Title: Headaches
Author: rooster dawn
Classification: Harm/Mac
Spoiler: Death Watch
Summary : After Bud's death life goes on at JAG. Old friends return. One of them finds out you shouldn't mess with a marine.
Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc.
Feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed.
part 1
1630 hours
18 July 2002
JAG Headquarters
Harm was sitting in his office daydreaming. He had been on an unbelievable ride the last eight months. He and Mac had finally worked through the problems they were having after her TDY to the Guadalcanal.
He had taken her to his grandmother's farm for Thanksgiving. Chloe had come down from Vermont. A month later they had a great Christmas together with Chloe and Petty Officer Jen Coates, who seem to be a lost soul looking for direction and guidance from someone who cared.
They were spending more and more time together away from the office. They weren't exactly dating per se. They were ... just together as a couple, more than just as friends.
They appeared to be moving forward in their relationship with each other. They had dinner together three or four times a week. Sometimes they would go out dancing or see a movie. Sometimes they would just stay in to spend quality time together.
In the spring they had many adventures together like they had when they first started working together. They spent time together in Afghanistan or on the Seahawk for six weeks.
They had a few scares which only strengthen their bond and brought them even closer together than before.
He had stepped on a landmine, his tomcat got hit returning from a mission, they searched for Kabir and found radioactive materials, he let a dirty nuclear missile chasing his six to prevent it from killing everyone including Mac in the battle fleet, and they even survived a bombing run from Bud while they were cuddling together under the stars one night.
Bud Roberts, may he rest in peace. In an effort to save a small child he thought was playing in a minefield, had stepped on a land mine himself and was killed.
The doctors had tried to save his life by performing surgery, but his body just couldn't handle the shock. It was a darn shame too. Bud had everything a man could want, what he himself wanted.
Bud had a loving wife, a great son, a beautiful home, a great career and bright future. All of it was gone now. They were going to miss him terribly.
But then again maybe Bud shouldn't have been in Afghanistan in the first place. Bud was after all a computer geek. He was intelligent, funny, and a nice guy to have around. But he wasn't a real military man.
He wasn't a man of action. He didn't belong in a combat position. He was a man who should have been doing what he had been doing the last four years at JAG. That was being a father, husband, and a good lawyer not a combat officer.
The last couple of months had been difficult. Harriet had resigned her commission and moved back to Florida to be near her parents. Sturgis had transferred away from Washington because of the guilt he felt.
He believed that if he hadn't pushed Bud so hard to get him in such good shape, Bud never would have left. He championed Bud and fought against Singer. Maybe it would have been better if Singer had gone instead of Bud.
Bud was loved and respected by all at JAG unlike Singer, who everyone thought was a schemer and troublemaker who was only looking out for herself.
The Admiral, he wasn't so sure of. He had been pretty distant since Bud's death. He kept to himself and stopped seeing Meredith soon afterwards. Maybe the Admiral felt responsible for Bud's death too. Harriet sure did when the Admiral asked her.
But he thought Mac might have suffered the most with Bud's death. Bud had become like a little brother and Harriet a little sister. And little Aj was probably the most important person in her life outside Chloe and him. Now they were all gone.
The Admiral had informed him earlier in the day that they would be getting in some new JAG officers during the next week to ten days. Maybe things around the office would begin to get better then.
One could only hope. It was time to go home. He was cooking dinner for Mac tonight. She always loved his cooking. It made him feel good to see her enjoy his cooking. Though he often wondered how she was able to eat so much, but stay so lean and beautiful.
0900 hours
23 July 2002
JAG Headquarters
The following Monday the Admiral called for a special meeting in the conference room. He was going to introduce three new lawyers who were joining the JAG team in Washington. All three had actually work at JAG headquarters once before.
The First new member of the staff was Captain Allison Krennick. She had been the chief of staff of the European office in Naples. She had been at JAG Headquarters earlier for seven months back in 1995-1996.
Her current assignment at JAG would be to head the new training program for developing prosecuting skills of the junior officers. She also would be responsible for trying a few cases each month.
The second new member of the staff was Commander Caitlin Pike. She had been assigned to the NSI office in Asian Pacific. She had been with JAG Headquarters for six months in early 1995.
Her current assignment would be to head the training program for developing investigating skills of the junior officers. Most of her work would involve investigating crimes committed in continental United States along with defending clients in cases as time allowed.
She would also along with Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin train JAG personnel in using computer intelligence gathering programs to more effectively do their jobs.
The third new member of the staff was Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin. She had been assigned to the JAG office in Hawaii. She had been with JAG Headquarters for ten months in 1995-1996.
Her current assignment would be to head the training program for military combat skills training of the junior officers. She would be training new JAG officers about the different weapons programs.
After Bud's accident the Admiral thought it would be wise to have someone on his staff responsible for ensuring that all JAG personnel would be ready to face a combat situation if necessary.
He wouldn't be able to always rely on Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb to investigate or handle hazardous duty assignments.
"Let's all welcome Allison, Kate, and Meg to headquarters and their new assignments." bellowed the Admiral.
"I take it that you know all these women Harm." whispered Mac to Harm.
