David Golemon - Primeval

"You never cease to amaze me, Colonel," she said as she recognized the strains of Percy Sledge singing, "When a man loves a woman…"

As Jack pulled her close to him, Sarah didn't care who was present — she placed her head against his chest and allowed Jack to hold her tight. She didn't know what was bothering him, but at that moment she only knew he was holding her and that, she figured, was all there was in the world.

When the song finished, Collins leaned down and kissed Sarah, deeply and with a total disregard for where they were. For her part, Sarah almost collapsed into him. Finally, he released her and they walked back to their table. They didn't notice the stunned gazes of the few Group personnel present as they sat down.

Jack took her hand and squeezed it tight, and then he smiled. "Just small talk. You know Niles isn't the warmest person in the world and he struggles when it comes to anything outside of the auspices of the Group. Personal issues aren't his strong suit."

Sarah looked around her; the others inside The Ark were talking amongst themselves and were not paying them any attention. "What?" she asked trying to remember what they had been talking about before his public proclamation of his love for her.

"You wanted to know what the director wanted to talk about; well, it was just small talk."

"Oh, I forgot I even asked."

Jack winked and smiled as he liked doing the unexpected lately where Sarah was concerned.

"Hey, do you know how much I love you?" she asked, a hint of a smile crossing her features.

Collins tilted his head and looked into Sarah's green eyes.

"Oh, I think I do, Short Stuff." He looked around and then leaned in, squeezing her hand even tighter. "You are the most important thing…" He stopped and closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair and released her hand, and then reached for his beer and downed half of it before he looked back at her. "I'm worried about someone. You don't know her, but she's brought a bit of my past up to me that I really didn't want to face." He tried to smile but it died on his lips.

Sarah looked down at her empty hand where Jack's had been a moment before and then slid it into her lap. As long as she had known him, she had never seen him at such a loss. His eyes, since having returned from the dead, were haunted, and she could see through his actions that he didn't know why.

"Is it… is it another woman?"

Jack saw the hurt in her eyes and immediately reached out for her hand. That look almost killed him as he now knew his words made her think that it was an old lover from his past.

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that."

Sarah started to say something when she noticed a figure walk out of the darkness.

"We have company," she said in a low voice as she quickly swiped a tear away, momentarily relieved by his words.

Jack turned and saw Compton slowly walk up to their table.

"Are you stalking me, Niles?" he asked as he turned back to his beer.

Niles tried miserably to smile, but it seemed it went the way of all smiles lately; a brief appearance and then gone.

"Jack, you have a minute?"

"I'll go and see what Carl and the others are doing on their day off, it has to be more exciting than anything here," Sarah said as she pushed back her chair.

Niles looked around the dark interior of the bar, and then at Sarah, and then he placed a hand on the top of Jack's shoulder as he came to a quick decision.

"No, Lieutenant, I think you should stay."

McIntire was caught off guard. She hoped the director didn't pick this moment in time to bring up regulations about the fraternization between personnel. She didn't think Jack, at least at the moment, would be too receptive to the reprimand.

"Please sit," Niles said as he came around and pulled out a chair. As he sat, the bartender brought over a small glass filled with ice and amber liquid and placed it in front of Compton.

"I didn't think you were a drinking man, Mr. Director," Sarah said in amazement.

Niles looked into Jack's blue eyes as he took a deep drink of the whiskey. Then he grimaced and then placed the glass down in front of him and then finally looked at Sarah.

"There may be a few things that our head of security doesn't know around here."

Jack half smiled. "Maybe even more than just a few, Mr. Director."

"Oh, I don't expect you to be that good at your job. I may still have secrets you know nothing about."

"Niles," Jack said as he tore at a napkin, tossing the pieces onto the table, "you're drinking one-hundred-year-old Kentucky bourbon. The brand is an obscure make named Delahey's. The bartenders keep two bottles underneath the bar for the rare times you come in here when no one is around, usually around closing time. You never drink while you're on the clock and you keep one bottle of that particular bourbon in your private quarters when there are personnel present at The Ark. You use it more in a medicinal capacity than you do for the whiskey's effects. You're not a drinker in the loosest term of the word, but you do use it to sleep, or when you have something unpleasant to say to someone."

Niles looked from Jack to Sarah, who sat quietly, listening to the exchange.

"I take that back, I guess you do know everything." Niles grew quiet as he slid his empty glass away from him. "Unpleasant. Yes," he said looking at the melting ice in the glass. "You know, I don't know anything about you, Colonel, other than what's in your damned file." He looked at Collins. "For instance, the little sister we discussed earlier."

Sarah wanted to allow her mouth to fall open, but managed just barely to keep it closed as she watched Jack. He made no move other than to keep tossing the torn napkin in its small pieces onto the tabletop.

Collins smiled as he looked from Niles and then fixed Sarah with his deep, blue eyes. For her part, McIntire just tilted her head, waiting.

"Lynn."

"Excuse me?" Sarah said.

"My sister's name is Lynn," Jack repeated.

"Jack's sister works for a sister agency," Compton said to Sarah. He was hoping the colonel would open up a little more with Sarah present. He felt bad for doing things this way, but with what he had to say to Jack, he had nothing to lose.

Collins, for his part, said nothing. Instead, he reached out and swallowed what remained of his beer. Then, instead of looking directly at Niles or Sarah, he remained silent as he stared at the table.

"Jack, I just spoke to the president, and I don't know how to say this, I've never been good at delivering bad news." Niles watched as Jack balled what was left of the napkin up into his hand, closing his fingers slowly until they formed a fist. "The CIA has reported her missing."

Collins remained silent as he closed his eyes.

"I really don't know what's happening here, Colonel. The president doesn't really have a firm grasp of it, either. That is why he ordered me to keep silent about this. He owes you, and that's why I was informed, but he wants you kept out of the loop for now, so the CIA and the other agencies can get a handle on her abduction. Now, does this have anything to do with what it was you stopped by to see your sister about in Langley?"

Jack held the director's eyes firmly with his own as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Give me everything, Niles," he said, ignoring Niles question.

Compton swallowed, not liking the cold, hard look that came over Jack's features.

"There was an ambush in Montreal; a team of CSIS agents, along with some U.S. personnel were shot up, and your sister Lynn was taken. It seems the perpetrators are using her as leverage of some kind for getting information. The only reason I know that much is because, before coming to you, I had Pete correlate with Europa on any recent shooting incident involving Canada."