TITLE : Baby don't you break my heart slow.
AUTHOR : Lucy Maria Elmer.
SPOILERS : Being pretty new to Jag I've heard about episode plots through word of mouth so probably a few I don't know the names of yet. Can't tell you, sorry.
SUMMARY : A young woman from AJs past returns with a request which is a catalyst for shippy things to come, well after a lot of heavy duty angst.
CATEGORY : Harm/Mac Shippiness with angst and hints at NEAR RAPE AND DOMESTIC ABUSE!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE THESE THINGS DON'T READ IT AND FLAME ME, JUST DON'T READ IT!!!!!!!!
AUTHORS NOTE : To all those incredible people who are close to me and to Pat, without you hun this would never have been possible, thank you from the bottom of my heart XXX
DISCLAIMER : I don't own them, I am merely borrowing them for a while, besides if they were mine Harm and Mac would have gotten together a long time ago. The characters belong to Donald P Bellisario and Bellisarius Productions. Absolutely no copyright infringement is intended either by this or in reference to the movies Romeo and Juliet or the Jungle Book, this is written purely for entertainment purposes. The characters of Courteney and Jack are mine however so there!!!!!
Chapter 1.
BABY DON'T YOU BREAK MY HEART SLOW.
0900 ZULU.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA.
15TH JULY.
The young woman entered the bullpen apparently looking around for someone. She was in her late teens with long wavy brown hair and piercing brown eyes which accentuated her olive coloured skin.
Lieutenant Harriet Sims stepped out of the elevator carrying some files for Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie when she noticed the youngster looking lost and being the kind of person who didn't like to see anybody in that situation she went over to her.
"Excuse me Miss, can I help you?" she asked sweetly.
"Yes actually, I'm looking for Admiral A.J Chegwidden." the woman told Harriet, fiddling with a ring on her engagement finger.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, actually it's kinda a surprise."
"Well you really should have an appointment." Harriet told the woman gently.
"Look I'm getting married soon , my husband to be's a Navy Officer and he's stationed here. My father died when I was young, he fought with AJ in the gulf and got killed, since then AJs taken me under his wing and looked out for me. My mother died pretty soon afterwards, some people say of a broken heart and now he's all I've got except for Jack. I want A.J to give me away, he's all I have...please can I see him?" the woman asked fighting back tears which were hot behind her eyes.
Harriet sighed "You see that guy over there?" she whispered in the young womans ear pointing at Lieutenant Bud Roberts who was standing at the copying machine with Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb who was laughing at some comment Bud had just made.
"Which one, the smaller one of the two with the adorable smile?"
"Uh huh," Harriet said adoringly looking at the large grin that had appeared on Buds face "He's my husband" she continued, her eyes full of love and affection for her sailor "We've got a little boy named A.J after the Admiral and another one on the way..." she said tenderly patting her pregnant belly. She looked at the woman who was looking at her wistfully "Oh I'm such a sucker for romance" Harriet sighed "I'll see what I can do."
Harriet headed over to the Admirals office speaking to Tiner before entering. Just one minute later he was out and walking towards her. Harriet going over to stand by Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie who had come out of her office to collect the file Harriet had taken in to the Generals office. Meanwhile Harm watched as Mic Brumby entered the bullpen apparently looking for his fiancee Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. He immediately made his way over to her, no doubt ready to put pressure on her to do something as usual Harm thought to himself, though not before throwing a glance at the young woman who the Admiral was approaching, his eyes moving up and down her body.
"Hey buddy try not to be so obvious huh." the young woman said glaring at him which made Harm smile. He then threw a glance at Mac and noticed an emptiness in her eyes when this comment was made, and made a mental note to talk to her later, or try to, as their relationship had not been in a particularly good condition lately, though he cared about her more than any one person he had ever known.
"Courteney honey, what are you doing here?" the Admiral asked the young woman hugging her before looking at her in amazement when he realised how much she had grown up since they had last seen each other.
"Hey A.J" she said lovingly hugging him back "I've uh, got some news."
"Everything okay?" he asked a frown appearing on his face.
The young woman smiled "Great. Look is there somewhere more private we could go talk?"
