Chapter 13: Demons Tag- sort of

A/N: This is one of my least favorite episodes but I wanted a spacer, and Jack needed to try and spread his dating wings. And season three is juicy.

Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.

Xoxo

Jack nursed his second beer, waiting for his date. He couldn't believe he had agreed to this. He'd agreed to it before going on their last mission, and now he deeply regretted it. He sighed and knocked the rest of his beer back and waved the barman over.

"Just a Sprite for right now, please," Jack gave the man his order. The man nodded and moments later brought him an iced soda. Jack nodded his thanks and quickly drank it down. Well, if this all went terribly, he could at least escape to the restroom pretty quickly. He started fiddling with some of the nuts in the dish nearby, idly wondering how many hands had touched these. He bet that Carter could tell him how many germs were in a bar snack dish. He shook his head but began snapping some of the peanuts between his fingers anyway. Hell, he was surprised that they hadn't brought more diseases from their travels around the galaxy.

Jack checked his watch, wanting to just go home. She seemed to be several minutes late now. Bordering on quite late, actually. Had he been stood up? He frowned, he didn't think he'd ever been stood up before. Jack sighed and had just pulled out his wallet to pay when a blonde rushed through the door, looking slightly frazzled. She gazed frantically around the room and broke into a grin upon seeing him.

"Hi!" she rushed over to him, eyes a little too wide. "You must be Jack, right? I'm Lindsey. I'm so sorry! I got lost on the way here and Cynthia wasn't answering her phone and I had to stop at a gas station but still didn't quite understand so I had to stop again- anyway, I'm here! Cynthia showed me your photo, you are even more handsome in person."

Jack blinked at the rush of information.

"Yes," Jack replied, slowly. This most recent mission had been garbage. He could at least try and have fun. "Yeah, I'm Jack. Should we grab a table, or is the bar fine...?"

"Bar's fine!" she nearly exclaimed. Lindsey brushed her hair back from her face and smiled, looking slightly less crazed now. Her enthusiasm took him a little by surprise but he gestured toward the seat beside his and sat back down. Her long, blonde hair felt past her shoulders and had a windblown look about it.

"So, uh, Lindsey," Jack said, fishing in his brain, trying to remember how dates worked. "How do you know Cynthia?"

"Oh! She's actually my sister-in-law!" Lindsey said brightly, straightening out her clothes as she sat down on the bar chair. Jack smiled a little at that. "And, of course, I know you're her neighbor! I've actually seen you a few times, usually you seem to be running off somewhere. Cynthia says you always seem to be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Ha, that Cynthia," Jack said with a slightly forced laugh. If only they all knew how true it was. Weight of the galaxy was closer to the truth most days.

"So what do you do for work, Jack?" Lindsey rushed on, waving over the barman. The heavily tattooed man came over and smiled brightly at Lindsey. Jack frowned a little. The man hadn't smiled at him like that. "Margarita on the rocks please." She directed this at Tattoos, then directed her smile on Jack.

"I, uh, work in Cheyenne Mountain with Deep Space Radar Telemetry," Jack explained, wishing that someone could think up a better cover story. Lindsey's eyes grew wide and she spared a quick, "thanks," to the barman. Turning back to him she took a sip of her drink and watched him expectantly. He paused, at a loss.

"So... what exactly does that mean?" she asked, gesturing for him to continue. Jack coughed; he knew some science words, but would die before he let Carter and Daniel know that.

"Mostly that my team analyzes stuff that they record on these big... telescopes from outer space," Jack answered, gesturing toward space. "There's some kind of observatory and it's linked with the satellites we have... out... there. Mostly, I'm just there to babysit; I'm close to retirement. Saw a lot of combat in my earlier years. But enough about me. What about you, Lindsey?"

"Oh, you may have seen some of my work!" she exclaimed. Did this woman ever not exclaim? "I'm a field reporter for channel 12! It's the third largest news channel in the region!"

Wow. Clearly she had never covered a serious topic. Jack nearly frowned before getting control of his face. Instead he smiled politely as she took another drink. "I'm afraid I don't have much time for the news," he informed her. "I work some really bizarre hours up in the mountain. Sometimes we... coordinate with scientists in other countries so we are sometimes gone for days. Cynthia is actually the reason that half my flowers are still alive. Well, I should say her son, Josh. He weeds and waters stuff for me. They keep an eye on things if I have to duck out for important meetings. Sometimes we have to travel to far flung middle-of-nowhere places too. Those usually get the best reception for our big, honking telescopes and whatnot."

