"The Woman Before Me"
Author: CdnJAGScribe
E-mail:
Rating: M
Classification:
Spoilers:
Summary: [Animal/Meg Stand-Alone Fic] Due to his propensity to take risks; Karen dumps Animal... will he find love with a certain special someone.
DISCLAIMER: The characters Harm Rabb, Jr., Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie, Meg Austin, AJ Chegwidden, Bud Roberts, Harriet Sims-Roberts et al. belong (in concept if not name) to CBS/Bellisarius. Animal and all OC charactersare the property of the author. No profit is being made from this story, nor is any infringement intended.
Author's Note: none
1140HRS EST; NAS OCEANA; VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, December, 1995
Commander Toshio "Animal" Nakamura sighed as he looked at a picture of a pretty brunette woman who stood about lip height on his five-ten frame. "It's over..." he thought as he looked up at the cold blue sky. A three year relationship.
This was an image that had been taken two years ago at the Navy-Marine Corps Ball. He was in dress whites; she was in a red satin evening gown with white gloves, her hair tied back with a hair clip while the loose curls cascaded midway down her back.
Karen Emerson was the daughter of a U.S Navy Vice Admiral. She was twenty-nine, Animal was thirty-seven years old,
VADM Brian "Gator" Emerson was a Naval Aviator himself who'd flown F-4Js during the Viet Nam war as a Lieutenant during Operation Rolling Thunder, one of the toughest battles of the air war over Vietnam flying air cover for B-52s from Guam when USAF F-4Es from Da Nang were not available to provide air cover.
Karen was just a baby in diapers and Animal himself was only in Grade Four just starting to think about stepping outside his home state of New York State when that was happening.
Animal sighed again, Karen and he had some good times. Whether it was hanging out at her university where she was a professor of psychology seeking tenure as she'd managed to get her Masters of Psychology in '90.
Since her father was a naval aviator perhaps the allure of Navy wings of gold was quite evident. Animal was doing his shore tour prior to going back to a fighter squadron as a Lieutenant commander when they'd met in 1992 at a coffee shop of all places.
1145HRS PST; UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO; SAN DIEGO, CA SEPTEMBER 1992
He was standing in his civilian clothes the only thing that set him apart from his civilian fellow students was his close cropped haircut and his military bearing. She'd zeroed in on what he was since she recognized him as a naval aviator right from the start having been around her father. And a friendship had started up when they'd discussed the coffee offerings on the menu in the Student Union Building where she sometimes, as staff, picked up her coffee.
Animal had offered to grab her a coffee sometime off-campus. They'd had a long conversation. Which led to asking each other what they did for a living. Animal was doing Advanced Political Science as a part of getting his Masters in Naval Studies. The Navy had paid for his studies to groom him for higher command.
It was at about this point that she had mentioned that she was also meeting her father here for lunch and Animal's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the vice admiral, gold wings on his uniform walk up to his daughter give her a big hug and then turn to him and give him an appraising stare. Animal had instantly locked to attention. "Sir!" He'd said standing rigidly at attention while Karen looked amused.
"Dad, this is Toshio Nakamura, he's taking his Masters in Naval Studies."
"Is that so?" Was the Admiral's response as Animal remained locked at attention. "As you were." He mentioned casually as Animal nearly fell over. "Service or doing it for personal interest?" There were those who took Naval Studies for personal interest as researchers in Naval History.
"Service, sir, Lieutenant Commander Toshio Nakamura, VF-41 Black Aces, currently shore duty War College."
"Well, nice to meet you, Commander, would you care to join us for lunch?" Animal knew this was actually a dismissal and took it as such. He did not want to infringe upon a father's time with his daughter no matter how interested in his daughter he may have been. Begging an excuse that he had assignments to complete, he wished the admiral and his daughter a good day.
