Title : Where The Sea Meets The Sky
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV - and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy, tomcat-all, lori4, carol and eliv.thade for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
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MATTIE'S SCHOOL
0900 HOURS LOCAL - FRIDAY
Mattie entered her classroom to find the principal addressing the class. As she stopped in the doorway, all eyes fixed on her and she felt the heat of a nervous blush begin to rise.
"Ah, Miss Johnson. Please, take a seat. I've just started speaking, so I can re-cap quickly."
Mattie frowned at the name again, but without speaking she took her seat in the class and dropped her bag to the floor, pushing it under her table with her foot as she looked directly at the principal.
"Right. Just as I was telling the class, Mr Hudson and Miss Thomas are now in the spare office down the hall from the Administration block. They are there for the benefit of the whole school, and there is an appointment system in place by which they can be seen. The appointment book will be kept in the Administration block, and you may go there to register. Please don't turn up at the counselors' door and expect to be given an appointment there. That will be all." Without any further preamble the principal got up and left the classroom. The teacher then settled the class, and began the day's routine. Mattie knew all eyes were on her again, but she resolutely stared ahead and waited for the teacher's instructions.
COUNSELORS' OFFICE
SAME TIME
Jack and Sue had been given a desk each, facing each other, and it was here they were seated, reading through files they had been given on the students in the school that regularly visited the existing counselor. Any students that registered with the office during the investigation would be monitored by certified counselors to make sure that if there were any real issues, they could be dealt with accordingly, with Jack and Sue passing back the information necessary. They were hoping that the investigation wouldn't take too long, and that normal school counseling services would resume for the benefit of all the students.
Jack looked up from the file in front of him to find Sue's eyes on him. He smiled, but it was still not reaching his eyes, and that bothered him because he knew Sue could tell, and he knew he was hurting her by acting this way.
"Is something wrong? You've found something in the files?" he asked, but frowned when Sue shook her head, and looked back down at her own work.
"No. Nothing in the files. I was just wondering," she murmured.
"About what?" He asked, knowing he was avoiding the obvious. Where they had been spending all possible time with each other, Jack had taken her back to her apartment after dinner with Mac and Mattie the night before and left her there with a brief hard kiss, and an acknowledgement that he would be by to collect her for 'work' the next morning. Sue had nodded and walked away to her building entrance. When she turned around, Jack had already pulled the car into the flow of traffic.
"It's all right. I'm being a little paranoid, that's all." Sue tried to reassure both Jack and herself that everything really was all right, but she knew that something had happened but had no idea what, or what to do to make it right again.
"Paranoia - a good feeling to have as a counselor!" Jack attempted to make a joke of it, and Sue managed a weak smile. Thinking of something else to say, he suddenly clicked his fingers. Sue didn't hear him, but she saw the gesture and raised her eyes to him again. "I got a call from Bobby last night. He's invited us to have a meal with him and Jenny."
"Jenny? You mean Mattie's roommate? Jennifer?"
"Yeah. It would appear our Bobby is quite taken with the Petty Officer. I didn't realize they had gotten this far after the last investigation with JAG. Anyway, if you'd like to go, I'll get a time and place off him."
Sue nodded and Jack smiled, and this time it did reach his eyes. Sue managed a weak grin, even as the thought that while Bobby's new romance could bring a genuine smile to Jack's face, their own relationship was faltering for some unknown reason.
"Great. I'm looking forward to this. Ever since Bobby broke up with Darcy he's been avoiding going out. This could be the start of something for him; for them both." Jack dropped his head to his work again so he wouldn't see the hurt look that flashed in Sue's eyes, but he felt it. And he felt such a heel for being the one to put it there in the first place. He needed to talk to Bobby about Sue, and going out to have this meal might be the opportunity to raise the subject and arrange for he and Bobby to have a 'boys' night in' and talk too.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
J EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC
1130 HOURS LOCAL - FRIDAY
Bobby answered his cell phone on the second ring. "Manning."
"Bobby, it's Jack. We're on for a meal. Let me know where and when."
