing through his veins, white hot lava, threatening to turn his bones to ash, but Buck didn't care.

And Chris was on his feet immediately, hissing right back, "That ain't the way! I know! I spent three years outta control and lookin' for revenge. And when I finally caught up with Ella, to make her pay for takin' Sarah and Adam from me, I damn near lost you and Mary and Vin in the process! You remember that? You remember holdin' Vin in your arms, with Mary standin' between two of you and Ella? You remember Mary havin' to take the life of another person, in order to protect you? I'm not lettin' you go down that path, Buck, it ain't worth it!"

Buck did remember. He remembered taunting Ella, telling her that no matter what she did, she would never make Chris love her that way he loved Sarah. The way he was growing to love Mary. He remembered Ella hurtling toward Mary with a knife, only to watch in horror as Vin stepped between the two women. He remembered watching Vin fall ... watching Mary knock the knife from Ella's hand with an anguished "No!" He remembered cradling Vin in his arms in that cabin, waiting for Chris and the others. And Mary's tears as she shot Ella full in the chest with Vin's rifle. Remembered hearing her screaming in incoherent rage as bullet after bullet tore into Ella's already dead body.

And the rage abated. His sister had been through enough. If he went after his father now, like this, she would only be hurt more. Oh, the fury was still there. But now it was containable. He took several deep breaths, trying to clear his head. Once he could think, he whispered, "What now?" How do I make this up to her? What can I do to help her? How the hell am I gonna get through this without tearing that bastard to pieces?

"You need to talk to your baby sister tomorrow, big fella. She gave me permission to tell you ... said she wasn't strong enough. She apparently knows your reactions pretty well, Buck, even if she doesn't always understand you. Then again, I don't always understand you, either," Chris answered.

Buck managed a weak smile and Chris continued, "You need to tell her that this wasn't her fault. She needs to hear it. She needs to know that you believe in her. That you will always be there for her. That she is a priority to you. It's not enough, to know that you love her because she's your sister. She needs more than that. She may be twenty-seven years old, Buck, but there's still a lost little girl in there."

Buck nodded, unable to answer. He thought of his sister and Vin in the infirmary. He thought of taking Vin to the hospital after Ella's body had been retrieved by the coroner. And unexpectedly, he began laughing. Chris blinked at him in surprise, and Buck said, chuckling, "I was just thinking 'bout Adriana, once we got Vin to the hospital and the docs said he would make it. Thought we would have to pry Adriana loose from him with a crowbar."

Chris laughed as well, easing the tension in the room. At least until Buck looked at his oldest friend, saying quietly, "The boys will want to know about this. As soon as Adriana is ready for them to hear it, I want them to know. Reckon Ezra and Josiah have already figured it out. But they love her, too. They should know."

"It's got to be Adriana's decision, Buck," Chris said quietly. Buck nodded. Chris sighed deeply, then said, "Will you be all right, big fella?" Buck nodded with a sigh of his own. Lord, he was tired! His worry for Adriana through the last few days had left him unable to sleep. He hadn't been with a woman in three days, and that hadn't helped his mood at all. And now, the events of the day were finally catching up with him.

"I'll be fine. You just let me know what the general decides tomorrow," Buck replied. Chris nodded in agreement, then slipped from Buck's quarters. The big man settled back in his chair, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. Lord, he had so much to think about! He knew one thing was true, though. Once Adriana was finished with what happened to her and Vin on that planet, it was time to have a little heart to heart with his baby sister. Complete with a bear hug only Buck Wilmington could give.

Part 3-C

As Buck Wilmington struggled to come to terms with this revelation about his little sister, Mary Travis was quietly slipping into the infirmary. Her eyes fell first on Vin, who lay in the second bed, face down. She could see his tawny hair more easily than his face. It brought back memories, of another time she had seen him in the hospital. Mary shuddered, remembering the sensation of Vin's rifle kicking in her hands.

"Mary?" Janet Frasier asked softly, bringing Mary's attention back to the present. It had been almost two years since she had killed Ella Gaines ... three months after Adriana's arrival at Cheyenne Mountain. But she still had nightmares, when something stirred the memories. She would have a nightmare tonight. Mary shifted her gaze from Vin's still form to Janet's concerned face, and her friend asked, "What can I do?"

"Would ... you mind if I sat with Adriana for a while? I don't want to ask her any questions ... I just ... want to be near her," Mary explained in a faltering voice. Janet just smiled and gently pushed Mary toward a chair beside Adriana's bed. Mary sank into it gratefully and turned to look at her best friend. She lifted a strand of pale blonde hair back from her eyes, then took Adriana's hand. Her friend's eyes slowly opened.

Adriana looked disoriented for a moment, and Mary whispered, "It's all right, go back to sleep." That only served to focus Adriana's attention on her, and a spasm of pain twisted her face. Mary asked, "Should I ask Janet for more medication? She's with Vin right now, so I wouldn't have to go far." Adriana began shaking her head as soon as Mary mentioned the guide's name. Surprise, surprise. Not for the first time, Mary wondered about the nature of Adriana's relationship with Vin. She wouldn't ask her friend ... but maybe someday, Adriana would tell her.

"It's tolerable, Mare. I'm fine," Adriana answered in a hoarse voice. Mary winced, hearing the sound. Her friend sighed and murmured, "Talk to me, Mary. Tell me what's going on. I told the colonels and the general about some of what happened on the planet, but I haven't heard anything about what's been going on since we left. Is there anything interesting going on?" Mary immediately shook her head.

One of the more positive aspects of her job was hearing all the rumors and gossip that went around. While she refused to give into yellow journalism and sensationalism (her one foray into that had been the last), Mary knew that there were kernels of truth in rumors and gossip. Technically, she was the general's public relations officer, but she was also a reporter. She couldn't write any of the stories that came out of the SGC, at least not until the country ... the world ... was ready to hear about the Stargate.

Correction. The stories couldn't be published until then. That didn't mean she couldn't write the stories. She just had to be very careful about the diskettes where they were stored. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. The stories hadn't been written. She was paranoid about the diskettes containing her notes falling into the wrong hands, so she had created a small pocket under her desk to shelter the diskettes.

Still, there were other stories to be written here. She had made it a point to get to know each of the officers and enlisted personnel who worked here over the last three years. As Vin had been known to say, everyone has a story to tell. She smiled faintly, remembering that conversation, during one of their tutoring sessions. And he was right. Everyone had a story to tell. But not this week, it seemed.

She replied, "Nothing new, Adriana. It's been quiet here, too quiet here. I actually heard someone saying yesterday that they wished something would happen. Even it was the Tok'ra arriving. You know how Colonel O'Neill feels about them." Adriana grinned. O'Neill had never made his opinion of the Tok'ra a secret. The only one he really tolerated, or held any respect for, was Jacob Carter, Major Carter's father.

"Well, you gotta admit ... the Tok'ra are arrogant. Honestly, I don't know who are worse ... the Tolan, the Tok'ra, or the Nox. Not that I've actually met the Nox, but what I did hear, kinda irritated me. I like the Asgaard best. They're a lot more patient and a lot less condescending," her friend confided. A sudden, impish smile appeared, and Adriana added, "You know, after hearing Sam and Daniel's stories about Thor and the Asgaard, I would love to see what happened if Thor ever met Vin. They seem to like Colonel O'Neill well enough, what do you think they would make of Vin?"

Mary barely controlled a giggle, as she replied, "Now that's a scary idea!" She squeezed Adriana's hand and added, "But look at things from the perspective of the Tolan, and the Nox, and the Tok'ra. We are a very young species. They've been fighting the Gou'ald for thousands of years." Adriana scowled and Mary continued, "Still, that said, I've found myself wanting to wipe the smug expressions from the faces of some of the Tok'ra." Mary's green eyes flickered away from Adriana briefly, long enough to see Janet Frasier grinning at that.

"Thank God, I was starting to worry about you, Mary," Adriana sighed. Mary gently tapped the back of her friend's wrist, silently shaking with laughter. After a moment, the brunette said quietly, "There's something I need to tell you, my friend. And you can't say anything until I'm finished. Promise?" Mary couldn't have said why her throat closed up, or why her heart seemed to stop beating. But she numbly bobbed her head and waited.

The fog was beginning to part. Vin groaned softly as a sharp pain stabbed low in his back, and he heard a soft voice murmuring his name. Telling him to take it easy, he was in the infirmary. Well, hell, he had figured that part out on his own! But instead of responding with a smart ass remark, he concentrated on fighting back the pain. Maybe once the pain went away, he would find it easier to breathe.

Someone asked about medication, and Janet Frasier responded, "I think it's safe. The blood work I ordered just came back, and there were no foreign agents in his blood. I'm not willing to take a chance with his life until I have more information, so keep the dosage low. I also want to check the dressing on his back, make sure it hasn't become infected. When I checked him a few minutes ago, he was running a low-grade fever, and we can't let that get out of control."

"Aw hell," Vin rasped, forcing his eyes open. Janet turned to face him, a tired smile lighting her face. She put her hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing a spot between his shoulder blades. The massage gave him a focus other than his back, helped him to relax, and that in turn, helped to ease the pain in his back. He took several deep breaths, despite the ache, then whispered, "How long I been out, Janet?"

"You and Adriana returned this morning, and it's almost ten pm now. I spent most of the day working on the two of you. She's in better shape than you are, took a zat shot to the back of her leg. She'll be fine. Would you be more comfortable in another position?" she asked softly. Which was Janet's way of asking if he would prefer to remain where he was, or roll onto his back, or lay on his side.

Vin grimaced. His chest hurt, but if he was hit in the back, he would have fallen forward. That would explain that. He murmured, "My chest hurts ... ya sure I didn't break no ribs? Don't remember much 'bout what happened. Think ya'll can roll me onto my side? Easier to breathe that way." Janet smiled and handed her clipboard to one of the newcomers to the medical staff, then she and one of the other doctors eased Vin onto his side. The guide found it much easier to breathe, though it would have been even easier if he was sitting up. However, with a back injury, that wasn't real likely at the moment.

"Better?" she asked and Vin nodded, taking several more deep breaths. Janet continued, "We'll give you something for the pain, but it can't be a lot, Vin. I'm still running tests, and I don't want to run the risk of your condition deteriorating from an improper diagnosis. I know you're hurting." Vin smiled weakly, then his eyes fell on the blue curtain which had been drawn around his bed.

"Adriana?" he asked softly. Janet's brown eyes flickered, and fear seized his gut. She had said a few minutes ago that Adriana would be fine. So why did Janet look so worried? Vin repeated, "What about Adriana? Why did you pull the curtain around my bed?" Janet sat down in the chair next to his bed, so she could talk to him more freely. She glanced at the other doctors, who quietly dispersed.

"Adriana began telling the colonels and General Hammond about what happened to SG-3. I finally had to shoo them out, since she was tiring. Mary is with her right now ... hearing about your conversation after leaving the camp," the doctor answered in a low voice. It took Vin a moment to realize what she was saying, then white hot fury sliced through him, subduing the pain in his back.

"The others know?" he asked and Janet nodded. By 'the others,' he didn't mean SG-7. Yet, at least ... but General Hammond, Jack, and Chris. Dammit. He knew she wasn't ready to do this yet, but it looked like it had been taken out of her hands. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Vin continued, now feeling the effects of the medication as it flowed through his bloodstream, "And Buck? Does he know?"

"Colonel Larabee left after Adriana agreed to let him take care of that for her. But enough talking right now, Vin. Adriana's in good hands. You've got to rest ... rest and heal," Janet replied. Vin started to protest, but even as he opened his mouth to speak, he found himself fighting a yawn. Hell, he was too damn tired to argue with her. Janet gently squeezed his shoulder and murmured, "Get some sleep." And with one last sigh, Vin did just that.

Part 3-D

It was growing easier to talk about it, Adriana was discovering, with each telling. The first time, with Vin, had been hell. Not because he had made it difficult, but because it was the first time in fifteen years she had discussed it. The second time had been just as difficult, because she was telling her commanding officers ... all three of them ... and they were three men whom she greatly admired and respected. It was never easy to admit to such a person just how weak and vulnerable you really were. In her mind, she understood that it wasn't her fault. In her heart, she was still accepting that as truth.

But Mary was different. She kept her promise, listening in silence as Adriana explained those years after her mothers' death. The combination of shame and guilt and grief which kept her silent as he continued to feel her up. Especially the shame of not stopping him. Of ... wanting someone to love her so desperately, she was willing to accept even this debasement, at least at first.

At last, once Adriana had talked herself out, Mary said very quietly, "That bastard. That unmitigated bastard. Using that child's need for affection and love, and ... Damn him!" Her tone was quiet, but her body was trembling with rage. And her green eyes shot fire. In those eyes, Adriana could see something else. Revulsion ... but it wasn't directed at her. It was directed at Adriana's father, at the concept that someone would do that to a child not much older than her own Billy.

Neither woman could speak for several moments, then Adriana yawned. She blushed, but Mary just smiled and murmured, "Get some sleep. I'll stay with you for a few more minutes, then I need to see to Billy. I need to be with Billy." Adriana understood at once. She needed to hold her son, and reassure herself that despite the trauma of seeing his father die, he was a healthy, well-adjusted little boy.

"Do me a favor, Mare?" Adriana asked softly. Mary nodded immediately, and Adriana continued, "In the morning, could you go to my apartment and get my CD's? Especially my collection of Loreena McKennitt's CD's. There's a song I need to hear, and Vin likes to listen to her as well." Mary responded with an intrigued expression, and Adriana explained, "There's a song on one of the CD's, called 'All Souls Night.' There's a set of lyrics which runs something like this, 'I can see the light in the distance, trembling in the dark cloak of night. Bonfires are dancing, dancing a waltz on All Souls Night.' I need that imagery. A light in the dark."

Unexpectedly, Mary's eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed Adriana's hand, murmuring, "You'll have that light in the dark. Get some sleep, and I'll talk to you in the morning." Adriana nodded and Mary leaned forward to give her a brief, fierce hug. Adriana returned the embrace with equal ferocity, then Mary kissed her forehead and added, "Night, Drina." The archaeologist smiled at how quickly Vin's nickname for her was being adopted, then Mary left the room, allowing Adriana to fall back to sleep within minutes.

Chris Larabee was in the infirmary at oh seven hundred hours the following morning. He moved silently, but Janet Frasier heard him anyhow. She turned to face him, and Chris was heartened to see Vin sleeping on his side. That was good.

A soft whimper removed his attention from Tanner, and he looked at Adriana, who was moving restlessly in her sleep. Her face was screwed up in distress, and Chris saw evidence of tears on her face. Janet gently placed the clipboard back on Vin's bed, then sat down on the bed beside Adriana, gently stroking her dark brown hair and murmuring something Chris didn't understand. The archaeologist immediately began to settle down, and Janet eased her into her arms, rocking her as if Adriana was Billy's age.

"It was a bad night, Colonel, for her," Janet sighed, "she had nightmares. About her father." Chris looked from the now-calm Adriana to the doctor, who added, "I heard about what he did to her. Twice. The second time, in a lot more detail." There was a rage in her voice Chris had never heard before. Janet gently kissed the top of her friend's head, then looked at Chris hard, asking ... no, demanding ... hoarsely, "What kind of man does that to a child?" In all the years he had known Janet Frasier, he had never heard her speak that way.

"I don't know," Chris admitted, "I don't know, Janet. And if it weren't for the damage it would do to her, I'd kill him myself. She'll have nightmares for a while. But she's not alone any more. I take it that you didn't know about it, either, until yesterday?" Janet shook her head, blinking back tears. Damn. Not even her own doctor, one of her closest friends, had known about this. Chris continued, "Any idea how Tanner figured it out? Did she tell you or Mary?" Now Janet looked startled.

"How did you know ... never mind. And no, she didn't. She didn't say much about Vin. I know they met when she was a college student at the University of Texas ... that they remained friends up until the time she went to Germany to do her graduate work. He disappeared a few weeks before her departure, and then she didn't see him again until she came here. Based on what she told me, I'm guessing he disappeared, due to the hit against him ... he didn't want her getting caught in the crossfire," Janet replied.

Chris nodded grimly ... that sounded like something Vin would do. A sleepy voice startled them both with, "That was what he told me when we met up again here at Cheyenne Mountain. He only told me in his message on my answering machine that he had to go away to protect me, to make sure no one hurt me. After I came here, he told me the whole story." Adriana raised her head, looking very tired.

Janet sighed, "Busted." Adriana giggled and Janet eased her friend back against the pillows, saying, "Let me go see about breakfast for you, young lady. Colonel Larabee can look after you and Kevin for a while." Adriana squeezed her friend's hand in response, then Janet Frasier left the infirmary. Adriana looked at Chris, who regarded her with affection. Yes, she looked tired, but she seemed more composed this morning.

"Vin is never gonna forgive me for telling the entire SGC that his real name is 'Kevin,' you know that," she said in a conversational tone of voice. Chris smirked ... that was entirely likely. Buck loved to tease the guide about it, since he had allowed the entire compound to assume his given name was actually 'Vincent' for a year. Adriana continued softly, "Buck knows now?" Chris nodded and Adriana asked, her voice dropping yet again, "How did he take it?"

"About how you expected he would. Think a bull in a china shop. He wanted to kill your father, but I talked him out of it. I know about revenge, little princess ... I had to remind him of Ella," Chris replied. Adriana flinched ... she had been with SG-7 and Mary Travis for that vacation. When they had realized that Ella was in the mountains with them, and that she would go after Vin, Buck, and Mary, they had hightailed it back to the cabin.

As they approached the building, they had heard the shots and spurred their mounts harder. Adriana was the second one into the cabin, after Chris, and he had heard her gasp. There was no protecting her from what was in the cabin. Ella, on the floor, her body riddled with bullets and her eyes forever unseeing. Mary still holding Vin's rifle. Buck on the floor, cradling Vin in his arms, trying desperately to staunch the blood flow.

Now, nearly two years from that night, Adriana said slowly, "Your desire for revenge had nothing to do with what happened, Chris. Ella Gaines determined she would have you, that you loved her as much as she loved you. Not that I call that love. And what Mary did had nothing to do with revenge ... well, maybe it did. Avenge what Ella tried to take from her. But, it was more about protection ... protecting herself and those she loves."

"When did you get to be so smart, little princess?" Chris asked. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Adriana just smiled sadly, then sat as upright as she could in the bed, as General Hammond entered. Chris rose to his feet, then took his seat once more when the general waved him to sit. He looked at the dark-haired woman ... was she ready for this? Adriana lifted her chin as their eyes met. It was time to finish this.

General George Hammond strode down the halls of the SGC toward the infirmary, to conclude the briefing with Adriana Wilmington. He had received word from Dr. Frasier earlier, that Vin had regained consciousness. That was good news. He needed good news. Once he left the infirmary the previous night, he had gone to his office to inform the president about the death of Major Harris. He knew the commander in chief would want to let his friend know that his granddaughter was dead. The president, of course, wanted to know how it happened. Hammond had only said that he was still getting information about that.

Now, he had difficult decisions to make. How, exactly, did he explain to the president and the secretary of state that Marilou Harris was dead because she wouldn't listen? While he still didn't know the particulars, Hammond had gleaned from the previous night's meeting that Vin and Dr. Wilmington had tried to warn the major, a warning which was ignored. And perhaps that would be the best explanation for the woman's death ... the death of her entire squad.

George Hammond didn't like to lie to his commander in chief. What he planned to do wasn't exactly a lie ... he just had no intention of telling the president, or the secretary of state, the entire truth. In the first place, if he did, it would likely start a war. The general had a difficult enough time sending his people through the Gate ... that was dangerous enough. And they had their hands full with the Gou'ald.

Besides, there had been enough death already. Five people were dead, two more were seriously hurt. Vin would most likely blame himself, once he could think clearly. And Hammond was afraid the two most powerful men in the country would try to use that innocent young man as a scapegoat for the loss of SG-3. That was something which the general simply would not permit. He would live with the consequences himself.

As he entered the infirmary that morning, he noticed Dr. Wilmington sitting up in bed, and looking much better. She was still obviously very tired, but her color had improved. He smiled and asked, "How are you feeling, Dr. Wilmington?" She responded with a smile of her own ... a somewhat tired smile, but it had some of her usual warmth in it. Chris Larabee was already at her side, as Dr. Frasier set up a tray for her.

"Better, sir, thank you. Thanks, Janet ... sir, would you mind if I ate my breakfast while we're waiting for Colonel O'Neill?" the archaeologist asked shyly. Hammond gestured for her to enjoy her food, and the girl immediately dug in. The general exchanged an amused glance with Larabee ... she was definitely improving, if she was eating that well. Perhaps seeing the look, she blushed and murmured, "Sorry, sir."

"No need to apologize, Dr. Wilmington. It's just good to see you recovered enough to eat. Once we're finished here, you can catch up on your sleep. Captain Travis arrived about twenty minutes ago with your CD collection. She's dropping Billy off with Dr. Jackson. Daniel, I mean," the general replied. His reward was a bright grin. A number of the base personnel also called Nathan Jackson 'doctor,' even though he was a medic. It created some confusion, and the situation still hadn't been worked out. No matter how many times Nathan reminded someone that he wasn't a doctor, there were still many who called him 'Dr. Jackson.'

"Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question? It's kinda been bothering me, ever since Major Harris questioned my addition to SG-3," Dr. Wilmington said. Hammond motioned her to continue, and the young woman asked, "Why did you choose me? Not just for the mission with SG-3, but for the SGC, period. It's not that I don't think I'm competent at what I do ... that's kinda the problem. I'm just competent. I'm not brilliant ... with all the choices you had, why did you choose an inexperienced twenty-five year old kid for this program?"

The question didn't surprise Hammond. The only thing that surprised him was that it had taken her this long to ask it. Then again, things had been moving so fast the last two years, perhaps it wasn't so surprising she was just now asking. This was really the first time she had time to think about it. He answered the question with another question, asking, "Do you remember the paper you wrote about the age of the Sphinx? About the possibility the geologists are right, and the Sphinx was much older than was originally guessed?"

Dr. Wilmington blinked, then nodded. Hammond continued, "You wrote that while you were at the University of Munich. You were twenty-four years old, and while the paper wasn't brilliant, it was thoughtful. You didn't take a position, you just pointed out reasons why the theory shouldn't be dismissed. You kept an open mind. You may not be brilliant, Dr. Wilmington, but you do think for yourself, even though the position isn't a popular one. That's the kind of person I want in the SGC, and that's why I specially requested you."

Her mouth opened and closed for several moments, then finally shut with a snap. She lowered her head, turning her full attention to her food, but Hammond could see the blush staining her fair skin. He exchanged another look with Larabee, who grinned. Adriana Wilmington wasn't nearly as boisterous and vocal as her elder brother Buck, or as verbose as Ezra Standish, but she was far more talkative than Vin Tanner. In the two years he had known her, Hammond had never known her to be rendered speechless.

The silence didn't last long, as O'Neill breezed into the room. Dr. Wilmington swallowed the last of her orange juice, and murmured, "Let's get this over with, shall we?" As if waiting for that very signal, Dr. Frasier removed the breakfast tray and placed a cup of coffee beside her friend's bed. The younger doctor flashed a smile, then turned her attention back to the men, saying, "Vin and I hadn't gone that far, when we saw it ... "

Part 4

Three Days Earlier: Continued

Adriana Wilmington was still shaken by what just happened. She couldn't believe she had let her guard down, even with Vin! And on a goddamn mission! What had she been thinking? She was supposed to be a professional, not a teenaged kid who couldn't control her tear ducts! With that eerie ability of his, Vin murmured, "Don't go beatin' yourself up, Drina. It had to come out sooner or later. And it ain't like we were in the middle of a firefight."

"And what if we had? What if we had been attacked while I was turning into a waterfall?"Adriana asked quietly. Vin just shook his head, as if he lacked the energy to argue with her. Either that, or his attention was focused on something else. She asked, instead of pursuing the topic of her lousy timing, "You see something?" Vin didn't answer at first, his blue eyes narrowing as he gazed at something.

"I ain't sure," he said softly, "Thought I saw somethin' outta the corner of my eye. You keep talkin,' Drina, I'm gonna keep an eye out. And you wouldna started in the middle of a firefight ... you're too damn focused. You woulda waited until everything was done, then you woulda fallen apart. And it ain't like you really messed up, like I did with Chanu, back in Texas." Adriana glared at him in irritation. Oh, for the love of ... !

"Oh, of course ... it's perfectly alright for me to turn into Niagara Falls while we're out in the field, but you can't make a judgment call, based on the information you had at the time. That is so typical of you, Tanner. You had no way of knowing Chanu and Claire were secretly married! The only reason I knew was because Claire was my roommate. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine, for not telling you sooner," the archaeologist retorted in a low voice, her eyes now scanning the area as well. Might as well check out the area for any ruins while she was here.

"Wouldna been right," Vin insisted, "she asked you not to tell. You couldna broke faith with her. I shoulda known somethin' weren't right." Adriana was seriously tempted to whap her companion in the back of his head, but before she could, he hissed, "Down!" Trusting him implicitly, Adriana did exactly as she was told, taking cover behind the same boulder as Vin. She kept her head low while he scanned the area, then the guide muttered, "Son of a bitch."

"What is it?" she whispered. As an answer, Vin motioned her to look over the top of their shelter ... then she, too, caught her breath. Standing maybe forty yards away was a woman. She seemed to be the same age as Chris Larabee ... perhaps a little younger, a little older, it was hard to tell. She had dark auburn hair that reached her shoulders, and she was heading steadily in their direction. It seemed a good bet that she had seen them.

Adriana's supposition was proven correct a moment later when the woman called out in English, "I intend no harm, strangers." Then repeated her statement in what sounded like Russian. Adriana spoke German, as well as Latin and Spanish, but her roommate Claire Moseley had studied Russian as part of her major in languages. Claire sometimes asked Adriana to help her study for exams ... and while Adriana couldn't speak the language, she could recognize it. Sort of. But if this woman had been brought through the Stargate to this planet, Adriana had two questions ... first and foremost, how had she learned English? And number two ...

Her musings were interrupted by Vin, who murmured, "Hell, I ain't never been in a first contact situation. Wish we had Ezra with us." Adriana laughed quietly at this statement, which brought Vin's bright eyes to rest on her. She swallowed hard as he continued, now smirking, "But ... I do have me an archaeologist. And I reckon you could talk as pretty as Ezra, or Captain Travis, if ya had a mind to."

Damn him! But there was only one other possibility ... summoning Major Harris, and Adriana cringed at the thought of the woman handling this. That would be like asking Maybourne to do something diplomatic. All right, not quite as bad as Maybourne, but she still didn't think it was such a great idea. She whispered, "All right, but watch my back, dammit!" Vin responded with an insulted look, and Adriana cautiously raised herself to her full height ... all five feet two inches of it. God, she hated being short.

"My apologies ... my companion and I meant no insult," she called back. The woman's head turned to her, and she smiled. Now, as the woman drew closer, she could tell that the native woman had bright blue eyes. Now this was getting more and more interesting. The woman had spoken in what sounded like Russian, as well as English. Where had she learned English? When had her people come through the Stargate?

"No insult was taken, lady. I am called 'Nadya,' of the Magyar," the woman replied. Now Adriana was even more confused. 'Nadya' was a Slavic name, meaning 'hope.' That fit in with the Russian bit ... but 'Magyar' was Hungarian. Who were not Slavic. Eastern European, yes, but not Slavic. However, she schooled her face into what she hoped was a diplomatic mask, and echoed Vin's wish to have Ezra here.

"I am called 'Adriana,' and this is my ... guide, 'Kevin.' We come from the planet Earth, also called 'Terra.' It is an honor to meet you," the archaeologist replied, and ignored the glare from Vin. He had gotten her into this, he could live with someone from outside the SGC knowing his real name. Adriana noticed that the woman's face had changed when she called Vin her 'guide,' but Nadya didn't speak. A bit unsettled, Adriana continued, "I ... you speak my language very well."

"I have heard of the Ta're. About sixteen seasons ago, our benefactors came. They taught us the language of the Ta're, and told us that you would come eventually, and seek to fight a common enemy. Soon after, the enemy arrived. My people retreated, in order to save the children. I am pleased you have come, Adriana of the Ta're," Nadya replied. Oh shit. First, who in the hell were the benefactors, and second, what were Adriana and Vin supposed to do now?

That decision was made by Nadya, who added with a curious look to Adriana, "You are his ... protector?" Adriana blinked, looked at Vin, who shrugged. His protector? Sure, she was protective of him ... they had argued a few times about her fierce protectiveness, especially in the early days of their friendship. And then Adriana understood. She had been the first to rise from the hiding place.

"No ... I am his companion. We protect each other, and we protect our friends ... the rest of our team. The rest of our people," Adriana explained. The other woman still looked confused, and Adriana attempted to explain, "We ... Kevin protects me, because he is my guide. I protect him, because he is my friend. A part of my family. One of my people. We take care of each other ... we're ... "

"Equals," Vin said, speaking up and stepping forward. He ignored the irritated look which Adriana tossed him ... it was about damn time he said something! Adriana was an archaeologist, not a diplomat, and she was scared to death that she would screw things up. However, she nodded in confirmation, and saw the first light of comprehension in Nadya's eyes. She still looked a little confused, though not as confused as she had been.

"So ... he is not your consort? She is not your consort?" Nadya asked. Adriana felt her jaw drop to the ground. She managed to snap her mouth shut before any abnormal insects flew inside. But still, she felt her jaw wanting to drop open once again. And she didn't dare look at Vin. She was afraid of what she would see. Aw hell. This actually wasn't the first time someone had asked that, though not exactly in that manner. During the last two years, she had found it necessary to explain on more than on occasion, that yes, that there was indeed a middle ground between more than friends and not quite lovers. While her close friends knew better than to ask about her relationship with Vin ... others in the SGC weren't always as wise.

Most, within the first six months, had learned not to ask that question around Chris Larabee, or risk being burned by his green eyes. There had been a few since then who braved the Glare ... braved the Tanner accuracy ... braved finding a pitcher of Inez Rescillos' finest beer dumped in their respective laps ... in order to ask why Adriana and Vin weren't a couple. Adriana shut up a few with, 'because we're not.' Vin shut up a few more with 'mind yer own business.'

The rest ... ahhh, the rest generally found themselves looking at a dressing-down session with General Hammond for inappropriate behavior. Pestering a member of the SGC about her love life definitely qualified for that. Still, it would be inappropriate for Adriana to react strongly to the question, which was innocent in this case. The archaeologist replied, "No, not my consort. We are friends." More than friends, not quite lovers.

"And you are not the leaders of your people," Nadya added. Adriana shared a 'not just no, but hell no' look with Vin. Looking amused, the woman continued, "In your language, my title translates to 'guide,' which was why I was confused. I guide my people." Adriana gulped. Aw hell! Vin was right, they should have brought Ez with them. Misunderstandings tended to create intergalactic incidents.

Perhaps sensing the distress from the archaeologist, Nadya continued, "Perhaps you would like to eat with us? I am sure you have many questions for us." Yeah, Adriana thought, like how in the hell you learned English in just four years ... assuming your 'season' is the same as our 'season.' And who is your benefactor? The Tok'ra? Nah, that's not their style. The Tolan? Forget it. The Nox ... please, run yourself a reality check.

"We should radio base camp, let them know that we ... won't be back when we planned," Adriana replied, looking at Vin. He nodded, and Adriana continued, turning her attention back to the chieftain, "It would be our pleasure, Nadya. We must first contact the rest of our group, to let them know that we will be late returning." And make sure they haven't been wiped out by the Gou'ald in the process, Adriana thought.

We should probably tell the major, the archaeologist mused to herself, that's standard protocol. Nadya asked, "Perhaps the others in your group would like to eat with us as well?" Which meant that the invitation had just extended. Hell. Adriana exchanged a glance with Vin, who bobbed his head once. With a sigh, Adriana activated her radio. She had a really bad feeling about this, but there was nothing for it.

"Base camp, this is Wilmington, over," Adriana said. Nadya blinked a little, possibly taken aback by the sight of Adriana 'speaking into' her shirt. Costas answered her, which surprised her a little. However, the archaeologist continued, "Good news, Doctor. We've made contact ... and we've been invited to dinner. All of us. Care to join us?"

"Uhm, well, that's very kind, but I don't think that'll be necessary, Dr. Wilmington. Other arrangements have been made ... Major, please. Dr. Wilmington is doing her job exactly as she should. Would you prefer that she and Mr. Tanner would be slow roasted over a fire? It's considered very bad form to turn down an invitation!" Dr. Costas answered with exasperation.

Adriana rolled her eyes. So that was it. She could understand the major's hesitation, since this was a new planet ... but they had to take that chance. She said, "Message received, over and out." Costas acknowledged her final message, and Adriana apologized, "It will just be myself and Kevin. It falls to the two of us to ... build a bridge between our people." Vin rolled his eyes ... but waited until Nadya's back was turned. Adriana stuck her tongue out in response. Not exactly the most dignified behavior for an archaeologist, but it seemed like the perfect response at the time.

Part 4-B

As he and Adriana followed Nadya into the village, Vin was trying to make sense of what had just happened. His instincts weren't screaming at him that this was a trap. But how had Nadya and her people known that he and Adriana were here? Yes, they had been talking, but both had kept their voices down. It was a habit that had begun while they were in Texas ... Adriana out in front with him, the guide, and quietly talking.

Then, it had been a matter of privacy. They were with a large crowd of people, and both youngsters wanted to keep their conversation just between them. In the field, it was a necessity for survival, being able to move and speak quietly. Vin seriously doubted if his conversation with Adriana had attracted the attention of the village. What then? He didn't buy that Nadya just happened to be in the woods.

"Nadya, if you don't mind, like to ask you a question," Vin requested. Adriana glanced at him, and he wondered if the same thing had occurred to her. The woman inclined her head in agreement, and Vin continued, "How did you know to come look for us? You said that your benefactors taught you how to talk like us ... that they told you we would come. How did you know to look for us today?"

"We saw your machine, but it did not see us. We knew then that our benefactor had spoken truly, that you would come to help us. After we saw your machine come through the Great Circle, my people decided amongst themselves that each day, around the time that your machine came through the Great Circle, I would seek you out. And today, was the day," Nadya replied. Vin blinked, then looked at Adriana again. One way or another, they had to figure out who had helped these people, and who had told them that the SGC would help them against the Gou'ald. They would, of course ... but who were these benefactors?

His friend was on the verge of asking a question of her own, but it was then that they arrived in the village. Several small cottages had been built within a circle, perhaps to mimic the Stargate, the Great Circle, as they called it. Nadya called out something, and Adriana stepped closer to Vin, murmuring, "It sounds like a summons. I can't tell you what she's saying, but given her tone of voice, I think she's summoning them to meet us."

"Sounds 'bout right to me," Vin agreed in an equally low voice. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and asked in a slightly louder voice, "Nadya, what's that fer?" He indicated what caught his eye, and saw a shadow pass over the woman's eyes. He guessed, "You just had a death in your tribe." The woman inclined her head. A glance to his right told Vin that Adriana had made a similar guess.

"Yes. One of our elders just died. We burned her this morning, so she can be reborn," Nadya replied. It took Vin a moment to understand. It made sense. Burn the body and scatter the ashes. Nadya added in a somewhat choked, "The elder was my mother." Vin lowered his head in respect, and from the corner of his eye, saw Adriana imitate the movement. Nadya looked at them both intently ... Vin could feel her eyes burning into him. Then she said, "You have both lost your mothers. When you were small."

Adriana's dark head snapped up. Her hazel eyes sought Vin's, and Nadya continued, "I could see it in your eyes. My mother was an old woman. She had lived many years, and seen all of her grandchildren born. She had a good life. But it is our way to mourn. We must mourn." Adriana stepped close to Vin once more, quietly slipping her hand into his. Vin closed his own fingers over hers.

It seemed the archaeologist was at a loss, as well ... what exactly were you supposed to say to a mourning chieftain? The chieftain in question once more seemed to know what they were thinking, for she smiled gently and said, "There is nothing you need say. It is my loss, it is our loss, but I am grateful for your consideration." As JD would have said, huh? Vin understood the words, but he didn't understand what she meant by 'consideration.'

Before either the archaeologist or the guide could ask a question, however, they were surrounded by people. Vin took a deep breath, and felt Adriana's fingers tighten on his. Her turn to comfort. It had always worked like this. It almost frightened him, that both Adriana and Chris seemed to read him so well. It frightened him because of the trust he put in both the tiny, feisty archaeologist and in the team leader. Vin Tanner was not a man used to trust.

But it was a comfort too. Vin remembered a time, not long after he had cleared Chanu of kidnapping his wife Claire, when he had fallen ill. He had been cold and tired and miserable. When he awoke, it was to find himself in a clean bed with a warm blanket, and a pair of hazel eyes watching him anxiously. When she saw his eyes, she had smiled warmly and asked him how he felt. And laughed at his rather blunt reply.

Looking around, Vin could see that reflected in the faces of the people who surrounded him, the way they looked at Nadya. As if she was a part of their family ... which, he reckoned, she was. The head of the family, as Chris was the head of the SG-7 family, or General Hammond was the head of the SGC family. He knew what Chris would do to protect one of his, and General Hammond ... Vin took a long look at the woman who had acted as their guide, and decided he never wanted to find out what this woman would do to protect one of her own.

Part 4-C

The next two hours were filled with food and laughter, questions and answers. Adriana had a thousand questions to ask Nadya, and the chieftain did her best to answer them. Vin merely sat beside his friend, listening intently. They had learned that Nadya's people had been brought from Earth relatively recently, only in the last thousand years. Adriana found it rather strange that no one had noticed the disappearance of an entire village, but that was a question Nadya couldn't answer. The archaeologist muttered to Vin that she had some mega-research to do when they got back to Earth. The guide said nothing in response.

Around the year 1000, 'round twenty-five people each had been removed from the present day countries of Russia, Hungary, Poland, and many other Eastern European countries. According to Adriana, that was the reason for the dis-crep-ancy between the given name of the chieftain, and the name of the tribe. Vin hadn't understood at first, until she told him that 'Nadya' was a Russian name, and 'Magyar' was Hungarian.

Fortunately for the friends, Adriana had picked up some Russian history from her roommate, and she was able to put the pieces together, based on Nadya's answers. However, it wasn't until they returned to the base camp that Adriana explained what she had learned to Vin. The guide wasn't a stupid man, under any circumstances, but there was still a great deal lacking in his education.

From what she could tell, the Gou'ald had returned to earth in one of their mother ships, for the designated purpose of taking more slaves. The new slaves were then deposited on their current planet. Over time, the language barriers began to break down and the slaves created their own language, which was a combination of several languages. They had a common enemy, in the Gou'ald, the false gods.

As Adriana knew from working her way through college in a factory only one step up from a sweatshop, having a common enemy went far in uniting a people, and these people were far more sophisticated than the original slaves of the Gou'ald. After four hundred years of domination, the newly created people fought back against the Gou'ald and lived peacefully for a few hundred years. But people, no matter what culture or planet, have short memories ... and the ties forged in slavery and hardship began to falter.

The Gou'ald returned to the planet, forcing the people to bind together again. But the rules changed. The people who remained after the Gou'ald wiped out their respective villages banded together, with the stated purpose of surviving long enough to wipe out the Gou'ald again. They retreated to an area where they could give the impression of being cowed by their once and future masters ... but even as they seemed helpless farmers, they were creating an army of their own. And then, the mysterious benefactors had arrived four years earlier, or sixteen seasons, as Nadya had put it.

Adriana admitted she had no idea who had helped the Magyar. A few quick questions eliminated the Tok'ra, Tolan, and Nox, though she hadn't really believed it was any of them. The description given to them by Nadya had eliminated the possibility of the Asgaard. Like Adriana, Vin thought it was real likely that Nadya and her people would have mentioned it if their benefactors were 'bout two feet tall and gray.

But the description convinced both the archaeologist and the guide that the Magyars had been aided by a humanoid. They were both pleased with the first contact, however, and Vin knew Adriana was looking forward to a good night's sleep. He noted that a guard hadn't been set up around the perimeter ... no one was even keeping watch. Vin called, "Base camp, Vin and Adriana comin' in!"

"Well, well, if it ain't the tumblin' tumbleweed," mocked an annoyingly familiar voice. Vin just shook his head as Captain Nelson, second in command to Major Harris, swaggered up to them. The man was a Chris Larabee wanna-be, with his own version of the Larabee glare. Trouble was, he had none of Larabee's quiet menace or compassion ... end result being a bully. The pair had tangled in the past. Nelson had a bad habit of not takin' no for an answer when he was out carousin.'

And Vin being Vin, the guide never could stand by and watch a woman being hassled. That was how he had ended up in the SGC ... why stop somethin' that worked? Unfortunately, the girls whom Nelson hassled couldn't bring themselves to report the sonovabitch, so he kept it up. Somehow, they had gotten it into their heads that somehow, they deserved the unwanted attention. Vin had tried to 'xplain to them that they done nothin' wrong, that it was Nelson who was wrong. As Claire had succintly put it once, after fending off unwanted advances, her beauty was no excuse for their lack of control. Vin couldn't have agreed more.

But the girls generally didn't see it that way. And Nelson liked to look for ways to cut down Vin. He had realized early on that General Hammond saw through his attempts to undercut Tanner, so Nelson compensated by going after JD, or the women around Vin. Including his companion, as he did now.

Nelson sighed, giving Adriana a once-over, "You know, Tanner, I just don't get you. You got babes like Frasier, Carter and Travis around ... and you hang around with this ugly mutt." At his side, Vin felt Adriana stiffen ever so slightly. A sidelong glance told him that she had her mask firmly in place, even as Major Harris stepped out of her tent. But Vin, who knew his companion, knew the barb had hit home.

She had grown up in the shadow of her handsome, outgoing older brother, even when Bucklin wasn't around. She had compensated for her lack of looks, as she saw it, by working as hard as she could in school. The teenaged girl had reasoned there was little she could do about her looks, since she would never be pretty, no matter how hard she tried. But ... there was something she could do about her brains. And by God, she had done something.

