Chapter 5

Patty was relaxed.
Perhaps it was the alcohol that was warming her from the inside, perhaps it was knowing that at least John's uncle was on their side, perhaps it was just the fact that somebody else picked up her shattered existence and brought order in this chaos.
Whatever the reason she felt better.
She was in a nice home nobody would find her in and could touch John all she wanted away from prying eyes.
Not that John was here at the moment.
After they finished off the pizza John and Jack had gone to the kitchen to clean up.
Clean Up.
They didn't need the time to put away the paper boxes, they were talking.
And she had the feeling that Uncle Jack would want to talk to her after that.
With that idea in mind and the knowledge that she was still totally relaxed she knew she had to blame the alcohol.
Not so much as to be drunk but this friendly buzz you got before your head felt like it was wrapped in cotton.
It was perfect.
And it warned her that one Irish coffee made by Jack O'Neill was her limit if she wanted to be able to interact intelligently with others.
When only Jack came back she fought a moment of panic. He wouldn't have said something to John about to make him change his mind and him leaving her…
Don't panic, Patty, give the man a chance to say something before you freak out on him.
How do you address people in this situation. John only called him Jack but under the circumstances it was perhaps better to call him Mr O'Neill. No, he was military. You called military by rank.
She didn't think she even knew the correct rank. OK, Mr O'Neill, it was better to be too formal in her case.


Review Answer to Annie: Of course I'm well aware that this is a crime in real life. After I had the idea to the plot naturally I researched the matter more.
While the Age of consent is 17 in Colorado with Close of Age exeptions for 15 or 16 year olds that would normally fit, this doesn't work because she is his teacher and therefore the age of consent is not relevant.
What makes it a lot more complicated is the fact that John is an emancipated minor. From what I read as an emancipated minor in Colorado you are in the category of the Age of Majority, but I don't know it that covers everything. If it does, it wouldn't be statutary rape but sex between two (legal) adults. For the sake of the story I decided after researching the question that he would be considered a legal adult. She would be considered highly unethical and no High School would take her anymore because of the potential reactions of parents, but she would not be a sex offender.

General AN: The question is still open what she can do with her qualifications. Somebody give me ideas, I'm wading through a complete foreign educational system here!