Title: Go, Jack, Go!

Author: Su Freund

E-mail: See bio

Website: www ficwithfins com (insert . instead of spaces in the address)

Category: Friendship, angst, romance, missing scene

Content Level: Age 13+ (no, I did not write an adult only version this time!)

Content Warnings: Use of minor mild language and references to sexual situations

Pairings: Jack/Other (Catherine)

Season: 8

Spoilers: Affinity, Covenant

Summary: Walter is worried by O'Neill's uncharacteristically happy behaviour

Sequel/Series Info: Sequel to Jack's Lucky Night

Status: Complete, but could become an occasional series of linked fics

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Copyright © 2006 Su Freund

Author's Note:

1. My story, Jack's Night Out, may not have been popular with J&S shippers (go figure!), but had its fans, including me – I enjoyed writing it. I wrote this so that my character Catherine didn't go to waste, and in response to the positive feedback and suggestions I got, for which I thank you all.

2. It also meets the criteria of two recent fic challenges on the As The Stargate Turns Yahoo group: firstly to use the line "my give a damn's busted" and / or the word 'llama' (Challenge 30, issued 12 March); and secondly to use the line "The American way" and/or the word 'bookkeeper' (Challenge 31, 19 March).

3. Beware. This fic has not been beta read so I hope I haven't made too many errors.

Go, Jack, Go!

O'Neill was whistling. He'd had a kick ass grin on his face all morning and it had Walter worried. The Sergeant had seen Jack O'Neill in many different moods, but this wasn't really one of them. Sure, he would frequently crack a joke, although sometimes it was difficult to tell, and he might smile or chuckle, but looking downright happy, that was odd behaviour indeed. Walter wondered what was wrong and, more importantly, how that might affect him, or the SGC as a whole.

Everyone on the base suspected that there was more to Colonel Carter and General O'Neill's relationship than met the eye, and it was a frequent subject of chit-chat. Walter was astounded that O'Neill was in this kind of mood so soon after Colonel Carter's engagement party.

Earlier in the day he'd heard a rumour that the General had picked up a woman at that celebration. Actually, what he really heard was that she picked him up. Good on the General, Walter thought, and he figured if it meant O'Neill was in a pleasant mood then that should be a good thing, right? So why the hell did he find it so darned unsettling?

Walter decided that he really had to look into that rumour a bit more. Having left Colonel Carter's party early, he had missed witnessing this event for himself and was pissed about that. Admittedly he probably would have been even more pissed if he'd got home later than promised and his wife had carried out her threats. Dammit, talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Walter liked to know everything that was going on. He considered that part of his job. So he had to find a reliable source and get some accurate intel. His wife's friends might consider him as merely a glorified bookkeeper, but they knew nothing about his work. Walter understood very well that he was way more than that and, in his own way, he was just as vital to the smooth running of the SGC as the likes of Colonel Carter. O'Neill would probably find it difficult to manage without him and might even realise that one of these days.

Colonel Carter had been in to see the General earlier and it was obvious that she was none too happy. Walter couldn't figure that. She'd just got engaged, for heaven's sakes. Some people seemed to like being unhappy and, to be honest, Walter had wondered whether O'Neill might be one of those, but apparently not. Colonel Carter on the other hand, she could be quite an enigma sometimes. Heck, couldn't they all? The original SG-1. They must have something special or they would have ended up stone dead years ago. If that had happened at least Walter wouldn't have to worry quite so much about O'Neill's currently buoyant mood. Can't have everything.

Jack, of course, was oblivious to Walter's concerns and kept catching himself smiling, which only made him smile all the more. It had been quite some weekend. He and Catherine had hardly come up for air. Wow! She really was a piece of work, and he meant that in the nicest possible way.

Even Carter's earlier visit to his office had failed to dampen his mood. She had come to see him about about business, of course, but it had turned a little more personal when she'd enquired about whether he'd enjoyed his weekend, looking a little put out by his bumptious response. To be fair, she hid her feelings double quick, but Jack hadn't failed to notice before she slammed down the shutters. Well, screw her!

Jack was determined to enjoy his relationship with Catherine for a long as it lasted. She was beautiful, intelligent, excellent company and great in bed. It also turned out that she was somewhat older than he had originally thought, which had been a slight relief because he had wondered if he'd turned into a dirty old man and was cradle snatching. She was, however, still considerably younger than him and that was an ego boost and a half, which he sorely needed right then. Perfect timing!

