JAG and it's character's don't belong to me. I'm only playing in Mr. Bellisario's world. Any characters NOT taken directly from JAG or making cameo appearances from other televison shows DO belong to me.
A/N: Thoughts are in *'s
Chapter 8
"Harm, hang up." It had been a long night, but now it was time to get back to the real world. "I have to go to work today..."
Harm cut her off mid-sentence. "You're wound up pretty tight - let me call the Admiral, tell him you need a couple of personal days. I'll make arrangements to have Wednesday off- so far at least, my case load is light enough that it shouldn't be an issue. You can go back to work next week."
"Harm, I've already put in for leave next week. Remember Chloe? Disneyland? Besides, the last thing I need is to sit around for two days to do nothing but worry myself to death. At work I can be distracted."
"You're not really thinking about still taking Chloe to Florida? Mac, I think this is enough excitement for -"
"I made a promise to my little sister. I am not about to break that promise short of being recalled from leave. Chloe's life has improved drastically, but I am not about to have her think that she suddenly is taking second seat to someone else."
Harm sighed. He recognize her mind-set and there was no way he was going to sway her. "Let's go then. How do you propose that we both manage to get Wednesday off?"
"I can't guarantee that we will. I'll talk to the Admiral this morning. And I will tell him that I'm going to need all of the support that I can get. Maybe he had a good weekend and is feeling generous."
Harm's voice softened, "Are you sure that you can face this alone?"
Mac stopped, her hand on the door, "I am a marine, you know." She paused for a moment and rested her head on the open door, "I'll do what I have to. Kate will be there if I need her. I want you to be there too, but if it doesn't work then it doesn't. My concern right now is whether or not I'm going to be able to get the time."
Harm followed her out the door. He hoped that she was up to the challenges today was going to bring. She still looked like she had seen all the ghosts in the world, but maybe she was right. Working would help to keep her mind of the rest of the week.
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Mac stopped in front of Tiner's desk. "Does the Admiral have a few minutes this morning?"
After checking the calendar, he replied, "Unless it's important, he can see you at 1000 - will that work?"
"Yes, thank you."
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Mac's internal clock reminded her that it was 0955. She stood up, took a deep breath, and saw Harm come through her door. "Are you going to see the Admiral?"
"Yes. Nothing huge came up at the Staff Meeting so I'm hoping this is going to be easy." From the look on her face, Harm could tell this was going to be anything but easy.
"I know what you said this morning, but I'm still offering... would you like some company?"
Mac took another deep breath. "Yeah, I think so. Let's go before we're late."
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The Admiral's intercom beeped, followed by Tiner's voice, "Admiral, Colonel McKenzie and Commander Rabb here to see you, sir."
The door opened and his two senior attorney's entered and came to attention in front of his desk.
"Have a seat. What's on your mind?" The Admiral was astute enough to see that something was going on, and it didn't look good. **Which one of them is going to deliver the bad news?** he wondered.
Mac was clenching her hands in her lap, and was looking anywhere but at him. "Sir, I need to request a personal day for myself and Commander Rabb on Wednesday, Sir."
**Two sir's in once sentence? And from Mac? Tiner, on a bad day? Yeah, but not usually from any of the senior staff.** "You're going to have to do better than that, Colonel. And I'm not sure it's up to you to ask for a personal day for the Commander." **Good Lord, was Harm scowling at him? What in the hell had happened this weekend?**
"Sir, you know that my life before joining the Corps was... um... difficult. And it seems that one of my... indiscretions has once again reared it's head." Before the Admiral could question that statement, she forced herself to continue. "When I was sixteen, I had a child. I abandoned her and left her with Kate's mom. She is flying in today and I'm supposed to meet her on Wednesday." In a gesture so out of place, Harm reached over and put his hand on her arm. Just for a second, but it was enough. Mac saw the Admiral watching, closed her eyes and waited for the storm.
"What is this going to do to your plans for next week, Colonel?"
Mac opened her eyes and stared at the Admiral. **That's it? Nothing about me and Harm? That must be coming later.** "I am still planning to take Chloe to Florida, sir."
"I'm sure she'd understand if you needed to do it another time." Chegwidden was still trying to work his mind around what his Chief of Staff had told him. Although this discussion was buying him the time he needed, he knew that they knew what he was doing.
"I made a promise, sir." Was all that Mac could say.
Chegwidden thought for a few more minutes before he returned to her original question. "Right now things are slow enough that I don't have a problem granting you both leave on Wednesday. Commander, you need to be in the office on Thursday, regardless of what else happens. The last thing I need is the SecNav coming down here and my entire senior staff has taken a holiday. Colonel, if something happens that you need the rest of the week I'm willing to let you take it, but you'll have to postpone your leave the following week."
Mac swallowed hard. She knew that he was trying to be as fair as he could, but she didn't like even the possibility that she was going to have to hurt Chloe's feelings.
"She's a big girl, Colonel," Chegwidden added. "I think she's old enough to understand that sometimes things come up."
"Dismissed." The Admiral went back to the files on his desk.
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"Did you expect the Admiral to let me off that ea sily?" Mac questioned Harm over dinner Monday night. "I just knew I was going to get a lecture about taking after you and letting emotions overrule my common sense."
Harm snorted something. Mac decided maybe she didn't want to know what he said and continued. "Do you think we could go to the airport?"
"Why?" was the guarded response.
"Rachel's flight is supposed to be landing soon, right?" Harm nodded. "I want to see her before Wednesday."
"Maaac... Kate told me what time she gets in - not what airline. We could spend all night running around up there and never see her. Then there's the chance that we run right into them and mess things up."
"I don't think I can wait. My nerves are going to kill me."
"If Kate didn't think she needed some kind of discipline, I wouldn't have a problem. I just don't want to wind up in some kind of teen-age meltdown in the middle of the airport." He could see Mac working up a complaint, so he finished quickly, "Kate knows her far better than you or I. Let's trust her to know what is going to work best."
Mac looked down at her plate, and Harm knew she was fighting back tears. "Fine," she sighed. "We'll do it her way. One two conditions."
"Name them and you've got them."
"You can't leave me here alone. How I'm going to make it through work tomorrow I don't know, but I need company at night."
"No problem there. What's the second?"
"You have to realize that I might not be the best company in the world and put up with me."
Harm smiled. "I think I can manage that."