"Sure." he told her "My office is just this way." he finished pointing to the room he had just come out of, , then noticing how worked had ceased around him shouting "Back to work people this is the military not high school."
"So what's up?" he asked watching amusedly from the chair at his desk at which he was now sitting, as people once again began to scurry around the bullpen.
"I'm uh getting married." she told him quickly.
"You're what?" he asked stunned "Courteney you're nineteen!"
"I know my age A.J" she replied, then seeing he needed convincing stated "Look he's training to be a doctor, his names Jack and he's twenty years old. His father was Navy, his mother a doctor, his dads retired due to injury and his mother retired to care for him. He's a great guy, you'd love him."
"Really?" A.J. asked getting up off the chair on which he had sat to pace around his office.
"Look I know I'm young..." she told him getting up to stand behind him "but I also know I love him and believe it or not I do know what love is A.J. It's what my mom had for my dad before he got killed and before she died because she couldn't go on without him, It's what Lieuteneant Simms who took time out to speak to me when I was lost out there has for Bud."
"Courteney do you understand what a commitment marriage is, I mean really understand. It's caring for someone unconditionally, wanting to be with them eternally, standing by a person through any obstacle which may pop up."
"Yeah A.J I know." she said tenderly, putting her hands on his shoulders and turning him round "and I'm willing to make a go of it, to do all that. I know you wanna protect me A.J but I also know you love me enough to let me make up my own mind, Look at me I'm not a little girl anymore."
"That I can see." he answered walking over to the edge of his desk and sitting down on it.
"And it's because of your loving me that much that I want you to give me away." she told him, going to sit down in front of him. "Please A.J yours is the only opinion that matters to me. If you're really against this, I mean really then I guess I wont do this, but A.J I swear you really would like Jack."
"You're asking for my blessing here?"
"You're all I've got A.J" she told him "You're the only one whose opinion matters to me. I'm having enough problems trying to arrange this wedding because you're the only one I've got...A.J..."
"Tiner get Lieutenants Sims, Roberts, Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie in here." the Admiral asked the officer sitting outside.
"Yes sir." Tiner told him beofre leaving to get the afore mentioned officers.
"You want me to go?" she asked thinking A.J was calling the officers for some sort of work related meeting.
"No honey, if you're gonna have this wedding and I'm going to be the one to give you away then we're gonna need some help to arrange this." he told her getting up and kissing her on the forehead "I can warn you till I'm blue in the face, but I know that like your father you're not going to be truly happy until you do what you think is right. You have my blessing sweetheart and I'd be honoured to give you away." he finished taking her hand in his.
"Sir you wanted to see us?" Lieutenant Bud Roberts asked coming to attention at the doorway, the others standing behind him nervously.
"At ease Lieutenant, I have a favour to ask all of you."
The officers sat down on available chairs in his office, Bud next to Harriet and Harm next to a somewhat distant Mac.
"This is Courteney Adamson, her father and I fought together in the gulf. Courteney has come to tell me that she is getting married soon to a Navy medical student called Jack..."
"Ross, actually his name's Jackson we just call him Jack."
"Right, I'm gonna have to make a mental note to remember that aren't I?. Anyway you can say no to this if you want, it is not an order but would any of you mind helping out with wedding arrangements? I really don't think I would be much help picking out gowns and colour schemes and all that, and music...well that is really not my forte I think a womans opinion would help there. I'm gonna call Sydney I'm sure she'd love to pitch in being an incurable romantic and everything..."
"We'll help sir." Harriet Sims cut in "Won't we Bud" she said giving her husband a pleading glance, being an incurable romantic hrself. He was about to argue but thought against it. Arguing with a pregnant woman was not a good idea.
"Of course,as long as you don't mind us bringing baby A.J along to get togethers concerning the wedding, I'm sure he'd love to spend some time with his aunt and uncles." Bud said warming to the idea and giving Harriets hand a squeeze. Mood swings or not he really did love his wife and would do anything for her, that was apparent to anyone who came across the pair, they were two people who were totally wrapped up in one another, sometimes it was hard to find couples like that.
"Well honey we've recruited two helpers. Colonel, Commander what about you?"
