A/N: I know Mac wouldn't be petty enough to stop talking to him but just go
with it okay.
Tuesday JAG headquarters.
"Sturgis I need your help." Commander Harmon Rabb said as he stood in the doorway to his friend's office at JAG Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.
"What with I've got cases coming out of my ears?"
"I need you to run recon on Mac." Harm entered and sat down.
"What did you do this time?" He asked knowing about his friend's strange relationship with the Marine Lieutenant Colonel.
"That's what I need you to find out. She isn't talking to me."
"And you want me to find out why?" Sturgis asked dropping the pen he was holding onto the stack of files piled on his desk.
"Yes." Harm replied.
"Did you try apologising in general for whatever it is that you did?"
"It's hard to apologise when she blanks me or I get a curt 'Commander' and she walks off."
"Fine, but if I end up dead your paying for my funeral."
"Deal."
~
"Knock knock." Sturgis said as he stood by Mac's foot.
"Hello Sturgis. Did you need something?" Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie asked.
"Have you got a minute?"
"Sure come in. If it's about the Dawson case I'm going to need a few days to get everything sort out."
"It's not." He sat looking at her.
"Harm sent you to find out why I'm not talking to him." She said intuitively.
"Yes. Are you going to tell me?" He asked.
"As long as you don't tell Harm. It's another of those things we need to keep between us."
"Okay." Mac got up and closed the door.
"Remember last Friday Harm had to go to Norfolk for the day?" Mac asked as she returned to her chair.
"Sure. He had to do some investigation for a case."
"Well Friday night we were supposed to be having dinner with Bud and Harriet. Half an hour before we were supposed to leave I get a phone call that he's had a long day and he's going home to crash and can't make dinner."
"So you're mad that he blew off your plans?" Sturgis questioned.
"No I can understand that he had a bad day and didn't want to come to dinner. What I probably should have told you was that last Friday was my birthday that's why we were having dinner."
"I'm sorry Mac, I didn't know. Happy belated Birthday."
"Thanks. I was trying to keep it low key. So what I'm pissed about is that my so called best friend didn't even remember it was my birthday at all."
"I say you have grounds for grievance. How about you let me take you out to lunch as a belated present?"
"I'd like that. Just don't tell Harm what I told you."
"He's a grown up he can stew for a few days. I'd better let you get back to work."
"Thanks Sturgis. Let me know when your ready for lunch."
"Will do." Sturgis got up and walked out of her office.
~
"So?" Harm who was stood in the bullpen waiting for him.
"She has grounds for being mad. You make a lousy best friend."
"That's not a lot of help Sturgis. Just tell me what I did so I can fix it."
"Not a chance you can figure it out yourself. Harriet?" He said stopping Lieutenant (jg) Harriet Sims-Roberts who was carrying a parcel in the direction of Mac's office.
"Yes sir?" She asked.
"You know why Mac isn't talking to Harm right?" Sturgis asked.
"Yes sir. It's because Commander Rabb.."
"Stop." Sturgis stopped her from saying anything else. "I'm giving you an order which you can extend to Bud to not to tell him. He has to fix this himself."
"Yes sir."
"Sturgis." Harm protested.
"If you'll excuse me I have a delivery for the Colonel from Mr Webb." Sturgis nodded, Harriet continued on to Mac's office.
"Webb? What the hell could Webb have sent Mac?" Sturgis asked.
~
"Come." Mac yelled as Harriet knocked on her office door.
"Ma'am. I have a parcel for you from Mr Webb."
"Thank you Harriet."
"Ma'am the delivery man asked me to apologise as it was supposed to be delivered on Friday but there were a few problems processing it through state since Mr Webb is currently away on assignment."
"That's okay. Let's see what Webb has sent me." Mac used a pair of scissors to undo the tape, opening the lid she saw lots of the foam packing bits, she dug around and pulled out a large blue velvet jewellery box. She carefully opened it. Mac's mouth dropped in shock.
"Ma'am may I?" Harriet asked. Mac nodded and handed her the box. Harriet saw the fire opal pendant flanked either side by what appeared to be diamonds on a delicate gold chain. "Mr Webb has good taste ma'am. It's beautiful. Did he send a note?"
"I don't know." Mac said as she looked back into the box and pulled out a small envelope and opened. " 'Hope you like the present. I saw it and thought of you. Have a good day. Clay.' Short and too the point."
"Probably all he could say ma'am if he's away on assignment. I'd better let you get back to work."
"Thank you Harriet."
~
"Harriet, what did Webb send to Mac?" Harm asked as he waited at Harriet's desk.
"A beautiful fire opal and diamond necklace sir. Mr Webb has very good taste in jewellery."
"Harriet is there something going on between Mac and Webb I don't know about."
"No sir not that I know of. If you'll excuse me I have some work to do sir."
"Carry on." Harm stomped back to his office.
~
"Mac, I'm sorry for whatever it was I did. Can I take you to lunch to fix it?" Harm asked.
"I have plans." Mac said curtly.
"Ready to go Mac?" Sturgis asked.
