The phone rang, but Jack didn't want to get up. He looked over at Jaffer, who was stretched out next to him on the floor.
"Bring me that, will ya, little man?"
The black lab wagged his tail and got to his feet. Sure, he'd get it. He walked to the ringing phone and picked it up off the cradle with his mouth and fetched it over to Jack, who didn't move his head from where it was.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jack."
"Daniel. Hi."
"What are you up to?"
"Oh, nothing much."
Actually, he was sprawled on the floor next to Abby, with his head resting lightly against her stomach, his ear planted against her furry belly as he tried to listen for the sound of puppies in the making. All he was hearing, though, were gurgling noises as she digested her breakfast. Abby was taking it in good stead, being a very patient dog, and in the background Jack could hear Bob Barker calling someone up to the stage to play Plinko.
"Not busy?"
"Nope."
"Can I come over and see Abby?"
"Right now?"
"Yeah."
"Shouldn't you be... translating something, or... something?"
"I'm done, and there's no sense in starting anything before the weekend starts, so I find I have a free afternoon, and I really don't want to hang out here if I don't have to."
"Sure, come on over, Daniel."
"Thanks."
The phone went dead, and Jack turned his end off, and tossed it up onto the sofa where it'd at least avoid being stepped on. Then he went back to listening to Abby's internal workings, while Jaffer looked on, wondering what the heck he was doing and Bob Barker told the Plinko player he'd have a chance to win serious money on the big wheel.
...................
There was a knock on the door about an hour later, and Jaffer and Abby both rushed to see who it was. By then, Jack had graduated from the floor to sitting on the sofa, and he was watching as a group of porn stars tried to sue their former producer for countless thousands of dollars in missing videos. Judge Judy was just laying into them all for being annoying, and Jack scowled. He didn't want to miss the lecture.
"Come in!"
The door opened, and he turned and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, it was Daniel, carrying a large bag of something and holding it high so Jaffer couldn't get hold of it. And he was definitely trying.
"Hey, Jack."
"Hi, Daniel. Whatcha got in the bag?"
"Donuts. Want one?"
"Sure. There's coffee brewed for you, help yourself."
Judge Judy had finished her lecture, and one of the porn stars was whining about something, but Jack reached over and turned it off, then stood up and went to the kitchen, figuring Daniel would need help keeping the dogs at bay.
"She's really a good looking dog." Daniel was kneeling on the floor, examining Abby, who was sniffing him with just as much interest. Jaffer was more interested in the bag that was sitting on the counter, and he kept throwing Daniel reproachful glances. "Sam said you have her all weekend?"
"Maybe. We caught them doing it last night, so I don't know if she needs to stick around or not."
"Doing what?"
"It."
"It?"
Jack scowled.
"It! How many it's are there, Daniel?"
"Um..."
"They were having sex, okay? Jaffer's going to be a daddy."
There was a definite gleam of amusement in Daniel's eyes, and Jack realized Daniel had been screwing with him. That didn't happen very often. Usually Jack caught on much faster than that.
"Sam told me." He grinned. "So? How long until we have baby Jaffers to worry about tripping over?"
"Beats me." He should probably call Monica or Marissa and find out. He'd have to tell Marisa what was going on, anyways. He should have called her last night. "We're not going to have a lot of puppies, though, you know? I'm only entitled to one of them. The rest are Marissa and Oliver's."
"What are you going to do with it? Give it to someone, right?"
"Right."
Daniel nodded.
"Just remember, I'm allergic to dogs."
Jack smiled. "If you weren't, the puppy would be going to you."
Jack knew that Daniel wouldn't be able to deal with a puppy, though. As much as he thought having one would be very good for his friend, he also knew that constantly being on allergy medication would be unhealthy. Besides, Daniel had a lot of stuff that was very bad for dogs – puppies especially. Jack knew from experience that little rocks and other artifacts were practically a puppy magnet, and old papers and scrolls weren't good to be chewed on. No, Daniel wasn't going to get the puppy.
