The parking lot of the ranger station was fairly empty, but it was always empty, anyways. Especially this time of year. Summer was just winding down, and the tourist season, as it were, was just about over. So there wasn't as much need for a lot of rangers and support staff. Of course, SG-1 thought differently at that moment. The more rangers the better, as far as they were concerned just then.
Daniel was carrying their lost waif as they went inside, hoping that it wasn't as deserted as it looked, and there was no one there to challenge them with a 'can I help you?' when they walked through the front door. The small lobby was empty, and the three desks behind the small railing divider between the lobby and the office were also abandoned.
"Maybe they're all out looking for her?" Daniel hazarded, looking down at the girl in his arms, who didn't seem at all concerned about being lost.
"It's as good a guess as any," Sam said, shrugging.
"Well they should have left someone here," Jack said, scowling. "I would have."
He looked over at the CB radio that was sitting on one of the desks behind the railing. It was a base unit; bigger than the ones that were undoubtedly in the rangers' vehicles, and probably capable of more range. Definitely capable of getting through to anyone that might be listening, Jack decided. He walked through the divider gate and over to the desk, followed by Teal'c, who had noticed an odor coming from the child and was certain that there was a problem that would need to be addressed soon. A problem he didn't want to be volunteered for.
Jack picked up the mike; once more looking around for someone in the office, then keyed it.
"Yeah... where are all the rangers?"
"This is Hank Loren. Who's this?"
"Jack O'Neill. Is this the Hank Loren that runs around in the ranger suit with the green jeep 4x4?"
"Colonel O'Neill?"
"Yeah..."
"When did you get in?"
Some ranger he was. Jack smiled, though. He actually liked Hank.
"Couple days ago. Where are you?"
"Out looking for a lost child. Was there something I could do for you, Colonel?"
"A lost... girl?" Jack asked, smiling over at his team. So someone was looking for her. That was good.
"Affirmative. You haven't seen one, have you?" Even over the staticky radio they could hear a faint hope in his voice.
"About two? Black hair? Blue eyes?"
"Wearing jeans and a white t-shirt," The ranger confirmed.
"Yeah, we've got her, Hank," Jack confirmed. "Found her while we were out hiking this morning."
"Where are you now, Colonel?" Now there was definite relief in his voice.
"At the ranger station," Jack replied, and then caught a whiff of the odor that Teal'c had noticed before. "You might bring a diaper with you..."
"We're on our way." His voice was jovial, now. "There's a diaper bag beside my desk. We'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"We'll be here." Jack almost said 'O'Neill out', which he would have said had he been talking with one of his team, or someone else who was Military, but he stopped himself just in time. He set the mike down, and looked over at the others, again.
"Thank God," Daniel said, smiling down at the girl, who reached up and took hold of his glasses, leaving a buttery smear on them when Daniel moved his head aside. "At least someone's looking for her."
"Yup." Jack sniffed the air, wrinkling his nose, and looked down by the desk he was standing next to. Sure enough, there was a diaper bag. A large pink affair with a long handle that looked like Teal'c could crawl on in it and still have room for Jaffer. Reaching down, he picked it up and frowned. It was heavy, too. The joys of parenthood, Jack thought, smiling slightly as he held it up.
"Who's going to change her?"
"Not me."
"Not me."
"I am not inclined to do so."
"Daniel, you're holding her."
"So?"
"Possession is 9/10 of the law, and all that."
"That's not fair, Jack. I don't even know how to change her. You do. You should do it. I'll probably just hurt her."
"You can figure out languages never before seen by humankind, but you don't think you can change a diaper?" Jack asked, shaking his head.
"I'm sure it's very complicated..."
"It's easy," Jack disagreed. "It's just not fun." He looked over at Carter, who shook her head.
"Uh, uh." The next kid she'd change would be her own, as far as Sam was concerned. "You have the bag, Jack... possession is 9/10 and all that..."
O'Neill scowled, and looked over at Teal'c. There was no way the Jaffa was going to allow himself to be tricked into changing the child. He didn't even try to come up with an excuse. He just crossed his arms over his chest, silently.
"Fine, I'll change her..."
Jack cleared himself some working space on one of the other desks, and searched the diaper bag for necessary items. A diaper, some powder and wipes were all arranged next to the bag before he reached over the barrier and took the child from Daniel.
"Don't think this means we're going out, though," he chided the little girl, who smiled at him, completely unconcerned by his scowl and his demeanor. She already knew he wasn't someone to be afraid of.
