Crosswords
Title: Crosswords (mots croisés)
Written for and archived in: fanfic50
Prompt: #50- Writer's Choice: Coincedences, SG-1/Gen
Characters: Jack. Set circa S8.
Word count: 898
Rating: G
Spoilers: None that I can think of, although there is an allusion to S7 "The Lost City."
Summary: Jack goes to his high school reunion and we discover where he got his passion for crossword puzzles.
Author's Note: I'm sorry if I got anything wrong, I don't speak French. And honestly, I couldn't think of anything to write for my other prompts, so there. O, and I wasn't sure how to space properly...so please comment/criticize/give advice:)
"How do you say 'what' again?" Jack asked starring intently at his French 2 textbook.
"Mr. O'Neill, this is not French 1, you were supposed to brush up over the summer so that you may not forget a simple word such as 'what.'" Mrs. Leonard, a short, slightly stout woman spoke clearly and with an abrasive tone.
"Well, I did 'brush up' on it, but I'm having a, what do you call it? A pet de cerveau (brainfart)." Jack stated with a straight face that obviously annoyed the teacher more, and Jack knew it, provoking a response.
"Je ne répondrai pas à cette question. Le chercher vous." (I will not answer that question. Look it up yourself). She spoke with a matching stoic face, obviously having dealt with students like Jack before, and not giving into his demand for a response. She continued on with her lesson planned and while everyone was beginning to start on their worksheets, Jack was seen doodling on his new textbook.
"Mr. O'Neill, are you finished with your papers? Care to share your inspiring answers and doodles with the rest of the class?"
At that statement, everyone looked up, except for those nerdy students who plowed on through their work not trusting others' answers.
"Nope, I'm fine." Jack stated with a hidden grin; he was starting to get a response.
She wasn’t going to give in to his plan though, he knew this much, and stopped doodling and started on his homework.
---
30 years later, Colonel Jack O'Neill stamped his nametag onto his plaid shirt and walked into his high school gym for his third class reunion. He was only one of a select crowd who attended, but he was hopping to see someone in particular.
"Jack O'Neill." He turned around and immediately smiled.
"Mrs. Leonard." They hugged each other.
"How are you doing, Colonel?" She gave him a look like a proud mother.
"I'm doing great, and you?" He brushed off the subtle compliment.
"Excellent, but sorely missing laughter in my classes."
Jack gave a short laugh and motioned for them to sit down at a nearby table that were scattered around the gym. There wasn’t a great turn out for a reunion, especially at a third one, but it was lively enough.
So, they sat and chatted before the 'real' crowd arrived, and even though most of Jack's life was now classified, he alluded to things in his life that were beyond this world.
"So what do you do in your free time?"
"Crosswords." Jack smiled triumphantly, thinking that this was the one thing that would surprise her the most.
"Wow. I never thought of you as a crossword kind of person."
"I remember when we used to use crosswords to learn French vocab, and well, it kinda stuck."
"I never figured out of everything, crosswords, huh."
They laughed and shared moments in their lives that they had not had time or forgotten to write to each other about. Despite of her French 2 class that started it all, he really felt like she was family, at least someone who understood his boundaries and not to judge entirely. She knew the kind of kid he used to be, a trouble-making teenager, disruptive in class, and all that good stuff, but she knew somehow that if she let him thrive his own way, with a little direction, he was a good kid. It was a fitting place that they reminisce over how their past influenced their futures.
"So, how is everything here?" Jack inquired. "You gonna retire soon? I know I gave you enough trouble to make you consider retiring early, how about now?"
"Right. No, I haven't found another student quite as riled up as you."
"That's good, because I'd have to beat him up, and then meet him properly…to trade techniques of annoyance, of course."
Mrs. Leonard hit him lightly on the arm. "You must give your commanding officers and subordinates a lot of hell."
He laughed, "sometimes, but we've grown really close, as you can imagine. They even help me with crosswords, challenge me occasionally. It's really not fair though, because they're all geniuses in one field or the other. I'm just the 'jack' of all trades."
She raised an eyebrow that would've made Teal'c proud. "You and those crosswords, challenges, you are a changed man!" She joked.
As Jack described his 'opponents'' separate areas of expertise, Mrs. Leonard pulled something out of her purse: it was a crossword puzzle.
Both grinned like Cheshire cats. "Great minds think alike…and share similar pastimes. Care to finish it with me?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Jack beamed.
"So, the clue is 'up, down, charmed, blank. It's seven letters."
Jack almost burst out laughing, "Strange."
"Yeah."
"No, 'strange,' that's the answer. See if it fits."
She studied the surrounding letters and words attach and 'strange' did, indeed, fit.
She starred at him; similar to that first time he starred at her for the answers to his questions in class.
"Que? Surprised I knew that word?" Jack smirked.
"Quite frankly, for a man who feigned stupidity, no."
Jack nodded, "Fair enough. Quel est l'indice prochain? (What's the next clue)?
"Treize à travers, ce qu'en français." (13 across, 'what' in French).
"Qu'un coincidence." (What a coincidence).
Both laughed and settled in for a delightful class reunion, if not a crossword-filled night.
