Harm hesitated before knocking on the door.
"Enter." Mac called. "Hey Harm, what brings you over to this part of the building?" Mac asked.
"There's something I need to talk to you about." Harm said sitting down.
"That doesn't sound good." Mac put her pen down and closed her file.
"I brought you a strawberry milkshake." Harm put it on her desk.
"Now that sounds even worse." Mac said.
"Sarah, I..."
"Just tell me which aircraft carrier you're going out to, when you're leaving and how long you're going to be gone."
"How did..."
"Harm, you get this look when someone tells you you can go flying in a tomcat." Mac replied.
"Skates came to see me; she's in town until tomorrow. I invited her to dinner by the way." Harm added.
"That's good; it'll be nice to see her again. But that didn't answer my question." Mac pointed out.
"Captain Ingalls has a feeling that there is something wrong with the air group, they have new CAG, but no one is saying anything. There's not enough there for an official investigation, so he wants me to go out there and see if I can get them to tell me anything."
"They won't tell you anything if you go out there as a lawyer." Mac stated.
"That's why he wants me out there in the guise of doing my quals early. He feels that I would be able to get more information being an aviator, experience first hand the situation."
"The Admiral approved it?" Mac asked talking the milkshake.
"Yes." Harm replied.
"What about your Article 32 hearing?"
"Faith can handle it; the Admiral gave me permission to give Bud the minor ones I have left."
"When does he want you to leave?" Mac inquired.
"He has tomcat out here that he needs flown back to the Henry. With Skates here to act as RIO, wheels up is at 1500 tomorrow."
"And how long will you be gone?"
"About a week, give or take a couple of days."
"Okay." Mac replied.
"Okay?" Harm questioned.
"Okay." Mac repeated. He looked at her. "What?"
"I was expecting a different kind of reaction."
"What did you expect me to throw something, yell at you or burst into tears?" Mac asked.
"Frankly yes."
"You have a legitimate reason for going out there; it's not for selfish purposes. If Captain Ingalls sent Skates to talk to you there must be some legitimacy to his concerns. So go and find out what's going on for him."
"You're okay with this? I mean you usually hate it when I go flying."
"I still do. But if something is affecting the whole air group then it's a legitimate reason and if it means your quals are over quicker then so be it. It's a lot of people out there, who are just trying to do their jobs and I can't let that stop you from trying to find out what it is just because I don't want you to go."
"You know you really are something." Harm said.
"I know, it's why you love me."
"One of many reasons. So why the change of heart?"
"I'm a parent." Mac simply replied.
"Would you care to expand on that?"
"There is a distinct possibility one of our kids will end in the military somewhere along the line. One of them is bound inherit the flying gene from your side of the family. If was Trish, or Skates' parent I'd want to know that there was someone who'd look out them."
"Are you sure you'll be alright while I'm gone?" Harm asked.
"Harm, I may have a problem doing my skirts up and be losing my waistline again but I'm not that big. I and all the kids will be fine. You just be careful." Mac paused. "Do you want to go and get lunch?"
"I would but I've got to go and tell Faith she's on her own and get everything ready for Bud. But if you hurry you could probably catch Jen, she took Skates to lunch with her." Harm suggested.
"It's okay. I take it you'll be home at a reasonable time now and since you're making Skates dinner."
"Yes." He got up and walked around the desk and gave her a kiss.
"You know you should probably act with a little decorum on military property." Mac suggested. "Someone might see and charge with conduct unbecoming."
"When kissing your wife really becomes conduct unbecoming I'll quit." Mac smiled.
"Go get back to work. I'll see you later."
"You too."
TBC
"Enter." Mac called. "Hey Harm, what brings you over to this part of the building?" Mac asked.
"There's something I need to talk to you about." Harm said sitting down.
"That doesn't sound good." Mac put her pen down and closed her file.
"I brought you a strawberry milkshake." Harm put it on her desk.
"Now that sounds even worse." Mac said.
"Sarah, I..."
"Just tell me which aircraft carrier you're going out to, when you're leaving and how long you're going to be gone."
"How did..."
"Harm, you get this look when someone tells you you can go flying in a tomcat." Mac replied.
"Skates came to see me; she's in town until tomorrow. I invited her to dinner by the way." Harm added.
"That's good; it'll be nice to see her again. But that didn't answer my question." Mac pointed out.
"Captain Ingalls has a feeling that there is something wrong with the air group, they have new CAG, but no one is saying anything. There's not enough there for an official investigation, so he wants me to go out there and see if I can get them to tell me anything."
"They won't tell you anything if you go out there as a lawyer." Mac stated.
"That's why he wants me out there in the guise of doing my quals early. He feels that I would be able to get more information being an aviator, experience first hand the situation."
"The Admiral approved it?" Mac asked talking the milkshake.
"Yes." Harm replied.
"What about your Article 32 hearing?"
"Faith can handle it; the Admiral gave me permission to give Bud the minor ones I have left."
"When does he want you to leave?" Mac inquired.
"He has tomcat out here that he needs flown back to the Henry. With Skates here to act as RIO, wheels up is at 1500 tomorrow."
"And how long will you be gone?"
"About a week, give or take a couple of days."
"Okay." Mac replied.
"Okay?" Harm questioned.
"Okay." Mac repeated. He looked at her. "What?"
"I was expecting a different kind of reaction."
"What did you expect me to throw something, yell at you or burst into tears?" Mac asked.
"Frankly yes."
"You have a legitimate reason for going out there; it's not for selfish purposes. If Captain Ingalls sent Skates to talk to you there must be some legitimacy to his concerns. So go and find out what's going on for him."
"You're okay with this? I mean you usually hate it when I go flying."
"I still do. But if something is affecting the whole air group then it's a legitimate reason and if it means your quals are over quicker then so be it. It's a lot of people out there, who are just trying to do their jobs and I can't let that stop you from trying to find out what it is just because I don't want you to go."
"You know you really are something." Harm said.
"I know, it's why you love me."
"One of many reasons. So why the change of heart?"
"I'm a parent." Mac simply replied.
"Would you care to expand on that?"
"There is a distinct possibility one of our kids will end in the military somewhere along the line. One of them is bound inherit the flying gene from your side of the family. If was Trish, or Skates' parent I'd want to know that there was someone who'd look out them."
"Are you sure you'll be alright while I'm gone?" Harm asked.
"Harm, I may have a problem doing my skirts up and be losing my waistline again but I'm not that big. I and all the kids will be fine. You just be careful." Mac paused. "Do you want to go and get lunch?"
"I would but I've got to go and tell Faith she's on her own and get everything ready for Bud. But if you hurry you could probably catch Jen, she took Skates to lunch with her." Harm suggested.
"It's okay. I take it you'll be home at a reasonable time now and since you're making Skates dinner."
"Yes." He got up and walked around the desk and gave her a kiss.
"You know you should probably act with a little decorum on military property." Mac suggested. "Someone might see and charge with conduct unbecoming."
"When kissing your wife really becomes conduct unbecoming I'll quit." Mac smiled.
"Go get back to work. I'll see you later."
"You too."
TBC
