More than Friends

by Sablecain

Alternate Universe: Stargate

Author's Note: M7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. 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.

Section I

Part One

There were times when Adriana Wilmington swore she had chosen the wrong profession. It wasn't getting dirty she minded. It wasn't even the hot Texas sun. Getting up early ... that was a bitch. And Adriana was not a morning person. She never had been. And likely, she never would be. But as a sophomore in college, the nineteen year old knew from hard experience that the upperclassmen had the first shot at the later classes. It was called 'paying her dues.'

It was something of a misnomer to call herself a sophomore. She had just finished her freshman year a month earlier, and classes wouldn't start again until August. Still, it sounded better than 'freshman,' whom many of the upperclassmen called 'lowlifes.' And that was one of the more flattering terms. Well, screw 'em. Adriana had better things to do with her time than worry about what people thought of her. Like making sure she achieved her goal ... her degree. Preferably making the Dean's list, but that remained to be seen. The last two semesters had been hell on earth for her.

She had survived hell before, and she had survived her freshman year. She was one of the 'grunts' on the dig, helping the upperclassmen, who got to do most of the interesting stuff. Adriana didn't mind that, not really. She was curious about how everything fit together, and why things were done a particular way. It went back to paying her dues again. Besides, to be a freshman/sophomore doing anything other than grunt work meant standing out. And Adriana liked being invisible ... liked the security it gave her.

Most of the time. When her advisor had asked for volunteers to help find the little girl who lived next door, Adriana hadn't hesitated. Especially not when Dr. Meadows added that the child was only five years old. They had been out most of the night and into the day. The previous night, while Adriana and the others were asleep, a new factor was brought into the picture.

Yawning sleepily, she made her way over to the tent where coffee would be served, where she found Will Richmond, one of the grad students, already up. He took one look at the bleary-eyed girl and offered her a cup of coffee. She accepted it gratefully and asked hoarsely, "You look like you never even got to bed, Will. What happened? Dr. Meadows said that the tracker they were bringing in would be looking through the night."

"Charlotte happened. She took one look at him, and decided we would help him look," Will growled. Adriana winced at the reference to her friend's wife. They had been married for several years, had been high school sweethearts. Two years earlier, they had lost their daughter to crib death. Things had spun out of control for them ever since. Part of it, Adriana knew, was Will's fault. She had urged him not to shut out his wife, but he refused to listen. After a time, Adriana finally gave up. She figured as long as she was still his friend, there would be hope.

Adriana replied quietly, "You can hardly blame him for that, Will." He glared at her, but Adriana had grown up around her brother's best friend, Chris Larabee ... and that man had a glare that would freeze most ordinary mortals in their tracks. Will's glare had no effect on her whatsoever. Maybe that was why they got along so well. Adriana continued, "I'm not gonna argue about this with you, Will. But you know I'm right. I just hope that it doesn't take losing Charlotte for you to come to your senses."

"You're a nineteen year old kid, what would you know about it? What would you know about anything? You didn't find your baby daughter dead, for no good reason! I've spent the last two years trying to figure out what the hell Charlotte did wrong the night before, that caused our little girl to die!" Will exploded. Adriana's spine straightened, even as a shadow fell in the tent. She focused her attention on Will, however, not the newcomer.

"I didn't find my daughter dead, Will ... but I did find my mother dead. And I hope I never lose a child. Losing my mother and my brother was hard enough, but I don't think I could tolerate losing a child. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see Dr. Meadows, see if this new tracker came up with any new ideas. There's a little girl out there who needs us. And I'll be damned if I'll let her down," she replied.

She turned, even as she saw the guilt in Will's eyes, and almost collided with Charlotte herself. She muttered an apology, then brushed past the older woman. The trouble was, Will was right. It was none of her business. And she had no idea what it was like, to lose a child. But Will was her friend, and she didn't want him to be hurt any more than he already had been. Adriana straightened her shoulders and headed for the tent where she knew she would find her advisor.

She found the tiny woman writing in her journal and sipping coffee. Priscilla Meadows looked up with a smile, then sighed, "Let me guess ... the first person you encountered was big-mouth Will." Adriana gave her advisor a weak smile, and Dr. Meadows motioned her to sit down. The woman continued, "He's a dear boy, and a very good student, but there are times when he can be very stupid. He's losing Charlotte and he doesn't even realize it." The marital problems faced by the Richmonds was known throughout the camp. To Adriana's disgust, there was even a pool on which undergrad Charlotte Richmond would sleep with first, to get Will's attention.

"I'm not sure if he cares any more, Dr. Meadows. And he was right, I should stay out of it. God, when am I gonna learn to stay out of things? I learned the hard way to avoid attention, and here I am at college ... " Adriana sighed, sliding to her knees beside her advisor. She shook her head as she sipped her own coffee, and looked at her advisor. Remembering something Will had said, she asked, "Is this tracker that good-looking? He seems to have caught Charlotte's eye." Priscilla's green eyes twinkled with laughter.

"My dear girl, he could make an old married lady like myself think indecent thoughts, and I'm old enough to be his mother!" the woman replied and Adriana laughed. Priscilla patted her hand, saying, "Adriana, you are a good girl. You have a big heart, and you are very bright. When you adopt someone, as you have adopted Will, you are very protective of them ... and that includes trying to protect them from their own foolishness."

"It's still none of my business," Adriana muttered. Dammit, dammit, dammit, when would she learn? She was starting to understand why Chris stayed out of things like this. Priscilla put a comforting arm around her slim shoulders, giving her a gentle hug. Adriana relaxed against the other woman, able to accept her touch. As she had told Will, she had found her mother's dead body when she was eight years old. Katrien van Gesen Wilmington hadn't been the most loving mother ... in fact, Adriana couldn't remember ever hearing her mother say 'I love you,' in English or in Dutch.

But still, she had been Adriana's mother, and finding Katrien's limp, nearly bloodless body had nearly shattered the little girl's sanity. If it hadn't been for Buck ... Adriana steered her mind away from her brother. Priscilla said, "Why don't you go over your notes? Vin won't wake up for another hour or so, if he's as smart a boy as I think he is." At Adriana's questioning look, Priscilla explained, "Our new tracker. Vin Tanner."

Part Two

He had never been able to resist when it came to children. Perhaps remembering the years after his mother's death, of travelling with migrants all over the American Southwest, had something to do with his decision to help find five year old Raquel Hernandez. And maybe the fact that Raquel was the same age he was when his mother died. But when Priscilla Meadows had asked for him personally to help find the child, he couldn't say no.

Kevin Tanner, known to most people as 'Vin,' had garnered a reputation as a bounty hunter and tracker in Texas during the last three years. He had learned his skills from a variety of places ... he had known a fair number of Indians while he was growing up, and they had taught him about tracking. When other kids were learning the three R's, Vin Tanner was learning to track. To hunt.

He dropped out of high school when he was sixteen, knowing he couldn't keep his secret for much longer, and left Tascosa, where he had been living for most of the school year. He had gone to another town, and lied about his age. It wasn't hard to fool people, not with the stubble and the hard look in his eyes. But Vin Tanner had only been alive for nineteen years on the day he had agreed to help find Raquel Hernandez, though he could have easily passed for twenty-five.

Some saw through his disguise ... the stubble and the shoulder-length hair, the soft, raspy voice, the hard blue eyes. Some, but not many. Most people saw what they wanted to see, and if people ever actually saw the youthful features under the wide-brim cowboy which protected his eyes from the Texas sun, they just ignored it. Which was fine with Vin Tanner. It was easier to get people to take you seriously, if they didn't realize you were nineteen.

Besides, he felt closer to twenty-five ... so much older than most of the other volunteers. He knew from Dr. Meadows that they were actually older than he was, but they seemed terribly young to him. He watched them through the flap of his tent now. Vin would have preferred just sleeping under the stars, no tent ... he had done it many times before. However, Dr. Meadows insisted, since she didn't want to worry about any of her charges stepping on him.

He had slept for maybe an hour after returning to camp with Dr. Meadows and the Richmonds, but the sleep was fitful. Vin wouldn't be able to relax until Raquel was back with her family, and he was away from the dangerous couple. Charlotte Richmond looked at him in a way that both terrified and exhilarated him. No one had ever looked at Vin like that before. And Will Richmond had been seething every time he caught his wife's eyes on the young tracker.

He watched the couple through the open tent now. Will was following one of the youngsters to Dr. Meadows' tent, Charlotte only a few paces behind him. Vin shook his head. Lord, why had the man ever bothered to get married, if he was gonna treat his wife like that? Vin didn't remember his father ... he didn't even know if his pa had been married to his ma. But he remembered his ma ... remembered how much she had loved him. And he didn't want to believe that his pa had ever treated his ma like that.

Whoever Richmond had been following slipped into Dr. Meadows' tent and the graduate student turned on his wife with a vengeance. Aw hell. If there was one thing Vin couldn't stand, it was the mistreatment of women. One of the other grad students interposed himself between the fighting couple, and Vin stayed put. At least for the moment. What the hell was wrong with Richmond, that he went chasing after an undergrad, when he still had a wife?

Vin had found himself talking to the woman the previous night, just because he couldn't stand to see a woman look so sad. Much less one as pretty as Charlotte was. He had felt Will Richmond's eyes stabbing into him, but Vin had ignored it. He had a feeling that before things played out, he and the grad student would get into it, but the young man would try to keep himself focused on the task at hand.

Yes, think about little Raquel. A little girl who was alone and scared, possibly even hurt. Vin's heart hurt, just thinking about what that child was going through.

He wondered about the other volunteers, wondered what their part in this was. Why they were helping to find a child whom none of them knew. Vin didn't doubt that some just wanted to return a little girl to her family, but he had been around enough to know that wasn't always the case. It sickened Vin, that someone would use a child to make themselves look good in the eyes of their professor, but he supposed they could use all the help they could get.

Well, he would take the measure of each when he officially met them. The only ones whose names he knew were the Richmonds, and the young girl whom Will Richmond had followed to Dr. Meadows' tent. The professor had pointed out the girl when Vin arrived the previous night with Mrs Hernandez. Actually, Mrs. Hernandez had asked if that was Dr. Meadows' daughter. The archaeologist had laughed and replied that the girl, Adriana Wilmington by name, was one of the undergrads who was helping on the dig.

Vin had been a little surprised when he learned the girl was a college student, since she didn't look any older than sixteen, but he didn't let it concern him. He was nineteen, and most people didn't know that. There was no reason why this girl had to be the same age she appeared to be. Mrs. Hernandez had been somewhat surprised, but she didn't really care. As long as her little girl was found, that was all that mattered to Anne Hernandez. Vin meant to find that child. After taking a look around the area the previous night, he had a few ideas about where they might find her. He knew a thing or two about finding children.

Especially when the child was trying to hide. According to Mrs. Hernandez, Raquel had overheard an argument between her mother and grandmother, regarding the little girl's future. Raquel's father had died in the Persian Gulf War ... Desert Storm ... whatever the hell you wanted to call it. But he had died and there had been a few promises which Mrs. Hernandez made to her husband before he left for the Gulf with his reserve unit.

In any event, Mrs. Hernandez had wanted to honor her husband's wishes, while her mother wanted something else. She hadn't explained it, but Vin reckoned the explanations weren't that important. The end result was, the argument had frightened Raquel and she had disappeared in the night, 'bout thirty-six hours earlier. By now, Vin knew she would be tired, hungry, scared and wanting only to go home. He knew all about it. About being five years old, and wanting to go home. But unlike Vin, Raquel had a family.

It wasn't that hard to start thinking like a five year old, so that would make his life a little easier. And, Raquel knew Vin. That was another bonus for the young man. Raquel knew him, and she trusted him. The only other person she knew was Dr. Meadows ... the little girl was likely to get even more frightened if a stranger showed up.

That had caused an argument with Richmond ... one of many, the previous night. Arguments between the two weren't limited to Charlotte. Richmond seemed to think that since he was the senior grad student and the unofficial student leader, he knew how to track. Ah, no. And he didn't know the way Raquel's mind worked ... didn't know where she would hide. Vin wouldn't tell him where to dig ... but Richmond had to stay out of his way while they were looking for Raquel. Vin just didn't see that happening for some reason.

Sighing wearily, the boy eased himself back onto his bedroll. Dr. Meadows had said that they wouldn't be ready until at least nine, which gave him the chance to get another hour of sleep. He didn't know if he could sleep anymore. It seemed every time he closed his eyes, he could only see Charlotte Richmond. Vin tried to tell himself to forget it, that a married woman was nothing but trouble ... but Vin Tanner couldn't resist children in danger or women in need.

Part Three

Well, this was a fine kettle of fish. Priscilla Meadows shook her head as she watched Adriana Wilmington return to her tent for her notes. The girl had begun compiling a field journal of things she had observed ... it was as much a commentary on the tensions among the various students as an observation of techniques and rituals. Priscilla wouldn't call Adriana 'brilliant,' but she did see a bright future for the girl. Maybe not as an archaeologist ... only time would tell what kind of future that would be for her. But a bright future was in the cards, nonetheless.

"Is Adriana all right, Dr. Meadows?" a shamed voice asked as Priscilla headed from her tent to get some more coffee. She had a feeling today would be a long day, especially if the tension continued to mount between Will and Vin. The professor turned to see one half of that pair looking at her. Adriana hadn't told her what had been said, just that she shouldn't have interfered. More than likely, she was right ... and under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have.

"She will be. Will, how long had you known her before she had told you about finding her mother's body?" Priscilla asked in a quiet voice. Will looked away, even more ashamed, and Priscilla continued, "I want you to think about this, the next time you give her a hard time for caring about you. She was eight years old that morning, when she came home from school. She was already sick, the teacher had to drive her home. And she found her mother lying on a blood-soaked sheet. Eight years old, Will, can you imagine that?"

Priscilla knew she couldn't. She didn't know what had happened to Katrien Wilmington. Adriana had admitted she went into shock ... the next thing she remembered was hearing her brother's voice, but that was hours later. For nearly six hours, she had sat on the sofa in the living room, still dressed in her bloody clothes ... and until her brother arrived, no one had tried to help the little girl.

That was Priscilla's assumption at least. Now, she looked hard at Will Richmond and said, "Now, I know you have decided you've got everything under control with your marriage. You've decided you don't love your wife enough to fight for her, and you won't get a divorce. And maybe Adriana should just let you destroy what remains of your marriage."

Will started to protest, but Priscilla continued icily, "Maybe she should do that. The question you have to ask yourself, then, is if you're willing to sacrifice your friendship with Adriana, as you already have sacrificed your marriage to Charlotte, on account of your pride. The only reason Adriana speaks up is because she hates to see you hurting. She's very protective of her friends, you've known her for two years ... you should know that by now. And she may be shy, but if you're unwilling to accept her as she is, then she isn't willing to have your friendship."

"She's just a kid ... she doesn't know anything about being married or having a kid. It's not her business what I do," Will muttered. Priscilla shook her head. Why did she bother? Why did she even open her mouth? He would never understand. She caught sight of Adriana's bowed dark head through the tent flap, her small hand flying across the page of her journal, and wondered how that small, shy, but determined girl had come to matter so much to her.

"You're wrong. You made it her business when your problems began to affect the group. You made it her business when Adriana had to listen the others make bets on which undergrad Charlotte would sleep with, trying to get you to pay some attention to her, aside from putdowns. But that doesn't matter to you, does it? People are just pawns to you, for you to use until you get tired of them. You've used Charlotte, you've used Adriana. You never cared about either one of them," Priscilla told the young man. She shook her head in disgust.

She looked first at Adriana's tent, then at Vin's. And she smiled. That would work. She looked back at Will, saying, "You know, I'm Adriana's advisor ... and I'm gonna advise her to dump you as a friend. And while I'm at it, I'm gonna ask Vin to stay away from Charlotte ... the boy wants to save a lost soul, he can save Adriana. Charlotte has a whole group of boys just dying to sleep with her. Adriana just has me."

She walked away from the grad student, heading for Adriana's tent. She had to be very careful about this. Adriana was, in her own way, as sensitive to outside interference as Will was. But Priscilla was worried about the girl. She was a good student, very focused on getting her degree. Maybe too much so. Her only true friend was Claire Moseley, her roommate, and the daughter of a missionary.

A new frontier had opened up in Russia, with the demise of communism. Men like Reverend Owen Moseley saw the potential to bring God to millions of Russians who had grown up under communism, believing as Marx did, that religion was the opiate of the masses. That was where Claire was going when she graduated. She would be her father's assistant in Russia, and that was why she was learning Russian.

What Claire wanted was unknown to anyone besides Claire and Adriana. The missionary's daughter had been good for Adriana ... the girl from Colorado was no longer silent. She still avoided attention like the plague, but Claire had convinced her to have some fun while she was at college. Adriana still worked too hard, but Priscilla was convinced that was because she was running from demons in her past. Adriana was a good girl, but she hadn't yet learned that you could never outrun your demons. That eventually, you had to stand and face them ... and make them run. And to do that, you needed help. You couldn't do it alone.

Vin Tanner had demons of his own. Priscilla could see those demon in the young man's eyes. However, he was in the process of facing them. By helping them find Raquel. Yes, he was in the process of facing his demons, but he was only nineteen. Priscilla smiled fondly as she stared at the tent where the boy was hopefully sleeping. He had thought he had fooled everyone into believing that he was the same age as Will and Charlotte, but not Priscilla. Not a woman who carefully checked out everyone who worked with her.

Yes, he could benefit from Adriana's fierce protectiveness, just as she could benefit from his ... being. There was no one thing about Vin Tanner which told Priscilla how he could help Adriana. The entire package would be good for her. She couldn't put them together on this venture ... despite her affection for Adriana, her main concern at the moment was Raquel Hernandez. But after. Yes, after ... then they would see.

By nine, they were ready to move out. Five people would remain behind, to continue the dig and watch the camp site. The other twenty students, undergrad and grad, would accompany Vin and Dr. Meadows to find Raquel Hernandez. To his dismay, Vin discovered that Dr. Meadows had placed him with the Richmonds, as well as the girl Richmond had been chasing toward the professor's tent, Adriana. Oh, this would be a day from hell!

He had awakened at eight thirty, feeling a little more alert, and found the coffee tent. Dr. Meadows was there as well, conferring with Anne Hernandez. Vin was a little surprised ... he had thought the mother was back at her house, but Anne insisted on remaining. She was in charge of the map. Vin was the only tracker/guide with the group, but there was one other who knew the area as well as he did. Dr. Meadows herself, and she would be with the other group.

Vin would take ten people and search the area he had canvassed the previous night, while Dr. Meadows would take the other ten, and do another sweep of the places they had searched previously. While drinking his coffee, Vin had run through a mental list of likely places for the little girl to hide. She was only five years old, there was little food and water out here, even less shelter, and she had to be within this small area.

Before Vin headed out with his group, Anne Hernandez grabbed his hand and said, "When you find my baby, give her a message for me. Tell her no matter what Grandma says, I will not change her name to Rachel. Her name is Raquel Hernandez, the daughter of Mark Hernandez, and that will never change." Vin blinked in surprise. Say what? Anne sighed, "Mother wants me to change Raquel's name to Rachel Henderson. Anglicize it. I love my mother, but she's a snob. I promised Mark that Raquel would grow up proud of her heritage, and I will keep that promise!"

There was something more going on here than a simple name change. Vin had spent most of his life studying people in one way or another, and he knew that there was something Anne wasn't telling him. It wasn't none a' his business, of course, but there was somethin' she wasn't saying. Somethin' important. Perhaps seeing something in his eyes, Anne added, "And tell her that Grandma won't take her from me. Not now, not ever."

Ahhhhh ... now it made sense! Vin nodded to the woman, replying, "I'll tell her, ma'am." That had been nearly an hour earlier, and Vin's group was a half hour into the search. He cast a gaze around the group. After a quick check of the water in the canteens, he had elected two big men in the group to carry the extra canteens. No sense in anyone getting dehydrated. He hadn't had any difficulty with one man, but the other, Boudreau, had insisted that the little sophomore Adriana carry the canteens, since that was her job.

For the first time since his arrival, Vin discovered that he and Richmond were in agreement. Richmond got into Boudreau's face, hissing, "You're a helluva lot bigger than she is, Boudreau, and those canteens are heavy. Now, if you want to make her carry those things, fine. But when she collapses from heat exhaustion, you can carry her back to the camp. And you can explain to Dr. Meadows that you made a one hundred pound girl carry her weight in water."

Boudreau hesitated and Charlotte Richmond took a step forward, putting her arm around Adriana protectively. She didn't say a word ... but Boudreau backed down. Richmond was exaggerating somewhat. The canteens probably didn't weigh as much as the little sophomore, and the girl looked like she was in good shape, but that was a risk Vin didn't want to take. Boudreau ungraciously accepted his share of the additional canteens. There were only ten of them total, but Boudreau's attitude that the Wilmington girl was a slave to the rest of them, just 'cause she was younger, had gotten Vin's Irish up.

"We ready?" he asked brusquely. The others nodded. Charlotte gently squeezed Adriana's shoulder, then moved away. The exchange puzzled more than one person ... Vin was still wondering about it thirty minutes later. Not the gesture of support, but the surprise that had registered in the eyes of just about everyone there. He didn't let it take up too much of his concentration, as his eyes scanned the area for what he was looking for.

"Hold up," he said and broke away from the group. An object had caught his eye. Small. Pink. Something that seemed hideously out of place. He knelt down and gently scooped the object into his hand. Small. Pink. A little ballet slipper, it looked like, but it was actually a child's slipper. Vin knew. He had seen this little slipper on the feet of Raquel Hernandez more times than he could count. She had fallen asleep in his lap, wearing these slippers.

"She's here," he said, rising to his feet and turning to face the others. He held up the pink slipper, and continued, "Split up. Montoya, take five people and circle around. Dr. Meadows tells me that you know this area purty good. A little bit ahead, there's an outcroppin' of rocks, big enough for a lil girl to hide in. You know the one?" The woman nodded, her face grim. She chose four people whom Vin didn't know, as well as Boudreau, and moved in the direction Vin had indicated. The remaining four would accompany Vin, and that's when trouble really hit.

Part Four

Adriana wanted to fade into the desert. She had learned over the last few weeks how to dress out here in the desert, and how to avoid dehydration. Now, she was wishing she had also learned how to make herself totally invisible. She appreciated that Tanner and Will had wanted to protect her, and she really hadn't been looking forward to carrying the canteens. But she could have handled it. She had done it before, when she was working as a waitress.

Knowing Boudreau, he would spend the rest of the dig making her life as miserable as possible. Shit. And then Charlotte ... Charlotte, of all people, had put her arm around her. It had taken every bit of self control Adriana had created for herself to keep from flinching when she felt a strange hand on her shoulder. She was already the focus of too much attention, and if she flinched at Charlotte's touch, she would be facing questions she didn't want to answer.

And Will, who had been unusually quiet until Boudreau insisted she carry the additional canteens, made up for it when Tanner decided they needed to split up. But Adriana could see the sense in the man's idea. Adriana thought about being five years old, and having to face so many strangers at once. While she didn't know the terrain as well as Cass Montoya, Adriana knew about the rocks. There were places where a little girl could slide down, and if the group split into two, it would be easier to search for her.

Will, however, was resenting this man for his interference, as Will saw it. Ever since they had set out, Charlotte had flirted with their guide. Adriana had only listened to her with half an ear, since she had other things on her mind. Until Will protested the group being split up, and an argument began raging. Tanner was quiet, even more quiet than Adriana was, but he was also stubborn.

"Damn you, I'm in charge! You shouldn't have split us up!" Will was saying now. Adriana sighed, shifting her position ever so slightly. Tanner's response couldn't be heard by the others, but Will snarled, "When we get back, I'm gonna have Dr. Meadows get rid of you! You work for her, and I'm her second in command, so you listen to me! We went over this a thousand times yesterday, she's not here!"

Tanner finally turned to face them all, the wide-brimmed cowboy hat falling back to reveal his face for the first time. Adriana hadn't had a chance to see what he looked like until now ... And now, she blinked in surprise. Oh. No wonder Charlotte and Dr. Meadows had reacted that way! He ... was ... handsome. He was several inches taller than the five foot, two inch Adriana. Light brown hair ... now damp with sweat ... fell to his shoulders, lightly brushing his collarbone. He had bright blue eyes, and more than a hint of stubble lined the strong jaw. High cheekbones. She wondered if he had any Indian ancestry, or maybe Irish? He looked Irish to her.

His voice was even softer than normal, so soft Adriana had to strain to hear it. But there was no mistaking his tone. You did not cross this man ... and if you made the mistake of thinking you could push him around, because he was quiet, you'd live to regret that mistake. He said now, "You do what you gotta, Richmond. I ain't said nuthin' 'bout the way you treat your wife, and go chasin' after young girls. But I reckon if you don't shut up, and let me do my job, you're gonna make it right hard for me to keep my mouth shut."

"In other words, Will," Andrews said with some exasperation, "shut up and let the man do his job! He doesn't tell you how to dig, now don't tell him how to track!" The big man, who was carrying the additional canteens for their group, shook his head in disgust. He muttered under his breath, "How Charlotte has put up with your crap for the last two years, I'll never know. Stupid idiot." Will took a step toward Andrews, and Adriana had had enough.

"Will, stop! Doug is right ... stop letting your pride get in the way, and just let Mr. Tanner do his job. He's trying to help this little girl, just like we all are," she said, stepping between the two men. It wasn't the smartest thing she could have done, stepping between two men who were a good bit larger than herself. And she was immediately cursing herself for that, as well as for once more putting herself in the spotlight. Center of attention. Shit.

Will stopped his advance. Adriana was scared ... she had never pushed him like this before. She had never physically stopped him before. And she had no idea what he would do. But she stood her ground, because she didn't know what else to do. And as Boudreau had, less than a hour before, Will backed down. He turned away with an oath, kicking a rock. Adriana looked back at Tanner, who had replaced his hat and now tipped the headpiece to her.

She didn't know quite to make of the gesture. She had lived in Texas for two years, and it wasn't the first time she had seen a man tip his hat. But it was the first time someone had tipped his hat to her. More to the point, she wasn't entirely sure what it meant, coming from this man. Doug Andrews muttered, his brown eyes twinkling with laughter, "You know, kid, you keep this up, and everyone else on the dig may actually realize you have a backbone."

"What was I thinking? First I push him this morning, telling him that if he's not careful, he'll lose Charlotte, now this. I just couldn't let him ... I know what it's like, to be alone and afraid. And I won't let anything stop us from finding that little girl, not even Will's pride," Adriana muttered. She didn't see the surprise in Doug's eyes ... or the sorrow in Will's. She just knew that if she hadn't said something, something bad would have happened.

"A marriage is a two way street, kid. And unfortunately, Charlotte's frustrated enough to start sleeping with other men, if it gets Will's attention. She knows she's got power in this group. You know Boudreau is one of the guys sniffing around her?" Doug questioned and Adriana nodded. He was, actually, the top choice for Charlotte in the betting pool. It seemed Charlotte had noticed his eyes on her. Maybe Will had as well, and that had been part of his argument earlier? Ew. Doug continued, "She was effectively tellin' him earlier, that if he didn't do what Will and Tanner said, he didn't stand a chance with her."

"I'm being a bitch, I know she was trying to help me, but that makes me uncomfortable. Her using that with Boudreau," Adriana admitted quietly as the pair trudged along. For the first time, Adriana was alarmed to realize that she had just figured out one reason why she liked being invisible. Being in the spotlight forced her to face certain things she didn't want to face. Like her fear that she would use people to get what she want ... use and manipulate. Adriana had been used for nine years, and the possibility that she could do that to another person made her nauseous. She didn't ever want to be that desperate.

"He found her," Doug muttered, and Adriana blinked. Huh? Shit, she had lost track again. But Doug was right. Tanner had found the little girl. The two looked at each other, then began trotting to catch up with the others. Adriana's breath caught in her throat. Tanner was on his hands and knees on one of the rocks, peering down into a gap. Yes. Between two boulders, there was a gap, large enough for a child to slide through.

And then she looked at Tanner. Something was wrong. He was dangerously in control. At this moment, his face grimly determined, he reminded her rather strongly of Chris. He said quietly, "We won't need rope. She ain't far enough down to need it, just far enough that she can't climb her way out. One of us can go down and get her. Y'all stay up here and find the food and the first-aid kit, I'm goin' down."

"I'll get her out!" Will bellowed. Oh, not this again! Charlotte's face looked pinched with fear as her eyes darted between the guide and her husband. Had she seen the flash of fear in the guide's eyes? Wait a minute. Tanner had said first aid kits, as if there was nothing wrong with her other than some scratches. If she hadn't fallen that far, that would be about right. Maybe a busted ankle or torn ligaments. So why ... ?

Of course. The fear wasn't for Raquel. It was for Tanner. He was claustrophobic. And he was willing to go down in there for that little girl anyhow. Like he really needed Will's desire to turn this rescue mission into a pissing contest? Adriana shocked herself by saying, "We don't have time for this. I'll go." All eyes turned toward her and Adriana swallowed. Just had to go and open her big mouth, didn't she? But she continued, "I'm the smallest person in the group, I have a better chance of sliding in and getting her. Mr Tanner, if you could tell Raquel I'm coming down? She doesn't know me, but she knows, and trusts, you."

She had done it again ... put herself in the spotlight. What was wrong with her? Tanner stared at her for several moments, then nodded. He knelt beside the boulder and Adriana shrugged out of her backpack immediately. Charlotte helped her, first taking the canteen from Adriana's belt, then the backpack. She whispered, "Just to be safe, take the first aid kid with you. I'll put it on your belt, where the canteen was."

Adriana nodded as Doug took the backpack and canteen from Charlotte, then the other woman clipped the first aid kit to her belt. She gave Adriana a quick hug, then murmured, "Good luck, and be careful." Again, Adriana nodded then scrambled onto the rocks beside Tanner. He was answering Raquel's questions, and Adriana shuddered, hearing the tears in the little girl's voice. It would be all right. They would get her out.

She tried not to think about what would happen once she got down there. She hated spiders. Hated bugs of any kind. What the hell kind of archaeologist she would be, with her hatred of insects other than lady bugs and butterflies, she didn't know. She would be spending a lot of time outdoors. Tanner smiled at her reassuringly, and for some reason, that calmed her. Or maybe it was just the quiet faith in the blue eyes.

She didn't know. But she was committed now, and she would not fail.

Part Five

"She's a brave kid," Doug Andrews observed as the girl eased herself into the crevice separating the two boulders, "quiet, but brave. I would imagine you know a few things about girls like her, Mr. Tanner. The kind who think of themselves as cowards, but do the right thing because it's the right thing to do." Vin looked up from Adriana Wilmington's progress. She had begun talking to Raquel as soon as she began lowering herself into the crevice, reassuring the child. Nonsense talk, which had nothin' to do with nothin.'

"Reckon I know a few things. That one ain't a coward. She only thinks she is. How long you known her?" Vin asked, arranging himself more comfortably on the boulder. He ignored the black glares from Richmond. Vin had been wrong about the relationship between Richmond and the Wilmington girl. From what he had observed, they were just friends. He seemed to care about her, about as much as he was able to care about anyone.

"Two years, same as Will. We met her when she was working as a waitress at an all night truck stop, trying to get enough money together for her first year of college," Andrews replied and Vin shook his head. A waitress at an all-night truck stop, and she calls herself a coward. Andrews continued, "Will noticed one of the guys picking on her. This particular loser had stopped with his family, and he decided picking up a girl on the side would be fun. She said no, and one of the truckers stepped in before either of us could."

Andrews peered down into the crevice, adding with a sigh, "Seventeen years old. We didn't find out how old she was until a few weeks later. She had left home about two months earlier, and was a bit sensitive about people knowing how old she was. I still don't know how she got from Colorado to Texas, and she never told us. Just that she knew better than to hitch-hike. Will tried to convince her to go home over the next few months, and she finally blew her stack. Told him exactly where he could go. We didn't see her for a long time after that."

He had deliberately lowered his voice, as if the girl probably wouldn't want him to be tellin' all this to a stranger. For that matter, Vin wasn't sure he wanted to know all this. But Andrews seemed to want to talk. He went on, "We were afraid she had been hurt ... Charlotte got tired of us 'pussy-footin' around,' as she put it, and asked the manager. Adriana had quit about two weeks after Will pushed her too far about going home. Gave her two weeks notice, and the manager had no idea where she was. He had seen her once since then, when she had come in to pick up her check."

Vin glanced back down into the crevice, seeing only the back of Adriana's head as she knelt in front of Raquel. Andrews continued, "The next time we saw her, she was coming out of Tapestry ... you know, the store for weddings." Vin had never heard of it, but that didn't seem to matter to Andrews, who went on, "Anyhow, she was coming out of the local distribution center. Hair pulled back in a ponytail, she didn't look more than fifteen or sixteen. She was working at a warehouse, putting away enough money to start college."

The man didn't seem to realize that his voice had steadily grown louder over the last few minutes. And Richmond, to Vin's surprise, had stopped giving the two men dark looks. Instead, he seemed thoughtful.

Whatever else Andrews had been about to say, he was cut off by the somewhat impatient sounding Adriana, who sighed with exasperation, "Andrews, if you're finished telling my life story up there, you can help me. Raquel wants to go home, and we can't get her home until she's outta here." Doug Andrews winced, and scooted closer to the edge, reaching out for the child. Inside the crevice, Vin could hear Adriana say, "Now, Raquel, Doug is gonna lift you up, and give you to Vin, then he's gonna pull me out. Okay?"

"Okay, Miss 'Driana," came the little girl's answer. Vin blinked. The Raquel he knew was very shy around strangers. There was a long silence, Raquel giggled. Vin had no way of knowing what the college student had said to the little girl, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. Women, he had learned at the youthful age of fifteen, were very, very dangerous. And they started early. Raquel said, still giggling, "That's silly!"

"But it's true! Just ask when you get up there! Ready, Doug?" the college student asked. Before Andrews could say 'yes,' Raquel had been catapulted into his arms. From the corner of his eye, Vin saw Richmond smirking, like he had expected as much. The little girl wriggled free to throw her arms around Vin, who was knocked somewhat off-balance by the child's fierce embrace. Vin steadied himself on the boulder, keeping a protective arm around Raquel.

"I'll remember that, kid," Andrews growled as he grasped Adriana's hands and pulled her to safety. As she emerged from the crevice, Vin slid easily down the boulder, still holding Raquel. The college student emerged from the hole, covered in dirt. She brushed herself off, a mischievous smile lighting her face at the big man's threat. Somehow, Vin had a very hard time believing that Doug Andrews would ever harm the girl.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. Sheesh, Doug, I was trying to get your attention for five minutes, while you were running your yap!" Adriana scolded as the big man helped her down from the boulder. Vin happened to be facing in that direction, watching the pair as they bantered ... which was how he saw the girl flinch, ever so slightly, when Andrews put his hands on her waist. That was the second time she had done that.

"Sorry, kid. I just can't resist talking about one of my favorite people, especially when you decide to show you've got a backbone after all. You know half the people on the dig are convinced you're a doormat. I'd pay money to see what would happen when one of them pushed you too far. I bet that would be fun to watch," Andrews teased. For the first time, Vin saw evidence that the girl had a sense of humor, as she stuck her tongue out at the big man.

Vin turned away, so none of the others would see his grin, and saw Cass Montoya heading toward them. The woman waved her arms, seeing the small figure in Vin's arms, and picked up the pace. Andrews sighed, sounding as if he had lived a thousand years, "Ah, well ... all's well that ends well, isn't that right? Miss 'Driana, isn't that what she called you? I'll have to remember that. 'Miss 'Driana,' I like that."

"I have no problem with you calling me 'Driana.' But 'Deedee' and 'little princess' are off-limits. My brothers call me that. No one else is allowed," the girl parried.

"Little princess? What makes you think I'd want to call you that, especially the way you look right now! I shouldn't call you 'little princess,' but 'Cinderella.' Hey, Cass, you would never believe it. Adriana's got a backbone, she stood up to Richmond earlier! And she's got a sense of humor. I always knew it, but she likes to hide it until someone makes her forget why she should hide it," Andrews yelled.

The man couldn't leave well enough alone, it seemed. As attention once more focused on Adriana, Vin saw her withdraw into herself. To take the attention off her, Vin said, "Let's get back to the camp. I know a ma who's gonna want to see her baby girl." Raquel froze in his arms, and Vin whispered, "Your ma gave me a message to give ya. She said to tell ya that your name is Raquel Hernandez, not Rachel Henderson ... and that your grandma ain't never gonna take ya away from her. That's a promise."

Raquel relaxed with a sigh. She put her head on his shoulder, then just as suddenly, she looked up at him and said, "I'm real hungry, Vin. I tried to be good, like you taught me, but I couldn't eat bugs. I couldn't remember which ones I could eat, and which ones would make me die, and it was dark. And I'm scared of bugs, so I just sat where Miss 'Driana found me." Her small face was screwed up with a combination of disgust and fear.

Vin laughed and hugged the little girl tightly, murmuring that she had done right good. He began walking ahead of the others as the little girl proceeded to fill him in on everything that had happened to her since overhearing her mother and grandmother's argument. The little girl had quite a story to tell. And Vin had no doubt that it was a story she would tell to her own children and grandchildren. His mind was no longer on the archaeology students who had helped to rescue the little girl, but on the little girl herself. Raquel was safe ... and once she was delivered into her mother's arms, Vin's job was done.

Part Six

The dig continued without any further incident, at least of the potentially tragic kind. For the next two weeks, Adriana steadily avoided Will, though that wasn't easy. The arguments became worse between the grad student and his wife, and Adriana was awakened more than once. It seemed Will had been felt threatened by the handsome guide who had found Raquel Hernandez and he steadily grew more boorish in his behavior.

