Mac threw herself into decorating the house for the holidays for the next
two weeks and organising with Chaplain Turner to have Abigail christened
during his Christmas Eve sermon. Frank and Grams came out for Christmas and
stayed until they and Trish had to go home after New Years.
Mac stayed home watching daytime TV while Abi was asleep which was most of the time. So when she had her six-week check up she talked an idea she had over with her doctor. On the way back from Bethesda she did a detour to JAG HQ.
Once she had arrived she decided it was easier to leave Abi in her car seat and take that inside than it would be to take the buggy. She grabbed the baby bag and headed inside. As she walked into the bullpen several people stopped her to say hello and take a peek at Abi. It took Mac a while to get to the Admiral's outer office.
"Colonel Mackenzie." Tiner said jumping to his feet.
"Tiner." Mac replied.
"Ma'am, Commander Rabb is in court."
"I know I'm not here to see Harm. I need to see the Admiral is he free?"
"He's on the phone with the SecNav at the moment."
"When's done can ask if he has a minute to see me?" Mac asked.
"Of course ma'am." Tiner replied.
"I'll be in my office. Could you send Jen over too?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Thank you." Mac picked up Abi's car seat and walked to her office.
~
Jen tapped on the door.
"Enter." Mac called.
"You wanted to see me ma'am?" Jen stuck her head in the door.
"Come in Jen."
"How's Abi?" Jen asked.
"We are both in perfect health; we just came from our six week check up."
"That's great ma'am. So is this just a flying visit?" Jen asked.
"I've come to see the Admiral. I was hoping you'd be able to keep an eye on Abi while I talk to him."
"Of course ma'am, I'd love too."
"Good. Why don't you sit down and you can fill me in on the scuttlebutt while we're waiting for the Admiral to finish his call to the SecNav. You've got to know more than Harm."
"They've been on the phone a lot lately, as far as we can tell it's something to do with a Commander Powell." Jen replied.
"Jen for your own good don't try and find out any more about that."
"Yes ma'am."
~
"Mac it's good to see you. How's Abi?" AJ asked.
"She's fine sir. She's in my office with Jen."
"So what can I do for you Mac?" He indicated for her to sit.
"I want to come back to work."
"Mac you've got at least another two weeks on your maternity leave, six if you take the full leave." AJ pointed out.
"I know Admiral. But I need to come back. My brain can't take sitting doing nothing for much longer. "
"What about Abigail?"
"What Abi needs is a mother who is not going slowly nuts sir. She can't go to day care until she's two months so I thought I could keep her with me in my office. I'll just go through the Freedom of Information Act Requests." Mac replied.
"What does Harm have to say about this?" AJ leant back in his chair and studied her.
"He knows I'm bored at home but he thinks it's a good thing that I get to spend all day with Abi. Dr O'Brien says it's fine for me to come back. Admiral I love my daughter but I've been a Marine for a long time and I'm used to having my brain active, I was not cut out to be a stay at home Mom. I need to do something." There was a knock on the door.
"Enter." AJ called. Tiner opened the door. "Yes?"
"Sorry to interrupt Admiral. Colonel, Petty Officer Coates is on the phone, Abigail woke up and she can't get her to stop crying."
"She's probably hungry. Tell her I'll be there in a few minutes and to try singing to her. She prefers sappy love songs but anything will do."
"Love songs got it. Sir." He pulled the door shut.
"She inherited her father's love of music." Mac said. "So?"
"Mornings only. 1000 to 1300, then someone will throw you out in the nicest possible manner, talk it over with Harm first. Then when the two weeks are up to I'll talk to someone about putting you on a light schedule for the first few weeks."
"Thank you sir." She stood. "If you'll excuse me."
"Dismissed." Although not in uniform Mac came to attention.
"Aye aye sir."
"Welcome back Colonel."
TBC
Mac stayed home watching daytime TV while Abi was asleep which was most of the time. So when she had her six-week check up she talked an idea she had over with her doctor. On the way back from Bethesda she did a detour to JAG HQ.
Once she had arrived she decided it was easier to leave Abi in her car seat and take that inside than it would be to take the buggy. She grabbed the baby bag and headed inside. As she walked into the bullpen several people stopped her to say hello and take a peek at Abi. It took Mac a while to get to the Admiral's outer office.
"Colonel Mackenzie." Tiner said jumping to his feet.
"Tiner." Mac replied.
"Ma'am, Commander Rabb is in court."
"I know I'm not here to see Harm. I need to see the Admiral is he free?"
"He's on the phone with the SecNav at the moment."
"When's done can ask if he has a minute to see me?" Mac asked.
"Of course ma'am." Tiner replied.
"I'll be in my office. Could you send Jen over too?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Thank you." Mac picked up Abi's car seat and walked to her office.
~
Jen tapped on the door.
"Enter." Mac called.
"You wanted to see me ma'am?" Jen stuck her head in the door.
"Come in Jen."
"How's Abi?" Jen asked.
"We are both in perfect health; we just came from our six week check up."
"That's great ma'am. So is this just a flying visit?" Jen asked.
"I've come to see the Admiral. I was hoping you'd be able to keep an eye on Abi while I talk to him."
"Of course ma'am, I'd love too."
"Good. Why don't you sit down and you can fill me in on the scuttlebutt while we're waiting for the Admiral to finish his call to the SecNav. You've got to know more than Harm."
"They've been on the phone a lot lately, as far as we can tell it's something to do with a Commander Powell." Jen replied.
"Jen for your own good don't try and find out any more about that."
"Yes ma'am."
~
"Mac it's good to see you. How's Abi?" AJ asked.
"She's fine sir. She's in my office with Jen."
"So what can I do for you Mac?" He indicated for her to sit.
"I want to come back to work."
"Mac you've got at least another two weeks on your maternity leave, six if you take the full leave." AJ pointed out.
"I know Admiral. But I need to come back. My brain can't take sitting doing nothing for much longer. "
"What about Abigail?"
"What Abi needs is a mother who is not going slowly nuts sir. She can't go to day care until she's two months so I thought I could keep her with me in my office. I'll just go through the Freedom of Information Act Requests." Mac replied.
"What does Harm have to say about this?" AJ leant back in his chair and studied her.
"He knows I'm bored at home but he thinks it's a good thing that I get to spend all day with Abi. Dr O'Brien says it's fine for me to come back. Admiral I love my daughter but I've been a Marine for a long time and I'm used to having my brain active, I was not cut out to be a stay at home Mom. I need to do something." There was a knock on the door.
"Enter." AJ called. Tiner opened the door. "Yes?"
"Sorry to interrupt Admiral. Colonel, Petty Officer Coates is on the phone, Abigail woke up and she can't get her to stop crying."
"She's probably hungry. Tell her I'll be there in a few minutes and to try singing to her. She prefers sappy love songs but anything will do."
"Love songs got it. Sir." He pulled the door shut.
"She inherited her father's love of music." Mac said. "So?"
"Mornings only. 1000 to 1300, then someone will throw you out in the nicest possible manner, talk it over with Harm first. Then when the two weeks are up to I'll talk to someone about putting you on a light schedule for the first few weeks."
"Thank you sir." She stood. "If you'll excuse me."
"Dismissed." Although not in uniform Mac came to attention.
"Aye aye sir."
"Welcome back Colonel."
TBC
