Shenandoah Valley
Northern Virginia
0730 Local
Mac looked up as Avis walked into the kitchen. Despite being an early riser herself, it had been rare when she beat Avis out of bed. Going back to sipping her tea, she nodded towards the stove, "Water's hot." She eyed the young woman thoughtfully as Avis fixed herself a cup of tea. "I think you should go back to bed and rest today. You look like the morning after."
Avis frowned as she carefully lowered herself into a chair, "I don't know what that means."
Mac leaned forward, "It means you shouldn't be up. Does your head still hurt?"
"A little," Avis said defensively, "I am not lazing about in bed. There's too much to do around here and you were hurt as well."
"Already healing, it only aches a little. I can do the chores for a day," Mac tilted her head and grinned, "Besides, AnnieSue and I have developed a rapport."
AnnieSue was Avis' temperamental Guernsey cow. She had very little patience with fumble-fingered beginners. Sarah's first solo attempt had ended in a face-off, with cow and human exchanging blistering commentaries on each other's mental capacities. At least, that's what it had sounded like to Avis who had practically collapsed in fits of laughter. She'd never heard AnnieSue get so vocal. Of course, the cow had never had so many languages directed at her. Sarah had swung from English to Russian to what must have been Farsi and back again. Even though Avis didn't speak either of the other languages, she was pretty sure Sarah had stayed with a common theme: steak.
Avis peered at Mac from over the rim of her mug, "Uh-huh, and how's your rapport with the chickens?"
Mac rolled her eyes, "I can handle Attila the Hen. I was just surprised that chickens were carnivorous." She smiled sweetly at Avis, "How about roast chicken for dinner tonight?"
"Don't you dare," Avis couldn't help smiling as well, "She's my best layer... and her name is Mabel. Honestly, she's just a chicken."
"I saw her catch and eat a mouse! She bullies the barn cats, annoys the horses and, I swear, she's stalking me." Mac managed to look affronted.
Avis chuckled and then winced, "Maybe she likes you."
"Probably as a snack." Mac stood up and gestured to Avis, "Up. You're going back to bed and I don't want to see hide nor hair of you before noon. Argue and I'll sic the chicken on you."
Avis put up a token resistance for form's sake, but she was actually relieved to be able to lie down again for a few hours. The longer she'd been up, the worse she was feeling. "I'm not spending the entire day in bed," she still muttered rebelliously as Sarah arranged the covers around her.
"We'll see," Mac replied quietly, Avis' eyes were already closing. Slipping out of the room, she headed down the stairs to get started on the day.
Shenandoah Valley Northern Virginia 1530 Local
Mac shaded her eyes and then smiled and waved as Deacon Turner came down the driveway. It had been four days since Milroy and his cronies had paid their visit. Despite Corinna's misgivings, public opinion had come down firmly on the side of Avis and herself. No matter what story Stafford spun, it remained that he'd been found trussed up in Avis' barn and Mac had used his pistol on the other two men. The fact that the two women had been injured lent credence to the claim of self defense. Both Axel and Corinna made sure to hammer the truth home at every opportunity. Far from blaming the foreigner, the townspeople's admiration had grown. Avis' guest had shown the grit and pluck of a true Southern Belle. A bemused Corinna had delivered the news yesterday that a ball was planned in Mac's honor. She was to consult with the two ladies on the state of their recovery and let the organizers know what would be an acceptable date.
As far as Mac was concerned, that date would be sometime in 2003. Knowing she'd have to attempt to maintain the charade in front of the entire town scared the hell out of her. She still had a few days' reprieve, Avis had no intention of attending a ball with bruises on her face. Oddly, she hadn't objected to the idea. Mac could only hope that that meant her 'gift' approved and not that it was napping. Shaking her head, she put those thoughts aside and walked over to greet Deacon.
