A/N - I actually missed the "Camp Delta" episode yesterday, and I can't stop kicking myself in the back of the head. "One Big Boat" wasn't that great...and I was really looking forward to this week's ep...oh well...hopefully I didn't miss anything that great.
Continuing...
"Le Salle was seen arguing with Keefe the night before in accident below deck."
"Keefe seemed to have a lot of problems with the crew," Mac pointed out, shuffling through the eyewitness reports on their new case. "He was not a popular guy. People harassed him all the time."
"Yes," Harm said distractedly as he pulled out a paper of particular interest from the mess on his desk, "but did the rest of the crew break his nose?"
"What?" Mac asked with renewed interest. So far, their evidence had been circumstantial at best, but they had started to dig up a bit on Le Salle's belligerent character, which would help substantially with the case.
"Keefe came in with a broken nose three two months before. Even the Skipper admitted to seeing him get into a short verbal fight with Le Salle."
"But he wasn't held accountable?"
Harm shook his head, perusing the files with interest, "No. Keefe didn't even press charges."
"Figures. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll get him."
"We don't have much to work with."
"But we are a good team," she smirked with amusement. "Damn good I believe?"
Harm eyed the door, a smile playing on his lips when he spotted the General coming in the direction of Mac's office. Cresswell stepped inside, at which point Mac noted his presence. Both officers stood at attention, when he beckoned them back to sit down with a wave.
"SecNav's been breathing down my neck."
"Sir?"
"I just wanted to inform you that this will be a high profile case. Media are on it, even though the hearings haven't begun," Cresswell said bluntly, crossing his arms, "and while you need to work to the best of your ability, everything needs to be handled with tact. Admiral Peterson is doing everything possible to impede the defense, and making a scene of it as he does so."
"We hope to use as much tact as possible," Harm said as he nodded. "And I've had the…pleasure of talking with the Admiral before. I'm sure he'll back down and let JAG handle it if we just give him some time." Truth be told,Petersonwas a bit of a prude, and got overly nosey when things didn't work out in his favour. But Harm decided to give him a break, the man did just lose a nephew.
Cresswell nodded and smiled, taking both officers aback with his kindly expression. He took a step back and started out the door before turning around, throwing one last comment in Mac's direction. "This will be a change from your last two cases, won't it?"
She shifted her gaze to the floor as he chuckled to himself quietly and left the office, leaving a wake of silence behind him.
"Interesting."
"Maybe he isn't out to get me," she echoed Harm's words from the night before.
"It's like whenever life at JAG comes back to normal, something shakes it up again. You were probably counting on the worst. We've all come to expect that," he stated matter-of-factly, balancing his pen between his forefinger and thumb.
"I was paranoid."
He focused his attention on keeping the pen seesawing on the tip of his index finger. "You really were."
"I'm getting a cold," she sniffed and knocked the pen from his grip with a swipe of her hand.
"I would expect that, with the condition you were in last night."
She buried her face in her hands and leaned back in the plush chair. "They say it's going to start snowing soon, give it a week or two."
"Oh yeah," Harm got up from the chair in front of her desk and started out the door. "Christmas is almost a month away, you know," he fingered the top button on his jacket and eyed her thoughtfully.
"Driving is going to be a nuisance," she spat out, throwing all the possible romanticism from the mood out the window.
He sighed. "Yeah, it will be."
"A pain in the butt," she continued, averting his gaze, and very well knowing what he was thinking.
He nodded again and put his hand up in a wave goodbye. "I'll see you later. NCIS is going to forward the crime scene reports by the end of today. And if they don't, I'll have their asses on a platter."
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"Hey, there are a few advantages to having a mean, green Marine on your side. Even I was surprised about that."
She arched and eyebrow incredulously. "You're going to use the General as your lapdog?"
"How do you know I wasn't talking about you?" his eyes twinkled, but his expression remained deceptively somber as he closed the door after exiting.
She hadn't seen him look that way in a long time. Before Paraguay, perhaps. But she knew the mischievous look.
She didn't understand why he continued to act so mannerly towards her, and why she returned the notion with such ease. They hadn't been strangers to the odd disputes with each other, but never had they had such laconic (albeit explosive) reactions. Time had healed all the old wounds. But more often than not, time felt like a Band-Aid on a broken arm.
They had matured, she realized, past the pettiness; they no longer needed months and months to buffer their hurt.
There was so much tension and awkwardness that extended much past the arguing, but now, it was as if they were back to normal a mere two weeks after the initial incident. It felt strange, and she was just a bit disappointed that they weren't going to work it out the way she had hoped. But she knew that she hadn't made it any easier for him.
