Title: Gold Wings and Dress Whites
Author: Anaika Skywalker
Author's Email: lindsay30@austarnet.com.au
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Jag; I just like to spread my wings occasionally.
Author's note: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. If I keep getting nice reviews like these I'll continue the story. Thanks again.
GheTtOnEnD: I'm glad you like it Kristin, even if it isn't a Ham/Mac story. Mac does feature in it and will continue to.
neeneel: Thanks for your kind words and for putting me on your favorite author's list. I'm honored. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Gold Wings and Dress WhitesChapter Four: Family and Friends
Dr. Stevenson's Office
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Sera stared out the window of the office, wishing she was anywhere but where she was.
Behind her, Dr. Marc Stevenson waited. "What about the nightmares?"
"They've stopped," she announced bluntly.
"How are you sleeping now that they have?"
A sarcastic comment popped into her head, but she held back, snapping at him wouldn't help anyone, let alone herself. "Usually pretty well,"
"Usually?" the doctor promoted slightly amused.
This time she turned. "I have a life outside of JAG, doc,"
Dr. Stevenson smiled at the comment. "So how is Commander Rabb?"
"Well,"
"How do your work colleagues handle your relationship?"
She returned to her seat. "We keep our personal relationship outside of the office," she answered. "It doesn't affect our working relationship."
"Do you feel the age differences courses a problem?" he inquired. "He is ten years older then you,"
"No, why should it? We have a lot in common, we enjoy each others company,"
"What about Career wise? He's been a aviator longer, as well as a lawyer?"
Sera frowned. "Harm doesn't throw his experience in my face, Dr. Stevenson. Nor do I throw mine in his, he handles the fact I'll be going back to sea after this assignment."
Dr. Stevenson waited for her to cool down. "When you first came into my office a month ago, you told me you didn't think you wanted to go back to sea. What changed your mind?"
She sighed. "I miss it,"
"Are you still keeping your hours up?"
"Yes,"
"Do you fly with Commander Rabb?"
"As much as I'm able,"
"Do you worry about him?"
"What kind of question is that?" she retorted. "Of course I worry about him, just as he worries about me,"
"Would you handle him being at sea, while you were here?"
She hadn't thought about it. Would she able to handle Harm being on an Aircraft Carrier while she was at JAG?
"Lieutenant Commander? Sera?" Dr. Stevenson got her attention. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, sorry Doc," she said aimlessly.
"Are you going to answer the question?"
"No, not yet," Sera informed.
"Why is that?"
"Because I don't have an answer for you," she got to her feet again and walked back to the windows.
Dr. Stevenson made notes on his notepad. "Lets get back to the day of the incident, did anything happen before you went up?"
"I got an email from Harm, he sent a photo of him and his godson AJ Roberts," she recalled, smiling. "They were laughing in the photo,"
"How did that make you feel, seeing Commander Rabb with his godson?"
"Empty."
"Why?"
She hugged herself. "Because I know he'd like a son and I can't give him one," she said, her heart ached with that knowledge.
"Why is that Sera?"
"I had a miscarriage when I was in law school, a couple of months after my husband when back to sea. They told me the damage was extensive, enough that I needed to have a hysterectomy."
"I'm sorry,"
Tears glistened in her eyes, when she closed them they slid down her cheeks. Opening them again, she turned back to him. "Harm was there when they told me, he held me while I cried, comforted me. I don't know what I would of done without him."
"Did you love him then?"
She nodded. "I know it was wrong, I was married to Chris, but the more time I spent with Harm. The more I fell in love with him."
"And now?"
"Now," she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I still love him,"
Closing the notepad, Dr. Stevenson stood and walked over to her. "Can you answer the question now? Could you handle him being at sea?"
Sera nodded coming to a conclusion. "If he loves me as much as I love him, than yes. I would never stand in his way, nor would I ever ask him to turn in his wings for me."
He smiled. "I think we've covered enough for today, I'll see you next week Sera,"
She nodded and grabbed her cover and coat, turning back to him. "Dr. Stevenson,"
"Yes Sera,"
"Thank you,"
"That's what I'm here for, Sera," he said cheerfully.
She smiled and left his office.
JAG Headquarters (The same day)
Gunnery Sergeant Galendez looked twice as the young woman walked into JAG ops, at first he thought it was Lieutenant Commander Riggs in civilian clothing until he realized it wasn't, this woman had longer hair. He approached her. "Can I help you Ma'am?"
