AN: Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for continuing to follow this story of mine and for your reviews. I read each and every one, often multiple times.
Some news - I'm actually in the process of finding a new home, and over the coming weeks, you might see less of me online. As such the updates may be less frequent, which is sad news for me, but I'm sure gives everyone here a much needed break.
The sooner I find a place, the sooner I can start moving, the sooner I can get back online. That's the hope. :) But enough about me. On to the episode.
Episode 10:
Washington Holiday (Part 1)
1300 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Attention on deck!"
Major Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie was surprised when the Marine Corporal by the door belted out the command when she entered JAG Ops. She was further surprised to find that all her colleagues were standing there, facing her with wide grins on their faces.
"What's this?" she asked as an administration assistant, Ensign Nestor, presented her with a nice floral bouquet.
"Welcome back, ma'am." Nestor said before stepping back and joining the rest of the office in applause.
Mac was speechless, until out of the corner of her eye she saw the tall form of her JAG partner - Lt. Cmdr. Harmon 'Harm' Rabb Jr. leaning against his office door, arms crossed as he grinned at her. She quickly regained her composure and address her other colleagues.
"Thank you everyone, it's nice to be back." she said, before glancing at Harm. "May this be a lesson to all of you... if you go flying, bring body armor?"
The bullpen laughed good-naturedly and offered their individual well wishes to her before returning to their duties. Mac slowly made her way to her office, but due to the layout of the JAG bullpen, heading to her office without passing Harm's was impossible. He stood there and grinned at her.
"No rousing speech, Major?" he teased as she walked by.
"No, but if you have one prepared, you're welcome to use it."
He followed her into her office and Mac was surprised that there was a fruit basket on her table. She looked back at him and he shrugged.
"It's not mine."
Mac checked the card on the basket. "It's from the Admiral."
"Guess he's trying to tell you to get more fruit in your diet, Marine." Harm smirked, ignoring Mac's pointed gaze.
"At least he got me something as a welcome back gift. What did you, the man who got his partner shot, get me?"
"What? A month worth of dinners and foot rubs not cutting it anymore?" he asked.
"That's punishment for getting me shot, flyboy. That's not exactly a welcome back gift."
"Well, I don't think the Admiral would approve of me giving foot rubs at work, Mac."
"I'm not asking for foot rubs at work, Harm."
"Ahem!"
They both turned at the sound and were mollified to see their CO - Admiral A.J. Chegwidden standing there. He glared at both of them. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No, sir." they both stood at attention.
"At ease. I was just checking to see if the Major received my gift."
"Yes sir. I appreciate it sir. Thank you sir."
"Good. I trust it's not too much?"
"No sir. It's just right sir. Perfect sir."
A.J. nodded amiably before turning his attention to the Major's partner. "Commander, I trust you're not too busy?"
"No sir."
"Good, because I wouldn't want to interrupt one of the Major's foot rubs."
Harm and Mac blushed brightly. "Uh, sir, that was a joke." Mac coughed out.
A.J. eyed them suspiciously but let it slide. "I'm sure. Commander, my office, ten minutes."
"Aye, sir."
The Admiral went to his office and Mac smacked Harm hard on the shoulder. "That's your fault, you know?"
"What did I do?" he asked as he rubbed the spot where she hit him.
"Just get out before the Admiral puts us on KP duty." And as she looked like she might resort to launching fruit artillery, Harm did as she requested.
oxoxoxo
Harm looked between the two men in the Admiral's office - his CO and Special Assistant to the Undersecretary of State Clayton Webb.
Webb was talking, and Harm was surprised that the Admiral didn't actually look like he wanted to strangle the fussy government employee today. Perhaps the Admiral was in a good mood because Mac was back.
"The king and his daughter are only here for 72 hours. During that time, she'll be attending numerous official functions." Webb said as he paced the office. "In a significant political gesture, an American Naval officer has been chosen to be her escort."
