Hey gang!

No, I have not forgotten about you. Just busy busy busy busy. I should be
less busy next week and should be able to get back to writing and to start
posting the Diane story. Ask V, Diane is not so nice. ;)

Anyway... here's a story some of you have been missing.

Enjoy!

J.

Part 4 – The Mission, Part 1

"Why is it that I get nervous every time Cresswell calls us into his office?" Harm asks as we meander our way past the bullpen and towards said office.

I shrug. "Not a clue. After finding him and Mrs. Cresswell in that closet, I am having a hard time worrying much about him." It also helped that I kicked his ass the three times we've gone shooting. The thought makes me smile.

As of late, I've noticed Harm growing increasingly worried whenever Cresswell makes his appearance into the office. The man can fly a Tomcat, while a dirty nuke is on his six and not even sweat at that, but when the General calls him for something, Harm looks about to piss his pants. "Things have just been too easy lately."

Though I am inclined to agree, "You call being kidnapped by some hillbilly, easy? Christ, I'd hate to see what you think is hard." Coates immediately escorts us into the General's office where none other than Clayton Webb is standing wearing his ever present three piece suit. How in the world I was ever involved with the man, I do not know. Chalk it up to Stockholm's Syndrome, PTSD or any other four letter disorder. It has become difficult not to loathe the man after everything he'd put me through. True, I partially subjected myself to it, but, in my own defense, I didn't want another failed relationship in my life. Damn the man, he failed me and made me out to be a fool. And I, in turn, hurt the person I love most in this world because I couldn't handle the pressure. Sigh, life can take you on a roller coaster ride sometimes. And, if Webb's hear, that means we're going on another ride, I am sure.

"Commander, Colonel. . .Mr. Webb and I have been discussing some. . .rather interesting situations the three of you have been involved in." Beside me, I can feel Harm tense and part of me is quite sure he'd be willing to pound Webb to a zillion little pieces, something I wouldn't mind seeing. Hell, I'd sell tickets to that!

It's Harm that has the control to speak first without saying something truly derogatory. God bless him. Any of my sentences would have begun with some curse word. "Yes, sir. Agent Webb has sent the Colonel and I on various assignments. Few of which have gone smoothly." Harm can be so eloquent sometimes.

Webb had never been the type to stay quiet, not even after Admiral Chegwidden broke his nose. "Some assignments had a few rough patches. But, you two are still alive. Something must have gone right."

Never mind that, from time to time, I get nightmares that involve Sadik, but yeah, something must have gone right. "Oh yeah, it went really right last time, when you nearly got Mac killed and. . ."

Thankfully Cresswell decided to cut Harm off before he exposed more than I would like him to be privy to. "Before this turns into a pissing match, Mr. Webb, could you please get on with it?"

Webb clears his throat and reaches into a briefcase that sits open on Cresswell's desk. I swallow down the bile that has risen up in my throat and urge myself not to strangle the man. "I realize that I am the last person the two of you want to see, but we need you."

Shocker. Surprise. Break out the confetti.

"The SECNAV has approved this joint mission in lieu of your resent nuptials."

Shocker. . .Woah, wait! "The SECNAV knows?" I turn to Harm who shares my look of dismay and horror. I think I now realize his fears pertaining to our CO which stems from the likelihood that we will soon be separated. Christ. I know we're spending entirely too much time together than is feasible for a married couple, however, I like our routine. It works. We've spent nearly a decade evading each other. Shit, if Harriet and Bud can do it, so can we!

Cresswell nods. "He found out a week ago and it's taking me all of my political pull not to send the both of you packing just yet." Just yet? Just yet?! Shit.

"That's where I come in." Webb says smugly and hands us each a sheet of paper with details that seem strikingly familiar to our own. "This mission is fairly easy. . .I need the two of you to play newlyweds."

Harm smiles widely at the super spook with a superior, "I won" type of undertone that nearly made me laugh. Ugh, men. "That we can do. . .In fact, Mac and I play 'house' pretty well." Again, ugh! I can not believe he said that in front of Cresswell. Uh, huh, I'll kill him tonight. No, wait. . .killing is bloody and messy. I have a better way to fix this. No sex. Harm won't last more than a couple of days.

"A couple with marital problems." Webb clarifies matching Harm's currently fading, smug grin. We haven't been married long and already he's assuming that we've got problems? I mean, just because he and I had problems doesn't mean that Harm and I ever will. I hope. "There's a therapist that works for the agency and who we believe is supplying information to an outside source about the mental state of our agents and the things they've been involved with." Receiving therapy after something as huge as CIA missions is pretty much SOP and the amount of things that company shrinks hear is probably scary. "Doctor Andy Jorgen was a former agent who decided to study psychiatry after suffering a near lethal injury during an assignment." There were no pictures of this Dr. Jorgen or much information to go on – typical, cryptic, classified, CIA. "Doctor Jorgen sometimes offers family counseling and it would be the perfect outlet for you to seduce the good doctor."

"What?!" Harm and I yell at the same time. "Seduce? Are you out of your mind?" My husband turns away from Webb and tries to plea to the General. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with the Colonel trying to seduce this therapist, sir."

Despite my own feelings on the situation, I find myself glaring at Harm. "Commander, while it is touching that you care so much, I am perfectly capable of…" My "I'm a Marine" speech is cut short.

"Andy is a woman, Commander. . .You'll be seducing her. . .Or, from what I gather, she'll be seducing you." Just like that, the ball's in Harm's court and by the look on his face, he's less than thrilled.

"No." Is his answer and we get sideswiped, completely and utterly.

Cresswell stands up, comes around his desk and leans against the front, his arms across his chest. "If the two of you pull this off with minimal problems I have a feeling that the SECNAV will keep the two of you at JAG as long as the military permits."

The only bad thing about this marriage is the number of hoops we will surely have to go through. Still, this doesn't sound too bad. At the very least we don't have to do much traveling. "I think the Colonel and I will need time to discuss this, sir."

"Discussion will not be necessary. If you are willing to go along with this, so am I." Out of the corner of my eye, I find Webb cringing. Actually, he kinda looks like he's about to puke.

Harm concedes with a sigh. "Okay, Webb. . .hand over the details."

An hour later, we're heading out of Cresswell's office, each holding a folder. We step into my office and Harm slides into one of my chairs. "This is gonna suck."

"For you, maybe. I'm just along for the ride." It will really be amusing to watch him try to seduce a woman. Or, have her seduce him whilst pretending to be interested. "Just don't let this whole seduction thing get to your head, Rabb."

His smile is huge as if he knows a secret that I don't. "We haven't even started this and already you're jelous."

"Of a woman I've never met? Hardly. . .Besides, did you see the photos? She's rather… homely looking." Not that I am the sexiest woman alive, far from it, but if the woman is a therapist, you'd figure she'd primp up a little more. Andy seems to have wolfed down one Quarter Pounder too many and apparently enjoys working in her flannel pajamas if the pictures are anything to go with. "And then the name Andy. . .In real life she's probably a. . ."

". . .knockout." Harm's jaw seems to have hit the floor, literally. He holds up a picture of someone that can not possibly be Dr. Jorgen. The woman looks like she's been sculpted by a Greek God in order to piss off Aphrodite. Long black hair, teeny waist and a six pack so chiseled you can count the muscles. "And she goes by Andrea now."

I glance at the picture in disgust. "Tomorrow, when we head to Dr. Jorgen's office, remind me to pack my field knife." It's going to be a long day. But, looking at the bright side, it's another day that we don't have to do wedding plans.

To Be Continued…