1715 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Track...

"I think you've developed a fan club Austin," Victor said as he bent his right leg and pulled it up to stretch his quadriceps muscle.

"Huh?"

"Commander Rabb loved the way you stood your ground this morning," he replied.

"Oh that," Austin shrugged. "I won't back down when it's what's best for a family. I can't."

"Just be careful..." Victor reminded before he jogged off.

Austin watched him go her head tilted to the side in confusion. He sounded angry. What was up with that? Wasn't she allowed to have an opinion and do her job? If he was going to act possessive after one date then she was getting out of this now.

She was ready to walk back and get into her car when Victor came back.

"I'm sorry Austin..."

"For what?"

"For acting like Oscar the grouch...I read what he did to the doctor though and I don't want to see him do it to you or anyone else I know."

"He's young and he's scared Victor...his parents and his wife's have been threatening to take Danielle away from them and he's on edge. He's really very nice."

"If you say so," Victor shrugged stepping up to her. "Now...let's jog."

"You're on Marine," Austin grinned evilly as she thought of something Commander Rabb had told her that afternoon when he'd seen her in the break room. "Did you know what Marine really stands for?"

Victor frowned, sure he wasn't going to like the answer, but took the bait anyway. "No...what does it stand for?"

"My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment," Austin replied before she took off at a quick jog around the track.

"You're a funny woman Austin...for that I oughta dump you in the pool when we go inside," Victor mock-grumbled.

"Try it Gunny and you'll be taking a dip too."

"That sounds like a dare Ma'am."

"Try me and find out. Now hush and let's jog that five miles you promised me."

They jogged beside each other in silence content with their own thoughts just finding it nice to be with someone else for the moment.

Victor kept watch out of the corner of his eye as they jogged, looking for any distractions or anything out of place. It was an old habit, but one which he didn't wish to shake. Getting shot in the six by one of his own had proven to him the value of always being vigilant. Not that he expected Austin to pull a gun or anything.

"Did I sprout another head?" Austin asked conversationally.

"Nope...just an old habit. Keeping an eye on your surroundings is a real good way to ensure you'll live until your next birthday."

"So teacher training is a lot like Marine training," Austin teased grinning at Victor before she sped up a little bit. She wanted a work out...she needed to do something physical to ease the tension in her body. You could always proposition the handsome Marine next to you...bet he wouldn't say no.

The turn of her thoughts made Austin speed up more, intent on putting a greater distance between herself and Victor before she said something that would make her want to leave the state forever.

Victor shrugged to himself as her pace increased and poured on his own burst of speed, passing her easily. If she wanted to be competitive he could do that too. They spent the next two miles racing each other and when they finally slowed to a jog, then a walk both were breathing hard and sweaty.

"Good workout...but I would still rather have gone jogging this morning," Austin grumbled casting an irritated look at Victor as they walked toward the gym building.

"Not my fault it isn't safe," Victor answered ducking as she threw her water bottle at him.

"Wow...this place is wonderful!" Austin oohed as they entered the gym.

"There's the ladies' locker room if you want to shower or anything."

"Thanks for jogging with me...I'll see you tomorrow."

Victor watched her go wanting to ask her out for dinner again, but thinking it was much too soon. He'd invite her out on Friday, sort of a celebration for her getting through her first week. That would be good...he could take her to the Lemongrass Cafe, someplace pretty casual but with excellent Chinese food. Maybe someplace to dance after. He wasn't too proud to admit he'd like an excuse to hold her for awhile.

*********************************************************

Tuesday Morning
0710 EDT

JAG Headquarters...

Jason Tiner looked around the bull pen trying to imagine what it would be like to be the JAG...the man in charge, just like the Admiral. He was still convinced that being a lawyer was too boring for him, but there were days he considered it.

Well, maybe not days, he amended in his mind, really only a day: since Austin Bradford had arrived. He saw her stepping from the elevator and smiled. She was so pretty: maybe not like Cindy Crawford pretty, or Colonel Mackenzie pretty, but at least Austin was attainable. Sort of, if you didn't count Gunny...and Tiner was trying very hard not to count Gunny.

