"The Way I See It"
Authors: TxJAG_b
Email:
Rating: G
Classification: Someone who has observed the JAG crew over the years,
especially Mac.
Spoilers: Anything from Season two onwards….
A/N: Thanks to Lisa for the read and the pointers. JoshuaTree, Elfinkid this is for you.
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of Donald Bellisario, Belisaurius Productions, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Broadcasting Service Entertainment – this story is for non-profit entertainment of JAG fans only. No copyright infringement is
intended or implied.
My name is Hal Jamison and I've been with Beltway Burgers for ten
years. I first got this job while I was sophomore in high school.
It was my first part time job. I have to admit, I really didn't
want to work here at first; I had visions of standing in front of the
night manager and saying `evening sir, how is the grease trap
today?' ala Charlie Brown. But the owner/manager, Joe Crompton,
`Old Joe' as he was known, believed in hard work, and he also
believed in taking care of his workers and treating them with
respect.
I worked the service counter where speed in taking orders was of the
essence and if there was one thing I was good at in those days it was
taking orders fast.
I remember the first day she came in. She was in civilian clothes
and my experience with military personnel was limited – so how
was I to know she was in the military. To me she just was another
good looking woman coming in to get something to eat.
She flashed me a shy smile.
"Welcome to Beltway Burgers," I spewed out in typical newbie
fashion, "May I take your order?"
She looked up at the menu then closed her beautiful brown eyes and
inhaled deeply as if she were trying to suck the place into her lungs.
"Ma'am?"
"Oh sorry, I'm new here, just moved into town earlier this
week," she said flashing me a quick apologetic smile.
"I'll have a double bacon cheese burger—no wait make that
two."
I looked at her. She didn't look like she could eat one of our
double bacon cheese burgers, let alone two. Still, Joe said, the
customer is always right.
"You want fries with that?"
She cocked her head, it was kinda cute the way she did it. "Um
yeah, make it an extra large order."
Okay, so maybe she was getting it for her and a friend. "Is that
for here or to go?"
" I'll eat it here." Or maybe she was feeding a tapeworm.
I spoke her order into the mike and added with an extra large drink
at the end. In a few minutes with his usual efficiency, Big Mike our
short order cook had her food ready. I brought it back to the counter
and filled her drink cup. She paid her money then slowly walked over
to one of our empty tables near the window and sat down with her food.
I watched astonished as she inhaled the two burgers, the fries and
the drink. As she finished, she caught me watching her. That
embarrassed smile appeared again. "Um, what do you recommend for
dessert?"
Over the years, she came in at various times. Sometimes it was in
the afternoon after work or later in the evening. Sometimes she
would still be wearing her Marine uniform. The first time she did, I
noticed the insignia on her uniform, she was a Major, a Major in the
Marine Corps! Still, she had the same shy smile and look she had
when the first time she came in here.
Her orders varied little. Bacon double cheese burgers, Double bacon
cheese burgers, Extra bacon double cheese burgers and it was never
just one. Always two, sometimes three if she was really hungry. I
remember her standing at the counter one time, patiently waiting in
line. This guy in front of her was taking forever to make up his
mind about what he wanted.
"I'll have two extra crispy chicken fillet sandwiches, no
make that a single cheeseburger, or maybe-"
Suddenly his ordering was broken by a stomach growl that sounded like
a sergeant barking orders.
Everyone within earshot including him turned to the demure woman
standing quietly behind him.
"Sorry," she said quietly, "I'm just a little
hungry."
The man bowed out of line. "Ma'am I think you should go ahead and
place your order you sound like you need this more than I do."
Mac as she like to be called, smiled politely stepped up to the counter and
ordered her usual dinner.
Don't get me wrong, she was not this quiet little mouse who never
said boo. One night some local toughs decided to visit our
establishment. They came in loud and boisterous making our regulars
nervous, they began harassing Janet and Shanelle making crude
remarks, I was getting bent out of shape being the new night manager
and all. Joe had given me this new responsibility and I wasn't
about to let him down, that was when she walked in the door laughing
and talking with a tall naval Lieutenant Commander.
They both stopped when they saw what was going on. The Major's
face hardened to stone. Her voice dropped an octave and had a
definite edge to it when she asked me if there was a problem. Her
partner, imposing with just his height seemed to take on a more
menacing stance as he observed the three toughs.
They turned to see the lady Marine Major and the Navy Lieutenant
Commander. One started to open his mouth then closed it again.
Dummy number two was not as bright.
"No, you military types can go about your business, he said
stupidly, Nothing's going on here, we're just having a little
fun."
