More than Friends

By Deb

SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7

DISCLAIMER: M7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. I'm notmaking any money from writing this story, I just love to write. Adriana is mine, as are Priscilla Meadows (and her students, except Will and Charlotte Richmond, who also belong to Trilogy, et al.), Carly Tucker, and Dawn Jackson (okay, so is Detective McCoy). You're welcome to borrow them, as long as you ask first, and return them intact.

SPOILERS: Mainly my twisted version of Wagon Train, Manhunt and Vendetta, references to The Collector.

WARNING: Original characters, some violence, nasty language in certain sections, and this is gonna be a LONG story. I'm covering three years in this story, so it's gonna be long. It's not gonna be 'day by day,' just the highlights, but it's still gonna be long.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This begins in 1992, eight and a half years before the events in The Light in the Distance.

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Part Thirty-One

"How does that girl manage to end up in the middle? She doesn't want any attention, she tries to avoid it, so how does she always end up in the middle of it?"

Charlotte Richmond laughed quietly at her husband's question and called into the other room, "What's Adriana done this time?" Or more to the point, which cause had their young crusader taken on this time? Adriana was one of the topics that could be discussed without fear. The subject of their Lindsay was still a painful one, but they were making progress, putting the pieces of their marriage back together.

Will left his armchair and came into their kitchen, replying, "She hasn't done anything this time, it's her roommate, but Adriana is mixed up in it anyhow." Charlotte frowned thoughtfully. She didn't know Claire very well, but her impression was of another quiet girl, like Adriana. Of course, people who made the mistake of thinking Adriana was weak and incapable of taking care of herself usually got a really big surprise.

Will continued, "Apparently, Claire's disappeared. The dragon lady who protects the dorm won't let any of the reporters near Adriana, so I haven't heard anything from her, but the press thinks that a Native American kid who goes to a community college kidnapped Claire." Charlotte responded with an 'oh, puh-leaze' look. There had been a time when she thought about majoring in journalism. Time convinced her otherwise.

"The press wants the most sensational story possible, to sell newspapers and sound bytes, you know that. And it doesn't make any sense, anyhow. Claire goes to that reservation as often as Adriana does, they know her. There's no reason for anyone to hurt her," Charlotte replied. Will frowned and Charlotte added, "Adriana went to the reservation with Dr. Meadows last year, and she and Claire have been regular visitors ever since. Don't tell me you didn't know that?"

"I knew, I just didn't realize that Claire went with her. Adriana tell you that on the dig?" Will asked, and Charlotte nodded. She was beginning to realize that while both she and Will had confided in the sophomore, they didn't know nearly as much about her. Charlotte had guessed several things, but she actually knew very little. It occurred to her, too, that Adriana wanted it that way. Maybe she felt safer.

"Yes, she was feeling kinda badly that the dig didn't allow her to get to the reservation. From what she told me, she talks to Koje a lot. It's funny, you know. There aren't that many men whom Adriana has much use for, much less men who are old enough to be her father, but she seems to trust him. I would have thought that Adriana would spend time with the kids, I know how much she loves little ones," Charlotte replied.

"There are times when I would swear that girl takes pleasure in being unpredictable," Will growled, but Charlotte wasn't fooled. He was worried about Adriana. She could take care of herself, they found that out at the cabin. But as he had said, she had become like his baby sister. During the months since the stand-off at the cabin, they rarely had an opportunity to talk with her, because they had been too busy re-building their marriage.

"You want to head to the dorm, see if she needs us?" Charlotte asked. She had a pretty good idea what her husband would say, but she wanted to ask the question anyhow. Will looked at her, surprised. She just rolled her eyes. She cared about Adriana, too.

"No...no, she gets antsy with lots of people around. No reason to make it worse. If she's out in the lobby, trying to fade into the background, it probably means she can't go to her room for sanctuary. Which means they're probably searching the girls' room. No, we'll wait. Go later, when she's not overwhelmed with police and reporters. Do you think she resents us, for shutting her out the last few months?" Will asked.

Charlotte shook her head, replying, "No...no, I think she's pleased that we're talking to each other. Before, when she was just your confidante or mine, she was kind of in the middle. And she's had company the last few months. I saw her a few weeks ago, out riding with Vin." Oops. That was still a sensitive subject between the two.

"You would have left me for him," Will stated and Charlotte turned her back to the counter, away from the sandwich she had been fixing for herself. She folded her arms over her chest and nodded quietly. Yes. She would have. Will asked the question he had never been able to bring himself to in the last few months, but had always wanted to. He asked now, his eyes never leaving her, "Why? Was it that bad?"

