They spent the rest of the afternoon in the park. It was a nice day, and
there were a lot of other people there, so Jack kept Jaffer on his leash
most of the time, but that didn't stop people from coming up to them.
Jaffer drew a lot of attention pretty much everywhere they went, but Jack
was used to that by now. He gave all the kids that came up a chance to pet
Jaffer, who hammed it up extravagantly, showing off his tricks when Jack
would ask him to, and just being the friendly soul he normally was when he
wasn't asked to do tricks.
The active people in the park kept Jack from sitting and brooding like he might have, given the fact that it was the day before Father's day, which was normally a tough day for him. Instead, he was forced to be social, since he was confronted by mostly children. Jack had never turned a kid down when they asked to pet Jaffer, and never would.
He decided that the relaxing day in the park would best be ended by a good steak, and then decided the best way to get a good steak was to make it himself. Which meant a trip to the store.
He bought all the fixings for a good barbeque: A couple of steaks – one for him, one for Jaffer – a couple potatoes for baking, and thinking that Sam would be proud, he even bought the makings of a simple salad – although even as the woman at the checkout counter was ringing it up, he was pretty certain he wasn't going to eat it.
He was already in the truck, with Jaffer sniffing the bag to see if there was anything in it for him, when he realized he forgot to buy milk, but Jack wasn't going to go back. He'd remember it another day – which was why the milk in his fridge was spoiled in the first place.
The steaks turned out perfect. The potato wasn't too bad, and the salad sat in his fridge with his spoiled milk. He was just getting ready to cut Jaffer's up when the black lab's head came up and his tail started wagging idly. With that much notice, Jack turned just as Daniel came through the back gate.
"Hey, Jack."
"Daniel."
Daniel had been worried about Jack all day, and had tried calling him a few times to try and get him to go out for dinner or something with him, but there hadn't been an answer, since Jack was at the park. Eventually, he'd decided he'd come over, and see if Jack was just avoiding his calls.
"I tried knocking."
"We've been back here."
Obviously.
"Barbeque?"
"Yup."
"Looks good."
Yeah, that was a subtle hint.
Jack smiled. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Daniel?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
"Go get the other potato out of my fridge."
Daniel vanished into the house, followed closely by Jaffer, who never passed an opportunity to look in the fridge. A minute later, he was outside again, carrying the potato in one hand and a small handful of dog treats in the other.
"You know your milk is spoiled?"
Jack nodded.
"I meant to get more, but forgot it. Did you want some?"
"No, that's okay. I'll have a beer."
Daniel handed Jack his potato, then amused himself by tossing treats to Jaffer and watching the lab catch them while he waited for his dinner to be finished.
"How are you doing, Jack?" He asked as Jaffer gobbled the last treat.
"I'm fine, Daniel. Did Fraiser send you out here?"
"No, not really." Daniel shrugged. "I was just... um..."
"Checking on me," Jack finished for him.
"Yeah." No sense in denying it. "You've been looking a little... um... peaked... lately."
"Peaked, huh?"
"You know; tired, worn out, a little fatig-"
"I know what the word means, Daniel."
He shook his head, and dished up Daniel a plate; complete with the steak he was going to feed Jaffer. The lab could have some of Jack's and wouldn't mind sharing. Jack wasn't mad at Daniel for being worried. Hell, he wasn't even irritated. Not really. Jack worried about the people around him constantly, it'd hardly be right for him to get mad because someone else was doing it to him.
"I'm fine, Daniel," Jack told him, handing him his plate, and leading the younger man into the house so they could get a couple beers. "It's just been a rough couple of days, that's all."
"Care to talk about it?"
"Nope."
Ah well, it was worth a try. Daniel shrugged, and accepted a beer from Jack, then sat at the table with him and changed the subject to something else completely, while he watched O'Neill cut a few pieces of his steak to hand down to Jaffer.
"What did you do today?"
"Went to the park. You?"
Called your house repeatedly. He couldn't really admit to that, though.
"Worked on some ancient runes SG-3 found last week."
"Anything interesting?"
"Maybe."
This launched Daniel into his lecture mode, and he started telling Jack all that he knew about the runes, and the ruins that they'd been found on. Jack listened without interrupting like he normally would have. First because it was a good way to keep Daniel from interrogating him about how he felt, and second, because he found he was rather enjoying the company, and wasn't ready to drive him away just yet.
The two of them sat at the table until well after the sun was down, talking mostly about Daniel's work, although sometimes they'd discuss something SG- 1 had found that was sort of related to what he was working on. All in all, it was a good way to spend the evening, and Jack found that his day had been far better than he'd expected. By the time Daniel left – well after midnight – Jack was tired, and ready for bed, and knew far more than he cared to know about P32-KR1 and its inhabitants. And didn't mind a bit.
He showered while Jaffer went out for the last time that night, then the two of them went to bed, and Jack didn't lie awake, staring at the dark ceiling while he thought about Charlie, or Shawn, or what might have been.
He'd just drifted into sleep when Jaffer's head came up off his thigh, and his tail thumped the bed in greeting. Sam smiled her own greeting at the black lab, but motioned for him to be quiet as she slid under the covers beside her sleeping CO and cuddled up against his back, wrapping her arm loosely around him and caressing his bare stomach.
