I had been in the "dungeon" since dawn.

Despite the dirt on my tennis shoes, I had my feet propped up on my desk.

I sipped my hot coffee and grimaced. Patrick must have made that pot—he never did like coffee with his hot water. Smiling to myself, I joked that "Mac" would have had his six. As I continued to sip my coffee, I tugged open my middle desk drawer, past chocolate bars, to find sugar packets. Zoning for a few more minutes I decided to give David a call. I wanted breakfast.

On the other end of the line I heard Susan, the secretary at JAG headquarters tell David that I was on the phone.

"Elliot! Line three, your daughter." I smiled at her use of the term "daughter." I really had become a part of the family over the past few months. David, Nanci, and the kids had adopted me as one of their own.

"Which one?"

"The oldest."

He punched the blinking light. "Hi, Jaidyn."

"Let me guess—screening your calls?"

"I'm ducking the media for a few days. The new Christmas episode just came out—Mac and I have a fight. Are you done with class?"

"Yeah, it just got out. Have you had breakfast yet? I could go for some good coffee and a stack of pancakes. I'll meet you at Quinn's, if that's okay."

"Deal," David said as he checked his pager, confirming he was on group call. He hoped I didn't pick up on the tension in his voice.

I took the stairs two at a time out my dorm, excited to take a break from hectic school life.

David arrived at the restaurant and pulled out the chair across from me.

"Thanks for making time, David."

"Mention food and you've got my attention."

I pushed over the second cup of coffee the waitress had filled, not commenting on the strain in his eyes, despite the smile. The look hadn't been there yesterday, when he'd joined me for a one-on-one basketball game. I hoped it was only the after effects of a hard shift. He would tell me if he needed to. Within the JAG family, secrets were rare. We might not share a blood connection, but that didn't matter. What we did share was far richer. We were loyal, faithful, and committed to each other. We had, in a sense, adopted each other.

He decompressed like I did. Slowly. After he left work.

"Hallee is coming to town. I got a call from her this morning. She's got a Sunday flight into the airport."

I frowned. Hallee was the youngest in our "family." Everyone's favorite.

"Did she say what it was about?"

"No. She just asked which day I was off. She was trying to set up a family gathering. There's probably a message on your answering machine."

I didn't wait to find out. As our breakfast's arrived, I picked up my cell phone and called the dorm room. Hallee's message didn't say much—"Dinner Sunday evening at Cat's."

"I don't like this."

"It gets worse. John is flying back from Washington for the gathering."

I let that information sink in as I started on my blueberry pancakes. John, aka "The Admiral," who didn't even work for JAG anymore, was interrupting his schedule to fly to California.

"Hallee is one step away from saying it's a family emergency."

"That's how I would read it."

"Any ideas, David?"

"None. I talked to Hallee last Friday; she didn't say anything."

"Did she sound tense?"

"Tired, maybe. Unusual for her… but given the schedule she keeps with the new TV show, not unexpected."

My pager went off. I glanced at the return number and grimaced. One of these days, I was actually going to finish a meal.

"My boss is calling… can you join me for dinner?" I set down my napkin as I got to my feet. "I'm off at six. I was planning to grill steaks on my roommate's new George Foreman."

"Glad to. I'll bring Nanci and the kids, too. Stay safe, Jaidyn."

"Always. Put breakfast on my tab."

"I've got it covered."

I didn't have time to protest. It was becoming an old debate between us.

"See you at six."