DEEP TALK
Authors: Damngunnyshot and LeE
Classification: Romance, Some Humor H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to us. It belongs to DPB and CBS. We were just having some fun...
A.N. from Shannon: When Lilly suggested writing a story together, I figured 'oh sure, that'll be fun. Lilly's a great writer. Shouldn't take us too long'. Two outta three ain't bad, right? It *was* fun and you *are* a great writer, and I would like to thank you for being a great co-author! Your humour has gotten me through this experience and it has been a pleasure to work with you. You, the readers, may notice inconsistencies with spellings of certain words. This used to be a direct result of an American (Lilly) co-authoring with a Canadian (me), although I think I'm rubbing off on her-she's starting to spell like a Canadian :-) LOL!!
A.N. from Lilly: Well, what a ride huh Shannon? We certainly had fun writing this, and you're right: it *was* fun, and it *did* take us longer than we expected, but hey! We got it done! :) I guess with both of us being beta readers as well as writers, it was bound to take a little longer...:) Well, if it were for me, this story would've been 1,000 pages long, so I know for a fact we never would've gotten all the ideas in paper had it not been for my great co-author that always kept us on the right track when the ideas were flying everywhere. Thanks Shannon!! As for my "inconsistencies" in spelling, well I can neither confirm nor deny that rumour (rumor?) LOL...
Feedback: If you feel inclined to do so, please send feedback to Lilly at lee_81881@yahoo.com or to Shannon at damngunnyshot@yahoo.com Thanks!
*FROM PART 3*
The next morning Admiral Chegwidden called a staff meeting. Noting the tension in the air among his subordinates, he wondered what Rabb and Mackenzie were up to this time. 'Oh boy, some days that baseball coaching position appeals more and more'. With a sigh, he peered over his glasses at the personnel assembled around the conference table. "Commander Rabb, pray tell, where is Colonel Mackenzie?"
Harm coolly replied with "I don't know the Colonel's whereabouts, Sir."
AJ took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he attempted to rein in his temper. "Well, then, has anyone ELSE seen her this morning?" he said through gritted teeth. A chorus of "no, sirs" came back at him before he proceeded to hand out the work assignments. "And if anyone sees Colonel Mackenzie, have her report to my office ASAP before I report her UA!"
*PART 4*
SAME DAY
30 MINUTES BEFORE STAFF CALL
JAG HQ
"JAG Headquaters"
"Tiner? This is Colonel Mackenzie, could you leave a message for the Admiral?"
"Of course, Ma'am" Tiner replied in his usual cheerful voice. Taking down a few notes he stood up as soon as he set the phone back down and headed towards the Admiral's desk to deliver the message.
A few steps away, someone listened in interest, and at the first mention of Colonel Mackenzie, his antenna went up, and the plan formed in his devious mind. Staff call was scheduled to begin in a few moments, and he had watched the Admiral head towards the conference room minutes before.
Seeing Tiner exit the Admiral's office, he busied himself, reading over a case file he held in his hands, and as Tiner passed by headed for the break room, he made his move. A nice little scare for the Almighty Commander Rabb was definitely in order according to his plan to turn Rabb's life upside down.
Being careful not to be spotted, he quickly slipped into the Admiral's office, retrieved the tiny piece of paper Tiner had just put in his desk, and squeezed out, crumpling the note inside his pocket. Everything should work out perfectly. By the time staff call came to an end, Tiner should be on his way to the doctor's appointment he had, and no one would have a clue as to the Colonel's whereabouts. With an evil grin, he walked purposefully away from Tiner's desk. The day was shaping up just like he had imagined it.
BACK TO PRESENT
JAG HQ
0957
As soon as Harm made his appearance in the bullpen, he noticed the change in the atmosphere. Everyone had heard the previous day's argument that had deteriorated into a shouting match. Mac was nowhere to be found, and as always, everyone seemed to think it was his fault. An obviously intimidated Harriet made her way towards Harm as he prepared to enter his office.
"Uh, Sir?" Harriet asked softly. Harm looked down at her and couldn't help but smile at her obvious discomfort.
"Harriet, I won't bite. What is it?"
