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, eliv.thade and alicia5 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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REHABILITATION CENTER
WASHINGTON DC
1000 HOURS - SUNDAY MORNING
"Good morning. We're here to see Tom Johnson. My name is Sarah Mackenzie, and this is Miss Grace." Mac announced herself and Mattie to the receptionist on duty.
"I don't have your name down as a visitor, Miss Mackenzie. I'm sorry, I'll have to check with Mr Johnson. Miss Grace, you can come with me."
"No, thank you. I'll wait with Ma... Miss Mackenzie." Mattie went with the misconception of the receptionist, as Mac had made no correction herself.
"Very well. I will be back in a moment." The woman disappeared down the corridor to the day room, and returned shortly with Tom Johnson walking behind her. His smile as he saw Mattie faded as he also saw Mac.
"Colonel Mackenzie. To what do I owe the pleasure? Where is the Commander today?" Mac decided against correcting Tom Johnson for a moment, and began answering his query politely.
"Mr Johnson, I'm here to let you know that there was a recent incident at Mattie's school, involving an operation by the FBI. Mattie was involved, but she is fine now, as you can see."
"What happened, Mattie?" Tom ignored Mac as he turned to look at his daughter and put his hand out to take hers. Mattie held her arms at her side, and stepped back.
"I'm fine. Don't pretend to be concerned now; it's too late."
"I'm your father!"
"That doesn't make any difference to me!" Mattie retorted, and turned to Mac. "Can we go now? It was a mistake, me coming here with you."
"Mattie, please... I'm worried about you." Tom tried to placate his daughter, but Mattie would have no part of his concern.
"It's a pity you didn't worry about me when Mom died."
"Well, it looks like Rabb is real worried about you too. I don't see him standing here beside you to hold your hand," Tom sneered.
"I don't need Harm to hold my hand. I know he's here," Mattie put her hand over her heart, and added softly, "... that's what's important to me."
"Mr Johnson... Tom... Mattie and I are leaving for a few days, to Bahrain. The school have given permission for her absence, and she will be back by Monday next week."
Tom Johnson shook his head. "No. No way. You're not going out of the country with my daughter. I won't allow it."
"You don't have any say in the matter, Mr Johnson. I have already been in touch with the judge dealing with this case, explained the circumstances pertaining to the trip out to the carrier, and I have her permission to take Mattie with me. You may have your say on the matter when we go back to court for the six-month hearing, but it will be pointless trying to stop us going. I should warn you that if you block Mattie in any way, she has requested an emancipation order be filed with the same judge, granting her freedom from your parental rights."
At this statement Tom Johnson paled, and he looked at Mattie with a stricken expression.
"I can't believe you would go this far," he murmured. Mattie felt nothing. No guilt, no pain. Her response was polite and to the point.
"You left me with nothing when you went off after Mom died. As far as I'm concerned, your rights as a father were lost then. You may be legally entitled to them, but they mean nothing to me. A parent doesn't abandon a child just because he can't 'deal' with issues."
"I was grieving for my wife!" Tom cried out, slumping down into a nearby chair. Mac opted to remain silent, aware that Mattie was holding her own in this instance.
"And I was grieving for my mother! That you left me alone, with strangers, after her death, was a disgrace."
"They are your family."
"No, they were your family. They took you in, but they resented me. After you left, they blamed me, and Mom; even after her death, they still spoke about her as if she had caused you all your problems. Well, Mom didn't put the bottle to your lips, and she didn't tip the bottle for you to drink. You did that all by yourself, and you have no one but yourself to blame for the state of your relationship with me. I've stopped hating you, Tom. I just feel nothing, now. Hate is a waste of time, and time is something I plan on spending on matters I care about; my... friends, my studies, and my career choices."
Mac nodded at Mattie as the teenager sought her support. Mac conveyed her admiration for the speech Mattie had just delivered. It was effective, and even Tom Johnson had to admit he was stunned to realize just what his actions had done to his daughter. He was silent for a moment, and then spoke up.
"You can tell Commander Rabb that I will see him in court, and the matter of Mattie's parentage, guardianship and final custody will be dealt with then. I will abide by the decision the judge sees fit to make at that time."
"You make it sound like a threat, Mr Johnson," Mac spoke up, glancing from Mattie to Tom Johnson and back again, this time with a reassuring smile for Mattie, and an icy glare when she looked back at the man standing in front of her.
"Do you feel threatened, Colonel?" Tom almost sneered, but Mac smiled and replied honestly.
"Not in the least, Mr Johnson. By the way, 'Captain' Rabb will be in court for the hearing. You can air your grievances to him then."
