-Do You Trust Me?-

I was called into the Admiral's office first thing after coming back from this morning's trainings flights. So now I am sitting in front of his desk watching him sort through his morning mail. He has not spoken a word since I entered apart from a short greeting. I watch this man I have now known for nearly twenty years. Twenty years in which I have learned a lot from this man. He is responsible for a great deal of what I am now. If it has not been for him I still would fly against my father's ghost up there. For the first time in years I realize that Admiral Mike Metcalf has grown old. He is getting closer to seventy and the lines in his face clearly show it. I know that it will not be before long that he is announcing his retirement. He told me some months ago that he is thinking about it, seriously thinking about it.

Finally I loose my patience. I want to get a shower, get some reports finished. "Viper what is it?" It might seem odd addressing him with his call sign but everybody who has ever flown with him does it. It feels just right to do so.

"Mav, I hate to break it to you but I'll have to suspend you. Effective now." He is looking at me like a father would. But it does not soften the blow.

I still sit thunderstruck. How did this happen?

Reading my thoughts he starts to explain. "I received an official complaint this morning. And until it is cleared I can't let you get up there again."

"Sir?" I still cannot figure out where the blow came from.

"You are accused of willfully destroying governmental properties and more important still of deliberately harming a subordinate officer. They blame you to have sabotaged the oxygen mask of a Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant Reese." My mind is not able to connect everything I heard just yet.

He is looking down at his papers. "The very same."

"I understood that the Navy wasn't going to file any charges. They hadn't enough evidence." I remember Mac telling me about the report she wrote. She thought I should know.

"This complaint was not initiated by the JAG. They only take the legal charges now."

"Then who did it?"

"The Lieutenant."

"The Lieutenant made JAG go for pressing charges?" Why is the Lieutenant doing such a thing? Why me? She has been back in training since this morning and she never gave as much as hint to what she has done. I try to recall all the occasions I had contact with her. There are not many. The group is here for three weeks to date. We have briefly met through the briefings before the flights. We have been in a dogfight three times at most. There simply is nothing that would encourage the reasoning behind her actions. And still she is accusing me of mistreating her. Only slowly the truth sips into my brain. She is accusing me of maltreating her because she is a woman. That is why Mac asked me that question back there. Realizing the incredibility of it all, I rise in a rapid motion and slam my hands down on the Admiral's desk.

"Admiral, do you believe I did that?"

"No I don't. In all those years I have known you I never saw you judge any pilot, male or female anything but fair. No Maverick I don't think you did it." I can tell that he is trying to calm me with the evenness of his words.

"Then why get me grounded?"

"Blame it on the good of the case, blame it on the peace of the matter, blame it on politics. This kind of accusations raises a damn lot of uncalled opinions. But there isn't a thing either you or me can do about it. And it's only for a week, maybe even shorter. After the article 32 you will get right back on track."

Defeated I settle back into the chair. Viper is right, there is nothing I can do but wait. The accusation will surely prove wrong. "Do I get to choose my attorney?"

"Think so. Do you know any?"

"Actually I don't know him but I feel like he might be able to help my cause. Harmon Rabb." This pilot turned lawyer. Surely, he would know what I am on about. He would understand. "He is from JAG Headquarters in Washington."

Viper glances at me, surprised but gives me a reassuring nod, "I'll see what I can do about it."

"Thank you sir." I stand back up to finally head for the shower, or better for home. There is no reason for me to stay here.

-J-A-G-

-J-A-G-

"How about lunch?" Mac is leaning against my door her eyes fixed on me.

"Sorry I'm already meeting Sturgis. We still need to discuss the last points of the Carter case."

"Dinner?" Ever since she came back from her appointment in the west last Tuesday Mac seems to be eager to search out my company. Not that I am complaining, I have highly enjoyed the hours she has spent at my place in the evenings. It feels like we are making progress. And without Mattie there, the evenings could get quite boring.

"Dinner will be fine. Anything special you'd like to eat?"

"How about I cook?" She has now walked closer to my desk placing her hands on it and leaning down slightly.

"Huh, did I miss anything? My birthday? My death?"

"No, but I'd like to …" her last words are silenced by Coates knocking on my door.