Adriana, who was still edgy about being touched, had taken to inviting Charlotte to eat with her. Charlotte had seen something in Vin Tanner. Possibly a brighter future? Adriana didn't know. The two women never discussed him ... or Will. But Adriana had realized with Vin's departure just how lonely Charlotte was. The girl was no stranger to loneliness, and it hurt her heart to see others lonely. While she couldn't have said that she and Charlotte actually became friends, they did reach an understanding of sorts.

Rather, as Will had once confided in her, she now found herself Charlotte's confidante, as the woman began pouring out her heart. During the last two years, she had lost more than just her baby. She had lost her husband as well. The woman admitted that there was a part of her which tolerated her husband's treatment, because she blamed herself for their daughter's death. Until she had met Vin Tanner, and realized that she didn't have to be unhappy. Adriana, who was no stranger to a lack of kindness, understood all too well. And while she had become Charlotte's confidante, she knew better than to try to advise the woman on what to do. After all, she was only nineteen years old, she had never even had a boyfriend. What did she know?

That didn't stop her from feeling as if Charlotte would cause more trouble if her fascination with Vin Tanner continued. Trouble for herself, trouble for Will. Trouble for the guide himself. She was inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart, but Adriana did know love when she saw it. Charlotte still loved Will. She was attracted to the guide ... Adriana couldn't blame her there, as Tanner was everything Will was not.

But she loved Will. God only knew why, because at the moment, Adriana didn't like him very much, and they had been friends once. However, she kept her mouth shut. Later, she was to wonder what would have happened if she had told Charlotte her fears ... if it would have done any good. Or if things were just fated to turn out as they did. But, Adriana relied on her instincts of the time, and for years after, she still couldn't say she had been wrong.

And of course, Will didn't like the new closeness between Adriana and Charlotte. But aside from the arguments which woke her at night, Adriana made it a practice not to pay attention to Will. It wasn't like she and Charlotte were an item, and Will had made it clear he no longer wanted to be friends with her, so what business was it of his? And strangely enough, Will wouldn't allow any of the other grad students to ride her tail.

Come to think of it, after they had helped to rescue Raquel, no one had really given her hard time anyhow. Cass Montoya had asked her if she wanted to go into town one night, go to the movies. Cass Montoya was twenty-five years old, one of the most popular and beautiful girls in the entire program. Brilliant, too. In a rare turn-around of their roles, Charlotte had explained that once Cass realized there was more to Adriana than what met the eye, she had become intrigued. After talking with Cass, Adriana convinced Charlotte to come with them, and she had her very first Girls Night Out.

It was the first girls night out shared by Charlotte, Adriana, and Cass, but it wasn't the last, as the three women vowed to turn it into a weekly event. And Adriana knew once they returned to college, returned to classes, she would lose that friendship. Things were different on campus. She understood it, she accepted it. That was how her life had been up to then, and rather than mourn what was to come, she enjoyed those times while she had them.

Still, it was with more relief than regret that Adriana returned to her dorm room once the dig ended. She had sworn to herself that she would take a week-long shower, then sleep for another week. That didn't happen, of course. She had a job to do, now that she was finished with the dig, and she had some reading to catch up on when she got off work. Not for school ... .the summer was her time to catch up on pleasure reading.

Claire was still at home ... her younger brother Rafe was in trouble yet again, and Adriana missed her friend keenly in that first week back at the dorm. However, she buried herself in her books, in her music, and in her work. Adriana had pushed thoughts of Vin Tanner and the dig to the back of her mind, until that weekend, when she went to the library. Where some students hung out in the student union building, Adriana's favored hangout was the library. It was peaceful there, and the selection of magazines was so much better. Libraries, and bookstores, had always been where Adriana found peace.

She spent several pleasant hours, reading through the periodicals, going back through old newspapers, courtesy of the fiche machine. And as always, the librarian had to remind her that the library was closing. She put everything where it was supposed to go, said good night to the librarians, and headed back to her dorm. She hadn't even stepped outside the library, when a soft voice drawled, "Mind if I walk ya home? Ain't safe, this time a' the night."

Adriana, startled by the voice, went on alert, her body tensing for a fight. Then released a breath, seeing Vin Tanner leaning against one of the pillars in the front of the library. His hands were shoved in his jeans pockets, the night air lightly blowing his brown hair back from his face. He smiled sheepishly, adding, "Sorry. Din't mean to startle ya. Thought the librarian told ya I was out here."

"No ... at least, I don't think so. I was trying to pay attention to two conversations at once. And besides, it was a surprise to see you, Mr. Tanner. How is Raquel?" Adriana asked. He bobbed his head with a smile, as if to say she was fine, and Adriana continued, "Was there any particular reason you came here? A girlfriend, perhaps? Or ... oh, now I know I'm stupid. Are you taking a night class? I forgot about the summer courses that are held at night."

"No, ma'am. Takin' no courses here," he replied quietly. Adriana had the uneasy sense she had just put her foot in her mouth, up to her knee, and she wasn't entirely sure how she had done that. Tanner continued, "So, kin I walk ya home? I ain't right with leavin' a girl to fend for herself at night, even if she can take care a' herself. Just not how my ma taught me." And again, a shadow crossed the bright eyes.

Adriana didn't particularly enjoy walking home by herself at night, even though her dorm was less than a five minute walk from the library. But she was the last one to leave, and was all too aware of what could happen in that five minute walk. She smiled and replied, "Thanks, I'd appreciate that." She knew he had never answered her question, but after she had just put her foot in her mouth, she wouldn't press for an answer.

An answering smile lit up Tanner's face, and threatened to knock Adriana right out of her hiking boots. Yeesh! Why hadn't anyone ... especially Charlotte ... warned her about that? More to the point, why hadn't anyone warned him that his smile was a potentially deadly weapon? The man offered her his arm, and Adriana took it.

Part Seven

Vin had a feeling that he had been set up, as soon as he saw the girl inside the library. The receptionist confirmed it for him. He had been set-up but good, and when he saw Priscilla Meadows, he would give her what for. 'Course, first he had to walk Adriana Wilmington back to her dorm. Priorities, after all.

He had heard from Charlotte twice since his departure from the dig, after Raquel was rescued. Vin had no idea how she got his telephone number, but it made him a little nervous. If Charlotte could find it, then how hard would it be for some of his past bounties to find him when they got out of jail? Vin didn't fool himself into thinking he was indestructible ... the years following his mother's death had taught him that he was entirely too vulnerable.

He wasn't sure what he should do about his attraction to Charlotte, much less the phone calls he had received from her. He had been out tracking a bail jumper when she had called, leaving him messages on his recorder, and after the second one, decided to contact Priscilla Meadows. He would have never accepted advice from another man ... in general, he didn't trust other people enough, period, to ask advice.

But Priscilla Meadows had never failed him, and when he had called her ... when he had explained the situation, she had suggested he meet her at the library on campus, around ten pm. She had a night class until nine, and liked to stick around for an additional hour, in case her students needed her. Except, when he had arrived, he learned that Dr. Meadows didn't have any classes to teach during the summer.

However, she was also the advisor of one Adriana Wilmington, and she happened to know the girl's habits. How Adriana felt as at peace in the library as he did on the open plains. She felt safe there. All of this, Vin learned from the receptionist at the front desk when he had finally asked where Dr. Meadows was. Oh, she didn't tell him straight out about Adriana Wilmington, but it hadn't been hard for him to figure out that he had been set up.

The receptionist must have seen his irritation with the woman, for she added that it was approaching closing time, and maybe Adriana would need a companion back to the dorm? The suggestion had floored Vin ... this woman didn't know him from Adam, he hadn't shaved in nearly a week. What the hell made her think he could be trusted with a young girl's virtue, much less her life? But it was getting late, and Vin didn't like the idea of the young girl walking back to her dorm alone. His decision was made. He went back outside, to wait.

And sure enough, at a little past eleven, she came out ... probably could have kicked his ass, if she hadn't recognized him. Vin was young, but he wasn't stupid, and he knew once he saw that feral look in her dark eyes, that she would have kicked his ass if he had made it necessary. She wasn't dangerous, as he understood danger, but he recognized she was someone who would put up one helluva fight.

She was also smart enough to recognize that walking home by herself wasn't smart. There had been the barest hint of hesitation, when she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, but only the barest. Maybe 'cause he had left it up to her? That was entirely possible, and seeing the girl again brought back Vin's half-formed suspicions. He kept those suspicions to himself, however, and listened as Adriana spoke of her studies.

She missed her roommate, who had gone home for the summer. Vin didn't ask why Adriana hadn't gone home. He was illiterate, but he wasn't a moron.

The week before Claire's departure for home, Adriana had set up an email address, and she received email from her friend every other day. But it wasn't the same. Calling the house wasn't a possibility, because Adriana had quickly realized that Claire's father didn't approve of her. She admitted she didn't know why, but also claimed not to care. Vin, however, had a hard time believing that. Adriana Wilmington, for all her words, was a girl who did care what other people thought of her. She just tried to convince herself otherwise.

As they reached the front door of the dormitory, Adriana apologized, "I'm so sorry. I don't usually talk this much. They tease me at work, about how quiet I am. I guess I was a little more lonely than I realized. I've missed my nights out with Charlotte and Cass. I knew it wouldn't last, and I thought it was something I could handle. And I can ... I'm fine with it. Even during the summer semester, grads and undergrads don't socialize. I just ... miss it."

"Ain't no call for you to 'pologize. Done nuthin' to 'pologize for. You be okay to get to your room?" Vin asked. Inside, he could see a woman leaving a small office and walking toward them. Adriana turned to smile at her, then nodded. Vin didn't doubt it. Judging from the woman's expression, Vin probably would have been gutted if she had thought he was troubling Adriana. Yeah, she would be fine now.

"Oh yeah. Thank you for walking me home, Mr. Tanner. It's nice to know chivalry isn't as dead as I thought it was," the girl replied. Vin found himself blushing. He wasn't entirely sure what 'chivalry' meant, though he thought it had something to do with being a gentleman. And Vin knew he was no gentleman. He would never be comfortable in fancy clothes, or even a suit and tie. Jeans felt more natural to him.

"If you're sayin' I'm a gentleman, thank ya, but I know I ain't. And my name is Vin, ma'am," he replied as the woman reached them. Adriana cocked her head to one side, eyeing him thoughtfully. Vin wasn't sure, but he thought she was taking his measure. This was not the same girl he had met on the dig. While she had intervened twice, when Richmond had been causin' such a ruckus, she had been quiet most of the time. He was now seeing the girl whom Doug Andrews had described while they were waiting for Raquel to emerge from the crevice.

"You are a gentleman, Vin Tanner, and I'll not hear you say otherwise. If I call you 'Vin,' you must call me 'Adriana.' Besides," she added, a mischievous smile appearing on her previously solemn face, "I happen to know your real name, courtesy of Dr. Meadows. It surprised me, finding out that 'Vin' was short for 'Kevin,' but I'll keep your secret ... under the condition that you stop saying you're not a gentleman."

Awww, hell! Vin had always been a little touchy about the subject of his actual given name, and staring at the impish face of his companion now, he had no doubt that she would carry out her threat. He nodded, and Adriana continued, "Good. Thank you again for walking me home, Vin. G'night." He smiled and nodded to her again, then turned away as she was entering the building. He had gone a few steps, when Adriana called, "Vin? There's a pizza party here next weekend. We all get together and pig out. Watch movies, get silly. The usual college kid stuff, without the alcohol. Would you like to come?"

He meant to say 'no.' He had work to do, after all. And parties were held indoors. A group of college kids, making idiots out of themselves. Making him feel old, and he was the same age as most of them. So he was more than a little surprised when he said, "Okay." He blinked, surprised by his own agreement ... and even more surprised by the brilliant smile from Adriana Wilmington. What the hell had he just done??????

Part Eight

He wasn't gonna show. What the hell had she been thinking when she had invited him? What kind of idiot did he think she was? God, there was a reason she didn't talk to guys, much less good-looking ones. She couldn't make a fool out of herself, if her mouth was closed! But he had said 'yes.' Why? What did he want? Much to her distress, Adriana realized that she was coming to like the guide a great deal. And even more frightening, she wanted to trust him.

She could count on one hand, the men whom she had trusted in her life, and who had not let her down. Her older brother, his best friend Chris, and Doug. Even though Buck had figured out what their father had done to her, and didn't love her any more. Sure, he loved her, because he had to ... because she was his sister, but he didn't love her. The real Adriana. And if anyone had asked her how she was sure that Buck knew about ... what happened, they would have gotten a blank look and, "Big brothers always know."

That was what Buck had said to her, after she found her mother's dead body more than ten years earlier. Big brothers always know. Adriana was nineteen years old, but in truth, she had never entirely left that eight year old girl behind. Her body had grown, yes, as had her mind, but she still held some of those eight year old truths in her heart. That was one of them. She was convinced that Buck knew their father had molested her ... and that he had stopped loving her because of it. Adriana really couldn't blame him for being repulsed.

That was why she was working at the DC ... well, aside from the money, the money that would help her achieve her dreams. She was seeking to atone for whatever she had done wrong as a little girl, to make her father ... do those things to her. She was at fault ... she had to be. Her mother hadn't loved her, her father had touched her in a way that felt un-natural. The only people who had loved her were Buck and Chris, and she knew, she knew Chris wouldn't love her any more either, if he knew.

Just like he wouldn't love her any more, if he ever realized how jealous she had been when she found out he was getting married. Adriana had never told Chris, but she'd had a crush on him since they had first met. And when he married, it had broken her heart. For a time, she hated his wife ... at least until the hatred turned into self-loathing.

That was something else she had to atone for ... being so jealous of Sarah Larabee. And maybe, just maybe, if she could atone for what she had done wrong ... if she could redeem herself, like the priest had always said at Mass when she was a child ... maybe she could win her brother's love back. Which was why she endured the crap at the warehouse, and the crap on the dig, until someone pushed her too far. Adriana had never claimed to be consistent. She was, in fact, a bundle of contradictions, and she knew it.

Vin Tanner was something else again. Whatever Charlotte had seen in him, Adriana was now seeing in spades, and it scared the hell out of her. While she had allowed Dr. Meadows, Claire, Doug, and Will, and to a degree, Charlotte and Cass, into her heart, Tanner was dangerous. Because she wanted to trust him, wanted to believe in him. She had stayed strong for the last two years, except when she was with Claire. And she found herself wanting to tell Vin Tanner everything, including that most private shame.

That wasn't an option, of course. The only people who knew about it, aside from her father, of course, were Dr. Meadows and Claire. Claire. On the Saturday morning of the pizza, before Adriana went to the shower room, she had received an email from her roommate. Claire missed her desperately, wished they could talk on the phone. She loved her father and brother, really she did, she knew Rafe needed her, but there were times ... oh Lord, forgive her, there were times when she never wanted to see either of them again.

But at the same time, she was grateful. Claire admitted she would have never known how much Adriana meant to her, if she hadn't returned home for the summer. There were times when she wanted to hear Adriana's voice, or see her smile. Wanted to watch Adriana dancing around their room, twirling and giggling with the shades drawn. It wasn't until she had left college that she realized how fortunate she had been, to gain Adriana's trust.

"I love you, my dear roomie," Claire had typed, "which is why I ask you now. Get help. Not because you are crazy, but because you aren't. And I want you to stay that way. You're a strong girl, but even you need help from time to time. You've been carrying this burden for years, ever since your mother died. It's long past time for you to understand, to accept, to believe, that you aren't at fault. Not even a little bit. Your father abused the trust placed in him by an eight year old girl, his own child. You did nothing wrong. It always sickens me ... that the victim carries the shame which should be felt by the abuser, but I see it in you."

Tears had begun rolling down Adriana's face as she read the missive. There was a part of her which believed Claire ... that she wasn't responsible for what her father had done. She wanted to believe that. Adriana wiped away tears, then continued reading, as Claire had written, "Well, you will see a therapist when you're ready. And when you are, Adriana, I will be there for you, holding your hand if need be. In the meantime, if my calendar is correct, you have a pizza party tonight. Go get ready for it, have fun, and stop beating yourself up over asking that guide. He sounds like a mega-cutie, and it'll do you good. Have fun, love you, Claire."

Adriana had giggled, signed off, then headed into the shower room. As ever, the bathing seemed symbolic to her, and Adriana thought about talking to Dr. Meadows about that.

Dr. Meadows had become a surrogate mother to her ... had, in fact, become the mother Adriana always wished she had. There didn't seem to be much which the archaeologist didn't know, and she was always willing to answer questions, no matter how stupid they sounded. Maybe, if Adriana told her how she felt, about how even bathing seemed symbolic to her, Dr. Meadows could help her figure out where she belonged. It was a thought at least.

She padded back to her room, trying to figure out what to wear. Usually, she wore sweats or maybe overalls, but she wanted to ... what? Impress Vin? Ohhh, that wouldn't happen any time soon. She decided on a compromise, a pair of emerald green sweat pants and matching top, which looked almost classy. That would work ... nice enough so that she didn't look frumpy, and casual enough that she wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.

Still, as she combed her hair, she wondered if she should wear make-up. Maybe make herself a little prettier, and give the excuse that she had just felt like it? Then she shook her head. Nope. There were still a few guys she didn't know in the dorm, and she wasn't about to let down her guard with them. Besides, she was hopeless at putting on make-up ... she wasn't in a mood to experiment tonight, either.

She gave herself a critical once over, then nodded. Yup, that would do. She slipped her crystal necklace on, then chose a pair of silver hook earrings, a birthday gift from Claire, and one of her favorite pairs because of that. She didn't exactly clash, and the rest of the dorm knew she was no fashion model. She grabbed her keys and wallet, locked the door behind her, then headed downstairs to set up. She wouldn't be the first one to the rec room ... she had been here long enough to know that, and to have a pretty good idea who would be there first.

Carly Tucker, who had been in her biology class the previous semester, had also stayed during the summer. And she was also the one person who usually got to the rec room before Adriana did ... before anyone in the dorm did, including their den mother. The pretty blonde looked up with a smile as Adriana entered the rec room, exclaiming, "Good ... someone to help! Why is it, Adriana, that when it comes to setting up and cleaning up, it's always the women ... and the men who make the mess?" Adriana laughed, putting her wallet and keys into the special box which Carly had set up for personal belongings.

"That's just the way of things, I guess. I hope you don't mind, Carly, but I invited a guy. Someone I met on the dig, he walked me home from the library last weekend," she replied as she closed the box and walked over to help Carly. The other girl's eyes brightened, making Adriana laugh yet again. Carly liked to paint herself as a femme fatale, but the truth was, she was a female version of Adriana's older brother Buck. She loved men ... they drove her crazy, but she loved them. And they loved her wicked sense of humor.

"Library? Would he happen to be about six feet tall, with lovely chestnut hair, and a smile that would drive a saint to lust?" Carly asked. Adriana looked up from her own preparations. While she wouldn't have described Vin exactly in those terms, the description was an apt one. She nodded and Carly continued, her grin broadening, "Terrific. I'll have to start hanging out at the library. Your guest just arrived."

Adriana whipped around to find a very sheepish-looking Vin Tanner standing just inside the doorway, his face a rather attractive shade of red. Behind her, Adriana could hear Carly sighing, "You know, I would give everything I own to bottle that particular expression. I'll say this for you, Adriana, you sure can pick some winners. I'll definitely have to start hanging out at the library." But Adriana wasn't paying attention to her. He had come. He had really come.

Part Nine

Vin wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting when he entered the rec room of the dormitory ... but he definitely wasn't expecting to see Adriana Wilmington in conversation with a gorgeous blonde. And he really wasn't expecting that gorgeous blonde to look at him as if he was a piece of meat on her dinner plate. He was starting to think he had made a mistake, until Adriana turned around and that brilliant smile crossed her face again.

Aw hell. There was no way he could regret his decision now, not after seeing that smile. He responded with a shy smile of his own, tipping his hat to both girls, only to remember he wasn't wearing a hat. It had felt strange, but he wasn't real sure how to dress, and decided to make a mistake from caution, rather than stupidity. Vin Tanner wasn't one who really cared what other people thought of him, but he didn't want no one givin' Adriana a hard time because of him.

The blonde came around and said, "I'm Carly Tucker, it's nice to meet you." Her words had the effect of throwing cold water on the still-smiling Adriana, and she shook herself, stepping away from the table to join the blonde. The girl said, "Well, it's about time, Adriana, I was beginning to think I'd have to jump his bones to get you out of your trance!" The tone was teasing, but Vin wasn't entirely sure she was joking ... not with that light in her eyes.

"Down, girl," Adriana fired back, a glint appearing in her dark hazel eyes, "this is Vin Tanner. I told you about meeting him on the dig. I volunteered to help Dr. Meadows find Raquel Hernandez, remember?" Now thelaughter died from Carly's eyes, and she nodded. Adriana turned her attention back to Vin, saying, "I'm really glad you could make it. I wasn't sure if you would." Vin's heart dropped clear to his toes. Damn, this girl was dangerous!

"I don't break my promises to a lady. Reckon I'm the first man here, so can I help ya'll with something? Maybe help set up?" he asked, and saw the approving smile which appeared on Carly's face. A second glance at the blonde told him that she was a firmly a member of the 'hurt Adriana and I'll wipe the floor with you' club, along with the lady who had met them at the door the previous weekend. Carly Tucker was a lot more subtle, but the intent to protect was there nonetheless. She could tease Adriana unmercifully, if she so chose, but let anyone else mess with her, and ... well, there would be hell to pay.

"As a matter of fact, yes, there is! We could use help setting up. The boys won't be down until the food arrives, in about another half hour. If you wouldn't mind getting the tables and chairs set up, I'll run into the grocery store and get beverages. Strictly non-alcoholic, don't want Dawn on my six about that," Carly replied. Vin blinked in surprise. On her six? Perhaps seeing his confusion, Carly shook her head and added, "Sorry, I forget not everyone is a military brat. 'On my six' means on my tail. I don't want to get a royal ass-chewing."

"Oh," Vin replied. With another grin and a twirl that caused her long blonde hair to whip about her face, Carly was out the door. Vin looked back at Adriana, who was grinning ruefully. He asked, seeing that expression, "I ain't the only one she does that to? That girl is ... damn. 'Scuse my language, ma'am." He shook his head, unable to come up with a good description of the blonde-haired whirlwind who had just left the room.

"Oh no ... our Miss Caroline is a sheer force of nature. She's actually a lot like my older brother Buck ... only she's a beautiful woman," Adriana said, shaking her head with an admiring smile. Vin shook his head in wonderment, unable to imagine a man who looked like Adriana and behaved even a little bit like Carly Tucker. Adriana motioned him toward a closet, continuing, "Buck's eleven years older than I am, and the man is ... amazing. Fiercely protective ... oh, he'll tease you and hassle you if he likes you, but let someone else mess with you, and they're dead."

"I saw Miss Carly was right fierce with ya. She likes to hassle ya, but if I tried to hurt ya, she would have cut me to pieces," Vin said softly as Adriana unlocked the closet door. She bobbed her head in acknowledgement, and he asked, wanting to change the subject, "Where should I be puttin' up these tables and chairs? There ain't a lot of tables. These just for the pizzas, and ya'll just sit around?"

"That sums it up, yeah. Put two tables in the center of the room, and the chairs in a circle. I'm heading into the other closet, to get the bean bag chairs, then I need to head back up to my room and get my boom box. Dawn, our den mother ... the lady who threatened to eat you for a midnight snack last week ... doesn't mind music as long as we keep it down to a reasonable level. Everyone brings their own CD's," Adriana explained.

"If ya show me where, I'll take care a' the bean bag chairs, too. Won't take me but a few minutes to get everythin' set up," Vin offered. The dark head cocked to one side, as if she was considering his suggestion, then very slowly, she nodded. Vin was made a little uneasy by her expression. Until it occurred to him that she was used to doing for herself, just as he himself was. And like Vin, she was a little wary of help when it was offered, at least until she knew what someone wanted in return. His suspicion was growing ever stronger. He knew better than to confront her about it. With a start, he realized he wanted Adriana to trust him.

"Okay," the college student replied, then added, "the second closet, the one with the bean bag chairs, is behind that curtain. I'll be back in about five minutes ... I'll let Dawn know that you're in here, helping, so she doesn't have a kitten when she comes in to check on us." Vin nodded in understanding. Adriana headed over to a small box, removing her wallet and keys from it, and stopped at the door to smile at him. And then she was gone.

Vin turned back to what he had been doing, stacking the chairs against the wall while he got the tables out. He shook his head, wondering if the girls always did the work ... and if it was always the same two girls. He thought that it was extremely likely. He didn't judge people, or tried not to ... though it was hard sometimes. 'Specially in his line of work. But it seemed only right to him, that if you were gonna have fun, that you help in the clean up. Or at least, the set-up. Adriana was a little bit of a thing, and while he didn't doubt that she was strong, it was the principle of the thing.

It took him only a few minutes to set up the tables, and as he was arranging the chairs as Adriana had suggested, she returned with a rather large boom-box, which she placed on the same table which held the box for the wallets and keys. She flashed him a tired smile, then set to plugging up the box. Vin said, "I gotta warn ya, I ain't much for bein' with people. Not sure how long I'll stay."

She responded with another smile, answering, "I understand totally. That's why I suggested the bean bag chairs ... we can push them into a corner, and watch the movie without having to deal with other people. Just so long as you don't mind having the evil twins on either side of you." Vin raised his eyebrows questioningly, and Adriana explained, "That's what the boys call Carly and me. The evil twins, because ... well, you'll see. And when Claire is here, we're the evil triplets. The funny thing is, we only hang out together at the dorm, we never go out. Anyhow, if you don't mind the two of us ... "

"Reckon I can live with that," Vin answered with a smile. Adriana smiled back as Carly returned with her arms full of groceries. Adriana scampered over to her friend, taking one of the coke cartons from her hands. Vin followed suit, taking a sack from Carly, who placed what remained on the table. For a brief moment, as he realized how good this felt, fear took the place of the warmth. What the hell was he thinkin, 'bein' here with these women?

And then he saw the quiet acceptance in Adriana's dark hazel eyes, saw the laughter in Carly's bright blue eyes. Would it be such a terrible thing, to allow himself to trust these women? While he didn't think Adriana confided in Carly, as she did in Claire, it was fairly obvious that Adriana was willing to trust Carly enough to enjoy herself. And Vin? He hadn't allowed many people into his heart ... maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Maybe he should find out?

Part Ten

Adriana couldn't remember enjoying any of the previous pizza parties thismuch. She, Vin, and Carly sat in bean bag chairs against the wall ... honestly, watching the others was as much fun as watching the movie itself. Which Adriana barely paid attention to, for once.

Instead, she was paying attention to Vin ... watching the guard slowly slip from his face and eyes. She learned during the course of the night that he was a bounty hunter, of all things, in addition to being a guide. He had been born and raised in Texas. His mother had died when he was hardly more than a toddler, only five years old. Just three years younger than Adriana when her own mother died, but it seemed Julia Tanner had never shied away from showing her love for her small son. Adriana wondered at first if Vin knew how lucky she was.

She quickly learned that he did, as he fell strangely silent when asked about the years after his mother died. He had admitted that he was passed from family to family, when he became one mouth too many to feed. Beyond that ... he wouldn't say. Adriana had the sense that despite the years which had passed, the time after his mother's death remained too painful to discuss. At least for the moment, and Adriana had her own memories. She wouldn't push.

His eyes, however, always came alive when his mother came up in conversation. He told her that it had always been easy to remember her name ... Julia, Jewel. This was said with a smile that bordered on rueful. And Adriana understood. How could she not? To the five year old boy, being passed from family to family, his mother had indeed been a jewel. She found herself aching for that child, even as she ached for the man he had become. In a way, having a loving mother, then losing her, was worse than never having her at all. Vin knew what he had lost.

Carly remained curiously silent during the conversations between Vin and Adriana. Curiously, because any other time, Carly would have been firing questions of her own at the bounty hunter. Bounty hunter. That was still hard for Adriana to wrap her mind around. While she didn't doubt that Vin could be dangerous, there was a gentleness in him. Then again, she had never known any bounty hunters ... in fact, the only exposure she had to bounty hunters, really, was Boba Fett in the Star Wars trilogy.

He talked a little about his bounties, about the men whom he had taken in. And women, sometimes, but less about them. It was that gentleness again, that sense of chivalry. At least, that was Adriana's sense about the way his eyes would darken when he spoke of the women he had been forced to take in. He admitted that he had been hurt sometimes ... would be laid up for a few days or a few weeks, or even a few months.

But he healed fast, and returned to his job. There were some lower-paying bounties which he took ... the ones for child-molesters. Rapists. Abusers, wife beaters. He hated anyone who harmed children. And it was when he spoke of those bounties that his face hardened, his eyes gleamed with such rage, it was hard to believe it was the same man. But ... sometimes, the gentle ones were the most dangerous. Who was it that said, 'beware the fury of a patient man,' John Dryden? She would have to look through her English lit book, but that sounded about right. Vin Tanner was living proof of that adage.

Perhaps sensing unease with talk of his livelihood, Vin steered the conversation away from his bounties, instead talking about his work as a guide. When work as a bounty hunter slowed, he helped search and rescue. He didn't think there was a job he hadn't done ... didn't think there was a job beneath his dignity. Adriana wished he worked at the DC.

Then again, no she didn't ... she didn't wish that place on her worst enemy. Still, she was sure he could take whatever crap management decided to dish out. He was a survivor. And she wished she had his courage. He would deny that he was courageous, but it was there, nonetheless. Not the same courage that her brother and Chris had, but a quiet courage, a quiet strength, all his own. Oh yes ... listening to him that night, she admired Vin Tanner a great deal.

And so the conversation continued, covering a wide variety of topics. Sometimes Vin did the talking, sometimes Adriana. She told him more about her older brother, about growing up in Colorado. She talked about Chris Larabee, trying to imitate the green glare, as she called it. The attempt sent Vin into helpless laughter, and he nearly choked on his soda. She wasn't sure if she should glare at him, for laughing at her ... or if she should laugh with him.

In the end, she chose to laugh with him, because she was too happy to glare. It wasn't an emotion she really knew, but in that time, sitting on one side of Vin Tanner while Carly sat on the other, seeing those lovely eyes twinkle with laughter, she knew she was happy. But as she had learned, time after time, happiness lasts only a short time. This night would be a lovely interlude before the true nightmare began.

Part Eleven

It was one am before everyone went to bed. Around ten, people started quieting down and all attention turned toward the movie which was playing at the time. Adriana fell asleep, her head resting securely on Vin's shoulder. He put an arm tentatively around her shoulders, to make her more stable, and she didn't pull away. If anything, she drew closer, seeking warmth from his body. And he felt warm. He didn't know what he had done to earn her trust, but it felt good.

As the students drifted back to their rooms, to get some sleep, Vin finally woke Adriana. Over the next hour, they sent more students to bed, and began cleaning up the rec room. The pizza boxes were the first to go in the garbage, followed by the plates. What could be recycled, would be. The soda cans went into a separate recycling bag, and the noise from the cans woke the remaining students. They stumbled off to bed, leaving Vin, Adriana, and Carly to finish the clean up job between the three of them.

As before, Vin put away the tables and chairs, while the girls disposed of the bags in the proper recycling bins and swept the floor. By the time they finished, all three were getting giggly and giddy. Or was that giddy and giggly? The question posed by Carly sent all three into fresh spasms of giggles. Vin couldn't remember ever laughing hard in his life. For the first time in years, he found himself actually behaving like a teenaged boy. And it felt so good. Like he actually belonged in this place, never mind his secret.

Carly was the first to head to her room, hugging Adriana. She was so tired, it seemed, she didn't even flinch when Carly hugged her. That was important, though Vin couldn't for the life of him remember why it was important, exactly. Adriana was unplugging her boombox, and started to carry it back to her room, but Vin quickly grabbed it from her. She blinked at him and he said before she could ask, "It's heavy. You're tired. I'll carry it."

"Maybe I should carry it," Dawn said, approaching the pair. She eyed Adriana, who was having a hard time standing up. She had gone to her room a few hours earlier and changed into a nightgown, slippers, and a robe. She had been cleaning up like that, and it was a wonder she hadn't tripped over the robe. The so-called 'den mother' continued, "I'll carry the boom box. You carry Adriana, the girl looks ready to fall over."

"D'ya mind if I do that, Adriana?" Vin asked. Adriana cocked her head to one side, and it didn't take much to figure out she was getting sillier and sleepier. She put her hand on his shoulder, and that was all Vin needed. He slipped his arm around her waist, then put his other arm under her knees and swung her into his arms. She giggled with delight, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her breath was soft against his cheek ... nope, she didn't smell of liquor.

"She always gets silly when she's this tired. She seems like she'sdrunk, but she's really tired. The last time I saw her get like this, she had been up for about twenty-four hours straight. She's not so on guard when she's like this," Dawn explained as she led Vin to the elevator. The bounty hunter looked at her, and Dawn explained, "Did you really think I wouldn't notice the looks you gave her? She's starting to trust you. Don't question it ... just accept it."

"Quit talking 'bout me," Adriana growled against Vin's shirt. He exchanged a grin with Dawn over her head, and Adriana mumbled, "Are you ticklish, Vin?" As she spoke, the arm which had been wound around his shoulders dropped, brushing his ribs. Vin barely managed to hold in a squeak. He was nineteen years old, he was a bounty hunter, and bounty hunters didn't squeak, dammit. Unless of course, he was being tickled, but that wasn't his fault.

To prevent her from doing any more damage, Vin replied, "Yup, but I'll drop ya if ya start." Adriana just sighed dramatically, and the arm draped over the back of his shoulders once again. Again, Vin grinned at Dawn, who was shaking with silent laughter. He didn't really mind Adriana's silliness ... it kept him from focusing on how much he hated elevators. Besides, it was good to see her like this. After what he had heard about her family, it didn't seem real likely that she had much of a chance to get silly.

At last, the elevator stopped and they headed to Adriana's room. She had fallen asleep, her body a dead weight against Vin. He had retrieved Adriana's wallet and keys from her robe pocket, giving them to Dawn as she put down the boom box, then she unlocked the door. Vin followed her into the room, smiling at the unholy mess. She wasn't a neat freak ... hell, her room looked like a twister had swept through it!

Dawn cleared off her bed, and Vin very gently placed her under the covers. As he turned to leave, he heard Adriana mumble sleepily, "Thanks, Vin."

He stopped and looked back at her, but she had already fallen back to sleep. Dawn was gently removing the robe from her body, and Vin quickly averted his eyes. He bobbed his head and left the room quickly. He was down the hall and down the stairs, ignoring Dawn's attempts to get him to stop. He had to get out of here. Now. Watching Dawn with Adriana just now, had brought back memories already dangerously close.

He stopped long enough to retrieve his jacket from the rec room, then burst from the dorm. Lord, he couldn't breathe! He took several deep breaths of the night air, wiping tears from his eyes. The air on the back of his neck stood up, and Vin spun, sensing trouble behind him. It was already too late ... something hard connected with his temple, and Vin collapsed to the ground, his legs suddenly feeling like wet noodles.

He passed in and out of consciousness ... when he was conscious, he was aware of the beating. He had been pulled to his feet while unconscious. His arms were pinned behind his back while something struck him. It wasn't until he had regained consciousness for the third time that it was a baseball bat now being used to break his bones. They had used a goddamn baseball bat to soften him up, and then took to using their fists and feet on him. It wasn't the first time Vin had been beaten up, but always in the past, he had managed to take out a few of them with him. This time, he was totally helpless.

Finally, his main attacker kicked him in his already broken ribs and one of the other men hissed, "Stay the hell away from Charlotte Richmond. Or the next time, we'll kill you, and that little bitch. 'Course, we'll have a little fun with her first, and maybe you too." Through a haze of pain, he realized that they meant Adriana. But before he could make his intent clear, what he would do to them if they hurt her, the last of his strength disappeared and Vin finally passed out.

Part Twelve

It was breaking glass which woke Adriana the following morning. She had been having a lovely dream about her brother and Chris, and even Sarah, when the sound of tinkling glass shattered her own rest. She sat up with a jerk, staring a bit stupidly at the hole in her window, as well as the glass which now littered her floor. The girl was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, when she heard Carly's anguished scream, "Adriana! Oh, God, somebody call the ambulance! Dawn!!!"

It wasn't the words which got Adriana out of bed, it was the sheer terror in Carly's voice. She wasn't even aware of getting out of bed ... much less slipping her feet into her slippers ... much less walking across the room to stare out the window. The next thing she remembered was looking out of her broken window, to see Carly crouched beside a still figure lying face down in the grass. Something about that prone body looked so familiar. Who did she know who wore blue jeans and a brown suede jacket?

The pizza party. Vin. Oh, dear God. She raced out of her room and down the hall. Vin had been hurt. Disregarding her own state of undress, Adriana ran out of the dorm, joining Carly on the grass beside the injured man. Tears were running down Carly's face as she explained brokenly, "I got up early, so I could go for my morning run, and he was out here. He woke up a few times, but he wasn't ... he didn't stay awake. God, Adriana, he's been lying out here ever since the party last night!"

"I've called the ambulance ... you girls haven't moved him, have you? Oh, Adriana, honey, go back inside and change!" Dawn exclaimed. Adriana didn't move. Couldn't seem to move, it felt like her muscles had locked her in place.

