Disclaimer: I don't own them, cause I can't afford them. Um, not quite sure
how the ZULU thing works with military time, so don't flame me. This is my
first fic that I've actually posted somewhere other than my computer, so be
kind. Thanks (
January 23 2002 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 0830 Zulu
Colonel Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie rubbed her temples absently as she sat at her desk. The day hadn't even really started yet and already it was bad. Traffic on the beltway was horrific, at best, plus she'd missed her morning coffee at Starbucks. "If only I could go back several hours and redo everything, that would be great." She mumbled, running a hand through her short brown hair. "What exactly would you redo Mac?" Her partner and best friend Harmon Rabb Jr. asked as he poked his head in. Mac took a moment to soak in the presence of her erstwhile paramour. I What is it about this man that makes me go weak in the knees?I Mac thought. Then that patented flyboy grin spread across his face and she remembered.
"Earth to Mac? Come in Mac? Penny for your thoughts." Harm asked, confused as to the odd expression on his best friends face. IIt almost looks like love, but maybe it's just my imaginationI. Harm thought. "Nothing, Harm. Just having a bad morning. What's up with you?" Mac replied, the look firmly off her face. "Staff call is in a minute. Wanted to know if you wanted to talk together?" Harm asked her, feeling like a fifth-grader. "Sure, let's go." Harm waited as Mac grabbed her notebook and pen and then followed her out the door.
On their way through the bullpen, Petty Officer Tiner greeted them. "Morning Sir, Ma'am." Tiner began. Both officers nodded a hello as they walked past. "Ma'am, you have a phone call. The person says it's pretty urgent." Tiner told his senior officer. "We're on our way to staff call Tiner, take a message and tell them I'll call them back." Mac told him as Harm kept walking. "Yes Ma'am. There's also a package for you that I'll put on your desk." Nodding her ok, Mac continued towards the conference room. IHow many more hours till I can go homeI
New Mexico/Texas Border 0730 Zulu
Elizabeth Thompson had never been so nervous in all of her 25 years. Granted she'd been through hell and back the last two, but this was way different. This was uncharted territory for her. To think she owed it all to that box she found in her mother's closet.
I"Hey mom, I was looking through your closet when I found this box. What is all this stuff?" Elizabeth asked. Immediately she noticed that her mother had paled considerably. "Mom? What's the matter?" Elizabeth asked, worried that something had happened when she was upstairs. "W-where did you find that box?" Her mother asked. Denise Thompson was frozen in fear. The box that her only daughter held contained secrets that she hoped to keep locked up for eternity. Or darn close to itI
Shaking her head back to the present, all Liz could think about now was Virginia. What would Sarah be like? Would she want to have anything to do with Liz? How would Sarah's family think and say? Liz was so engrossed in her thinking that she didn't even notice the young man that sat next to her. And that was the way Clarke Palmer had planned it.
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 0915 Zulu
Staff call had turned out to be not that bad, Mac thought as she made her way back to her desk. She had two cases that she was prosecuting on and what looked like a promising case as defense. Setting her notes and files down; she noticed the package that Tiner had left. Sighing, she picked it up and also found the message that Tiner took. IWhat does my mother want?I Mac thought. She was about to open the package when Tiner stepped in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt ma'am, but you have a phone call. It's your mother." Mac nodded her thanks and looked at the phone. While the two women hadn't really gotten along entirely well since Deanne had left Mac all those years ago, they had tried to make an effort after her father died. II wonder what's happened?I "This is Sarah Mackenzie." "Sarah, it's your mom. Listen, I got the strangest packet in the mail today from Arizona. I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't know anyone in Arizona Sarah." Deanne rambled on. Mac quickly glanced at her envelope and noticed the postmark was from AZ as well.
"Mom is there any indication that it's been tampered with?" Mac asked, grabbing hers and looking at it. Harm walked by at this point and was curious as to what his partner was doing. Mac noticed him and motioned for him to come inside. "No honey. Nothing, should I open it? Did you get one as well?" Deanne asked again. "I did mom. Listen, I'll open mine and call you back all right?" "All right Sarah. Be careful." With that Deanne hung up and Mac stared at the envelope.
"What's on your mind Marine?" Harm asked, trying to draw her out of her thinking cocoon. He could tell just by looking in her eyes that something was troubling her. "My mom and I both got packages from Arizona. She's afraid to open hers and I'm not sure what do." Harm shook his head and decided to help her out. "Give me the package, I'll open in Mac." He told her matter-of-factly. "What?" Mac asked, dumbfounded by his offer. "I'll open it, read it and let you know if it's good news or bad news. My guess is that it's something from Publishers Clearing House." He smiled. Mac stifled a giggle and handed Harm the envelope.