"Uh, well, there's a few documents I need you to sign, well, it should be the Colonel, but, well... since she's not here, I thought maybe you could...."
"Harriet" Harm stopped her stammering with a hand "Put them in my desk. I need some coffee" he murmured as he started making his way over to the break room.
"Yes, Sir" Harriet answered, grateful for the opportunity to get away.
"Why me, Lord" Harm muttered as he entered the break room only to come face to face with Commander Jackass.
"Good Morning, Commander Rabb. How nice to see you"
"Morning" he mumbled distractedly as he reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. The taste of the hot liquid in his mouth made it all the more clear to him that Mac wasn't around. She was always there before anyone else, so Harm had gotten used to the strong Marine coffee she made, although he'd never admit that under oath. The watered down liquid he tasted now was definitely not her doing, and that just enhanced his feeling of worry knowing she wasn't around. Looking forward, he noticed Jackman's mouth moving, and realized he was being spoken to.
"I'm sorry, what?" Harm replied, looking away, reaching for the coffee pot once again after he downed the first cup quickly.
"I said" Jackson started impassively "how unusual that Col. Mackenzie is not in today. Is it normal for her to arrive late?"
"No" Harm answered quickly and turned to leave, missing entirely the satisfied evil grin that spread across Jackson's face.
TWO HOURS LATER
HARM'S OFFICE
Almost time for lunch, and no word of Mac. He'd left countless messages on her cell phone, called her apartment and sent e-mails. Nothing. Worry was starting to seep into him, and running a hand over his face he picked up the phone once again to attempt communication with her. He knew she probably wouldn't want to talk to him. Actually, he was completely certain she hated him even more than she did before. Why did nothing ever worked out the way he planned?
Once again, her answering machine picked up, and her voicemail message greeted him when he called her cell phone. Where could she be? Thinking over and over his eyes opened wide as the possibility of her being in danger went up in the list. What if she was hurt? What if she had been kidnapped? What if she'd been in an accident? What if... "God, no" he whispered as he remembered that day long ago when she'd been so overwhelmed by everything that she'd gone drinking, thinking she couldn't count on him. Could it be? What if...
His thoughts didn't go far before he found knocking on the Admiral's door. After receiving permission to enter, he stood at attention in front of the Admiral's desk.
"Good, you're here. I was about to call for you, Commander"
"Sir, I think I need to..."
"Harm. Go. Find her before I really report her UA and am forced to take action on this" AJ said in a stern voice, as always hiding his concern for his people behind his gruff CO mask.
"Sir, I'm sure she has a good excuse for this. You know she'd never just not show up without a reason and..."
"Commander, I really hope this has nothing to do with your little encounter yesterday" AJ uttered as he put his reading glasses back on and pretended nonchalance.
"Uh, Sir. I don't think... I mean, it was just an argument we had about... uh..."
"Rabb, that shouting match you call an argument was heard at the Pentagon. If Mac's behavior has anything to do with that, I suggest you fix whatever it is before I decide to intervene" Once again his words held no threat, simply an almost fatherly admonishment.
"Yes, Sir. I..."
"Dismissed" Harm understood not another word was to be said and quickly stood at attention and left. Hurrying out of the building, he quickly got on his car, and stepped on the gas, determined to find that stubborn Marine of his.
Harm felt pangs of guilt as he pulled into the parking lot of his first stop. He hated that he felt compelled to look for Mac at McMurphy's but he knew that her demons in respect to her alcoholism could never be laid to rest. Releasing a deep breath he opened the door to the premises and walked in. Relief washed over him as it became evident to him that Mac was not there. Returning to his vehicle, he spent the rest of the morning checking her favourite haunts with no luck.
Having exhausted all of his ideas for Mac's whereabouts, Harm went back to JAG. He pulled his Rolodex and his telephone closer to him and went to work. The first call he made was to Leavenworth, Kansas. Clark Palmer was still incarcerated. He tried his luck with Chloe, censoring his cover story so as not to scare the young girl, only to hear that she was on vacation with her dad in Disneyland. Everyone else who would know of Mac's whereabouts was in the same building he was and so wouldn't know much more than he.