Vin replied, slipping his thumbs between the waistband of his jeans and his belt, his hands closing around the buckle, "And I don't get what a waste a' oxgyen you are, Nelson. You ain't got nothin' better to do than insult someone who's a whole lot smarter than you, I don't reckon I got much to say to you. C'mon, Adriana, we'll set up over there ... that way, we can set up an ambush a' our own, 'case the Gou'ald decide to sneak up on us."

"I think that would be a wise idea, Mr. Tanner, since it seems you're more capable of proper behavior than my own second is," the major said. The captain jumped. Obviously, he had no idea that his commanding officer was nearby. He did a neat about-face, and the major glared at him, adding, "Captain Nelson, that is enough! You are supposed to be an officer and a gentleman, and insulting Dr. Wilmington is hardly the behavior of either!"

As JD would have said, slam dunk. Vin kept his smug grin to himself, knowing that it would only incite the captain further. He could take Nelson himself, no problem, but he knew Nelson wouldn't go after him. He'd go after Adriana, and Vin wasn't about to let that happen. Captain Nelson stood at attention, responding, "It won't happen again, Major ... I apologize for my behavior!"

"You're damn right it won't happen again, Captain. Because the next time I hear you speak that way to Dr. Wilmington, I'll personally kick your ass back through the Stargate, and let her tell General Hammond why you're off my team. Is that understood?" the major snapped. Vin saw what little color the captain had in his cheeks disappear as the major made her threat. Harris repeated, her eyes flashing with rage, "Is ... that ... understood?"

"Yes, Major, crystal clear!" was Nelson's only reply. The man's body was ramrod-straight, and Vin had the uneasy sense that he was the only one who could feel the hatred from the captain. This wasn't over yet.

"Good. Now, you apologize to Dr. Wilmington, then I want you to find a nice, hard rock where you can stand guard. You'll have a four hour shift. You say anything else untoward, to anyone, during this mission and you'll be taking all-night watches. Dr. Wilmington, Mr. Tanner, when Captain Nelson finishes his apology, I'd like to hear about these natives you encountered. Since you're both among the living, and not out in the woods sick, I'm assuming that my misgivings were incorrect and the natives are friendly," Major Harris said.

Vin finally looked directly at Adriana, who mumbled an acceptance of Nelson's equally mumbled apology. She looked as stunned by the change in the major's behavior as he was. The pair followed Major Harris to her campfire and the lean-to she had constructed, using her blankets and some branches. Huh. Maybe the woman wasn't as incompetent as he had feared. Still, he didn't fully trust her.

"What have you learned?" Major Harris asked as she eased herself to the ground. Vin and Adriana sat down opposite her, and Vin snuck another look at Adriana's face. The kid looked stunned. Major Harris evidently saw this as well, for she smiled faintly and said, "Dr. Wilmington, I may have issues with your youth and experience, but there is no way I will allow Captain Nelson, or any other member of this unit, treat you like that."

"Oh," Adriana said. She shook herself, then said, "Apparently, Major, they were expecting us. About four years ago, they received a visit from humanoids who taught them English, and told them of us. Then, when we sent out the probe, the villagers saw it, but the probe didn't see them. The villagers asked their chieftain to make a pilgrimage, for lack of a better word, to the location where the probe was noticed, until the visitors came."

"The chieftain's name is 'Nadya,' and her people's a combination of Hungarian, Russian, Polish, and other folks. Seems they got took by the Gou'ald 'bout a thousand years ago," Vin took up the narrative, "and brung to this planet in one of them big ships a' theirs." Without meaning to do so, he was lapsing into his old speech patterns. Adriana nodded at the major's expression, a faint smile hovering about her own lips.

"Tell me," Major Harris said hoarsely, "tell me everything, from the first time you saw them." Vin and Adriana exchanged a glance, and silently agreed not to tell the major about their conversation out in the forest. It was none of her business, and while Vin knew his friend wouldn't crack in the field, the major didn't know her as well as Vin did. The guide nodded to the archaeologist, trusting his friend to tell the story.

Part 4-D

"This was only your first day ... how did things get so out of control, just between the end of your first day and yesterday?" General Hammond asked as Adriana paused to take the medication which Janet had just brought her. She needed to take a breath anyhow. The second day was when everything had gone to hell ... less than forty-eight hours had passed since the nightmare, and Adriana needed a few minutes to corral her thoughts. She glanced over at Vin, who was moving restlessly beneath the sheets. It wouldn't be long at all before he regained consciousness for a longer period of time than the first time.

"Especially since Major Harris seemed to be improving, at least in controlling her people. And she was listening to what you had to say ... like the general said, what happened?" questioned Colonel O'Neill. Adriana nodded wearily. Yeah, she knew. The trouble was, she wasn't even sure what happened. She and Vin had returned to the place Vin had chosen as their camp site, with Vin taking first watch, and they had been hopeful.

"What happened is Major Harris turned her ears off," a tired, raspy voice responded from the other bed. Adriana didn't move her head at first ... she wanted to see Chris Larabee's expression when he heard his best friend's voice. He didn't disappoint as a broad grin appeared on his handsome face, and relief lit his eyes. Janet stepped to the bed, guiding it closer to where Adriana rested with help from one of the other doctors.

"Good to see you back, Tanner," Larabee said, grinning. Adriana grinned herself and turned her head toward her friend. Vin was smiling, though he grimaced a few times in pain. She still didn't remember how Vin was wounded, but for now, it was enough that he was awake. Adriana supposed she would feel better if he was cracking jokes, like he often did when he was in pain and trying to reassure his friends.

"I'd say it's good ta be back, Larabee, but I ain't so sure a' that yet. General ... Colonel," Vin said, nodding first to Jack O'Neill, then to General Hammond. He grimaced again, muttering under his breath about back-shooters. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, then opened them again, saying, "Now, Adriana's done a right good job of tellin' y'all what happened. And don't listen ta her, she was a perfect lady."

"To quote JD, you know nothing I do is perfect," Adriana fired back, enjoying the banter. She looked up at her friend, asking, "Janet, should he be talking this much? I mean, didn't that whatever hit a lung or something?" Vin responded to the teasing by reaching over his head, grasping a pillow, and flinging it around Janet. The pillow landed on Adriana's lap. The archaeologist smirked and added, "Your aim's off, Tanner."

"Could I interest you gentleman in taking another break? Adriana's been talking for four hours, and it's almost lunch time. Come back in an hour?" Janet requested. The two colonels looked at each other, then at their shared boss. General Hammond nodded his agreement, and Janet turned to Vin, adding, "I need to check your bandages, Vin, make sure we don't have an infection setting in."

"We'll be back in two hours, Dr. Frasier, I need to check on the status of the other SG units," the general replied. Janet nodded in acknowledgement. Hammond nodded to both of the recovering patients with a warm smile, then he left the room. Larabee rose to his feet and headed over to Vin's bed, taking the tossed pillow with him. O'Neill scooted closer to her, while Janet just watched in fond exasperation.

"You doin' okay, kiddo? Anything I can do? Better food? Redecorating your quarters? Beating up the next guy who bad-mouths you? I think I could interest Teal'c in that, you know how he hates bullies, and he hasn't been in a good fight for a while," Jack offered. Adriana blushed and laughed.

O'Neill laughed with her, then his brown eyes grew serious. He said very quietly, "Listen, kiddo. Tanner would have taken care of Nelson, no question. I know that kid, and he doesn't take kindly to people insulting his friends. You remember what happened when Maybourne threatened JD?" Adriana made a face, remembering Vin's quiet fury with the slimy officer. Vin always worried her when he was like that. That was when he was at his most dangerous.

"I remember. And I know. The thing is, Colonel O'Neill, he did defend my honor. Later. After all hell broke loose, and it was him and Nelson," Adriana replied. She shuddered, remembering the brutal fight between the pair. Nadya's arms strapped tightly around her body, holding her in place. Why did people feel the need to hold onto her when Vin was fighting? She wouldn't have interfered ... after the first time she had tried to interfere during one of his fights, she had learned to control herself.

"I knew I liked that kid for a reason. Now, if I could just figure out where I've seen him before," O'Neill said, shaking his head. Adriana laughed quietly. Back to this, were they? The colonel insisted, "I know he looks familiar, I just can't place him. Maybe it's the hair? Wonder if I could convince him to get a regulation cut. Would be interesting to see what he'd look like with short hair."

Adriana stared at him, aghast, then retorted in a low voice, "Over my dead, lifeless body!" O'Neill blinked at her in surprise, his mouth forming a silent 'ooookay.' Realizing what she had just done, Adriana turned scarlet with embarassment, and she muttered, "Sorry about that, sir. I just like Vin the way he is. I ... " She found herself turning even redder, though she hadn't realized that was possible, and she dropped her eyes.

"At ease, Doc, I was just teasing you. Vin's Vin, and I wouldn't want to change him, either. I like the kid. I just gotta have something to tease him about, otherwise, he'd think something was wrong. Kinda like the way Doc Frasier is glaring at me right now. Ya hear people talking about the Larabee glare ... well, tween you, me, and the fence post, I think Doc Frasier is a helluva lot more scary."

"Colonel, that's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say," Adriana replied, laughing. O'Neill winked at her, squeezed her shoulder, then left the infirmary. She reclined against her pillows, sighing quietly. Chris and Vin were speaking very softly. The archaeologist smiled to herself. Chris Larabee had worked real hard for three years at not caring. About himself, about anyone else. And for the last three years, every illusion which Larabee had created for himself had been shattered. He wasn't the cold, unfeeling ass he thought he was. Or wanted to be.

She didn't pretend to understand the relationship between the colonel and the guide. Hell, half the time, she didn't even understand Larabee. But she recognized that in his own private way, Chris was as fiercely protective of his best friend as Adriana was. He didn't show it the same way her elder brother showed his protectiveness of his young protï¿½gï¿½, didn't show it even the same way he did to Billy Travis, his mother, or Adriana herself. Chris Larabee had other ways of showing it when there wasn't a crisis.

Looking over at Vin now, seeing his wide grin as Chris murmured something to him ... hearing his laughter. She never heard Vin laugh that much. He would smile ... his eyes would light up with amusement and mischief, but he didn't laugh much. This was what she wished for him. Vin had told her once, when they had both been drunk and maudlin, that he would have never let down his guard if it hadn't been for her. Maybe one day, she could tell him what he had done for her.

"He'll be fine, Adriana," Janet said softly as she settled the tray on Adriana's lap. When Adriana's eyes returned to the doctor, Janet continued, "I checked his reflexes while you were explaining what happened that first night. He can feel his feet, there is no paralysis. I just need to make sure there's no infection. He'll be weak for awhile, but he will be fine."

The calm certainty in her friend's voice went far to alleviate her concern. Adriana said softly, "I thought for a while there that we would lose him. I'm sorry for not having more faith in you." Janet smiled and gently squeezed her hand. Adriana sighed, then stiffened as a shadow fell across her bed. It would take a while before she would be able to get over that. She looked up to find Buck staring at her, his heart in his eyes.

"Hey, Bucklin, 'bout time you dragged your sorry ass in here. Was beginning to wonder 'bout you," Vin called from the other bed. Buck and Adriana looked over at the Texan, but from the corner of her eye, Adriana could see the relief in her brother's eyes, and the mischievous smile he wore. Adriana swallowed hard. It seemed the reckoning had come, and she wasn't sure if she was ready. She was half grateful for the reprieve ... and didn't know what else she felt.

"Well, you're a sight for sore eyes, Vin. When you gonna drag your lazy ass outta bed, and start doin' what they pay you them big bucks for?" Buck fired back. Vin just laughed, and winked at Adriana around Larabee's shoulder. Chris turned, and repeated the action. Adriana almost started giggling at her surrogate brother's wink. That led her to wonder about Ezra. Had he visited, while she was out?

"Soon 's the doc gives her approval. Feelin' a mite low for that, though. How you doin,' Buck?" Vin asked. Buck stepped to the bed, and Chris moved away, allowing his two best friends to talk. The colonel's green eyes were locked on Adriana ... and that was how she knew that she was now the topic of conversation between her older brother and her close friend.

Part 5

"You knew?" Buck Wilmington asked quietly once he sat down beside Vin Tanner. The Texan nodded quietly, and Buck asked in a low voice, "Dammit, Vin, why the hell didn't you tell me! She's my baby sister, how can I protect her if I don't know what's goin' on with her?"

"Weren't my place to tell you 'bout your own kin, Bucklin," Vin answered flatly, "and 'specially not when you weren't listenin' to Chris, neither. You don't listen to Chris, ain't no way you were gonna listen to me." Buck hung his head. Shit. The kid was right, dammit. But Buck had been so sure he knew his little sister. Of course, that was what had gotten him into trouble in the first place. Thinking he knew something ... and he knew nothing.

Always so sure that Adriana would always be there, that there would always be a tomorrow ... that JD needed him so much more than Adriana did. She was strong, she would land on her feet. She had other friends, she wasn't bothered by the time he spent with JD. Bull. Buck finally said softly, "I thought she didn't need me any more, Vin. She was twenty-five years old when she got here. All grown up, with her PhD in archaeology."

Vin looked at him like he had just grown two heads, and retorted, "You thought she didn't need you? Bucklin, are you outta your gourd???" Buck glared at the bedridden guide, who continued heatedly, "I grew up without a ma or a pa. Without any real kin, and bein' handed around ain't a family. You have a family, and she ain't never stopped needin' you! She needed you when she was in college ... oh, she handled herself right fine, once she realized it was okay to be herself, and not your pa's idea of what she was supposed to be!"

"She had you, didn't she? Just like Chris has you," Buck shot back. A muscle twitched in Vin's jaw, telling Buck that he had hit a nerve. The major hung his head, sighing, "Dammit, Vin, I'm sorry. I didn't even mean that. But she had you ... she still has you. How was I supposed to know she still needed me? She never told me! Never said that she wanted to spend more time with me!" The slight hurt in Vin's bright eyes gave way to irritation.

"I ain't her big brother, bucklin, that's you!" the texan growled. he shook his head, and said, "and she ain't never said nothin,' because she didn't want you to think she was bein' selfish. she was tryin' to respect what she thought you wanted. she thought you didn't want her 'round, that she wasn't good 'nough for you to spend time with. that hurt her, bucklin. she thought you only loved her 'cause she was your sister and you was supposed to."< p>
Tanner's voice was very low, but he could have been shouting at the top of his lungs. his bright blue eyes were burning holes into buck's very soul. it had been hard enough, hearing from chris that his little sister had been victimized by the very man sworn to protect her. but this ... this was another kind of hell. how he had failed his little sister so completely? vin continued, his voice still very low, "buck, these last eighteen months, when she wouldn't talk to you? it weren't 'cause she was mad at you, or even at jd. she was mad at herself."

Come again? Vin explained patiently, "She was mad at herself. And she was hurtin' somethin' fierce, so she hid away inside. Like she always done when she was hurtin.' I hurt her once, in Texas. I got mad at her for keepin' a promise. And she didn't talk to me, not 'til she stopped hurtin' enough to 'pologize. I was mad, 'cause I thought she didn't trust me. She made the promise 'fore she met me, so it weren't 'bout me at all. It was about her friend's trust in her. She couldn't break that trust, not until she had to. All she asked of me, was that I trust her. She didn't let me down. I let her down."

"I need to talk to my sister," buck said numbly, barely hearing the last sentence. a thousand images, a thousand words, chased each other inside his head. he saw adriana at her mother's funeral, the year after he had moved in with them. a small statue at their father's side, no tears streaking her pale, shocked face. he saw her when she had joined the sgc, caught in vin tanner's fierce embrace. < p>
He saw her burst through the door behind Chris, once the echo of Vin's rifle had died away and Ella Gaines could no longer hurt anyone. He saw the hurt on her face, now, when his attention had been occupied with reassuring JD. He had pushed her aside then, as well. And so she had turned her attention back to comforting Mary and taking care of Vin. Just like she did so many times since then, though the comforting and caring was bestowed on a variety of people.

And then he saw her as she had been the previous morning when he had exploded into the Gate Room with the others, except JD. He saw her, cradled in the arms of Colonel Jack O'Neill as the leader of SG-1 put her on a gurney for transport to the infirmary. He looked up at Vin and repeated, "I need to talk to my sister. I need to make things right with her. What do I say to her, Vin? How do I make her understand how much I love her?"

Vin smiled faintly and replied, "You know how, Buck. You've always known." Buck nodded with a sigh. He looked over his shoulder as Chris rose to his feet. His oldest friend bent over and lightly kissed the top of Adriana's dark brown head, then kissed her hand. It never failed to amaze Buck, when he thought about it. Chris Larabee could be the meanest sonuvabitch on the planet. But he remained fiercely protective of his own. And Adriana was one of his.

"Vin ... thank you. For taking care of my sister in Texas. Whatever happened between the two of you ... you were both just kids. And you got through it," Buck said quietly. Vin responded with another smile ... the closed mouth grin which was as good as laughter from the easy-going young man. Buck added, needing to say the words aloud, "I'm glad she had you. I'm glad WE have you. All of us."

Vin grew solemn as he replied, "Twere my honor, Bucklin." Buck smiled, then laughed as the Texan yawned. Tanner made a shooing motion with his hand, then settled back against the pillows which Larabee had helped to arrange. Buck watched for a few more minutes, while Vin gave up his battle with sleep, and the blue eyes slid closed. Sleep well, kid, he thought, you've earned it. Now it's time I earned something else.

Part 5-B

The moment of truth had arrived.

Chris rose, kissed first the top of her head, then her hand. He winked, mouthed, 'Love you, little princess,' then stole quietly from the room. He didn't tell her what had been said between him and Vin, and Adriana didn't ask. She didn't interfere in Vin's fights or friendships. Chris, and the other two, would be back in about two hours, so Adriana could finally finish telling this awful story. Maybe then the spirits of SG-3 would rest in peace.

Her eyes followed Chris from the room. He took her courage with him. Adriana tried to look her elder brother in the eye and found she couldn't do that. Janet, seeming to have developed psychic abilities, eased Vin's bed away from the brother and sister. A quick look around her brother told Adriana that Vin seemed to be asleep. 'Seemed' was the operative. One bright blue eye opened, winked at her, then closed again.

Buck settled his body on the bed beside her and asked very softly, "Look at me, Drina?" That did bring her attention to her brother's face. He was struggling to say something else, his eyes filled with pain and guilt and grief and anger. Buck asked hoarsely, "Why? Why didn't you ever tell me?" Around Buck, Adriana could see Janet checking Vin's bandages, making sure the wound wasn't infected. Vin grimaced, his eyes opening.

"How? And when? When was I gonna tell you? In my letters to you, while you were at the Academy? I thought you knew, Buck! Remember, after the coroner took Mama's body, you came back to the house. You picked me up, and I asked you how you knew that Mama was dead, that I needed you. You told me that a big brother always knows when his little sister needs him. That you would always know. I was eight years old, Buck. I believed you! I didn't know one of the neighbors had called you! I thought you knew ... I thought. . ." Adriana began.

Her voice cracked and she looked away from her brother. Her eyes met Janet's first, and the compassion in the brown eyes took her breath away. She looked next at Vin. There was moisture in the bright eyes. It never failed to amaze her. He looked so rough and rugged on the outside, but he had such a soft heart. Josiah had told her once, when she finally felt comfortable enough with him, that he had seen tears in Vin's eyes when Josiah told the guide about Josiah's sister Hannah. That didn't surprise her. And it did surprise her.

Now, the moisture in his eyes ironically gave her strength. She looked back at Buck and continued hoarsely, "I thought you didn't want me with you. I thought you knew, and thought I deserved what he was doing to me. Why not, I thought I deserved it. I thought I had done something wrong. It wasn't until I got to college, that I met Vin and Chanu and Claire, that I found out that I didn't do anything wrong. The only thing I did wrong was ... "

"You did nothing wrong, DeeDee!" Buck whispered. His eyes were intent on her, and the nickname took her breath away. She hadn't heard that in years. The story went, she hadn't been able to say 'Adriana' when she was a child, and 'Dee' was the best she could do. Buck cupped her face in his hands and repeated, "You did nothing wrong. He took your trust, and he betrayed it. Your mama never acted like she loved you, and he used that. You were a little girl, barely more than a baby when your mother died. All you wanted was someone to love you. Your mama had problems, your father was a bastard, and your brother was a fool."

Adriana started to speak, but Buck silenced her, saying, "I ... am ... so sorry. That I wasn't there for you. That I pushed you away when you got here, that I've never told you how proud I am of you. You thought I knew about what he did to you ... and I thought you knew how much I love you. How proud I am of you ... how proud I've always been of you. And I didn't realize that you still needed me."

