Chapter Sixty Six
1200 EST
Mattie's School
One week later
Mac swung her corvette into a parking space. She smoothed her skirt instinctively and went into the principle's office. She had been out on an investigation and found on her voicemail that she was needed to contact Mattie's school as soon as possible. She called back and scheduled an appointment with the secretary to meet since she was on that side of town.
"Dr. Porter will see you now Colonel Rabb."
"It's Colonel Mackenzie," Mac said correcting the secretary.
"Of course," she said smiling politely.
Mac entered the office. "Colonel, what a pleasure to see you again." Mattie, since it was uniform day was in uniform, and her NJROTC instructors snapped to attention.
"As you were." Mac instructed feeling a little weird commanding her daughter.
"Colonel, you do that was such authority. I must remember to teach my own children that when I walk in the door." Dr. Porter said laughing.
"Thank you Dr. Porter. What did Mathilda do this time?" Mac asked, she knew that Mattie was generally a good student, but there were days that Mattie could back talk any teacher.
"Mattie has been nothing but a role model student since we took her out of that English class." Dr. Porter answered. "I wish my secretary would have informed me that you were coming, this is something that I could have done with you over the phone."
"It's okay I was on this side of town finishing up with a potential witness that could put this man I am prosecuting away for good."
"Captain Ingles aboard the Patrick Henry wanted you to meet with each of the cadets to pick out a final list of candidates for their trip to Italy."
"I have a daughter on the list, I can't possibly be partial."
"Mattie is going irregardless. She is our top pick for junior officer to go on the trip. I believe Max Durham is our senior pick." Her NJROTC instructor answered.
"I will interview each of the cadets," Mac said thoughtfully. "How about some type of fit course and final interview process, and I insist that Mattie and Max be put through the same process that way impartiality is not shown."
Mattie looked at her Mom, "Why don't we run the obstacle course down a Quantico? I have run the fit course a thousand times here at the school."
Her instructors took that in regard. Mac picked up her cell phone, "Hi Greg. It's Mac. I need a favor. The NJROTC cadets at the Mattie's high school need a training course. Can you provide one? 1600 Friday, I will call you back to let you know. Thanks Greg."
Mac looked at the instructors, "A friend of mine from boot runs the obstacle course. He says we can have it Friday 1600."
"Colonel when can you start interviewing the Cadets?"
"I can start today. How about I start with you Miss Grace?" The lunch bell rang signaling the end of lunch. "Did you just miss lunch Mattie?
"Yeah, but I least I get to see you. You have been so busy trying the case against Commander Smalls I haven't seen you in a week."
"Dr. Porter, I am going to sign Mattie out for lunch right now, and conduct my interview during lunch."
"Sounds good Colonel, and thank you for helping with this whole field trip. People were coming to blows with this trip. When the 10 were announced based on GPA and extra curriculars, many of the parents got mad and wanted to get their child in on the trip."
"No problem."
Mac stood up to leave the office and signed Mattie out for their lunch date. She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I know I haven't been there much during the waking hours during the past week. I have had a rough case."
"It's okay Mom. Don't forget, Dad's birthday is in ten days."
"I won't Mattie."
"Mom, behind you!" Mattie screamed. Mac turned around to be face to face with Tom Johnson. Hearing Mattie's distress, many of the kids returning from lunch turned around and began staring at them.
"Tom, the courts said you couldn't come within 100 yards of Mattie anymore. You are violating the restraining order." Mac said placing herself between him and Mattie.
Dr. Porter came out and dialed 911.
"Dad," Mattie began to address him.
"You haven't called me that in a year. Come to Daddy baby." Mac could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Tom, you can fight me and Harm on the adoption, but the judge told you last week you couldn't come and see Mattie without supervision anymore." Tom took a step forward and swung to hit Mac. Fortunately, she was able to step out of way and grabbed his arm and subdued him. The campus cop came out and put him in cuffs.
"Morgan, where were you? I radioed for you at the beginning of the ruckus." Dr. Porter explained.
"I was dealing with two fighting kids in the cafeteria." He supplied an answer for.
"Colonel Mackenzie, were you hurt?"
"No, thank you for asking. I have been in worse combat situations." Mac said smiling. "Now as you young lady, lets get you some lunch." Mac tossed Mattie the keys, and they roared the corvette to life.
1300 EST
Bellacinos Submarines
"Mom?"
"Yes Mattie?"
"Thank you for taking really good care of me. I mean, you really only have to take care of Mackenzie. When you got involved with Dad, you ended up with me, and now it seems like all I am doing is causing you a ton of problems. Tom really could have hurt you."
"Honey, look at me." Mattie turned up her eyes and saw her Mom's concerned look. "I love you, and I don't care if you were born to me. Just because me and Mackenzie share the same genes doesn't make her any more of a daughter to me than you are. I will fight like crazy to keep you with this family, if that is what you want, and I will try my hardest to give you everything that you want."