"I appreciate that, Jack." Daniel said, scratching Abby's jaw. Just because he was allergic to them, it didn't mean he didn't like dogs. He was very fond of Jaffer – although he hid it most of the time behind scowls and warnings when the big lab came over to his apartment, or into his office. Abby looked like she was just as easy to like, and a puppy from the two had to be something truly special.
"Who's getting it?" Daniel asked.
"Getting what?"
"The puppy."
Jack smiled. Time to get even for Daniel's fun at his own expense with the dog sex thing. "Sorry, Daniel. If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."
"What?" Daniel scowled. "Come on, tell me. I won't tell anyone else. Is it Sam? Shawn?"
Jack shook his head. "Don't bother guessing. It's a surprise, and the only way I can make sure it stays a surprise is to make sure no one knows but me."
"Hammond?"
"I asked Sam to marry me last night." Jack decided that a change of conversation was definitely in order.
Daniel frowned.
"I thought you asked her to marry you on your birthday."
"I did. But we set a date last night."
"You did? Finally?" Daniel's smile was triumphant. "When?"
"August 12th."
"This August?"
He nodded.
"That's... not much time to plan it out."
Jack shrugged. "We'll figure it out. How hard can it be?"
"I don't know. Is there any particular reason for that date?"
"That's what Sam chose, and I didn't see any reason to pick a different one."
It was Daniel's turn to shrug. He reached into the bag he'd brought and pulled out a donut. A beautiful powdered donut, filled with raspberry filling.
"So. Want to be the best man?"
Daniel dropped the donut.
"What?"
The donut vanished immediately as Jaffer caught it neatly before it hit the floor and gobbled it down before Jack could tell him no. Something never changed.
"Do you want to be my best man?"
"At the wedding?"
"You're certainly not invited to the honeymoon."
Daniel smiled. He hadn't expected Jack to ask him. Had figured one of his Military buddies would be asked, since they looked better dressed up than Daniel himself did.
"I'd be honored, Jack. Thank you."
Jack shrugged again, and reached into the bag for a donut to share with Abby, who definitely didn't think it was fair that Jaffer had one and she hadn't.
"Just remember; if you throw me a bachelor party, there's going to be a dozen 13 and 14 year olds there."
"Bring me that, will ya, little man?"
The black lab wagged his tail and got to his feet. Sure, he'd get it. He walked to the ringing phone and picked it up off the cradle with his mouth and fetched it over to Jack, who didn't move his head from where it was.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jack."
"Daniel. Hi."
"What are you up to?"
"Oh, nothing much."
Actually, he was sprawled on the floor next to Abby, with his head resting lightly against her stomach, his ear planted against her furry belly as he tried to listen for the sound of puppies in the making. All he was hearing, though, were gurgling noises as she digested her breakfast. Abby was taking it in good stead, being a very patient dog, and in the background Jack could hear Bob Barker calling someone up to the stage to play Plinko.
"Not busy?"
"Nope."
"Can I come over and see Abby?"
"Right now?"
"Yeah."
"Shouldn't you be... translating something, or... something?"
"I'm done, and there's no sense in starting anything before the weekend starts, so I find I have a free afternoon, and I really don't want to hang out here if I don't have to."
"Sure, come on over, Daniel."
"Thanks."
The phone went dead, and Jack turned his end off, and tossed it up onto the sofa where it'd at least avoid being stepped on. Then he went back to listening to Abby's internal workings, while Jaffer looked on, wondering what the heck he was doing and Bob Barker told the Plinko player he'd have a chance to win serious money on the big wheel.
...................
There was a knock on the door about an hour later, and Jaffer and Abby both rushed to see who it was. By then, Jack had graduated from the floor to sitting on the sofa, and he was watching as a group of porn stars tried to sue their former producer for countless thousands of dollars in missing videos. Judge Judy was just laying into them all for being annoying, and Jack scowled. He didn't want to miss the lecture.
"Come in!"
The door opened, and he turned and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, it was Daniel, carrying a large bag of something and holding it high so Jaffer couldn't get hold of it. And he was definitely trying.
"Hey, Jack."
"Hi, Daniel. Whatcha got in the bag?"
"Donuts. Want one?"
"Sure. There's coffee brewed for you, help yourself."