Even her eyes ... she couldn't seem to look away from the prone figure. Oh God. Dawn knelt on Vin's other side, and whispered, "Hey sweetheart ... good to see your eyes open. Do you know who I am?" A strangled groan was the response, but Dawn seemed satisfied. A moment later, Adriana found out why as Dawn said, "He's alert, but in a lot of pain. He's got one helluva bruise on his forehead ... that's why I was so concerned, but his eyes are following me. Vin, honey, do you know who did this to you?"

"Drina ... hurt?" came the barely audible, slurred whisper, "no hurt Drina. Kill you." Dawn cast a puzzled glance at Adriana, and the girl raised her hands helplessly. She had no idea what he was talking about. But her confusion was driven right out of her mind with his next words, and her blood froze as Vin murmured, "Charlotte ... stay away. Hurt Drina." Dawn looked even more puzzled, but it only barely registered with Adriana.

"Vin, did someone do this to you, to make you stay away from Charlotte? Did they threaten Adriana, too?" Carly asked. Dawn watched his face for several seconds, then looked up at the blonde girl and bobbed her head once in acknowledgment. That shook Adriana out of her shocked state. Carly leaned forward, her voice gentle despite the fury in her expression, and whispered, "Rest easy, Vin, you protected Adriana. She's safe."

"Tell him you're okay," Dawn mouthed, and Adriana was finally able to think properly. She still couldn't speak, so instead, Adriana rose to her feet and circled until she was standing beside Dawn, and Vin could see her. She sank to her knees, touching his hand gently. It took him a moment to focus on her, then she saw the relief in his eyes. But she saw the bruises on his face, and God only knew what kind of damage they had done to the rest of his body.

There was no more time for talk, because the paramedics had arrived. Dawn whispered, "We'll meet you at the hospital, honey, the ambulance is here to take care of you. Adriana, why don't you go upstairs and get dressed while the paramedics are looking over him? Vin? Would you like Adriana to ride with you?" This time, Adriana could see the barely-visible bob of his head, and the girl leaned forward ... she meant to kiss his cheek, but didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was.

So she contented herself with lightly touching his hair, then rose to her feet and ran back into the dorm. As she went through the door, she heard the paramedics asking if they knew what happened to him, the vital information such as his name, age, allergies, and anything else. It occurred to her that she didn't know how old Vin was. When they first met, she had guessed he was in his middle or late twenties, but he had seemed a lot younger the previous night. She was hopeless when it came to guessing ages.

She skidded to a stop as she reached her room, already mentally sorting through her drawers. She was unaware she had left the door open, until one of the guys asked in a low voice, "They say that guy who was hanging around with you at the party last night was found, beaten up pretty badly ... is that true?" Adriana jumped a half mile into the air, then collapsed against the door of her wardrobe, trembling. The boy continued, "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to scare you." Adriana nodded in acknowledgment, still shaking. Once she felt stronger, she responded.

"It's true. Carly Tucker found him this morning when she went out for her morning run," Adriana replied. She found the sweats she was looking for, and said, "I'm gonna open the closet door, so I can get dressed, but I'm listening." The boy nodded and Adriana opened the door of her wardrobe, so that she was hidden from his view while they talked. It occurred to her for the first time that Carly got up pretty early for her morning run, around five or so.

"How long was he out there? I mean, I don't know what time you guys went to bed, and what time he left, but he had to be out there for a few hours," the boy said. Adriana nodded thoughtfully, even though he couldn't see her. The boy continued, almost musing to himself, "Let's see, it's five thirty now ... so he's been out there for what, six hours? Damn, he's lucky to still be alive!"

Five thirty? Shee-it! No wonder she was having such a hard time thinking clearly! If she remembered correctly, she had finally gotten to bed around two the previous night. Or rather, earlier this morning. She said quietly, "About three hours ... and with the way they worked him over, he's real lucky he's still alive." Adriana grabbed one of her scrunchies and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. A shower could wait until later.

She closed the door, in time to see the boy's confused expression. He had left early, and Adriana explained a bit brusquely, "We were up until two, cleaning up. So he was out there for about three hours, before Carly found him this morning. I have to go. I promised Vin I would ride with him to the hospital. Purse. Shit, I need my purse." She didn't have time to look for it in this disaster area, so she grabbed her pouch instead, and dumped her wallet into it.

"I hope he pulls through, Adriana," the boy offered and Adriana nodded, motioning for him to go ahead of her. She locked the door quickly and headed downstairs, still holding the keys. Dawn met her at the doors, as the paramedics eased Vin onto the stretcher. The den mother plucked the keys from Adriana's fingers and tossed them to the boy. He said, "You want me and a few of the guys to get to work, cleaning up the glass?"

"You got it. Adriana, already talked to the medics, they know you're riding with them. They're getting ready to leave. Soon as I can, I'll meet you at the hospital, I just need to find someone to cover for me, then Carly and I will be on our way. He'll be fine, hon," Dawn said. Adriana nodded numbly, then followed the paramedics to the ambulance. He sure didn't look like he would be fine. She hoped she was wrong. Please God, she had to be wrong!

Part Thirteen

When Priscilla Meadows was a little girl, she remembered her father saying, 'sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.' She didn't start understanding that until she was an adult. Amazing, how much smarter your parents were as you got older. Priscilla knew that Adriana Wilmington believed she had all the answers, but the truth was, the only thing Priscilla knew for sure, was how little she really knew.

She had thought she was doing the right thing, steering Vin ever so gently away from Charlotte, and toward Adriana. She still thought she was doing the right thing, even if Vin did become cross with her for her ... misdirection. Regardless of whether Will (or Charlotte) knew it or not, Charlotte still had her husband. But if Priscilla had anything to say about it, Vin wouldn't get caught in that trap. Which was why she told him to go to the library when Adriana would be there. She knew all too well that Adriana would lose track of time ... that it would be late before she left the library. And she knew Vin wouldn't allow a vulnerable young girl to walk home alone, much less at night.

That Adriana had found the courage to ask Vin to join them at the bi-weekly pizza party in her dorm was icing on the cake. Truth be told, Priscilla was more proud of Adriana for that, than she was with herself for her misdirection which sent Vin to Adriana in the first place. She knew how shy Adriana ordinarily was ... good-looking guys terrified her. By all rights, Vin Tanner should have rendered her speechless.

But he hadn't. Both Charlotte and Doug had told her, when they reached the camp, that Adriana had stood up to Will, on Vin's behalf. Priscilla had accepted this as if she had expected it, but she hadn't. She knew Adriana had a backbone ... but the girl seemed reluctant to demonstrate it. Adriana would, if asked, had said that she wasn't doing it for Tanner, but for Raquel. Perhaps it was true. But it was the first time Adriana had reacted in that way to a man.

And make no mistake ... Vin Tanner had only been alive for nineteen years, but he was most assuredly a man. And right now, he was a man who was greatly irritating Priscilla. She had expected a report from him about the pizza party by now. She knew he got up early, and it was seven am now. She tried to tell herself that he was probably sleeping in. Even as she tried to force herself to relax, the telephone rang. It was about time!

But as she answered the phone, she became aware of two things. First, her caller was crying. Second ... it was a young girl calling her. Not Vin. Someone who knew of her, but whom Priscilla didn't know. Her unspoken questions were answered as the girl said, "Dr. Meadows, you don't know me, but my name is Carly Tucker. I'm a friend of Adriana Wilmington's. She asked me to call you."

Adriana? What was wrong with Adriana? Priscilla's blood froze. But Carly Tucker continued, "I'm at the hospital. Adriana's fine, but she's ... she can't talk right now. This isn't about Adriana, it's about Vin Tanner. He was beaten up pretty badly last night, and Adriana thinks you should come to the hospital as soon as you can." That was all she needed to hear. Vin was hurt? He had been beaten up? Carly Tucker lived in the same dorm as Adriana, had the beating occurred at the dorm? But why? Who did Vin know at the dorm, other than Adriana, or was it one of those random acts?

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Do you have any information for me ... is he in surgery, what's going exactly?" Priscilla asked, already searching frantically for her shoes. Dammit, where were they? Front door. Exactly where she had left them the previous night. Shoes. Now she had to think about her purse. Funny. She knew Vin was only nineteen, but in a way, he seemed so ... strong to her. To imagine him in the hospital ... or was it just that she considered him a son, as she considered Adriana a daughter?

Priscilla had never had any children, and so she had 'adopted' her students as her children. She loved them, worried over them, scolded them when they were foolish, would have breathed fire to protect them. But never before had she felt this heart-stopping fear. Vin was hurt ... badly hurt. A beating could be life-threatening ... But the girl was speaking again, and Priscilla struggled to focus on what she was saying.

"They're trying to stabilize him. I'm sorry, I need to go. We're on the second floor waiting room. The police want to talk to me ... Dr. Meadows? Could you do one more thing before you leave to come here? Make sure Charlotte Richmond stays away from Vin? She's the reason he was beaten up ... whoever beat him, said that if he didn't stay away from her, they would kill him and then they would go after Adriana. Dawn thinks her husband is behind this," the girl on the other end of the line told her.

No. Not possible. Even before the sentence was finished, Priscilla knew Will had nothing to do with the beating. Will had a lot of faults, and Priscilla knew just how threatened he felt by Vin Tanner. She also knew what men were like when they felt threatened by someone or something ... but he wasn't a coward in that respect. He would not have other men beat up another ... and he most definitely would not threaten Adriana. Their friendship had been shattered during the search and rescue of Raquel Hernandez, but Will cared about Adriana. That hadn't changed. The dynamics had changed, but he still cared for her.

However, it would only be a matter of time before the police started questioning him. Priscilla reiterated her promise to be there as soon as possible. And she fully intended to keep that promise ... however, first she had another phone call to make. She dialed Will's home phone number. He answered on the first ring, and Priscilla said quickly, "It's Priscilla, just shut up and listen, the rest of your life could be at stake."

When Will didn't protest the early hour or her terseness, Priscilla continued, "I just got a call from a girl named 'Carly Tucker.' She's a girl who lives in Adriana's dorm ... Adriana is fine, at least for the moment. Now, remember, keep quiet until I'm finished. Vin Tanner was attacked just outside Adriana's dorm last night. He was told, after being beaten half to death, that if he didn't stay away from Charlotte, they would come back and kill him ... and then they would kill Adriana." It took less than thirty seconds for her meaning to sink in, then he exploded.

"I would never hurt Adriana! I wouldn't mind beating the living crap out of Tanner, but I sure as hell wouldn't send someone else to do it!" Will blurted out. Priscilla waited patiently for the young man to calm down, which took several moments, but at last, he ran out of expletives. And he wondered why Charlotte preferred Vin's company????????

But Priscilla said nothing of this to Will. The man was proud, and he wouldn't take kindly to the inference that he was a bad husband ... even though he was. Will was silent for several moments, then said very quietly, "What was Tanner doing at Adriana's dorm, and why are you telling me this? You should know me better than that, Priscilla!"

"Because the police will start asking questions. They will learn that you and Vin tangled during our search for Raquel ... that your wife is very attracted to him. It's such an old story, Will. A man stops loving his wife, and she seeks comfort from a handsome younger man. An argument can be made, even though it isn't true, that this young man was beaten while leaving the dormitory of his girlfriend, also nineteen years old, who was also threatened," Priscilla replied.

"Tanner ... is only nineteen? He's just a kid!" Will blurted out, then said more thoughtfully, "Wait a minute. If this was about Charlotte, then whoever beat him up could have done it any time. And it would have to be someone who was on the dig. The time and place was chosen very carefully. Outside Adriana's dorm. It's someone who hates both of them." Priscilla smiled. Part of being an archaeologist was being a detective, a historical detective.

"Exactly," she replied. It was something she had thought about when she called Will. Too many things seemed out of place to the professor. Why had Vin been attacked outside Adriana's dorm ... why had she been threatened ... why had Charlotte Richmond been drawn into this? From what Vin had told her, he hadn't seen her since the dig, and he had only received those two messages from her.

And, it seemed Will had a good idea who had attacked Vin. Who had a reason to hate both youngsters. Who had been on the dig. The grad student snarled, "Boudreau. And that sonuvabitch is setting me up. I need to see ... what the hell?" Priscilla could heard Will muttering under his breath, thenhe hissed, "She's gone to him. At the hospital." Charlotte. Come on, Will, Priscilla thought, don't let your pride get in the way this time.

"I'll meet you there, Will," she said. The words were simple, but they were an order. She hung up before Will had a chance to agree or disagree. Her gut told her that Will was right. Boudreau was behind the attack on Vin. If he saw Charlotte at the hospital (and her instincts also told her that one of his goons would be there), then not only would Vin's life be in danger, but Adriana's as well. Her children needed her now ... she wouldn't let them down.

Part Fourteen

He ... hurt. As Vin slowly drifted back to awareness, two thing struck him. The smell of the hospital ... awwww, hell, not again! That was the first thing.

The second? The fact there didn't seem to be a part of his body which didn't hurt. A soft voice reassured him, he was in the hospital, he was safe, it was okay. If he could have, Vin would have laughed. Safe? Vin hadn't been safe since he was five years old. He slowly forced his eyes open, to find a girl who seemed familiar. Somewhere in his pain-fuzzy mind was the name which went with the triangular, pale face, dark brown hair, and nearly black eyes.

An image of his companion laughing. Pizza party. The very dark eyes now almost green as she laughed at something. Pizza party ... the dorm ... Adriana. He mouthed her name, and she smiled a bit weakly, saying, "Don't try to talk ... you've got broken ribs, Vin. Save your breath, okay?" For the first time, he realized she was holding his hand. More memories. Carrying her to bed. Watching Dawn tuck her into bed. Leaving when the memories became too much for him.

Being jumped outside the dorm, and the beating that followed. The threat. Sudden rage filled Vin's soul. They had threatened Adriana. Cowards. Dragging an innocent girl into this. Goddamn cowards. But she was alright. At least for the moment, but Vin was starting to remember what had led him here. They wanted him to stay away from Charlotte. He hadn't seen her in nearly a month. But what if she came to see him? Vin had to protect Adriana ... had to get away. The first time he tried to move, however, he realized that was impossible, as pain exploded through his entire body, dulling his senses and stealing his breath.

"Vin! Lie still! The doctors say that you don't have any internal bleeding, just some bruising. But you've got to lie still," Adriana said through the haze. Vin found himself clinging to her hand, and hating himself for the need to hold onto her. But her answering grip was fierce, and as the pain subsided, Vin realized that no one could have pulled her away. It made him feel a little less weak, a little less helpless.

"I'll tell you everything I know, but you've got to promise you'll lie still or they'll kick me out," his companion promised and as Vin pushed his eyes open once again, he saw the serious expression in her eyes. He lightly squeezed her hand in agreement, and Adriana explained, "From what we could figure out, you were jumped as you left the dorm early this morning. Carly found you when she went out for her morning run. She got Dawn and me, Dawn called the ambulance. We figure you were out there for about three hours before Carly found you."

Vin vaguely remembered waking up once or twice after his attackers left him, but said nothing. Adriana continued, "I came with you in the ambulance The doctors set your broken arm and taped your ribs. They were more worried about your head injuries, but Dawn told them that you were following her movements. Said you didn't have a concussion, but would have one helluva headache." Vin almost did smile at that. Would have?

"Time?" He asked hoarsely, then grimaced at the pain in his throat. Adriana reached to one side for a styrofoam cup and held the straw to his lips. The water eased the dryness and he repeated, his voice somewhat less hoarse, "What time is it?" He bit back a gasp at the pain, but that was all he would allow himself. His mind was starting to clear, and he wanted answers now. From what he remembered, he had been beaten up, to make sure he stayed away from Charlotte Richmond, and Adriana's life had been threatened as well.

What Vin had to do now was figure out who was responsible for the beating. He thought briefly about Will Richmond, then dismissed it. Richmond would have never threatened Adriana. Vin had little use for the man, or the way he treated his wife, but Vin's instincts told him that the man wasn't a coward to threaten an innocent girl. His pride may have been wounded by Charlotte paying attention to Vin, but threatening Adriana just didn't sound right.

So it was someone else. The question was, who? Adriana said, now answering his question, "It's ten am. You've been here ... oh, about four hours. The doctors finally let me in when Dr. Meadows explained that you didn't have any family. I have a feeling that she got a bit creative with the truth." Vin frowned, then winced at the answering pain caused even by that simple motion, and Adriana went on, "I think she told the doctor that I'm your girlfriend. Not likely, but at least you wouldn't be robbing the cradle if I was your girlfriend. You didn't tell me that you're my age."

"Didn't ask," Vin parried and tried not to laugh at Adriana's answering glare. He didn't want to think about how badly he would hurt if he did laugh. Vin continued in a voice that was raspier than usual, "And 'sides, don't think of m'self as bein' nineteen. Don't really think of m'self as any parti'lar age. Just am." He didn't tell her that most times, he saw other people his own age as much, much younger.

"I think I understand. No more talking. Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up again," Adriana promised. Vin smiled sleepily. He didn't doubt that she meant it, but he also knew there were circumstances beyond her control. Adriana continued almost hesitantly, "Would you ... would you like me to sing to you?" He looked at her, startled. No one had sung to him since he was a small child. Not since his ma died.

"I'd like that," he replied simply. He had never heard her sing before, didn't know if she could sing, but that didn't matter to him right now. He was hurting and he was tired, too tired to be on guard. He had only known this girl for a few days, really, but he knew Dr. Meadows thought highly of her. And he trusted Priscilla Meadows. He was willing to trust this girl. She smiled, and that smile warmed Vin more than the blankets covering his aching body.

She began singing very softly. It was a pretty enough voice, not strong enough to be professional, and not trained enough even if it was a strong voice. It shook at times. But it was gentle and soothing. Vin allowed himself to relax. He got lonely some times. Wished, in the darkest parts of his heart, that he had someone to love him ... take care of him. He could take care of himself, he was strong. But that five year old boy who missed his ma remained. Vin had tried to hard to make that child go away, but he couldn't seem to.

He felt gentle fingers on the side of his head, on the part of his forehead which wasn't bruised, as Adriana sang a song he didn't recognize, about a boy going off to war, and his girl selling everything she owned to buy a sword for him. It was right pretty, even if he didn't fully understand it. As he began to drift, he found himself focusing on the words, "She sold her rook and she sold her reel, she sold her only spinning wheel, to buy her love a sword of steel. Johnny has gone for a soldier."

Vin had no idea what a rook or a reel was, but he had heard of a spinning wheel. Adriana had stopped singing briefly, then continued, "She'll buy a dress, she'll dye it red, and in the streets go begging for bread. The one she loves from her has fled. Johnny has gone for a soldier." There was a crack in the soft contralto, then Adriana muttered, "Give up everything for a man. Dumbest thing I ever heard of."

Vin tried to ask Adriana what she meant, but she continued talking to herself, murmuring, "I can't imagine feeling that way about a man. Any man. If there was a man alive whom I could rely on, who would be there to catch me, that might be different. But give up everything I own, give up my livelihood, only to lose the man I sacrificed it for ... I don't think I could bear that. Don't think Vin would want to leave, think he would be honorable. But things happen. And love isn't worth that risk. It just isn't."

She sighed quietly, then began singing again. This time, however, Vin didn't focus on the words. He was too sleepy, and the sound of her voice lulled him to sleep. He was a drifter, he would be the first to admit that. It had become a part of him, moving on after a certain time. But he would never abandon someone. When he woke up, he would tell her that. She was earning his trust, and until she betrayed him, he would never abandon her.

Part Fifteen

The phone had awakened Charlotte Richmond. Not that she had been asleep, exactly. The early mornings were the hardest for her ... even now, two years after her daughter's death, she still found herself waking up around the time Lindsay would have awakened. Maybe if she hadn't lost Will with Lindsay, she would have been able to move on, instead of remaining in this time warp. But she had lost her husband the morning they awoke to find their baby dead.

And so, when the phone rang, Charlotte had picked up ... not realizing that Will had answered on the kitchen phone. Which was how she learned that Vin Tanner had nearly been beaten to death after leaving Adriana Wilmington's dorm. That his life had been threatened if he went near her again, and Charlotte's pent-up frustration finally had an outlet. For two years, she had endured Will's silence and contempt. It was only recently that she had tried seeking comfort from others. While she liked the other students on the dig well enough, Vin Tanner was the first person who had touched her heart.

Charlotte didn't listen to the entire conversation. She didn't need to hear. Will's pride had taken a beating when she paid attention to another man, and he had responded by having some of his rougher friends beat up the man who caught her eye. Damn you, Will, she thought angrily, it was bad enough when this was between the two of us, but what were you thinking?

She had heard Priscilla Meadows say that Adriana's life had been threatened as well. Charlotte didn't believe for a minute that Will had any intention of harming the girl. He cared about her, thought of her as a little sister. And after this summer, Charlotte would have cut off her right hand if she honestly believed Will would allow any harm to come to the girl. But she didn't believe that. Why would anyone drag an innocent college sophomore into this? That simply made no sense.

She dressed quickly and left a note on the bedstand. Will could be stupid when he was angry, and if he realized the police might come to him for answers about Vin's beating, God only knew what he would do. She wrote simply, "You've gone too far, Will. You don't want me. I'm going to someone who does. Harm anyone else, and I swear I will ruin your life." She didn't sign it. She didn't need to.

Charlotte left the house quietly and made her way to her own car. There was one hospital near the college, and she was willing to bet that was where they had taken Vin. She would take him some place safe when he was released from the hospital, and then they would leave the country. Make sure Will could never find them. Maybe Brazil, or Mexico? She would have to ask Vin. She had heard from Priscilla Meadows that Vin was only nineteen. Had he ever been out of the country? Well, no matter. Charlotte would take care of him. It was partly her fault that he had been hurt.

As she drove, Charlotte next thought about Adriana. She felt more than a little guilty for not keeping in touch with the girl. In the last two weeks of the dig, the teenager had been a godsent for Charlotte. It had been so long since she had someone to talk to, and who cared if her new confidant was nineteen? It seemed, looking back now, that Adriana had expected her two graduate friends to drift away once the dig was over, but Charlotte still felt badly about it. When she had needed someone, Adriana had been there, and that was a shabby way to treat someone.

She would make it up to Adriana. It occurred to her that Vin and Adriana were the same age, and if Charlotte didn't fear for Vin's life, she would have tried to matchmake for them. They would have made a cute couple, but the young man's life was in danger, and would remain in danger as long as he remained here. Which left Adriana. Just to be safe, she had to find a way to protect the sophomore. Charlotte didn't believe that Will would hurt her, but she didn't want to take any chances.

She had no doubt that Priscilla Meadows would help to take care of Adriana, and probably Doug Andrews. Beyond those two, Charlotte didn't know. But she had to do something. And so she drove, and she planned. And she prayed that she was right, that her husband ... soon to be ex-husband ... wouldn't hurt Adriana.

Part Sixteen

"Adriana?" Dawn asked as she returned to the waiting room. Carly indicated the room where Kevin Tanner now rested, and Dawn continued with a sigh as she handed a cup of coffee to the girl, "Good. She was starting to drive me crazy out here. Dr. Meadows says that she talked with Will Richmond. Carly, we were wrong about this ... it wasn't him. Do you remember Adriana mentioning someone named 'Boudreau' from the dig?"

"No, but honestly, Dawn, she doesn't confide in me that much. Was it this 'Boudreau' who beat up Vin?" Carly asked and Dawn nodded, sitting on the edge of the chair. Carly fought back a surge of rage as Dawn explained the confrontations involving Charlotte, Will, Adriana, and Vin during the dig, and how Boudreau had tried to dump his responsibility on a girl half his size. Big baby. And now, he was trying to destroy the lives of all those concerned.

Carly didn't give a rat's ass about Charlotte, but she did care about Adriana, and Vin ... There was a phone call she needed to make. She was angry, and sick, and ... confused. God, she was so confused. Until the previous night, Carly's life had been ordered and stable. Not neat, as such, but stable. But all that had changed in an instant. She had been able to cover her shock easily, because Adriana was so rattled, then took off to the store to buy beverages.

The walk gave her time to settle down and figure out what to do. She had promised herself that she would find out the truth later, but later ... later never quite came. Carly was nineteen years old, and the sight of that young man in the doorway had rattled her as few things in her young life had. That had been the first shock. The second had come when they learned that Vin Tanner was only nineteen years old.

A quick check with Dr. Meadows told her that Vin's birthday was March 17 ... the same day as Carly's. She had pushed it out of her mind, telling herself that she needed to worry about other people. Adriana was still pretty shaky, and Carly had focused on her friend instead. It had been a relief, for that had made her world a little less topsy-turvy. But Adriana was in Vin's room, and Carly couldn't hold on much longer.

She asked, slipping to her feet, "Would you mind holding down the fort for me? There's a phone call I meant to make last night, and got distracted. I promised my mom I would call last night, and she gets a bit fussy when I don't. I'm her only child, and she's kinda hyper-protective of me. Being away in college, when she lives in Chicago." Dawn smiled and patted Carly's arm, motioning the blonde sophomore to make her call.

Carly smiled back, a smile she didn't really feel, and made her way to the payphones. Her hands trembling as she grabbed the receiver, then began dialing. Her fingers seemed to be moving in slow motion, but at the same time, she heard the phone ringing almost immediately. She wasn't ready for this ... but she couldn't wait any longer for answers. Her mother answered on the third ring, asking anxiously, "Hello?"

"Mother, it's Caroline," Carly answered in a clipped tone. Her mother's quick intake of breath told her that she understood at once this wasn't a social call, and that Carly was not in a good mood. The girl continued, "I'm at the hospital ... I'm fine."

Oh God, how did she say this? How did she ask it? How did she find out if her entire life was a lie? She continued, "This morning, when I went out for my morning, I found someone lying just outside our dormitory, unconscious and badly beaten. You may know of him, or at least his mother. Kevin Tanner ... son of Julia Tanner." There was dead silence on the other end, and Carly asked, "Mother, please ... tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that this boy, who was born on my birthday, also in 1973, is my cousin ... and not my twin brother."

That had been at the root of her fear, ever since she had seen Vin this morning. Once she had determined he was still alive, the chorus in her mind had taken to taunting her. She found herself both hoping and fearing he was her brother, and thus, her screams for Adriana and Dawn had bordered on sheer panic. He had been so very ... still. As still as her mother was being now, and Carly whispered, "Please, Mom. Tell me that you and Aunt Julia just gave birth on the same day. Tell me that you haven't lied to me for nineteen years."

"I can't do that, baby. I can't," Jessica Tanner Tucker answered and Carly felt her knees give way. She clung to the booth housing the payphone. Roaring filled her ears. She had feared this as soon as she had seen him, as soon as she heard his name, as soon as she heard him talking about his mother, about her aunt, Julia Tanner. Aunt Julia had been five years older than her mother ... or the woman she thought was her mother. Carly's earliest memories were of the house in Chicago, where she and her mother lived with her grandparents.

Jessica had married when Carly was twelve, and her new father had adopted Carly as his own. And Jessica said now, heavily, "Your mother couldn't keep both of you, Carly. She wanted to, so badly, but she just couldn't. She was only twenty-one when you and Vin were born. Mother and Father offered to take you, and raise you as their own. You grew up believing I was your mother because it was less confusing. And I formally adopted you as mine when I married Robert ... we both adopted you at the same time."

Carly was shaking. She wasn't cold ... yes, she was. She felt as though she had been stuck in a freezer, like she had seen in the movies sometimes. How many other lies had she been told? Why did Carly have this sudden sick feeling that her mother hadn't told her the entire truth, that there was more just waiting to attack? Her mother ... her aunt ... her mother ... Jessica was saying something now, something about telling Vin. How could she tell Vin?!?! He had just been beaten within an inch of his life, they still had to deal with Boudreau ... she couldn't put this on him.

"I won't tell him, Mother," she said dully, "you don't have to worry about that. Good-bye. I need to go see about my brother." She hung up, not really caring about the fear in Jessica's voice. She couldn't bring herself to think of her as her mother right now. There was a part of Carly which understood she was being an immature brat, but there was another part which didn't care. She had a brother! A twin brother, whose life was being threatened.

She almost ran full tilt into Will Richmond, and he started to give her a hard time, about watching where she was going. But she fixed him with a glare which caused him to back down almost immediately. Carly said in a hoarse voice, "Just because you didn't cause Vin to get hurt, doesn't mean I'll take any crap from you, buster."

He wasn't Boudreau. He hadn't tried to kill her brother. But he had created the circumstances for it to happen, and that made him responsible. Morally, if not legally. Carly continued in that low voice, "Now. If you have any sense left in your head, you will start doing right by your wife. I don't give a rat's ass about her, but I will not have the people I care about being hurt because of your pride. The same pride which drove your wife away. And be sure you keep her away from Vin."

"It's too late. She's here somewhere," Will answered. Carly's glare must have intensified along with her fury, because Will hung his head and added, "She doesn't know it's Boudreau, she thinks I'm responsible for this. She thinks I had those guys beat up Tanner. She told me if anyone else got hurt, she would ruin my life. And she's here now. Somewhere. I've been watching for her, but haven't ... "

Carly, however, was thinking about something else. If Charlotte didn't know Boudreau was responsible, if she thought that her husband's friends had hurt Vin, then she wouldn't take the threat to Adriana seriously. She said, "Come with me, then. We've got to find Charlotte. Adriana is with Vin now, and Dawn can look after them. But we've got to find your wife, before she accidently endangers Adriana's life."

Richmond fell into step beside her, asking, "So what's your stake in this? I know Adriana's your friend, but what's Tanner to you?" Carly stopped and looked at him. She looked around, at the people coming and going. Then she looked back at Richmond again. What was Vin Tanner to her? He was a broken heart, and a healing spirit, a beloved child abandoned because of death and by the family who had raised Carly. He was family.

She raised her chin, her bright blue eyes blazing, and she had no idea how much she looked like her brother in that moment. In a low voice which carried all of her fear, her hope, and her love, she answered, "He's my twin brother. And if I have to move heaven, earth, and hell to protect him, I will. And because you created this situation, you owe him. You will not tell him the truth. That's for me to do. He's my brother!"

Part Seventeen

Will hadn't seen his wife, but she had seen him. Charlotte knew if Will, or anyone else, saw her near Vin, there would be trouble. So she waited, smiling faintly in spite of herself as she watched Adriana emerge from his room, walking into the arms of her 'den mother.' However, she didn't move, knowing that in just a few minutes, Adriana would return to Vin's room. While Dawn had been getting coffee earlier, and while Carly wasn't paying attention, Charlotte walked by, overhearing Adriana sing to Vin.

Charlotte wondered if Adriana's roommate Claire, or Carly, knew that Adriana always sang when she was nervous. It was her way of calming herself down, of remaining focused. It was a habit which Charlotte had noticed in the last two weeks of the dig, the way Adriana would sing and rock herself, as if she didn't realize anyone was watching. Which was, she had to admit, entirely possible. Charlotte wondered what else Adriana did when she thought no one was looking.

Was she the only one who had noticed the way Adriana seemed to flinch away from touch? She was all right when she was touching someone else, when she instigated the contact. But there was the barest quiver, before Adriana caught herself. Charlotte had noticed it on the dig, when she had put her arm around Adriana's shoulders. There were other instances, and Charlotte wondered why she had been more ... why she had noticed it then, rather than earlier.

Maybe it was because she was focused on something other than getting her husband's attention. Will. Charlotte sighed and returned her mind to the plan. According to what she had overheard, Vin would be kept for a few days then released. Charlotte thought that was a terribly short amount of time, but as long as he was resting and not moving about, the doctors saw no reason not to discharge him.

The last time frame she had heard was three days. Three days of avoiding Will, of remaining hidden. She thought she could do that. That also meant she had three days to finish planning things. Her mother had left her a cabin in a secluded area. Charlotte smiled for the first time ... she loved Texas. It was big enough to have anything you wanted ... mountains, desert, forests. Her mother's cabin ... her cabin ... was in the forest. A secluded area where Vin could get his strength back, and Charlotte could get passports for both of them.

She also had to figure out how she would get the hospital to release Vin to her care. Charlotte sighed and slid slowly to the ground, removing a notebook from her purse. She would end up losing track of what she was doing, and she simply couldn't afford to make those kinds of mistakes. Charlotte had been existing for the last two years, and since her attempts with her husband failed, she had a new mission. It gave her an energy and determination she hadn't felt since Lindsay's death.

She began scribbling in the notebook, listing what had to be done. Ever so often, she would peek out of her hiding place, keeping an eye on Will. Adriana had returned to Vin's hospital room, and Charlotte had no doubt whatsoever that sooner, rather than later, she would hear the girl singing to him. She loved the old Irish ballads ... Charlotte had asked her about that once, if her mother had taught her. Adriana had replied, no, her older brother taught her. Her mother had been Dutch, not Irish. And the pain in her hazel eyes had been so fierce when she spoke of her mother, Charlotte hadn't dared to ask more.

And so she wrote and she planned. She kept an eye out for her husband, to ensure that he couldn't hurt Vin or Adriana. But she never saw the eyes watching her. The gray eyes which she would have, most likely, recognized as belonging to Richard Boudreau.

Part Eighteen

Vin Tanner had learned a lot in the last three days. He learned that Adriana Wilmington sang to calm her nerves as well as to soothe someone else. He learned that Carly Tucker was a viciously protective lady, who tended to take it personally when one of her new friends was beaten up practically in her backyard. And he learned ... no, he remembered that he hated hospitals. So when it came time for his release, he was more than ready.

It had been decided that he would stay with Dr. Meadows and her husband while he was recovering. She didn't have classes for another few weeks, and Vin knew she wouldn't fuss over him. Honestly, he thought the only thing that had prevented Adriana from taking him in for that time period was the fact she lived in a dorm, and she had to be real careful. Dawn didn't have a problem with him, but rules were rules, and Vin didn't want to get Adriana into trouble.

He had learned a lot more facts about Adriana during the last three days. He learned that she was originally from Colorado ... that she was half-Dutch, things which hadn't come up in conversation before. She stood five feet two inches, and weighed about a hundred pounds. Soaking wet, he had offered with an impish grin, and she scowled at him before dissolving into laughter. He didn't tease her about her weight, though. Weren't somethin' she could help.

Vin reckoned she could probably eat more, but she simply had other things on her mind. Other priorities, as she put it. She ate enough to get by, then returned her attention whatever was most important to her at the time. Whether it was a dig or whatever. What really made her eyes light up, however, wasn't talking about the kinds of music she listened to (primarily classical), the movies she watched (whatever held her attention while she was flipping through the channels), and it sure as hell wasn't her job (which she hated). It was talking about her classes. Adriana Wilmington loved college. She loved learning, and her passion set a part of him achin.'

He could barely read ... just enough to get by, and really, wasn't much. This girl, however, revelled in it. Her eyes lit up when she talked about reading, about various pharaohs in Egypt (a fancy term for a king, he learned, but more than a king too), kings in ancient Africa, about warriors and common people. She loved history, she loved the understanding that the names were more than names ... they were people, people with stories.

And when she talked, it was like Vin knew them, too. He had never much cared one way or another about readin' or writin.' Never thought he was missing out on that much. Until he heard Adriana talk about what she was learnin.' Vin knew that he had an education which Adriana hadn't ... but he was glad that he knew those things, that it had been him who was forced to learn those things, and not this girl. He didn't want no one else learnin' stuff like that.

He couldn't admit to Adriana that he could barely read, and so he learned by asking her to tell him more stories. She asked him once if he would like to borrow one of her books. Such faith she had in him, that he could read one of her fancy college books. But he had smiled and answered, no, he liked hearing her tell them instead. Her delighted grin had been the best part of that conversation.

On the third day, he was released into Priscilla Meadows' care. Adriana had received a call from her older brother unexpectedly ... Dr. Meadows had seen the way her eyes lit up when she got the call. From what the professor said, Adriana didn't often have a chance to talk with her brother. Vin didn't begrudge her that time at all. Especially not if it made her happy. She had spent the last three days brightening his life, possibly at the risk of her job.

Dr. Meadows' lightly tapping foot prevented him from arguing about the wheelchair, and truth be told, he wasn't feeling real terrific, either. With the help of the orderly and the resident, he managed to get into the wheelchair, and Dr. Meadows began wheeling him toward the exit. They would go to the elevator, then head over to the dorm to meet up with Dawn, Carly, and Adriana. Except ... it didn't work out that way.

Vin would never be entirely sure what happened ... one moment, he was rolling along, weakly joking with Dr. Meadows. Then, all hell broke loose. There was a flash, then smoke, then Vin found himself falling as the wheelchair tipped over. Agony threatened to stop his heart as he landed on his bad side. He could barely breathe, and couldn't see anything. Voices, shouting. Then hands pulling at him. He batted at those hands, trying to free himself. Dr. Meadows? Where was Dr. Meadows?

"Vin, honey, it's me, it's Charlotte. Hang on, I'm gonna get you outta here. This is my fault, shoulda been payin' better attention. C'mon, let's get you outta here, and we'll call Adriana on the way. We're gonna need help," a voice said. Vin found himself being lifted, an arm snaking around his waist. He bit back a groan of pain as her arm brushed his battered ribcage ... at least, he thought he had bitten it back, but Charlotte whispered, "I'm sorry ... but I've got to get you out of here. Damn, how could I have been so stupid?"

She was coughing as she spoke, but continued to propel him forward. Or somewhere.

It became easier to breathe, at least not as smoky, though the pain resonating in Vin's chest made breathing difficult anyhow. Charlotte was half dragging him, half supporting him, and Vin was relieved as his eyes began to clear. Just in time to see they were heading down stairs. Aw hell, no wonder he was in so much pain! Charlotte's coughs were becoming less frequent, and she was muttering, "I'm not gonna let Boudreau get you, Vin. That won't happen."

