This story has been hell to write lately. I have some ideas but haven't been able to put it on paper, so to speak. I am trying to get my muse back for this one. So, having said that, I hope you like it.

BTW - It doesn't follow any timeframe. Technically, this part should be during April/June of this year.

Enjoy!

Jackie

PART 48 – A Revealing Softball Game

It's the annual, inter-office softball championship. A serious, yet, not-so-serious affair that occurs every spring when the uniform of the day changes and baseball is, once again, on the TV. Since I've been at JAG, I've managed to play in every single game and this year, the stakes are higher!

For two years we've tasted defeat, losing by only a run or two to a lesser team. This year, Cresswell insists on bringing home the trophy and the prize that comes with it – a pizza party and the coveted liberty passes, which will allow the whole staff to skip work the last Friday of this month.

Our team though not the best, has a winning record, losing only one game which has allowed us to enter these finals. Of course, we'd have a perfect record if we still had the Admiral pitching, but, as customary, the skipper of the unit is the pitcher and Cresswell. . .he should stick to boxing. He has this odd method of pitching, which seems to work only half of the time. Then again, it only works because he has a whole team as defense on his side. His pitching style is a cross between a golfers pose and that of someone bowling. From time to time, the pitch is in line and perfect. . .Other times. . .Let's just say that the home plate umpire better watch out. Cresswell managed to knock out two umpires in the first two games when the balls he pitched sailed through the air at an unnatural angle, hit the top fence and came back down whacking the poor men over the head. And, YES, this happened, TWICE.

On the sidelines, Bud manages our team, yelling encouraging words and fighting with the umpires when needed, a sight that is hysterical to see from such a normally calm man. I didn't know he was an avid baseball fan, and was surprised as he shifted us around some.

He began with Harm, taking him out of his usual place at First, to Shortstop. The move scared me for a bit, until I realized that the flyboy is the equivalent to the Great Wall of China. Between his height and those pilot reflexes, not a single ball has gotten past by him. Keeping me at second, Bud hoped that mine and Harm's teamwork would handle the double play situations since our less than stellar pitcher, can't seem to put one over which isn't hit harder than hell.

First base is occupied by the bubblehead, Sturgis and though his fielding isn't grand, he sure makes it up when he gets on base. The man runs way too pretty for softball, with those high kicks that can only come from a track and field star. This actually makes him the fastest man in our inter-office league.

Vukovic's in the outfield, playing Left Center. He's not too bad and, though I will never admit it to him, he has one hell of a cannon for an arm. His batting, well, let's just say we specifically ORDER him to BUNT.

As Catcher we have Mattoni who, I personally believe, is only back there to kiss the General's ass and make him look good. Harriet and Jen are playing Right center and Right field, respectively. I wouldn't ever believe that Harriet's such a kick ass softball player. On our first game she managed to throw out a pretty speedy guy as he tried to make his single into a double. We watched her play in awe only to find out that, in high school and college, she had won numerous trophy's for softball. Harriet the Jock, who'd have thunk it?!

In left we have one of our Marine guards, Seargent Ronnie McCabe, an aspiring baseball star until a bad slide into a catcher during a Marine vs. Navy game destroyed his knee and ended his major league dreams. The moment Ronnie steps up to bat, it doesn't matter where the opposing team positions it's players, the man can hit the ball anywhere he wants. It's like poetry in motion and I am proud that he's a Marine like me!

And finally, on Third, we have Lieutenant jg Ian Sommers, a newbie to the JAG staff who, like Vukovic, can not bat worth a shit, but can, sort of field. Thankfully, not too many balls are hit towards him.

"No bat, no bat!" Ian yells as Kent 'Binx' Nightingale, a US Marine Corps Major who happened to serve with me in Bosnia, steps up to bat.

Harm waves me back slightly, then motions to my right. "Slide just a bit to the left, he'll hit it straight at you Mac." I move away from my spot, positioning myself towards the area that Harm suggests I cover. He's never told me where stand before, and I figure it's a good idea.

