It had been almost four months since Harm had left for the Patrick-Henry. Mac was receiving letters several times a week and wrote back to him just as often, but she still had so enough time to miss him a lot. That was what she had been thinking about for the whole flight up to the base in Maine. She was there to do an investigation on a mishap during training.
"Colonel Mackenzie," the SEAL-commander said when Mac walked into his office. "I can't say it's a pleasure to have you here."
"Well, it is rather seldom that we do hear that."
"But we'll fully cooperate with your investigation and that's what I've told my men too." He buzzed the intercom and ordered his yeaman to send 'him' in.
"This is Petty Officer Schonke. He'll show you around the base and explain how everything is done here. I hope that we'll help you with your investigation. I want it done ASAP."
"I'll do my best," Mac answered and smiled towards Jimmy.
"What do I need to see first?"
"The field outside where it happened, ma'am," Jimmy said not falling out of military decorum for a second.
"Then let's get to work."
"Follow me, ma'am."
They left the commanders office. On the walk over to the field Mac ran a little to catch up with Jimmy's long steps.
"So Lieutenant Colonel? You're doing well I see, ma'am."
"Jimmy, you don't have to say ma'am to me you know. At least not when we're alone."
"It's the uniform, ma'am," Jimmy explained himself.
"Well, it's nice to see you, little brother. What would you say to dinner together later tonight? Off base and out of uniform of course."
"As long as the sibling with the recent pay raise pays..."
"What? Have you lost all of your money playing poker again?"
"Who told you about that? Anyway that was years ago..."
They had walked up to the field where the SEALs were usually training, but at the moment it was lying there deserted. They were back to business.
"So where do you want to go? Is there any especially nice restaurant around here?"
"If you like seafood I think I know one you'd like," Jimmy said.
"Sure. Let's go."
"Mom tells me you make the rest of us, even Diane, look bad," Jimmy told her when they sat down at a table by the window in the small restaurant.
"Why is that?" Mac said worriedly.
"You come up and visit them so often and you call..." he pretended to be pouting, but soon he smiled wholeheartedly at her "But you know I think it's great that you've gotten such a great relationship with them. I can't imagine what it's like to find something like that out. And our family can't be the easiest to come into with all of our luggage."
"Well, you've been great and so welcoming so it's just been a positive experience really. Besides I don't come without luggage either."
Jimmy looked down on the table and there was a pause in the conversation before he started talking again.
"I want to apologize for my reaction when you told us about your alcoholism and your ex-husband. I know it must have been hard and I think it was really brave of you to do so right from the start," Jimmy was looking into her eyes "What I'm saying is that I really appreciate your honesty and I wish I had been more supporting at the time."
"It's OK. I know it must be weird to see me look so much like Diane and still we're so different."
"You're different, but you're very much alike too. You care about other people, you're smart, honest and strong. I'm really proud to have you as a sister, Sarah."
"Thank you," Mac said and her cheeks got embarrassingly pink "I always wanted siblings when I was little and I'm really glad that I've gotten to know you and Zachary now. Better late then never."
"And I hear you spend a lot of time with Zachary. Every time I talk to him lately it's Sarah this and Sarah that..."
"Yeah, we do. We have a lot of fun together and now that Harm isn't here," Mac explained, but decided not to continue. Jimmy felt pretty much the same way about Harm as the rest of the family did.
"What do you do when you're not seeing our brother?" Jimmy said deciding not to ask her about Harm.
"Well, I like to work out and I go and visit my godson. He's just four months old."
"A baby?"
"Yeah. Quite seriously he is a baby. I'm not kidding you."
"Yeah, those things that scream and smell funny, right?"
"Something tells me you're not a baby-person."
"No, definitely not."
There was a pause in the conversation filled with laughter.
"So do you think you'll be able to solve this case fast?"
"Don't worry about it. You'll be rid of me sooner then you think," Mac said and her statement was followed by a moment of awkward silence when she realized what she had said.
"I don't want to be rid of you at all. I never did. It was always so weird to know that I had one more sister that I had never met and no one thought I would ever meet. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way."
"Yeah, so am I, Jimmy," Mac said and nodded as she smiled.
TBC