The bouncer eyed the very large black man as he walked down the steps
toward the door. The man was far bigger than the bouncer was, and had a
very serious expression on his face, even though he was looking around as
if curious.
"ID?" The bouncer asked, holding out his hand.
"I am Murray."
"Do you have something that proves that?" The bouncer asked him, sarcastically. The guy looked plenty old enough, but if he caused trouble, then they'd already know his name to give to the cops.
"I have documentation."
The two men stared at each other, and Teal'c didn't blink. Obviously the man was waiting for something, but the Jaffa didn't have a clue what.
"Can I see it?" The bouncer asked, exasperated.
Teal'c reached into his wallet and pulled out his Military ID, and handed it over.
"Air Force?" The guy asked, looking Teal'c over carefully. That explained a little bit. Probably the guy didn't do anything but work out in his free time.
"Indeed."
He handed the ID back, realizing he was holding up the line, and waved the large man through the door. Teal'c walked in, and stopped, looking around purely out of habit for any dangers that might be near at hand. He was, after all, in a new place, and you didn't get to be First Prime by allowing surprises.
The room was filled with people – mostly men, but some women – loud music, smoke, and the sound of a lot of people all trying to hold separate conversations at the same time. Teal'c waited until his eyes were accustomed to the dim lights of the main room, then walked over to the bar, aware of all the looks he was getting from the patrons but ignoring them. He'd already assessed all the people in the bar, and found none that looked as if they posed a threat to himself.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, smiling.
"You may bring me water." Teal'c told him.
"Water, huh?" He reached down under the counter without looking and pulled up a glass, which he filled with water from a nozzle. "You the designated driver?"
"I am not driving." He'd been dropped off in a cab. He'd thought about asking Major Carter to accompany him – since Jack O'Neill had told him that he and Daniel weren't allowed, but Carter wasn't on the base by the time Teal'c had decided he wanted to see exactly what sort of place a gay bar was. So he'd gone to the surface, and asked one of the guards at the main base to call him a cab.
"Sure you don't want a beer?"
"If I had the desire for a beer, that is what I would have ordered."
"No sweat." The bartender shrugged, definitely unwilling to get into an argument with a customer. Especially one built like a fire truck. Teal'c took the glass of water handed to him, then turned around and watched the people around him.
...
The phone rang.
"Yeah?"
"Is this Jack O'Neill?"
"What?"
"Colonel Jack O'Neill. I'm looking for him. Is he there?"
"Who is this?"
"Is this Colonel O'Neill?"
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Do you know a guy named Murray, Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack sat up in his bed and reached over and picked up his watch. It was way too early – or late, depending on the way you looked at it – to be having this conversation.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Officer Whitman from the-"
"You're the police officer from last night..."
"Yes, Sir."
What would he be calling for at this time of the night? Jack wondered, rubbing his face tiredly.
"What can I do for you?"
"You can come down and pick up your friend."
"What friend?"
"Murray."
"Murray?" Jack was half asleep still, but was suddenly wide-awake. "Murray's there?"
"Yes."
"At the police station?"
"Oh, yes."
"Why?"
"Just come down, Colonel. He needs a ride home."
"I'll be right there. Same place as last night?"
"Same room, even."
...
About a half hour later, Jack knocked lightly and walked into the room. Teal'c was sitting in the same chair that Daniel had been sitting in the night before, and looked up when O'Neill walked through the door. So did the officer behind the desk, who'd been filling out paperwork.
"Colonel. Thanks for coming down." He turned to Teal'c. "You're released, Murray, but try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
Teal'c stood up and walked out of the room without so much as a look at the officer, or at Jack. O'Neill exchanged looks with the officer, who shrugged, then turned and followed the Jaffa down the hall and out the door. Jack's truck was right out in front, and neither of them said a word as O'Neill unlocked the passenger door for the Jaffa then went around and got in the driver's side.
