TITLE: Field Trip
AUTHOR: Copycat
E-MAIL: copycat@cliffhanger.com
RATING: PG-13 for language
CLASSIFICATION: S R (Harm/Mac)
SPOILERS: Nothing specific. Pre-Move of the Ring
SUMMARY: A group of High Schoolers come to JAG on a
field trip.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never were, never will be.
~^~^~^~
"Hurry up, we're gonna be late!" I hear Jared
screaming at me from downstairs.
"I'll be just a minute!" I holler back, crawling on
the floor to find my other shoe. I KNOW it's here
somewhere. It HAS to be.
"Come ON, Maddy," he yells again. Boy, is he ever
eager to go on this dumb trip.
"I SAID I'LL BE JUST a minute--" I falter as I see
him standing in the doorway, my shoe in hand.
"Looking for this?" he asks, grinning.
I roll my eyes and grab it without a word.
"Can we go now?" he persists.
"Yeah, okay, Mr. Overachiever," I mutter. "I just
need to grab some breakfast on my way out."
"I KNEW I should have gone straight to school
instead of coming here first," he sighs, his voice
dripping with annoyance.
I run ahead of him down the stairs; we ARE running
a bit late, not that I'll ever admit it to him.
"Why are you so keen on this stupid trip, anyway?
We'll be spending an hour on a bus loaded with dumb
jocks and girls whose idea of literary achievement
is spelling out 'Cooper High' dressed in
miniskirts."
Jared laughs and shakes his head at me. "But think
about where we're going: It's a MILITARY base.
It'll be just CRAWLING with hunky guys in
uniforms."
"They're lawyers, Jared," I explain patronizingly.
"It's not Top Gun, Tom Cruise will not be there."
"Hello! Did you not see A Few Good Men?" He asks,
exasperated.
Ignoring him I grab a slice of leftover pizza from
last night in the fridge and head for door. "Aunt
Clarissa, I'm off! We have that field trip today!"
I yell as I open the door to the yard.
"Oh, yes, that's today," I hear her voice from the
hallway as she makes her way to the kitchen.
"You're going to JAG Headquarters, right? That
sounds so exciting."
"Yeah," Jared says, nodding excitedly.
"Oh, hello, Jared, I didn't see you. Is that what
you're having for breakfast Madeline?" She goes on
sternly.
That is SO typical Clarissa. I sigh loudly and roll
my eyes. "Don't mother me, please. Look we're
running late, I'll see you tonight, okay?"
She smiles her I-WILL-mother-you-it's-my-privilege-
for-keeping-up-with-you-smile and nods. "Did you
bring something for lunch?"
"Yes," I lie. Surely there'll be a cafeteria.
"Have fun, then," she says, waving us off.
"Well, if we miss the bus it won't be MY fault," I
defend myself as we run down the street.
"It will too," he insists with characteristic
stubbornness. "You KNOW she pulls that one every
morning. You should plan ahead."
~^~^~^~
I lean back in my seat and look out the window at
the suburb passing by.
It's a really pretty day, perfect for cutting class
and going to the sea.
There are people walking their dogs and little kids
playing in the front yards.
They all look so content. I'll bet they won't be
wasting a full eight hours of their lives trotting
around some building stuffed to the rim with
military pencil-pushers.
I don't get why we couldn't go to Norfolk or
something like that and look at the ships.
At least that'd be interesting, and it's not like
the Military Court system is at all relevant to any
of the juvenile delinquents on this bus. They'll
all be tried in civil court when the time comes.
"Oh, look. Isn't that like the most *adorable*
little boy," the girl in the seat in front of mine
chippers. "I want a boy just like that when I grow
up."
Jared leans in and whispers in my ear. "I think
that'd be considered a felony, don't you?"
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
"I like *totally* know what you mean," the girl
sitting next to her replies. "I am SO ready to have
kids. Of course I want a good career first," she
adds, 'thoughtfully'.
"Kids are a natural consequence of all of her
career options, aren't they?" I whisper.
"Yeah, kids and gonorrhea," Jared remarks and we
both bend over from laughter.
"--SO looking forward to this trip," Bimbo #1
chirps on. "Maybe there'll be guys as cute as Tom
Cruise there."
"Oh yes!" Bimbo #2 concedes. "He is SUCH a hunk.
Did you see 'A Few Good Men'?"
Jared looks at me triumphantly and I whack him.
"Like, who didn't?" Bimbo #1 says accusingly as if
anyone who might, by some freak accident, have
missed it MUST necessarily be the stupidest person
alive, which sounds a lot like an oxymoron to me.
"I just can't get over how SHORT he is."
"Yeah, I know," Bimbo #2 agrees. "I totally
couldn't see myself with a short guy. He's like
5"6, or something."
"Really? I heard he was only 5"4."
Jared sticks two fingers in his mouth and makes a
puking noise.
"I like *totally* think you should join your fellow
Cruisers," I tease and receive a pathetic blow to
the shoulder. "You hit like a girl," I gloat.
Before he gets a chance to retort we hear Mrs.
Timothy, the Social Studies teacher, clearing her
throat into the microphone. "Is this thing on?" she
asks just as it makes a loud shrieking noise.
"Guess so," she laughs nervously.
"If I could just get everyone's attention," she
demands with more determination. When people have
quieted down enough for the bus to be considered an
acceptable working environment she goes on. "Okay,
thank you. We'll be arriving at JAG Headquarters
shortly, and when we get there I would like to
think that I can trust ALL of you" (She looks at
some of the jocks in the front who are whistling at
her) "to behave in a respectable fashion."
"These kids don't know that those two words can
even go in the same sentence," Jared interjects
quietly.
"If we don't behave ourselves properly we might not
be invited again," Mrs. Timothy admonishes. "So
make sure you do as you're told, and PLEASE PAY
ATTENTION," she finishes loudly as people's
interest fades.
"Kids today have SUCH a short attention span," I
complain, imitating Mrs. Timothy.
"I blame society," Jared deadpans.
We pull to a stop and I see a man in marine
utilities walk up to the bus driver's window. They
talk for a moment and the marine goes to open the
gate and lets us pass through.
As we drive into the parking lot Jared leans over
me and looks at the large building. "Whoa. This
place is actually kinda pretty."
I look out the window again and nod grudgingly. I
have to at least admit that. "So, if all else fails
we can always enjoy the architecture," I comment.
The bus is practically empty by now and I push
Jared into the aisle looking forward to a chance to
stretch my legs after being cooped up in here for
so long.
