Chapter Sixty Five

1000 EST
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA

Mac walked into the office with already a splitting headache. The weekend had gone great until Mattie had called Mac all frantic.

Flashback

1500 EST

Blacksburg, VA

Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring . . .

"Mackenzie speaking."

"Mom, I need you to come get me now!"

"I am about thirty minutes away. I was going to take Mackenzie to see your Dad's plane. Mattie, what's wrong?"

"Tom, he started drinking again. He came in drunk, I thought he would sleep it off, but he started throwing things."

"Listen to me Mattie, I want you to lock your bedroom door. Is there anyway out of the house?"

"I can climb out my window and scale down the porch."

"Honey, don't hurt yourself. Use it as a last resort."

Mac hung up the phone and looked at Sergei. "We have to get there now." Mac pushed the accelerator and punched it.

Mac pulled up to Mattie's father's house and made her way towards the door.

"Mac, I think I should go." Sergei started saying.

"Sergei, stay here and watch Mackenzie." Mac answered in a tone that wasn't to be messed with.

She knocked on the door and a very drunk Tom Johnson answered. "Colonel Mackenzie very nice to see you again."

"Hello Tom, I'm here to pick up Mattie. She has school tomorrow, and it is a three hour drive."

"I've decided that I won't let you guys adopt her."

"Well if that is the case then you have to call your lawyer, but right now Harm is still Mattie's legal guardian."

"Harm is stationed overseas."

"The court said it was fine for her to stay with us. You know that."

"I want my daughter." He said grabbing Mac's arm. Mac didn't take to that too kindly, she grabbed his arm and slammed him against the wall.

"Mattie, it's safe to come out of your room now honey. Sergei is in the car with Mackie."

Mattie came trotting down the stairs. "Mac" Mattie was hesitant to call her Mom around Tom, "I will be in the car, Tom you have to stop drinking, its going to kill you one day."

Mattie ran to the door and Mac released him. "Tom, I liked you, and I think you need to seek more help for this problem, and until I am sure you aren't going to drink anymore, I am not going to allow Mattie to spend any time with you unsupervised."

End flashback

Mattie had a terrible night and ended up crawling into bed with Mac. Mac even drove Mattie to school that day and told the principal that Tom Johnson was no longer allowed to see Mattie.

Jen walked up to Mac. "Ma'am Sergei told me about what happened to Mattie. I am so sorry."

"I need to meet with the lawyers and call the social workers."

"I know ma'am. I took the liberty of clearing the last three hours of your day."

"Thank you Jennifer."

"No problem ma'am. Also, Admiral Jonas is waiting for you."

Mac dropped her things in her office and looked at her door. The service flag was still hanging prominently. "Harm, I could use your help right now."

She knocked. "Enter." She walked into the office and stood at attention. "At ease Colonel." He gestured towards a chair.

"Sir, I need to request a couple of hours of leave to discuss things with my and Harm's family court lawyer and the social workers concerning an incident that happened yesterday."

"I understand Colonel."

"Thank you sir."

"Captain Ingles also thanks you for the numbers to Mattie's NJROTC instructors. They are having fundraisers to help raise the money for the flight and they have picked the officers on GPA, community service, and extra curricular activities. Guess who was on the top of the short list. What do you and Harm feed this child?"

Mac smiled, "Mattie has had a rough couple of years, and me and Harm just try to make her life as easy as possible. She is Miss, Mom take me here, pick me up, drive me here."

"You wouldn't change it for the world, would you?"

"No sir." She answered with a smile.

"Now, I have received news saying that a blast from the past was screwing around with Harm's plane."

"Yes sir."

"Are you handling it okay?"

"Sir, I thought it was all behind me, but now it came back and reared its ugly head. What if they hadn't gone after Harm and Emily, what if they had gone after Mattie or Mackenzie? They are just children."

"Colonel, I wouldn't know what to do if I was in your position, but Mac, are you talking to anyone about what is going on?"

"In a way sir."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Harm bought a journal for me, and I have been writing in it every night. It helps with everything that has transpired."

"That's good. I was just checking up on you Mac."

"Thank you sir, if that is all?"

"Dismissed."

"Aye aye sir."