"An American Naval Officer?" Harm asked.
"You to be precise."
"Admiral, respectfully, I'm a lawyer. She should have Secret Service protection. They're trained for this sort of thing."
"And the last time I checked, they weren't chosen for escort duty by the Secretary of the Navy." the Admiral fixed him with a steely glare.
In a world gone mad, Harm looked to Webb for some assistance. "Webb, you should get someone who's trained for this."
"True, but if I remember right, you do owe me a favor or two, Commander."
Harm winced. He did owe Clay a couple of favors - one for Mac's Uncle Matt, the other for the Admiral. Which might explain why his CO was tolerating this request.
Clay handed Harm the itinerary. "There's a dinner party at Senator Franklin's house tonight, a tour of Washington tomorrow and on Saturday, the NATO ball where her father hopefully will announce his country's wish to join NATO. The Secret Service limo will pick you up at 1700 sharp. Try not to be late."
Harm eyeballed the sheet of paper with his next 72 hours on it. He looked at the Admiral, "Do I have a say in this, sir?"
"Not if you're smart."
oxoxoxo
Ensign Harriet Sims looked around the very busy JAG bullpen and tried not to get in anyone's way. Unfortunately, by not having anywhere to actually be, she was in everyone's way.
Finally Ensign Nestor approached her, "Ensign, do you need help?" she asked.
Harriet stammered but quickly recovered her poise. "I'm looking for Lieutenant Roberts."
Nestor saw that the stocky Naval Officer was in Major MacKenzie's office, obviously helping her catch up on her case load. "The lieutenant is in conference right now. Is he expecting you?" Nestor asked the blonde.
"I wanted to surprise him." Harriet said plainly.
"Well, doesn't everything pretty much surprise Bud?" Nestor asked.
"I guess so." Harriet sighed sadly just as another familiar face came round the bend. "Sir? Commander?" she called out to him.
Harm heard his title being called and looked up from his itinerary to see the petite blonde Ensign in front of him. The first thought that went through his mind was 'how did he know her?' and the second thought was 'did he sleep with her before?'.
The third thought was her name. "Harriet?"
"Yes sir. I'm so glad you remember me, sir." she said with a smile.
And just as suddenly Harriet realized that those words made her the center of attention of all the women in the bullpen. It didn't take a genius to realize they were all wondering the same thing - 'where did the tall gorgeous Lt. Cmdr. remember this short mousy-looking Ensign from?'
Before she could clarify her statement, Harm responded, blithely unaware of the stares all around them, "You're a long way from the Seahawk. No trouble I hope?" he asked.
"No sir. I've been reassigned. Norfolk."
"Long trip out here just to see us."
"Ah, well, I was hoping to meet Bud. I mean Lieutenant Roberts."
"Oh." Harm glanced briefly at Mac's office and then back to her. "Funny, he didn't mention you were coming."
"The lieutenant doesn't know, sir."
Harm smiled and motioned for her to follow him.
oxoxoxo
Mac noticed Harm's presence at her door and looked up. She saw him with the cute blonde Ensign and her first thought was 'did women just show up at JAG to admire him?'.
Her second thought though remembered who the Ensign was. She saw them approach and she called out to warn Bud.
"Bud, incoming. Eleven o'clock." she said.
Bud looked up at her quizzically and then at his watch. "No ma'am, it's only..."
"Mister Roberts?" Harm called.
"Yes sir?" Bud looked at him and saw... "Harriet!"
He got to his feet dumping all the folders on his lap on the floor. He dove to the floor to gather the files, "I mean Ensign Sims."
"Get off your knees, Bud." Harm said, and Bud jumped back up with a "Yes, sir!" but he looked embarrassedly between the files, him and Harriet and back again.
"You look wonderful, Harriet." Mac complimented the increasingly embarrassed Ensign.
"Thank you, ma'am." she responded, trying not to reveal how bad she felt for Bud.