She giggled. It was a weird sort of snorting giggle and Jack couldn't help but chuckle too. Okay, this wasn't terrible. They talked for awhile longer, laughing and running up Jack's bar tab. He didn't mind. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this himself.

"Oh!" Lindsey exclaimed. "You know, I was curious. I saw you a few weeks ago with a young girl while I was visiting Cynthia. I've been curious- is she related to you?"

Sadness overwhelmed him for a moment at the thought of Marrin. But she had looked happy when they had gone back to visit, bring old-fashioned learning, and not to mention, fun to the other children of her planet. He'd narrowly escaped a court martial over that. Marrin had convinced the brass that Jack hadn't kidnapped her. She had wanted to go see how Earth children lived.

"Jack?" Lindsey prompted, watching him expectantly and Jack realized he hadn't answered yet.

"Ah, she's the daughter of a... Coworker," Jack explained hastily, and waved Tattoos over for a soda now. Hey, he did need to drive home, after all. "Or rather, a trade partner, is more accurate. She'd never been to America before and wanted to see how children here spent their days. And I love kids, and since I didn't need to be there for the science portions of negotiations, I offered to show her around."

"Oh?" asked Lindsey, curiosity obviously piqued. "Where is she from?"

"Ah, they're from a tiny little Scandanavian country, up in the mountains," Jack explained hastily. Shit. "Great skiing there, even in the summertime. But what about you Cynthia? Do you like kids?"

"Oh, sure!" she said brightly. "I think they're just fine! I have a whole life plan. I'd like to be married before forty, and then probably adopt a few kids! I think adoption is beautiful! But I am especially focused on my career right now. I'm up for a promotional move to Denver at work!"

Well, she certainly was focused on her career. That was great. But Denver? Jack could never leave the SGC and the interplanetary war behind, he knew that. Hell, they'd pulled him out of retirement twice already. Worse, he wouldn't let himself leave it behind. He felt a sense of obligation, he and Daniel being the ones who'd dragged their collective asses into this mess in the first place. The reason the Goa'ould knew that Earth had flourished in their absence was because of him. Jack sat, slightly stunned for a moment as Lindsey continued speaking. He couldn't focus.

"- but how do you feel about that?" she finished. Jack blinked, realizing he'd been gazing vaguely at her.

"I'm sorry," he said, an apologetic grin on his face. "Could you repeat the question? I'm afraid I didn't follow."

She had an odd look on her face which Jack couldn't place, but replied, "The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy?"

"Oh, it's never bothered me," Jack replied. "I don't care who you love, as long as you've got my six on a mission, that's all that matters. So, I'm not sure about the policy. But at least they aren't openly kicking out gay people anymore."

Her gaze sharpened, and Jack remembered he was talking to a reporter. Was the exclaiming and bubbliness all an act? Suddenly uncomfortable, Jack coughed.

"And how do you feel about it, Lindsey?" he prompted, glancing at the clock over the back of the bar. 2345. He had a briefing at 0830 the next morning with a new SGC training class. The general had asked SG1 to spend the week reviewing a number of aspects of SG team life. He'd specifically asked Jack to review the importance of a good science officer and a good all-around nerd, aka, why these military men and women of action needed to put up with their Carters and Daniels. It was sure to be... interesting.

"Oh, I think it's awful!" she exclaimed. "But I agree with your sentiment that it shouldn't matter who people love. Have you seen any violence toward gay service members in your time serving?" She was... Fishing. Working a story. Damn. He wondered if she'd ever actually had any interest in him in the slightest.

"Listen, Lindsey," Jack said slowly, "This has been lovely. But I'm afraid I really need to get going. I have an early morning meeting tomorrow. But, hey, call me next time you're in town."

Jack hastily withdrew three twenties and a ten from his wallet, for the tip, and waved the money to catch the barman's eyes. Tattoos smiled politely and nodded and Jack tucked the bills under the edge of his glass of half-finished coke.

"Oh, no," she said, looking shocked, "I've upset you! I'm so sorry! I- please, stay! I'll buy next round."

"I'm sorry, I really do need to go," Jack said, not really feeling apologetic. He pulled on his leather jacket and nearly ran out the door before Lindsey could get herself together. He hopped in his truck, beating himself up mentally. Of course he should have been more cautious with a reporter. Damn. He'd have to tell Hammond first thing. Perhaps it was safest if he went back to hiding behind his unrequited Carter crush.