"Oh, Jack, he's adorable!"
O'Neill preened. He and Jaffer were in the commissary, and Jack had Jaffer in one hand and a tray in the other. A tray that he was trying to fill with food even though he didn't have any more hands free, and the young woman behind the counter – who wasn't in the Military and didn't have to call O'Neill 'sir' – had just gotten her first look at his new puppy.
"You named him Jaffer?"
"Yup." He set the tray down, and held Jaffer up a little more so she could get a better look.
"He's so cute." She smiled. "Should he be in here, though?"
"Sure. He's a guard dog in training, you know? The security dogs are allowed down here, right?"
"Yeah."
"There you have it." Jack said, reasonably.
She shrugged. That made as much sense as anything, she supposed. Besides, she wasn't going to kick the little fellow out before he could have something to eat! He was looking at her with those adorable brown eyes that plainly told her he was practically starving to death.
"You hold him, and I'll help you with your tray, okay?" As much as she wanted to hold the puppy, she was serving food, and that just wasn't sanitary.
"Thanks, Misty." Jack handed her his tray and told her what he wanted, and she loaded it up. Then she went that much further and carried the tray out to a table for him.
There was far more food than Jack and Jaffer could actually eat, but Carter had said she was going to join them, so O'Neill had picked up something for her as well. He'd already had breakfast, but was never above a mid morning snack, so his tray was filled with more 'junk' food than actual healthy food.
It was a little early for pie, but he had some, anyways, along with a plate of meat and cheese slices that he could put on crackers. Reminded that Sam was going to join him, and not wanting to get lectured on eating habits this early in the morning, Jack had also gotten himself a bowl of soup. He wasn't going to eat it, but it was a decoy so she'd think he was eating properly.
He'd gotten enough for Sam, as well, in case she wanted to share what he was eating, but since she hadn't had breakfast, he'd also grabbed up a couple of breakfast sandwiches – sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin. There was also a container of chicken nuggets that he figured were about perfect for Jaffer to eat since there weren't any bones, and they weren't so big that Jack would have to worry about him choking on them.
The puppy squirmed in Jack's lap when he saw all the food in front of him, but Jack was getting pretty good at holding Jaffer still, and with one hand he stilled the puppy, while the other tapped him on the nose.
"You have to wait, little man." Jack said wagging his finger at him. Jaffer's eyes followed the finger for a moment, and then went back to the food. He didn't want to wait, but if he had to, he wasn't going to let Jack forget what exactly he wanted.
"Aw, give him a nugget, Colonel."
Jack turned and saw that he and Jaffer were pretty much the center of attention in the commissary. There were a half dozen Marines watching the exchange, and at least that many Air Force personnel as well. All were obviously rooting for the puppy. Jaffer yapped, as if he agreed, and Jack shook his head and picked up a nugget and held it in front the little lab.
The little teeth flashed and the nugget disappeared in a heartbeat.
"Watch my fingers, Jaffer." Jack murmured to his puppy. "Otherwise you don't get any more."
Jaffer's eyes grinned at him, and Jack handed over another nugget, which vanished as fast as the first. Jaffer wasn't worried about Jack's fingers. Greediness overcame good manners fairly quickly, and Jack found he had to hold Jaffer in both hands to keep the little lab from getting at the tray of food.
"Don't you ever feed him?"
Jack looked up and saw that Sam and Fraiser had both come in the room, and the two women were watching the struggle with smiles on their faces.
"He had breakfast."
"And Daniel's rock." Sam reminded him.
"Yeah."
"Can I hold him, Colonel?" Fraiser asked, reaching out and taking Jaffer from Jack, who hadn't even had a chance to say yes. The puppy squirmed. Not that he didn't like to be held, because he loved attention almost more than anything, but Fraiser wasn't as close to that tray of nuggets as Jack was, and he didn't want to be separated from his food. He jumped out of Fraiser's arms, and landed on the table. Right on the edge of the tray that held all the food.
O'Neill hadn't placed the tray completely on the surface of the table – or else the struggle with the greedy puppy had moved it a bit – because when Jaffer landed on it, there was a portion that was hanging over, and this was the part that the lab landed on with most of his weight. The tray tipped violently, and nuggets and pie went flying. The plate of meat and cheese flew through the air, and Sam's breakfast sandwiches landed in Jack's lap. Along with Jaffer and the bowl of soup.
Jack yelped, but not as loudly as Jaffer. Neither of them were burned – the soup honestly wasn't that hot – but Jaffer had been startled and he was still a baby. So he did the first thing that came to mind, and that was to make sure everyone in the room knew he was in agony, so he wouldn't get in trouble. Ki-yi-ing as though a sharp blade had just flayed him, the puppy cried his heart out, and Jack – who was concerned that he'd managed to get burned – held him with both hands as he stood up quickly. And slipped on the pie that was on the floor behind him.
