JAG HEADQUARTERS
THE SAME TIME
After Harm shut his door, he placed the bag of Mac's items on his desk. The sound of the zipper was the loudest sound in the room, followed by his breathing. Inside the bag were the missing photos from her office and apartment. He recognized the one from Bud and Harriet's wedding, and the one from the Christmas party a few years ago. The Christmas picture was of Harriet and herself holding missal toe over the heads of Bud and himself. She gave him a very chaste kiss on the lips, but one that lasted long enough for his body to register everything about her sweet lips. Other photos he found were mostly of him and her, and a few of her and her uncle up at Red Rock Mesa. The ones of him and her were taken at little A.J's christening, one of just him and her at the wedding and one with them with "Sarah." That photo he has never seen. It was obviously taken without his knowledge, because he was helping Mac, up into the plane. His hand was on her hip guiding her up the latter and he was so closed to her. Harm remembered that day with clearly.
"Harm I am a Marine. I think I know how to climb a latter." She was laughing at his totally male action. If it were anyone but Harm she would think he was trying to cop a feel.
"Mac, I am not going to let anything ruin this ride, and having you fall climbing in is not a way to start the day. Remember, I have to make it up to you for your first trip out with me." If she only knew he wanted to be close to her. The scent of her shampoo and the curve of her hip under his hand were all he could think about.
" Harm I have told you a thousand times over that was not your fault. Even if you check the plane over and over, you could have missed the crack. Besides what are the chances of running into another set of poachers." Mac turned around and come face to face with a very close Harmon Rabb. After a few moments of silence he let out a sigh and responded.
"We need to stay on schedule. And what would the Navy think if I let a Marine keep me behind schedule." He whispered.
She watched as he descended the latter preparing for take off. When she looked around she saw Harms friend who keeps "Sarah" in the hanger with a camera. He smiled and waved at her. She needed to remember to get the photo he took.
Harm was lost in his thoughts to see the man and the camera. He was trying to decide if he was stupid for not taking a chance and kissing her like he wanted.
Yup, he remembered that day all too well. How many times did he pass up chances to let go with her? How many times has she given him hints of her interest? He was blind. But it wasn't because he kept his heart close, but because he was so overcome with fear. Fear of letting him self act on his feelings and going against everything he has ever believed.
Harm looked in the bag and at the remaining items. The first was her dog tags and the other was a book. Picking it up he noticed it was an old copy of Romeo and Juliet. His Marine liked Shakespeare? Or was it the story of forbidden love that interested her. Was his role in this story to kill him self and meet her in the afterlife? Harm knew the story well, and he knew that Juliet lived when all thought her life was lost. He opened the front cover of the book and read her written note.
Romeo,
Don't act blindly in your time of mourning. Look around you and wait, Juliet will wake. The blind can not see their fate.
Your Juliet
He smiled and placed the book down. Mac had to be alive. Harm placed her tags around his neck and packed up her stuff. The one item he left on his desk was the photo of him and his two Sarah's.
ROBERT'S RESIDENCE
AJ'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
ONE MONTH LATER
"Harriet don't worry everything will be fine." Bud watched as his wife frantically ran around their place.
"I just don't know if we should be doing this now. Everyone is still a little off from the news about the Colonel. I just want them to have a good time that's all."
"Well not everyone is off, Harriet. I am a little worried at how normal the Commander has been. He has been working since we all found out, hasn't taken any action to find out what happened, and even smiled when he found out Renee moved to Australia with Mic! It is almost like he is just sitting and waiting, not really accepting that she is gone. I don't want to accept she is gone Harriet, it is like when we lost our little Sarah, but now I feel as though I lost a parent."
She watched as his eyes watered up. There has been more of that then he would ever admit since the news of the Colonels death. She sees a sad look in his eyes whenever he looks to her office. No one there can bring them selves to empty it or move into it. All but Singer, that is. She has just been itching to move into that office. She even made comments to Gunny. Once he reported to Harriet that he was horrified at her comments.
"When is everyone going to forget about it and move all her stuff out of that office? The world goes on, deal with it." Replied Singer.
Gunny just walked right by her.
And he said that was three weeks after her death. They all need closure, Harriet felt. Not being able to bury her body took a toll on the whole JAG family, and they didn't even know what to think about the secrecy behind her death. But it was disturbing that the Commander was able to work so easily. He even smiles at her office door.
The knock on her door brought her out from her thoughts.
"Bud you want to get that? I got to finish the kitchen." She left the living area.
Bud opened the door to find a smiling Commander Rabb behind the door with a big rapped box.
"Commander come in. You are the first to arrive."
"Hey Bud. Where's the birthday boy?" He let Bud take his coat and walked into the living area. He turned to watch Harriet walk out of the kitchen.
"Good evening Harriet. Bud have I told you lately how lucky you are?"
His mood was almost contagious but disturbing at the same time given the circumstances.
"No sir. Thank You. Little AJ is in his room. You can go on back."
Bud and his wife watched as their friend left the room. He turned to her and saw her expression.
"I know, I know he needs help to deal with this."