Seeing that their presence wasn't helping matters, Mac rose from behind her desk and moved to the door. "Commander, a second if you may?"
When she saw Harm not budge from his position, she emphasized, "Outside."
Harm followed her to the bullpen and stood outside their offices, where they could still observe the comical interaction between bumbling Lt. j.g. and his beleaguered girlfriend.
"You'd think Bud hasn't seen a woman before." Harm said increasingly horrified at his young charge's ineptitude with the fairer sex.
"Well, he really likes Harriet. Don't tell me you don't act a little loopy when you're around a girl you like?"
He glanced at her, "And what would you classify as loopy, Major?"
"Oh you know, the usual. The shy glances, the deep sighs, the foot-in-mouth syndrome."
"Foot-in-mouth syndrome?"
"You should be an expert at that, flyboy. You do it all the time."
"Are you claiming I'm loopy?"
"No, you're most definitely full-blown crazy. Loopy would be an improvement."
Harm's eyebrows shot up at her answer, and only relaxed when he caught her grin. She was feeling especially sassy today, and Harm wondered if it was because of her new hairstyle.
She'd cut it into a different style recently, changing her look after her crazed neighbor had tried to emulate her previous one. This style was shorter, sleeker, and sexi...
"What did the Admiral want you for?" she asked, breaking through his stare.
"I think I rather have KP duty." he showed her his itinerary.
"Escort duty?"
"And bodyguard duty. Apparently somebody's been taking potshots at her."
Mac frowned worriedly, "Why are they getting you to be her bodyguard?"
"Apparently the SecNav volunteered my services."
"He's probably trying to get back at you for shooting up the courtroom." Mac smirked.
Seeing her lack of sympathy, Harm pouted, "Laugh it up. I've got to watch little Miss Princess' six all week."
"You say that like you're gonna have a problem, Harm."
"I'm not a babysitter, Mac." he complained.
"Well, most men would love to be in your position, Commander."
He frowned, "Why?"
She was stunned. She glared at him, "You really have no idea what the Princess looks like, do you?"
oxoxoxo
Exiting his apartment building Harm was almost hit by a stray collection of moving boxes, stacked three high. His fighter jock reflexes deftly helped him avoid contact. "Whoa, you need help with that?" he asked the boxes.
A cute face poked out from behind the boxes. Harm had to admit, the blonde was cute. Really cute. Probably cute enough to 'wanna ask out to coffee' cute. He hadn't had a date in ages, and well... if Bud could nab a cute blonde, why couldn't he?
The blonde eyed him admiringly. He was a vision in those dress whites and somebody better call the cops about those baby blues he flashed so easily - because those should be illegal. She smiled at him.
"Oh, hey, let me give you a hand." he offered.
She pulled away, "In dress whites? I don't think so. I couldn't afford the cleaning bill." she set the boxes down so they held open the back door, before she wiped her hands on her jeans and offered one to shake his hand.
"Megan O'Hara."
"Harm Rabb."
"I know. So you're the only one crazy enough to live here."
Harm was taken aback by her forthright nature and pointed at the both of them, "Pot. Kettle. Black. You're moving in, remember?"
"Guess that makes us neighbors at the loony bin." she grinned before noticing the waiting limo. "Nice ride."
"Government issue."
"Don't tell me you're a protocol officer."
"Well, it's temporary. Most days I'm worse."
At her questioning gaze, he explained, "I'm a lawyer with the Judge Advocate General Corps." Harm played with his cover as he eyed her. "You?"
"Reporter. You're looking at the Post's newest columnist."
"Politics?"
"I wish. It's more a lifestyle thing. Best imported mustard. Best hand car wash. How to decorate on a budget, that sorta thing."
Harm was about to respond when the limo's horn beeped impatiently. He turned to find the Secret Service guys in plain suits impatiently checking their watches, "We're on a schedule here, Commander."