Harm took her letter opener and tore open the contents. Inside he found a letter and a copy of a birth certificate. Mac eyed him carefully for any indication that something indeed was wrong. She noticed that Harm had a look of disbelief and something else on his face. IIs that a smile? How can he looked shocked and yet smile at the same time?I Mac thought. Finally the wait was over and Harm handed her the paperwork. "Well?" She asked. Straight faced and tight lipped, all Harm could say was "Welcome to my world."
IDear Ms. Mackenzie My name is Doreen Thompson. 25 years ago I gave birth to a wonderful baby girl that I named Elizabeth. She was my whole world. She had to be, because her father was an abusive alcoholic man who never loved us. The reason I am telling you this is because my Elizabeth's father and your father are the same.
I met Joe Mackenzie when he was stationed in Yuma. He immediately swept me off my feet. He was charming and had that incredible smile. He told me that he had just gotten divorced from your mother and that he was looking to start over. 4 month's later we were married.
I didn't know that he was still married to your mother or that he had another child. But by the time I did find out, it was too late. Lizzie had already been born and I thought we had nowhere to go. Then I met another wonderful man. Michael Thompson helped me get away from your father and start my life over. He became Elizabeth's father and we haven't looked back since. I hid Elizabeth's birth certificate and anything that would have led her to believe that Michael was not her father.
Unfortunately, my daughter is too smart for her own good. She recently discovered that box and is now on her way to meet you. I'm not even sure what I am trying to say here in this letter. I just wanted you to know that you have a sister and that you deserve to know each other. I'm sorry I took that right away from the both of you.
Sincerely Doreen ThompsonI
Mac looked at Harm and then at the paper and then back at Harm. "This has to be some kind of a joke. I would have been 12 at the time, we would have noticed." Mac stopped suddenly and Harm noticed that her hands were shaking. "Sarah?" He asked, concern streaking across his face. "He told us he was going on tour for a couple of months. We didn't have to go with him. That lying SOB!" Mac yelled, full marine mode engaged. This elicited strange looks from the bullpen and a strange and yet concerned look from the man across from her. Harm got up and shut the door and closed the blinds to her office. "Mac, what's the deal? Could it be true?" Harm asked. He'd felt the same way when he'd learned that Sergei was his brother. But for Mac, this was different. Harm had clung to the hope that while his father was still alive; he'd remained true to his mother. Mac had no such hope. "Only one way to find out. Let's meet her."
January 23 2002 JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 0830 Zulu
Colonel Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie rubbed her temples absently as she sat at her desk. The day hadn't even really started yet and already it was bad. Traffic on the beltway was horrific, at best, plus she'd missed her morning coffee at Starbucks. "If only I could go back several hours and redo everything, that would be great." She mumbled, running a hand through her short brown hair. "What exactly would you redo Mac?" Her partner and best friend Harmon Rabb Jr. asked as he poked his head in. Mac took a moment to soak in the presence of her erstwhile paramour. I What is it about this man that makes me go weak in the knees?I Mac thought. Then that patented flyboy grin spread across his face and she remembered.
"Earth to Mac? Come in Mac? Penny for your thoughts." Harm asked, confused as to the odd expression on his best friends face. IIt almost looks like love, but maybe it's just my imaginationI. Harm thought. "Nothing, Harm. Just having a bad morning. What's up with you?" Mac replied, the look firmly off her face. "Staff call is in a minute. Wanted to know if you wanted to talk together?" Harm asked her, feeling like a fifth-grader. "Sure, let's go." Harm waited as Mac grabbed her notebook and pen and then followed her out the door.
On their way through the bullpen, Petty Officer Tiner greeted them. "Morning Sir, Ma'am." Tiner began. Both officers nodded a hello as they walked past. "Ma'am, you have a phone call. The person says it's pretty urgent." Tiner told his senior officer. "We're on our way to staff call Tiner, take a message and tell them I'll call them back." Mac told him as Harm kept walking. "Yes Ma'am. There's also a package for you that I'll put on your desk." Nodding her ok, Mac continued towards the conference room. IHow many more hours till I can go homeI
New Mexico/Texas Border 0730 Zulu
Elizabeth Thompson had never been so nervous in all of her 25 years. Granted she'd been through hell and back the last two, but this was way different. This was uncharted territory for her. To think she owed it all to that box she found in her mother's closet.