"I don't think the people here feel like they're having
*fun*," said the tall navy man.
The Major's words were laced with steel. "I think you boys
have had enough *fun* for one night."
The dumb one started to object. But his two friends were smarter and
pulled him out of store. Mac and her friend went over to the door
and watched them drive off. Mac looked over at me and asked if
everyone was okay. I told her we were. She nodded and then turned
back to the man. "What do you think, Harm? Will they be
back?"
"Not if they're smart," he replied dryly.
Mac looked back at me and said, "We'll have some of our
friends drop by for the next few days just to make sure they
get the message."
That night we treated both of them to extra thick vanilla shakes
-– on the house.
For the next year or so, we saw both of them together fairly
regularly. Harm and Mac, what a pair. He always kidded her about
eating dead cows, obviously a health nut. I remember hearing her say
something about his California upbringing, it figures. Well, I hoped
he wouldn't put any funny ideas into her head, after all, she was
our best customer!
One evening while I was working the drive through, a beat-up
Volkswagen beetle came through. The guy who was clearly nervous
messed up his and his date's order and tried at least a half
dozen times to correct the problem, but only made it worse.
Finally, I worked out a deal with him. If he promised not to try and
correct the mistakes, I would provide whatever he wanted when he came
around to the pickup window.
The beetle looked like it had seen better years; inside sat the
nervous guy. The blond girl sitting next to him was a real cutie and
kept prompting him by calling him Bud. It was then I remembered Mac
talking about her co-worker Bud Roberts dating this navy girl,
Harriet. She looked like she would be more at home at a debutante
ball, but she really seemed to be enjoying being with Bud, despite
his nervousness.
Bud and I finally negotiated what he really wanted to order and I
threw in a couple of cream cones for good measure. Hey what can I
say? I'm a romantic at heart. Besides he looked like he could
use all the help he could get.
Meantime, Mac and Harm continued their lunch or dinner visits to us.
She took his junk food ribbing in stride, kidding him about eating
twigs and leaves and calling him Stickboy. He always got a salad or
one of our new veggie burgers –sometimes he got a fish sandwich,
but that was rare. Then he stopped coming with her one day. At
first I wasn't going to say anything, I mean it wasn't any of
my business, she was just a customer.
Then a few days later I got my answer. She walked in with this very
dapper looking lawyer type on her arm. He looked uncomfortable. She
was oblivious to his discomfort.
"Dalton, they have the best burgers here and you promised me you
would try one." He ordered a single cheese burger, no tomato.
She playfully smacked him on the chest and called him a wimp. He
smiled, but it was a weak one. He gingerly took the sandwich and
followed Mac to an empty table. I don't know if he ate it or
not. She didn't come back with him again.
One afternoon, she breezed in and ordered a large vanilla shake. As
she took it to a table to finish it off, a very proper looking
Admiral walked in and stepped up to the counter.
"Afternoon Admiral," I said noting this must be Mac's
boss. I heard that at one time he had been in the SEALs, he still
had what Joe called the 'Budweiser' on his uniform. "What'll
you have?"
"One of what she's having," he said in a clipped tone.
"She's having an extra thick vanilla shake. Is that what you
want?"
He looked a little taken aback. I guess he wasn't expecting her to
have that. "Oh...sure," he said distractedly, "go ahead."
He took his shake and asked to sit down at Mac's table. She
started to get up and formally address him, but he waved her down.
They talked for at least an hour.
Curiosity got the best of me and I decided that the area around them
needed cleaning.
My buddy, Nick told me they would skin me alive if they found out I
was listening in on their conversation, but I just had to know what
they were talking about.
They both stopped their conversation and smiled at me when I came
over with my mop and bucket. As soon as I started cleaning, they
figured it was safe to start talking again.
It was evident the Admiral was concerned as to why Mac was leaving
JAG. For her part, Mac tried to explain what an opportunity this was
and how she really had appreciated everything he had done for her in
the last few years. I don't know if he was accepting it or not.
He talked in very gentle tones. She responded in kind. It was
evident he was more than just a boss, but they both kept it
professional. After an hour, he got up and walked out. She sat
looking blankly out at the parking lot for at least thirty minutes
before she too got up and left.
The next time I saw her, she was looking very withdrawn. She ordered
two cheese burgers and regular fries. I knew something was up. She
may just be a customer, but still, I hated seeing her like this.