Deacon smiled as he climbed down from the wagon, "Hey, Miss Sarah." He raised his voice when he saw Avis come out of the house, "Hey Miss Avis." He looked at Mac again, "Are you all right? Chandra told me what happened while I was gone." He lowered his voice slightly as he watched Avis coming towards them, "Is Miss Avis all right? That Peavey's given her nightmares before." He saw the look on Mac's face and hurried to explain, "Chandra came over and stayed with her for a spell that first time."
"Deacon! Welcome back," Avis smiled as she walked up to them. "Come up to the house. We might as well be comfortable while we catch up on the news."
"Thank you, Miss Avis. Just a moment... " he turned back to the wagon, "I have some supplies for y'all."
Curious, Mac and Avis walked to the side of the wagon with him. Avis' eyes widened in surprise, "Deacon, this is too much. I can't accept this."
Deacon grinned, "I'm afraid you'll have to, Miss Avis. These here are for Miss Sarah from Sergeant Fitzgerald."
Mac's heart jumped a little at Tommy's name. Deacon had done it, he gotten her letter to Josiah. Resolutely, she suppressed all the questions that were trying to force their way out. She could wait until they were seated. Instead, Mac looked longingly at the sack of coffee, "Deacon, you should keep this. You went to all the trouble of delivering my letter."
Turner chuckled, "I already dropped off my share at home. This is yours. I may be a generous man but not that generous!" In short order, the sacks were brought in and a pot of coffee was started on the stove. Deacon seated Avis and Sarah and then sat down himself. Folding his hands, he looked from one to the other, "What happened?"
Mac glanced at Avis. The young woman sat with her lips pressed in a thin line. Except for that one time with Corinna, she had absolutely refused to discuss anything that had happened to her. Since Milroy and Peavey hadn't had enough time to do more than hit her, Mac assumed it had to do with the emotional assault. Avis was sensitive to strong emotions and contact only enhanced it. Occasionally, Mac had dwelt on the ramifications of what that sensitivity could be like with... say, Harm. On days like that, she usually wound up putting in an extraordinary amount of labor around the farm. It was that or dunking herself in the water trough.
However, having to endure the emotions of men who wanted to do God knows what, while your senses were already heightened by fear must have been nearly overwhelming. Mac clearly remembered the fear she felt around Ezra Caine, To have to feel his emotions of lust, hate and anger, as well, was unimaginable. She knew, at some point, Avis would have to talk about it. She also understood Avis' need to retain some sort of control by bottling it up inside. It was a technique she'd perfected early in her life and she was still paying for the consequences. Mac didn't want that for Avis. Last night, while they sat on the porch and watched the sunset, Mac had begun laying the groundwork for chipping down the wall. She'd enlisted Corinna to help in the endeavor. They had agreed that an oblique approach would probably be best.
Mac looked back at Deacon, "It started when that svoloch', Milroy rode up with his two friends... "
When she had finished, Deacon leaned back in his chair, "Lord Almighty!" He shook his head, "God does move in mysterious ways." When he saw both Avis and Sarah looking at him curiously, he smiled, "You don't see God's hand in this?" He pointed at Mac, "You're taken by a man who had a change of heart and saved you at the expense of his own life. He brought you to a place where I could find you and I brought you here. And if you hadn't been here, Miss Avis most likely would have died. This is God's work."
Mac stared at him, "I killed two men. I'd say that flies in the face of 'Thou shalt not kill'. I don't think God's all that happy with me." She looked down at the table and grimaced slightly. Talk about suppression. She hadn't really dealt with the taking of two lives either, pushing it to the side while coping with more immediate concerns.
Avis finally spoke up, her expression compassionate, "Sarah, those men didn't give you a choice. You were trying not to kill them. God knows that, I'm sure."
Deacon nodded, "Miss Sarah, those men had a choice too. They chose Satan and death. Don't you fret about it anymore."
