1305 Zulu;
JAG Headquarters;
Falls Church, Virginia
Rain beat on the window to Mac's office as she read through her morning email. Her schedule today was tight, between client meetings and other miscellaneous things she needed to get done. It was going to be one of *those* days. With a melancholy sigh she scanned down the list of items in her Inbox. One message jumped out at her, from her former 'little sister', Chloe Madison. Curious to see what the teenager had sent, Mac was about to open the message when she heard Harm's voice outside in the bullpen. She had been waiting for him to arrive so that she could squeeze in a few minutes with him before her first meeting. *I guess Chloe's going to have to wait,* she thought sadly, grabbing a file as she pushed back her chair and headed out into JAG Ops. Following the curve of the hallway she made her way towards Harm's office. As she approached, she could see him removing his coat and setting his umbrella down on the floor to dry.
"Good morning, stranger," Mac greeted with a tired smile, standing in the doorway. Looking up, Harm grinned warmly.
"Hey, Mac. Come on in." Closing the door, she stepped into the office and took a seat in one of the vacant chairs while Harm snapped open his briefcase. He glanced up at her as he settled behind his desk. *Caffeine must not have kicked in yet,* he noted, seeing how weary she looked. "Do you still have time to review the Collins deposition today?"
She handed him the file she'd brought in with her. "My morning is packed, but how about over lunch? That way you'll have some time to review it beforehand."
"Sure," Harm agreed. "By the way, you left this over at my place last night." Next to his briefcase sat a small Tupperware container, which he passed over to her. She smiled softly, although it didn't reach her eyes.
"Thanks. I knew I'd forgotten something. You know, you can be a pretty good cook when you want to be."
"Don't even start on the 'meatless meatloaf'," Harm warned with a laugh. "I only made that once and you're *still* giving me flack over it."
"Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but. . ." The mock-murderous expression in Harm's eyes had her stifling a giggle. To his relief, she smiled. "All right, no more jabs about the meatloaf incident."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Good. Now that that's out of the way . . . want to tell me why you're so down this morning?" he inquired. Leaning his elbows on his desk, he watched her intently. Unable to meet the intensity of his gaze Mac looked down at the leftovers in her hands. "C'mon, Mac, what's going on?" Harm prodded.
"I got my period this morning." She said it simply, disappointment in her eyes as she glanced up at him, waiting to see how he would react. The understanding look in his eyes surprised her.
"Ah," he nodded. "So I guess this means we're moving on to Plan B."
"Yeah."
"Have you given any more thought into which alternative you'd like to try?" Relaxing back into his chair, Harm rubbed his fingers across his lips in contemplation as he waited for her to answer. Since their phone conversation a few weeks prior, he had provided Mac with the information he had found on the Internet so that she could make an educated decision. They had talked about it on several different occasions but until now had never actually settled on a course of action.
"Well," she began, taking a deep breath, "based on everything we've found out so far, the best time to conceive is between the twelfth and sixteenth days after menstruation begins. Since I started this morning, that would mean--"
"A week from next Tuesday," Harm finished for her, mentally calculating the days. "Guess that means that another trip to Blacksburg is out of the question. We're going to need to find someplace closer to D.C., and it will have to be available all week--"
"How about my place?"
Cocking his eyebrow, Harm eyed her questioningly. "What happened to your stipulation for 'neutral territory'?"
"Now that we've taken the first step, is it really all that important? I mean," she gestured to the building around them, "so far we've been successful in keeping this separate from work. I'm willing to waive my original condition for the interest of expediency."
"Well," Harm said with a shrug, "then I guess it's settled."
"So it would seem."
They looked intently at each other for a few moments. Finally, Mac broke the silence. "I should get going if I want to be on time to my 0830 appointment." Harm peeked at his watch.
"It's only 0819."
Mac smiled warmly. "Yeah, but I have to finish checking my email, among other things." Rising, she opened the door. "Thanks for remembering the food. Want me to come get you around lunchtime?"
"Yeah," Harm agreed, frowning down at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. "I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a while."
"All right, I'll see you later then." Grinning, Mac headed back towards the bullpen and her office. Her thoughts turned to the email she'd received from Chloe and she laughed softly to herself. Despite the way it had started out, her day was getting better by the minute.
* * * * * * * * * *
Twelve Days Later; 2223 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
Except for some murmuring back in the gallery, the courtroom was silent. Mac sat next to Sturgis at the prosecution's table energetically tapping her pen on the pad of paper in front of her. The Article 32 hearing had run well over the expected time limits, and she was anxious to get home.
