Chapter 24

JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Friday August 13, 2004
1200 Zulu

Harm absently swirled his coffee around his mug while he leaned against the counter in the break room. He'd been waiting in here for ten minutes, hoping to catch Mac as she showed up for her second cup of coffee. Her door had been closed when he got in this morning, and he hadn't seen her yet. She hadn't talked to him any more than she absolutely needed to the day before, and he was afraid she was still mad at him.

Jen poked her head around the door breaking into Harm's thoughts. "Hey Jen." he said with a smile.

"Morning sir. The Captain would like to see you." Jen said with rolling eyes. Part of Harm wanted to bring her to task for her obvious disrespect for the interim JAG, but could he really blame her? Krennick hadn't exactly acted in the most professional manner lately, and he knew Jen kept her feeling to herself with just about everyone else. It was a measure of how close she felt to him that she felt free enough to relax her discipline enough to do so.

"Thanks Jen. Hey, have you seen Mac?"

"She drove out to Norfolk this morning sir. The Captain had something she wanted the Colonel to do out there. Sorry." Jen said apologetically.

"Its OK Jen. Guess I better go see the Captain." Harm said trying to keep the disappointment he felt at Mac's absence out of his voice.

It was funny, he thought. Harm could strap on a Tomcat and get shot out of a cannon off the deck of a carrier, could play with the big boys up where the air was rare and death came fast and hard, and yet he hesitated to walk into his own boss' office.

Walking into Krennick's office Harm came to attention in front of her desk. "You wanted to see me Captain?"

"Yes Commander, have a seat." Krennick said with her voice pitched low. "I was wondering how the investigation into the Riley murder was progressing. I received your request for orders to take a hop out to the Patrick Henry to interview the crew. Is that really necessary Commander? NCIS and the ship's JAG officer already did that and you have access to all the interviews."

Sitting down Harm looked up at the woman behind the desk. He'd been thinking on what Mac had said, and he was still struggling with her accusation that he was simply willing to make himself a sacrifice so that the Navy didn't suffer. He wasn't so sure it was that simple, but he wasn't going to discount what Mac said completely out of hand.

"Commander? Am I to assume that your silence is an agreement to my question? Or shall I simply assume you are merely struck speechless at my beauty?" Krennick added in a throaty tone.

Putting on a smile to hide his discomfort Harm laughed at her joke. At least he hoped it was a joke. "Neither ma'am. I was just trying to structure my thoughts into a suitably worded answer. It is my opinion, and that of Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie that it is necessary to go back out to the Patrick Henry to re-interview some of the crew members. We're working on the assumption that NCIS or at the very least the shipboard JAG were unaware of the fact that Riley was Naval Intelligence."

"Riley was NI?" Krennick asked in surprise. Obviously the Admiral had left a few things out of his reports when he returned from Harm's trial.

"He was. He and his partner were in the middle of an investigation when he was murdered…and that could provide a possible motive. Originally NCIS and our man out there couldn't pin a motive on this murder, hence the write off as a crime of anger. However if someone, perhaps the very subject of the investigation, found out that Riley was NI then I can see a definite motive for killing him. We think that a different set of questions needs to be asked based on this information, questions that NCIS and our man didn't ask because of their lack of information."

"How is it that you have this information and NCIS does not?" Krennick asked suspiciously.

"I stumbled upon it during my time aboard the Patrick Henry ma'am. As for why NCIS did not have it, they didn't approach me at all. I guess they figured because I was not aboard the ship for most of the period in question and under guard for the rest that I would know nothing."

"And you didn't feel you should have volunteered this information?"

"I believed NCIS already had the information, but nothing in the files of the investigation indicates this was the fact."

"Can't you just have the ship's JAG re-interview the people you wish to question and have him send you the transcripts?"

"Respectfully ma'am, the men and women on the Patrick Henry know I'm JAG, but they don't think of me that way. They think of me as one of them…one who's served on their current cruise. To them I'm one of the pilots, the CAG. They might answer questions differently for me than they would for the ship's JAG."

"Very well. You and the Lieutenant Colonel fly out Sunday morning from Dulles. You'll fly commercial to Saudi and then catch a Cod out to the Patrick Henry. I'll have Coates book the tickets." Krennick said after a moment's consideration.

"Very good ma'am."

"Commander…there was something else I wished to discuss with you. How would you like to be my aide?"