He watched as Austin walked right to Gunny's desk and put down a cup of coffee before she went to the break room carrying her bag and laptop. Curiously he trailed along behind wondering where Gunny was...he was around somewhere, but who knew where..probably in the supply closet counting paperclips or all the paper in a ream of copier paper to make sure there was 500 sheets.

Austin lugged her things through the door into the break room looking at the table under the window. The view was only of the parking lot, but at least this felt cheerier than the Admiral's dark-paneled office.

"I miss my old office," she whined softly looking around at the walls longing to see the clippings and quotes she'd attached to the walls. They were sitting in a box in her bedroom waiting for the Secretary of the Navy to assign her a permanent space to work from. Then she would personalize. If Commander Rabb could have planes all around his office she could certainly have some inspirational quotes and things.

"Ma'am?"

Austin jumped dropping her bag and very nearly her laptop before she regained her composure and turned to see Jason Tiner behind her. "Dear god Tiner...are you trying to kill me on my second day?"

Tiner shook his head no moving forward to take the laptop case from her hands and set it on the ground gently. "I didn't mean to startle you-"

"Please...call me Austin, or Miss Bradford, if you absolutely have to be formal. Ma'am makes me feel about a million years old."

"Sure...Austin...umm...I was wondering..." Tiner hemmed and hawed, searching for the right words: something really clever that would make Austin want to go out with him.

Gunny had just come out of the supply closet and saw the coffee on his desk smiling to himself as he headed for the break room to greet Austin. He paused before he reached the doorway hearing Tiner's voice.

"Austin...would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Tiner finally asked smiling hopefully as he looked at her.

Blood pounded in his ears and Gunny felt his internal temperature rise several degrees at Tiner's words. Usually the friendly competition with his coworker was fun and kept things from getting too dull, but Tiner asking Austin out was taking things too far. Not that they had anything even approximating an exclusive relationship, but Tiner still shouldn't have even been asking Austin out.

"Tiner-"

"It's Jason, Austin."

"Ooh-kay-Jason," Austin sighed inwardly. She didn't want to be harsh, Tiner was cute, but she was interested in someone else. "That was a sweet offer and I'd love-"

The sound of a fist hitting the wall followed by footsteps striding briskly away made Tiner and Austin freeze in their places staring wide-eyed at each other.

"Oh no..." Austin moaned. She knew Victor had heard Tiner's offer and some of her response...and of course just enough to make it sound really bad. "Jason, you're a nice guy...any other time I'd be flattered and I'd say yes: but not now...now I need to go talk to someone."

Tiner nodded and peered out the doorway. "You might want to give him some space for a little while Austin...Gunny can get sort of grouchy."

Austin patted his shoulder as she walked out of the break room. "I'm a big girl Tiner...I can take care of myself."

"Something going on?" Harm asked curiously as he took off his cover in front of his office door before opening it. He was surprised to see Austin at the office so early.

"Your gender is completely defective!" Austin grumbled on her way past making Harm raise his eyebrows questioningly.

"Tiner...did you push her buttons?" he inquired in a confused tone hooking a thumb after the retreating EFMP Coordinator.

"Not intentionally sir...I did ask her to have dinner with me tomorrow. I think Gunny heard."

"Aw jeez..." Harm groaned deeply and wondered if it was too late to ask for the day off. "Tiner...get in here and close the door."

"Yes Sir...did I do something wrong Commander?"

"Tiner...tell me: who did Austin spend her time with at the Admiral's barbecue?"

"Gunny for a little bit. Why?"

The handsome lawyer settled in the chair behind his desk steepling his fingers as he regarded the Admiral's yeoman. "And yesterday afternoon I know you left at the same time as Colonel Mackenzie and I...who did you see Miss Bradford jogging with?"

"Gunny again, but sir I don't see what this has to do with me asking her to dinner."

"Tiner...Miss Bradford is spending time with Gunny...that to me would suggest that perhaps she is not interested in having dinner with someone besides Gunny."

"There's no harm in asking Commander."

Harm chuckled to himself. "Remember that when Gunny kicks your six into the middle of next week. And I wouldn't let the Admiral know you're looking for dates in the break room."

