The next four weeks went quickly Mac had presided over five courts martial
as well as other hearings. On top of which she and Harm had started
attending Lamaze's classes, Mac couldn't help laughing as Harm went green
as they watched birthing video.
"One more on Monday and then no more courts martial for two months." Mac said with a sigh of relief as they left court on a Friday afternoon.
"It's been a busy month ma'am." Jen picked up a note from her desk. "Ma'am, Admiral Chegwidden would like to see us as soon as possible."
"No rest for the wicked or the pregnant. Let's go."
"Yes ma'am."
"Tiner, the Admiral wants to see us?" Mac questioned as they got to Tiner's desk.
"He said to tell you to go right in ma'am."
"Thank you." Mac tapped on the door.
"Enter." AJ called.
"You wanted to see us sir?" Mac said as they walked or in Mac's case waddled in.
"Yes. Please take a seat." Mac and Jen sat down.
"Petty Officer Coates, I'll start with you. I'm happy to inform you that you are being promoted to Petty Officer First Class congratulations."
"Me sir?" Jen questioned.
"I don't have any other Petty Officer Second Class Jennifer Coates in the building. It becomes official in two weeks."
"Congratulations Jen." Mac smiled. "You deserve it."
"I didn't know I was up for promotion." She mumbled.
"I recommended you, along with Admiral Morris, Harm, Sturgis, Bud and of course Admiral Chegwidden."
"Thank you ma'am."
"Now Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie, congratulations on your promotion to full Colonel too." AJ said.
"Promotion, they do realise that I'm eight months pregnant?"
"Yes, the recommendation for promotion came directly from the SecNav and he was present for the announcement at your wedding reception as well seeing you since then so I'd they knew you were pregnant. We'll be holding a promotion ceremony for you both two weeks today before you go on maternity leave congratulations to both of you."
"Does anyone else know about this sir?" Mac asked.
"I thought I'd inform you both before the promotion list came out. Besides Harm will have to listen to him since you out rank him now."
"Yes sir." Mac smiled.
"That's all. Do you need any help getting up Mac?"
"Maybe a good idea sir." AJ rounded the desk and helped her out of the chair.
"Thank you sir." Jen stood to attention as Mac thanked him.
"Dismissed." AJ said.
"Aye aye sir." Both Mac and Jen sounded off.
"Tell him the good news and I'll go and find Harm, I doubt we'll get anything else done today."
"Yes ma'am."
"Tell me what Jen?" Mac heard Tiner ask as she headed towards Harm's office.
"Hey Sailor got a minute?" Mac asked. "Sorry I'll come back." She said when she realised he was on the phone.
"No, come in and sit down." He beckoned. "Teresa, Mac's here can I call you back later?" He said into the phone. "I'll tell her, talk to you later... bye." He hung up. "Teresa says hi and to put your feet up."
"When you talk to her say I said hi too."
"So this a social call?" He asked. "Or did I do something?"
"Jen's promotion came through." She said to start.
"That's great news. How did she take the news?"
"I think she was shocked." Mac replied.
"Well no-one told she was up for promotion so I can see why."
"You know the SecNav likes me?" She said.
"Okay." He said slightly suspicious.
"We really need to pick names; we don't have much time left."
"You don't like any of my suggestions." He said with a shrug. "But you're changing the subject. What happened with the SecNav they're not sending you somewhere are they or making you transfer to his office?"
"No. You know you don't have a problem with me being a judge?"
"Yes?" He questioned hesitantly.
"How do you feel about me outranking you?"
"They're promoting you to full-bird colonel?" He questioned. She nodded.
"On the SecNav's recommendation, goes through in two weeks. The Admiral is having a promotion ceremony for me and Jen on my last day before I go on maternity leave."
"You're not going to make me salute you are?" He questioned.
"Only when necessary. There have got be some perks besides the pay bump."
"Congratulations. What about Jeremy?" He suggested.
"No. I think we're going to have to resort to throwing a dart at the book."
"We'll think of something, we have four weeks."
"If it has your sense of timing it will be more than four weeks."
