Chapter 17

Saturday, December 17, 2005

0700 EST

AJ's home

McLean, Virginia

Vicky was pissed that AJ hadn't called her last night when he got home, so she called him first thing when she got up. She was even angrier when she got his machine. Her assumption was that he'd spent the night with that Colonel after he's insisted there was nothing going on between them! This just proved that no matter how nice he'd been to her, he was still a man and they were all liars and cheats. She didn't even feel bad about killing that cute Commander by mistake yesterday, because it just meant there was one less man in the world.

She would have to find another way to get at AJ, but she was clever and resourceful, so she knew she would succeed!

AJ returned from his run to find there was a message on his answering machine. Wondering who would be calling that early, he worried that Trish and Frank had problems getting to Virginia. He was surprised to hear Vicky's angry voice. Feeling grungy and in need of a shower, he was still to much of a gentleman to put his comfort over her demand to 'call her as soon as he got her message!'. Nonetheless he was heading to the bathroom, stripping off his running clothes as he went, while dialing her number.

"Good morning dear, you're up early," he greeted her when she answered his call.

"Were you figuring I wouldn't realize that you'd been out all night?" Vicky snapped.

"I wasn't out all night, but it was very late, or rather early this morning, when I got home, that's why I didn't call you."

"Sure! Then where were you when I called!?"

"I was out running," he replied.

"With six inches of snow on the ground and the temperature at the freezing mark?" she asked, clearly not believing him.

"Yes, Vicky, I run all year round. It's great exercise and something I can do whenever I have the time. Now I was just about to take a shower, so why don't you tell me why you called?"

"I was upset that you didn't call last night and wanted to know when I would see you today."

"I don't know Vicky. Harm's mother and stepfather are coming into town and I need to be available to help them make arrangements. Trish lost Harm's father just before Christmas years ago as well, so this time of year is going to make this all the harder on her."

"Why do you have to be there AJ? He was just someone who worked for you."

"Vicky, we are more of a family at JAG rather than staff. I know we haven't known each other long, but one day maybe, they will be family to you too."

Knowing that would never happen, Vicky chose not to respond to that statement, instead, she came back to her main concern. "So there's a chance I won't see you at all today?"

"I just don't know at this point Vicky. I will give you a call as soon as I know what the plans are for the day. All right?"

"I guess it will have to be," she pouted.

"Does it help at all to know that I'll be missing you all day?"

"A little," she conceded.

"Good, now I'm sorry to do so, but I really need to get in the shower. I'm standing here naked."

"Well that's a nice mental picture to leave me with and since there's no one here to take care of the result of imagining you like that…I guess I'll just have to get out my 'toy'!"

At the image, AJ groaned. Now he had something else to take care of in the shower other that just getting clean. "I'll be picturing that in the shower, my dear," he told her.

Vicky hung up with a grin. Men were so easy!

He had just finished his shower and was in the process of deciding what to wear when his phone rang. "Chegwidden," he answered as he reached for his clothes.

"Morning Admiral, sorry to call you so early, but I was just wondering if you'd heard from Sturgis yet?"

When he heard Mac's voice, he just instinctively reached for the towel, which he'd just discarded. Because he had his clothes in one hand and the phone in the other, as he tried to pick up the towel, he fumbled the phone and dropped it. With a sigh, he picked it up and went to sit on the bed. "Sorry Mac, I dropped the phone."

"I've never known you to be clumsy Sir, what happened?"

"I just got out of the shower and when you called I was about to get dressed. Somehow it didn't seem 'proper' to be talking to you in that state."

To be continued…..