"Yes," Charlotte hissed, her earlier good mood gone. They had never talked about Vin before now, only about Lindsay. Two years of mourning silently, never talking about the child they had created, loved, and lost, had come out in the last three months. But they had never talked about Vin Tanner, or about the events leading up to the stand-off at the cabin. They had never discussed her fear that he had sent those men to beat up the young bounty hunter, or the threat to Adriana's life.

Will's eyes flickered away from her, and Charlotte continued, "You didn't want me any more, Will. I tried so many times to reach out to you, only for you to push me away. I missed Lindsay too. And then we went on that dig...there were men paying attention to me, treating me the way you used to. But I didn't want them, I wanted you. I wasn't blind, I could see how you reacted when I looked back at them, but it wasn't the sort of attention I wanted from you."

She took a deep breath, then went on, "Then Dr. Meadows brought Vin in, to find Raquel. And my God. He wasn't like the others. He was gentle and shy and sweet and handsome. The way he would smile, it went straight to my heart, and I started realizing that I didn't have to be unhappy any more. That I had as much right to happiness as anyone, and I began to believe our marriage was over. But I needed to spend more time with him, to make sure."

"And then Boudreau's men beat him up...and threatened to rape and kill Adriana," Will said quietly. Charlotte nodded, sighing deeply. Yes. She had believed that Will's pride took one hit too many, and he had reacted. Will asked now, "Why did you believe I could do such a thing? Yes, I hated Tanner because you looked at him the way you once looked at me, but I would have never taken several men with me to deal with one. And I would have never threatened to harm Adriana. Hell, I didn't even know that Tanner was spending time with her!"

"I didn't know that, Will. And I never believed you would hurt Adriana, just threaten her to make sure Vin did stay away," Charlotte replied.

When Will said nothing, Charlotte continued, "I didn't think you loved me any more, but your pride was hurt. That another man was paying attention to me, and I was responding. That I was flirting with him, and yes, Will, I flirted with him. I suppose I'm lucky that you didn't assume he had kidnapped me after I rescued him at the hospital. But...what would you have done in my place? You did the same thing...except you turned to Adriana."

"Adriana was never anything more than my friend, my little sister, it's not the same thing at all!" Will hissed, outraged. Charlotte didn't back down, as she had in the past. She had spent two years backing down, trying to appease her husband. But this time, she wouldn't back down. She stared at him, making sure her face was a mask without emotion. Will looked at her and repeated, "Charlotte, it's not the same thing. I didn't leave you for her."

"Yes, you did. You shut me out, Will, and talked to her. You asked me if I would have left you for Vin, and yes, I would have. Because you had already left me. But you know something, neither Vin or Adriana is to blame for that. We dragged them into our mess, Will. Vin was trying to figure out what to do about me, that was why he was at the library that night, he was waiting for Priscilla, for advice," Charlotte replied, recalling what Dr. Meadows had told her. And saying the words...

Yes. Will had left her long ago. And when she looked into the eyes of a nineteen year old boy, saw the mixture of longing and fear, Charlotte had been unable to resist. Why shouldn't she allow herself to love this gentle, capable young man? It would have been so easy to love Vin Tanner, so terrifyingly easy. But...she still loved Will, she had realized that when he had been shot. Still, she had tried to tell Vin they could still go to Brazil or Mexico, or wherever he wanted. But he had just looked at her with those gentle, wise eyes and told her 'no.' He was right, and she knew it. Charlotte had set to patching up her marriage. Because she loved Will, and regardless of what she felt for Vin, always would.

"I'm sorry," Will whispered and Charlotte nodded. She was sorry, too. They were silent for a long time, then Will asked, "What do you think...maybe tonight, after the reporters leave? We should go to the dorm and see if Adriana needs us? We both...we both leaned on her. Used her. I think we should be there for her now." Charlotte nodded, a smile warming her face. Yes. Yes, that sounded like a very good idea to her. And another part of her marriage was healed.

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Part Thirty-Two

Dawn had come to the conclusion that most members of the press were the scum of the earth, not much better than politicians. And after seeing a third reporter make a beeline for Adriana, wanting a comment about her missing roommate, the den mother had had enough.

The rational part of her brain told her that they were trying to do a job. But Dawn was the dorm den mother for a reason, and she was fiercely protective of her cubs. With that in mind, she told the police officer who had been questioning her about Claire's classes, "I'm sorry, but those hyenas are closing in again, and I need to get Adriana away from them." The officer glanced at the girl in question, then nodded.