"Thank you," Mac said quietly, and meant it. These people had a deep, abiding faith and it made her feel a trifle envious. Religion hadn't played a large part in her childhood. There were times when she had been sure God simply didn't exist. The priest at the hospice where her father died had done more than he knew in restoring her faith. Sometimes she felt it was like a huge, incomplete puzzle and every kind, decent person she met was contributing a piece.
Avis patted her hand and then rose from the table to fetch the coffee pot. After pouring each of them a cup, she went to the pie safe and pulled out a platter of sweetcakes. Putting them in the center of the table, she sat back down and gave Mac a wicked grin before turning an innocent look to Deacon, "So, Mr. Turner, what was Colonel Josiah Rabb like? Keep in mind, we'd like every detail."
With her mouth hanging open, Mac stared at Avis, before turning a wide-eyed look at Deacon. He looked back at her with a grin and she could feel her face turning red. Covering her eyes with a hand, she growled softly in Avis' direction, "You're toast!"
Avis smiled benignly, she enjoyed hearing these odd expressions, "Is that bad?" She put a hand on Mac's shoulder while looking at Deacon, "Mr. Turner? We're waiting... "
Chegwidden's Home McLean, VIrginia 0930 Local
"AJ? I'm here." Meredith stepped into the house and listened. When she heard 'In the kitchen', she smiled and headed that way. Entering, she found AJ standing by the stove. He leaned over for a quick kiss and went back to his cooking. Meredith peered into the pan, "Mmmm, omelets." She held up the bag she was carrying, "Fresh bagels."
"Great, just put them on the table. There's fresh coffee in the pot."
"SEAL coffee? No, thank you." Meredith gave a mock shudder and then grinned, "I brought a mocha latte for myself." She settled at the table and watched him putter about the stove.
AJ glanced over his shoulder and smiled, "You're awfully quiet."
She smiled in return, "Just admiring the view. Go back to your cooking."
"Yes ma'am." Meredith continued to smile as he turned back. She'd been truly blessed to have found a man like AJ. Strength, integrity, compassion and a romantic at heart, with enough courage to take another chance at love. Several months ago, Tiner had mentioned a Dr. Walden in passing and then immediately clammed up. She had zeroed in on Harriet as the easiest source of information and hadn't been disappointed. Meredith had mixed feelings about Sydney Walden. On one hand, she felt like slapping the woman for being so obtuse and treating AJ so shabbily. Honestly, letting her son manipulate her like that and then breaking up by letter! ... On the other hand, she could kiss her for making AJ available again.
Meredith sipped her coffee, The one she really owed was Sarah MacKenzie. She had never been able to pin the Colonel down to find out if it had been a set-up. It seemed like too much of coincidence that the Admiral would be an avid admirer of Shakespeare. He'd thought so too, if their first meeting was any indication. AJ had only recently told her in detail about the borderline dressing down he'd received from his obviously irate Chief of Staff. That had led to his apology and now, here they were. Meredith scowled, the question was, where was Sarah MacKenzie?
AJ slid the omelets onto a pair of plates and put them on the table. Seeing Meredith frowning, he ran his hand over his head, "Meredith, I am sorry about ruining the weekend. I know you were looking forward to it."
Startled, Meredith shook her head, "Don't be silly, AJ. How could I enjoy myself while worrying about Mac?" When he seated himself, she reached over and put a hand on his forearm, "Have you heard anything new?"
"Nothing." AJ scowled in frustration.
"Does Harm know yet?" Meredith decided to jump in with both feet.
"God, no! I'm not even sure how to go about telling him. He's not due back until tomorrow morning," AJ rubbed his face, "He'll go ballistic. I'm going to have a helluva time keeping him from traipsing all over the Blue Ridge Mountains."
"Would that be a bad thing?"
"Meredith, I was short-handed before Mac disappeared. I don't need him out there, I need him at JAG." He looked at her in exasperation.
