After Paraguay, after Simon Tanvere, and before the Admiral Resigns. This is a Mattie Free Universe and deviates from canon in other ways too. For those of you with knowledge of military procedures, I hope you can over look my blunders.

I suspect that you may have to read my story Straight Forward to "get" some of the stuff, but should stand alone - especially if you ignore everything except Harm and Mac.

Saturday - Day 1

With a flick of his wrist, AJ cast into the small pool just above his position in the stream. It was the last cast of a long day. As he reeled in the line, Owen Sebring called to him from the bank.

"Ready AJ?"

"On my way."

Together they walked the path up the steep bank to the narrow stretch of road where AJ's 4x4 was parked. At the truck they stripped off their waders, boots, and vests and stowed their rods and gear. Slamming the tailgate, AJ walked around and got into the cab. Owen slid into the passenger seat.

They were thirty minutes into the drive home, when AJ pulled into a restaurant parking lot. "Is this ok?"

"If the beer's cold it will be." Owen replied.

They ordered without looking at the menus; double burgers, fries and draft beer. "How's Joey?" Owen asked once the drinks arrived.

AJ took a sip from his mug. Lt. Commander Josephine Cassidy had been AJ's girlfriend for seventeen months. She was wiry and athletic, opinionated and passionate. They were a good match except for a couple of major impediments. The first was the most obvious and the least important to either one of them. AJ was nearly twenty years her senior. The second inconvenience was the small matter that they both served in the U.S. Navy. Rear Admiral AJ Chedwiggen was the Judge Advocate General and Joey worked in the Department of Defence in the area of finance and appropriations and was stationed at the Pentagon. From tremulous beginnings she and AJ had settled into a relationship which suited them both. They had talked about the ramifications of their association from the beginning, but until now it had never been an issue beyond their own debate.

AJ shrugged. "I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks. She was selected to lead an audit team at a contractor's facility."

Owen grinned. "So all that noise the Secretary made was just smoke?"

The uniformed waitress set their platters on the table with practiced grace. "Two more?" She asked nodding at the empty beer steins.

"Not for me" AJ said.

"Yeah I'll have another." Owen responded.

When his beer arrived he asked again. "So you don't think there was anything in the Sec Nav's warnings?"

"I don't know." AJ took another bite out of his burger.

"What's Joey think?" Owen asked. AJ wiped his mouth and took another drink, this one from his water glass.

"We haven't talked about it."

"AJ, you've got to be joking. Don't you think she needs to know the risk you're taking?"

"What risk? Our relationship doesn't affect good order and discipline, it isn't fraternization; we aren't in the same chain of command."

"Maybe not." Owen replied using a fry to make his point. "But if it is worth your boss' time to comment, maybe you should pay attention. You know as well as I do that even the appearance of impropriety could lead to the laying of charges. And that alone could have a negative impact on your career and hers; whether the facts are proven or not."

AJ chuckled. "Spoken like the upstanding member of the judiciary that you are."

Owen responded with a slight lift to the eyebrow. "You think you're bullet proof don't you?"

"It's not that. I just know we're not doing anything wrong. Like it was any of your business."

"Are you saying you took her all the way to Italy last year and you haven't gotten beyond first base?" Owen responded with a lighter tone.

AJ managed a grin. "Mind your own business old friend."

"Oh come on, I'm still with the original model, I was just wondering if a newer model was all it's cracked up to be?"

"I haven't actually been trying too hard. She has a career to protect and I don't want to jeopardize my nice fat pension remember?"

Owen nodded and let the subject slide.

Pulling into the drive a little after 2300 hours, AJ pulled the damp waders and boots out of the truck and set them to dry on the back porch. He flipped the latch on the dog kennel. Dammit wriggled out and zipped around the yard while he unloaded the rest of his gear. The message light on the phone on the kitchen wall was blinking. He kicked off his shoes and touched the button. There was only one message. A familiar voice said.

"I'm back."

AJ scrolled through the prompts and looked at the call history time stamp. It read 9:15 p.m. By the time he drove into Georgetown it would be midnight. She'd been in transit all day and was likely getting some well earned sack time. He whistled the dog in from the yard and went to use the head. He stood for a moment in front of the mirror. I'm too old for this he thought. He looked at his hair glinting silver in the light and the creases across his cheeks and brow He swept his hand over his head and down across his neck. "Ah what the hell." He said to the reflection.

He snapped off the light and stepped back into his shoes. In twenty five minutes he was knocking on her door. He had her key in his hand, but it seemed inappropriate to barge in unannounced. He wondered about phoning her from the door, but decided his voice in the hall wouldn't exactly impress her neighbours.

Suddenly the door opened. He stepped out of the hallway. Her bedside lamp cast a long shaft of light across the dark apartment. As soon as the dead bolt slid home, Joey's arms were around his neck. He kissed her upturned face and returned the embrace. She was nearly his height but built lean. Her white blonde hair, kept up in a knot for work, was loose across her shoulders. He slid his hand beneath her t-shirt, her back was warm to his touch. She pulled back slightly and he took this opportunity to pick her up in his arms and carry her across to the bed, he dropped her the last 5 inches or so and she bounced and rolled catching him by the sleeve and pulling him down on the bed. It didn't take her long to strip his clothes off. Just before he stopped thinking at all AJ wondered if Owen would mind one little white lie.