He couldn't imagine his surprise a week later when a note written on the admiral's letterhead arrived in his BOQ at NAS North Island asking if he would join them for a formal dinner party at the Admiral's residence, the dress being dinner dress whites. After all classes were at USD (University of San Diego) and right after that he was slated to go to NFWS at NAS Fallon.
Being dressed in formal dinner dress uniform was certainly something fancy as he put on his two and a half striped shoulder-boards on his uniform and the medals that he'd received. He had one ribbon short of six full rows but the invitation said "full size medals" and the highest decoration up to that point was his Silver Star. So he was not going to look out of place.
When he'd got there, white gloves, dinner dress whites and shoulder-boards, medals gleaming, the admiral answered the door even more impressive with his Navy Cross and many more medals. A Navy's who's who of officers were there, all high ranking, the lowest other than him was a Navy Captain, which was still two ranks ahead of him. He was formally introduced as Karen's plus one, as a Lieutenant Commander and Naval Aviator flying F-14s. And everyone nodded and went about their business of talking about things beyond the scope of his experience. Stuff that pertained to high command and strategic matters.
He'd tried to only speak when spoken to and sat beside Karen who kept looking at him in awe when she'd seen him in his uniform.
After dinner he and Karen excused themselves and took a walk in the rather substantial garden that the admiral had. Karen had taken his arm for the first time.
"Dad made you uncomfortable, didn't he?"Karen said looking at him. She thought he looked dashing in his dinner dress whites with his officer's cap on his head.
"That's alright." Animal replied looking up at the evening sky, it wasn't that bad "i get to spend the rest of the evening talking to you." She laughed, patting his shoulder gently.
"I'm glad of that. When Dad gets his Navy friends here to talk, I'm usually yawning by about an hour ago." She said "He did ask a lot of questions about you after you left. Not that I could really answer them since the day he had lunch with me was the day we first met." She grinned, "maybe he wanted to see if you were really a naval aviator..." she noted his miniature Naval Aviator wings "and the way you wore your medals..."
"Seeing if I was legit?" Animal asked, an amused look on his face.
"Oh he's seen a few of my suitors that were actually fakes. They got busted. Evidently stolen valor is a thing. I don't know what causes it. Might be worth it to do as a subject of a psychological study one of these days. For my doctorate." She grinned. "He knows you're legit, he looked you up in the Navy's Personnel records and you are under his chain of command as the COMNAVAIRFOR. That's why he was introducing you to everybody as my date tonight. Evidently he signed off on your Air Medal for that Japanese F-15J shoot-down. He knows you shot down a MiG and a Sukhoi over Iraq. Dad was lucky to get a MiG 17 and a MiG 21 over Viet Nam, but to be able to shoot down three was worth talking about, so he says."
Animal had winced since he hardly ever spoke about the fourth kill that he'd gotten. Others in the Black Aces had talked about in - the F-2A that was shot down over the Japanese Alps and had severe personal repercussions.
"So, the rest of the night we have to ourselves..." Karen said,"So what should we do?"
"I don't know. Care to go out for dessert?" He said, "I'd have to head to my BOQ and change."
The dinner party was still in full swing when the Admiral nodded and said to the two, "Why don't you two go and enjoy the rest of your night instead of being stuck here with us chewing the fat?"
"Thank you, sir..."
"Commander?"
"Yes, sir..."
"Be good to her...".
"Yes, sir..."
And that was the start of their relationship. Since he wasn't taking any of her classes, they were free to date." He finished his courses, got his Masters in Naval Studies, flew back to Oceana and then off to Fallon for his NFWS training. He was one of the very few who had tallied prior to getting his orders to Topgun. And wrote to Karen every week without fail.
He had been too busy fighting a war to be sent to the Fighter Weapons School until now and most of the tactics they were teaching him built on what he'd learned the hard way over the skies of Japan and Iraq. And he was one of the top students that were being assessed by the instructors as he was a MiG Killer already.
