A/N: All right, my Mac/Harm lovers are going to hate me, but only briefly. I promise this will be cleared up eventually. It's all for the drama.
~*9: No Way Out*~
Mac leaned back in her chair and sighed up at the celiling. Twins. I knew it ran in my family, but jeez! Her thoughts wandered promptingher to review the letter she'd written earlier. The details were all there, the new billet openning up, Mac's assurance that she'd truly enjoyed her time at JAG. She rubbed at the bridge of her nose and ran a hand over her stomach. She would have to be leaving soon. The billet in King's Bay would be open in two weeks. She needed to talk to the Admiral—tomorrow. He didn't need to find a replacement lawyer but a judge...well that could make things a little more complicated. Stacking folders and loose paperwork together in the order they needed to be taken care of, she pushed back from her desk and stood. The room took a sickening spin. She sat back down and waited for the dizziness to pass. She shook her head. She'd been so busy that she ignored the grumbling of her stomach for the last several hours. Feeling better she dug change out for the vending machine in the break room and pulled her keys out.
When she pulled the car to a silent halt in front of her building Mac hesitated before getting out of the car. Just as she'd done everyday since Harm had left she prayed that he'd left her a message, sent her a postcard or and email. Thus far she'd been disappointed. She pushed the door open and walked inside. Dropping her keys on the table and her chinese takeout on thekitchen counter she hit the play button on her machine and rounded the corner to get a plate and a fork. The machine rewound noisily and clicked then started to play.
"Mac, hey, it's Chloe." the sweet voice told her uneccessarily. "I just wanted to catch up. Call me when you get a chance."
The machine beeped and started into the next message. "Hi, Miss MacKenzie, We're thrilled to inform you that you've been chosen..." Mac reached across the counter to fast forward.
"Mac," Harriet's voice filled the room. "You were still working when I left and I wanted to be sure that you were all right. Call me."
The machine beeped again, and clicked over to silence. Then beeped, clicked into sillence again. Mac frowned and hit the erase button. Sighing she finished up her dinner and tea, rinsed her dished and headed for her bed.
Harm stood outside his apartment waiting for an informant to show up. He'd been waiting for nearly an hour spending the time wondering why Mac hadn't answered the phone. With the time difference it would be nearly six pm in Washington. Concern welled up in him unbidden. She's a big girl—a Marine for crying out loud, Rabb. She can take care of herself. His thoughts skimmed over a hundred different memories that proved she could take car eof herself and a hundred more that proved she needed him. He sighed and looked across the street to see his informant approaching the drop point. He shrugged his shoulders and resigned himself to being worried for no reason he could discern. He watched the tall blonde drop her purse next to the briefcase he was to pick up. Harm rolled his shoulders and stepped out of the shadows and ran across the street. Harm bent to retrieve the briefcase. "Ma'am?" He called and waited for the blonde to turn toward him. "Miss?" He called in an accent belying his California birth placing him as an American from the Southeast. He bent to pick up the purse. "You dropped this." He said as the woman turned her perfect blue eyes on him.
"Merci." She said curving her nicely shaped, heavily painted lips. The twinkle in her eye made the smile less than innocent.
"You're welcome, Ma'am." Harm drawled with a nodd. Taking a firm grip on the briefcase, he walked away from her and back to his apartment.
The phone call he placed was to a pizzaria down the street three blocks. Within fifteen minutes Calyton Weeb stood at his door.
"Thanks, Harm."
"Yeah, Whatever, Clay."
"Look I know you don't like being here, but the likelihood we'll get that RIO back through diplomatic channels in the next few weeks is slim. We're goingto need you here—mentally and physically."
"I know the job, Webb."
"All right, don't get agitated with me. You're the one who demanded to be on the team."
"I've known Skates most of my adult life, Webb. You better believe I'm here to help her."
"How's Mac?" Clay asked changing the subject without really changing it.
"Last time I talked to her she was fine, but something's on her mind—something she's not telling me."
"Worried?"
"A little."
"Call her." Webb said holding his phone out to him.
"On that?" Harm looked at him skeptically. "I don't think so."
"Look, it's my personal phone, Rabb. Nobody's listening."
Harm looked at the phone then regarded the spook. He seemed sincere enough. "All right, but I'm warning you, Webb--"
Clay held up a hand. 'I know, I know." He shook his head and turned to leave.
Harm dialed Mac at home hoping she'd made it back from the office. On the second ring she picked up her voice groggy.
"MacKenzie." She stifled a yawn.