"Great! Will do. I'll get back to you on that today. How're things over there?"
"Nothing yet. We've asked Mattie to keep a low profile, so if something happens she isn't likely to get caught up in it, but if plans change, she knows what to do."
"She's quite a bright kid, coming up with the password idea. I guess Harm and Mac have their hands full with her."
"She's a good kid, Bobby," Jack answered, and Bobby could hear the smile in his voice.
"You getting broody, Hudson?" he asked, laughing.
"Nah," Jack retorted, perhaps a little too quickly, as he had actually thought of the possibility of he and Sue being parents some day. "Harm has turned his life around recently, and having Mattie and Mac seals it for him. It's an unconventional family, but they make it work, and it's actually an example I wouldn't object to following, someday."
"I know what you mean, Jack. It would seem Harmon Rabb has a knack for helping people. Did you know he got Jenny out of a tight spot a year or so ago?"
"No, I didn't."
"Yep. It would appear my date for our get-together was almost on good terms with the inside of a jail cell rather than a ship's bunk. It was thanks to Harm that she stayed in the Navy, for which I'm really quite pleased, considering if she hadn't have been at JAG I probably would never have met her."
Jack could hear the admiration in Bobby's voice for Jennifer, and he congratulated his best friend, genuinely pleased for whatever might come of this new relationship. Bobby thanked Jack, told him to say 'hi' to Sue for him, and rang off. His next call was to JAG Headquarters, and the Admiral's yeoman.
"Petty Officer Coates speaking. May I help you?"
"I certainly hope so, Petty Officer. I'm in need of a bit of advice."
Jennifer smiled to herself as she recognized Bobby's voice over the line. This friendship of theirs was still new, but it was also different, and Jennifer had the strangest feeling that something more was happening between her and Bobby Manning. Collecting her thoughts from far corners of her mind, she spoke up.
"How can I help, Mr Manning?"
"Well, I have a craving... for food, of course. But I need advice on how to read a menu, and entertain company at the same time."
"You asked Jack and Sue?" They had discussed having a meal as a foursome, and Jennifer was looking forward to being in the company of the two FBI agents without it being a 'Mac and Harm' event. As much as she adored her two colleagues, she was getting to know people outside of the JAG environment too, and being 'involved' with Bobby brought her into a different realm.
"I did. We just need to decide a time and venue, and we're set. By the way, did I tell you how much I enjoyed yesterday?"
"Yes, you did," Jennifer admitted, and a blush rose in her cheeks as she remembered just 'how' Bobby had told her he had enjoyed her company. Realizing she was blushing, and the Admiral was in his office and could very well find her in this state, she became brisk and businesslike again. Well, at least she tried. "I have to get back to work, Mr Manning. How about tonight for Jack and Sue? There's a little Italian restaurant around the corner from where I live. Say, 1930?"
"I love it when you talk military..." Bobby teased, and then relented. He confirmed the place and time, agreed to park outside Jennifer's apartment and walk around to the restaurant with her, and to let Jack and Sue know. With that, and another blush-inducing farewell, he rang off and looked up, straight into the eyes of Tara.
"You're going on a date!" she smiled as she spoke, and Bobby dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Yep." It was short and to the point, but it said everything too. Tara put a hand out and touched his shoulder.
"Have a nice time."
"Thanks. I intend to. Now, back to business. Have you found out anything more on the principal at Mattie's school?"
"Funny you should mention that..." Tara murmured. "Nothing on the principal, but a little flag popped up when I put in the name of the vice principal."
"Really?" Bobby stood up and walked across to Tara's desk, dropping down at the side of her chair to look at the laptop screen. "Well, well... looks like our lady vice principal has a few skeletons in her closet. I wonder if the principal knows about this?"
"No telling, but Jack and Sue need to know. Will you tell them, or shall I?"
"I'll call Jack. I need to confirm things with him, anyway."
"Oh, you're double dating! That's so sweet!" Tara grinned, and Bobby grinned back.
"Yeah, I guess we are," he admitted, and picked up his cell phone to dial Jack.
