Jack hated forced socialising, but sometimes it was unavoidable. Especially if you were a two-star General in the United States Air Force, in charge of the most secret organisation on Earth. You'd think that such a important position allowed one to pick which dinner receptions to attend, but no such luck. Especially not if they were hosted by your superiors, like, say, the President. So Jack really had no choice but to suck it up and get on with it. Urgh...

---

'...so when Chester proposed, I immediately said yes!', the highly annoying lady to Jacks right gushed.

'Oh, really?' Jack said, hardly even trying to fake enthusiasm.

'Yes. Oh, he's a lovely husband. What about you, General? Do you have one?'

'A husband? No...' Jack said, knowing full well what the lady had meant.

'Hah, no! Silly you', the lady gushed, and playfully hit Jacks arm. "I mean a wife, silly you!"

'Ah... yes, I do', Jack said, dreading where this conversation was going.

'Oh, lucky her! Is she here tonight?'

'No, she isn't. She had to work.'

'Oh, poor her! Where does she work?' the lady asked.

'Classified', Jack replied.

'Oh, hah hah!', the lady laughed in a way-too-high pitch. 'You Army men are all the same! Now, tell me, where is she?'

'Air Force.'

'What?'

'I'm in the Air Force, not the Army', Jack said.

'Oh...' the lady said, not understanding the difference.

'And I'm serious, it's classified', Jack said.

'Oh, silly you', the lady said.

'It's classified. Suffice to say, she doesn't work in DC', Jack replied.

'Oh, far away? That must be difficult? Or is it close by?'

'Well, not unless you define millions of millions of millions miles away to be far, then no', Jack replied. Hammond, sitting right across from Jack, lifted his head and gave one of his trademarked you're-so-dead glares.

'Oh, your Army men!' the lady laughed, and started on about her new overly-expensive necklace.