"Sorry I'm late Sam." Marianne busted in and sat down. "I got caught in
traffic."
"I've only been here a few minutes anyway. But I've ordered us both coffees."
"Good. I'm sorry to drag you out on your weekend off. Was Colonel O'Neill angry?" She asked as she slipped off her coat.
"Jack's a teddy bear. He'll be fine, he's not angry besides you got him out of helping me rearrange my books he'll probably be thanking you."
"Rearranging your books?" Marianne questioned.
"My mother-in-law has an interesting idea of how books should be arranged so I'm moving them back to how they were before she came to visit. But that's not why were here."
"No."
"Your coffees ma'am." The waiter put them on the table. "Can I get you anything else?"
"Not at the moment thank you, we'll let you know." Sam smiled. He left them to it. "So?"
"I don't know where to start..."
"Colonel Hudson asked you out and you said no, so now he's a grouch?" Sam offered.
"How did you know that?" She asked.
"The grouch part I got myself. Jack said something about him having a bad week and when said I'd call you he said it would only make it worse. So I put two and two together. So what happened?"
"We were in his office going over a few reports and when we were done he asked if I wanted to get some dinner or see a movie. I asked if he meant the whole team, but he said he meant just us. I sort of freaked out said no and that I had to go and high-tailed it out of there. Now he won't talk to me unless it's related to a mission and absolutely necessary. I tried calling him at home, he asked if there was a problem at the base, I said no and he hung up on me."
"And he's blaming me because he thinks I'm part of the reason that the frat regs were changed?" Sam asked.
"I'm sorry Sam, it's not your fault and you shouldn't be involved."
"He's hurt and he's lashing out the best way he can by closing off. Jack did it all the time, I'd just get comfortable then something would happen and the walls would up go again. You get used to it."
"But am I supposed to do about it? He's my CO and my friend."
"Well as I see it you have four options. One you request a transfer to another base."
"I don't want to do that I like my job." Marianne replied.
"Two you request a transfer to another team or to the labs." Sam suggested.
"We work well as a team usually and we all trust each other." Marianne countered.
"Three, you suck it up and wait for it to blow over, he can't be hurt forever he'll get over it eventually."
"And fourth?"
"And fourth, if you actually do like him and you just said no because you were shocked, we'll drive over to his house, I'll disconnect something relatively easy to fix on your car so it won't start. You can go and knock on his door for help; even mad military men can't resist helping a damsel in distress. Once he's fixed your car, you can apologise for freaking out and ask if the offer is still open because you're not busy tonight."
"You think that would work?" Marianne asked.
"That depends on whether you actually do like him. There is no point getting the man's hopes up if you don't just to resolve the situation."
"He's a sweet guy when he wants to be, he's funny, he doesn't get angry when I spend too long on a translation and he tries to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."
"At least he doesn't manage to offend people as much as Jack does." Marianne smiled. "So you like him?" She nodded. "Then let's finish this coffee and I'll break your car."
~
"What?" Zack Hudson snapped as he pulled open the door. "Something I can do for you Captain?"
"Wouldn't say no to a cup of coffee sir." She said with a shrug.
"I don't think so. So if there isn't a problem at the base, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my day off." He started to close the door, but Marianne put her foot into it to stop him.
"Zack can't you behave like a civilized adult and not a five year old."
"Watch it Captain, I still out rank you."
"I know, I also thought you were my friend. Look if you want to be an ass to me fine, just leave everyone else alone they don't deserve it. And if you want me to go I'll go but can I borrow your phone to call Triple A?"
"Why what's wrong with your car?" He asked.
"It stopped and spluttered at the end of the street. If I can use your phone I'll get out of your way."
"You don't anything about cars do you?" He questioned.
"I can speak eight languages, am in the process of learning another two and I can fire a gun, you'd think that would count for something."
"I'll come and look at it for you."
"You don't have to, I can call Triple A." She said inwardly smiling.
"They'll take hours. If I can't fix it then we'll call Triple A."
"Thanks Zack."
~
"Your distributor cap was off." He said as he wiped his hands. "It should be fine now."
"Thanks. Look while you're talking to me, I wanted to apologise for how I reacted in your office. It took my by surprise that's why I said no and ran out the way I did. I would have said it weeks ago but you wouldn't let me."
"You were perfectly within your rights to say no."
"That was the other thing; I was wondering if the offer was still open, I don't have plans tonight and dinner sounds good."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked.
"Zack you're a good guy, I like you a lot and I don't see why if we can manage to keep everything away from work like Sam and Jack we can't see where this goes that is if you still want to."
"I like that." He smiled for the first time in weeks.
"Good you can pick me up at 1900. I'm in the mood for Italian." She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later."