With a knot in his stomach, he dialed the local hospitals and police force to see if there were any Jane Does. Harm was so relieved to have no luck there he swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall.
Sighing, Harm hit a line out and punched the numbers he hated to dial because those numbers usually got him and Mac into more trouble than they ever banked on.
"Webb, Harm. Hey, I need a favour," Harm sighed into the phone. He took less than a minute to relay to the spook the scant details he had on Mac's disappearance. Extracting a promise from the spy to check into it as soon as possible, Harm hit the release button on the phone and plunked his head into his hands in defeat. 'Maaacc, I don't know where else to look. Please be ok. I promise I'll behave, just come back to me.'
A tall shadow fell into Harm's office, causing him to look up to see Commander Jackson. "Can I help you, Commander?" he said briskly.
"Just checking in to see if you've heard from our lovely Colonel" Jackson replied nonchalantly. "I just wanted to ask her if she wanted to have dinner with me this evening."
Harm stood up and came around to the front of his desk. He looked down at Jackson with a menacing gleam in his eye. "Jackman, I suggest that you don't let Colonel Mackenzie hear you refer to her as 'our lovely Colonel'. She hasn't come as far as she has by relying on her looks and I can guarantee that any allusion to that will get your six kicked from here across the Atlantic."
"The name is Jackson. Testy, aren't we, Commander Rabb?" Jackson replied. "Perhaps you have an unprofessional interest in the Colonel's well-being? Could that be why she has rejected my offers? You may be interested in knowing that she denied being involved with anyone."
Harm began to see red at Jackson's inferences. With "officer and a gentleman" becoming a mantra in his mind, Harm lowered his voice and spoke with a definite tone. "I don't know who you are and I don't much care. My relationship with Mac or lack thereof is none of your concern, but you WILL stay the hell away from her or I'll have your ass for harassment, do you understand Commander Jackson?"
"You know as well as I do, Rabb, that it needs to be her to file the charges, not you. So what are you going to do about it, huh? You don't control me, hell, you barely outrank me only because of time in rank, so don't think you can order me not to pursue the babe with the body. She wants me and she knows it, she's just playing hard to get like they all do. And you're jealous of that because you're nothing but a washed up jet jockey who's afraid to go after what you really want in life." Jackson stood defiantly in front of Harm with a smug grin. Harm lost all of the control he had willed himself to maintain and he watched as his fist whizzed through the air and connected with Jackson's jaw, sending Jackson sprawling to the ground.
"Look, Jackass, you can say whatever you want about me but don't you EVER speak unkindly about Colonel Mackenzie again!" With that, Harm spun on his heel and slammed his office door, catching Jackson in the ribs with the corner of the door.
Jackson pulled himself upright and looked around the bullpen. "Witnesses. You are all witnesses to this assault!" Each person looked at him with varying degrees of disgust and turned their backs to their jobs, effectively shutting Jackson out. Rage filled him as he hollered out at them. "You can't just turn your backs on me. You saw that Commander Rabb assaulted me without provocation!" He waved his hands and walked around in a circle, continuing to yell about how Harm had punched him. His circle led him to appear before a very cross Rear Admiral Upper Half.
"MISter Jackson, calm yourself before I have one or more of your stripes! I will not tolerate such lunacy in my bullpen!" AJ said in the even tone that incited more fear in his subordinates than his yell.
"Sir, Commander Rabb has assaulted me and these people are all witnesses to the crime. I insist that you detain Rabb and have him prosecuted for assault and conduct unbecoming an officer! Tell him, people, tell him how Rabb hit me and threatened me!"
Admiral Chegwidden surveyed those people in the bullpen. He saw them all look upon Jackson with contempt in their eyes. He heard nothing. Not even from Lt. Singer.
"*I* will decide who is charged with what around here. There seems to be no corroboration to your claim, Commander. Get out of here and don't come back unless and until you can provide me with evidence of your mental fitness to serve." As he stalked back to his office, AJ issued one more order. "Tiner, I'm leaving for the day. Have Commanders Rabb and Turner meet me at my residence."
