"You're late." AJ said as they rounded his house to the back yard where the
BBQ was taking place. "But since you were coming with Rabb, I guess it
should have been expected."
"Yes sir. Meredith it's nice to see you again." Mac said.
"You too Mac." Meredith said giving her a brief hug. "Thanks for coming Harm."
"A pleasure as always Miss Cavanaugh. Admiral."
"Harm, how many times have I told you to call me Meredith?"
"Sorry about being late Admiral, but the Commander seemed to enjoy being frisked by one of DC's finest." Mac explained.
"Rabb, please don't tell me I'm going to have a headache to deal with tomorrow." AJ groaned.
"No sir. It turned out to be one of Mac's neighbours; she was just concerned about me sitting outside Mac's apartment building with the engine running. She thought I looked suspicious." Mac and Trish hid smiles.
"Try and curb that look and it will get you into less trouble." AJ advised.
"Yes sir." Harm replied.
"Let me make introductions." Mac said realising that Meredith and Trish hadn't met yet. "Meredith Cavanaugh I'd like you to Trish Burnett, Harm's Mom. Trish runs an art gallery in sunny La Jolla California. Trish this Meredith, she teaches Shakespeare."
"It's nice to meet you." Trish said holding out her hand.
"You too Trish." Meredith said shaking it.
"I brought some potato salad, but I left it in the car. Harm would you be a dear and run and get it?"
"Of course Mom. If you'll excuse me sir." AJ nodded and Harm went to retrieve it.
"How about we go and get you a drink?" Meredith asked.
"That would be nice."
"Excuse me sir, but I think Cmdr Turner is burning something." Mac pointed out.
"Dammit." AJ muttered as he stomped over to the grill.
"Auntie Mac." Mac heard as a small force slammed into her legs. Mac quickly swooped little AJ into arms.
"Hey there AJ." She placed a brief kiss on his forehead. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Trish." Trish turned to look at her. "AJ Roberts I'd like you to meet Trish, Uncle Harm's Mommy."
"Really?" Little AJ asked.
"Yes."
"Ma'am." He said shooting off a little salute.
"Aren't you just adorable. It's nice to meet you Mr Roberts." She shook little AJ's hand.
"Mom, this was in the car with the potato salad." Harm said carrying a gift bag over to Trish. "Hey AJ." He said taking him from Mac "Have you got bigger since I last saw you?" Harm tickled him.
"Yes, uncle Harm." He said through giggles.
"I'll take that." Trish said taking the bag out of Harm's hand. "Mr Roberts this is for you." Trish held out the bag to him.
"For me?" AJ asked.
"Yes for you." Trish said with a smile.
"You didn't have to get him anything." Harriet said as she came over.
"I wanted to. Go ahead and open it AJ." Trish prompted. Harm put the little boy down on the grass so he could open his present. He sat on the grass and carefully upturned the bag. A colouring book full of Naval images fell out and a packet of crayons.
"What do you say AJ?" Harrier prompted.
"Thank you." Little AJ said beaming at Trish.
"You're welcome Mr Roberts."
"Hey AJ, how about we go and sit at the table and I'll tell you all about the ships in the pictures and maybe we can colour one in?" Harm said crouching down to his godson.
"Okay Uncle Harm." AJ put the presents back in the bag and stood up and took Harm's hand as they walked over to the table.
"He's very good with him." Trish commented.
"He always has been. Right since he was born in the Admiral's office." Harriet smiled.
"I recall him telling me about that and the Admiral AJ's role in it."
"Definitely was one in a number of interesting days at JAG." Mac said with a smile.
"Ma'am." Harriet started. Mac scowled at her. "Sorry Mac, what is this I hear about the Commander getting frisked by a cop?"
"You remember Georgia? She's with the DC police department. Trish and I were talking to her coming down the stairs from my apartment, we may have happened to mention a suspicious Naval Commander sitting in a car outside with the engine running." Mac said innocently.
"So you had her frisk him?" Harriet asked.
"Possibly." Mac admitted before all three burst out laughing.
"What've you got there AJ?" Sturgis asked as he came over to where Harm and little AJ were talking about the picture of an aircraft carrier.
" A present from Uncle Harm's Mommy." AJ replied. Sturgis sat down on the opposite side of the table.
"That's a great book, all those ships."
"Subn. Subn. underwater boats too." AJ said, as he couldn't quite pronounce submarine.
"Submarine." Sturgis supplied. "I used to live on a submarine." He told him.
"But now you're a lawyer like Daddy and Uncle Harm and Auntie Mac and Uncle AJ and evil Lt."
"That'll be enough of that AJ." Bud scolded. "It was nice of your Mom to bring him a present."
"I think it's her subtle hint that she wants grandkids of her own to spoil." Harm commented. "Did you get ordered away from the BBQ like Sturgis here?"
"Burn one sausage and you're blacklisted." The three men chuckled,
"Look Daddy, air carrier. Uncle Harm used to fly plane on them." Little AJ pointed at the picture in the book.
"That's right son." Bud drew up a seat and they continued to explain the different ships and planes to AJ.
"Squids." Mac said with a smile. She was stood watching them with Harriet, Trish and Meredith. "Always wanting to boast about their big equipment." There was a rouse of chuckles.
"I think the foods ready." Meredith pointed. "Shall we leave them to it while we get first pick?"