The Navy guy, Harm appeared irregularly with her over the next
several months. I heard on the news that the guy she called Dalton
had been killed by a guy stalking Mac, a police detective of all
things, you can't trust anybody these days. Mac however, seemed
to get on with her life and had what looked like a pretty good
friendship with the Navy guy Harm.
Then one rainy afternoon, she came in earlier than her usual time.
She looked really depressed. I couldn't help myself, I felt like
I knew her so well by now I just had to ask.
"Hey Jimmy, I'll take over this order. You go help the new
guy on register two."
"Hey Major," I said as I slid in front of register one. I
never called her Mac or her given name Sarah. She was in the
military and deserved the respect of the rank. "Is everything
okay?"
She looked up at me with her big brown eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine
Hal, just a little sad."
"What about?" Nosy little guy, aren't I?
"Harm has gone back to flying," she said flatly. Wow, this
naval lawyer was also an aviator.
"What does he fly?" I was curious.
"Tomcat fighter planes."
Whoa, the guy was a Top Gun and a lawyer? "You miss him."
"His company, yes, but not him." She was lying, but I
decided to let it go.
"So, what'll it be tonight?"
"I'll have a veggie burger." She looked at me sort of
perplexed when she realized what she had said. Yep, she had been
lying all right. She did miss him, bad. She didn't back down
though, that's what she ordered and that's what she wanted.
I mean I think those things are worse than eating cardboard, but
hey like I've always said, the customer is always right.
"Okay Major, here you go." She looked suspiciously at the
burger. It really didn't look like anything she usually ordered
from us. She took it back to her usual table and taking large gulps
of her soft drink managed to eat it all.
She didn't order a second one. She just finished it and then
left. We saw her on occasion after that, but not very much.
In the meantime we saw Bud and Harriet again. Somehow the guy got
over his awkwardness and asked the lady to marry him. They would
come in on occasion, order a couple of burgers a thing of fries to
share and a super drink, to share, of course. They also always
ordered two cream cones. After they did this a few times, I just had
to ask why the cream cones, why the same kind?
Bud pulled me to the side and confided in me that the cream cones had
been one of those things they always remembered from their dates and
it lead them to get to know each other better. Well I'll be
damned! I was instrumental in getting them together and didn't
even realize it!
Mac had been pretty scarce for a while. Then one night she came in
with a bright smile on her face. The first thing I noticed was she
had received a promotion. "Evening Colonel," I said
respectfully.
"You noticed, Hal."
"Yes Ma'am, I make it a point to notice the little things.
What'll it be?"
"Two deluxes with everything, extra large fries, and a supersized
drink." Her appetite, which had been somewhat dormant as of
late, was back.
Harm came in with her sometime after that once or twice but then a
new guy began appearing with her. He was Australian, on some kind of
exchange program. It was evident the Colonel was smitten with his
attention if not actually him. He for the most part went along with
her cravings. He ordered large portions rivaling hers a couple of
times, but mostly he would get a little less than she did.
Sometimes, they came in happy. Other times, they came in arguing
over some case or another like she used to do sometimes with Harm.
There was closeness, but it wasn't the same kind. I'da know,
it looked kinda forced to me, you know? Like she was trying to
replace Harm with this guy. We didn't see much of Harm during
this period. Occasionally though, The aviator/lawyer went through the
drive through in his corvette with a blond draped around him. Still,
he didn't look very happy, either.
On those occasions when Mac didn't bring Harm or Mic, she brought
a third guy with her. He was a Marine like her. But he was very by
the book. A Gunny. Joe told me once a Gunny had saved his butt in
Korea. Joe thought the guy would've bled olive green if you cut
him. That's kinda the impression I got from this guy.
"What's best, Colonel?" he asked her looking with
uncertainty at our menu.
"The burgers are really good, Gunny, but if you don't like
that they have chicken or even fish sandwiches,"
That was enough for him. He squared his shoulders and ordered a
double cheese burger. I could see Mac standing in the background
smiling. They took their orders over to her favorite table and began
eating.
If the Gunny was unsure about whether he liked it or not, you sure
couldn't tell until he told her how great this was. Mac just
got a little self satisfied smile on her face. We saw the Gunny in
here from time to time after that. Sometimes with a girl, sometimes
not.
One night late after a storm had moved though the area, Mac showed up
looking drained. Since we were closing in an hour, I had volunteered
to man the register while the rest of the crew wiped down the
equipment that wasn't being used.
She looked at me with those soulful eyes. She didn't even have
to ask. I just put it into the bag. Two extra deluxe bacon cheese
burgers-Joe's latest concoction, extra large fries and a super
drink. She smiled at my perceptiveness. It was that shy nervous
smile she had when she came in here years ago. She paid for her food
and took it back to one of the tables by the windows.