Written for and archived in: fanfic50
Prompt: #50- Writer's Choice: Coincedences, SG-1/Gen
Characters: Jack. Set circa S8.
Word count: 898
Rating: G
Spoilers: None that I can think of, although there is an allusion to S7 "The Lost City."
Summary: Jack goes to his high school reunion and we discover where he got his passion for crossword puzzles.
Author's Note: I'm sorry if I got anything wrong, I don't speak French. And honestly, I couldn't think of anything to write for my other prompts, so there. O, and I wasn't sure how to space properly...so please comment/criticize/give advice:)
"How do you say 'what' again?" Jack asked starring intently at his French 2 textbook.
"Mr. O'Neill, this is not French 1, you were supposed to brush up over the summer so that you may not forget a simple word such as 'what.'" Mrs. Leonard, a short, slightly stout woman spoke clearly and with an abrasive tone.
"Well, I did 'brush up' on it, but I'm having a, what do you call it? A pet de cerveau (brainfart)." Jack stated with a straight face that obviously annoyed the teacher more, and Jack knew it, provoking a response.
"Je ne répondrai pas à cette question. Le chercher vous." (I will not answer that question. Look it up yourself). She spoke with a matching stoic face, obviously having dealt with students like Jack before, and not giving into his demand for a response. She continued on with her lesson planned and while everyone was beginning to start on their worksheets, Jack was seen doodling on his new textbook.
"Mr. O'Neill, are you finished with your papers? Care to share your inspiring answers and doodles with the rest of the class?"
At that statement, everyone looked up, except for those nerdy students who plowed on through their work not trusting others' answers.
"Nope, I'm fine." Jack stated with a hidden grin; he was starting to get a response.
She wasn’t going to give in to his plan though, he knew this much, and stopped doodling and started on his homework.
---
30 years later, Colonel Jack O'Neill stamped his nametag onto his plaid shirt and walked into his high school gym for his third class reunion. He was only one of a select crowd who attended, but he was hopping to see someone in particular.
"Jack O'Neill." He turned around and immediately smiled.
"Mrs. Leonard." They hugged each other.
"How are you doing, Colonel?" She gave him a look like a proud mother.
"I'm doing great, and you?" He brushed off the subtle compliment.
"Excellent, but sorely missing laughter in my classes."
Jack gave a short laugh and motioned for them to sit down at a nearby table that were scattered around the gym. There wasn’t a great turn out for a reunion, especially at a third one, but it was lively enough.
So, they sat and chatted before the 'real' crowd arrived, and even though most of Jack's life was now classified, he alluded to things in his life that were beyond this world.
"So what do you do in your free time?"
"Crosswords." Jack smiled triumphantly, thinking that this was the one thing that would surprise her the most.
"Wow. I never thought of you as a crossword kind of person."
"I remember when we used to use crosswords to learn French vocab, and well, it kinda stuck."
"I never figured out of everything, crosswords, huh."
They laughed and shared moments in their lives that they had not had time or forgotten to write to each other about. Despite of her French 2 class that started it all, he really felt like she was family, at least someone who understood his boundaries and not to judge entirely. She knew the kind of kid he used to be, a trouble-making teenager, disruptive in class, and all that good stuff, but she knew somehow that if she let him thrive his own way, with a little direction, he was a good kid. It was a fitting place that they reminisce over how their past influenced their futures.
"So, how is everything here?" Jack inquired. "You gonna retire soon? I know I gave you enough trouble to make you consider retiring early, how about now?"
"Right. No, I haven't found another student quite as riled up as you."
"That's good, because I'd have to beat him up, and then meet him properly…to trade techniques of annoyance, of course."
Mrs. Leonard hit him lightly on the arm. "You must give your commanding officers and subordinates a lot of hell."
He laughed, "sometimes, but we've grown really close, as you can imagine. They even help me with crosswords, challenge me occasionally. It's really not fair though, because they're all geniuses in one field or the other. I'm just the 'jack' of all trades."
She raised an eyebrow that would've made Teal'c proud. "You and those crosswords, challenges, you are a changed man!" She joked.
As Jack described his 'opponents'' separate areas of expertise, Mrs. Leonard pulled something out of her purse: it was a crossword puzzle.
Both grinned like Cheshire cats. "Great minds think alike…and share similar pastimes. Care to finish it with me?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Jack beamed.
"So, the clue is 'up, down, charmed, blank. It's seven letters."
Jack almost burst out laughing, "Strange."
"Yeah."
"No, 'strange,' that's the answer. See if it fits."
She studied the surrounding letters and words attach and 'strange' did, indeed, fit.
She starred at him; similar to that first time he starred at her for the answers to his questions in class.
"Que? Surprised I knew that word?" Jack smirked.
"Quite frankly, for a man who feigned stupidity, no."
Jack nodded, "Fair enough. Quel est l'indice prochain? (What's the next clue)?
"Treize à travers, ce qu'en français." (13 across, 'what' in French).
"Qu'un coincidence." (What a coincidence).
Both laughed and settled in for a delightful class reunion, if not a crossword-filled night.