Title: Old Friends, New Relationships

Chapter Two

By: LizD

Written: Late Summer/Fall 2004

Disclaimers: No disrespect to JAG's cast, crew or creators. With love and thanks.

Old Friends, New Relationships

Chapter Two - Don't Let The Door Hit You …

1206 EST - Thursday

JAG Headquarters

The admiral's door opened and Harm walked out. Jennifer Coates had been waiting on pins and needles to see what happened. It had been over an hour since Harm had gone in there. He made brief eye contact, nodded, shrugged and left. Jennifer could not read his expression. She was just about to follow when the admiral called for her. She would have to find out what happened later.

Harm reached his car; his phone rang.

"So, how did it go?" Mac asked.

Harm looked up at her window. She was watching him.

"I don't know." He shrugged again. "I honestly don't have a clue."

"What happened?"

"She did most of the talking … I have to tell you, this woman does her research. She knew more about me than I did."

"What do you mean?"

"She had a whole score card on all the cases I had ever tried or been affiliated with – wins, losses, who I opposed, who was co-counsel etc." He looked away. "It was kind of spooky … like the stats that get reported during sporting events … it was too much."

"You think she has one on all of us?"

"I do." He laughed. "She is a computer wiz. She made that thing do stuff that I don't even think Bill Gates knew it could do."

Mac sighed. "So … now what?"

"I think she is fact finding."

"Fact finding?"

Harm noticed the admiral coming out the front door. He turned away. "Can you take a lunch?" He said into the phone softly.

"Harm, I don't think we should be seen together."

"What?" He watched the admiral get into her car and leave.

"I'm serious … I don't think we should fraternize at work any more."

"Fraternize?" The admiral was safely out of range and he looked back up at Mac's window. "That's ridiculous."

"No it's not. If we want to continue to work together, we shouldn't see each other."

Harm snapped his attention back to her window.

She quickly looked away. "At work." She explained. "We shouldn't see each other at work."

"That is unacceptable." He said sternly.

"You just said WHAT to me?" She jumped back at him.

"That is unacceptable … look Mac, if we can't see each other at work … why bother to work together?"

"Harm, we can't talk about this now." She turned away again.

"Yes we can … get your six down here … now." He ordered.

"Sorry commander, I have a meeting in twenty-six minutes."

"Then we can talk for twenty-five."

"Harm."

"Mac … you can't make unilateral decisions like that."

"I didn't." She defended.

"It sure sounded like you did."

"By Monday this whole discussion may be decided for us." Mac was morose and resigned. She had tossed and turned all night and that morning had accepted their fate … well what looked to be their fate.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning one or both of us could be shipped off to Iceland or Japan or New Jersey."

"Or the Pentagon … or Quantico … or hell, I don't know." Harm on the other hand had lain in bed the night before, not sleeping but playing out all kinds of scenarios in his head to keep them together … at least in the evenings and on the weekends. The nights would be sporadic at best with Mattie still living down the hall and given the newness of their relationship. "We have to come up with a plan … meet it head on."

"Do we?" She asked.

"You don't think so?"

"I think we have to wait and see what happens. Deal with what is in our control and accept what is not." She said fatally.

"Mac everything is in our control … and I will be damned if I am going to lose you now."

She looked back out the window. "Harm, you aren't going to lose me."

"I want a hell of a lot more than phone calls, e-mails and liberty, marine."

Mac was silent. She did too, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Mac?"

"Yeah, I do too … but -."

"But nothing. We need to talk about this."

"Yeah, I guess we do."

"Tonight … I'll meet you for dinner at that Chinese place in Georgetown."

"What about Mattie?"

"Mattie will be fine … this is important."

"I don't want to fight in the restaurant."

"Who says we are going to fight?" He asked innocently but with a tone that said he would fight regardless of where they were.

She waited.

"OK … Ok … We'll do take out." He sighed. "Go back to your place."

Mac tried to change the plan. "Why don't you let me pick dinner up and I will meet you at yours."

"Cause you know damn well we will be interrupted at my place … I'll see you at 1900."

