1834 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN, DC
"Mac, it wasn't necessary to chauffeur me around to get my stuff from my house. I am perfectly capable of doing some things on my own still." Harm protested as they walked down the hall to her apartment.
"Harm, the doctor said full medical custody. Besides, Sergei needed to know that you were okay. Last he probably heard, you were still just off on some diplomatic mission in Indonesia." Mac replied as she supported Harm as he walked down the hallway.
"Mac, you don't have to baby me." Harm might have been protesting but you didn't have to look hard to see that he was enjoying Mac's attention.
"Harm, Commander Chase held you back on the Kennedy for three days because he felt that you were still having problems with your equilibrium." Mac put her keys in her door and turned the key to open the lock. Mac pushed the door open and turned on the lights. As Harm stepped in, people seemed to spring out from behind every corner in the apartment.
"Surprise!" Everyone shouted at once as they appeared in the main room. Harm started laughing as he recognized all the familiar faces. Sturgis and Bobbi were there, the Admiral was with Bev Ross soon to be Chegwidden, Gunny, Harriet was there and even Keeter popped up from behind a couch.
"I have a major head injury and you decide to have a bunch of people ambush me as a sign of goodwill?" Harm asked sarcastically.
"Well, you just got out of medical care after a major head injury and Mac thought you could use a nice housewarming for your new temporary digs." Sturgis walked over and handed Harm a bottle of water.
"Gave us a hell of a scare, son." The Admiral came over and clapped Harm on the back.
"Heard that you helped to save my skin, Admiral. That Mossad contact of yours was apparently exactly the help that Mac and her crew needed to come to the rescue." Harm stood shoulder to shoulder with the Admiral.
"I couldn't let you die out there, son. I've grown kind of fond of you over the years." The Admiral chuckled as the crowd seemed to gather around Harm.
"Don't think you can hide behind Mac forever, Hammer. Harriet tells me that she's going to need us to lay patio stones next weekend and Sturgis and I are expecting you do carry some of the burden for a job like that." Keeter joked as he and Sturgis clinked their beer bottles together.
"Hey, how come I don't get a beer?" Harm whined.
"Because the doctor said that having just had major neurological surgery you should not consume alcohol." Mac instructed in her best drill instructor voice. "Now can you just enjoy the party?"
"Yes, mother." Harm deadpanned as he went over with Sturgis, Keeter, the Admiral and Gunny toward the television where an Orioles game was playing for their amusement.
"Ma'am are you sure about this? Sure about you know, having the Captain live her for a while? I mean, it's not my place to question or intrude but it just seems that with the history between you and the Captain." Harriet started to ramble.
"She knows exactly what she's doing." Bobbi remarked coyly as she took a drink from the glass.
"What are you insinuating, Senator?" Mac perked an eyebrow in suspicion.
"If I told you, you'd just deny it anyway." Bobbi remarked with a smile. "Something happened out in the jungle didn't it?"
"Nothing happened, nothing out of the ordinary for us anyway." Mac answered with a slightly depressed tone.
"Mac, ordinary isn't a word that fits into any description of your relationship with Harmon Rabb. Something happened between you and Harm either in the jungle or on the Kennedy and you've got it locked up tight." Bobbi was sure that she was on a role now.
"Why are you prying?" Mac asked trying to quell suspicion.
"I'm a politician, it's what we do." Bobbi answered.
SAME TIME
NATE'S CONDO
FOGGY BOTTOM, DC
"Damn, Nate, this place is huge." CIA Special Agent Mike Bradley had a box under his arm as he was among the group of people helping Nate move in. "You sure you need all this space?"
"Protocol; my security team needs a place to sleep and my old place was too small. Besides, it's about time I got out of that small apartment in Virginia." Nate's face was hidden by two large boxes that he was carrying.
"You know, just because I'm your brother doesn't mean that you can load me down like a pack mule every time you move." Detective Sergeant Steve Ross came in with a large box under each arm.
"You need to make yourself useful. DC cops have a habit of getting soft." Nate joked as the boxed were all set down in the middle of the floor.
"The same cannot be said for members of the Russian Intelligence community." Mike pointed to Nikolai Petrov who had a fridge loaded up on a dolly and was pulling it into the apartment.
"I cannot believe that you made me fly thousands of miles to help you move." Nikolai grunted as he lowered the fridge to the floor.
