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. (I forgot to include a disclaimer for NCIS last chapter, so here it is now...I'll leave it in for the rest of the story; makes life easier when I need to 'borrow' Gibbs and his team!)
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, alicia5, fragmentpieces, kesh, claysmvl, chicmns, skyefire, tammy-jet, abigale, kjflygirl87, anna7 and nikki for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
Replies to previous chapter reviews :
chicmns Thought you would like that I included your idea on the callsign, and hope that your reaction means I did it in a good way! Thanks for your support.
abigaile Thanks for your support.
jtbwriter The callsign idea came from another reviewer and it fits right in! That's what I love about writiing from day to day...the story can go so many different ways. I have the basis, and I know how it's going to end, but it's fun to take on board ideas and use them along the way! I hope this next chapter keeps you smiling! Thanks as always.
ninjaturtle Dunstan was destined to be in this chapter - I'd already lined him up! Hope you like what goes down! Thanks for your support.
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OUTSIDE THE BRIG
USS SEA HAWK
SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
THURSDAY, LATE MORNING
Harm and Mac were discussing the options of the imprisoned officer when Sturgis walked up to them.
"How did it go?" he asked, and Mac nodded at him.
"I think we've left him with enough to think about. He knows he has until Saturday to decide. I'm sure he'll have something to tell us by then."
"So, are you three ready for your break in Bahrain? Varese is dyng to meet you. I've told her so much about the pair of you, and Mattie. Say, where is she anyway?"
"Mattie's still on the bridge. What do you mean, you've told Varese about the pair of us?" Harm winked at Mac as he stepped closer to Sturgis, his expression one of comic annoyance.
"Hey, buddy, only the good stuff, I swear!" Sturgis stepped back and laughed, along with Mac as she joined in. Then she spoke up as she thought of something.
"Hey, Harm, if he doesn't behave, we could always tell Varese about 'Alec', remember?"
"Oh, yeah. Good ol' Alec! Okay, I think this is going to turn out to be a great weekend!"
"Ha, in your dreams, Rabb. Varese already knows about my stint as 'Alec', so that's nothing new to her."
"Aha, she doesn't know our version!" Harm grinned, as he stepped between Mac and Sturgis, and walked off down the corridor ahead of them. Sturgis glanced at Mac with a worried look.
"What exactly do you think he meant by that, Mac?"
"I have absolutely no idea, Sturgis. But I'm willing to bet he'd make it a promise to tell her."
"And he always keeps his promises...yeah, I know!" Sturgis replied. Mac grinned, and looked down for a second. Sturgis could have sworn she spoke. "You say something, Mac?"
"I said, 'yes, he does' to the keeping of promises. He is, after all, Harmon Rabb."
"Jeez, you've got it bad!" Sturgis muttered, and then laughed as he set off after Harm, and Mac followed him, walking a little slower, smiling to herself.
FLIGHT DECK
USS SEA HAWK
SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
THURSDAY, EARLY AFTERNOON
As Harm stepped out onto the flight deck with Jorgensen he spotted Mattie and Mac stood by the COD, talking to Sturgis. Beside them, Dunstan was trying to get in on their conversation.
"Dunstan, back off!" Harm heard Mac speak out, even above the deck activity her voice meant business. He grinned as he neared the group.
"I'd do as she says, Dunstan. The Colonel can kill with her bare hands, so I'd try not to make her any angrier than she is."
"I have a right to a story, Rabb. I was told the Navy would give its co-operation to my visiting the ship."
"You've had all the co-operation the Sea Hawk could possibly provide, Dunstan. What you're after here is personal, relating to me and my family, and is nothing to do with why you came on board. You just thought you could get another story, and you can't. If I see one word in print about Mattie, I'll sue you personally. Think about that while you go back stateside. I didn't think you'd stoop to doing something like this, anyway."