"Yes, I'm looking for my sister, Lieutenant Commander Riggs," she answered, then saw one person she did know. "Commander Rabb."
"Sam," he hurried over to her. "I didn't think you were back yet."
Samantha Elliot, Sera's twin sister, hugged the handsome Commander. "I heard Sera was here, so I came as soon as I could,"
He grinned, and then addressed the Gunny. "Gunnery Sergeant Galendez, this is Samantha Elliot, Lieutenant Commander Riggs' twin sister,"
"It's nice to meet you Ma'am,"
"You too Gunnery Sergeant,"
He excused himself, going back to his work.
Harm escorted Samantha to his office. "Sera is in Court at the moment," he informed putting the file he'd been holding on his desk. He gestured for her to sit. "How long can you stay?"
She sat down and waited until he had too. "A little while," she announced, and then asked. "How is she Harm, Dad said the Navy has her seeing a psychologist?"
"There was an incident at sea that shock her up a little, but she's getting over it,"
"Than why did they assign her here to JAG, she's an aviator?"
"She's was a lawyer first, Sam, and she still is a good one, and this assignment is temporary,"
Sitting back in the chair, Samantha smiled. "You're in love with her," she saw he was going to comment, interrupting. "Don't deny it, I see it written all over your face."
"I wasn't going to deny it, it's true, I do love her," he admitted, feeling he'd needed to tell someone.
"Have you told her yet?"
That had him squirming. "Not as yet."
Samantha groaned and shook her head. "Than tell her, she's a big girl she can handle it. Besides she's been in love with you since law school,"
Now he was surprised. "How do you know that?"
"I'm her twin, she tells me everything," Samantha confided.
"I must remember that," he teased her.
"I'm sure you will," she mused. Then asked seriously. "Truthfully Harm, is Sera all right?"
"She's fine Sam, she keeps up her hours, and keeps in touch with the squadron,"
"How will you handle her being at sea?" she asked, and then saw him hesitated. "Harm, you love her, you're aloud to be concerned about her returning to her duties as a Naval Aviator."
"I understand that, I just worry how she's going to handle it all,"
"You maybe surprised," Samantha told him.
He smiled warmly. "I expect so," he noted, then saw the person in question coming. "Here she is now,"
Sera came in as Samantha stood, the twins hugging each other. "It's so good to see you,"
"You too,"
"Why don't you take a break, catch up with Sam," Harm suggested.
"Only if you come with us," Samantha insisted.
"Alright," he agreed.
They got coffee and sat outside in the courtyard.
"How long are you home for?" Sera asked her sister.
"A few weeks, Mike is still in Australia filming at Fox Studio's,"
"Then what?"
Samantha hesitated, realizing what her news would mean to her sister. "We're taking some time off, we want to have a baby,"
"That's great, Sam," Harm told her, feeling Sera grip his hand under the table. She kept up a strong front.
"That's fantastic, Sam," she agreed.
Samantha was going to comment with Admiral Chegwidden joined them.
"Stay seated," he told his officers quickly, then addressed Samantha. "Samantha, you look wonderful."
"Thank you Admiral,"
"You know each other sir?" Harm asked.
"I do, I had the Lieutenant Commander under my command at Pearl Harbor," he recalled. "She told me about her sister, the scriptwriter who married actor Michael Elliot."
"I didn't put to the two together sir,"
"That's all right Commander, neither did I when we first meet," he remarked and saw the inquisitive look. "Sera had a photo on her desk of herself and two Naval Officers, you happened to be one of them. Not to mention she had a tendency to sneak off on joy flights in F-14's."
Samantha laughed. "Which I expect she still does, Admiral,"
"Yes she does, at least though now she's fully qualified," he stated with a smile. "Excuse me,"
She nodded, smiling while her sister and Harm both said 'Aye sir,'
Harm glanced at Sera. "You use to sneak off for joy flights, you've never told me that?"
Her gin was one of amusement. "I wanted to be an aviator from the start, I became a lawyer to please my father," she admitted. "The curriculum I took at the Academy reflected both so I kept Dad happy,"
"And meeting you at law school gave her great inspiration," Samantha teased.
"I made a great friend, too," Sera said tenderly.
"Not to mention a source of ideas for her novels," her sister mocked.
This time Sera groaned. "Enough badgering, Sammy,"
Harm chuckled. "Besides no one, not even the Admiral knows Sera is the mysteries Elisabeth Saint-John,"
"The beauty of a pen name," she smirked and they all laughed.
