Ok guys. Here's the second part. I hope you all like it. Once again, the
characters don't belong to me, they never will, and I am making absolutely
no money off this thing!
And thanks to everyone who gave such GREAT feedback. You all make the writing worth it! Enjoy!
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
2 weeks later
Harm stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that would take him up to the JAG office. 'Man, it feels like I was just here,' Harm thought to himself. 'These past two weeks have really gone by in a blur.'
"Yes they have, haven't they?" Harm twisted around at the sound of a female voice behind him. Standing in the elevator was a tall ensign with long, sandy-brown hair and big brown eyes. She looked familiar, but Harm was unable to recall where or when he had ever met this particular subordinate. He tried to read the nametag pinned on the right side of her chest, but he was unable to make it out from where he stood. Giving her a critical look, Harm wondered how he had possibly missed her when he entered the elevator. She was standing towards the rear of the elevator, so obviously she had to have been there when he got on. 'But I could have sworn I was alone.'
"Oh, you were."
"Excuse me, what was that?" Harm asked wondering if he had heard her right.
"I said you were alone," she answered him with a puzzled look. "If you want to get technical about it, I guess you are pretty much still alone. Although I tend to have a higher opinion of myself." Harm was completely confused by now. He had no idea how the ensign had suddenly appeared behind him or how she seemed to know what he was thinking.
'It's is too damn early for something like this,' Harm thought as he turned around. 'I'll just ignore her until I can get to my office, shut the door, and pray the admiral doesn't remember I'm scheduled to return today.'
"Good luck with that," the voice called from over his shoulder. 'Don't turn around, just wait for the doors to slide open and head straight for your office.' Harm ordered himself. The elevator, however, seemed to be taking an especially long time this morning, and Harm found himself unconsciously humming along with the lazy music. It was almost an entire minute more before Harm came to the startling conclusion that the elevator wasn't moving. He reached over and pressed the button again, but the elevator still didn't move.
"I wouldn't waste your time."
At the sound of the ensign's voice Harm spun around and drew himself up to his full six feet four inches. "First of all, when addressing a senior officer a certain amount of deference tends to be expected."
The ensign seemed to straighten up. Much to Harm's dismay, however, she then proceeded to throw up a mock salute and responded with a sarcastic, "Aye, aye sir!" Harm couldn't believe what he was seeing. Never before had he met an ensign who was so blatantly disrespectful. Above all else, Harm saw himself as an officer of the US Navy whose duty it was to correct the errors of the young woman.
"You may not know me, but I am Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. You will address me as sir and…" Harm's voice trailed off when he saw the amused expression on the ensign's face. Her eyes, however, were focused over Harm's shoulder. Involuntarily, Harm turned toward the front of the elevator to see what could be so captivating to the young woman in the middle of his tirade. Leaning against the opening to the elevator was Mac.
Before Harm could speak, Mac cut him off. "Listen squid. I know they had you pretty doped up in the hospital. After all, I was there twenty-four hours a day until you woke up, and for most of the time after that too. But I still don't think the admiral would be very happy to see you talking to yourself in an empty elevator."
"Thank you very much for the expert advice," Harm replied sarcastically. "I was not talking to myself. I was addressing ensign…" Harm turned around to find an empty elevator.
Mac gave her partner a puzzled look. "You wanna run that by me again sailor? You've been standing here with the elevator door open for the entire 37 seconds it took me to walk down the hallway and for the additional 12 seconds I stood here watching you. I can say with absolute certainty that there was no one else in the elevator for that entire time." She continued to look at him with amusement twinkling in her eye, while Harm fought to figure out what had just happened.
'Oh well. Maybe she's right. Maybe I am still a little foggy from all the medication the doctors prescribed.' Regaining his composure, Harm stepped aside to let Mac into the elevator. Trying to salvage a small piece of his pride, because he was sure he would never hear the end of this one, he flashed a grin at his partner. "Don't mock me Marine. All great geniuses talk to themselves. I remember hearing somewhere that Vincent van Gogh talked to himself all the time." He cast a sidelong glance at his partner to see if she was buying any of his babbling.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open as the corner of Mac's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "Van Gogh was a workaholic who cut off his own ear and sent it to someone in a box." Exiting the elevator she glanced over her shoulder and called out, "now I know you really enjoy your work, but personally I think you look better with both ears. Of course that's just me."