"Count me in." Harm said quite enthusiastically. "What you don't think I can help arrange a wedding?" he asked referring to the glances he was getting off the others in the room.
"Okay that's three down. Colonel what about you...could be good practice." A.J told her.
"Yeah." she said quietly.
"What you're getting married too?" Courteney asked intrigued. "To who? let me guess...the Commander here right?" she said pointing to Harm who shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Actually that's against regulations." A.J told her.
"Bummer." she replied "Seems a pity, you guys are cute together." she replied in an open way that only a teenager and younger children can get away with.
"Actually she's marrying the guy you saw in the bullpen outside." A.J added.
"The one who...sorry." she apologised seeing the look on Macs face. "So you gonna help?"
"Come on Mac, you know you're a sucker for this stuff." Harm teased, his flyboy grin on his face which prompted a smile from Mac.
Mac looked around her at her friends, realising that this could be a good opportunity to improve relations with Harm and get to spend some time with the people that mattered the most to her without having Mic around. Sure she loved the guy, well she thought she did, but deep down she knew she was just settling for second best and with the problems they'd been having lately she really wanted some time apart.
"Sure why not." she replied "Could be fun."
"Okay then people converge at my house at around 1800 for dinner tonight. Courteney you think you can persuade Jackson to come?"
"Sure, if he says no I'll just throw a tantrum, usually works." she answered smiling.
"Alright then...well back to work people." he said regarding the officers who had previously made themselves at home in his office.
They saluted and then left the office.
"So tell me about Sydney." Couteney asked sitting back in her chair.
0945 ZULU
MAC'S OFFICE
Mac sat down in her chair with the file Harriet had given her earlier and sighed unable to concentrate.
"Hey ninja girl everything okay?" came a comforting voice at the door. She looked up to see Harm standing there, his incredible blue eyes full of concern. She smiled at his use of her nickname, it felt as if some of what the had lost had for a brief moment returned. Things had been difficult for the past year between the pair, they had grown apart and more than anything she wanted the wonderful thing that they once had to come back. She loved the man that stood in front of her, had told him as much on a ferry in Sydney but he couldn't deal, couldn't say those three words back and now they were lost.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be." she answered putting down the folder, knowing full well that at the moment any attempt to work would be a lost cause.
Harm entered her office and sat down on her desk facing her. "I don't know. Enlighten me."
"I'm fine Harm." she said bitterly once again picking up the folder, trying to take in what was inside it.
"You're not fine Mac. This face is not the face of my marine." He said stroking a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. "Is it Bugme has he done something to upset you?"
"His name's Brumby Harm, and why do you imediately assume he's done something?"
"Has he? does he have some strange domestic habit that you consider totally strange which has driven you to distraction?" he joked.
"I wouldn't know." she told him "He doesn't live with me Harm, I asked him to get a suite somewhere."
Harm was surprised, he was sure they'd been sharing Macs apartment. "Why?" he asked.
"Harm don't push this okay."
"I want to know Mac." he told her gently "I care so much about you, don't shut me out."
"That's crap Harm and you know it. You've been shutting me out of your life, pushing me away for a year now. Ever since you came back from flying things have been different between us, so hard. I tried to tell you how...You shut me out Harm, Mic was there, he loves me." she finished tears burning her eyes as she tried to stop them falling.
"Hey I know how difficult things have been and I never meant to shut you out it's just...It's taken so long to adjust to coming back to JAG, to adjust to seeing you with Brumby and knowing you're engaged to him. I never wanted to hurt you and believe it or not I do care, more than you know and don't you ever forget that" he said getting up.
"Yeah well you haven't exactly been playing it down with Renee have you Harm."
"This isn't about me Mac."
"Really. You just don't get it do you mister I know everything so don't question anything I say, you really have no idea."
"You know what forget it, forget I ever came to check on you. I am worried Mac and I'm sorry you feel that way." he made his way towards the door.
"Let's just say things haven't been going too great." she told him gently causing him to turn around. "They're actually getting progressively worse." she finished.
"You wanna talk?" he asked walking back over to her.
"Not here okay, I'll see you tonight." she finished, and knowing he wouldn't get any more than that out of her he left her office, thoughts weighing heavily on his mind.
