Chapter 7

A/N: I'm doing my best to coordinate time zones. If there are errors, I apologize. Get ready for something a little cheerier than we've previously had.

Dulles International Airport, December 24, 1999, 16:50 EST

Mac was waiting by Gate C scanning the crowd for a twelve year old girl. She was waiting for Chloe, her "sister," to come for her annual visit. She was very excited to see her again. Mac didn't get to see Chloe that much since she moved to be with her biological father's family. Still, Mac was happy that Chloe finally got to be with her real family. She had also noticed an attitude shift in Chloe - she was a lot more warm and calm with her new family, something that made Mac very proud of the girl.

While Mac was waiting, she stood off to the side so as to not block the flow of people. Dulles was a busy airport normally. Add the rush of Christmas, and the corridors of the airport were nearly impassable. Still, Mac would rather wait for Chloe at the gate rather than outside at the arrivals area. While waiting, Mac felt someone push into her shoulder. This caused her to drop her car keys.

"Oh, ma'am, I am so sorry," a man said as he bent down to pick up Mac's keys. "I should have been watching where I'm going."

"Oh, it's no problem," Mac said in return. "This place is very crowded, I'm sure you couldn't help it."

"I still feel bad. A lady deserves better," he told her. He handed her the keys with an apologetic smile.

"Thank you," Mac said, taking the keys from the stranger.

"Where are you headed to?" Mac asked the man.

"Oh, I'm here to pick up my parents," he told her. "They're coming in on the flight from Orlando - that was their connecting flight."

"Oh, that's nice. The girl I'm waiting for also connected on that flight," Mac told him.

"I'm Adam, by the way," the man said, extending his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Sarah Mackenzie, but most people call me Mac."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mac," Adam said to her.

"Likewise," Mac replied.

Adam and Mac chatted for a short time while they waited. After a little while, they saw the plane taxiing up to the jetway. They knew it wouldn't be long before the people began to disembark. Mac's excitement was growing. She couldn't wait to see Chloe. She also noticed Adam was becoming more anxious.

"Is something wrong?" Mac asked, hoping she was not stepping any boundaries.

"Oh, nothing much. I'm just trying to think of ways to dodge the typical questions family members ask during the holidays," he told her.

"Yeah, sometimes I wish I got asked those," Mac said, not meaning to say it out loud.

"I'm sorry," Adam said. "I didn't know. Are your parents -?"

"My father is. My mother doesn't stop running," Mac told him. She wasn't sure why she was telling this stranger personal facts about her life. Somehow, it didn't feel like an invasion of her privacy.

"I'm so sorry," Adam said. "Now I feel even worse."

"Don't," Mac said. "We all have our own struggles. They're just different from one person to the next. I'm sure you're dealing with problems in other facets of your life that are sorted out perfectly in mine."

"Possibly," Adam said.

"How's your job?" Mac asked. "Mine is very stable."

"Well, then I guess we have found it," he told her. "I've finished medical school and all of my post-medical school training. I just recently started at my new position in pediatric neurosurgery."

"Wow," Mac said, amazed.

"It's definitely challenging," he said to her. "Half of my job is putting the pieces together in children's lives while the other half is spent trying to calm parents worried their children will never be the same as typically functioning children."

"That definitely sounds like a huge burden," Mac said to him. "Just from the short amount of time we've been talking - you seem like you would do well to help those parents."

"What makes you say that?" He asked. "I'm not disagreeing with you - I'm just curious what makes you say that after knowing me for less than ten minutes."

"You have a calm demeanor and seem like you explain things in ways that make it easy for someone to understand, but not undermining their intelligence," Mac said to him. She could tell that her words made him feel good. She noticed him smile and his cheeks turn a slight shade of pink.

"Mac!" Mac looked up and saw Chloe's big smile coming at her. She opened her arms wide and the two embraced.

"I've missed you, kiddo!" Mac said, squeezing Chloe.

"You, too!" She said, returning the squeeze.

Next to them, Adam's parents were reunited with Adam. They, too, exchanged greetings and hugs. Before they parted ways, Adam turned to Mac and apologized one more time for bumping into her and knocking her keys out of her hand. Once again, she told him it was no problem. Adam then thanked Mac for the company while waiting for their loved ones to arrive. He held out his hand for another handshake. When Mac shook his hand, she noticed there was something in his hand that he was trying to give to her. With the way the handshake was, no one even noticed that Mac was now holding something that Adam previously had. As Mac and Adam began walking in opposite directions, Mac opened her hand and noticed Adam's business card in her hand. She smiled as she slipped it into her pocket.

Harm's Apartment, December 24, 1999, 21:00 EST

Harm sat in his apartment wondering if he made a mistake by not going home for the holidays. He had just come back from his annual tradition of visiting his father at the wall. Now, he sat in an empty apartment wishing he had someone to share the holidays with. This wasn't unusual for him, but this year felt a little different. He thought that maybe it was a combination of stress from work and that Mac would be spending the holiday with Chloe. Sure, he was invited to go over for a little while, but he was sure that Mac and Chloe wanted some quality time together, so Harm didn't plan to spend much time over there.