"Yes in fact I do. Caitlin was my first partner here at JAG as you well know. You met her a few months before the crash. It was Caitlin who actually told me to take my head out of my six and tell you that I love you." smiled Harm.
"I'll have to remember to thank her for that." cooed Mac quietly.
"Meg was my second partner. She was a good partner. She was always happy and eager to please. I sort of took advantage of her eagerness to please to dump a lot of paperwork on her. She was like a little sister to me." smiled Harm.
"That wasn't very nice Harm." frowned Mac.
"Well that's why the Admiral assigned you to me, to keep me in line and help straighten me out." grinned Harm.
"Caitlin and Meg are both excellent with computers, maybe even better than Bud."
"You're bad Harm. What about Allison?" asked Mac.
"She was my worse nightmare. She was always trying to find a way to get me into bed with her. She wasn't a bad person per se, but she made Singer look like a guppy in comparison." laughed Harm.
"Quiet Harm, you'll disturb the Admiral while he's talking." whispered Mac as she whacked him under the table.
"You better make sure Allison knows that you're taken now. It won't be pretty if I have to straighten her out."
Meanwhile Meg and Caitlin were sitting across the table observing Harm and Mac. Caitlin saw a familiarity there that she hadn't seen the last time she was at JAG. She noticed the looks and smiles they were giving each other. They seemed to be a lot closer now.
"Who's Harm talking to Kate? Do you know her?" Meg whispered to Caitlin.
"That's Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, better known as Mac to everyone here at JAG. Last time I was here she was getting ready to marry an Aussie named Mic Brumby.
After seeing how she and Harm acted when they were together I implied to her that she was a fool if she wasn't marrying the man she was truly in love with." replied Caitlin.
"What do you mean?" asked Meg.
"You see them together there. See how they look and act with each other. You know the little things, the looks, touches, and smiles." replied Caitlin.
"It's even more pronounced now than it was last year when I visited."
"You mean?" implied Meg.
"Yes, I think they're together now." affirmed Caitlin.
"How are you able to know all this Kate?" whispered Meg.
"It's a gift I have. I've never been wrong." smiled Caitlin.
"Besides Harm wrote to me about how he crashed his tomcat into the ocean last year trying to get back from quals to attend her wedding. I think he was trying to get back in time to stop her from getting married. A month later he chased her to the Indian Ocean afterwards."
The Admiral looked around the room a little bit confused. Harm and Mac were involved in a private conversation with each other on one side of the room. Meg and Caitlin were having another one on their side. He wondered what was going on? Why weren't they paying attention to what he was saying.
"What's going on here Commander, Colonel?" bellowed the Admiral looking to get to answers.
"Sir?" asked Mac looking at him a bit surprised.
"What are you and Rabb talking about?" asked the Admiral again.
"Nothing that can't wait until later Sir. Sorry to disturb you Sir." replied an embarrassed Mac.
"And what about you Commander Pike?" asked the Admiral with a stern look.
"That's it great to be back here under your command Sir." fibbed Caitlin earning snickers around the room. They all recognized a snow job when they heard one.
"Very well then. Now that I have your full attention." bellowed the Admiral.
The meeting continued on for another twenty minutes before they were dismissed. Caitlin and Meg met up with Harm and Mac in his office. Caitlin and Meg both gave Harm a hug in greeting.
"It's been too long time Meg. It's nice to see you too Kate." smiled Harm happy to see two old friends.
"Meg, this is Sarah Mackenzie, my partner. And of course Kate you know everyone."
Meg giggled before commenting "Do you mean your partner in life Sir?"
Caitlin burst out laughing. She was surprised that Meg would be so bold. Mac was stunned at first before she started giggling too.
Harm didn't know what to say or do, he was completely stunned and dumbfounded. Never in the world ... did he expect something like that from Meg. Caitlin maybe, but surely not from Meg.
"What's the matter Harm, cat got your tongue?" smiled Caitlin.
"I think this is a first. The mighty Harmon Rabb Jr. is speechless." mocked Mac.
"Ah ... I think we need to hit the speech impaired button that's been installed on the flyboy model." smiled Mac.
"What's that?" asked a confused Caitlin.
"In every day jargon it's referred to as the failure to commitment." smiled Mac.
They all laughed at Harm's expense, which finally brought him out of his stupor.
"Very funny Mac. We know that's not entirely true." spat out Harm angrily.
"Come on Harm be a sport." chided Caitlin. "It's not very often anyone gets the best of Harmon Rabb."
Looking to change the subject before he found himself further behind the eight ball, he thought it would be nice to get together and have some fun. It had been a long time that he and Mac enjoyed the pleasure of being together with friends.
"The weekend is coming up, why don't you join us Saturday. We can have a barbeque. Harm can do the cooking." offered Mac.
"We can invite the JAG staff and some friends to welcome you back properly." added Harm.
"Where and what time flyboy?" teased Caitlin.
"Should we bring anything with us?" asked Meg.
"Just your precocious little selves, Harm likes to maintain quality control on all the menu items." smiled Mac. Mac gave them directions to the house before they left.