"Captain, Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie was the Admiral's chief of staff, and she has done an outstanding job at it." Harm said uncomfortably. The last thing he wanted to do was piss Mac off by taking on her job at the office. Not to mention how close it would require him to work with Krennick. If things were bad now, they'd be intolerable if he had to spend most of his days with the harpy as Mac called her.

"I'm sure she has. But sometimes the office needs to be shaken up every now and again, and I'd like to send the message that no matter how fine a job Admiral Chegwidden did, I am not him. This is my office now."

"That is true ma'am, however I think you would be wise to keep Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie in the role of chief of staff…between her and Lieutenant Sims as Office Manager I don't think you'll find a better team for running the office."

"Well that may by your opinion Commander, but I have yet to make mine. Think on it Commander…you can let me know later. Just don't think on it too long."

"Aye aye ma'am. With your permission Captain, I would like to get back to my review of the case files."

"Very well Commander…you may leave." Krennick said with a negligent wave of her hand. Well, good to see the power hadn't gone to her head as he feared it would Harm thought to himself with sarcasm. Standing he saluted and left her office.

He spent the rest of the morning reviewing the Riley files looking for something that the previous investigator could have missed. At noon a knock on his door brought his head up expectantly. Seeing Sturgis there he smiled…he wasn't Mac, but he was a good friend. "Come on in Sturg. How was court?"

"Bud kicked me around the courtroom. Sometimes I think you and Mac taught him too well."

"He's a hell of a lawyer…and he does seem to get better the more children he has. I think he and Harriet have a secret there." Harm said with a smile. Every time Bud and Harriet had a child it seemed to settle and mature him that much more.

"Well then we're all in trouble when the twins arrive."

Laughing Harm couldn't help but agree. "What's on your mind?"

"Whatcha doing for lunch?"

"Well I was hoping to talk Mac into getting a bite with me, but as far as I know she's still out at Norfolk. Care to stand in?"

"Second best am I?" Sturgis asked in mock shock.

"I can think of worse things to be." Harm said as he stood up and grabbed his cover. "So?"

"Why not. Why don't we go to that little Italian place just down the street."

"Sounds good."

Ten minutes later Harm and Sturgis were seated and had placed their orders at a cozy little six table Italian restaurant not far from the office. Harm had ordered the linguini and a light cream sauce, and Sturgis had opted for spaghetti and meatballs.

"So…are things as bad with Krennick as they look?" Sturgis finally asked.

"Well she hasn't grabbed my ass yet." Harm said wryly.

"She certainly has a thing for you."

"I'm the one that got away."

"So It's true she tried the same thing before?"

Nodding Harm sipped his water. "When she was AJ's aide. She thought of me as some sort of conquest…a trophy for her wall."

"You ever do anything with her?"

"God no. I had my eye somewhere else."

"That was when Meg was your partner, wasn't it?" Sturgis asked with a grin and a wink.

"Yeah."

"I gotta ask you buddy, how do you always get paired with great partners like that? First Meg, then Mac? Lucky man."

"Don't forget Kate." Harm said with a smile.

"Kate?"

"Lieutenant Kate Pike. She was my first partner…before Meg. She and Meg were actually friends from way back." Harm said with another smile at the memory of Kate Pike.

"Was she as gorgeous as the other partners you've had the pleasure of serving with?"

"Of course." Harm said smugly. It wasn't every guy who could say he'd served with three of the most gorgeous lawyers in JAG. As Sturgis was framing a retort their food arrived and they both set to quietly. Harm was glad he'd been able to move Sturgis off of the topic of Krennick…he still wasn't sure how he wanted to handle that. They both finished their meals shortly with a little more small talk and then walked back to the office.

North of Union Station
2200 Zulu

Harm was in the midst of cutting up some vegetables for a snack plate for himself when he heard a knock at the door. Probably Mac or one of the girls…they had probably gotten bored of waiting for him to prepare something he could eat while the four of them enjoyed some movies. Mattie hadn't been too happy when he called to tell her he and Mac were going back to the Patrick Henry for a week or so. As a sort of peace offering he'd made plans to stay in with her and Jen to watch some movies tonight and then he'd take the girls out shopping in the morning. He'd been pleasantly surprised when Mac had agreed when he asked her if she wanted to join them when she'd returned from Norfolk late in the afternoon.