Bud and Harriet also decided against a gathering this year. The Admiral was in Italy for the holiday and they knew what Mac's plans were. They were also having both sets of parents over, so they didn't want to add to their stress by also holding a get together for their coworkers. Harm grabbed his guitar and sat on his couch. He started strumming chords and humming some more common Christmas carols. It wasn't something he usually did, but it helped him to pass the time. About halfway through Jingle Bells, Harm's phone rang. He went over and picked up the receiver.

"Rabb," he said into the phone.

"Merry Christmas," he heard a woman's voice say.

"Merry Christmas, Skates. How are things going?" Harm asked, knowing they couldn't be great considering where she was spending her holiday. He heard a sigh before she gave her answer.

"About as can be expected," she said. "I just talked to my folks."

"How did that go?" he asked.

"I can tell they're disappointed and frustrated. I've told you before, they were never fully supportive of my decision to join the Navy - especially in a combat position."

"I'm sorry," Harm said.

"Don't be," Skates said. "I just wish they were coming to visit."

"I thought they were going to?"

"No," she told him. "Part of me thinks it's because they thought I'd be out by now. Part of me thinks it's because they don't want to see their daughter in prison. Then there's a part of me that thinks they actually believe I'm guilty and they don't want to face that."

"They can't possibly -" Harm began to say but was interrupted.

"I didn't exactly grow up a flawless child, Harm," she told him.

"I didn't know you were such a rebel, Skates," Harm joked. When he didn't hear a laugh or an immediate response, he knew he had crossed a line. "I'm sorry," he told her.

"It's fine," Skates said in a tone of voice that Harm recognized as the most not fine voice.

"Skates -" he started to say.

"I have to go," she told him. "Merry Christmas, Harm."

"Merry Christmas, Skates. Hang in there," Harm told her before they hung up.

Harm sighed. He felt like both times he had spoken to Skates on the phone, she was not the same person he knew prior to her confinement. Harm was concerned about her but knew that he couldn't bring it up with her. Any mention of her feelings or personal life were avoided and caused her to be more closed off. She was not the same person Harm flew with.

Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar, December 24, 1999, 16:30 PST

"What's wrong with you?" Regi asked as Skates returned from phone privilege.

"Leave me alone," she responded. She was in no mood to talk to anyone. That's why she hung up with Harm after only a few minutes of talking to him.\

"We're all stuck here for Christmas. Don't think you're the only one with problems," Regi said to her. This angered Skates.

"Really? I thought they were going to release everyone for the holidays except for me," Skates said sarcastically.

"God, chill out," Regi said and left Skates alone. It wasn't long before Paityn came over to Skates.

"She can be insensitive," Paityn said to Skates. Skates only nodded. "I don't have any family coming to visit, either," she admitted.

"Why not?" Skates asked, picking her head up from her pillow on her bed.

"I didn't follow their plan for my life," she told her. "They wanted me to get involved in technology, something that paid well and wasn't considered dangerous in the military. I had no interest in that. I wanted to work on a flight deck so that's what I did. Sure, I screwed up on liberty and that ended up with me here, but I loved my time on a carrier. They are convinced that if I had followed their life plan for me, that I wouldn't be here."

"That sucks," Skates told her. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm used to it by now. This will be my first Christmas here, but they didn't come for Thanksgiving, my birthday, or Easter. Easter was always a big holiday in my family," Paityn told her. Skates wasn't really sure why Paityn was being so open with her, but it made her feel less annoyed at her own situation.

"That really sucks, I'm sorry to hear that," Skates said to her again.

"But that's why we need to be with each other. I know Regi can be difficult to handle and everyone here has done something bad enough to earn themselves a spot here, but we're in it together. Come on," she said to her, "let's go to the common area."

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," Skates said. "I want to take a walk outside to clear my head first."

Since it was the holidays and while there was daylight, the guards were allowing the prisoners to take short walks outside in the fenced area. Of course, there were guards stationed outside, but it gave the women a small sense of freedom. Before going outside, Skates went over to Regi's bed and felt under her mattress for something. Once she got it, she slipped it into her bra and walked outside. The air was cooler than she was expecting but it was still refreshing for her. After spending a few minutes outside, she returned inside and went to the common area where Regi, Paityn, and Striker were hanging out.

"There she is!" Paityn she, smiling. "They brought out the games and we were just about to start a game of Twister. Want to join?" She asked.

"Twister? Isn't that for kids?" Skates asked.

"Nah!" Striker said. "It's fun, come on." Skates went over to them and stood by the edge of the mat. After the first three spins, Skates found herself in a contorted position very close to Regi. Regi inhaled through her nose and then gave Skates a look.

"I see you helped yourself to my stash," Regi told her, winking.

"Was I supposed to ask first?" Skates replied.

"I told you, it's yours when you need it," Regi said.

"Thanks," Skates replied. "I needed to take the edge off." Skates then smiled and let out a small cough.