And she was there at his graduation where he was in Dress Whites receiving the coveted NFWS patch: the MiG 21 in the gunsight roundel denoting him as a graduate of the USN Naval Fighter Weapons School known as Topgun. (All one word) and it was after that graduation ceremony...
In the hotel check-in desk where she'd told the registration desk to give them a room for two; queen sized bed was fine. He'd looked like a deer in the headlights, "Don't worry, we're consenting adults." She'd said. She was twenty-six and he was thirty-four.
When they'd gotten upstairs she'd shut the door and pulled off his uniform. She'd done things to him that would have gotten him killed by her father if he knew about it. She'd wrung him out and made him beg and he ached down there. If Karen played the innocent at home, she was a wanton vixen away from the cocoon of her home life. She'd ridden him and told him to take her in the shower, on the floor, on the edge of the bed, bent over and in every conceivable position possible until Animal thought he may require the tender ministrations of a chiropractor to reorient his spine. Hell even an hour long ACM match didn't tire him out as much as this.
And when she orgasmed, she ended up having to clamp a pillow around her mouth to muffle her amorous cries of ecstasy lest the police be called for a domestic disturbance in a hotel room.
He hoped that his body would last the course of that weekend and then she told him that she'd gotten a job teaching as a professor of Psychology at Georgetown University. That would put her a four hour drive to Virginia Beach and that they could get together on the weekends. He wasn't sure if she'd understand that preparation for a cruise in 1994 was entirely going to be his focus. He was a department head this time around, the squadron operations officer and that was going to require a lot of effort on his part.
During '93, they tried to make things work but the work schedule for her and the work schedule for him usually meant that most weekends during the year did not materialize. The Navy Marine Corps Ball was one of the few times they'd managed to make their busy schedules match. It was actually a relief to finally head on cruise in the summer of '94. And three months into the cruise; Hill 175 happened.
When Animal shipped back with the JAG investigation crew back to Virginia Beach, Karen was there, eyeing the female JAG investigator with a jaundiced eye looking for any signs of infidelity.
He kept close lipped about what had happened on the cruise except for some nights where he woke up in a state of panic, sweating profusely and trembling. Night-mares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the doctors and psychiatrists had stated, from the events that had happened in North Korea. It caused him to withdraw and Karen seemed to not know what to do to make him seem like his old self.
This frustrated her and didn't help him any. And finally she'd gotten it in her head that he took too many risks. And she wanted him to settle down and get a staff job where he would be able to come home every day while still being in the Navy. Animal did not intend to give up flying at all and adamantly refused to give up his life as a naval aviator.
That led to some bitter arguments where Animal thought that as the daughter of a naval aviator she should know just how much flying meant to him.
She was of the opinion that the fact that her father was a naval aviator and was gone for most of her life should be a good enough reason for him to not do the same to her.
For Animal taking a staff job would be like being interred alive.
1150HRS EST; NAS OCEANA; VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, December, 1995
It's overAnimal thought. She'd left him a text message saying that he loved his career more than her and go fly your Tomcats; spend your time with the squadronbecause I won't be here when you get back. She'd gotten a job back in California with UCLA and she was leaving, her bags were packed and nothing was going to change her mind and he wasn't really sure if he wanted to. These past three years had been emotionally exhausting.
Animal had been battlefield promoted to Commander in the wake of Hill 175 and was now the XO of VF-41 which meant that he was helping the CO run the squadron after going through an arduous recovery process from two high powered rifle bullets through his shoulder which narrowly missed his humerus puncturing the tendons only and with immediate arthroscopic surgery on the USHS Mercy, they were able to prevent career ending injury and he was able to get back to flight training as a Category III at the FRS passing it with flying colors and Animal was ready to head back to his now XO post with the VF-41 Black Aces.
The result of that little spat at Hill 175 was wending its way up the Pentagon and to the desk of the President. And the result if the President signed off on it would be a nice little bauble; an upside down golden star with an engraving of Minerva repulsing Discord on a sky blue ribbon that went around his neck; the anchor shield being an octagon field of sky blue festooned with thirteen white stars. The ribbon that would go on his ribbon rack would be pale sky blue with 5 white stars arranged in an elongated M shape.
