Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you like the ending!
By the time Mac returned to her office late that evening, the JAG offices were nearly dark. Most of the other staff had already secured for the night, and the small light on Mac's desk was the only illumination.
Mac took another look at the files on her desk and sighed. The stacks of paperwork hadn't gotten any smaller.
She raised her eyes to the ceiling. "There isn't some sort of magic potion that could make this paperwork go away, is there?"
Silence was her only reply.
Feeling silly, she laughed at herself and sat down in her chair. With the office now quiet, maybe she could get a head start on filing today's cases. She surveyed her desk for Aurora's bright red file, but she didn't see it.
I guess Bud hasn't returned it yet.
But the lieutenant was usually so conscientious about his paperwork.
Out of curiosity, Mac quickly clicked a few buttons on her computer, pulling up the day's court docket. She scrolled through the cases but didn't see Banks listed anywhere. She ran through a few of the search fields but couldn't find the case listed under her name, Bud's, or Commander Brumby's. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, puzzled.
Aurora's case was nowhere to be found.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a pretty white card sitting on top of one of the files.
Had that been there all along?
Tentatively, Mac reached out and opened the card, the lone light in her office casting shadows upon the shiny gold lettering.
Someday your prince will come. The happily ever after is up to you.
The card fell from Mac's fingers, fluttering to the floor at her sharp intake of breath.
It briefly occurred to Mac that she could be on the verge of completely losing her mind. But when she knelt down to pick up the card, rereading the words several times, she couldn't explain the warmth that seemed to melt the icy walls around her heart.
The paperwork could wait.
Suddenly feeling an unusual surge of courage, Mac picked up the phone and dialed.
"Yes, I'd like to place a shore to ship call," she said quietly. She paused as she listened to the operator. "Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb aboard the USS Patrick Henry."
There was a long pause and some fuzzy static, and Mac tapped her fingers impatiently. The longer she waited, the heavier the feeling of dread became inside her stomach. Maybe he wasn't there after all. Maybe he was debriefing after a mission. Maybe he was out flying a mission. Maybe he was—
"Lieutenant Commander Rabb."
She nearly dropped the phone as the sound of his voice vibrating against her ear sent sparks shooting through her body from head to toe.
"Harm?" She barely managed to choke out his name.
"Mac?"
She took a deep breath.
"Hi, flyboy."