"Like what?" Dunstan rose to the bait, and Mac smiled. Harm was a brilliant lawyer, and a gifted pilot, and when the two combined he was lethal. It was with this edge, as he stood in his flight suit ready to depart in the nearby F-14, that he leaned in to speak to Dunstan over the sound of the flight preparations.
"Like a street hack. You had the world eating out of your hand reporting in Afghanistan, and the story you did on Bud Roberts was nothing short of Pulitzer material, for which the Colonel and I thank you. It was a good piece. That's why I can't understand what you're doing chasing after a non-existent story with Mattie."
Dunstan paled as Harm stepped back, and even Mac was taken by surprise by the sudden about-face of the man as he stepped up into the COD and found a seat. As she looked up at Harm, she saw the expression on his face, as though he was surprised too.
"What did you do to him, Harm?" Mac asked, realizing that something serious had just happened between the two men, but not sure what. It was even more confusing when Harm answered her.
"I'm not sure. I just told him to lay off Mattie, and I said I couldn't understand why he was doing something so sleazy."
"Do you think there may be something else going on?"
"If there is, I don't know what it is, and I'm not going to dwell on it. So long as he keeps away from Mattie and keeps her name out of print he's safe from me."
"Go fly, Harm. I'll see you on the ground in Bahrain. Fly safe."
"Always." Harm grinned as Mac signed 'I love you'. Returning the gesture, he couldn't resist adding something as she stepped up into the COD. "Mind where you're walking, Mac; you never know what might be on the floor in there."
"Hah, get out of here, flyboy." Mac waved at him as she entered the aircraft, and thanked the powers that be that her safety helmet and goggles hid most of the blush on her face.
Sturgis shook hands with Harm and, with the promise of a 'cold beer' on call when they reached their hotel, he followed Mac into the interior of the COD and took his seat across the aisle, leaving the seat beside Mac for Mattie.
Mattie was the last to board the COD, her new flight helmet held tight in her arms as she looked up at the bridge, and then at Harm.
"You okay, kiddo?" Harm asked, seeing a sheen of tears in her eyes. Mattie nodded and grinned.
"I'm fine. Thanks for this, Harm. It's up there on my list of 'what Harm's done for me's'; way up."
"Better than the Academy?" Harm teased, and Mattie shook her head.
"Close. There's only one thing better than that, well, maybe two...now." Mattie knew that Harm had realized she was talking about the baby, and he pulled her in for a quick hug.
"Go, get on board. Jorgensen and I need to get airborne so we can escort you to Bahrain. Don't forget to thank Mac, too. It was her idea, after all.""
"I will, thank Mac, I mean. You're really going to be our own personal escort? Wow! Andre is going to be so green!"
"Get, minx!" Harm turned Mattie to face the steps up into the COD and he waved back at her as he followed Jorgensen across the deck to the F-14.
"The squad's going to miss her, Harm. It's been a good experience, for all of us."
"Thanks. That means a lot." Harm acknowledged the comment, and the fact that Jorgensen alluded to his parenting skills also. It was still all new to he and Mattie, but it was good to know they were getting some things right and that other people were noticing.
Harm watched while the COD was readied and then catapulted off the deck, and then it was his turn to line up and take off. Going through the last of the pre-flight checks, he looked up and found the COD in the air.
"We're clear, Harm. Ready to roll."
"Thanks. Let's go then." On his signal he fired up the engines and the jet screamed off the deck and into the air, banking to turn and rise and then lining up above the COD.
UNNAMED MILITARY BASE
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Mac, Mattie and Sturgis waited on the tarmac for the Tomcat to land. Dunstan had been escorted to a waiting security vehicle, to be taken off the airbase and back to the US Embassy. From there he could make his own way to his hotel.
"I'm glad he's gone," Mattie said to Mac. "I've seen his reports on television before, and I always thought he was pretty good, but he seemed really weird up close. You don't think he's staying at the same hotel, do you?" she added, looking a little pensive.
Sturgis spoke up. "No, he isn't. I checked."
