Prologue...
August 10, 2001
0500 EDT
Austin's Apartment…
Austin covered a yawn with one hand as she settled behind her computer to log
on and check her email before showering and getting ready to face her day. A
day that would be considerably less pleasant with Victor back in New Mexico
visiting his mother and sisters for a week.
They'd been dating for a little over a month, but it was amazing how much of
her life was tied into Victor's now, Austin thought as she waited for MSN
messenger to open and display the number of messages in her inbox. Not that she
couldn't live without him, she functioned quite well on her own, but it wasn't
as much fun as being part of a couple.
"Ooh…12 messages…wonder who they're from," Austin grinned as she opened her inbox.
Three of the twelve waiting messages were from Victor she realized with a smile looking at the From: column.
"Gee Victor…someone might think you were attached to me or
something," Austin murmured just as a Messenger window opened in the
corner of her screen.
Hi
Good morning Victor. How are you?
Good…You?
Boy you're a real conversationalist in the morning
aren't you? ;) I'm fine, I just got up. What are you doing up at 3 in the
morning??
Just getting in actually. Mama wanted to go visit my Aunt Evangeline then I
went out with some old friends. I thought I'd log in and see if you were around
before I hit my bunk.
Such a thoughtful Marine. I miss you Victor. :(
I miss you too Aus. Mama and the girls would
love to meet you. Are you sure you don't want to come out for the weekend? Then
we could fly home together on Monday.
I've made plans all ready. Harriet and I are going
antiquing. I'm sorry.
It's okay Aus, I should go. I need some shut
eye. Take care.
Semper Fi Victor. I'll be waiting for you at the
airport when you come home.
Can't wait.
Austin read the rest of her emails feeling a vague sense of unease as she
thought over her brief conversation with Victor. He had really wanted her to
come visit, but she wasn't ready for that step yet.
From everything Victor had told her about his Catholic upbringing she was sure
him bringing her home would signal a serious relationship to his mother,
something she wasn't ready for quite yet. Things with Victor were serious and
they had spent the night at each other's houses a number of times: no sex yet,
but Austin knew it was only a matter of time.
Frankly she was enjoying the wait. It was giving her time to know Victor as a
person and a friend. At times it was frustrating when they were in the middle
of an intense make-out session and Victor pulled away kissing her forehead
gently. The first time he had done that had sparked their first argument.
Austin grinned as she logged off remembering the dozen red roses that had been
delivered to her at JAG the next morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0710 EDT
JAG Headquarters…
"You're here early Miss Bradford," Admiral AJ Chegwidden greeted as
he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Good Morning Admiral. I have a lot of appointments today and I wanted to
get some reports written."
"Carry on then," AJ leaned in the doorframe to her tiny office noting
all the changes she'd made. The walls were a light blue and she'd mounted a
huge cork bulletin board over her desk so she could tack up some personal
effects. He'd read most of them one evening when he'd been in the office late
after a meeting with SecNav. "You've done wonders with this little
space."
"Thank you sir…I hope you don't mind the personal things," Austin
apologized turning and indicating her bulletin board with a wave of her hand.
"Not at all…I encourage my people to express themselves, so long as it's
appropriate. Have a good day Miss Bradford.
"You too Admiral Chegwidden sir."
Austin went through her day managing to keep her feelings of missing Victor
under wraps by virtue of being too busy to stop and think of her personal life
for more than a second or two.
It was 4:45 pm and Austin was closing down her laptop when there was a knock on her door. "Come in please."
"Hi Austin, it's just me," Harriet announced cheerfully as she walked
in. "Colonel Mackenzie, Commander Rabb, the Admiral, Tiner, Bud and I are
going to McMurphy's for some dinner and a little pool. Would you like to come
along?"
"Sounds like fun. When are you meeting there?"
"I think everyone is going to go home and change so probably around 1900
or so. You can ride with Bud and I if you want to. We'll make Bud be the
designated driver," Harriet offered. She knew Austin was lonely without
Gunny around and she wanted to keep her friend from moping around her apartment
on a Friday night.
"I'm sure Bud will be thrilled with that," Austin rolled her eyes
knowing Harriet's sweet spouse wouldn't mind at all. Bud might have a beer or
2, but that was it. He didn't seem to enjoy drinking.
"You know Bud: he won't mind it a bit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2000 EDT
McMurphy's Tavern…
"So ladies…care for a game of pool?" Harm asked as he passed the
table Harriet, Mac and Austin had commandeered as soon as they'd arrived.
"With you? No sir!" Harriet snorted.
"Harriet…we're outside the office…please call me Harm," the handsome
Commander reminded before giving his attention to Austin and Mac.
"Well?"
"I doubt it Flyboy…now go away," Mac ordered laughing as Harm
shrugged and walked away.
"He's handsome…maybe not as handsome as Victor…but handsome," Austin
sighed.
Mac rolled her eyes and took a sip of her soda water. "Oh boy…someone's got it bad for our Gunny."
"I think the feeling is mutual Sarah," Harriet smiled taking a sip of
her strawberry daquiri.
"Well more power to the two of you then. Someone ought to be in a good,
steady relationship," Mac declared raising her glass to the other two
women at the table.
"Let's drink to men in uniform," Harriet giggled.
"To men in uniform," Mac and Austin echoed smiling as they clinked
their glasses together.
"Miss Bradford, Ma'am...would you give me the pleasure of this
dance?" Tiner asked hopefully as he approached the women.
"Sure Jason...why not..." Austin smiled getting to her feet. It was a
fast tempo song with plenty of heavy bass notes throbbing beneath and she was
finding it hard to keep still in her seat.
"You must miss Gunny, Ma'am," Tiner said trying to start a
conversation.
"I do...now...let's dance," Austin suggested as they weaved through
the other bodies on the dance floor. She found a little free space and began
moving, losing herself in the rhythm while Tiner watched with slightly widened
eyes before he started dancing as well
Austin spent the rest of the evening dancing, laughing, drinking and trying to forget how lonely she was feeling deep inside.
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