"Hey AJ. How's the birthday boy?" He sat with the boy on the floor who was playing with building blocks and a model plane. Little AJ just smiled at him and continue to play. "I have a present here for you. Do you want to open it now?" Again AJ Roberts smiled and nodded his head excitedly. When opening the box he was presented with two medium teddy bears. One was dressed in Navy dress white and the other was in Marine uniform. "AJ you know who these are? This one (holding up the Navy bear) is UNCLE AJ, Daddy, and I. and this bear here is for your Aunt Mac."
Admiral AJ C. was looking watching Harm with the Robert's child. There has been so much sadness in the passed year. The loss of Baby Sarah was a surprise to everyone who knew the happy couple, and then the death of Colonel Sarah Mackenzie was a complete shutdown of how their lives ran. Life goes on, that it does, but you never know what one person brings to the world until you witness their absence. The past month has brought more questions then answers for the aging Admiral. Since Harm wasn't trying to find out the answers to the questions everyone was afraid to ask, he took it upon himself. The SacNav redirected any questions he had, telling him to move on. Webb was insistent upon the fact that he was restricted from any information on her last days, missions, etc. AJ almost felt sorry for the man. Webb was also mourning a friend, and at a time when he wanted to use what he learned to help his friends, he was blocked.
"AJ listen. There is no available information. I have looked and look and it is classified." Webb was sitting in the Admirals office after hours drinking Bourbon.
"Webb classified information has never stopped you in the past when it came to helping Mac and Harm out. I don't understand what is the problem now." The Bourbon they were drinking was of many late night drinks they have shared in meetings since this all started.
"No what you don't understand is when it is classified to you, it is open to me. When it is classified to me…AJ that is a whole other ball game. I don't know whom to turn to for information. I don't know what she was doing or who's orders she was following. What I have found out is that it probably wasn't the first time. There are missing chunks in her personal file. Months unaccounted for, or comments blanked out. Maybe the answers lay in the past. Does her uncle have any idea on what happened?"
"He only talked to me for a few short minutes. O'Hara seemed closed off to any idea of finding out what happened."
"I think we only have two choices, suffer the consequences of pursuing this any farther, or what and see what happens, and in the mean time get on with our lives."
Now he knew exactly how Harm felt in the search for his father. What he didn't understand is why now, when Harm's obsessions and determinations were needed the most, he isn't doing anything. AJ would be stupid if he never thought Harm and Mac were involved, but time proved to him that they weren't. The one thing he could never understand is, 'why didn't they try?' Maybe everything was better that way. Both of them have been hurt in relationships, and never had much luck with them either, so staying apart was probably a way to save what relationship they did have. Nothing seemed right these days, Baby Sarah, Brumby and Mac, Harm and Renee; it was a never-ending roller coaster for the gossip channels at work. Was this the end of the road for the JAG drama? AJ just wished he could go back to that garden at the White House and take back what he said to them,
"Don't get too comfortable. You'll have to work together."
He continued to listen in on the two boys playing on the floor.
"Everyone misses your Aunt Mac, AJ. So do I. I am trying not to let it all effect me the way everyone expects, cause I know Mac wouldn't want me to keep this as my new obsession. Plus I am doing what she told me to do, waiting and watching. I just don't know how long I can wait little buddy. We were never close in every definition of the word. Kept secrets from each other, sometimes hated each other, got close just too pull away again, but that doesn't mean she hasn't effected me completely. She is one in a million kiddo and when she gets back we need take you out to the park."
AJ listened to his officer talk about the Colonel, and realized why he hasn't been mourning the loss of their friend. He either won't accept that she is gone or knows something that the others don't. He really hoped it was the later.
Harm looked up to see his CO watching him. AJ smiled at the two.
"Harriet has the party in full swing. The birthday boy needs to greet his guests."
Harm picked up the child and carried him to the outer room. Harriet was talking with Bud, and Tiner with Gunny. There were a few people Harm didn't know, family he supposed. The laughing child reached out to his mother. The party had a happier atmosphere then was expected. Mostly due to the fact that little AJ was laughing around and playing games with everyone. The adults were in conversation when the doorbell rang. Bud answered it to find Clayton Webb.
"Sir? We thought you couldn't make it? What a great surprise, you might want to watch out for Baby AJ though. He might get your good suit all messed up." Bud smiled as the man entered.
"That's fine Bud. The birthday boy can't officially get in trouble with the CIA until he reaches the age of eighteen. Is Harm and AJ here? I need to speak with them. You and Harriet might want to know what's going on also."
"Yeah sure we can talk in the other room."
Harriet stood with her husband near the kitchen table while Harm and AJ leaned against the counter tops. Webb was standing in the center of the kitchen waiting for everyone to settle.
"I received notice this afternoon that Mac was found in a Hospital out in Pennsylvania. The injuries to which she suffered were severe and it has left her in a coma. She has not been there all this time though. She was reported to be at the hospital for the last three days. Doctors don't know how she came there or who checked her in. She just appeared on one of the ER beds. At this time she is listed as a Jane Doe because there was no ID found on her. A friend of mine has been faxing me Jane Doe patients files for awhile now. I fear however that whoever did this to her and covered up her whereabouts might not let it end there. Mac was reported dead to us, so obviously someone wants it that way. The question is what do we do?"
THE END OF PART II