"We'll take this up later," the female officer promised and Dawn bobbed her head in agreement, then headed over to rescue her cub. She easily cut off the reporter who had been homing in on Adriana, and put her arm around the smaller woman, drawing Adriana to her feet. She tossed the reporter a fierce glare, then escorted Adriana upstairs, her mind working furiously. Her best bet was Carly. In the months since Boudreau had been taken into custody, Dawn had noticed that Carly had started hanging around Adriana more and more.

It wasn't so much that she was suspicious, but Dawn did wonder about that. Carly was one of her cubs, just as Adriana was, and ever since that harrowing week, Dawn had been worried about the blonde girl. There had been something not quite right about Carly when she excused herself to call her mother, and while Dawn hadn't called her on it at the time, she wished now she had. Caroline Patricia Tucker was starting to remind her of a volcano, just waiting to erupt.

For now, however, she steered Adriana down the hall, away from her own room, which the police were still searching. Yes, Carly was her best bet, and luckily, she didn't have a class right now. Dawn knocked on the door, taking a quick glance at Adriana. She wasn't quite so pale now, now that she had an escape from the media bloodlust. Carly opened the door, her white-blonde hair disheveled and her bright eyes bleary. Dawn asked quietly, "You don't mind if Adriana crashes with you for a while, at least not until the media circus quiets down?"

"What? I mean, no problem, but what's going on? I crashed as soon as I got back from class," Carly asked. Dawn sighed as she prodded Adriana into Carly's room, and quietly explained Claire's disappearance, the police now searching the girls' room, the media circus, and her inability to find a quiet place for Adriana that wasn't inhabited by the press or the police. As she spoke, Carly's bright eyes turned into stormclouds, but she just said, "I'll look out for her. Leave it to me."

"Thanks, Carly. Listen...is everything all right with your mom? You were a little...I don't know. You just seemed to be kind of on the outs with her," Dawn replied. Carly's mouth tightened, and Dawn continued, "Look, I've got a good relationship with my mom and dad. So I don't know what's going on with you right now. But Vin would tell you that after losing his mother at five, he would give a lot to have her back."

Unexpectedly, Carly laughed at that, as she replied, "Oh, I'm sure he would. But you see, that's the problem." Huh? Carly shook her head and looked away, murmuring, "It's not something I can talk about it. But I can't make peace with her. Not yet. She lied to me for nineteen years, Dawn. Nineteen years! And right now, I just can't bring myself to trust her. Now, I promise to look out for Adriana. But Claire better be all right when they find her, 'cause I'm gonna kick her butt."

Of that, Dawn had no doubt. She walked over to the bed and gently squeezed Adriana's shoulder. The dark head rose and Adriana offered a wan smile. Dawn returned the smile, coaxing a smile somewhat larger from her cub. She didn't bother to tell Carly to take care of Adriana. She didn't even tell Adriana to take care of herself. Instead, she quietly left the room and headed back to her own quarters, on the other side of the hall.

She needed to recuperate herself...the last few hours had been hell on her as well. Her conversation with Carly brought her uncle Obadiah to mind. He had been estranged from his son Nathan for the last several years. Her cousin had begun closing himself off from her uncle shortly after the death of Nathan's mother when he was seven. Dawn wasn't entirely sure, but she thought Nathan blamed Uncle Obadiah for his mother's death.

She had only been two years old at the time of her aunt's death, so Dawn didn't remember Aunt Rose. Truth be told, she didn't really know Nathan that well, either. He had left home when he was seventeen, twelve years earlier, and Dawn had grown up in Vancouver. The same crime which had destroyed her aunt's sanity left its own mark on her mother, and Dawn had spent several years of her life, only knowing Uncle Obadiah as a voice on the phone.

She needed to hear his voice now. With a sigh, Dawn Jackson drew herself to her full five feet ten inches, and shuffled across the room to her phone. She double-checked the clock...yup, it was all right for her to call her uncle on the East Coast. The phone rang twice, then she heard her uncle's voice. Smiling, Dawn said, "Hey, Uncle Obadiah, it's your favorite niece." There was a brief silence, then Dawn heard her uncle laughing.

"And that you are, my girl, that you are. How is Texas, little Dawn?" Uncle Obadiah asked. She could just imagine him now, leaning back in his chair, a warm smile on his face. God, Nate, you don't know what you're missing, she thought. Uncle Obadiah continued, "You know, I was just thinkin' to myself the other day, it's been a long time since I heard from my girl Dawn. I talked to your mama on the phone the other night, she's real proud of you."

