Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you like chapter 2!

(Apologies for any misspellings of Beallsville - I've seen it spelled a variety of ways in the JAG world, and I'm not sure the show ever really specified. I hope it doesn't detract from the story. Thanks!)


Travel


"We deploy the day after tomorrow."

Trish's face fell as her husband's words sank in. "So you'll be gone for Christmas again."

"I know, sweetheart," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a tender kiss to her cheek. "I'm sorry."

"How long will you be gone this time?"

"Don't know."

Out of the corner of her eye, Trish noticed a small figure enter the kitchen, and she pulled away from her husband's embrace. "Well, you make sure you tell your son, okay?"

"Daddy?"

The sad voice behind him tugged hard at the heart of the tall Navy pilot. He turned around and knelt on the floor to face his son, and instantly, the boy understood.

"Don't worry, Little Harm, I'll be back before you know it. You be good for your mother, okay?"

And as his father's strong arms wrapped around him, Little Harm held on tight.

~*~o~*~

"Good morning, sir."

Early the next morning, Bud knocked softly on Harm's office door.

"The files for the Patterson court-martial just arrived, but we won't be scheduling anything until after the holidays."

He laid several thick file folders down on Harm's desk, but the commander didn't even seem to notice. He was staring oddly off into space, his chin resting in his hand and a distant look in his eyes.

"Are you okay, sir?" Bud asked with concern. "Sir? … Commander?"

Harm jumped a little. "Huh? Yeah. Oh, sorry, Bud."

"Guess you need a vacation a little more than you thought you did," Bud teased with a smile. "It's okay, sir. We're all ready for a vacation here. Aren't you going to Pennsylvania this year?"

Harm straightened in his chair, suddenly returning to reality from wherever he had previously been. "Yeah, I'm going to spend Christmas with my grandmother. My mom and Frank are flying out from California."

"Well, that's great, sir."

"You doing anything for the holidays, Bud?"

"Harriet and I are taking little A.J. to Florida," Bud replied. "We're going to visit with her parents for a few days."


"Well, that sounds great, Harriet," Mac said in the office next door at the exact same time.

Harriet looked skeptical. "Well, it sounds like something, ma'am," she said. "But I'm not sure that my family and Bud's family in the same house at Christmas time is such a great idea."

"It'll be fine, Harriet," Mac assured her.

"I hope so, ma'am," Harriet said doubtfully. "Are you doing anything special for the holidays this year, ma'am?"

"Well," Mac said quietly, a soft smile creeping onto her face. "I'm going to Pennsylvania."