"Harm, I am not trying to avoid this."

"It sure looks that way." He pouted.

"I'm not … I just don't think we have as much input to this decision as you seem to think we do."

"Is that because you don't want to try to find a way to stay together?" He pushed hard.

"How can you say that to me?" Mac shut it down. "Ok, clearly we can't do this on the phone … I am not going to say another word until tonight."

"Fine."

"Don't be mad at me." She softened her voice.

"I'm not."

"You are and you are going to stew all day and by time 1900 rolls around you are going to be fit to be tied and we'll fight and not resolve anything."

He said nothing.

"Harm? … Harm … Harm, I love you."

He looked back up at her window. She was looking down on him. He shook his head. "You can't use that line to get whatever you want, you know." He was disappointed.

"I know … but I do love you."

"I'll see you tonight." He stated flatly turning back to lean on his car.

"Not going to return the sentiment?" She said coyly.

"At the moment I am a little confused." He did not look up at her.

"About your feelings for me?"

"About your feelings for me … we'll talk later." He ended the call, made one brief glance back up, nodded slightly and climbed into the car.

Harm was just outside the gate when he saw Sturgis driving up. They each rolled down their windows.

"Hey. How you doing?" Sturgis asked.

"Ok."

"How'd it go with the admiral?"

Harm needed to talk. About his meeting with the admiral but he actually needed to talk to someone about Mac. Was Sturgis his best choice? Frankly, Sturgis was the only choice. "Do you have some time right now?" Harm asked.

Sturgis checked his watch. "I do." He nodded. "Where?"

"Benzinger's?"

"Right behind you."

Benzinger's

A short while later

"Well, what did you think was going to happen?" Sturgis asked as he fixed his tea with sweet-n-low and lemon.

"I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I had hoped it would be later." Harm took a bite of bread.

"What is it that you want, Harm?"

"I want more time." Harm said honestly.

Sturgis laughed into his tea glass. "More time? You've had an eight year courtship, how much more time do you need."

Harm shook his head and laughed at his friend's directness. "We are not ready to be separated by duty stations – it will set us back too far."

"Harm, you and Mac will survive." He added. "You will probably survive better apart than you would together."

"What does that mean?"

"It means – brother of mine – you and Mac will not be allowed to work as a team. Admiral Schnarr has made it very clear that no two seniors will be assigned the same side in a case."

"We have opposed each other before."

"Yes, yes you have. And you have gone at each other with everything you have, including some really nasty strategies and more than one rude remark."

"That won't happen again."

"I see." Sturgis raised and eyebrow. "So you will not defend your client zealously nor will you prosecute one of Mac's clients with every tool in your box?"

"Tool in my box?" He raised an eyebrow at Sturgis.

"You know what I mean."

"Of course I will and so will Mac."

"Naturally, you are both highly professional." He paused (more for effect). "Let me ask you something, would you be able to not use information gathered from Mac due to the intimate nature of your relationship to help your case?"

"Meaning what?" Harm snickered. "You think Mac talks in her sleep?"

Sturgis waved him off he was not about to discuss their sex life. "Say you are at dinner one night, she slips something about an interview with Subject X the next day. You had not thought that Subject X was involved. Now you have been given a clue to her strategy, would you use it?"

"Probably." Harm answered honestly.

"Would use something you over heard her say on the phone when she took a call in your presence?"

"I wouldn't eavesdrop."

"But if you just over heard it."

"More than likely."

"Is that ethical?" He didn't wait for Harm's answer. "What if you were trying to throw her off track, would you let something slip – feed her a little red herring?"

He laughed. "I have done it in the past."

"And you would do it again."

"To defend a client." Harm justified.

"What would that do to your relationship?"

"Mac and I are professionals – we can differentiate between inside and outside the courtroom."

"You are going to sit there and try to make me believe that if Mac bested you because she knew something about you, used a weakness, you could leave it in the court room?"

He shrugged a 'no'.

"Do you think Mac would?"

