Disclaimer: I don't own Jarod or any other characters fromt he show. I just own the idea.

My note: I decided to go with a different approach to Jarod's love life. I'm not always one for the classic Jarod and Miss Parker romance. But as a warning this will eventualy end up a JAG crossover.

It had been months since the downfall of the centre. Months that Jarod had been free to finaly live as he wanted. He spent much of his time wandering untill he wandered his way back to San Diego California.

Of course, it was his first day there, it was getting late and he had no place to stay.

So he spent part of his evening wandering around a neighborhood downtown near the gaslamp quarter. That's when he spotted a young woman carrying a huge pile of books a dog by her feet.

"Jinx! Jinx! Get away from my feet!" she told the dog.

But it was no use. Before long she tripped and dropped the stack of books right on the ground.

Jarod walked over and kneeled down to help her.

She looked up and he was surprised to hear her growl. "Get away! I don't need any help!" she snapped.

Jarod jerked back in surprise as she lifted the heavy pile off the ground and begain to walk away. But curiosity made him follow.

She looked back at him angrily. "Go away Mister! Stop following me or else I'll tell Jinx to attack!" she snarled.

"Jinx?" he asked curiously. "What's a Jinx?"

"Jinx! Attack!" she ordered the dog. THen she turned around.

Jarod starred at the dog in front of him just to realize something.

"He's a wolf!"

"Yes and he's very overprotective." she muttered.

Jinx growled menicingly. THen he trotted over and let Jarod scratch behind his ears.

The woman turned around and turned red. "Traitor." she grumbled.

Jarod laughed somewhat childishly. "He's very friendly."

"Not normaly." she mumbled, trying to unlock the door to her home with one hand.

"Here, let me help you with that." he said walking up beside her.

"No, I don't need any help Mister." she said.

But he took the books from her and held them so she could open the door. "It's Jarod, by the way. Not Mister."

"Whatever." she grumbled.

"So, what's your name?"

"None of your business." she snapped, trying to take the books back.

But Jarod refused. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Fine. Leiutenant co..." she stopped. "Kallie." she said.

"Leiutenant? Are you cost guard?" he asked curiously.

Kallie said nothing, she just snatched the books back and walked into the house. she set the books on the table and turned to see him still standing in the door way. She sighed. "Come on in." she said. "You look like you haven't eaten in a while. Are you hungry."

"A bit. But I don't want to intrude."

"As if you already haven't?" she said, shutting the door behind him. "Go ahead and have a seat. I'll start dinner."

Jarod sat at the table and wathced as she busied her self with making dinner.

"Nice little place you have." he said looking around at her cozy little home.

"Thanks." she mumbled.

"A lot of navy stuff. Do you know anyone that's Navy?"

"That's none of your concern." she said. "Is asking questions all you do. I mean, sheesh, if I asked so many questions I'd be repremanded for every single one of them."

Jarod watched as she pulled out several ingredients from the fridge.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"Can you help? Is that all you ever do? Help help help? I don't need help. I'm fine on my own."

"You're a very... independent woman, aren't you?" he asked standing up and walking over to her.

"Independent enough." she said cutting up a tomato. She yelped slightly when she accidently nicked herself with the knife.

"Are you alright?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, pulling her hand away from him and raising her fist. "Now don't touch me!"

"Umm... alright. You're very stubborn, aren't you?" he asked as she washed out the cut before drying it and leaving it open.

"You have to be stubborn to survive. In what's considered a man's job you have to be able to be independent." she said.

"What job was that?"

"More questions? Is that your answer to everything?" she sighed.

"No. I'm just naturaly curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat you know?" she said.

"Yes, but curiosity is how you learn."

"Curiosity gets nothing but trouble."

"Aww now, that's not always true." he laughed.

"Yes it is." she told him stubbornly. "At least in my life it is."

"WEll for me curiosity was how I learned about the world."

"Well, congradulations. You're a natural born child." she said dumping the tomatoes as well as other things into a large pot on the stove.

"ARe you ever going to warm up to me?"

"No, now sit down and shut up." she snapped.