Dawn beamed. She knew her parents were proud of her, but it still felt good. Knowing that they bragged about her. They had gone through tough times when she was a teenager, due in part to her mother's overprotectiveness of her. Both of her parents had been overprotective, and after living with her uncle Obadiah for a while, she understood why. It all went back to Aunt Rose...the rape which led to her suicide.

Mei Ling Jackson had been there, the day her sister-in-law had been raped. And so had Dawn, though she was only two years old. Mei Ling could not, even after more than twenty years, bring herself to speak of that day, but the memories never stopped haunting her. And Dawn had become a fiercely independent teenager, an independence that terrified her mother. How could she protect her child from the monsters, if Dawn wouldn't allow her to?

This was a sticking point, in addition to the normal problems of a teenager. Uncle Obadiah had stepped in when Dawn was sixteen, and convinced her parents to let Dawn live with him for a while. She had left Vancouver and traveled to Savannah.

He was a second father to her, someone with whom she could be totally honest. No subterfuge, no omissions to protect her parents. Complete honesty. Dawn said now, "I'm sorry, Uncle Obadiah, it sometimes seems to me that I never talk to you any more, unless I need something. Texas is fine, but I've come to the conclusion that you were right about raising kids." That drew a laugh from her uncle.

"Now don't you worry, little Dawn. That's what an uncle is for, to help his nieces. Especially his favorite one. What's on your mind, baby?" Uncle Obadiah asked. Dawn took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to begin. And her uncle just waited patiently, until the story began to pour out of Dawn. What had happened over the last six months on her watch. Adriana. Carly. Claire. Vin. The shoot-out at the cabin. Claire's disappearance. Dawn's sense that Carly was hiding something. The current media circus.

At last, she ran down, and her uncle was silent for several moments. Dawn didn't mind. She used the time to catch her breath, and calm down. She had been alarmed to find herself shaking like a leaf. Dawn knew herself to be a strong woman, knew she had reserves of strength. But over the last several months, as she had seen her cubs through one crisis after another, Dawn's strength had been running low.

Her uncle said very quietly, "I don't like the sound of this. I don't like the sound of Claire disappearin' like that, and I don't like the sound of Carly holdin' back. Wish I could come out to Texas, and be with you, little Dawn. Why don't you come home to Georgia for Christmas break, baby? Let someone else take care of you for a while? Your mama and daddy have been talkin' about going to Italy this year, don't know what you've got planned...?"

"Georgia for Christmas sounds heavenly, Uncle Obadiah, and I'd love to. I'll find someone to cover for me, since there are some who don't go home for Christmas. Thanks. For everything," Dawn replied. He didn't offer advice...he never did. He just listened, let her get the anger and frustration out. And he just loved her. Maybe, Dawn mused as she concluded her conversation with her uncle, maybe I should start learning from his example?

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Part Thirty-Three

As he had promised, Koje told Vin everything he could about Chanu. If he had been talking with an older man, a man of Koje's age and experience, Koje would have encouraged him to figure a few things out on his own. But Vin Tanner was a very young man, and Koje sensed that his patience was being sorely tested by the young brother of Claire Moseley. As well as his fear that he would find it necessary to give bad news to someone very dear to him. Koje didn't believe that would be necessary, but one just never knew how things would go.

Vin had listened to everything Koje said, then retreated to some place deep within himself, as if to measure what had been said. Try to come up with ideas about where Chanu might have gone with Claire Moseley. The boy was open-minded, had made no assumptions about Chanu or Koje, and the chief wondered about that. Even in 1992, there was plenty of bigotry, whether toward Native Americans such as himself and his people or anyone. One painful truth Koje had learned through his life...bigotry wasn't limited to one group of people.

As Vin Tanner continued to work his way through Koje's words, the chief used the time to further study the young bounty hunter. He was curious about this boy who had shattered so many of Adriana's protective barriers in such a short time. It had taken months before Adriana would even speak to him. The chief had met Adriana Wilmington more than a year earlier, when she had accompanied Priscilla Meadows to the reservation. The girl had said nothing during the meeting, and that had drawn Koje's own attention to her. She said nothing, and her eyes never stayed on one thing for more than a few minutes.

Koje had known Priscilla Meadows for several years...they had, in fact, grown up together. There had been a time when he had believed Priscilla was meant to be his wife, but the Spirits of his people had other, wiser ideas. But they had remained friends through the years, and when Priscilla needed advice concerning on archaeological dig on tribal lands, she always came to him. He wondered why she had brought this child with her, instead of one of her graduate students. Not that Koje had complained, since most of her older students did more talking than listening. It was much harder to teach someone who didn't listen.