Harm shook it away. "We both want justice." He evaded.

"AH, yes .. justice. According to whom? The two of you? So you two will decide if the client is guilty and what the sentence should be. WOW … what an idea, save the government a lot of money in court costs. We should just let you and Mac hash it out."

Harm shook his head and looked away. Sturgis was now just playing devil's advocate.

"Seriously Harm ... think about it." He drove his point home. "The mere hint of impropriety…"

"I know, I know, I know." Harm nodded. "Look, I am not saying that we should be allowed to work together, but …"

"But what?"

"But I don't understand why Mac is so willing to accept this."

"What is the alternative?"

"Reassignment here in Washington." Harm said triumphantly.

"If wishes were horses, my friend."

"It could happen." Harm defended.

"It is a valid option … it won't be with the JAG corps."

"I know." Harm shrugged. "Hell, I quit before because of Mac, I'll quit again."

Sturgis didn't believe that Harm would quit the Navy again. Truthfully, Harm didn't believe it either.

Harm changed the subject. "What do you think of the admiral, Sturgis?"

"I like her." Sturgis answered quickly.

"Why?" He was puzzled.

"She is direct, fair minded. She reminds me of a basketball coach I had once. He came in midseason when the team was really hurting. He studied all our game tapes and reviewed the records and talked to each of us. He shook us up pretty good, changed our positions, our practice routines, he even dropped a couple of the stars and brought up some of the third string in order to make a better team. It was impressive to see a man who had not met any one of us before turn us into a winning team."

"Did you? Win I mean."

"Yeah, actually … not the division title, but we actually placed better than expected and the next year we won."

"I wonder what the stars who were cut thought." Harm asked rhetorically.

1845 EST – Hop Li's

Georgetown

Harm waited in the bar for his order to be ready. He was sipping on a beer.

"Hey sailor, come here often." Cooed a sexy voice from his side.

Harm turned to see Gates standing behind him.

"Gates, how are you?" He said with a wry smile.

"Dandy, just dandy." She matched his temper.

"Sorry about that whole firing thing."

Gates waved it off. "No big deal … I'll land on my feet."

"I am sure you will." He smiled tentatively at her. "Thanks for your help."

"For my Lady Mac – there is nothing I wouldn't do."

Harm had had enough of comments like that from Gates. They just didn't fit some how. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Depends on how personal it is."

"If you care about Mac as much as you say you do, how is it that you lost contact with her for almost eighteen years?"

Gates studied him for a moment. She was unsure how to answer. She was more unsure of his motive for asking.

"Commander?" Victor Galindez came up behind Gates and greeted Harm.

"Gunny. This place must be more popular than I thought." He was just about to introduce the Gunny to Gates.

Gates headed him off and stuck her arm through Vic's. "Mac told me how great this place was, so Vic and I thought we'd check it out?"

"You two are here together?" Harm's surprise was hard to hide.

"We are." Gates said proudly.

Harm just nodded. Vic smiled confidently.

"Commander Rabb?" Came a new voice.

Harm looked over Gates' shoulder to see who it was. "Special Agent Gibbs." Harm stated.

Gates turned to Gibbs who was standing behind her. "Gibbs? – Lost my number, huh?" She accused as they fell into a surprise embrace.

Gibbs's face was unchanged but it was clear that Gibbs and Gates a little bit of a past.

Harm turned to Gunny. "Gunny, this is Agent Gibbs, NCIS – Gibbs, Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez."

"Retired." The gunny corrected.

The two men shook hands.

"It was Gibbs who tried to pin Loren Singers' murder on me." Harm explained to Gunny.

Gunny looked back at Gibbs, as did Gates. She had not heard this part of the story from Mac yet.

Gibbs quickly pointed out the rest of the story. "And I was also the one who proved you didn't do it."

Harm laughed. "That you did." He reached his hand out. "I suppose I never thanked you for that."

"No thanks necessary." He shook his hand. "Doing my job."

"Did you need to enjoy it so much?" Harm said snidely.

"Perk." He smiled back.