I"Hey mom, I was looking through your closet when I found this box. What is all this stuff?" Elizabeth asked. Immediately she noticed that her mother had paled considerably. "Mom? What's the matter?" Elizabeth asked, worried that something had happened when she was upstairs. "W-where did you find that box?" Her mother asked. Denise Thompson was frozen in fear. The box that her only daughter held contained secrets that she hoped to keep locked up for eternity. Or darn close to itI
Shaking her head back to the present, all Liz could think about now was Virginia. What would Sarah be like? Would she want to have anything to do with Liz? How would Sarah's family think and say? Liz was so engrossed in her thinking that she didn't even notice the young man that sat next to her. And that was the way Clarke Palmer had planned it.
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 0915 Zulu
Staff call had turned out to be not that bad, Mac thought as she made her way back to her desk. She had two cases that she was prosecuting on and what looked like a promising case as defense. Setting her notes and files down; she noticed the package that Tiner had left. Sighing, she picked it up and also found the message that Tiner took. IWhat does my mother want?I Mac thought. She was about to open the package when Tiner stepped in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt ma'am, but you have a phone call. It's your mother." Mac nodded her thanks and looked at the phone. While the two women hadn't really gotten along entirely well since Deanne had left Mac all those years ago, they had tried to make an effort after her father died. II wonder what's happened?I "This is Sarah Mackenzie." "Sarah, it's your mom. Listen, I got the strangest packet in the mail today from Arizona. I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't know anyone in Arizona Sarah." Deanne rambled on. Mac quickly glanced at her envelope and noticed the postmark was from AZ as well.
"Mom is there any indication that it's been tampered with?" Mac asked, grabbing hers and looking at it. Harm walked by at this point and was curious as to what his partner was doing. Mac noticed him and motioned for him to come inside. "No honey. Nothing, should I open it? Did you get one as well?" Deanne asked again. "I did mom. Listen, I'll open mine and call you back all right?" "All right Sarah. Be careful." With that Deanne hung up and Mac stared at the envelope.
"What's on your mind Marine?" Harm asked, trying to draw her out of her thinking cocoon. He could tell just by looking in her eyes that something was troubling her. "My mom and I both got packages from Arizona. She's afraid to open hers and I'm not sure what do." Harm shook his head and decided to help her out. "Give me the package, I'll open in Mac." He told her matter-of-factly. "What?" Mac asked, dumbfounded by his offer. "I'll open it, read it and let you know if it's good news or bad news. My guess is that it's something from Publishers Clearing House." He smiled. Mac stifled a giggle and handed Harm the envelope.
Harm took her letter opener and tore open the contents. Inside he found a letter and a copy of a birth certificate. Mac eyed him carefully for any indication that something indeed was wrong. She noticed that Harm had a look of disbelief and something else on his face. IIs that a smile? How can he looked shocked and yet smile at the same time?I Mac thought. Finally the wait was over and Harm handed her the paperwork. "Well?" She asked. Straight faced and tight lipped, all Harm could say was "Welcome to my world."
IDear Ms. Mackenzie My name is Doreen Thompson. 25 years ago I gave birth to a wonderful baby girl that I named Elizabeth. She was my whole world. She had to be, because her father was an abusive alcoholic man who never loved us. The reason I am telling you this is because my Elizabeth's father and your father are the same.
I met Joe Mackenzie when he was stationed in Yuma. He immediately swept me off my feet. He was charming and had that incredible smile. He told me that he had just gotten divorced from your mother and that he was looking to start over. 4 month's later we were married.
I didn't know that he was still married to your mother or that he had another child. But by the time I did find out, it was too late. Lizzie had already been born and I thought we had nowhere to go. Then I met another wonderful man. Michael Thompson helped me get away from your father and start my life over. He became Elizabeth's father and we haven't looked back since. I hid Elizabeth's birth certificate and anything that would have led her to believe that Michael was not her father.
Unfortunately, my daughter is too smart for her own good. She recently discovered that box and is now on her way to meet you. I'm not even sure what I am trying to say here in this letter. I just wanted you to know that you have a sister and that you deserve to know each other. I'm sorry I took that right away from the both of you.
Sincerely Doreen ThompsonI
Mac looked at Harm and then at the paper and then back at Harm. "This has to be some kind of a joke. I would have been 12 at the time, we would have noticed." Mac stopped suddenly and Harm noticed that her hands were shaking. "Sarah?" He asked, concern streaking across his face. "He told us he was going on tour for a couple of months. We didn't have to go with him. That lying SOB!" Mac yelled, full marine mode engaged. This elicited strange looks from the bullpen and a strange and yet concerned look from the man across from her. Harm got up and shut the door and closed the blinds to her office. "Mac, what's the deal? Could it be true?" Harm asked. He'd felt the same way when he'd learned that Sergei was his brother. But for Mac, this was different. Harm had clung to the hope that while his father was still alive; he'd remained true to his mother. Mac had no such hope. "Only one way to find out. Let's meet her."