"Saudi Arabian Holiday"
Author: Haruo Chikamori
E-mail: hhchikamori
Rating: M
Classification: Harm/Lia, Mac/Animal
Spoilers: N/A
Summary: AJ, Harm, Lia and Mac are taken hostage while in Iraq on a diplomatic mission. Needless to say a certain spook's mission goes south yet again.
DISCLAIMER: The characters Harm Rabb, Jr., Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie, Meg Austin, AJ Chegwidden, Bud Roberts, Harriet Sims-Roberts et al. belong (in concept if not name) to CBS/Bellisarius. Animal and all OC characters are the property of Heather and Hugo Chikamori. No profit is being made from this story, nor is any infringement intended.
Author's Note: The AU Mac in this story is not the bitter, jaded Mac of the canon JAG TV show. In this timeline, she met Animal a lot earlier in her life and it made a hell of a difference. This timeline's Mac knows how to have a relationship without "playing games".
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
Mac was fifteen minutes into reading over a case file when the door suddenly burst open and this time it wasn't a Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. interrupting her work. This time it was Harm's wife - Commander Liandra Gracen-Rabb came in like a whirlwind disrupting Mac's concentration on her case. Needless to say, the interruption couldn't have come at a more welcome time – the file wasn't looking good at all.
"Mac!" Lia exclaimed to her colleague as she brought in a Top Secret marked brief to her. Commander Liandra Gracen-Rabb grinned, "We've got a hot one here: Certain individuals' eyes only."
Lieutenant Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie-Nakamura looked at it grimacing. "Not another political junket." She groaned as she pored over the contents of the brief. "Do we really need to go glad-handing another foreign politician?" Mac threw up her hands and complained.
"Cushy, huh?" Lia grinned at her friend's disgusted expression "Admiral wants Harm, you and me on it." Liandra pretty much destroyed any hope of bowing out of the expedition gracefully. "Looks like we're headed to Saudi Arabia!"
Mac sighed deeply. Animal was not going to like this. Actually, he was not going to like this one bit. More aptly, he was going to have screaming litters of kittens...expansive litters of screaming kittens. After he had finagled a holiday from assisting in running a battle group, they had packed their luggage in preparation for a relaxing vacation in the Caribbean. And now all of that preparation had gone to hell in a hand-basket. Animal was not going to be annoyed; Mac would place bets in Vegas on the fact that he'd be apoplectic.
"There's goes the trip to the Caribbean that Animal and I planned for our holiday." Mac sighed again as she looked over at Lia with pleading eyes "Are you sure I can't get out of this?"
"Nope." Lia replied with a smug look on her face.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Mac said sardonically as she read the file some more. "Wanna break Animal the news?" At this, Lia's face took on a look of absolute horror.
"You're his wife, you do it." Was Lia's response shaking her head. Animal's temper was well-known throughout the fleet though he rarely ever used it – only when someone else did something incredibly stupid. When the rear admiral lower half unleashed his temper, captains and commanders looked for something to do – to try to appear busy. Lieutenant commanders and lieutenants made themselves scarce or hid themselves in the nearest trash compactor. And JGs and ensigns tended to cry for their mommy. Mac had seen her husband let loose once in her lifetime at some hapless lieutenant commanders who had forgotten some obscure preflight checklist item considering the fact that he later explained why it was so important. She could have sworn the walls of the hangar vibrated. Those lieutenant commanders shook like leaves after the dressing down. Animal had a short temper when it came to incompetence and he did not tolerate it. Incompetence costs lives was one of his favorite sayings.
"He's not going to take this well..." Mac implored, pleading with her friend to help back her up.
"That's not surprising." Lia replied casually, making Mac wonder if there was a sympathetic bone in her friend's body. Probably not in this case.
Mac gave Lia her 'sad puppy' look. "Are you sure you won't help?".
It didn't work. "Nope. Can't and won't." Lia said as she headed out of Mac's office. She tossed back over her shoulder "Besides…I have to tell Harm."
"Thanks…" Mac said dryly.
"Don't mention it." Lia said snidely as she turned the corner and headed back towards her office.
MUCH LATER
Animal did not have screaming litters of kittens. He did not even have bobcats. He had a cougar. Mac was surprised the phone handset did not melt in her hand. "THEY WHAT?!" was his stentorian exclamation.