Several more visits passed before Koje heard the girl's voice. But she didn't have to say a word. Koje had noticed the way her guard would drop when she saw children. And the way her eyes narrowed when she saw a father alone with a girl child. It made his heart heavy, to see this, and know what had caused it. He doubted if the child had spoken of it, but she was very foolish if she believed people would not know.

But she was a child, a girl of eighteen, and young enough to believe that if she didn't speak of something, no one would know of it. Words were meaningless...actions and expressions spoke far louder. As the months passed and Adriana had slowly grown more comfortable with Koje and the rest of the tribe, she began talking to him. Smiling. Even laughing. As time passed, as she began to relax, the outline of the true person began to emerge, the woman whom Adriana was meant to be.

"What do ya think? D'ya think Chanu left the state with Claire?" Vin Tanner questioned finally, and Koje returned his gaze to the young man. He was so...very...young. Koje knew from his conversations with Priscilla and Adriana that Vin Tanner was the same age as Claire, Adriana, and Chanu, only nineteen years old. But he wasn't a child. He had left childhood behind many years earlier, and a man was created in the child's place.

He replied slowly, "I am not sure. As I said, we speak little these days. If Claire planned to leave the state, however, she would not tell Adriana. From Claire's perspective, the less Adriana knew, the safer for them both."

Vin frowned and Koje explained, "Claire would not tell Adriana her plans, as a way to protect Adriana. They often argue about this. It is Claire's belief that she cannot put Adriana in danger with the police, for any reason, because Adriana ran away from home when she was only seventeen. Adriana is over eighteen now, but Claire wishes to make sure her father can't harm her, ever again. And, if her father ever came to Texas, Claire would help Adriana disappear."

Vin's mouth tightened as he nodded his understanding. Ahhh. So the boy knew! More than likely, though, he had guessed, as had Claire, and Koje, and Priscilla. Adriana would never speak of it, she was too ashamed. Even with the people who had guessed her secret, and told her, she never discussed it. That didn't stop Claire from urging her to get counseling. But Koje knew Adriana wouldn't seek counseling until she was ready to accept, on one level or another, that she wasn't responsible for what her father had done to her.

"Would Claire tell Adriana at all, or until she felt the danger was past?" Vin questioned. Koje didn't answer immediately. The boy was starting to get a sense of both Claire and Chanu now. Vin wasn't basing his answers just on what Koje was telling him, but on what the boy was hearing. He was trying to think like both Claire and Chanu. No...no, Vin Tanner was very young in years, but he was no child. Not at all.

"You do not believe my son took Claire Moseley against her will," Koje stated. The young man shrugged. He said nothing...not with words, not with his eyes. But Koje understood. He continued, "It's likely that Claire would wait until she believed the danger is past. And what of you, young hunter? Would you allow Adriana to fight at your side, rather than push her away?" A slow smile appeared.

"Hell," drawled the young man, "reckon if Miss 'Drina wanted to fight at my side, ain't much I could do to stop her. She does what she thinks is right. I won't let her fight my battles for me, but I ain't gonna tell her that we ain't friends." Koje nodded. Good. This boy did understand Adriana's heart then. Vin added after a moment, his eyes growing hard and his voice almost a growl, "That don't mean I won't protect her against that sack a' dirt who sired her."

"That's different, Vin," Koje said gently, "that's a battle she's not ready to face yet. She has yet to learn that not being ready to do battle does not make her a coward. And when she is ready to do battle, then she will need you at her side. Not behind her, not in front of her, but beside her. You cannot fight that battle for her, nor will she ask you to. She has her own sense of honor. And her code of honor says that she faces her battles."

"She ain't a coward for wantin' to face that piece a' shit on her terms. Reckon that makes her smart, not weak," Vin observed and Koje nodded in agreement. By Koje's lights, that indeed made her smart. A young girl such as Adriana had to choose her battles carefully. All people did, but young girls had to be especially careful. Vin said, "Thank ya for answerin' m' questions. I'll find them both." It was neither a threat nor a promise, but a statement of fact. And a statement which Koje believed. This man within a boy's body would find Koje's errant son and the girl. Of that, Koje had no doubt.

As the boy turned, Koje said, "One day, I will tell you more of the girl you call 'friend,' young hunter." Vin stopped and turned back to face Koje, who continued, "I would betray none of her trust, but I can tell you some things. Like, why she loves her brother and expects the worst from him. Things which make you curious." The boy just stared at him, shock evident, and Koje admitted, "They were things which made me curious...they must confuse you."

