„No. No no no no no!"

John grinned.

"Yes, luv. Payback is a bitch. What goes around comes around and all that. I see you remember what this thing does."

"I remember what it did to you."

"And it'll work just fine on you, too."

John held him in a steel grip that Jack just knew he wouldn't get out of. His partner forced Jack's hand where he wanted it. The moment Jack touched the device he felt a wave of energy rush through his body. John let him go. Jack hit him. Hard.

"Hey!"

"It forces me to speak the truth. It doesn't keep me from beating the crap out of you!"

John laughed.

"You wanna spend the day fighting? Fine. Bring it."

Jack hit him again for good measure, but John's response made his ears ring so he decided to leave it at that. Panting and wiping blood from his face he dropped to the ground. John joined him.

"Now you'll know what it's like. And besides I might learn a few things."

"I could just say nothing for 24 hours."

John burst out laughing.

"Honestly I think that would kill you."

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut for half an hour!"

"Nope."

John was still grinning.

Jack glared at him.

"You ruined a perfectly good scam..."

John made a gesture with his hand that said 'Yeah, well...'.

"... but it did make you a spectacular lay."

Now John looked affronted.

"Oh please. I've always been a spectacular lay!"

Jack sobered.

"Yes you have."

He looked surprised. Apparently he had planned on saying something else.

John was beaming again.

"Pray continue."

Jack glared at John again, but he ignored it with the practice of a long time lover. When Jack opened his mouth again the glare disappeared and his voice was soft.

"I loved how vocal you were. The praise. The pleading. Raw, open, unguarded. Vulnerable."

"I hated it."

"No you didn't. It gave you an excuse to drop your guard."

"I. Hated it."

Jack looked at John, surprised to see his partner's jaw clench.

"I had nothing to hide behind, and you took advantage of that."

"I loved it, John."

John snorted.

"Sick bastard."

"I loved it because we'd never been like that. I'd never really seen you. Who you are. What you need."

"It made me look weak."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"If you'd asked me the right questions back then you wouldn't have to ask that now."

When it became obvious that John wouldn't say anything more Jack took a breath.

"So what is it that you so desperately want to know? You do know you can't force any information out of me, right?"

John fixed him, his blue eyes cold and guarded.

"Why did you leave?"

Jack stared at him.

"Really?! That's what you brought me here for?!"

John's shoulders sagged.

"Please Jack, I won't ask you anything else if you just answer this."

Jack heaved a sigh.

"I - won't."

The utter despair in John's eyes made Jack cringe. Taking another breath he said:

"I can tell you this though: It wasn't about you. I didn't leave you."

"What?!"

"It didn't have anything to do with you", Jack repeated, stressing each word.

"It wasn't anything I'd done?"

"No."

John turned away, trying to hide his emotion. His voice didn't give any of it away when he went on:

"So you had no clue what that dinner was about."

"Excuse me?"

John still had his back to Jack.

"I asked you to meet me at the casino, at a very specific time of day. I thought it was obvious. When you stood me up I thought I had my answer."

"John what are you - "

John swirled around, fixing Jack with a deadly glare.

"When I found out you'd left, without so much as a word, I thought the universe could hear you shout your answer."

"My answer to - Oh my God John you'd been about to propose to me?!"

John looked like he would be sick. He closed his eyes.

"You could have said no you know?"

All that time. He'd been so sure he knew why Jack had left, and it had hurt like crazy, and he'd been wrong all along. His head wouldn't wrap around it just like that.

Jack stood frozen to the ground, a dozen different emotions washing over him, unable to sort them.

John's eyes were still closed when he started talking again.

"You were just a kid from a back water planet, accepted into the program because your sector was underrepresented, but you were stunning. I set my mind on you the moment you walked into the casino, all swagger and ready to take on the world. How old were you, 21?"

"Had just turned 23."

"Like I said. Just a kid. I had already made Special Agent by the time you found the headquarters."

"And yet I made Only Agent Who Could Control You in record time."

John burst out laughing and looked at him.

"That's what they told you? Sneaky bastards."

He snickered.

"I guess it's true though. We did control each other. Kind of."

"We didn't get each other killed."

"There's that."

"From what I heard of your reputation that hadn't always been the case."

John didn't say anything.

"Did you ever actively kill a partner?", Jack pressed.

"Uh you know what they say. What happens in the Past stays in the Past."

While Jack was chewing on that John thought back to their first encounter. He'd had his eyes on Jack the moment the newbie came through the door, and Jack had probably felt it. He'd let his gaze wander and then locked eyes with John.

"Mind if I have a seat?"

"Has anyone ever told you no, gorgeous?"

Jack's smile widened as he sat down. John pushed his chair back and stood.

"What can I get you?"

"I'm not sure."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Don't go anywhere. "

When he set down Jack's drink in front of him the kid held up his wrist. Sweet. Scanning the drink a stranger had bought him. John didn't even try to suppress his grin when he raised his own drink.

"Man after my own heart. I'm John."

"Jack", the kid absentmindedly answered him, checking the readings on his Vortex Manipulator. Finally reassured he tried - and obviously liked - the hyper vodka. John stretched in his chair.

"If I had spiked your drink I would have made sure to use something the wrist strap couldn't detect. Just saying."