Jarod did as he was told as if he had been a child repremanded for being to curious.

THey sat in silence for a good while untill the dinner was ready.

"Here now you've got food. No more questions." she said setting a bowl of pasta in front of him.

"Thank you." he said. THen he quietly begain to eat.

Kallie sat down in front of him and sighed. "Look. I don't mean to be abnoxious and rude. It's just... I've had too many bad run in's with guys. They espescialy start getitng bad when they find out what my job is."

"Well, I don't even know what your job is." said Jarod between bites. "Are you ever going to tell me?"

"You're not going to stop unless I do, are you?"

"Nope." he said smiling.

"Fine, if you must know. I was a fighter pilot."

Jarod looked up at her before smiling.

"See, you're going to laugh now aren't you?" she sighed.

"No I'm not. So you were really a fighter pilot?"

"Yes."

"What did you fly?"

"Tomcats."

"That is so cool!" he said with a laugh. "I've flown a bit myself."

"Really, what jet?"

"F-15."

"Ugh. F-15's are ugly compaired to my bird. Besides it's flown by the 'Chair Force'."

"The what?"

"IT's the Navy's nickname for the airforce since they have more desk jobs than any other branch."

"Oh, I get it now!" he laughed. "THat's funny. I like that. So you're Navy?"

"I was. I'm not anymore." she sighed sadly.

Jarod cave her a curious look.

"Why? What happened?"

"It's a long story. One I'm not fond of sharing with someone I don't quite know yet." she said truthfully. "Let's just say that, no matter how hard I worked, guys rairly respected me and it got me into a lot of trouble."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. This is very good pasta by the way. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner."

"You're welcome. So where do you live?"

"Now whose asking the questions?" he smiled.

"HEy I have that right, after all you're the stranger in my home. So you live...?"

"I was trying to find a place to stay for the next for days till I can get a job."

"You don't have a job?"

"No. I just moved here."

"Ah. Well I have a job offer."

"Sure. I'll take anything but being a maid."

"You can come work at the bookstore with me."

"You work at a bookstore?"

"I own an atique book store."

"Oh, so that's why you've got all of these books isn't it?" he asked, gesturing to the stack of books still set on the table.

"Very good. You're right. I need help running it. You can stay here as long as you earn your share. Deal?"

"It's a deal." he said, holding out his hand.

Kallie smiled a bit and shook it. "Alright. But as long as you live here, you live with my rules, deal?"

"Do I have to wake up at the crack of dawn and go through morning inspection?" he asked jokingly.

"No. Just because I was a liutenant Commander doesn't mean I run my house like I ran my squadron. Just, don't cause too much trouble."

"Okay. I'll try my best." he agreed. "So...?"

"Oh, and slow down on the questions." she said, cutting him off.

"Got it. Not so many questions."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind I have to go run a few errands."

"Can I come too?"

She sighed. "You really are just like a child aren't you?"

"I only try and be curious like one."

Kallie finaly smiled a bit. "Alright, you can come too." she sighed. "But behave yourself."

"I promise I'll be a good boy." he said making her laugh a little.

"Alright. let's go then." she said.

Jarod obidiantly followed her out the door.

"So, where are we going?"

"What did I say about the questions?" she said getting into her car.

"Sorry." he grumbled.

But on the short drive downtown, Jarod just continued asking questions.

"Hey, what's that place? What are those people doing? Where are we going? How long has all this been here? What's that old ship?"

"Jarod. Jarod! Just... stop! You're driving me insane! If you keep asking questions I'll knock you out!" she threatened, raising a fist in the air.

Jarod shrank against the door and shut his mouth.

After a few minutes they finaly arrived at the guard shack to a military base.

Jarod watched as she showed the guard her ID and headed onto the base.

"Where are we?"

"North Island."

"I thought this place was called Coranado island."

"The base on Coranado island is called NAS north Island. I used to work here."

"What are we doing here?"

"Visiting an old friend." she said.

Jarod just sat in silence as they pulled into the base cemetary in the fading evening light.

AFter a minute of driving Kallie pulled over and got out of her car, taking a boquet of flowers.