"Reckon there are a lot of things about Miss 'Drina which confuse me," came the unexpectedly wry answer, "but 'long as you don't betray her, I'll listen." Koje nodded his understanding and acceptance of the boy's terms, then the young bounty hunter left the school house. And left Koje to wonder exactly how the boy intended to find Chanu and Claire.

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Part Thirty-Four

At Vin's request, Detective McCoy dropped him off at his apartment before heading back to the police station with the Moseley's. Vin didn't think he could handle much more from those two, especially the loudmouthed son. As he slipped into his apartment, he saw the red light of his answering machine blinking. The guide strode over and tapped the button once, his hand tightening into fists at his side when he heard his friend's voice. Drina.

It had begun, then. He had known this would happen, sooner or later, but he had really hoped that it would be later. Had hoped he could keep Adriana out of this just a little longer. Vin leaned forward unconsciously, hearing something in the background. More than the regular bustle of the dorm. He knew that she had called from the payphones, since they were searching Claire and Adriana's room, but still...that didn't explain the unnatural bustle of the lobby.

Closing his eyes, Vin could almost see Adriana curled up on one of the stools, clutching the receiver as she called him. He shook his head and opened his eyes, glancing at the clock. Five pm. He knew that her last class had finished at three, which meant she had called him around three fifteen or so. Like the girls, Vin had an answering machine, but not caller id. It wasn't real likely that she was still in the lobby, and Vin didn't figure the police would be finished searching the room yet. Which left him with a slight problem.

Or maybe not. Vin hesitated only slightly, then began dialing a second number, one that he didn't know quite as well as Drina's, but well enough. He breathed a soft sigh of relief as the phone was answering almost immediately, and Vin said, "Dawn, it's me. Is Drina okay?" He waited as the den mother burst into excited chatter, telling him about the police and the media circus, about finally taking Adriana upstairs to Carly's room. Carly. Perfect. Dawn finally ran out of steam, and Vin said, "I need a shower, but I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Good. You can take Adriana to one of the dining halls or something, and you can both get something to eat. Right now, she needs someone to take her mind off Claire, and no one does that better than you do. She starts worrying about you, she'll be fine. You're right there for her to take care of," Dawn said. Vin rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The truth was, he knew Dawn was right. When she got worried, Adriana needed someone to fuss over.

And it wasn't like she really fussed. She was more subtle than that...she didn't hover, she didn't make a nuisance out of herself. She just needed to take care of someone, and Vin reckoned that if it would make his friend more at ease, he could suffer the discomfort of someone tryin' to take care of him. Perhaps hearing his thoughts, Dawn said softly, her voice almost teasing, "Being friends means that you sometimes have to make sacrifices, Vin."

"Reckon so, just so long as Miss Drina don't take it into her head to treat me like a kid," Vin answered. Dawn laughed, but Vin knew Adriana wouldn't do that. She had told him once that there were times she forgot they were the same age. She also said that there had been times when she did the same thing to her brother and his friend Chris. Vin thought of Koje's offer, to explain Drina's confusing relationship with her brother. And right confusing it was.

"You know her better than that, Vin. If anything, she holds back when she's with you. She can fuss a lot more over a person, I've seen her do it. But with you, she holds back. She's afraid that she'll drive you away if she lets herself go completely with those maternal instincts of hers. You know, Adriana said once when she was half-asleep that her mother never told her that she loved her. I wonder, though. Adriana is so fiercely protective of those she cares about. I wonder if her mother really did love her, very much, but could never say so?" Dawn mused.

"Whaddaya mean?" Vin asked. He had heard the same thing...always when Adriana was half-or-mostly asleep, and it had broken his heart. One night, as she had drifted to sleep, lying back against his knees, she had mused that there was something wrong with her...her mother hadn't loved her and her brother didn't want her around. Then she had giggled almost hysterically and said she was whining, and oh how she hated when she whined.

"I mean, that sometimes, in order to keep something they love, people distance themselves. Like...like after my aunt died, and as I grew up, I noticed how my dad acted with me, and how he acted differently with my sisters. He was a lot more affectionate with them than he was with me, but he was so...very...it was like he was trying to put me in a cage. It wasn't until I went to live with Uncle Obadiah that I started to understand. In some ways, I reminded him...my dad...so much of my aunt, he pushed me away, because he was afraid of losing me, the way he lost Aunt Rose," Dawn explained.

