Everything In Time
Chapter 7
Monday, November 28, 2005
0930 hours
JAG Headquarters
Washington Navy Yard, NE
Creswell's question stunned and delighted Sarah at once. She was expecting a teaching billet, possibly at the Naval Academy. She never thought that she was getting that billet.
"Uh sure sir, uhm sir, what kind of billet will this be?"
"An O6 billet. You'll be the Leadership, Ethics and Law Chair in the Division of Leadership Education and Development. You'll also be teaching at the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island twice a year. The retiring chair was a Naval Captain. I put your name on the short list from when we spoke last April. It took some wrangling, but I thought that the billet should be filled by a Marine this time."
"So, when do I assume that billet sir?" Sarah asked delightedly.
"Immediately after the new year, in time for the Spring semester. Between now and then I've taken the liberty to speak with Admiral Morris to take you out of the judges' pool to try upcoming cases. That way you can go to the academy to coordinate with the outgoing chair to learn how your department is run and set up your class schedule. It will also give you time to get your affairs in order to live and work there. The billet offers an off-campus apartment in Annapolis, with nearby daycare. So that way you can take David with you while Caroline & Patrick can continue on at their present school. It makes for an easier weekly commute. Do you think John can handle that arrangement?"
Sarah laughed as she replied, "He's more than capable of handling that sir. It'll be like my FJA deployment, except I'll have David with me and we'll be home every weekend. Also, Chloe will be there."
"Very good. You can take your present yeoman with you, use the outgoing chair's yeoman or you can pick from the qualified pool of Navy and Marine non-coms. It's entirely up to you."
"Thank you, sir, I'm certain that I can hit the ground running at my new assignment."
"Very good. I'll let you go then to notify your family of the good news."
Creswell got up and offered his hand to assist Sarah to stand. When she stood, he clasped it in congratulatory handshake.
"Thank you for the opportunity general," Sarah said returning the handshake.
When they released each other, Creswell replied, "You're welcome colonel, dismissed."
Sarah braced to attention and said, "Aye, aye sir." Then she turned and walked out. Creswell could swear that there was a spring to her step as she walked out.
Sarah raced upstairs to her office and practically dove on the phone to call John and tell him her good news.
She thought wryly on what AJ Chegwidden told her years ago, 'He's right, we do jump on the phone very fast with good news faster than anybody ever thought possible.'
Friday, December 2, 2005
1500 Local Time
JAG Headquarters,
Judge Chambers Bullpen
Washington Navy Yard, NE
There was a small gathering of the judicial branch of headquarters celebrating Sarah's new billet and Emma Gardiner's new job. Emma was also leaving to work at NCIS coincidentally, she received word of her transfer the day after Sarah got her teaching billet
There was a cake decorated with the Navy JAG Seral and messages saying "Col Marshall- Good Luck teaching at Annapolis" & Sr. Chief Gardner - Good Luck in NCIS. The gathering was bitter sweet. Sarah and Emma had developed such close friendships in their offices.
As they were eating their cake, Emma asked Sarah, "What did Chloe say when you told her that you were going to teach at the academy?"
"Oh, she was thrilled that she could come see Davey on the weekends. Off all the younger children, she says she misses Davey the most. Don't tell the other two. The three-bedroom apartment they issued me is in the Watergate Pointe Apartment Complex. It's just across the 6th Street Bridge from the campus. She can come over any evening she wants. Though according to the freshman regulations, she has to stay in her dormitory."
"Are you finished moving in yet?"
"We haven't even started. It's only been a week since the announcement. I'm taking all my uniforms with me to Annapolis. I just have to sort between what else I'm going to be taking there and what I'm leaving in DC. It's almost like when John and I started dating. I'd leave an equal amount of uniforms and some change of underpinnings and other clothes between his house and my old apartment. We finally moved in together after we got engaged. Besides, BUPERS needs to finalize the change of billet and with that, comes the apartment availability. Everything will be done by the 18th and we'll move everything the week between Christmas and New Year's. Between now and then I have meetings scheduled with the outgoing chair to get up to speed on my class schedule, my curriculums and the general campus atmosphere." What about you Emma? When do you start at FLETC?"
"January 9th in Charleston. I'll be there two months without a break. My mom is going to stay at our house with Teresa during that time as Mike is still on the latest deployment of the Vincennes."