Samantha saw the Marine officer coming over to them before the others. "Hi Mac,"
"Hi Sam," she sat with them.
"You two have met?" Sera inquired.
"Last night at dinner, if you two had bother to turn up," her sister retorted, seeing them looking sheepishly.
Mac knew the look on both their faces. "You two went flying," she guessed. "I should have known, you both took off in a hurry yesterday."
Both held their silence, the expressions on their faces said it all though.
"Typical," Samantha accused. "You forget and go flying, leaving us to have to put up with a mother and step-mother in the same room,"
"I can't help it if I'd rather go flying then have dinner with my extended family," Sera defended, finding it all rather amusing. "Besides Mum and Tiff being in the same room, acting civil, isn't exactly my idea of an interesting evening,"
"Well they've decided to try again for Saturday night,"
"Saturday night is the Australian Embassy Ball," Harm revealed, then eyed Mac. "You should have remembered that, both you and Matt,"
"It must have slipped my mind," she smirked. "Matt's too,"
"Oh no, I'm not going alone," Samantha informed them sternly.
"Come with us," Harm invited. "My brother is coming, you can come along with him, and he would enjoy the company."
Sera arched any eyebrow, and then asked Harm if Sergei would mind her sister going with him using Russian instead of English. To which he informed her it would be no problem.
Mac laughed at Samantha's frown, she'd understood both of them. "I take it you don't understand Russian?"
"No, I learnt German instead,"
"You should have heard the Admiral the first time they argued in front of him in Russian,"
"Made a good impression huh?"
"Oh yeah,"
Samantha laughed. "What about Saturday lunch? That way we can still go to the ball,"
Sera shook her head. "The Patrick Henry got into port yesterday, the Raptors - past and present are getting together on Saturday,"
"I give up," her sister yielded and they all laughed.
"You usually do," Sera mussed.
Mac shook her head, smiling. "We have to get back to work,"
All stood, throwing away their disposable cups.
Sera addressed her sister. "Ring me later?"
"Sure," Samantha gave her a hug. Then Mac and Harm. "I'll see you all later,"
"Bye Sam,"
She smiled and walked away, leaving them to return to JAG ops. Heading off to their respective officers.
A few minutes later Sera headed footfalls as she was reading through her case notes. "Yes Gunny?"
He still found it amusing that she didn't need to look up to know who was entering her office. "The Admiral would like to see you, Ma'am,"
This time she looked up. "Thank you Gunny,"
He nodded, smiling as he left her office.
Sera quickly gathered her files together, and then went to the Admiral's office.
Jason Tiner smiled as she walked in. "Go in Ma'am the Admiral is expecting you,"
"Thank you Tiner," Sera said, she knocked, then went in.
Admiral Chegwidden sat back in his chair. "Close the hatch, Commander, then take a seat."
She did so, waiting.
He lent forward on his desk. "Commander do you know a Megan Kilpatrick?"
"Yes sir," she admitted, seeing there was no way out of this. "Megan Kilpatrick is my publisher,"
"Your publisher?" AJ frowned. "Why in the hell do you have a publisher?"
"I write under the penname Elisabeth Saint-John, sir. I have a number of books on the top seller lists and one is being negotiated to be made into a film," Sera answered him, being honest.
"Why in the hell was I told this before?"
"I agreed to my first novel being published under the understanding no one knew who I was, or that I was a Naval officer," she explained. "Up until two months ago, this was acceptable, now that my novel Ramp Strike is being made into a film, the movie studio wants me to meet with the director and producer, as well as the scriptwriter,"
"And you don't want to meet with them," the Admiral guessed.
"No sir, I don't,"
AJ sat once more back in his chair, now it all made sense. "Would it surprise you to know I've read Ramp Strike, and it's sequels?" he saw she was. "In fact you'd most likely find half of Jag ops has read those novels. Sera your main character is a dead ringer for Commander Rabb."
"He's suppose to be sir, he's based on Commander Rabb," she admitted sheepishly. "I wrote Ramp Strike while in law school, Commander Rabb helped on more then one occasion."
"Why am I not surprised," A.J remarked shaking his head. "Sera, you're one hell of a lawyer, and I have no doubt you're one hell of an aviator. You're combining the two at the moment extremely well. You keep up your hours and keep your private life outside the office, as well as hid the fact you're a best selling author."
Sera swallowed hard. "My private live, sir?"