"Mac?"
Harm's voice filled her mind and she rubbed at her eyes unsure if she was awake or still dreaming. "Harm?"
"Yeah. Mac are you all right?" He sounded concerned.
"Yeah. I've been a little under the weather."
"You sure you're all right?"
"I'm sure." she infused confidence she didn't really feel into her voice. "How're things going there?"
"They've actually taken a turn for the worse." He turned as a door opened behind him. "It might take longer than I'd hoped."
She swallowed the sigh of disappointment that rose up in her throat. "Just be safe, Rabb."
"I will be." He promised her. "Are you taking care of yourself, Mac?"
"Yes, Commander. But there's something I need to talk to you about." She said letting a smile creep over her face as she ran a hand over her stomach. "I probably should've told you while you were here, but I wasn't--" She stopped and both the smile and hand dropped suddenly as she heard a voice in the back ground.
"That was wonderful." The throaty female voice purred. Harm turned to glare at her then look at the phone. She shrugged and made no effort to lower the volume of her end of the conversation with Webb. Neither made an effort to leave the room.
"Listen, Mac, Let me..."
"Yeah," she cut him off. "You have to go. I hear that you have—um, company. I'd hate to interrupt."
"Mac." Harm intoned with a tone that said Don't jump to conclusions, Colonel.
But she'd already reached her conclusions. Angry tears built and stung the back of her eyes and throat, but she refused to let them fall. Setting the phone into the cradle as gently as her temple allowed, she stood and looked over the letter she'd written again. King's Bay was going to be a step down for her carreer, but she and her babies would be happy there. Sighing she picked up the pen on her desk and signed her name with a determined flourish. Letting the Marine in her take over she walked over to the coffee table and reviewed the files lying open there.
JAG HQ
0745
Delivering her request letter to the Admiral personally wasn't the best option for her, but ti would keep the scuttlebutt of her departure to a minimum. Mac knew that Harm was still sending email to Bud and Sturgis on the rare occasion. He'd tried to call back last night, but she'd let the machine pick up. The funny thing was he'd sounded confused—like he didn't understand why she was upset. Mac shook her head. It wasn't like Harm had ever been the commitment type. She was just glad she'd been cut off by his visitor before she'd spilled the beans. Mac couldn't help but draw a mental picutre of the woman she'd heard. She was probably blonde, leggy, brainless and easygoing. Mac could claim none of those attributes. Sighing she ran a hand over her letter and knocked determinedly on the wooden door in front of her. "Enter." She once again let the Marine take control and shoved the woman in her to the back burner.
"Good Morning, Colonel." The Admiral acknowledged with out looking up. "At ease." She shifted her weight easily and waited for his eyes to engage hers. When they did he spoke. 'What's so important that it couldn't wait until the staff meeting in," he checked his watch. "Ten minutes."
"I wanted to get this out of the way first thing, Sir." She handed him the letter. "I want to keep scuttlebutt to a minimum." He nodded and his brow furrowed—signs that he was revving up.
"What exactly is the reason for this request, Colonel." She was silent. "You realize it's carrer suicide?"
"Yes, Sir." She took a deep breath and prpared to give him the truth—or most of it anyway.. "I'm not going to be able to maintain the workload here, Sir."
"Because."
"I'll be busy caring for twin newborns, Sir.'3
AJ's eyes nearly opped out of his head. "Twins?" he choked out. "Mac," he got up and approached her. "You're pregnant?"
A ghostly smile spread across her face. "Yes, Sir. Only you and Harriet know, Sir."
"Harm?" he asked the question knowing it was loaded.
"No, Sir." She answered giving the loaded answer back to him.
"Well, if this is what you want, Mac, I guess i'll grant the request, but you should know that this time you won't be able to take it back. The transfer will be permenant."
"So will the twins, Sir."
"Good point." He raised his brows. "Mac, is there anything I can do to change your mind?"
"No, Sir."
"Any ideas on your predecessor?
"I think Bud is ready, Sir, it would answer all his problems regarding limited duty status."
" True. All right, when will you tell everyone?"
"As soon as possible, Sir. The King's Bay billet opens in two weeks."
AJ nodded and put the letter in his in box hoping he wouldn't have to process it. "Let's go to the staff meeting you can start there."
After the staff meeting, there were shocked faces and confused looks. Mac had chosen to keep the pregnancy, and her new billet to herself and the Admiral and Harriet seemed to understand.
Jason Tiner, on the other hand was less confused and more concerned.