''Oggie?"
"Oh, believe me, it's the next trick he learns," Jack promised, crossing over to the desk and carefully laying her down on it.
Daniel was carrying their lost waif as they went inside, hoping that it wasn't as deserted as it looked, and there was no one there to challenge them with a 'can I help you?' when they walked through the front door. The small lobby was empty, and the three desks behind the small railing divider between the lobby and the office were also abandoned.
"Maybe they're all out looking for her?" Daniel hazarded, looking down at the girl in his arms, who didn't seem at all concerned about being lost.
"It's as good a guess as any," Sam said, shrugging.
"Well they should have left someone here," Jack said, scowling. "I would have."
He looked over at the CB radio that was sitting on one of the desks behind the railing. It was a base unit; bigger than the ones that were undoubtedly in the rangers' vehicles, and probably capable of more range. Definitely capable of getting through to anyone that might be listening, Jack decided. He walked through the divider gate and over to the desk, followed by Teal'c, who had noticed an odor coming from the child and was certain that there was a problem that would need to be addressed soon. A problem he didn't want to be volunteered for.
Jack picked up the mike; once more looking around for someone in the office, then keyed it.
"Yeah... where are all the rangers?"
"This is Hank Loren. Who's this?"
"Jack O'Neill. Is this the Hank Loren that runs around in the ranger suit with the green jeep 4x4?"
"Colonel O'Neill?"
"Yeah..."
"When did you get in?"
Some ranger he was. Jack smiled, though. He actually liked Hank.
"Couple days ago. Where are you?"
"Out looking for a lost child. Was there something I could do for you, Colonel?"
"A lost... girl?" Jack asked, smiling over at his team. So someone was looking for her. That was good.
"Affirmative. You haven't seen one, have you?" Even over the staticky radio they could hear a faint hope in his voice.
"About two? Black hair? Blue eyes?"
"Wearing jeans and a white t-shirt," The ranger confirmed.
"Yeah, we've got her, Hank," Jack confirmed. "Found her while we were out hiking this morning."
"Where are you now, Colonel?" Now there was definite relief in his voice.
"At the ranger station," Jack replied, and then caught a whiff of the odor that Teal'c had noticed before. "You might bring a diaper with you..."
"We're on our way." His voice was jovial, now. "There's a diaper bag beside my desk. We'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"We'll be here." Jack almost said 'O'Neill out', which he would have said had he been talking with one of his team, or someone else who was Military, but he stopped himself just in time. He set the mike down, and looked over at the others, again.
"Thank God," Daniel said, smiling down at the girl, who reached up and took hold of his glasses, leaving a buttery smear on them when Daniel moved his head aside. "At least someone's looking for her."
"Yup." Jack sniffed the air, wrinkling his nose, and looked down by the desk he was standing next to. Sure enough, there was a diaper bag. A large pink affair with a long handle that looked like Teal'c could crawl on in it and still have room for Jaffer. Reaching down, he picked it up and frowned. It was heavy, too. The joys of parenthood, Jack thought, smiling slightly as he held it up.
"Who's going to change her?"
"Not me."
"Not me."
"I am not inclined to do so."
"Daniel, you're holding her."
"So?"
"Possession is 9/10 of the law, and all that."
"That's not fair, Jack. I don't even know how to change her. You do. You should do it. I'll probably just hurt her."
"You can figure out languages never before seen by humankind, but you don't think you can change a diaper?" Jack asked, shaking his head.
"I'm sure it's very complicated..."
"It's easy," Jack disagreed. "It's just not fun." He looked over at Carter, who shook her head.
"Uh, uh." The next kid she'd change would be her own, as far as Sam was concerned. "You have the bag, Jack... possession is 9/10 and all that..."
O'Neill scowled, and looked over at Teal'c. There was no way the Jaffa was going to allow himself to be tricked into changing the child. He didn't even try to come up with an excuse. He just crossed his arms over his chest, silently.
"Fine, I'll change her..."
Jack cleared himself some working space on one of the other desks, and searched the diaper bag for necessary items. A diaper, some powder and wipes were all arranged next to the bag before he reached over the barrier and took the child from Daniel.
"Don't think this means we're going out, though," he chided the little girl, who smiled at him, completely unconcerned by his scowl and his demeanor. She already knew he wasn't someone to be afraid of.
''Oggie?"
"Oh, believe me, it's the next trick he learns," Jack promised, crossing over to the desk and carefully laying her down on it.