Animal knew that this three year relationship was pretty much done the minute that their schedules didn't align as she seemed to want more attention than he could afford to give her without doing detrimental things to his career and as a psychologist, she knew how to twist him the way she wanted. It was only his rigid military training that had kept him from giving into what she wanted out of him.
He looked down the flight-line at the Tomcats that lined the flight-line. They were truly the women in his life. They were happy when he was flying them and didn't make unreasonable requests of him. Occasionally they might try to kill him, but that was par for the course and that was only when he wasn't being attentive to their needs which were just a good touch on the controls and not putting them into an irrecoverable attitude. Maybe that was what was meant to be. He figured that maybe he was just meant to be with his aircraft.
Rattler was up at DC talking to the Grand Poobah of the Navy, the the SECNAV trying to see what the future prognostications with regards to the type direction of the Black Aces was going to be, whether they, as the squadron that blooded the Tomcat would get the D or at the very least get the B+ version of the F-14. However disturbing news was gathering steam and scuttlebutt that they were changing type completely to F/A-18F Super Hornets sometime in the next millennium as in the year 2000. Of course since hs'd been promoted to O-5 in 1994, he'd probably be in his shore tour by then and Jugs would be CO because when he took over the reins in '97, Jugs was going to be his XO.
It was at about this point in his pontificating that Harm had shown up on base with his JAG partner, Meg Austin whom he'd gotten to know a bit in Yokosuka, "Sir, I have a case involving a foul weather fatal accident in NAS New Orleans of a P-3 Orion."
"OK, so you have to investigate an accident down in New Orleans. What does that have to do with me?" Animal asked, curious as to what was required out of him.
"Well sir, the JAG requires me to get down there ASAP and suggested I rustle up a Tomcat."
Animal rubbed his forehead with his fingers. A suggestion from the Admiral was an order, "I'm going to catch shit from COMNAVAIRLANT." He muttered.
Harm passed over a set of orders while his partner Lieutenant Meg Austin smirked at Harm. She'd recently gotten her railroad tracks. Which seemed exceedingly well polished.
"Fine, but you prang one of my airframes, Hammer, you're going to clean every inch of Oceana's active runways with a toothbrush. Then every square inch of every single Black Aces Tomcat including the scoops." He growled. "She riding with you?"
Harm nodded, "Yes, sir...I'm still in hack from her because of my jaunt down to Rosy Roads with an F-14 from Pax River."
"Why's that?"
"He didn't wait for me, sir..."Meg smirked at Harm as she said this to Animal, "our little jaunt in an F-14 to Vandenburg was just a portion of the payback. I might let him off the hook after this flight, sir." Animal looked at her. She was getting as good as Rabb trying to squeeze out free fast-mover flights.
"Serves you right, Rabb." Animal grunted while LT Austin suppressed a laugh. "Because you're taking an unrated in the back-seat, I'll get Scooter to set you up. Offices will be provided for you when you get back so you can write your reports and get them filed with the JAG."
"Thank you, sir." Harm grinned at him.
"Meg, you're going to need outfitting." Animal said informally.
"Yes, sir." She said looking at him with an intense gaze; a knowing one. How was it that women could tell immediately when something was wrong?
Meg could tell, the way he held himself; it wasn't the battle wounds that were paining him at this point. Those were rehabilitated. This was something far deeper; much more insidious: psychological scars that were the taint of mental twisting. By this time they were at the flight equipment maintenance and testing section where the g-suits, flight helmets, torso harnesses and oxygen masks were maintained.
"Set the Lieutenant up for a Tomcat ride. NAS New Orleans and back." Animal said. "She can use one of my flight suits. I get mine a bit baggy anyways so that I don't feel constricted wearing them."