The great in bed part had been something very powerful and extremely hot. She seemed to know what intimate buttons to press and Jack needn't have feared being unable to keep up the pace with someone of her age. Go, Jack, go! Not that he'd ever experienced that problem much, but he was growing older and kept expecting it to happen.

He would have been mortified if such a thing had happened with Catherine but, if his body might have initially seemed unwilling, she had turned that around pretty damned quickly. Actually, this morning he was quite sore, but that was way more than worth it and certainly did nothing to wipe the smile off his face. Quite the reverse.

Although he'd had to face Carter, so far Jack had managed to avoid Daniel Jackson. Knowing Daniel, he'd ask a few questions, all of which Jack would find way too intrusive. When it came down to it, Jack thought almost any questions about his personal life were too nosy and meddlesome but Daniel had a bad habit of asking them anyway, as if he hadn't noticed Jack's penchant for privacy. And Jack had even been known to confide the odd titbit to his friends, but that was on his terms and no one else's.

When Jack talked about anything personal it was because he wanted to and for no other reason. It was that simple. So, to avoid that for now, Jack had ensured that Daniel was kept occupied. After all, it was his base so he could do what he liked, right? Within reason.

Teal'c, on the other hand, was almost the opposite of Daniel, rarely talking, let alone asking questions about a man's private life. Teal'c's calm and solid presence could be positively soothing to one's soul. Right now, however, the last thing Jack needed was any soul soothing. Catherine had already managed to do a great job of that over the weekend and Jack didn't want anything or anyone to spoil the afterglow.

Unfortunately for Jack, being in charge of the SGC meant something was always happening to wreck his day and, because of today's something, it was sooner than he'd hoped when Daniel crossed his path. The archaeologist rushed into the briefing room all over excited, Carter hot on his tail, and Jack knew immediately that it was something with potential badness attached. Oy! To head them of at the pass, he walked out of his office and into the briefing room.

"Daniel, calm down and just tell me in words of two syllables or less, okay?" Jack pleaded, already starting to get a headache. Carter placed her hand on Daniel's arm to stop his flow and reported in a composed manner.

"Alec Colson of Colson Industries has been live on TV challenging the Antarctica meteor shower story. Actually, he accused the government of covering up the fact that there are aliens out there who have been interfering with us for a long time."

"He what?" Jack exclaimed, horrified.

"He says he has proof."

"Crap! What proof?"

"Didn't say but he threatened that if the cover-up wasn't, um, uncovered by the government within 24 hours, he would do it for them."

"Aw, for crying out loud…! And I was having such a great morning. Walter!" he shouted and the Sergeant came rushing, wondering what had spoiled O'Neill's mood. Perhaps he should be grateful. All the whistling and cheeriness had creeped him out. At least he knew where he stood when things were at normal O'Neill status.

"Sir!" he snapped smartly.

"Get Jennings and Cook to check out the Alec Colson file and ensure it's up to date, ASAP. I want copies here within 45 minutes; everything we know about Colson. Daniel, Carter, inform Teal'c. I want all three of you back here in an hour for a briefing, and have something to eat because we're gonna get real busy real soon. Dismissed!"

Carter and Daniel looked a little startled by Jack's swift and blunt response, watching open-mouthed as he got up and returned to his office, shutting the door behind him. Carter knew Colson. They'd worked together briefly so she was mulling over the Colson situation and didn't notice that Daniel wasn't following her.

"Coming to find Teal'c?" she asked, turning when she realised he wasn't behind her.

"I'll join you in a minute. I want a quick word with Jack. Why don't I meet you guys in the commissary? Jack is probably right to suggest we eat. It's gonna be one of those days."

"Okay," she nodded affably and left him to it.

Daniel knocked on Jack's door and was waved in.

'Here it comes,' Jack sighed to himself. "What is it Daniel?" he said aloud.

Daniel started by talking about the Colson situation and Jack held his hand up in a gesture to stop him.

"We've got a briefing in under an hour. Can't this wait? I've got paperclips to order," Jack said in a sarcastic tone, "or perhaps there's something else you want to talk about?" Jack was thinking that he might as well get this thing out of the way and get on with his life.

"Um, actually I was wondering if you had a good weekend?"

"Sit, Daniel, and stop looking like a High School kid who's been called into the Principal's office." Daniel sat with his hands clasped together and, somewhat awkwardly, playing with his thumbs by repeatedly pressing one tip against the other. "I had a great weekend, thanks. You?"

"I-I was just wondering how it went with you and th-that woman you met on Friday."

"Catherine? Isn't she something?"

"I take it that means it went well."

