"So then I said to Karen, well of course he doesn't treat you right..."
Jack nodded appreciatively, then sipped on his Viennese Cinnamon Roast. He just loved coffee time with Daniel and Teal'c.
"...and then she started talking about leaving him again," Daniel finished with a roll of his eyes.
"She would merely return to him as she has done so many times in the past, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, blowing on his own steaming mug.
Jack nodded again. "Of course she will."
"Hey guys!" A familiarly chipper voice made the three of them turn towards the door.
"Jonas you old so-and-so! How's it hanging?" Jack smiled.
"Free and easy, Colonel."
"That's what I like to hear!" Jack took a sip and then leaned back in his chair. "So Jonas, why are you here?"
"Cheap plot device?"
Ah. CPD. Something Jack was intimately familiar with. He winced at the thought of his "other self" and what the hell he was doing at that moment. Or who. He shuddered.
Jonas continued. "So I just need you to say something pirate-y...oh! What the hell?! Daniel! What'd you do to my fish?!"
All eyes in the room turned to the tank containing six plastic floating fish, which were slightly bobbing from the motion caused by the bubbler.
Daniel cringed. "Um, what are you talking about?"
"Miffy! Biffy! Snu-snu! Artemeaus! Fluffy! Jack!" Jonas wailed.
Jack frowned. "You named the fish Jack?"
Daniel walked over and put a hand on Jonas' shoulder. "Jonas, the truth is...the truth is I took them home to live with my other fish. Yeah."
"Really?" he asked hopefully.
Jack winced, remembering the mass flushing they did one day after coming back from an especially long mission. Although he might have thought about tearing up if he had known that one of them was named Jack.
"Oh yeah. There's lots of room to romp and play there," Daniel smiled.
"That's really great they're sharing a place." Jonas grinned broadly. "You know...I wouldn't mind sharing a place."
"Wouldn't we all." Daniel patted his shoulder.
"Hear that sharing a place is the way to go." Jonas looked hopefully at Daniel.
"I've heard that too."
"Always nice to go halfsies on the rent. Split the cable bill."
"Sounds like paradise."
"I'm just sayin'."
"Yes you are."
"Suppose I have to go back to war-torn, backwards Kelowna now, huh?"
"I suppose."
"Well, if you're ever looking for a roomm..."
"I'll let you know."
"Oh! I almost forgot! The weak reason I'm here! Colonel, I need you to say something piratey." He turned to Jack and pulled a mini tape recorder out of his pocket.
Oh thank God! Jonas *hadn't* been happy to see them!
"You have tape recorders on your world, Jonas Quinn?" Teal'c gazed at the young man most stoically.
"If you ask no follow-up questions...yes."
Jack smiled. Thank the merciful heavens for CPDs! Okay, something piratey... "Avast? Savvy? Snog Carter?"
Whoops.
"Uh, forget I said that last one."
"How about 'arrrrr!'?" Jonas asked, his arm outstretched with the tape recorder.
Jack cleared his throat. "ARRRRRR!"
Jonas punched the stop button. "Thanks! That's what I needed."
He looked around.
"Guess I'll go now."
Over in the next lab, alien crickets chirped in an open specimen jar.
He slowly walked to the door. "Okay then. I'm going."
A random scientist fed the alien crickets to an alien frog.
"Out the door. Through the gate."
"See ya." Jack took another sip of coffee.
"Just dial me up any time. Day or night. Really. My bag's already packed."
"Got it, Jonas," Daniel smiled.
"Okay, bye," Jonas said, finally leaving the room.
Daniel turned back towards the two. "So where were we?"
Teal'c tilted his head. "Karen's boyfriend is a dick."
-Fin-