They were reaching ground level now, and Charlotte propelled him from the hospital. Fresh air filled his lungs. They were hurrying toward the car, Charlotte almost seeming frantic as she softly chanted, "Almost there, almost there, almost there ... c'mon, Vin, c'mon, honey, we're almost home free." And then he was being shoved into a car, if you can gently shove anyone. His head was shielded from any more blows by her hand, then she swung his legs into the car.

A half second after that, Charlotte was on her side of the car, starting the engine, silently praying. He thought she was praying, at least. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. Vin finally managed to focus on something other than the pain. Charlotte was pulling out of her parking space, her eyes flickering behind them, watching something in the rear view mirror. Her face twisted with terror, and she pulled him toward her, slouching in her seat.

The bullet tore through the car, where his head had only been a moment ago. But Charlotte kept driving with one hand, keeping her free hand on his shoulder to keep him from raising. Not that he could. The pain had incapacitated him again. Wracked with pain, exhausted from the events of the last few moments, and worried sick about Priscilla Meadows, Vin finally gave up his fight and passed out.

Part Nineteen

Charlotte Richmond thought she had been angry a few days earlier, when she found out that Vin Tanner had been beaten up to keep him away from her, and Adriana Wilmington threatened. That was nothing compared to the rage she felt now. She gently stroked the back of Vin's head, now resting in her lap. It hindered her driving, but better that than a bullet in him. And she thought back to what had led her to this point.

Over the last three days, she had been stocking the cabin with supplies and continuing to learn more about the post-release plans. She had discovered that Vin would be staying with Dr. Meadows, and Charlotte revised her own plans, especially after learning that there would be a small party for Vin at Adriana's dorm. That was when she began questioning her own conviction that her husband was behind the beating. She knew Dr. Meadows loved Vin, she had seen evidence of that over the last few days. Why, then, would the archaeologist be trying to warn the man who had instigated the beating?

There was something else. Will wouldn't have sent men to beat up Vin. That was too impersonal, too ... indirect. Will would have wanted to settle things between the two of them. Something she had forgotten in her anger. And Charlotte began to realize she had made a terrible mistake, possibly even fatal to the young man in her car. Plans underwent yet another revision as she began to consider that taking Vin away might prove to be a bad idea.

She had been at the hospital today to talk to Dr. Meadows and Vin before he was released from the hospital, but it was then that the real criminal had made his move. Charlotte had just reached the second floor, where Vin had been staying these last few days, when it began. It wasn't until she saw the big man that she realized just how big her mistake had been. It hadn't been Will at all who attacked Vin ... but Richard Boudreau.

Charlotte had nearly fainted from shock and horror. It was only the sight of Dr. Meadows deliberately tipping over Vin's wheelchair, to make it harder for Boudreau and his goons to reach the young man, which snapped her out of it. There wasn't time for her to be swooning like the heroine out of some godawful romance novel! Especially not after Boudreau backhanded the woman. Charlotte growled under her breath, and used the smoke to her own advantage to reach the fallen guide. She didn't know where or when, but Boudreau would pay for that!

As she drove away from the hospital, Charlotte realized how lucky she had been. Apparently, Boudreau and his goons hadn't thought to protect themselves from the smoke bombs they had used, and they were blind. Charlotte could barely see herself, but she had spent so much time in the hospital during the last three days, she could navigate the distance between herself and Vin. With trouble, yes ... but she had done it.

She needed help, though. Not right away, she had to get to some place safe before she headed up to the cabin. Maybe a diner, or the truck stop where she, Will, and Doug had met Adriana two years earlier? Perfect. Charlotte headed in that direction, checking over her shoulder every few minutes for someone following her. Yes, she would call Adriana from the truck stop. God knew, that girl had no reason in the world to help her, but she would help Vin. Charlotte had faith in that.

About an hour and a half later, she pulled into the parking lot of the truck stop, and began dialing the number for Adriana's dorm on her cell phone. Bless that girl's heart ... on the last day of the dig, Adriana had quietly slipped her telephone number into Charlotte's backpack. Just in case. Adriana answered on the first ring, but before she had a chance to say anything other than 'hello,' the words were rushing out of Charlotte's mouth like water from a dam.

"Adriana, I've been such a fool, I need your help. It was Boudreau all along, Adriana, I thought it was Will, but it was Boudreau, and he just tried to kill Vin at the hospital. I was there to talk to Vin and Dr. Meadows, and ... " Charlotte began, but the words ran out as reaction finally set in. She had been running on pure adrenaline during the last few hours, and now, that adrenaline rush was over. She couldn't stop shaking, much less start talking again.

"I know, Charlotte ... just calm down. Did you get Vin out of there?" Adriana asked.

Her voice was unbelievably calm, as if they were talking about a mildly interesting movie she had seen the previous week. But it was exactly what Charlotte needed. She took a deep breath, then replied, "Yes. I used the confusion to get him safely away from Boudreau. I may have hurt him more, he hasn't woken up since we left the parking lot, but I had to protect him somehow. Adriana, I need your help."

"You've got it. Where are you now? According to the news report, the attack at the hospital was almost two hours ago," Adriana replied. Charlotte's breath caught as she heard something new in Adriana's voice. Fear. The girl continued, the strain of the last few hours now more pronounced, "Dr. Meadows is okay ... according to the news I got, she has a bruise alongside her face, but nothing beyond that."

"At least she's okay, I saw her go down. She tipped Vin's wheelchair over, to make it harder for the goons to get to him. Uhm ... where I am. The ... the truck stop where you used to work, where you were working when Doug, Will, and I first met you. I'm heading to my cabin, the one my mother left me. Here are the directions," Charlotte began, some of her own tension beginning to ease. She wasn't alone any more. Someone was here to help.

Part Twenty

It had been a helluva day. She had heard from Dr. Meadows that morning that Vin was to be released, and it had been Adriana's plan to dove-tail her own visit with his release. However, those plans were sidetracked when Buck had called. It had been a good six months since she had talked to him last, and Buck was full of news. His little godson, Adam Larabee, was growing by leaps and bounds, and Chris and Sarah were so happy.

Funny. There had been a time, not so long ago, when hearing that would have hurt. But Adriana had other things on her mind these days, and for some reason, her earlier crush on Chris had eased back into the brother-sister relationship of her early teen years. And so she listened to Buck chatter on about Chris and Sarah and Adam, about what he had been doing lately. He paused for breath long enough to ask how she was, and Adriana had told him a little about Vin, which prompted her brother to tease her immediately.

They talked for more than an hour, before Buck finally had to hang up. Work was calling after all, he said, and Adriana could just about imagine his eyebrows waggling suggestively. She had bit back her laughter. Bucklin would never change. He was still bigger than life, big-hearted and so optimistic that even his unattractive little sister would find someone to love her.

Adriana had smiled as she hung up the phone, still thinking of Chris. That fierce Larabee protectiveness had caused a few arguments between Chris and herself. That was how she found herself inured to the infamous Larabee glare, in fact. There had been countless times in the year before she finally ran away from home, when she had decided she would do something and Chris tried to stop her. He had tried to talk her out of it ... then glare her out of it ... then finally gave up.

Only a few minutes after she had hung up the phone, Adriana was startled to hear Carly screaming from down the hall,"Adriana! Turn on the tv, now!" Swearing under her breath ... what now, dammit ... she did so. Her blood ran cold as the newscaster told of the attack at the hospital. Second floor. Where Vin was. Vin was being released today, had probably already been released. Ohhh, shit!

She had wanted to go to the hospital immediately, but both Dawn and Carly had talked her out of that. Actually, it wasn't even really talked ... it was more a matter of them threatening to tie her to her chair if she didn't stay put. Chris may have threatened it, but he wouldn't have followed through. Not after the last time he had tried that, when she was fifteen. Dawn and Carly, however, would follow through, and Adriana wasn't angry enough to risk hurting them.

And so, she had remained in her room, with only Carly and Dawn keeping her company. She would have preferred to be left alone, but that wasn't about to happen. So she quietly accepted the company in the spirit it was offered, at least Carly and Dawn wouldn't try to make conversation. They both knew her better than that. She had finally quit her job at the beginning of the week, unable to handle much more. Something she had forgotten to tell Vin. It was from Dr. Meadows that she learned Vin was missing.

Dr. Meadows didn't know where he was ... she had been backhanded for trying to protect him. Upon hearing Adriana's distressed gasp, the woman immediately reassured the girl, she was fine, just a bruise on her cheek. Not to worry, Vin was the one who needed them now, and a weakness had hit Adriana then. She had scoffed at the sudden realizations faced by heroines in romance stories she had read as a young girl.

But now she understood, because that simple statement, that Vin was missing and needed them, forced her to realize something. She cared about Vin Tanner. A lot. And she just didn't want to think about what her world would be like if he was dead. Adriana was a practical girl, she didn't believe in dying for the love of someone. She didn't even believe in dying of a broken heart, and the 'I can't live without you' sentiment wasn't one she understood. She had spent the vast majority of her life doing without people ... the idea that someone could mean so much to her that she would die if they did, was totally foreign to her.

But she could see now, how someone's presence could brighten things. Vin Tanner was such a person. He was quiet, not one given to flash or drama, but that was one of the things she liked about him. She liked his smile, the way he listened and didn't judge. Liked the way his eyes were focused on only her when she talked about history. While Vin had said that he liked it better to hear her talk about history, rather than read it, Adriana had a suspicion about that. She remembered the way she put her foot in her mouth at the library, so she kept that to herself.

And dammit, he could make her laugh! For that matter, she could make him laugh, which really surprised her ... and alarmed her a little. She didn't want to make him laugh, not when he was healing from a beating. Adriana had asked him about firing a rifle ... she could use a handgun, it gave her more control, from her perspective at least. Vin, she had learned, was what had been called a 'sharpshooter.' Dead accuracy, and from a distance.

Intrigued, she had begun peppering him with questions about shooting a rifle compared to shooting a pistol. When she admitted that she was a decent shot with a handgun, but absolutely miserable with a rifle, Vin had blinked and asked, "Why? It's just like licking butter off a knife." Adriana had raised her eyebrows and observed that was a real good way to cut your tongue. Vin had stared at her for a split second, then burst out laughing.

Of course, that didn't help his battered torso much, and it took her several moments to calm him down, from the laughter and the pain. At last, he gasped, "Damn, girl ... warn a body next time you figger on sayin' somethin' like that! Ain't you never heard 'bout butter knives?" Adriana had giggled, pointing out that he didn't specify a butter knife. He thwapped her in the head with a pillow, using his good hand, and Adriana promised retribution when he wasn't a cripple. Which set them off again.

Adriana had been lost in her thoughts for so long, when the phone began ringing, she nearly fell off her bed in shock. The second shock came from the discovery that Charlotte was on the other end of the phone, she had Vin. And she needed help. Well, after hearing the first two, it was a better than even guess that she would need help. The police were still sorting things out at the hospital, and Charlotte's story confirmed Adriana's fear. It had been Boudreau who caused the attack at the hospital.

She listened intently to the directions, hoping against hope that Boudreau wouldn't realize Vin was with Charlotte, but the way their luck was running, she wouldn't bet on it. After reassuring the other woman that help was on the way, and urging her to get moving, Adriana made two quick decisions, and hoped she wouldn't regret one of them. She grabbed her pouch and keys, double-checked to make sure her wallet was inside, and ran lightly down the hall to Carly's room.

As usual, the door was open when Carly was in, and the blonde girl looked up as Adriana crossed the threshold. The archaeology major said, "Charlotte rescued Vin at the hospital, she saw the attack. She's taking him to her mother's cabin for safety. I need you to call the police, my bet is that Boudreau knows that Charlotte took Vin, and that he's following her. I'm on my way there." Carly was on her feet as soon as Vin's name was mentioned.

"These are the directions?" she asked and Adriana nodded. Carly asked almost hesitantly, "Did you know Will Richmond is on his way here?" Adriana blinked ... huh????? Carly continued, "Yeah, when he heard about the attack at the hospital, and Vin turned up missing, he thought it was you who rescued him, and brought him here. He hung up on Dawn before she could tell him that it wasn't you." Which took the other decision out of her hands, even though she had decided against excluding Will Richmond from this.

Perfect. Adriana squeezed the other young woman's hand and said, "Not to worry, I'll deal with Mr. Richmond myself. Take care, and watch your back." It was a phrase she had heard from Chris, warning Buck to take care when Chris wasn't around, and it seemed appropriate now. Carly nodded and Adriana strode to the stairs, then jogged to the main lobby of the dorm. She knew that when Will arrived, that would be his first stop.

Part Twenty-One

Dawn was on duty that day, answering the phones in the main office of the dorm. She would always remember this as the day she found out that Adriana Wilmington had a temper, a backbone, and no patience with stupidity. The five foot two inch tornado who had taken over the body of a girl Dawn had always considered quiet and sweet blew into the lobby, looking ready to kill.

At about the same time, Will Richmond entered the dorm, looking like a stormcloud. Dawn took one look at Will's face, then another at Adriana's, and realized a confrontation was brewing. She wasn't sure if she should batten down the hatches, or grab a bag of popcorn. This promised to be one helluva show, especially when Richmond demanded, "All right, where is he, you high-handed little bitch! I can't believe you! After everything Dr. Meadows has done for you, you took that wife-stealing creep and left her there at the hospital!"

"Number one," Adriana fired back icily, "while nothing would give me greater pleasure than to call you all the names that I consider appropriate, we don't have time for that bullshit right now." Dawn stopped thinking about battening down the hatches, and instead looked around for a bag of popcorn she could toss into the microwave. She had been right about one thing. This would be one helluva show, and she wished some of the residents who had dismissed Adriana as a spineless piece of fluff were here to see this.

"Number two," said the aforementioned 'piece of fluff,' "Vin Tanner isn't a wife-stealer, nor is he a creep, and if your head weren't up and locked, you'd realize that the reason your wife is with him, instead of you, is because you've been an ass for the last two years." Up and locked? Oh, yeah, she had been talking to her brother today! Dawn, whose older sister served in the military, knew Adriana had just accused Will of having his head stuck where the sun didn't shine.

Without stopping for breath, Adriana went on, "Number three, I was on the phone with my elder brother, Captain Bucklin Wilmington, of the United States Air Force when the attack at the hospital occurred, so unless my astral twin spirited Vin away, there's no way I could have Vin here, much less have abandoned Dr. Meadows. Who, by the way, is fine, aside from a bruised cheek, thank you very much for asking, she called me."

"I can verify both ... I've been with Adriana on and off all day long, Mr. Richmond, and if you had shut up long enough to let me talk, I could have told you that. As well as inform you that Vin wasn't here. Moron," Dawn said, muttering the last word under her breath. Richmond glared at her, but she glared right back. Damn idiot. She almost wished Vin had been here ... the boy was fiercely protective of his, and he wouldn't have tolerated Richmond's attitude.

"Thank you, Dawn, and that brings me to number four. I just got off the phone with your wife, who, as we speak, is on her way to her mother's cabin with Vin. Yes, you moron. Charlotte rescued Vin at the hospital, and was calling me from the truck stop where I used to work. Now, if you will get out of my way, I have two friends who need my help. Since you don't give a damn about your wife, much less my friend Kevin, I expect you to haul your ass back to your car and drive home to your empty little life. Dawn, Carly's called the police," Adriana said.

Dawn nodded in understanding, and Adriana circled around Richmond, heading outside. Just call her Hurricane Adriana, Dawn thought, upgrading from 'tornado.' The little hurricane didn't get that far, as Will grabbed her arm. Bad move. Adriana spun around, her face twisting into a feral snarl. Her body moved instinctively into a defensive crouch, ready to protect herself and do some damage.

A chill ran down Dawn's spine. What the hell ... ? Adriana's defensive posture didn't change when she saw Will. Instead, she easily broke free and snarled, "Don't ever touch me without my permission, you self-righteous son of a bitch. Do you understand? Never. I don't have time for your goddamn games! Right now, there are two people at that cabin who need me, two friends, and I will be damned if I'll let them down on account of a self-centered prick!"

With that, Adriana stormed past him, her face set in stone. Richmond stared after her, his features slack with shock. Way to go, Adriana, Dawn thought with grim satisfaction, he needed a good kick in the ass. Will called, "Adriana, wait!" She halted in mid-step, her small frame radiating tension. Ooooh, she was mad. Not that Dawn blamed her. If Richmond kept this up, he would need his foot removed from his mouth surgically.

"I'll go with you. The police are on the way?" he questioned and the back of Adriana's head moved once. Will continued, "It'll be easier if we go together. My car's right out in front, and I happen to know you hate driving." Adriana's shoulders remained high, her back to Richmond, and he added, "Look. I'm sorry. I should have never made ... should have never even thought that you would abandon Priscilla. I'm sorry."

"All right. Let's go," was all Adriana would say. It wasn't an acceptance of the apology, but it was the best he would get now. Will looked down at his feet, then moved a bit ahead of Adriana, leading the way to his car. Adriana turned long enough to snap off a quick salute to Dawn, then followed him. Dawn watched them go, then turned her head to the right at the sound of bare flesh on the tiles. Carly. It was still summer, after all. A number of residents in the hall teased her about cutting her bare feet on broken glass, but Carly ignored them. She wasn't used to the warmth of Texas, and she had vowed to relish it. All of her ... including her feet.

"Did she put him in his place?" the girl asked and Dawn nodded. Oh yeah. Carly nodded with grim satisfaction and said, "Good. I'm glad to hear it. He deserved it." Dawn blinked. Oookay, now where did that come from? Carly slipped into Dawn's small office and began dialing the phone. At Dawn's confused look ... what now ... Carly said, that grim smile still in place, "I have a real bad feeling this is gonna get nasty. I'm calling in reinforcements."

Part Twenty-Two

The drive to the cabin was silent. Adriana kept looking over her shoulder at the road behind them, looking for anyone who might be following them. Will, finally tired of the silence, asked, "You expecting trouble?" The look she gave him forced him to realize why his glares never worked on her ... Adriana's Look was worse than any of his glares. Will swallowed hard. Okay, that was a dumb question.

He tried again, "Boudreau doesn't know the way to the cabin, why are you so worried?" The Look this time was sheer exasperation. If Charlotte had been here, she would have dubbed it an 'you've got to be kidding me' look. Charlotte. Will had tried not to think about her, ever since Adriana had told him that Charlotte had rescued Tanner from the attack at the hospital. He had tried not to think about Adriana's charge that he had driven his wife away.

From the moment Charlotte had set eyes on Tanner, Will had blamed the young guide for his wife's fascination with him. It was easier than facing facts, he supposed, but in the light of what Adriana had said back in the dorm, he no longer had a choice. The girl sitting next to him rarely lost her temper, and when she did, she usually had a reason for it. As he drove, Will thought about the last month.

Tanner was young and handsome, he paid attention to Charlotte, listened to her. And he had seen the expression in Tanner's eyes when he looked at Charlotte, who was a very pretty woman. What had Priscilla said, about persuading Tanner to forget about trying to save Charlotte? What had she meant by that? For his part, Tanner seemed both confused and flattered by her attention. And exasperated by Will. For the first time, the grad student looked at the whole picture. He remembered what Priscilla had said to him, about how he had made his marital problems the business of everyone on the dig when a betting pool was set up, deciding who Charlotte would sleep with. Had he really done that?

But why? Yes, he had blamed Charlotte for Lindsay's death, but why had he done that? Will didn't have an answer for that. In his mind, he knew ... he knew ... that crib death was no one's fault, that it just happened. Charlotte had loved Lindsay just as much as he had. Maybe more? She had carried Lindsay for nine months, after all, had given birth to her.

So why had he assumed that he was the only one mourning? Had he needed to blame Charlotte, to avoid blaming himself? God. Was he really that pathetic? That he had to blame his wife, to avoid blaming himself, when it was no one's fault? Will sighed, rubbing his fingers over his temples. No one had killed Lindsay. He hadn't, Charlotte hadn't, and he had pushed his wife away for the last two years because he couldn't accept that.

It had taken Vin Tanner's arrival into their lives to shake things up. Will smiled without humor. Tanner, and Boudreau. Both men were attracted to Charlotte, but they were such different men. Charlotte would have never even looked at Boudreau in the early years of her marriage, or anyone like him. God, they had been so happy. And for Tanner, Charlotte had left Will. She had left him, had threatened to ruin his life if he hurt anyone else.

She had actually believed that he could do something like that. To anyone. Had things really progressed to the point that Charlotte believed he wouldn't face someone one on one? That he would threaten Tanner with killing Adriana, to keep him away from Charlotte? What the hell had he done? If he hadn't gone to confront Adriana at the dorm, if he hadn't made that stupid ass assumption about a girl who had never been anything but his friend ... he would have never known that his wife was in trouble. That she needed him.

Charlotte ... needed ... him. Will felt dizzy unexpectedly. I'm sorry, he thought, but he wasn't sure if he was apologizing to his wife or his daughter. Apologizing to Lindsay for not being able to protect her ... or apologizing to Charlotte for the last two years. He whispered, "God, I've been such a bastard. I don't even know how to make this right. I don't know if I can make it right with anyone."

Something flickered in the corner of his eye, and Will glanced to his right. Adriana had made herself more comfortable in her seat, resting her elbow on the door, then leaning her head against her fist. Her left hand remained in her lap, and she was staring at the road. She said in a low voice, "These ... this doesn't match the directions Charlotte gave me. I may have a lousy sense of direction, Will, but I can follow directions."

"It's a shortcut. If Boudreau is following them, and that's a good bet, then it's also a good bet that we'll get there before they do," Will answered. Adriana responded with a disbelieving look, and Will added with a chuckle, "Didn't mention that I was a very bad boy earlier today, did I? I knew that Boudreau was behind the attack on Tanner at your dorm. Happened to see his truck at the hospital while I was looking for Charlotte this morning, and I ... ah ... let the air out of his tires."

"All four of them?" Adriana asked, turning away from the window to look at him more closely. Will nodded. It had been pure childishness on his part, but he had seen the truck. At first, Will had planned just to key the car. It was vandalism, it was criminal, and two wrongs didn't make a right. But oh, it had felt so good. The disbelief in Adriana's eyes slowly gave way to amusement, and she burst into laughter.

"All four of 'em," Will answered proudly. And he WAS proud of himself, too.

Adriana just laughed helplessly, and Will grinned. The bridge had been shaken, but it was still intact. He wanted to make things right. Not just with Charlotte ... she wasn't the only one he had hurt. And maybe, if he repaired a smaller bridge first, building the larger one wouldn't be so hard. Remembering what Adriana had said at the dorm ... what the hell had that been all about? Never touch her again without her permission? But he could respect the rage in her eyes, which had told him rather clearly she was more than capable of wiping the floor with him.

Why had he always assumed that she was helpless and needed protection? Why had he never seen, until now, that she could take care of herself? He supposed it was because she was quiet and shy, never really raised her voice. Except that one time, when he had tried to pressure her into contacting her family, and she had lost her temper. Hell, she was a totally different woman then, he thought, not a little girl lost, like Doug and me thought, but a woman. A fiery, furious, in-your-face woman.

Perhaps respecting her in a way he never had before, Will said softly, "I screwed up things big time, Adriana. I've been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what exactly ... how I managed to drive Charlotte away. She honestly believed that I sent men to beat up Tanner. That I would have threatened your life, to make sure he would stay away from her. What did I do ... how did I screw things up so badly that she would think that of me?"

The smile died slowly, and Adriana said, just as slowly, "Yup, you definitely screwed things up. Are you willing to listen now?" Will nodded and the girl continued, "Look, I've never claimed to be something I'm not. I'm not that wise, and I'm not even sure if I would classify myself as 'smart.' You know 'sophomore' is Greek, means 'wise fool.' I'm more foolish than I am wise. But I am smart enough to know that."

Will remained silent and Adriana went on, "But even I can see that Charlotte still loves you. Right now, she's angry ... furious ... outraged. I want you to know exactly what you're dealing with here, okay? She's scared, because I have a feeling something more happened at the hospital than what she told me. And she's angry with you, even though she knows Boudreau actually attacked Vin. But she thought you were capable of doing just that."

Again, she paused, as if waiting for him to interrupt. But Will Richmond wasn't interrupting any more. If Tanner was smart enough and tough enough to be a respected bounty hunter and guide at the age of nineteen, then maybe his nineteen year old companion was worth listening to, as well. Satisfied that he would let her finish, the undergrad continued, "It won't be easy, Will. In all likelihood, she's not gonna be happy to see you. She may even be angry with me for letting you come with me. She may have even talked herself into believing that she's in love with Vin, because he's nice to her."

Shit. The kid was right. On every point. To the best of his knowledge, Adriana had never had a boyfriend. Unless you counted Tanner, and Will didn't. So how the hell did she get to be so smart? She had said she knew she wasn't wise. Hell. He sighed, "I think we should wait to figure all this out. Let's worry about protecting them from Boudreau first." Adriana nodded. Will started to say something more, but it was then that he saw the turnoff onto the dirt road.

"We'll be there in about five minutes," he said quietly, "check the glove box. I have a pistol in there. You know your way around a gun?" She nodded, already opening the glove compartment and removing the gun, along with ammunition. Adriana didn't seem too terribly surprised that he had a gun in his car. Nor did she seem too surprised by his request. She was expecting trouble ... always best to be prepared when you expected trouble.

Part Twenty-Three

"Car comin,'" he said hoarsely and Charlotte raised her head cautiously. She had spent the last twenty minutes setting up a bedroll for Vin on the floor. Even though she had called Adriana, she knew there was a good chance Boudreau would follow her ... and if Vin was in a bed or a chair, he would be an easier target. She had actually thought he was still unconscious ... he had passed in and out of consciousness repeatedly during the drive.

He had finally passed out once they reached the cabin and she settled him in a corner while she set up a bedroll in the form of blankets, towels and pillows. Now, hearing his voice, she looked over at him. He was frowning in puzzlement and asked, "Where are we?" Charlotte peeked out the window ... they were okay so far, but she still picked up her own revolver and scooted over to his side.

"My mother's cabin. Easy ... need you to slide toward that bedroll. It'll be easier on your ribs. And if we're lucky, that's Adriana. I called her," Charlotte answered. There was a flash of fear in the bright blue eyes, and Charlotte added, "She was callin' the police, she said. Adriana is young, but she's not stupid. Now come on, and let's make you a little more comfortable." Keeping a close eye on the window and the door, Charlotte eased Vin to the bedroll.

He was in pain. God, he was in such pain. He didn't make much noise, just a soft groan when she put her arm around his waist. Bad idea. Leave his ribs alone, Charlotte, she chided herself. They had finally gotten the bedroll when she heard the car pull up. She would have to ask Vin about that later ... how he had heard the car before she did. She heard Adriana's voice, raised. Something about the windshield of Charlotte's car being broken. Yes. They were shot at as they left the hospital. She hadn't told Adriana about that?

"Charlotte, it's me ... we're here," Adriana said before she opened the door. But Charlotte's relief was short-lived as she saw the other part of 'we.' She stared at her husband, feeling all the color drain from her face, taking what felt like all of her strength with it. But not all of it, obviously. Without even being aware of it, Charlotte brought her weapon up. She had a flash of Adriana's worried eyes, then the girl had eased her hand down, saying, "Easy, Charlotte, he's not here to cause trouble."

"First time for everything," Charlotte replied, strength slowly returning to her arms and legs, and an old anger returning with her strength. She forgot about the looming threat from Richard Boudreau ... forgot about the wounded Vin ... even forgot about the slim girl standing between her and her husband. She snarled, "What the hell are you doing here, Will? Haven't you caused enough trouble? You may not have hired those men to beat up Vin, but you have just as much responsibility here as I do!"

"There ain't time for this," a voice growled from the floor, and Charlotte's attention was brought to the figure on the bedroll. Vin was struggling into a sitting position, hissing in pain, and said, "Boudreau ain't gonna give up ... we gotta work together, if we want outta this alive. I'm okay, Drina." The young girl had knelt beside him, and ignored his words. Instead, she set to making him more comfortable.

"He's right. Will slowed Boudreau down, but he'll still come. Vin, before you ask, Dr. Meadows is fine. She's just worried about you right now. Charlotte, I can read your face about like a book, and before you ask, do you really think I could have stopped Will once he had made his decision to come? Now that we have that settled, we need to start getting ready. I don't know how long Will has slowed Boudreau down, but it won't be enough time for the police to get here first. Will took a shortcut," Adriana explained.

Charlotte closed her mouth ... she had, in fact, been about to castigate Adriana for bringing Will with her. But it was like the girl said ... she couldn't have stopped Will. Vin said dryly, "Reckon ya could stop a speedin' train with that glare of yours. Ya talked about that fella Larabee ... reckon ya learned that glare from him." Surprisingly, Adriana laughed at the smart-ass remark. Adriana was an easygoing girl, but she was ... well, there was more to her than Charlotte had previously thought. She had underestimated the girl.

"Reckon it's possible," she returned with a smirk, "but I'm not quite that good yet. Give me time, though." This time, Vin laughed, then groaned. Laughing, obviously, was at the bottom of his body's priorities. Adriana glared at him, and now Charlotte saw what the young man meant. Distracted from her anger by the bantering, she didn't hear the car. Adriana, who was on her haunches beside Vin, tilted up her head, frowning.

Vin, however, heard. He hissed, "Car comin,' everybody down!" Half a second later, a bullet hit the door. Charlotte gave a little scream and rolled away from the door, ducking under the window. Vin swore as bullets began striking the cabin. From her position under the window, cringing as a bullet shattered the glass over her head, Charlotte watched as the young guide looked around, and realized for the first time that she hadn't gotten proper cover for him.

She didn't have to worry ... Adriana was helping him toward the opposite window, just barely able to keep her head down. That meant Will was beside Charlotte. She found herself giggling, and not entirely sure why. Oh Lord, she had finally lost her mind. Her husband, who still hated her and whom Charlotte had left for Vin Tanner, was finally at her side, bullets were flying into her mother's cabin, and Charlotte was giggling like a loon. She had finally lost her mind, that was all there was to it.

Her laughter died as Richard Boudreau shouted, "Let me take you away from this, Charlotte. We will go away, just you and I! You will never have to see Tanner or Richmond, or that little bitch who keeps taking men away from you." Did he mean Adriana? She hadn't taken Will from Charlotte ... Will had done that, by distancing himself from her after Lindsay's death. And Vin was Adriana's friend.

"Boudreau, I'll send you to hell before I'll let you anywhere near my wife or my baby sister!" Will yelled back. Under the other window, Adriana rolled her eyes, and Charlotte crawled over to her friend, who grabbed her hand tightly, then passed something to her. Something cold and metal. A gun. She looked at Adriana in wonderment, who shrugged.

"It's either laugh or cry at this point," Adriana whispered. Charlotte didn't ask how her friend had known what she was thinking. The girl smiled faintly and added, "I figure as long as I'm laughing, my mind is still working properly. Ain't entirely true, but whatever gets you through." Adriana was scared, too? No ... no, looking at her friend, Charlotte could tell the girl was terrified. But she was trying to brave, and Charlotte could do nothing else.

Adriana smiled and patted Charlotte's hand, then her eyes narrowed. Charlotte's body tensed. Very slowly, she turned as Adriana hissed, "Will Richmond, you get down right now, before you turn yourself into a target!" Charlotte turned the rest of the way around, to see her husband rising to his feet. Now what the hell had he done that for? A half second after that, a bullet exploded through the already-shattered window ... and slammed into Will's chest. At that moment, everything disappeared for Charlotte Richmond. The cabin, Vin, Adriana, the bullets still striking the cabin. Will was down. Her husband had been shot. He needed her.

Part Twenty-Four

"They're gonna cut us to pieces before the cops get here," Vin whispered, eyeing the fallen Will Richmond. Adriana nodded, her eyes flickering around, and her eyes returned to him at last. Vin hurt all over, but he was alive, and he had every intention of staying that way. Vin continued, "Reckon you can find some towels, or whatever, to stop the bleedin' from gittin' too bad? Can ya get to them, without gittin' your head blowed off?"

She glared at him, and Vin just grinned at her. Adriana had said during one of her visits that she would have to introduce him to Chris as soon as possible. She answered, "I'll scoot over to Charlotte. The way I figure it, she's gotta have some guns around here somewhere. Vin, don't take this the wrong way, but you can't handle a rifle with those ribs, and with a broken arm. Charlotte's gonna be tending Will for a while, so it's up to the two of us to hold that piece of shit off until reinforcements arrive."

Vin nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. He knew she hated rifles, knew she was a terrible shot, but if that was all Charlotte had, they would have to make do. She took a deep breath, and for the first time, he saw how scared she was. Hell, of course she was scared! Vin started to reach for her hand, then thought better of it. No. No, as tense as she was, that wouldn't be a smart idea. Instead, he said softly, "Ya done good, Drina. Real good. Reckon your brother would be right proud of you."

She looked away and murmured, "Maybe." Vin frowned. He had thought that the siblings were close, if Adriana had been so happy that her brother called. What the hell was going on? Why was Adriana acting as if she wasn't sure what her brother thought of her? She smiled faintly, adding, "Well. If you'll be all right, I'll see about those guns. Stay put?" Vin nodded, cringing a little at the pain that resulted.

Given the way she reacted when people touched her ... Vin had a pretty good idea what had happened to her, probably when she was a little girl. He also had a pretty good idea who had done that to her. What he didn't know was her brother's part in it. She obviously loved him ... Vin would go so far as to say she adored him. But ... why did she react like that, when he had said her brother was probably proud of her? If she had been excited about his call, why?

Vin knew he should be worrying about dealing with Boudreau, so he couldn't hurt any more people, but until he had a gun in his hands, there wasn't much he could do about that worthless piece of shit. And it wasn't like he could do anything about Adriana's relationship with her brother, but Adriana was his friend, and he cared about her. Hell. He hadn't had many friends, but in the short time he had known her, it seemed like Adriana Wilmington had become just that. And he was confused.

Vin Tanner didn't like mysteries, especially not when they pertained to someone who had become very dear to him. And he would find out what was going on. It wasn't a matter of her being unable to take care of herself. Vin knew Adriana could take care of herself. But with friendship came worry, and Vin realized he was worried about Adriana. He couldn't do nothin' about what her pa had done to her ... but he could protect her in the future, starting now.

With that in mind, he checked on his friend's progress. Adriana had moved quickly to Charlotte's side, accepting the handgun and sliding it along the floor to Vin. He quickly checked the barrel. Good. It was loaded. He wasn't sure if Adriana had done that, or not. Didn't much matter. It was done, and it was somethin' he didn't have to worry 'bout. As he maneuvered himself into a sitting position beside the window, where he could get a clear shot without making himself a target, he glanced at Adriana again.

She had crawled on her hands and knees toward one of the closed doors. Rather than risk her getting shot, Vin attracted attention to himself, away from her, by firing at their attackers. His ploy worked, and all the shots from their enemies peppered the left side of the building, where Vin was positioned. Hell. He wished he had higher ground, but he knew getting onto the roof at this point in time was not an option.

He ducked back inside the window ... near all of his shots had hit their targets, which meant there were a few less goons to threaten what which was Vin's. Several towels were being pushed toward Charlotte with the point of a rifle. Towels? Rifle? They kept a rifle in the bathroom??? Well, Vin reckoned there were worse places to keep it. Charlotte immediately began ripping up some of the towels with her bare hands. Yowch. Remind me to stay on her good side, Vin told himself silently.

Adriana followed the rifle a moment later ... heh. She had pushed the rifle out ahead of herself, sliding it along the floor. Rather than attracting the attention to herself by lifting it into the air. Good girl. Adriana crawled to Vin's side, murmuring, "Wasn't sure if I should come over and crowd you, or Charlotte, and figured it would be better to come crowd you. She's got her hands full taking care of Will, and we can keep those goons busy."

"Reckon that's a good idea," Vin agreed. He saw a grin flash across the girl's face. She was loading the rifle ... it was old, but if it came down to it, she could always use a club. 'Sides, he had never had much use for them fancy new rifles. The old ones were sleeker. He added, "Drina, you told me in the hospital you ain't real good with a rifle. How you gonna use that?" She smirked as she finished loading the weapon.

"Wal, reckon I'll take aim at the trees them varmints hidin' behind ... reckon if I aim at the tree, I'll hit a varmint instead," Adriana answered, teasing Vin. He glowered at her, which of course didn't scare her at all. She added, laughing softly, "Really, though ... I figure if I aim at the trees, I'll hit one of the goons. I figure we could alternate ... 'cause every time I fire this damn thing, I can guarantee it'll knock me on my ass."

"Reckon it will," Vin agreed. Adriana rolled her eyes, moved into position on the opposite side of the window, took aim at a tree which hid a goon, and fired. She hadn't been kidding. He had seen her aim at the tree, and hit the goon. Shit. Her aim really was lousy. And the recoil knocked her backwards. Vin fired his pistol, taking out another goon. He figured that would be safer than teasing her about her aim.

Part Twenty-Five

He was making fun of her. He hadn't said a word, but she knew he was making fun of her. Adriana sighed as she rocked back into position. Oh well. She had been teasing him with her own mock-accent, so it was only fair that he would make fun of her dreadful aim, and her problems staying on her feet when she fired a rifle. Of course, this meant once his ribs and arm was healed, she would have to tickle him. Yes, that sounded reasonable.

He didn't talk during the fight, she noticed. Concentrating only on what had to be done, and if it was to talk, it was only to pass information along. Except at one point, when he shook his head and muttered, "Damn, girl ... we get outta here in one piece, I gotta teach you how to shoot proper!" And laughed at Adriana's muttered, That a promise or a threat? The idea of him meeting up with Chris was starting to scare her.