Harm could still hear her beautiful laughter as she entered her office and shut the door. Sighing, Harm headed for his own office and back to all the work that had piled up over the last two weeks. Glancing at his desk, he noted the large stack of files. Of course, after all this time it had become more of a pile than a stack. Exasperated, Harm began sorting and restacking the files. 'My desk has never been this bad,' he thought to himself. 'Of course Mac's always looks like a war zone and she still seems to manage.' As unbidden thoughts of his partner sprang up, Harm felt a grin spread across his face. It was going to be a long day, but maybe he'd be able to talk Mac into dinner and a video at his place after work. Harm leaned back in his chair as he began making plans for the evening. He knew exactly what to make Mac for dinner. 'Definitely not Harm's meatless meatloaf, but maybe…'
Harm's mind returned to reality rather abruptly as the newly restacked files began sliding to the floor. Hopelessly, Harm looked at the mess of loose papers and manila folders on the ground. 'This is going to be a very long day.'
"You can say that again." Harm raised his head with a jerk to see the same ensign that had been in the elevator. "I guess it'd be more appropriate to say you can say that. You know, without the again. Since you didn't really say it the first time, you just thought it. Maybe I ought to just say 'you can think that again!'" The young woman began pacing the area on the other side of Harm's desk with a puzzled expression on her face.
Harm blinked, twice. "I knew you were really there!" Harm said triumphantly.
The ensign stopped pacing and replied sarcastically, "That's great, Sherlock. I ought to give you a medal or something." Harm's mouth dropped open as he tried to formulate a reply. "Now I'll be the first to point out the fact that you have nice teeth, especially when you smile, but I really don't need to have such a wonderful view of them." Harm snapped his mouth closed and slowly stood up with a stack of files in his hand.
And thanks to everyone who gave such GREAT feedback. You all make the writing worth it! Enjoy!
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
2 weeks later
Harm stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that would take him up to the JAG office. 'Man, it feels like I was just here,' Harm thought to himself. 'These past two weeks have really gone by in a blur.'
"Yes they have, haven't they?" Harm twisted around at the sound of a female voice behind him. Standing in the elevator was a tall ensign with long, sandy-brown hair and big brown eyes. She looked familiar, but Harm was unable to recall where or when he had ever met this particular subordinate. He tried to read the nametag pinned on the right side of her chest, but he was unable to make it out from where he stood. Giving her a critical look, Harm wondered how he had possibly missed her when he entered the elevator. She was standing towards the rear of the elevator, so obviously she had to have been there when he got on. 'But I could have sworn I was alone.'
"Oh, you were."
"Excuse me, what was that?" Harm asked wondering if he had heard her right.
"I said you were alone," she answered him with a puzzled look. "If you want to get technical about it, I guess you are pretty much still alone. Although I tend to have a higher opinion of myself." Harm was completely confused by now. He had no idea how the ensign had suddenly appeared behind him or how she seemed to know what he was thinking.
'It's is too damn early for something like this,' Harm thought as he turned around. 'I'll just ignore her until I can get to my office, shut the door, and pray the admiral doesn't remember I'm scheduled to return today.'
"Good luck with that," the voice called from over his shoulder. 'Don't turn around, just wait for the doors to slide open and head straight for your office.' Harm ordered himself. The elevator, however, seemed to be taking an especially long time this morning, and Harm found himself unconsciously humming along with the lazy music. It was almost an entire minute more before Harm came to the startling conclusion that the elevator wasn't moving. He reached over and pressed the button again, but the elevator still didn't move.
"I wouldn't waste your time."
At the sound of the ensign's voice Harm spun around and drew himself up to his full six feet four inches. "First of all, when addressing a senior officer a certain amount of deference tends to be expected."