Boy was I wrong.

I bend my knees and then lower down the glove between my legs as Cresswell winds up for the pitch. My body moves forward slightly as Binx swings AND misses! "Yes. . .That's one." I yell out, the excitement of the game keeping me on edge. Again, I position myself, my gloved hand hanging between my legs in anticipation for a grounder.

WHACK!

But, the ball doesn't fly in the angle that Harm was so confident about. In fact, it flies the OPPOSITE way to the area that I had previously occupied. "Shit!" I barely have time to react and hurl myself through the air, towards the ball only to come up with nothing but air and about six inches of clay in my shirt. The mixture of sweat and clay in your boobs is just. . .WRONG! I scramble upwards, smacking away Harm's helpful hand. "I'm sorry, Marine."

"Uh huh. . .Just keep your thoughts to yourself." I stare at him pointedly and he gets the message. Great, now we have a guy on first with some speed. Mattoni, though a decent catcher, just doesn't have the arm to throw across the diamond and before we know it, Binx is standing next to me.

He grins in a way that he wouldn't normally do while we're in uniform. "Hey there, Mackie. . .Fancy meeting you here."

"Fancy that." I say back with a sarcastic tone, then turn towards the plate.

Next up is Commander Maria Castanueva, a Cuban-American sailorette with the word 'bimbo' written all over her. She's wearing impossibly tight shorts with a baseball jersey that is tucked in under her sports bra, showing just a bit too much midriff. Sometimes, I wonder, how the hell some of these people wind up in the military. "C'mon General, gimme all ya got!" She shakes her six slightly in a rhythmic way that's catching every man's eye. My cheeks burn a slight red when she points the bat towards MY sailor! "Harmy, it's coming at you."

"Sure it is." Ugh! I could kill that man from time to time! This big, teethy grin comes out of nowhere. Jeez, he really can't help it!! He's a pilot, ego and a sexy grin get handed to them right along with their goldwings. "Give it all you got, Castanueva!" It makes me feel marginally better when he calls her by her last name.

The first pitch is a dud that ends up in the dirt just in front of the plate. Cresswell is definitely not Chegwidden, now that man could pitch!

"Oh, I intend to, Harmy, honey!" It's altogether a little too convenient that my sailor knows so many people – women. Not that I don't know my own, but I don't actively flirt with them! Ok, fine, yes, I realize he's oblivious.

Cresswell launches the ball and it's. . .damn, it's a ball, thrown BEHIND bimbo, erm Castanueva. "Hey, Mac. . .Why didn't you ever wear shorts like those when we were in Bosnia?" Binx asks, his eyes admiring my legs just a bit too much for a junior officer.

Chuckling, I tug at my shorts, which are short, but not immodestly so. "It didn't mesh well with the uniform of the day, Binx." I shake my head and tune myself back into the game knowing, full well, that Binx is checking out my six as well.

Swoosh! Another swing and a miss. "Alright Castanueva, attagirl!" I hear Harriet yelling and Jen cheering right along. Damn, we're a fun bunch.

"Aww, give her a break!" Binx yells back at the girls as he returns to the base after the lead he'd taken. "Mac, next time I'll hit it right at you. . .So I can see you move." He's joking, I know he is and the reason is because Harm's an earshot away. Lately I find that most men in the service who know about Harm and I love to rile him up. Especially any Marine that I've served with. I can't count the amount of times he's gotten the manly, 'Don't hurt her' speech.

Harm clears his throat, loud enough for the Pope to hear from the Vatican and then, moves slowly out of position and towards second base. "Hey, Nightingale, you may want to respect the Colonel."

God, the man is just so CUTE when he's jealous. "Harm, it's okay. . .I can handle Binxy."