"Gavin's coming up with the last of everything." Mike went into the kitchen and got everyone a beer. "The movers did a good job bringing the rest of your stuff by and setting it up."
"That they did." Nate admitted as he leaned on the fridge. Mike handed everyone a beer from the case that they had brought up before anything else in the car. "Three cheers for warm beer."
"I can't believe that you also felt it necessary to upgrade your entire home theatre system. Nina would never let me do anything like that." Gavin grunted as he entered the room with the last box.
"We're all married, none of us are going to see a new entertainment set up like that unless it's a birthday present." Steve lamented.
"And even then, I think Becky'd prefer to get me a new set of golf clubs." Mike landed back on the couch.
"Aren't the Redskins playing the Ravens?" Gavin threw himself down next to Mike.
"Nathan, can I talk to you for a second?" Nikolai tapped Nate on the shoulder and the two men walked across the living room and through the sliding glass doors out on to the stone balcony that overlooked the city. "It's been a long time my old friend."
"It certainly has. I'm sorry for not visiting more, it's just hard to get out to Moscow all that often." Nate leaned on the white railing that matched the limestone of the balcony.
"I heard about the list, the eighteen names that the Mossad and the CIA got from Bashram. I suggest that your men be careful with Ziyda. Abu Ziyda is an Al Qaeda contact who controls most of the information flow with terrorist cells in North America and Western Europe. Most of the time, he can blend in with crowds or so utilize members of the local Muslim population so as to make himself untouchable." Nikolai turned to face Nate.
"You're a bad liar, Nikolai. What aren't you telling me?" Nate leaned on his elbows on the railing.
"Ziyda has been buying guns and explosives from the Russian mafia. Three purchases in the last seven months totalling more then thirteen million dollars. All business was conducted in former Soviet states like Belarus, Ukraine and Bulgaria. I tell you, Nathan, I don't know what you hope to accomplish in having these names." Nikolai lamented as he turned back toward the door.
"The world is wondering what we're going to do with those names, Nikolai. The whole world wants to know if the United States can carry out measured vengeance against Osama Bin Laden and show him the price for taking American lives." Nate ran a hand through his hair as he moved back toward the door.
"All these years, America looked down its nose at states that advocated the use of torture and now, you find yourselves telling the world that there are situations in which it is permissible. To say this, you have changed some from our days at Princeton." Nikolai shook his head as if disappointed.
"The world has changed, Nikolai. You don't fight terrorism like you fight a state. The object is still victory but the means by which you achieve victory have changed. You achieve victory against a state by triumph of superior might but you achieve individual terrorists by triumph of superior psychology. You fuck with their heads; fear, insecurity, weakness, vulnerability, they have to know that there's no place on earth that they can go that I can't hit them." Nate's voice had gained intensity.
"You always had a flare for the dramatic." Nikolai gave his old friend a pat on the back.
"Let's get back before the girls get back here, which should be any second now."
1927 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN, DC
"So you're going to be living with Mac…" Sturgis and Keeter were talking with Harm over in the corner.
"I knew you two would find someway to get all immature about this." Harm answered, shaking his head.
"Who's getting immature?" Keeter asked light-heartedly.
"You are a little bit." Sturgis commented.
"Maybe a little." Keeter admitted, playing into the gag.
"Abbot, Costello, if you wouldn't mind." Harm stopped their little act.
"Right, Hammer, my point is that eventually, something will happen. You'll see her in a towel or in her bra and panties or something like that……maybe if you're really lucky, you'll see her naked, but something like that will happen. You'll go all Rabb on her and either say or do something that will be confusing or offensive or…" Sturgis cut Keeter off.
"Or you'll do the traditional, male, hormonal thing and start showing signs that you're attracted to her which is likely to end in that serious relationship territory." Sturgis concluded with an air of smug superiority.
"Is there a point to this High school inquisition?" Harm was growing more then a little annoyed with the whole thing.
"Just making sure that you know the possible logical ends of you living with Mac for any period of time, buddy." Sturgis gave his friend a supportive punch to the shoulder.
"The logical ends here being?" Harm questioned looking from Sturgis to Keeter.
"Either a diamond ring or Sturgis and I getting the shoe-horn so we can pull your foot out of your mouth." Keeter answered with his traditional southern charm.