~^~^~^~
We are rounded into a conference room like a herd
of cattle and a plump officer in his late twenties
or so is trying to get everyone's attention.
"Excuse me, could everybody please quiet down.
Please, everybody!" He shouts in vain.
"Everyone. Shut up!" Mrs. Timothy shrieks and the
whole room goes quiet immediately. "Thank you," she
smiles and nods at the guy.
He smiles gratefully and tries again. "Good
morning, everybody, I'm Lieutenant Bud Roberts, I
am an attorney here at JAG and I'll be showing you
around today. I thought we could start with a
little tour of the building, so that you know where
everything is, and then we'll reconvene here in an
hour or so and I'll tell you about the sort of work
we do here."
He looks at Mrs. Timothy for approval and she nods
her satisfaction with the plan.
Lieutenant Roberts scratches his cheek. "Okay,
we'll divide you into two groups, one will go with
me and the other--"
He is interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?"
The door opens and a Hispanic guy in a marine
uniform enters the room.
"Well, he ain't Tom Cruise but he can fly my plane
any day," Jared whispers and I feel forced to give
him the raised eyebrow and nod towards the two
girls from the bus who obviously share his
sentiments if the way they're drooling is any
indication.
"This is Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez,"
Lieutenant Roberts explains. "He will show the
other group around."
A group of people, predominantly female, hurries
towards the door. Jared makes moves to follow but I
grab his arm. "No way am I spending another hour
with those airheads," I insist.
He nods his consent and stays where he is.
The Gunny leaves with his horde of hormone crazed
teenage girls (AND Mrs. Timothy) while the rest of
us stay put to give them a head start.
After a few minutes Lt. Roberts speaks up again.
"Okay, we'll start with the offices here on this
floor--this is where the lawyers all work--and
afterwards we'll go downstairs to the library, and
then we'll finish at the courthouse," he informs
us.
He guides us into a large room filled with desks.
"Okay, this is the bullpen--" he explains.
Jared nudges my side. "I can understand you not
wanting to catch whatever intellect eating virus
those two girls have, but I don't see why that
means that we have to follow THIS guy around
instead of Mr. hunky-dory over there."
I just smile and shush him. "You were the one who
wanted to go here today, NOT me. I would have been
JUST AS HAPPY wasting the day away watching the
ocean."
"You too, huh?" a male voice says behind me.
I freeze and then turn around slowly. I've always
had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong
time. "Well, uhh--" I manage, intelligently.
"Don't worry, I won't tell on you," A tall man in a
white Navy uniform smiles.
"Like it matters anyway," I mutter.
He shrugs. "I used to love field trips," he says,
"anything to get out of the treadmill."
"I know what you mean," Jared chips in, "I've been
telling her all week that she should look forward
to this trip."
The guy grins and nods. "You haven't done a very
good job at convincing her, then, have you?"
Jared falters for just a moment then grins back.
"I'm not Messias, I can't turn water into wine."
I roll my eyes and Sailor-boy laughs. "Evidently
not," he remarks.
"Harm. Do you have my notes on the Havisham
hearing?" A dark-haired female marine walks up to
him.
"Yeah, they're on my desk, just a minute I'll get
them for you." He turns back to us. "Don't let Bud
bore you to death, okay? I hear he does that to
kids sometimes."
He heads towards what must be his office and the
lady follows. "You are such an ass sometimes," she
complains but he just laughs it off.
"Well, he certainly HAS a fine specimen," Jared
trails off. Well, he's right about that at least.
Not that *I* was looking.
I turn back around and see that the rest of the
group are already in the other end of the room,
where 'Bud' does seem to be well on his way to at
least anaesthetizing some of the others.
I grab Jared's arm and we catch up with them just
before they start down the hall.
~^~^~^~
I stare at my watch for the umpteenth time hoping
it won't be too long before we 'adjourn' for lunch.
The human brain can only obtain so much irrelevant
information about various ways to become a member
of the 'JAG team', and if you ask me the limit was
reached about half an hour ago.
My stomach growls loudly and I duck in my seat
hoping that no one heard.
"Did you bring anything for lunch?" Jared mocks me,
parroting my aunt.
"Just you," I whisper and he grimaces.
"Well, I think that was just about it," the
lieutenant says mercifully at last. "Let's take a
one hour lunch break and meet back here at 1300
hours. Uh--That would be one o'clock," he explains.
We follow the others out and then head towards the
cafeteria.
"What's that," I ask when Jared picks up a tray of
his own. "Didn't you bring anything for lunch?"
"Oh, shuddup," he complains. "My mother made tuna
sandwiches."
I nod in sympathy, remembering his mother's last
culinary efforts. Cooking-illiterate women who have
the brains to marry chefs ought to stay out of the
kitchen completely.
I grab a plastic container with pasta salad that
looks fairly edible and a bottle of OJ, and since
this is not the mess hall of a ship, but an actual
cafeteria, I refrain from commenting on Jared's
choice of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
As we go back outside we see that the others have
all congregated on the lawn. I nod towards the
tables and chairs on the terrazzo and Jared nods.
"We have a much better view of the general area
here," he agrees. "In case that stunner from before
comes back."
"Yes, and we also don't have to listen to a
discussion about VDs while consuming our food."
"That's an excellent point, too," he concedes,
frowning in disgust.
We're about halfway through our meal when Sailor-
boy and his sidekick from earlier walk up to one of
the other tables and sit down.
Jared and I both sniff the air and zone in on her
paper bag from Beltway Burgers.
The guy notices our gazes and shakes his head.
"There must be some cult I don't know about," he
states.
Jared and I both stare at him in confusion but she
laughs and hands a French fry towards him. "Yeah,
have a taste," she breathes as if she's in a
trance.
He pushes her hand away dismissively. "No thank
you, I'm perfectly happy with my salad."
"You'll never be TRULY happy 'till you've enjoyed
the taste of a Beltway Burger," she goes on,
unfazed.
He rolls his eyes and looks at us. "Is this true?"
"Well, I'm not SURE it's because of the burgers,
but my life HAS seemed much better since I started
eating them," I joke.
"Yes," Jared nods mock-seriously, "I've noticed the
change. Ever since Madeline started eating Beltway
burgers she has been much friendlier towards other
people and showed a greater understanding for MY
problems at least."
"Yeah, I'll buy that one in a minute," Sailor-boy
laughs at us. "Are you still VERY displeased with
your visit?"