"Aye, aye, Sir"
TBC
Authors: Damngunnyshot and LeE
Classification: Romance, Some Humor H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to us. It belongs to DPB and CBS. We were just having some fun...
A.N. from Shannon: When Lilly suggested writing a story together, I figured 'oh sure, that'll be fun. Lilly's a great writer. Shouldn't take us too long'. Two outta three ain't bad, right? It *was* fun and you *are* a great writer, and I would like to thank you for being a great co-author! Your humour has gotten me through this experience and it has been a pleasure to work with you. You, the readers, may notice inconsistencies with spellings of certain words. This used to be a direct result of an American (Lilly) co-authoring with a Canadian (me), although I think I'm rubbing off on her-she's starting to spell like a Canadian :-) LOL!!
A.N. from Lilly: Well, what a ride huh Shannon? We certainly had fun writing this, and you're right: it *was* fun, and it *did* take us longer than we expected, but hey! We got it done! :) I guess with both of us being beta readers as well as writers, it was bound to take a little longer...:) Well, if it were for me, this story would've been 1,000 pages long, so I know for a fact we never would've gotten all the ideas in paper had it not been for my great co-author that always kept us on the right track when the ideas were flying everywhere. Thanks Shannon!! As for my "inconsistencies" in spelling, well I can neither confirm nor deny that rumour (rumor?) LOL...
Feedback: If you feel inclined to do so, please send feedback to Lilly at lee_81881@yahoo.com or to Shannon at damngunnyshot@yahoo.com Thanks!
*FROM PART 3*
The next morning Admiral Chegwidden called a staff meeting. Noting the tension in the air among his subordinates, he wondered what Rabb and Mackenzie were up to this time. 'Oh boy, some days that baseball coaching position appeals more and more'. With a sigh, he peered over his glasses at the personnel assembled around the conference table. "Commander Rabb, pray tell, where is Colonel Mackenzie?"
Harm coolly replied with "I don't know the Colonel's whereabouts, Sir."
AJ took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he attempted to rein in his temper. "Well, then, has anyone ELSE seen her this morning?" he said through gritted teeth. A chorus of "no, sirs" came back at him before he proceeded to hand out the work assignments. "And if anyone sees Colonel Mackenzie, have her report to my office ASAP before I report her UA!"
*PART 4*
SAME DAY
30 MINUTES BEFORE STAFF CALL
JAG HQ
"JAG Headquaters"
"Tiner? This is Colonel Mackenzie, could you leave a message for the Admiral?"
"Of course, Ma'am" Tiner replied in his usual cheerful voice. Taking down a few notes he stood up as soon as he set the phone back down and headed towards the Admiral's desk to deliver the message.
A few steps away, someone listened in interest, and at the first mention of Colonel Mackenzie, his antenna went up, and the plan formed in his devious mind. Staff call was scheduled to begin in a few moments, and he had watched the Admiral head towards the conference room minutes before.
Seeing Tiner exit the Admiral's office, he busied himself, reading over a case file he held in his hands, and as Tiner passed by headed for the break room, he made his move. A nice little scare for the Almighty Commander Rabb was definitely in order according to his plan to turn Rabb's life upside down.
Being careful not to be spotted, he quickly slipped into the Admiral's office, retrieved the tiny piece of paper Tiner had just put in his desk, and squeezed out, crumpling the note inside his pocket. Everything should work out perfectly. By the time staff call came to an end, Tiner should be on his way to the doctor's appointment he had, and no one would have a clue as to the Colonel's whereabouts. With an evil grin, he walked purposefully away from Tiner's desk. The day was shaping up just like he had imagined it.
BACK TO PRESENT
JAG HQ
0957
As soon as Harm made his appearance in the bullpen, he noticed the change in the atmosphere. Everyone had heard the previous day's argument that had deteriorated into a shouting match. Mac was nowhere to be found, and as always, everyone seemed to think it was his fault. An obviously intimidated Harriet made her way towards Harm as he prepared to enter his office.
"Uh, Sir?" Harriet asked softly. Harm looked down at her and couldn't help but smile at her obvious discomfort.
"Harriet, I won't bite. What is it?"