"I'm glad you're going in after they cleared up that clusterfuck with Ari and Mossad John and Diane told me about. Diane was rather pissed off that Gibbs' ex-wife Jenny Shepard was mothering Ari as a double agent for the CIA without telling her and Magnum. Ari was a twisted individual stalking and killing Caitlin Todd like he did. It ended when Ari's sister, Ziva David, a Mossad agent herself, killed Ari before he killed Gibbs. Tom Magnum had Diane terminate Shephard's employment with NCIS. She told her to go back to the CIA. I swear, she must be a clone or related to Webb. They both worked the same way."
"Well I hope we learn about that at FLETC. Still I'm ready for anything."
"Good to hear. I expect to hear that you're a team leader in short order Emma."
"Yes Sarah, I'll do my best," Emma said with a smile.
It was very shortly after that when the party broke up and the two got ready to go home.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
1600 Local Time
Watergate Pointe Apartment Complex
655 Americana Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
Sarah and Chloe collapsed on the sofa in the living room of Sarah's new rented apartment. They had just finished moving Sarah and Davey's boxes from DC to Annapolis. The family had help from the contingent of 5 Marines from the academy detail set up to help move incoming teachers assigned to the school.
The 4th floor apartment came furnished in the living room, dining room and the master bedroom suite with a queen size bed and a fully modern kitchen. The only thing the Marshalls had to buy were three twin beds and dressers for the kids. Caroline would stay in the one bedroom, while Patrick and Davey would stay together in the same room whenever they came to visit from DC.
After seeing the Marines out, John collapsed on the sofa next to Sarah.
"So, you're moved in Ninja-girl. All you need to do is put away your uniforms and leisure clothes. This apartment is a bit small compared to home."
"Yeah well, it's only a place to rest mine and Davey's heads. We'll see each other every weekend when you come here or we go home like we planned. We're only forty-five minutes away."
"I'm gonna miss sleeping with you in between."
"So, will I, but we'll make it work. We always have."
"Anyway, what do you say we get the younglings from the sitter and some dinner before we come back to ring in the New Year"
Chloe piped up with, "Yeah let's go to Luigi's. They supply pizza to the academy cafeteria."
At that the family left for dinner at the midshipman's favorite pizza joint.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Army Navy Club
Farragut Square
901 Seventeenth Street, NW,
Washington, DC
Thomas and Maggie Magnum were sitting at the Guest of Honor table with the Rabbs, Marshalls, Chegwiddens and Sheffields in the main ballroom of the Army Navy Club. It was the occasion of his retirement and Diane's elevation to NCIS Director.
Magnum put his retirement papers in at the beginning of the year. It took a lot of political wrangling to get Diane appointed as his successor. The aftermath of the Ari affair made him consider the retirement in the first place. Being that Jenny Shepherd royally fouled up aligning herself with the unstable Ari, made her a very bad fit to direct NCIS.
After the usual speeches, Magnum formally handed over his authority to Diane. Then everyone settled down to enjoy the dinner and the dancing to follow.
As they ate and chatted, Harm asked Maggie, "So where are you guys going to settle for retirement?"
"Well we have the house in Tidewater. We enrolled the twins in a school there and we have a lot of the Sullivan side of the family living near there. We're also maintaining the Masters' estate on Oahu. Jonathon Higgins is handing over the majordomo job to a friend of his from the Hawaiian Historic Society named Kumu Aolani. So, we'll be commuting between Tidewater and there throughout the year."
"Nice to have a plan for retirement," Harm said.
On Harm's other side, Sarah asked Jen, "So Jenny, at 5 months along how are you doing with this latest baby?"
"Oh, so far so good; only I'm not having "a" baby." Jen replied finger quoting "a".
"What do you mean by that?" Sarah asked suspecting what was coming.
"Well I'm having two!" Jen squealed.
"Oh my God, that's wonderful!" Sarah exclaimed. She leaned in to give her a hug.
Thomas Magnum who offered, "Well here's to two more additions to the family."
All at the table raised their glasses in the toast.
Thomas asked John, "So how are you doing in Navy Intelligence?"
"Same old same old Thomas. We're getting our share of bad guys. You know how it goes."
"Being that you're approaching your twenty years, word is Senator Manetti is looking to get you involved in politics."
"Politicians are always looking for someone in the military to join their staff. It makes them look hawkish when they really aren't."
"Are you thinking of retiring yourself?" Diane asked.
"That's something Sarah and I will discuss in private with our family before we let anyone else know."
Everyone chuckled as Sarah grasped his hand under the table.
There was a couple of hours of dancing and socializing before the night ended with the Magnums promising everyone they'd keep in touch.