A/N: Thank you for the reviews. As usual, a big thanks to Dlwells51 for giving me a hand with this. I actually wrote this chapter first just messing around for practice with different styles. Using italics for flash backs and inner thoughts. Sorry, no Mac in this chapter but I promise he's definitely in the next. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the show. Still bummed about it too.

Chapter 3

Jack woke up before his alarm went off. He reached over to the nightstand and turned the light on. He lay there for a few minutes listening to the familiar early morning sounds. He thought about skipping his run this morning but he had a problem to solve and running usually helped.

He sat up ignoring the aches and pains he'd become accustomed to. Getting old sucks, he thought to himself. He mindlessly went about his morning routine. He'd done the same thing so many times he usually didn't even turn on the lights in the rest of the house. His morning ministrations done he headed out to the front porch, sat on the step and adjusted the ankle holster before putting his running shoes on.

It had rained the night before and the air smelled crisp and clean. He smiled to himself thinking back to what started this routine in the first place.

Growing up at Lackland Air Force Base there wasn't a lot to do for a young kid without getting into some trouble. Jack found that out the hard way. Seems the Air Force frowns upon the use of potato guns on their airfields.

After a serious tongue lashing from his father, Jack Sr. took Jack Jr. to the office of the Air Base Wing Commander. Jack was terrified. Walter C. Howe was an imposing figure. Not to mention the fact that Jack Sr. was standing right behind twelve year old Jack.

To this day Jack swears he could hear his knees knocking together when he stood in front of Colonel Howe. Unbeknownst to Jack Jr., senior had talked to Colonel Howe and together they came up with his punishment.

Jack could remember the conversation like it was yesterday.

"Mister Dalton! You seem to be so inclined to treat my Air Base as your own personal playground. I think you would appreciate it so much more if you were allowed to see every inch of my fine base up close and personal. Don't you agree?" Senior nudged Jack in the shoulder. Jack looked up at Colonel Howe. "Um, yes... sir?"

Colonel Howe moved to sit behind a massive Mahogany desk "Your father informs me that you're doing fine in school. So, Mister Dalton, you are hereby ordered to report to MTI Boren for morning P.T. every morning for the next month. I will be checking in periodically with your father to ensure your grades do not suffer."

There, Jack thought. There's my out. If I do bad in school, I'm out of PT. Of course Walter C. Howe did not make Colonel without understanding the human psyche. He stood up, placed his hands on his desk and leaned over to look Jack straight in the eyes. "Don't think for one second you can get out of this by dropping your grades. If I see so much as a single grade drop I will come up with something far worse than a little running" He stood to his full height. "Do you understand me Mr. Dalton!" Jack swallowed hard. He looked up at Colonel Howe, stood up straight shoulders back and said "yes sir!"

The next morning at a zero four thirty Jack Jr. became the youngest unofficial recruit MTI Boren ever had the pleasure of 'motivating' into running five miles.

After Jack's month long sentence was complete, he just continued to show up for PT. It had became part of his morning routine and barring injury or missions, he stuck to it throughout his career.

This morning was no exception. He didn't always make five miles. As he'd gotten older he had learned to pay attention to what his body was telling him. Although it went against all those years of training, some days he listened. He could tune out the pain and run fifty miles if it was a matter of life and death, but for a regular run, no sense in pulling a muscle out of sheer stubbornness.

This particular morning was different though. It wasn't a life or death situation in the true sense but it did have consequences. Running helped him clear his head. And right now he had a whopper of a problem to solve.

Jack walked into the war room as directed and found Matty waiting for him. "What's up, you wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat Jack" He sat on the corner of the couch, his brows knitted. Matty took a deep breath seeming to need to get her thoughts in order before proceeding. "I want you to teach Bozer how to protect himself"

"Mac's been working with Bozer and from what I hear he's doing alright" He responded tilting his head ever so slightly.

Matty stepped closer to Jack. "I'm not talking about hand to hand Jack, I mean I want you to teach him how to use a gun." She said seriously.

Jack stood up abruptly "you want me to what? Why!?" He started to pace around the room. He smiled, pausing his steps. "This is Bozer we're talking about here. Bozer, the guy that scoops earthworms off the sidewalk and puts them back in the grass so they don suffer... Bozer"

"Yes Jack, Bozer." She deadpanned in return.

"I want you" She pointed at him "to teach Bozer how to use a gun."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck and stepped to face Matty. "Why? Bozer isn't ready for the field and I doubt he ever will be. At least not for anything serious." He moved to sit back down on the edge of the couch.

Matty folded her arms and cocked her head to the side "Bozer approached me and asked if he could get, and I quote 'training on how to shoot real guns with real bullets.' "

He dipped his chin, eyebrows raised "Why'd he ask you? I mean if he wanted to learn well... he could have asked me, I'd have turned him down...but why'd he ask you?"

"Maybe, he asked me, because I am the boss" She said matter of factly. "The way he put it was 'if someone like Murdoc showed up again he wanted to be prepared.' "I told him he didn't need to worry, and I didn't think he was ready."

"He's not!" Jack agreed heartily.

"I know that, and you know that, but If he wants to learn, why not learn from one of the best."

Jack studied the floor for a second he looked back at Matty "Well thank you... Matty, but why not have one of the other guys teach him?" He raised his arm to point towards the hall "We've got people here that, well, that's their job. Let them teach him."

"I know exactly who does what around here Jack. And no, they are not going to teach Bozer." She leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "You are, your partner is out of the field for a while, so you have the time. End of discussion."

Jack kept running. He had no idea what he was going to tell Mac.

Jack understood and accepted Mac's choice not to use a gun a long time ago. But, Bozer was Mac's best friend. Bozer was supposed to be the guy in the lab. He was supposed to be Mac's version of Q. Making all the cool disguises. Safely tucked away in the lab. If Bozer was worried about another assassin showing up, learning how to use a gun wasn't going to fix that.

Jack stopped running. He looked at his watch. He'd been running for two hours straight. The sun was peeking over the horizon. He hadn't run that far in a long time.

He turned and started back towards his house setting his pace to a slow jog. If I'm gonna be sore, might as well earn it. He thought.

By the time he showered, changed and reached Phoenix he had come up with a plan. After clearing security he headed towards Matty's office.

Andie was at her desk typing when she saw him approaching. She smiled "Hey Jack, she's not in."

Jack looked through the glass walls and could see Matty at her desk. "Oh, ok, thanks Andie. I'll just tell her I stopped by" he winked and reached for the door.

Matty looked up and glared at Jack. "Dalton, I know you were probably raised in a barn but most people knock before they come barging in uninvited. What do you want? I'm busy."

He stood just inside the door. "Ok, fine. I'll teach Bozer. On one condition... You have to tell Mac."

She crinkled her brow. "Sure, no problem. Is that it?"

Jack didn't think it was going to be that easy and was getting uncomfortable. He turned to leave. "Yeah, that's it" he said looking over his shoulder. He shook his head. He'd never be able to figure her out. He had gone in there ready for a fight.

As he exited the office he looked at Andie and thumbed over his shoulder leaning forward and lowering his voice. "Is she ok? She sick or something?"

Andie was confused by his questioning and glanced in her boss' direction. "No... she's fine... Why?"

Standing tall he waved a hand "never mind" he turned and headed down the hall towards the elevator... He needed to stop by the armory.

To be continued...

Let me know if this works. I've got quite a few chapters written, just have to give them a once over before posting. Oh, and figure out how this whole thing is gonna end. It just keeps getting longer. Sorry Riley fans, she doesn't make an appearance for a while.