Vin thought that through. And while he was thinking, Dawn continued, "Now, I was sixteen before I figured this out. That even though he never said it, even though he never showed it, my father loved me very much. And still does. I was sixteen. Adriana was eight when her mother was murdered. I didn't know her mother, I couldn't tell you if I'm right. But what if her mother never told her that she loved her, or showed her love, because she was afraid of losing Adriana?" Vin froze as a possibility occurred to him.

Control was the name of the game with abusers, a lesson which Vin had learned very early. He might not have thought of it in those terms, but it was a lesson he understood all too well. One person dominating another. Adriana never spoke of her father, but her hatred of Claire's controlling father was obvious. Perhaps hatred of her own father came out when she spoke of Owen Moseley? Vin didn't know, but it would explain a lot.

He said very slowly, "And maybe, Miz Wilmington never told her little girl that she loved her, 'cause she was afraid Adriana would be taken away." There was a long silence on the other end of the line, then Dawn inhaled sharply. Vin thought over what he had just said. There was something important there...something... He shook his head as he lost track of whatever had occurred to him.

Vin said, "I'll be there around six fifteen. Tell Drina not to bother dressin' up, we ain't goin' nowhere special." Dawn laughed and agreed, then hung up. Vin replaced the receiver. Afraid her little girl would be taken away. Why the hell was that so important? Why did it keep repeatin' in his head?

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Part Thirty-Five

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just in case anyone doesn't know, the Pat Benatar song which Adriana semi-quotes in the first paragraph is 'Love is a Battlefield.'

This was exactly what she had needed. A few hours away from the dorm, even away from the concerned look she saw every time she looked at Carly. A few hours away from the media circus, away from the police (who had, blessedly, left her alone after she explained that she hadn't seen Claire since her roommate's departure for the holidays), and a few hours with someone who just took her as she was. No promises, no demands, she thought, remembering an old Pat Benatar song. Which summed up her friendship with Vin Tanner almost perfectly.

They were sitting opposite each other in the student union. The building had small 'restaurants,' not a dining hall, not a cafeteria. Just...a snack bar? That worked as well as anything, she supposed. Adriana took a sip of her Dr. Pepper, then glanced at Vin. He was gazing at something just past her head, his expression thoughtful. She asked, "Want to tell me about it? Whatever's bothering you, I mean? And don't try to tell me 'nothing,' I know better."

Vin smiled ruefully and replied, "Just thinkin,' is all. Thinkin' on how glad I am, that you're okay. I was worried when I got that message on my answerin' machine." Adriana wondered if her surprise had shown on her face. In the months she had known Vin, she had never heard him say anything like that before. Vin continued, "Wish I coulda protected ya from all this. Stopped any a' this from touchin' ya, at all."

"Not possible, Vin. And I've seen my share of ugliness before. What do you think is going on? I've met Chanu. I don't know him as well as I know his father, but I have a really hard time believing that he kidnapped Claire," Adriana stated. True, he had seemed fascinated by her. Claire was a beautiful girl. But predators were drawn to weakness, not always to beauty.

Or what they thought was weakness. Adriana's own instincts had been honed to recognize a predator, and her instincts were telling her now, Chanu was no predator. Could he be dangerous? Hell, Adriana herself could be dangerous when she wanted to be, even she knew that. Would he hurt Claire? She didn't believe that. Her gut told her that Claire had kept her out of the loop...again...but she couldn't tell Vin what she didn't know.

However, it seemed Vin was already thinking along the same lines, for he said, "Reckon ya do. I'm havin' a hard time believin' it. And why didn't ya never tell me that ya knew Koje?" Adriana just looked at him over the remains over her hot dog, and Vin continued, "I about broke m' jaw on the floor when Koje mentioned you. Damn, girl, just when I think I got ya figured out, ya go and prove me wrong!"

Adriana grinned at the mock-indignant expression in Vin's bright eyes, answering, "Well, then, stop trying to figure me out!" Vin responded with a mock growl, which set her to laughing, and Adriana continued more seriously, "Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, I don't know if bounty hunters have client-hunter privilege, or if you can discuss anything with me, but I'll do anything I can to help you."

Vin's eyes softened as he replied, "I ain't rightly sure, Drina. We done tried everythin' we could think of. Credit card receipts, but I found out from Koje that Chanu don't have one, and neither does Claire. ATM cards, we done tried to trace the rental car, but that didn't pan out. Hell, it's like they dropped off the face a' the planet, and I ain't sure what to suggest next." He was growing upset as he talked and Adriana's heart ached for him.