Mac held the receiver about two feet away from her right ear. She could have sworn that receiver vibrated. "I'm glad he's taking it so well." She muttered just softly enough so that he couldn't hear then said in a normal speaking tone. "Well, sweetheart, you think I like this either? After all, I was so looking forward to our holiday in the Caribbean." She paused as the telephone vibrated some more. "No, It's not like I had any decision in the process. No, Harm didn't either...Yes, even though he is technically the Chief of Staff. He was completely left out of the loop on this matter."
The snort on the other end of the phone line was distinctly sarcastic. "Oh…Yeah, right." her husband growled irritably. "Would you like me to come over and chew AJ a new ear?" He sounded like a grizzly bear startled out of a hibernation with a temper to match.
"I doubt that would do favors for your career, sweetie." Mac laughed. "Honey, he still is a two-star compared to your one."
"When do you have to leave?" The question hung in the air for a long moment as Mac tried to figure out a way to respond to that without Animal having another paroxysm of pique.
"They want us to leave tonight." Mac replied, bracing herself for another outburst from her one-star husband.
Another irritated snort essayed from the receiver, "Well, it doesn't look like I can tell CNO to ixnay my vacation time, so I guess I'll have to take it in Saudi Arabia! Does AJ need a pilot on this press junket?" her husband asked.
"Can't hurt. I'm sure the admiral wouldn't mind having another FLAG officer on this, besides, the attaché is a Saudi Arabian rear admiral who is going with us to show us around" Mac replied, her heart a little lighter now. If she couldn't have the vacation she wanted in the Caribbean, she wanted to have her husband nearby. "Can you get a refund on the Caribbean tickets?" she asked, hoping the answer was 'yes'.
"I'll just get them transferred to a later date. Admiral's privilege." Animal replied. "If I recall correctly, Harm is frocked for one-star. Wouldn't another be overkill?"
Mac devilishly grinned knowing that her husband couldn't see the evil grin on her face. Just for making her squirm, she was going to get some retaliation. "Yeah, but the squid is just an imaginary one-star..." Mac purred sensuously. "My love of my life…meaning you…has stars for real." referring to Harm being able to wear the star of a rear-admiral, but couldn't collect the pay yet. Her throaty voice promptly caused her husband to groan audibly on the phone line.
"Damn it, Sarah...you keep doing that, I won't be able to get out of my chair." Animal groaned, referring to her amorous teasing, reverting to a normal speaking tone, he asked. "Is the attaché an equivalent of a one-star?"
"That's affirmative." Mac checked the file before answering. "Admiral Hamir Al-Fahid." She heard a snapping of fingers on the other end of the line. "What?"
"Ah, good ol'Admiral Ol'Fathead." Animal observed snidely. "He used to be the Saudi Navy corvette flotilla commander our squadron did a number on in a war-game five years ago."
Mac raised her eyebrows at Animal's derisive tone towards the Saudi attaché and admonished Animal. "OK...dearest. Be nice to him, OK? We don't want to tick our hosts off."
"I don't like the guy..." Animal concluded.
"Well, dear, you'll just have to put up with him."
"Sweetie," Animal replied considerately. "You do know 'putting up' means me kneeing him in the nuts. Standard Navy Pilot's greeting."
"Behave." Mac ordered, her voice showing a hint of laughter.
"Me...behave? I don't know the meaning of the word." Animal said snidely ignoring the fact that courtesy was very important in international relations especially in Arab nations.
"I'll buy you a dictionary." Mac retorted, biting down laughter at Animal's commentary.
"Naw...waste of money..." Animal replied as he paused just long enough to pretend to consult his Rolodex. "I'll just ask Demo Dick M. to teach me 'manners and deportment' and the finer art of being able to snort a meatball out my nose."
Mac rolled her eyes. She swore her husband was incorrigible, "Honey...if you expect to come along, you are going to have to come to Falls Church. Can you bring one of my suitcases, the ones with the Class 'A's. And you had better bring your khakis and your dress-whites. You may need them."
"OK...be there in two hours." Animal stated as he calculated in his mind just how long it would take to get home, grab uniforms and head over to Falls Church.
"Two hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty-three seconds." Mac corrected – her internal clock had never failed her yet.
"Whatever you say, dearest." Animal said cheerily as he told Mac he loved her and hung up the phone.
"That man..." Mac whispered as a grin crept across her lips.