Judge Judy had finished her lecture, and one of the porn stars was whining about something, but Jack reached over and turned it off, then stood up and went to the kitchen, figuring Daniel would need help keeping the dogs at bay.
"She's really a good looking dog." Daniel was kneeling on the floor, examining Abby, who was sniffing him with just as much interest. Jaffer was more interested in the bag that was sitting on the counter, and he kept throwing Daniel reproachful glances. "Sam said you have her all weekend?"
"Maybe. We caught them doing it last night, so I don't know if she needs to stick around or not."
"Doing what?"
"It."
"It?"
Jack scowled.
"It! How many it's are there, Daniel?"
"Um..."
"They were having sex, okay? Jaffer's going to be a daddy."
There was a definite gleam of amusement in Daniel's eyes, and Jack realized Daniel had been screwing with him. That didn't happen very often. Usually Jack caught on much faster than that.
"Sam told me." He grinned. "So? How long until we have baby Jaffers to worry about tripping over?"
"Beats me." He should probably call Monica or Marissa and find out. He'd have to tell Marisa what was going on, anyways. He should have called her last night. "We're not going to have a lot of puppies, though, you know? I'm only entitled to one of them. The rest are Marissa and Oliver's."
"What are you going to do with it? Give it to someone, right?"
"Right."
Daniel nodded.
"Just remember, I'm allergic to dogs."
Jack smiled. "If you weren't, the puppy would be going to you."
Jack knew that Daniel wouldn't be able to deal with a puppy, though. As much as he thought having one would be very good for his friend, he also knew that constantly being on allergy medication would be unhealthy. Besides, Daniel had a lot of stuff that was very bad for dogs – puppies especially. Jack knew from experience that little rocks and other artifacts were practically a puppy magnet, and old papers and scrolls weren't good to be chewed on. No, Daniel wasn't going to get the puppy.
"I appreciate that, Jack." Daniel said, scratching Abby's jaw. Just because he was allergic to them, it didn't mean he didn't like dogs. He was very fond of Jaffer – although he hid it most of the time behind scowls and warnings when the big lab came over to his apartment, or into his office. Abby looked like she was just as easy to like, and a puppy from the two had to be something truly special.
"Who's getting it?" Daniel asked.
"Getting what?"
"The puppy."
Jack smiled. Time to get even for Daniel's fun at his own expense with the dog sex thing. "Sorry, Daniel. If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."
"What?" Daniel scowled. "Come on, tell me. I won't tell anyone else. Is it Sam? Shawn?"
Jack shook his head. "Don't bother guessing. It's a surprise, and the only way I can make sure it stays a surprise is to make sure no one knows but me."
"Hammond?"
"I asked Sam to marry me last night." Jack decided that a change of conversation was definitely in order.
Daniel frowned.
"I thought you asked her to marry you on your birthday."
"I did. But we set a date last night."
"You did? Finally?" Daniel's smile was triumphant. "When?"
"August 12th."
"This August?"
He nodded.
"That's... not much time to plan it out."
Jack shrugged. "We'll figure it out. How hard can it be?"
"I don't know. Is there any particular reason for that date?"
"That's what Sam chose, and I didn't see any reason to pick a different one."
It was Daniel's turn to shrug. He reached into the bag he'd brought and pulled out a donut. A beautiful powdered donut, filled with raspberry filling.
"So. Want to be the best man?"
Daniel dropped the donut.
"What?"
The donut vanished immediately as Jaffer caught it neatly before it hit the floor and gobbled it down before Jack could tell him no. Something never changed.
"Do you want to be my best man?"
"At the wedding?"
"You're certainly not invited to the honeymoon."
Daniel smiled. He hadn't expected Jack to ask him. Had figured one of his Military buddies would be asked, since they looked better dressed up than Daniel himself did.
"I'd be honored, Jack. Thank you."
Jack shrugged again, and reached into the bag for a donut to share with Abby, who definitely didn't think it was fair that Jaffer had one and she hadn't.
"Just remember; if you throw me a bachelor party, there's going to be a dozen 13 and 14 year olds there."