"Uh, well, there's a few documents I need you to sign, well, it should be the Colonel, but, well... since she's not here, I thought maybe you could...."
"Harriet" Harm stopped her stammering with a hand "Put them in my desk. I need some coffee" he murmured as he started making his way over to the break room.
"Yes, Sir" Harriet answered, grateful for the opportunity to get away.
"Why me, Lord" Harm muttered as he entered the break room only to come face to face with Commander Jackass.
"Good Morning, Commander Rabb. How nice to see you"
"Morning" he mumbled distractedly as he reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. The taste of the hot liquid in his mouth made it all the more clear to him that Mac wasn't around. She was always there before anyone else, so Harm had gotten used to the strong Marine coffee she made, although he'd never admit that under oath. The watered down liquid he tasted now was definitely not her doing, and that just enhanced his feeling of worry knowing she wasn't around. Looking forward, he noticed Jackman's mouth moving, and realized he was being spoken to.
"I'm sorry, what?" Harm replied, looking away, reaching for the coffee pot once again after he downed the first cup quickly.
"I said" Jackson started impassively "how unusual that Col. Mackenzie is not in today. Is it normal for her to arrive late?"
"No" Harm answered quickly and turned to leave, missing entirely the satisfied evil grin that spread across Jackson's face.
TWO HOURS LATER
HARM'S OFFICE
Almost time for lunch, and no word of Mac. He'd left countless messages on her cell phone, called her apartment and sent e-mails. Nothing. Worry was starting to seep into him, and running a hand over his face he picked up the phone once again to attempt communication with her. He knew she probably wouldn't want to talk to him. Actually, he was completely certain she hated him even more than she did before. Why did nothing ever worked out the way he planned?
Once again, her answering machine picked up, and her voicemail message greeted him when he called her cell phone. Where could she be? Thinking over and over his eyes opened wide as the possibility of her being in danger went up in the list. What if she was hurt? What if she had been kidnapped? What if she'd been in an accident? What if... "God, no" he whispered as he remembered that day long ago when she'd been so overwhelmed by everything that she'd gone drinking, thinking she couldn't count on him. Could it be? What if...
His thoughts didn't go far before he found knocking on the Admiral's door. After receiving permission to enter, he stood at attention in front of the Admiral's desk.
"Good, you're here. I was about to call for you, Commander"
"Sir, I think I need to..."
"Harm. Go. Find her before I really report her UA and am forced to take action on this" AJ said in a stern voice, as always hiding his concern for his people behind his gruff CO mask.
"Sir, I'm sure she has a good excuse for this. You know she'd never just not show up without a reason and..."
"Commander, I really hope this has nothing to do with your little encounter yesterday" AJ uttered as he put his reading glasses back on and pretended nonchalance.
"Uh, Sir. I don't think... I mean, it was just an argument we had about... uh..."
"Rabb, that shouting match you call an argument was heard at the Pentagon. If Mac's behavior has anything to do with that, I suggest you fix whatever it is before I decide to intervene" Once again his words held no threat, simply an almost fatherly admonishment.
"Yes, Sir. I..."
"Dismissed" Harm understood not another word was to be said and quickly stood at attention and left. Hurrying out of the building, he quickly got on his car, and stepped on the gas, determined to find that stubborn Marine of his.
Harm felt pangs of guilt as he pulled into the parking lot of his first stop. He hated that he felt compelled to look for Mac at McMurphy's but he knew that her demons in respect to her alcoholism could never be laid to rest. Releasing a deep breath he opened the door to the premises and walked in. Relief washed over him as it became evident to him that Mac was not there. Returning to his vehicle, he spent the rest of the morning checking her favourite haunts with no luck.
Having exhausted all of his ideas for Mac's whereabouts, Harm went back to JAG. He pulled his Rolodex and his telephone closer to him and went to work. The first call he made was to Leavenworth, Kansas. Clark Palmer was still incarcerated. He tried his luck with Chloe, censoring his cover story so as not to scare the young girl, only to hear that she was on vacation with her dad in Disneyland. Everyone else who would know of Mac's whereabouts was in the same building he was and so wouldn't know much more than he.
