Chapter 4

"Harriett, are you all right?" Mac asked her friend.

"Oh, yes, ma'am," Sam replied.

"Harriett, when will I ever get you to call me Mac or Sarah?" Mac grinned at her.

"I couldn't while we are at work, ma'am," Sam said, and quickly left the restroom as Mac entered a stall.

Sam went back to Harriett's desk and sat there trying to figure out what he/she was supposed to be doing. He found out that he was working at the Judge Advocate General office from the letterhead. There were pictures on the desk of the man Al had told him was her husband and a cute blonde haired little boy, whom he assumed was there son. 'Great!' Sam thought, 'Kids have seen through my jumps before and have also been known to 'see' Al. We might have a problem when I go home…..and I don't even know her son's name!'

"Ma'am, is everything all right?"

Sam looked up into the soft brown eyes of a very handsome Marine. 'Wow, don't they hire anyone here who's not gorgeous?' From the Admiral he had seen earlier to the Petty Officer at the desk nearby, everyone was great looking! Sam thought. "Um, no…..I mean yes, everything is fine…." Looking at the man's nametag, Sam added, "Victor." This got him a very odd look.

Victor wandered away still casting occasional glances Sam's way. Sam answered phones and did some filing and before he knew it, the morning had passed and his husband and the tall dark Commander were coming towards him.

"Hi, sweetie, ready for lunch?" Sam's husband asked.

"I just need to deliver these files to Colonel Mackenzie," Sam responded. Before he could get up to do so, however, the Commander grabbed the back of Sam's desk chair and pushed him towards Mac's office.

"Rabb's file delivery service!" he announced as they entered her office.

Mac looked up and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Thank you, Harriett."

"Hey! No thanks for me?" Harm asked.

"No, Flyboy," she smiled.

Harm harrumphed, and guided the chair backwards out of the office and into the Admiral. "Ooof, Admiral!" Harm stiffened, and came to attention.

Sam tried to stand and do the same, but the chair he was in was in Colonel Mackenzie's doorway and he was trapped in it. The Admiral saw Harriett struggling to rise and placing a hand on her shoulder said, "As you were, Lieutenant. Commander, do you have a flight plan filed?"

"Sir?"

The Admiral sighed, he wasn't known for making jokes with his people, so when he tried, they did not 'get it'. Then he heard a slight snicker and looked into the office to see that Mac was trying hard to keep from laughing. 'So she "gets me"!' he thought. As Mac realized she had been spotted, she also jumped to her feet and came to attention.

"As you were," the Admiral said, as he stepped back so Harm could pull the chair out. That was when AJ noticed that Harriett didn't have any shoes on. "Lieutenant, did the bullpen suddenly become 'footwear optional' without my knowing it?"

Now that he was free of the doorway, Sam struggled to his stocking clad feet, "No, Sir!" he said trying to snap to attention as best he could with his swollen belly and feet. "I was not expecting the Commander's actions, Sir, and had my shoes off under my desk because the swelling in them is so bad. Sorry, Sir, it won't happen again."

Bud had seen this entire exchange and had dived under his wife's desk to get her shoes. He brought them over to her and kneeled down in front of her to help her put them on. Sam tried to balance on one foot while his husband put on the first shoe, but the baby shifted just then and he felt himself starting to fall.

"Playing 'Prince Charming' is all well and good, Lieutenant, as long as you don't knock Cinderella on her six!" AJ said as he caught her in his arms.

To be continued….