A/N: Welcome to a small little filler chapter! It's not very interesting, but it is what it is. Oh well. Anyways...
JustADreamer24: I'm really glad that you're liking this story! And, yeah, I will definitely be writing more stories with Babe and the team! Whenever those ideas come to me, that is. I'd even be up to writing requests once I've finished this story.
On to the story!
Chapter Ten
Jack walks down the hallway, manila folder in hand. As soon as he'd been given the opportunity to leave that hospital room, he'd taken it. The Texan couldn't quite understand why, but there was something about that girl that unnerved him. Maybe it was her strange ability to feel the pain of others, or maybe he was just jealous of the girl's ability to gain the blond's attention.
Mac was his boy, after all. Maybe he should be allowed to feel jealous every once and a while. The kid hadn't had anyone else when he joined the army, at least, that's what Jack assumed, and he'd taken care of the kid. Brought him under his wing, so to speak. Maybe he didn't like the idea of his boy having a little girl to look after. Maybe he didn't think that Mac was ready for that.
That seems fair, doesn't it? He should at least be free to think these things. He'd never state them to Mac, of course. It was clear that Mac loved that girl to death, and if Mac learned that Jack didn't necessarily like the kid, he was sure that the kid would be crushed. Jack also didn't feel like being attacked by a blond with a paperclip. That would really ruin his reputation, wouldn't it?
Yes, he would keep it to himself. And, who knows, maybe he would grow to like the girl.
War Room
Riley looks up as a quiet knock sounds at the door. She watches as the door is pushed open and in stumbles Bozer. The corners of her mouth twitch into a smile, but that is the only indication that she was amused by his entrance. Her good mood is quickly broken as she sees his expression.
"Everything alright?"
"No! Everything's not alright!" Bozer says with a slightly panicked hint to his voice. "I just heard that Mac was kidnapped. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Oh, that?" Riley rubs the back of her neck and flashes him a slightly apologetic smile. "Well, Mac isn't actually kidnapped anymore. We found him and he's fine, more or less. As for not telling you, Matty kind of said it was need to know, and that you didn't."
"But… he's my best friend! How was I on the 'don't need to know' list?" Bozer grumbles as he flops down on the couch next to her. "So, he's back now? Can I go see him?"
"I think he's still getting looked over by the doctors, but I'm sure that they'll tell us when we can go visit."
"Alright… I'll take your word for it." He says with a slight glare before his face shifts, corners of his mouth pulling into a smile. "What's Matty got you doing?"
"I'm looking for someone." She says vaguely as she taps away at the keyboard, numbers and letters flying by faster than Bozer can read.
"Oh, let me guess, I don't need to know that either." He grumbles, arms crossed against his chest.
"Glad you're catching on." Matty's voice says from the doorway as she steps into the room, shooting Bozer a glare. "Now stop distracting my hacker and get out of here."
"Fine! But I will be back and I'll… I'll…" He trails off and throws his arms up in annoyance. He calls over his shoulder as he leaves the War Room with a huff. "Nevermind!"
Bozer makes sure that he's out of sight from the doorway of War Room before he turns in the opposite direction of the downstairs lab. He hops onto another elevator and then presses the button that has a small plaque next to it with the words 'E.R. and Recovery' inscribed on it. He puts his hands in the pockets of his jacket and leans against the back wall of the elevator. They couldn't stop him from going to the small hospital that the Phoenix boasted, that was a public area.
He jumps slightly as the elevator dings and he quickly shuffles off of it. He smiles widely at the nurse who sits behind the desk, Nurse Stevie he thinks her name is. She flashes him a friendly smile as he steps up to the desk and rests his elbows on the counter.
"Hey… I know why you're here, but I can't in good conscience let you in to see him." She says softly as she stands from the desk, clipboard in hand. "What the boss says goes. You know that."
"However, I can't stop you from finding out that he's currently visiting someone in room 102. I also would not be able to stop you if you were to suddenly run down the hallway and enter said room." Nurse Stevie suddenly says, never looking up from the clipboard in her hand. She then winks at him and hurries down the hall in another direction as a pager at her waist beeps loudly.
Bozer grins and goes down the hall in the direction of room 102. He checks the numbers next to the doors only to stop as he runs into something. He jumps backwards and then lets out a laugh as he sees what he ran into.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" The lab tech asks with a slightly confused expression on his face. "Did you sneak in to visit Mac too?"
Jack doesn't say anything for a moment, his eyes on the manila folder in his hands. He had been hoping that Bozer wouldn't come into the little infirmary to visit Mac, because then he would have to explain why Matty was allowing him to visit while barring the lab tech from visits. Maybe he could get out of the explanation by knocking the lab tech out…
"Well? Are you going to speak?" Bozer waves his hand in front Jack's face. "Earth to Jack."
"Oh, right. Um… No, I was actually just getting some information that I need to…" He trails off, fiddling with the corner of the folder as he attempts to come up with an excuse. "I need to get it to the legal office."
"Why don't you come with me?" He asks suddenly, slapping him in the center of his chest with the folder. "You can't visit Mac anyways. Matty vetoed visitation rights, remember?"
After a moment, Bozer gives a small nod and then gestures for Jack to continue on. Jack lets out a breath of relief and hurries down the hallway, ensuring that Bozer is following him as he hops on the elevator. The Texan leans against the wall of the elevator, arms crossed and the folder held loosely in one hand.
"What's this information for anyways? Anything to do with the case that I'm not supposed to know about?" Bozer reaches out, attempting to snatch the folder from him.
Jack lifts the folder out of his grasp with a roll of his eyes before speaking. "No, it technically doesn't have anything to do with the case."
"Then I can see it! Right?"
"It's nothing interesting. Just some papers to remove a foster kid from someone's custody." Jack says quickly, tucking the file under one arm. "Doesn't really matter."
"If it doesn't matter, then can I see it?" He lifts one eyebrow, as if he had suddenly understood his words. "Wait, foster kid? Why does the Phoenix need information about a foster kid?"
Jack glares at him, pushing past him as the elevator stops on the correct floor. He walks towards the small legal office and pushes open the door. Bozer quickly follows after him, flopping down in one of the chairs of the office.
"You gonna answer my question?" He whispers to Jack as a man in a suit takes a seat at the desk in front of them.
Jack's silence is all the response that Bozer needs and he huff in annoyance, his arms crossed against his chest. He watches as Jack wordlessly slides the folder across the desk and towards the man in the suit. The man grabs it and fingers through the papers for a moment, nodding and murmuring to himself as he reads it over quickly.
"Babette Morris?" The man reads the name aloud, glancing at Jack for confirmation. "Foster child… Wait, the Senator? As in the one from the-"
Jack cuts him off with a stern glare and a quick nod. He expects Bozer to question him about this as he turns to look at him, but what he doesn't expect is the lab tech's startled look and slight tone of recognition. It's only once Bozer speaks that Jack realizes his mistake. They grew up together, of course Bozer would have known. Matty was going to have a field day with this one.
"You're referring to Babe, right? From Mission City?" Bozer's voice drops in volume slightly as he speaks the next sentence. "Mac's kid?"