"It's not just you, Buck," Adriana said thickly, "I should have found a way. But I'm a coward, Buck, I always have been. I let our father ... do that to me for years. Until I finally left home when I was seventeen. I lied about my age, said I was eighteen, to avoid attention. I didn't want some well-meaning moron taking me back home. I don't ever want to see him again, Buck. I know I'm letting him win, but ... "

"Hey! You ain't allowed to talk that way about my baby sister, you hear me? You ain't a coward, Adriana Kathleen. You understand? You survived, you made it out. You didn't let him destroy you. You didn't use it as an excuse to hurt somebody else. And if you're not ready to confront him now, fine. That don't mean there won't come a time when you are. When you are. . .when you are ready ... you'll have all seven of us standing beside you. Got it?" Buck asked. Adriana nodded, blinking back tears.

Buck continued, in a much gentler voice, "Now. I don't love you, because you're my sister. I mean, that's not the reason I love you. I love you because you are brave, and kind, and funny and generous. I love you because of the way you take care of the people around you. I love you for the way you comforted Mary after she had to kill Ella. You wanted to see to Vin, but Chris was taking care of him. You wanted to see to me, but JD was there. So you took care of Mary, and you did a good job."

"She's my friend. She would have done the same for me," Adriana said simply. Then she thought of her conversation with Mary the previous night, and amended, "She has done the same for me. That's what a friend does. Something Vin taught me." Buck cast a look over his shoulder at the marksman and guide, whose eyes had closed when Adriana mentioned his name. The archaeologist saw the affection in her brother's smile.

"Vin's real good at that. He's pretty quiet, but he won't hesitate to let you know when you're being stupid. He ever do that with you? Nope, he hasn't had to," Buck replied. Adriana blushed. Oh, she didn't know about that. They had had some huge arguments in the years of their friendship, before the contract had been put out on him. Buck continued, "Now, let's see. Where was I? Oh yeah. The reasons I love you."

"You don't have to do that, Buck, I understand now. And I'm sorry for the way I've acted the last eighteen months. I know I've been a bitch. I just ... it hurt. And it's always been easiest for me to deal with something on the inside, before I can do anything else. I thought you were just apologizing because Chris made you ... that you ... that JD was more important to you. And I understood that, really, I did," Adriana said. She found herself babbling again, and not entirely sure why she was doing this. Just that it had to be said, it had to be out in the open, so she and her brother could go on.

"No more of that, baby girl. No more apologies from you. I've gotten an earful from both Chris and Vin about this. I love you. And no more stupidity from me. From here on out, I don't forget that you still need me. You think you can see your way to seeing JD as a little brother? He's always wanted a big sister," Buck requested hopefully. Adriana laughed in spite of herself, and Buck said, "I'll take that as an 'I'll try.' Deal?"

"Do you really need to ask?" she parried. Buck shook his head. They looked at each other for a long moment, then Buck scooped her into his arms, mindful of her injured leg. She found herself sitting on his lap, as she had when she was just a little girl, with his face buried against her neck. His mustache tickled her skin, but she didn't pull away. Oh, God. She had forgotten, how good it felt for her brother to hold her. How safe he had always made her feel. She had missed that.

And it was in the safety of her brother's arms, that she could finally say the words. No more euphemisms, no more looking away from it. Wrapping her arms around Buck's shoulders, she whispered hoarsely, "Our father molested me, Buck. From the time I was eight years old, he molested me. And it wasn't my fault. It was never my fault." Buck lifted his head, looked into her eyes, and very slowly shook his head.

"No, baby girl, it wasn't. And one of these days, when you're ready. . .he's gonna find out that he lost. He lost his wife. He lost his son. And he lost his daughter. He lost. And we won," he told her in a husky voice. Adriana managed a weak smile, then buried her face in her brother's shoulder. One demon had been faced and conquered today. Only one more was left. Secure in her brother's fierce embrace, Adriana knew she had the strength to face that demon.

Part 5-C

"Our father molested me, Buck. From the time I was eight years old, he molested me. And it wasn't my fault. It was never my fault."

JD Dunne felt his heart hit the floor when he heard those words, words he was never meant to hear. Words ... truth that he wasn't supposed to know. Numbly, the boy turned away from the infirmary and headed back to his room. For the first time since his mother's death, he found himself glad that he had never known his father. Adriana's father ... Buck's father ... had molested his little girl.

It wasn't that JD hadn't known such depravity existed. It just never happened to anyone whom he knew, at least not to his knowledge. And this wasn't just someone whom he knew. This was Buck's little sister, and by extension, Chris Larabee's surrogate sister.

She was a friend of Vin's, from when he was just a kid, younger than JD was now. Outside of Chris, she was probably the best friend Vin had. And the rest of SG7 had adopted her as well. Except JD. Ezra had quickly adopted her as the little sister he never had. Josiah's relationship with her had been a little rocky at first, since she had little trust for clerics, or anyone claiming to represent God. Maybe that was why she eventually let in Josiah. He made no such claims.

"Did you see Vin?"

The voice shocked JD out of his reverie. Ezra Standish looked at him, his green eyes narrowing, and he asked, "JD? Are you all right, son? Is Vin all right?" JD nodded and went to brush by the man. Ezra was having none of that, as he asked, "Then why do you look as if you and your partner in crime have had some monumental disagreement? Unless ... does this have something to do with Dr. Wilmington?"

"Did you know, Ezra? You two are close, almost as close as Vin and Adriana. Did you know?" JD demanded. It was obvious that either the other man knew, or had guessed, because he looked away from JD. The young cartographer hissed, "Damn you! Why didn't you tell us? I had to find out because I went to the infirmary to check on Vin, and I overheard her tell Buck! Why didn't you tell us!"

"Because, son, that was not my story to tell. Adriana never told me outright, but I observed in her behavior certain clues which led me to believe she had been victimized by her biological male parent. It was my supposition that she was not ready to divulge that part of her past to me, and I made no demands on her to inform me of this trauma," Ezra replied. There were two signs that he was deeply disturbed by the conversation. His Southern accent had thickened, and he had taken to using more formal language.

JD, however, didn't care. He was hurt and angry. He didn't know why. He just was. But before he could lash out at Ezra, for keeping him in the dark, Josiah rumbled, "The clues were all there, if you knew what to look for. None of us knew for sure, but we guessed. Nathan wanted to confront her about it, but I convinced him to wait until she was ready to tell us." JD looked around to find the two men behind him.

Nathan nodded, looking sheepish, and said, "And Ezra is right. It wasn't our story to tell. I asked Vin once, and he never answered. Just said that if something had happened to Adriana when she was a girl, she would talk about it when she was ready." JD was stunned. Vin had known about this? What, was he the only one who had no clue? Why? Nathan added gently, "And JD, don't beat yourself up for not seeing the signs."

"What signs? How did you know?" JD asked. Josiah looked around, then dragged the young cartographer into his quarters, the other two men following. For the first time, JD realized they had been out in the middle of the hall. Oh God. His alligator mouth would get his hummingbird rear-end into trouble yet. Chris was fiercely protective of his privacy, and the privacy of his. JD had found that out the hard way once, when he received the Larabee glare for asking why Adriana and Vin weren't dating.

"There are many clues, Private Dunne. Like Mr. Tanner, I read people. I could tell, from the way she interacted with Mr. Sanchez and General Hammond, that she was extremely distrustful of men who were her father's age, or who could have a daughter her age. When I read her resume, I discovered that most of her mentors through college and graduate school were of the feminine persuasion," Ezra explained.

Nathan bobbed his head in agreement, adding, "That's right. There's somethin' else, too. The way she watches fathers and daughters. Like she's watchin' for the father to do somethin' wrong. You remember, she was real suspicious of Dr. Costas at first? Always watchin' him with his little girl Soraya? Then there's the way she was always flinchin' away from someone touchin' her when she couldn't see the person."

"There are a great many clues, John Dunne," Josiah said, speaking for the first time, "different people see different things. Experience teaches us different things. And not every survivor will react the same way to a trauma. Don't expect to see every survivor of molestation to react, to heal, as Adriana has healed herself. Oh, she's still healing. But she made a decision, conscious or unconscious, that she would not allow herself to become a predator. When she made that decision, she also made the decision not to become a victim. But a survivor."

JD looked at the three men. His mind was spinning. Too fast for him to latch onto everything. So it surprised him, as much as it surprised his three companions, when he said, "I want to be there. When Adriana tells what happened to SG-3. Josiah, you're always sayin' that we're a family. Well, Adriana's part of our family. Because she's Buck's sister, because Chris thinks of her as a sister. Because she's special to Vin. And a family takes care of each other. She needs us now. Even if she won't admit it, she needs us."

The men looked at each other. Ezra was smiling faintly, his green eyes reflecting nothing of what he was actually thinking. Nathan was nodding, as if JD had put into words what he was thinking. Josiah cupped his hand around the back of JD's neck and replied, "Then we should be at our little sister's side. Just as we'll be at her side, when she's ready to confront the false father. And there will come a time, John Dunne, when she must. When that day comes, will you stand with her? Will you be there to catch her?"

JD thought of the night they had rescued General Travis. Remembered his rage when he heard Chris ask Adriana to look after JD. As if he was nothing more than a child, who needed someone to hold his hand. He had taken out his anger with Chris on Adriana, who hadn't deserved it. She had responded by following and watching his back. She had saved his life, knocking him out of the line of fire. And for the last eighteen months, despite his best intentions, he had hated her for shutting Buck out of her life.

Only now was he starting to understand that maybe, just maybe, the archaeologist had reasons for what she had done. Reasons that had nothing to do with the brother she shared with JD. He had already heard that she had been molested by her father as a child. What if there was more to the last two years, than what he already knew? Didn't he owe it to her, to find out what that something was? Didn't he owe it to the family which he had found after his mother's death?

When she had knocked him out of the line of fire on that night, all those months ago, JD had no doubt that she had done it for Buck. And maybe she regretted it. But she had done it. JD owed her for that. He looked at his companions, and said quietly, "She didn't have to save my life. She could have waited for Chris and Vin. But she came after me. I owe her. Yes, I will stand with her. I will catch her when she falls. Even if she never loves me, the way she loves Chris, Buck, and Vin, they love her. And she loves them. That's enough."

"Then, gentlemen, and I do use that word loosely ... I suggest we remove ourselves from this domicile, and hasten to the bedside of our fallen comrades," Ezra said, sketching a mock bow. JD blinked, then grinned as he understood. Ezra wanted to go back to the infirmary, so they could all be there for Adriana when she finished telling the general about what had happened on that planet.

JD nodded. Besides, he wanted to see about Vin. He had been so worried about his friend. Despite his resolution, he had been unable to finish his mission report, much less head into town to see Casey. The four men left JD's quarters and headed for the infirmary. Unconsciously echoing Adriana's words from only a few hours earlier, JD resolved that it was time to finish this. For all of them.

Part 5-D

An hour later, General Hammond reentered the infirmary, to find the entire SG-7 team present, along with Colonel O'Neill. He looked at Chris Larabee, who said with a sigh, "I couldn't talk them out of it. Josiah, Nathan, JD, and Ezra were here before I was. When I told them that the briefing would be finished, they told me that they knew, and they were staying to support Adriana. And Buck never left."

"It shocked me, too, sir," Adriana sighed, glancing over at JD in wonderment. It was no secret to anyone in the infirmary that the two weren't friends. Chris hid a smile. The cartographer was sitting on the bed beside Vin, leaning back ever so slightly to whisper something to his friend. Vin was lying on his side. Janet had finished her exam earlier, pronouncing him infection free. She would continue to check him, but it looked good.

Chris was just grateful for that good news. He didn't know if whoever shot Vin was a terrible shot, or if the wormhole had prevented the shot from being fatal. He went through the wormhole, he didn't understand the science of it. His eyes continued to move over his team. Nathan was also sitting on Vin's bed, but behind the marksman. Where else would Chris expect him to be? Nathan trusted Janet implicitly, but ever since the bar fight which brought Vin Tanner into their lives, Nathan had been quietly but fiercely protective of the young man.

That could have described any of the others, though. Josiah was leaning in a corner behind Vin's bed, where he could watch over the two wounded young people. Ezra occupied a space beside JD on Vin's bed. Buck sat behind Adriana on her bed, the archaeologist leaning back into his chest, with both arms wrapped around her. He was definitely worried about the telling of the rest of this story, and how it would affect his sister. He hadn't flirted with Janet once. Not a good sign from the ladies man. Not a good sign at all. And Chris had returned to his earlier chair.

"Are we ready to begin?" General Hammond asked, sliding into his chair. Adriana nodded, and Buck tightened his embrace around her. She cocked her head to one side and smiled at him. The tension and silence of the last eighteen months were gone. There was still awkwardness between the siblings, but their relationship was on the way to recovery. General Hammond continued, "Is everyone clear on Dr. Frasier's rules?"

"She went over 'em twice with JD," Vin rasped from the bed. Everyone laughed and Nathan caught JD's hand before the cartographer could swat his friend. The medic shook his head, a warning light in his dark eyes. JD immediately desisted, and Chris could tell from the tension in the boy's shoulders that he had forgotten Vin was still healing. The guide continued, "Since I'm more awake, might be puttin' in my own two cents ever so often."

"When he's not asleep, of course," Josiah rumbled, drawing another laugh. Josiah continued, "You're still healing, son. Don't push yourself. I think if you'll talk to Miss Adriana, she wouldn't want you to put your recovery at risk." Adriana immediately began shaking her head vehemently. Buck stopped that with a hand to the back of her head. He tilted her head, laughing softly at the glare which was his reward.

"Damn, Chris, my baby sister has been hanging around you too much, she's trying to pick up your glare!" the ladies man chuckled. The glare turned to a scowl, making Buck laugh harder. He kissed one temple, then told his sister, "Don't shake your head so hard, you'll give yourself whiplash. Vin, you listen to Josiah, and the rattling in my sister's head. Hey!" He levelled a scowl of his own at his sister, who had smacked Buck's thigh, and now had a wicked grin plastered to her face.

General Hammond chuckled at the apologetic look from Chris, saying, "No need to apologize, Colonel. After the stress of the last two days, it's good to see them like this. But they're ready to get started now, aren't they?" Heads bobbed in response, and General Hammond continued, "You can start whenever you're ready, Dr. Wilmington."

Adriana took a deep breath and turned to look at her brother. Buck nodded, a silent message passing between them. The others often spoke of the ability Chris and Vin had, to communicate without words. But Chris saw the same between these two. It wasn't psychic. But both Buck and Adriana were essentially open people. Now that the barriers had been shattered, the siblings could read each other's emotions in the eyes of the other.

"Before I get started, I want to say something. I knew Buck would be staying, to hear this. He swore to me that he would be here with me. But it really meant a lot ... Josiah, Nathan, I know I haven't been close with the two of you. And JD, you and I have to work out our differences. And it's not like Vin has a choice in being here," Adriana said.

Everyone laughed at that, especially when Vin threw another pillow her way. Buck picked the pillow back up, and tossed it back at the guide. . .hitting JD square in the face. Janet grabbed the soft projectile and replaced it under Vin, before a pillow fight could begin. Adriana grinned and winked at Vin, then continued more seriously, "So it really means a lot to me, that y'all are here."

"We would be nowhere else, my dear girl," Ezra replied, "even if you show a regrettable lack of taste in your comrades. However, since you know Mr. Tanner from your adolescent years, it is a lapse which can be forgiven." He flashed a grin at the dark-haired archaeologist as he spoke, then his green eyes flickered to Vin. Despite his words, his gaze was filled with affection as he looked at the guide.

It was unusual for the Southerner, even now, to be so open about his feelings. He had been part of SG-7 for three years, and while he was more open with Adriana, he still found it difficult to admit how much he cared for the others. The team leader was willing to bet, however, that the possibility of losing Vin had shaking the Southerner. It had shaken them all. Especially JD, who rarely had to face losing one of his friends. Chris knew it had shaken him.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with Ezra, much less twice in one day, but he's right about one thing. We wouldn't have been anywhere else," Nathan added from his position. Adriana twisted around once more to look at her elder brother, who had a goofy grin on his face. Chris chuckled. Buck looked extremely pleased with himself, as if he had planned this.

"Thank you," Adriana said simply. She looked over at Vin, who bobbed his head. He was relaxing behind JD, and Chris knew it was a matter of time before he fell asleep. A glance at Adriana told him that she saw it as well. . .and felt it was was better that way. Maybe she was. He did know, as protective of Vin as Adriana was, that she would take a burden from him, to shoulder it herself.

She took a deep breath and said, "I need to recap, General, for the others. I don't think either of the colonels had a chance to tell them what happened?" She looked at Chris and Colonel O'Neill as she spoke, and the men shook their respective heads. Adriana began at the beginning, or as close to the beginning as she could remember. She told them of the skirmishes with Major Harris, of the meeting with Nadya, and then return to the base camp.

"He ... said ... what?" Buck growled. Even across the room, Chris could feel the rage from his oldest friend. A glance at Adriana told him that she was feeling it too. And she probably knew, as Chris did, that if the late captain had survived whatever happened next, Buck would have most likely would have torn him apart with his bare hands. And Ezra would have helped him.

"Now, brother Buck, you must pity a man who can't see, and I would say Captain Nelson was quite blind. What creates a woman's beauty isn't the perfection of her face, but the warmth of her soul. The same is true of a man," Josiah rumbled.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Mistah Sanchez, and I find our Dr. Wilmington quite lovely. The man was a boor, and if he was alive now, it would greatly please me to teach that cur a lesson in manners," Ezra drawled, his eyes shooting green fire. Uh-oh.

"I thought you said he was a bore ... can he be a dog, and boring at the same time?" JD asked. The innocent question eased the tension in the room once more. Chris cast a sidelong glance at the boy, who grinned at Adriana impishly. Oh Lord. He had been around Vin and Ezra too much. He had started learning how to use his innocence to his benefit. God help them all. She winked at him, and received a delighted grin in response. And God help them all if those two decided to join forces!

"Mistah Dunne, I know you are not as uneducated as you like to present yourself, so I will ignore that. Now. As I was sayin' before I was so rudely interrupted, I would have been quite pleased to teach that ill-mannered lout about the way to treat a lady, but it would seem, from what our young lady has told us, the Magyars did quite well in that respect. Now, I would like to hear what exactly our ill-fated compatriots did to incur the wrath of those good people," Ezra replied.

"I think that's his way of saying he wants to hear the rest of the story," Chris interpreted. That brought another laugh, and Chris said more seriously, looking back at Adriana, "Whenever you're ready, little princess." Adriana nodded, taking a deep breath. Yes, she was ready. He could see it in her face. She had been ready ever since this morning. Chris would make sure there were no more interruptions.

The following morning, we broke camp. despite the ... easing of tensions between us and major harris, vin still felt more comfortable in his camp. and i felt more comfortable staying with him. i know what you're going to ask, josiah, and i don't have the answer. i don't know if it was one of my feelings, like the one i got when vin was in trouble in denver. i just thought it would be a really bad idea if i left him. i suppose i felt safe with him," Adriana replied.

She waited for the interruption, but it never came. She glanced at Chris, who turned a mild version of the Larabee glare on her. She smiled gratefully, understanding at once. The glare was being directed at anyone who even looked like they would speak up. He nodded with a gentle smile of his own. Adriana continued, "We met Nadya in the forest, the same place we had seen her the day before. Introductions were made, and Nadya welcomed SG-3 to her home. She answered the questions from Dr. Costas with the same patience she had shown me the day before."

Adriana accepted the glass of water which Janet had handed her and took a sip, then continued, "The trouble didn't begin until that afternoon. Nadya had invited us to look around, but asked us to stay out of a particular cottage. I think Nadya had a sense of most of SG-3, for she asked us if we had any control over them. I told her that we weren't even part of the team, and that they tended to discount what we said. She looked terribly sad, even when I told her that we would do our best to keep an eye on them."

"Not particularly diplomatic, but truthful," Ezra observed. Adriana nodded with a grimace. She knows that, Ezra, Chris thought with some irritation. As shy as Adriana always had been, she was also honest. She had explained to Chris once that past experience had taught her that it was better to tell the unpleasant truth when dealing with other people, rather than trying to sugarcoat things. Even if the natives didn't like the truth, they respected the sign of good faith. It seemed this Nadya had been no exception.

"I know, Ezra, but I'm an archaeologist, not a diplomat. She told me that she understood, but she wasn't sure if her people would. And that if SG-3 got into trouble, she would try to protect us. That's when she told me what was in that little hut," Adriana explained. She took a deep breath, and Chris saw Buck's arms tighten around her protectively. Yes, Buck, Chris thought, she needs your strength. She needs it now, more than ever.

Part 6

"When we spoke yesterday, I told you of my mother's death," Nadya said, walking alongside Adriana as they watched over the village together. The archaeologist bobbed her head, wincing at the memory. Nadya put her hand on her shoulder, saying, "Your mother loved you, Adriana. Even if she could not speak the words, she did love you." Adriana stopped and turned to face the woman. Nadya sighed, "I know things. I know that you fear your mother did not love you."

Adriana took a deep breath, then released it slowly. She didn't like to think about her mother. Nadya continued, "I have always been able to ... have always known things. Just as I knew our benefactors were not humans." Adriana looked at the woman, startled. Nadya shrugged, adding, "I do not know what they were. But they were not like us. Or you."

