To say Jack was pissed would be an understatement of epic proportions. He
was raging. He had been waiting for Janet to come back for months, and he
had fully expected her to come back, for Cassie's sake if not anything
else. What he didn't expect was for Cassie to disappear off to wherever her
mother was. He had run out of patience now. He hadn't realised how much he
appreciated her being around until she was gone, and now he was determined
to find her. That was why he was now storming towards General Hammond's
office, scaring the young airmen he was passing in the hallway.
"General sir." Jack barged into Hammond's office, barely retaining any kind of composure at all.
"Something I can do for you Colonel?" His tone revealed his annoyance at Jack's entrance.
"Yes sir, I want you to let me find Janet." He said, staring the General in the eye.
"What?" Hammond didn't follow Jack's demand.
"We have the facilities and authorisation to track her down here, through bank account and credit card activities." Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Absolutely not!" Hammond exploded. "I've already explained my position on this matter Colonel."
"But sir-"
"No buts Jack." Hammond interrupted. "Under absolutely no circumstances are you allowed to use base facilities or privileges to pursue this matter. Am I clear?"
"Sir-"
"Am I clear Colonel?"
"Crystal, sir." Jack replied, feeling somewhat put in his place.
"Colonel, please don't think I don't know how you feel about this matter. But I can't allow you to use official methods to find her." Hammond's voice was full of suggestion.
"Sir?" Jack questioned.
"Of course, if you were to pursue the matter outside of this base...with say, family members. I would have no control." Jack nearly kicked himself,
"Of course sir, you're a genius, why didn't I think of that. General sir, request permission to take a few weeks leave?" Jack was already making a plan in his mind.
"I believe I received that request a few weeks ago Colonel, permission granted." Hammond was letting him go with as little hassle as possible.
"Thank you sir!" Jack practically ran out of the room.
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Jack had left that night as soon as he got a few things together, he headed straight for the Fraiser household, kicking himself all the way for not thinking of it himself. He arrived the next afternoon, only stopping a few times on the way, for comfort and coffee breaks. When he arrived, he could see a figure out in the garden, planting, he recognised her instantly.
"Hey Kate." He called out warmly as he got out of his truck. She turned around, smiling when she saw the voices' owner.
"Jack!" She said getting up and crossing the garden to greet him with a hug. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Looking for Janet." He replied, the smile fell from her face instantly.
"I had a feeling that would have something to do with you." She said, turning and going into the house. "Come in." She called after him for him to follow.
"Have you spoke to her?" Jack asked eagerly.
"Can I get you something?" She asked deflecting his question.
"Umm, coffee please. You didn't answer my question."
"Let me get the coffee first." She disappeared into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home." She called. Jack sat down, rubbing his eyes tiredly, the drive through the night taking its toll on him. Kate reappeared a few minutes later with two coffees.
"Thanks." He said gratefully accepting the coffee from her, he took a few sips and then placed it on the table. Kate kept hers in her hands, watching Jack carefully. "Kate, if you know where she is, please tell me." Jack practically pleaded. Kate sighed.
"You know you're the only boyfriend of hers I've ever approved of. She could have done a lot worse than to marry you." She laughed, "Hell, she did do a lot worse." Jack smiled sadly,
"Yeah."
"She says she doesn't want to see you."
"She said that?" Jack asked, surprised by Kate's statement.
"Not in so many words, but I'm her mother Jack, I know exactly what she meant."
"Right." Jack sighed.
"She's not happy, I know that much, I can hear it in her voice." She continued. Jack looked up, a mixture of emotions showing on his face. She smiled, "You still care about her, don't you? After all this time and everything that's happened, you still care about her." Jack sighed again,
"I used to think I was over her." He laughed a little, "I don't think I'll ever get over her. I let her get away the last time, please, don't make me lose her again." Jack said, his fatigue forcing his emotions much closer to the surface than he usually allowed. Kate appeared pensive for a few seconds,
"Ok." She sighed, "But I swear to you, if you hurt my daughter, I will hunt you down." She threatened, and Jack was reminded about just where Janet got that feisty streak.
"I swear to you ma'am, I'll try my best to make it work this time." Jack said sincerely. She smiled at him,
"I guess I can't ask for anything more." She paused. "And I thought I told you not to call me ma'am, it makes me feel old." She smiled, joking with him, Jack returned the smile,
"I forgot. I've not seen you for a long time."
"Too long." She replied, "Much too long."
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Kate told Jack that Janet was in Atlanta and the name of the hospital she was working at, Jack had his flight booked for that night within minutes.