"So what happened?" Jack asked as he started the truck and pulled out onto the road. There wasn't much traffic this time of night, so he could turn and look at Teal'c instead of worrying about hitting someone.
"I went to the Shamrock." Teal'c said, looking straight ahead.
"What? Why?"
"I wanted to see these gay people for myself. They do not look any different than other Tau'ri."
"I never said they did."
"I assumed they would."
"So you went there..." Jack said, knowing there was far more to the story than that. "Then what?"
"I went inside and looked around."
"That doesn't sound like something you can get arrested for, Teal'c."
"I was not arrested, O'Neill."
"Come on, Teal'c," Jack pressed. "What happened?"
"A man came to the place I was standing and touched me... inappropriately."
Jack grinned, although he tried to hide it when he saw that Teal'c was not amused at all. The Jaffa scowled.
"What did you do?"
"I told him to remove his hand."
"And he did?"
Teal'c looked forward once more. "He did not."
"Really?"
"The man serving the drinks told another man he was intoxicated and that he should get him off the premises. I removed his hand for him, and he pulled a weapon."
"Really?" He had to be drunk, then, since Jack couldn't imagine anyone in his right mind trying to take on Teal'c with anything less than a Bradley tank.
"Indeed."
"Then what?"
"I took it from him and pinned his hand to the bar with it."
Ouch.
"And the cops came?"
"A fight broke out. Another man – presumably a friend – jumped on my back from behind, and others came to help him – or me, I am not certain."
"You just can't go anywhere, can you, Teal'c?" Jack asked, grinning. It was obvious Teal'c wasn't injured, since he wasn't bleeding.
"I cannot go to the Shamrock again, O'Neill. I have been... banned."
"I know the feeling."
"The fight was not my fault."
"I understand."
"I merely dealt with the intoxicated one."
"I'm sure you controlled yourself well."
"General Hammond will not be pleased. He will get a call from the manager in the morning."
"Well, don't worry, Teal'c," Jack said as they pulled up to his house. It was too late to take the Jaffa to the base, anyways. "Hammond's getting to know the manager pretty well."
"ID?" The bouncer asked, holding out his hand.
"I am Murray."
"Do you have something that proves that?" The bouncer asked him, sarcastically. The guy looked plenty old enough, but if he caused trouble, then they'd already know his name to give to the cops.
"I have documentation."
The two men stared at each other, and Teal'c didn't blink. Obviously the man was waiting for something, but the Jaffa didn't have a clue what.
"Can I see it?" The bouncer asked, exasperated.
Teal'c reached into his wallet and pulled out his Military ID, and handed it over.
"Air Force?" The guy asked, looking Teal'c over carefully. That explained a little bit. Probably the guy didn't do anything but work out in his free time.
"Indeed."
He handed the ID back, realizing he was holding up the line, and waved the large man through the door. Teal'c walked in, and stopped, looking around purely out of habit for any dangers that might be near at hand. He was, after all, in a new place, and you didn't get to be First Prime by allowing surprises.
The room was filled with people – mostly men, but some women – loud music, smoke, and the sound of a lot of people all trying to hold separate conversations at the same time. Teal'c waited until his eyes were accustomed to the dim lights of the main room, then walked over to the bar, aware of all the looks he was getting from the patrons but ignoring them. He'd already assessed all the people in the bar, and found none that looked as if they posed a threat to himself.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, smiling.
"You may bring me water." Teal'c told him.
"Water, huh?" He reached down under the counter without looking and pulled up a glass, which he filled with water from a nozzle. "You the designated driver?"
"I am not driving." He'd been dropped off in a cab. He'd thought about asking Major Carter to accompany him – since Jack O'Neill had told him that he and Daniel weren't allowed, but Carter wasn't on the base by the time Teal'c had decided he wanted to see exactly what sort of place a gay bar was. So he'd gone to the surface, and asked one of the guards at the main base to call him a cab.
"Sure you don't want a beer?"