(END OF PART ONE)
AUTHOR : Lucy Maria Elmer.
SPOILERS : Being pretty new to Jag I've heard about episode plots through word of mouth so probably a few I don't know the names of yet. Can't tell you, sorry.
SUMMARY : A young woman from AJs past returns with a request which is a catalyst for shippy things to come, well after a lot of heavy duty angst.
CATEGORY : Harm/Mac Shippiness with angst and hints at NEAR RAPE AND DOMESTIC ABUSE!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE THESE THINGS DON'T READ IT AND FLAME ME, JUST DON'T READ IT!!!!!!!!
AUTHORS NOTE : To all those incredible people who are close to me and to Pat, without you hun this would never have been possible, thank you from the bottom of my heart XXX
DISCLAIMER : I don't own them, I am merely borrowing them for a while, besides if they were mine Harm and Mac would have gotten together a long time ago. The characters belong to Donald P Bellisario and Bellisarius Productions. Absolutely no copyright infringement is intended either by this or in reference to the movies Romeo and Juliet or the Jungle Book, this is written purely for entertainment purposes. The characters of Courteney and Jack are mine however so there!!!!!
Chapter 1.
BABY DON'T YOU BREAK MY HEART SLOW.
0900 ZULU.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA.
15TH JULY.
The young woman entered the bullpen apparently looking around for someone. She was in her late teens with long wavy brown hair and piercing brown eyes which accentuated her olive coloured skin.
Lieutenant Harriet Sims stepped out of the elevator carrying some files for Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie when she noticed the youngster looking lost and being the kind of person who didn't like to see anybody in that situation she went over to her.
"Excuse me Miss, can I help you?" she asked sweetly.
"Yes actually, I'm looking for Admiral A.J Chegwidden." the woman told Harriet, fiddling with a ring on her engagement finger.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No, actually it's kinda a surprise."
"Well you really should have an appointment." Harriet told the woman gently.
"Look I'm getting married soon , my husband to be's a Navy Officer and he's stationed here. My father died when I was young, he fought with AJ in the gulf and got killed, since then AJs taken me under his wing and looked out for me. My mother died pretty soon afterwards, some people say of a broken heart and now he's all I've got except for Jack. I want A.J to give me away, he's all I have...please can I see him?" the woman asked fighting back tears which were hot behind her eyes.
Harriet sighed "You see that guy over there?" she whispered in the young womans ear pointing at Lieutenant Bud Roberts who was standing at the copying machine with Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb who was laughing at some comment Bud had just made.
"Which one, the smaller one of the two with the adorable smile?"
"Uh huh," Harriet said adoringly looking at the large grin that had appeared on Buds face "He's my husband" she continued, her eyes full of love and affection for her sailor "We've got a little boy named A.J after the Admiral and another one on the way..." she said tenderly patting her pregnant belly. She looked at the woman who was looking at her wistfully "Oh I'm such a sucker for romance" Harriet sighed "I'll see what I can do."
Harriet headed over to the Admirals office speaking to Tiner before entering. Just one minute later he was out and walking towards her. Harriet going over to stand by Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie who had come out of her office to collect the file Harriet had taken in to the Generals office. Meanwhile Harm watched as Mic Brumby entered the bullpen apparently looking for his fiancee Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. He immediately made his way over to her, no doubt ready to put pressure on her to do something as usual Harm thought to himself, though not before throwing a glance at the young woman who the Admiral was approaching, his eyes moving up and down her body.
"Hey buddy try not to be so obvious huh." the young woman said glaring at him which made Harm smile. He then threw a glance at Mac and noticed an emptiness in her eyes when this comment was made, and made a mental note to talk to her later, or try to, as their relationship had not been in a particularly good condition lately, though he cared about her more than any one person he had ever known.
"Courteney honey, what are you doing here?" the Admiral asked the young woman hugging her before looking at her in amazement when he realised how much she had grown up since they had last seen each other.
"Hey A.J" she said lovingly hugging him back "I've uh, got some news."
"Everything okay?" he asked a frown appearing on his face.
The young woman smiled "Great. Look is there somewhere more private we could go talk?"
