Title: Old Friends, New Relationships
Chapter Six
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 Six - Locking The Doors Down
0859 EST
JAG Headquarters
Bud and Mac walked out of the admiral's office headed toward their own to make ready to leave for the Patrick Henry. Harm remained; he had a request for the admiral. Schnarr had announced that she would be out of the office for several days; Harm was given orders to act as JAG during the admiral's absence. He wanted to change those plans – not her time off, just his assignment.
"Something more, commander?" The admiral asked looking at the papers on her desk rather than at Harm.
"Yes, ma'am." He waited for her to give him leave to speak.
"Go ahead." She said after a moment.
"Ma'am, I would like you to reconsider and send me to the Patrick Henry instead of the colonel."
"Because you are more qualified to lead this investigation?" She said over the top of her glasses.
"No ma'am." They both knew why Harm was asking to go in Mac's stead, but she was daring him to say it out loud.
She leaned back in her chair and pulled her glasses down to the end of her nose. She looked like his fifth grade math teacher. Harm hated his fifth grade math teacher. "Then why should I send you?" She fixed him with her trademark-withering glare, hoping he would stand down.
"There is more than one agenda being addressed in this assignment." He said ambiguously, bordering on the insubordinate and returned her glare with one of his own.
She broke eye contact first. "I need you here during my absence." She took her glasses off and tossed them on the desk.
"As I am sure you are aware, the colonel is qualified to act as JAG, ma'am." This was the first power of wills between the new admiral and the commander. At the moment Harm was holding his own.
"I am aware of the abilities and deficits of all my people." She challenged again.
"Yes ma'am." He again pushed his agenda. "Ma'am, there are extenuating circumstances – as you are well aware – that would be better served if I were to -."
"Is this your own idea or were you prompted by someone?" She was trying to determine if Mac had asked Harm to run interference for her.
"I was not prompted, ma'am." He told her flatly, he opened his mouth to ask again.
She cut him off. "Denied." She stood up to pack her briefcase.
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am." It wasn't a question.
"Denied."
Harm would not let go. "Ma'am -."
Again she cut him off. "My orders stand, commander." She glared at him. A subordinate had not challenged her in years. She didn't like it and she wasn't used to dealing with it. She lashed out. "I know your history, commander. You and I are NOT cut from the same cloth. You let your personal feelings rule your actions. It makes you impassioned, tenacious and daring but it also makes you a bad officer. You should consider yourself lucky that you were not under my command in your youth; you would not be wearing that uniform today." At least she had no illusions that she could have molded Harm to be a better officer or leader.
"My history, motives and military status are not at issue here, ma'am." He declared. "Furthermore, it is impossible - even for the best of commanding officers - to separate his or HER personal feelings completely."
She studied him for a moment. She didn't like him, and it was true that if he had been under her command nine years prior, he would have been cycled out. But there was something about his desire to serve, protect and put himself or his career at risk for something he believed in that she had to admire. She gave him a little bit. "Has it occurred to you that I chose not to send you on this assignment for a reason that would be best for YOU and not me?"
What she was really asking was: could she have assigned Mac this out of town duty for Mac's own best interest? That maybe it would not be good for Mac to be in the thick of this mess with Gates. It would last longer than the days away on the Patrick Henry, but maybe it would be best for Mac to let the dust settle before she got involved.
It hadn't occurred to him that the admiral might have Mac's best interest at heart. Harm restated his original request. "I would like you to reconsider and send me instead of the colonel."
"Request denied." She snapped her briefcase shut. "I will check in three times a day – 0900, 1300, 1700. Please be prepared with a brief report. That is all. Dismissed."
Harm stood for a long moment deciding what he should do. If he pushed his agenda any further it would not help Mac. The admiral was immovable. "Aye, ma'am."
On the Road To Mac's House
Harm caught up with Mac half way to her apartment. She had left JAG quickly to go home and pack. He called her on her cell.
"MacKenzie." She barked without looking at the caller ID.
"Mac, pull over."
"What?"
"Pull over. I am right behind you."
"I don't have time for this, Harm."
"Mac, pull over."
She ended the call and pulled into the parking lot of a Starbucks. She got out of the car, slammed the door and stormed back to meet him.
"What are you doing?" She demanded.
"I want to make sure you are OK?"
"OK?" She was shocked that he would ask. "Are you really asking me if I am OK?"
"OK … Ok … you aren't OK."
"Look, I got to go." She turned away from him. "I'll deal with this later."
"What this?" He was hoping that somehow she hadn't turned her anger on him. It wouldn't be out of character.
"Gates … I'll deal with Gates when I am on the road. But right now I have 23 minutes before I have to meet Bud."
"Go see her." He said simply clearly ignoring her comment about time.
"I don't have time." She shot back over her shoulder.
"Go see Gates." He grabbed her hand to stop her.
"I have my orders Harm." She pulled her hand away.
"I will get you out to the Patrick Henry by morning."
"What are you talking about?"
"I am acting JAG, right? I changed your orders." He stepped back.
"You can't do that." She stated.
"So I didn't change them, I just altered them a little." He smiled at her. "Go see Gates. I'll find a way to get you on that COD, OK? Trust me."
She shook her head. "Harm, this is crazy."
"This whole thing is crazy." He was being gentle with her. "Go see Gates."
"If the admiral finds out--."
"We'll deal with it. You will not be able to do your job if you don't talk to her first."
She shook her head. "I'll call her. It will be fine. AJ will take care of her." She looked away.