"Thanks, Sturgis." Mac smiled, and then turned to Mattie. "Even if he was to come to the hotel, I don't think he'd be bothering you, Mattie. Whatever Harm said to him earlier, it had an effect."
"I hope so. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days, and having him around would have really spoiled it."
"It will be okay. I'm looking forward to this weekend, too. Well, what's left of today, and tomorrow. Back to work on Saturday."
"Yeah, long flight for Sturgis and I." Mattie turned suddenly to Sturgis. "You don't snore do you, Sturgis?" she asked, and Mac laughed out loud.
"I can see you two are going to have a fun flight, Commander!"
Sturgis looked as serious as he could manage, and then spoilt it with a grin. "Well, I guess you could ask my dad, but he's sworn to secrecy."
"Ah, but Varese isn't!" Mac retorted, and Mattie gave her a high-five. "Great idea, Mac. We can grill Varese!"
"You won't be grilling anyone, young lady, least of all Varese. I haven't known her that long, and I don't want you scaring her off."
"Nah. I'm sure you've told Mac some things about Harm before she knew him, and she's still here."
"She's got you there, Sturgis," Mac observed, and Sturgis opted to end the conversation by changing the subject.
"Here they come," he said, and pointed out the glint of sunlight on the metal skin of the jet. All three watched as Harm brought the F-14 down to land smoothly on the runway, and to run it across the taxi-way towards the area where the COD had been towed after landing.
After having the jet stowed in a secure hangar and making sure that Jorgensen was going to be okay waiting until the COD departed for it's last run of the day, and after a hug from Mattie and a promise to email, the weekend party made their way across the tarmac to a waiting embassy vehicle - the same one that had brought Harm and Sturgis to the COD when they had first arrived in the Kingdom. Greeting the same driver, Sturgis directed him to the Sheraton Hotel, and then they were on their way.
BAHRAIN SHERATON HOTEL
MANAMA
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
THURSDAY, LATE AFTERNOON
Varese was waiting for Sturgis to arrive. He had called ahead from the vehicle bringing them into town, and she was ready with the key cards for Harm, Mac and Mattie, and for herself and Sturgis. With her being one of the performers at the hotel, there were certain perks to the job, and one was access to a number of suites normally reserved for visiting dignitaries. Who occupied which room would be for the actual parties concerned to decide, and would not be made public knowledge.
When the embassy vehicle pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, Varese jumped up excitedly.
"Hey! You made it! Sturgis, I've missed you."
"Missed you too, Varese." Sturgis gave Varese a hug, and a whispered promise of more 'hugs' later, before turning to introduce Harm, Mac and Mattie. The five of them entered the lobby of the hotel, and raised a few eyebrows at their appearance, not least of which was Harm still in his flight suit, and Mattie carrying her flight helmet.
"I guess we need to go and change," Harm grinned, looking down at himself and then up at Mac. Varese was the one to shake her head though.
"You look great, Harm. Just out of 'Top Gun'!" Mac laughed at that, and Mattie joined in. Mac eventually relented, and smiled at Varese.
"He's right though, we really do need to freshen up."
"Not a problem. For the guys, I have cold beer organized on the terrace between the rooms upstairs, and for us ladies, we have a date with the beauty salon, and the boutique. On the hotel, no charge. I promise. It's another of the perks of my job while I'm here, so I've just called in a little favor or two, and told them I'm bringing friends of mine along!"
"Varese, are you sure?" Mac looked uncertain, but the younger woman put a hand out and touched her arm.
"I'm positive, Mac. Besides, I want you to give me the low-down on ol' Sturg over there - he won't tell me a thing!"
"I'm doomed!" moaned Sturgis, dropping his head. Harm laughed out loud, but it was soon stifled as Mac looked at him, as if to say 'I'll trade with Varese on stories about you', without actually saying a word! Mattie watched the interaction between the adults and then was heard to mutter in a most unladylike fashion. "Ugh, grown-ups. Worse than kids!"