I shrug, "well, the BREAK has been okay, so far."
Mac nods. "Yeah, I used to HATE field trips. I
mean--regular school was bad enough, but being
dragged away having to spend the day with a bunch
of brainless--" she stops suddenly when she notices
her colleague's shocked expression. "What?"
"How could you possibly hate it?"
"I just told you. We can't all be overachievers
like you, Harm."
A snort of laughter escapes both me and Jared at
that and the two officers look at us. "I just said
that to Jared this morning," I explain.
"So, is this place really as wonderful as
Lieutenant Roberts claims?" Jared asks, changing
the subject.
"Well, it's not as HORRIBLE as he might make you
think," Harm reasons ignoring the woman's evil
glare.
"Oh, he doesn't make it sound HORRIBLE, just very,
very boring," Jared ensures.
"I can't imagine that to be his intention," the
woman says. "Bud is very big on action."
"And office romance, of course," Harm adds. "You
mustn't forget that, Mac."
Jared and I both lean forward in our seats in
anticipation of his explanation.
"Well, Bud met his wife here at JAG. Well, they met
BEFORE they came here, but this is where they got
involved. And the colonel here," he gestures
towards his colleague gallantly, "met her fiance
here, he's gone into private practice now, but this
is where they met."
"He is not my--" She begins but then stops herself
as a man in a dark suit walks up to their table.
"G'day, luv," he says in a heavy Australian accent
as he leans down to kiss her cheek. "I just came to
take you out for lunch but I see someone beat me to
it. Harm," he nods at the officer coldly.
Harm nods back with equal coldness and the colonel
looks pretty uncomfortable.
Jared looks at me delightedly. He was always a
sucker for soapish romances like this. 'Smell the
testosterone', he mouths and I grin despite my
efforts to keep a straight face.
They could cut the air and make hormone patches.
The Australian sits down and smiles at us. "H'lo.
Mic Brumby," he says, extending his hand in
greeting.
"Jared Henderson," Jared says, shaking his hand.
"Madeline Bellemonde."
"You're a little young for military personnel
aren't you?" he asks.
"Oh, we're here on a field trip," Jared explains
straight-faced and nods towards the others.
"I see," Mic says as if he cared before turning
back to the little missus-to-be. "Well, since you
have lunch taken care off I'll rush off to my
meeting."
"If you have a meeting, what are you doing here?"
His fiancee asks.
"It's a lunch meeting, I just thought I'd bring
you," he replies.
'Just wanted to show off my trophy,' Jared mouths
again then shuts his mouth suddenly when he finds
Harm watching him with a thoughtful frown.
"I'll walk you to your car," Mac offers and they
leave together.
"What does a seemingly intelligent woman want with
a guy like that?" Jared asks the minute they're out
of earshot.
"Beats me," Harm mumbles absentmindedly before
suddenly shaking himself and looking at us
apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say
that. Mac's relationships are her business alone, I
don't have an opinion on the matter."
"Obviously you do," Jared insists and I nod my
consent.
"Yeah, well, I'm not allowed to."
"Says whom?" I blurt out. "Not even Uncle Sam has a
right to control your THOUGHTS."
He smiles disarmingly. "It's a bit complicated."
"Try us," Jared says, "I'm doing college math and
Maddy here isn't so stupid either, despite her
deceiving appearance."
Harm shakes his head no. "I don't think so."
"Why? Are you scared?" Jared dares him childishly.
"That pretty much sums it up, yeah," the officer
admits meekly, and we both stare at him with eyes
the size of teacups.
"Of what?" Jared asks in a tone of complete non-
comprehension.
Harm smiles lopsidedly. "You're a guy, you should
know that."
Jared still looks confused.
"He's gay," I explain to Harm. "He's in a league of
his own."
Harm nods although he doesn't really seem to be
following my logic.
"So what are you afraid of then?" Jared persists.
Harm looks panicked for just an instant then he
slumps down in resignation. "Rejection? My own
feelings? HER feelings? Reality? Take your pick."
'Mac' chooses this exact moment to return and Harm
quickly gathers his things. "I should be getting
back to work," he mumbles before making a hasty
retreat.
"What happened to him?" she asks, confused, as she
sits down to finish her lunch.
"I'm not sure," I say evasively, "but I THINK there
might've been something in his food that made him
ill."
"Or maybe it wasn't in his food," Jared comments.
"Well, that's Harm: You never quite know what's
wrong with him," she shrugs looking back towards
the building he just entered. "Not lately, anyway."
Jared rolls his eyes at me as if to say 'Oh, we
know what's wrong with him alright'.
"Can I ask you something, ma'am?" Jared asks
ceremoniously after a short interim of silence.
"Sure," she consents.
"Mr. Brumby and uh--Harm don't seem to get along
very well. Why is that?"
I groan inwardly very well aware of what he's
trying to do and look at my watch. Damn, we won't
have to be back for another twenty minutes.
"I don't know," Mac trails off. "They never seemed
to. Mic used to try to be nice, but Harm just--I
don't know. Harm seems to just genuinely dislike
him."
Jared nods, looking like that was just the answer
he expected. "How long have the two of you been
engaged?"
"Well, we're not engaged as SUCH, to tell you the
truth," Mac admits.
"How can you be 'not engaged as such'?" Jared asks,
confusion bringing back his natural tone of voice.
"It's a bit complicated," she insists.
"Try us," Jared dares her, thankfully not adding
our resume this time.
"Okaaaay," she agrees reluctantly. "Mic proposed,
but I wasn't really sure about what I wanted, so we
agreed that I wear the ring on my right hand," she
extends her hand for us to see the gold band,
"until I had made my decision."
Okay, THIS is weird. If I were Harm I wouldn't want
to have an opinion either. "And how long has the
ring been there?"
"About 8 months," she admits timidly.
"That's a loooong time to make up your mind," Jared
remarks and I kick him under the table.
"Yeah, I know," she sighs.
"How can it be so hard to make a decision?"
"It just is," she insists.
"I saw something similar in a movie once," Jared
mumbles, seemingly to himself. "Turns out the girl
was in love with someone else." He nods
thoughtfully. "Some guy she worked with, actually.
Do you remember that movie, Maddy?" he asks,
looking at me.
"Vaguely. How did that end again?" Might as well
play along.
"Oh, I think she sent her fiance back to--England,
was it? And lived happily ever after with the guy
she *really* loved. It turned out he was secretly
carrying a torch for her as well, he was just too
scared to admit it," Jared tells me in all
seriousness. Kudos to his poker face abilities.