The chieftain took Adriana's arm and the two women began walking again. They were silent for several moments, then Nadya said, "The hut ... that was forbidden to your people when they first arrived ... that is where we hold the ashes of our lost for a year. The ashes of their bodies are all we have left of them, for their spirits have already flown. Once a year passes, we scatter their ashes."

Nadya was looking at Adriana's face as she spoke, as if searching for something. The archaeologist didn't answer for a long time, as she struggled with what to say. The burial practices didn't exactly surprise her ... she was, after all, an archaeologist. She had studied such things in school. But she was aware that this was a test, and she walked a fine line, between being honest and passing the test.

At last, she gave up and decided to answer honestly, telling the woman, "Where I come from ... we bury the body of our lost in the ground, and put a stone above it. The body is just a shell, and the spirit, as you say, has flown. But it gives us comfort, to go to that stone, and talk to them, as if they were still here with us. Some of my people do as you do ... some keep the ashes of their lost in a container. Some scatter the ashes over water or in the wind." There were still other practices, but Adriana didn't feel like getting into a discussion about mummies.

"That would be very practical. We need the land for farming," Nadya observed and Adriana just smiled faintly. Nadya continued, "I tell you this, because I trust you. I have watched your SG-3, as you call them, and I do not trust them. I do not trust the woman with the red hair, the one you call 'Major.' And I do not trust the man with her, the one she calls 'Captain.' I do not like his eyes."

Adriana said nothing, since she couldn't argue. Nadya went on, "The one called 'Costas' is very curious, and he does not say we are wrong. He is a man to be honored. The other one, whom is also called 'doctor,' I do not trust. He calls us 'barbarians' behind our back. I heard him tell Kevin that it was impossible for our people to be brought here, because he had never heard of such a thing. The boy, McCabe, is young and can learn." Now Adriana did sigh.

Wyatt. His father was Curtis Wyatt, a powerful senator in Washington. Like Major Harris, he was only in the SGC because of his family connections. Dr. Cole Wyatt was, to be blunt, narrow-minded. He had told her, within an hour of meeting her, that she wouldn't last in the SGC because she was a crackpot, a reference to her paper on the Sphinx controversy. The weird thing was, Wyatt wasn't an Egyptologist or a geologist. He wasn't even a historian. He was a physicist.

She replied, "There are many among our people who do not understand how little we actually know about our universe, about our world, about our own history. Dr. Wyatt is one such person. Major Harris is another ... she cannot understand there are things beyond her experience. She is not a bad woman. She became very angry with her captain last night when he behaved badly toward me."

"But can she learn?" Nadya wanted to know. Adriana cocked her head to one side, and Nadya explained, "We agreed that even if you and Kevin are ignorant of our ways, you are willing to learn. And you are willing to listen. That is why we chose you." Now Adriana was confused. What did she mean by that? Nadya explained, "It was not random. We had decided that the Ta're who came exploring would be the ones most likely to listen. You and Kevin were exploring. And you listen."

Adriana sighed. She didn't know how to answer this. Perhaps Nadya understood, for she gently squeezed the archaeologist's shoulder and said, "It matters little. If I am right, and I pray I am not ... I believe I can save some of you. I will try. But I cannot save all. Major Harris must save herself. No ... no, I can see it in your eyes. You cannot save her. Only she can do that. You can tell her that the hut is a sacred place. You would have known it, even if I had not told you."

"How would I have known? I've never been in there. It's a sacred place to you, Nadya, I will not desecrate it," Adriana replied. Nadya just smiled and took the young woman's hand. Adriana saw that they were heading for the hut, and cast a glance around for Vin. Nadya saw the action and she nodded with a smile. Adriana called to her friend, "Vin ... come on."

The guide had been studying the village, noticing the tracks made by the people, learning what foods were poisonous. He looked up at Adriana's summons and thanked the woman who had been teaching him. Adriana smiled to herself as he joined her and Nadya. The chieftain explained, "I wish to show you and Adriana a special place, Kevin. As a sign of respect. I only ask that you touch nothing within."

"You have my word," Vin promised. Nadya inclined her head and led them inside. It was the ultimate irony. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a simple hut. The inside, however, was the exact opposite. Adriana caught her breath as she looked around. Vin murmured something, then added, "This is a burial place. Drina, these are urns! I thought it was dirt in them containers, but it's ashes."

"I knew you would know it was a sacred place," Nadya said quietly. Adriana stepped to Vin's side, un-nerved. Yes. There was death in this place. It didn't frighten her, but it did at the same time. There were no souls screaming for release. She had heard those before once, many years ago. Before she had joined the SGC. But this place, though filled with light, reminded her of the Roman ruins in Trier.

When she had gone to Germany for her graduate work, she had gone to the ancient city of Trier within only a few weeks of her arrival. While there, she had visited the remains of the amphitheater, where once gladiators had fought. She had walked in the underground tunnels, where the lions and other animals had been kept. It was a dark, forbidding place. To this day, Adriana didn't know if she had imagined things, or if there were ghosts in that place.

She shivered and Vin put his arm around her, drawing her close. Each of the containers was unique, but there was a common design. Colored glass, like the kind you would find in a stained glass window. Her flat-mate in Germany, Petra, had a votive candle holder which reminded her of these urns. You actually placed the candle inside, and the light of the candle enhanced the colors of the container.

"The souls of your lost are still here, Nadya," Adriana said in a low voice, "there are some who are ready to be free." She didn't know where it came from, she just knew it. Maybe that was what Nadya had seen ... what had drawn Nadya to them. Adriana just knew things, and so did Nadya. Like calling to like. She shivered again and huddled against Vin, gratefully accepting his warmth. The souls meant no harm, not to her. But she could see her mother's brutalized body in her mind's eye.

"Yes. Come. I have caused you harm, and it was not my intention," Nadya said gently. Adriana tried to protest she was fine, but she wasn't. Not when she saw her mother's body every time she closed her eyes. Vin quietly led her from the sacred place, and the image faded. Dear Lord. What had happened to her in there? She forced her eyes open once more, as Vin seated her next to the woman who had been teaching him.

"Rest here. Your mother continues to haunt you, Adriana, but she does not seek to take you with her. I do not know what she wishes. I am a guide, I am not a seer. But even if she did seek to take you, I know Kevin would not allow that ... and he has a very strong spirit. As do you, if you would just accept that," Nadya replied. She looked at the woman and spoke in that curious blend of languages, then said, "Rest. Margit will look after you."

Adriana took several deep breaths, still unable to understand what had happened to her in there. It was almost like a claustrophobic attack, like the one she had in elevators or the one she had in the Roman ruins. But that had been underground, and while the hut was small, she wasn't THAT claustrophobic. She worked in Cheyenne Mountain, for God's sake. Vin kept his arms around her, and she allowed herself to relax into his embrace.

She must have fallen asleep. She didn't remember dreaming. But when she opened her eyes, she heard Margit chattering away, her tone sounding scared, and Vin's arms were no longer wrapped around her. Adriana sat up, rubbing her eyes ... and felt her heart drop. Vin was standing between Captain Nelson and the hut where the ashes of the dead were kept. At Nelson's side was Wyatt.

But Vin wasn't alone. While Adriana hadn't had much time to talk to the young communications officer, Loren McCabe, she had decided he was a good kid. That decision was reinforced as she listened to the conversation. The boy, who couldn't have been any more than eighteen or nineteen, was fiercely arguing with the other two men, defending Vin's assertion that they couldn't go in there.

Nelson, who had at least five inches on Vin and thirty pounds, physically picked up the guide and threw him to one side, then swatted McCabe away. Vin was on his feet immediately, snarling, "You don't go in there, Nelson! That place is sacred! You done promised that you wouldn't, now be a man and keep that promise!" Nelson back-handed him, knocking Vin off his feet again, and McCabe scurried to Vin's side, helping the guide up.

Adriana saw Major Harris approaching and thought that some order might be restored. She left Margit's side and ran to the major, gasping "Major, you have to stop them! You gave your word to Nadya that you wouldn't go in there, that we would respect their wishes! They are going into a sacred place, it would be like desecrating a cemetary!" The major looked at her, pure ice in her eyes.

"Do you believe everything you're told? We saw you go into that hut, Dr. Wilmington! Do you really think that if it was truly a sacred place, she would have taken you in there?" the major replied coldly. Adriana felt ice spread through her veins. Oh God. What had she done? Maybe she had failed the test after all. Maybe she should have told Nadya 'no' when she had led her in there. If that was true, she had condemned Vin to death as well.

The major shook her head in disgust and kept walking, right into the hut behind the others. Adriana had no choice to follow. She raced to catch up. Thank God she had plenty of practice in keeping up with people who had longer legs. Like Vin.

Her friend was now trying to remove the rest of SG-3 from the hut, saying, "Dammit, Major, we have to git, now! This is a sacred place ... even if Nadya hadn't told me, I woulda known it! This is where they keep the ashes of their dead! Major, I done heard what you said to Adriana, and you ain't right. Nadya asked us in here, so we could tell y'all. It was a sign of respect, and I ain't about to stand by and watch y'all disrespect Nadya, the way y'all disrespect Adriana and me. I ain't tellin' you again. Git. Now."

Nelson laughed then, and it made Adriana's blood run cold. From her position, she could see the major wavering. A half second before the major would have spoken, Nelson picked up one of the containers and Adriana couldn't hold back her gasp. That knowing had come back. She knew exactly what he was about to do, and knew there was nothing she could do to stop him. He said, looking into the container, "Looks like dirt to me. You pee in dirt."

Maybe there was time to stop him after all. But even as he spoke, he dropped the container onto the floor. She heard a low, ragged cry emerge from McCabe's throat, and saw that he knew as well. As Vin tried desperately to stop the captain, Wyatt grabbed the guide and held him fast. The captain unbuckled his pants, and allowed the trousers to slide down. Adriana was sick. She couldn't watch. She couldn't look away. Yellow stained the gray ash and the brown dirt, and from behind her, Adriana heard a scream of anguish.

She didn't need to look behind her to know that the scream of denial, of pain, of fury, had come from Nadya. She moved closer to McCabe, who slipped his arm around her protectively. He had been so quiet, through the entire mission. But she had caught his eyes on her a few times, pleading with her. Pleading with her not to judge him, based on Nelson's behavior. His eyes pleaded with her now. And she didn't know what he was asking of her.

She just knew that if she closed her eyes, it was no longer Loren McCabe standing there, but JD Dunne. The blond hair had turned black, the blue eyes to hazel. JD was a little older than this boy, but the similarities were still there. Looking at Vin, who had gone still, and bone-white, she could see that he felt the same way. Saw it in the way he mouthed, 'JD,' at the boy. And then, the moment was broken. She saw McCabe, not Dunne.

Wyatt hissed, "What have you done?" He released Vin, who inched closer to McCabe and Adriana. The guide stood protectively between them and anyone who would have harmed them. In other words, he was putting both Wyatt and Nelson on notice. The second either of them moved against Adriana or McCabe, he would take them out. He was already angry for the desecration, and for letting his guard down enough to take that hit earlier.

Nadya brushed past the stunned major, past McCabe and Adriana. She pointed a slim finger at Nelson, and said in a shaking voice, "He is the first to die." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned to face the major and hissed, "And you are the second. Kevin and Adriana tried to warn you. Tried to tell you. But you would not listen! That was my mother's container he destroyed! My mother's ashes ... "

And then she could not continue. Vin whispered, "Aw, hell." Adriana couldn't have agreed more. She swallowed hard and left McCabe's protective embrace to try to comfort Nadya. She put her arms around the chieftain and held her close. She thought once more of her mother's body, of the blood which had soaked the bed, the blankets. Dear God. It had been Nadya's mother. What had they done?

Part 6-B

There was dead silence in the infirmary. Then Chris Larabee whispered, "My God." Silence fell once more. No one knew what to say, it seemed. There was nothing anyone could say. Chris looked over at Vin Tanner, who was sitting up in bed. His face was lined with pain, but it seemed his best friend couldn't stay asleep with the voices in the room. He had to live through this hell with the woman who had been there as well.

It was General Hammond who said quietly, "You did nothing wrong, Adriana. Vin. Do you understand me? You did nothing wrong. You tried to warn SG-3, and they wouldn't listen. You did everything you could to stop them." Chris looked from his best friend to his surrogate sister, who was quietly shaking her head. If Vin's face was lined with pain because of the wound to his back, the lines straining Adriana's face came from a very different pain.

"There has to be something I could have done. I should have told Nadya 'no' when she wanted me to go into the hut, but I was afraid she would ... God. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, I thought I should be respectful and do as she wished, but then the major got the wrong idea," the girl replied. Funny. He rarely thought of Vin as a boy, even though he was the same age as Adriana. Then again, he hadn't known Vin when he was a boy, as he had known Adriana since she was thirteen.

"Adriana. You did nothing wrong. You did what you thought was right at the time. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I should have never put you in that position, either of you. I should have realized, myself, that the major wouldn't listen to someone who was younger than she was. And there was nothing you could have done to stop Nelson ... both of you tried. I know you two. If there was a way you could have stopped them, you would have," Hammond said.

"He's right, little princess. You didn't make the decision to go into that hut, despite making a promise to the contrary. And you didn't make the decision to literally piss on someone else's beliefs. That's exactly what Nelson did. Maybe there was something you could have done different ... and maybe it wouldn't have made any difference," Chris quietly advised. He saw Vin nodding in his bed. As if he wasn't just as bad as Adriana, thinkin' this was somehow his fault? He would deal with Vin later.

Adriana closed her mouth, shaking her head. Vin said into the silence that followed, "That weren't even the worst part. The worst part came next. I don't 'member all of it. Adriana can fill in the blank spaces. But she's been talkin' long enough. It's my turn." All eyes turned to the former bounty hunter. Vin took a deep breath and said, "Nelson wasn't finished. Not by a long shot. He just didn't know when he was beat ... "

"Well," Nelson drawled into the silent hut, "if I die, I ain't going alone. And that bitch doesn't count." His eyes scanned the hut, then a cold smile lit his face. Vin's blood turned to ice. He knew it would come to this. He hadn't been sure how it would happen, but he knew it would come to this. Nelson murmured, "I get to take you out, Tanner, and I don't even have to answer to Hammond. Not such a bad way to go out."

Vin was ready for him. He thought. But again, the fight was dirty, as Wyatt locked his arms around Vin from behind. Dammit, not this again! Vin tried to free himself and keep Nelson at bay. It was only when he felt Wyatt trying to drag him that he realized Wyatt was trying to protect him, not help Nelson. Unfortunately, the captain used Vin's inability to protect himself and locked both hands around Vin's throat.

Aw hell, not this again! Wyatt, perhaps realizing his mistake, released Vin, and allowed the young man to fight back. But his body had already been robbed of oxygen in those crucial seconds. He was weakening, dammit! Nelson hissed, "I guess if touchin' those is a reason for these idiots to kill, then I'll just have to make sure you touch one of 'em. Maybe more than just one?" He propelled Vin backward, even as Vin continued to fight desperately to stop the progression. Except ... something happened.

His back never hit the containers. Instead of being slammed into the wall, Nelson released him unexpectedly and Vin felt a body slam sideways into him, knocking him to the ground. Gasping, he looked up to find the worried blue eyes of Loren McCabe staring back at him. He smiled weakly and whispered around his bruised throat, "Thanks, kid." McCabe returned the smile, and it was like seeing JD Dunne in his place.

"I had help," the boy said shyly as he moved off Vin and helped the guide up, "Wyatt held Nelson." Rubbing his throat, Vin turned to thank Wyatt. But Wyatt was gone. Nelson was pinned to the ground by Dr. Costas, tears running down the other young man's face. And only a few yards away, Dr. Cole Wyatt lay dead, Nelson's knife still protruding from his gut. In a detached part of Vin's mind, it occurred to him that Nelson's pants were still pooled around his ankles. How odd.

Vin shook his head and moved to Adriana's side. He put his arm around her, feeling the tremors wrack her body as she tried to comfort Nadya. His own legs were shaking, but he ignored it for the moment. Adriana needed him right now. She needed him to be strong, because as he looked at the pale face of his friend, he knew what she was thinking. She was once more thinking about her mother.

"It is written," Margit said, putting her hand on Nadya's shoulder, "that the outsider who touches our dead must die. There is nothing written about the outsider who is forced into touching our dead. Little sister, we must not kill either of the boys. The red-haired woman, yes, for not honoring us ... and that one, for showing such disrespect for the dead. But if Kevin had struck our dead, it would have been wrong for us to kill him."

Nadya nodded, wiping away her tears. 'Little sister,' she had said? Vin exchanged a look with Adriana, and the chieftain said, "It is so written. Understand this, Ta're Nelson. You sought to end the life of our friend Kevin, by forcing him to touch our dead. You will die instead. But you will be given one more opportunity for redemption ... to choose your death. Die the honorable death of a warrior ... of the death of a coward."

"What are you offering?" Major Harris asked quietly. Her eyes moved around the hut, settling on Vin and Adriana. Two of the Magyar men had gently pried Costas' hands from Nelson, while two more men had carried the body of Cole Wyatt from the hut. Vin didn't know what would happen to the body, but that would wait until later. According to Margit, the body of a Magyar was not cremated until the third day after the death. Whether Wyatt would receive that respect, Vin didn't know.

"Ta're Nelson must fight our champion in hand to hand combat. If he defeats our champion, he is permitted a warrior's death. If not ... he will die according to our laws," Nadya answered. Her eyes flickered to Vin and Adriana, and she added, "These fights are not to the death. We cannot afford to lose people, not with the harvest coming in. I will decide when the battle is won. And I will choose our champion."

Vin knew what was coming next. Had known it, as soon as Nadya had looked at him. And he knew, no matter how much he hated it, he couldn't say 'no.' Harris replied, "I agree. What will happen to Tanner, Dr. Wilmington, Dr. Costas, and McCabe?" The boy had taken up position behind Adriana, though Vin wasn't sure if the youngster was trying to watch their back or just stay away from Nelson.

"We have no interest in taking their lives. They will be permitted to leave," Nadya replied. She looked straight at Vin and added, "I choose our champion. Kevin." Aw hell. Dammit, he was afraid of this! But he nodded his agreement, feeling Adriana tense beside him. He gave her a little one-armed hug and looked down into her eyes. He could see she didn't like this either, but she wouldn't try to stop him.

"No! No, please ... Tanner's already been hurt, that's giving Nelson an unfair advantage!" Harris blurted out. She shook her head, repeating, "No."

"You can't renege on your agreement, Major," Adriana stated as everyone was ushered from the hut, "You've already agreed to the terms. Hell, after what just happened, I'm not even sure if the Magyars will agree to a treaty with us! But you are not going to break your promise. Do you understand me, Major? You will not break your promise to these people! Vin, is there anything you need me to do?"

"Naw. And thanks," Vin replied as Nadya led them to a clearing. Adriana just smiled, though Vin could see how worried she was. The Magyars made a circle and Vin shrugged out of the brown suede jacket, handing it to his friend. He said, "I'll be fine, Drina. Believe in me." Adriana just smiled, accepting the jacket, folding her arms around it. Vin impulsively kissed her forehead, drawing a surprised smile.

"You're talkin' to the wrong woman, Tanner," she drawled. Vin laughed, and Adriana slowly backed away from him. As she reached the edge of the circle, Nadya put her arms around the archaeologist, though Vin couldn't be sure if Nadya was restraining Adriana, or trying to comfort her. He turned toward his opponent, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Vin tensed and turned in the opposite direction to face Harris.

"Nelson fights dirty, Tanner. Watch his right hand. He'll keep it at his side, as if it's hurt, then use it when your guard is down," Harris told him softly. Vin raised his eyebrows at the woman, and she continued, "Maybe if I'd listened to you and Dr. Wilmington in the first place, none of this would have happened. You tried to tell me, but I ... Just watch yourself, all right? It's bad enough, having Wyatt's blood on my hands. I don't want yours."

Vin nodded his thanks, and Harris melted into the circle. He turned his full attention to Nelson, focusing only on the captain. As expected, Nelson tried to throw him off by insulting Adriana, Vin's mother, using every slur he knew of. He insulted Nathan, Chris, JD, Buck, Josiah, and Ezra. The guide tuned out what was being said, focusing instead on the fight at hand. He remembered what Harris had told him.

A trick he had learned years ago was to fool your opponent into thinking he had the upper hand. Something which Vin now used, for even as Nelson continued his needling, he launched a kick to Vin's side. Vin spun away easily, responding with a kick of his own to Nelson's chin. The captain staggered back a few steps, but didn't fall. He shook off the effects of the kick and spat out the blood. Probably bit his tongue, Vin decided.

"You'll pay for that, you long-haired freak. You ain't nothing but a goddamn sissy, and I'm gonna prove once and for all ... " Nelson roared. Vin just sighed. Little less talk, little more action, he thought, and kicked out once more. This time, his boot landed square in the captain's midsection, doubling him over and effectively silencing him. Vin watched as the other man wheezed and fought for breath, his eyes never leaving Nelson.

"He's all talk, no action," McCabe yelled from the circle, "he ain't gonna fight Vin, he's gonna try to talk him to death. You're the coward, Nelson. You always have been, you always will be! And even if you lived to be a hundred, you'd never be the man Vin Tanner is! Never!"