Gibbs looked at the Gates. "So Gates, how have you been? What is new in shrunken spookville?"

"Don't know – they canned my butt." Gates laughed.

"You knew they would one day." He took a quick scan of Gunny then back at Gates. "Come see me tomorrow."

"Need a shrink at NCIS?"

"Maybe … call me. Gotta go." He looked at the men. "Rabb. Gunny."

Harm nodded. The Gunny had no reaction but it was clear he did not like Gibbs. Was it because of Gates or what he had done to Rabb?

Gibbs left. Harm's order was ready and Gates and Vic's table was available. The chance meeting was adjourned.

1903 EST

MacKenzie Residence

Mac arrived home. Harm was already there. He actually only arrived minutes before and was setting dinner up.

Mac dropped her briefcase by the door and started unbuttoning her coat. "Honey, I'm home." She called playfully.

A little pang went through Harm. He wanted her to come home to him, that's what this fight was all about. He wanted her close and she was willing to be half a world apart. "Hi." He said dismissively.

Mac knew he was still upset about earlier. It was going to be a long night. "Do I have time to change?" She said touching his arm, stopping him long enough to give him a quick kiss.

"Quickly." He said struggling to get the cap off the Snapple bottle with his one good hand. "We could nuke it later if you want to take a shower."

"Can you join me?" She took the bottle from him and opened it with a quick snap and did the same for the other one.

He raised his cast to show that he should not shower – well THAT KIND of shower with it on, nor would it be as much fun.

She nodded a little disappointed. "I'll be right back."

True to her word she was back in minutes. She had changed into running shorts and a tank top and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Though the outfit was not designed to be sexy or alluring, it left little to the imagination.

She joined Harm at the table. He had already started in on the egg rolls and was reading the front page of the paper. She started dishing up their plates like they were an old married couple, picking out the red peppers from his tofu and vegetables and giving him her mushrooms from the Kung Pao.

"How was your day?" She asked casually putting the plate down in front of him and moving the soy sauce closer.

"Mattie is still harping on this trip to Vermont." He put the paper down and gave her his full attention.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"If Chloe's grandmother wants to deal with another teenager for a week or more, who am I to say 'no'."

"Should I give her a call?" Mac offered.

"Sure." He answered. "Or I can."

"What about us going to pick her up … maybe try to fit a couple of days for ourselves?"

He studied her for a moment. That night was supposed to be about what they were going to do if they got transferred out of JAG to far off locations, plans for Mattie to go to Vermont or whether or not they could have a romantic weekend away were silly to entertain at the moment. "Sure."

Mac was quiet. Harm was clearly obsessing about impending changes – alleged impending changes and she knew enough to know that he should be the one to bring it up.

"Have you talked to Gates recently?" He asked avoiding his first agenda item.

"Yesterday." She took the last egg roll and split it and put half on his plate.

"Did you know that she is dating the Gunny?" He gave her back the half a roll.

"Dating the gunny? My gunny?" She reached over with her chopsticks and took a shrimp.

"Our gunny … yes." He corrected, not caring about the shrimp.

"How do you know?"

"I ran into her at Hop Li's." His frustration was building; he put down his chopsticks. "I am always running into that woman. Why is that? How well do you really know her anyway? She apparently had a relationship with Gibbs too."

"Gibbs? Gibbs?" Mac knew the name but couldn't place it. "Special Agent Gibbs? NCIS? That Gibbs?"

"Yeah. He showed up at Hop Li's too – this town is getting too damn small -- and they clearly had a past – and a future – he suggested that she come see him tomorrow."

"Harm." She tried to reel him back in.

"Seriously, how well do you know that woman?"

"THAT WOMAN is my oldest and dearest friend." She met his ire with her gentle steady resolve. "I know her very well."

"You KNEW her … when you two were kids … eighteen years ago, Mac. Are you anything like you were when you were eighteen?"

She leaned back in her chair and chose her words carefully. "Actually Harm, you would be surprised to know how much I am."

"AA … the marines … being a lawyer … haven't changed you?"