Mac is biting her lip, gazing at nothing before
suddenly shaking it off. "Yeah, well, life is not a
movie, y'know," she tells us while gathering her
things. "I'd better be getting back to work, and it
looks like you guys should be headed back to your
group as well," she comments, pointing towards our
classmates who are walking back towards the main
building.
She waves and makes a hasty retreat.
Jared tilts his head and watches her for a bit
before he looks at me. "Do you still think this
field trip sucks?" He asks.
"Well, it's looking better, I'll admit that much,"
I shrug evasively. "Soap opera romance is your
deal, though."
"Oh, come on," he insists. "She is TOTALLY hot for
Mr. Gorgeous."
"Well, who wouldn't be?"
"Exactly. And since he is just as hot for her,
there's no reason why we shouldn't mess with
Destiny a bit," he reasons.
"That may be, Cupid, but if we don't hurry we're
going to be late, and I think they DO hang people
from yardarms for that."
~^~^~^~
I hurry down the hall and find the door with a sign
that reads 'Ladies' room'.
I have just closed the door to the stall when I
hear the door opening again and the sound of two
sets of footsteps.
"Are you sure, Harriet?" I recognize Mac's voice
and pull my feet up so they won't show under the
door. No, my mother did NOT teach me not to
eavesdrop.
"Of course I'm sure, ma'am, I've been telling Bud
this for years. The commander is wild about you.
It's obvious," the other woman insists.
"It is? Well, I don't know," Mac hesitates. "Why
hasn't he said anything?"
"Because you're practically engaged to another man,
perhaps? Uh--ma'am."
"I suppose that's a fair reason. But then why
didn't he say something before?"
"He probably didn't think he had to, he didn't know
his position was threatened. Your engagement to Mr.
Brumby came as a surprise to all of us, ma'am."
This Harries person is not half-bad.
"It did?" My *God*, look up 'clueless' in a
dictionary and you'll find a picture of Mac. Right
next to the one of Harm.
"Yes, well, *I* always thought that if you'd get
engaged to anybody it'd be to Commander Rabb."
Commander Rabb? Is that Harm?
"But Harriet, there was never anything going on
between Harm and me," Mac insists. Yeah, it must
be.
"But that doesn't mean you didn't WANT there to be,
does it?"
There's no reply and for a while no one says
anything.
I really hope they'll finish soon, my leg is
starting to cramp, and coming out now would look
pretty stupid.
"Maybe you should talk to him, ma'am. Let him know
how you feel."
"And how *do* I feel, then? Can you tell me that?"
Harriet laughs. "Oh, you're madly in love with him,
too, ma'am. You know that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Harriet assures her. "So go talk to him.
The sooner the better."
"Okay, I'll *think* about it," Mac says.
I hear the sound of feet jumping up and down and
hands clapping accompanied by a girlish giggle. Ten
bucks says that *isn't* Mac.
"*Think* about it, I said," she adds.
"Of course, ma'am."
"Thanks Harriet."
"No problem, ma'am. I just hope the two of you work
things out soon."
The door opens and I hear them leave.
I have GOT to get out of here and tell Jared what I
overheard. This must be the one advantage to
ladies' rooms.
~^~^~^~
"--I hope you have a safe trip home," Lieutenant
Roberts finishes. "It's been a pleasure having you
all here."
Everybody begins to get up, nudging the people who
have fallen asleep before they're spotted.
"Hurry up, maybe we can see how the little office
romance is coming along," he hurries me and we
practically run out the door.
I must admit although this is Jared's thing
entirely I am pretty eager to see if Mac's had that
talk with Loverboy.
"Excuse me, have you seen Commander Rabb?" I ask a
blonde woman we pass on our way.
"No I haven't," she says, and I realize that this
is Harriet. "I'm sorry. He's not in his office."
"What about--Mac?" I continue.
"No, as a matter of fact I haven't seen her
either." Harriet looks at us for a moment and then
she smiles. "May I ask why you're so eager to see
them?"
"Well, uhh--"I look at Jared hoping he'll save me.
"We just wanted to see if they'd worked out this
problem they were having," Jared explains.
Harriet grins widely. "Is that so? Well, in that
case, why don't you come with me, I think I may
have an idea about where they might be."
She walks down the hall and then opens the door to
the emergency stairs carefully. Sure that there's
safe passage she starts down the stairs, Jared and
me close on her tail.
We walk down a hall and I recognize this as the way
to the library.
Once again Harriet is very careful opening the door
and sure enough, we can hear hushed voices from
behind the bookshelves.
"What are you gonna tell Mic?" Harm asks worriedly.
"I don't know. The truth, I guess." Mac says. "I
don't think he'll be too surprised."
"Really?" Harm sounds pleased.
Harriet looks down at us and smiles happily, making
little goggles with her hands and we nod eagerly.
Sure we want to see this. We're the TV-Generation,
after all.
"If your ego gets any bigger it'll blow up like a
balloon with too much air in it," Mac laughs as we
tiptoe down the aisle.
Finding the appropriate row Harriet stops and we
all look around the corner, one head above the
other as no one is willing to give up their
position.
"Oh, I don't think there's any risk of that: You
wouldn't let it happen," Harm says taking Mac's
right hand in his. "Do you mind if I take this
off?"
She shakes her head. "Not at all."
He holds out her hand ceremoniously and carefully
slides her engagement ring off. He lets it drop on
the table next to them and smiles at her. "That's
much better," he insists. "Now come here."
Holding her face with both hands he leans down and
kisses her softly.
Harriet is practically beaming with happiness at
the sight and I must admit to a slight case of the
butterflies.
When Harm finally lets go of her we all lean back
to avoid being seen, not that I think they notice
anything but each other at the moment.
Harriet nods towards the door and we both follow
her. Sneaking back towards the exit I see Jared
looking at his watch and hurrying me on.
Once were back in the safety of the hallway he
whispers: "We'd better get a move on or we'll miss
the bus."
I nod and we wave goodbye to Harriet who is still
lost in Sappy-land.
"Tell them we said good luck on the happily ever
after," I whisper before we hurry up the stairs and
she wakes up enough to nod and give us the thumbs
up.
"Okay, I'll admit it, Jared," I say as we make a
run for the bus, which already has its engine on,
"this was an okay day after all. I wouldn't have
missed *that* for a day on the beach," I admit and
he smiles vindictively.
