Part 31: Who's Going?
April 1st 2004
"Sir, I heard you're thinking about transferring Sturgis out of JAG HQ. Possibly to Iceland," Harm asked once he had been let into Admiral Chegwidden's office.
"Well, it's not my idea that's for sure and I haven't given up on keeping him here either. Apparently they seem to think that we should have less senior staff here and bring in some new junior lawyers," the admiral muttered and it was clear that he didn't share this feeling.
"May I request to be considered for the transfer if it has to come to that," Harm asked.
"Why do you want to leave JAG?" the admiral asked quite astound.
"Personal reasons, sir."
"Excuse me for asking, but I thought you and Colonel Mackenzie had worked out your problems."
"We have. That's not the reason for the request," Harm told him.
"Well, either way you won't be considered for the assignment on Iceland, since they specifically asked for someone with knowledge on submarines."
"Yes, sir."
"Are you interested in another transfer?" the admiral asked.
"Not at this point," Harm answered him. He didn't know if was disappointed or relieved that he couldn't take the position on Iceland.
Harm returned to his office, which was Mac's old one, and got back to work. By lunchtime he stood waiting for the elevator together with Sturgis.
"The admiral told me you were interested in the transfer to Iceland," Sturgis said.
At the same time the elevator had arrived and the doors opened in time for Mac who was standing inside it to hear what Sturgis had said. She looked at Harm for a second and then rushed by the two of them to go to the restroom.
"Mac," Harm said and rushed after her, but it was already to late. Out of the restrooms came Jennifer Coates and Harm asked her if she could go in and ask Mac if she could come out so he could talk to her.
Five minutes later Coates returned and told him that Mac had said that she would talk to him later tonight. Harm didn't give up and still stood outside waiting for her as she emerged from the restroom.
"Mac," he tried.
"Please can't we have this conversation tonight in private?" Mac not so much asked as requested.
"But we are going to talk about it. I can explain," Harm tried.
"Later tonight, OK?" she said and walked past him to return to her office.
"Mac we're going to have to talk about this now," Harm said as they later that evening were getting ready to go to bed. Mattie and Elena were already asleep. Mattie had noticed the tension between them and asked Harm what he had done as he helped her with her homework, but he had just said that he was going to talk to Mac first and tell her about it later.
"So tell me why you want to move to Iceland," Mac finally encouraged him. "If that's what you want to do for your career, I'll support you in that, but I thought we were going to discuss that sort of things together first."
"Mac this has nothing to do with me wanting to better my career. I just... You know yesterday when you told me about Sturgis' possible transfer you said hat you wanted to give her all the things that you never got. Well, I might not be her biological parent, but I still love her and feel responsible for her happiness and I also want to give her what I never got. I thought that if I left for Iceland instead of Sturgis I could give her that. She'd get to grow up with both of her parents."
Mac went over to him and hugged him quite tenderly.
"Harm, I love the fact that you love and care for my daughter so much, that you'll sacrifice yourself for her sake. I loved it before and I guess I could have guessed that you would do something like this. But I still really wish that you would have discussed it with me first. Didn't you think about how much I and Mattie needs you here too?"
"You would have done all right without me, Mac," he said with conviction "And even if we don't want to admit it, Mattie has really gotten closer to her father this last month, that Alateen-group really helped her and she will probably move back to him. We need to let her go there."
"So what did the admiral say about it?"
"He said that they wanted someone with submarine experience and knowledge, so I couldn't be considered anyway."
Mac let out all of the air from her lungs in relief.
"I guess I should have discussed it with you. I just got so wrapped up thinking I should to the right thing, that I didn't stop to consider that you might feel differently about it."
"I'm sure you will next time," Mac said. They had both become very good at learning from their mistakes.
"But we still don't know what will happen with Sturgis?" Harm regretted to say. He didn't want to bring up the things that were still negative.
"No, I guess we don't, but it will hardly help to worry about it now either," Mac smiled at him. It was easier for her to think about Sturgis' possible transfer logically when she had had some time to digest the news.