"They have changed my behavior and given me some tools to work with as I go through life, but no, I am pretty much the same person I always was – a little more forgiving and accepting of people and their flaws and foibles, I hope."

Humph He looked away.

"Harm you are not upset about Gates, why don't we talk about what is really bothering you."

He also leaned back but did not choose his words so carefully. "You are."

She sighed and put her napkin up by her plate. Dinner was over. "Why?"

"You know why." He pushed his plate away roughly.

"Don't start that with me Rabb!" She got mad. "We made promises to each other: promises about talking things through, about not assuming that we know what the other is thinking or feeling. We promised we would ask questions and actually stick around to hear the answers."

"Oh, but one of us making unilateral decisions about how we are to behave is perfectly acceptable." He lobbed back at her. "Guess we should have made some kind of promise about that."

She pulled the band out of her hair and shook her head letting her hair fall messily around her shoulders. It was a sexy move and she did it on purpose to disarm him.

He knew she did and did not react – overtly.

She pushed the hair off her face messily and fixed her eyes on him. "Let's get one thing straight, Rabb. OK? I love you and I want to work on a relationship with you ---."

He looked away.

"Look at me." She waited until he turned back. "A transfer for either one or both of us is not my choice."

"IF – IF we are being transferred." He corrected. "Nothing is set in stone."

"If not now Harm, in the future." She stated emphatically.

If they were to get married or have a baby together, one of them would have to transfer out of JAG.

She continued. "The days of the two of us at JAG HQ are over. Times have changed – OUR situation has changed. We have to be prepared to adapt with them. There are rules."

"Rules are made to be --." He didn't finish his thought. "That doesn't mean when the orders come through for Japan, Iceland or … or … or New Jersey that we have to roll with them. Buck up and take it." He stated. "We have come too far."

"We have come too far to let different duty stations ruin what we have and might have in the future."

He exhaled and let his irritation go with it – as much as he could. She was right. He dropped his gazed and rubbed his hands over his face. "It won't."

"Then what are you so upset about?"

"I hate not being in control. I hate not knowing what to expect from this admiral. I hate that we are forced to deal with this right now. All I want is some time …"

"Time to get your bearings?"

"Yes." He reached out and took her hand. He realized that that was what she had been asking for when they decided to wait to try to have a baby. "Can't things stay status quo for just a little while?"

Harm actually anticipated that everything would change in four to six months. Mattie would be back with her father and only seeing him (them) every other weekend. He would have asked Mac to marry him and she would have been done with her six months of hormone therapy. Yes, Harm expected that everything would be different in a few months. But different duty stations would screw those plans all to hell.

"For just a little while longer?" He asked again.

Mac smiled and squeezed his hand. "Apparently not."

He smirked. "I guess I should have known that."

"What else is bothering you?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I wish you wouldn't be so willing to pack your bags." He said trying to be serious but not overly dramatic.

"It may not be me packing, Harm."

"It shouldn't be. You have worked hard at JAG - I have too many blotches on my record. It should be me." He stated chivalrously.

"It should be." She smiled broadly.

He cocked his head. "I wish you wouldn't be so willing to help me pack mine."

"I'm not, Harm." She leaned in. "I am really not." She pulled him to her for a kiss. It was a very loving tender kiss.

He responded well and was moderately reassured.

"I just don't see a way around it." She continued. "We are both too close to our twenty to quit."

"One of us could get an assignment out of JAG but still stay in Washington - at the Pentagon, the White House, wherever."

"Harm, those positions are not like apples, you can't just go pick one."

"We have enough connections, one of us ought to be able to draw something."

"It better be fast, I think Admiral Schnarr is going to move quickly on this."

0900 EST – Monday

JAG Headquarters

All JAG personnel were assembled in one of the courtrooms including the new Lt JG's. Admiral Schnarr stepped through the doors at 0900 sharp, with Jennifer Coates following along after her.

"Attention on deck." Coates called.

The assembly came to attention.

"At ease." The admiral stated when she reached the bench and turned to survey her people.