"Duty calls." Harm shrugged as he started toward the car. Then he looked back at her, "Hey, maybe we can catch up sometime. Over coffee or something, neighbor?"
She smiled back. "Sure thing. Neighbor."
He rewarded her with his Rabb grin and climbed into the limo.
She saw the car pull away. Once they were gone, the warm cheery smile on her face disappeared.
oxoxoxo
2245 ZULU
ROMANIAN CONSULATE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Alexandra of Romania."
Harm turned around to find the very pretty, young, stylishly dressed princess. She looked nothing at all like what he imagined.
The princess noticed his expression, "What's wrong, Commander? Do you not approve of my appearance?" she asked, putting Harm on the spot.
"No, your Highness. I'm just surprised."
"Because I'm not fat and ugly like most princesses?" Alexandra asked, tightening the screws.
Harm realized that all eyes were on him and if he wasn't careful, he'd be very unpopular very quickly. "No, I just didn't think you'd be quite so modest with your entrance."
"Are you implying I'm not usually modest?"
"No, your Highness. I'm just stating my surprise that no one here insisted on making your entrance into a complicated, lavish production." Harm verbally tap danced out of her trap.
He saw the edges of her mouth curl slightly upwards in a smile. "You're not a protocol officer are you?"
"No, your Highness."
"I can tell. You don't have your lips on my father's bum."
"Your Highness!" King Josif's Head Minister of State Affairs, the follicly-challenged Minister Vartan Kepish, admonished her, but she fixed him with a withering gaze.
"He might be king to you, but he is still just my father."
The princess approached Harm and admired him from several angles before she smiled mischievously. "I admit Commander, you're a pleasant surprise."
"And how is that, your Highness?"
"Well, usually Minister Kepish arranges for someone much older and quite unattractive to be my escort." she looked up at his handsome face. "He must think you're repulsive enough. Shall we go?"
The princess didn't bother to wait for him and he quickly caught up to her. Harm cussed internally - she might not look like anything he thought, but she still acted every bit the spoiled princess he had expected.
oxoxoxo
Dinner at Senator Franklin's home was interesting to say the least. The princess was her usual ebulliently critical self - and only her royal title made the others dismiss her rudeness as 'wry wit'.
Harm had tried to get ahead of the princess' fondness for champagne, though with no one else refusing her, it proved to be an impossible task.
Soon though, after having snidely cut down the deliberately very patient and understanding senator one last time, the princess disappeared to the powder room... where she promptly disappeared completely.
As Harm waited outside said powder room with the secret service guard assigned to them tonight, a woman handed Harm the princess' dinner dress, "She told me to give you her clothes and went out the window."
Harm looked from the dress to the secret service man. The look of panic was reflected in both their eyes, as both men saw their respective careers go up in smoke.
oxoxoxo
Princess Alexandra, or Alexi as she was known in the line of the Zoo Club was liking this crowd much better than the stuffed shirts back at the senator's house.
They were such bores, each one thinking they were better than the other while secretly sucking up to whomever was born richer or more noble - as if the simple act of fawning would bestow upon them the riches and noble birthright they so badly wished for themselves.
Of course, there was a drawback to her traveling incommunicado. The bouncer made her wait in line. Her!
"Your Highness."
She turned around to find the tall Commander Minister Kepish had arranged to be her 'date'. She had to admit, he was handsome. Dashingly so. Ruinously so too - her father would have a fit knowing she entertained the thought of seducing the American.
He truly looked like a vision out of a fairy tale, standing there resplendent in his dress whites.
"Prince Charming." she sighed sultrily before looking behind him, "Where's Frick and Frack?"
Harm looked down at the young princess. Her dress, if it could be called one, was nothing more than scraps of tin foil stitched together with dental floss, barely hiding her royal assets.
He tried not to notice just how much more noticeable said assets were in the dress she wore, keeping his eyes squarely on her face.
"You're not safe here." he said, wondering if he wasn't safe here either.
