Title: Family Matters
Rating: Teen
Slight JAG cross over.
AU: The show has already established that Mac's father has passed on. He's very much alive in this story.
Spoilers: Anything that talks about the commissioner of baseball.
Disclaimers: I do not own them. Rob Lurie does. I do own any animals and secret service agents, as well as any extended family.
Sunday Afternoon
The White House
Washington DC
"He's going to flip when he finds out." Agent Bree Ciorella stated.
"Oh I know" answered Agent Keaton Sanders. "It's not going to be pretty."
President Mackenzie Allen sighed and cradled her casted left arm against her chest. She knew they were talking about her and Rod. Since he had accepted the commissioner of baseball job, he spent most of his time in New York. This weekend he had taken the kids with him, and for that Mac was truly thankful. She'd been accosted Friday night at the stables she used after her ride by some nut job stable hand. Her horse Scherazade, a big black thoroughbred had disarmed the man with a kick, but not before he'd kicked Mac in the knee and broken her arm. The Secret Service had subdued him and he was now in jail. They also had workers build a three stall stable with a tack room on the back lawn of the White House. Scherazade, Amy's pony Peachy, and Mac's other horse a grey thoroughbred named Torka had been moved in this morning.
Without really thinking, Mac slipped on one of Rod's hooded sweatshirts and her riding pants and headed to the stables. Lately she'd needed the companionship and solace that only an animal can provide.
Once down at the stables, Mac groomed all 3 horses and gave them treats. Deciding to go for a ride, against the emergency room doctor's orders, she tacked Torka, and headed out of the stable. Urging Torka into a trot, Mac forgot her surroundings and her problems. She focused on her movements and the horse's movements. As she passed her agents, she missed the looks and the mutters of "You've got to be kidding me" and "Is she crazy?"
As she circled the horse and kicked up the trot to a canter, the gates opened and the limousine carrying Rod, Horace, Becca and Amy drove in.
"Hey Jake" Horace said "Stop a minute."
"What is it?" Asked Rod.
"Since when do we have horses?"
"Since forever." Answered Amy.
"Who's riding and why are they heading this way?"
"I have no idea" Rod muttered as the horse picked up speed.
Mac had seen the car sitting there out of the corner of her eye, and since both of her horses were jumpers, she decided to jump the hood of the car, being as it was smaller than the jumps she usually preferred.
"Oh my god, they're going to jump over the car!" Becca exclaimed.
They saw the rider rise slightly from the saddle, a determined look on her face.
"It's mommy!" Amy yelled as horse and rider lifted off of the ground and sailed over the car. A second later, they were both back on solid ground, as Mac slowed Torka's gait to a trot and turned around, heading back towards the stables.
Jake had since started the limo again and headed for the entrance to the residence, with his shocked cargo in the back.
As her family headed to the residence, Mac dismounted and brushed Torka down.
Bidding the horses goodnight, she headed back. Unaware, that her family was back, Mac peeled off her sweatshirt as soon as she entered the residence. Knowing that the housekeeper was nearby she called loudly "Emily, I'm going to need a plastic bag and some rubber bands so I don't get my cast wet in the shower. A second later Emily appeared with the requested items. "Here you go ma'am. How is your arm feeling?"
"A little sore" Mac answered somewhat untruthfully.
"You probably shouldn't have gone riding, especially with a broken arm. You know what the doctor said."
"How do you know about that?"
"Ma'am, the staff, is quite fond of you. We keep very close tabs on your welfare." The housekeeper answered truthfully.
"Thanks." Mac quietly responded as she took her bag and rubber bands and made her way to the bathroom.
30 minutes later, after some careful maneuvering, Mac emerged from the bathroom, dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt and headed for the den. I'll just have a quiet dinner and watch some tv. Not really paying attention to her surroundings, she flopped onto the couch and grabbed the remote. She turned on the tv, intent on watching something enjoyable, but was asleep within 10 minutes.
"Mommy."
"mmmmm."
"Mommy wake up!" Amy shouted.
"Hmmm…What?" Mac mumbled.
"How did you get the booboo mommy? What happened."
By this time Mac had managed to open one eye and was looking at her youngest daughter.
"I'm ok Amy, don't worry about it. It's not serious." She answered.
"Looks pretty serious to me mom, you have a cast. They only give those out to people with broken bones." Horace said.
"At least you got white. That will match with your outfits." Becca chimed in.
"I wanted red, but the doctor said they had just run out." Mac pouted.
"What I want to know" Rod cleared his throat and spoke up "is a) what happened, b) why you didn't call, c) how long you've owned horses d) where you learned to ride like that, and e) why you rode a horse with a broken arm."