"Ma'am, sir the General wants to see you ASAP."

"Alright, we're on our way. Come on sailor, better not let him wait." She patiently waits for me to join her, a small smile on her lips. It looks like she is happier now than she has been for the last week. Maybe she is finally over the turmoil Mic's appearance caused.

"I just got a call from Admiral Metcalf in Fallon," the General opens once we are both standing at ease in front of his desk.

"Is this about the JAGman investigation I did two days ago?"

I am a bit surprised; Mac never told me she went to Top Gun.

"It is. There is going to be an article 32 against a Captain Pete Mitchell."

"Sir, in my report I stated that there isn't enough evidence for a conclusion on who might have cut this hose, let alone somebody like the Captain." I am not sure Cresswell realized it but I sure did. There was a tiny pause in Mac's speech just before she said 'the Captain', as if she was about to say something else.

I turn my concentration back to the General when he continues, "Colonel I read your report and I went along with your recommendation until the Lieutenant filed a complaint herself. We do have to take this seriously."

"I understand sir. Sorry sir. But under the given circumstances I would like to defend the Captain." Involuntarily I slightly turn my head to glance at Mac. There is something odd about this situation something I might not like.

"You are saying sorry a lot regarding this case. However I cannot let you defend." I see Cresswell raise his hand to stop Mac from interrupting, his eyes sparkling dangerously. Something about this whole situation is not pleasing the General at all. Maybe he does know about the connection between Mac and this Captain. "Mitchell requested the Commander."

I release my right hand from behind my back to reach for the file he is holding out. At a place in the far back of my mind – alright maybe not that far – I am glad that Mac will not be going to Nevada again.

"You will represent the government in this hearing Colonel."

Mac is immediately focusing her eyes on a point at the wall behind the General. For nothing more than half a second there lingers absolute silence in this room before Mac begins to speak. "With all due respect, I'd rather not do this."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons, Sir."

"Did you know the man before your trip to Nevada?"

"No, Sir."

"Do you mind explaining your reasons?"

"I can't, Sir."

"Colonel, then I order you to represent the government and Lieutenant Reese. Wish denied." He is still sitting behind his desk but his voice has reached a level I am sure is heard in the parking lot two stories below us. "What is it with you and this case anyway?" So he does not know about it either.

Mac is keeping silent, her eyes still fixed on this imaginary point.

"Dismissed."

We both turn and hurry out of the door without actually running. I must have stared at her while I waited for her to walk past me through the door because the moment I close the door behind us she turns around and glares at me.

"What?" It is not much quieter than the General's speech.

"You tell me." I am not the one who pissed Cresswell off.

"There is nothing to tell. Only that I don't see the Captain doing what I am going to accuse him of. I would have had it in my report if I did."

"I know you would have." I do believe what she says and I know the General knows about it as well, he explained that it was not his intent to press charges until that complaint.

"You implying anything, Commander?"

I carefully shake my head. There is definitely something very out of place with this case when Mac is reacting in such a way. I better not say anything more.

Suddenly Mac is closing her eyes, taking two deep breaths before she says, "I am sorry. I'm probably a little stressed right now."

"We both are." My voice is nothing more than a whisper.

In the following silence we keep looking into each other's eyes. I feel that Mac is truly sorry about her outburst. But I know that she will not talk about it. In the end Mac slowly turns around and heads for her office trying to ignore the staff that are still staring at us. Staring at her closed door myself, I wish I could go in there and take her in my arms. If only to make her world spin a little slower so she can take just one breath before being met with new problems.

"Sir?" I turn to face Jen who is carefully approaching me. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know Jen, I simply don't know."

"The General wants me to tell you that your flight will leave in about 90 minutes."

"Thank you. I go tell the Colonel."

"Rather you than me sir." I'd rather it was not me too. However I slowly cross the bullpen for her office.

-T-O-P-

-G-U-N-

Calculating the amount of time we are in the air already I would say we are above Kansas now, half way there. Using the time we have I reread the file and its new additions. Except I have been staring at the same sentence for five minutes straight, my mind otherwise occupied.