"Great, Daniel, just great." Jack beamed happily to emphasise the point.

"It was Sam's engagement party, Jack."

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" he retorted impatiently, fixing Daniel with a cold hard stare.

"I just thought it was a bit, um, impolite not to come along with us for the rest of the night. Sam was upset."

"Impolite? Upset?" Jack queried, looking at Daniel in a manner that would have made most men quake in their boots. Not so Daniel, although he was a little nervous about broaching the subject, but he was also slightly angry, and more than curious, which outweighed everything else. "She said she was upset? Well gee, Daniel, my give a damn's busted," he added with acute sarcasm, which the younger man countered by throwing back a dark look of his own.

"No she didn't exactly say that, but I know Sam."

"You are so treading on dangerous ground here, my friend," Jack said with an edge to his tone that made Daniel more wary and consider backing off. Then his friend continued in a more friendly manner, determined not to ruin his previously excellent mood, "So you expect me to reject the advances of a beautiful woman for Carter's benefit? Contrary to popular opinion I have a life, and I take my opportunities where I get them. Life's already too short. I have to live it."

"I just…" Daniel was feeling way less certain of his ground now. Jack was right to want to live his life, and he couldn't blame the man if he was a little bit pissed about Carter's engagement and wanted to seek out some companionship.

"It was just a few drinks and a pizza. We can do that anytime, but I don't meet a woman like Catherine every day of the week."

"She's certainly very attractive," Daniel responded, trying to sound more amiable and mend the bridge between them before it got broken.

"And intelligent and sexy and damned great in the sack."

"That's a little bit too much information Jack."

"Oh? And I thought you'd just made my private life your business."

"No need to be so cutting," Daniel responded defensively.

"Ya think?"

"I guess I'd better mind my own business," Daniel pouted, almost making Jack laugh but instead he sealed the deal.

"You got that right."

Daniel rose to leave, feeling a bit ashamed of himself, but then changed his mind half way to the door.

"I just care about Sam, that's all," he said, turning to face Jack again.

"Dammit all, Daniel, so do I. But what about me?"

Daniel was slightly uncertain as to what Jack meant by that question but, after briefly weighing it up, responded with a shy smile, "I care about you too."

"Then you should be happy for me."

"Jack, it's not that I'm unhappy for you… I hope Catherine makes you happy, really I do."

"So what is it, exactly?"

"I-I, oh I don't know. I'm sorry I asked."

"Bullshit. For a diplomat you so aren't very diplomatic."

"Look who's talking."

They grinned at each other and Daniel noticed that Jack's eyes were dancing with merriment. It was a while since he'd seen Jack look so happy and he considered walking away from it, but couldn't resist yet another question.

"You don't like Pete Shannahan much, do you Jack?"

Jack was caught off guard. "No. Go figure!" he snapped back, and Daniel briefly saw something in his eyes that Jack rarely revealed. "Now stop it with the twenty questions. You're so spoiling my day."

Daniel hadn't even considered that and suddenly deeply regretted having said anything, wondering why he could be so dumb for a man who was meant to be intelligent.

"I'm sorry," he said with a shamed face. "So, you're seeing Catherine again?"

"You betchya."

"That's great. I am happy for you, Jack – really." Jack nodded but did not respond directly.

"Daniel, I meant what I said about eating, so get going will ya?"

"That's a hint to shut up and leave you alone?"

"It's a hint that this conversation is closed, and that you should eat something for crying out loud!"

"You coming?"

"I've got a lot to do and I've got a feeling that Mr Alec Colson isn't going to help clear my desk of paperwork."

"A lot to do? Like order paperclips?" They exchanged another grin. "You need to eat too. Join us. It's been a while." Jack considered his words seriously and then nodded briefly.

"Sure, good idea."

"I get them sometimes."

"Meet you down there in five."

"Okay."

Daniel left feeling vaguely unsettled. It occurred to him that he knew next to nothing about Jack's private life and that his friend surely couldn't have been womanless since his split with Sara, even if it might have seemed that way at times. There had been a couple of off world exceptions, but long ago. When he thought about it, Daniel had to admit that Jack's dalliances had been way fewer than his own close encounters with off world beauties. His friend was far from being Captain James T Kirk.

In the main, Jack's life on Planet Earth was a mystery to all of them, and Daniel had to confess that he found that disturbing. Okay, so he considered it poor taste that Jack had gone off with a woman at Sam's engagement party, but it seemed unfair that he grudged his friend that little bit of happiness and he had to question his motives. He was still considering all of this when he joined Sam and Teal'c in the commissary and had to pull his head out of the clouds to talk to them.

