APRIL FOOLS
==========================================================================================================================
MAC'S APARTMENT
Mac woke up earlier than usual. She saw Harm sleeping soundly and quietly got out of bed. This is going to be fun. She tiptoed to the bathroom and got ready for work. She kissed Harm good bye and left for JAG.
COATES' APARTMENT
Jennifer Coates was having the time of her life. She loved her job and the people she worked with. She had finally found a nice guy and things were going well for her. She wasn't sure if jokes would go over well in the office, but her co-conspirators assured her that it was all in good fun and everything would be just fine.
ASHLYN'S APARTMENT
Ashlyn dragged herself in from an over night shift. Gunny was stirring as she got ready for some much needed sleep. She was just about to fall asleep when she remembered that Mac, Jen and Harriet had asked her to help them out. She pulled herself out of bed, got dressed and drove to the JAG Offices.
ROBERTS' HOME
Harriet woke up and got Little AJ ready for daycare. She kissed Bud and told him she would see him at the office. She laughed the entire trip to the daycare center, dropped her son off and continued to JAG.
JAG OFFICES
The four women met in the parking lot of JAG Headquarters and began laughing.
"This is so mean." Harriet said.
"This is so funny." Mac corrected.
"Jason is going to have a nervous breakdown." Coates said sympathetically.
"Ashlyn, this can't harm then can it?" Harriet asked.
"No, it's fine." Ashlyn stated.
"How long will it take?" Mac asked.
"About fifteen minutes." Ashlyn replied.
"What made you think of this?" Harriet asked.
"I was watching a MASH rerun and it hit me." Ashlyn said.
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" Coates asked.
"Just make sure the Admiral doesn't get any." Mac laughed.
The four women walked into the bullpen and started their plan. It was silly and childish, but how often does April Fools Day come around? Each woman went to her significant other's place and grabbed the coffee mugs. Ashlyn then went and made a pot of coffee. The mugs were in front of her and she carefully added the dye to each cup. Just as she was putting it away, Harm walked in.
"Ashlyn, what are you doing here?" Harm asked.
"Oh, I wanted to see Gunny. I've been on call the last 36 hours." Ashlyn replied. "Have some coffee?"
"Thanks," Harm said taking the mug.
"Morning, Harm." Mac said walking in.
"Hi, you left early. I didn't even hear you." Harm said.
"I had to get a fax sent out before they left the offices in California." Mac said.
"Mac, it's 5am in California." Harm replied.
"Did I say California? I meant London." Mac corrected.
"Right," Harm said and went to his office.
"California?" Ashlyn asked.
"He caught me off guard." Mac laughed.
"Good morning ladies." Sturgis said walking in.
"Morning, Sturgis." Mac replied.
"Good to see you." Ashlyn smiled.
"Just need a cup of coffee to get me started." Sturgis said grabbing the pot.
Both Mac and Ashlyn looked at each other.
"Sturgis, let me get that for you." Mac said. "I made this pot and I know how you squids hate my coffee."
"Thanks Mac." Sturgis replied. "But this will be fine."
Ashlyn looked at Mac and casually nodded her head. Mac mouthed back, What? Ashlyn mouthed, It's fine.
"Do you ladies need to be alone?" Sturgis asked as he watched them.
"No, we're fine." Ashlyn replied.
"See you later." Sturgis said as he walked away.
"Mac, I didn't put it in the coffee, I put it in the mugs." Ashlyn explained.
"Oh, thank god." Mac said.
Coates walked into the break room and announced that Gunny and Tiner had both arrived. She took two mugs and gave them each a cup of coffee. Bud's mug remained on the counter.
"I guess I should go say hello to Gunny." Ashlyn smiled and went to see Gunny. They chatted a few minutes and then Ashlyn went home.
"Colonel, I have a question for you." Tiner said walking into the break room.
"What do you need?" Mac asked.
"Would you mind looking over a report for me?" Tiner asked.
Reluctantly, Mac said yes and left the break room. She tried to get Harriet's attention to let her know that Bud's mug was sitting on the counter but couldn't. A few minutes later both Bud and the Admiral arrived and as if it were ritual, they went to get coffee.
The Admiral called for a meeting and everyone assembled into his office.
"Sir, isn't that Bud's mug?" Harriet asked.
"I guess it is." AJ said looking at the mug. "Do you mind Roberts?"
"Not at all Sir, mi mug y su mug." Bud smiled. The three women looked at each other.
"Lieutenant, do you have a problem with me using Bud's mug?" AJ asked.
"No, Sir. We're all one big happy sharing family here." Harriet said with a weak smile.