THE END
AUTHOR: Copycat
E-MAIL: copycat@cliffhanger.com
RATING: PG-13 for language
CLASSIFICATION: S R (Harm/Mac)
SPOILERS: Nothing specific. Pre-Move of the Ring
SUMMARY: A group of High Schoolers come to JAG on a
field trip.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never were, never will be.
~^~^~^~
"Hurry up, we're gonna be late!" I hear Jared
screaming at me from downstairs.
"I'll be just a minute!" I holler back, crawling on
the floor to find my other shoe. I KNOW it's here
somewhere. It HAS to be.
"Come ON, Maddy," he yells again. Boy, is he ever
eager to go on this dumb trip.
"I SAID I'LL BE JUST a minute--" I falter as I see
him standing in the doorway, my shoe in hand.
"Looking for this?" he asks, grinning.
I roll my eyes and grab it without a word.
"Can we go now?" he persists.
"Yeah, okay, Mr. Overachiever," I mutter. "I just
need to grab some breakfast on my way out."
"I KNEW I should have gone straight to school
instead of coming here first," he sighs, his voice
dripping with annoyance.
I run ahead of him down the stairs; we ARE running
a bit late, not that I'll ever admit it to him.
"Why are you so keen on this stupid trip, anyway?
We'll be spending an hour on a bus loaded with dumb
jocks and girls whose idea of literary achievement
is spelling out 'Cooper High' dressed in
miniskirts."
Jared laughs and shakes his head at me. "But think
about where we're going: It's a MILITARY base.
It'll be just CRAWLING with hunky guys in
uniforms."
"They're lawyers, Jared," I explain patronizingly.
"It's not Top Gun, Tom Cruise will not be there."
"Hello! Did you not see A Few Good Men?" He asks,
exasperated.
Ignoring him I grab a slice of leftover pizza from
last night in the fridge and head for door. "Aunt
Clarissa, I'm off! We have that field trip today!"
I yell as I open the door to the yard.
"Oh, yes, that's today," I hear her voice from the
hallway as she makes her way to the kitchen.
"You're going to JAG Headquarters, right? That
sounds so exciting."
"Yeah," Jared says, nodding excitedly.
"Oh, hello, Jared, I didn't see you. Is that what
you're having for breakfast Madeline?" She goes on
sternly.
That is SO typical Clarissa. I sigh loudly and roll
my eyes. "Don't mother me, please. Look we're
running late, I'll see you tonight, okay?"
She smiles her I-WILL-mother-you-it's-my-privilege-
for-keeping-up-with-you-smile and nods. "Did you
bring something for lunch?"
"Yes," I lie. Surely there'll be a cafeteria.
"Have fun, then," she says, waving us off.
"Well, if we miss the bus it won't be MY fault," I
defend myself as we run down the street.
"It will too," he insists with characteristic
stubbornness. "You KNOW she pulls that one every
morning. You should plan ahead."
~^~^~^~
I lean back in my seat and look out the window at
the suburb passing by.
It's a really pretty day, perfect for cutting class
and going to the sea.
There are people walking their dogs and little kids
playing in the front yards.
They all look so content. I'll bet they won't be
wasting a full eight hours of their lives trotting
around some building stuffed to the rim with
military pencil-pushers.
I don't get why we couldn't go to Norfolk or
something like that and look at the ships.
At least that'd be interesting, and it's not like
the Military Court system is at all relevant to any
of the juvenile delinquents on this bus. They'll
all be tried in civil court when the time comes.
"Oh, look. Isn't that like the most *adorable*
little boy," the girl in the seat in front of mine
chippers. "I want a boy just like that when I grow
up."
Jared leans in and whispers in my ear. "I think
that'd be considered a felony, don't you?"
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
"I like *totally* know what you mean," the girl
sitting next to her replies. "I am SO ready to have
kids. Of course I want a good career first," she
adds, 'thoughtfully'.
"Kids are a natural consequence of all of her
career options, aren't they?" I whisper.
"Yeah, kids and gonorrhea," Jared remarks and we
both bend over from laughter.
"--SO looking forward to this trip," Bimbo #1
chirps on. "Maybe there'll be guys as cute as Tom
Cruise there."
"Oh yes!" Bimbo #2 concedes. "He is SUCH a hunk.
Did you see 'A Few Good Men'?"
Jared looks at me triumphantly and I whack him.
"Like, who didn't?" Bimbo #1 says accusingly as if
anyone who might, by some freak accident, have
missed it MUST necessarily be the stupidest person
alive, which sounds a lot like an oxymoron to me.
"I just can't get over how SHORT he is."
"Yeah, I know," Bimbo #2 agrees. "I totally
couldn't see myself with a short guy. He's like
5"6, or something."
"Really? I heard he was only 5"4."
Jared sticks two fingers in his mouth and makes a
puking noise.
"I like *totally* think you should join your fellow
Cruisers," I tease and receive a pathetic blow to
the shoulder. "You hit like a girl," I gloat.
Before he gets a chance to retort we hear Mrs.
Timothy, the Social Studies teacher, clearing her
throat into the microphone. "Is this thing on?" she
asks just as it makes a loud shrieking noise.
"Guess so," she laughs nervously.
"If I could just get everyone's attention," she
demands with more determination. When people have
quieted down enough for the bus to be considered an
acceptable working environment she goes on. "Okay,
thank you. We'll be arriving at JAG Headquarters
shortly, and when we get there I would like to
think that I can trust ALL of you" (She looks at
some of the jocks in the front who are whistling at
her) "to behave in a respectable fashion."
"These kids don't know that those two words can
even go in the same sentence," Jared interjects
quietly.
"If we don't behave ourselves properly we might not
be invited again," Mrs. Timothy admonishes. "So
make sure you do as you're told, and PLEASE PAY
ATTENTION," she finishes loudly as people's
interest fades.
"Kids today have SUCH a short attention span," I
complain, imitating Mrs. Timothy.
"I blame society," Jared deadpans.
We pull to a stop and I see a man in marine
utilities walk up to the bus driver's window. They
talk for a moment and the marine goes to open the
gate and lets us pass through.
As we drive into the parking lot Jared leans over
me and looks at the large building. "Whoa. This
place is actually kinda pretty."
I look out the window again and nod grudgingly. I
have to at least admit that. "So, if all else fails
we can always enjoy the architecture," I comment.
The bus is practically empty by now and I push
Jared into the aisle looking forward to a chance to
stretch my legs after being cooped up in here for
so long.