"I've had Scherazade and Torka for a few years and I bought peachy for Amy last year.
As for why I didn't call, why should you be bothered with me? You all give me the impression that you're sick to death of me, why should my being attacked bother you? I know I haven't been available lately, but I'm trying really hard to be here for everyone."
Mac replied.
The look on Rod's face was priceless, it really was. He looked shocked, saddened and like he was about to explode, all at the same time. Mac decided to change the subject.
"How about some food? Is anyone else hungry? I could eat a cow." She babbled as she got up and headed to the kitchen.
"Mackenzie Spencer Allen- Calloway, get back here right now!" Rod shouted.
The kids just looked at each other. They'd never heard their father use Mac's full name used before.
"Uh oh" Horace whispered.
"Yeah" Becca whispered back.
Amy just headed towards her room.
"Mac, why would you say or think something as ridiculous as that? Of course I care about you. I love you more than life itself."
"No, Rod, you only love me when things are going your way. You haven't said more than 5 words to me in 3 weeks. If I meant so much to you, it wouldn't have been like that. I realize you weren't happy, and I'm sorry, but it's not like I'm having an easy time of it. You've been in a snit since I said you couldn't be my chief of staff." Mac sighed. "Look, I can't do this right now. You've made your opinions about me very clear. I'm tired and my arm is really hurting. Goodnight."
Rod just stared after her and was still staring in the direction which she had left the room, several minutes later.
Mac climbed into bed and fluffed her pillows. Lying down, she tried in vain to go to sleep. Signing, she inwardly cursed Rod for starting this fight. It wasn't that Mac didn't care about her marriage, she did; she was just too tired to keep arguing. With that final thought, she rolled over, punched her pillow and fell asleep. She wasn't even aware of Rod's presence in bed hours later.
Rod didn't see Mac the next day. She was gone before he woke up and didn't come to bed until after he was asleep. On Monday, Rod was woken up by an excited Amy. As it was their first Christmas in the White House, both his family and Mac's were coming to spend the holidays. All 3 kids were excited. Horace was excited to see his grandparents. Becca was excited to see her cousins Magdoleena and Syriannah. Amy was perhaps the most excited of all. Not only did she get to see her grandparents and her cousins, but Aunt Mac and Uncle AJ were coming. Sarah Mackenzie, or Mac for short, was her mother's younger sister. There had been a mix up at the hospital with another baby, one who had died, and Sarah had been given to the wrong family. Once Mac became Vice President, 2 years ago, she followed her gut and went looking for her supposedly dead sister. The results were joyous for the entire family. Sarah was a colonel in the US Marines. She took over as JAG for her now husband and former CO, when he was promoted to the Navy spot of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 3 years ago. In Amy Calloway's eyes, there was no one cooler than her Aunt Mac and Uncle AJ.
By 4:30 pm everyone had arrived and was busy settling into their rooms. Dinner was served at 5:30 and everyone sat down to enjoy the meal; everyone but Mac.
"Rod, where is Mackenzie?" asked his mother, Janet Calloway.
"Yes, I would like to know as well" chimed in Kate Allen, Mac's mother.
"I actually don't know. I….um…haven't seen her in a couple of days."
"Rod!" admonished Janet.
"Pardon me sir, but President Allen is in Iceland at the moment. She's expected to return tomorrow." Said Charles the steward.
"Thanks Charles." Rod turned to the rest of the family. "I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see her."
&&&
Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base at 5 am. Mac had gone to Iceland to talk to President Thorransen abut a variety of mundane issues that had to be addressed. Having slept on the way back, Mac slipped into her bedroom at the White House for a shower. Trying not to wake up Rod, she carefully covered her cast and got into the shower. Donning her black and red suit, and applying her make up, Mac opened the bathroom door and came face to face with an irate Rod.
"Mackenzie"
"Rod"
"Nice to see you."
"You too."
"Were you going to tell me that you were leaving?" he asked as he helped her fasten her sling around her neck.
"No" she said turning back around and heading towards the door.
"Why not?" Rod asked as he followed her down the hall towards the dining room.
"Because." Mac answered as she poured herself some coffee.
"That's a child's answer Mackenzie!"
"We've already established that you really don't give a damn about me one way or the other, so why should I tell you?"
"Because you made me look like a fool in front of our families!" Rod yelled.
"Get used to it Rod! Our marriage has become a sham!" Mac yelled back.
"That's bullshit. Our marriage is fine!"
"Wow go look up the definition of the word fine in the dictionary Rod, because we are definitely not it!"
They were now staring daggers at each other, not even noticing that their families had wandered into the hall and were listening.
"Whatever Mac!"
"Go to hell Rod!" Mac yelled, grabbing her coffee and heading out of the residence.