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To be continued
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV - and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy, tomcat-all, lori4, carol and eliv.thade for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATTIE'S SCHOOL
0900 HOURS LOCAL - FRIDAY
Mattie entered her classroom to find the principal addressing the class. As she stopped in the doorway, all eyes fixed on her and she felt the heat of a nervous blush begin to rise.
"Ah, Miss Johnson. Please, take a seat. I've just started speaking, so I can re-cap quickly."
Mattie frowned at the name again, but without speaking she took her seat in the class and dropped her bag to the floor, pushing it under her table with her foot as she looked directly at the principal.
"Right. Just as I was telling the class, Mr Hudson and Miss Thomas are now in the spare office down the hall from the Administration block. They are there for the benefit of the whole school, and there is an appointment system in place by which they can be seen. The appointment book will be kept in the Administration block, and you may go there to register. Please don't turn up at the counselors' door and expect to be given an appointment there. That will be all." Without any further preamble the principal got up and left the classroom. The teacher then settled the class, and began the day's routine. Mattie knew all eyes were on her again, but she resolutely stared ahead and waited for the teacher's instructions.
COUNSELORS' OFFICE
SAME TIME
Jack and Sue had been given a desk each, facing each other, and it was here they were seated, reading through files they had been given on the students in the school that regularly visited the existing counselor. Any students that registered with the office during the investigation would be monitored by certified counselors to make sure that if there were any real issues, they could be dealt with accordingly, with Jack and Sue passing back the information necessary. They were hoping that the investigation wouldn't take too long, and that normal school counseling services would resume for the benefit of all the students.
Jack looked up from the file in front of him to find Sue's eyes on him. He smiled, but it was still not reaching his eyes, and that bothered him because he knew Sue could tell, and he knew he was hurting her by acting this way.
"Is something wrong? You've found something in the files?" he asked, but frowned when Sue shook her head, and looked back down at her own work.
"No. Nothing in the files. I was just wondering," she murmured.
"About what?" He asked, knowing he was avoiding the obvious. Where they had been spending all possible time with each other, Jack had taken her back to her apartment after dinner with Mac and Mattie the night before and left her there with a brief hard kiss, and an acknowledgement that he would be by to collect her for 'work' the next morning. Sue had nodded and walked away to her building entrance. When she turned around, Jack had already pulled the car into the flow of traffic.
"It's all right. I'm being a little paranoid, that's all." Sue tried to reassure both Jack and herself that everything really was all right, but she knew that something had happened but had no idea what, or what to do to make it right again.
"Paranoia - a good feeling to have as a counselor!" Jack attempted to make a joke of it, and Sue managed a weak smile. Thinking of something else to say, he suddenly clicked his fingers. Sue didn't hear him, but she saw the gesture and raised her eyes to him again. "I got a call from Bobby last night. He's invited us to have a meal with him and Jenny."
"Jenny? You mean Mattie's roommate? Jennifer?"
"Yeah. It would appear our Bobby is quite taken with the Petty Officer. I didn't realize they had gotten this far after the last investigation with JAG. Anyway, if you'd like to go, I'll get a time and place off him."
Sue nodded and Jack smiled, and this time it did reach his eyes. Sue managed a weak grin, even as the thought that while Bobby's new romance could bring a genuine smile to Jack's face, their own relationship was faltering for some unknown reason.
"Great. I'm looking forward to this. Ever since Bobby broke up with Darcy he's been avoiding going out. This could be the start of something for him; for them both." Jack dropped his head to his work again so he wouldn't see the hurt look that flashed in Sue's eyes, but he felt it. And he felt such a heel for being the one to put it there in the first place. He needed to talk to Bobby about Sue, and going out to have this meal might be the opportunity to raise the subject and arrange for he and Bobby to have a 'boys' night in' and talk too.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
J EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC
1130 HOURS LOCAL - FRIDAY
Bobby answered his cell phone on the second ring. "Manning."
"Bobby, it's Jack. We're on for a meal. Let me know where and when."