2HRS, 15 MIN, 23 SEC LATER
The swinging double-doors of the JAG Headquarters opened as a short fireplug Asian rear admiral (lower half) dressed in service whites replete with gold rear admiral lower half shoulder-boards came barrelling through the doors. The sudden intrusion elicited a rather loud bellow of "FLAG OFFICER ON DECK!" from Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez.
"As you were!" instructed Animal as he came to a stop in the middle of the bullpen. The JAG staff office visibly relaxed; this flag officer was well-known around the office as Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie's spouse. Pausing for a moment to look around taking in his surroundings he grinned as his wife leaned her head out of her office. Animal strode through the office towards her. As he approached her, he grinned widely, "Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie?"
"Admiral." She replied, her eyes glinting with suppressed joyful merriment at the supposed formal address that both she and her husband were using. He was just doing this to play up the scenario – the ham. What was unsaid was I love you to each other but it was understood without saying. After ten plus years together, they didn't have to use words very often to convey that feeling to each other.
At the commotion in the middle of the bullpen, Harm and Liandra both stuck their heads out of their respective offices. Harm strode out to meet his friend in the middle of the bullpen. "Hey. Animal, So…are you coming with us?" he noted motioning at the simple fact that Animal was carrying a garment bag carrying his khakis which was the reputed summer dress uniform that was assigned to members in desert deployment.
"Well...all depends. I hate baklava, and lentils make me want to spew chunks, so yeah. Looks like I'll be coming along too." Animal said dryly. "Given the choice between relaxing in the Caribbean and dodging sand-vipers in the wadis, I figured, what the hell. You only live once." Staring pointedly at Harm he griped. "It was either that or Mac and I took separate vacations…and the likelihood of that happening is below nil." Looking over at Harm's shoulder-boards, he grinned. "So…congratulations on your first star."
"Thanks." Harm replied amiably wearing a chow-eating grin on his face. "Catching up to you."
"Sorry, Harm ol'buddy." Animal grinned back. "Good try, no banana." he stated drolly as he looked at his friend, a frocked rear-admiral (lower half) and said proudly. "My friend, the esteemed CNO caught me by phone, on my way out the door to come up here and told me that I just was frocked myself...two-star." Animal grinned as Mac, Harm and Liandra gasped. Mac was the first to recover, decorum be damned and embraced her husband, giving him a lingering kiss on the lips. Animal grinned – a sign he had a bad pun winding up..."Now, isn't that 'frockin' amazing?" Harm, Lia and Mac groaned.
Rear Admiral (upper half) AJ Chegwidden grinned as he came out of his office. "So…do I hear something about an admiral being promoted?" the former SEAL and current Navy Judge Advocate General queried.
"That you do, Admiral." Animal replied. "Was just frocked Rear Admiral (upper half) less than 2 hours and fifteen minutes ago – as a matter of fact on the way out the door."
Astutely assessing Animal's uniform, AJ informed him. "I see you're out of uniform, Admiral. Two stars, isn't it?"
"Yes, it seems so, doesn't it?" Animal replied. "If there is a PX in this place, I'll hasten to remedy the situation."
"Glad you could join us. Admiral." AJ grinned as he stuck out his hand as Animal reached out to grasp it.
"Glad to be here. I assume that you will be the head of the entourage?" Animal asked.
"Yes, they specifically asked for me by name. I figured it would be good to have staff with me." AJ said.
"I guess I'm just accompanying my wife, sir." Animal grinned not able to repress a quip. "Never could pass up a date with a pretty Marine." He smiled at Mac, who rolled her eyes and restrained herself from swatting his arm. "Admiral, what seems to be my role in this whole VIP shindig?"
"You just play the whole war-hero thing."
"Oh..." Animal said dryly. "War-hero? Didn't know I was one. Rabb here on the other hand..." gesturing at Harm's ribbon rack with the Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Mac smacked him in the arm "Look at your ribbon-rack, you dummy!" she said unable to suppress her laughter any longer.
"Oooooooh..." Animal tried to look at his own ribbon rack, inspecting it carefully upside down, then said flippantly. "It's real colorful..."