Alexi knew from a very young age that her beauty - inherited from her long deceased mother - was her one real asset. Everything else belonged to her father, so she used what her mother gave her. She turned on her charm.
"You have beautiful eyes." she said staring up into his wonderful blue-gray eyes. Poems had been written about such eyes. Possibly ballads too, she imagined. She gave him her most sensuous stare.
"We're leaving, Your Highness."
He rebuffed her?! She cursed internally, obviously the good looking Commander had his fair share of beauties throwing themselves at him to be so inured to her advances. That made her mad. She was a royal princess! She was special!
"No, you are." she said petulantly and whirled away.
She felt his hand suddenly wrapped around her waist and scoop her up as if she weighed next to nothing. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, scared that he might drop her for a second, before realizing... what a wonderful opportunity this was.
She rested against him, letting him carry her to their car. She even caught the eye of the paparazzo that was there, who proceeded to earn his money.
As the photographer took his tabloid snaps, Alexi gave the watching crowd and the photographer something to whet their appetite. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, her lips touching his earlobe as if she were kissing him.
"You're about to be famous, Commander." she sighed.
Harm ignored her warm breath in his ear and continued carrying her to the car. The secret service guys didn't look pleased with him - after all they were supposed to keep a low profile - and now the Princess' pictures were going to be splashed all over the front page of the Inquirer.
Alexi whispered against his ear some more, "You know, I hate the paparazzi. Last year, one snuck into my room and photographed my panties."
Harm took a deep breath, ignored her come ons and set her down inside the car before climbing in. She whispered into his ear again, "Do you want to see which pair he was so interested in?"
Harm cursed this assignment. Not only was the princess a spoiled brat, she was a highly attractive, sexually charged one too. And someone was out to kill her. If he let anything happen to her, he wondered who would tear him limb from limb first - her father, the SecNav, Clayton Webb or the Admiral.
Why couldn't they have chosen a jarhead for this duty instead?
oxoxoxo
1810 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
Major Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie tossed the empty Beltway Burgers soda cup in the trash on her way to her office. She hated eating alone but with her usual lunch date out of the office escorting the Romanian princess out on the town, she made a quick drive-thru run to minimize the experience.
'I really need more friends.' she thought as she passed one of the Ensigns reading a tabloid on her lunch break. And stopped dead. She doubled back and held the front page up for further scrutiny.
"Oh, god." Mac glared at the offending picture.
oxoxoxo
Ensign Harriet Sims was in JAG HQ again today because of the urgent communique her CO at Norfolk required legal advice on. Her orders also made sure she was to stay there until the document was fully scrutinized by a battalion of JAG lawyers, so she waited, often in a corner where she wasn't obstructing anyone, and often alone.
While there were a whole bunch of lawyers and legalmen working at Falls Church, Harriet only knew the three officers who she met on the USS Seahawk - Lieutenant j.g Bud Roberts who was currently busy holding down the fort for Commander Rabb, who was escorting the Romanian Princess around town, and Major MacKenzie... was standing there in the bullpen with a look of complete horror on her face.
"Major MacKenzie?" Harriet wanted to ask what was wrong when she saw the front page of the tabloid.
Splashed across the cover was one Lt. Cmdr. Harmon 'Harm' Rabb Jr. looking absolutely stunning in his dress whites, carrying Princess Alexandra of Romania in his arms like she was Debra Winger in 'An Officer And A Gentleman'. The tabloid headline read: "A Royal Romanian Romance?"
"Son-of-a..."
It took a second for Harriet to realize that the muttered curse hadn't come from herself or the Ensign - who looked like she was about to have a fear-induced heart attack due to the angry Marine Major in front of her. The same Marine Major glaring at the paper. The same Marine Major the muttered curse had come from.
"Major?" Harriet ventured again, trying to break through her fog. "Ma'am?"