~^~^~^~
We are rounded into a conference room like a herd
of cattle and a plump officer in his late twenties
or so is trying to get everyone's attention.
"Excuse me, could everybody please quiet down.
Please, everybody!" He shouts in vain.
"Everyone. Shut up!" Mrs. Timothy shrieks and the
whole room goes quiet immediately. "Thank you," she
smiles and nods at the guy.
He smiles gratefully and tries again. "Good
morning, everybody, I'm Lieutenant Bud Roberts, I
am an attorney here at JAG and I'll be showing you
around today. I thought we could start with a
little tour of the building, so that you know where
everything is, and then we'll reconvene here in an
hour or so and I'll tell you about the sort of work
we do here."
He looks at Mrs. Timothy for approval and she nods
her satisfaction with the plan.
Lieutenant Roberts scratches his cheek. "Okay,
we'll divide you into two groups, one will go with
me and the other--"
He is interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?"
The door opens and a Hispanic guy in a marine
uniform enters the room.
"Well, he ain't Tom Cruise but he can fly my plane
any day," Jared whispers and I feel forced to give
him the raised eyebrow and nod towards the two
girls from the bus who obviously share his
sentiments if the way they're drooling is any
indication.
"This is Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez,"
Lieutenant Roberts explains. "He will show the
other group around."
A group of people, predominantly female, hurries
towards the door. Jared makes moves to follow but I
grab his arm. "No way am I spending another hour
with those airheads," I insist.
He nods his consent and stays where he is.
The Gunny leaves with his horde of hormone crazed
teenage girls (AND Mrs. Timothy) while the rest of
us stay put to give them a head start.
After a few minutes Lt. Roberts speaks up again.
"Okay, we'll start with the offices here on this
floor--this is where the lawyers all work--and
afterwards we'll go downstairs to the library, and
then we'll finish at the courthouse," he informs
us.
He guides us into a large room filled with desks.
"Okay, this is the bullpen--" he explains.
Jared nudges my side. "I can understand you not
wanting to catch whatever intellect eating virus
those two girls have, but I don't see why that
means that we have to follow THIS guy around
instead of Mr. hunky-dory over there."
I just smile and shush him. "You were the one who
wanted to go here today, NOT me. I would have been
JUST AS HAPPY wasting the day away watching the
ocean."
"You too, huh?" a male voice says behind me.
I freeze and then turn around slowly. I've always
had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong
time. "Well, uhh--" I manage, intelligently.
"Don't worry, I won't tell on you," A tall man in a
white Navy uniform smiles.
"Like it matters anyway," I mutter.
He shrugs. "I used to love field trips," he says,
"anything to get out of the treadmill."
"I know what you mean," Jared chips in, "I've been
telling her all week that she should look forward
to this trip."
The guy grins and nods. "You haven't done a very
good job at convincing her, then, have you?"
Jared falters for just a moment then grins back.
"I'm not Messias, I can't turn water into wine."
I roll my eyes and Sailor-boy laughs. "Evidently
not," he remarks.
"Harm. Do you have my notes on the Havisham
hearing?" A dark-haired female marine walks up to
him.
"Yeah, they're on my desk, just a minute I'll get
them for you." He turns back to us. "Don't let Bud
bore you to death, okay? I hear he does that to
kids sometimes."
He heads towards what must be his office and the
lady follows. "You are such an ass sometimes," she
complains but he just laughs it off.
"Well, he certainly HAS a fine specimen," Jared
trails off. Well, he's right about that at least.
Not that *I* was looking.
I turn back around and see that the rest of the
group are already in the other end of the room,
where 'Bud' does seem to be well on his way to at
least anaesthetizing some of the others.
I grab Jared's arm and we catch up with them just
before they start down the hall.
~^~^~^~
I stare at my watch for the umpteenth time hoping
it won't be too long before we 'adjourn' for lunch.
The human brain can only obtain so much irrelevant
information about various ways to become a member
of the 'JAG team', and if you ask me the limit was
reached about half an hour ago.
My stomach growls loudly and I duck in my seat
hoping that no one heard.
"Did you bring anything for lunch?" Jared mocks me,
parroting my aunt.
"Just you," I whisper and he grimaces.
"Well, I think that was just about it," the
lieutenant says mercifully at last. "Let's take a
one hour lunch break and meet back here at 1300
hours. Uh--That would be one o'clock," he explains.
We follow the others out and then head towards the
cafeteria.
"What's that," I ask when Jared picks up a tray of
his own. "Didn't you bring anything for lunch?"
"Oh, shuddup," he complains. "My mother made tuna
sandwiches."
I nod in sympathy, remembering his mother's last
culinary efforts. Cooking-illiterate women who have
the brains to marry chefs ought to stay out of the
kitchen completely.
I grab a plastic container with pasta salad that
looks fairly edible and a bottle of OJ, and since
this is not the mess hall of a ship, but an actual
cafeteria, I refrain from commenting on Jared's
choice of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
As we go back outside we see that the others have
all congregated on the lawn. I nod towards the
tables and chairs on the terrazzo and Jared nods.
"We have a much better view of the general area
here," he agrees. "In case that stunner from before
comes back."
"Yes, and we also don't have to listen to a
discussion about VDs while consuming our food."
"That's an excellent point, too," he concedes,
frowning in disgust.
We're about halfway through our meal when Sailor-
boy and his sidekick from earlier walk up to one of
the other tables and sit down.
Jared and I both sniff the air and zone in on her
paper bag from Beltway Burgers.
The guy notices our gazes and shakes his head.
"There must be some cult I don't know about," he
states.
Jared and I both stare at him in confusion but she
laughs and hands a French fry towards him. "Yeah,
have a taste," she breathes as if she's in a
trance.
He pushes her hand away dismissively. "No thank
you, I'm perfectly happy with my salad."
"You'll never be TRULY happy 'till you've enjoyed
the taste of a Beltway Burger," she goes on,
unfazed.
He rolls his eyes and looks at us. "Is this true?"
"Well, I'm not SURE it's because of the burgers,
but my life HAS seemed much better since I started
eating them," I joke.
"Yes," Jared nods mock-seriously, "I've noticed the
change. Ever since Madeline started eating Beltway
burgers she has been much friendlier towards other
people and showed a greater understanding for MY
problems at least."
"Yeah, I'll buy that one in a minute," Sailor-boy
laughs at us. "Are you still VERY displeased with
your visit?"