"I think you two have far too much time on your hands if you have to sit around thinking up this kind of stuff. Sturgis, does Bobbi know that you devote so much time thinking about my love life?" Harm questioned.
"Or lack thereof." Keeter added with a laugh.
"And you, don't you have better things to do? Like make sure that green young pilots don't destroy forty million dollar aircraft." Harm turned his attention on Keeter.
"Don't worry, I've already given them the lectures about taking off in the face of incoming storm-fronts in order to make your best friend's wedding and that other lesson about abducting a Russian MiG and ejecting over the taiga. Any more pointers I can give the kids from the Master?" Keeter challenged with a raised eyebrow. He always got a little defensive when someone challenged how he ran his Air Wing.
"Alright, alright I give. I forgot the first rule about picking arguments with a close friend." Harm admitted with a chuckle. "Don't be surprised if some of your own erratic behaviour comes back to bite you in the ass."
"Exactly." Keeter pointed his index finger at Harm while still clutching his beer bottle.
"Something that you would be wise to remember, Jack. Especially considering that the two of us have some stories about your behaviour that I can pretty safely bet Mama Keeter never heard." Sturgis was back on his Preacher's Kid pulpit.
"You wouldn't." Keeter was petrified and ghastly pale all of a sudden.
"We so would." Harm challenged with nothing betraying his joking demeanour.
"You would, too. Fine, no more comments about you and Mac and in return you take all the stories about my Academy antics to the grave." Keeter was wide-eyed.
"Jesus, we can still get your goat, Jack. Thank God Bax isn't here, he would've had you jumping like a trained seal before he let up on you." Harm chortled again.
"Now, what are you three boys talking about?" Mac sauntered over to the corner that the three men had retreated to. Harm and Sturgis were caught by surprise from Mac's stealthy intrusion.
"We were talking about breasts. Harm was just about to present his argument in favour of larger ones. I yield the floor to Captain Rabb." Keeter stepped aside and everyone was looking at Harm to say something.
"Harm?" Mac had her arms crossed in front of her. Harm gulped and began to stutter through an explanation of Keeter's idiocy in making that comment but he still came out looking like a kid who had been caught with one hand in the cookie jar. All of a sudden; Sturgis, Mac and Keeter just burst out laughing. "You were right, Jack, it really is easy to get his goat with this kind of thing."
"You three planned this?" Harm asked incredulously.
"Well, not this exactly but a skit along the lines of something like this." Sturgis answered. "I needed something to alleviate the pressure in my life. My senator girlfriend is in the middle of an election year."
"If that was causing you stress, why didn't you just tell me. I could have gotten the Secretary of State to endorse her campaign." Harm led the group back to join the rest of the party.
SAME TIME
NATE'S CONDO
FOGGY BOTTOM, DC
"Valeri, Becky, Nina and Lily, nice to see you girls again." Nate welcomed the wives of his friends into his new place. The whole afternoon was turning into a veritable exhibition of suburbia. There were four married couples and nine kids between them all of whom knew him as 'Uncle Nate'. Nate took out some time to give some gifts to the kids who knocked him to the ground when they all rushed to hug him at the same time.
"Hey Nate, I'm going to head down to the van and get some of the kids' stuff. I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?" Steve Ross headed toward the elevator.
"Yeah, see ya in a few." Nate was slightly dismissive with allowing his brother to leave. Stephen Ross was walking down the hallway toward the elevator when he saw Nicole DiPiccio get off and come toward him. "What do you think you're doing?" Steve asked, eyes wide at the prospect of having her in the same room as his brother after having been brought up to speed on the current stated of their relationship.
"I heard from Mike that Nate was having a housewarming today, I figured that I would swing by with a bottle of wine." Peach explained.
"What makes you think he wants to see you after everything that happened in Manila? Don't you understand? You were the one person who had never hurt him, the one person that he was sure would never hurt him but you did a damn good job of it. I've never seen that man so destroyed in my life. So, I don't know what makes you think that as his brother I can let you get any where near him again." Steve growled.
"Your brother and I have been doing the same dance for years, I needed to dip him for a change." Peach answered weakly.
"Exactly, you've been doing the same dance for nine years. He wants to end it, he wants you and you shut him down. Why?" Steve's interrogation techniques were coming out.
