Jack's Maria

BY: Secbeth

Email:

Website: (all of my stories can be found here.)

Status: Series

Category: Angst, Romance, Sci-fi, Humor.

Pairings: Jack/Other Sam/Martouf

Spoilers: References to season to Season 1-3

Season: 3

Sequel/Series Info: First in the series. Maybe

Rating: PG-13 because of language.

Content Warnings: Use of bad language

Summary: Jack meets a woman in the park. Something happens at her job that involves her with the Asgard and the NID's plot so circumvent the SGC.

Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Copyright (c) 2003 Su Freund

This isn't the PUC. Also it's not a Jack and Sam story. Eventually Martouf will show up and I will build on his relationship with Sam. This may become a Series I don't know yet.

Jack can't help but stare at the woman on the park bench. She is exquisite and so young too. Something is different about her. He notices the look in her eyes, a haunting sense he has felt several times in his life. They have brought Cassie to this park several times. He's early, and doesn't mind watching the people in the park. But the light haired woman grabs his attention the most. To Hell with it, she is alone, and doesn't look like she is waiting for anyone. Jack walks over and sits down next to her. "Is this seat taken?"

The woman looks over at him and shakes her head, her hair moving softly in the wind. "No, you're welcome to it." She looks over at swings, the sad look still in her eyes.

Jack smiles, and turns toward her a little bit. "I'm Jack."

The woman turns and looks at him. She ignores his brown hair, and dark brown eyes. "Hi Jack."

Jack frowns; at least she could give her name. "So what are you doing here?" He glances back out at the park.

The woman turns toward him. "Watching the children." Her hazel eyes look dull, compared to her glowing complexion.

Jack nods. "I do that sometimes too. My friends are coming, would you like to join us?" Jack speaks as Fraiser's vehicle pulls into the parking lot.

The woman shakes her head, her eyes sad. "Thanks, but no thanks." She stands up.

Jack stands up too. "How often do you come here?" He asks want to say more but not sure.

The woman shrugs. "I don't know. I need to go. It was nice meeting you, Jack." She turns and walks away with out giving him a second glance.

Jack watches her for a moment then realizes he didn't get her name. Jack jogs after her. "Hey wait!"

The woman turns around, her hair still turning in the wind. "Yes?" Her voice is light.

Jack thinks to himself how soft she is. "I didn't catch your name."

The woman sighs lightly. "I'm Maria."

Jack grins. "Maria, that's beautiful." Jack's voice is full of awe.

Maria laughs. "I didn't choose it." She sounds almost disappointed. "It was given to me, by my mother. Anyway I should go."

Jack doesn't want her to go. "Please stay, and meet my friends." He reaches out to touch her but changes his mind.

Maria shakes her head. "I need to go, but really thank you for the offer."

Jack frowns. She's leaving anyway. "Alright, maybe I'll see you again."

Maria shrugs. "Maybe." She walks off toward the far end of the park.

Jack stares after, and then turns around. Cassie comes running toward him. "Jack!"

Jack grins at her, and scoops her up into a hug. "Hey, kid what's up?"

Cassie grins, her long hair free down her back. "Nothing, who was that Jack?"

Jack looks at the little girl. "That was Maria."

Cassie nods. "Daniel's helping Mom with the picnic basket." She holds on to him.

Jack sets her down and smiles. "So, where is Carter and Teal'c?"

Cassie wrinkles her nose. "Sam said she needed to do something real fast at the base."

Jack sighs. Given the opportunity Carter would live at the base. "Well, then lets go see what kind of goodies your mom brought."

Cassandra looks at Jack kinda funny. "Are you forgetting the fact that Mom packed it too?"

Jack laughs, sitting her down. "It's not all bad! I just hope she didn't bring any needles with her." Cassandra rolls her eyes and runs off again.

Daniel walks next to Janet Fraiser, carrying a large picnic basket. Cassandra runs up to him. "Hey Daniel, did you know Jack has a girl friend?"

Daniel hears Cassandra and about drops the basket. "Um, no. How do you know?" He grips the basket tighter and looks over at the doctor.

Cassie grins noticing her mother's menacing stare. "I saw her with him. She was really pretty."

Daniel raises his eyebrows with interest. "Really? So is she joining us?" Jack has a girlfriend. This was new.

Fraiser looks at Cassie. Cassie grins back. "I don't think so."

