Harm rolled over and grabbed the phone, which woke him from sleep.
"You don't like the Marine Corps do you?"
"Huh? Mac? It's not even six in the morning."
"It's 0637 but that's beside the point. Answer the question."
"What question?" he asked groggily.
"You don't like the Marine Corp?"
"I have nothing against Marines. I like you and your Uncle Matt."
"But you like the Navy better than the Corps."
"This sounds like a question where whichever answer I give I get yelled at." He yawned.
"Answer the question." Mac demanded.
"I'd have to say yes since I'm in the Navy, but I have nothing against Marines."
"But you like JAG right? I mean you like being in the JAG corps."
"Yeah. What's all this about Mac?"
"That's what I told your Mom. Have a nice day Harm."
"Mac?" He called out, but all he got in reply was the dial tone.
Harm tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. He pulled on his sweats and padded across his apartment.
"Who was on the phone?" Bud asked from his position on the couch.
"Mac. She's getting stranger. Do you want some coffee?"
"Sure. What's up with Mac?" Bud asked joining him in the kitchen.
"She called to ask whether I liked the Navy better than the Marines and whether I like being in the JAG corps. Then she hung up on me."
"Knowing the Colonel, she probably has a good reason for asking." He sat on a chair and yawned.
"Yeah, something to do with my mother. Maybe I should call and ask her."
"Harm, it's too early to call anyone."
"It's almost 0700."
"AJ will be up in a minute."
"Daddy?" A small voice came from a bedroom.
"See. Don't call your Mom yet, you'll wake up Harriet and she hates being woken up by the phone."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Mommy." AJ ran across the room and jumped into Harriet's arms.
"Hey sweetheart. Did you have a nice time at Uncle Harm's house?" He nodded excitedly. "That's good."
"Harriet, is my Mom around?"
"She's in the kitchen making coffee."
"Thanks." Harm walked into the kitchen. "Morning Mom."
"Good morning Harmon. Did you have a nice evening?"
"Yes, and I was having a nice sleep until Mac called me and wanted to talk about the Navy, Marine Corps and JAG."
"Ah?" Trish sighed. "Coffee?"
"Yes, thanks. Do you know what she was talking about?"
"Why don't you ask Sarah what she was talking about?" Trish suggested.
"Because she would probably throw me out."
"I doubt that. This she probably will tell you."
"Mom?" Harm pleaded/
"Look you like the Navy, Sarah likes being a Marine and you both like being in the JAG corps it's simple. Anything else you want to know you should ask her."
"Ask who what?" Harriet asked as she entered the kitchen.
"Harm should ask Sarah about the Navy, Marines and JAG."
"You should. If you're going over there anyway you can take the last of the gifts over with you. I didn't have room for them in the car when I took her home last night."
"Why do I sense a conspiracy going on here?"
"Because you're a lawyer Harm, it make you naturally suspicious." Trish supplied.
"You don't like the Marine Corps do you?"
"Huh? Mac? It's not even six in the morning."
"It's 0637 but that's beside the point. Answer the question."
"What question?" he asked groggily.
"You don't like the Marine Corp?"
"I have nothing against Marines. I like you and your Uncle Matt."
"But you like the Navy better than the Corps."
"This sounds like a question where whichever answer I give I get yelled at." He yawned.
"Answer the question." Mac demanded.
"I'd have to say yes since I'm in the Navy, but I have nothing against Marines."
"But you like JAG right? I mean you like being in the JAG corps."
"Yeah. What's all this about Mac?"
"That's what I told your Mom. Have a nice day Harm."
"Mac?" He called out, but all he got in reply was the dial tone.
Harm tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. He pulled on his sweats and padded across his apartment.
"Who was on the phone?" Bud asked from his position on the couch.
"Mac. She's getting stranger. Do you want some coffee?"
"Sure. What's up with Mac?" Bud asked joining him in the kitchen.
"She called to ask whether I liked the Navy better than the Marines and whether I like being in the JAG corps. Then she hung up on me."
"Knowing the Colonel, she probably has a good reason for asking." He sat on a chair and yawned.
"Yeah, something to do with my mother. Maybe I should call and ask her."
"Harm, it's too early to call anyone."
"It's almost 0700."
"AJ will be up in a minute."
"Daddy?" A small voice came from a bedroom.
"See. Don't call your Mom yet, you'll wake up Harriet and she hates being woken up by the phone."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Mommy." AJ ran across the room and jumped into Harriet's arms.
"Hey sweetheart. Did you have a nice time at Uncle Harm's house?" He nodded excitedly. "That's good."
"Harriet, is my Mom around?"
"She's in the kitchen making coffee."
"Thanks." Harm walked into the kitchen. "Morning Mom."
"Good morning Harmon. Did you have a nice evening?"
"Yes, and I was having a nice sleep until Mac called me and wanted to talk about the Navy, Marine Corps and JAG."
"Ah?" Trish sighed. "Coffee?"
"Yes, thanks. Do you know what she was talking about?"
"Why don't you ask Sarah what she was talking about?" Trish suggested.
"Because she would probably throw me out."
"I doubt that. This she probably will tell you."
"Mom?" Harm pleaded/
"Look you like the Navy, Sarah likes being a Marine and you both like being in the JAG corps it's simple. Anything else you want to know you should ask her."
"Ask who what?" Harriet asked as she entered the kitchen.
"Harm should ask Sarah about the Navy, Marines and JAG."
"You should. If you're going over there anyway you can take the last of the gifts over with you. I didn't have room for them in the car when I took her home last night."
"Why do I sense a conspiracy going on here?"
"Because you're a lawyer Harm, it make you naturally suspicious." Trish supplied.