Chapter 40
"I don't mind that at all! In fact it's great! Okay, I'll let you get back to things and see you later at the staff meeting. Miller, come with me. I have some notes for you already," Mac instructed as she turned back to her office.
Tiner turned away with a smile, glad that she had so readily accepted him as her Chief of Staff. He knew that she'd remember him as the bumbling kid he used to be. Shaking his head as he made his way to the office that used to be hers, Jason still couldn't get over the fact that the Major Mackenzie he used to know was married to Admiral Chegwidden and have been for ten years now! If rumors were to be believed, they had something like a dozen kids too!"
Mac and Jason met in the bullpen as the two of them headed to the conference room for the staff meeting and she took the time to try and catch up with him. "How are things going for you now, Tiner?" she asked.
"Well, I'm married and we have a daughter that will be three on Christmas day. Her name is Carol, I wouldn't let Tina name her Holly or Ivy!" he laughed.
She laughed along with him and that was how they entered the conference room. Her new staff found themselves hoping that their new JAG was going to be a bit friendlier to work with than their last one was. They had all heard the story of how the then Colonel Mackenzie had married the newly retired Admiral Chegwidden, however, no one but Tiner had ever met either of them.
Jason asked her if she would like him to introduce the staff to her and was pleased when she gave him the go-ahead. Lieutenant Commander Paula Greer, she was in her early thirties with dark hair and eyes, Paula stood just over six feet tall and had a very stern look about her. Major Michael Carlisle, or 'Mike the Marine' as he called himself, once again there was only one in the office other than Mac herself, was blonde with light brown eyes and freckles, he was in his late twenties. Lieutenant Jeri Reed was a pretty blue-eyed blonde in her mid twenties. 'She would have been just Harm's type,' Mac found herself thinking. Lieutenant Alex Thomas was also in his mid twenties with black hair and mustache; he was built like a football player, down right huge! But the most striking thing about him was his intense blue eyes.
After greeting everyone with a hand shake, personal word or two, and a smile, Mac got down to business. Asking for and getting briefings on current cases she then passed out the new cases. She had spent her time that morning going over the personal files of her new staff. She valued the reports of her predecessors, but wanted to form her own opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of her people.
Leaving on the dot of 1700 hours Mac got her first call of 'Attention on Deck' from her new yeoman. She smiled her, "As you were," as she crossed the bullpen.
Knowing that it would be rare she got to leave that early in the future, she was still glad that Creswell had left everything so well caught up that she could today. Some of it might have had to do with the change in Jason Tiner as well. He was no longer the goofy kid that she once knew. Instead, in his place, was a responsible and capable young man. Mac was looking forward to working with him and telling AJ all about him.
Tonight she had a promise to keep with her husband as soon as the children were in bed. Right now though, she was looking forward to the dinner she knew AJ would have ready for her and hearing how well the kids' first day at the new schools had gone.
The drive home was a pleasant one, just long enough to unwind from a stressful day, not that today had been, but she was sure there would be plenty in her future as JAG.
To be continued….