Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, MGM does, Just wish I did.
AN Because it took me so long to update last time, here is a special treat. It's not really Sam/Jack centric so I'm sorry about that. next chapter willl be better.
On his way to Col. Sheppard's office, Jack was thinking about the evening to come. He had a lot planned and still needed to figure out how to explain everything. He could only hope that she would agree with everything but he wasn't sure if she would. Jack reorganized his thoughts as he entered Col. Sheppard's office. The office was empty. Jack walked towards the desk to see if there was any indication there as to where the colonel was. He didn't have to look long because he heard Col. Sheppard approaching his office while talking to someone.
"I all most got you this time." John said.
"You are getting better, I can see that you practice a lot with Ronon" Teyla answered.
"Yeah well. All those times I hit the floor while practicing will be worth it if I can beat you." Sheppard said. "Without the influence of a bug." He added quietly.
He still felt guilty about all his acts while under the influence of that damn thing. It might have made Teyla and him closer and she had told him multiple times that it was okay, it still didn't feel completely right. They reached the door leading to his office and halted.
"Ehm, Teyla, I know it's kind of late to ask, but I was wondering if you had someone to go with to the party?" John asked.
"No. I think I will just go and meet up with people there." Teyla said.
"Well maybe..." Sheppard started, unsure if she would say yes. "We could go together and I could just swing by and pick you up?"
"That would be fine" Teyla said with a shy smile around her lips. "I will contact you as to what time you can pick me up." She added.
Sheppard face turned into a huge grin. "Okay, talk to you soon." He turned around and walked into his office and he found General O'Neill standing behind his desk. Sheppard tried to get the grin of his face to regain some composure.
Jack saw Sheppard's grin fading away and said: "Sheppard keep that face up, you've saved this damn city enough times to deserve to smile when you get your girl." Jack said.
"Thank you, Sir." Sheppard said.
"And besides, your response is way better than dr. McKay's is when he gets his girl. He just stares into space and forgets what's around him. I had to yell his name twice before he even responded." Jack said with a grin on his face.
"Wow, Rodney got the guts to ask Jennifer out?" Sheppard said surprised. "I was already wondering if he could build up the nerves in time."
"Well it was in time but next time he should build up some more so he doesn't go on rambling about nothing." Jack said. "But Colonel tonight at the party we will have the time to laugh a bit more about McKay. But back to business now."
"It's about the problems between the civilian and military personnel, right?" Sheppard asked.
"Yeah, I already talked to doctors Keller and McKay. So I know the story from the civilian point of view but how about the military personnel. How are they dealing with it?"
"Well my: 'fine and above average' answer isn't going to help with this right?" Sheppard asked thinking about the evaluation papers that the General must have seen.
"No, for me it's fine. But the president wouldn't be too happy with the answer" Jack responded.
"You're right Sir. Have a seat." He said pointing at chair in front of his desk and he sat down himself to open the military personnel files on his computer.
"Well Sir, we've got some old rookies from the SGC and they are all fine. Used to working with civilian scientists and used to not telling their families what they do here. They are fine, of course not counting the occasional bad day. The youngkies are also fine they're adapting quickly, don't have that much family at home and usually have their spouses here in Atlantis." Sheppard said.
Jack nodded and said with a sigh. "So the problem lies with the people with the young families back home, right?
"Yes and no, it's part of the problem Sir. But there are also the ones that have great records and have succeeded the most dangerous assignments but they are just not used to having to listen to a scientist. Or protecting a group of botanists on a planet. Then when the Wraith show up they have to risk their lives because the scientist doesn't want to leave their precious plant behind."
"I get that, used to have that problem with Daniel. Got used to it but sometimes it could still irritate the hell out of me." Jack said.
"Yeah and then add that up to the little kids they have back home. Those kids almost lost there mom or dad because of a plant." Sheppard said.
"I mean they are good men and the stay professional in the field. They would never leave one of us behind whether it's a civilian scientist or a military officer. But when they get back here, where the immediate threat is gone. Well the reality hits them and then sometimes things get out of hand.
"Right, I get that, what do you do about it?" Jack questioned.
"I try to arrange a private phone/camera link with their families during the monthly check in with the SGC. But it usually takes too long to set up. And furthermore the check in usually lasts only about 20 minutes and I can only establish one private link. So if three officers like to speak that gives them only 6 minutes and 40 seconds each, minus the time it costs to dial another number." Sheppard said.
"That's not a lot of time. Would it help if I set up three extra private lines?" Jack asked, hoping that while of course he already made his biggest improvement on his own personal level, maybe he could help improve the city by improving the life of the personnel.
"That would be great Sir, that would mean we have two lines for the military personnel and two for the civilians staff. I could even set up a schedule for everyone." Sheppard said hoping that it would indeed get a lot of the pressure off his personnel and consequently lift their spirits.
"I'll see what I can set up and try to talk to the president because intergalactic phone calls aren't really cheap." Feeling a bit guilty that he told Sam that he was only a phone call away and he was but just because he had security clearance and most of the families of the Atlantis personnel not they shouldn't be any further away that he was. A phone call. "I'll do my out most best for your staff."
"Thanks Sir, that's all we can ask." Sheppard said.
"Are there any of the military personnel that just doesn't fit in?" Jack asked. Sheppard opened the files of some people from whom he knew that they would love to be reassigned to the SGC.