"Great! Will do. I'll get back to you on that today. How're things over there?"
"Nothing yet. We've asked Mattie to keep a low profile, so if something happens she isn't likely to get caught up in it, but if plans change, she knows what to do."
"She's quite a bright kid, coming up with the password idea. I guess Harm and Mac have their hands full with her."
"She's a good kid, Bobby," Jack answered, and Bobby could hear the smile in his voice.
"You getting broody, Hudson?" he asked, laughing.
"Nah," Jack retorted, perhaps a little too quickly, as he had actually thought of the possibility of he and Sue being parents some day. "Harm has turned his life around recently, and having Mattie and Mac seals it for him. It's an unconventional family, but they make it work, and it's actually an example I wouldn't object to following, someday."
"I know what you mean, Jack. It would seem Harmon Rabb has a knack for helping people. Did you know he got Jenny out of a tight spot a year or so ago?"
"No, I didn't."
"Yep. It would appear my date for our get-together was almost on good terms with the inside of a jail cell rather than a ship's bunk. It was thanks to Harm that she stayed in the Navy, for which I'm really quite pleased, considering if she hadn't have been at JAG I probably would never have met her."
Jack could hear the admiration in Bobby's voice for Jennifer, and he congratulated his best friend, genuinely pleased for whatever might come of this new relationship. Bobby thanked Jack, told him to say 'hi' to Sue for him, and rang off. His next call was to JAG Headquarters, and the Admiral's yeoman.
"Petty Officer Coates speaking. May I help you?"
"I certainly hope so, Petty Officer. I'm in need of a bit of advice."
Jennifer smiled to herself as she recognized Bobby's voice over the line. This friendship of theirs was still new, but it was also different, and Jennifer had the strangest feeling that something more was happening between her and Bobby Manning. Collecting her thoughts from far corners of her mind, she spoke up.
"How can I help, Mr Manning?"
"Well, I have a craving... for food, of course. But I need advice on how to read a menu, and entertain company at the same time."
"You asked Jack and Sue?" They had discussed having a meal as a foursome, and Jennifer was looking forward to being in the company of the two FBI agents without it being a 'Mac and Harm' event. As much as she adored her two colleagues, she was getting to know people outside of the JAG environment too, and being 'involved' with Bobby brought her into a different realm.
"I did. We just need to decide a time and venue, and we're set. By the way, did I tell you how much I enjoyed yesterday?"
"Yes, you did," Jennifer admitted, and a blush rose in her cheeks as she remembered just 'how' Bobby had told her he had enjoyed her company. Realizing she was blushing, and the Admiral was in his office and could very well find her in this state, she became brisk and businesslike again. Well, at least she tried. "I have to get back to work, Mr Manning. How about tonight for Jack and Sue? There's a little Italian restaurant around the corner from where I live. Say, 1930?"
"I love it when you talk military..." Bobby teased, and then relented. He confirmed the place and time, agreed to park outside Jennifer's apartment and walk around to the restaurant with her, and to let Jack and Sue know. With that, and another blush-inducing farewell, he rang off and looked up, straight into the eyes of Tara.
"You're going on a date!" she smiled as she spoke, and Bobby dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Yep." It was short and to the point, but it said everything too. Tara put a hand out and touched his shoulder.
"Have a nice time."
"Thanks. I intend to. Now, back to business. Have you found out anything more on the principal at Mattie's school?"
"Funny you should mention that..." Tara murmured. "Nothing on the principal, but a little flag popped up when I put in the name of the vice principal."
"Really?" Bobby stood up and walked across to Tara's desk, dropping down at the side of her chair to look at the laptop screen. "Well, well... looks like our lady vice principal has a few skeletons in her closet. I wonder if the principal knows about this?"
"No telling, but Jack and Sue need to know. Will you tell them, or shall I?"
"I'll call Jack. I need to confirm things with him, anyway."
"Oh, you're double dating! That's so sweet!" Tara grinned, and Bobby grinned back.
"Yeah, I guess we are," he admitted, and picked up his cell phone to dial Jack.
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To be continued