"I love you Mom."
Mattie and Mac food came and they ate fairly quickly. "Okay Cadet Rabb, can you tell me one thing you expect to learn from this trip to the USS Patrick Henry."
"I expect to learn more about seafaring life, to learn more about what is like aboard a carrier."
"Why do you want to join the military?"
"A while back, I had nothing in my life. My mother had died, my father was out drinking every night, and I had to learn to be self reliant. I ran a crop dusting business to try to make ends meet. Then I met some people who changed my life. Ever since then I have wanted to be like them. They cared about a stubborn teenager, and helped change my life."
Mac smiled at her daughter's response. "I think you helped them out more sweetie."
"Mom, you are supposed to be conducting this interview to find out if I can go to Italy."
Mac smiled even more, "One last question."
"Shot."
"What do you want to do when you grow up?"
"Honestly, I don't know. We get exposed to a lot of things, but there are also things that we haven't been exposed to either."
"Good answer Mattie. Honey, it's 1345, I am going to sign you back into the school and call the other kids up for their interviews, then we will go pick up Mackenzie and meet your Aunt Harriet and her boys for dinner and dessert. How does that sound?"
"Great."
Mac and Mattie made it through the rest of the day. After another brief meeting with the principle and the NJROTC instructors, they decided to make it an open forum for parents to come watch the competitions on Friday so they could attest to impartiality.
1600 EST
Friday
Quantico
AJ Chegwidden held up his surrogate granddaughter on his shoulders, the drool was coming out of her mouth and on to his head, but he didn't seem to mind. Mac clicked a picture with the camera.
"AJ, I'll have to frame this one for you." Mac said shifting Brennen to her other hip. Mac called and decided to take Brennen for another weekend. Her aunt and uncle were looking older beyond their years, and she needed to be surrounded by her family at the moment.
"I'll hold you to that Mac. Mac, by the way, I decided to go to Italy to see Francesca. Let me know what flight you get on, and I will help you fly with the kids.
"Thanks AJ, I appreciate it. Are you ready to get this started?"
"Sure am. How much do you want to bet Mattie will rank in the top ten?" AJ asked.
"You are setting you aspirations a little to low, don't you think?" Sturgis said walking up, "Top five."
"I bet you she is the first female to finish, and may finish in front of some of the guys!" Mac tossed in.
The competition was divided into areas. The first area was the shooting competition. Each cadet had to demonstrate proficiency on the target range. Then there was the obstacle course. There was the interview, and then they were going to be split into random teams and going to be tested on how well they worked in teams.
AJ and Mac had volunteered to help out with judging during the shooting part of the competition and Sturgis and Admiral Jonas were conducting interviews.
Mac set Brennen on the ground, "Brennen, remember when I came and got you from Grammie and Pawpaw's house today?"
Brennen nodded his head, "Yep, I called you and you came!"
"Yes I did Brennen. Your cousin Mattie is going to be playing with some older kids today, and Aunt Harriet, Uncle Bud, and Jen are going to keep and eye on you. Be a good boy, okay?"
"Yes Aunt Mac." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and skipped off to where Bud and Harriet were waiting. She ushered Mackenzie off of AJ shoulders and tucked her hat around her ears. "I love you Wiggle Worm." She carried her off to where Harriet and Bud were waiting. "Thanks guys. I would never be able to do this on my own."
"No problem ma'am." Harriet said taking Mackenzie from her. "I made reservations at Tokyo's for dinner."
"Great Harriet."
"Ma'am, I believe that there are some people here looking for you."
"Get your butt out of bed you sorry excuse for a human being!"
"Greg, you know, I outrank you now boy!" She said hugging the Major standing before her.
"Mom!" Mac turned around and saw Mattie getting off of the school bus.
"Hi Mattie."
"Sarah!" Mac spun around and saw Trish and Frank standing there with Sergei. "We thought we would come and show our support for Mattie."
"Grams! Gramps!"
"There is our girl today!" Frank said sweeping her up in a hug.
"How did you know? I mean I love it! I can't believe you came!" Mattie said excitedly.
"Well, a little Russian bird and a Petty Officer called and told us about you competing. So your Grandpa decided to take the new Glufstream V jet out for a test flight, and we ended up here." Trish explained. "Chrysler opted to buy a new jet, being senior VP has it's perks. Family trips just as long as the jet is not being used for company business."
Mac smiled. "I want to introduce you to my friend, Major Greg Gentry. We went through boot camp together."
Harm's parents introduced themselves. "So, you are Mac's little girl." Greg said addressing Mattie.
"Yes sir."
"Well, lets get to your unit and get this show started."
"Sir, yes, sir."
"Lead the way Cadet Johnson."
"Good luck Mattie!" Mac yelled to her.
"Thanks Mom."