Jarod got out and followed her over to a grave. He looked at the headstone which read Commander Corry Schnacerby.

"Who's this?"

"My grandfather. He died when I was a little girl. He fought in Vietnam and he ended up a POW he died after he returned home." she said softly as she put the flowers beside the grave. "I miss him. A lot."

"At least you knew your grandfather. I never knew mine." he said.

"I'm sorry to hear that." she said.

"Don't be. I've had a rough life, but I've lived through it."

"Same here. I had no mom and my dad was an alcoholic. I was taken away as a child and I haven't seen him since."

"So we've got some things in common. I don't even remember the last time I saw my parents."

"I guess we do have things in common, but don't think that means I'm gonna go soft on you. I earned the handle 'Ice Princess' for a reason."

"Handle? What's a handle?" he asked as they walked back to the car.

"Again with the questions. It's a military nickname of sorts. Mine was written on the side of my jet."

"So your jet said 'Ice Princess'?"

"Leiutenant Commander Kalliana 'ice princess' Schnacerby." she said proudly.

Jarod smiled. "Leiutenant commander. So you were an officer." he said as they got back into the car.

"I had damned well better be. I didn't make it through four years of torment to be top of my class at the academy for nothing you can be sure." she said stubbornly as they drove off.

"What's 'the academy'?"

"The Naval Academy. One of the toughest schools in the country next to West Point."

"And you graduated top of your class? Impressive."

"I flew for thirteen years." she said.

"And yet you own a bookstore now. Why?"

"I already told you I'm not exactly comfortable with telling you right now." she said.

"Oh! Right, sorry."he said. "So, where are we going now?"

"To the exchange."

"The what?"

She glared at him and he imidiatly shut his mouth.

"No more questions. Got that?"

"Yes... your majesty." he said playing with her nickname.

Kallie snarled at him before punching him in the arm.

"Ouch! That hurt!"

"Baby." she sighed.

"I'm not a baby. You're just mean." he said.

"What'll it take to get you to shut up?" she growled.

"I don't know. Something I've never seen before." he shrugged.

"Well, I have no idea what that would be so you can just listen to the radio for now." she said turning on her radio.

Jarod listened in curiosity to the sound of swing music. "Hey, I like that. What is it?"

"Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald. The stuff my grandfather used to listen to. Big band jazz."

"Stuff that was out before we were even born?"

"Yeah, pretty much." she said pulling into a parking lot. "Come on, I need to get some groceries."

Jarod once again followed her into the large store acting like a child as he stayed by her side.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked, stopping to look at a toy.

"Jarod, put that down. You're not ten." said Kallie sternly.

"Aww... but Kallie..."

"Come on Jarod." she sighed. "Look, if you behave yourself, we'll go get ice cream." she said joking as if he was a child.

But Jarod was interested. "I like ice cream. I'll be a good boy, promise." he said.

Kallie starred for a moment. "Alright then. We'll go get some ice cream. But only if you behave."

"Okay."

"Now help me out here. If you're going to be livng with me, we need to get food that you'll eat."

"Oh, I'll eat just about anything." he said truthfully.

"Then help me out here."

"Okay."

Before long they had a cart half full of food. THen they wandered around the store.

Kallie stoped in front of the sports and picked up a new basketball.

"What's that for?"

"I need a new basketball. Mine's getting too worn out."

"Oh. You play?"

"I played for the academy. Do you play?" she asked.

Jarod shrugged. "I guess I could. I'm a fast enough learner."

Kallie chuckled. "Well you'd have to be fast to keep up with me. I've been playing for years."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked smiling.

She grinned at him. "I guess it is."

"Okay, then I accept." he said.

"Good. I need a good challenge. But for now let's go get that ice cream since you've behaved yourself."

"Ice cream's yummy." he said childishly. Then he stopped in front of a rack with pez dispencers. "Ooh! A new dispenser!" he said picking it up.

"You like pez?" she laughed.

"I love it." he said, taking the despenser and several new refills.

"So you're a pez head are you?"

"I guess you could say that." he admited with a smile as they walked to the check out.

But then someone stopped them.

