If You Like by Sesa Woruban
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This has sat on my hard drive for a loooong time. I was just gonna leave it but I kinda like it. Okay, so it offers nothing new to an already saturated fandom but if it brings a smile to your face or a little squee, my job here is done. And thanks to Seldear for the title.
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"Sir, wait up."
Jack turned to see his former 2IC jogging up the corridor to meet him.
"You know, you can drop the 'Sir' now if you like."
"Yes, sir."
He rolled his eyes and gave her a look that instantly got that grin he was going to miss.
"Uh, yeah, sorry."
He noticed that she still hadn't managed to actually say his name but decided not to call her on it. "So, what are you up to for the next few weeks? I understand that *your* team has been given a month's downtime while you find a fourth member. I can't believe that even *you* can study your doohickeys for *that* long."
"No, actually, I was thinking of taking off up towards Nevada, just me, my bike and the open road."
Even as she was saying it, he could see the way her body relaxed at the thought.
"Very Pirsig."
"Sir?"
God, he wished she'd stop doing that, although he wasn't sure if he could handle her saying 'Jack' either. Bob, yeah, Bob was a good name.
"Robert Pirsig? Zen and the Art of Motorcycle-whatsit? It's about a guy travelling across America on his bike... and some other stuff."
"Oh... right..."
The confused look she was giving him was priceless and he was tempted to turn around and see if one of the security cameras was capturing it. Then he'd have to go swipe a copy before he left.
Unable to resist playing her, he nudged onwards, "What? You don't think I'm the book-reading type?"
"No, it's not that... I haven't read it myself... well, not yet."
He wasn't sure what she meant by 'not yet'. He couldn't believe she was still trying to convince him of her intelligence after the years they'd spent together.
"Well, I'd recommend it. I've got a copy somewhere that I can lend you."
He pondered where he would have kept it, the last time he'd read it was at his cabin, it was probably still there, he thought absently. Hmm - that might be a bit far for her to come for a book-loan but still... his mind started wandering and was broken when he realized she'd just asked him a question.
"Er - sorry, what was that? Long way away for a moment there." - literally.
"Oh, I was just wondering what you were planning to do now that you've retired?"
He couldn't help thinking that, from the reddish tinge in her cheeks, the first question had been less innocent-sounding. A small smile spread across his face as he remembered what he'd done the last time he'd 'retired'. His gaze involuntarily slipped to her lips as the memory surfaced.
"Well, I've got a few ideas. Most of them involve a little cabin in Minnesota."
His smile upgraded itself to a wide grin as he imagined what he'd do with more than a few seconds of retirement, a warm cabin and a certain blonde. He dared to catch her eye and was exhilarated and terrified to find her eyes looking firmly back at him with an evil twinkle in them.
"Well, Minnesota's on the way to Nevada, so I could always come by and find out just how big those fish are."
He opened his mouth to tell her that Minnesota was *not* on the way to Nevada and to express amazement at her obvious lack of geographical know-how when he realized what she'd said and promptly closed it again.
Had she just invited herself fishing with him? He glanced up and one look confirmed it. Damn! and... Excellent!
"Well, Carter, that'd be just... great." He shoved his hands in his pockets to stop them from launching at her.
Obviously deciding that this was all that needed to be said, she turned and walk away.
After a moment, he pivoted and started to walk as well. He was too flustered to ask her how she'd know where to go or what, if anything, she meant and if he was just some old fool day-dreaming himself into believing that she'd be interested in a graying retired colonel…
As he approached the elevator, he heard her call from further down the hall. Without needing to turn around he could see the image of her smile in his mind and hear it in the words she spoke.
"And, you know, you can call me Sam if you like... Jack."
~FINIS~