With a knot in his stomach, he dialed the local hospitals and police force to see if there were any Jane Does. Harm was so relieved to have no luck there he swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall.
Sighing, Harm hit a line out and punched the numbers he hated to dial because those numbers usually got him and Mac into more trouble than they ever banked on.
"Webb, Harm. Hey, I need a favour," Harm sighed into the phone. He took less than a minute to relay to the spook the scant details he had on Mac's disappearance. Extracting a promise from the spy to check into it as soon as possible, Harm hit the release button on the phone and plunked his head into his hands in defeat. 'Maaacc, I don't know where else to look. Please be ok. I promise I'll behave, just come back to me.'
A tall shadow fell into Harm's office, causing him to look up to see Commander Jackson. "Can I help you, Commander?" he said briskly.
"Just checking in to see if you've heard from our lovely Colonel" Jackson replied nonchalantly. "I just wanted to ask her if she wanted to have dinner with me this evening."
Harm stood up and came around to the front of his desk. He looked down at Jackson with a menacing gleam in his eye. "Jackman, I suggest that you don't let Colonel Mackenzie hear you refer to her as 'our lovely Colonel'. She hasn't come as far as she has by relying on her looks and I can guarantee that any allusion to that will get your six kicked from here across the Atlantic."
"The name is Jackson. Testy, aren't we, Commander Rabb?" Jackson replied. "Perhaps you have an unprofessional interest in the Colonel's well-being? Could that be why she has rejected my offers? You may be interested in knowing that she denied being involved with anyone."
Harm began to see red at Jackson's inferences. With "officer and a gentleman" becoming a mantra in his mind, Harm lowered his voice and spoke with a definite tone. "I don't know who you are and I don't much care. My relationship with Mac or lack thereof is none of your concern, but you WILL stay the hell away from her or I'll have your ass for harassment, do you understand Commander Jackson?"
"You know as well as I do, Rabb, that it needs to be her to file the charges, not you. So what are you going to do about it, huh? You don't control me, hell, you barely outrank me only because of time in rank, so don't think you can order me not to pursue the babe with the body. She wants me and she knows it, she's just playing hard to get like they all do. And you're jealous of that because you're nothing but a washed up jet jockey who's afraid to go after what you really want in life." Jackson stood defiantly in front of Harm with a smug grin. Harm lost all of the control he had willed himself to maintain and he watched as his fist whizzed through the air and connected with Jackson's jaw, sending Jackson sprawling to the ground.
"Look, Jackass, you can say whatever you want about me but don't you EVER speak unkindly about Colonel Mackenzie again!" With that, Harm spun on his heel and slammed his office door, catching Jackson in the ribs with the corner of the door.
Jackson pulled himself upright and looked around the bullpen. "Witnesses. You are all witnesses to this assault!" Each person looked at him with varying degrees of disgust and turned their backs to their jobs, effectively shutting Jackson out. Rage filled him as he hollered out at them. "You can't just turn your backs on me. You saw that Commander Rabb assaulted me without provocation!" He waved his hands and walked around in a circle, continuing to yell about how Harm had punched him. His circle led him to appear before a very cross Rear Admiral Upper Half.
"MISter Jackson, calm yourself before I have one or more of your stripes! I will not tolerate such lunacy in my bullpen!" AJ said in the even tone that incited more fear in his subordinates than his yell.
"Sir, Commander Rabb has assaulted me and these people are all witnesses to the crime. I insist that you detain Rabb and have him prosecuted for assault and conduct unbecoming an officer! Tell him, people, tell him how Rabb hit me and threatened me!"
Admiral Chegwidden surveyed those people in the bullpen. He saw them all look upon Jackson with contempt in their eyes. He heard nothing. Not even from Lt. Singer.
"*I* will decide who is charged with what around here. There seems to be no corroboration to your claim, Commander. Get out of here and don't come back unless and until you can provide me with evidence of your mental fitness to serve." As he stalked back to his office, AJ issued one more order. "Tiner, I'm leaving for the day. Have Commanders Rabb and Turner meet me at my residence."
"Aye, aye, Sir"
TBC