The place was nearly deserted, so I decided to see what was up.
"Hey Colonel, where's Mic tonight?"
"Back at JAG," she said between bites. There wasn't much I could
say about that, her tone really didn't leave much room for talk on
that subject. "How's Harm these days?"
I knew it was a loaded question, but I had to ask. She looked at me
as if I had asked her to shoot a basket full of kittens. She later
confided that she had just spent several nerve wracking hours at JAG
while they hunted for Harm. I didn't realize what a loaded
question this was until she told me in a small quiet voice.
"Harm was in a plane crash at sea. He's in the
hospital." She stopped eating. I knew this was serious.
Nothing killed her appetite like a serious life threatening
situation.
Man, did I ever feel like a slug. "Is he going to be okay?"
I asked hopefully.
She looked at me with determination. "Yes, he will."
We didn't see much of her for a while. We saw Tiner, the
Admiral's yeoman and Bud and Harriet stopped by on occasion. But
no Harm and Mac.
Then one night near closing, he came in. "Evening Sir," I
said to him. Harm smiled sheepishly. I've never seen him so
nervous. "Your usual?"
"No, give me, ah, a bacon double cheese burger with
everything." Oh man, this was serious. He was trying one of
Mac's old favorites.
"Sure Sir, here you go." He looked in the bag and I would
swear that he blanched. He swallowed slowly, turned around and
walked back to the table that Mac usually used.
I watched with fascination as he slowly carefully ate the entire
burger of course with large gulps of soft drink, but just like Mac
had done with the veggie burger, he ate the entire thing and then
left.
Mac came in on occasion with him after that, but it wasn't the
same. They talked but it was almost too formal, like they were
trying too hard. Then September 11 happened and everything changed.
With the Pentagon being hit, we realized some of our customers had
died there. Some of our foreign customers afraid of unjust
retribution, stopped coming as well. We put an American flag in our
window and a poster of the three sites on one of our walls. We saw
more people in uniform than we ever saw before, along with Mac and
Harm. They would come in and order their usuals, but the mood was
tense and uncertain. Any thoughts about themselves was put on the
back burner as they wondered what would happen next. They almost
seemed like they were getting back to their old familiarity when they
got orders to go to Afghanistan.
We didn't see much of them at all until early spring. Harm came
with her for a little while and then he stopped coming all together.
Mac came in one night looking like she would kill the next person
that asked her a stupid question. She ordered three deluxes, our new
curly fries and a super drink. She didn't stay long though
because two seamen came in talking about the Commander being arrested
on suspicion of murder. When they started talking, Mac picked up her
food, threw it into the bag and stalked out of there. I glared at
the two seamen. They had just run off one of my best customers.
What we did see was another couple come in. The Admiral's yeoman
and a pretty little Petty Officer. It was obvious they were friends
from the start and she made no bones that she thought he was pretty
special. They ordered what Mac had told them was the best thing on
the menu. Lunch number #3 a bacon double cheese burger, curly fries
and a super drink. They talked and laughed, real at ease with each
other.
Just before summer, Harm returned. He had a haunted look on his
face. He kept staring at the menu as if searching for something that
wasn't there. I finally asked him if he was okay. He ordered a
super deluxe [her new favorite] curly fries and a super drink.
Something was up. He didn't eat it gingerly like he did last
time. He ate the meal normally as he used to do with his veggie
meals. The whole time, he stared at the seat across from him as if
Mac was going to magically appear. She didn't. As he started to
leave I asked him where he was going. Why I did I don't know,
maybe it was the look on his face.
"To find Mac," he said determinedly.
I didn't see anymore of him for the rest of the summer or fall.
Mac came in a few times in the summer with a dapper man walking with a
cane. He indulged her preferences for this place, but it wasn't
his style. Still, he was trying to please her, so he tried
everything on the menu at least once.
Harm appeared late in the fall one sunny afternoon. Mac was with
him. They sat and ate quietly at their favorite table. She would
smile shyly at him. He would smile shyly at her They were like kids
on their first date. Reminded me of that guy Tiner and his Petty
Officer.
I haven't talked to her in a while about what's been going
on, but I think I will if she – oh wait, here she comes.
It's almost 1900 her favorite time to come in I'll get her
order and see what she's been up to. Maybe she'll even tell
me how it's going with the Commander, because its good to see a
real smile on her face again and, best of all, her real
appetite is back.
-To Be Continued…