"Good morning. I have had a chance to review all files and to speak with each of you. I understand that under Admiral Chegwidden you were quite the family. I hate to break up a family, but you will find that I run things a little differently than he did. First and foremost, I must commend you all on the exemplary record this office holds. You handle more cases with less personnel than any other military branch. Our budget is smaller and our research facilities are antiquated – at best. Please congratulate yourselves. I am honored to have been chosen to serve with this group. However, it is the SecNav's wish that this office be utilized for only the highest profile cases, leaving the minor ones to their duty station's JAGs. Therefore cuts must be made. Those of you being transferred have been given your orders and have a week to report."

Harm and Mac didn't dare look at each other, but they had heard nothing from the admiral or anyone all weekend. A weekend that they did not part company and viewed as maybe their last weekend together in a very long time. It was very romantic in spite of the cast on Harm's arm.

The admiral continued. "I am sorry we won't get to serve with each other on a daily basis, but believe me when I say that I have every confidence in you in your new assignments and I will be checking in with you from time to time. The rest of you will remain at your current positions – with some shuffling of offices and desks to allow for a more cohesive workflow. Petty Officer Coates will be in charge of getting that taken care of. I would like to introduce the three newest members of our team, Lt. JG Carroll Clark, Lt. JG Samuel Chance and Lt. JG Lillian Dorn. These three will be paired – as partners – with the three seniors. I expect each senior and lieutenant to form a team – a partnership. Seniors you will treat these lieutenants like they are your apprentices, you will mentor them to one day take your place. One more person I would like to introduce is our civilian liaison for information systems. His name is Kent Voss and he will be here for a short term analyzing our systems and designing and implementing plans for improvement. Please give him your complete cooperation and try his suggestions before you decide that they don't work." The admiral laughed.

A nervous laugh rippled through the group.

"Please take the next forty-five minutes to discuss amongst yourselves these changes. I want you back at your stations at 1000. There will be a watering down at …" She looked at Jennifer.

"McMurphy's." Coates helped.

"McMurphy's on Friday night to welcome the new and send off our people." She was about to dismiss them. "Oh, one more thing. Commander Turner has submitted and I have accepted his resignation. This event on Friday will also serve to send him off to civilian life. That is all. Dismissed."

She picked up her folders and strode from the room.

Small groups broke up to discuss the changes.

Harm and Mac just looked stunned. Turner approached them. "Congratulations you two, you got your wish." He clapped Harm on the shoulder and whispered, "Be careful what you wish for."

Bud joined them. "Looks like it will be the three of us." Bud smiled up at both Mac and Harm.

Harm was still stunned. "Matoni?" He asked.

Turner nodded. "And I stepped out … not sure if it made any difference. She was ready to send me back to Groton."

"You resigned your commission?" Mac asked.

"Varese and I are getting married." His face finally broke into a Cheshire cat grin.

Congratulations were exchanged.

"When did all this happen?" Harm asked.

"This weekend." Sturgis's smile could not be contained.

"You just popped the question and decided to up an quit?" Mac was surprised. It was so unlike Turner to do something so spontaneous.

"Well, I have my man Rabb here to thank." Sturgis explained.

Mac and Bud looked over at Harm.

"Me? What did I have to do with it?" He was still reeling from all that had happened that morning.

"After our conversation last week – I started thinking and then Varese and I started talking … one thing led to another."

Harm and Mac exchanged a look. They started thinking and they started taking and their 'one thing that led to another' was them spending the weekend together convinced that they would be parted soon. They were trying to build a few more memories that would carry them through the days, weeks and months ahead.

"So what is the plan?" Harm prodded.

"Varese has family in Chicago and my father wants to go back there. We decided that if she were going to be touring, then we wanted home base to be home and home is Chicago."

"Are you going to manage her?" Mac asked.

"Probably … I am a lawyer you know." He laughed. "But mostly I want to take care of dad … and we want to start a family of our own."

Harm clapped him on the shoulder. "Can't believe that you would quit the Navy – I thought you were a lifer."