Harm, Lia and Mac laughed as Animal looked up with a goofy expression. Animal could always be counted on to not be dignified around his friends. Animal was a competent battle group commander who excelled in leading by example; not by applying an iron rod. His temper was well-known when it came to incompetents, but to those who excelled, he was fair enough so that a lot of his pilots begged their detailers to be able to continue to serve in the Black Aces. Once he received his captain's eagles, that mentality extended to the air wing he commanded. After his first star; the entire battle group.
Mac rolled her eyes. "Ten plus years I've been married to him and he still baffles me." They all knew she was just kidding. Animal and Sarah had been married for slightly over ten years and it was going smoothly. Life couldn't look much brighter, his career was on the rise, her own career meant that his absences wouldn't feel as lonely as if she were a civilian and married to a serviceman. Still, Mac still missed Animal when he went on deployment. She had often said, "A star won't change Animal, he'll still be at the front where he's most comfortable."
Harm, Lia and AJ laughed. "Well, Colonel, you knew what you were getting into when you married him..." Harm riposted cheerily. Animal stuck his tongue out at him.
Mac's eyes glittered as she gave Animal a fond look, "Did you remember to bring the suitcases?"
"Yep," Animal replied, "They're in the back of the car."
"We should stop by the PX and get you a new set of shoulder boards and collar insignia." Mac suggested as she took him by the arm. "I think they're still open." They were open and Animal picked out a set of collar insignia for Animal's khakis and a set of shoulderboards for his whites. Purchasing them on his debit card, Animal was about to put them in a bag to set up later when Mac plucked the shoulder boards from his hand and unbuttoned the rear-admiral lower half shoulder-boards from his shoulders. Sliding the rear admiral (upper half) two-star shoulder-boards onto Animal's service white uniform, she gave him a sizzling kiss that hinted of more amorous ideas once they debarked in Riyadh. Animal's return smile was brilliant.
It was a quick drive to Andrews Air Force Base to wait for a C-141 Starlifter.
TWO HOURS LATER
An Air Force C-141 Starlifter lifted off the runway at Andrews Air Force Base. The Navy members of the JAG team and Animal were dressed in their service whites and black jackets. Mac had on her Service Charlies and khaki jacket. Animal had his peanut butters in the duffle bag. Admiral Chegwidden sat on one seat beside him. Mac had laid her head on Animal's shoulder trying to catch some shuteye during the flight. This late at night, who gave a rat's patootie about personal displays of affection?
"Admiral, is there anything we need to be concerned about?" Animal asked, a tone of worry clouding his voice.
The admiral looked at Animal, the tone of his voice equally worried-sounding. "I hope you requisitioned yourself a sidearm."
"Why don't I like the sound of that, Admiral." Animal raised an eyebrow. "SEAL intuition?"
"Admiral, something just doesn't sit right on this one." A.J. said as he gave Animal a hard look. "and every time I've had one of these hunches, I've been right. So I listen to them."
"I've got my Beretta in my duffle, sir." Animal looked at him. "I hope I don't have need to use it." Animal replied, his own butterflies starting to take wing in his stomach as his warning sense heightened.
The C-141 was shared by a group of Marines from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Group, and the aircraft was full. And the hiss of the pressurization blocked out any engine noise while the Starlifter flew on through the night sky onwards towards Riyadh.
A movement on his shoulder about two hours into the flight interrupted Animal's pensiveness. The Admiral was off pacing the interior of the C-141 giving the Marines fits, none of them were comfortable seeing flag officers this close and having three brass: two two-stars and one one-star in close personal proximity for a fixed period of time, was enough to keep them hopping up in positions of attention like camouflaged jack-in-the-boxes regardless of A.J.'s admonitions of "as-you-were." Mac looked up and murmured at Animal…"What's wrong, honey, you look worried."
"Something doesn't sit right, Sarah." Animal replied. "That's how come A.J.'s pacing a hole in the floorboards of the Starlifter, and now, thanks to him, I'm worried too."
Mac sighed. "I know. The ambassador indicated that there was an attempt on his life, just last week." She knew Animal was not going to like the sound of that.
"Just last week?!" Animal snarled, his ire at that sorry spook rose exceptionally high. "And they still decided to drag you into this shin-dig? Who asked? Clayton Webb? Do I have to kick his sorry ass again?"
"Calm down. It's not like these things don't happen here. It's quite common. One leader will try to kill the opponent. It's all a matter of control." Mac tried to reassure her now bear-like husband. It took a long time before Animal was able to settle his internal stomach which was now turning cartwheels.