"If it's cooked I'll eat it." Mac said. The others smiled as they head off to enjoy the food and the company of the evening.
"Yes sir. Meredith it's nice to see you again." Mac said.
"You too Mac." Meredith said giving her a brief hug. "Thanks for coming Harm."
"A pleasure as always Miss Cavanaugh. Admiral."
"Harm, how many times have I told you to call me Meredith?"
"Sorry about being late Admiral, but the Commander seemed to enjoy being frisked by one of DC's finest." Mac explained.
"Rabb, please don't tell me I'm going to have a headache to deal with tomorrow." AJ groaned.
"No sir. It turned out to be one of Mac's neighbours; she was just concerned about me sitting outside Mac's apartment building with the engine running. She thought I looked suspicious." Mac and Trish hid smiles.
"Try and curb that look and it will get you into less trouble." AJ advised.
"Yes sir." Harm replied.
"Let me make introductions." Mac said realising that Meredith and Trish hadn't met yet. "Meredith Cavanaugh I'd like you to Trish Burnett, Harm's Mom. Trish runs an art gallery in sunny La Jolla California. Trish this Meredith, she teaches Shakespeare."
"It's nice to meet you." Trish said holding out her hand.
"You too Trish." Meredith said shaking it.
"I brought some potato salad, but I left it in the car. Harm would you be a dear and run and get it?"
"Of course Mom. If you'll excuse me sir." AJ nodded and Harm went to retrieve it.
"How about we go and get you a drink?" Meredith asked.
"That would be nice."
"Excuse me sir, but I think Cmdr Turner is burning something." Mac pointed out.
"Dammit." AJ muttered as he stomped over to the grill.
"Auntie Mac." Mac heard as a small force slammed into her legs. Mac quickly swooped little AJ into arms.
"Hey there AJ." She placed a brief kiss on his forehead. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Trish." Trish turned to look at her. "AJ Roberts I'd like you to meet Trish, Uncle Harm's Mommy."
"Really?" Little AJ asked.
"Yes."
"Ma'am." He said shooting off a little salute.
"Aren't you just adorable. It's nice to meet you Mr Roberts." She shook little AJ's hand.
"Mom, this was in the car with the potato salad." Harm said carrying a gift bag over to Trish. "Hey AJ." He said taking him from Mac "Have you got bigger since I last saw you?" Harm tickled him.
"Yes, uncle Harm." He said through giggles.
"I'll take that." Trish said taking the bag out of Harm's hand. "Mr Roberts this is for you." Trish held out the bag to him.
"For me?" AJ asked.
"Yes for you." Trish said with a smile.
"You didn't have to get him anything." Harriet said as she came over.
"I wanted to. Go ahead and open it AJ." Trish prompted. Harm put the little boy down on the grass so he could open his present. He sat on the grass and carefully upturned the bag. A colouring book full of Naval images fell out and a packet of crayons.
"What do you say AJ?" Harrier prompted.
"Thank you." Little AJ said beaming at Trish.
"You're welcome Mr Roberts."
"Hey AJ, how about we go and sit at the table and I'll tell you all about the ships in the pictures and maybe we can colour one in?" Harm said crouching down to his godson.
"Okay Uncle Harm." AJ put the presents back in the bag and stood up and took Harm's hand as they walked over to the table.
"He's very good with him." Trish commented.
"He always has been. Right since he was born in the Admiral's office." Harriet smiled.
"I recall him telling me about that and the Admiral AJ's role in it."
"Definitely was one in a number of interesting days at JAG." Mac said with a smile.
"Ma'am." Harriet started. Mac scowled at her. "Sorry Mac, what is this I hear about the Commander getting frisked by a cop?"
"You remember Georgia? She's with the DC police department. Trish and I were talking to her coming down the stairs from my apartment, we may have happened to mention a suspicious Naval Commander sitting in a car outside with the engine running." Mac said innocently.
"So you had her frisk him?" Harriet asked.
"Possibly." Mac admitted before all three burst out laughing.
"What've you got there AJ?" Sturgis asked as he came over to where Harm and little AJ were talking about the picture of an aircraft carrier.
" A present from Uncle Harm's Mommy." AJ replied. Sturgis sat down on the opposite side of the table.
"That's a great book, all those ships."
"Subn. Subn. underwater boats too." AJ said, as he couldn't quite pronounce submarine.
"Submarine." Sturgis supplied. "I used to live on a submarine." He told him.
"But now you're a lawyer like Daddy and Uncle Harm and Auntie Mac and Uncle AJ and evil Lt."
"That'll be enough of that AJ." Bud scolded. "It was nice of your Mom to bring him a present."
"I think it's her subtle hint that she wants grandkids of her own to spoil." Harm commented. "Did you get ordered away from the BBQ like Sturgis here?"
"Burn one sausage and you're blacklisted." The three men chuckled,
"Look Daddy, air carrier. Uncle Harm used to fly plane on them." Little AJ pointed at the picture in the book.
"That's right son." Bud drew up a seat and they continued to explain the different ships and planes to AJ.
"Squids." Mac said with a smile. She was stood watching them with Harriet, Trish and Meredith. "Always wanting to boast about their big equipment." There was a rouse of chuckles.
"I think the foods ready." Meredith pointed. "Shall we leave them to it while we get first pick?"
"If it's cooked I'll eat it." Mac said. The others smiled as they head off to enjoy the food and the company of the evening.