He made it to the airport just in time for check-in, and had an uneventful wait for his flight to be called to board. Once it was, Jack settled down in his seat, allowing his fatigue to win, falling into an uneasy sleep.
"General sir." Jack barged into Hammond's office, barely retaining any kind of composure at all.
"Something I can do for you Colonel?" His tone revealed his annoyance at Jack's entrance.
"Yes sir, I want you to let me find Janet." He said, staring the General in the eye.
"What?" Hammond didn't follow Jack's demand.
"We have the facilities and authorisation to track her down here, through bank account and credit card activities." Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Absolutely not!" Hammond exploded. "I've already explained my position on this matter Colonel."
"But sir-"
"No buts Jack." Hammond interrupted. "Under absolutely no circumstances are you allowed to use base facilities or privileges to pursue this matter. Am I clear?"
"Sir-"
"Am I clear Colonel?"
"Crystal, sir." Jack replied, feeling somewhat put in his place.
"Colonel, please don't think I don't know how you feel about this matter. But I can't allow you to use official methods to find her." Hammond's voice was full of suggestion.
"Sir?" Jack questioned.
"Of course, if you were to pursue the matter outside of this base...with say, family members. I would have no control." Jack nearly kicked himself,
"Of course sir, you're a genius, why didn't I think of that. General sir, request permission to take a few weeks leave?" Jack was already making a plan in his mind.
"I believe I received that request a few weeks ago Colonel, permission granted." Hammond was letting him go with as little hassle as possible.
"Thank you sir!" Jack practically ran out of the room.
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Jack had left that night as soon as he got a few things together, he headed straight for the Fraiser household, kicking himself all the way for not thinking of it himself. He arrived the next afternoon, only stopping a few times on the way, for comfort and coffee breaks. When he arrived, he could see a figure out in the garden, planting, he recognised her instantly.
"Hey Kate." He called out warmly as he got out of his truck. She turned around, smiling when she saw the voices' owner.
"Jack!" She said getting up and crossing the garden to greet him with a hug. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Looking for Janet." He replied, the smile fell from her face instantly.
"I had a feeling that would have something to do with you." She said, turning and going into the house. "Come in." She called after him for him to follow.
"Have you spoke to her?" Jack asked eagerly.
"Can I get you something?" She asked deflecting his question.
"Umm, coffee please. You didn't answer my question."
"Let me get the coffee first." She disappeared into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home." She called. Jack sat down, rubbing his eyes tiredly, the drive through the night taking its toll on him. Kate reappeared a few minutes later with two coffees.
"Thanks." He said gratefully accepting the coffee from her, he took a few sips and then placed it on the table. Kate kept hers in her hands, watching Jack carefully. "Kate, if you know where she is, please tell me." Jack practically pleaded. Kate sighed.
"You know you're the only boyfriend of hers I've ever approved of. She could have done a lot worse than to marry you." She laughed, "Hell, she did do a lot worse." Jack smiled sadly,
"Yeah."
"She says she doesn't want to see you."
"She said that?" Jack asked, surprised by Kate's statement.
"Not in so many words, but I'm her mother Jack, I know exactly what she meant."
"Right." Jack sighed.
"She's not happy, I know that much, I can hear it in her voice." She continued. Jack looked up, a mixture of emotions showing on his face. She smiled, "You still care about her, don't you? After all this time and everything that's happened, you still care about her." Jack sighed again,
"I used to think I was over her." He laughed a little, "I don't think I'll ever get over her. I let her get away the last time, please, don't make me lose her again." Jack said, his fatigue forcing his emotions much closer to the surface than he usually allowed. Kate appeared pensive for a few seconds,
"Ok." She sighed, "But I swear to you, if you hurt my daughter, I will hunt you down." She threatened, and Jack was reminded about just where Janet got that feisty streak.
"I swear to you ma'am, I'll try my best to make it work this time." Jack said sincerely. She smiled at him,
"I guess I can't ask for anything more." She paused. "And I thought I told you not to call me ma'am, it makes me feel old." She smiled, joking with him, Jack returned the smile,
"I forgot. I've not seen you for a long time."
"Too long." She replied, "Much too long."
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Kate told Jack that Janet was in Atlanta and the name of the hospital she was working at, Jack had his flight booked for that night within minutes.
He made it to the airport just in time for check-in, and had an uneventful wait for his flight to be called to board. Once it was, Jack settled down in his seat, allowing his fatigue to win, falling into an uneasy sleep.