Title: Adventures in babysitting. By Jules

Summary: Just a bit of fun that I thought up, while I should have been reading for my psych tutorial! Somebody comes to visit DC and Harm is left holding the baby!

Disclaimer: I don't own JAG or any of it's characters, but just borrow them for a while to exercise my overactive imagination! JAG belongs to DPB, Bellisarius Productions and CBS.

Spoilers: None. This piece is set some time after 'Shifting Sands'

Rating: PG.

Category: Slightly H/M shipper, UST

Feedback is always very welcome!

Part 1

Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie was just returning to her office after a long morning at court, when something happened that completely bowled her over.

She would have thought that she was imagining it, if Bud Roberts hadn't been by her side and hadn't exclaimed in surprise as well. All of the staff around the office looked bemused as well, as the small toddler ran through the bullpen, wailing loudly.

Harm appeared soon after, calling, "Ana ! Ana, wait! Don't run, Sweetheart!"

He ran past Bud and Mac, in the direction where the child had headed, but was having a hard time seeing the small figure ahead of him in the crowded hallway.

"What on earth was that, Lieutenant!" Mac turned to Bud.

"I…I have no idea, Ma'am," he stammered in reply, still wide-eyed and looking towards the hallway where Harm had disappeared.

Just then, everyone snapped to, as Tiner called out, "Admiral on deck!"

"As you were, people," The Admiral told them, after surveying their questioning faces, "If it is possible, I'd really like you all to get back to work. Commander Rabb will be back with us shortly, then I'm sure he'll fill you all in."

With that, they were left to resume work, although Mac found herself impatiently glancing out of her window every now and then, waiting for Harm to return to the office.

Just what had that all been, anyway?

Five hours earlier…

"Yes, Sir," Harm spoke to his Commanding Officer on the phone, "I understand, I know that I cannot let my family problems interfere with my work, but I've nowhere else to leave her…I know it's been bad enough that I've been worried about Sergei going MIA again, but his girlfriend just dropped her off…No, Sir, I didn't know that Sergei even had a girlfriend, let alone a child with the woman, but I haven't spoken to him lately…She's two years old, Sir…Yes, Sir. After work today, I'll try calling up some more day-care centres and try to get her in somewhere…No Sir, I won't let her affect the working order of your office…No, Sir…Thank you Sir. I'll see you in a while, Sir, I've just got to get Ana up, fed and ready…Goodbye, Sir."

With that, Harm went to go and wake a cranky two year old.

Ana was balanced in one arm as Harm tried to balance his briefcase and case files in his other. The little girl was whimpering sorely from her place snuggled up to his shoulder. Luckily, he was the first one into work today and the entire bullpen was empty. He really didn't feel like answering questions, right now. Once he was in his office, he took the cushions off his sofa, riffled through Ana's change-bag and pulled a quilted comforter out and got her settled in the corner of the sofa. After that, he sat down and tried to make some headway on the files that the Admiral had assigned to him at the beginning of the week. His CO was getting very impatient with him, Harm knew, so he really had to get these done as soon as possible.

A few hours passed, with Ana starting to whine at regular intervals, either needing a bottle, a pacifier or her diaper changed. Harm moved swiftly each time, not wanting her to start crying loudly and attract the attention of the rest of the staff. It was now just past ten o'clock, Harm's stomach was grumbling because he had skipped breakfast, but at least Ana was now sleeping peacefully.

Just then, his phone rang and Harm grabbed it quickly, wincing as Ana stirred in her sleep, but thankfully she drifted away again.

"Hello, Commander Rabb speaking."

"Harm," Sturgis Turner spoke up, "I thought that we'd be going over the Canterbury disciplinary hearing, half an hour ago…Did you forget?"

'Shit!' Harm thought to himself.

"Uh, yeah I did," he admitted sheepishly, "Sorry Sturg…"

"What's up with you?" Sturgis teased, but just a little curious, "You've been in a funk for days…"

Harm had decided not to tell anyone at the office except for the Admiral about Sergei's disappearance. He didn't know anything for sure about why his brother had disappeared. Maria had promised that she would call him as soon as she had found anything out.

"What is wrong with you Harm?" Sturgis continued, then kidded, "You've been holed up in your office all day…What, have you got a girl in there?"

Harm just stammered a reply as he made a decision.

"Sorry, Sturg…Listen, why don't you come over to my office, say in five minutes…"

"Hey," Strugis stopped him, "The meeting was in my office…I'll see you over here in five minutes, Commander."

At this, Sturgis quickly hung up on him. Harm let out a groan and replaced the phone receiver. Now what was he going to do? There was no way he would take Ana across the busy bullpen to Sturgis's office…But she was sleeping soundly at her place on the sofa. She'd be fine while he was gone for five minutes, wouldn't she? He placed another cushion between her and the edge of the sofa so she wouldn't roll off then quickly made his way out of his office, quietly shutting the office door behind him. The sooner he met with Sturgis, the sooner he'd get back to Ana.

Just a few minutes later, Admiral AJ Chegwidden made his way over to Petty Officer Coates's desk, after giving a quick briefing to the rest of the staff.

"Coates, have you received those files back from Commander Rabb, yet?" he asked her, "The SecNav has been on the phone asking about them, again."

Harm was supposed to hand them off to PO Coates so that she could make a copy of them for filing, before they were handed into the Admiral, before he gave them to the SecNav.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Coates apologised, "I haven't had them back from Commander Rabb, yet…But he's been in his office all day, I'm sure he's nearly finished with them…"

AJ strode over to Rabb's office door and peered through the blinds into his empty office.

"Has anyone seen, Commander Rabb!" he asked the bullpen staff, angrily.

"I believe he was with Commander Turner, Sir," Gunny told him, reluctant to get his friend into trouble.

The Admiral stalked over to PO Coates's phone, dialled in Sturgis Turner's extension, then barked into the receiver, " Commander Turner, would you tell Commander Rabb that I am ordering him to my office, Right now!"

After that ominous spectacle, the whole staff bit their lips as Commander Rabb quickly, worriedly made his way out from Commander Turner's office and into the Admiral's office.

"Would you care to tell me why, Commander, those files are still in your possession, unfinished and uncopied, nearly four days after I first gave them to you?"

AJ kept his voice steady and calm, although he felt his anger brimming. Harmon Rabb was trying his patience sorely, lately.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Harm apologised, "I have no excuse, except that I have a lot on my plate, right now, with the case that Commander Turner and I are getting ready to prosecute. I've also been trying to figure out an angle on that prosecution that the Colonel and I have been handling. But I will have the files finished within the day and I will copy them personally, before I bring them back to you, so you may turn them in to the SecNav."

AJ's previous intent at staying calm quickly disintegrated and he raised his voice so that probably the whole bullpen would be able hear him, outside.

"You'd better make damn sure that you do, Commander, or so help me…"

However, he was cut of by a loud wail that challenged even his tirade, coming from behind his desk. The two-year-old toddler quickly ran from behind the Admiral's desk and escaped through the open office door that Tiner had poked his head inside, to ask if everything was okay.

Harm, Tiner and AJ remained gob-smacked for a second, before Harm spoke up.

"I'm so sorry, Sir…She was asleep in my office…She must have gotten out and wandered in here…Permission to go and retrieve the baby, Sir?"

"Permission granted," AJ spoke up, his temper now diffused, "And my apologies for losing my temper, Commander…I didn't mean to frighten her…"

Harm quickly hurried out in search of the little girl.