"But what if he can find her? Didn't she find him in the ocean? Maybe he can do the same." Meredith decided that this would be reasonable - a sort of cosmic tit for tat.
AJ stared at her, "I don't think it works that way. Hell, I don't think Mac knows how it works." He stared off in the distance for a moment, "It was the damnedest thing, though." He sighed and picked up his fork, "The Sheriff's Department and the Highway Patrol are doing the best they can."
Meredith frowned slightly, there was an odd note in his voice. She gave him a reassuring smile, "They'll find her, AJ. That's a lot of ground they have to cover and they haven't been looking that long."
"I know. I keep telling myself that, but what if she's been in some sort of accident? What if she's been injured? It's been over 36 hours since I talked to her. Anything could have happened!" AJ jabbed angrily at his food.
And there's the rub, Meredith thought to herself. "AJ," she said as gently as she could, "this isn't your fault."
"Isn't it? I ordered her back here that night. Her interview had been irritating and long. She was tired and on edge, I could hear it in her voice. She told me that she planned on spending the night. Did I listen? No. I told her she had to be on the bench at 0900 Friday morning and that was that." Putting down his fork, he pushed back from the table and fell silent.
Meredith thought it over for a minute or so and then folded her arms, "I don't understand."
AJ looked over at her, "What?"
"How you can blame yourself without having any idea what has actually happened. You did say that power and phone lines were down in that area, didn't you?" He nodded. "And you don't think of Mac as being particularly stupid, do you?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, I can't imagine that she would attempt to drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains during a nasty thunderstorm, can you?" He shook his head and Meredith smiled, "So how do you know she's not stranded at some little motel or someone's house in the mountains without the means to communicate?"
He stared at her for a long moment and a faint smile tugged at his lips, "I don't."
Meredith leaned forward and propped her chin in her hand, "You know what I feel like doing today?"
AJ blinked at the sudden change of subject, "I... uhh... no... no, I don't."
She gave him her best smile, "I feel like going on a scenic drive, say... the Shenandoah Valley? I hear it's gorgeous."
Mac looked up as Avis walked into the kitchen. Despite being an early riser herself, it had been rare when she beat Avis out of bed. Going back to sipping her tea, she nodded towards the stove, "Water's hot." She eyed the young woman thoughtfully as Avis fixed herself a cup of tea. "I think you should go back to bed and rest today. You look like the morning after."
Avis frowned as she carefully lowered herself into a chair, "I don't know what that means."
Mac leaned forward, "It means you shouldn't be up. Does your head still hurt?"
"A little," Avis said defensively, "I am not lazing about in bed. There's too much to do around here and you were hurt as well."
"Already healing, it only aches a little. I can do the chores for a day," Mac tilted her head and grinned, "Besides, AnnieSue and I have developed a rapport."
AnnieSue was Avis' temperamental Guernsey cow. She had very little patience with fumble-fingered beginners. Sarah's first solo attempt had ended in a face-off, with cow and human exchanging blistering commentaries on each other's mental capacities. At least, that's what it had sounded like to Avis who had practically collapsed in fits of laughter. She'd never heard AnnieSue get so vocal. Of course, the cow had never had so many languages directed at her. Sarah had swung from English to Russian to what must have been Farsi and back again. Even though Avis didn't speak either of the other languages, she was pretty sure Sarah had stayed with a common theme: steak.
Avis peered at Mac from over the rim of her mug, "Uh-huh, and how's your rapport with the chickens?"
Mac rolled her eyes, "I can handle Attila the Hen. I was just surprised that chickens were carnivorous." She smiled sweetly at Avis, "How about roast chicken for dinner tonight?"
"Don't you dare," Avis couldn't help smiling as well, "She's my best layer... and her name is Mabel. Honestly, she's just a chicken."
"I saw her catch and eat a mouse! She bullies the barn cats, annoys the horses and, I swear, she's stalking me." Mac managed to look affronted.
Avis chuckled and then winced, "Maybe she likes you."