"I maybe late but I'm worth waiting for."
"That's debatable." She said with a smile.
TBC
"One more on Monday and then no more courts martial for two months." Mac said with a sigh of relief as they left court on a Friday afternoon.
"It's been a busy month ma'am." Jen picked up a note from her desk. "Ma'am, Admiral Chegwidden would like to see us as soon as possible."
"No rest for the wicked or the pregnant. Let's go."
"Yes ma'am."
"Tiner, the Admiral wants to see us?" Mac questioned as they got to Tiner's desk.
"He said to tell you to go right in ma'am."
"Thank you." Mac tapped on the door.
"Enter." AJ called.
"You wanted to see us sir?" Mac said as they walked or in Mac's case waddled in.
"Yes. Please take a seat." Mac and Jen sat down.
"Petty Officer Coates, I'll start with you. I'm happy to inform you that you are being promoted to Petty Officer First Class congratulations."
"Me sir?" Jen questioned.
"I don't have any other Petty Officer Second Class Jennifer Coates in the building. It becomes official in two weeks."
"Congratulations Jen." Mac smiled. "You deserve it."
"I didn't know I was up for promotion." She mumbled.
"I recommended you, along with Admiral Morris, Harm, Sturgis, Bud and of course Admiral Chegwidden."
"Thank you ma'am."
"Now Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie, congratulations on your promotion to full Colonel too." AJ said.
"Promotion, they do realise that I'm eight months pregnant?"
"Yes, the recommendation for promotion came directly from the SecNav and he was present for the announcement at your wedding reception as well seeing you since then so I'd they knew you were pregnant. We'll be holding a promotion ceremony for you both two weeks today before you go on maternity leave congratulations to both of you."
"Does anyone else know about this sir?" Mac asked.
"I thought I'd inform you both before the promotion list came out. Besides Harm will have to listen to him since you out rank him now."
"Yes sir." Mac smiled.
"That's all. Do you need any help getting up Mac?"
"Maybe a good idea sir." AJ rounded the desk and helped her out of the chair.
"Thank you sir." Jen stood to attention as Mac thanked him.
"Dismissed." AJ said.
"Aye aye sir." Both Mac and Jen sounded off.
"Tell him the good news and I'll go and find Harm, I doubt we'll get anything else done today."
"Yes ma'am."
"Tell me what Jen?" Mac heard Tiner ask as she headed towards Harm's office.
"Hey Sailor got a minute?" Mac asked. "Sorry I'll come back." She said when she realised he was on the phone.
"No, come in and sit down." He beckoned. "Teresa, Mac's here can I call you back later?" He said into the phone. "I'll tell her, talk to you later... bye." He hung up. "Teresa says hi and to put your feet up."
"When you talk to her say I said hi too."
"So this a social call?" He asked. "Or did I do something?"
"Jen's promotion came through." She said to start.
"That's great news. How did she take the news?"
"I think she was shocked." Mac replied.
"Well no-one told she was up for promotion so I can see why."
"You know the SecNav likes me?" She said.
"Okay." He said slightly suspicious.
"We really need to pick names; we don't have much time left."
"You don't like any of my suggestions." He said with a shrug. "But you're changing the subject. What happened with the SecNav they're not sending you somewhere are they or making you transfer to his office?"
"No. You know you don't have a problem with me being a judge?"
"Yes?" He questioned hesitantly.
"How do you feel about me outranking you?"
"They're promoting you to full-bird colonel?" He questioned. She nodded.
"On the SecNav's recommendation, goes through in two weeks. The Admiral is having a promotion ceremony for me and Jen on my last day before I go on maternity leave."
"You're not going to make me salute you are?" He questioned.
"Only when necessary. There have got be some perks besides the pay bump."
"Congratulations. What about Jeremy?" He suggested.
"No. I think we're going to have to resort to throwing a dart at the book."
"We'll think of something, we have four weeks."
"If it has your sense of timing it will be more than four weeks."
"I maybe late but I'm worth waiting for."
"That's debatable." She said with a smile.
TBC