* * *
Wednesday, 1214 hours
Mac swept her hand down to answer the phone.
"Mackenzie," she answered. Despite having got married, she and Daniel had both agreed that she would keep her last name.
"Sarah..." came the affectionate and familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Daniel! Hey!"
"How are you? Working hard?" she could tell he was smiling. "I was wondering, do you want to catch up for lunch?"
"I'd love to! Finally, we both have lunch free."
"Yeah," he paused. "Hey, I have something big I need to talk to you about."
"Daniel?" Mac frowned to herself.
"No, its nothing bad," he spoke quickly to reassure her.
"Okay..." Mac replied doubtfully.
"Really. Don't worry. I'll see you at the burger place in ten?"
"Yeah, sure... love you."
"Love you too. Bye!" The phone clicked as he hung up.
What had that been about? Mac frowned. The only way she was going to find out was to go and meet him. She grabbed her car keys and her cell phone and left her white walled office.
On the way, she was stopped by her partner of the past five years, Lieutenant Commander Ricketson. James Ricketson was a tall, dark blonde Navy Commander and one of the most gifted lawyers Mac had ever met. He had a unique style that was very effective. He always spoke in a soft, slightly drawling voice. Over the years, the two had become very good friends. Mac was also friends with his wife, Tamara.
"Mac, hey. Sorry to do this to you, but I really need you to look over the Miles/Janson file." He smiled and held up a huge load of paperwork.
"Oh. Well I was just going to go have lunch with Daniel, but I'd be happy to look at it when I come back?"
"Sounds great. Oh, by the way, Tam and I are holding a barbecue this weekend and we were wondering if you two would like to come?"
"We'd love to! But can I get the details off you later, I really have to run!"
"Sure! See you round, Mac."
Mac returned his smile and hurriedly left the office building. Jumping in her car, she quickly made her way to the burger joint down the road.
As she pulled up, she saw Daniel already sitting there, looking handsome in a dark grey suit.
"Sorry! I was talking to James."
"It's okay. I've already ordered."
"The usual?" Mac asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't risk the pain of ordering you anything else. You are a fully trained Marine."
"That I am." She grinned at him, then quickly became serious again. "What did you need to tell me?"
"Well, as you know, I've been trying for a partnership in the firm for several years now..."
Mac jumped in before he could finish. "You got it?"
"Yes..."
Her face broke into a broad grin and she leapt up to kiss him. "That's wonderful!" "It's conditional."
Sobering, Mac sat down again. She barely noticed when the waitress brought out their burgers and drinks.
"On what?"
"The deal was, I get a partnership in the firm... if I move to Washington DC and be one of two firm managers there." Catching the look on her face, he rushed on, "Now, honey, this is a great opportunity. It would mean a substantial pay rise and its what I've always wanted. I'd be practically running that branch of the office by myself."
"I know," Mac idly took a sip of her drink. "Move back to Washington. Wow."
"I'm sure you could get a transfer back to JAG headquarters. You always raved on about that place, it'd be great to go back."
"Yeah..." Mac mumbled. "Um, can you excuse me for a moment?" She rose and made her way to the ladies room.
Leaning over the basin, she took a few steadying breaths.
Back to Washington.
Back to JAG.
Back to... she didn't even dare to think his name.
"Harm..." she murmured, the familiar name rolling of her tongue. Her stomach gave a strange jolt and she quickly shook her head to clear it of the thoughts that she really shouldn't be thinking.
Leaving the ladies room, she sat back down opposite Daniel.
"Sarah?"
She smiled to reassure him. "Sounds great," she said, only slightly false in her enthusiasm. "When do we leave?"
* * *
Wednesday, One Week Later, 0930 hours. "Enter," commanded Admiral Chegwidden, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Sir?" Lieutenant Sims walked in and gave him a textbook salute.
"Ah, Lieutenant. Anything to tell?"
"Ah, actually there is sir." She handed him a file. "A request from one of the other offices on the West Coast. One of their officers is looking for a transfer over here."
"Who is the officer?"
"I think you should just check the file, sir," Harriet said, voice slightly strange.
The Admiral gave her a quizzical look, righted his glasses and took a look.
"No way!" he breathed, forgetting for a moment that he was a senior Navy officer and the JAG. "Lieutenant?"
"It's true, sir. I checked with the office twice, and then I rang her myself."
"Colonel Mackenzie, returning to JAG... who would have thought..." he mused. "Well, tell the office that we accept her transfer. When is she coming?"
"Well, provided that you approved, sir, the Colonel will be starting again on Monday."
He flipped through the file again. "Looks like she's done well for herself. Several high priority cases here. Excellent record. And she made full Colonel, too." He paused. "I suppose her husband will be moving out here too?"
"Yes, actually, sir. That's why she's moving. He got a job offer over here and she requested the transfer so he could take it."
The Admiral raised an eyebrow.
"I talked to her last night, sir."
"Hmm... well, I can't say I won't be happy to have her back. She's a darn fine lawyer, and we all missed her. The office never was the same without her. But Lieutenant? Just keep this to yourself, would you? I don't want crazy rumors going around, and besides, it will be a surprise for them all."
"Understood, sir."
"Dismissed, Lieutenant."
"Sir." She saluted him again and left.
The Admiral leant back in his chair and removed his glasses. "Colonel Mackenzie..." he smiled to himself.
"This is going to get interesting."
* * *
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! I'm prepping for a five week trip away and I have to cram in all my exams and stuff between now and the 11th, so sorry for the delay. More reviews = more stories, but you knew that right?