"Leiutenant commander!" came a voice.

They turned to see a man in a wheel chair comming twords them.

"Conners! It's so good to see you!" said Kallie hugging the man. "And how many times have I told you. I'm retired. No more of this Leiutenant commander crap. You can call me Kallie now."

"I know. But sometimes it's hard to break out of habit."

Jarod just watched in curiosity before they said their goodbyes and the man left.

"So ,who was that?" he asked.

"Conners. He was my Rio."

"RIO?"

"Radio Intercept officer. He flew with me." she explained.

"Oh ,alright." he said, and he left it at that.

After everything was payed for Kallie did as she promised and she took him for ice cream.

"Jarod, if you keep eating like that you'll get brain freeze." said Kallie watching as he took huge bites of his ice cream.

"What's brain freeze?" he asked. Then he felt a sudden pain in his head. "Ouch! That hurts!" he grumbled, rubbing the sore spot.

"That's brain freeze." she sighed. "Also known as an ice cream headache. If you eat something too cold too fast you get a nasty pain in your head."

"Ouch! Thanks for teaching me that lesson Kallie. I think I'll be more careful next time." he admitted.

Kallie just chuckled. Then she leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"What was that?" he asked curiously.

"I was trying to kiss it all better." she said kindly.

Jarod smiled. "So you're not always an 'ice princess', are you?"

"I am untill I get used to someone. Mind you that usualy takes a while."

"But you seem to be warming up pretty fast."

Kallie smiled before looking across the harbor at the boats. "I feel like, I can trust you." she said truthfully. "You didn't make fun of me being a pilot."

"Why should I? Though I thought you couldn't be a pilot with glasses."

Kallie frowned. "I didn't always wear glasses." she admitted.

"When did you start?"

"About the same time Conners started needing a wheelchair." she sighed.

"Does it have anything to do with that scar on your arm?" he asked, remembering the jagged white scar along her forearm.

Kallie rubbed her arm through her sleave.

"What happened?" Jarod asked curiously. "Did you crash?"

"A mechanic sabotaged my jet. I showed him up in weight lifting the night before for the third time in a row. He hated me being a woman and being on that ship. He was sexest. He got mad and messed with my jet. We were in the middle of a flight when everything went wrong and we crashed over in the middle east. The PJs had to come get us out. My plane was ruined. Conners broke his back and his legs. He's paralized from the waist down now and that was only his tenth flight. He was a newbie. I had a fractured spine. The doctors told me I'd never be able to walk again. But I refused to believe them. I was up and walking in a few months. But the crash ruined my eye sight. I'm legaly blind without my glasses and I can't lift as much weight as I used to. The Navy said I could keep my commission and just have a job stateside. I retired and opened the book store instead."

"SO what happened to the mechanic?"

"Nobody would believe that it was him. He even admitted it to me when I was in the hospital the jerk. But they just laughed saying it was just an excuse for me being a poor pilot. After thirteen years of flying and I was a poor pilot."

"Does Conners believe you?"

"Yeah, but no one would take the word of a nugget on his first sea cruise. SO we were both screwed over."

"Sounds that way. No one else can help you?"

"I do have one friend in JAG, but I don't want to pester him."

"JAG? What's JAG?"

"Navy lawers."

"Oh. Alright."

"Anyway, let's head home, it's getting late."

"Where do you plan on me sleeping?" he asked.

"I'd say the couch, but I think your too big." she sighed. "I don't know. We'll figure something out."

So they headed home and Jarod ended up falling asleep peacefully on his own side of Kallie's king sized bed.

But he was woken up in the middle of the night by Kallie's tossing and turning.

She was having a nightmare.

"Kallie? Kallie? Wake up! It's oaky Kallie! It's just a nightmare." he said trying to comfort her.

But it was no use. She wasn't waking up.

Jarod suddenly reached out and pulled her to him in a tight hug trying to supress her fighting. "Kallie, it's okay, you're okay, it's just me." he said softly.

Finaly Kallie's fighting subsided and she quietly cried against his chest.

Jarod gently rocked her before lying back down and comforting her untill he fell asleep out of exaustion.