Nelson's head snapped up at the boy's voice, at the taunt, and his eyes narrowed. Vin nodded. Yup, that was it. He prepared himself for the attack. Nelson would do one of two things. Either he would go for a body slam, barrel into Vin, or he would come up swinging. The smart thing to do would be a body slam, given his greater height and weight. The trouble was, as much as Vin had been around the man lately, he wasn't sure how smart Nelson was.

The answer came a half second later as Nelson launched himself at Vin. The guide, however, used Nelson's size against him. He dove to his right, effectively taking himself out of the line of fire, and Nelson landed face first in the dirt. Vin rolled to his feet as Nelson hit the ground, ready for the other man. He realized that the roll hadn't taken him quite to where he wanted to be, so he back-pedaled, making sure Nelson couldn't grab a hold of his boot. Nelson rose from the dirt, enraged.

Vin kept moving in a circle. Any time now, Nelson would lose his cool, and while Vin knew the other man would get in more than a few blows, he also knew that Nelson would be much more vulnerable. When people lost their cool, it made them more prone to mistakes. Vin hadn't survived as long as he had on his own, without learning such things. While not a small man ... he was almost six feet tall ... he was slim, and people often made the mistake of thinking him weak. As he had grown and matured, Vin had learned to use that misconception to his advantage. It was nothing he learned in a class.

Adriana had once said, when someone challenged Vin on his lack of formal education, that Vin had received a PhD from the school of hard knocks. She later explained that while she had more formal education, Vin's education was of the practical kind. The kind that kept a person alive. It was a curious kind of a compliment, but Vin had accepted it happily. Those kinds of compliments, he knew how to accept.

"That ... does ... it. You're dead, Tanner, if I have to squeeze the life out of you myself," Nelson hissed. It was time. The captain hurtled toward Vin, fists flying. Instead of retreating, as he had before, Vin met the attack head on, matching Nelson blow for blow. Nelson was holding nothing back. Nor was Vin. Through the haze of adrenaline, Vin could see the surprise in the other man's eyes, surprise followed by rage.

The punches and kicks were traded with even more ferocity. Both men were angry, but Nelson's anger was controlling him. Vin's anger was being channelled, making each blow count. He was aware of the other man's punches, but he didn't really feel them. He was too focused on finishing this. Nelson was tiring quickly. Vin allowed a few more punches under his guard ... Now. He almost smiled to himself.

Instead, as the right arm came in an arc toward Vin's face, the guide grabbed it and spun the staggering Nelson around, twisting the arm behind his back. Nelson cried out in pain. Vin backed up a few steps, still holding the captain's arm, then kicked the other man hard in the ass, releasing Nelson at the same time. The momentum from the kick and from Nelson's attempts to free himself pushed him a few yards away from Vin. Exactly as the guide had meant to happen. It was time to finish this.

Part 6-C

As Nelson staggered around to face Vin, the guide lashed out with one last kick to Nelson's face. The captain just toppled to the ground, and didn't get up. Vin tried to walk over to the man, to see if he was still breathing, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. Nadya called in a clear voice, "The fight belongs to our champion!" At the same time, she released Adriana, who ran to Vin, skirting around Nelson. Smart girl.

However, as the Magyars came forward to claim the man, it was established Nelson was out cold. Adriana reached Vin's side, swinging the suede jacket around his shoulders. He accepted it gratefully, as he began to shiver. The adrenaline rush was ending, and Vin ached all over. Adriana put her arm around his waist, sliding his arm across her shoulders, and he hissed in pain at even the slightest pressure on his ribs.

"Loren, I could use your help," Adriana called, then murmured, "Sorry, Vin, didn't mean to hurt you." He shook his head, trying to stay on his feet. He felt Adriana hitch her thumb through one of his belt loops, stabilizing them both. Her hand rested on his hip, instead of his waist. Vin would have teased her about it any other time, but he didn't have the energy to joke, and he didn't think Adriana was in the mood for it.

As McCabe joined them, taking Vin's other side, he told the other two, "Nelson dies tonight. Nadya told me to help you take care of Mr. Tanner, Dr. Wilmington. Dr. Costas is helping with the preparation of Wyatt's body. Nadya says we are to take his body back with us through the Stargate." Adriana nodded her understanding. At least, Vin figured it was understanding, as he was concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other.

"What about Major Harris?" Adriana asked softly, and Vin felt McCabe shrug. He hissed in pain, and Adriana said, "Easy, Loren, be careful. You shrug, that puts pressure on Vin's body. He's in enough pain. Major Harris couldn't believe I'd stand by and let that ... now, what would Ezra say in these circumstances? She couldn't believe I would let that miscreant beat you to a pulp. I told her that I had faith in you."

Vin smiled wearily, both at Adriana's imitation of Ezra and at her words. There had been a time, years ago, when they first met, when she had tried to go to his aid during a fight. Koje had stopped her, telling her that she needed to have faith in him. It had been hard for her, to stay put. She was a protector by nature, wanting to protect her friends when they seemed to be in trouble. But sometimes, you did the most good by standing back and letting someone fight their own battles. It was a hard lesson to learn. Vin knew that.

"Let's get him to one of the huts. Did Nadya say who would clean up the mess which Nelson made?" Adriana asked. McCabe peered around Vin to smile impishly, and Vin realized, even as Adriana voiced the answer. She said, with more than a little astonishment, "Nelson has to clean it before he dies, doesn't he? He made the mess, he's gotta clean it up." McCabe bobbed his head, and Adriana murmured, "Still like to know about Major Harris."

"I don't know, ma'am. Nadya said something, once you came to help Mr. Tanner, about redemption. I didn't ask," McCabe answered.

They had reached the hut pointed out by Margit as the three had left the circle, and McCabe asked, "Ma'am, meaning no disrespect, but have you ever done this before?" Vin would have laughed, but now that he wasn't walking, he had nothing to focus on. Nothing, except keeping the exhaustion and blackness at bay for a little longer. Adriana carefully eased him down onto some blankets, and Vin groaned softly at the motion.

"Oh yeah. Not the first time ... won't be the last. Get me some strips of cloth. I need to bind his ribs. I'll need a cloth and some water to wash his face. Dammit, Tanner, if Nelson hadn't done so much damage already to that pretty face of yours, I might take a swing at you myself! What were you doing out there?" Adriana scolded. She eased the jacket from his shoulders again, then began unbuttoning his shirt. He tried to protest, but that took too much energy. Adriana hissed at the bruises covering his torso, and Vin closed his eyes.

"Never mind the Magyars. I'll kill him myself. I'm sorry, Vin, I'm not mad at you. I shouldn't yell at you. You did the only thing you could, and you fought smart. I'm sorry," she muttered. She sounded close to tears, and Vin tried to open his eyes, tried to tell her that he would be fine. But he just kept sliding toward the blackness, until he couldn't fight it any longer. McCabe was there. It would be all right, to rest for a little while.

In a way, Adriana was relieved that Vin had passed out. She hated like hell to cause him any more pain, and she knew that would happen. As a precaution, Adriana did a quick check for internal damage, as Nathan and Janet had taught her. The impromptu exam identified no internal bleeding. And the ribs weren't even broken, just bruised. Probably make things worse if she bound them, so Adriana instead inspected the cuts and bruises on Vin's face.

As she worked, McCabe just sat beside her. The boy was very quiet, and she finally asked, "What's on your mind, kid?" She looked up, to find Loren staring at her. His bright eyes were filled with tears, and for the first time, it occurred to Adriana how hard this had been on the kid. He had just been assigned to SG-3 ... it was his first assignment. Par for the course within the SGC, the routine mission had turned out to be anything but.

"Hey," she said, turning away from Vin, "it's okay, Loren. I know how all this must seem to you." Even as she spoke, however, she immediately regretted her words. She had no idea how this seemed to the boy. No idea at all. She said more gently, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I've been in the SGC for two years, and my first mission wasn't nearly as traumatic as yours. It wasn't supposed to be like this." It was never supposed to be like this.

Part 6-D

The next thing Vin heard as he slowly drifted back to consciousness was a soft, young male voice talking. It took a moment for the guide to orient himself, and remember what happened. Lord, he hurt. But he was alive. McCabe said clearly, "I just don't understand how Wyatt, or Nelson, or Major Harris ended up in the SGC. I mean, it seems to me that if you can't have an open mind, you don't ... you shouldn't be an explorer. And that's what we are, isn't it?"

"I can't explain it, Loren. I don't understand it myself. But try not to judge Major Harris or Dr. Wyatt too harshly. Dr. Wyatt gave up his life to save Vin, and Major Harris warned him about Nelson before the fight. I didn't even see Dr. Wyatt circle around behind Nelson, much less see Nelson stab him. How in the hell did he manage that, anyhow?" Adriana asked, turning back to Vin. She blinked, then smiled and said, "Well, hello there. And how are you feeling?"

"Ya 'member when I got so sick, your senior year a' college, and ya took me back to your apartment? Took care 'a me for a spell? 'Member my answer when ya asked that then?" Vin asked hoarsely. Adriana's grin broadened as she nodded, and Vin added, "More a' the same. Feel like a damn mule kicked me, and if there weren't a lady present ... " Adriana placed a finger over his lips to silence him, laughing at the same time.

"I get the picture. Now shut up and rest. We're fine, I'm almost finished doctoring your wounds. My warrior, my hero," she said playfully, and Vin growled at her. She just laughed, giddy in her relief. After a moment, though, her laughter died and she said more seriously, "I checked you over, just like Janet and Nathan taught me. You don't have any internal bleeding, and your ribs are just bruised. Not even cracked. I'll wrap them if it hurts to breathe, but I figured it would be worse for the moment."

"Reckon I'll be fine. Been hurt worse. You sure you're okay?" Vin asked and Adriana nodded. Damn, he wished she would start laughing at him again. The worry in her eyes hurt his heart, and to make her laugh again, he teased, "Ez woulda been takin' bets on that fight, ya know that, don'cha? And I reckon Colonel O'Neill would have placed a bet a' his own. Who would he bet on, ya think?"

"You," Adriana said firmly, "I said once that you and Nelson would end up tangling at some point. Colonel O'Neill said I was right, and he wanted to be there when it happened. Won't he be disappointed?" Vin laughed, then winced. Okay, so his ribs weren't ready for that just yet. Adriana continued, "Anyhow, he told me that Nelson might be bigger, but you're smarter, and his money was on you."

"Reckon I'll have to thank him for that. Nice ta know he's got faith in me," Vin replied. He leaned his head against the post, closing his eyes. Lord, he wasn't looking forward to returning to the SGC. Not now. Not like this. He opened his eyes to find Adriana staring at him. She just smiled, almost sadly, and Vin said quietly, "So Nelson dies tonight. Y'all hear anything about Major Harris? 'Bout what they plan for her?"

"Loren here heard something about redemption, for her part in the fight, but nothing aside from that. And Nelson is dead. They executed him a half hour ago. I was praying you would stay unconscious through his screams. Guess Josiah is right, and there is a God after all," Adriana replied. Her face was very pale as she spoke of the execution, and Vin guessed that just hearing the screams would haunt Adriana for a long time to come. He wished he had been awake. Wished he had been able to protect her.

"I'll be all right now, Dr. Wilmington. Thanks for listening," McCabe said suddenly, drawing the attention of the pair to him. He offered a weak smile, and added, "I need ... I need to be outside for a while. I'll stand guard. You just take care of Mr. Tanner." Adriana nodded with a smile, and McCabe looked at Vin, adding, "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, sir. Maybe if I hadn't been such a coward, if I had spoken up before ... "

"My name is Vin, kid. And you got nothin' to 'pologize for. You done all you could, and then some. You ain't to blame here," Vin replied hoarsely. He grimaced with pain. This position wasn't doin' nothin' for his wounds. He had to find a way to get comfortable. After the boy left. However, with an ease that came from years of friendship, Adriana drew him forward, then slid behind him, so that he was reclining against her.

Her body, as slim as Vin's own, was much more comfortable than the pole and Vin relaxed in spite of himself. Adriana murmured that she was fine, she had enough strength to hold him where he was. The exhaustion was mounting once more, and Vin allowed his head to rest against her collarbone, feeling her cheek against his forehead. McCabe knelt in front of the pair, answering, "You aren't to blame, either, Vin. Take care of him, Dr. Wilmington."

Vin felt Adriana nod, and the boy left, to take up guard position outside. Vin murmured, "You know, I'll be fine. You don't gotta do this."

The trouble was, he knew this position was the most comfortable for him. It seemed she knew it as well. She whispered, "Did it ever occur to you, Kevin, that I want to do this? Now just lie still and rest. I got a gut feeling that tomorrow's gonna be a nasty day." Vin sighed, too tired to argue with her. He fell asleep in her arms, feeling strangely safe in the protective embrace of someone who had known him a very long time. Just 'cause she was no bigger 'n a minute ...

Part 7

Adriana smiled as she felt Vin relax against her, felt the steady breathing which meant he was asleep. She rested her cheek against his honey-colored hair. Who had said that? Claire? No ... no, it had been Petra. Her German flat-mate had said once that Vin's hair reminded her of dark honey. The archaeologist laughed to herself, remembering. Petra had seen a snapshot of Vin, taken maybe two months after Vin and Adriana had met. Of course, the young German woman had wanted a meeting with Vin upon seeing that picture.

Petra had referred to the light brown waves as 'dark honey.' Janet as 'butterscotch.' The young woman giggled to herself, her body shaking slightly as she thought about how Vin would react if he ever heard those comparisons. Likely he would give her that slow grin, the one that made her toes curl, and ask what 'made y'all think of food?' Of course, Adriana, or maybe Mary, would respond with a remark designed to make Vin blush.

Mary. Adriana sighed, thinking of her friend. She would give anything to see Mary right now. Or Janet. Or Sam. She wasn't as close to Sam, as she was to Mary or Janet. But right at this moment, she wanted desperately to be sitting at 'their' table, sipping a coke and laughing with her friends. Although, she didn't mind the current company. Nope, she didn't mind her current company at all. It felt good, actually, knowing that Vin trusted her enough to fall asleep in her arms. They had a history together, but trust had never come easily to Vin Tanner.

Trust wasn't easy for Adriana Wilmington, either. And knowing that Vin was trusting her, Adriana found it very hard to fall asleep ... to relax. She dozed off anyhow, exhausted by the day's events. The sound of the tent flap being thrown back woke her, and she had no idea how long she had been asleep. Vin groaned in his sleep at the sudden movement, but didn't awaken. She was glad, especially when she saw Nadya's expression.

"The false gods have come for us. Stay in here ... if they know of your presence, they will kill us all," Nadya hissed. Adriana swallowed hard, and Nadya continued, her eyes softening, "I know, Adriana. You wish to help us, and you can. By staying here. Your major Harris is changing into our clothes ... she wishes to fight along side us. When she comes in, we will leave together." Vin groaned again as he shifted in Adriana's arms.

"What's goin' on?" he whispered, removing Adriana's arms from his torso. He raised himself to his full height, and Adriana scrambled to her feet. He was still favoring his ribs, but she knew he wouldn't let that stop him. Not bruised ribs ... broken or cracked, maybe. But Vin Tanner had to be hurt worse than he was now, before he would let something stop him from doing his job. And his job was to protect.

"It's not your concern, Mr. Tanner," Major Harris replied, pushing back the flap of the tent to enter. Adriana's jaw dropped, seeing the woman. Her dark red hair was covered, and she was dressed as a Magyar. The major smiled weakly at them both, saying, "I wanted to say good-bye. And, I'm sorry. I should have listened to both of you, all along. I suppose I was just blinded by how young you both are. It never occurred to me, that what you two lack in age, you make up for in experience."

"Major, we're only four years younger than you are," Adriana pointed out. The major nodded sadly, and Adriana continued, "Is there anything we can do for you? Maybe take a message back to your grandfather?" She saw out of the corner of her eye that Vin was looking around for a weapon of some kind. Maybe a zat, or a staff weapon. There ... and he saw the zat at the same time.

"Just tell him, I'm sorry. And since I couldn't be a worthy officer of the SGC while I was alive, I hope I can bring honor to our name with my death. I'm a coward, though. It's easier to die in battle than to face the living. I'm sorry that I'm leaving you to carry this out. But you were right. I made a promise, I have to honor my agreement. We knew the law of this tribe, and we broke it anyhow," the major replied.

Adriana understood then. This wasn't just about redemption. The major was sacrificing her life, in order to make the alliance between the SGC and the Magyar possible. She was going to her death, defending the village, as a good faith gesture. A quick glance at Nadya told the archaeologist that the chieftain knew this. The major saw the understanding in Adriana's eyes and added softly, "So don't mourn for me, Dr. Wilmington. I do this willingly. You and Mr. Tanner tried from the beginning to warn me. You tried to save us. It's my turn to save you, and Dr. Costas, and Private McCabe."

"The boy is all right ... he's helping to pass out weapons to the warriors. I dismissed him from his guard duty ... I knew the false gods, and the servants of the false gods, would find it suspicions if there was a guard outside your tent. Especially one who wore the uniform of the Ta're," Nadya explained. Adriana again nodded. Yes, the chieftain was right. And if the presence of SG-3 placed the villagers in danger, she and Vin, as well as McCabe and Costas, had to stay out of sight. The difficulty would lie in convincing her companion of that truth.

"Y'all ain't doing this alone, Major. I won't let you do that. I can help defend the village," Vin replied, proving Adriana's train of thought as he straightened up. He was checking the energy level in the zat. Well, at least he wasn't dressed like anyone from SG-3. She handed him his jacket. No sense in him freezing. Vin turned to face her, smiling as he accepted the jacket from her. From the corner of her eye, Adriana saw it coming, but there was no time to warn Vin.

The butt of the staff weapon connected with the back of his skull. Vin's eyes widened, ever so briefly, in pain ... then the blue irises rolled up in his head, and he collapsed. Adriana managed to catch him as he fell, but his limp body knocked her off balance and into the pole. Her head hit hard, and as she slid away from Nadya and the major, she heard the major whisper, "Forgive me." Then everything went black.

His head hurt like the very devil. No ... that wasn't entirely true. His head felt as if the devil was poking at it with one of his pitchforks. Vin groaned and sat up. At least he tried to. There was someone lying on him. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, he realized the body covering his seemed very familiar, but it wasn't until his hand touched a curl that he realized why it seemed so familiar. Adriana!

He bit back a groan as he shifted his weight, and realized for the first time the reason for the darkness. He and Adriana were covered with a cloth. The tent had fallen on them. Vin was having a helluva time processing this information. What the hell had hit him ... what had hit Adriana, and how had the tent fallen on them? And what the hell was burning? It took a moment for the smell to register. Burning flesh. Oh God ...

The tent flap was pulled away from Vin's head, revealing the chieftain, Nadya. She whispered, "We have driven the false gods, and their servants, away. Come. It's time for you to go." Vin struggled to his feet, and turned to Adriana. She was beginning to stir, the breeze of the night bringing her back from the dark. She groaned as he helped her sit up, and Nadya repeated, "If you'll go back into the forest, you'll be safe, at least until morning."

"Dr. Costas? McCabe?" Vin asked. Nadya looked away, and Vin felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. He hugged Adriana a little tighter. He had failed then. Memories were starting to come back to him now. He had been ready to help the villagers against the Gou'ald, but something had hit him from behind. His head throbbed, but he could think. Mostly. Adriana shifted against him, protesting his tight hold, and Vin relaxed his arms.

"I am sorry," Nadya replied, then asked, "Can you both walk?" Vin looked at Adriana questioningly, and she bobbed her head, then flinched. He would carry her when she could no longer walk. Nadya continued, "Tell your leader that Major Harris died bravely. She saved the life of my sister's child. Now you must go to the forest. The servants of the false gods will not follow you there. They are afraid of the wood."

"Are ya ready, girl?" Vin asked and Adriana's hand curled around his forearm by answer.

Vin eased them both upright, Adriana still a bit unsteady. But the color was returning to her face. She would be all right. She was a strong young woman, in body and in spirit. His long-time friend smiled weakly at Nadya, who briefly embraced the slight archaeologist. The chieftain whispered, "Now go, before they come back. We will honor your dead, as if they were our own." That was good-bye, and Vin knew it.

With his arm wrapped tightly around Adriana's waist, Vin managed to snag both his jacket and her backpack with his free hand. The backpack had been placed in here ... sometime. He didn't know when. He supposed it didn't matter. With one last look at the still-burning Magyar village, he led Adriana into the forest and to safety. It was slow going, since they were both still wobbly, but neither was willing to admit defeat. At last, they reached the same rock where Vin had first spotted Nadya. Had it only been the day before?

He eased Adriana to the ground, then sat down beside her. He leaned his head against the rock, wincing at the pain. Someone had clipped him but good. Adriana's arms slipped around his waist, and Vin drew her closer. Whether it was a need for warmth, or a need for comfort, he didn't know. But they held each other through the night. Vin couldn't sleep, and he wasn't sure if Adriana's exhaustion had overwhelmed her.