"Probably as a snack." Mac stood up and gestured to Avis, "Up. You're going back to bed and I don't want to see hide nor hair of you before noon. Argue and I'll sic the chicken on you."
Avis put up a token resistance for form's sake, but she was actually relieved to be able to lie down again for a few hours. The longer she'd been up, the worse she was feeling. "I'm not spending the entire day in bed," she still muttered rebelliously as Sarah arranged the covers around her.
"We'll see," Mac replied quietly, Avis' eyes were already closing. Slipping out of the room, she headed down the stairs to get started on the day.
Shenandoah Valley Northern Virginia 1530 Local
Mac shaded her eyes and then smiled and waved as Deacon Turner came down the driveway. It had been four days since Milroy and his cronies had paid their visit. Despite Corinna's misgivings, public opinion had come down firmly on the side of Avis and herself. No matter what story Stafford spun, it remained that he'd been found trussed up in Avis' barn and Mac had used his pistol on the other two men. The fact that the two women had been injured lent credence to the claim of self defense. Both Axel and Corinna made sure to hammer the truth home at every opportunity. Far from blaming the foreigner, the townspeople's admiration had grown. Avis' guest had shown the grit and pluck of a true Southern Belle. A bemused Corinna had delivered the news yesterday that a ball was planned in Mac's honor. She was to consult with the two ladies on the state of their recovery and let the organizers know what would be an acceptable date.
As far as Mac was concerned, that date would be sometime in 2003. Knowing she'd have to attempt to maintain the charade in front of the entire town scared the hell out of her. She still had a few days' reprieve, Avis had no intention of attending a ball with bruises on her face. Oddly, she hadn't objected to the idea. Mac could only hope that that meant her 'gift' approved and not that it was napping. Shaking her head, she put those thoughts aside and walked over to greet Deacon.
Deacon smiled as he climbed down from the wagon, "Hey, Miss Sarah." He raised his voice when he saw Avis come out of the house, "Hey Miss Avis." He looked at Mac again, "Are you all right? Chandra told me what happened while I was gone." He lowered his voice slightly as he watched Avis coming towards them, "Is Miss Avis all right? That Peavey's given her nightmares before." He saw the look on Mac's face and hurried to explain, "Chandra came over and stayed with her for a spell that first time."
"Deacon! Welcome back," Avis smiled as she walked up to them. "Come up to the house. We might as well be comfortable while we catch up on the news."
"Thank you, Miss Avis. Just a moment... " he turned back to the wagon, "I have some supplies for y'all."
Curious, Mac and Avis walked to the side of the wagon with him. Avis' eyes widened in surprise, "Deacon, this is too much. I can't accept this."
Deacon grinned, "I'm afraid you'll have to, Miss Avis. These here are for Miss Sarah from Sergeant Fitzgerald."
Mac's heart jumped a little at Tommy's name. Deacon had done it, he gotten her letter to Josiah. Resolutely, she suppressed all the questions that were trying to force their way out. She could wait until they were seated. Instead, Mac looked longingly at the sack of coffee, "Deacon, you should keep this. You went to all the trouble of delivering my letter."
Turner chuckled, "I already dropped off my share at home. This is yours. I may be a generous man but not that generous!" In short order, the sacks were brought in and a pot of coffee was started on the stove. Deacon seated Avis and Sarah and then sat down himself. Folding his hands, he looked from one to the other, "What happened?"
Mac glanced at Avis. The young woman sat with her lips pressed in a thin line. Except for that one time with Corinna, she had absolutely refused to discuss anything that had happened to her. Since Milroy and Peavey hadn't had enough time to do more than hit her, Mac assumed it had to do with the emotional assault. Avis was sensitive to strong emotions and contact only enhanced it. Occasionally, Mac had dwelt on the ramifications of what that sensitivity could be like with... say, Harm. On days like that, she usually wound up putting in an extraordinary amount of labor around the farm. It was that or dunking herself in the water trough.