The ensign seemed to straighten up. Much to Harm's dismay, however, she then proceeded to throw up a mock salute and responded with a sarcastic, "Aye, aye sir!" Harm couldn't believe what he was seeing. Never before had he met an ensign who was so blatantly disrespectful. Above all else, Harm saw himself as an officer of the US Navy whose duty it was to correct the errors of the young woman.
"You may not know me, but I am Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. You will address me as sir and…" Harm's voice trailed off when he saw the amused expression on the ensign's face. Her eyes, however, were focused over Harm's shoulder. Involuntarily, Harm turned toward the front of the elevator to see what could be so captivating to the young woman in the middle of his tirade. Leaning against the opening to the elevator was Mac.
Before Harm could speak, Mac cut him off. "Listen squid. I know they had you pretty doped up in the hospital. After all, I was there twenty-four hours a day until you woke up, and for most of the time after that too. But I still don't think the admiral would be very happy to see you talking to yourself in an empty elevator."
"Thank you very much for the expert advice," Harm replied sarcastically. "I was not talking to myself. I was addressing ensign…" Harm turned around to find an empty elevator.
Mac gave her partner a puzzled look. "You wanna run that by me again sailor? You've been standing here with the elevator door open for the entire 37 seconds it took me to walk down the hallway and for the additional 12 seconds I stood here watching you. I can say with absolute certainty that there was no one else in the elevator for that entire time." She continued to look at him with amusement twinkling in her eye, while Harm fought to figure out what had just happened.
'Oh well. Maybe she's right. Maybe I am still a little foggy from all the medication the doctors prescribed.' Regaining his composure, Harm stepped aside to let Mac into the elevator. Trying to salvage a small piece of his pride, because he was sure he would never hear the end of this one, he flashed a grin at his partner. "Don't mock me Marine. All great geniuses talk to themselves. I remember hearing somewhere that Vincent van Gogh talked to himself all the time." He cast a sidelong glance at his partner to see if she was buying any of his babbling.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open as the corner of Mac's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "Van Gogh was a workaholic who cut off his own ear and sent it to someone in a box." Exiting the elevator she glanced over her shoulder and called out, "now I know you really enjoy your work, but personally I think you look better with both ears. Of course that's just me."
Harm could still hear her beautiful laughter as she entered her office and shut the door. Sighing, Harm headed for his own office and back to all the work that had piled up over the last two weeks. Glancing at his desk, he noted the large stack of files. Of course, after all this time it had become more of a pile than a stack. Exasperated, Harm began sorting and restacking the files. 'My desk has never been this bad,' he thought to himself. 'Of course Mac's always looks like a war zone and she still seems to manage.' As unbidden thoughts of his partner sprang up, Harm felt a grin spread across his face. It was going to be a long day, but maybe he'd be able to talk Mac into dinner and a video at his place after work. Harm leaned back in his chair as he began making plans for the evening. He knew exactly what to make Mac for dinner. 'Definitely not Harm's meatless meatloaf, but maybe…'
Harm's mind returned to reality rather abruptly as the newly restacked files began sliding to the floor. Hopelessly, Harm looked at the mess of loose papers and manila folders on the ground. 'This is going to be a very long day.'
"You can say that again." Harm raised his head with a jerk to see the same ensign that had been in the elevator. "I guess it'd be more appropriate to say you can say that. You know, without the again. Since you didn't really say it the first time, you just thought it. Maybe I ought to just say 'you can think that again!'" The young woman began pacing the area on the other side of Harm's desk with a puzzled expression on her face.
Harm blinked, twice. "I knew you were really there!" Harm said triumphantly.
The ensign stopped pacing and replied sarcastically, "That's great, Sherlock. I ought to give you a medal or something." Harm's mouth dropped open as he tried to formulate a reply. "Now I'll be the first to point out the fact that you have nice teeth, especially when you smile, but I really don't need to have such a wonderful view of them." Harm snapped his mouth closed and slowly stood up with a stack of files in his hand.