A/N: Many thinks to Wendy for finding time in her busy life to beta!:-D

Another note, I had said chapter 7 was going to be when clarification happened, well now its chapter 8 because under guidance I was told I should separate this chapter into two. So next chapter will be one more past and then we jump back to the present.

As always read and review, even if it bites a big one, tell me:-D.

"How could I be so stupid?"
Charles, Charlie, Kawalsky said, as he paused before continuing. "Leslie was perfect; we were even talking about marriage. I can't believe I was such an idiot." He finished, taking a sip of his beer. Jack looked up from his beer and just shrugged his shoulders. "You're supposed to be giving me advice!" Jack looked at him confused. "You're married. You know how to talk to women." Charlie said, as he pointed to Jack's left hand where his wedding ring lay.

"Ah, I still don't know why she married me." Jack said, as he took a swig of his beer.

"Come on Jack, you have to know something." Charlie moaned.

"The only think I know is that I am stuck here till Thursday when I would rather be home." Jack stated before turning his attention to the football game on the TV, signifying that it was the end of the conversation. Charlie took his queue and watched the game. They sat in a companionable silence for a long while until Charlie could not take it anymore.

"You really have no advice?" Charlie asked.

He looked up at his buddy for his response but received nothing. "Jack! Jack!" he tried again, snapping his fingers in front of his friends' face.

"Huh, oh yeah. Sorry," Jack said, still looking far off. "What were you saying?" Charlie followed Jack's eyes and saw that a woman had just taken a seat at the other end of the bar. She was gorgeous, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a short jean skirt and a slightly revealing blue top. She did not fit into the crowd at this bar; this bar was more of your hole in the wall joint that smelled of stale cigarettes and beer but sold good wings.

"Jack, you dirty old man." Charlie said, with a chuckle. Jack looked over at him in shock.

"No, it's nothing like that." Jack stated, as he pointed to his wedding band that Charlie had pointed out to him earlier. Jack signaled the bartender over to him. "Put all her drinks on my tab." Jack stated to the man. The bartender looked at Jack with a skeptical expression before deciding that he was alright and nodded his head.

"Jack?" Charlie asked. Jack ran a hand through his hair. "You going to ask her out? I mean..." Charlie continued, stumbling over his words.

"Something bad happened to her recently. I don't know what but I don't want her to do anything she is going to regret later." Jack stated, as he looked at the woman.

"Jack she's dressed like she wants something to happen." Charlie stated, as he looked her over again.

"Charlie, look around you, how many women are in this place?" Jack asked, as he took a sip of his beer. Charlie looked around and noticed there was the one woman at the bar and one more sitting in the back of the bar with a group of men, watching the football game on TV. "If she was looking to pick up a man here she would not have had to dress up that much. She ditched her friends, wanting to spend some time alone to drink her worries away." Jack pointed out, as he looked at the woman again.

"So buying her drinks stops that how?"

"A guy comes up to offer to buy her a drink to get his in, she can decline them by stating its already paid for and send the guy on his way. If she really wants to talk to the guy she will accept the drink regardless." Jack states. "This just gives her an easy out." The bartender had just finished telling the lady that her drinks had been paid for by the man at the end of the bar. The woman looked up toward Jack and Charlie, Jack just raised his beer towards her and then took a sip. The woman looked Jack over for a minute but seemed to understand what Jack was doing.

"Jack logic." Charlie stated simply as he took a drink.

It didn't take long for the first guy to offer to buy the woman a drink. She rejected the guy and continued drinking. A few more men came up and offered to buy her a drink throughout the night but every time she would politely let them go, saying that her drink was already paid for.

As the night wore on Jack could see that the woman was a little more than just tipsy and decided that now was the time to get the bartender to call her a cab. When the cab arrived Jack walked up to the woman. "Your ride is here." Jack stated, offering his arm.

"My friends are here?" She asked, in a drunken slur.

"No, I called you a cab. I don't know how you got here but you are in no state to drive." Jack stated and again offered his arm, which the woman did not take.

She stood up on her own a little unsteadily, but supporting her own weight. Jack understood the need for this woman to walk out of the bar on her own, but he kept a protective eye on her. As she walked through the door of the bar, Jack slipped around her to talk to the cabbie.

"Take her wherever her home is." Jack calmly stated, as he handed him enough money to cover a cab fare for D.C. and the surrounding areas and then some. "Make sure she gets in her door." Jack added, as the woman finally got to the two men. The cabbie opened the door for her and she looked at Jack for a moment before calmly getting into the car. The cabbie closed the door and made his way around the car.

Jack looked down as he heard the window being rolled down. "Why did you do this?" the woman asked.

"I knew you wanted to be alone." Jack replied.

"Then why pay for my drinks?" She asked, curiously.

"I didn't want you to do anything you would regret."

"You speaking from experience?" at Jack's silence she took the answer for what it was. "Thanks." She stated with a bit of a slur. She went to her purse and started pulling out some bills and started to hand it to him.

"Keep it." She looked at him before putting the money back in her purse.

"Can I at least have your name?" She asked, as she put her hand out the window for him to shake.

"Jack." He stated, simply.

"Sam." She said, as she shook his hand. "It's nice to know that not all men are jerks." At hearing that Jack gave a chuckle, he had been right in his assumptions. Jack tapped the top of the cab to signal for the driver to go and he stepped away.

As the cab drove away Jack looked back at the bar and then around him at the busy streets of D.C.. It wasn't home but he knew Thursday was not too far away. Looking up at the stars he decided it was time to head back to the hotel. As he went to go tell Charlie he was going back, he heard a voice; someone yelling as they moved out of the bar.

"It's all your fault."