"No sir...he might not like it," Tiner walked back to the door judging that Commander Rabb was in a fairly good mood and he could probably safely tease him. "I think you're the only one the Admiral expects to be making dates in the break room."

Harm chuckled again and shook his head, wagging a warning finger at Tiner's smiling face. "Those were business dinners Petty Officer...don't forget that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Austin marched down the hallway looking into every open door to see if Victor was around. Finally all that was left were the restrooms and she seriously doubted she was going to find Victor Galindez in the ladies' room. She stood outside the door, arms crossed over her chest wondering if she was brave enough to go into the men's room. She'd done it as a teacher: gone into the boy's room to bring a student out, but this was a little different.

"Okay...give him a warning...and if there's someone else in there they can clear out. If it's the Admiral you can always plead temporary insanity," Austin muttered to herself as she pushed the door open.

"Victor: I know you're in here. You have 2 minutes to come out or I'm going to come in after you!"

Austin stepped back trying to look nonchalant while she looked at the wall clock so she would know when 2 minutes was up. She'd learned in her first year of teaching that if she made a promise she needed to follow through and that it was important never to say you would do something you couldn't do.

Two minutes came and the door didn't even open. Taking a deep breath, Austin walked forward pushing the door, uttering a brief prayer that she wasn't sinking her fledgling career before it started.

Victor heard the door open and the sound of Austin's low-heeled shoes on the tiled floor and walked out. He couldn't believe she'd really come in here after him. "You don't belong in here!"

"And you shouldn't be hiding," Austin commented her gaze flicking around the room before it came to rest on Victor.

"I'm not hiding. I wasn't aware it was illegal to use the head."

"You don't lie well Victor. Not nearly as well as you eavesdrop at any rate," Austin challenged seeing a red flush creep up his neck.

"I wanted to say thanks for the coffee...did you bring some for Tiner too?" Victor asked in a bitter tone.

"No I did not. I'm flattered that Jason asked me out, but I don't want to go out with him: I told him that and you might have heard me say that if you hadn't stormed off like a JERK!" Austin spat turning and striding to the door and right into the Admiral.

"Miss Bradford...did you get lost?"

"No...apparently I made a mistake sir." Austin muttered giving Victor a withering look before she strode out.

"Gunny...tell me. Do we need a do not disturb sign on the door? I wouldn't want to walk in on anything."

"No sir!" Gunny answered sharply standing at attention as he had ever since the Admiral had walked in.

"Oh for God's sake Galindez...as you were...you'd better go unruffle her feathers before Lieutenant Sims arrives. She wouldn't take kindly to you ruining her match-making efforts."

"Sir," Victor paused on his way out the door. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Sir, do you understand women at all?"

"No Gunny...and I'm wise enough to know I never will."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Break Room...

Austin had decided after a few irrational minutes when she wanted to just leave and never return that her best bet was to go to work and pretend nothing had happened. It wasn't like she and Victor were seriously involved anyhow.

"Hey...can I get some coffee or are you going to take my head off again?" Harm teased as he lounged in the door watching Austin set up her laptop.

"I'm sorry...it wasn't you."

"I gathered as much seeing as how I'd just arrived..." Harm smiled pouring himself a mug then wandering over to the table.


"Toshiba, huh? Nice computer..." he whistled taking a seat.

"It is...it cost a few paychecks, but it was worth it. The only thing is the battery doesn't work right...it only holds a charge for 10 minutes or so," Austin sighed.

"Have Gunny order you a new battery."

"Riii-ght....I don't think he'd let me have a paperclip right now."

"Don't be too sure," Harm said getting to his feet when he saw Gunny approaching. "If you get a chance why don't you stop in later. I have a case I'd like to run by you."

"I'll do that...I'm just catching up on files and paperwork today."

Victor waited until Harm had left standing just outside the door watching Austin settle at the table crossing her legs as she lifted a file from her bag. "Miss Bradford, may I talk to you for a minute?"

"That depends on what you have to say," Austin said in a frosty tone.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed the worst. I should have stayed around or left when I heard you talking to someone," Victor's voice trailed off when Austin refused to look at him and he finished weakly "That's all I wanted to say."