I shrug, "well, the BREAK has been okay, so far."
Mac nods. "Yeah, I used to HATE field trips. I
mean--regular school was bad enough, but being
dragged away having to spend the day with a bunch
of brainless--" she stops suddenly when she notices
her colleague's shocked expression. "What?"
"How could you possibly hate it?"
"I just told you. We can't all be overachievers
like you, Harm."
A snort of laughter escapes both me and Jared at
that and the two officers look at us. "I just said
that to Jared this morning," I explain.
"So, is this place really as wonderful as
Lieutenant Roberts claims?" Jared asks, changing
the subject.
"Well, it's not as HORRIBLE as he might make you
think," Harm reasons ignoring the woman's evil
glare.
"Oh, he doesn't make it sound HORRIBLE, just very,
very boring," Jared ensures.
"I can't imagine that to be his intention," the
woman says. "Bud is very big on action."
"And office romance, of course," Harm adds. "You
mustn't forget that, Mac."
Jared and I both lean forward in our seats in
anticipation of his explanation.
"Well, Bud met his wife here at JAG. Well, they met
BEFORE they came here, but this is where they got
involved. And the colonel here," he gestures
towards his colleague gallantly, "met her fiance
here, he's gone into private practice now, but this
is where they met."
"He is not my--" She begins but then stops herself
as a man in a dark suit walks up to their table.
"G'day, luv," he says in a heavy Australian accent
as he leans down to kiss her cheek. "I just came to
take you out for lunch but I see someone beat me to
it. Harm," he nods at the officer coldly.
Harm nods back with equal coldness and the colonel
looks pretty uncomfortable.
Jared looks at me delightedly. He was always a
sucker for soapish romances like this. 'Smell the
testosterone', he mouths and I grin despite my
efforts to keep a straight face.
They could cut the air and make hormone patches.
The Australian sits down and smiles at us. "H'lo.
Mic Brumby," he says, extending his hand in
greeting.
"Jared Henderson," Jared says, shaking his hand.
"Madeline Bellemonde."
"You're a little young for military personnel
aren't you?" he asks.
"Oh, we're here on a field trip," Jared explains
straight-faced and nods towards the others.
"I see," Mic says as if he cared before turning
back to the little missus-to-be. "Well, since you
have lunch taken care off I'll rush off to my
meeting."
"If you have a meeting, what are you doing here?"
His fiancee asks.
"It's a lunch meeting, I just thought I'd bring
you," he replies.
'Just wanted to show off my trophy,' Jared mouths
again then shuts his mouth suddenly when he finds
Harm watching him with a thoughtful frown.
"I'll walk you to your car," Mac offers and they
leave together.
"What does a seemingly intelligent woman want with
a guy like that?" Jared asks the minute they're out
of earshot.
"Beats me," Harm mumbles absentmindedly before
suddenly shaking himself and looking at us
apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say
that. Mac's relationships are her business alone, I
don't have an opinion on the matter."
"Obviously you do," Jared insists and I nod my
consent.
"Yeah, well, I'm not allowed to."
"Says whom?" I blurt out. "Not even Uncle Sam has a
right to control your THOUGHTS."
He smiles disarmingly. "It's a bit complicated."
"Try us," Jared says, "I'm doing college math and
Maddy here isn't so stupid either, despite her
deceiving appearance."
Harm shakes his head no. "I don't think so."
"Why? Are you scared?" Jared dares him childishly.
"That pretty much sums it up, yeah," the officer
admits meekly, and we both stare at him with eyes
the size of teacups.
"Of what?" Jared asks in a tone of complete non-
comprehension.
Harm smiles lopsidedly. "You're a guy, you should
know that."
Jared still looks confused.
"He's gay," I explain to Harm. "He's in a league of
his own."
Harm nods although he doesn't really seem to be
following my logic.
"So what are you afraid of then?" Jared persists.
Harm looks panicked for just an instant then he
slumps down in resignation. "Rejection? My own
feelings? HER feelings? Reality? Take your pick."
'Mac' chooses this exact moment to return and Harm
quickly gathers his things. "I should be getting
back to work," he mumbles before making a hasty
retreat.
"What happened to him?" she asks, confused, as she
sits down to finish her lunch.
"I'm not sure," I say evasively, "but I THINK there
might've been something in his food that made him
ill."
"Or maybe it wasn't in his food," Jared comments.
"Well, that's Harm: You never quite know what's
wrong with him," she shrugs looking back towards
the building he just entered. "Not lately, anyway."
Jared rolls his eyes at me as if to say 'Oh, we
know what's wrong with him alright'.
"Can I ask you something, ma'am?" Jared asks
ceremoniously after a short interim of silence.
"Sure," she consents.
"Mr. Brumby and uh--Harm don't seem to get along
very well. Why is that?"
I groan inwardly very well aware of what he's
trying to do and look at my watch. Damn, we won't
have to be back for another twenty minutes.
"I don't know," Mac trails off. "They never seemed
to. Mic used to try to be nice, but Harm just--I
don't know. Harm seems to just genuinely dislike
him."
Jared nods, looking like that was just the answer
he expected. "How long have the two of you been
engaged?"
"Well, we're not engaged as SUCH, to tell you the
truth," Mac admits.
"How can you be 'not engaged as such'?" Jared asks,
confusion bringing back his natural tone of voice.
"It's a bit complicated," she insists.
"Try us," Jared dares her, thankfully not adding
our resume this time.
"Okaaaay," she agrees reluctantly. "Mic proposed,
but I wasn't really sure about what I wanted, so we
agreed that I wear the ring on my right hand," she
extends her hand for us to see the gold band,
"until I had made my decision."
Okay, THIS is weird. If I were Harm I wouldn't want
to have an opinion either. "And how long has the
ring been there?"
"About 8 months," she admits timidly.
"That's a loooong time to make up your mind," Jared
remarks and I kick him under the table.
"Yeah, I know," she sighs.
"How can it be so hard to make a decision?"
"It just is," she insists.
"I saw something similar in a movie once," Jared
mumbles, seemingly to himself. "Turns out the girl
was in love with someone else." He nods
thoughtfully. "Some guy she worked with, actually.
Do you remember that movie, Maddy?" he asks,
looking at me.
"Vaguely. How did that end again?" Might as well
play along.
"Oh, I think she sent her fiance back to--England,
was it? And lived happily ever after with the guy
she *really* loved. It turned out he was secretly
carrying a torch for her as well, he was just too
scared to admit it," Jared tells me in all
seriousness. Kudos to his poker face abilities.
