Chapter 3

Home is where your best friend is

Wednesday 0845

JAG Headquarters

Out of the office emerged Bud, Harriet, Sturgis and Gunny. The people in the bullpen looked at each other curiously, all wondering the same thing: why were Rabb and the mystery woman still in there? They tried to ask Bud, Harriet, Sturgis and Gunny about it, but none of them would say anything other than, "she's an old friend", neither would they confirm nor deny any of the rumours that had begun to circulate around the office. The four of them all headed to their respective offices of desks and started to work. Realising that they would get nothing out of any of them, the rest of the staff gave up and resumed their work.

0846

The Admiral's office

JAG headquarters

"Now that they're gone, I want to ask you something, Mac"

"Of course, sir."

"I'm going to be blunt. Do you want your job back? Because we're currently understaffed and you're one damn good lawyer and I for one would love to have you back. That is, of course, if you plan on staying here."

Mac was taken off guard by this question. Did she want her old job back?

"Actually, sir, I hadn't really actually thought that far. Yes I do plan on staying here - I'm getting a divorce and moving back as soon as I can - but I hadn't even got around to considering my job status. Mind you..." she considered it for a moment. Just the thought of working at the JAG again was wonderful. She hadn't realised how much she had missed it until she had come back. Not to mention that she would get to see her best friend every day again.

"Well, now that I think about it...Hell yeah!" she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Ah, I mean, er, yes, sir, I would like that very much."

"Excellent. Commander Rabb, I believe that you have been needing a new partner, ever since your last one decided to high-tail it to New Jersey, is that right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well I have a proposition for you. I did already have someone lined up for you, but seeing as you seem to work best when working with someone you know and trust, I think that the Colonel here would be an excellent choice."

Harm's face lit up like a four-year-old's on Christmas morning, making Mac laugh at him, although in truth she was just as delighted, if not more so, with the proposition as Harm was.

"I take it that there are no objections?" the Admiral asked, knowing fully well that there was no way on earth that either of the two officers were going to turn this one down.

"No, sir." they replied simultaneously.

"Good. Colonel, when do you want to start work?"

"As soon as I can, sir. Although I still have a few things to sort out such as my job back in LA, where I'm going to live and of course I still have to file for a divorce. Which I plan on going today or tomorrow, just as soon as get up the nerve to call him. Besides, the sooner I start, the sooner I can get my mind off everything else."

"Excellent. You start tomorrow. Do you have a uniform?"

"Tomorrow, sir? You'd really let me start tomorrow? That's wonderful, only no, I don't have a uniform. They're all back in LA. Although, come to think of it, I haven't actually worn a uniform since I left."

"Then I suggest that you get used to wearing one again, because if I have anything to say about it you'll be working here for a long time." The Admiral told her. "Now, about this dilemma. I'm sure that you could get your uniforms sent up here by your husband, but you'll still need something for the next few days. I suggest that you..."

"Ah, actually, I have one." Harm interrupted quietly. Both Mac and the Admiral turned and looked hard at Harm, trying not to stare.

"Harm, as much as I appreciate your generous offer, somehow I don't think that any of your uniforms would fit me." Mac told him, trying hard not to laugh at his ridiculous offer.

Harm rolled his eyes. "Not one of my uniforms, jarhead, one of yours."

Now Mac and he Admiral really did stare at him. No one said anything for a minute, until Mac finally managed to speak up.

"And exactly how, may I ask , is it that you have one of my uniforms?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, ah..."

"Yes, Commander? I'd very much like to know this story too." the Admiral said.

"We-ell, about three weeks after you left, Mac, I was at the dry cleaners picking up my dress whites when one of the people asked if I worked at the JAG office, because one of the people there had put in a uniform for cleaning and hadn't come back to get it. When I told them I did, they asked me to tell a certain Colonel Mackenzie that her uniform was there and waiting to be picked up. So..." Harm shrugged, "I paid for it and told them that I'd give it to you. I meant to send it to you, but I never got around to it and I eventually forgot about it." He finished up.

In actual truth, he hadn't forgotten about the uniform at all, but kept I hanging in his wardrobe to remind him of his favourite marine who he had missed so much. But of course, he wasn't going to tell them that...although the looks on their faces would have been priceless if he did.

By this time both the Admiral and Mac were staring disbelievingly at him. It was Mac who finally broke the awkward silence.

"I was wondering where my spare uniform had got to. And you had it all this time and you never once mentioned it to me? Why not?"

Harm tried to work out how to answer her question. Not only had he not forgotten about her uniform, but he had never really had any intention of returning it to her. How on earth was he going to explain that to her? The answer: he wasn't.

"Actually, I'm not really sure, Mac. I just guess that when you called there were more important things to talk about it and it just slipped my mind."

Liar his mind screamed. The amount of times that he had sat talking to her while staring at her uniform....

"Riiiiiiiiight..." he could tell that Mac didn't believe him, but she had decided to drop it so he wasn't complaining. He would just have to talk to her later. Alone.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying, Colonel. If you could start work on Monday next week then that would be wonderful. At the moment we're so short handed that it's not funny. And with Harriet leaving next week..."

She cut the Admiral off mid sentence. "What do you mean, leaving?"

"Oh not actually leaving, but going on leave. She's taking a month of personal leave, to spend more time with her son I believe, which is going to throw the office into chaos, at least until someone can work out how her filing system works. Plus the newest attorney that we hired just isn't cutting it. He doesn't seem to know anything at all about law and I'm amazed that he even passed his exams. But with you back on the scene then hopefully things will start to pick up. We've missed you, you know. And we've missed having you around the office."