Glancing from the corner of her eye as Vin took his shot, Adriana could see that Charlotte was taking care of Will. Stopping the bleeding, at least ... they would need the bullet removed. Maybe they would get lucky, and it hadn't hit anything vital. Still, they had to get him to the hospital. Adriana had no doubt that Carly and Dawn would be coming with the police. Speaking of which ... when would they get here? Will had slowed down Boudreau just enough for Will and Adriana to reach the cabin before he did. But the police had helicopters, and Boudreau was already wanted for questioning. God, they had to get here soon.

They had other problems. Vin muttered, "Two's missin.' Drina, git over to Charlotte, ask if there's a back way into this place." Adriana nodded, and scooted the rifle ahead of herself. She wasn't entirely sure why she did that. It made no sense, logically speaking, since it would just hinder her movement. And the rifle was unwieldy when she was lying on the ground, so it wasn't like she could really fire it.

As she scooted along the floor, there was an implosion of glass. Adriana ducked instinctively, her muscles tensing at what would come next ... but wait. She hadn't heard a gunshot before the window broke. Charlotte screamed, and Adriana raised her head as a man rolled into a kneeling position, not far from Charlotte and Will's position. There was no time to think, only react. Grasping the barrel of the rifle, Adriana pushed herself to her knees and swung the weapon. She was lucky. One swing of the rifle connected with the gunman's ribcage, knocking him to the ground and knocking the gun out of his hand at the same time.

A second swing wasn't necessary, as a seriously pissed off Charlotte Richmond left her husband's side and pounced on the downed gunman. Adriana lowered the rifle and glanced over at Vin, who flashed a 'five' to her. Five men to go. The girl growled in irritation and crawled back into position beside the bounty hunter. As she checked the rifle for how many shots she had left, her blood ran cold. Dear God. She really had been lucky.

She must have gone pale, because Vin whispered, "Drina? What's wrong, girl?" Numbly, she showed the rifle to him. She hadn't put the safety on before she struck the gunman with the rifle. She could have killed Vin, or herself. Vin put his hand on her shoulder, whispering, "It's okay, Adriana. We got lucky this time, ya just gotta remember to put the safety on next time." Adriana glared at him ... what next time?????

Vin just laughed softly and muttered, "Better. Much better. We got five men left, and I reckon we just got some help." Adriana frowned at him, then listened. A helicopter. The police were here. Vin continued, "Now, it ain't real likely that they'll just give up, but we ain't on our own no more." That gave the still-shaken Adriana a much needed burst of strength. Charlotte had exhausted her rage beating on the now unconscious gunman, and had returned to her husband's side.

"This is the police! Throw down your weapons! You are surrounded!" came the very welcome confirmation of Vin's words. They weren't alone anymore. There were five men left, but Boudreau was missing. That worried Adriana. To her surprise, Vin quietly placed the pistol on the ground, motioning her to do the same with the rifle. However, she trusted Vin ... he probably had more experience with the police than Adriana, as a bounty hunter.

She placed the rifle on the ground beside the pistol, motioning Charlotte to stay put. The other woman nodded her understanding. All four were silent, except for Will's ragged breathing. Vin had positioned himself so that he could easily start firing again if it became necessary. His ribs had to be hurting him. The officer ... detective ... whatever ... who had warned the remaining goons to throw down their weapons yelled again, "There are only five of you left! Throw your weapons down, there's no need for anyone else to get hurt."

"No!" Boudreau screamed, "I'm not leaving without my Charlotte!" Adriana glanced at the woman, to see how Charlotte was reacting to this, and swallowed hard at her friend's lethal expression. Ack. She definitely didn't want on Charlotte's bad side. Ever. Boudreau repeated, "Do you understand me, pigs? There are six of us, there are only four of them, and you won't kill us."

God, can he really be that stupid, Adriana wondered, does he really think he can win this? The answer, of course, was yes. More to the point, he didn't think there was any other option. No other option ... oh, shit! Her eyes met Vin's, and he frowned. Adriana pointed to the fireplace, then extended her hands outward. It took him a moment to understand what she meant, then his eyes widened as well.

"Hell, he's just crazy enough to do it, too!" Vin hissed. His blue eyes narrowed as he searched around the cabin, looking for another way out. Boudreau had used his smoke bombs once already, and they had no way of knowing if he had more. Vin muttered, "All right, he's gonna do one of two things. I can't be rightly sure where Boudreau is, but I reckon we woulda heard him if he was on the roof."

"Unless he got up there during the shooting," Adriana pointed out, and Vin shook his head, pointing to the ceiling above their heads. Frowning, the college student followed his line of sight ... ahhh. The ceiling was an inverted V, and from the outside, Adriana had noticed that the roof was shaped like a V. Sloping roof. But still, if he was on the roof, wouldn't he still be able to cause them trouble?

"The trouble with higher ground is, if ya don't got cover, you're a right easy target. And this cabin ain't that big. Naw. He's gonna attack on the ground, and my bet would be a frontal attack," Vin observed quietly. Adriana blinked in surprise ... come again? Vin explained, "It's like this, Miss Drina. He's got five men left. They don't mean nothin' to him, just hoods. But while they're in a fire fight with the police, he'll make his rush."

"Sounds suicidal to me," Adriana muttered, "but I never claimed to understand that man. Okay. So he makes a frontal attack, while his flunkies sacrifice themselves to the greater bad. We fill him with lead as soon as he shows up?" God knew, they would have the right of it, since this was Charlotte's property, and he was trespassing. But she was an archaeology student, not a law student, and she didn't know the legalities of it.

She remembered a conversation they had, while he was in the hospital, and how surprised he had been that she had been born and raised in Colorado. While she had told him in the past that she had grown up there, he had been amazed that she had lived her entire life in one place. She had joked that if she had wanted to be a lawyer, she would have had a devil of a time, since she would have had to pass both the Texas bar and the Colorado bar. That had gotten them started on a conversation about Texas law ... about which Vin was, naturally, rather knowledgeable. Which was why she was deferring to him now ... he was the bounty hunter, and he had lived in Texas a helluva lot longer than she had. He had a better idea of what they were getting themselves into.

"I ain't shootin' to kill, 'less I gotta," Vin replied, "and he's gonna be gunnin' for me. That's why I want you on the other side, with Charlotte and Will. They're gonna need you." Adriana began shaking her head immediately. Oh, no. No, no, and not just no, but hell no! Vin hissed, a hint of a smile appearing, "Trust me, Adriana, I know what I'm doin,' and I know he's gonna want to take me out first. I'm gonna give what he thinks he wants."

Adriana hadn't known Vin long, but she had known him long enough to be worried when she saw that particular smile. He had a plan. She muttered, "All right, Tanner, but I want to hear your plan. You are not, I repeat, not putting yourself at risk. I'm not gonna watch you die. You hear me?" Vin nodded, and Adriana continued, "What are you thinking?"

Part Twenty-Six

Carly Tucker was not a happy camper. It wasn't bad enough that her twin brother and someone she liked very much were trapped inside a cabin, with Boudreau ready to storm the castle, so to speak. Nope ... she had crawled up into a tree upon arriving at the scene in a squad car, and she could see quite easily what Boudreau was planning to do. Each of his goons were leaving their hiding places, heading for the police officers who had arrived in the helicopter.

Carly didn't know what her twin knew. But it didn't take a genius to figure out that Boudreau was up to something, especially since he was sneaking around from the back of the house to stand on the steps of the cabin. She had been shooting since she was ten, and while she wouldn't term herself a sharpshooter by any means, she was a reasonable shot with a rifle. Unfortunately, her rifle was now back in Chicago, where she had left it.

Still, she had a good view of what was happening. She had seen Boudreau sneak around the back of the house, then circle back around. Carly had found herself laughing in spite of her worry, since the man's expression had reminded her of a pouting child. Whatsamatta, jackass, Carly jeered silently, you couldn't find another way in? She had been expecting him to climb onto the roof, though she didn't see how that was possible.

And she damn near fell out of the tree, laughing, when Boudreau whined he wasn't leaving without his Charlotte, as if he was a little boy and she was his plaything. Urk. Best not to go there. She didn't want to deal with what her dirty little mind conjured up. But it was true, he did sound just like a whining child. Personally, Carly hoped he did survive this encounter ... so she could rip him apart, limb by limb.

Instead, she watched from her perch, glancing back at the remaining squad cars. She had slipped out of hers once the other officers had gone ahead.

The officer who had allowed Carly to ride with him had known Charlotte's mother, and knew of the cabin, as well as a short-cut. Still, he had advised her to remain in the car, since God only knew what would happen with that psycho. Not that he termed it as such, but Carly understood. However, Carly wasn't about to just sit in a squad car, while a neighbor and her twin brother were trapped inside the cabin. She couldn't do anything constructive, anything that wouldn't put her in the way, but she couldn't sit still, either.

The reinforcements Carly had mentioned to Dawn was in one of the other cars, which had just arrived. Actually, those reinforcements had probably arrived by chopper, then took one of the cars to the cabin. She couldn't regret her decision to make the call ... Dawn had remained behind at the dorm to monitor Dr. Meadows, and Carly knew she would need help once the situation was resolved. Yes, this had been the best thing for everyone.

Carly smirked to herself, imagining the looks on a few faces, then turned her attention back to the stand-off. She caught her breath as the remaining men left their respective hiding places to rush the police. At the same time, Boudreau turned back toward the cabin. She had no way of knowing if this was part of the plan for the goons, or if they were stupid enough to think that they could take on the entire police force. However, it seemed Boudreau knew exactly what was going on. He would. He was a whiny jerk, but she had never said he was a total idiot.

It took only a few shots from the well-placed snipers to incapacitate the remaining goons, and from her vantage point, Carly could see that her brother and Adriana, and whoever else could shoot in the cabin, had taken out quite a few of the goons themselves. Boudreau rushed into the cabin, and a single gunshot echoed. Carly's blood froze. Oh dear God, oh dear God, oh dear God, please, please, please, don't let it be my brother!

A half second after that, something white waved from the window, and a hoarse voice called, "Boudreau's down! We've got an injured man in here!" It was Vin's voice and Carly nearly fell out of the tree from the sheer relief. He sounded hoarse, and in pain, but he was alive. Everything else, as Dr. Meadows would say, was window dressing. Police officers began securing the goons, while others began securing the house.

A few minutes later, she saw Boudreau being dragged from the house ... his arms were behind his back. Both arms were held by police officers, but ... it looked like he had been tied up before the officers had even gotten in there? Huh? A figure was carried out on a stretcher a few minutes later, and Carly recognized Charlotte Richmond walking alongside it. That would probably be Will, then.

Bringing up the rear were Vin and Adriana, Adriana supporting the bounty hunter's weight. Vin was leaning heavily against the college student, though even Carly could tell he was fighting to carry himself upright. Carly shook her head ... Adriana was a little bit of a thing, but she supposed the time she had spent working at Tapestry had given her more strength in her upper body. The medics swarmed over the injured men, and Adriana took a step back, collapsing onto the steps of the cabin. Carly saw no more after watching Adriana ease herself into a sitting position ... she climbed down, and ran toward her twin.

As she dashed to the medics, she overheard two cops, discussing the arrest. It seemed that Boudreau had found Adriana, Will, and Charlotte on one side of the cabin, and Vin on the other. Boudreau had raised his gun to fire at Vin, who seemed unconscious ... and received a bullet in his thigh, instead. Boudreau had screamed and dropped the gun, pressing both hands to the wound in his thigh. Adriana had used that to her advantage and tackled him from behind, then used the remaining strips of towel (?) to tie him up.

Vin had taken the gun and put the safety on, and waved a strip of white towel out the window, to signify surrender. Or, in this case, that everything was clear. Now, the medics were looking him over, to see how much time he would need to spend in the hospital after what he had been through that morning. At the same time, medics were stabilizing Will Richmond's condition. From what Carly had learned during her brief trip from the tree, he had been shot, but if they got him to the hospital, he'd be fine.

Charlotte was at her husband's side, looking over at Vin every few minutes. Carly wasn't entirely sure what had happened between those two, but Charlotte was obviously torn about something. Finally, she rose to her feet, and her husband reached out with his hand. Charlotte took his hand and dropped to her knees. Carly couldn't tell what was said, but after a moment, Will nodded and Charlotte rose to her feet.

Carly knelt beside Richmond and asked, "How are you feeling?" He glowered at her, making the pretty blonde laugh. The man had a long way to go before he could scare Carly with that pathetic attempt at a glare. Hell, Adriana's glare was scarier, and she was a lot more easy going. Hmm. Maybe that was what made Adriana's glare scarier, because she was easy going and not an eternal grouch like Richmond. She continued, "What gives?"

She indicated the direction of Vin, who was still being checked over by the medics, and Richmond said softly, "She said she just wanted to settle things with him. He saved our lives in there." Carly nodded, and Richmond continued, "We're going into counselling. It's what Charlotte wants ... you know, she was talking about taking him to South America or maybe Mexico? She would have left me for that kid."

There was wonderment in his voice, as if he had never really believed, until now, that Charlotte really would have left him. And fear went with that wonderment, because he had realized how close he had come to losing his wife forever. Richmond went on, "I've been an ass. A complete jackass, and I don't know if I can ever make up for it. If therapy will make Charlotte feel better, then that's what I'll do. Whatever it takes to make things right with her."

Personally, Carly thought that going into therapy to make your wife feel better about your marriage was kinda dumb, but at least he was trying now. And who knew? Maybe if he went into this with an open mind, he would realize that he had a lot to gain from therapy. Granted, that was a big 'if,' but the potential was still there. At the very least, the lines of communication were open again. Carly, who had spent some time in therapy after a tragedy at school, knew a few things about keeping the lines of communication open. On the other hand, Carly knew a few other things about making amends.

"Roses and chocolates go far, too. Maybe an antique vase or two, since you two are archaeologists. But you can't do any of those things if you're dead, so shut up and let these nice people work on you!" Carly scolded. Both medics smiled, and Carly continued, "Rest ... you've got some mega-kissing up to do." Will nodded with a sigh and Carly squeezed his hand. As she rose to her feet, she caught sight of a figure moving resolutely toward Adriana ...

Part Twenty-Seven

As long as she lived, Adriana never wanted to do that again. She sighed, running her hand over her face. Vin had been right, of course ... but still, when the door had flown open and Boudreau had exploded into the house, Adriana's heart had nearly stopped. At Vin's urging, she had taken up position beside Will and Charlotte, quietly holding hands with Charlotte. She wasn't sure who needed the support more ... her friend or herself.

She was scared. She was a college student who had just learned to shoot a few years earlier, when she first arrived in Texas. What she didn't know about guns could fill a few encyclopedias, especially what she didn't know about rifles, so what the hell was she doing here, and what the hell did she think she was doing? Even worse ... what else could she have done? As she heard Boudreau coming up the steps, Adriana kept second guessing herself.

And then there was no more time to think, because Boudreau was in the cabin, and he was aiming a gun at Vin. Vin was pretending to be unconscious ... at least Adriana hoped he was just pretending ... and then his eyes flew open! Less than a full second later, the pistol in his hand smoked and Boudreau screamed, dropping the gun to press both hands against the hole in his leg. His scream of pain unfroze Adriana, and she pounced ... or tackled, whichever you prefer.

In either case, he was on the ground and she was sitting atop him, tying him up with scraps of towel which Charlotte had given her, and Vin was slumped in the corner, grinning at her like a goddamn loon. It was then, and only then, that she had realized what must have been going through his mind. If he hadn't alerted the police that it was over, Adriana was afraid she would have fallen right off Boudreau, laughing hysterically.

And now it was over. The medics were taking care of both Vin and Will. Boudreau was being taken into custody, along with the rest of his merry little band. Charlotte was with her husband. And Adriana was so, very tired. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her crossed arms on her knees, and her head on her crossed forearms. It was finally over. Adriana thought it was highly likely that Will and Charlotte would either put their marriage back together, or finally get a divorce. She was glad for her friend, glad that Charlotte would be able to move forward, either way.

And her? Adriana didn't know. She was too tired to think about what would come next. It seemed like the adrenaline high which had been carrying her for the last few hours had ended, and as always after an adrenaline crash ... Well, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. She found herself shivering, even though she wasn't really cold. She was more ... numb. Or was she? Adriana shook her head, grimacing. Hell, she couldn't even think clearly at the moment.

Her old doubts and fears about her brother had come rushing back, especially after Vin had observed that Buck was probably proud of her. It was always how things went. She would spend an hour or two talking on the phone with her brother, and end the conversation thinking how much she loved him and how sure she was that he loved her, not just because she was his sister. That even though he knew about ... what happened ... he wasn't disgusted by her.

And then, after a few hours ... reality would set in. She talked to her brother maybe twice a year. He didn't usually call her, that was why she had been so excited when Buck had called. He always sent cards on her birthday and at Christmas, but she hadn't physically seen her brother since she had left Colorado. Part of that was, she didn't have the money to visit him, and whenever she broached the subject of her visiting, he was always vague. Maybe it was easier to control his revulsion and be supportive at a distance? That made sense.

"Adriana?"

Huh? She knew that voice, but it was physically impossible for the owner of that voice to be here. But again, she heard her name spoken, and this time, Adriana raised her head. She straightened up with a puzzled frown, then blinked. She cocked her head to one side, trying to figure out if what she was seeing was real, or not. The golden-haired young girl approached, very cautiously, as if approaching a wary animal ... or a wounded child.

The newcomer put a gentle hand on Adriana's knee, and it was the touch that convinced her. She wasn't seeing things. As tired as she was, she wasn't so tired she was hallucinating. She whispered, "Claire?" Her roommate's face was immediately brightened with a smile, and Adriana repeated, "Claire? How ... how did you get here?" Claire eased herself onto the step beside Adriana, picking up one of Adriana's hands to hold it very tightly.

"Same way you did, silly. Carly called me, told me that my roomie had run off, playing Mighty Mouse," Claire began, and laughed at Adriana's glare. Adriana's glare had the same effect on Claire that Chris Larabee's glare had on Adriana. It didn't. And Claire's only real reaction was laughter. Claire continued, "Yup, my roomie, zooming in to save the day. And of course, I couldn't, in good conscience, let you hog all the glory."

Adriana snorted at that, and Claire giggled, then went on, "Seriously, though, roomie. Carly called me after you hightailed it out of the dorm with Big-Mouth Will, told me that you were headed for Charlotte's cabin. I contacted the police, told them who I was and how you were involved, and asked if I could come. As long as I stayed out of the way, and didn't try to play hero ... or rather, heroine ... they were okay with it. But what about you, roomie? I know Charlotte wasn't hurt, and you told me about Vin being beaten up. Are you okay?"

It never failed. It absolutely never failed. Adriana was always doing fine ... well, remaining numb ... up until she heard those three words. Are you okay? And then, all hell broke loose. This time was no exception. She opened her mouth to reassure her roommate that she was fine, that she hadn't been hurt at all ... and instead, burst into tears. Shit, shit, oh shit! She tried to regain control of herself, to reassure her friend that she really was alright, but couldn't even breathe through the sobs.

It was then that claire wrapped her arms around her, drawing adriana into a fierce embrace, and adriana just let go. she slumped in her friend's arms, sobbing into her shoulder, while claire whispered that it was all right ... that everything would be fine now. the two girls sat like that for what seemed like hours ... adriana sobbing, and claire gently rocking her. all four from the cabin--vin, adriana, charlotte, and will--now had people tending them.< p>

Part Twenty-Eight

"Take two!" Carly Tucker said, laughing as she accompanied Dr. Priscilla Meadows into the hospital room. Two heads popped up, and Carly put her hands on her hips, looking from one to the other with a mock glare. Neither looked particularly impressed, and Carly continued, "So, what have you two been conspiring about this time? And Vin, what do you say that we get you released from the hospital without a terrorist attack this time, huh?"

"Reckon that would suit me just fine," Vin returned as Adriana helped him out of bed and into the wheelchair provided by the intern. Carly just laughed as the young man cast one last look around the room where he had spent the last three days. Surprising no one, he had suffered a relapse after the events at the cabin, and had spent the last few days in the hospital. Will Richmond was in a room just down the hall, and his therapy sessions with his wife had already begun. Only time would tell, but at least they were talking to each other.

Meanwhile, those goons remaining alive after the standoff at the cabin (or whatever the hell the media was calling it) were being charged, as was Boudreau. Once it was established that Vin had been helping to protect and defend the owners of the property, as had Adriana, they faced no criminal charges. Not that it had been real likely, since Charlotte had told anyone who would listen that Vin and Adriana had saved her and her husband.

Now Carly said, "You know, you two never did answer my question ... what were you conspiring about?" She watched as her hall-mate leaned down and whispered something to Carly's twin, and a mischievous smile crossed Vin's face. Carly shook her head and added, "On second thought, I really don't want to know. Is Claire back for good, or is she going back to her father's place until classses start?"

"Uhm ... well ... " Adriana faltered. Carly thought about a conversation she had overheard once between the roommates, when Adriana had invoked the 'secrets clause.' She had a feeling that was what she had just stumbled across. Claire had a secret, and Adriana was struggling against an inadvertent revelation. Her friend said after a moment, when Vin turned to look at her and winced in pain, "She hasn't decided yet."

The hell she hasn't, Carly thought, but she wouldn't push her friend. For now. What was she saying, though? Claire had sworn Adriana to secrecy, and if there was one thing that Adriana honored, it was her promises. She would have died before she let anyone down, much less her roomie. No, she would leave Adriana alone about this, but that wouldn't stop her from going to the source. Namely, Claire.

For now, all she said was, "Well, Vin, it looks like Adriana will be keeping you company, at least until her new job starts. And in case I didn't say it earlier, Adriana, I'm glad you got out of Tapestry. That place was turning your hair gray, and you're way too young for that." Adriana just laughed quietly as she pushed Vin out of the hospital room and down the hall to the elevator. Dr. Meadows and Vin's physician were a little ahead of them ... the vanguard, so to speak.

"What will you be doin' now, Miss Drina?" Vin asked, and Carly smiled at her twin's new nickname for Adriana. 'Drina.' She liked that. She knew from idle comments that Adriana had made that 'DeeDee' was one of her brother's nicknames for her. Carly, however, preferred the nickname bestowed on Adriana by her brother's best friend, Chris ... 'little princess.' She thought that was a lot sweeter than 'DeeDee.'

"Well, I got a job as a receptionist in the prosecutor's office. Seems someone found out that I have a really good friend who's a bounty hunter, and they thought I could help them keep an eye on him, keep him outta trouble," Adriana replied, laughing quietly. Carly nearly fell over laughing herself, seeing her twin's expression. Adriana continued, "I actually applied for the job before I went on the dig, and it was just luck that I quit Tapestry when I did."

"Well, if the prosecutors expect you to keep an eye on Vin, when they have a hard time doing that themselves, they better be paying you a good wage," Dr. Meadows said. Carly snickered at that. One of the prosecutors had come into the hospital the previous day, and thoroughly scolded Vin for getting hurt not once, but twice. She would have fun teasing her brother about that for a while.

"Don't need nobody keepin'an eye on me ... ain't a kid," Vin growled. Adriana gently patted his shoulder, and Vin added, slumping back into the wheelchair, "Aw hell, Drina, I ain't mad at you. Just gittin' tired a' people tryin' to make me into somethin' I ain't. You're my friend, you don't do that kinda thing to me." Carly pressed her lips together, to fight the smile at the way Adriana's face lit up when Vin had called her his friend.

More seriously, Dr. Meadows said, "That's right, son, she is your friend. And you can count on her." You sure can, Carly thought, the question is, what will she do if the secret she's keeping for Claire ends up causing trouble?

There was no real reason for her to believe that. Claire would have cut off her right hand before she would have done anything to hurt Adriana. But secrets, in Carly's experience, tended to turn ugly. It had also been her experience that the 'secrets clause' was only invoked for something serious. She wanted to be wrong. Lord, how she wanted to be wrong. But she didn't think she was.

If she wasn't, if she was ... regardless. She would be watching her brother's back, and Adriana. And she would pray that this secret wouldn't turn around and bite everyone in the ass, as the secret about her parentage had. Her parentage. She looked at her brother, and realized she was keeping a secret from him, too. But how did she tell him the truth? How did she tell him that he had a twin sister, who was taken to Chicago to live with their grandparents ... when he was just abandoned after their mother died?

Section II

Part Twenty-Nine

The cops swarming around her dorm was the first sign of trouble. Adriana didn't hate cops at all. She rather liked them, had gotten to know a few in the three months she had worked in the prosecutor's office. However, that didn't mean that she didn't get nervous when she saw them in front of her dorm. She did. She also wondered if she should call Vin. He wasn't a lawyer, but she would feel better if he was here.

Especially when she entered the dorm and found herself unable to go upstairs. She swore under her breath. Just what the hell was going on here???? She caught sight of Dawn, unofficial den mother of the dorm, and made a beeline for the grad student. Dawn saw her at the same time and they met half way. Dawn asked in a low voice, "Adriana, when was the last time you heard from Claire?"

"Uhm. . .before she left for Thanksgiving break, why? Is she the reason for ... ?" Adriana asked, gesturing to the uniformed officers that surrounded her. Dawn nodded, her mouth tightening, and Adriana's heart sank. She shook her head, and continued, "She was kinda quiet before she left, but you know how she gets when she goes back to visit her family." And when she was trying to protect Adriana from something.

Adriana cringed back from that thought. The two roommates had argued once, about a month before the end of their freshman year, about protecting each other. They had created the 'secrets clause,' as a way of letting each other know when something was to go no further. And Adriana, the sister of an Air Force captain, knew too much about secrets and what they could do to people, so she had insisted that the secrets clause was null andvoid when it endangered their lives, or the lives of others. It hadn't been easy to get Claire to agree to it ... she had no secrets from her father, at least not for long.

That hadn't caused the argument, however. Rather, it was Claire's insistence that she would keep a secret to herself, rather than tell Adriana, in order to protect the other girl. If she was doing something illegal, or something that might appear illegal, she wouldn't tell Adriana. That way, her roommate couldn't get in trouble for not telling the police ... since she didn't know anything. It was an argument that was never fully resolved.

Dawn murmured, drawing her back to the present, "Well, they're going through your room, searching for any clues. I marked your portions of the room. One of the younger cops gave me a hard time about it, but his supervisor told him to back off. She said that you weren't a suspect, you weren't even under investigation, and until you were, they would leave your things alone. They only had a search warrant for Claire's portion of the room."

"A search warrant? Dawn, what the hell is going on? She's not back from Thanksgiving break yet ... hey, remember last year, when she was late getting back?" Adriana pointed out. Things were progressing entirely too quickly for her liking, and something didn't feel right. She had learned very little about the law, as such, while she was working in the prosecutor's office, but what the hell was going on? She knew she was starting to sound like a broken record, but things just refused to process in her brain.

"Oh, hon. I'm sorry. Claire never arrived home from Thanksgiving," Dawn replied. Huh? Adriana could have sworn that Dawn just said Claire never arrived home for Thanksgiving break, but that couldn't be right, because Claire had called her and left a message on the answering machine, letting her know that she had arrived safely. She looked at Dawn, wondering if her expression was as stupid as Adriana felt.

"But she called me ... left me a message on the answering machine, saying that she was all right, and for me not to worry. To hell with this. Are the payphones okay to use?" she asked and Dawn nodded. Adriana fished in her jeans for a few quarters, and said, "I'm calling Vin. I know, he's a bounty hunter, but right now, I need to talk to him." Dawn nodded in understanding, and Adriana made a beeline for the small room where all the payphones were.

In the last three months, she had been hanging around with Vin Tanner more and more frequently. It had been a little awkward in the beginning, because she still had her job at the prosecutor's office, and he was a bounty hunter, but they worked their way through it. And it had been Vin who drove her home on her last day. That had been two weeks earlier, and Adriana had begun doing an assortment of odd jobs, to keep paying her bills.

Adriana had been concerned, too, that Claire would resent the time she had been spending with Vin, but Claire had been distracted as well. She didn't seem to mind the nights when Vin would come to her room and the pair of friends would go off somewhere and talk. He wasn't comfortable being in her room, so while the others were watching a movie in the rec room, Vin and Adriana would sit out on the lawn and look at the stars. They usually didn't talk. Sometimes they did, and that was fine, and sometimes they didn't. That was fine too. Vin had started teaching Adriana how to use a rifle properly, as he had promised. She was a long way from being a sharpshooter, but she could at least remain upright after firing the weapon now.

And in turn, Adriana had begun teaching him history. She was now convinced that Vin was either illiterate, or semi-literate. Every time she offered to loan him books, he had talked his way out of it. Adriana was leaning toward semi-literate, because he could read enough to read street signs, but even she could see the way he struggled. Her desire to help her friend was warring with her desire to shield his pride. And she knew quite a bit about a man's pride.

She punched in the numbers of his home, a rundown little apartment. Damn ... it was the answering machine! Still, it calmed her, just hearing his soft, raspy voice. At the tone, she said, "Vin, it's me ... uhm, come over to my dorm when you get a chance. I don't know when they'll let me back into my room. Claire's disappeared, and they're searching our room now. I know you're a bounty hunter, not a cop ... it would just really make me feel better if you were here. Thanks ... bye." She hung up, taking a deep breath, then left the phone room.

She found a bench outside, in the lobby of the dorm, and sat down. Without realizing what she was doing, she began drumming her feet against the legs of the bench, and thought about Vin. She knew that he had dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen, and put the lessons in hunting he had learned from the Native Americans he had known growing up to use as a bounty hunter. No one knew that he was only nineteen, and even now, Adriana had a hard time believing that Vin was as young as he was.

Thinking about Vin kept her from thinking about Claire, and worrying for her roommate. God, please be alright, Claire, please let her be all right, she prayed silently. Somewhere between her mother's death and her own flight from home, Adriana had stopped believing in God. Why she was praying to a deity she didn't believe in, she couldn't have said. But if there was a God, then He would look out for Claire ... wouldn't He?

Part Thirty

There was somethin' not right about this situation. It had been eating at Vin, ever since he had received the phone call from the prosecutor's office. And Vin couldn't get a handle on what bothered him the most. He was a bounty hunter, but his current prey hadn't broken any laws as yet. That was one thing. The other was far more personal. Supposedly, this Chanu had abducted nineteen year old Claire Moseley shortly after her departure from her dorm.

He didn't know Claire that well. But she was Adriana's roommate, Adriana's friend, and if there was one thing that left him totally weak, it was the fear of having to explain to someone very dear to him that he couldn't find her friend. He didn't want to see the look in Adriana's eyes when she found out that she would never see her roommate again. And so, Vin would see to it that she never had to hear that. Not even from him.

Which brought him back to his misgivings about this situation. A second thing which bothered Vin was, he knew Adriana had found a message on the recorder from her roommate, saying that Claire had made it in all right. He had been there when she listened to it. Vin remembered it, because Adriana had commented on how relaxed Claire sounded, and the visit was going well so far. Vin hadn't understood what his friend meant, and Adriana explained that her roommate's relationship with her father and brother was ... difficult.

The third thing was, he had the uneasy sense that while he was doin' this, Claire's roommate was bein' subjected to an invasion of her privacy. Adriana was a fiercely private girl. She was extremely particular about who touched her, and where. She was just as particular about who saw what of hers. And she was still smartin' over the callous dismissal from the prosecutor's office. She had worked hard in the three months he had worked there, and for them to fire her, just 慶ause the head honcho didn't want no college girls in his office ...

It didn't set right with Vin. Not in the least. But he tried to focus on the task at hand. He wanted to reassure himself that Claire was all right. They weren't friends ... Claire wasn't real comfortable around him, and he wasn't real comfortable around her. But she was Adriana's roommate, probably the closest friend she had, and Vin was determined to find Claire for that reason, among others. And, his pride wouldn't allow him to do a half-assed job.

Still, that didn't stop him from wantin' to back-hand Claire's kid brother. The seventeen year old hadn't shut up in the last few minutes, deriding Vin himself (no big deal), the way he dressed (who cared?), then moving onto Adriana, whom Rafe regarded as useless. Vin elected not to tell the boy that he would rather have that 'useless girl' backing him up in a firefight than some blow-hard kid, even if she couldn't fire a rifle proper. It wouldn't accomplish nothin.'

'Sides, the way Vin figured it, Rafe was jealous of Adriana. He was a blow-hard, but he weren't stupid, and he had probably figured out that Claire was more relaxed with Adriana than she was with her own family. Vin didn't know much about havin' a family, but he reckoned that he wouldn't be real happy, knowin' that his sister preferred someone else's company to his own. And Reverend Moseley obviously didn't approve of his daughter's roommate, either.

None of which was Vin's concern, but it was a struggle to remain focused. In the months since his meeting with Adriana Wilmington outside the library, his friendship with her had only strengthened. He was growing to trust her ... not just to watch his back, although that played into it. But he had faith that she wouldn't betray him ... that she would be there when he needed her. It was heady feeling for a boy who had spent most of his life alone ... the best part of his life alone. After being handed from family to family, then foster home to foster home, Vin had never truly believed that he could allow himself to trust anyone.

Adriana had changed that. Not because she had set out to, but because she had simply accepted him. Vin had an uneasy feeling that she had guessed his secret, just as he had guessed hers. It was a secret she kept, and Vin was fiercely protective of her as a result. Whether it be from the slings and arrows of people such as Boudreau or the thinly-veiled contempt of Rafe Mosely and his father.

But blasting these two wouldn't help him find Chanu or Claire, and that was what he was being paid to do. He had listened intently to the investigation up to this point, and weighed in with the message left on Adriana and Claire's recorder. He kept Adriana's observations to himself ... he didn't really think either of the Moseleys would listen. And since the girls had an answering machine, not a caller id, they still had no way of tracking Claire.

Vin had asked the police if they had any leads in the way of credit cards, or ATM cards, or anything of that nature. He learned that Claire didn't have any credit cards (then how in the hell had she planned to pay for Adriana's plane ticket to visit her brother?), and they were still trying to access her records for use of her ATM card. The police had also spoken with Chanu's father, Koje, and the man had no idea where his son was. They were estranged ... an old, old story, Vin supposed, and one he had seen play out in the past.

At the moment, Vin was on the reservation where Chanu had grown up, waiting to talk to Koje. He had been waiting for the last thirty minutes ... if need be, he would wait another thirty. The waiting wasn't the hard part. It was listening to the two Moseley males which was starting to get on his nerves. To tune them out, Vin began running possibilities through his mind. He needed to talk to Koje, to get a handle on Chanu.

Why had Chanu taken Claire? Adriana had told him a little about her roommate's family, but not about anyone she might be dating. That could be her private nature once more, but Vin had a feeling something else was going on. According to what he had learned from listening to the investigating officers, a man matching Chanu's description had been seen in Claire's company on the campus. They had been seen together, laughing and talking.

It was the instinct of the officer in charge, Detective McCoy, that Claire had eloped with Chanu. They were about the same age, they had been seen together. But Reverend Moseley had insisted that his daughter would never 'keep company with one of those savages.' Huh. You'd think he was living in the old west, way he talked. Vin knew that bigotry existed ... he had seen it. But ... The teenager shook his head. When they finally did catch up with Chanu, Vin wanted a chance to talk with the other young man.

"You wanted to speak with me," a voice stated and Vin looked up to find a man in his late forties or early fifties at his elbow. Well, when the hell had that happened? A quick glance over his shoulder at Reverend Moseley and his son told Vin that they were just as surprised as he was, then Vin turned back to the newcomer. The man's eyes were serene ... well, calm, at least. The teenaged bounty hunter and the father stared at each other for several moments, taking each other's measure. Vin didn't know what Koje was seeing, but he knew what he was seeing.

There was concern in the dark eyes, yes. A man worried for his son. But not shamed. Not guilty. Which meant one of two possibilities ... one, that Chanu had done nothing wrong and Detective McCoy's instinct was correct. The second possibility was that Koje didn't think his son could do any wrong. But while he was only nineteen, the young bounty hunter had developed instincts over time. And his instincts were telling him now that this father was not one who believed his son could do no wrong.

Vin said softly, "M' name is Vin Tanner. I'm helpin' the police to find your son and Claire Moseley. Was hoping I could ask ya some questions." Koje inclined his head in agreement, and Vin asked, "Do ya have any idea where he mighta gone? We done checked places that Claire liked to go." They had realized the pair were together when one of the local car rental agencies had called the police, explaining that Chanu had rented a car, and Claire was with him.

"No. My son does not speak of his life outside the reservation. He speaks of little to me," Koje answered. Damn. Vin had been afraid of that. He had observed that sort of thing before, kids not wantin' to talk to their parents. Hell. Vin had lost his mother when he was five, had never known his father. That wasn't somethin' he understood. Koje asked in an almost teasing voice, "And you, young hunter, do you speak of everything to your mother and father?"

"No. Don't got a ma or pa," Vin answered shortly. He saw the sorrow in the older man's eyes, then Koje nodded in understanding. Vin continued, bringing his wayward emotions back under control, "Has he ever talked about places he's wanted to go? Lotsa little boys dream 'bout goin' places when they grow up. Don't reckon Chanu was any different?" He heard Rafe muttering behind him, and Vin swore if he messed this up, he'd pop the brat.

"There was no place he didn't want to go ... he wanted to see everything. And then he met the girls when they came to the reservation last fall. You said your name was 'Vin.' Are you the 'Vin' of whom Adriana speaks so often?" Koje asked. Vin blinked. What? Adriana? Koje continued, laughing, "Yes, I know Adriana. She came here with her mentor, Dr. Meadows, when Priscilla wanted to speak to me about a dig. On her second visit, she brought Claire with her."