Jack, meanwhile, was uncertain that joining his friends was a good idea. After the brief encounter with Carter that morning he didn't want anything else to disturb his good mood. Daniel had just done a good job of trying, albeit not deliberately. Daniel was Daniel and it was one of his bad habits. You simply got used to it and lived with it – or not.

In the end Jack decided that, whatever the outcome, he should join the team for a bite to eat and coffee. He couldn't allow a negative atmosphere to develop and take hold between them, so nipping it in the bud was the best thing for all of them. He was the boss and had to set a good example.

When he met up with them, Jack was pleasantly surprised to find everything seemed relatively normal: the banter, the exchanged looks, the whole works. That was a considerable relief and meant that, with the small exception of any fallout from one Alec Colson, Jack could still wander around with a smirk plastered on his face, and a skip in his step for the rest of the day.

He was even more pleasantly surprised when he received a call from Catherine.

"Jack, I know you're probably busy and I'm sorry to bug you at work but… um… are you free tonight?"

"Tonight?" The surprise deepened as, after a whole weekend joined at the hip, they had both eschewed any notion of seeing each other that night.

"I know we said…"

"Screw what we said!"

"So you're free?" She sounded pleased and Jack's heart quickened. It felt really good to be wanted by this woman.

"I, um, probably. Catherine, something's going on at work so I might not be if the crap hits the fan."

"It's okay. Call me. Or just come round, if you can make it."

"Catherine…?" He tailed off, reluctant to ask her why, but she sensed the question in his voice.

"I don't know why, Jack," she replied perceptively, and his eyebrows shot up at her reading him so well, "I'm trying not to over think it and just enjoy it. Okay?"

He damned near laughed at those words. Over think it? Sheesh! What did that remind him of? Irony could be a bitch! But, if Catherine just wanted to live it, that suited him fine. In fact he liked it quite a lot.

"Sure. Jack O'Neill's never been known for over thinking anything," he quipped in response, knowing that she was probably entirely the wrong person to appreciate the exact nuances of that little joke. Despite that, he could almost feel her responding smile down the phone line.

"Great. I'll see you later, flyboy."

"I'll call if I can't make it," he promised, thinking that he would make it, if only for a little while. The sound of her voice drifting down the phone made him yearn to see her and he marvelled at how quickly this woman had come to touch his ageing and cynical heart.

A brief silence fell between them and all they could hear was the sound of each other's breath and then Jack decided to end the call. "Gotta go. See you later."

"Bye."

He put the phone down and sat back in his chair, spinning round in it like an overgrown school boy, his big grin increasing in magnitude still further.

"Yes!" he cried out, punching the air, and then spotted Walter about to enter his office via the briefing room, tried to look serious and waved him into the room.

"Come in, Walter, pull up a chair. What can I do for ya?" O'Neill asked with a huge smirk.

Walter gulped. 'Aw, crap! What now?' he thought, resisting the temptation to roll his eyes.

Having reached the stage where there was little he could do but wait for reports from others, Jack slunk out of the SGC, with instructions that they call his cell phone if he was needed. On the way there, he called Catherine to let her know that he was coming. Although she had said he didn't need to, it was getting late and he didn't want to intrude, figuring that maybe she'd made other plans instead of waiting for him. Apparently not and that gave him a good deal of pleasure.

"One of these days you must turn up in full dress blues, Jack," she teased as she opened the door.

"You'd like that?" he queried, barely making it through the door before she grabbed him and kissed him passionately. "Whoa! Missed me?" he grinned.

"Yes and yes, in that order," she admitted.

"Um… remind me of the questions?" he responded with a crooked smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Dress blues, missed you," she replied with her throaty laugh.

"Ah! Can't say dress blues are my favourite casual wear, but if it will turn you on…" he waggled his eyebrows mischievously.

"Definitely, flyboy."

"Then I'll wear 'em specially."

He figured that, if he did, he probably wouldn't be wearing them for long and his thoughts turned to a fantasy of her ripping them off. Although he was still sore from their weekend antics, Jack found himself getting horny. Not wishing to make this relationship all about sex, he suppressed the urge, deciding to wait and see whether that was what Catherine wanted.

"Stop hovering at the door and get your butt inside, Jack!" she ordered, taking his hand and leading him into her living room. The TV was on a news programme and she went to switch it off.

"Hold it! Mind if we watch for a while?" he asked, noting that the news item was a re-run of what he'd watched earlier with SG-1 but wondering if there was anything new. He so did not trust Julia Donovan. She knew way too much, especially for a reporter.