TBC
"I've only been here a few minutes anyway. But I've ordered us both coffees."
"Good. I'm sorry to drag you out on your weekend off. Was Colonel O'Neill angry?" She asked as she slipped off her coat.
"Jack's a teddy bear. He'll be fine, he's not angry besides you got him out of helping me rearrange my books he'll probably be thanking you."
"Rearranging your books?" Marianne questioned.
"My mother-in-law has an interesting idea of how books should be arranged so I'm moving them back to how they were before she came to visit. But that's not why were here."
"No."
"Your coffees ma'am." The waiter put them on the table. "Can I get you anything else?"
"Not at the moment thank you, we'll let you know." Sam smiled. He left them to it. "So?"
"I don't know where to start..."
"Colonel Hudson asked you out and you said no, so now he's a grouch?" Sam offered.
"How did you know that?" She asked.
"The grouch part I got myself. Jack said something about him having a bad week and when said I'd call you he said it would only make it worse. So I put two and two together. So what happened?"
"We were in his office going over a few reports and when we were done he asked if I wanted to get some dinner or see a movie. I asked if he meant the whole team, but he said he meant just us. I sort of freaked out said no and that I had to go and high-tailed it out of there. Now he won't talk to me unless it's related to a mission and absolutely necessary. I tried calling him at home, he asked if there was a problem at the base, I said no and he hung up on me."
"And he's blaming me because he thinks I'm part of the reason that the frat regs were changed?" Sam asked.
"I'm sorry Sam, it's not your fault and you shouldn't be involved."
"He's hurt and he's lashing out the best way he can by closing off. Jack did it all the time, I'd just get comfortable then something would happen and the walls would up go again. You get used to it."
"But am I supposed to do about it? He's my CO and my friend."
"Well as I see it you have four options. One you request a transfer to another base."
"I don't want to do that I like my job." Marianne replied.
"Two you request a transfer to another team or to the labs." Sam suggested.
"We work well as a team usually and we all trust each other." Marianne countered.
"Three, you suck it up and wait for it to blow over, he can't be hurt forever he'll get over it eventually."
"And fourth?"
"And fourth, if you actually do like him and you just said no because you were shocked, we'll drive over to his house, I'll disconnect something relatively easy to fix on your car so it won't start. You can go and knock on his door for help; even mad military men can't resist helping a damsel in distress. Once he's fixed your car, you can apologise for freaking out and ask if the offer is still open because you're not busy tonight."
"You think that would work?" Marianne asked.
"That depends on whether you actually do like him. There is no point getting the man's hopes up if you don't just to resolve the situation."
"He's a sweet guy when he wants to be, he's funny, he doesn't get angry when I spend too long on a translation and he tries to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."
"At least he doesn't manage to offend people as much as Jack does." Marianne smiled. "So you like him?" She nodded. "Then let's finish this coffee and I'll break your car."
~
"What?" Zack Hudson snapped as he pulled open the door. "Something I can do for you Captain?"
"Wouldn't say no to a cup of coffee sir." She said with a shrug.
"I don't think so. So if there isn't a problem at the base, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my day off." He started to close the door, but Marianne put her foot into it to stop him.
"Zack can't you behave like a civilized adult and not a five year old."
"Watch it Captain, I still out rank you."
"I know, I also thought you were my friend. Look if you want to be an ass to me fine, just leave everyone else alone they don't deserve it. And if you want me to go I'll go but can I borrow your phone to call Triple A?"
"Why what's wrong with your car?" He asked.
"It stopped and spluttered at the end of the street. If I can use your phone I'll get out of your way."
"You don't anything about cars do you?" He questioned.
"I can speak eight languages, am in the process of learning another two and I can fire a gun, you'd think that would count for something."
"I'll come and look at it for you."
"You don't have to, I can call Triple A." She said inwardly smiling.
"They'll take hours. If I can't fix it then we'll call Triple A."
"Thanks Zack."
~
"Your distributor cap was off." He said as he wiped his hands. "It should be fine now."
"Thanks. Look while you're talking to me, I wanted to apologise for how I reacted in your office. It took my by surprise that's why I said no and ran out the way I did. I would have said it weeks ago but you wouldn't let me."
"You were perfectly within your rights to say no."
"That was the other thing; I was wondering if the offer was still open, I don't have plans tonight and dinner sounds good."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked.
"Zack you're a good guy, I like you a lot and I don't see why if we can manage to keep everything away from work like Sam and Jack we can't see where this goes that is if you still want to."
"I like that." He smiled for the first time in weeks.
"Good you can pick me up at 1900. I'm in the mood for Italian." She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later."
TBC