"If I had the desire for a beer, that is what I would have ordered."
"No sweat." The bartender shrugged, definitely unwilling to get into an argument with a customer. Especially one built like a fire truck. Teal'c took the glass of water handed to him, then turned around and watched the people around him.
...
The phone rang.
"Yeah?"
"Is this Jack O'Neill?"
"What?"
"Colonel Jack O'Neill. I'm looking for him. Is he there?"
"Who is this?"
"Is this Colonel O'Neill?"
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Do you know a guy named Murray, Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack sat up in his bed and reached over and picked up his watch. It was way too early – or late, depending on the way you looked at it – to be having this conversation.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
"Officer Whitman from the-"
"You're the police officer from last night..."
"Yes, Sir."
What would he be calling for at this time of the night? Jack wondered, rubbing his face tiredly.
"What can I do for you?"
"You can come down and pick up your friend."
"What friend?"
"Murray."
"Murray?" Jack was half asleep still, but was suddenly wide-awake. "Murray's there?"
"Yes."
"At the police station?"
"Oh, yes."
"Why?"
"Just come down, Colonel. He needs a ride home."
"I'll be right there. Same place as last night?"
"Same room, even."
...
About a half hour later, Jack knocked lightly and walked into the room. Teal'c was sitting in the same chair that Daniel had been sitting in the night before, and looked up when O'Neill walked through the door. So did the officer behind the desk, who'd been filling out paperwork.
"Colonel. Thanks for coming down." He turned to Teal'c. "You're released, Murray, but try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
Teal'c stood up and walked out of the room without so much as a look at the officer, or at Jack. O'Neill exchanged looks with the officer, who shrugged, then turned and followed the Jaffa down the hall and out the door. Jack's truck was right out in front, and neither of them said a word as O'Neill unlocked the passenger door for the Jaffa then went around and got in the driver's side.
"So what happened?" Jack asked as he started the truck and pulled out onto the road. There wasn't much traffic this time of night, so he could turn and look at Teal'c instead of worrying about hitting someone.
"I went to the Shamrock." Teal'c said, looking straight ahead.
"What? Why?"
"I wanted to see these gay people for myself. They do not look any different than other Tau'ri."
"I never said they did."
"I assumed they would."
"So you went there..." Jack said, knowing there was far more to the story than that. "Then what?"
"I went inside and looked around."
"That doesn't sound like something you can get arrested for, Teal'c."
"I was not arrested, O'Neill."
"Come on, Teal'c," Jack pressed. "What happened?"
"A man came to the place I was standing and touched me... inappropriately."
Jack grinned, although he tried to hide it when he saw that Teal'c was not amused at all. The Jaffa scowled.
"What did you do?"
"I told him to remove his hand."
"And he did?"
Teal'c looked forward once more. "He did not."
"Really?"
"The man serving the drinks told another man he was intoxicated and that he should get him off the premises. I removed his hand for him, and he pulled a weapon."
"Really?" He had to be drunk, then, since Jack couldn't imagine anyone in his right mind trying to take on Teal'c with anything less than a Bradley tank.
"Indeed."
"Then what?"
"I took it from him and pinned his hand to the bar with it."
Ouch.
"And the cops came?"
"A fight broke out. Another man – presumably a friend – jumped on my back from behind, and others came to help him – or me, I am not certain."
"You just can't go anywhere, can you, Teal'c?" Jack asked, grinning. It was obvious Teal'c wasn't injured, since he wasn't bleeding.
"I cannot go to the Shamrock again, O'Neill. I have been... banned."
"I know the feeling."
"The fight was not my fault."
"I understand."
"I merely dealt with the intoxicated one."
"I'm sure you controlled yourself well."
"General Hammond will not be pleased. He will get a call from the manager in the morning."
"Well, don't worry, Teal'c," Jack said as they pulled up to his house. It was too late to take the Jaffa to the base, anyways. "Hammond's getting to know the manager pretty well."