"You're lying, old man! My sister would never come to a place like this!" Rafe shouted, drawing the attention of half the reservation to him. Vin turned and levelled his nastiest glare at the teenaged boy behind him. Rafe blustered and blithered for a few more seconds, then fell silent. Adriana had told him two weeks earlier that the infamous Chris glare didn't work on her, that Chris didn't scare her ... but Vin, when he glared like that, did.

Koje said, gently touching Vin's shoulder as the young hunter turned back to face him, "Perhaps we should talk inside the schoolhouse. I believe you have some questions to ask?" Vin nodded in agreement, and glared at Rafe Moseley again. He exchanged a look with Detective McCoy, who had also accompanied him here, then followed Koje to the school.

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.

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?

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.

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?

Part Thirty-Five

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!

Part Thirty-Six

Two hours later, Adriana was back in her room, catching up on her studying, while Vin had returned home. Sitting in his apartment, he smiled and thought back to the time he had spent with his friend. It had felt good, chasing her and teasing each other and tickling each other. For the first time in a long time, Vin's playfulness had emerged. He had a sense of humor ... one that Adriana liked quite well, but as she had pointed out once they calmed down and settled in the study room of her floor, playfulness and a sense of humor weren't quite the same thing.

The police had still been searching Claire's portion of the room at that point ... Adriana had popped in long enough to check on the progress, get an apology from the officers, and grab the books for her classes on the following day. Then she and Vin had sat in the lounge and talked while Adriana went over her notebooks, making sure she had read the required reading assignments. It didn't even occur to Vin, until much later, that Adriana's guard had dropped. And so had his.

As he watched TV that night, he realized that he hadn't even noticed when Adriana's arms went around his waist ... or that his arm had gone around her shoulders in response. It just seemed ... well, like he was supposed to do that. It wasn't like Adriana was his girl. Vin shuddered at the thought. Not at the idea of Adriana being his girl, but the possibility of a romance ruining things between them. The last time he had been attracted to a woman, he had damn near gotten himself killed, and Drina with him.

Nope, he was quite happy with the way things were, between him and Drina. 'Sides, they were both young yet. Drina was still hurtin' from what her pa had done to her. Likely, she would be hurtin' for a long time to come. Vin sighed and settled himself more comfortably on the bed. Yup, it would take Drina some time yet, before she could think about ... well, about bein' with a man. And while Vin wouldn't have minded bein' that man, wouldn't have minded bein' that man whom Drina trusted that completely, facts were facts.

Fact was, he was a nineteen year old bounty hunter, a barely literate one at that. Fact was, he had very little to offer a nineteen year old girl who was barely makin' her own way through college. Fact was, Adriana Wilmington could do a helluva lot better than him.

There was no self-pity in the observation, just Vin's honest opinion. He wasn't taking into account that when it came to the way Adriana was treated, it would have been nearly impossible to do better than him. And maybe if he had taken that into account, he would have realized he had far more to offer Adriana than he realized. But he was young yet and hadn't yet learned that sometimes, a man with little education and a lot of common sense had a lot more to offer than a man with a string of letters after his name.

His mind drifted to Chanu and Claire. Adriana had said that she didn't believe Chanu kidnapped Claire. Why? It wasn't that Vin didn't trust Adriana's sense of the young Native American ... in fact, Vin thought she was dead-on accurate. But was it Claire's message on the answering machine which had prompted that observation? Her limited knowledge of Chanu? From what Koje said, Chanu really didn't have time for Adriana, and Vin didn't think his friend really minded that.

But what if the reason Chanu had never bothered with Adriana, never bothered to get to know her, was because he had been enchanted by her lovely friend? It wasn't a stretch. In fact, as Vin had learned these last few months, most people fell into that category. Will and Charlotte Richmond, Dawn, Carly, and Dr. Meadows, they were all exceptions rather than the rule. Adriana liked to fade into the woodwork. Liked to be invisible. She preferred to have no attention at all.

So she had ... what? Steered Chanu toward Claire? Naw, that didn't sound right. Adriana wasn't a matchmaker, and the situation with the Richmonds didn't count. She had been tryin' to push two people back together again. But she sure as hell hadn't minded that Chanu was payin' attention to Claire, and that did sound like Adriana. Which brought up an interesting point. Why did some people notice Adriana and others just pass her by?

Vin thought it was because some people noticed quiet people, just 'cause they were quiet. He had noticed the same thing in himself. And Adriana drew the attention of folks who didn't see just the obvious. Yeah. That was a good way of puttin' it. Dr. Meadows had said the same thing about him once, and it surely did fit Adriana just as well. Vin smiled in satisfaction, feeling another piece of the puzzle falling into place.

Still, knowing Adriana as he did, it was hard for Vin to accept that some people didn't see her as he did. The smart, funny, sassy girl on the walk back to the dorm ... that was the real Adriana Kathleen Wilmington. Not the quiet, shy, bookish teenager who retreated into herself. Oh, that was the Adriana which most people saw, and it was hard for him to understand that that was the only side of her which they saw her.

Smart, funny, sassy, silly ... imaginative. Lord, did that girl have an imagination! He knew that, of course, but sometimes he forgot. And fortunately, she seemed to have radar for that, because every time he did forget, she would remind him. Vin smiled, remembering their conversation at dinner. A girl watches a movie ... it stays with her for god only knew how many years, and she remembers it, to ask a bounty hunter friend about it. A person pretendin' to be someone else ... Eli Joe pretendin' to be Jess Kincaid, to shake Vin from his tail. Jess Kincaid, whom Vin knew. Someone he knew.

Vin's blood ran cold. But what if he hadn't know Jess Kincaid? It would have been too easy to fool him. Or maybe not, since Lily had seemed so terrified to him. Tryin' to pull away from her 'father.' But what if ... ? Vin bounded up from his bed, on his feet before he realized what he was doing, and pacing. What if he hadn't known? What if he hadn't seen that Lily's terror wasn't of him, but of her 'father,' what if ... ?

He thought again about Adriana's question. Pretendin' to be someone you weren't. For whatever reason. Vin closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. What had Adriana said, when she had told him about her last conversation with her brother? She had been so disappointed, because he had been very vague about her visiting him, and the shadow had been back in her eyes again. What had she said ... something about Claire offering to pay for her plane tickets, to pay Major Wilmington a surprise visit?

Yes. Claire had offered to buy Adriana plane tickets, laughing about her new charge card. But they had done a trace for Claire, she didn't have a charge card. At least ... not under her own name. By now, Vin's blood had turned to ice water, and the pacing was no longer to quiet his own restlessness, it was to keep him warm ... to keep him from freezing in place. His mind worked through it.

Adriana was the quiet mouse, in the eyes of most. What had Dawn said once, that most people who didn't bother looking past the surface dismissed her as a piece of spineless fluff? Yes. Quiet, mousy Adriana, at least to people who didn't know her better. And Claire. Beautiful, golden girl Claire. The one who drew the attention. Whether she wanted it or not. Attention from young men, from her classmates.

If she wanted to disappear, it would be too easy to track her, using her own name. Why not use her roommate's name? Adriana was safe and sound, no one would think of looking for her ... no one even knew that she had a charge card. And she didn't. But maybe her roommate had one in her name? Before he could lose his nerve, Vin went over to the phone and called Detective McCoy at home.

He apologized for disturbing him and interrupting his dinner, then breathlessly explained his theory. There was a long silence, then McCoy said thoughtfully, "It makes sense, kid. I hate to say it, but it does make sense. And don't worry about dinner, we finished an hour ago. You sit tight, I'm gonna call this in ... have a trace run on any cards with the name 'Adriana Wilmington' or 'Adriana K Wilmington.' I'll call you when I hear something."

"Thanks, Detective ... listen, if this pans out ... do you want me to go with you?" Vin asked. There was a long silence, then a tapping of keys. Or maybe he wasn't calling in the trace at all, but emailing someone still at the precinct? Vin kept silent, however. He didn't care how the information got to the others in the investigation. All he cared about was being proven right or wrong. And God, he hoped he was wrong!

"Okay, I've emailed the guys at the precinct. And no, Vin ... you've done your part. I have a bad feeling that you're right about this, and if you are ... " the detective replied.

Vin nodded ... he understood at once. The detective believed that Adriana would need him more than they would. There was silence for several moments, and Vin sat down on the bed once more, his adrenaline rush ending suddenly. At last, Detective McCoy swore, "Son of a bitch. That's exactly what she did. We got 'em. As of last night, they were at a motel in Santa Fe. They've been in Las Vegas. Nice work, son."

Part Thirty-Seven

Things happened pretty quickly after that. The credit card transactions were easily traced, but the only thing Vin Tanner knew was that Claire had used her roommate and best friend. Now, Vin hadn't had many friends in his life, but he knew enough. He knew that you didn't use them ... use their name to avoid bein' detected. He had little in the way of formal education, but the things which could have happened while Claire was pretending to be Adriana ...

Dear God, but it made him dizzy. Ever since making the call to Detective McCoy the previous night, Vin had sat in his room. He hadn't slept at all, hadn't eaten. Claire had betrayed her friend. She had betrayed Vin's friend, and the knowledge that Vin had helped to uncover that betrayal made him feel dirty. He took two showers before leaving for the prosecutor's office, hoping he could wash that feeling away. He couldn't.

And he couldn't eat. Just the thought of food was enough to make him sick. He forced some coffee down, knowing that he needed some nourishment. And then he cursed himself. What the hell had he been thinking, letting Adriana this close to him! He didn't let down his guard, not for nobody! So when ... what the hell had he been thinking, letting that girl past his defenses? Vin was angry, so angry, it scared him. It scared him, that he had grown to care so much about Adriana Wilmington, and it scared him, this rage he felt toward her roommate.

In the part of his mind that could be rational, Vin understood that Claire probably never meant to hurt Adriana. In all likelihood, she hadn't realized that ... well, all the things which could go wrong. He tried to hang onto that, tried to keep a hold of that. But the rage was threatening to consume him, and he didn't know how to combat this. He had spent the last fifteen years of his life, ever since his mother's death, keeping people at arm's length if he could. If someone didn't get close enough, they couldn't hurt you.

Maybe that was why he had let Adriana in ... his certainty that this wounded girl wouldn't hurt him. He shouldn't have been so certain. A wounded animal is the most dangerous, and this girl was dangerous, though not in the expected way. No, she had become dangerous to Vin, because the knowledge that ... this knowledge he had of her roommate's betrayal was tearing him apart. Adriana was the one who had been betrayed, but Vin was hurting for her.

But he pushed himself out the door, struggling to forget about Adriana Wilmington and Claire Moseley. If she had used her roommate's name, then she had gone willingly. She hadn't wanted to be found. She hadn't wanted to be found. Maybe ever. Would she have continued using her friend's identity? Vin didn't know. He swung himself onto his motorcycle, then put on his helmet almost automatically.

The helmet was a recent addition ... again, thanks to Adriana. Vin almost smiled, thinking of his conversation with her about motorcycles. She didn't even know he had the damn thing. While he was recovering from his relapse, and after he had left the hospital a second time, she had told him about a boy she had known in high school. Jordan. There was a sadness in her eyes, but she denied that he had been a friend ... in fact, she had said honestly, she hadn't even liked him. That was right, because they had been talking about tragedies while they were young. And Adriana had mentioned Jordan Albee.

In their freshman year, he was killed while riding a motorcycle. Adriana, and most of her classmates, had been fourteen, but Jordan had been held back more than once. He was seventeen years old when he died. He hadn't been wearing a helmet ... had massive head injuries. And ever since that time, when she saw someone get onto a motorcycle, she had prayed ... no, hoped ... that they would wear a helmet.

Vin had asked her why she said 'hoped,' rather than 'prayed,' and it was then that he learned Adriana no longer believed in God. At least, she said she didn't believe in a higher being. Vin wasn't so sure about that ... but he wouldn't argue with her about it. And that brought things full circle. Back to Claire Moseley. Vin wasn't sure what happened after McCoy hung up. He hadn't wanted to know.

Curiously, there was no rage toward Chanu. Why not? He had been a party to Claire's deception. Vin didn't know the specifics, but if they had been in Las Vegas, he could make a pretty good guess what they were doing. And he didn't think it was gambling. At least, not with money. Granted, Vin considered Reverend Moseley an ass, but if the girl planned to marry someone, she shoulda just done it, and not dragged any third parties into it.

And it weren't like Claire was some sixteen year old kid ... she was nineteen years old, of legal age to marry. If she loved someone ... if she loved Chanu enough to marry him, why didn't she just stand up to her father and say so? Hell, that was what Vin's ma had done. He didn't know the full story, just that his ma had loved someone her parents didn't like, and she had given them up to be with his pa. And Julia Tanner had only been twenty years old ... just a year older than Claire Moseley.

But not all women were as strong as his ma had been. He knew that, but that didn't ease the rage. Or the disgust he felt for her. Did it never occur to her that her pa might say that Chanu had kidnapped and maybe even raped her? He shook his head in disgust as he headed into work. He wasn't sure why he was so angry, so disgusted ... why he was almost sick from those emotions. He just was. And he had no idea what to do about either of them. While he was ashamed of it, there was a part of him which blamed Adriana for making him care about her.

Once he arrived at the prosecutor's office, he found Detective McCoy waiting for him. The detective said, "You look like hell, kid, didn't you get any sleep?" Vin shrugged and McCoy continued with a sigh, "Okay, I won't push. Officially, this is being treated as a kidnapping." Vin stared at the cop in shock..What? McCoy went on, "I don't like it any more than you do, son, but Chanu is being held until the hearing. Claire's gone back to her dorm."

Vin put his hand on a chair, trying to steady himself. McCoy continued, slowly, "We're not sure if the credit card trace will be admissible, since we never had a search warrant for Adriana's belongings." Vin stared at the other man ... but the prosecutors ... but ... they weren't trying to prove that Chanu had done something wrong! McCoy sighed, "You're not understanding me, kid. Reverend Moseley is pressing charges."

"But ... what about Claire? Ain't she said nothin' about the card, ain't she spoke up at all?" Vin asked, his voice growing hoarse. He had felt dirty before his two showers ... now he felt like he would never come clean. What had he done? McCoy slowly shook his head and the remaining adrenaline which had been carrying Vin for the last several hours deserted him. Vin felt his legs start to give way ... he hadn't eaten since the previous night, hadn't slept at all. And he couldn't seem to stop shaking.

Quickly, carefully, trying to avoid any attention, McCoy steered Vin to a chair and said softly, "Listen to me, son. She has said nothing. She just hugged her brother when we brought them in, then went back to her dorm. That was at six this morning. And that mama bear grad student, Dawn ... she made it very clear that she had been very patient yesterday, but from now on, we would have to go through her if we wanted any of her babies."

Despite his exhaustion, Vin smiled ... yes, that sounded like Dawn Jackson. The funny thing was, she was only twenty-four years old, but she did act like a mother with her young. In some ways, Dawn reminded him of his own mother, though certainly not in any physical ways. McCoy continued, "Get some sleep, son ... there's nothing new today, and I have a feeling your friend Adriana will need you to be strong."

"She ain't in any trouble? I mean, it ain't her fault that ... " Vin began, but the other man was already shaking his head. Thank God. Because if the law had given Adriana a hard time 'cause of this, there would have been serious problems. As it was, Vin was ready to let Claire Moseley exactly what he thought of her. The young man continued hoarsely, "Good. 'Cause I'm already pissed at the prosecutor for lettin' her go."

"I assure you, Mr. Tanner, my decision to cancel Ms. Wilmington's contract with us was not a personal matter. She was an excellent worker while she was here, but it is not seemly for a girl of nineteen to work in a professional atmosphere," the head honcho said. He eyed Vin with more than a little trepidation, then added, "It's bad enough that we have bounty hunters in this office, much less teenyboppers."

McCoy rolled his eyes and grabbed Vin's arm before the young man had a chance to defend his friend. Vin glared at him, but McCoy ignored him.

Instead, he told the head honcho as he steered Vin from the office, "Well, it would seem to me that you're confusing Ms. Wilmington with her roommate. It wasn't Ms. Wilmington who assumed the identity of another. Now, if you'll excuse me, this young man hasn't slept or eaten, and I mean to see that he gets at least one of the two!" And with that, Vin was forcibly removed from the prosecutor's office before his rage could explode.

Part Thirty-Eight

Things weren't supposed to be like this. She and Chanu had planned to come back long enough to get the rest of her clothes, while Adriana was at class and the rest of the dorm was deserted. She would pack up her things, leave a good-bye note for her roommate, then she and Chanu would leave. For good. They would go to the East Coast and make a new life. But that wasn't the way things had worked out at all.

Chanu was at the jail, awaiting a hearing. And here Claire sat. It was eight thirty in the morning. She sat at her desk, and just watching Adriana sleep. Dawn had said that the other girl didn't get to sleep until late. Fortunately, she had late classes today, so she could afford to sleep in. It wasn't supposed to be like this at all. She wasn't supposed to see tear stains on her friend's cheeks, she wasn't supposed to be back in her dorm for god knew how long.

Claire took a deep breath, then released it. She had scared Adriana something fierce, she knew that. And she hated herself for it. She hated herself for scaring Adriana, for hurting her friend. She hated her father for being unwilling to let go. She hated Vin Tanner for somehow realizing that she was using her friend's name on a credit card, which was how the police tracked them down. And she hated herself again for being weak ... for betraying a friend.

She had told Adriana when she returned after the shoot-out, that the time was coming for her to break away from her father. She had sworn Adriana to silence ... seeing the worry in her friend's dark hazel eyes as the secrets clause was invoked. Adriana hated the secrets clause, she hated secrets, period. But she honored Claire's request, because she knew that Claire had no secrets from her father for long. He always found things out, no matter how hard she tried to keep things from him.

Adriana was one of the few things her father had been unable to take away from her. Oh, he had tried. Tried to undermine her friend in Claire's eyes, by pointing out that she didn't believe in God. That she was an archaeologist, who dug into the past ... into things better left buried. He pointed out that she was neither beautiful nor brilliant. Just mediocre. Nothing special. Claire almost laughed aloud. If he had thought he was insulting Adriana, nothing could have been further from the truth. Adriana would have taken it as a compliment.

In a strange way, it was what her father saw as Adriana's flaws that Claire found most appealing about her friend. It was true, she was neither brilliant nor beautiful. She was, to use an over-used phrase, cute. She would probably never be beautiful. But she was pretty and smart, and she worked hard. Claire sometimes teased her that she worked too hard, but she was proud of her friend. She was proud of her intelligence and proud of her sheer determination.

Yes, she was determined. She didn't know how to quit. That was something else that Claire liked about her. The truth was, she and Adriana balanced each other out. Maybe that was the real reason Claire had used Adriana's name on that credit card application. Claire might have been beautiful and brilliant, but she would have sacrificed either or both to have Adriana's strength. Oh, sure, she said she was a coward, said she was weak.

But that self-derision had slowly begun to fade. Ever since she had met Vin Tanner, who brought her up, not with reassuring words. But just by being. Without saying much of anything, Vin had been able to help her friend in ways Claire could only dream of. And maybe that was the real reason she found herself hating him now. For helping the police to find him ... for thinking of that possibility ... for being able to break through to Adriana when she couldn't.

Vin had started to show Adriana that she was a lot stronger than what she gave herself credit for. She had survived finding the mutilated body of her mother at eight ... nine long years of molestation at the hands of her father (literally) ... running away when she was seventeen. Started a new life for herself in Texas, literally starting all over again. With no money, taking jobs to keep herself alive and to give herself a future.

Claire looked at the sleeping girl now. Adriana lay on her side, breathing steadily. Arms tucked around a teddy bear, a gift from Dawn on Adriana's last birthday, back in June. She had missed her best friend's birthday, and Claire hated herself all over again. She left the chair and walked over to her friend's bed, settling herself beside Adriana. The other girl stirred a little, but didn't awaken.

"I wish I had your strength," she whispered, "I wish I had the strength to stand up to my father, if only to run away. I have to find a way to get Chanu out of jail, Adriana. You'd do the same for Vin. You love him, and you would do anything within your power to help someone you love. But I don't know if I have the strength to do it for Chanu ... I don't even know if I have the strength to do it for you."

She had to tell Adriana everything, she knew that. She had to tell her about the credit card, she had to tell her about what had happened in Las Vegas. She owed her friend that much, because it was only now that she began to realize her father could have come for Adriana while she was gone. She could have made it so much easier for that monster to undo everything which Vin, Claire, Dr. Meadows, and Dawn had done over the last several months.

"Claire? Are you home? Or am I dreaming?" a fuzzy voice mumbled. Claire smiled and looked down at her friend. Adriana's eyes were slits, as if she didn't want to wake up all the way. Claire smoothed the soft brown hair down, and Adriana mumbled, "I was so worried about you!"

Claire lifted her friend into her arms, holding her close. She couldn't do this alone. She knew that now. She couldn't carry this burden alone, as she had for the last several weeks, ever since she had made her decision. She whispered into Adriana's nightgown, "I'm so sorry for scaring you, roomie. I love you, you know that." Adriana bobbed her head, her arms tightening around Claire, trying to comfort her.

"I got married, Adriana. Chanu and I are married," Claire went on. Adriana went very still in her arms, then drew back to look at the other girl. Before she could speak, Claire continued, "I'm invoking the secrets clause. Chanu and I went to Las Vegas, and we got married." Adriana just stared at her in silence. Claire had been prepared for her brother's blustering, her father's heavy-handed sermonizing.

But she hadn't been prepared for the betrayal in Adriana's eyes. She said, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or Adriana, "I couldn't tell you the truth, so you wouldn't be dragged into this. I know my father, Adriana, and I knew that he would get it out of you, no matter how hard you tried to keep it from him. If you didn't know, then he'd leave you alone. Vin would see to that."

Still, Adriana said nothing, though her eyes had flared a little when Vin was mentioned. She probably knew that Vin Tanner had been involved in the search. Of course she knew that. Tanner would have hardly kept that to himself. He was too honest. Claire went on, trying to fill the silence, "Chanu and I got married on our first day out. First day in Las Vegas, I mean, our first full day. It's consummated, so Father can't try to separate us that way. But I need to get him out of jail. They think I ... they think he kidnapped me."

"You've invoked the secrets clause," Adriana finally said very quietly, "but let two things be understood. You asked me to lie for you once. I did it. And I told you that I would never do it again. That stands. I won't lie for you, Claire. Not to Vin, not to the police, not to your father. It makes me feel dirty. And lies ruin lives. I won't do it again." Claire nodded, flushing as she recalled the lie she had wanted told, back in the summer.

"The other thing?" Claire prompted, even though she had a pretty good idea what Adriana would say. She had been opposed to this loophole all along, because she had always known there would come a day when Adriana would bring it up. Raised by a controlling father, Claire had few secrets to call her own, and she was fiercely protective of what few she had. That was why she didn't want the secrets clause with loopholes of any kind.

But Adriana had insisted. Had told Claire that secrets had a way of turning ugly, and she wasn't willing to risk her life, Claire's life, or anyone else's, to keep those secrets. Not the kind which Claire kept. She could keep a secret to protect people, though she would have made a lousy spy. But the second a secret endangered the life of another ... whether it was her life, Claire's, Dawn's, whoever ... the secret and the secrets clause were both null and void.

"The second this gets out of control, I'm calling it. Vin's up to his eyeballs in this, and I will not allow him to get hurt. If he gets hurt, if anyone gets hurt, it's over," Adriana replied.

Claire nodded ... she had expected that. What she didn't expect was the sudden fierceness in Adriana's hazel eyes as her roommate continued in a low voice, "I mean it, Claire. If anyone, anyone at all gets hurt because of this ... I will tell the entire story to whomever will listen. Vin, the police, Dawn, anyone. I love you ... but unless your life is threatened, I will not kill for you. Do you understand?"

The Fury staring into Claire's eyes was not the shy, quiet girl with whom Claire had shared a room for the last fifteen months. She was still quiet, yes, but a quiet fury. It was ironic, really ... Adriana never reacted like this to threats to herself. She'd only withdraw into herself, if someone tried to hurt her. But if she believed someone she cared about was in trouble, she would move heaven and earth ... and even hell ... for them.

"Would you do that for me?" Claire asked softly, wanting to hear the answer. A part of her was shocked by the change in Adriana ... and another part welcomed it, knowing that it couldn't have happened if Adriana hadn't felt comfortable with her. Adriana frowned, not understanding, and Claire continued, "Would you do that for me? Be so fierce in my defense?" The confusion disappeared then.

Claire wished it had stayed when she saw what took its place. Disappointment. The one expression she had never seen in Adriana's eyes, not directed at her. The other girl said very softly, "Do I really have to answer that? Do you really have to ask? Don't you already know?" Claire looked away, and Adriana muttered, "I have a class in thirty minutes, I need to get dressed." Claire nodded, understanding. But she wondered ... how was she gonna get Chanu out of this? And had she sacrificed her friendship with Adriana for love?

Part Thirty-Nine

Vin arrived at the jail at nine am. Detective McCoy had driven him home, with Vin's cycle in the back. The young bounty hunter waited thirty minutes, then went to the jail. He needed to talk to Chanu ... find out what the hell had happened. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Claire had been with him willingly. What Vin didn't understand was why Claire hadn't put a stop to this nonsense ... why Chanu was behind bars for somethin' he didn't do.

The deputy at the county jail nodded as Vin entered. They had known each other for three years, and she knew that Vin could be trusted. For his part, Vin trusted Deputy Veronica Lopez to do right by the prisoner. He asked, "I talk to him for a few minutes, Niki?" The deputy's eyes shifted from Vin to Chanu, then back again. She inclined her head toward the door, meaning she would be just outside. Vin nodded his acceptance of her terms ... he wanted to talk to Chanu, he didn't want her to lose her job.

Once Niki Lopez was outside, peering through the window in the door, Vin asked, "You want to tell me what's goin' on?" Chanu just glared at him and Vin continued, "You shoulda known that someone would have eventually realized that Claire was usin' her roommate's name on that credit card, and they would trace you that-a-way. I know you didn't take her 'gainst her will. And I got a pretty good idea why."

Still, Chanu said nothing and Vin continued, "Listen to me! You are in a world a' trouble, Chanu! And so is Claire, 'specially if her roommate decides to press charges for the false identity thing. That's assumin' she's got the guts to admit what she done, and if she'd let you remain here, instead a' tellin' her pa what really happened, I doubt if she's got the guts to admit to her best friend that she used her." It was a dirty trick, but Vin needed some way to get through to the prisoner. He knew Niki was listening.

Good. He would need a witness. Chanu's brown eyes blazed with rage as he hissed, "You leave her out of this! Adriana would never do such a thing, she is afraid of her own shadow!" Vin almost laughed aloud at that. Afraid of her own shadow, huh? However, he focused on Chanu. The other young man repeated, "I will tell you nothing. There is nothing to be told. And Claire Moseley can tell you nothing, she is nothing but a foolish girl."

Vin raised an eyebrow at the other man, asking, "Well, then, I reckon it's my time to waste. 'Cause I will get my answers, one way or another. If I gotta have me a little talk with Claire, I will. See, her little identity crisis mighta caused a friend a' mine a lotta trouble. Adriana has spent the last two years, makin' sure her pieza de mierda pa couldn't never hurt her again. And when Claire put her name on that credit card application, she made it a helluva lot easier for him to find her. He finds her, Chanu, and I can tell you ... it'll be hell on earth."

He maintained eye contact with the other man for a second longer, making sure Chanu understood. That he would do whatever he had to, in order to protect his friend. Then Vin nodded once and strode from the room. Outside, Niki said quietly, "I heard every word ... and I wasn't the only one. You were trying to provoke him, weren't you?" Vin just shrugged and Niki continued, "Listen, I don't know what that girl's father did to her ... not Claire, but the other one. But I do know she couldn't have better back-up than you if he does come for her."

"Thanks, Niki. I'm headin' to the dorm now. This ain't gonna be over, not 'til one of 'em admits they was runnin' away together. And I ain't gonna let Claire put Adriana in the middle again," Vin had a horrible, sick feeling that it was too late, that Adriana was in way over her head, and the anger came back. What the hell had he been thinking, letting his guard down around that girl? Letting himself care about her?

But he forced the anger back, knowing he was angry with the wrong person. Niki nodded and replied, "I think you're right. Listen, Vin, I was there last night when these two were picked up. The prosecutor knows that there is no case against Chanu, but for the moment, Chanu has to stay put. At least until I tell him what I overheard. That's not what I meant to tell you, though. Claire said something about a secrets clause. I didn't hear the whole conversation, so this secrets clause may be between Chanu and Claire. Like a suicide pact, only they keep a secret."

Vin nodded his understanding and replied, "Thanks, Niki. I'll keep that in mind. I gotta get. I'd just as soon talk to Claire when Adriana's in class ... Dawn knows me, so shouldn't have a problem there." Unspoken was his desire to avoid any more trouble, if they could possibly help it. He just wanted this over and done with. Niki patted his shoulder and Vin left the county jail, his mind already spinning with what came next.

And what to do about Adriana. He wanted to talk to Claire while Adriana wasn't there, so his friend wouldn't get caught in the middle, no more than she already had, at least. And, he was afraid of finding out exactly how much Adriana knew. She wasn't a very good liar, so he knew she hadn't directly lied to him. Lie of commission, no ... lie of omission, very possibly. The truth was, he was still learning about her, and he didn't know what she would do if she believed she was protecting Claire.

As he eased himself onto the motorcycle, Vin thought aboutChanu's words ... saying that Adriana was afraid of her own shadow. He supposed to someone who didn't pay attention, it would seem that way, but what Chanu saw as fear, Vin saw as wariness. He understood both very well ... that wariness had saved his life more times than he could count. Adriana used that wariness, just as he did ... to protect herself.

As he headed for the dorm, he thought more about his conversation with Koje the previous day, and the chief's promise to explain Adriana more fully. Vin was starting to realize that he needed to understand her better. He was starting to realize that he didn't understand her nearly as well as he thought he did.

Part Forty

The call came while Adriana was in class ... for that, Claire was grateful. Chanu was out of jail. It seemed Tanner had tricked him into admitting that he and Claire had been running away together, and a female deputy had heard everything. With that, the prosecutor's office deemed there was not enough evidence to hold him. Chanu was coming for her ... he would be there in two hours. Make sure all of her things were packed, they were leaving.

Adriana returned to the room about ten minutes after that. Claire still hadn't found a way to tell her friend about the credit card ... had, in fact, cut it in half and thrown it away. In her garbage bag. Things were still strained between them, and Claire knew that what she was about to do would probably shatter her friendship with Adriana forever. She honestly didn't know much about having friends. Her father had driven away the few friends she had with his desire to control her life.

And here she was, getting ready to drive away the one friend whom her father had been unable to drive away, no matter what he did. She couldn't leave things like this with Adriana. Not when she would probably never see him again. Maybe that was why she said softly, "I'm sorry, Adriana. I'm sorry for scaring you ... I'm sorry for hurting you ... I'm sorry for doubting you." I'm sorry for betraying you, she thought, but didn't say the words.

Adriana stopped as she pulled the shades. Pulled the shades. Oh. She was getting ready to take her shower. That's right. She didn't have a chance to shower before her class this morning. She said quietly as she returned to her wardrobe and began undressing, "Apology accepted. I just thought that you knew me better than that. I didn't think you needed me to tell you that I would do whatever I had to, in order to protect you. I lied for you, Claire. Didn't that count for anything?" She stripped down to her panties and sports bra before slipping into her winter robe, leaving her summer robe on the door of the wardrobe.

It was a curious thing, that habit of her friend's. Adriana would wear her winter robe when she went down the hall to take her shower, but she wore her summer robe at night. Adriana had once explained that she was always very cold when she got out of the shower, but she wasn't as cold at night. So, she wore her winter robe after she got out of the shower, and her summer robe at night, once she changed into her nightgown.

Adriana put a new pair of underwear and a new bra in her waterproof pouch, along with her shampoo and shower gel. She asked quietly, "You gonna be here when I get back?" Claire shrugged. Adriana sighed, "All right. I just need time, Claire. All right? I just need time." And that's the one thing I can't give you, dear friend, Claire thought sadly. In an hour and a half, the man I love ... my husband ... will be here. I wish I could say what needs to be said, without giving away what I plan to do. But I can't.

There was, however, one thing she could do. She smiled bravely at her friend, at the best friend she had ever had, and said, "As long as you can forgive me, Adriana. As long as you still love me." Her friend's face softened and she reached out her hand. Claire caught it and held it. She willed her friend to know how much she loved her. And how she would always be grateful to Adriana for the last fifteen months.

"Never doubt it," Adriana replied quietly. She squeezed Claire's hand and said, "I'll see you when I see you." She gave Claire one last smile, released her hand, then picked up her things. Claire watched her best friend quietly leave the room ... and, though Adriana didn't know it yet, she was also leaving Claire's life. No. No, that wasn't right. Claire was leaving her life. Because that was the way it had to be.

After that, Claire stared into space for a while, losing track of time. At last, she shook herself and began packing. She removed all of her pictures and posters, everything in the room which had defined her. Those went into a soft footlocker, a gift from Rafe when she started college. Rafe. Claire swallowed hard ... Rafe still needed her, she knew that. But she had been his mother/older sister ever since their mother died. She had to go now, while she still had her sanity. Her clothes were next.

It was while was finishing her clothes that she heard the knock at the door. Distracted, and thinking it was Adriana coming back because she had forgotten her keys, Claire called, "Come in!" She folded a dress neatly and settled it in the suitcase, trying not to think about the last time she had worn that dress. Homecoming, her first year here. The two of them standing in a corner, holding onto each other. So scared. So excited. Oh God. She said, trying to disguise her emotions, "Forgot your keys?"

"Ya plannin' on goin' some place?" a new voice asked ... a male voice. Husky. Claire froze where she stood, then looked up very slowly, to see Vin Tanner staring at her. She glanced at the clock and realized more than an hour had passed since Adriana had gone to the shower room. Where was she??? Was she all right? Vin added, "If you're lookin' for Adriana, Dawn says she's in Carly's room. Reckon Carly's tryin' to experiment with make-up on her." Claire almost grinned, because that sounded exactly like something Carly would do, until she remembered that she was with the man who had tracked her and Chanu down.

"What are you doing here? If Dawn catches you here ... " she began, then her voice trailed off. What would Dawn do? Vin was often here, always with Adriana. As long as he kept his hands to himself, and didn't attack her, Dawn wouldn't do anything. And Claire knew Vin Tanner well enough to know that he wouldn't touch her. But according to her clock, Chanu would be here shortly, and she had to get rid of Tanner.

"I want ya to tell me what's goin' on. I ain't got no intention of hurtin' ya. 'Nough people have been hurt already. I just want to know the truth. About you and Chanu. And how much Adriana knows ... how far is she into this?" Tanner asked. Claire almost laughed. Funny. Adriana had said almost the exact same thing this morning, warning her about Tanner's involvement. She wondered if those two realized how similar they really were.

"It's not your concern, my relationship with my roommate. None of this is your concern, so just get out of my room," Claire replied. She figured that if she made him mad, she could get rid of him. There was just one problem. He didn't get mad. There was a flash of annoyance in his bright blue eyes, but no anger. Damn. She should have remembered what she had just realized. That Tanner was a lot like Adriana, and that included reactions when he was angry.

"I ain't goin' nowhere. Did ya stop to think 'bout Adriana, 'fore you put her name on that damn application? Did ya stop to think 'bout what her pa would do to her, if he got his hands on her?" Tanner asked in an icy voice. Claire shuddered. Yes ... but not at the time. At the time, she had only thought about making sure her father couldn't find them. And no one would know to look under Adriana's name.

No one except this man. Claire's fury began to rise, and her common sense went right out the window. She no longer cared about anything except getting rid of this man, no matter what it took. She hissed, "She knows everything, Tanner! She knows all about the credit card, and she's not angry! She knew all along!" Except, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew it was a mistake. Oh dear God, what had she done?

Before she could take back her words, she saw movement behind Tanner ... Chanu! His eyes were blazing with fury, and he grasped the bounty hunter by his hair, then slammed Tanner head first into the wardrobe door. Claire cringed, but made no move to stop Chanu. Before the bounty hunter could fight back, her husband had grabbed the cord of Adriana's summer robe and looped it around Tanner's neck, effectively cutting off his air.

The struggle didn't last long, but it seemed to take forever, to the girl now watching in horror. Tanner struggled against the cord, his fingers digging desperately at his throat, trying to pry it away. Chanu held on, positioning himself so that he was separated from Tanner by the now somewhat open door of the wardrobe. Tanner's back was pressed against the door by Chanu's knee, his head alongside the edge of the door. There was nowhere for him to go.

The blue eyes had gone very wide, and they were locked on Claire. A part of her knew she had to stop Chanu before he killed the guide, but her muscles were locked in place. Now the blue eyes were moving, darting back and forth helplessly as he struggled.

Tanner's struggle was hopeless, and he knew it. She could see it, in his eyes. In each desperate breath he took. Each breath was now a wheeze, and Chanu held fast. But Tanner kept fighting. Claire didn't know what her husband thought of the spirit in this man, because she wasn't looking at him any more. She couldn't see his expression ... only the bright eyes of the man whom Chanu was choking with the cord from her best friend's bathrobe.

That seemed the worst violation of all, and as Vin Tanner's eyes swept back to her, they seemed to condemn her for allowing that violation. It was a relief, then, when those blue eyes rolled up and Tanner went limp against the door. He was just hanging there for a half second or so, until Chanu released him. Tanner slid bonelessly down the door to the ground, coming to rest on his side. He reminded her of a puppet whose strings had been cut. He just ... went down. Was he dead? Chanu said softly, dropping the cord and picking up one of her bags, "He is not dead, merely unconscious. I had no desire to kill him, just get him out of our way."

