Title: Afraid III
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: vignette, AJ/Meredith
Spoilers: A Tangled Web II (before shifting sands)
Summary: I understand why Mac might at least a few issues that lead to misunderstanding with Harm, but what's with the admiral. Since when did he become so cold-hearted? There's more to this than meets the eye...
Meredith sighed as she climbed gracefully out from behind the wheel of the little sports car. 'This is just getting too easy to predict,' she thought. 'What's up now?' She could hear the katydids and spring peepers and the sound of cars whizzing down the highway. It was early evening.
She had thought that when Commander Rabb found Colonel Mackenzie safe in Paraguay the nighttime visits to the batting cage would end. But apparently not.
She trudged along the dusty parking lot past the neon sign that said 'Potomac River Mini Golf and Driving Range.' Past the whirling windmills on the synthetic greens of the Lilliputian-style golf course were the big mesh cylinders that marked the three batting cages. There was a familiar figure dressed in a gray T-shirt standing, anticipating the next ball.
'Whack!' The bat cracked as it met the ball. Meredith could here the grinding wheels of the batting machine. 'Whack!' Another ball smashed.
"Honey?" Meredith called as she reached the cage. "Haven't you been at this long enough?"
AJ Chegwidden started at her voice and turned around. A ball flew harmlessly past his waist. "Meredith," he panted. "You startled me. What're you doing here?"
Meredith stood, arms akimbo, hands on hips and said, "I figured if I take up batting practice, I'll get a chance to see you once in a while." She studied him. The close fitting T-shirt was drenched with sweat and the top of his baldhead was shining. The bat hung loosely from the grip of his hand swinging slightly. He turned back to face the machine, holding the bat up in stance, waiting for the next ball.
"I just have a couple more balls," he said. 'Whack!' He swung vehemently at the ball, muscles rippling as he made contact. 'Whack!' then 'Whack!'
He bent over and picked up a small white towel and a hooded sweatshirt. He stepped out side the cage and crossed the few steps to where she was standing.
"Hi," he said and leaned in to get a sweet kiss.
"Hi yourself," she said tasting the sweaty salt on his lips. "Did you get anywhere?"
"Huh?" he looked at her.
"Whatever it is that you're trying to work out."
"What makes you think I'm trying to work out something?" he said. "You want to grab a quick drink in the snack bar? I could use one." He motioned to a couple of flood-lit picnic tables by a small shack.
"Sure," she said. "Last week I knew exactly why you were whacking medium sized balls into oblivion. But this week, I'm not so sure. Harm and Mac are back in Washington?"
"Yes," he said.
"That means everything is copasetic, no?" she said. "As right as they ever are when it comes to those two."
AJ was silent as he pried his wallet from his jeans.
She looked at him and cocked her head. "AJ? Isn't everything okay now?"
He looked at her and said quietly, "I had to process Harm's resignation."
"Huh?"
"Process his resignation. Fire him," AJ said.
"You fired Harm? I find that hard to believe," she said.
"Well don't. It's done."
"AJ, you couldn't have! Look at what he's done! He saved Mac's life and the life of that agent guy, Webb. He destroyed a semi full of stinger missiles. And you fired him? Are you crazy?"
He paled at bit but his voice was steady. "Thanks for so articulately stating why I should be classified as a first class ass, Meredith."
"I'm sorry, dear," she said. His mouth was set in a grim line and a hollow look to his eyes. This was no joke. "Why?" she asked quietly trying to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
"I had to. He disobeyed a direct order."
"No he didn't. He quit the Navy. Orders didn't apply."
"You can't just quit when you don't want to follow orders and then come back when you do. Harm knows all this. I was told not to interfere. So was he. He chose not to listen."
"He saved lives and destroyed a threat. Mac is alive! Are you people all crazy?" she said once again incredulous at the logic.
"Maybe. But chain of command is the most basic principle of the armed forces. If it breaks down, we have nothing. And that principle is most tested when the order seems unfair or illogical. It wouldn't be the first time that a few have died, so that the principle of good order and discipline survives."
Meredith stood abruptly up from the wooden bench. "I can't believe you are saying this. This is Mac and Harm we are talking about! Officers that you trust and like above all others. Isn't there someone you can file a complaint to?"
AJ looked at her peeved. "I am the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy. This means I am the rules. For the right or for the wrong. There is no one else. If I don't support them, who will? I am not so much as a man but a position. Do you think this is the first bad order in the US Navy? No and it won't be the last."
"What about an unlawful order?"
"There is a strict definition for that. This is a gray area that crosses borders between our military, politics and our covert operations. There were many in the Pentagon that felt going into Iraq was a foolish venture. But they still obeyed orders. If the government doesn't control the military, who does?"
Meredith stared at him. He wasn't kidding. Shaking her head, she looked at him, "*Have we eaten on the insane root. That takes the reason prisoner?*"
He snorted. "Macbeth."
"How is Harm taking the news?" she said after awhile.
"He is taking everything a little personally right now," said AJ ruefully. "The timing of this whole fiasco sucks. On top of the murder trial, now this. The man has the right to be a little resentful."
"Didn't he bend a few rules when you were lost in George Washington National Forest a couple of months ago?" she reminded him.
"Et tu, Brute? My personal debt to Harm still doesn't transcend the Navy rules. And more than anything, it proves the point that a commanding officer and a subordinate cannot hold such debts." AJ was grim.
"Will he ever forgive you?" she asked quietly.
"If I were him, I wouldn't. Why should he?"
