Chapter 1
JAG Headquarters Falls Church VA
Harmon Rabb Jr. stood at the door of his partner, and one time best friend, Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie's office. Just as he was about to knock, Mac looked up and waved him in.
"Good morning, Sailor."
"I'll let you know after they announce the verdict on the Mendenhaul case."
"Pretty tough, huh?" She tried to look sympathetic.
"This is one time I REALLY wish I'd been prosecuting." Defending clients he didn't believe in were the most difficult cases for Harm. He was pretty sure his client was guilty as sin but his own sense of honor precluded him from giving anything other than the best defense possible.
"Hey, Mattie wants to know if you want to join her and Jen at the apartment tonight for their weekly, girl's Friday night at the movies?"
"Sounds like fun, but what do you..."
Interrupted by the ringing phone, Mac held up one finger.
"MacKenzie. Hi.....mmn,..... What?....Ah huh....... Oh yeah, sure I understand."
Harm could see Mac's 'I'm a marine' façade slowly rising. Whatever was being said on the other end of the line, she wasn't happy about.
"I agree. Really, it's a great opportunity. Another time. Love you." Mac remained staring at the handset long after hanging up.
Harm cringed at the thought of who was on the line. He didn't really want to go there, but he could tell what ever it was, it had really upset her and she was trying to hide it.
Looking up from the phone she'd been so focused on. Mac was desperately fighting the tears that were waiting to gush.
Instantly overwhelmed by concern for his marine, Harm completely forgot about his own discomfort with the phone call and stepped around closer, leaning against her desk.
They were getting their old rhythm back but things still weren't quite where they used to be. Though tempted to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he settled for just being near her.
"Hey, everything okay?"
"Sorry, yeah. That was Chloe."
Harm felt the tension whoosh out of his body as though some one had opened the valve on a rubber raft.
"She was suppose to come spend spring break with me. The varsity soccer team is doing an exhibition tour through England and Scotland over spring break."
"Chloe's on JV right?" Harm interrupted.
"Yeah, but two girls from varsity were in a car accident last night and won't be able to go. They're pulling two girls from JV to fill their spots."
"And Chloe's one of them." Now he understood.
"Yeah, she is. I'm happy for her, really I am." She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Harm or herself.
One by one, the tears starting rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she wiped a tear away just as another would fall in it's place.
"I shouldn't be this upset. I don't know why I'm reacting this way. I'm not usually this emotional."
Leaning closer, Harm reached out with his handkerchief. He wiped the tears on either side of her face, then handed her the hanky.
"It's okay. It's obvious you've been looking forward to this for a while." He didn't know what else to say.
"How about if you bring whatever favorite chick flick you feel like for tonight. I'll stop at Chang's on my way home and pick up some of your favorite dead animal dishes." He raised one eyebrow hoping he was lifting her spirits.
"Then you can come by my place for dinner before you and the girls do your Friday night thing. What do you say?"
"I don't know if I'd be very good company now." She sniffled.
"Nonsense. Mattie would be very disappointed if you didn't come." Hesitating momentarily, he added, "so would I."
A glimmer of a smile began to appear. "What exactly will you be doing while we girls are indulging in these chick flicks?"
"I get to start on the Mendenhaul appeal." He exited her office grinning.
Later that night Harms apt. Near Union Station
Watching Mac merely pushing food around on her plate, Harm was glad he'd convinced her to accept the invitation. He was more than a little concerned for her. It wasn't normal for Mac to let herself breakdown like that at the office. Especially, over something so simple. Not that Chloe wasn't important to Mac. It's just that Mac's faced disappointment before without falling apart. Now he had to wonder if why she was so easily upset today was also affecting her appetite.
"What's the matter Mac, too many vegetables?"
"No, it's delicious." Seeing the look on his face, "really, it's great."
"Then why is most of it still on your plate?"
"I guess I'm just not with it today. I don't feel much like eating, my stomach hasn't been cooperating lately. Too much stress at work." She let the fork fall on the plate, ending the pretense of being hungry.
"Do you think you're coming down with something?" He wasn't sure she was in the mood to have him asking the obvious, but he really was getting worried about her.
"Like I said, probably stress." Mac stood up from the table.
"Is there something besides Chloe bothering you? I mean, I know this has been one hell of a year, for all of us."
Saying nothing, Mac glared at Harm as if to say, 'you are kidding.'
"Okay, so maybe I have a gift for understatement. But something is up." Harm tried his bashful, shrug your shoulders, take pity on an old sailor, look. It didn't work.
"I'm fine, really. Let's just get this mess cleaned up." Mac began clearing the table. "Do you have any fruit?" she asked carrying the dishes to the sink.
"Yeah in the bottom left drawer of the fridge. I've got some oranges and I think bananas." He replied following behind her.
"You wouldn't happen to have any mangos?"
"MANGOS? No, and since when do you eat Mangos?"
Mac couldn't resist laughing at the bewildered look on Harm's face.
"I fail to see what's so humorous about my not having mangos." Harm asked crossing his arms in front of him.
"If you scrunch your face up any more it's going to crack Harmon Rabb. It's no big deal, I just thought a mango might be nice."
Completely confused by Mac's sudden interest in fruit, Harm sighed in resignation.
"Okay, what if after the movie we hit Baskin Robins and see if they have some sort of mango flavored ice cream?"
"Now that's the way to treat a lady. You're on." She smiled gleefully as she grabbed the dvd she'd brought and headed over to Mattie and Jen's.
Shaking his head, Harm closed the door behind her. 'Go figure.'