Mac is biting her lip, gazing at nothing before
suddenly shaking it off. "Yeah, well, life is not a
movie, y'know," she tells us while gathering her
things. "I'd better be getting back to work, and it
looks like you guys should be headed back to your
group as well," she comments, pointing towards our
classmates who are walking back towards the main
building.
She waves and makes a hasty retreat.
Jared tilts his head and watches her for a bit
before he looks at me. "Do you still think this
field trip sucks?" He asks.
"Well, it's looking better, I'll admit that much,"
I shrug evasively. "Soap opera romance is your
deal, though."
"Oh, come on," he insists. "She is TOTALLY hot for
Mr. Gorgeous."
"Well, who wouldn't be?"
"Exactly. And since he is just as hot for her,
there's no reason why we shouldn't mess with
Destiny a bit," he reasons.
"That may be, Cupid, but if we don't hurry we're
going to be late, and I think they DO hang people
from yardarms for that."
~^~^~^~
I hurry down the hall and find the door with a sign
that reads 'Ladies' room'.
I have just closed the door to the stall when I
hear the door opening again and the sound of two
sets of footsteps.
"Are you sure, Harriet?" I recognize Mac's voice
and pull my feet up so they won't show under the
door. No, my mother did NOT teach me not to
eavesdrop.
"Of course I'm sure, ma'am, I've been telling Bud
this for years. The commander is wild about you.
It's obvious," the other woman insists.
"It is? Well, I don't know," Mac hesitates. "Why
hasn't he said anything?"
"Because you're practically engaged to another man,
perhaps? Uh--ma'am."
"I suppose that's a fair reason. But then why
didn't he say something before?"
"He probably didn't think he had to, he didn't know
his position was threatened. Your engagement to Mr.
Brumby came as a surprise to all of us, ma'am."
This Harries person is not half-bad.
"It did?" My *God*, look up 'clueless' in a
dictionary and you'll find a picture of Mac. Right
next to the one of Harm.
"Yes, well, *I* always thought that if you'd get
engaged to anybody it'd be to Commander Rabb."
Commander Rabb? Is that Harm?
"But Harriet, there was never anything going on
between Harm and me," Mac insists. Yeah, it must
be.
"But that doesn't mean you didn't WANT there to be,
does it?"
There's no reply and for a while no one says
anything.
I really hope they'll finish soon, my leg is
starting to cramp, and coming out now would look
pretty stupid.
"Maybe you should talk to him, ma'am. Let him know
how you feel."
"And how *do* I feel, then? Can you tell me that?"
Harriet laughs. "Oh, you're madly in love with him,
too, ma'am. You know that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Harriet assures her. "So go talk to him.
The sooner the better."
"Okay, I'll *think* about it," Mac says.
I hear the sound of feet jumping up and down and
hands clapping accompanied by a girlish giggle. Ten
bucks says that *isn't* Mac.
"*Think* about it, I said," she adds.
"Of course, ma'am."
"Thanks Harriet."
"No problem, ma'am. I just hope the two of you work
things out soon."
The door opens and I hear them leave.
I have GOT to get out of here and tell Jared what I
overheard. This must be the one advantage to
ladies' rooms.
~^~^~^~
"--I hope you have a safe trip home," Lieutenant
Roberts finishes. "It's been a pleasure having you
all here."
Everybody begins to get up, nudging the people who
have fallen asleep before they're spotted.
"Hurry up, maybe we can see how the little office
romance is coming along," he hurries me and we
practically run out the door.
I must admit although this is Jared's thing
entirely I am pretty eager to see if Mac's had that
talk with Loverboy.
"Excuse me, have you seen Commander Rabb?" I ask a
blonde woman we pass on our way.
"No I haven't," she says, and I realize that this
is Harriet. "I'm sorry. He's not in his office."
"What about--Mac?" I continue.
"No, as a matter of fact I haven't seen her
either." Harriet looks at us for a moment and then
she smiles. "May I ask why you're so eager to see
them?"
"Well, uhh--"I look at Jared hoping he'll save me.
"We just wanted to see if they'd worked out this
problem they were having," Jared explains.
Harriet grins widely. "Is that so? Well, in that
case, why don't you come with me, I think I may
have an idea about where they might be."
She walks down the hall and then opens the door to
the emergency stairs carefully. Sure that there's
safe passage she starts down the stairs, Jared and
me close on her tail.
We walk down a hall and I recognize this as the way
to the library.
Once again Harriet is very careful opening the door
and sure enough, we can hear hushed voices from
behind the bookshelves.
"What are you gonna tell Mic?" Harm asks worriedly.
"I don't know. The truth, I guess." Mac says. "I
don't think he'll be too surprised."
"Really?" Harm sounds pleased.
Harriet looks down at us and smiles happily, making
little goggles with her hands and we nod eagerly.
Sure we want to see this. We're the TV-Generation,
after all.
"If your ego gets any bigger it'll blow up like a
balloon with too much air in it," Mac laughs as we
tiptoe down the aisle.
Finding the appropriate row Harriet stops and we
all look around the corner, one head above the
other as no one is willing to give up their
position.
"Oh, I don't think there's any risk of that: You
wouldn't let it happen," Harm says taking Mac's
right hand in his. "Do you mind if I take this
off?"
She shakes her head. "Not at all."
He holds out her hand ceremoniously and carefully
slides her engagement ring off. He lets it drop on
the table next to them and smiles at her. "That's
much better," he insists. "Now come here."
Holding her face with both hands he leans down and
kisses her softly.
Harriet is practically beaming with happiness at
the sight and I must admit to a slight case of the
butterflies.
When Harm finally lets go of her we all lean back
to avoid being seen, not that I think they notice
anything but each other at the moment.
Harriet nods towards the door and we both follow
her. Sneaking back towards the exit I see Jared
looking at his watch and hurrying me on.
Once were back in the safety of the hallway he
whispers: "We'd better get a move on or we'll miss
the bus."
I nod and we wave goodbye to Harriet who is still
lost in Sappy-land.
"Tell them we said good luck on the happily ever
after," I whisper before we hurry up the stairs and
she wakes up enough to nod and give us the thumbs
up.
"Okay, I'll admit it, Jared," I say as we make a
run for the bus, which already has its engine on,
"this was an okay day after all. I wouldn't have
missed *that* for a day on the beach," I admit and
he smiles vindictively.
THE END