Claire relaxed and grabbed a bag, then looped her purse over her shoulder. Nothing more was said ... it was time to go. Chanu looked out the door ... surprise, surprise, no one was around. It was the middle of the day, everyone was either in class, at the library, or getting a jump on finals. They were clear. Claire stepped carefully over Tanner's, and cast one last glance at the unconscious guide. She prayed Adriana would forgive her. And then she walked out.

Part Forty-One

"I'm not saying you're wrong, Carly, I just think that we should wait until I'm actually going out, before we try any experimenting," Adriana Wilmington said, laughing. Carly had found her in the bathroom, after Adriana had taken her shower, and talked her into going back to Carly's room. Adriana wasn't ready to see Claire again just yet, she was still trying to sort everything out, so she had agreed.

Carly, of course, wanted to experiment with make-up. Instead, the two girls had talked. Not about Claire, but about the semester. Funny, it almost seemed as if Carly was avoiding the subject of Adriana's roommate. Adriana couldn't think why that was ... she did know that Carly had little use for Claire, even though she hung out with her sometimes, and she had called Claire, asking her to meet her at the cabin.

While Adriana's relationship with Claire had gone downhill, she had found herself becoming good friends with Carly as well as Vin recently. Adriana was, actually, a little curious about that, but she didn't question her newly found friendship with Carly. She was, however, finding out that she had a lot more friends than she realized. There had been a time when Claire had been her only friend, but that simply wasn't true any more.

And Claire was married. Married. Adriana shook her head, barely able to believe it. But Claire was only nineteen, so young! Well, yeah, Adriana was nineteen, too, but she had no intention of getting married. At least not for a long time, if ever. She would devote herself to her career, and if it came to that, she would adopt a child. She loved children, believed that she might make a good mother in time. But right now, she had to worry about getting through college.

"Well, the Christmas dance is coming up ... you could wear that really pretty white dress, the one that Morgana gave you. And I could do your hair. You're so pretty, Adriana, especially when you're smiling," Carly coaxed, returning to the old theme. She kept saying how pretty Adriana was ... never mind that Carly was drop-dead gorgeous. Adriana shook her head with an indulgent smile, reaching into her pocket for her room keys.

"I'll let you know, okay?" Adriana replied. It was the first time she had thought about going to a dance, since last year's Homecoming Dance. As she often did, just to avoid wasting time, she tested the knob ... hmm. Looked like Claire was still here. She opened the door, turning her head to say something to Carly, when she encountered resistance. Frowning, Adriana turned her head back ... what the hell? Why was her wardrobe door open?

And then she looked down. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Vin lying very still. She slid into the room sideways, for once thanking whatever had Created her for making her so petite. She shut the half-open wardrobe door, then knelt at Vin's side, forgetting that she was wearing her robe and little else. She whispered his name, checking his throat for a pulse. Thank God, he was alive.

"Carly, help me get him onto the bed, then get Dawn!" Adriana said tersely. She hissed when her probing fingers found a knot on his head. Vin groaned softly, and Adriana slipped into position behind him, then wrapped her arms around his torso. Carly took his ankles and the pair picked him up and carried him to Adriana's bed. As Carly left the room, Adriana retrieved her waterproof pouch from the vanity, and almost tripped as she turned. What the hell? Her foot had caught on something ... the belt to her other robe. How did it get out of her robe? Never mind that now. Adriana had always wondered if she would remember her first aid lessons when she needed them. She was getting her answer now.

She had heard his breathing as she helped Carly carry him to the bed, and she knew his heart was beating. But his breathing sounded harsh. Remembering being unable to breathe properly because of congestion, she wondered if propping him up against pillows would help. Only one way to find out ... she pulled Vin up from the bed, letting his head rest against her chest, and arranged the pillows so he was reclining. Very carefully, keeping her hand cupped around the back of his neck, Adriana eased him back, then removed the still-damp washcloth from her pouch.

As Adriana worked, she noticed something she hadn't before. Vin's head rolled slightly to one side, revealing bruises on his throat. Bruises from a rope. Or ... and this possibility horrified her ... maybe from a cord? She shook off the dizziness. Not now, dammit! She forced herself to focus on the task at hand, and draped the washcloth over his forehead, then began loosening his clothes. Once that was finished, Adriana began bathing his face and neck with the washcloth.

Vin groaned again and Adriana whispered, "It's okay, Vin, you're safe." Slowly, the blue eyes opened. Adriana held her breath as they shifted around the room before finally focusing on her. Yes. They were focusing on her. She smiled, gently caressing his stubbled cheek, and whispered, "Welcome back. Do you know who I am?" He mouthed her name ... Drina ... then frowned when no words emerged.

"Easy," she soothed, "don't try to talk, just rest." He was conscious. He remembered her name. He could focus on her. So far, so good, but she would still ask Dawn to have a look at him. If she was right, if someone had tried to strangle him. She just didn't know who. She looked up as Carly returned with Dawn, talking anxiously and indicating to their den mother where they had found Vin when they came into the room.

Dawn looked first at the floor, then her eyes narrowed. Without looking at the injured young man on the bed, looking only straight ahead, Dawn asked, "Adriana, what happened in here? Where's Claire ... and where are her things?" Huh? Adriana twisted on the bed, looking around, and for the first time, it hit her. Claire's decorations were down. Claire was gone. She looked at Dawn, who muttered, "Dammit!"

"It musta been Chanu. Claire was packin' when I got here," Vin answered hoarsely. His eyes fell on Adriana, and he rasped, sounding hurt, "Why didn't ya tell me? Thought ya trusted me ... thought I could trust ya." Adriana blinked, confused by the hurt in his eyes and the hurt she felt at his words. Tell him? Tell him what? Claire and Chanu? Hell, she just found out this morning that they were married, and she hadn't talked to him since the previous night, when was she supposed to tell him?

"Vin, I just found out this morning that they're married," she said. As soon as the words were out, she froze. And then she felt her resolve harden. Claire had invoked the secrets clause, yes ... but Adriana had warned her that if anyone got hurt, she would tell everything. Well, someone had gotten hurt, and in her room. She looked at the others and said, "I found out this morning, when Claire woke me up. She and Chanu ran away together ... they got married."

"The credit card?" Vin rasped, his brow furrowing. Adriana looked back at the fallen man, also frowning. What credit card? What was he talking about? Vin stared at her, thoroughly confused, then groaned, "Aw hell. She lied to me. She done lied to me about ya knowin' what she done." Now Adriana was confused. Vin sighed, closing his eyes, and muttered, "She put your name on her credit card application. That's how we found her. When ya asked me last night about people pretendin' to be somebody they ain't, it got me thinkin.' And that's how we found her, 'cause she used your name on a credit card, not her own."

Adriana's blood ran cold. There was a part of her which wanted to deny it. Which wanted to say that Vin was wrong, that he had to be lying. Not because she didn't trust him, but because ... Oh God. A hand touched her shoulder and she jerked, the old terror rising up. But it was only Dawn, her dark eyes reflecting worry and rage. Adriana wondered a bit dully if the worry and rage she felt under the coldness made her eyes look like that.

"Vin, lie still, let me take a look at you. Carly, take Adriana back to your room so she can dress in peace. And then we'll worry about what to do about Claire," Dawn said in a low deadly voice. Carly reached out and Adriana took her friend's hand, allowing Carly to pull her away from the bed. She had just realized that Dawn was right ... she was clad only in her winter robe.

"I gotta git after 'em," Vin said hoarsely, but Adriana was barely listening to him. The coldness had seeped deep into her bones. Why didn't ya tell me? I thought ya trusted me ... thought I could trust ya. He was right. She should have called him, as soon as she knew Claire and Chanu were married. She knew that Vin had been working on the case, knew that he had been helping the police find her roommate and Koje's son.

"No, you've got to rest, Vin. You could have been killed, you're in no shape to go chasing after anyone. Carly, take Adriana to your room so she can get changed," Dawn said. Carly tucked a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt into Adriana's arms, but Adriana stayed put. She couldn't leave. Not just yet. Remembering the morning Carly had found Vin outside their dorm, Adriana numbly moved toward Claire's side of the room and opened her wardrobe door. Dawn was right. Claire had taken everything. She was gone.

Stepping behind the door, Adriana stripped down to her underclothes, then began dressing, her body on autopilot. She heard Vin and Dawn's argument as she dressed, Vin stubbornly insisting that he would go after the pair. As she finished dressing, Adriana stepped out from behind the door and said quietly, "He won't be alone, Dawn. I'll be with him. I'm partly responsible for this, so I'll help clean up the mess."

"You are not to blame for any of this! C'mon, you weren't even awake when Claire got here this morning, and if I know Claire, she invoked that damn secrets clause of hers. What were you supposed to do, betray her? Like you knew Chanu would attack Vin? Get real, Adriana!" Carly exclaimed. Vin said nothing, and Adriana didn't meet his eyes. She knew Carly was right. She had promised Claire. But Vin was her friend, too, and he had been hurt because of the secret.

"Carly," Dawn said and Adriana shifted her eyes to her den mother, who was giving the young blonde a warning look. Dawn met Adriana's eyes and said softly, "I can't stop him, so I'm relying on you to take care of him. I know you will." Adriana nodded and sat down on what had been Claire's bed to put on her shoes. Not once did she look at Vin. She had to figure out where her loyalties lay. She had to make a choice.

Part Forty-Two

"So what happened?" Claire asked in a small voice.

More than thirty minutes had passed since they had left Claire's dorm, and Chanu hadn't spoken at all during that time. He hadn't meant to alarm or frighten his wife, but he was still sorting out everything that had happened. He said slowly, "Tanner tricked me. Not into telling him the truth, but into showing my weakness. I didn't tell him that we ran away together, but he had figured it out on his own. After he left, the detective in charge, McCoy, came in."

He glanced into the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see Tanner chasing him. But they were clear so far, and Chanu continued, "I fell right into the trap. They said they had contacted your roommate, said that she would be pressing charges against you because of the credit card application. I lost my cool, and shot my mouth off. The detective just smiled and said something smart-ass like, 'I thought as much,' and that's when he told me that I was being released."

"Adriana doesn't even know that I used her name on the application," Claire murmured. Chanu nodded ... he had realized that once he thought about it, then Claire continued, "Though after she finds Tanner, I don't doubt that Adriana will know. I told him that she knew about it. Think he believed me, but if Tanner does come after us, Adriana will be with him." There was a certainty in his wife's voice that worried Chanu.

He replied, "Of course she won't. This is your roommate, Claire. Like I told Tanner, she's afraid of her own shadow, she wouldn't come after you." Claire's eyes left the road and returned to him. They were filled with sadness and anxiety. And guilt. Seeing the fear in his wife's expression, Chanu began to wonder uneasily if he hadn't misjudged Claire's quiet roommate after all.

"Oh, no. You don't know Adriana at all. She will come after us. She promised to keep our secret, but she made another promise to me, when I told her about our marriage. Adriana swore to me that if anyone got hurt because of the secret she was keeping for us, for me, then all bets were off. If anyone got hurt, she would tell everything. Tanner was hurt because of the secret, because he knew something wasn't right. Adriana will come after us," Claire said.

Chanu didn't know what to say ... didn't know what to think. At last, he pointed out, "But you're her friend, her roommate, Claire. Her first loyalty is to you, not to him." Claire immediately began shaking her head, as if he didn't understand and she didn't know how to make him understand. Chanu had no doubt at all that Tanner would come after him. Chanu was no fool. Even though Claire was his wife now, he knew this wasn't over, and that his wife's father would continue trying to separate them.

"Once, maybe. But Adriana has never been comfortable with keeping secrets. Some secrets, she can keep, because she has her own. But from the beginning, she wanted it understood between us that she wouldn't let a secret cause harm to either of us, or anyone else. And the more secrets I've asked her to keep, the times when I've kept things from her to protect her, that's built a wall between us. I built that wall, Chanu, to keep her safe. Because as long as she didn't know what was going on, she was safe. But now, I've put her life in danger by using her name on that credit card application," Claire explained. Chanu remembered what Tanner had said in the jail, about Adriana's father.

He asked slowly, "Claire, what exactly did Tanner mean about Adriana's father? Why is he a danger to her?" Claire looked down at her hands, then out the window. Chanu struggled with his impulse, with his need for answers. Claire had been through hell in the last twenty-four hours, ever since they had returned to Texas. She was in danger of losing one of the few friends her father had been unable to drive away.

"He ... hurt her, Chanu. Touched her in places he had no business touching. From the time she was eight years old, when her mother was murdered, until she was seventeen, when she ran away. It got even worse after her older brother graduated from the Academy, when she was eleven, but it began when she was eight. She's kept in contact with her brother ... don't ask me why he's never told their father where she is, I think it's because he doesn't have any great love for their father, either," Claire explained.

He hurt her, Chanu. Touched her in places he had no business touching. Oh ... Chanu felt the blood leave his face. Of course. How had he missed the signs? Chanu had been taking psychology courses at a local community college, and he had learned about the survivors of sexual molestation. What he had interpreted as fear was wariness. The desire to blend into her surroundings, to avoid attention. And she was good at it. Maybe too good?

"And Tanner knows," he stated. Claire looked at him quickly, but Chanu wasn't paying attention now. The young man nodded once, firmly. Yes, it made perfect sense. Tanner had figured out that his new friend had been molested by her father ... perhaps she had told him? He asked, "Claire, how did you know about the molestation? Did she tell you?" He glanced at his wife from the corner of his eye, and she shook her head.

"No. She refused to talk about it. If you even try to bring it up, she shuts you out and starts talking about something else, usually one of her classes. If he knows, he's figured it out on his own. I figured it out because of the way she reacts when someone touches her, without her permission, or if she can't see the other person. Doesn't see the touch coming. And how she never talks about her father. She adores her brother, talks about him all the time. But she thinks he knows, and he hates her for it," Claire admitted.

Now they were getting into territory which wasn't relevant. Chanu said, "So Tanner figured it out on his own. He's worried that her father will figure out where she is, and come after her. That's why he's so angry. He'll be coming after us, because he knows it's not finished yet. And she will be with him. We could either try to out-run them ... or try to join forces with them." Claire looked at him quickly and Chanu said softly, "Your father will know soon that I'm out of jail, and that you're no longer at your dorm, Claire. If we choose a place to make our stand, and if they are willing to stand with us ... "

Claire closed her eyes, and Chanu turned his attention back to his driving. After a moment, she said quietly, "The reservation is out of the question. There's an old, abandoned barn outside of town. It's not dangerous, just empty. Adriana has said in the past that it was where she would hide if she didn't want to be found. Not if she was hiding from someone, but just be alone. If she's with Tanner, that would be the first place she would go."

"Then that's where we'll go. We should stop somewhere for supplies. Are you sure this barn doesn't have an owner?" Chanu asked and Claire nodded. Chanu grinned ruefully. Knowing his wife, either she, or Adriana, had done research. He removed one hand from the steering wheel to reach over and take his wife's hand. They would get through this. He didn't know anything else right now, but he did know that. They would get through this.

Part Forty-Three

Silences were not uncommon between Vin and Adriana. But there had never been this kind of silence between them. And Vin didn't know how to break it. Didn't know if he should even try, since it seemed Adriana's entire attention was focused on driving. But he had screwed up, and he had to apologize for it. Somehow. I'm sorry seemed hopelessly lame when you had accused your best friend of betraying you.

Best friend? Where the hell had that come from? More to the point, when had his relationship with Adriana gone from simple friendship to being best friends? Vin hadn't even been aware of the change, until he had told Adriana he thought he could trust her. Until he had seen the hurt in her eyes, and a door slam shut. Not until he faced the possibility of losing his friend, had he realized she had become his best friend. And he wasn't willing to give up on that friendship. He couldn't give up. But he also didn't know how to make things right. As Vin struggled for the words he needed, he caught sight of something in the rear view mirror.

Adriana muttered, "They've been back there for the last few minutes. I don't like it." Vin shook his head. No, he didn't like it, either. Adriana continued, "And it's not just how long they've been behind us, it's ... I don't know. But they're making me nervous." She shook her head, and muttered, "When I get my hands on those two ... oh, it wasn't enough that my roommate's husband tried to kill Vin, no he had to do it in our room!" The young bounty hunter realized for the first time that Adriana was talking to herself.

"If Chanu meant to kill me, I'd be dead by now. Reckon ya know where you're goin,' Drina?" Vin asked. He was rewarded with a glare from his companion, and he decided that was a 'yes.' He wasn't willing to risk her temper just yet, especially since he would need all of his energy when they found Chanu and Claire. Adriana had lost her temper maybe twice in the three months they had been friends ... not something he wanted to repeat.

Not just for his own sake, because he hadn't been the source of Adriana's fury. But he saw what it did to her, the emotional and physical toll which resulted when she lost her temper. Being that angry took a lot out of her. Vin hated seeing her that fragile ... she was quiet, but not fragile, until the adrenaline from her anger faded.

"A place I sometimes go, when I want to be alone, away from everything. An abandoned barn, doesn't belong to anyone. I checked it out before I started going there. Claire knows about it. It's isolated, but close enough to get supplies if you plan to hole up for a while. I don't know if she'll realize that I'm coming, but in this situation ... that would be my best guess," Adriana replied. It was the most he had heard out of her since leaving the dorm.

Vin licked his lips, trying to figure out what to say. The truth was, Adriana was the first friend he had, who was his own age. The first friend who was an equal, who had shared a part of herself with him. He had ... did he even consider them friends any more? He didn't know if they had ever been friends, or just people he associated with. And Adriana was definitely the first female friend he had ... Priscilla didn't count. She was more of a boss.

He looked back at Adriana, who had glanced into her rearview mirror once more.

Her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed. She asked almost absently, "You ever hear of the Nichols brothers?" Startled, Vin nodded and Adriana continued, "Cass Montoya dated one of the boys, David, for a while. They just sort of drifted apart, but I saw him around on campus a few times last year. Anyhow, I couldn't be sure, but I think that's him and his brother Peter in the car behind us."

Vin glanced in the rearview mirror. He had encountered the Nichols brothers a few times, stepping in once when one of the brothers threatened a young teenager. Their mother had intervened before the brothers could tear into Vin, but the bounty hunter had no doubt that they would still tear him apart. He studied the two men in the car behind him, muttering, "Why are they so close? Don't they think we can see them?"

"I don't think so. Either that, or they think that we wouldn't notice them. It could go either way," Adriana admitted. Vin acknowledged that with a bob of his head. Adriana was silent for a few minutes, but Vin could tell from her expression that her mind was working furiously. At last, she said, "Okay, this is what I'm gonna do. There's a turnoff up here, it's a short cut. If they take the same short-cut, I think we can assume they're following us."

"But why would they? Follow us, I mean," Vin questioned. Adriana shook her head, biting her lip thoughtfully. Vin heard the distinctive 'click-click' of the turn signal, then Adriana carefully turned right. The car being driven by the Nichols brothers drove past them. Vin sighed with a relief, then asked, "And why are you worried? It ain't like the reverend knows the Nichols family." Adriana responded with a look from the corner of her eye.

"We don't know that. I never had a problem with David ... even though I was a lowly freshman, he always treated me with respect. But his brothers ... it's not such a hard thing to believe. That Reverend Moseley would seek out the matriarch, and convince her that he's protecting his daughter. David made stray comments, about how fiercely protective his mother is of him and his brothers. Said that he was afraid of what it would do to her, if she lost any of them," Adriana replied.

"They scare you?" Vin asked softly, and Adriana slowly nodded.

"Yeah. They do," she replied quietly, "not because of what their mother would do if she lost one of them. Although, she scares me, too. I can't imagine what it would be like, if someone loved me that much. But some of the brothers scare me ... because they like to hurt people. They don't care who. They just like hurting people. And as angry as I am with Claire, I'm afraid that she'll end up getting hurt, too."

Vin debated about telling Adriana about his conclusions, concerning her mother. How he wasn't so sure that her mother hadn't loved her, but decided now was not the time. He wasn't sure there would ever be a good time, especially if what he believed was true. He had no rational basis for believing it ... just a gut instinct. If his instincts were right about Adriana's father, 'bout what he done to her, then how had Adriana turned into a good person? If her ma didn't love her?

And her brother had only been part of the picture for a while, starting when she was seven years old. Priscilla had once told him, while they were talking about Raquel Hernandez, that the first three years of a child's life were the most important ones. But most people, when they grew up, didn't remember those years. What if Katrien Wilmington had loved her daughter far more than she had ever let on? What if she had been forced to withdraw from her daughter emotionally, in order to protect Adriana? Weren't those the words that Priscilla had used when Vin brought up the topic of mothers who didn't seem to love their children, but actually loved them very much? 'Withdrawing from the child emotionally,' he thought were her words.

And then he thought about the last part of her statement. Even though she was furious with her roommate, she was worried about her, too. Afraid that if the Nichols brothers were involved, Claire would get hurt. Without realizing what he was doing, Vin began to relax. If she was this angry with Claire for her betrayal, yet could forgive her, then maybe Vin had a chance to earn Adriana's forgiveness for his own betrayal.

With that in mind, Vin answered, "Don't reckon anyone's gonna get to Claire, 'less they go through Chanu first. And if the Nichols have joined up with Moseley, reckon they been warned about lettin' any harm come to her." Adriana raised her eyebrows at that, but she looked a little better. A little less worried. Still, Vin was worried. Adriana had a point, about Moseley going to Mrs Nichols for help in retrieving his 'kidnapped' daughter.

"I suppose you're right," she acknowledged, "but still, I'll feel a lot better once we get to that barn, and find out whether or not they're there. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing, because even if the Nichols brothers are working with Moseley, a deserted barn out in the middle of nowhere is the last place anyone would look." Vin bobbed his head once in acknowledgment. Until something occurred to him.

"Unless," he said slowly, "unless someone else knows about it. Adriana? How well do ya know Claire's brother Rafe?" Adriana frowned, then Vin heard her sharp intake of breath, as the possibility which had occurred to Vin popped into her head as well. She glanced away from the road for a moment, just long enough to look at him in concern. Vin added softly, "The kid is a loud mouth. If he knows 'bout this barn a' yours and Claire's ... " But even before he finished his sentence, Adriana was nodded in acknowledgment.

"He could easily tell their father about it, who would in turn tell the Nichols brothers. Okay. We work on the assumption that Claire told Rafe, for whatever reason. We work under the assumption that the Nichols brothers are in league with Moseley ... shit, I almost said 'in league with the devil,' gotta watch that. I figure that way, we're covered," Adriana observed and Vin nodded. He had reached the same conclusion.

"Reckon that's the best way," he agreed, "but I gotta know, Drina. If we hadn't seen that car behind us, and if ya hadn't recognized those boys, would ya have thought that the Nichols boys might cause us trouble?" Adriana was motionless except to steer the car for a long time, then she shook her head in the negative. Vin settled back, murmuring, "Me neither. But the more I think on it, the more I think you're right. It makes too much sense."

"Yeah," Adriana whispered, and Vin turned his head to study his friend's profile. She looked worried all over again, and Adriana repeated, "Yeah. It makes too much sense ... perfect sense. But I hope I'm wrong. I hope so much that I'm wrong, Vin." Vin nodded. He started to reach out, to touch her, but decided that would be a bad idea. For now. But the conversation of the last few minutes gave him hope. They would sort things out, after Claire and Chanu were safe. That was one promise he had no intention of breaking.

Part Forty-Four

"I still don't like this. Since when did we involve ourselves in other families?" David Nichols muttered, shaking his head. His younger brother Peter glanced at him, a half-smile in place, and David continued, "For all we know, this girl Claire ran off with this Chanu character. She's nineteen years old, she was seen by other students leaving with this guy, holding hands. Why are we chasing after her?"

It was a rhetorical question and the eldest Nichols son knew it. As protective of her sons as his mother was, she tended to side with overprotective parents. But David had this terrible, niggling feeling in his gut that the reverend was far more than just an overprotective father who refused to admit that his little girl was growing up. Peter said as he watched the beat-up Escort which had been in front of them turn right, "Because no matter how Ma feels about this as a ma, she knows that we would rather have Moseley as our ally."

That insight rattled David, and Peter continued with a smirk, "I know, you figured that as a man of God, he would have Ma's automatic blessing, but she told me Moseley made her blood run cold. But like I said, she figured that it would be better to have Moseley as an ally, rather than as an enemy. At least, this way, we can keep a close eye on him. You know the old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

David shuddered to hear his brother say that, shuddered at the nasty smirk on his brother's face. God, what was happening to Peter? Where was his little brother? David had been born into one of the preeminent crime families in Texas, ruled by his Irish-born mother with an iron hand. His father had died while David and Peter were still children, leaving their mother to raise them alone in the family business. Because she had so many sons, his mother hadn't objected when David admitted he didn't want to be in the family business. And she knew, in turn, that David wouldn't turn on his family.

Which didn't explain why he was here? Until a few hours earlier, David had just been a grad student, studying veterinary medicine. Then he had received a phone call from his brother, telling him that their mother had volunteered them, all of them, to help some missionary type named Moseley find his missing daughter. Supposedly, she had been abducted by a Native American kid. Except, there were a few things wrong with the puzzle.

Number one, David had mentioned Claire Moseley to a few people on the campus, and had learned that she had a Native American boyfriend. She was nineteen years old, hardly a child. And, to make matters more interesting, she had been seen leaving her dorm, hand in hand with her boyfriend. Didn't sound like a kidnapping to David. But his mother had promised, and David hated to let her down.

Besides, Peter was starting to scare him. It was one thing to run the family business, but Peter actually seemed to enjoy hurting people. David remembered one incident involving Peter, a young girl who had sparked his interest ... 'complicated,' he had called her, and the girl's boyfriend. There was one altercation between the pair, which was halted by a young man, about Peter's age ... and a second altercation, which resulted in a nasty beating for the young boyfriend.

Yes, it seemed to him that Peter enjoyed hurting people, and that was the real reason he was going along. Not because his mother had made a promise on his behalf, or rather, not just because of that promise ... but because someone had to keep an eye on his brother. He said now, "You think the information we got from the brother is legit?" Peter nodded and David fell silent, thinking once more.

An abandoned barn just outside town ... owned by no one, and often used by Claire Moseley and her roommate Adriana as a getaway, a safe house. In a moment of weakness, Claire had told her younger brother about Adriana's place, as she called it, and Rafe Moseley had, in turn, told their father about it. It was as good a place to hide as any, and David had learned from his sources at the college that Adriana Wilmington and Claire were tight.

"The kid's got no reason to lie to us ... to his father. Why were you staring at that Escort poking along in front of us earlier? Trying to get the little bitch driving it to go a little faster?" Peter asked. David grimaced. That was exactly what he was talking about. Peter had no respect for anyone or anything. They were driving through the middle of town, the speed limit was thirty-five, and there were children to watch out for.

"What was she thinking, going the speed limit in an area which has children playing?" David observed sarcastically. He was pleased to see a flush arise in his brother's face. David continued, "And no ... nearly losing one brother because of some idiot driver going too fast was bad enough. Possibly watching another child die would shoot my nerves all to hell." Peter glared at him, and David could almost hear their mother admonishing him about his language.

David continued, "No, I just thought the girl looked familiar, but I couldn't place her. I could only see the back of her head. Makes it kinda hard to identify someone." He had seen the Escort around on campus, too. A beat up old thing, the kind driven by young kids.

"I agree there, brother," Peter said easily. David fell silent, concentrating on his driving. Ma had insisted that David drive. She loved all of her sons, but insisted that David was the best driver ... and, as she had said, she wanted to make sure they arrived safely. Peter had just given him a reminder that their mother had been right about this. The almost-vet stared ahead, wondering exactly what would happen when they got to this barn. What was waiting for them.

As he drove, David made a silent, solemn vow to himself. After this was all over, after this mess was settled and he finished school in May, he was leaving Texas. He would go somewhere, anywhere. As long as he didn't have to watch his beloved brother turn into a monster, and be absolutely powerless to stop it. He was a coward, he knew that. . .and maybe he should stay and fight for his younger brothers, but David had to get out while he could.

The young man only prayed that it would be enough ... that he would live through this. That he would have his chance to make his dreams come true. While not nearly as devout as his mother, David Nichols said a silent prayer. And then he kept driving toward ... whatever would happen in that barn.

Part Forty-Five

"Reckon in the future, I should listen to Miss Drina."

The voice startled Chanu awake, and the young man was on his feet immediately, standing between his wife and the intruder protectively. Tanner. When did he get here? At his side was Claire's roommate, and damn if she didn't look like she was ready to kill them both. Tanner continued, "We know everything, Chanu. She's your wife ... Drina done told me everything. Now, we just gotta figure out what comes next."

Claire stirred behind him, and Chanu turned toward her. He saw a blur of motion, then a blow rocked his head to one side. He shook his head, trying to blink the stars out of his eyes, then heard the incoherent growling of a seriously pissed off woman. When he could finally focus, he saw Tanner holding back an enraged Adriana Wilmington. Was this the same girl he had dismissed as being afraid of her own shadow?

"You bastard ... I should kill you! That was for Vin!" the girl snarled at him, her normally placid face twisted into a mask of hatred. Chanu just stared at her in silent amazement as she struggled to free herself from Tanner. He became aware of movement, then Claire was at his side. Adriana's expression didn't change at all ... if anything, it became darker, and the girl hissed, "You betrayed me. I told you what would happen if a secret caused anyone to get hurt. Your husband tried to kill Vin, and left him lying on our floor. I found him, Claire, I found him!"

"Drina ... Drina, calm down, girl! We gotta think about now, not 'bout nothin' else! If we're right, the Nichols brothers, they'll be here any minute! Now ya gotta calm down, so we can figure out what to do ... dammit, Drina, settle down!" Tanner grunted as she twisted and turned in his arms. There was no question in Chanu's mind that if Tanner had released the girl, she would have done her damnedest to kill him.

From the corner of his eye, Chanu saw Claire take a step forward, then stop. Adriana had stopped struggling in Tanner's arms, breathing heavily. But her expression promised that this was over. Wonderful. Tanner had just mentioned the Nichols family, and now he had a pint-sized Fury who was out for his blood. And at the moment, Chanu couldn't have said who frightened him more ... the Nichols brothers or that little harridan.

"Be calm, little one," a familiar voice said as the ladder to the loft creaked. Chanu blinked in amazement as his father's head cleared the ladder. The chief smiled faintly and said, "The spirits told me to come here. Told me that I was needed. And I am. Have you told them yet, daughter-in-law?" Claire flushed and looked down at her feet. Told them? What was his father talking about this time? And how had his father found out that they were married?

"Koje," Adriana breathed, and now the fire-breathing dragon of a few moments earlier was gone, leaving the more familiar mouse in her place. She shook her head sadly and said, "I'm sorry you were dragged into this ... I had hoped that someone I cared for would be spared this." She swept her hand around, indicating the room. Chanu's father walked over to the girl and her companion, who remained close.

"No need to be sorry, little one. I am meant to be here, and so I am here. Just as you are meant to be here. Now. I see from your reaction that you have not told them, daughter-in-law, any of them. That is, of course, your choice, but it would be easier if you simply told them now, rather than later. In the mean time, Vin asked a very good question. What do we do now?" the old chief asked.

"Way I see it, we could try to take ya down," Tanner said quietly, his voice even huskier than usually, "or we could stand beside ya. This ain't over, Chanu. Moseley ain't just gonna give up, and I reckon he'll bring help. What do ya want to do? Fight me? Or fight whoever Moseley sends after ya?" His bright blue eyes were burning into Chanu's very soul. Only a few hours earlier, he had attacked this man.

And now, Tanner was offering to fight by his side. He was right, after all. This wasn't over, this was only a delay. Chanu's eyes flickered to Adriana Wilmington, her small body tense. Rigid, even. But her eyes burned with rage, with hatred, and Chanu had the uneasy sense that when she had struck him a few moments earlier, it hadn't just been for the attack on Tanner. No, there was something else. Maybe striking back at a past tormentor?

"Will this little hellcat fight at your side?" Chanu asked. Adriana didn't wait for Tanner to speak, she simply nodded, her dark eyes never leaving Chanu. And those eyes promised hell on earth if he harmed Tanner again. Not to worry, little wildcat, he thought.

"Then we fight together." The thought was Chanu's, but the voice belonged to his wife. He looked at Claire, startled, and she said quietly, "I'm tired of being a coward, Chanu. Of denying that I love you. I'm tired of the lies and the secrets. I just had a vision ... maybe even a prophecy. That we'll never live our lives in peace, that we'll always have my father chasing us. We make our stand here. For our future ... for our child."

Our child. Chanu stared at his wife, dumbfounded. A child. Warmth flooded through him, then, and he understood. Then his wife would not fight ... he had to keep her, and their unborn child, safe. He turned back to Tanner and Adriana ... his eyes focused on Adriana, he said quietly, "I entrust my wife and child to you, little hellcat. Keep them safe." Not giving the girl a chance to refuse, Chanu turned to Tanner and offered his hand. He said quietly as the other young man accepted his hand, "We fight. Side by side, back to back."

Part Forty-Six

By Adriana's reckoning, they had maybe thirty minutes before the others arrived. That was, of course, assuming that the Nichols brothers had joined forces with Reverend Moseley. Adriana still didn't know why she felt so strongly that this was the case, but her gut told her that it was true. She wasn't willing to ignore her instincts ... and wasn't it better to be safe than sorry? Especially when the life of an innocent child was at stake?

An innocent child. Adriana took a deep breath, then released it. The anger was still there, but it was being channelled now. And honestly, she was more than a little embarrassed now by her rather strong reaction. She still couldn't believe she had taken a swing at Chanu. But she had fought her rage all the time she was driving, and then, seeing them ... asleep. The memory had returned in full force ... seeing Vin lying on his side. And the rage had exploded. She had, in fact, been so angry, she didn't realize that Vin's arms were around her waist until after the anger had died away.

And even then, she hadn't been angry with him. He had touched her without her permission, but she hadn't given him much of a choice. If Vin hadn't grabbed her when he did, Adriana probably would have tried to beat the living shit out of Chanu, and that wouldn't have done any good. Well, it would have made her feel better, but it wouldn't have done any good with the problem they were now facing. With the Moseleys, or with Claire.

Adriana couldn't talk to Claire. For one thing, she was too busy running through the lessons Vin had given her with the rifle. Once Chanu signalled that their adversaries had arrived, the confrontation would be taken outside. Vin and Koje had agreed that there would be a chance for things to be cleared up, without bloodshed.

For another, Adriana simply had nothing to say to Claire ... and she had no energy. She was tired and in a rather bad mood. Claire, however, had quite a few things to say. And she was determined to say them, regardless of Adriana's willingness to listen. Or not listen, as the case may be. She asked, "What exactly makes you angriest, Adriana? Is it finding Tanner? The credit card? The lies? Me leaving without saying good-bye to you?"

Adriana didn't reply, and Claire whispered, "Dammit, Adriana, I don't want things to end like this between us! All I've ever wanted to was protect you!" Now Adriana did look up from her preparations, and she hoped her flat-out disbelief was reflected in her eyes. Claire shook her head and asked, "What will it take for you to believe me? I never wanted anyone to get hurt! I just wanted to make a life with the man I love."

"I honestly don't give a shit about the application. I could put up with the lies, at least for a while. It takes its toll eventually, but I could have held on a little longer. But I found my friend lying unconscious in our room because your husband tried to strangle him with the belt cord of my robe ... and you didn't have the decency to say good-bye, even in a note!" Adriana hissed. She stared at Claire, the rage once more building in her soul, and continued, "I may have ruined my friendship with Vin, because of this. He trusted me, Claire, and he thought I trusted him."

Adriana looked away, angry with herself for once more becoming angry. Claire started to speak, then fell silent. After a moment, she said softly, "I never meant to make you choose. No one should ever have to choose between two people dear to them. You never made me choose between you and Chanu. I'm sorry for putting you in that position. I'm sorry for ... I'm sorry for lying to Tanner about you, telling him that you knew about the credit card all along."

And then, there was no more time to talk. Chanu's signal rang out, and Adriana frowned, trying to locate them. Then she saw them as well, and her mouth tightened. Shit. She had been right. She hated being right sometimes. She eased herself out of the window sill, and grabbed the rifle as she did. Claire stood up at the same time, even as Chanu swung back into the loft from one of the other windows.

"Three cars," he reported, not even winded, "Tanner says that you were right, that it is the Nichols. And one of the cars belong to Claire's family." Adriana nodded, striding to the stairs. She had a nasty feeling that things were just about to get ugly. And what is Bucklin always saying, she thought as she slung the rifle over her shoulder, that he hates ugly. She was glad her brother wasn't here. Although, she wouldn't mind having Chris around ... he was handy with his pistol. Not as good a shot as Vin was, but there weren't many around who were. This was thought with more than a touch of pride in her friend.

Never mind that. She made her way down the ladder and walked to Vin's side. She was trying her best not to think about what would happen after this was over. The truth was, she had very little experience with male friends. Come to think of it, she had very little experience with female friends. And she had never been in a situation like this ... well, not this current situation, but also had never betrayed anyone she cared about before, and she had no idea what came next. If anything came next at all.

Why didn't anyone ever say that friendship was hard work? Up until now, her friendships with Claire and Vin had both been clear sailing. She knew she really didn't want to lose either friendship, but she wasn't ready to forgive Claire, and she didn't know if Vin was ready to forgive her. There was something else, too. Would Vin be all right in the coming fight? She had promised Dawn that she would look after him, but could she look after him if there was a fight?