Grabbing the tray of veggies he made his way to the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Keep your shorts on." He said with a smile as he opened the door.

"Oh, I'd rather we found something more interesting to do with them." Krennick said with a smile.

When he took a step back in shock at her being at his door she followed him into the apartment.

"Captain Krennick…" Harm fumbled for what he should say next.

"Commander." Krennick said as she stepped closer and ran a hand down his shoulder onto his chest. "Going somewhere?" she asked looking at his veggies.

Nodding Harm took another step back and gestured in the general direction of the girls' apartment. "Ah…red light Commander. I was just going to watch some movies with Mattie and…"

"Oh Harm, let the kiddies have their movies…we'll play here." Krennick said seductively, ignoring his warning.

Harm was trying not to swallow his tongue when he heard someone clear their throat. Looking at the door he saw Mac standing there with her arms crossed. "Mac!" he said relieved he wasn't alone with Krennick anymore.

"Harm. We were wondering what was taking so long so I thought I'd come see if you needed a hand…I can see you've got enough already though."

Krennick took a quick step back from Harm and turned towards the door. "Lieutenant Colonel." She said coolly.

"Captain." Mac said in an even cooler tone. Harm was amazed he didn't get frostbite from the chill in the air. He knew by the anger in Mac's eyes that she'd heard Krennick's comment about 'playing'.

"Well." Harm said with a smile and a nervous laugh. What the hell should he say? He was at a loss…why couldn't everything in life come with an ejection seat?

"I didn't know that you were here Colonel." Krennick said with an arched eyebrow.

"Obviously. Now if you're done harassing the Commander his daughter and her roommate would like to spend time with him before he has to leave on Sunday."

At Mac's mention of the word 'harassing' Krennick's eyebrow rose even higher. "Was I harassing you Commander? Perhaps I should ask what you're doing here Colonel MacKenzie. Is there something the two of you would like to share with me?"

"Captain, I really don't think that is any of your business." Harm said indignantly. How dare she question who he spent time with. He was on the verge of defending his relationship with Mac when he had the realization that it was none of her damn business. Stepping around Krennick Harm put a hand on Mac's shoulder and turned back to face Krennick and reached out to open the door wider.

"Are you kicking me out Commander?"

"No, I'm not Captain, because you were never here. If you had been here tonight, then I would have to raise questions about sexual harassment."

Harm could see the struggle clearly on her face. "Good night Captain." He said in an effort to help her make her decision.

"If we were to ask if you and the Colonel were involved Commander, I wonder what the answer would be." Krennick asked archly.

"The answer would be no Captain. We are not involved in the way you are hinting at, but we are very close…as friends and partners. Now if you would excuse me Allison, I am expected to spend the evening watching movies with my daughter and some friends."

"This is not the end of this Commander." Krennick vowed.

"I think it is Captain. My friendships outside the office are none of your concern, nor is how I spend my evenings."

Without another word Krennick glared at Harm and then stormed out of his apartment. He couldn't hold back the feeling that life was about to become a lot more interesting.

"Its about time you stood up to her Harm." Mac said quietly putting her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder. "You know she's going to try and make trouble for us Harm."

"She can try. She can't prove what hasn't happened."

"Hasn't it Harm?"

"Mac, we haven't broken regulations…god knows its been hard at times but we haven't." Harm said quietly.

"Haven't we?"

"No Mac, we haven't. I'd know if we had…because…"

"What?" Mac asked softly.

Harm looked down at her and smiled slightly. "You think I'd forget if we did something to break regulations? You think I wouldn't remember a dream coming true?" he asked huskily.

"Harm…" Mac whispered as Harm reached up and ran his finger along her jaw. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Neither of them noticed the plate of vegetables hit the ground when Mac let it go.

"Mattie and Jen will come looking for us soon." Mac said breathlessly when they both had to come up for air. Harm smiled at the slightly flustered look on her face and stroked her cheek with his finger.

"Maybe we can tell them to go ahead and watch the movie on their own." Harm said with a little grin.

"Harmon Rabb. You are a wicked wicked man." Mac said with a soft laugh. "But you promised Mattie that we would spend time with her and Jen before we left. And…"

"Yeah yeah. I always keep my promises." Harm said with a sigh. "I suppose we should go back."

"You might want to get some more vegetables." Mac said wryly with a nod at their feet.

Pulling her close Harm gave her another hug and then went back to the kitchen to get more food.