"Sure," she said, urging him onto the couch and sitting down next to him. "I know this guy, Alec Colson. I always thought he was a relatively sane man until today, although he's had his moments. He has to have gone crazy, hasn't he?"

"Aliens? What do you think?" Jack replied disingenuously. What else could he do? The truth was not an option.

"I guess he always was slightly Howard Hughes," she said with a smile, "Eccentricity is the American way, especially for our multi-millionaires."

Jack laughed at that comment, pleased with her reaction. If she was typical of the American public, they didn't have anything to worry about. Of course in Jack's opinion Catherine wasn't typical. She was actually very different to most people he'd ever met.

So he continued to worry about public reaction to Colson. Exposure would be dangerous and they didn't know all the evidence he had. They would contain it somehow, by fair means or foul, that much he knew. He was increasingly of the opinion that it might be by foul. Jack didn't like it that much, but if it was necessary, so be it. He would do what needed doing.

"So you know him? One of your wealthy friends?" he asked, curiously.

"Family friend."

"You rich guys stick together, huh?"

"Stop fishing in my pond, Jack," she said, pointedly.

"Alright, already, I'm just sayin'…" he replied, holding his arms up in mock surrender and grinning. "I didn't ask about your family; we made a deal."

"And Jack O'Neill's a man of his word?"

"You betchya!"

In fact Jack had been considering running a background check on Catherine to see what his people could turn up, but it felt like a grubby thing to do. He recalled how pissed he'd been that Shannahan had done exactly that with Carter. On the other hand, he was in charge of a top secret facility, one of the most secret in the world, so caution was a requirement of his job. Jack was suspicious by nature and, although he didn't suspect Catherine of anything, he knew that if he didn't check her out and something happened later he would have to live with the consequences.

There was no way in hell Jack would risk the program or any of his people just for the sake of an itch in his pants, albeit that Catherine already meant a bit more to him than that, which might be all the more reason to check her out. Jack had to cover his ass but hated himself for even thinking it and suppressed the feelings it provoked as he had no intention of spoiling things between them unless he had to.

"We went on a trek around parts of Peru and Ecuador once, a long time ago," she said, surprising Jack that she offered up something personal after what she'd just said. "Ever been?"

"Um, no, that must have been pretty interesting " he replied, relieved that these were two countries he had never visited. Most of his travels abroad had been ops related, which meant he could never talk about them to anyone, so Jack wasn't up to being cross-examined about any of his little trips. He was pleased that he didn't have to lie and deny. That was better than making a slip but it was best not having to lie at all.

"It was amazing. Very impressive."

"I'll bet. Um, were you and Colson…?" He left the question unasked but she answered him anyway.

"No! It wasn't anything like that. With Alec?" she laughed, "A group of us went. It's truly incredible, Jack. The scenery, the people… and trekking with llamas is quite an experience."

"Llamas? Sheesh! Don't they smell?"

"Yes," she agreed with a chuckle, "but they're good at what they do best. You should try riding perched on top of a camel! At least you don't ride a llama. Camels are… well…" She crinkled up her nose at the memory.

"You've ridden one of those? Ouch!" he chuckled at the notion, amused by the expression on her face. "Sounds like you've led quite an interesting life."

"I have. Maybe one of these days I'll tell you about it."

"Oh? I thought you already were telling me."

"It was only because of Alec. Forget it. Another day."

Jack sincerely hoped that other day would come because he was genuinely interested.

"Okay, screw the news and that nut job, Colson" he said, reaching for the remote, switching it off and then turning his full attention to Catherine. "Gotta warn ya that I'm on call, just in case."

"In case of what?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, I don't know, the folks in DC are probably worried that Colson's aliens land on top of Cheyenne Mountain," Jack replied, quite pleased with that response because it kept him as close to the truth as he was able to get, and Catherine giggled at what she assumed was a joke. He liked making her laugh.

"It's okay, Jack. I'm not after your darkest secrets, especially the military ones."

He didn't respond with words, but with a kiss, pulling her as close as he could. Jack wasn't sure that he was able to resist the temptation of seducing her. So much for this not being about sex. Considering further, he realised that wanting sex didn't mean that the relationship was only about that.

There was nothing unusual in wanting to have lots of sex with your beautiful girlfriend, was there? That was only natural. It seemed like she wanted it too, which made things all the sweeter, so he went in for the kill. Go, Jack. go! This so had to be totally the best way of forgetting all about Alex Colson.