"Yes. Goodbye Commander." Harm scowled at Sturgis.
Tuesday JAG headquarters.
"Sturgis I need your help." Commander Harmon Rabb said as he stood in the doorway to his friend's office at JAG Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.
"What with I've got cases coming out of my ears?"
"I need you to run recon on Mac." Harm entered and sat down.
"What did you do this time?" He asked knowing about his friend's strange relationship with the Marine Lieutenant Colonel.
"That's what I need you to find out. She isn't talking to me."
"And you want me to find out why?" Sturgis asked dropping the pen he was holding onto the stack of files piled on his desk.
"Yes." Harm replied.
"Did you try apologising in general for whatever it is that you did?"
"It's hard to apologise when she blanks me or I get a curt 'Commander' and she walks off."
"Fine, but if I end up dead your paying for my funeral."
"Deal."
~
"Knock knock." Sturgis said as he stood by Mac's foot.
"Hello Sturgis. Did you need something?" Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie asked.
"Have you got a minute?"
"Sure come in. If it's about the Dawson case I'm going to need a few days to get everything sort out."
"It's not." He sat looking at her.
"Harm sent you to find out why I'm not talking to him." She said intuitively.
"Yes. Are you going to tell me?" He asked.
"As long as you don't tell Harm. It's another of those things we need to keep between us."
"Okay." Mac got up and closed the door.
"Remember last Friday Harm had to go to Norfolk for the day?" Mac asked as she returned to her chair.
"Sure. He had to do some investigation for a case."
"Well Friday night we were supposed to be having dinner with Bud and Harriet. Half an hour before we were supposed to leave I get a phone call that he's had a long day and he's going home to crash and can't make dinner."
"So you're mad that he blew off your plans?" Sturgis questioned.
"No I can understand that he had a bad day and didn't want to come to dinner. What I probably should have told you was that last Friday was my birthday that's why we were having dinner."
"I'm sorry Mac, I didn't know. Happy belated Birthday."
"Thanks. I was trying to keep it low key. So what I'm pissed about is that my so called best friend didn't even remember it was my birthday at all."
"I say you have grounds for grievance. How about you let me take you out to lunch as a belated present?"
"I'd like that. Just don't tell Harm what I told you."
"He's a grown up he can stew for a few days. I'd better let you get back to work."
"Thanks Sturgis. Let me know when your ready for lunch."
"Will do." Sturgis got up and walked out of her office.
~
"So?" Harm who was stood in the bullpen waiting for him.
"She has grounds for being mad. You make a lousy best friend."
"That's not a lot of help Sturgis. Just tell me what I did so I can fix it."
"Not a chance you can figure it out yourself. Harriet?" He said stopping Lieutenant (jg) Harriet Sims-Roberts who was carrying a parcel in the direction of Mac's office.
"Yes sir?" She asked.
"You know why Mac isn't talking to Harm right?" Sturgis asked.
"Yes sir. It's because Commander Rabb.."
"Stop." Sturgis stopped her from saying anything else. "I'm giving you an order which you can extend to Bud to not to tell him. He has to fix this himself."
"Yes sir."
"Sturgis." Harm protested.
"If you'll excuse me I have a delivery for the Colonel from Mr Webb." Sturgis nodded, Harriet continued on to Mac's office.
"Webb? What the hell could Webb have sent Mac?" Sturgis asked.
~
"Come." Mac yelled as Harriet knocked on her office door.
"Ma'am. I have a parcel for you from Mr Webb."
"Thank you Harriet."
"Ma'am the delivery man asked me to apologise as it was supposed to be delivered on Friday but there were a few problems processing it through state since Mr Webb is currently away on assignment."
"That's okay. Let's see what Webb has sent me." Mac used a pair of scissors to undo the tape, opening the lid she saw lots of the foam packing bits, she dug around and pulled out a large blue velvet jewellery box. She carefully opened it. Mac's mouth dropped in shock.
"Ma'am may I?" Harriet asked. Mac nodded and handed her the box. Harriet saw the fire opal pendant flanked either side by what appeared to be diamonds on a delicate gold chain. "Mr Webb has good taste ma'am. It's beautiful. Did he send a note?"
"I don't know." Mac said as she looked back into the box and pulled out a small envelope and opened. " 'Hope you like the present. I saw it and thought of you. Have a good day. Clay.' Short and too the point."
"Probably all he could say ma'am if he's away on assignment. I'd better let you get back to work."
"Thank you Harriet."
~
"Harriet, what did Webb send to Mac?" Harm asked as he waited at Harriet's desk.
"A beautiful fire opal and diamond necklace sir. Mr Webb has very good taste in jewellery."
"Harriet is there something going on between Mac and Webb I don't know about."
"No sir not that I know of. If you'll excuse me I have some work to do sir."
"Carry on." Harm stomped back to his office.
~
"Mac, I'm sorry for whatever it was I did. Can I take you to lunch to fix it?" Harm asked.
"I have plans." Mac said curtly.
"Ready to go Mac?" Sturgis asked.
"Yes. Goodbye Commander." Harm scowled at Sturgis.