"Good to hear," AJ said taking a big sip of coffee. "Now that we have that settled, I wanted to ask for volunteers for weekend clean-up."
"Weekend clean-up Sir?" Harm asked.
"Yes, we need to remove last year's cases from the files and have them sent to storage. Update the law library; let's just call it a spring cleaning." AJ said. "Any volunteers?"
They all knew that AJ wasn't looking for volunteers; he was being nice about making it an order. It was agreed upon that they would meet Saturday morning for the spring cleaning.
Everyone was dismissed, the men went to their offices and desks and the women convened in Mac's office.
"We are so screwed." Coates groaned. "I'm going to end up in the brig."
"How did he get that mug?" Mac asked.
"I don't know." Harriet replied. "Now what?"
"Well, Ashlyn said, all the dye will do is turn their pee blue." Mac stated.
"Maybe the Admiral won't notice." Coates said.
"I think the man will notice," Mac replied.
"I say we confess and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court." Coates stated.
"Relax," Mac laughed. "The Admiral has a good sense of humor."
"I don't feel so good." Coates said.
"It will be fine." Harriet reassured her unconvincingly.
The women went back to their offices. It had been over an hour since they gave the coffee to the men. They waited and waited, praying the Admiral would not need to use the facilities. It seemed like a good idea, when they were all out the other day and trying to come up with little pranks they could play on the men. It was going to backfire and it wasn't going to be pretty. Another hour passed and Ashlyn walked into the bullpen.
"What are you doing back here?" Harriet asked.
"Gunny called and said Harm was sick and asked me to come right over." Ashlyn replied.
"Hey Ash, I thought you were sleeping." Mac said.
"Gunny called and said Harm was sick." Ashlyn repeated.
"That's strange," Mac mused. "He didn't mention anything to me."
Coates walked over to the three women, "Has anyone seen Commander Rabb?"
"Actually, where are any of them?" Mac asked looking around.
Before anyone could answer, they heard a loud yell from the men's room.
"Oh no that was the Admiral." Harriet winced.
"That's it, we're dead." Coates stated.
"I guess we need to go see what happened." Mac said.
JAG MEN'S ROOM
The four women walked to the men's room door. Mac knocked on the door and called out. "Is everything ok?"
"Oh god, help me." Tiner called out.
"Tiner are you okay?" Coates called out.
"Oh no," Gunny yelled.
"Mac, get a doctor." Harm called out and they heard a bang.
"Commander, it's Ashlyn." Ashlyn called out. "May I come in?"
"I think you better." Harm called back, "The Admiral just passed out, Tiner and Gunny are heaving and I feel faint."
"Ashlyn, you said the dye was harmless." Mac whispered.
"It is," Ashlyn replied. "Wait, how did the Admiral get some?"
"Don't ask." Harriet replied.
"This stuff is as safe as food coloring." Ashlyn whispered.
The four women entered the bathroom, not sure of what they would find. Petrified at what was going to happen to them. To their surprise, the five men were standing there, leaning up against the sinks, arms crossed against their chests.
"April Fools." They chanted.
"What in the world?" Mac asked.
"What's going on?" Harriet questioned.
"No one's sick?" Coates asked.
"How are you feeling?" Ashlyn asked.
"Hey Doc, next time you play a trick, make sure one of the nurses doesn't call to ask how I liked it." Gunny laughed.
"Jen, I really didn't think you were the prankster kind." Tiner teased.
"Anyone for some coffee?" Bud asked.
"You didn't drink it?" Ashlyn asked.
"Gunny called me before I left this morning," Harm explained. "So we decided to turn the tables."
"I think we should take this conversation to my office." AJ stated.
"Aye aye Sir." They replied and followed AJ to his office. It was a long walk of shame for the ladies as they went single file behind the men to AJ's office.
AJ'S OFFICE
"Now, may I assume there will be no more jokes today?" AJ asked.
"Yes Sir." The women replied.
"Sir, I just have one question." Ashlyn said.
"Go ahead." AJ smiled.
"Did anyone drink the coffee?" Ashlyn asked.
"Nope," Harm smiled. "We dumped it, cleaned the mugs and then the Admiral used Bud's."
"Any other questions?" AJ asked.
"No Sir." The women replied.
"Good, now I was thinking, the job this weekend really won't take all of us. I think you ladies can handle it just fine." AJ smiled.
"Aye aye Sir." The three women groaned.
"Oh and Dr. Spaulding," AJ continued. "Gunny tells me you are very organized, I figure you can give them a hand."
"It would be my pleasure," Ashlyn winced.
"I'm glad to hear that." AJ laughed, "Dismissed."
They all turned to leave the office.
"Oh, Ladies Happy April Fools Day." AJ laughed.