"I didn't think it was genuine interest. I was sure that whatever he was going through would pass and I thought that rather then feel the hurt again, it would be easier for me to just walk away this time." She slightly hung her head. "You can't stop us from talking forever."
"I have no intention of such a thing. I'm just trying to prevent either of you from doing further damage. Go home and talk and give things time to settle because if you don't, God knows how long this dance will be doomed to continue." Peach had known from years of dealing with members of the Ross family that they were notoriously stubborn. Rather then fight with Stephen, she simply composed herself and turned back toward the elevator.
Steve chose to ignore the kid's toy that he was going to get from the car and instead he decided to head back to Nate's place. He saw a brother that needed a good heart to heart. Someone, who needed an ear of a brother who was finally in a place in his life to listen and give advice. Steve walked back into the condo and tapped his brother on the shoulder before heading into the kitchen.
"I think we need to have a talk." Steve started.
"I think you've been spending too much time with mom." Nate replied.
"Seriously, we need to talk about what the hell happened in Manila, Nate. I mean, it kills me to see you trying to go through this alone. You were always there for me, you were always my big brother, now for God's sake let me be your brother." Steve urged.
"It's not your problem. Now, Lily was saying something about you getting a job at NCIS, you really want to have anything to do with the Marine Corps or the Navy knowing our family's history?" Nate pressed determined not to talk about Manila.
"Nice diversionary tactic. Yes, I'm sure that I'm doing the right thing by going into NCIS but that's not what I want to talk about. In the two and a half weeks that you've been back, you've drank more and worked more then you have since Preston died. For Christ's sake, Nate can't you see what you're doing to yourself?" Steve was impassioned by his brother's growing introversion.
"She said it, not me. So yeah, I'm a little depressed and a little pissed off and this is how I deal with it." Nate answered.
"You drink and you work; for Christ's sake, Nate, you're turning into Dad." Steve had earned a very serious glare from his older brother for that comment. "What? Dad was a workaholic and a fair man of the bottle. Just because it's wine and not scotch doesn't make you any better than him."
"I am not my father!" Nate shouted in response. "I am not dad." He calmed slightly. "I may be a miserable son of a bitch but I saved the woman I love from my misery and that makes me a damn sight better then any man who would put her through it."
"Does it? With her by your side, you're not a miserable fuck. You're not saving her, she was always the one who saved you. Now that you don't have her, you're sinking down into that pit of despair. I'm not telling you to grovel but goddamn it, Marine, you could at least fight!"
2306 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN, DC
"Hey, Harm, I'd ask you how the war's treating you but the stitches in your head say more then enough." Admiral Chegwidden and Harm had taken a break outside to smoke a cigar.
"Yeah, yeah I suppose they do. Congratulations on the engagement, sir. Reverend Ross is one hell of a woman as far as I can judge character." Harm began to lightly puff on the cigar.
"I thought you gave up cigars." The Admiral questioned.
"Been smoking with the President recently, I'm hooked again." Harm smiled.
"So, been a hell of year, hasn't it?" The Admiral played rhetorical.
"Sure has, sir; it sure has. Back in February, we were sitting in my apartment talking about the relative flux of both of our personal lives. Now, here we are, six months later, you're engaged and I'm still no closer to personal stability." Harm could help but be self-deprecating. "How did you do it, sir?"
"I knew what I wanted, Harm. I knew what I wanted and I wasn't afraid to go for it. That's what it's about, knowing what you want and reaching deep inside for the fortitude to just go for it. What do you lose by going for it? Nothing. What do you gain by not making an attempt? Same answer. From that standpoint, there's really only one option isn't there?" The Admiral turned to face the young man who had become a protégé and son to him.
"It all sounds a hell of a lot easier then it is." Harm replied as he took another drag off the cigar. "Maybe the guys are right, maybe I'm just asking for trouble with this whole living arrangement thing. I should have just asked to be released into Sergei's custody or Sturgis'; as it is, I'm not sure that my friendship with Mac is strong enough any more to survive something like this."
"I told you once that I had watched you and Mac dance around each other for years. Why do you want to keep dancing?" The Admiral asked as if Harm were trying his patience.
"Something always gets in the way. When we were working together at JAG, it was regulations, now that we're not working together I think all the years of hurt feelings and stubborn pride are working against us. I know that somehow there's a logical end to this, I just don't know what it is." Harm let the cigar hang from his teeth as he lightly traced the stitches on his scalp.