However, having to endure the emotions of men who wanted to do God knows what, while your senses were already heightened by fear must have been nearly overwhelming. Mac clearly remembered the fear she felt around Ezra Caine, To have to feel his emotions of lust, hate and anger, as well, was unimaginable. She knew, at some point, Avis would have to talk about it. She also understood Avis' need to retain some sort of control by bottling it up inside. It was a technique she'd perfected early in her life and she was still paying for the consequences. Mac didn't want that for Avis. Last night, while they sat on the porch and watched the sunset, Mac had begun laying the groundwork for chipping down the wall. She'd enlisted Corinna to help in the endeavor. They had agreed that an oblique approach would probably be best.
Mac looked back at Deacon, "It started when that svoloch', Milroy rode up with his two friends... "
When she had finished, Deacon leaned back in his chair, "Lord Almighty!" He shook his head, "God does move in mysterious ways." When he saw both Avis and Sarah looking at him curiously, he smiled, "You don't see God's hand in this?" He pointed at Mac, "You're taken by a man who had a change of heart and saved you at the expense of his own life. He brought you to a place where I could find you and I brought you here. And if you hadn't been here, Miss Avis most likely would have died. This is God's work."
Mac stared at him, "I killed two men. I'd say that flies in the face of 'Thou shalt not kill'. I don't think God's all that happy with me." She looked down at the table and grimaced slightly. Talk about suppression. She hadn't really dealt with the taking of two lives either, pushing it to the side while coping with more immediate concerns.
Avis finally spoke up, her expression compassionate, "Sarah, those men didn't give you a choice. You were trying not to kill them. God knows that, I'm sure."
Deacon nodded, "Miss Sarah, those men had a choice too. They chose Satan and death. Don't you fret about it anymore."
"Thank you," Mac said quietly, and meant it. These people had a deep, abiding faith and it made her feel a trifle envious. Religion hadn't played a large part in her childhood. There were times when she had been sure God simply didn't exist. The priest at the hospice where her father died had done more than he knew in restoring her faith. Sometimes she felt it was like a huge, incomplete puzzle and every kind, decent person she met was contributing a piece.
Avis patted her hand and then rose from the table to fetch the coffee pot. After pouring each of them a cup, she went to the pie safe and pulled out a platter of sweetcakes. Putting them in the center of the table, she sat back down and gave Mac a wicked grin before turning an innocent look to Deacon, "So, Mr. Turner, what was Colonel Josiah Rabb like? Keep in mind, we'd like every detail."
With her mouth hanging open, Mac stared at Avis, before turning a wide-eyed look at Deacon. He looked back at her with a grin and she could feel her face turning red. Covering her eyes with a hand, she growled softly in Avis' direction, "You're toast!"
Avis smiled benignly, she enjoyed hearing these odd expressions, "Is that bad?" She put a hand on Mac's shoulder while looking at Deacon, "Mr. Turner? We're waiting... "
Chegwidden's Home McLean, VIrginia 0930 Local
"AJ? I'm here." Meredith stepped into the house and listened. When she heard 'In the kitchen', she smiled and headed that way. Entering, she found AJ standing by the stove. He leaned over for a quick kiss and went back to his cooking. Meredith peered into the pan, "Mmmm, omelets." She held up the bag she was carrying, "Fresh bagels."
"Great, just put them on the table. There's fresh coffee in the pot."
"SEAL coffee? No, thank you." Meredith gave a mock shudder and then grinned, "I brought a mocha latte for myself." She settled at the table and watched him putter about the stove.
AJ glanced over his shoulder and smiled, "You're awfully quiet."
She smiled in return, "Just admiring the view. Go back to your cooking."