That brought four pairs of eyes around to focus on her, and she grinned. "Gotcha!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. (I forgot to include a disclaimer for NCIS last chapter, so here it is now...I'll leave it in for the rest of the story; makes life easier when I need to 'borrow' Gibbs and his team!)
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, alicia5, fragmentpieces, kesh, claysmvl, chicmns, skyefire, tammy-jet, abigale, kjflygirl87, anna7 and nikki for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
Replies to previous chapter reviews :
chicmns Thought you would like that I included your idea on the callsign, and hope that your reaction means I did it in a good way! Thanks for your support.
abigaile Thanks for your support.
jtbwriter The callsign idea came from another reviewer and it fits right in! That's what I love about writiing from day to day...the story can go so many different ways. I have the basis, and I know how it's going to end, but it's fun to take on board ideas and use them along the way! I hope this next chapter keeps you smiling! Thanks as always.
ninjaturtle Dunstan was destined to be in this chapter - I'd already lined him up! Hope you like what goes down! Thanks for your support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUTSIDE THE BRIG
USS SEA HAWK
SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
THURSDAY, LATE MORNING
Harm and Mac were discussing the options of the imprisoned officer when Sturgis walked up to them.
"How did it go?" he asked, and Mac nodded at him.
"I think we've left him with enough to think about. He knows he has until Saturday to decide. I'm sure he'll have something to tell us by then."
"So, are you three ready for your break in Bahrain? Varese is dyng to meet you. I've told her so much about the pair of you, and Mattie. Say, where is she anyway?"
"Mattie's still on the bridge. What do you mean, you've told Varese about the pair of us?" Harm winked at Mac as he stepped closer to Sturgis, his expression one of comic annoyance.
"Hey, buddy, only the good stuff, I swear!" Sturgis stepped back and laughed, along with Mac as she joined in. Then she spoke up as she thought of something.
"Hey, Harm, if he doesn't behave, we could always tell Varese about 'Alec', remember?"
"Oh, yeah. Good ol' Alec! Okay, I think this is going to turn out to be a great weekend!"
"Ha, in your dreams, Rabb. Varese already knows about my stint as 'Alec', so that's nothing new to her."
"Aha, she doesn't know our version!" Harm grinned, as he stepped between Mac and Sturgis, and walked off down the corridor ahead of them. Sturgis glanced at Mac with a worried look.
"What exactly do you think he meant by that, Mac?"
"I have absolutely no idea, Sturgis. But I'm willing to bet he'd make it a promise to tell her."
"And he always keeps his promises...yeah, I know!" Sturgis replied. Mac grinned, and looked down for a second. Sturgis could have sworn she spoke. "You say something, Mac?"
"I said, 'yes, he does' to the keeping of promises. He is, after all, Harmon Rabb."
"Jeez, you've got it bad!" Sturgis muttered, and then laughed as he set off after Harm, and Mac followed him, walking a little slower, smiling to herself.
FLIGHT DECK
USS SEA HAWK
SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
THURSDAY, EARLY AFTERNOON
As Harm stepped out onto the flight deck with Jorgensen he spotted Mattie and Mac stood by the COD, talking to Sturgis. Beside them, Dunstan was trying to get in on their conversation.
"Dunstan, back off!" Harm heard Mac speak out, even above the deck activity her voice meant business. He grinned as he neared the group.
"I'd do as she says, Dunstan. The Colonel can kill with her bare hands, so I'd try not to make her any angrier than she is."
"I have a right to a story, Rabb. I was told the Navy would give its co-operation to my visiting the ship."
"You've had all the co-operation the Sea Hawk could possibly provide, Dunstan. What you're after here is personal, relating to me and my family, and is nothing to do with why you came on board. You just thought you could get another story, and you can't. If I see one word in print about Mattie, I'll sue you personally. Think about that while you go back stateside. I didn't think you'd stoop to doing something like this, anyway."