"I think it's whatever you want it to be." The Admiral answered with what could best be described as a laugh of revelation.
"You're starting to sound like Mac." Harm joked.
"You ever thought that she might be right?" The Admiral asked.
"Yes, even if it means that I've been wrong all these years, I have to admit that I have thought from time to time that Mac might just be right." Harm admitted with another heavy puff on his cigar.
"Her being right doesn't make you wrong, if that's what you're afraid of." The Admiral went back to a fatherly tone.
"I'm not sure that there's anything to be afraid of any more. The one thing that I've been afraid of my whole life is ending up a prisoner of war, dead I could handle but it was the idea of leaving people behind who didn't know if I was alive or dead, that scared me. Yet, I was less scared this time because I knew that Mac wouldn't just give up on me." Harm could think of what comparisons his mind was drawing up.
"You mean like you think your mom gave up on your dad?" The Admiral hazarded, knowing the shaky ground he was treading on.
"I guess, I just can't do this to her. I know that Mac's like me and that if anything happens to me, she'll obsess about it. I did that for thirty-four years. I won't let that happen to someone I love." Harm turned back toward the main door of Mac's apartment building.
"Harm, y'ever think that it might not be about what you want this time." The Admiral suggested as the two men went back into the building.
1356 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Commander in Chief on deck!" The Sergeant at Arms called as the President, Nate Ross and their respective security details came walking into the bullpen. Everyone snapped to attention in the bullpen as the senior staff came out to greet their high level guests.
"Mr. President, to what do I owe the honour of this visit, sir?" The Admiral asked as he greeted the President in the bullpen.
"Strictly official, Admiral. It turns out that two personnel under your command have distinguished themselves in the services of their country and this matter was brought to my attention by one of my senior cabinet officials. As a result I put my personal stamp on his recommendation that they be awarded for their actions." The President seemed calculating in his remarks to Admiral Chegwidden.
"By all means, sir, which members of my staff are worthy of such distinction." The Admiral stepped aside to allow the President to review his staff. President Russell looked at Nate who made the announcement.
"Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie and Gunnery Sergeant Galindez, front and center!" Nate called, this was followed by Mac and Gunny stepping out from the crowd and standing to face the President and the Secretary of State. Nate produced a rectangular black velvet box and opened it. "Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez, in recognition of you conspicuous gallantry and meritorious service in an action that went above and beyond the call of duty, you are to be awarded the Navy Cross." Nate pulled out the award and pinned it to Gunny's chest. Gunny saluted Nate who returned the salute.
"Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie, in recognition of your heroic acts in the rescue of an American serviceman and another fellow American, it is the decision of the United States Department of the Navy upon the recommendation of myself that you be awarded the Navy Cross for you actions of July 24th." The President opened his own black box and pinned the Navy Cross to Mac's uniform. Mac snapped to attention and saluted the President who returned the salute. "One last act before we conclude our business here today.
As many of you know, seven generations of the Ross family have given their lives to the service of the Marine Corps. I did a little background research on my Secretary of State and I found that the first three generations were enlisted men but since those men, no Ross has retired from the Marine Corps below the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I see no reason to break with tradition."
It was suddenly dawning on Nate why the President had requested that he wear his Class A Marine Corps uniform. Nate stood fixed at attention in front of the President with his shoulders squared. "It is a great honour and privilege for me as the President to promote Major Nathan Ross, United States Marine Corps Reserve to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with all the responsibilities and privileges that are attached to that rank." Nate fixed a salute as the President unscrewed the gold oak leaf clusters on his shoulders and attached a new set of silver oak leaves. "Congratulations, Colonel Ross."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Nate smiled as he shook his boss' hand. "Congratulations, Colonel." Nate turned toward Mac.
"You know, it's not everyday that a girl gets awarded a Navy Cross, thank you." Mac answered with a friendly smile.
"You're a genuine American hero, Mac. You're the ideal role model for that new feminist generation." Nate stated as he moved to turn toward Gunny.
"Oh God, you already sound like a politician." Mac joked as she headed back to our office.
"Looks good on you, Gunny." Nate shook Gunny's hand.
"Thanks for the recommendation, Colonel." Gunny snapped off a salute for Nate who returned the salute in kind. The President and Nate hung around for a few more minutes before business at JAG returned to normal.