Jack O'Neill was in the gym sparring with his good friend Kawalsky when he heard his name over the PA system.
"Major O'Neill, please report to the Admin Building, Major O'Neill to the Admin Building."
"What'd you do now Jack?" Kawalsky asked, annoyed that they weren't going to finish the match.
"Nothing Charlie, I'd better go, we'll finish this later. I bet they just want to give me something to do so I don't complain about Sara going to her parents house with our son and not letting me come with," Jack said as he pulled sweats on over his shorts and t-shirt before jogging out of the gym towards the Administrations Building.
When he arrived, he was about to go inside when he heard his name.
"I'm Major O'Neill. Who are you?" Jack asked.
"My name is Samantha, but most people call me Sam," the woman replied as she extended her hand towards him, in it was a piece of paper. Jack reached out, took the paper, and then shook her hand.
"Jack. What's this?"
"The reason you're here right now," Sam explained. Jack unfolded the paper and read it.
Major O'Neill-
Please give the grand tour to Sam, the note bearer. Make sure that she sees just how an Air Force base runs.
Colonel Jacob Carter
"Oh, for crying out loud, how'd I get stuck with this!" Jack exclaimed. He looked at Sam. "Sorry, I just don't really feel here right now."
"On base or here here?" Sam asked. She didn't want to tell him that she already had an idea as to why he was upset.
"On base. My wife just took our son to visit her parents but they don't like me, so I wasn't allowed to go. My son is two months old and my wife won't let me see him," Jack explained. "Who are you anyway? How did you get the colonel to order me to give you the full tour?"
"My father is a good friend of the colonel's and Dad couldn't give me the tour himself, so Colonel Carter offered to have one of his officers give me the tour," Sam didn't tell the complete truth, but it could be interpreted as the truth.
"Hey, if you don't mind waiting while I take a quick shower so I don't smell like a gym locker, and you don't mind a depressed father missing his son, well, I'm your guy!" Jack said.
"I don't mind at all. Maybe I'll see if there's anybody sparring at the gym," Sam agreed as they headed off toward the gym.
"You like boxing?" Jack was surprised. Even Sara, his wife, couldn't understand why someone would want to hit and be hit by a friend.
"Sure. I've never learned, but I'd like to. What about you?" Sam answered truthfully, smiling at the surprised look on Jack's face.
"Some, I'll teach you if you want. How long ya here for?" Jack offered.
"I leave day after tomorrow at seven. I have tomorrow though," Sam replied.
"Well, I'll teach you the basics and if you want to learn more, when you get where you're going, go to a local gym and say you want to learn. Here we are, just follow the signs to the gym. When you get there, see if Charlie Kawalsky is there. Tell him you're a friend of mine, and he'll make sure you don't get attacked by crazy flyboys," Jack said as he turned toward the locker rooms.
"So now I'm your friend Jack?" Sam teased.
"Hey, anyone who doesn't give me a hard time about boxing or missing my son like hell is a friend," Jack told her. Sam smiled at him.
"Thanks get goin' you crazy flyboy!" Sam called after Jack.
"Funny, Sam, real funny." They went their separate ways. Sam got to the gym and watched two guys box in the ring. As she watched, they both landed and received punches. She watched, so fascinated she didn't even realize how much time had past until Jack put his hand on her shoulder.
"Sam, want to go on that tour now?" Jack asked as she jumped at his touch.
"Sure. No uniform?" Sam said, surprised that Jack wasn't in blues of any sort.
"Nah, I get to wear BDUs. Aren't I lucky?" Jack replied.
"Why is that?"
"Special Ops gets certain privileges," Jack told her.
"You're Special Ops?" Sam asked, amazed that her father had sent someone in Special Ops to be her guide. "Gone on any covert missions?"
"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you," Jack said straight-faced.
"Ha ha, now how about that tour you promised me?" Sam questioned as she started to head out of the gym.
"Right behind ya," Jack assured her.
They spent the day walking around the base. Jack showing Sam the barracks, infirmary, obstacle course, and firing range among other things. Their last stop was back at the Admin Building.
"Jack, would you like to join my father and me for dinner tonight?" Sam offered.
"I don't want to impose on you and your dad, you're not here much longer," Jack started.
"Jack, come with me to my dad's house and have dinner with us. You won't be imposing, I promise," Sam grabbed his hand.
"I don't have any civvies," Jack protested.
"My dad doesn't care, and I don't care, now, follow me to my care, and we are going to go to my dad's house to eat dinner and you are not going to argue one bit. Understood?" Sam ordered. She used the voice she had inherited from her father, her command voice.
"Yes ma'am," Jack snapped to attention and saluted. "You ever think about joining the military Sam?"
"Actually, after grad school, I'm applying to OCS. I've wanted to be in the military for a long time. I'm planning on joining the space program someday, and the Air Force is a great experience to have," Sam told him.
"Space? Certainly keeping your goals down to earth, huh? So what are you studying at grad school? How to make contact with little grey men?" Jack teased.
"No, I'm working up to a doctorate in theoretical astrophysics," Sam replied.
"Okay, its official, you're smarter than I am," Jack mock pouted as she unlocked her car doors.
"Cute Jack, get in the car," Sam laughed. As she drove, Jack told her more about his son, Charlie. Sam laughed most of the way to Colonel Carter's off-base house. She pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.