Meg looked over at Animal with an unreadable expression. Does he know that I fell for him at Yokosuka?She had a feeling of warmth rush through her at the opportunity to wear one of the flight-suits he'd worn, probably into combat on missions. When she was all zipped up into his flight-suit, she looked strac like a fighter pilot. The equipper was about to take Animal's name-tag off but Meg said softly, "Leave it there, it should stay on since the suit will get returned"
The female maintenance tech looked funny at her but nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
Harm looked at her funny when he saw her wearing the flight suit seeing Animal's name-tag on the suit. "Borrowing a bag? They didn't crack out a new one for you?"
"Bag?"
"Flightsuit, Meg."
"He suggested they use his because we're nearly the same height." Meg stated then said reflectively, "There's something oddly comforting about wearing this one." Harm gave her another funny look, the same funny look he'd given her in Yokosuka when he'd found Animal and Meg talking by the side of the fence.
It was about the next day around 0940 when they returned from NAS New Orleans since Harm couldn't fly at night. When they'd shut down and dismounted she'd returned the flight-suit, albeit reluctantly. It was like a comfortable security blanket around her. And of course Harm looking at the name-tag left on the flight-suit and shaking his head constantly amused her to no end.
She got back into her khakis and put herself in a room to type out the notes she'd taken into a logical report form. As a fast typist, she was done far sooner than Harm. And thus she was able to abscond to the Oceana mess. Seeing Animal sitting by himself eating, she asked him if she could sit with him.
"Sure, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, sir." She said. After a few moments of eating she said, "I was wondering if we could talk, sir. After lunch?"
"Sure." Animal replied.
When they were done, they walked the flight-line.
"That woman that came to see you at Andrews AFB when we got back from Yokosuka, whatever happened ?" Meg asked knowing that this could be a touchy subject and prepared herself for an explosion. But none came.
Animal didn't want to beat around the bush with this. He just simply said, "It didn't work out. She just wanted more than I was willing to give her." He sounded tired, beaten down and worn out.
"What did she want?" Meg asked, it was as painful to her as it was for him. Having to see him with that woman for the past year was torture to Meg when she'd wanted him herself.
He looked down the flight-line at the Tomcats; an interminable silence for a long moment then an answer torn as though from the very essence of his soul. "She wanted me to stop flying, take a staff job." He gritted his teeth, "she wanted a safe bet instead of someone who in her mind takes risks and could end up dead."
Meg was incredulous. Tosh's flying was a part of him. Telling him to stop flying would be like burying him alive. It was an integral part of who he was. And Meg thought on a personal level that anyone who would ask Tosh to give up flying was not worth his love. I'd never ask him to give up his passion. I'd just want to be a part of it. I'd willingly share him with his Tomcat. Because that's who he is and I won't ask him to hang it up. Hanging his wings up should be his choice and his choice only. No-one has that right to take it away from him."She didn't have the right to ask you to do that, sir..." she paused, "Anyone who asks you to do that, isn't worthy of you."
Animal looked at her, "Are you certain you wouldn't if it came down to wanting to feel like you meant something to him. That it was either you or flying?"
"Having worked with Harm, and then meeting you, seeing you both come alive when you talk about airplanes, why would I ever want to stifle that. It's a part of who you and Harm are." Meg replied hang uniforms and protocol. I just want to let him know how I feel. "Sir, it would be wrong of me to ask you to give up something you love. The right woman would never ask you to give up your passion and I would never dream of asking you to give up flying." Tosh, do you understand what it is that I'm trying to tell you?
Animal looked at her trying to understand. Then he motioned to her to step with him he walked over to the Tomcat that bore his name and his callsign. Fast Eagle 102. Commander Toshio Nakamuraon the canopy rail; Animal underneath the canopy rail on the fuselage just underneath his name and just underneath his call-sign XOto indicate his position within the squadron. He looked at her, put his hand to his lips and patted the Tomcat's fuselage. "Anyone who gets involved with me ends up having to share me with her until I can't fly anymore. There aren't many willing to do that."