"Like what?" Dunstan rose to the bait, and Mac smiled. Harm was a brilliant lawyer, and a gifted pilot, and when the two combined he was lethal. It was with this edge, as he stood in his flight suit ready to depart in the nearby F-14, that he leaned in to speak to Dunstan over the sound of the flight preparations.
"Like a street hack. You had the world eating out of your hand reporting in Afghanistan, and the story you did on Bud Roberts was nothing short of Pulitzer material, for which the Colonel and I thank you. It was a good piece. That's why I can't understand what you're doing chasing after a non-existent story with Mattie."
Dunstan paled as Harm stepped back, and even Mac was taken by surprise by the sudden about-face of the man as he stepped up into the COD and found a seat. As she looked up at Harm, she saw the expression on his face, as though he was surprised too.
"What did you do to him, Harm?" Mac asked, realizing that something serious had just happened between the two men, but not sure what. It was even more confusing when Harm answered her.
"I'm not sure. I just told him to lay off Mattie, and I said I couldn't understand why he was doing something so sleazy."
"Do you think there may be something else going on?"
"If there is, I don't know what it is, and I'm not going to dwell on it. So long as he keeps away from Mattie and keeps her name out of print he's safe from me."
"Go fly, Harm. I'll see you on the ground in Bahrain. Fly safe."
"Always." Harm grinned as Mac signed 'I love you'. Returning the gesture, he couldn't resist adding something as she stepped up into the COD. "Mind where you're walking, Mac; you never know what might be on the floor in there."
"Hah, get out of here, flyboy." Mac waved at him as she entered the aircraft, and thanked the powers that be that her safety helmet and goggles hid most of the blush on her face.
Sturgis shook hands with Harm and, with the promise of a 'cold beer' on call when they reached their hotel, he followed Mac into the interior of the COD and took his seat across the aisle, leaving the seat beside Mac for Mattie.
Mattie was the last to board the COD, her new flight helmet held tight in her arms as she looked up at the bridge, and then at Harm.
"You okay, kiddo?" Harm asked, seeing a sheen of tears in her eyes. Mattie nodded and grinned.
"I'm fine. Thanks for this, Harm. It's up there on my list of 'what Harm's done for me's'; way up."
"Better than the Academy?" Harm teased, and Mattie shook her head.
"Close. There's only one thing better than that, well, maybe two...now." Mattie knew that Harm had realized she was talking about the baby, and he pulled her in for a quick hug.
"Go, get on board. Jorgensen and I need to get airborne so we can escort you to Bahrain. Don't forget to thank Mac, too. It was her idea, after all.""
"I will, thank Mac, I mean. You're really going to be our own personal escort? Wow! Andre is going to be so green!"
"Get, minx!" Harm turned Mattie to face the steps up into the COD and he waved back at her as he followed Jorgensen across the deck to the F-14.
"The squad's going to miss her, Harm. It's been a good experience, for all of us."
"Thanks. That means a lot." Harm acknowledged the comment, and the fact that Jorgensen alluded to his parenting skills also. It was still all new to he and Mattie, but it was good to know they were getting some things right and that other people were noticing.
Harm watched while the COD was readied and then catapulted off the deck, and then it was his turn to line up and take off. Going through the last of the pre-flight checks, he looked up and found the COD in the air.
"We're clear, Harm. Ready to roll."
"Thanks. Let's go then." On his signal he fired up the engines and the jet screamed off the deck and into the air, banking to turn and rise and then lining up above the COD.
UNNAMED MILITARY BASE
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Mac, Mattie and Sturgis waited on the tarmac for the Tomcat to land. Dunstan had been escorted to a waiting security vehicle, to be taken off the airbase and back to the US Embassy. From there he could make his own way to his hotel.
"I'm glad he's gone," Mattie said to Mac. "I've seen his reports on television before, and I always thought he was pretty good, but he seemed really weird up close. You don't think he's staying at the same hotel, do you?" she added, looking a little pensive.
Sturgis spoke up. "No, he isn't. I checked."