It was Vin's inability to sleep which saved their lives. As the sun filtered through the leaves of the trees, a blast whizzed over their heads. Vin swore and pushed Adriana further into cover, then twisted around to see who was firing at them. He spun back behind the rock when another blast tore past his head. Aw hell, now what? Adriana's eyes were open and alert. She muttered, "What, did the Jaffa follow us into the forest?"

"Don't rightly know," Vin admitted, "but I don't aim to stick around and find out. I still got that zat from last night. You get up the hill, and I'll cover you. No arguments, girl, we ain't got time for that." But Adriana made no protest. She wanted to. He could see it in her eyes. But she bobbed her head in agreement, and Vin murmured, "On a count of three. . .one ... two ... three ... go!"

Part 7-B

Adriana sped up the hill, as fast as her legs could carry her. Before their unknown attacker could fire on her, Vin began shooting zat blasts to draw the fire to him. He had figured the approximate position of the sniper and fired a zat blast at a branch over his/her head. A curse told him that he had done what he set out to do, and Vin ran up the hill after Adriana. He found her at the top of the hill, taking ragged breaths.

The Gate was just down the hill and across the clearing. Vin said, breathing heavily, "I managed to buy us a few minutes, Adriana, but you've got to get to the Gate and get us home. I'll keep this guy busy as long as I can, but I'll be right behind you." Adriana nodded, and for the second time in two days, Vin kissed his companion. But this time, it was a gentle brush against her lips. They weren't lovers, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Adriana nodded bravely, then began running for the Stargate. Vin fired a few more zat blasts down the way he had come, then turned and ran after Adriana.

By the time Vin was halfway across the clearing, Adriana was almost to the DHD, and Vin wheeled around to fire a few more zats to the top of the hill. For the first time, he saw his attacker. It wasn't a Jaffa at all. . .it was one of the young Magyar males. Why, Vin didn't know, but he wasn't about to question the boy. The kid had every intention of killing him. Instead, he raced across the clearing as Adriana began activating the DHD. It was time to go home.

"And you know the rest. I was struck by a zat blast, and Vin by God only knows what," Adriana said as Vin fell silent. She sighed, reclining in her brother's embrace. She was so tired. She felt Buck press his lips against her temple, his arms tightening around her once again. The infirmary was silent. She cast a look over at Vin. Janet was checking the bandages on his back again, checking the wound for infection.

"Adriana was right ... Vin's ribs were bruised, not broken, and he had no internal bleeding. I checked him over in the Gate Room, as soon as he and Adriana collapsed. Neither of them have concussions from the blows they took to their heads," Janet explained. Adriana shot her friend a wan, grateful smile. Janet continued, "Sir, they've told you everything. May I suggest that you, Colonel Larabee, and Colonel O'Neill make the decision about what to do next in the briefing room? These two need to rest."

"An excellent suggestion. Gentlemen, I want both of your teams to meet me in the briefing in two hours. We'll decide what to do then. Vin ... Adriana, I told you at the beginning that you weren't at fault. I will tell you that again, and I will tell you as many times as it takes. You did everything you could. And now, I'm ordering both of you to get some rest. Do whatever Dr. Frasier says. I want you both healthy again," General Hammond said.

"Yes, sir," came two soft voices. Adriana was wiped out, and a quick glance to her right told her that Vin was just as exhausted. Buck released her, then eased her back onto the pillows. She smiled wanly at her brother. Buck returned the smile, his dark blue eyes reflecting more emotions than even her boisterous elder brother could have ever vocalized. He gently kissed her forehead, brushed her dark hair back from her eyes, then squeezed her hand.

"See you in the morning, babe," he whispered, "get some sleep." Adriana nodded sleepily, as Buck turned to Vin to say good-night. JD hopped from the guide's bed and came over to squeeze Adriana's hand. She smiled at him, especially after he repeated Buck's gesture of caressing her hair, then kissing her forehead. He mumbled a good night, then left the infirmary. Each of SG-7 said good night to the two wounded civilians, before leaving the room. Adriana had always known how much the rest of SG-7 loved Vin.

It wasn't something that was ever vocalized, because it wasn't their way. But it didn't have to be vocalized, because each of the other six showed it in very different ways. What did surprise her, however, was the affection shown her by Nathan, Josiah, and JD. Chris no longer surprised her with his shows of affection, which were becoming more and more common. And Buck was one of the most affectionate people she had ever met.

Ezra wasn't as demonstrative as the others, but he had decreed a long time ago that Adriana was now his little sister, as well as Chris and Buck's, and he was never stingy with affection. Not with her, at least, and not with the children of the SGC. She had seen fifteen year old Cassie staring at Ezra with something akin to adoration. And Soraya Costas adored him as well. Soraya. That little girl had already lost her mother ... and now her father. Dammit!

Josiah gently touched her cheek, drawing her attention back to him, and said softly, "It wasn't your fault, sister." Had he read her mind, or just her face? She didn't have the answer. Nathan was next. No words were spoken. He just leaned over and kissed her forehead, then squeezed her shoulder. His brown eyes did his talking for him. And then it was just Chris. He was talking in low tones to Vin. Hopefully telling their friend this wasn't his fault.

She heard Vin sigh, and looked over in time to see Chris wrap his arms around his best friend in an unusual show of affection. Chris often hugged her, or one of the kids. This, however, she had never seen before. And she averted her eyes as she saw Vin's arms wrap around Chris as well, because she knew it wasn't meant for her to watch. General Hammond was waiting outside with Colonel O'Neill ... both of them had said their good-nights.

Chris whispered, "You get some rest, kid. You've earned it." That was something else. She had never heard Chris call Vin 'kid' before. Vin was several years younger than Chris, but in the two years she had been at the SGC, she had never heard Chris mention that fact. It was as if he didn't notice. Adriana giggled ''kid' remark.

"Watch your back, cowboy," Vin retorted and Chris grinned. The colonel turned to face Adriana, and his eyes softened even further. He sat down on the bed beside her. For a moment, for just a moment, Adriana was fourteen again, and awakening from a nightmare to find her brother's new best friend there with her. The expression in his eyes was almost exactly the same, a mixture of sorrow and sympathy. No. Not sympathy. Empathy.

"Thanks for taking care of him out there, little princess. I know you two took care of each other, and I'm grateful for that. But you both are safe now, and we can take care of you. Both of you. So get some rest, hmmm? That's an order," Chris told her. Adriana nodded, then put her arms around Chris. He returned the embrace, gently rocking her from side to side. Again, as if she was still a young girl, plagued with nightmares.

Except now, Chris didn't let go. He just held her and rocked her. She was already exhausted from reliving the nightmare, from not truly resting in forty-eight hours. The young woman sighed and relaxed against Chris Larabee.

It was funny, when she thought about it. She was being rocked to sleep by a man who could terrify half of the SGC with just a look. That thought made her smile, and she was still smiling as she finally dropped off to sleep. She never felt Larabee gently lower her back against the pillows. Never felt him kiss her forehead. Never heard him whisper, "Sleep well, little princess." For the first time in two days, she was completely relaxed.

Part 7-C

Two hours after leaving the infirmary, the two teams re-assembled in the briefing room. It turned out the decision wasn't about whether they would go back, but who would go. Josiah rightly pointed out that Nadya didn't say outright that Dr. Costas and Loren McCabe were dead. In addition, despite the actions of the late and unlamented Captain Nelson, Nadya had allowed Vin and Adriana to leave. There was still a chance for an alliance.

It was for that reason that Ezra was chosen to go, along with Daniel Jackson. Teal'c would go, for his experience as the First Prime of Apophis. Josiah and JD would remain behind, despite the boy's vehement objections. It was Josiah who told the private, "You made a promise, son. That you would be there for Adriana, and catch her when she fell. You made a promise to Vin as well. That you would be there for him when he needed you."

"JD, we're going to retrieve the bodies of SG-3, and see if we can work things out with the Magyar. It's nothing glamorous. Major Carter is also remaining behind," Chris added. JD slumped in his chair, but didn't argue. Larabee turned his attention back to General Hammond, adding, "I'd feel better if Nathan went along, just in case there are wounded. Buck, you want to stay with Adriana?"

"Yeah, I do. I got a lot of time to make up with my little sister," Buck replied. Another name was marked off the list. Chris viewed the roster ... Nathan, Ezra, Daniel, Teal'c. That left one more decision to be made. Chris or Jack as the team lead. Chris Larabee wasn't the most diplomatic of men, but he was still a colonel in the United States Air Force. On the other hand, the same could be said of Jack O'Neill. Two Alpha males, on the same mission, was out of the question.

Or was it? O'Neill said, "Sir, why can't it be a joint command? There are two members of SG-7 and two members of SG-1. And I've worked with Chris before. Granted, we butt heads from time to time ... shut up, Daniel." The young archaeologist was laughing, even though he hadn't said a word. A ripple of laughter ran through the room. Even General Hammond was chuckling, though he was having a very hard time disguising it.

"And people say Vin and I are bad about that," Chris said, smirking at his colleague across the table. He ignored the muttered 'you are!' from his team. The blond colonel looked at the general, struggling to put the impenetrable Larabee mask back in place, and asked, "What do you think, General? I have no problem with Jack's idea, as long as we split into two groups."

"Yes, because everyone knows that Larabee's people follow one person, and that's Larabee," Daniel chimed in. Jack smacked the young man in the back of his head with a pile of papers, and the archaeologist continued, "It's true! Even Vin, when he works with other teams, makes it clear that the only man, or woman, he'll even consider taking orders from, is Chris Larabee. Why do you think Major Harris didn't want him with SG-3?"

"Because Major Harris, God rest her soul, was a fool until the end of her life, when she finally realized that she should have been listening to her guide instead of her pride," Josiah observed. A few listeners flinched at the harsh words directed at the dead major, but no one expected anything else from Josiah Sanchez. The man continued, "Now, while Brother Chris and Brother Jack are investigating this tribe, what should the rest of us do?"

"Josiah, I want you to stick close to Vin and Adriana. Neither of those two have accepted yet that this isn't their fault ... that there's nothing they could have done. They're second-guessing themselves, and that won't do any good. I should know, I used to be a master at it. JD, I want that mission report finished when we get back. Buck ... you know what to do," Chris told his long-time friend. Buck nodded.

"Sam, Adriana said that the weapon used against Vin as they came through the Stargate looked like a staff weapon. See what you can come up with, and contact the Asgaard if you need to. Keep in contact with Janet ... she might be able to help. Has anyone figured out why the wound wasn't as bad as it seemed at first? I mean, that looked like one helluva burn ... and yet, Vin's out of danger and on the road to recovery. That make anyone else curious?" Jack asked.

"According to Janet, there are two likely explanations. One, that the wormhole distorted the energy blast to the point that when it did strike Vin, the damage was ... well, relatively speaking, minimal. I've seen wounds from staff weapons before. Vin was very, very lucky. Either because of the wormhole distortions, or because whoever shot him was very inexperienced," Sam Carter replied.

"Inexperienced or not," Chris growled, "he shot a man in the back." He would never say the words out loud, but it wasn't just any man who had been shot in the back ... it had been Larabee's best friend, a man whom the others rarely saw in pain, much less badly injured. Larabee continued, "Ezra, when you make contact with Nadya, see what you can find out about this kid, why he attacked Vin and Adriana."

"There's something else that puzzles me. Remember when Vin came through the Gate with Adriana, right before the blast hit him? He said there were hostiles behind them. Hostiles, plural. But in the infirmary, he only made mention of one attacker," Jack observed.

"I'll take your word for it, Jack, I wasn't in there at the time. But Vin isn't one to exaggerate ... he leaves that for Ezra," Daniel observed. The Southerner rolled his eyes, and Daniel continued, "Admittedly, I don't know him as well as I'd like to ... I've always thought that he hides a lot of intelligence behind that uneducated Texas hick facade of his. But I do know he doesn't exaggerate situations."

"He only saw one ... if one Magyar male came after them," Nathan observed, "there might have been others. Vin don't exaggerate, but he don't take un-necessary risks, either. And there mighta been others on the hill. They didn't see no Gou'ald, but that don't mean they weren't there. We all know what they're capable of." Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. The medic continued after a moment, "So ... when do we leave?"

"In an hour. Get your equipment together, and meet back in the Gate Room in forty-five minutes. For the logs, I'm listing this as a joint team mission, under the command of Colonels Larabee and O'Neill. Major Wilmington, as long as you don't camp outside the infirmary, I see no reason for Dr. Frasier to object to your presence," General Hammond observed. Another ripple of laughter ran around the table.

"Thank you, sir, I plan on doing just that," the major replied with a smirk, which told everyone who knew him that he planned on doing more than just spend time with Adriana. Chris hid his own smile, knowing that Buck planned on making up for lost time. He hadn't done much flirting today, and Janet Frasier was a favorite of the major's. She was tiny, pretty, and feisty. While it couldn't be said that she encouraged Buck, she was amused by him.

"Just remember, if Dr. Frasier slaps you, I'm backing her up," General Hammond warned and Buck assumed his best innocent look. It failed miserably. . .JD was far better at it. Come to think of it, eerily enough, Ezra was better with the innocent look. The general added, still grinning, "Move out, gentlemen, and good luck!" JD bounded from his seat. Chris shook his head at the boy's energy. He wasn't sure where the youngster was going, although Chris doubted it was to work on his mission report. Knowing JD, he would probably watch Buck trying to get somewhere with Dr. Frasier. Yep ... that sounded like something the kid would consider fun!

It was hideously easy to find the Magyar village. All the joint teams had to do was follow the plume of black smoke which rose from over the hill. Ezra Standish swallowed hard. As they had passed the DHD, he had overheard Nathan mumble something about seeing where Adriana had been standing when she had been shot. As if that was something he really wanted to think about, even though he knew his chosen little sister would be all right? It had been hard enough, listening to her weave that final tale. Now, he would see what she had not.

He wasn't prepared for it. He would never be prepared for carnage which resulted when one of the System Lords went on a rampage, or when they decided a given people needed an object lesson. And this time, the object lesson had hit entirely too close to home for Ezra P Standish. People often thought Adriana Wilmington was a quiet woman, in comparison to her elder brother, and she was. But she could be a little bulldozer.

It had been difficult for Ezra to open his heart to the other members of SG-7. He had lived with more aunts, uncles, and cousins in his first twelve years of life than most people knew in a life time. He had learned all too quickly the best way to protect himself was to keep people at arm's length. By the time he was thirty-two, when he had been recruited into the SGC by General Hammond, he had convinced himself that it wasn't worth it, to care about people.

A twenty-four year old drifter, a modern day Robin Hood, had been among the first to try to befriend him. And even if they had never exactly become close friends, Vin Tanner had never judged him. Oh, Ezra didn't doubt that there were times when Tanner had shaken his head at his behavior. But with only one exception, he had never seen anything but acceptance in the guide's bright blue eyes.

And it was easy to like Buck Wilmington. As his sister had observed more than once, the man was a force of nature. He was a big man, with a big heart, and when he decided you were one of his, he would fight the devil himself. Ezra liked Buck. He was amused by him. But Wilmington didn't get any further than Tanner. At least, not at first. They had been together for several months before Ezra could finally admit how much he cared for them all.

Each of the remaining four found a place in Ezra's heart. And then there was Adriana. It had taken her exactly two minutes to blast a hole through his armor. And, as she was wont to do, it had been quite by accident. It seemed that in addition to being an archaeologist, she was fascinated by masks. The ones that you wear to a party, the kinds which you created. We all wear masks, she had said to him on her first day in the SGC.

She had seen through his mask. By watching him when no one else was, by seeing that mask drop, she had seen through the facade he presented to the world. In return, on her twenty-sixth birthday, he had presented her with a porcelain mask. That first gift was the beginning of a collection of masks. We all wear masks, she had said. Even Adriana herself, who seemed so open to the casual observer, wore a mask as a form of protection.

There was one time when neither had worn their respective masks. Ezra remembered the vacation they had taken in the mountains, about three months after Adriana had joined the SGC. He remembered sitting in the waiting room, half-hoping for news about Vin's condition and half-fearing what he would hear. He had held Adriana's hand tightly, while she had her free arm around the still shell-shocked Mary Travis.

Buck was still reassuring JD that he was all right, and Chris had been standing at the double doors to the OR. His back had been to them, but no one needed to see his face to know he was angry and scared, and angry at being scared. None of them had been wearing masks that day. Not JD, who had almost lost two big brothers that day. Not Mary, who had to kill for the first time in her life. Not Chris, who had almost lost his two best friends and a woman he was growing to love. Not Nathan ... not Josiah. Not even Ezra.

As the men travelled down the hillside, a woman appeared at the bottom of the hill. He recognized her immediately, from Adriana's description. She had an eye for descriptions, his little sister. Perhaps it was something she had learned from Vin, in the three years they had been friends before her departure for Germany, and his flight underground. But there was no mistaking this woman, not with her description or the aura of authority.

Chris had also seen the woman and he said quietly, "You are Nadya." The woman inclined her head, and Chris continued, "I'm Colonel Chris Larabee, United States Air Force. I'm a friend of V ... of Kevin and Adriana." Jack O'Neill smirked, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he planned to tease Vin unmercifully about his real name when he got back to the SGC. Chris continued, "This is my colleague, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and our respective teams."

Nadya bowed from the waist, and said to Teal'c, "I know of you. You are the one they call 'shovah.' The traitor. To my people, you are a hero. You are welcome." Teal'c inclined his head in response, no hint at discomfort from the 'shovah' label. Nadya continued, nodding to Ezra, "You are the one whom Kevin and Adriana called 'Ezra.' She spoke of you all. They both spoke of you all. You are all welcome."

"We thank you," Daniel Jackson said, "since you remember them fondly, we were hoping you could answer a few questions for us about them." Ezra rolled his eyes. He had NO finesse. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Dr. Jackson was far more subtle than his best friend, O'Neill. In some ways, it was amusing to watch the two men. However, Nadya didn't seem offended as she gestured for them to follow her.

"Kevin Tanner and Adriana Wilmington were attacked the morning after they left your village, in the woods. They were fortunate to survive. Do you know why they were attacked?" Teal'c asked. Nadya turned to face the men, sudden fury flashing in her eyes, and Ezra found himself taking several steps backward. Until he realized the fury wasn't directed against him. Well, that was a relief.

"I do. One of our young men blamed them for the attack of the false gods. He was angry that even one of them was allowed to escape, after the desecration of our sacred place. He wanted them all to die, as he believed them all to be guilty. It was he who attacked Private McCabe. The boy still lives ... but I had not the courage to tell them that he still lived. That it was one of my people who attacked the boy," she replied. They were approaching the village now, and Ezra was almost overwhelmed by the sight before him. The Gou'ald had to be stopped. Soon.

Part 7-D

Not a structure had been left standing. Had the Gou'ald been looking for Vin and Adriana? They had been looking for something. Ezra didn't know what that something was. And he knew they probably never would. He was distracted from that when Nathan asked, "You said that Private McCabe is still alive. What kind of injuries did he sustain?"

The medic was checking the contents of his bag yet again. Nadya turned to look at him, her eyes reflecting her curiosity. Nathan looked up, saw her expression and said, "I'm a medic, ma'am ... a healer." Now the chieftain's eyes lit up. She eagerly took Nathan's hand and led him down the hill to the ravaged village.

"Our healer died in the attack by the false gods, so I believed the boy would die. But he held on. He was cut here," Nadya replied, slashing a finger across her lower abdomen. Serious, but whether it was life-threatening or not depended on how deep the slash was. Ezra was no medic, but he knew that from the various injuries suffered by his teammates over the years. Nadya continued, "We discovered the warrior standing over him, the knife still in his hand. He swore he had killed him."

"Where is this boy now?" Chris asked in a low voice. It was bad enough, Ezra thought, that he had watched his best friend fall right before his very eyes, and could not help him. But to learn that Vin had placed his life at risk, not just once, but twice, for these people. Only to be shot in the back by one of their young hot-heads? Nadya lowered her eyes, and Ezra glanced at Chris, who was struggling to keep his composure.

To help the younger colonel, Jack O'Neill had put a hand on Larabee's shoulder. Just the sort of thing he had seen Vin Tanner do, to calm his friend. Nadya said very quietly, "He has been cast out. Look." She pointed to something lying on the ground. Teal'c walked over to the indicated object and picked it up, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. Ezra corrected himself. . .it wasn't one object. Or rather, it had been one object, at one time. Now it was two. It had been broken in half.

"It is the weapon of our young men. We are still learning to use it. Our benefactors showed us how to ... change the weapons of the false servants. Change it, and rebuild it, according to what is natural for us. When a boy becomes a man, he receives his weapon and he changes it. Builds it again. This was the weapon of the warrior who attacked Kevin and Adriana, and who attacked the young one called 'McCabe.' For this crime, his weapon was taken from him and broken. Then he was banished," Nadya explained to the questioning pairs of eyes.

"Banished ... without weapons, without protection. It's a form of sentencing someone to die," Daniel Jackson said suddenly, and Teal'c nodded slowly. Nadya lowered her eyes, and Daniel continued, "I've heard similar stories. From a variety of sources, on more than one planet. Leaving a warrior without a weapon leaves him defenseless against attack, and makes it more difficult for him to get food. And this boy, this young warrior, was banished for attacking our friends?"