It was a challenge and Meg didn't shy away.
Harm saw her standing with Commander Nakamura and only saw the gestures as he walked slowly over. He saw Animal put his hand to his lips and then pat his Tomcat's fuselage.
"Don't count out everyone, sir..." Harm heard Meg say as she put her own hand to her lips, kiss it and then pat the same spot as Commander Nakamura had done.
"Are you sure, Lieutenant?" He heard Commander Nakamura reply. Harm was certain that his jaw must have hit the ground and shattered. "Don't start something you can't finish."
"Sir, I don't pick up tossed down gloves unless I'm up to the challenge. Are you?" She challenged him.
Harm had two choices here, either interrupt a potential kiss in uniform or just let it happen. Well, hell, they weren't in the same chain of command. What did he have to worry about?
"I don't want to rebound from Karen...right into another relationship." Animal said.
"You're not, sir..." Meg replied. She was angry that Karen, that interloper(sure Karen had him before her but Meg was the one who treated him right) could treat him this way and said, "I'm just taking back whois rightfully mine." Meg said stepping into his personal space.
Harm, by this time, had his mouth gaping open as Meg leaned in and gave Animal a kiss on the lips.
Out of the corner of her eyes Meg saw Harm standing there,mouth agape, brain trying to comprehend what he just saw. "Sir, I'll get you my report, it's done, if you can take it back to the admiral, I'll find my own way back from Oceana." She informed him.
"OK, Lieutenant." Harm said still blinking trying to get the image of Meg kissing Animal out of his head.
"There a problem? Lieutenant Commander?" Animal asked him.
"No problem, sir, I think I just may have stepped into a flock of noseeums." He said trying to clear his eyes. That image of the lip lock that Meg had laid on Animal was going to take mental bleach to clear.
1900hrs EST; NAVY MARINE CORPS BALL, WASHINGTON DC; March 2000
Animal saw the Admiral, now four stars, before he saw him. Oh, man, he didn't want a confrontation. Lieutenant Commander Meg Nakamura felt her husband tense up.
"Sir..." Animal said in acknowledge-ment as he was about to pass the admiral's front port quarter.
"Captain, a moment..." Animal winced as he halted. Meg stopped beside him as the Admiral approached with his wife.
"Sir..."
"Son, she's here with her date." The Admiral did not seem unhappy with him. "I just wanted you to know that just in case you ran across her on the dance floor."
"I...uh..." Animal was shocked that Admiral Brian "Gator" Emerson would refer to him as a familial familiar.
"Son, she should never have gone into psychology. She went through two other aviators after you and tried to get them both to quit and succeeded. Don't know if she's trying to get back at me for not being there and focused on my career but she's been targeting aviators and trying to mess with their heads." Meg started to realize who this was and stepped in closer to wrap her arm comfortingly around her husband's arm. Admiral "Gator" Emerson nodded to her. "At least you found your way out of the trap, Captain. One of them quit, the other; he was so messed up he ended up ramp-striking in the Med. killed himself and his RIO." he sighed, "at least you found yourself a good woman and got loose. I didn't see it before but she left a trail of broken men behind her."
"Yes, sir...my now wife was there to pick me back up."
"Service?" Admiral Emerson asked.
"Lieutenant Commander Meg Nakamura, 23120, United States Navy JAG Corps." Meg informed him.
Harm, nodding to Animal, walked by with Renee Peterson on his arm. Gator looked at him and at Renee. "The one with your friend, she looks like another user, might want to warn your friend." Gator said, looking over at Renee.
"I'll do that, sir." Animal said.
The Admiral clasped Animal on the shoulder, "...a hell of a thing you did for your men, Captain." He nodded indicating the Medal around Animal's neck. "I'm glad you found yourself someone good for you." He indicated Meg.