Mac felt Harriet's touch on her arm and realized she was standing in the middle of the bullpen with every junior officer staring at her. Until they realized she was staring back and their heads quickly went down, as if tomorrow's winning lottery numbers were suddenly etched on their desks.
"May I have this?" Mac asked the petrified Ensign, who could only nod yes. "Thanks." Mac grabbed the worthless rag sheet back to her office and proceeded to glare at the offending picture once more.
Braving the lion's den, Harriet knocked lightly at Mac's door.
"Ma'am? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, Harriet. I'm fine."
Harriet stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"
"Granted."
"You don't look fine."
Mac sighed, "You used to be the liaison officer on board the Seahawk, right Harriet?"
"Yes ma'am."
"So you're used to talking with the press and helping the Navy look good in the papers?"
"Yes, I've received training."
Mac held up the front page of the tabloid to Harriet, "Then maybe you can tell me what the hell is he doing?!"
Studying the picture once more, Harriet replied literally, "It looks like he's carrying the princess, ma'am."
"I know that. But what is he doing?" she said with emphasis.
Harriet looked, unsure what she was getting so worked up about. She chose a safe answer, "It's just a tabloid, ma'am."
"Well, yes. But... but..." Mac realized she was losing her mind over a tabloid. Right, so what if he's out there carrying women he barely knew? It's his right to carry... European Royalty that way, she concluded even as her hands tightened into fists, already crushing the newspaper in her hands.
So focused on the paper, Mac didn't even realize Harriet was actually studying her intently and forming her own conclusions.
"Are you jealous, ma'am?"
"Jealous?!" Mac's head shot up and stared wide-eyed at Harriet. Before her steely Marine facade covered her surprise. "Ensign Sims, I am NOT jealous. I just don't think this is appropriate behavior."
"What's not appropriate behavior, ma'am?"
Mac showed her the picture. "This! Him!" she searched her entire vocabulary for a word, and found "Flirting!"
"Does it bother you, ma'am, that he's flirting?"
"What? No!" Mac quickly covered. "It's not him flirting. It's who he's flirting with."
Harriet looked skeptical, but quickly made sure she hid it from the Major, "In his defense, ma'am, I don't think the Commander is flirting. I just think a lot of women find him irresistible."
Mac stared at Harriet, "Women? What women?"
"Well, ma'am, you have to admit the Commander is... attractive."
Mac leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest - she didn't have to admit to anything. "Do you find the Commander attractive, Ensign?"
"Well ma'am, yes. He is a bit of a heartthrob. He has a fan club."
"A fan club?" Mac asked incredulously.
"On the Seahawk, ma'am." Harriet admitted as if it was common knowledge.
Mac's jaw dropped.
"But the Commander doesn't know about it, ma'am. And he's never been involved with any of us." Harriet colored slightly, "It's just on a long lonely cruise, the single girls... well... he's a bit of a fantasy, ma'am."
Mac continued staring at her, mouth agape, "Is that a confession, Harriet?"
"Oh no, ma'am." Harriet blushed even more, "But then again, I do have my eye set on another sailor."
Mac's expression softened and they shared a knowing smile. Harriet had her sights set on the hapless, but very kind and gentlemanly Lt. Roberts.
Mac stared at the tabloid and wondered why she was so mad about the picture in the first place. Harm was attractive, everybody thought so, so what? It wasn't as if she was the only one who thought he was, and thinking he was attractive was hardly a crime. And it's hardly like she was the only woman in the world who felt a little undone by his sexy Rabb smile.
She looked up at the blonde Ensign, who was currently lost in her own thought of another sailor. "Thanks Harriet." Mac said shaking Harriet out of her daydream.
"Any time ma'am." Harriet replied as she moved to exit. But she was halted when the Major called to her again.
"Harriet?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Just how many women are there in the Commander's fan club?"
Continued in Next Chapter
AN: I'm posting both parts today - but I wouldn't mind if you reviewed each separately. In fact I'd probably be very happy.