She made her way out of the office and walked smack dab to Deek. "Sorry Commander Smalls, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Looks like you were right about Ensign Kromer. I thought for sure that sure she was guilty."

"Well, you had an opinion before you started the case." Mac answered him. "Sometimes the most obvious answer is not the correct one."

Deek flashed a smile at her, "I will keep that in mind Colonel. Are we ready to talk plea bargain on the McAlister court marshal."

"Commander your client is a guilty as sin, and I'll be damned if I let a wife/child beater walk on the streets."

"Alleged. He has a clear record, and no prior arrest. His wife is refusing to press charges."

"But his 15 year old daughter is."

"You are too close to the case."

"Like hell I am."

He spun away knowing that he had hit a nerve. Bud came up to stop Mac from going after him. "Ma'am he really isn't worth it."

"He rubbing you the wrong way too Bud?"

"Yeah. Harriet told me what happened with Mattie's biological father last night. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"You guys have been a great help since Harm got called back to fly. There is something I need you to do though."

"Anything."

"I need four plane tickets for Italy and I don't have the time right now to go bargain hunting. The Patrick Henry is going to be in port in Italy. Apparently this is part of a goodwill gesture from the SecNav, the boys need time off, but the ship can't come all the way home. I am going out with Mackenzie to meet Harm. Mattie is flying with us, and she will be meeting her fellow NJROTC friends there."

"Mattie made the short list? I thought Captain Ingles only wanted around ten of the officers."

"It seems like Mattie has been playing the straight and narrow. I also need a ticket for Brennen, I am bringing him out as a surprise for Emily."

"Harriet will be more than happy to look into this. Just the other night she was saying she missed doing things like this."

"Thanks Bud."

"No problem ma'am. How are you doing with the McAlister court marshal?"

"I am going to nail his six to the wall."

"Good to hear ma'am."

Mac entered her office and heard her phone ring.

"Mackenzie."

"Soon-to-be Rabb." Harm answered back into the receiver.

"Hi Honey. How has your day gone?"

"Well, the Captain called all of the officers into the projection room and showed us a little movie courteous of my family."

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

"Yeah. It helped remind us all why we were out here."

"Good Harm."

"Captain Ingles mentioned to me that he is setting up a deal with the NJROTC unit to bring some of their top officers out here."

"From what I hear, your daughter is near the top of the short list. We are raising one really smart cookie."

"That we are. How is Mattie doing lately?"

"Doing alright. She had a bad weekend at Tom's." She sighed into the phone, she wasn't going to tell him, but decided that they didn't need any secrets between the them.

"What happened Mac?"

"I was on my way to Blacksburg to pick her up. She wanted to see him, it seemed like she was just making sure he was okay and that she wanted to see some of her old friends out there. I was about 30 minutes away from the house when she called to tell me Tom was drinking."

"Is Mattie okay? He didn't harm her did he, I'll kill him."

"Harm, she is fine. He threatened to pull the adoption, and I am meeting with the lawyer and the social worker today. On a bright note though, I am having Harriet call around to get prices on airfare out to Italy for liberty. Did you guys get the date yet?"

"October 30. I volunteered a couple of days though to help out with the NJROTC cadets. The Captain said that we could make it a family day."

"Speaking of family, Brennen is just the cutest thing. It must kill Emily not to see him all the time."

"Yeah, it kills all of us who can't see our children."

"I know Harm. But you will be seeing me, Mattie, and Mackenzie sometime soon. I am bringing Brennen to see his mom."

"Does Emily know?"

"It is going to be a surprise. I talked to her the other day and I asked if she would be flying home for liberty and she said she didn't have the money, so I am bringing him to her."

"You are brave flying with a toddler, infant, and teenager."

"I know, don't remind me." Just then the general alarm went off.

"Mac, I have to go, that is the general alarm. I am pretty sure it is just a drill. I love you baby."

"I love you too pookie." She hung up the phone circling the day on her calendar that her family would be together again, if only for a short time.

AN - I gave you guys two chapters today because I am going out of town for the next week or so where I may or may not be able to get to post. Please read and review - I will try to post two to three chapters a week now to try to get this ending out before the season finale.