"I plan on doing just that, Colonel Mackenzie." Tom Johnson watched as Mattie turned away and then she stopped and turned back to face him.
"I guess I'll see you in court." Mattie had tears in her eyes, but she stood straight and spoke without hesitation. Tom nodded, and his eyes held tears too. Mattie turned back to Mac and then walked out of the Rehabilitation Centre.
"Are you okay?" asked Mac, touching Mattie's shoulder as she climbed into the Corvette. Mattie nodded, but said nothing, and Mac left her alone to her thoughts, putting the car in gear and driving out of the parking lot and back towards the Beltway to get home and pack.
"Do Sue and Jack know we're skipping town?" asked Mattie suddenly. Mac shook her head.
"I haven't had time to call yet."
"Can we go see them before we leave? We still have time to pack, right?"
Mac nodded, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Here, give Sue a ring. It's brunchtime, maybe we can invite them out somewhere." Mattie had been told about Mac's sense of timing, and her huge appetite, so she didn't bat an eyelid at the comment and simply dialed the stored number.
SUE'S APARTMENT
WASHINGTON DC
1045 HOURS - SUNDAY MORNING
Levi got up from his spot on the floor in the lounge as the telephone rang, but Jack was nearer to the handset and caught Levi's collar as the golden retriever went after Sue.
"Levi, it's okay. Hello, Mac!" Jack spoke as he answered the call, seeing Mac's name come up on the display.
"Actually, it's Mattie. Hi, Jack. Mac and I wondered if you two were up for some brunch? We're in the area."
"Come on by! I'll tell Sue you're on your way, and we can take it from there."
"Okay, great! Mac and I are going on a trip, and I wanted to see you both before we left."
"No problem. See you soon, then." Jack replaced the receiver, and went to find Sue. At that moment she was buried under the comforter in her bedroom, trying to fit a new cover. Jack came up behind her, with Levi beside him, and as he put his finger to his lip in a mock sign to Levi to be quiet, Sue shook out the comforter. The sudden flurry of material spooked the golden retriever, and he jumped up at Jack, who then fell with Sue onto the bed, buried under the comforter. As he pushed part of the material away from his face he found himself looking straight at Sue.
"Hi! Not my fault, Levi pushed me."
"Levi? Are you sure you weren't just trying to get me into bed, again?" Sue grinned at Jack and he raised an eyebrow at her in mock-indignation, which then turned into a leer.
"If you insist, Miss Thomas, it would be my pleasure..." Jack leaned in and kissed Sue, but then pulled back before they got carried away. "However," he added, dropping a conciliatory peck on her nose, "...we have company arriving shortly. And as much as I would love to ravish you amongst the sheets here, I don't think Mac would be too amused at us giving Mattie a preview."
Sue looked disappointed, but then nodded and smiled. "Guess you're right... did Mac ring just now? Levi didn't come."
"I stopped him. I saw it was Mac on the display before I picked up the receiver."
"What did she want, other than coming to see us?"
"It was Mattie speaking. Looks like they're going away somewhere. My guess would be to see Harm, but I don't understand how Mattie gets to go along."
"I'm sure Mac has it all sorted out. Okay, let me up then, and I'll finish this later."
Jack helped Sue to her feet and together they finished fitting the sheet that Sue had been struggling with. As Sue put the last of the pillow throws on the bed she stood up to find Jack trying hard not to laugh.
"What is it?" she signed, not bothering to speak, and waited for Jack to answer.
"I'm finding it amusing that we're putting our love-life on hold for a kid, and she's not even ours!"
Sue laughed too, and then looked pensive.
Jack noticed immediately, and went to put his arms around her.
"What?" he asked.
"I never asked before, if you would want children..."
"With your blonde hair and that smile, definitely," Jack murmured, feeling his heart skip a beat at her question.
"What about with your dark hair and dreamy eyes..."
"Dreamy eyes?" Jack raised his head a little to query Sue's remark, and she smiled, answering him softly.
"I couldn't very well attribute 'come-to-bed' eyes to a child, could I?"
"Oh, so you think I have 'come-to-bed' eyes, huh?" Jack lowered his voice and Sue nodded.
"And a 'come-to-bed' voice, too..."
Jack groaned, and gave Sue a brief, hard kiss, which then spilled into a second, gentler mating of their mouths, and a third...
"Jack, they'll be here..." Sue tried to protest, she really did!
"The beltway is murder at this time in the day..." Jack replied huskily.
When the doorbell rang a short while later, Jack went to open the door with Levi in tow, while Sue finished tidying the pillow throws on the bed - for the second time...