Harm came into my office moments after I settled behind my desk. He carefully closed the door before he addressed me.

"Are you alright?"

He got my usual response, "I'm fine."

I could see the confusion in his eyes on what had just transpired out there in the bullpen and in the General's office. But how am I supposed to explain something I do not quite understand myself.

"Our flight leaves in 85. I'll see you there."

I must have answered something because when I broke out of my thoughts I found him gone.

So here we sit, right next to each other not many words spoken since then. We both concentrated on the files instead. But I cannot any longer. I steal a quick glance at Harm. He is no longer reading his file either. He looks like he is oblivious to his surroundings, totally spared from the loud rumbling of the machines and the soft vibrating of the whole plane. His hands are firmly placed in his lap and on the armrest between our seats. I keep on watching him. The sight is fascinating me. Is he thinking about the case, about how to help Maverick? Or is he still thinking about the incident at the office? Has he let it be, accepted my response on the matter? A small voice tells me I do not want this to happen. If it is occupying my thoughts, it should occupy his as well, should it not? I wish I could know what is going on in his head.

On impulse I place my hand over his that is resting beside me. He does not twitch a muscle, he simply turns his head to face me. I need to say something, do I not? But what, I cannot come up with anything. Anything besides "I guess there'll be no dinner tonight."

For the glimpse of a second he is looking at me confused before a small smile appears on his lips.

"We can have dinner at Fallon, can't we?"

"Yes, we can." I am still surprised at what made me question our dinner.

I follow his glance which is now resting on my hand that is still placed atop of his. Immediately I try to pull it back. But his motion is faster and he manages to grab my hand before I can take it out of his reach.

"Don't." He places our hands back on the armrest, our fingers now intertwined. A warm shiver rolls through my body at the simplicity of the gesture. It is nothing more than a touch we have shared hundreds of times before and still it is so much more.

"What have you been thinking about Harm?"

"The Captain. Why he requested me and not you?" He is now looking squarely at me and I cannot escape his glance.

"I… I told him about you being a pilot."

"Why did you refuse to take the accusation?"

Alright, now has he posed the one question I cannot answer. How can I explain the way I feel about Maverick without offending Harm? How can I phrase why it happened so fast? That I feel easy around him because he is like the man that is now holding my hand and because he is not. I cannot. I slowly shake my head.

"You do know the Captain."

"I met him briefly at the start of the week." That is no lie and yet, still it feels like one.

"But?"

"Harm," I am almost pleading with him now. "I can't explain it to you."

"You don't need to. Just tell me."

Endless minutes pass by and I keep staring at him pondering on how to start, if to start at all. All the while he is looking at me with his blue eyes that remind me of Maverick. Suddenly fear makes my body shiver. I will hurt Harm with it. I will destroy what we so carefully build up.

"Sarah?" A single word. How can a single word make my whole world stop?

I glance back down at our hands. Intertwined like our lives. He promised me he would not leave me.

"You'll always be there Harm, won't you?"

His gaze it getting more intense when he answers his voice just above a whisper. "Yes I will."

So I start telling him; about the evening I met Mav. I tell him about the way I feel towards the man. That I feel carefree around him like I have not done for quite a time. And I tell him the reason why. "He reminds me of you."

He nods while he tries to figure out what I have just told him.

"So you don't feel comfortable around me?" He is not voicing it as an accusation but as a simple question. I can tell from his eyes that he needs me to tell the truth.

"I do. But we try so hard not to do anything wrong, not to hurt the other that I sometimes feel like we are forgetting to enjoy the experience. Like we can't be ourselves when we are together. But I want that, I need it. And I need you to be yourself. I don't want us to hold back."

"What if being ourselves won't work? What if we hurt each other too much this time to go on? We've done so before."

"But we can't walk on eggs for all our lives Harm, we simply can't."

"So you want me to be myself?"

"A little."

"You want me to be the cocky pilot with the gold wings?" He now grins at me his flyboy smile.

"I want you to be the man you have become. The pilot with the gold wings mixed up with the father you are to Mattie."

"I can do that, if that's what you want."

I would kiss him if it were not for the military plane and the uniforms we are in. Instead I settle for a silent "Thank you."

