"Hey Jen is she busy?" Harm asked as he walked up to her desk.
"She's work on some Freedom of Information Act requests. But you can go in."
"Thanks."
"Er, sir." Jen said Harm turned to look at her. "You might want to take her these." She handed him a box of tissues. "Good luck with your quals."
"Thanks Jen." He tapped on the door before he entered. Mac wiped her eyes as she looked up at him. "That depressing huh?" He asked. "Here." He handed her the box of tissues.
"Thank you." She wiped her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I have to leave in thirty minutes. I thought I'd come and say goodbye and see how you were doing."
"I'm doing just great. How are you doing?" She tried to smile but couldn't force herself to.
"I can see that. I'll be back on Sunday."
"What if you're not?" She asked.
"I will be. I promise and I don't make promises I can't keep."
"You can't say that for certain. It's a calculated risk every time you go up that you might not come back down."
"It's a calculated risk every time you step out the front door."
"You're not helping here." Tears ran down her face.
"I'm sorry. I call you every time I land to let you know I made it back safe." He offered.
"That will be even worse. If you don't call on schedule I'll panic even more. Just promise me you'll do everything by the book and not pull any stunts."
"You know me." He smiled.
"That's why I want you to promise me you won't."
"I promise everything by the book."
"Good. Give me a hug, tell me you love me and then go before I change my mind about not handcuffing you to me so you're not out my sight." He knelt down beside her and hugged her.
"I love you and I'll be back on Sunday I promise."
"I love you too. Be careful we need you."
"I need you too. I love you too kid." He put a hand on Mac's stomach. "Be good while I'm gone."
"Now go please." She watched as he walked out and the door closed behind him.
"Jen." Harm said on the other side of the door.
"We'll keep an eye on her for you sir."
"Thank you."
~
"Petty Officer is Colonel Mackenzie in?" AJ asked.
"Yes sir. But now isn't a good time Admiral."
"Does she have someone in with her?" He inquired.
"No sir."
"She on the phone?"
"No sir."
"Taking a nap?" He continued.
"No sir."
"So why isn't it a good time?" He asked.
"It's not my place to say sir."
"Petty Officer." He sounded slightly angry.
"She's upset sir. Commander Rabb left about ten minutes ago. She only found out about his quals this morning. She asked to be left alone for a while."
"Damn him, I told him to tell a month ago."
"Yes sir. Admiral was it important sir?"
"I needed to go over some of last year's budget with her."
"Is it urgent sir or can it wait until Monday? She has the whole morning blocked out to finish her the requests she's working on."
"It can wait. Keep an eye on her Petty Officer."
"I'm already on it sir."
"Good."
TBC
"She's work on some Freedom of Information Act requests. But you can go in."
"Thanks."
"Er, sir." Jen said Harm turned to look at her. "You might want to take her these." She handed him a box of tissues. "Good luck with your quals."
"Thanks Jen." He tapped on the door before he entered. Mac wiped her eyes as she looked up at him. "That depressing huh?" He asked. "Here." He handed her the box of tissues.
"Thank you." She wiped her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I have to leave in thirty minutes. I thought I'd come and say goodbye and see how you were doing."
"I'm doing just great. How are you doing?" She tried to smile but couldn't force herself to.
"I can see that. I'll be back on Sunday."
"What if you're not?" She asked.
"I will be. I promise and I don't make promises I can't keep."
"You can't say that for certain. It's a calculated risk every time you go up that you might not come back down."
"It's a calculated risk every time you step out the front door."
"You're not helping here." Tears ran down her face.
"I'm sorry. I call you every time I land to let you know I made it back safe." He offered.
"That will be even worse. If you don't call on schedule I'll panic even more. Just promise me you'll do everything by the book and not pull any stunts."
"You know me." He smiled.
"That's why I want you to promise me you won't."
"I promise everything by the book."
"Good. Give me a hug, tell me you love me and then go before I change my mind about not handcuffing you to me so you're not out my sight." He knelt down beside her and hugged her.
"I love you and I'll be back on Sunday I promise."
"I love you too. Be careful we need you."
"I need you too. I love you too kid." He put a hand on Mac's stomach. "Be good while I'm gone."
"Now go please." She watched as he walked out and the door closed behind him.
"Jen." Harm said on the other side of the door.
"We'll keep an eye on her for you sir."
"Thank you."
~
"Petty Officer is Colonel Mackenzie in?" AJ asked.
"Yes sir. But now isn't a good time Admiral."
"Does she have someone in with her?" He inquired.
"No sir."
"She on the phone?"
"No sir."
"Taking a nap?" He continued.
"No sir."
"So why isn't it a good time?" He asked.
"It's not my place to say sir."
"Petty Officer." He sounded slightly angry.
"She's upset sir. Commander Rabb left about ten minutes ago. She only found out about his quals this morning. She asked to be left alone for a while."
"Damn him, I told him to tell a month ago."
"Yes sir. Admiral was it important sir?"
"I needed to go over some of last year's budget with her."
"Is it urgent sir or can it wait until Monday? She has the whole morning blocked out to finish her the requests she's working on."
"It can wait. Keep an eye on her Petty Officer."
"I'm already on it sir."
"Good."
TBC