He woke immediately, of course, and rolled over, gathering her into his arms and holding her tightly.
"You're home? Or am I dreaming you?"
His voice was sleepy, and she smiled even though he couldn't see the smile, since he hadn't opened his eyes.
"I'm home, Jack."
The active people in the park kept Jack from sitting and brooding like he might have, given the fact that it was the day before Father's day, which was normally a tough day for him. Instead, he was forced to be social, since he was confronted by mostly children. Jack had never turned a kid down when they asked to pet Jaffer, and never would.
He decided that the relaxing day in the park would best be ended by a good steak, and then decided the best way to get a good steak was to make it himself. Which meant a trip to the store.
He bought all the fixings for a good barbeque: A couple of steaks – one for him, one for Jaffer – a couple potatoes for baking, and thinking that Sam would be proud, he even bought the makings of a simple salad – although even as the woman at the checkout counter was ringing it up, he was pretty certain he wasn't going to eat it.
He was already in the truck, with Jaffer sniffing the bag to see if there was anything in it for him, when he realized he forgot to buy milk, but Jack wasn't going to go back. He'd remember it another day – which was why the milk in his fridge was spoiled in the first place.
The steaks turned out perfect. The potato wasn't too bad, and the salad sat in his fridge with his spoiled milk. He was just getting ready to cut Jaffer's up when the black lab's head came up and his tail started wagging idly. With that much notice, Jack turned just as Daniel came through the back gate.
"Hey, Jack."
"Daniel."
Daniel had been worried about Jack all day, and had tried calling him a few times to try and get him to go out for dinner or something with him, but there hadn't been an answer, since Jack was at the park. Eventually, he'd decided he'd come over, and see if Jack was just avoiding his calls.
"I tried knocking."
"We've been back here."
Obviously.
"Barbeque?"
"Yup."
"Looks good."
Yeah, that was a subtle hint.
Jack smiled. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Daniel?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
"Go get the other potato out of my fridge."
Daniel vanished into the house, followed closely by Jaffer, who never passed an opportunity to look in the fridge. A minute later, he was outside again, carrying the potato in one hand and a small handful of dog treats in the other.
"You know your milk is spoiled?"
Jack nodded.
"I meant to get more, but forgot it. Did you want some?"
"No, that's okay. I'll have a beer."
Daniel handed Jack his potato, then amused himself by tossing treats to Jaffer and watching the lab catch them while he waited for his dinner to be finished.
"How are you doing, Jack?" He asked as Jaffer gobbled the last treat.
"I'm fine, Daniel. Did Fraiser send you out here?"
"No, not really." Daniel shrugged. "I was just... um..."
"Checking on me," Jack finished for him.
"Yeah." No sense in denying it. "You've been looking a little... um... peaked... lately."
"Peaked, huh?"
"You know; tired, worn out, a little fatig-"
"I know what the word means, Daniel."
He shook his head, and dished up Daniel a plate; complete with the steak he was going to feed Jaffer. The lab could have some of Jack's and wouldn't mind sharing. Jack wasn't mad at Daniel for being worried. Hell, he wasn't even irritated. Not really. Jack worried about the people around him constantly, it'd hardly be right for him to get mad because someone else was doing it to him.
"I'm fine, Daniel," Jack told him, handing him his plate, and leading the younger man into the house so they could get a couple beers. "It's just been a rough couple of days, that's all."
"Care to talk about it?"
"Nope."
Ah well, it was worth a try. Daniel shrugged, and accepted a beer from Jack, then sat at the table with him and changed the subject to something else completely, while he watched O'Neill cut a few pieces of his steak to hand down to Jaffer.
"What did you do today?"
"Went to the park. You?"
Called your house repeatedly. He couldn't really admit to that, though.
"Worked on some ancient runes SG-3 found last week."
"Anything interesting?"
"Maybe."
This launched Daniel into his lecture mode, and he started telling Jack all that he knew about the runes, and the ruins that they'd been found on. Jack listened without interrupting like he normally would have. First because it was a good way to keep Daniel from interrogating him about how he felt, and second, because he found he was rather enjoying the company, and wasn't ready to drive him away just yet.
The two of them sat at the table until well after the sun was down, talking mostly about Daniel's work, although sometimes they'd discuss something SG- 1 had found that was sort of related to what he was working on. All in all, it was a good way to spend the evening, and Jack found that his day had been far better than he'd expected. By the time Daniel left – well after midnight – Jack was tired, and ready for bed, and knew far more than he cared to know about P32-KR1 and its inhabitants. And didn't mind a bit.
He showered while Jaffer went out for the last time that night, then the two of them went to bed, and Jack didn't lie awake, staring at the dark ceiling while he thought about Charlie, or Shawn, or what might have been.
He'd just drifted into sleep when Jaffer's head came up off his thigh, and his tail thumped the bed in greeting. Sam smiled her own greeting at the black lab, but motioned for him to be quiet as she slid under the covers beside her sleeping CO and cuddled up against his back, wrapping her arm loosely around him and caressing his bare stomach.
He woke immediately, of course, and rolled over, gathering her into his arms and holding her tightly.
"You're home? Or am I dreaming you?"
His voice was sleepy, and she smiled even though he couldn't see the smile, since he hadn't opened his eyes.
"I'm home, Jack."