"Yes ma'am." Meredith continued to smile as he turned back. She'd been truly blessed to have found a man like AJ. Strength, integrity, compassion and a romantic at heart, with enough courage to take another chance at love. Several months ago, Tiner had mentioned a Dr. Walden in passing and then immediately clammed up. She had zeroed in on Harriet as the easiest source of information and hadn't been disappointed. Meredith had mixed feelings about Sydney Walden. On one hand, she felt like slapping the woman for being so obtuse and treating AJ so shabbily. Honestly, letting her son manipulate her like that and then breaking up by letter! ... On the other hand, she could kiss her for making AJ available again.
Meredith sipped her coffee, The one she really owed was Sarah MacKenzie. She had never been able to pin the Colonel down to find out if it had been a set-up. It seemed like too much of coincidence that the Admiral would be an avid admirer of Shakespeare. He'd thought so too, if their first meeting was any indication. AJ had only recently told her in detail about the borderline dressing down he'd received from his obviously irate Chief of Staff. That had led to his apology and now, here they were. Meredith scowled, the question was, where was Sarah MacKenzie?
AJ slid the omelets onto a pair of plates and put them on the table. Seeing Meredith frowning, he ran his hand over his head, "Meredith, I am sorry about ruining the weekend. I know you were looking forward to it."
Startled, Meredith shook her head, "Don't be silly, AJ. How could I enjoy myself while worrying about Mac?" When he seated himself, she reached over and put a hand on his forearm, "Have you heard anything new?"
"Nothing." AJ scowled in frustration.
"Does Harm know yet?" Meredith decided to jump in with both feet.
"God, no! I'm not even sure how to go about telling him. He's not due back until tomorrow morning," AJ rubbed his face, "He'll go ballistic. I'm going to have a helluva time keeping him from traipsing all over the Blue Ridge Mountains."
"Would that be a bad thing?"
"Meredith, I was short-handed before Mac disappeared. I don't need him out there, I need him at JAG." He looked at her in exasperation.
"But what if he can find her? Didn't she find him in the ocean? Maybe he can do the same." Meredith decided that this would be reasonable - a sort of cosmic tit for tat.
AJ stared at her, "I don't think it works that way. Hell, I don't think Mac knows how it works." He stared off in the distance for a moment, "It was the damnedest thing, though." He sighed and picked up his fork, "The Sheriff's Department and the Highway Patrol are doing the best they can."
Meredith frowned slightly, there was an odd note in his voice. She gave him a reassuring smile, "They'll find her, AJ. That's a lot of ground they have to cover and they haven't been looking that long."
"I know. I keep telling myself that, but what if she's been in some sort of accident? What if she's been injured? It's been over 36 hours since I talked to her. Anything could have happened!" AJ jabbed angrily at his food.
And there's the rub, Meredith thought to herself. "AJ," she said as gently as she could, "this isn't your fault."
"Isn't it? I ordered her back here that night. Her interview had been irritating and long. She was tired and on edge, I could hear it in her voice. She told me that she planned on spending the night. Did I listen? No. I told her she had to be on the bench at 0900 Friday morning and that was that." Putting down his fork, he pushed back from the table and fell silent.
Meredith thought it over for a minute or so and then folded her arms, "I don't understand."
AJ looked over at her, "What?"
"How you can blame yourself without having any idea what has actually happened. You did say that power and phone lines were down in that area, didn't you?" He nodded. "And you don't think of Mac as being particularly stupid, do you?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, I can't imagine that she would attempt to drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains during a nasty thunderstorm, can you?" He shook his head and Meredith smiled, "So how do you know she's not stranded at some little motel or someone's house in the mountains without the means to communicate?"
He stared at her for a long moment and a faint smile tugged at his lips, "I don't."
Meredith leaned forward and propped her chin in her hand, "You know what I feel like doing today?"
AJ blinked at the sudden change of subject, "I... uhh... no... no, I don't."
She gave him her best smile, "I feel like going on a scenic drive, say... the Shenandoah Valley? I hear it's gorgeous."