Sometimes, she wanted to start anew, forget everything that had happened and create a friendship all over again. But then she decided she wouldn't trade all that they had shared together over the years for anything in the world, even if it meant getting rid of all the ache.
Two Weeks Later…
"Lieutenant Jacob Le Salle, on the charge and specifications of first degree murder, this court find you guilty," the lead juror said from the booth at the right of the courtroom.
"This court is adjourned until penalty phase, 1100 tomorrow," the judge said as he slammed the gavel down and gathered his belongings to exit to the rear chambers.
Harm put his arm up and made a fist in a show of silent victory. Mac, being ever apathetic about the verdict, got up neatly and shook hands with Mattoni. Le Salle shot her a glare with his droopy eyes as he stood up. He took a step in her direction and Mac eyed him incredulously.
"We still have the sentencing," Mattoni muttered to Le Salle. He whispered something else into the man's ear that sounded like 'don't lose it'.
"Ma'am," Le Salle said tightly, "I guess I'll see you around."
Mac nodded to him as the guards escorted him out of the room. He never took his eyes off her and Harm as he departed. After clearing up their files, the two walked to the elevator. The doors shut with an affirming 'ping' as the car descended.
Mac leaned back against the wall of the car and trailed her fingers through her tied hair, ensuring it was all in place. "Good job on the cross-examination of the crewmembers."
"Good job to you on everything else," Harm said. "We need to get him life without, Mac. Mattoni will try to argue for less."
"I know," she said. "But the hard part is over. How about we go for a victory-" The elevator doors slid open, and Mac's eyes went wide as she saw Mattie Grace on the other side, pounding the buttons impatiently.
"Harm? Colonel Mackenzie?" Mattie exclaimed upon seeing them. "Where were you?"
"Court," Harm said, exiting the elevator and leading Mattie towards the exit of the building. "No school for her," he explained to Mac.
His time with Mattie was becoming more sparse and drawn out. It was only a matter of weeks before she would be going back to her father, and he had wanted to savor their last few moments together. He knew they would still see each other afterwards, but he liked it more when she was all to him.
Harm glanced out through the front door. He put on his cover which was tucked neatly under his arm before ushering Mac and Mattie out to the lot. He could already see the two camera crews that the General had allowed on grounds for the hearing as they awaited the lawyers to exit the building, like vultures awaiting their next meal.
"Take a deep breath," he threw over his shoulder.
There were a few flashes as one of the men took multiple shots of the victorious prosecution. A mousy, gray-haired man shoved a microphone in Mac's nose. "Colonel Mackenzie? Do you think this case was based too much on hearsay and inference? Are you one-hundred percent sure you have the right man?"
"We did our job, Sir. The members decided the verdict," she stopped herself from snapping at the buzzing TV crews before taking a step out of the circle of people. Harm nudged her out, directing several 'no comments' in the direction of a few determined reporters before jogging behind her and Mattie to their cars. A surprised Alan Mattoni was then bombarded by the reporters as they saw him exit the building.
"All they need is pitchforks and torches," Harm breathed, "and then they'll eat you alive."
"You didn't end up on TV during the televised court-martial. I have no idea what the Admiral was thinking when he allowed that," Mac frowned, eyeing the crowd as they ambushed poor Mattoni. "Truth be told, I was a bit insulted that Craig Kilborn didn't show much interest in my in-court tactics."
"I'm taking Mattie out to lunch," Harm laughed, throwing his keys to the young girl, who caught the jingling bundle deftly before proceeding to the passenger side.
"See you then," Mac sighed, her previous hopes shot down as she opened her own car. She didn't really know why she had followed Harm to the lot, but remembered that she had needed to pick up some files from home anyway.
Harm got into the driver's seat and watched Mac as an awkward silence hung in the air. Mattie glanced at him and jabbed him in the gut with her elbow. He shot a glare in the girl's direction and cleared his throat as he beckoned Mac back. "Would you like to join us?"
She waved him off, "I'd be a third wheel, Harm."
He opened his mouth to protest but she closed the door to her car before he could say anything. He glanced at Mattie who looked at him reproachfully, but he changed the subject. "So, where'd you want to eat? Italian? I was thinking of a little bistro more in-town."
"You should have asked her to come again."
Mac's Corvette had backed out and was turning to the exit. He shook off a growing notion of regret before turning his key in the ignition.
"She said no," Harm insisted, "and that's all she seems to be saying lately."
"She was about to ask you out to lunch before she saw me. Harm, I just ruined your plans with her."
"They have really good pasta there- and there weren't any plans."
"Possible plans," Mattie rebuked. "She said 'go for a victory-'…what do you think she wanted to say?"
"I made plans with you first," he shot back and before Mattie could say another word, he continued, "so, how was dinner with your Dad last night?"
TBC...