"But you'll have to do something for me as well, Ninjagirl."

My eyebrows must be meeting my hairline when I eye him quizzically.

"You need to trust me." I slowly nod. I am working on it.

Giving his hand a last squeeze I softly pull free from his hold to return to the file I have been reading. I feel his eyes resting on my profile for a while before he concentrates back on his work as well.

-J-A-G-

-J-A-G-

"Would you like to come along while I meet the Captain now? Or would you rather have me drop you at the hotel first?" We landed about fifteen minutes ago and now walk to the gray Ford the base provided us with.

Mac thinks about it until we reach the car. "The hotel will be way out of the way for you. I can stay in the car when you talk to the Captain."

"Don't be silly Mac. From what you've told me, he will be delighted to see you." I still feel a slight twinge in my heart when I think about the way Mac feels towards this man. But right now there is nothing for me to do about than play along and try to do what Mac asked me to.

"Not when he learns why I am here."

There is nothing for me to say about it though something in me hopes for this to happen. That Mitchell will not take much interest in Mac once he knows that she is representing the other side. I turn the key to get us going and finally meet the man that reminds Mac so much of me.

We pull up in front of a neat family home in the western part of the base. A typical base home but well kept. The both of us remain motionless for a minute before we reach for the doors at the same moment. I lock the car and walk around it to join Mac who is still standing on the walkway in front of the lawn.

"So that's it."

"Never thought he would live like that." Could it be that Mac did not know that Captain Pete Mitchell was a family man? Has she overlooked it? On purpose?

"You didn't know?"

"We didn't talk much about private things."

"Let's get going." I place my hand on the small of her back and lead her across the neatly trimmed green.

I realize when her eyes widen in surprise when she spots the children's bike leaned against the railing of the front porch. She obviously does not know as much about the man as she had thought. We slowly take the two stairs up to the porch. Another three steps bring us to the door.

"Hello, is your dad home?" I ask the boy that is opening the door.

He nods before he yells "Dad" back into the house. I figure he must be about twelve or thirteen years old. He is not leaving his place at the door, nor is he opening it any wider than the crack he has first produced. The boy is looking us up and down. Mac first, followed by me. I start to feel uncomfortable when a smile appears on his lips. He must have found something that is pleasing him.

"You are a pilot."

"I once was."

When his father arrives he ruffles the boy's hair and fully opens the door. I cannot help but silently wince as I see a smile spread across the man's face when he sees Mac standing at his door. Mac must have heard as she glances at me her eyes holding an apology.

"Colonel, nice to see you again." He holds his hand out for her to take.

"Though I'd wish it were under better circumstances," she answers taking his hand before she continues, "Maverick, this is Commander Harmon Rabb."

"So you're my lawyer. That was pretty fast." His smile now comes to rest on me.

"Sir," I take the offered hand.

After that Captain Mitchell turns back to Mac. "And you are sitting second chair?"

I see Mac drop her eyes to examine the wood of the porch for an instant before she locks them with his. "I'm sorry. I'm going to prosecute. It was an order." She shrugs her shoulders.

But what bothers me in this situation is the intimacy I see reflected in Mitchell's eyes. There is something to connect these two people.

"It's okay I guess." He steps back a little to open the way into his house. "Come on in. No need to discuss it at the door. Nick, would you show the Colonel and Commander to the living room." Looking back at us he adds, "I'll be back in a minute."

"Alright," we answer already following the boy into the back of the house.

"So you are a pilot and a lawyer." Nick sits down on the armrest of an armchair near the couch both Mac and I choose. "Which is more interesting?"

"They both are."

"Nah, I don't believe you. I'm going to become a pilot like my dad and uncle Goose." This boy sounds like me when I was that age. Or like Josh. I wonder what Josh Pendry is doing now. I have not thought of him for years but this boy reminds me of him, with his blonde hair and the glow in his eyes when he talks about his father or flying.

-T-O-P-

-G-U-N-

"Nick you're gonna be a great pilot but now get back to what ever you were doing before opening the door. I need to talk business with these officers." I clap my son's shoulder to send him out of the room.

"Sure dad." I hear him add a whispered, "How can someone choose lawyer over pilot?"