"He was banished for attempting to kill three people who had been named our friends. One who fought for us, who was our champion," Nadya replied. A spasm of grief crossed her face as she whispered, "Terrible things are sometimes asked of us. You would agree, Colonel Larabee ... Colonel O'Neill? We are asked to do terrible things, for the sanctity of our tribe, for the protection of our people."

Chris nodded, though he looked confused. And then something clicked in Ezra's mind. A young warrior. Perhaps eighteen, nineteen years old. The grief in the chieftain's eyes. Her words that sometimes, a high price was exacted from those who lead. A sacrifice to be made. He raised his eyes to the woman and stated, "The warrior who attacked our friends ... it was your son, was it not?"

Nadya lowered her head, and that was all the answer Ezra needed. He felt dizzy, but remembered what Adriana had told him about this woman. She could have easily allowed her people to kill Vin and Adriana, for simply travelling with Captain Nelson. She had not. She executed the justice of her tribe the only way she could. He would never know what it cost her to sentence her own son to death ... he hoped he would never know. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Chris and Jack were also struggling with the revelation.

He stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. No words were said. She managed a weak smile, and Ezra said softly, "Dear lady, you have been through enough. But I ask now, could you take us to our young friend, Private McCabe? There will be some very happy people among the rest of our little family, to know that he's still alive. And perhaps our healer could help care for your people?"

Nadya bowed slightly, whispering, "The honor would be ours. Please. . .follow me." Ezra followed the woman down to the village, glaring at his friends once. Really, while Mr. Tanner was not an outstanding conversationalist, his company would have been far preferable! At least the man could take a hint! The rest of SG-7, and the three members of SG-1, began following him down the hill to the village.

Part 8

Chris was still trying to process what had been said. The chieftain of this tribe ... had sentenced her own son to die? For attacking ... ? He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around it. Not just the action she had taken, although that was a large part of it.

But he had also come to this planet, fully prepared to take his own pound of flesh. He knew that Vin and Adriana would be fine, but his heart had nearly stopped when Vin collapsed in the Gate Room. It wasn't the first time Chris had faced the possibility of losing his best friend. Hell, in the SGC, you faced dying every day. Facing the possibility of losing a team mate, a friend, every day. But that was out in the field, and Vin had been in the Gate Room when the blast fired by this woman's son had struck him in the back.

He had shot Adriana in the back of her thigh ... she would walk with a limp for a long time. And that's when it hit him. Adriana had been shot with a zat ... and Vin by that modified staff. Had the kid switched weapons? Chris asked as they drew close to the hut where McCabe was being treated, "Nadya, do your people carry zats?" Nadya frowned, mouthing 'zats?' in confusion, and Chris elaborated, "Zats. Small weapons, carried by the servants of the false gods in their hands."

Nadya immediately shook her head, and the others looked at him. Jack said quietly, "Adriana was shot with a zat. Which means Vin was right the first time. Hostiles, plural. There was more than one person shooting at them. Zats are short range weapons. They should have seen someone else, someone other than Nadya's son. Which means either Vin wasn't paying attention to the area around him ... "

"Or whoever else was there, was invisible," Daniel completed. The members of the two SG teams looked at each other uncomfortably, and the young archaeologist said, "Right. Well. I think we should see to Private McCabe and help these people, then get back through the Stargate and tell General Hammond what we found out. I know Colonel Larabee wants to get back to his people."

Nadya frowned as she led them into the hut, and Ezra explained, "Colonel Larabee looks upon V ... upon Kevin as a younger brother. He is our colonel's very dearest friend and confidante. And he is equally fond of Adriana." Nadya's eyes reflected her understanding, as well as fresh grief. And she was grieving for her son. For his brother, for his sister. And never far away was Larabee's grief.

Six years had passed since he had lost Sarah and Adam. Time had taken the edge off the grief, but it remained. While he had never truly forgiven himself for their deaths ... Ella had killed them to remove an obstacle to Chris ... he hadn't had an actual hand in their deaths. This woman, however, had effectively sentenced her son to death. The boy might survive, but it was questionable. It wasn't the sort of justice he would have chosen ... but it was justice.

And then Loren McCabe was crying out, his young face a mixture of joy and relief. Vin and Adriana had thought he was dead. Thank God they were wrong. Nathan knelt beside the young man, gently removing the bandages from his waist. Over the medic's shoulder, Chris could see the wound, and Nathan murmured, "Not deep, more a flesh wound. And it's not infected. Don't know how that happened, but I'm glad to see it. Think you're ready to go home, son?"

"Yes, sir! Dr. Wilmington and Mr. Tanner, are they okay?" the boy asked with concern.

Chris toned the rest of the conversation out, as Nathan and the others reassured the youngster that both Vin and Adriana were fine. Which wasn't entirely true, but they would be fine. McCabe would be fine. They would be bringing one person alive and in one piece. Which brought him to another question. He caught Nadya's eye and inclined his head toward the exterior of the building. She understood immediately, and the pair left.

Jack O'Neill followed, observing, "Too crowded in there." Chris nodded in agreement, and decided Vin had to have been in a lot of pain to remain in that hut as long as he had. Either in a lot of pain, or flat-out exhausted. Jack said, "I don't know about Chris, but I'm a little curious, Nadya. We were wondering if we might take the bodies of the others in SG-3 back with us ... where could we find them?"

"You may have Dr. Wyatt's body for whatever he believed. It has been kept in our river, to keep it cool. We believed you would be back for the bodies. . .and possibly for revenge. Captain Nelson's body ... there is not enough left to burn," Nadya replied calmly. Chris felt something jolt through him ... not just at her words, but the calmness in her voice. She hesitated, then continued, "We fear the false gods took the body of Major Harris. After the fighting was done, we could not find her body."

"What about Dr. Costas?" Chris asked, thinking of little Soraya. If McCabe had survived the attack of the chieftain's son, was it possible that Costas had survived the attack of the Gou'ald? Nadya frowned, and Chris continued, "A young man, a little older than V ... than Kevin and Adriana? Dark brown hair, brown eyes?" Nadya rolled her eyes at him in irritation, and Chris smothered a chuckle.

"I know of whom you speak. His body was not found, either. But we will not stop looking," Nadya replied. Which left them with one body to take home, one living boy, two missing in action, and one ... well, Chris didn't have much desire to try to track down what little remained of Captain Nelson. That would be a waste of energy, and Chris had other things that needed his attention. And Chris was more than a little troubled by the disappearance of the major's body.

"So. The fight between V ... Kevin and Captain Nelson was something else, huh?" Jack asked, obviously uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Chris looked at the other man, who smirked. Chris had a feeling that when they got back to the SGC, he would take every opportunity possible to tease Vin about his real name. Of course, Chris would have to get in a few comments as well.

"Kevin fought very well, yes. He is smaller than the captain was, but he fought wisely. With his head, not with his pride. We are proud to call him our friend ... our champion," Nadya replied. Jack just grinned, as if Tanner was his own younger brother ... or son ... or nephew. Nadya looked at the two colonels and said, "I am Nadya. The guide, the ... chieftain ... of this tribe. In the name of my people, I offer you my hand in friendship."

"In the name of our people, I accept your hand in friendship," Chris replied. Nadya smiled, a true smile, as Larabee's hand closed around hers. So many dead, so many missing, so many hurt. But they had their alliance. . .what Vin and Adriana and McCabe had endured wasn't for nothing. Maybe that was the most important thing. That the harm suffered by his younger 'siblings' wasn't in vain. He only hoped that Nadya could find her peace, as he had found his.

Epilogue, Part I

A Month Later

"Now," Jack O'Neill said, tossing beers to his guests, "tell me again why we're here, instead of at the bar." Chris Larabee caught his beer easily, leaning back against the counter. His eyes shifted to the others gathering in the kitchen. At his side was the still-recovering Vin Tanner. While the blast wasn't life-threatening, it did affect his mobility, and Vin was slowly regaining the full use of his legs.

"Because, Mary and I got tired of trying to explain to y'all why we're the Four Corners, and every time we go to the bar, somebody asks," Adriana Wilmington answered as Janet Frasier handed her a Coke from the cooler she had brought. Adriana leaned over to whisper something to Vin, who barely managed to keep from spewing the beer he had just sipped all over the kitchen floor. He struggled for several moments, before swallowing, then laughing helplessly.

"Don't ask," Buck Wilmington advised from his sister's other side, "Jack, just don't ask. I learned the hard way, when it comes to these two, you don't want to know." Vin turned even redder, and Adriana began blushing as well. Which told Chris that his old friend was right ... they did NOT want to know. The women ... Mary, Janet, and Sam ... just laughed and Janet exchanged a high five with Adriana.

"Is this like the time when Vin asked Adriana why, every time someone started talking about his hair, they brought up a food ... like caramel or butterscotch?" Cassie Frasier asked, easily placing Billy Travis on the counter top beside Chris, his hero. That provoked another spasm of laughter from the adults in the room. Vin's face was now roughly the same color as Adriana's Coke can.

"I think so ... and I think Vin's face is almost as red now as it was then. I seem to recall Mary telling Adriana if Vin turned any redder, his hair would change color," Janet told her adopted daughter. Everyone laughed, and Janet continued, "Now, Adriana, what exactly did you tell Vin that made him blush like that?" Adriana's only answer was a smirk, and Janet looked to Vin, who just shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. I ain't tellin' y'all what she said. Still can't believe she said it," the guide retorted, pushing himself away from the counter. He shook his head again, then added, "I'm goin' outside, where I can breathe." Adriana lightly drummed her feet against the cabinets, making her brother laugh, and Vin turned back, glaring at the young woman. Unfortunately for Vin, Adriana had grown up seeing the Larabee glare ... so Vin's had no effect on her whatsoever.

"Oh, all right! 'Long as ya promise, no more comments like that, girl. Shoulda washed out your mouth out with soap the first time ya said it. As bad as your brother, just about," Vin muttered. Still, the laughter in his eyes erased any worries about anger. Adriana just beamed and Buck swung her easily down from the counter. She could have made it, no question. But these days, Buck took every opportunity to hug his sister.

The two friends left the kitchen and headed outside. Chris looked at Janet, asking, "They're really all right?" The doctor nodded, taking a sip of her own coke, and Chris continued, "Vin gave me a bit of a scare yesterday, when he fell." The colonel winced ... Vin had slipped in the cafeteria, and landed on his back. Chris wasn't as worried about his tailbone as he was about the burn. Janet had said that the wound was healing, there was no infection ... but they were still learning about the capabilities of the modified staff weapons.

"They're fine. I know, you're protective of them both, Chris, but they're fine. Adriana has started walking without her walking stick ... and that was a great idea, Buck, getting her that walking stick when you took her to the Renaissance Faire," Janet said, referring to an 'outing' taken by the Wilmington siblings two weeks earlier, when Adriana had gained some of her mobility back.

The siblings had been spending a lot of time together in the last month. To help out, Vin had distracted JD, to allow the siblings to make up for lost time. It hadn't been as difficult as Chris had feared ... it seemed the youngest member of SG-7 had overheard Adriana admit to Buck that their father had molested her. JD had quietly given his mentor all the time he needed with his sister ... for whatever reason. Chris was grateful. He knew JD was growing up, but he hadn't felt up to refereeing a bout of sibling rivalry between the archaeologist and the cartographer. Now that she had her brother back, it seemed Adriana wasn't letting go for anyone or anything.

Buck smiled now and replied, "Well, I saw the way she was lookin' at it. It was a little thing to do, and I knew she would get good use out of it. She still hasn't told me everything about what went on, after I left. I figure she had some hard times while she was putting herself through school, before she met Vin. And I reckon he helped to save her life. It ain't anything she says, or he says. But just the way they both talk about those years ... I think they needed each other. It's just my baby sister is more honest about it."

"Damn strange, what can end up saving your life. For a lost little girl, it was a shy Texan teenager. For a washed-up colonel spinning out of control, it was a suicide mission and a space monkey who has a tendency to end up in the infirmary," Jack O'Neill said, ruffling the light brown hair of the space monkey in question. Daniel glared at his best friend, and Chris laughed outright. Jack continued, grinning broadly, "Now, as for a certain steely-eyed Hoosier who happens to dress almost entirely in black when he's in civilian mode ... "

"Speaking of my tendency to end up in the infirmary, as you oh so gracefully put it, Jack," Daniel said, interrupting, "what's this I hear about you placing bets in that pool? The one about how often Private Dunne and I end up in the infirmary in a given month?" All eyes turned inquisitively to O'Neill. Daniel continued, "I can understand you putting money on Vin, when he finally decided he had enough of Captain Nelson. But betting that I would end up in the infirmary more often than JD?"

Chris looked at his friend expectantly. Jack took a long swallow of beer, then looked at his best friend/kid brother and responded, "What can I tell ya, Danny? I like to bet on a sure thing. And two sure things ... that Vin could kick Nelson's ass, and that you'll find some way of getting banged up during a mission." The affection in his eyes took any sting out of the observation. Which didn't prevent Daniel from rolling his eyes.

"Gee, thanks, Jack, you are such a comfort to have around," the young man said sarcastically, drawing another laugh. Daniel shook his head, then added, "Excuse me, I think I'll go drink with adults." He glared at Jack as the colonel bapped him lightly on the head on the way out of the kitchen, and the remaining adults laughed again. Jack looked at them, still smirking, and raised his eyebrows questioningly, as if to say, adults?

"I think he means Vin and Adriana, Colonel," Sam Carter replied, laughing as well. O'Neill blinked, as if in surprise, and Carter continued, "Cassie, why don't you tell me what's been going on at school? The last time you were at the mountain, we didn't get much of a chance to talk." She put her arm around her honorary niece, and led her into Jack's living room. Chris just smiled, putting his arm around Mary as she stepped beside him. Vin had told him earlier that he needed to talk to Adriana ... there were a few things left unsaid between them. Chris hoped they had said those things once Daniel reached them.

Epilogue, Part II

"I'm sorry."

They had been sitting outside for no more than a minute when he heard the words.

Vin had arranged himself against Jack's deck, careful of his still-healing wound. Adriana sat directly in front of him, her legs stretched out in front of her, with her back resting against his shins. It brought back memories for the guide. They had often sat like this, back in Texas. Almost always on a hot summer night, when Adriana didn't have to worry about classes the following morning, and together, they would look up at the night sky.

More than once, Adriana had fallen asleep like that, her head leaning back against Vin's kness. And he would let her sleep for a while, before waking her ... or at least, trying to wake her. There had been a few nights when he had to carry her inside. The trust she had exhibited had taken his breath away. Trust from a girl who trusted no other male ... only Vin Tanner. He had betrayed that trust only once, and swore a silent oath. Never again.

So when Adriana said softly, "I'm sorry," Vin wasn't even sure he had heard her right. Hell, he thought he had imagined the whispered apology. Vin just waited, frowning. Adriana sighed, then looked down at her sneakers. He could only see the back of her neck, around the dark brown ponytail which controlled her hair this morning. She continued after a moment, "I'm sorry I didn't watch your back better."

"Drina? What are ya talkin' about? When didn't ya watch my back? You've always done a right fine job of it," Vin said slowly. He thought about what had happened over the last month, and wondered if that was why she had seemed so strange to him at times. As if she was holding back from him, but reluctantly. Not because she really wanted to, but she had been. . .tentative. Anxious, even.

"After the fight ... you passed out, remember," Adriana said quietly. Actually, from what Vin remembered, he had just fallen asleep, but he wouldn't split hairs with her right now. He was more interested in finding out where she had gotten this loco idea that she had let him down. And knowing her as he did, Vin also knew that if he interrupted Adriana now, he would never find out what he wanted to know. His long-time friend continued, "I was holding you, remember? And you told me that I didn't have to. You fell asleep in my arms ... and then ... "

Vin waited patiently. He remembered, of course. In the weeks since their flight from the Magyar village, the memories had come back to him slowly. Janet had said it was a combination of exhaustion, stress and pain which had caused his temporary black-out. Things had happened so damn fast, once that kid, Nadya's kid, had started shooting at them, and that hadn't helped, either. Adriana continued in that low voice, "I fell asleep, too. While you were trusting me to watch your back, I fell asleep."

Ahhhh ... now things were starting to make sense! Vin sat up, ignoring the dull ache in his lower back and grasped Adriana's shoulder. That touch was enough to turn her around. He said softly, once he could see her face, "Ya did watch my back, Drina. Ya forget, even asleep, I can deal with anythin' comin' at us from the front. After I had to leave Texas five years ago, I spent the next two years lookin' over my shoulder, 'til I met Chris and the others. Never really relaxin.' There is always a part of me which is awake, even when I'm asleep. And with ya coverin' my back, I knew I had to cover the front."

Now there was confusion in the dark hazel eyes, and Vin sighed, turning her around more fully. Bad enough that his back was hurtin' some, no reason for her to twist her spine into one of those pretzels she loved so much. He continued, "Ya was behind me, Drina. Woulda made it harder for ya to reach a gun, or any other weapon, and get a decent aim, even if ya was awake. What, ya thought all this time, ya let me down?" The dark hazel eyes flickered away, and Vin put a stop to that by drawing her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I reckon," she answered quietly. In other words, it had been eating her alive, ever since that night. Damn girl. Then again, Vin supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. She was Buck's sister by blood, but there were times when he could have sworn she was Larabee's sister by blood as well. Adriana looked up at him and sighed, "In my mind, I know I'm being stupid, Vin. But you had been through two fights already, you were tired, and I was supposed to stand guard. Alright ... sit guard."

Vin laughed and Adriana smiled ruefully. The guide said softly, "Ya was tired, too, Drina. Did ya really think I would blame ya for falling asleep? Hell, we had McCabe outside the tent, standin' guard. And we didn't run into trouble until we left the Magyar village. Ya did nothin' wrong, Drina. Nothin' in the world. Do ya understand me? I don't want ya thinkin' that ya let me down, because ya didn't. And ya never have."

There was a long silence, then Adriana nodded. Satisfied, Vin put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her back to sit at his side. They sat in silence for several moments before Daniel Jackson came outside, quietly laughing. Vin took no notice ... just kept his arm around his friend. Things didn't liven up again until the others spilled outside, laughing and joking. Even then, Vin tuned them all out. All except Chris Larabee, who sat down on his opposite side.

Chris and Adriana ... two opposite ends of the spectrum. Chris, who needed no words. Adriana, who needed mainly affection. It had taken Vin time to realize that ... and that he enjoyed showing her affection. Touching her shoulder, squeezing her hand ... a one-armed hug at times. His entire team had become his family, along with certain members of the SGC. SG-1. Mary and Billy Travis. Janet and Cassie Frasier. General Hammond.

Adriana, who had become his friend a long time ago, under a fierce sun. What had she said, only weeks before her graduation? Vin tried to remember. Someone had referred to Vin as her boyfriend, and Adriana ... yes. She had said that she and Vin were more than friends, and not quite lovers. Then added she didn't know if they would ever become lovers, and if even they did, it was no business of whoever.

Vin had laughed when she relayed that part of the story to him, looking grimly proud of herself. He laughed now, and Chris looked at him with an amused grin. He could see the question in his best friend's eyes. No, he would share the joke with Chris later. For now, he was content just to be. To listen to JD and Buck with their running jokes about Buck's animal magnetism and JD's peach fuzz. Nathan and Ezra sparring yet again, though not with the heat which had marked the first year of SG-7. Josiah easily laughing. Jack and Daniel bantering about something else. All welcome sounds.

He slowly became aware of humming coming from next to him. Adriana. And as he looked at her, at his first adult friend, she smiled and began softly singing, "I can see lights in the distance, trembling in the dark cloak of night. Bonfires are dancing, dancing, a waltz on All Souls Night." Vin smiled. He had heard that song one time when he had awakened in the infirmary. A song about the Celtic New Year. Endings and beginnings, wasn't that what Adriana had said? And it had seemed fitting for the Magyar alliance.

As the others fell silent, Adriana began the song again, and this time, Vin joined in. There was a slight hesitation, then Mary added her own voice, perhaps understanding what the song meant to the two friends. In his mind, Vin could see the bonfires of the song. The light in the dark. The light in the distance.

'All Souls Night'
by Loreena McKennitt

"Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
figures dance around and around
to drums that pulse out echoes of darkness,
moving to the pagan sound.

Somewhere in a hidden memory
images float before my eyes
of fragrant nights of straws and of bonfires
and dancing till the next sunrise.

I can see lights in the distance
trembling in the dark cloak of night
candles and lanterns are dancing,
dancing a waltz on All Souls Night.

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
held up tall as the flames leap high
the Green Knight holds the holly bush
to mark where the old year passes by.

I can see lights in the distance
trembling in the dark cloak of night
candles and lanterns are dancing,
dancing a waltz on All Souls Night.

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
figures dance around and around
to drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
and moving to the pagan sound.

Standing on the bridge that crosses the river
that goes out to the sea
the wind is full of a thousand voices
they pass by the bridge and me."

The End
Next Story: Under the Sun