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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, eliv.thade and alicia5 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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REHABILITATION CENTER
WASHINGTON DC
1000 HOURS - SUNDAY MORNING
"Good morning. We're here to see Tom Johnson. My name is Sarah Mackenzie, and this is Miss Grace." Mac announced herself and Mattie to the receptionist on duty.
"I don't have your name down as a visitor, Miss Mackenzie. I'm sorry, I'll have to check with Mr Johnson. Miss Grace, you can come with me."
"No, thank you. I'll wait with Ma... Miss Mackenzie." Mattie went with the misconception of the receptionist, as Mac had made no correction herself.
"Very well. I will be back in a moment." The woman disappeared down the corridor to the day room, and returned shortly with Tom Johnson walking behind her. His smile as he saw Mattie faded as he also saw Mac.
"Colonel Mackenzie. To what do I owe the pleasure? Where is the Commander today?" Mac decided against correcting Tom Johnson for a moment, and began answering his query politely.
"Mr Johnson, I'm here to let you know that there was a recent incident at Mattie's school, involving an operation by the FBI. Mattie was involved, but she is fine now, as you can see."
"What happened, Mattie?" Tom ignored Mac as he turned to look at his daughter and put his hand out to take hers. Mattie held her arms at her side, and stepped back.
"I'm fine. Don't pretend to be concerned now; it's too late."
"I'm your father!"
"That doesn't make any difference to me!" Mattie retorted, and turned to Mac. "Can we go now? It was a mistake, me coming here with you."
"Mattie, please... I'm worried about you." Tom tried to placate his daughter, but Mattie would have no part of his concern.
"It's a pity you didn't worry about me when Mom died."
"Well, it looks like Rabb is real worried about you too. I don't see him standing here beside you to hold your hand," Tom sneered.
"I don't need Harm to hold my hand. I know he's here," Mattie put her hand over her heart, and added softly, "... that's what's important to me."
"Mr Johnson... Tom... Mattie and I are leaving for a few days, to Bahrain. The school have given permission for her absence, and she will be back by Monday next week."
Tom Johnson shook his head. "No. No way. You're not going out of the country with my daughter. I won't allow it."
"You don't have any say in the matter, Mr Johnson. I have already been in touch with the judge dealing with this case, explained the circumstances pertaining to the trip out to the carrier, and I have her permission to take Mattie with me. You may have your say on the matter when we go back to court for the six-month hearing, but it will be pointless trying to stop us going. I should warn you that if you block Mattie in any way, she has requested an emancipation order be filed with the same judge, granting her freedom from your parental rights."
At this statement Tom Johnson paled, and he looked at Mattie with a stricken expression.
"I can't believe you would go this far," he murmured. Mattie felt nothing. No guilt, no pain. Her response was polite and to the point.
"You left me with nothing when you went off after Mom died. As far as I'm concerned, your rights as a father were lost then. You may be legally entitled to them, but they mean nothing to me. A parent doesn't abandon a child just because he can't 'deal' with issues."
"I was grieving for my wife!" Tom cried out, slumping down into a nearby chair. Mac opted to remain silent, aware that Mattie was holding her own in this instance.
"And I was grieving for my mother! That you left me alone, with strangers, after her death, was a disgrace."
"They are your family."
"No, they were your family. They took you in, but they resented me. After you left, they blamed me, and Mom; even after her death, they still spoke about her as if she had caused you all your problems. Well, Mom didn't put the bottle to your lips, and she didn't tip the bottle for you to drink. You did that all by yourself, and you have no one but yourself to blame for the state of your relationship with me. I've stopped hating you, Tom. I just feel nothing, now. Hate is a waste of time, and time is something I plan on spending on matters I care about; my... friends, my studies, and my career choices."
Mac nodded at Mattie as the teenager sought her support. Mac conveyed her admiration for the speech Mattie had just delivered. It was effective, and even Tom Johnson had to admit he was stunned to realize just what his actions had done to his daughter. He was silent for a moment, and then spoke up.
"You can tell Commander Rabb that I will see him in court, and the matter of Mattie's parentage, guardianship and final custody will be dealt with then. I will abide by the decision the judge sees fit to make at that time."
"You make it sound like a threat, Mr Johnson," Mac spoke up, glancing from Mattie to Tom Johnson and back again, this time with a reassuring smile for Mattie, and an icy glare when she looked back at the man standing in front of her.
"Do you feel threatened, Colonel?" Tom almost sneered, but Mac smiled and replied honestly.
"Not in the least, Mr Johnson. By the way, 'Captain' Rabb will be in court for the hearing. You can air your grievances to him then."