"How old is he?" I hear Mac ask.

"Twelve, since two weeks. And he's had his heart on flying for what seems like forever."

"I know other guys who took after their father."

I am surprised that she knows about my father when I realize she was not referring to me. For a second her hand comes to rest on the Commander's knee before she pulls it back to keep a proper distance between them. So the Commander followed in his father's footsteps as well.

I settle down opposite the two lawyers studying both for a moment.

"So what are we going to do now?"

"We'll have the article 32 hearing tomorrow where it will be decided whether there is enough evidence to justify a formal court martial."

"But didn't you tell me that there isn't, Mac?"

"I still think there isn't, although I'll have to prove otherwise."

"I guess it will be over pretty fast," Harm concludes.

I truly hope so. "It'd better be. The Admiral has me grounded for the time being."

"You're not allowed to fly, Mav?"

I catch Rabb's expression the moment Mac uses my nickname. There is something in his glance that I cannot place. Something that was probably caused by Mac's intimacy. I realize that so far she has only called me Maverick, even though she called me otherwise two days ago. Is this due to military protocol? Perhaps she does not want to give the wrong impression to a co-worker – or is it because she does not want the Commander get the wrong personal impression? Taking his glance and her little gesture into account I am inclined to guess there is much more about these two than catches the eye. I would like the opportunity to investigate this a little further.

Only one minute later the opportunity rises when Commander Rabb asks about the location of our bathroom.

"Pass the stairs and turn right. The first door."

"Thank you, Sir."

I wait for him to round the corner before I address Mac. "So, this is your partner?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Is he a good partner?"

She starts to eye me a little suspiciously. "The best," she answers slowly.

"Anything else I should know about the two of you?"

"With all due respect Sir, this is none of your business."

I raise my hands in surrender. "Alright I just wanted to make sure he is up to your standards. After all he needs to defend me." I feel sure I have hit a nerve.

The Commander chooses this moment to return and Mac stands up immediately. "Are you done Commander?"

"Sure." He just shrugs his shoulders and follows her to the door. "I'll talk to you tomorrow before the hearing. Will 0900 hours be okay, Sir?"

"I'll be here. Just come by."

"Good evening, Sir."

My eyes follow them until they reach their car before I close the door. There is not only a story about the pilot-turned-lawyer but concerning the pair of them as well. I am curious as to how much more I am going to see of it.

-J-A-G-

-J-A-G-

"Mac what was that about?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired. So can you please start the engine and get us to the hotel." But Harm does not move, he only sits there and keeps staring at me.

"Mac, do you remember that you promised to trust me?"

"I do." I did not actually promise but I guess that is not the point here.

"So why don't you now?"

"Just trust me. Nothing happened." When I think about it, it is true. Nothing happened. Maverick just wanted to know something about the man that was going to defend him. If he had made the right choice. It was probably just my imagination interpreting too much meaning into his question.

Finally Harm turns back to face the road and we are on our way. I am not sure that he is fully convinced yet but there is nothing more I can do about it. The only words we exchange on our way from the base into town are those of directions to be taken. Thankfully, the silence in between does not linger as heavy as I thought it would. It is more like the silences from which you gain new power because you figure out what is bothering you and get over it.

We leave the car at the parking lot of the town's Best Western hotel and head inside, Harm carrying both our bags.

"I've got two adjoining rooms for you. There is a middle door consisting of two doors. Both of you can open your own with the room key. The other needs to be opened from the other side," the man at the counter tries to explain us. "Second floor to the right. Have a good night."

"Thank you."

Tired, I follow Harm to the elevators that take us to our rooms. Checking the keys I find my room to be the second door, his, the third. Carefully he lets my bag slip to the ground when he comes to stop next to my door. Struggling with the keys when I feel his eyes on my hands I finally manage to open my door after two minutes.

"You want me to get it inside for you?" He motions for the bag at our feet.

"No it's okay."

We share a short look before he pulls back from the wall he has been leaning. "Good night, Sarah."

"Good night, Harm."

I watch him open his own door before we both enter our rooms with a final "Good night."

-T-O-P-

-G-U-N-