TBC
April 1st 2004
"Sir, I heard you're thinking about transferring Sturgis out of JAG HQ. Possibly to Iceland," Harm asked once he had been let into Admiral Chegwidden's office.
"Well, it's not my idea that's for sure and I haven't given up on keeping him here either. Apparently they seem to think that we should have less senior staff here and bring in some new junior lawyers," the admiral muttered and it was clear that he didn't share this feeling.
"May I request to be considered for the transfer if it has to come to that," Harm asked.
"Why do you want to leave JAG?" the admiral asked quite astound.
"Personal reasons, sir."
"Excuse me for asking, but I thought you and Colonel Mackenzie had worked out your problems."
"We have. That's not the reason for the request," Harm told him.
"Well, either way you won't be considered for the assignment on Iceland, since they specifically asked for someone with knowledge on submarines."
"Yes, sir."
"Are you interested in another transfer?" the admiral asked.
"Not at this point," Harm answered him. He didn't know if was disappointed or relieved that he couldn't take the position on Iceland.
Harm returned to his office, which was Mac's old one, and got back to work. By lunchtime he stood waiting for the elevator together with Sturgis.
"The admiral told me you were interested in the transfer to Iceland," Sturgis said.
At the same time the elevator had arrived and the doors opened in time for Mac who was standing inside it to hear what Sturgis had said. She looked at Harm for a second and then rushed by the two of them to go to the restroom.
"Mac," Harm said and rushed after her, but it was already to late. Out of the restrooms came Jennifer Coates and Harm asked her if she could go in and ask Mac if she could come out so he could talk to her.
Five minutes later Coates returned and told him that Mac had said that she would talk to him later tonight. Harm didn't give up and still stood outside waiting for her as she emerged from the restroom.
"Mac," he tried.
"Please can't we have this conversation tonight in private?" Mac not so much asked as requested.
"But we are going to talk about it. I can explain," Harm tried.
"Later tonight, OK?" she said and walked past him to return to her office.
"Mac we're going to have to talk about this now," Harm said as they later that evening were getting ready to go to bed. Mattie and Elena were already asleep. Mattie had noticed the tension between them and asked Harm what he had done as he helped her with her homework, but he had just said that he was going to talk to Mac first and tell her about it later.
"So tell me why you want to move to Iceland," Mac finally encouraged him. "If that's what you want to do for your career, I'll support you in that, but I thought we were going to discuss that sort of things together first."
"Mac this has nothing to do with me wanting to better my career. I just... You know yesterday when you told me about Sturgis' possible transfer you said hat you wanted to give her all the things that you never got. Well, I might not be her biological parent, but I still love her and feel responsible for her happiness and I also want to give her what I never got. I thought that if I left for Iceland instead of Sturgis I could give her that. She'd get to grow up with both of her parents."
Mac went over to him and hugged him quite tenderly.
"Harm, I love the fact that you love and care for my daughter so much, that you'll sacrifice yourself for her sake. I loved it before and I guess I could have guessed that you would do something like this. But I still really wish that you would have discussed it with me first. Didn't you think about how much I and Mattie needs you here too?"
"You would have done all right without me, Mac," he said with conviction "And even if we don't want to admit it, Mattie has really gotten closer to her father this last month, that Alateen-group really helped her and she will probably move back to him. We need to let her go there."
"So what did the admiral say about it?"
"He said that they wanted someone with submarine experience and knowledge, so I couldn't be considered anyway."
Mac let out all of the air from her lungs in relief.
"I guess I should have discussed it with you. I just got so wrapped up thinking I should to the right thing, that I didn't stop to consider that you might feel differently about it."
"I'm sure you will next time," Mac said. They had both become very good at learning from their mistakes.
"But we still don't know what will happen with Sturgis?" Harm regretted to say. He didn't want to bring up the things that were still negative.
"No, I guess we don't, but it will hardly help to worry about it now either," Mac smiled at him. It was easier for her to think about Sturgis' possible transfer logically when she had had some time to digest the news.
TBC