Binx takes another lead, effectively bringing him closer to Harm. "Yea, Harm, she can handle herself. . .and did this one time in Bosnia. . .She arm wrestled me almost to death. . .Course, just to have that hand of hers wrapped around. . ."

WHACK! This time, Castanueva, who normally gets on base by just flirting with the men, connects and the ball sails towards short stop. Harm, who is busy playing the jealousy card can't get to the ball in time. Those pilot reflexes fall short and so does he. I hear him hit the clay with an 'oof' then turn in time to see Vic fielding the ball and hurling it towards Home. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!"

The ball is late and Castanueva now has a double and an RBI. This also means she's sharing Second base with me. "Hey Mac." She smiles, takes some imaginary dust off of her shorts and then begins a series of stretches that makes her look like a horny peacock.

"Hey, Maria. . .Got lucky, huh?" I turn to speak to her, as the next batter calls 'time out' but, she has other ideas. Instead, she saunters over to Harm and beings to remove the clay from. . .HIS PANTS?!

"Harmy, you're all dirty, doesn't that Marine of yours keep you clean?" Oh, I know what she's doing and. . .it's WORKING!!! I want to kill her. . .now. . .quickly. . .TODAY. UGH! She then places a hand on his chest.

Harm's looking over at me, with a silly expression, he looks. . .scared? Cute. "I ah. . .hehe." He removes Maria's hands from his chest and then takes a few steps backwards. "My Marine keeps me just fine."

I raise a brow at that comment which, has got to be one of the oddest things I've ever heard him say.

"Cos, you know, if she doesn't. . ." She's launching herself towards him again and. . .that's it. .. this is where it ends! Every time the woman steps into JAG for SOMETHING, she has to flirt with him. I've been nice, I've been patient, I've been tempted to paste a 'Property of USMC' on Harm's six. But, this is ENOUGH.

I drop my glove into the clay, then grab Maria by the arm. "Look. . .the flirting, may have been funny at first, but now, it's just annoying."

She brings her hands to her hips, striking that 'oh no, you didn't go there' pose. "Whatever, Mac. . . It's not my fault if you can't control your man."

Oh no, she didn't. "Control my man? Why the hell do I need to control him for? It's women like you that need to control themselves!"

Her head bounces around like a pecking chicken as her finger inches, a little too close to my shoulder. "Look there is no sign on him. . .You don't own him." See, I knew sticking 'Property of USMC' sign on Harm WAS a good idea!

"He's my FIANCE!" Any bustle on the field comes to a complete, grinding, halt. My hand comes up to cover my mouth, my eyes scan towards Harm who's turned bright red. Oh shit. Did I really say that out loud? "Did I say that out loud?

Harm nods, Cresswell nods, hell, even Maria nods. And then, the pandemonium begins. "Oh, Honey! Congratulations!" The woman throws herself at me and I would have probably side stepped it and let her fall to the clay if it wasn't because it was such a shock. She grabs Harm, forcing us into some mini-group hug while she sobs, loudly.

When she lets us go, I find the staff. . .the WHOLE staff, even Vukovic, gathered around us with goofy grins on their faces. The person who I worry about the most, Cresswell, is the only one who doesn't seem too happy. "Sir, we were going to tell you. . .I swear, it's just that."

He stands before us, arms across his chest, one hand holding the softball. "Colonel, I know I have a tendency to be a bit gruff." I won't deny that. "But, did you honestly think, after all you know about my family, that I wouldn't understand?"

Thought never crossed my mind more than five times a day. "Actually, sir, the Commander and I just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while." I turn to Harm and reach out, then pull him to me. "I guess it was time."

Harm grins sexily and nods in agreement. "Yeah, I guess it is time." He leans down and kisses me to the delight of everyone around us. And then, just as quickly, his head snaps up and he gets this terrified look on his face. "Umm. . .mom's gonna have a cow when she realizes that she wasn't the first to know."

Hmm, I guess I know where we're headed next. . . La Jolla.