Jaffer went flying as O'Neill went down.
O'Neill preened. He and Jaffer were in the commissary, and Jack had Jaffer in one hand and a tray in the other. A tray that he was trying to fill with food even though he didn't have any more hands free, and the young woman behind the counter – who wasn't in the Military and didn't have to call O'Neill 'sir' – had just gotten her first look at his new puppy.
"You named him Jaffer?"
"Yup." He set the tray down, and held Jaffer up a little more so she could get a better look.
"He's so cute." She smiled. "Should he be in here, though?"
"Sure. He's a guard dog in training, you know? The security dogs are allowed down here, right?"
"Yeah."
"There you have it." Jack said, reasonably.
She shrugged. That made as much sense as anything, she supposed. Besides, she wasn't going to kick the little fellow out before he could have something to eat! He was looking at her with those adorable brown eyes that plainly told her he was practically starving to death.
"You hold him, and I'll help you with your tray, okay?" As much as she wanted to hold the puppy, she was serving food, and that just wasn't sanitary.
"Thanks, Misty." Jack handed her his tray and told her what he wanted, and she loaded it up. Then she went that much further and carried the tray out to a table for him.
There was far more food than Jack and Jaffer could actually eat, but Carter had said she was going to join them, so O'Neill had picked up something for her as well. He'd already had breakfast, but was never above a mid morning snack, so his tray was filled with more 'junk' food than actual healthy food.
It was a little early for pie, but he had some, anyways, along with a plate of meat and cheese slices that he could put on crackers. Reminded that Sam was going to join him, and not wanting to get lectured on eating habits this early in the morning, Jack had also gotten himself a bowl of soup. He wasn't going to eat it, but it was a decoy so she'd think he was eating properly.
He'd gotten enough for Sam, as well, in case she wanted to share what he was eating, but since she hadn't had breakfast, he'd also grabbed up a couple of breakfast sandwiches – sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin. There was also a container of chicken nuggets that he figured were about perfect for Jaffer to eat since there weren't any bones, and they weren't so big that Jack would have to worry about him choking on them.
The puppy squirmed in Jack's lap when he saw all the food in front of him, but Jack was getting pretty good at holding Jaffer still, and with one hand he stilled the puppy, while the other tapped him on the nose.
"You have to wait, little man." Jack said wagging his finger at him. Jaffer's eyes followed the finger for a moment, and then went back to the food. He didn't want to wait, but if he had to, he wasn't going to let Jack forget what exactly he wanted.
"Aw, give him a nugget, Colonel."
Jack turned and saw that he and Jaffer were pretty much the center of attention in the commissary. There were a half dozen Marines watching the exchange, and at least that many Air Force personnel as well. All were obviously rooting for the puppy. Jaffer yapped, as if he agreed, and Jack shook his head and picked up a nugget and held it in front the little lab.
The little teeth flashed and the nugget disappeared in a heartbeat.
"Watch my fingers, Jaffer." Jack murmured to his puppy. "Otherwise you don't get any more."
Jaffer's eyes grinned at him, and Jack handed over another nugget, which vanished as fast as the first. Jaffer wasn't worried about Jack's fingers. Greediness overcame good manners fairly quickly, and Jack found he had to hold Jaffer in both hands to keep the little lab from getting at the tray of food.
"Don't you ever feed him?"
Jack looked up and saw that Sam and Fraiser had both come in the room, and the two women were watching the struggle with smiles on their faces.
"He had breakfast."
"And Daniel's rock." Sam reminded him.
"Yeah."
"Can I hold him, Colonel?" Fraiser asked, reaching out and taking Jaffer from Jack, who hadn't even had a chance to say yes. The puppy squirmed. Not that he didn't like to be held, because he loved attention almost more than anything, but Fraiser wasn't as close to that tray of nuggets as Jack was, and he didn't want to be separated from his food. He jumped out of Fraiser's arms, and landed on the table. Right on the edge of the tray that held all the food.
O'Neill hadn't placed the tray completely on the surface of the table – or else the struggle with the greedy puppy had moved it a bit – because when Jaffer landed on it, there was a portion that was hanging over, and this was the part that the lab landed on with most of his weight. The tray tipped violently, and nuggets and pie went flying. The plate of meat and cheese flew through the air, and Sam's breakfast sandwiches landed in Jack's lap. Along with Jaffer and the bowl of soup.
Jack yelped, but not as loudly as Jaffer. Neither of them were burned – the soup honestly wasn't that hot – but Jaffer had been startled and he was still a baby. So he did the first thing that came to mind, and that was to make sure everyone in the room knew he was in agony, so he wouldn't get in trouble. Ki-yi-ing as though a sharp blade had just flayed him, the puppy cried his heart out, and Jack – who was concerned that he'd managed to get burned – held him with both hands as he stood up quickly. And slipped on the pie that was on the floor behind him.
Jaffer went flying as O'Neill went down.