"Yeah, and I've missed someone to fight with and go up against in court, and I know that the rest of the office has missed our fighting, even if they wouldn't be caught dead admitting it. I mean after all, for five years or so we were the main entertainment at the office. No one could out-fight us." Harm added. Mac snorted.

"Whatever you say, flyboy."

"Will you two please take it outside." the Admiral cut in, starting to get annoyed with them already. As much as it's going to be good to have her back again, I can tell that things around this office are going to get a whole lot more interesting. Almost the way that they were three or four years ago... the Admiral inwardly flinched as the realisation of what he had just though hit him. ...three to four years ago...oh, no. With Mac getting a divorce this is going to be her and Harm dancing around each other yet again. He sighed inwardly. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to cope with this. The tension level of his office was about to go right up...

"Colonel, I expect to see you here first thing Monday morning. Don't worry about your LA firm, I'll give them a call and explain to them the situation and tell them that I would have gone through the proper procedures had we not been so desperate for a decent lawyer. Colonel, go home and....wait, scrap that. Go and find somewhere to stay while you're here and Commander, go with her. She'll need a car anyway. That will be all. Dismissed."

"Aye, sir" they replied, snapping to attention before turning and walking out of his door. He observed as Harm held the door open for Mac, allowing her and Ali, who had fallen asleep again, to pass through first.

Yep thought AJ as he watched them leave. He's still in love with her. And deep down she is still in love with him. Both of their lives are about to get incredibly complicated. Again.

Wednesday 0905

JAG headquarters

Everyone stopped what they were doing when the door to the admiral's office opened again. Of course, they made it look like they were working, however they were all stealing as many 'subtle' glances at the two people now heading towards Harriet's office. Once again the silent and unspoken questions were on everyone's minds. Who is she? What does Commander Rabb have to do with her? Where are they going? Why are they leaving so early? What's for lunch? What did the Admiral want with them, he didn't seem angry? What's with the kid?

A knock on her door took Harriet away from her files and for the third time in a row she lost her train of thought. Darn it she thought, slightly annoyed at whoever was knocking on her door. She sighed. Oh well, it's not their fault that I lost my concentration.

"Enter." she called out. The door swung open and Harm and Mac stepped in, Mac still with a sleeping Ali resting on her hip.

"Hi Harriet." Mac greeted her.

"Hello, Mac." In the time that Mac had been away shed finally managed to break Harriet of her habit of calling her "ma'am" when they were out of uniform. Now it looked like she was going to have to make it a habit once more. Mac chuckled at the thought and Harriet looked at her questioningly.

"Oh, it's nothing, Harriet. It's just that it took me so long to get you to call me 'Mac' and now I'm going to have to make you call me 'ma'am' all over again."

Harriet looked at her, somewhat confused.

"I'm coming back to work here, Harriet. The Admiral said that the office was in desperate need of more lawyers and he gave me my old job back. I even get to be partnered with Harm again."

Harriet's expression went from confusion to joy and she immediately stood up and threw her a quick salute. "That's wonderful, ma'am. We've really missed you, you know."

"Thanks Harriet. I've missed you too, you know. I was just wondering if you could do me a favour."

"Sure, ma'am. What do you want?"

"A divorce, but that's no what I came to ask you for. Actually, I was wondering if you could give me the number for little AJ's daycare. I really don't want to leave Ali alone, but I can't bring here to work and besides, she used to go to daycare back home, it's just that she won't know anyone. And I figured that I could get her acquainted with AJ over the weekend so then she wouldn't feel so intimidated by everything when she got there."

Harriet beamed at the idea. "Of course, ma'am. I think that's a wonderful idea. Why don't you come around sometime on Saturday? How does 1600 sound?"

"Sounds wonderful."

"Good, I'll tell Bud. Here's the number." she said, scribbling a phone number and an address onto a piece of paper. "Just give them a call and explain your situation to them and mention the fact that you want her to be with AJ and I'm sure they'll let you in. If not, call me and I'll find you another place to try."

"Thanks Harriet." Mac said sincerely. "You're a wonderful friend. I'll see you on Saturday. Oh, and don't be surprised if Harm turns up as well. Because I have a feeling that he's going to be the unlucky one whose car I'm going to be borrowing for the next week." the two women laughed and Harm rolled his eyes.

"Okay then. Bye sir, ma'am. I'll see you later."

"Bye Harriet."

Harm and Mac exited Harriet's office and headed for the elevators, acutely aware of the many sets of eyes following them from the bullpen.

"Right then, marine. Where to next?" Harm asked once they were inside the elevator, heading towards to ground floor.

"Your place, so I can get the marriage papers from my bag and access to a phone that will make interstate calls. I have some unfinished business to sort out."

A/N: Wheeeeeeeeee! So? Whaddaya think? Any suggestions for what should happen? Please review as you read. After all, the more reviews I get, the more and the faster I shall write. Plus I very much appreciate constructive criticism and if I have made any mistakes, please tell me and I'll fix them up.

And to 'sunchaser2', the answer to your question is in chapter one.

She had transferred temporarily to help out a civilian lawyers office in LA and when Ali had been born she had asked to be stationed there permanently. She also requested to be kept out of fieldwork for the Marines so that she could look after her child.

She basically served in a civilian lawyers office but she was still in the marines, on inactive duty, or in reserve or something. But you get the idea.