"Mac, please just go see her. You know you won't rest until you talk to her face to face." He gently turned her head toward his. "Don't worry about the admiral or your orders. I'll get you on the COD – if I have to fly you out there myself, I will get you out there."
He was being so sweet. He knew what she needed – even more so than she did – and he was the one man that would make it possible for her to have it. She relaxed a little bit. "This was such a great morning." She said sadly, longing for the top-of-the-world feeling she had up until 45 minutes prior.
"It was a great morning." He agreed. He leaned against the car and pulled her around in front of him and into an embrace.
That was also exactly what she needed. She felt all the tension – well most of the tension in her body release. She folded into him.
"It was a fantastic night followed by a great morning." He whispered into her ear and pressed her more tightly to him. "Better than great."
Mac normally would not tolerate this kind of PDA particularly when they were in uniform, but these were not normal circumstances. "I love you." She said.
"I know." He said smugly with his cocky grin. "We don't have much time. Go see Gates and call me when you are through."
"Thank you." She didn't pull from his embrace.
"Go." He pushed her gently back. "Go on now … I have some calls to make, strings to pull, favors to collect on." He smiled at her easily. "Go."
She returned the smile and nodded slowly. She went back to her car. Before she got in, she turned back to look at him. "I really do love you."
"Back at you." He smiled.
Seven Hours Twenty-Nine Minutes Later
Mac was climbing aboard a marine transport plane out of Andrews that would take her to Germany; from there she would pick up another plane to Naples; from there she would meet the COD to the Seahawk, to a Helo to the Guadalcanal, then another out to the Patrick Henry. Baring unforeseen circumstances she would arrive about the same time as the COD albeit with no sleep at all. At the moment she didn't think she would sleep; too much was spinning in her head.
She had gotten into see Gates and was with her when charges were filed.
After brief hugs and standard 'how were you doing?' and 'how was Glenn doing?' questions, Mac got right to the heart of the matter. "What the hell happened?"
"And I thought I was direct." Gates laughed. Per her typical, Gates would not appear vulnerable or needy in front of Mac.
"Gates – honey, I don't have a lot of time. I need you to tell me what happened, and what AJ is doing to get you out of here."
"Well, last things first – until they file charges, we can't do anything to get me out. They will hold me for that full 24 hours." She smiled at Mac. "It's OK. AJ is doing everything he is supposed to be doing. He is really very wonderful."
"Where is he now?"
"Talking to a judge. Apparently, since I am now not gainfully employed they believe I pose a flight risk."
"So what happened?"
"It was an accident. Pure and simple."
"Gates … the man had a gun at your house, there is nothing plain or simple about that. What happened?"
"He came over. He was drunk. He needed to talk. He was very upset. I talked him down. He was leaving. He was handing me the gun for safekeeping. And it went off. It was an accident."
Mac shook her head. There was more to it than that.
"Mac, I am telling you the truth."
Mac reached out to take her friend's hand. Gates pulled back reflexively.
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Glenn opened his eyes. The nurse was there to see it. She called the doctor immediately. They were not expecting him to wake for hours.
Detective John London was standing in the back of the room.
The doctor spoke loudly to Glenn. "Captain Schnarr, can you hear me?"
Schnarr looked confused at first.
"Do you know what day it is?" The doctor asked.
Glenn met the doctor's eyes.
"Do you know where you are?" The doctor pressed.
"Hospital." Schnarr squeaked out.
"Please, don't try to speak." The doctor said which begs the question, why was he asking all those questions.
"Do you remember what happened?" London's voice cut through the room.
"Who are you?" The nurse snapped. "You can't be in here." She was ushering him out.
Schnarr squeaked something else out.
"What?" London asked. "Do you remember what happened?"
"That bitch shot me." Captain Glenn Schnarr looked directly at the detective as if he knew who he was.
"Captain?" The detective asked again.
"She shot me."
Arlington Police Station
Mac cocked her head at her friends recoil. "What is going on?"
Gates shook her head and closed her eyes. After a moment she pulled a fake smile and again affirmed that that it was an accident and that was all there was to it.
"Why did you pull away from me?"
"I am tired, all right?" She snapped a little too quickly. "I am tired of being handled." Her hand went to the collar of her shirt and rubbed her chest just below the collarbone.
"Gates?"
Gates got up and stepped away.
"Gates honey, what happened?"
Gates' eyes started to fill with water.
Mac stepped closer to her. "Gates, did he hit you?" She asked gently.
Gates could not meet Mac's eyes. "He is not violent." Her voice cracked.
"Gates?"
"It was an accident." She said again, then with a great deal more force she screeched, "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
Mac turned her to face her. "Gates?"
She shook her head.
Mac slowly opened the collar of Gates' shirt. There was a large bruise on her neck and chest that looked like hand or thumb prints. Mac looked up at her but Gates looked away. Mac took her arm to lead her back to the table. Gates yelped.
"Gates?" Mac was now seriously concerned. "Did he hurt you?"
Gates finally met Mac's eyes. She was pleading for her to stop asking questions without saying anything.
"Gates, did he rape you?"
Gates was no longer able to hold the water in her eyes back. "He didn't mean to."
"Gates!" Her voice was gently and safe.
"You can't tell anyone … no one … you have to promise me … no one."
Mac was stunned. She didn't know how to respond.
At that moment Detective Starsky walked in with AJ Chegwidden right behind. "Gates Madden, I am placing you under arrest."
"The charges." Mac barked in good lawyer marine mode.
"Attempted Murder … you have the right to remain silent …"