"Sure." he told her "My office is just this way." he finished pointing to the room he had just come out of, , then noticing how worked had ceased around him shouting "Back to work people this is the military not high school."
"So what's up?" he asked watching amusedly from the chair at his desk at which he was now sitting, as people once again began to scurry around the bullpen.
"I'm uh getting married." she told him quickly.
"You're what?" he asked stunned "Courteney you're nineteen!"
"I know my age A.J" she replied, then seeing he needed convincing stated "Look he's training to be a doctor, his names Jack and he's twenty years old. His father was Navy, his mother a doctor, his dads retired due to injury and his mother retired to care for him. He's a great guy, you'd love him."
"Really?" A.J. asked getting up off the chair on which he had sat to pace around his office.
"Look I know I'm young..." she told him getting up to stand behind him "but I also know I love him and believe it or not I do know what love is A.J. It's what my mom had for my dad before he got killed and before she died because she couldn't go on without him, It's what Lieuteneant Simms who took time out to speak to me when I was lost out there has for Bud."
"Courteney do you understand what a commitment marriage is, I mean really understand. It's caring for someone unconditionally, wanting to be with them eternally, standing by a person through any obstacle which may pop up."
"Yeah A.J I know." she said tenderly, putting her hands on his shoulders and turning him round "and I'm willing to make a go of it, to do all that. I know you wanna protect me A.J but I also know you love me enough to let me make up my own mind, Look at me I'm not a little girl anymore."
"That I can see." he answered walking over to the edge of his desk and sitting down on it.
"And it's because of your loving me that much that I want you to give me away." she told him, going to sit down in front of him. "Please A.J yours is the only opinion that matters to me. If you're really against this, I mean really then I guess I wont do this, but A.J I swear you really would like Jack."
"You're asking for my blessing here?"
"You're all I've got A.J" she told him "You're the only one whose opinion matters to me. I'm having enough problems trying to arrange this wedding because you're the only one I've got...A.J..."
"Tiner get Lieutenants Sims, Roberts, Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie in here." the Admiral asked the officer sitting outside.
"Yes sir." Tiner told him beofre leaving to get the afore mentioned officers.
"You want me to go?" she asked thinking A.J was calling the officers for some sort of work related meeting.
"No honey, if you're gonna have this wedding and I'm going to be the one to give you away then we're gonna need some help to arrange this." he told her getting up and kissing her on the forehead "I can warn you till I'm blue in the face, but I know that like your father you're not going to be truly happy until you do what you think is right. You have my blessing sweetheart and I'd be honoured to give you away." he finished taking her hand in his.
"Sir you wanted to see us?" Lieutenant Bud Roberts asked coming to attention at the doorway, the others standing behind him nervously.
"At ease Lieutenant, I have a favour to ask all of you."
The officers sat down on available chairs in his office, Bud next to Harriet and Harm next to a somewhat distant Mac.
"This is Courteney Adamson, her father and I fought together in the gulf. Courteney has come to tell me that she is getting married soon to a Navy medical student called Jack..."
"Ross, actually his name's Jackson we just call him Jack."
"Right, I'm gonna have to make a mental note to remember that aren't I?. Anyway you can say no to this if you want, it is not an order but would any of you mind helping out with wedding arrangements? I really don't think I would be much help picking out gowns and colour schemes and all that, and music...well that is really not my forte I think a womans opinion would help there. I'm gonna call Sydney I'm sure she'd love to pitch in being an incurable romantic and everything..."
"We'll help sir." Harriet Sims cut in "Won't we Bud" she said giving her husband a pleading glance, being an incurable romantic hrself. He was about to argue but thought against it. Arguing with a pregnant woman was not a good idea.
"Of course,as long as you don't mind us bringing baby A.J along to get togethers concerning the wedding, I'm sure he'd love to spend some time with his aunt and uncles." Bud said warming to the idea and giving Harriets hand a squeeze. Mood swings or not he really did love his wife and would do anything for her, that was apparent to anyone who came across the pair, they were two people who were totally wrapped up in one another, sometimes it was hard to find couples like that.
"Well honey we've recruited two helpers. Colonel, Commander what about you?"