She could answer none of those questions now. She could only wait as people emerged from all three cars. David and Peter Nichols from one car ... their mother and brothers from another ... and Reverend Moseley and his son from the last one. Meanwhile, Vin, Adriana, Koje, Claire and Chanu stood in a line, just within the barn. Vin glanced at Koje, who nodded, and then all five moved forward. A quick glance told her that Chanu and Claire were holding hands.

"That's far enough, you misbegotten devil ... let my daughter go!" bellowed the reverend. Oh lord. He was going into one of his drama routines. That was what Adriana called them at least ... drama routines or hellfire and damnation routines. They were actually interchangeable, and happened when he started sounding like one of those televangelists who so irritated Adriana. As one, the five halted.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Daddy. I'm staying, with my husband," Claire said quietly, taking a step forward. She hadn't released Chanu's hand, but held to it tightly. Adriana saw something flash across Rafe Moseley's young face ... shock? Disbelief? Claire must have seen it as well, for she said, "Daddy didn't tell you. I knew he wouldn't ... I told him last night, when the police found Chanu and me ... we're married. I'm with him of my own free will."

"She's lying! Can't you see that ... that ... demon spawn put a spell on her! He's in league with her bitch roommate! He got her to put a spell on your sister! Made her turn against God, and against us, Rafe!" the minister exclaimed. Adriana barely stifled her giggle. Chanu had gotten her to put a spell on Claire, huh?

"That would be kinda hard, since Chanu doesn't even like me. Why would he ask me to do anything? Much less put a spell on Claire?" Adriana pointed out, folding her arms over her chest. The reverend's face twisted with hatred and he started forward, but Rafe's hand snaked out and clamped down hard on his father's forearm, spinning him around to face Rafe. Adriana continued, "There's one other hole in your reasoning. I don't know any spells."

"Go on home ... there is no fight here. No girl to be rescued. Go home," Koje told the Nichols brothers and their mother. Mrs. Nichols was glaring at the reverend steadily, her face twisted with hatred. The reverend hadn't quite figured it out, but he had just made himself a powerful enemy. That was fine by Adriana. Maybe if the reverend was busy with Mrs. Nichols, he would leave his daughter and son-in-law alone.

"Ohhh, I wouldn't say there ain't a fight here, old man. I know you, Tanner. You caused me trouble before. I think it's time we had a settling of accounts," Peter Nichols drawled. Adriana looked at Vin, worried, but he was staring calmly at the young man. Adriana, however, was worried enough for both of them. She didn't trust Peter Nichols to fight fair.

"Sounds about right to me," one of the other brothers chimed in, coming up to stand beside Peter. Adriana couldn't keep track of the brothers, aside from Peter and David, but this younger brother continued, "A settling of accounts seems like a fair thing to me." Adriana started forward, but Koje put an arm around her waist, and stopped her as the two brothers approached Vin. Adriana cast a desperate look at Mrs. Nichols, but the woman was doing nothing.

"Very well ... but if your brother stands with you, then I will stand with Tanner," Chanu said, carefully breaking free from Claire's hold and stepping to Vin's side. The younger of the two Nichols boys in the fight started to protest, but Chanu glared at him and said, "I attacked this man, left him unconscious in my wife's dorm. He came to warn us, and to fight by my side. I will not abandon him now, when two cowards threaten him."

Ouch. That had to hurt. With his free hand, Koje grabbed Claire and pulled both her and Adriana out of the way. That seemed to be a signal of some kind, because the fight began almost immediately. The strange thing was, the younger Nichols boy took a swing at Chanu ... but the signal didn't matter. The first punch didn't matter ... and as Rafe Moseley took a step forward, for whichever side, David Nichols stopped him.

"You want to help ... you help your sister," Adriana heard David tell the boy. Rafe looked over at them uncertainly, as if he knew Claire had realized he was the one who told their father about this place. And he wasn't sure if she would forgive him any time soon.

But after a moment, his chin lifted and his eyes met theirs almost defiantly. He looked back at David and nodded decisively. The oldest Nichols boy released him, and Rafe skirted around the four fighters, coming to stand beside Claire. Adriana looked away from the fight, just long enough for her to see the forgiving glance that passed between sister and brother. It was also long enough for Vin to hit the ground. And as she glanced back, Peter Nichols kicked the other man in the side.

The familiar rage surged through Adriana and she once more tried to go to his side, but Koje maintained his hold on her, hissing, "No! This is his battle, from long before he knew you. I know you are afraid for him, but you must let him finish this. If you care for him as much as I think you do, you will have faith in him." Have faith in him. Adriana watched as Vin struggled to his feet. Have faith. Could she have faith, or was all of hers gone?

Part Forty-Seven

Claire watched as her husband fought the younger Nichols brother ... what was his name, any how? She couldn't remember hearing. A movement from the corner of her eye showed that Adriana had been fully prepared to go to Vin Tanner's side.

However, Koje had stopped her almost immediately and told her gruffly to have faith. Have faith? In what? A friend who had betrayed her? In a man who was still weak from the attack in Claire's room? In a man whom she had no reason to trust? But Koje was heeded, and Adriana sagged in his arms, as if her legs couldn't hold her any more. They were both exhausted ... had it only been this morning when Claire had returned to her dorm room after her wedding in Las Vegas?

Claire's gaze drifted back to the fighters. Despite the takedown earlier, Tanner was on his feet again and trading punches with Peter Nichols. Nichols had said there was unfinished business between them ... no, it was a settling of accounts. Tanner had caused trouble for Nichols in the past, and Claire couldn't help thinking that he was good at that. But no. That wasn't fair, either. Tanner hadn't caused trouble for her and her husband. That had been her father's doing. And her own. Now, she could understand why Adriana felt as she did about secrets. Things would have never come to this, if she had just been honest. If she had just stood up to her father from the beginning, instead of being such a coward.

And what was he doing, dragging the Nichols family into this? Of course, how could she be so stupid? He wanted the additional firepower, in a manner of speaking. He had come, fully prepared to drag his weak, simpering daughter away from her husband. But Claire had surprised everyone, including herself, by refusing to leave her husband. Chanu. Now fighting someone else's battle. Someone who had been willing to do what it took, to free Chanu.

Chanu slugged the Nichols boy, and he went down. At the same time, Peter Nichols collapsed into the dirt, with an exhausted Vin Tanner standing over him. Two of the younger brothers came forward, to take on Tanner and Chanu, but David stopped them both. He looked at his mother and said, "It has to stop, Ma. We were brought here under false pretenses. This isn't our fight, and what was our fight has been settled. This was between Tanner and Peter. It's been settled. Now let's go home."

Mrs. Nichols didn't look too sure, even to Claire, who didn't even know the woman. David continued, "Ma, listen to me. You said, after Peter attacked that kid in the cafe, that we didn't want Tanner as our enemy. And you were right ... but what you didn't know was that Tanner wasn't alone. That others will fight alongside him. But we know that now, Ma. Do we really want a war, because Peter picked on a kid who was smaller than him? Don't we have to choose our battles?"

There were several moments of silence, as Mrs. Nichols looked at her eldest son. Claire used that time to move to her husband's side. Koje released Adriana, who planted herself beside Tanner. Claire's roommate had folded her arms over her chest, a defiant tilt to her head. David Nichols had just said they had to choose their battles. So did Claire ... so did Adriana. And they had made their choices.

One of the younger Nichols boys started to protest, but their mother held up her hand. That was all she did. She looked first at Claire, then at Adriana. Claire couldn't read her eyes, couldn't figure out what she was thinking. Then she looked at her sons, both lying on the ground.

Claire wondered if Mrs. Nichols understood what could have happened. The young wife glanced over at Tanner, who wasn't looking really steady. She could almost see the bruises on his throat, and she winced. His face was bruised and bloody, and she was sure that if someone took off his shirt, bruises would cover his torso as well. But he was still upright. Adriana stood nearby, her small body placed in such a way that she could easily protect him, if need be.

Protect him. Just as Claire would protect Chanu. Oh, he would try to stop her, especially now that he knew she was pregnant. But there were many ways to protect someone you loved. One of the younger boys whined, "They kicked our ass, Ma ... are we gonna let an Indian and some piece of poor white trash get the best of us! We can take them, Ma, it ain't gonna be hard! Look at 'em, Tanner can barely stand upright!"

"Oh, and what about the two girls? You gonna beat up a couple of women, brat? I thought Ma taught you better than that," David growled. He swept his arm toward Claire and Adriana, adding, "This isn't just about Tanner any more! They're not afraid of us! You attack those girls, you know what's gonna happen? We'll all die. All of us. Let it go! It's not worth it! Peter lost to Tanner in a fair fight. And I will stand with him, before I allow this to go any further." All heard his mother's gasp.

He turned his gaze to his mother, saying, "Yes, Ma, family is most important of all. But I wouldn't be doing it for Tanner. I'd be doing it for my brothers. Bullies come to bad ends, and I don't want any of my brothers to end up like that. Eventually, bullies pick on someone whom they can't take ... and then it's all over. Let it go, Ma. Just let it go." Claire held her breath, and at the same time, held her hand out to Adriana.

There was the barest hint of hesitation, then Adriana took it. They formed a human chain, Chanu, Claire, Tanner, and Adriana. And Mrs. Nichols stared at that chain for several moments. At last, she said quietly, "David is right. This has been settled. Peter doubted that Tanner could take him in a fair fight, and he was proven wrong. Do you love that man, girl?" It took Claire a moment to realize that Mrs Nichols was addressing her, and by that time, it was too late. The woman had continued, "Of course you do. You stand beside him. Always stand beside him, girl. I would be proud to call you 'daughter.' Be happy."

This was so unexpected from the head of one of the worst crime families in the area. Claire wasn't sure how to respond, but finally said, "Thank you. We will. And I'm sorry you were dragged into this. But I am a grown woman, and I do know my mind. And I do love Chanu." Mrs. Nichols inclined her head. She looked at Adriana, but said nothing. After a moment, she motioned her sons to come along. No additional threats, of what would happen, the next time Tanner crossed their paths. Just the remaining boys picking up their two brothers, and heading back to the cars.

It was over, then. Claire took a deep breath and released Adriana's hand, smiling faintly at her friend. Adriana just nodded, taking several deep breaths herself. A small bridge had been built, but for now, that was enough. Claire leaned into Chanu's embrace. His arms tightened around her and he rested his chin atop her head.

It was over. Never, when she had thought about this confrontation, had she even considered that it would end like this. Tanner and Adriana standing beside them, David Nichols intervening. Rafe struck dumb with the revelation that she and Chanu were married ... all right, that part had been expected. And her father ... oh, no. Where was her father? He had been too silent during the last few minutes, and she had learned to worry when that happened.

"Nooooooooooo! I won't accept this! I will not accept this! My daughter belongs at home, in the presence of God! Not with some murdering savage!" an all-too familiar voice bellowed. Claire closed her eyes. All right. So it wasn't quite over. She pulled back, to remove herself from her husband's embrace, and face her father down, but it wasn't necessary. As her father strode toward them, Tanner and Adriana moved as one to protect the couple.

That wasn't necessary, either. A furious, howling force plowed into her father from behind, screaming incoherently. It took Claire a few seconds to realize that the force was her brother. It took her several seconds after that to realize what he was screaming, "You bastard! You bastard! You lied! You lied to me! You could have gotten Claire killed! And I helped you! I betrayed my own sister!"

Claire looked up at Chanu, and this time, he released her. The girl moved swiftly to her younger brother's side. Tears were pouring down his face as he throttled their father. David had interceded to protect his brothers from descending further toward bullyhood ... Claire now intervened to protect her own younger brother from becoming a killer. She went to her brother's side and gently put her hand on his shoulder.

When he didn't jerk away at her touch, she put her arms around him and physically pulled him away from their father. Rafe collapsed against her, still sobbing and apologizing, begging for her forgiveness. Claire rocked him, as if he was still a child after he had a nightmare. So many of those after their mother had died. She looked up and saw Chanu watching her. She smiled, seeing the look in his eyes. It took little to realize he was imagining her with their child.

"Reckon m' part in this is done," a raspy voice announced. Claire looked over at Tanner. Under the bruises, his face was ashen, and he was swaying on his feet. Claire looked at her roommate, who was already reaching for him. Tanner muttered, "Aw hell." Then his eyes rolled up and his legs gave way. Adriana grabbed him as he fell, and instead of trying to hold him upright, gently lowered him to the ground, cradling him against her body. Now it was over.

Part Forty-Eight

"When was the last time you talked to Adriana?"

The question wasn't entirely unexpected. Nor was the source of the question. He should have known better than to come here, if he wanted to get away from thinking about his friend. But there were repairs to be done, and Vin Tanner had always found that hard work kept him from thinking too much. Most of the time at least. The young bounty hunter turned to face his questioner, moving easily down the ladder at the same time.

Koje was watching him almost sadly, and Vin had a pretty good idea what the chief was thinking. Nearly two weeks had passed since the confrontation with Reverend Moseley and the Nichols brothers. Most of that time, Vin had spent healing ... his throat had been bruised, he had a bump on his head and the ribs that had finished healing were bruised again during the fight with Peter Nichols at the barn. Mostly, however, he had rested. By the time he collapsed into Adriana's arms, he had been exhausted from the fights and his worries for his friend.

It had also been nearly two weeks since he had last seen Adriana. He had awakened in her arms as they drove to the hospital. Chanu had insisted on a proper exam for Claire, and Vin needed care as well. Claire had ridden with Chanu, naturally, while Koje had taken Adriana's car. While Vin remained at the hospital, Chanu had returned to the barn and dropped his father off to retrieve his own car.

That still left Adriana unaccounted for. She had been in the waiting room as he was being wheeled into an examining room. But he hadn't seen her since. When he emerged from the examination a few hours later (after getting some much needed rest), she was gone. According to Claire, Dawn and Carly had arrived at the hospital soon after, and Carly took Adriana's car back to the dorm while Dawn drove herself back. After chewing out Claire royally, a reaming which Claire had expected, but Chanu still opposed.

Chanu, on the other hand, was someone Vin saw on a daily basis. Despite their rocky beginning, the two young men were slowly becoming friends, especially once Vin began helping with repairs at the reservation. Chanu was still living on the reservation where he had grown up, at least while he was continuing his education. In January, when the new semester began, he and Claire would be living in the house which Vin was now helping to renovate.

In the meantime, Claire was busy, trying to keep her head above water with her finals. As was Adriana. Vin said, barely able to meet Koje's eyes, "Not in two weeks. She's been real busy with finals and papers to write. I been busy, too. I swear everyone goes plumb loco, 'round the holidays. Seems every time I bring in a bounty, there's five or six more to catch." Koje wasn't convinced. Hell, for that matter, neither was Vin. He knew that he was avoiding the campus for any reason, because he wanted to avoid Adriana Wilmington. That little thing scared the hell outta him, because she had every right to be furious with him.

"She doesn't blame you, you know. The only person who blames you, is you, Vin. Adriana is on Christmas break soon. She may go see her brother. And things happen. Do you really want things to end like this between you?" Koje asked. Unbidden, an image appeared in Vin's mind of his mother dying. Ma wouldn't want that for him. There were so many things left to be said before she died, but he was only five. He didn't know how to say them.

Well, he wasn't five no more. He was nineteen. And Koje was right, it was time to stop running. Vin was ashamed of himself, really, for not having more courage. It was just that ... every time he would pick up the phone to call Adriana, he could see again the look in her eyes when he had accused her of betraying his trust. And knowing that she had caught him when he passed out, that she was ready to stand by his side ... knowing that she believed he was right ... that made it hurt all the worse.

Vin looked at Koje, who smiled and said, "I talked with Priscilla this morning. The dorm is too noisy during finals week, so Adriana studies at the library. She and Claire are still working things out ... they take their meals together, but the rest of the time, Adriana is at the library. I understand from Priscilla that you've been known to walk her home from the library, especially after dark?" This was said with a lift of his eyebrow.

Vin found himself blushing, and Koje added, "Of course, I also heard this story from Adriana, when my youngest daughter was complaining about there being so few gentlemen left in the world. Go to her, Vin. She's too ashamed to face you." Vin frowned at that, and Koje said, "Maybe 'ashamed' is too strong a word. But she values your friendship greatly, and she fears losing your trust. I think you already know that, though."

"Reckon I do," Vin whispered. He had done a lot of thinking in the last few weeks. At first, he had been angry when he realized he would have to make the first move. Adriana was too damn scared of being rejected ... again. And since he was the first real male friend she had, that was a very real possibility to her. Will Richmond and Doug Andrews were friends ... sort of ... but Vin and Adriana were the same age, and despite their different lives, they were equals.

So, Adriana had no idea whether or not he would reject her. At least, that was how Chanu had explained it the week earlier, while they were working in what would be the child's room. The reason why Adriana was slowly rebuilding her relationship with Claire was because she was more confident of her friendship. She had known Claire longer, she had a better idea how Claire would react. Vin, however, was much more unpredictable.

It had hurt, at first, until Vin looked at it from her point of view. She really hadn't known him that long, and while she had become his best friend, he was now starting to see that she didn't feel as secure as his friend. To Adriana's way of thinking, she was still having to prove herself, even though Vin didn't think it was necessary. Hell, she had proven herself over and over, why would he want anything more from her, than what she had already given?

Because he was the first person who hadn't, Koje had explained when he overheard the conversation. Because Will Richmond had her jumping through hoops, not fully accepting her the way she was. Because her mother had never demonstrated her love, and Adriana had spent so much of her life trying to earn her mother's love. Adriana's father wasn't mentioned, but that wasn't necessary. And slowly, he began to understand.

That was when he really started feeling guilty. And it was the guilt which had kept him from calling her lately. Koje said quietly, "Guilt won't keep a friendship together, Vin."

The young man looked up at the chief, startled, and Koje continued, "It won't keep a friendship together. It won't heal either of you. If you leave now ... forget about the work. Go home. Get a shower. And try to forgive Adriana for her fear." Vin took several deep breaths, then nodded. Koje took the tools from his hands, and Vin's feet did the rest of the work. It was time to get things right with Adriana.

Part Forty-Nine

Adriana shifted uneasily in her chair, trying to concentrate on her German notes. Usually, during finals week, Adriana studied in the library, because she could focus more easily. Even with the quiet hours, there was still too much bustle in the dorm, but Adriana was trying to heal her shattered relationship with her roommate. Things had improved between the two girls during the last few weeks, but they still have a lot of talking to do.

"Adriana ... scram. Go to the library. Neither of us are gonna get anything done if you keep that up," Claire said, looking up from her own studying. Adriana turned guiltily at her roommate's voice, and Claire added, her eyes softening, "Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but you're only driving us both crazy. Go to the library. You'll be able to focus a lot better, and so will I. I promise, I won't be having wild sex with Chanu in here while you're gone."

"Like I'm gonna care if I'm not here? Please, Claire, the only time I would care was if we had bunk-beds, and you were humping your husband in the lower bunk," Adriana retorted drily, then blushed as she realized what she had said. Claire, however, burst out laughing. Adriana glared at her roommate and muttered, "It wasn't that funny." The trouble was, it was that funny. Even at her most comfortable, Adriana never really talked like that. Until she had met Vin.

"Yes, it is. Wish Vin could hear you now. Adriana, honey, why don't you call him? And this time, instead of just listening to his damn machine, actually leave a message if he's not there?" Claire suggested. Adriana rose to her feet, gathering her books and notes up. Damn. She thought she had been more careful about that ... about Claire knowing ... about the aborted phone calls to Vin. She had tried to call him repeatedly in the last few weeks, only to lose her nerve. Damn coward.

"Can't do that. I'm not ready, Claire. Until I'm strong enough to face ... whatever, I can't do that," Adriana replied firmly. Her friend looked at her, exasperated, but Adriana didn't back down. She gave Claire her best approximation of the Larabee glare, and wonder of wonders, Claire actually backed down. Huh. Gotta tell Chris that lethal look of his works, at least for me, she thought. She smiled, thinking of Chris. And now, there was only the dullest ache when she thought about his wife. She would be all right.

"He cares about you, Adriana. So much. I know, I didn't like him at first, because I thought he was a threat, but I was wrong. He's a good man. And he cares about you a lot. The only reason ... he thought you betrayed him, and that hurt. It wouldn't have hurt him so much if he didn't care about you," Claire pointed out. Adriana didn't bother with a glare this time ... just a Look sufficed. Claire added, "Okay, that was a dumb thing to say."

"He's right. I did betray him. Secrets clause or not, I should have realized that was something he should know. He trusted me, and I let him down," Adriana fired back. Claire sighed, pushing herself up from her reclining position on her bed. Better for the baby, she said. She wouldn't show for another few months, but the last time they had gone shopping, Adriana had noticed her friend eyeing the maternity clothes.

"And I let you down, but we're putting the pieces of our friendship back together. Do you really think he's less of a friend than you are? My God, Adriana! You would have fought at his side, you caught him when he collapsed. You have proven yourself to him, honey! And I put you in a bad position, when I swore you to silence about my marriage to Chanu. You didn't lie to him, not by omission and not by commission. He knows that," Claire replied.

Adriana leaned her head against the door jam. She had heard this argument before. From Dawn, from Carly (who steadfastly refused to speak to Claire, for reasons she hadn't shared with Adriana), and from her own mind. In her mind, Adriana knew that Claire was right. And she knew she was being unfair to Vin, but right now, her heart was in command. And her heart was absolutely petrified. Of being wrong about Vin ... about losing him forever.

The irony was, she also knew that if she didn't do something soon, she would lose him, because she hadn't reached out to him. She sighed and whispered, "We'll talk about this when I get back from the library." From the corner of her eye, Adriana saw Claire bob her head once, almost reluctantly, then Adriana quietly left their room. It seemed like the walk was shorter than usual, perhaps because of everything that weighed on her mind.

But as always, once she entered the library, the familiar peace settled over her. It was the way some people felt when they went to church. Totally at peace. Her favorite spot was open, and Adriana settled in to get something accomplished. Now, the concentration came easier, and so did the breathing. She lost herself, conjugating German verbs with their accompanying nouns. While German certainly wasn't her best subject, she could even concentrate on that in here.

She forgot about Vin, she forgot about her mending relationship with Claire, she forgot about Carly completing turning against Claire. Nothing else mattered. From German, she progressed into her Lit class. The time flew by, and only her internal clock told her that it was time to head to the dining hall. She was supposed to meet Claire for dinner. She sighed, feeling much better (though hungry), and marked her place. She looked up ... and straight into the bright blue eyes of Kevin Tanner.

She was so stunned, she didn't even realize she had gotten up too fast until he grabbed her by the waist on her way down. He muttered, red staining his cheeks, "Sorry."

Adriana asked in response, what seemed to her like a perfectly natural question, "What? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong." Then she realized than his hands were on her waist. She realized something else. It didn't bother her one iota. In fact ... she rather liked it. She looked down, then whispered, "Maybe we should take this outside?" It wasn't until the words were out, that she realized how it must have sounded, and then she blushed.

Vin, however, flashed her one of his devastating grins (damn the man, he was dangerous when he smiled) and replied, "Reckon we oughta." The pair slipped from the library, though not before Adriana saw Gwen, one of the girls at the help desk, wink at her. Nope, she thought, it doesn't work like that. Vin and me, we're just friends. Still, she returned the wink, and Gwen's smile broadened.

Once they were outside, Vin said quietly, "Reckon I owe ya an apology." Adriana barely had time to process that, much less react, before he continued, "I shoulda never said what I did, about trustin' ya. Hell, Drina, I do trust ya ... and I shoulda never said I couldn't." The apology was so unexpected, because all this time, she had been formulating an apology of her own, for not telling him about Chanu and Claire's marriage.

"Vin, I should have told you about Claire and Chanu getting married, as soon as I had the chance," Adriana said, shaking her head. She looked away, and was more than a little surprised when Vin firmly cupped her chin in his hand and forced him to look at her. It was something like Buck would have done when Adriana was a child, or Chris, and the gesture took her breath away. She and Claire had talked a lot about Buck, too ... or as Claire put it, Adriana's immense love for her brother, but her tendency to think the worst of him.

"Drina, ya did tell me, first chance ya got. Hell, it weren't even that. ..it was Claire lyin' about ya knowin' 'bout the application. I shoulda known ya wouldna done that! I shoulda trusted ya, and myself. And I ain't never been so sorry in my life. I hurt ya ... Drina, 'til I met ya, I ain't never had a best friend before. I ain't never gonna let ya down again. Ya said that ya done let me down ... uh-uh. I let ya down. And it ain't gonna happen again," Vin swore.

Adriana blinked back tears, and immediately cussed herself out for being a wimp. She said softly, "I've been trying, these last two weeks, to get up the courage. To apologize. I called your apartment a few times, always when I knew when you wouldn't be at home. And every time I got the recording, I lost my nerve. I'm sorry, too, Vin. I'm sorry for being such a coward, and not settling this. I'm sorry for running away, instead of facing it. Facing you."

Vin frowned and he muttered, "That was ... ya left them messages on my machine?" Adriana nodded, and Vin shook his head, muttering, "Son of a bitch. Sorry, Drina. Hell, I been workin' up the courage to apologize to ya, and ... aw hell. Ain't we a pair." Adriana couldn't help herself. She started giggling. Vin glared at her, then grinned, and then started laughing. The laughter healed the remaining rift between them.

"A pair of what, that's what I want to know!" Adriana said, still giggling. Impulsively, she threw her arms around Vin and hugged him, still clutching her books and notebooks.

There was a slight pause, then his arms wrapped around her waist, and she was caught in a fierce bear hug. She whispered, "I'm sorry. Keep being patient with me? I've ... I'm kinda new at this whole thing." Then she smiled at his equally soft, So'm I. The two friends held onto each other, and Adriana mumbled against Vin's shoulder, "I think we just had our first argument, if you can really call it that."

"Reckon we did," came the equally muffled reply, "and reckon we should get ya to the dining hall, 'fore ya pass out from hunger." Adriana giggled as Vin released him, and poked her finger in his ribs. He growled at her, and Adriana just laughed again, the sheer relief of still having Vin as her friend making her giddy. Vin grew serious after a moment and he murmured, "Cain't call ya friend no more. Reckon we're more 'n friends now."

"But not quite lovers, but that's okay, 'cause I don't want a lover," Adriana said, "and not really brother and sister." Vin nodded his agreement. He offered his arm, which she happily accepted, and the two more-than-friends began walking toward the dining hall. She said thoughtfully, "You know, you got lucky today ... usually, this semester, I've been trying to study in my room. Can't work things out with Claire if we're not in the same room, after all. But she ran me out earlier."

Vin stopped and looked at her, his brow furrowing, then asked, "Claire? Ran ya out? Ya been studyin' in the dorm, all this time?" Adriana nodded, frowning. What was he getting at? Vin shook his head in wonderment, muttering, "Aw hell. They done set us up again!" Now Adriana was really getting lost, and Vin explained, "Koje told me, that ya was studyin' in the library. And Claire ran ya outta your room."

As Vin had said only a moment earlier, aw hell. The two friends looked at each other a long moment, trying to figure out what to do about it. Then a decidedly evil smile appeared on Vin Tanner's face and he asked, his eyes dancing with laughter, "Ya up to causin' some trouble, Miss Drina?" She just smirked at him, and he continued, "I got me an idea!" Again, he offered his arm to her, and again she accepted. And as they walked to the dining hall, the pair began discussing what they would do. After all, one good setup deserved another.

Epilogue

Part Fifty

The single digit traced lines on the picture. Two young people, laughing. A man and a woman. Both around the same age, in their early twenties. Two shades of brown hair. Blue eyes and dark hazel, for those who bothered to look. The same dark hazel eyes which were now staring at the picture longingly. 'One good setup deserves another.' Wasn't that what she had thought, all those years ago? God, to have those days back again ... but that wasn't possible. She had to go forward.

"Adriana? Are you ready, hon?" a soft voice said. Adriana Wilmington looked up and took a deep breath. Will Richmond moved slowly to her side, smiling faintly at the picture she had been tracing with her finger. At the young man's features. He said softly, "I remember when that was taken. That was right after Peter Nichols approached you at the Homecoming Dance. Priscilla was so proud of you, asking Vin to that."

Adriana laughed. Funny. Seemed like she hadn't laughed since she had found the red light on her recorder flashing. She looked around the empty apartment once again. More than two years of memories were bound up in this place. It felt wrong, leaving here. But no longer having Vin Tanner in her life felt wrong, too. God. Had it really been three years since their first meeting, since they had joined forces to rescue Raquel Hernandez? Not quite three years, but close enough.

So many people had come and gone from her life in those years. Priscilla Meadows had died in her sleep the semester earlier, which had devastated Adriana. The woman had been so young, and seemed so healthy, but she had kept a great deal from her students. From her husband, even. Priscilla had been her mother figure as well as her advisor and professor. She had been so happy, when Adriana had been accepted into the graduate program at the University of Munich. Vin had been beside Adriana at the memorial service, and it was right. The way it was meant to be, because she had brought them together in the first place.

Claire and Chanu had moved to New Mexico at the beginning of Claire's senior year. The couple hadn't been able to deal with the continuing interference of Claire's father. Rafe remained behind, and estranged from his father. Adriana hadn't thought it likely that he would ever forgive his father, and to the best of her knowledge, he still wasn't speaking to his father. She didn't see him that much herself, and things were always awkward between them when they did meet.

Carly had moved down the hall and into Adriana's room during Christmas break. She was still on the outs with her mother, and had no desire to go home to Chicago. They celebrated Christmas together ... Carly, Adriana, and Vin ... at Priscilla's home. The two girls were to be roommates for the next two and a half years. At the end of their sophomore year, Dawn Jackson received her master's degree, but remained in Texas. The three got an apartment together. From the end of her sophomore year forward were the happiest years of Adriana's life to date.

She saw Will and Charlotte Richmond from time to time, even after Will received his Master's Degree. He had decided to stay in Texas and teach for a while, before he went for his PhD, as he was still repairing his marriage. And, a true friendship grew up with Adriana this time, as he came to see her as an equal, rather than as someone to be protected. Then again, that was a conclusion Charlotte had reached long ago.

She didn't know if Will was a slow learner when it came to the women in his life, or if it was just his natural protectiveness. But he had finally realized that she really could take care of herself. Adriana supposed all the scrapes she had gotten into over the years, always standing at Vin's side, had demonstrated she could kick ass when she had to. She didn't pick fights ... neither of them did ... but they didn't back down from fights, either.

The semester before, only a few weeks before Priscilla's death, Adriana had asked Vin to the Homecoming Dance. It had become a ritual between them. Adriana knew he wouldn't go. He didn't feel comfortable at dances, with a lot of people, but it was her way of including him. There had been a misunderstanding at the end of her sophomore year ... funny, the details stopped being important. All she could remember now was his accusation that she didn't think he was good enough to go to the damn dance.

It had been more of a hurt question than an accusation, but true to Tanner form, Vin had built up his own guilt to the point that he had accused her. Then again, this was a man who referred to a silently stormy departure as 'storming out.' When it came to certain things, Vin had a tendency to exaggerate his own guilt. Just like the situation with Chanu ... while he had the sense that Chanu hadn't kidnapped Claire, and had done his best to help the other man, Vin still didn't think it was enough, and referred to helping the police as a 'mistake.' After their first few arguments on the subject, Adriana finally gave up.

But after the argument, about the Spring Fling, Adriana always asked Vin to the dances on the college. He always said 'no,' admitting that he really didn't fit in, and he really didn't feel comfortable. This year, however, he surprised her ... and himself ... by agreeing. For the entire day before the dance, Adriana had been a nervous wreck, so sure that he would cancel out. But, this was Vin Tanner ... and promptly at six thirty, the time they had agreed upon, he arrived at the apartment, dressed in his best clothes.

Adriana, who had finally allowed Carly to experiment on her, was dressedin a flowing white evening gown, which reminded her of those dresses she saw in the movies, when a girl was being sacrificed. But it made her feel beautiful, as did the result of the experimentation with the make-up. And so did the look in Vin's bright eyes when he saw her. His mouth had formed an 'o' of surprise. There was just one change to be made before they left for the dance together. Adriana freed Vin's light brown hair from the ponytail which had held it, and pronounced the result 'perfect.' Now, months later, Adriana quietly traced Vin's features again.

"You'll see him again, hon. I admit. . .I didn't think too highly of him at first. But I know how much he cares for you. Leaving the way he did, with just that message on your recorder, he had to have a good reason. It's time to go. When he resurfaces, Charlotte and I will make sure he finds you. I swear," Will said earnestly. Adriana smiled again, but this time, the smile was sad. It wasn't that she doubted her friend ... but Vin had sounded so afraid on the recorder. So unlike the steady, serene man she had known these last few years.

She closed her eyes, remembering. It's me, Drina. Lord. I never wanted to say good-bye to ya, not like this. I wanted so much to be there, when ya left for Germany. Reckon it was bad enough, your brother couldn't come to your graduation ... I should be there for ya now. But I cain't. Ya mean too much to me, Drina. I got myself in a world a' trouble this time, girl, and I ain't 'bout to take ya down with me. I will never forget ya, Drina, and if I can, I'll come find ya when I get myself outta this mess. I'm so sorry. I hope ya can forgive me.

And that had been the last she heard of Vin Tanner.

"Will ... I could use your help out here. Give her a few minutes," Charlotte said. Will looked at his wife, now seven months pregnant, and scurried immediately to take the duffel bag from her hands. He fussed at her for lifting something so heavy, but Charlotte accomplished what she meant to do. She winked at Adriana over Will's shoulder, and the young woman smiled back gratefully. She took a deep breath, turning back to the few items remaining.

Carly had been just as devastated by the message, and swore she would find out what happened. It had taken both Will and Adriana to convince her that she couldn't find Vin. Not if he didn't want to be found, and it was Charlotte's opinion that he had disappeared to protect the people he cared for. If Carly cared about Vin as much as she said she did, then she should respect that ... and let him come to her, when he was ready.

Dawn had moved to Georgia, to be with her uncle. She and Adriana had swapped email addresses before her departure the previous month. Slowly, the small circle of friends had begun collapsing in on them. Dawn was the first to go. Then Vin's disappearance. Then it had been Carly's turn.

Carly had moved her things out of the apartment three days earlier. She had been accepted at Johns Hopkins University, back east. Bless her sweet heart, she had wanted to remain in Texas with Adriana, until the dark-haired girl reminded her friend that she would be leaving for Germany. The two friends and roommates had shared a quiet good-bye, both knowing that if they allowed themselves to become too emotional, neither would be able to do what had to be done. But dear Lord, how Adriana already missed her friend! All ... of her friends.

She would put Vin's picture in her backpack last, and carry all the pictures with her onto the plane. Keep them with her. Her relationship with Buck remained the same ... he had been unable to get leave for her graduation. And he didn't want to leave Chris, whose wife and son had just been killed in an explosion. Chris was spinning out of control, and Buck was afraid for him. Adriana could understand that. She just wished she could be sure that Vin, and Carly, and everyone else was right. That Buck wasn't really trying to shut her out of his life ... that he didn't blame her for their father marrying her mother (a possibility which had been raised more recently).

Adriana had grown up these last few years, but where her brother was concerned, she knew she was still a child, and it was killing her. Why had she been able to rebuild her friendships with Vin and Claire, why had she found the courage to trust Chanu eventually, despite their bumpy start ... and yet ... she couldn't find the courage to confront her brother about ... their ... relationship? Whatever. The point was, despite the progress she had made in the last few years, she was still a coward.

The pictures of Buck and Chris went into the backpack, joining pictures of Dawn, Priscilla, Chanu and Claire with their son Kevin. Carly, laughing at her from a swing. The Christmas they had spent at Priscilla's, that first Christmas together. And as she put the pictures away, she put the memories which accompanied them away as well. Pictures of herself and Vin, watching the sunset, taken by Carly or Dawn.

Another picture of them together, this time in Georgia. She and Vin had accompanied Dawn back to Georgia, to meet her friend's famed Uncle Obadiah. There was a swing in his backyard, a round seat hanging from a tree. And if she had felt something other than friendship when she swung her leg over Vin's and sat down on his lap facing him, she would never admit it, not even to herself.

Then again, Vin had been right ... when he had said that they were more than friends. More than friends, not quite lovers. Despite the insinuations of Peter Nichols, when they encountered him at the Homecoming Dance ... despite the teasing of Will Richmond, only a few weeks earlier. Adriana didn't know if she would ever allow herself to love a man like that. If she could even trust Vin with her body, the way she trusted him with the rest of her.

That picture of them together on the swing, taken by Obadiah, went into her backpack. And finally, the picture of them at the Homecoming Dance. Adriana in Vin's arms, they were holding each other tightly and laughing at the camera. Adriana couldn't even remember who had taken it. She lightly brushed a kiss to the forehead of the young man in the photograph and whispered, "If you can, come back to me, Vin Tanner. And until then, you take care of yourself. Watch your back." Then she slid that last picture into the backpack.

Will met her at the door. The rest of her belongings had already been shipped to Germany. They would be waiting for her, in storage, once she could find an apartment ... a flat, she corrected herself. It's a flat, not an apartment. He glanced at the backpack, but she shook her head. No ... no, she would be carrying this herself. Will just squeezed her shoulder and headed to the car. Adriana turned and looked one last time at her home, then lightly brushed her fingers over the lights. And then she pulled the door behind her for the very last time.

Charlotte held a car door open for her and she slid into the station wagon gratefully. Only when Charlotte pushed the door shut did Adriana finally let go. She buried her face in her hands, quietly crying. I will see you again, my more-than-friend. I don't know where, and I don't know when. But I have faith. I have faith in you ... and I always will.

The End
Next Story: A Light in the Distance