JAG Headquarters Falls Church VA
Harmon Rabb Jr. stood at the door of his partner, and one time best friend, Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie's office. Just as he was about to knock, Mac looked up and waved him in.
"Good morning, Sailor."
"I'll let you know after they announce the verdict on the Mendenhaul case."
"Pretty tough, huh?" She tried to look sympathetic.
"This is one time I REALLY wish I'd been prosecuting." Defending clients he didn't believe in were the most difficult cases for Harm. He was pretty sure his client was guilty as sin but his own sense of honor precluded him from giving anything other than the best defense possible.
"Hey, Mattie wants to know if you want to join her and Jen at the apartment tonight for their weekly, girl's Friday night at the movies?"
"Sounds like fun, but what do you..."
Interrupted by the ringing phone, Mac held up one finger.
"MacKenzie. Hi.....mmn,..... What?....Ah huh....... Oh yeah, sure I understand."
Harm could see Mac's 'I'm a marine' façade slowly rising. Whatever was being said on the other end of the line, she wasn't happy about.
"I agree. Really, it's a great opportunity. Another time. Love you." Mac remained staring at the handset long after hanging up.
Harm cringed at the thought of who was on the line. He didn't really want to go there, but he could tell what ever it was, it had really upset her and she was trying to hide it.
Looking up from the phone she'd been so focused on. Mac was desperately fighting the tears that were waiting to gush.
Instantly overwhelmed by concern for his marine, Harm completely forgot about his own discomfort with the phone call and stepped around closer, leaning against her desk.
They were getting their old rhythm back but things still weren't quite where they used to be. Though tempted to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he settled for just being near her.
"Hey, everything okay?"
"Sorry, yeah. That was Chloe."
Harm felt the tension whoosh out of his body as though some one had opened the valve on a rubber raft.
"She was suppose to come spend spring break with me. The varsity soccer team is doing an exhibition tour through England and Scotland over spring break."
"Chloe's on JV right?" Harm interrupted.
"Yeah, but two girls from varsity were in a car accident last night and won't be able to go. They're pulling two girls from JV to fill their spots."
"And Chloe's one of them." Now he understood.
"Yeah, she is. I'm happy for her, really I am." She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Harm or herself.
One by one, the tears starting rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she wiped a tear away just as another would fall in it's place.
"I shouldn't be this upset. I don't know why I'm reacting this way. I'm not usually this emotional."
Leaning closer, Harm reached out with his handkerchief. He wiped the tears on either side of her face, then handed her the hanky.
"It's okay. It's obvious you've been looking forward to this for a while." He didn't know what else to say.
"How about if you bring whatever favorite chick flick you feel like for tonight. I'll stop at Chang's on my way home and pick up some of your favorite dead animal dishes." He raised one eyebrow hoping he was lifting her spirits.
"Then you can come by my place for dinner before you and the girls do your Friday night thing. What do you say?"
"I don't know if I'd be very good company now." She sniffled.
"Nonsense. Mattie would be very disappointed if you didn't come." Hesitating momentarily, he added, "so would I."
A glimmer of a smile began to appear. "What exactly will you be doing while we girls are indulging in these chick flicks?"
"I get to start on the Mendenhaul appeal." He exited her office grinning.
Later that night Harms apt. Near Union Station
Watching Mac merely pushing food around on her plate, Harm was glad he'd convinced her to accept the invitation. He was more than a little concerned for her. It wasn't normal for Mac to let herself breakdown like that at the office. Especially, over something so simple. Not that Chloe wasn't important to Mac. It's just that Mac's faced disappointment before without falling apart. Now he had to wonder if why she was so easily upset today was also affecting her appetite.
"What's the matter Mac, too many vegetables?"
"No, it's delicious." Seeing the look on his face, "really, it's great."
"Then why is most of it still on your plate?"
"I guess I'm just not with it today. I don't feel much like eating, my stomach hasn't been cooperating lately. Too much stress at work." She let the fork fall on the plate, ending the pretense of being hungry.
"Do you think you're coming down with something?" He wasn't sure she was in the mood to have him asking the obvious, but he really was getting worried about her.
"Like I said, probably stress." Mac stood up from the table.
"Is there something besides Chloe bothering you? I mean, I know this has been one hell of a year, for all of us."
Saying nothing, Mac glared at Harm as if to say, 'you are kidding.'
"Okay, so maybe I have a gift for understatement. But something is up." Harm tried his bashful, shrug your shoulders, take pity on an old sailor, look. It didn't work.
"I'm fine, really. Let's just get this mess cleaned up." Mac began clearing the table. "Do you have any fruit?" she asked carrying the dishes to the sink.
"Yeah in the bottom left drawer of the fridge. I've got some oranges and I think bananas." He replied following behind her.
"You wouldn't happen to have any mangos?"
"MANGOS? No, and since when do you eat Mangos?"
Mac couldn't resist laughing at the bewildered look on Harm's face.
"I fail to see what's so humorous about my not having mangos." Harm asked crossing his arms in front of him.
"If you scrunch your face up any more it's going to crack Harmon Rabb. It's no big deal, I just thought a mango might be nice."
Completely confused by Mac's sudden interest in fruit, Harm sighed in resignation.
"Okay, what if after the movie we hit Baskin Robins and see if they have some sort of mango flavored ice cream?"
"Now that's the way to treat a lady. You're on." She smiled gleefully as she grabbed the dvd she'd brought and headed over to Mattie and Jen's.
Shaking his head, Harm closed the door behind her. 'Go figure.'