"Thanks, Sturgis." Mac smiled, and then turned to Mattie. "Even if he was to come to the hotel, I don't think he'd be bothering you, Mattie. Whatever Harm said to him earlier, it had an effect."
"I hope so. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of days, and having him around would have really spoiled it."
"It will be okay. I'm looking forward to this weekend, too. Well, what's left of today, and tomorrow. Back to work on Saturday."
"Yeah, long flight for Sturgis and I." Mattie turned suddenly to Sturgis. "You don't snore do you, Sturgis?" she asked, and Mac laughed out loud.
"I can see you two are going to have a fun flight, Commander!"
Sturgis looked as serious as he could manage, and then spoilt it with a grin. "Well, I guess you could ask my dad, but he's sworn to secrecy."
"Ah, but Varese isn't!" Mac retorted, and Mattie gave her a high-five. "Great idea, Mac. We can grill Varese!"
"You won't be grilling anyone, young lady, least of all Varese. I haven't known her that long, and I don't want you scaring her off."
"Nah. I'm sure you've told Mac some things about Harm before she knew him, and she's still here."
"She's got you there, Sturgis," Mac observed, and Sturgis opted to end the conversation by changing the subject.
"Here they come," he said, and pointed out the glint of sunlight on the metal skin of the jet. All three watched as Harm brought the F-14 down to land smoothly on the runway, and to run it across the taxi-way towards the area where the COD had been towed after landing.
After having the jet stowed in a secure hangar and making sure that Jorgensen was going to be okay waiting until the COD departed for it's last run of the day, and after a hug from Mattie and a promise to email, the weekend party made their way across the tarmac to a waiting embassy vehicle - the same one that had brought Harm and Sturgis to the COD when they had first arrived in the Kingdom. Greeting the same driver, Sturgis directed him to the Sheraton Hotel, and then they were on their way.
BAHRAIN SHERATON HOTEL
MANAMA
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
THURSDAY, LATE AFTERNOON
Varese was waiting for Sturgis to arrive. He had called ahead from the vehicle bringing them into town, and she was ready with the key cards for Harm, Mac and Mattie, and for herself and Sturgis. With her being one of the performers at the hotel, there were certain perks to the job, and one was access to a number of suites normally reserved for visiting dignitaries. Who occupied which room would be for the actual parties concerned to decide, and would not be made public knowledge.
When the embassy vehicle pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, Varese jumped up excitedly.
"Hey! You made it! Sturgis, I've missed you."
"Missed you too, Varese." Sturgis gave Varese a hug, and a whispered promise of more 'hugs' later, before turning to introduce Harm, Mac and Mattie. The five of them entered the lobby of the hotel, and raised a few eyebrows at their appearance, not least of which was Harm still in his flight suit, and Mattie carrying her flight helmet.
"I guess we need to go and change," Harm grinned, looking down at himself and then up at Mac. Varese was the one to shake her head though.
"You look great, Harm. Just out of 'Top Gun'!" Mac laughed at that, and Mattie joined in. Mac eventually relented, and smiled at Varese.
"He's right though, we really do need to freshen up."
"Not a problem. For the guys, I have cold beer organized on the terrace between the rooms upstairs, and for us ladies, we have a date with the beauty salon, and the boutique. On the hotel, no charge. I promise. It's another of the perks of my job while I'm here, so I've just called in a little favor or two, and told them I'm bringing friends of mine along!"
"Varese, are you sure?" Mac looked uncertain, but the younger woman put a hand out and touched her arm.
"I'm positive, Mac. Besides, I want you to give me the low-down on ol' Sturg over there - he won't tell me a thing!"
"I'm doomed!" moaned Sturgis, dropping his head. Harm laughed out loud, but it was soon stifled as Mac looked at him, as if to say 'I'll trade with Varese on stories about you', without actually saying a word! Mattie watched the interaction between the adults and then was heard to mutter in a most unladylike fashion. "Ugh, grown-ups. Worse than kids!"
That brought four pairs of eyes around to focus on her, and she grinned. "Gotcha!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be continued