"You went out with her?"

Ben Crane was sitting at a table in the Commissary with Emmett Bregman. Both men were just sitting down to a hearty breakfast, and Ben hadn't been able to help but notice just how full of smiles Bregman had been that morning. And he'd asked why. Bregman's answer had been immediate, but Ben couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes."

"Are you nuts?"

"No." Emmett frowned at the younger man. "Why would you ask that?"

"She's one of them."

"Them?"

"She's military, Emmett!" Crane realized there were a few people looking his direction, and he lowered his voice to keep the conversation a little more private, although his shock wouldn't allow him to keep it down completely.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Are you kidding? The Military is full of people who can't make a commitment. Did you know there's more divorces in the military than any other occupation? Why do you suppose that is?" He didn't wait for an answer. He answered it himself. "Because of all the physically fit bodies running around. All that eye candy! How could anyone stick to just one person with that much temptation running around?"

"That's not true," Emmett said, shaking his head. "The people I've seen so far are just as normal as anyone else, and Janet is wonderful and –"

"She's a doctor!" Brad hissed. "She sees all these guys naked! Do you have any idea how much that's going-"

A tape fell onto the middle of the table between the two men, and Crane stared at it. It was one of his. He and Emmett both looked up from their conversation and saw Jack standing beside them. Neither had heard the Colonel coming, and neither had any idea how long he'd been standing there. Beside him, his dark head just visible above the table, was Jaffer – and he didn't look any happier than Jack did. His normally cheerful brown eyes were watching Ben intently. The cameraman paled.

"Colonel O'Neill..."

Jack's face was completely unreadable. If either man had known him, they'd have known this was when O'Neill was at his most dangerous. As it was, though, only Jaffer was aware of just how very unhappy he was at the conversation he'd just overheard.

"I thought you might like your tape back." Jack's voice was as emotionless as his expression.

"Uh..." Ben was absolutely floored. He had no idea what to say. Emmett started to say something, but Jack held up a hand to stop him – although his eyes were strictly on Crane.

"Come with me."

Jack didn't give the younger man an option. His free hand was suddenly on the collar of the light jacket Ben was wearing, and he pulled the cameraman to his feet easily. Crane was too stunned to even resist. His chair tipped over, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to them. No one said anything, though. They didn't know what Jack was doing, but they were all aware that he outranked them, and as he pretty much dragged the younger man out the door, a quiet murmur of conversation followed them out.

Emmett watched, stunned by the sudden turn of events of the morning, but he stumbled to his feet, concerned that Jack O'Neill was about to kill his cameraman. It wasn't a thing he thought jokingly, either. There was no mistaking that Jack was dangerous, and Jaffer – who Janet had told him was equally dangerous, had followed him out of the room. He figured he'd better follow.

OOOOOOOOO

Jack's office wasn't all that far from the Commissary, but it felt like a mile long walk to Ben, who was still far too stunned by O'Neill's sudden appearance to do anything more than walk next to him. A green mile. The hand was still on his collar, and there was no doubt in Ben's mind that if he tried to resist, O'Neill would just drag him behind him. Or feed him to the dog. Jack ignored the looks that were thrown his direction by people they passed, and he opened the door of his office and with a less than gentle push shoved Ben Crane into the room ahead of him. He looked down the corridor and saw Bregman following him, and looked down at Jaffer.

"Guard."

The black lab sat down in the corridor, guarding the door to Jack's office. No one would come in until Jack cleared the order. Except Sam, who was the only person on the base beside Jack that Jaffer didn't intimidate when he had his head down low and his tail wasn't wagging. And Sam was in the infirmary, talking to Janet and Daniel. She wasn't going to interrupt.

The door closed just as Emmett crossed the last cross-corridor, but the interviewer came to a sudden stop when he realized that Jaffer wasn't going into the room with O'Neill and Crane. He hesitated, unsure what to do and wondering if Jaffer would let him through. That question was answered immediately when Jaffer's head turned to watch him suspiciously, and the lab's lips pulled back, exposing those impressive fangs. Yeah. Emmett wasn't planning on chancing those teeth. He'd wait right there.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Colonel O'N-"

"Shut up."

Ben's mouth closed with an audible snap.

"Doctor Fraiser is a friend of mine." Jack said, his voice calm, but anger suddenly flashing in his eyes as he thought of what the bastard had been saying about Janet. "She's a great person, a fine doctor and almost a sister to me. Do you have any idea just how little I like the fact that I just overheard you telling anyone what kind of woman she is?"

"I didn't-"

"Shut up!"

He did as he was told, his eyes watching Jack, but the rest of him absolutely frozen.

"You don't know anything about her. You don't know anything about anyone here, or anything here. You're not here to make judgments about the people here, and you're not here to mess around with the love lives of those around you, are you?"

"No, sir."

"You don't know what kind of person she is, do you?"

"No, sir."

"But you do know what kind of person I am, don't you?"

There was no doubt of what kind of person Jack was. Ben knew. Jack was dangerous.

"Yes, sir."

"I can't kill you. I'd be court-martialed. And I like the military."

Ben gave a sigh of relief that Jack didn't hear, but O'Neill wasn't done, yet.

"Do you know the one person on this base who loves Janet Fraiser more than I do?"

Ben shook his head.

"Teal'c." Jack said, simply. "You know who Teal'c is?"

The cameraman blanched, and nodded.

"You know what Teal'c is?"

"Yes, sir."

"He's not in the military. He doesn't have to worry about being court-martialed. And he has a temper that can become explosive when it's roused. Do you see where I'm going with this, Mr. Crane?"

Only a stupid man could have missed the implications, and Ben was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid.

"I do, sir."

"I'm going to tell you this once. And only once." Jack said, and now his hand was almost companionably on Ben's shoulder. "If you say another word about anyone at all that doesn't have to do with your interviews, Teal'c will find out about this conversation – and the reason for it. He'll do what I can't – I assure you. Do you understand?"

Ben nodded, feeling his knees go weak. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Jack O'Neill was serious.

"Not another word. To anyone. About anyone."

"No, sir."

"Get the hell out of my office."

Ben couldn't leave fast enough. He practically bolted for the door, and when he opened it, he almost tripped over Jaffer, who turned his attention form Emmett Bregman to the younger cameraman, and Ben paled even more – if that was possible. Without a word the man headed down the hall, and when Emmett turned to follow to see if he was okay, he was stopped.

"Mr. Bregman? A word, please..."

Emmett paled, too. He looked down at Jaffer, who had moved to stand beside Jack, and then at O'Neill. The man's face was unreadable. He turned and went back into his office, followed by Jaffer. Bregman took a look at his rapidly disappearing cameraman, and then swallowed and followed those two through the door.