"Count me in." Harm said quite enthusiastically. "What you don't think I can help arrange a wedding?" he asked referring to the glances he was getting off the others in the room.
"Okay that's three down. Colonel what about you...could be good practice." A.J told her.
"Yeah." she said quietly.
"What you're getting married too?" Courteney asked intrigued. "To who? let me guess...the Commander here right?" she said pointing to Harm who shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Actually that's against regulations." A.J told her.
"Bummer." she replied "Seems a pity, you guys are cute together." she replied in an open way that only a teenager and younger children can get away with.
"Actually she's marrying the guy you saw in the bullpen outside." A.J added.
"The one who...sorry." she apologised seeing the look on Macs face. "So you gonna help?"
"Come on Mac, you know you're a sucker for this stuff." Harm teased, his flyboy grin on his face which prompted a smile from Mac.
Mac looked around her at her friends, realising that this could be a good opportunity to improve relations with Harm and get to spend some time with the people that mattered the most to her without having Mic around. Sure she loved the guy, well she thought she did, but deep down she knew she was just settling for second best and with the problems they'd been having lately she really wanted some time apart.
"Sure why not." she replied "Could be fun."
"Okay then people converge at my house at around 1800 for dinner tonight. Courteney you think you can persuade Jackson to come?"
"Sure, if he says no I'll just throw a tantrum, usually works." she answered smiling.
"Alright then...well back to work people." he said regarding the officers who had previously made themselves at home in his office.
They saluted and then left the office.
"So tell me about Sydney." Couteney asked sitting back in her chair.
0945 ZULU
MAC'S OFFICE
Mac sat down in her chair with the file Harriet had given her earlier and sighed unable to concentrate.
"Hey ninja girl everything okay?" came a comforting voice at the door. She looked up to see Harm standing there, his incredible blue eyes full of concern. She smiled at his use of her nickname, it felt as if some of what the had lost had for a brief moment returned. Things had been difficult for the past year between the pair, they had grown apart and more than anything she wanted the wonderful thing that they once had to come back. She loved the man that stood in front of her, had told him as much on a ferry in Sydney but he couldn't deal, couldn't say those three words back and now they were lost.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be." she answered putting down the folder, knowing full well that at the moment any attempt to work would be a lost cause.
Harm entered her office and sat down on her desk facing her. "I don't know. Enlighten me."
"I'm fine Harm." she said bitterly once again picking up the folder, trying to take in what was inside it.
"You're not fine Mac. This face is not the face of my marine." He said stroking a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. "Is it Bugme has he done something to upset you?"
"His name's Brumby Harm, and why do you imediately assume he's done something?"
"Has he? does he have some strange domestic habit that you consider totally strange which has driven you to distraction?" he joked.
"I wouldn't know." she told him "He doesn't live with me Harm, I asked him to get a suite somewhere."
Harm was surprised, he was sure they'd been sharing Macs apartment. "Why?" he asked.
"Harm don't push this okay."
"I want to know Mac." he told her gently "I care so much about you, don't shut me out."
"That's crap Harm and you know it. You've been shutting me out of your life, pushing me away for a year now. Ever since you came back from flying things have been different between us, so hard. I tried to tell you how...You shut me out Harm, Mic was there, he loves me." she finished tears burning her eyes as she tried to stop them falling.
"Hey I know how difficult things have been and I never meant to shut you out it's just...It's taken so long to adjust to coming back to JAG, to adjust to seeing you with Brumby and knowing you're engaged to him. I never wanted to hurt you and believe it or not I do care, more than you know and don't you ever forget that" he said getting up.
"Yeah well you haven't exactly been playing it down with Renee have you Harm."
"This isn't about me Mac."
"Really. You just don't get it do you mister I know everything so don't question anything I say, you really have no idea."
"You know what forget it, forget I ever came to check on you. I am worried Mac and I'm sorry you feel that way." he made his way towards the door.
"Let's just say things haven't been going too great." she told him gently causing him to turn around. "They're actually getting progressively worse." she finished.
"You wanna talk?" he asked walking back over to her.
"Not here okay, I'll see you tonight." she finished, and knowing he wouldn't get any more than that out of her he left her office, thoughts weighing heavily on his mind.
(END OF PART ONE)