A/N: About the last chapter; FAS is an abbreviation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I have parent/teacher conferences this next week. The good news about that is I should have plenty of time to write as only about 15% of my students' parents show up. The bad news is that I probably won't get anything posted before next Friday. Sorry about that.
Spoilers: A Girl's Best Friend and Good Intentions
Harm and Mac's house
0625 hours
03/02/2004
I head down the hallway to AJ's room. Harm and I have developed a routine during the work week. Three days a week we go run early and then we take turns in the shower. Harm goes first then he gets Jimmy up and ready for the day. While he's in the shower I get AJ and Mattie up and then after my shower we all head downstairs to grab some breakfast before heading out for the day.
Actually breakfast is not an accurate description of what we have. AJ has a cereal bar or some other snack to tide him over until breakfast at the sitters. Mattie has been on pop tarts kick, which is driving Harm nuts. Harm and I take a cup of coffee and a bagel with us for the road. If we didn't run, we'd have more time but then we'd have to run after work and it's really not fair to Mattie to make her watch the boys so that we can run. Not that Mattie minds but she has other things she needs to do.
We also discussed taking turns running during the week but we enjoy going running together. We used to do it all the time but stopped after Sydney. Actually we stopped when Harm went to flight duty but we were just starting again when Sydney happened. Looking back on it the fact we quit running together was a major sign of just how strained our relationship was. We weren't exercising with our significant others but we weren't comfortable with the old routines. Both of us really enjoy our runs together so this was our compromise. We also run on the weekends but we don't have to get up nearly as early.
"AJ are you ready to go downstairs?"
"NO!" Oh it's going to be on of those mornings.
"AJ you're not even dressed. Are you going to get dressed?"
"NO!"
"AJ we need to get moving. You need to get to Brenda's."
"NO!"
"Okay." He really picked the wrong day to do this. I have a client meeting at 0900 and can't be late. I leave the room and head downstairs to talk to Harm.
"Mac, where's AJ?"
"He's upstairs. He's refusing to get dressed. How do you want to handle this?"
"Can we ride in together?"
"I guess, why?"
"Because I'm thinking we'll just put him in the car and go. We can pack his clothes and he can get dressed at the sitter's. I'm willing to bet though that he'll scream bloody murder and I don't think either of us should have to deal with that alone."
"Sounds like a plan. Let me go grab his clothes and I'll get Jimmy in the car."
"Okay let's get a move on it. Mattie, you need anything before we go?"
"Lunch money and possibly some ear plugs." I give Mattie a twenty out of my purse with a chuckle.
"Here's some lunch money and try sticking your fingers in your ears." That said I turn around and head back upstairs to grab AJ's backpack and clothes. It's 0640 we've got to get a move on.
Mac's Office
1002 hours
03/02/2004
I beat Harm! I beat Harm! I shouldn't be gloating like this but it happens so rare and this makes twice in a row. The first time we were trying the case of a Navy Lieutenant accuse of smuggling diamonds. I was prosecuting and Harm defending and I discovered that the Lieutenant was stealing synthetic diamonds from the lab. I was able to prove he was smuggling diamonds just not the type of diamonds we originally thought he was smuggling.
This time I was defending a Petty Officer accused of murdering a woman while in an alcoholic blackout. It turned out that the Chaplain did it. He was a drug addict that was using again and the woman saw him smoking crack behind a building on the dock.
Harm's the one who actually figured out who killed the Ensign but I still feel like I beat Harm because I didn't plead it out and kept investigating even after the Petty Officer confessed. Harm urged be to take the plea agreement and I didn't, I kept pushing which ultimately kept an innocent man out of Leavenworth.
~Knock Knock~
"Enter."
"Colonel Mackenzie do you have a minute?"
"Sure, Jason come on in."
Jason and I spend the next hour discussing his case and whether or not he could have done any better in the deal he got for his client. This was his first major case he'd taken to Article 32 without someone right there with him. I've been overseeing his work on the case but he's done all the legwork and court appearances on his own. After he tells me all about his case I tell him his client got a very good deal, probably better than he deserves. No sooner does Jason leave than Harm shows up.
"Want to go get some lunch Marine?"
"Are you buying?"
"Sure why not but you've got to drive."
"Of course I've got to drive Harm we, only brought my car today." I laugh at him.
"Well then let's get going."
Harm and Mac's living room
1830 hours
03/02/2004
The dinner dishes are done. Mattie's working on homework. Harm's giving the boys their bath so that I can make a phone call. The admiral has been cranky, irritable, and just generally unpleasant to work for lately. Jen called earlier and asked what she'd have to do to get transferred elsewhere. She said she'd rather be stuck on a submarine than in JAG dealing with the admiral. Harm calmed her down but it took him 20 minutes. While they were talking I remembered something that Jason said the other day. He mentioned that the last time the admiral was like this was when he'd just broken up with Doctor Walden. I've decided he might be on to something so I'm going to call Meredith and see if I can find out what happened.
"Hello?"
"Hello Meredith, it's Sarah."
"Sarah, what can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you could tell me what's going on with you and the admiral."
"Nothing, why do you ask?"
"Meredith, you might be a great professor but you're a lousy liar."
Oh no, now she's crying. It takes fifteen minutes for me to get her calmed down and another ten minutes to get the story out of her. I can't really offer any advice on how to fix things. That's largely because I don't think she can. It's not so much the infidelity that I don't think the admiral can get past as much as who. The admiral was already nervous about her relationship this man because of the fact they traveled in the same circles. If she's unfaithful with this professor what will happen the next time she meets up with an old male colleague? I don't think I can share this information with any of the staff but maybe I can let them know that things have ended for good.
"You okay, Mac? You look lost in thought."
"Yeah I'm fine, Harm. I just got off the phone with Meredith."
"Really, what's up with the Admiral?"
"I'm not sure I can tell you."
"I won't tell a soul. I promise."
"Well let's just say that it's probably over. Meredith had a brief affair."
"I can understand why you're reluctant to say anything. I won't tell a soul but I'll find a way to let Jen know that she should mention Meredith or the wedding."
"That would be great. Thanks for understand, Harm."
"No problem. Now both boys are in bed. Want to put in a movie?"
"Isn't it a little early for AJ to be in bed?"
"Brenda said he didn't take a nap today so I thought it'd be okay."
"Good point a movie sounds wonderful. I'll even let you pick."