"I plan on doing just that, Colonel Mackenzie." Tom Johnson watched as Mattie turned away and then she stopped and turned back to face him.
"I guess I'll see you in court." Mattie had tears in her eyes, but she stood straight and spoke without hesitation. Tom nodded, and his eyes held tears too. Mattie turned back to Mac and then walked out of the Rehabilitation Centre.
"Are you okay?" asked Mac, touching Mattie's shoulder as she climbed into the Corvette. Mattie nodded, but said nothing, and Mac left her alone to her thoughts, putting the car in gear and driving out of the parking lot and back towards the Beltway to get home and pack.
"Do Sue and Jack know we're skipping town?" asked Mattie suddenly. Mac shook her head.
"I haven't had time to call yet."
"Can we go see them before we leave? We still have time to pack, right?"
Mac nodded, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Here, give Sue a ring. It's brunchtime, maybe we can invite them out somewhere." Mattie had been told about Mac's sense of timing, and her huge appetite, so she didn't bat an eyelid at the comment and simply dialed the stored number.
SUE'S APARTMENT
WASHINGTON DC
1045 HOURS - SUNDAY MORNING
Levi got up from his spot on the floor in the lounge as the telephone rang, but Jack was nearer to the handset and caught Levi's collar as the golden retriever went after Sue.
"Levi, it's okay. Hello, Mac!" Jack spoke as he answered the call, seeing Mac's name come up on the display.
"Actually, it's Mattie. Hi, Jack. Mac and I wondered if you two were up for some brunch? We're in the area."
"Come on by! I'll tell Sue you're on your way, and we can take it from there."
"Okay, great! Mac and I are going on a trip, and I wanted to see you both before we left."
"No problem. See you soon, then." Jack replaced the receiver, and went to find Sue. At that moment she was buried under the comforter in her bedroom, trying to fit a new cover. Jack came up behind her, with Levi beside him, and as he put his finger to his lip in a mock sign to Levi to be quiet, Sue shook out the comforter. The sudden flurry of material spooked the golden retriever, and he jumped up at Jack, who then fell with Sue onto the bed, buried under the comforter. As he pushed part of the material away from his face he found himself looking straight at Sue.
"Hi! Not my fault, Levi pushed me."
"Levi? Are you sure you weren't just trying to get me into bed, again?" Sue grinned at Jack and he raised an eyebrow at her in mock-indignation, which then turned into a leer.
"If you insist, Miss Thomas, it would be my pleasure..." Jack leaned in and kissed Sue, but then pulled back before they got carried away. "However," he added, dropping a conciliatory peck on her nose, "...we have company arriving shortly. And as much as I would love to ravish you amongst the sheets here, I don't think Mac would be too amused at us giving Mattie a preview."
Sue looked disappointed, but then nodded and smiled. "Guess you're right... did Mac ring just now? Levi didn't come."
"I stopped him. I saw it was Mac on the display before I picked up the receiver."
"What did she want, other than coming to see us?"
"It was Mattie speaking. Looks like they're going away somewhere. My guess would be to see Harm, but I don't understand how Mattie gets to go along."
"I'm sure Mac has it all sorted out. Okay, let me up then, and I'll finish this later."
Jack helped Sue to her feet and together they finished fitting the sheet that Sue had been struggling with. As Sue put the last of the pillow throws on the bed she stood up to find Jack trying hard not to laugh.
"What is it?" she signed, not bothering to speak, and waited for Jack to answer.
"I'm finding it amusing that we're putting our love-life on hold for a kid, and she's not even ours!"
Sue laughed too, and then looked pensive.
Jack noticed immediately, and went to put his arms around her.
"What?" he asked.
"I never asked before, if you would want children..."
"With your blonde hair and that smile, definitely," Jack murmured, feeling his heart skip a beat at her question.
"What about with your dark hair and dreamy eyes..."
"Dreamy eyes?" Jack raised his head a little to query Sue's remark, and she smiled, answering him softly.
"I couldn't very well attribute 'come-to-bed' eyes to a child, could I?"
"Oh, so you think I have 'come-to-bed' eyes, huh?" Jack lowered his voice and Sue nodded.
"And a 'come-to-bed' voice, too..."
Jack groaned, and gave Sue a brief, hard kiss, which then spilled into a second, gentler mating of their mouths, and a third...
"Jack, they'll be here..." Sue tried to protest, she really did!
"The beltway is murder at this time in the day..." Jack replied huskily.
When the doorbell rang a short while later, Jack went to open the door with Levi in tow, while Sue finished tidying the pillow throws on the bed - for the second time...
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To be continued