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�Hermiod, sir, and yes,� Walter said. �But your return to Atlantis...�
�Is going to be delayed,� John said with a nod.
�Yes, sir,� Walter said.
�Alright. Thank you, Chief,� John said, effectively dismissing Walter who nodded and peeled off, heading back to the Control Room.
John sighed heavily. �Elizabeth is not going to be happy about this,� he said to himself.
Because her everyday uniform was fairly unchanging (black pants, red top, grey and red jacket if she was cold, any variety coming in the length of her sleeves and the thickness of the fabric to adjust for variables in temperature) Elizabeth had all but forgotten what it was like to actually have to select something to wear, and the fact that she had to go shopping to make that selection made her life even more difficult. Though she knew she should have anticipated it, she hadn�t come to Washington prepared for a formal event, and had run into a brief moment of panic when she realized that all of her credit cards had been cancelled before she left Earth.
Fortunately Jack had seen her plight, the look of panic in her eyes reminding him of years ago, back before he knew about aliens and Stargates and the location of the lost city of Atlantis, back when finding time alone with his wife while spending time with his young son and not allowing himself to go soft in the field had been his life, a pleasant existence, though one long lost, never to be recaptured.
Momentarily distracted from the sea of luxurious fabrics, Elizabeth thoughts wandered back to earlier that afternoon.
FLASHBACK
As they left the Pentagon, where their last sit-down meeting of the day had been held, Jack offered up a smile. �You look just like Sara did when I told her she needed to buy herself a ball gown,� he said.
�Sara?� Elizabeth frowned, the name not ringing any bells.
�My ex-wife,� Jack said. �I�m guessing that this shindig tonight was not on your itinerary.�
�Hardly. I had big plans. I�ve got an appointment with Mario at eight that I�m going to have to cancel now,� she said, scowling. Jack arched an eyebrow at her and mouthed �Mario� in question. �The hotel masseuse,� she added. �I did something to my back during the thing,� Elizabeth explained, referring to the recent siege on Atlantis, �and I was hoping a good massage would help. Cheaper than a chiropractor.�
Jack smiled. �And instead you have to get dressed up and stand around in high heels for hours on end with boring politicians who want to live vicariously through you while trying to find ways to avoid giving you the funding you need.�
Groaning in protest, Elizabeth cringed. �I think I�ve forgotten how to walk in heels.� It was enough of a challenge to walk in the low daytime heels she wore with her suits.
�Well, in that area I can�t help,� Jack said. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a credit card. �But I can help with the actual purchasing of whatever you�ll need for tonight�something tells me that you didn�t pack a White House appropriate dress in that carry-on you brought with you.�
�I didn�t bring a dress, period, Jack,� Elizabeth said, gratefully taking the credit card. �Who is my generous benefactor?� she asked, looking at the nondescript card, just like all the ones she had cut up before leaving the galaxy.