"I wish there was something I could do," she repeated. Vin responded with a closed-mouth grin, the one which always told her that he understood and appreciated what she was trying to do. Realizing that they wouldn't get any further, Adriana decided to change the subject, telling him, "There was something I wanted to ask you, since you're a bounty hunter. I remember watching a movie with my brother once, it was about one person taking over the identity of another person. Have you ever had that happen?"

"Ya mean, my bounty pretend to be somebody else, so I wouldn't take 'em in?" Vin queried and Adriana nodded. She honestly couldn't remember why that memory had popped up in her head. Maybe it was Vin's influence...she had begun entertaining ideas of talking to her brother. None of the usual bullshit that went on between them, but really talking to Buck. Her friendship with the soft-spoken young man across the table had given her strength...or maybe helped her to find strength that she hadn't realized she had?

"Yeah, I reckon it has," Vin admitted, "like there was one bounty I was trackin.' Tried to fool me into thinkin' he was a rancher named Jess Kincaid. 'Cept, I already knew Jess Kincaid...he had kinda looked out for me in Tascosa, 'fore I left. An' even if I didn't know Kincaid, I woulda known it couldn't be him, 'cause of the way Lily was shakin.' Lily was, I mean, is, Kincaid's daughter. She wasn't afraid a' me, but of Eli Joe, the lowlife I was trackin.' Well, I took him down anyhow, and last I heard, he was servin' time for armed robbery and manslaughter. Reckon he's up for parole soon."

This was said with a snort of derision, and Adriana's heart hurt for him all over again. Her expression must have given her away, for Vin smiled and said, "Aw hell, Drina, don't be like that! Times when the good guys win! Like at the cabin. Ya might not be real good with the rifle, but I was plenty grateful ya were there. I ain't never had nobody to watch my back 'fore. And I reckon I couldn't really push ya away, even if I wanted to."

Adriana grinned and replied, "Well, I don't know about that, Vin. I know myself pretty well, and I've been known to go off and pout for a while. It's just...easier...that way, sometimes, than realizing what a little fool I've been. But I promise you this, I won't stay gone for long. I will always come back." Vin looked at her, and Adriana was more than a little rattled to see moisture in his eyes.

But he smiled and said, "Reckon that's the most anyone can ask for. Ya ready to head back? I know ya got studyin' to do, and I gotta get back to the apartment, see if Detective McCoy's come up with anythin' yet. Walk ya back to your dorm?" Adriana nodded and Vin rose to his feet, then came around to the other side and pulled back Adriana's chair for her. She accepted his offered hand, drawing her upright.

So much for the end of chivalry, but that was just who Vin was. A gentleman, even if he kept saying otherwise. A gentleman, and a good man. It sometimes seemed strange to Adriana, that this man, who was her own age, was so much older than she was. And that they had so much in common. Not in terms of likes and dislikes, because they were still getting to know each other in that respect...but they...now how did Dawn say that?

Dawn had commented that the five year old in Vin corresponded with the five year old in Adriana, and despite the experiences which had aged him beyond his physical years, the nineteen year old in Vin corresponded to the nineteen year old Adriana. The young archaeology student had blinked in confusion, then Dawn had further explained, "You let Vin be his age, without being immature yourself. No, that's not even right...you let Vin be himself, regardless of his age."

Oooookay. Whatever that meant. And really, it didn't much matter, because Adriana was just happy he was in her life. As they walked back to the dorm, Adriana was seized by a sudden, playful impulse, and snuck her fingers under Vin's brown suede jacket to brush his ribs. A surprised yelp was her reward, and Adriana giggled. She glanced both ways as she ran toward the street which separated her dorm from the student union building...good, all clear...then sped across the street.

Vin followed her a few moments later, grabbing her by the belt loop of her jeans and tickling her mercilessly. She stepped up her own attack, giggling and gasping for breath, until he was as breathless as she was. As he tried to squirm away from her waggling fingers, Adriana slipped her arms around his waist, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for Vin to loop his arm around her shoulders and draw her close.

They breezed into the dorm together, still laughing, still holding onto each other...at least until they got to the stairs. At which point, all bets were off.

Vin began tickling her again, and Adriana squealed with laughter, the sound echoing in the stairway. She pulled away from him, almost falling up the steps at the same time, but she quickly regained her footing and ran lightly up the stairs and darted through the door to her floor. Taking several quick breaths, she waited for Vin to come through the door...and once his familiar sandy head appeared, she ran in the opposite direction. Catch me if you can!

Continued...

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