"Your association with Commander Rabb," he stated. "And don't play the innocent with me, I know you and Harm are in a relationship. You keep it too yourselves and for that I thank you, but its time to take command of your other secret. Being an author is nothing to be ashamed off."
"I realize that sir,"
AJ chuckled. "I don't think you do, Sera. I made Tiner stand in line for three hours to get a copy of the third novel, Aces High, just to find out what happened in it's prequel Gold Winds. Only to walk into Harm's office and find him reading one, signed of all things by the author."
She grinned sheepishly. "I had a copy sent to Harm before it was released," she confessed. "He's been my muse since I stated, so I always make sure he gets a copy of each new novel."
"And I'm sure you'll be able to be involved in the making of the film if you stop hiding and come clean."
"I haven't been hiding sir, just staying out of the way," she divulged. "I love being a lawyer and an aviator, being an author is a hobby I enjoy."
"Then enjoy it," he ordered, "And contact Miss. Kilpatrick to let her know where you are."
"Yes sir."
"Good. Dismissed Commander."
She stood, came to attention. "Aye sir," she said and then left. Going directly to Harm's office she knocked and went in. "Am I hiding the fact I'm a author from everyone?"
He sat back in his chair. "Yes," he answered her, and then saw the look on her face. "Sera you've been hiding it for so long it's become second nature."
She sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "The Admiral knows; Megan contacted him, trying to find me."
"What does he think?
"That I should stop hiding,"
Harm sat forward. "This has to do with Ramp Strike being made into a film, correct?"
Sera nodded, rubbing her temples. "The studio wants me to meet with the director, producer and scriptwriter,"
"So meet with them, what can it hurt," he suggested.
Sighing she smiled, she never could say no to those blue eyes of his. "All right, on one condition."
He grinned that flyboy smile of his, knowing what the condition was. "I'll come with you, you never know, you just might need a lawyer,"
"Thanks Harm,"
"You're welcome," he smirked.
She groaned, rolling her eyes she stood. "I'll see you later,"
"You certainly will, you're driving me home," he reminded her.
"So I am," she jeered and sauntered out of his office.
By the time they were ready to leave, ops was deserted, and most of the lights were turned off.
Sera leant against the doorframe. "Ready to go home sailor?"
"More then ready," he informed, shutting of his computer and the desk light. He slipped on his coat and cover, and then grabbed his briefcase. "All set."
She handed him the keys to her car. "You can drive, my feet are killing me."
Harm grinned. "Mac once told me that all a woman ever wants is a great career, a good man, and comfortable shoes, lots and lots of them."
Sera chuckled. "Well I have a great career and a good man. What I do need is comfortable shoes,"
He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they left. "You're just more use to a flight suit and boots,"
"Very true," she agreed lightly.
Outside the building, they put their briefcases in the blue sports car along with their covers.
Harm tugged her into his arms, keeping their bodies close. "I want to tell you something, before we go,"
She settled comfortably against him. "Something you can't tell me in the warmth of the car?"
"Well this way I get to hold you close, it's a little harder to do in the Cobra," he remarked matter-of-factly.
She found that amusing. "It's never stopped you before,"
"True, but I wanted to say it here,"
Now her heart began to pound, was this what she wanted to hear? "Then say it, Harm,"
He lent closer. "I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me, how much I need you," his lips grazed over hers. "And how much I love you,"
Her eyes widened and she grinned. "You love me?"
"I love you," he repeated.
Standing on her toes she kissed him, lingering in the passion. When she pulled away she saw the look in his eyes. He needed to know. "I love you too Harm, I have for a long time."
His hand slipped to the back of her neck as he kissed her again, a long lingering kiss, which neither seeming to mind doing even though they were standing in the parking area of JAG Headquarters.
Until they heard a throat being cleared and they looked, seeing the Admiral had pull up near them.
"Go home," he ordered before driving away.
Harm and Sera laughed, feeling like a couple of teenagers. At least it made their lives interesting, theirs, the Admirals and everyone else's at JAG.
"Lets go home," Harm suggested opening the door for her.
"Yours or mine?" She asked as she got in.
Getting into the sports car, Harm smiled. "We could flip for it?"
Laughing Sera took out a quarter and flipped it in the air, catching it. "Heads or tails?"
"Heads," he called.
Without looking at the coin, she lent closer and kissed him. "Then I guess it's your place,"
"I guess it is," he agreed.
To be continued.
Okay there's chapter four, please review and let me know what you think and thanks again to everyone who has reviewed - A.S.