Fraiser looks up at the Colonel walking toward them then back at Cassie. "I don't think we're suppose to know. You shouldn't say anything okay?"

Cassie nods. "Okay Mom, Can I go swing?"

Fraiser nods. Cassie runs off. Daniel looks at Fraiser. "You really think he has a girlfriend?"

Fraiser shrugs. He wouldn't tell her. "I don't know why don't you ask him later, when Cassie isn't around."

Daniel nods. "I think I will." Daniel smiles, thinking to himself.

Daniel sits with Jack, Sam, and Teal'c at a table in the commissary, Monday morning. Sipping his coffee he looks up at Jack. "So Jack, do you have a girlfriend."

Sam spits out her coffee. Jack drops his spoon and looks at Daniel. Teal'c raises his left eyebrow. Jack in shock looks at Daniel. "What kind of question is that?" He asks in a sarcastic tone.

Daniel looks a Jack and grins. "Obviously a perfectly valid one."

"No I don't have a girlfriend." Jack takes the defensive. Where in the world did Daniel get that idea? "Who the hell gave you that idea!"

Daniel blushes with a slight embarrassment. Jack's defensive tone is interesting. "Cassie."

Jack looks shocked; his mouth makes a round O. "She saw me with Maria on Saturday."

Sam is now completely interested in her CO's love life. She looks surprised. "Why didn't she stay and have lunch with us?"

Teal'c looks at Jack. "O'Neill, you have never discussed Maria before."

Jack sighs. "Honestly it's not what you all think. I had just met her, and I did ask her to stay but she had to go." He looks worried and concerned.

Daniel notices his friend's concern. "Oh, did you get her number?"

Jack shakes his head. She was reluctant to give her name how the hell was he suppose to get her number. "No, I almost didn't get her name."

Daniel's eyes widen. "You're kidding?" That was bad, he had problems getting her name.

Carter looks at him surprised. "Sir you didn't insult her did you?"

Jack shakes his head. "No Carter, she looked I don't know…"

Daniel sighs. "So are you going to see her again?"

Jack shrugs. "I want to."

Teal'c looks at Jack. "O'Neill perhaps you need a new approach?" He is unfamiliar with Earth Dating rituals.

Daniel and Sam laugh. Jack scowls. "Honestly I didn't say anything to insult her. I know how to handle beautiful women."

Sam raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?" She teases him.

Jack sits in his truck, wondering if he's missed her. For five days he has driven to the park to see if she came. Today is Saturday; it had been a week since he first saw her. Jack lifts his binoculars. Scanning the area closely he spots her walking toward the bench. Tossing the binoculars to the passenger's seat, Jack opens the door and hops out of his truck. Jack walks toward her not wanting to seem desperate. Jack walks to the bench and sits down next to Maria. "I hope this seat still isn't taken."

Maria sits on the bench her shoulder's down, her posture rings of grief. "No, it's not." She answers turning back toward the swings.

Jack smiles and relaxes. His eyes shift from Maria to the children she's watching. "So, it's nice to see you again." Maria shrugs, but doesn't answer. Jack frowns. "I was hoping you would go to dinner with me tonight." It couldn't hurt to come right out and ask.

Maria turns to face him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Dinner, thanks I'm not interested." He's asking her to dinner. She hasn't been on a date ever. What does he want?

That is not answer he wants. "Okay, lunch. Tomorrow say around 1 o'clock." Jack isn't going to give up.

Maria shakes her head. This guy just didn't get that she wasn't interested. "Sorry, I have to work tomorrow."

Jack frowns. "Alright, next Saturday for breakfast, there is an I-hop not far from here."

Maria sighs; he wasn't going to give up. "Okay." Maria reaches into her purse and pulls out a pen and paper. She writes her name and phone number on it.

Jack smiles, finally he was getting somewhere. "So Maria what do you do?"

Maria smiles, most people weren't interested in her job. "I work at the museum in Denver." Maria slips the pen back into her purse.

O'Neill's eyes glaze over, she was a scientist. Damn it. "Oh!" Maybe not she could be a secretary.

Maria sighs with disappointment. "Yeah, what do you do?" Maria hands him the paper

Jack grins at the question. "I'm in the Air Force." O'Neill takes the paper from her.

Maria smiles. "Wow, do you fly?"