"No, it was never really my dream. It was Dad's dream."

More congratulations were shared. Harm and Mac did not have a moment alone to discuss the lucky hand they drew before it was time to report back to work. Immediately they were called into a staff meeting.

Rabb, MacKenzie and Roberts were seated on one side of the table. Clark, Chance and Dorn were seated opposite. Schnarr walked in.

They all came to attention.

"As you were." She stated sitting down. "She looked down one side of the table and then down the other. She was satisfied with the line up. "Take a look at the person sitting across from you. Meet your new partner."

Commander Harmon Rabb  Lieutenant JG Carroll Clark

Colonel Sarah MacKenzie  Lieutenant JG Samuel Chance

Lieutenant Commander Bud Robbers  Lieutenant JG Lillian Dorn

The admiral spent minutes passing out new assignments (some pulled from Mattoni and Turner) and others were new. She discussed her expectations and her requirements. She was instigating a Monday staff meeting at 0800 to discuss the strategy for the week and a Friday meeting at 1700 to discuss the progress made. She expected that they would make arrangements to be at both meetings and to come fully prepared. Further her door was open, and would leave it to them to decide if she needed to be advised about some new turn of events outside of those two meetings.

She suggested that the JG's go find Petty Office Coates for their desk assignments etc. She wanted a moment to speak to the seniors.

When they were alone, she started in. "I want you to know that you three were my choice to stay in this office. Your records are exemplary and your legal work – while not always by the book is some of the best I have seen. You three have served under Admiral Chegwidden for eight years. I presume that in that time you have become very close as officers and as friends."

Harm thought that that could apply to a number of situations not just to his new relationship with Mac. Them being God parents to AJ, them staying behind when Bud was injured, etc.

"You have worked yourself into a routine that is comfortable for you. While that routine will be changing, and some of it will be hard to understand or accept, I expect that it will not reflect in your work. Please know that you will not be paired together. Opposing each other in court consistently can take a toll on your personal relationship, but I do not expect that with you three. Again, you have worked together for years, have opposed each other across a courtroom in the past and served the Navy's interested impeccably."

They did not respond but rather nodded their agreement and gratitude.

"I don't anticipate that the four of us will be friends even after eight years. That is not my style. I believe that the personal lives of those people under my command are just that – personal." She let her eyes rest on Mac. "I will respect your privacy as I expect you to respect mine." Mac felt the weight of that comment and was grateful that she knew little about the details of Gates and Schnarr. "You are my senior officers and I expect you to behave as such – no one knows the rules and regs better than a JAG. Should a situation arise that would cause your personal life to interfere with your work life, I expect you to bring it to me before I hear about it. I am your commanding officer and I will support and defend you to the end. Don't make me regret that. Further, you will set the example for the junior officers and the enlisted personnel. There will be some new faces and some missed faces, but all of them will look to you for leadership before they look to me. You will provide it for them. Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. One more thing – the days of this office being used and abused by … other government agencies are over. Don't ask for and don't expect those types of assignments. Questions or concerns?"

"No ma'am."

"Does anyone have anything to contribute?"

Harm looked at Bud and Mac and then back at the admiral. "Welcome aboard, ma'am. We look forward to serving under your command."

"Thank you." She stood up. They followed suit. "Let's get to work, people." She nodded crisply and left.

Bud looked at Harm and Mac. "This could be interesting." He smiled. "It could be good." He was just grateful that he didn't have to go home and tell his pregnant wife they had to move or that one of their close friends was moving. He left.

Harm sunk down into his chair. Mac sat down next to him.

"What the hell?" He said.

"Guess we got all worked up for nothing." She smiled.

"I'll say .. but that last bit about knowing the rules and regs … was that for us? Is she inviting one of us to step down?"

"I don't know … I don't think so … but we are going to need to talk about working together – set some ground rules."

"Don't start about not seeing each other at work."

"We are going to have to be careful … above reproach."

"We have done it in the past Mac, we will do in the future."

She smiled at him. "Yes, we will."

End of Chapter Two