"Sir, I'm not sure if its a good idea for my wife to come into contact with Karen as my wife has a certain amount of hostility towards her and Meg's been known to have a good solid right hook. Let's just say I've heard it from a reliable third party witness."
Gator grinned, "I'll let her know to stay away from you. Good luck in your career, Captain. If you ever need anyone to go to bat for you, let me know." Naval Aviators were a fraternity of brothers.
2045hrs EST; DANCE FLOOR; NAVY MARINE CORPS BALL; WASHINGTON DC;
He's here? Karen was dancing with a Marine Major when she spotted Tosh. He was dancing with a tall blonde woman; a gorgeous figure. in an electric blue ball gown, smoky eye-shadow. She was strikingly beautiful and to her consternation
Karen recognized her as the JAG Lieutenant JG that was with him and that tall JAG aviator Lieutenant Commander when they were at Andrews AFB in September of 1994. As they turned in their slow dance she realized that the woman had a band on her finger that matched the one that was on the ring finger of Tosh. They're married?! A hint of anger went through her. I knew there was something going on between the two of them. When I saw them back at Andrews. Yet Tosh didn't say anything. That bastard.
Her father had warned her to stay away from the couple as Mrs. Nakamura had a rather nasty opinion of her and would defend her husband.
The dance finished. And she and the Marine Major had gone to sit down. And she saw that woman and Tosh headed to the drink counter to meet up with the tall JAG Commander with the Naval Aviator wings, Karen realized it was the former Lieutenant Commander; and his blonde haired date. There was also a dark haired brunette Marine Lieutenant Colonel with a foreign Navy Commander.
The temptation was too great, ignoring her father's warning she decided to go bell the cat, "Let's go get some drinks." Karen suggested to her escort, a wicked smile on her face as she walked over to the drink counter with the Marine Major
Evidently the group of high ranking officers were all together and she couldn't resist snarking to her Marine Major friend that, "Yeah, he and I dated..." she said tossing a thumb at Animal. "but we could never make it work."
The Marine Major looked over at Animal with raised eyebrows at his neckline level, "You dumped a Medal of Honor recipient?"
"Oh, he was more interested in his airplanes than me. Hopefully she doesn't feel second to his airplane. Naval aviators are overgrown children when it comes to their toys." She snarkily tossed over her shoulder. "Guess shewas his rebound." With a derisive emphasis on she loud enough for Meg and half the dance floor to hear.
Meg saw red. She marched across the floor, tapped Karen on the shoulder. "Did you call me a rebound? Wench!"
"Wench?!" Karen said haughtily. "I'll have you know I happen to have a doctorate in psychology."
"Well I happen to have a Masters in Computer Science which I think trumps your Artsdoctorate degree." Meg said dismissively with a derogative emphasis on Arts let alone the dripping disdain when it came to referring to wench's psychology doctorate degree.
"So...does he manage to satisfy you considering you'regetting mysloppy seconds...?"
Meg narrowed her eyes and snarled, "well I can certainly satisfy him a lot better than you can since he left you in the dust and didn't look back." She waved her left hand in the woman's face. A big diamond engagement ring and a wedding band made Karen see red. "Too bad you were more interested in your high score than developing a relationship." Meg scoffed.
"Why, you bitch!" Was Karen's exclamation.
It wasn't certain who swung first, but a solid crack of fist contacting face and a thud of body hitting ground filled the air. Karen got knocked flat on her ass.
Then Meg smugly stalked back over to her husband.
Animal said to Harm, "You're right, she's got a vicious right hook." Mic Brumby, Animal and Harm looked impressed as hell. As Karen was helped to her feet by her Marine escort and led away, shaking her head in pain while nursing a red fist mark on her cheek. No charges to be laid as it was clear now that Meg struck in self defense.
Meg had a satisfied look on her face as she rubbed the knuckles of her right hand then inspected her fingers. " Damn it!" Meg swore.
"What?" They all asked.
"I broke a nail!"