Jack followed the exiting form of the woman he still looked upon as his 2IC; Though his promotion had shifted him from that cpacity of their relationship. He brought his eyes back to the folders piled on his desk with a sigh and placed the pen atop the one open before him. Leaning back on his chair, with a mumbled 'For cyring out loud' at the event which had just taken place, he pulled open the top drawer and pulled out the thin lone folder from the mess inside the drawer and dropped it on his desk.

The powers above him, had insisted he make some official recognition of the absent Daniel and Jack had complied with the lone piece of A4 sitting inside the folder, standing his ground by writing a report and stating Daniel MIA. This was something he had only stated officially via the report and refused to be drew any further into the matter. Outside his office he barely acknowledged Daniel as MIA, personally he was treating it as Daniel being away on a vacation.

He knew Carter in some way got where he was coming from, as did Teal'c and the few meager few who knew how his mind worked. He knew it could be seen in a bad light, that he was letting it get to him, that it had become personal, too hell with it, Daniel was his best friend, it was personal and he refused to let the fears that he wouldn't be coming back this time, see any light. And if he had his way, then Carter, Teal'c and those other few who really cared about Daniel, think anything other than Daniel was out of sight, not out of mind and certainly would be returning. Jack was a believer in gleaning from past experience, and Daniel had an uncanny knack of showing up just as the memorial service had gone ahead, people had swapped the favourite stories of the fallen comrade and packed up his life into boxes.

Jack tapped his fingers atop of the folder and looked over at the far door once more, with a slight glimmer of hope that Daniel would waltz in and nothing of the past few weeks had happened. The shrill ring of the telephone brought him back down to earth.

"O'Neill"

"Hey, I forget to say, are we still on for tonight?"

Jack let a small smile alight his lips and he sat back once more, bringing the folder with him with a stubborn look.

"As long as nothing comes up of course" he replied, opening the top desk drawer and slipping the file back in.

"I look forward it" said Kerry "Your place at seven? I'll bring the food"

"I've got stuff in" replied Jack, swirling slightly on his chair

"Yeah, I've seen you fridge Jack" came the light response

"Seven it is...see you then"

"If not sooner"

"I live in hope"

Jack placed the receiver down when the soft click replied to him and picked up the pen, and tried to put his thoughts to his work and the evening ahead.