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: vignette, AJ/Meredith
Spoilers: A Tangled Web II (before shifting sands)
Summary: I understand why Mac might at least a few issues that lead to misunderstanding with Harm, but what's with the admiral. Since when did he become so cold-hearted? There's more to this than meets the eye...
Meredith sighed as she climbed gracefully out from behind the wheel of the little sports car. 'This is just getting too easy to predict,' she thought. 'What's up now?' She could hear the katydids and spring peepers and the sound of cars whizzing down the highway. It was early evening.
She had thought that when Commander Rabb found Colonel Mackenzie safe in Paraguay the nighttime visits to the batting cage would end. But apparently not.
She trudged along the dusty parking lot past the neon sign that said 'Potomac River Mini Golf and Driving Range.' Past the whirling windmills on the synthetic greens of the Lilliputian-style golf course were the big mesh cylinders that marked the three batting cages. There was a familiar figure dressed in a gray T-shirt standing, anticipating the next ball.
'Whack!' The bat cracked as it met the ball. Meredith could here the grinding wheels of the batting machine. 'Whack!' Another ball smashed.
"Honey?" Meredith called as she reached the cage. "Haven't you been at this long enough?"
AJ Chegwidden started at her voice and turned around. A ball flew harmlessly past his waist. "Meredith," he panted. "You startled me. What're you doing here?"
Meredith stood, arms akimbo, hands on hips and said, "I figured if I take up batting practice, I'll get a chance to see you once in a while." She studied him. The close fitting T-shirt was drenched with sweat and the top of his baldhead was shining. The bat hung loosely from the grip of his hand swinging slightly. He turned back to face the machine, holding the bat up in stance, waiting for the next ball.
"I just have a couple more balls," he said. 'Whack!' He swung vehemently at the ball, muscles rippling as he made contact. 'Whack!' then 'Whack!'
He bent over and picked up a small white towel and a hooded sweatshirt. He stepped out side the cage and crossed the few steps to where she was standing.
"Hi," he said and leaned in to get a sweet kiss.
"Hi yourself," she said tasting the sweaty salt on his lips. "Did you get anywhere?"
"Huh?" he looked at her.
"Whatever it is that you're trying to work out."
"What makes you think I'm trying to work out something?" he said. "You want to grab a quick drink in the snack bar? I could use one." He motioned to a couple of flood-lit picnic tables by a small shack.
"Sure," she said. "Last week I knew exactly why you were whacking medium sized balls into oblivion. But this week, I'm not so sure. Harm and Mac are back in Washington?"
"Yes," he said.
"That means everything is copasetic, no?" she said. "As right as they ever are when it comes to those two."
AJ was silent as he pried his wallet from his jeans.
She looked at him and cocked her head. "AJ? Isn't everything okay now?"
He looked at her and said quietly, "I had to process Harm's resignation."
"Huh?"
"Process his resignation. Fire him," AJ said.
"You fired Harm? I find that hard to believe," she said.
"Well don't. It's done."
"AJ, you couldn't have! Look at what he's done! He saved Mac's life and the life of that agent guy, Webb. He destroyed a semi full of stinger missiles. And you fired him? Are you crazy?"
He paled at bit but his voice was steady. "Thanks for so articulately stating why I should be classified as a first class ass, Meredith."
"I'm sorry, dear," she said. His mouth was set in a grim line and a hollow look to his eyes. This was no joke. "Why?" she asked quietly trying to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
"I had to. He disobeyed a direct order."
"No he didn't. He quit the Navy. Orders didn't apply."
"You can't just quit when you don't want to follow orders and then come back when you do. Harm knows all this. I was told not to interfere. So was he. He chose not to listen."
"He saved lives and destroyed a threat. Mac is alive! Are you people all crazy?" she said once again incredulous at the logic.
"Maybe. But chain of command is the most basic principle of the armed forces. If it breaks down, we have nothing. And that principle is most tested when the order seems unfair or illogical. It wouldn't be the first time that a few have died, so that the principle of good order and discipline survives."
Meredith stood abruptly up from the wooden bench. "I can't believe you are saying this. This is Mac and Harm we are talking about! Officers that you trust and like above all others. Isn't there someone you can file a complaint to?"
AJ looked at her peeved. "I am the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy. This means I am the rules. For the right or for the wrong. There is no one else. If I don't support them, who will? I am not so much as a man but a position. Do you think this is the first bad order in the US Navy? No and it won't be the last."
"What about an unlawful order?"
"There is a strict definition for that. This is a gray area that crosses borders between our military, politics and our covert operations. There were many in the Pentagon that felt going into Iraq was a foolish venture. But they still obeyed orders. If the government doesn't control the military, who does?"
Meredith stared at him. He wasn't kidding. Shaking her head, she looked at him, "*Have we eaten on the insane root. That takes the reason prisoner?*"
He snorted. "Macbeth."
"How is Harm taking the news?" she said after awhile.
"He is taking everything a little personally right now," said AJ ruefully. "The timing of this whole fiasco sucks. On top of the murder trial, now this. The man has the right to be a little resentful."
"Didn't he bend a few rules when you were lost in George Washington National Forest a couple of months ago?" she reminded him.
"Et tu, Brute? My personal debt to Harm still doesn't transcend the Navy rules. And more than anything, it proves the point that a commanding officer and a subordinate cannot hold such debts." AJ was grim.
"Will he ever forgive you?" she asked quietly.
"If I were him, I wouldn't. Why should he?"