TITLE: Mixed Signals
AUTHOR: Clairisant
CLASSIFICATION: AJ/Mac
FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. Clairisant
CREDITS: A special thank you to my beta readers Qupeydoll and Iarikatlia.
Chapter 1
Wednesday, March 1, 2004
1030 EST
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Bethesda, Virginia
Mac opened her eyes and noticed two things immediately. The first was that she was in a hospital, but oddly enough, it was the second thing that concerned her more. Admiral Chegwidden was sitting in a chair next to her bedside. He was dressed in civilian clothes and was holding her hand! From the worried and worn look on his face, she must be in pretty bad shape.
It could have been the slight movement of her head when she had assessed the room or just the fact that he kept checking on her, but he saw that she was awake and jumped to his feet. "Sarah! Thank god! I was so worried! I'm very glad you're awake."
She was about to say that she was too, and ask what had happened to her when he did something that sent every other thought from her head. Admiral AJ Chegwidden leaned over her and kissed her! Not a 'happy you're alive' peck on the cheek, or a 'concerned Commanding Officer' one on the forehead, but a full on, on the lips KISS!
Not wanting to, but knowing that this kiss was wrong, she dragged her lips away and exclaimed, "Admiral! We can't!"
Grinning down at her he said, "You haven't called me that in a while, Sarah. But I hardly think you're up to our 'stern Admiral' and 'naughty Colonel' games at the moment."
"Sir?! I don't understand…and why do you keep calling me Sarah?"
"Why do I…Darling, is something wrong?" he asked, the concern clear in his eyes.
"Darling?!" she practically squeaked, and then frantically looked around the room to make sure no one had heard that major infraction of the UCMJ. It was something she had always dreamed of hearing him call her, but knew it could never really…that was it! This had to be a dream! But usually when she dreamed of the two of them together with a bed involved it wasn't a hospital one!
Worried by her reactions, AJ brought her hand, which was still clasped in his, to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. "Sarah, what is the last thing that you remember?"
Her brow wrinkled in thought for a moment and then she said, "Sadik."
"Yes…" AJ encouraged her.
"He came looking for me and when I confronted him, he threatened to blow up a night club." Looking into AJ's eyes she sadly admitted, "I shot him…I don't remember anything after that, I must have tripped or something after I killed him."
"Sarah, you didn't kill him. Diane did."
"Diane? Who is Diane?"
"Schonke…"
"Diane Schonke? She's dead! Don't you remember the mix up on the day Harm and I met? He claimed to know me and I denied it. Then it came out that I looked like his dead girl friend."
"I remember that day very well! I remember how Harm kissed you and how odd it made me feel. I think that even then I knew I was destined to love you. But, Diane isn't dead, Sarah. She's very much alive and married to Harm."
"Harm?! Married!? Nonononono that's not possible! He couldn't commit to a houseplant let alone a wife! You have to be mistaken!"
"Sarah, darling, we were at their wedding. Don't you remember?"
"NO! I don't! And I'd really like to know what is up with all this 'Sarah' and 'Darling' business! If someone were to hear you, you could be charged with Conduct Unbecoming!"
With an indulgent grin, he brushed her hair back from her cheek as he asked, "Now who would bring me up on charges for calling my wife darling?"
"WIFE?! You're married?!" she gasped. Suddenly all of her most hopeful dreams were dashed. Even though she knew Admiral Chegwidden could never love someone like her, in the most secret part of her heart she still clung to that flicker of hope that he might.
"Yes, Sarah, I'm married, and so are you." He brought up their clasped hands so she could see rings on both of them. As it registered that they were matching rings, he added, "We're married…to each other."
To be continued….