"Will the defendant please rise," the bailiff intoned. Across the aisle, Harm, Bud, and their client stood to hear the judge's decision. Stealing a quick look over, Mac watched as Harm smoothed down the front of his summer whites. Her pen stopped tapping when she saw him flash her a fleeting look out of the corner of his eye, and she returned her gaze to the judge's bench. Beside her, Sturgis observed her behavior with amusement. His two friends had been shooting each other glances all day long when they thought no one was looking, and Mac had been acting nervous most of the afternoon. *I wonder what all that's about,* he speculated. Admittedly, he had been preoccupied over most of the past year with his own personal demons. He didn't know what all had happened between his friends after their return from Paraguay the previous summer, but for a while after Harm's return to JAG things had been unbelievably tense. Over the last few weeks though, ever since their 'uneventful' trip to Blacksburg, both Harm and Mac had been much more pleasant to work with. Whatever had happened to effect this change, Sturgis just hoped it would last.
"Lieutenant Masterson," Judge Helfman began. "Based on the evidence and testimony presented today, I feel that reasonable grounds exist for this case to be referred to general court-martial. We will reconvene in two weeks for opening arguments. Court is adjourned."
At the bang of the gavel, the prosecuting attorneys also stood and the bailiffs moved to take the defendant back to confinement. As Sturgis turned to shake hands with Harm and Bud, Mac quickly dropped her notepad and case file into her briefcase. Sturgis had barely released Bud's hand when Mac moved past him, patted Bud on the back, and flipped Harm a bright smile.
"Ready to go?" Harm shot her one of his famous grins and hurriedly ushered her out of the courtroom. Staring after them, Sturgis and Bud stood perplexed.
"They were sure in a hurry to leave," Bud commented absently as the courtroom door swung shut. "Harriet and I had invited them over tonight, but the Commander said that he and the Colonel had already made plans for a working dinner." He frowned. "I don't think I've *ever* seen the Commander so excited over a working dinner before."
Sturgis nodded, and turned to gather his belongings. "I agree, Lieutenant. I agree." *Something is definitely going on, there,* he thought. *But the question is, what?*
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued. . .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Rain beat on the window to Mac's office as she read through her morning email. Her schedule today was tight, between client meetings and other miscellaneous things she needed to get done. It was going to be one of *those* days. With a melancholy sigh she scanned down the list of items in her Inbox. One message jumped out at her, from her former 'little sister', Chloe Madison. Curious to see what the teenager had sent, Mac was about to open the message when she heard Harm's voice outside in the bullpen. She had been waiting for him to arrive so that she could squeeze in a few minutes with him before her first meeting. *I guess Chloe's going to have to wait,* she thought sadly, grabbing a file as she pushed back her chair and headed out into JAG Ops. Following the curve of the hallway she made her way towards Harm's office. As she approached, she could see him removing his coat and setting his umbrella down on the floor to dry.
"Good morning, stranger," Mac greeted with a tired smile, standing in the doorway. Looking up, Harm grinned warmly.
"Hey, Mac. Come on in." Closing the door, she stepped into the office and took a seat in one of the vacant chairs while Harm snapped open his briefcase. He glanced up at her as he settled behind his desk. *Caffeine must not have kicked in yet,* he noted, seeing how weary she looked. "Do you still have time to review the Collins deposition today?"
She handed him the file she'd brought in with her. "My morning is packed, but how about over lunch? That way you'll have some time to review it beforehand."
"Sure," Harm agreed. "By the way, you left this over at my place last night." Next to his briefcase sat a small Tupperware container, which he passed over to her. She smiled softly, although it didn't reach her eyes.
"Thanks. I knew I'd forgotten something. You know, you can be a pretty good cook when you want to be."
"Don't even start on the 'meatless meatloaf'," Harm warned with a laugh. "I only made that once and you're *still* giving me flack over it."
"Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but. . ." The mock-murderous expression in Harm's eyes had her stifling a giggle. To his relief, she smiled. "All right, no more jabs about the meatloaf incident."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Good. Now that that's out of the way . . . want to tell me why you're so down this morning?" he inquired. Leaning his elbows on his desk, he watched her intently. Unable to meet the intensity of his gaze Mac looked down at the leftovers in her hands. "C'mon, Mac, what's going on?" Harm prodded.
