Disclaimer - MGM/Gekko/Double Secret own them.
Sesa read Reading Material and wanted it remedied. So here it is. Vague spoilers for 'Ascension' and 'Metamorphosis', but nothing big. Feedback would be appreciated.
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There were many things Jonas had come to anticipate since coming to Earth and joining SG-1; Colonel O'Neill's sarcasm, Major Carter's rare but wicked sense of humour, Teal'c's knowledge of all things science fiction related...
But not the fact that, as he passed General Hammond's office, Colonel O' Neill would be standing outside it with his back against the door.
"Colonel?"
He didn't respond. He didn't look as if he were even capable of responding. Had it not been for the complete lack of obvious physical injury, Jonas would have assumed he'd been hit by a staff weapon blast due to the complete expression of shock on his face.
And then he did respond, still not looking at him. "I..."
Jonas was seriously beginning to get worried. Maybe he should contact Dr Fraiser...or Lieutenant Rush. "Colonel, are you all right?" Yes, getting to the Colonel to the infirmary so Lieutenant Rush could take a look at him was a very good idea. "Maybe we should-"
He seemed to be staring at something that didn't exist, approximately four feet up on the opposite wall. "I...I did it."
"Did what?"
Finally he lifted his head and though the Colonel was looking in his direction, Jonas felt he was actually look right through him. "Resigned,"
Now it was his turn to feel shocked. "*Resigned*? Why?" It was his understanding that the Colonel loved his job - even though he never let it openly be known that he loved anything.
There was, of course, that 'situation' with Sam, but as far as he knew neither one of them thought it important enough to give up their work. Maybe he'd been wrong...
"I don't know,"
"We only got back from a mission four hours ago. Did anything happen between then and now?" It had to be something pretty big; the Colonel had shown no signs of being dissatisfied.
Back to staring at the wall again. "No. We had our post mission check up, did the briefing," Jonas knew well about those - he'd been there. "And after getting something to eat in the commissary, alone, I went back to my office to type up the mission report. But instead of doing that, I was suddenly typing, printing, signing, and handing in my letter of resignation to General Hammond." He lifted his right hand up and pointed his thumb to the door behind him, shrugging. "I don't get it!"
"So there was no one thing. No single event that prompted you to resign?"
"That's what I'm saying - I don't get it!" For the first time since Jonas had known him, Colonel O'Neill was utterly lost. Not the fake 'dumb Colonel' act he put on sometimes, but he genuinely didn't know why he'd suddenly resigned.
As was his nature, Jonas tried to understand. "Well...do you wish you hadn' t?"
The confusion mired into a deep frown. "Kinda. This is the best job I've ever had."
A familiar feeling, but it wasn't really a straight answer. Maybe he should try this from a different angle. "Are you happy that you've resigned?"
The frown, incredibly slowly, formed into what might have been a smile - Colonel O'Neill didn't really smile a lot. "Yeah, I am."
Progress! "And why are you happy?"
The faint smile rapidly turned into a grin. "Cart..." The grin vanished just as rapidly, as he stood away from the door and for the first time actually *saw* Jonas. "Uh, look, I've already considered...reasons why I may have done this, but frankly it wasn't something that I...why am I talking about this to *you*?"
Jonas suspected now wouldn't be a particularly good time to smile, though he was finding it incredibly challenging not to. "Well, I *am* the only one around at the moment. Unless you'd care to discuss this with General Hammond..." He nodded towards his office.
"Hmm," He nodded once, slowly, before suddenly speaking. "I'd rather not, thanks. He may not be my boss anymore, but there are still some things..." He went back to not seeing anything again.
"Colonel?"
"He's not my boss anymore." That was a grin. That was *definitely* a grin.
"No, he's not."
"And I may not know why he's not my boss anymore, but the fact remains that he isn't, and that's..." He almost looked in danger of laughing - something Jonas had *never* heard. "...that's damn good."
Jonas couldn't have held back a smile at his obvious happiness even if the chance of surviving death through evil Goa'uld means depended on it. The Colonel had never seemed so...free. "Well...as he's not your boss anymore, doesn't that mean you're not someone else's boss anymore...?"
The head lifted up. His hand touched the side of Jonas' shoulder. "Excuse me, Jonas. I have somewhere important to be."
"You bet, Colonel. Have fun."
The grin hadn't left his face, and it only grew bigger now. "How could I not?"
Then the hand was gone, the Colonel was gone, and Jonas was left alone outside General Hammond's office, smiling.
He felt...good. Life was good. And as soon as he got to the infirmary, it'd be even better.
~FINIS