Jack nods. "Just not as often as I'd like." Answer, he couldn't tell her what he really does.

Maria nods. "I understand that, so do you work at Peterson or what?"

Jack shakes his head. "No, I'm stationed at Cheyenne Mountain."

Maria gives him a look of deep sympathy. "How boring, Stuck in the mountain day after day. I'd go crazy. That's why I come here, just to get out of the museum for a few hours of fresh air."

Jack grins. At least she isn't a workaholic. "Oh, it's not that bad. I'm not stuck in the mountain like that. I do other things out doors."

Maria makes a round O with her mouth. "That's good. I don't like being the museum every day but I enjoy my job."

O'Neill nods. "That's great." Thank goodness she didn't go into the specifics of her job.

Maria nods, not much else to say. "So Air Force, what rank are you?"

Jack grins with pride. "I'm a Colonel."

Maria's eyes widen with surprise. "Wow, you must be good at what you do."

Jack nods. "I do okay."

Maria smiles. "So do I, most people think it's boring."

Jack nods. "I do, but my friend Daniel, He would find it utterly fascinating I'm sure."

Maria raises her eyebrow. "Really? Someone in the Air Force that likes Art? Wow!"

Jack shakes his head. "Oh Daniel isn't in the Air Force he just works for us. He's works as a linguist for us. He's also an anthropologist."

Maria looks at him surprised. "Wow, that's fascinating. I'd love to meet him."

Jack frowns. What was it that women found so interesting about Daniel? "Maybe you will. So what do you do for fun?"

Maria smiles. "Walk in the park. I volunteer at the children's hospital during the week."

Jack grins, she likes children. That was a good sign. "Really, that must be fun and difficult."

Maria shrugs. "The smile on their faces, when I'm finished is enough, although I lost one of my favorites last month. It was rough for me." Her tone is again sad.

Jack nods and moves closer to her in a more serious posture. "I know. I lost my son a few years ago." He understands how she feels.

Maria turns to him the grief on her face. "Oh, God."

Jack looks at her and tries to smiles. "It was tough."

Maria nods. "Nancy had so much talent. I…" Tears form in her eyes.

Jack on a whim pulls her into his arms and holds her while she cries. "I know. God I know."

Maria cries on him for a few minutes and pulls away. Her face slightly flushed. "Thank you. It felt good to cry."

Jack nods, smiling. "I bet. So..?"

Maria smiles, he was nice she had to hand it to him for that. She looks at her watch. "Oh my god I'm going to be late. I'm Sorry Jack. I have to go." Maria jumps up. She cried in his arms. WHY?

Jack nods and stands. "Alright, I'll call you on Friday to make plans."

Maria nods. "Alright." She runs off.

Jack wears a happy grin on his face, throughout the briefing. Hammond gets up and leaves. Daniel looks at Jack. "Okay, so did you talk to Maria?"

Jack nods grinning. "Yes!"

Carter grins, standing up. "So what's she like sir?"

O'Neill smiles. "She's quiet and likes kids. I think she smart too."

Teal'c and Jack stand up. Teal'c looks at Jack. "Did you acquire her phone number this time O'Neill?"

Jack nods and turns to Teal'c. "Teal'c, did you honestly believe that I wouldn't?"

Teal'c tilts his head. "I had my doubts O'Neill."

Daniel laughs, standing up and grabbing his coffee. "So what did you talk about?"

Jack smiles, and keeps her loss private. "Our jobs and you."

Carter looks at O'Neill. "You talked about us sir?"

Jack shakes his head. "No we talked about Daniel briefly. She wants to meet you."

Daniel rolls his eyes. "Jack, you find a girl. And you talk about me? That's … That's…"

Carter looks at Daniel then Jack. "Not the way to get a date sir. You're supposed to talk about yourself."

Jack rolls his eyes. "Seriously Carter I know how to get a date. We're having breakfast on Saturday."

Daniel smiles. "That's great Jack. Where are you taking her?"

"IHOP, it's breakfast after all." Jack grins.

Carter shakes her head. IHOP isn't very romantic. "Sir, do you really think that's the way to go?"

Teal'c raises his eyebrow. Jack turns to Sam. "Carter, please have faith in me!"

Daniel laughs. "You know she's right. You could have invited her over to your place at least."

Jack scowls deeply. "Really, Daniel why don't you just come watch me!" Jack shouts walking away frustrated.