Wednesday, 1214 hours
Mac swept her hand down to answer the phone.
"Mackenzie," she answered. Despite having got married, she and Daniel had both agreed that she would keep her last name.
"Sarah..." came the affectionate and familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Daniel! Hey!"
"How are you? Working hard?" she could tell he was smiling. "I was wondering, do you want to catch up for lunch?"
"I'd love to! Finally, we both have lunch free."
"Yeah," he paused. "Hey, I have something big I need to talk to you about."
"Daniel?" Mac frowned to herself.
"No, its nothing bad," he spoke quickly to reassure her.
"Okay..." Mac replied doubtfully.
"Really. Don't worry. I'll see you at the burger place in ten?"
"Yeah, sure... love you."
"Love you too. Bye!" The phone clicked as he hung up.
What had that been about? Mac frowned. The only way she was going to find out was to go and meet him. She grabbed her car keys and her cell phone and left her white walled office.
On the way, she was stopped by her partner of the past five years, Lieutenant Commander Ricketson. James Ricketson was a tall, dark blonde Navy Commander and one of the most gifted lawyers Mac had ever met. He had a unique style that was very effective. He always spoke in a soft, slightly drawling voice. Over the years, the two had become very good friends. Mac was also friends with his wife, Tamara.
"Mac, hey. Sorry to do this to you, but I really need you to look over the Miles/Janson file." He smiled and held up a huge load of paperwork.
"Oh. Well I was just going to go have lunch with Daniel, but I'd be happy to look at it when I come back?"
"Sounds great. Oh, by the way, Tam and I are holding a barbecue this weekend and we were wondering if you two would like to come?"
"We'd love to! But can I get the details off you later, I really have to run!"
"Sure! See you round, Mac."
Mac returned his smile and hurriedly left the office building. Jumping in her car, she quickly made her way to the burger joint down the road.
As she pulled up, she saw Daniel already sitting there, looking handsome in a dark grey suit.
"Sorry! I was talking to James."
"It's okay. I've already ordered."
"The usual?" Mac asked.
"Of course. I wouldn't risk the pain of ordering you anything else. You are a fully trained Marine."
"That I am." She grinned at him, then quickly became serious again. "What did you need to tell me?"
"Well, as you know, I've been trying for a partnership in the firm for several years now..."
Mac jumped in before he could finish. "You got it?"
"Yes..."
Her face broke into a broad grin and she leapt up to kiss him. "That's wonderful!" "It's conditional."
Sobering, Mac sat down again. She barely noticed when the waitress brought out their burgers and drinks.
"On what?"
"The deal was, I get a partnership in the firm... if I move to Washington DC and be one of two firm managers there." Catching the look on her face, he rushed on, "Now, honey, this is a great opportunity. It would mean a substantial pay rise and its what I've always wanted. I'd be practically running that branch of the office by myself."
"I know," Mac idly took a sip of her drink. "Move back to Washington. Wow."
"I'm sure you could get a transfer back to JAG headquarters. You always raved on about that place, it'd be great to go back."
"Yeah..." Mac mumbled. "Um, can you excuse me for a moment?" She rose and made her way to the ladies room.
Leaning over the basin, she took a few steadying breaths.
Back to Washington.
Back to JAG.
Back to... she didn't even dare to think his name.
"Harm..." she murmured, the familiar name rolling of her tongue. Her stomach gave a strange jolt and she quickly shook her head to clear it of the thoughts that she really shouldn't be thinking.
Leaving the ladies room, she sat back down opposite Daniel.
"Sarah?"
She smiled to reassure him. "Sounds great," she said, only slightly false in her enthusiasm. "When do we leave?"
* * *
Wednesday, One Week Later, 0930 hours. "Enter," commanded Admiral Chegwidden, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Sir?" Lieutenant Sims walked in and gave him a textbook salute.
"Ah, Lieutenant. Anything to tell?"
"Ah, actually there is sir." She handed him a file. "A request from one of the other offices on the West Coast. One of their officers is looking for a transfer over here."
"Who is the officer?"
"I think you should just check the file, sir," Harriet said, voice slightly strange.
The Admiral gave her a quizzical look, righted his glasses and took a look.
"No way!" he breathed, forgetting for a moment that he was a senior Navy officer and the JAG. "Lieutenant?"
"It's true, sir. I checked with the office twice, and then I rang her myself."
"Colonel Mackenzie, returning to JAG... who would have thought..." he mused. "Well, tell the office that we accept her transfer. When is she coming?"
"Well, provided that you approved, sir, the Colonel will be starting again on Monday."
He flipped through the file again. "Looks like she's done well for herself. Several high priority cases here. Excellent record. And she made full Colonel, too." He paused. "I suppose her husband will be moving out here too?"
"Yes, actually, sir. That's why she's moving. He got a job offer over here and she requested the transfer so he could take it."
The Admiral raised an eyebrow.
"I talked to her last night, sir."
"Hmm... well, I can't say I won't be happy to have her back. She's a darn fine lawyer, and we all missed her. The office never was the same without her. But Lieutenant? Just keep this to yourself, would you? I don't want crazy rumors going around, and besides, it will be a surprise for them all."
"Understood, sir."
"Dismissed, Lieutenant."
"Sir." She saluted him again and left.
The Admiral leant back in his chair and removed his glasses. "Colonel Mackenzie..." he smiled to himself.
"This is going to get interesting."
* * *
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! I'm prepping for a five week trip away and I have to cram in all my exams and stuff between now and the 11th, so sorry for the delay. More reviews = more stories, but you knew that right?