"I got my period this morning." She said it simply, disappointment in her eyes as she glanced up at him, waiting to see how he would react. The understanding look in his eyes surprised her.
"Ah," he nodded. "So I guess this means we're moving on to Plan B."
"Yeah."
"Have you given any more thought into which alternative you'd like to try?" Relaxing back into his chair, Harm rubbed his fingers across his lips in contemplation as he waited for her to answer. Since their phone conversation a few weeks prior, he had provided Mac with the information he had found on the Internet so that she could make an educated decision. They had talked about it on several different occasions but until now had never actually settled on a course of action.
"Well," she began, taking a deep breath, "based on everything we've found out so far, the best time to conceive is between the twelfth and sixteenth days after menstruation begins. Since I started this morning, that would mean--"
"A week from next Tuesday," Harm finished for her, mentally calculating the days. "Guess that means that another trip to Blacksburg is out of the question. We're going to need to find someplace closer to D.C., and it will have to be available all week--"
"How about my place?"
Cocking his eyebrow, Harm eyed her questioningly. "What happened to your stipulation for 'neutral territory'?"
"Now that we've taken the first step, is it really all that important? I mean," she gestured to the building around them, "so far we've been successful in keeping this separate from work. I'm willing to waive my original condition for the interest of expediency."
"Well," Harm said with a shrug, "then I guess it's settled."
"So it would seem."
They looked intently at each other for a few moments. Finally, Mac broke the silence. "I should get going if I want to be on time to my 0830 appointment." Harm peeked at his watch.
"It's only 0819."
Mac smiled warmly. "Yeah, but I have to finish checking my email, among other things." Rising, she opened the door. "Thanks for remembering the food. Want me to come get you around lunchtime?"
"Yeah," Harm agreed, frowning down at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. "I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a while."
"All right, I'll see you later then." Grinning, Mac headed back towards the bullpen and her office. Her thoughts turned to the email she'd received from Chloe and she laughed softly to herself. Despite the way it had started out, her day was getting better by the minute.
* * * * * * * * * *
Twelve Days Later; 2223 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
Except for some murmuring back in the gallery, the courtroom was silent. Mac sat next to Sturgis at the prosecution's table energetically tapping her pen on the pad of paper in front of her. The Article 32 hearing had run well over the expected time limits, and she was anxious to get home.
"Will the defendant please rise," the bailiff intoned. Across the aisle, Harm, Bud, and their client stood to hear the judge's decision. Stealing a quick look over, Mac watched as Harm smoothed down the front of his summer whites. Her pen stopped tapping when she saw him flash her a fleeting look out of the corner of his eye, and she returned her gaze to the judge's bench. Beside her, Sturgis observed her behavior with amusement. His two friends had been shooting each other glances all day long when they thought no one was looking, and Mac had been acting nervous most of the afternoon. *I wonder what all that's about,* he speculated. Admittedly, he had been preoccupied over most of the past year with his own personal demons. He didn't know what all had happened between his friends after their return from Paraguay the previous summer, but for a while after Harm's return to JAG things had been unbelievably tense. Over the last few weeks though, ever since their 'uneventful' trip to Blacksburg, both Harm and Mac had been much more pleasant to work with. Whatever had happened to effect this change, Sturgis just hoped it would last.
"Lieutenant Masterson," Judge Helfman began. "Based on the evidence and testimony presented today, I feel that reasonable grounds exist for this case to be referred to general court-martial. We will reconvene in two weeks for opening arguments. Court is adjourned."
At the bang of the gavel, the prosecuting attorneys also stood and the bailiffs moved to take the defendant back to confinement. As Sturgis turned to shake hands with Harm and Bud, Mac quickly dropped her notepad and case file into her briefcase. Sturgis had barely released Bud's hand when Mac moved past him, patted Bud on the back, and flipped Harm a bright smile.
"Ready to go?" Harm shot her one of his famous grins and hurriedly ushered her out of the courtroom. Staring after them, Sturgis and Bud stood perplexed.
"They were sure in a hurry to leave," Bud commented absently as the courtroom door swung shut. "Harriet and I had invited them over tonight, but the Commander said that he and the Colonel had already made plans for a working dinner." He frowned. "I don't think I've *ever* seen the Commander so excited over a working dinner before."
Sturgis nodded, and turned to gather his belongings. "I agree, Lieutenant. I agree." *Something is definitely going on, there,* he thought. *But the question is, what?*
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued. . .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---