Summary:  Weapons are being smuggled out of Norfolk Harbour; while Harm & Sturgis defend their long-time friend against the charges, AJ & Mac discover the truth... several truths.  

Wednesday, 16 October 2002
1035 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

The Marine Corporal didn't recognize the man who exited the elevator, but he had a VIP visitor's badge pinned to his suit. The Corporal stood as the man approached. "May I help you, Sir?"

"Where is Admiral Chegwidden's office?" the man barked, frowning at the Marine.

"Right through these doors and straight through the bullpen, Sir," the Marine replied, opening the heavy glass door for the visitor.

The man didn't even wait for the Corporal to finish talking before he walked away. He didn't acknowledge the information, nor the Corporal. 'Thinks he's such hot stuff,' griped the Marine to himself. 'Who does he think he is anyway?'

Petty Officer Tiner looked up to see the man approaching. He immediately noticed the VIP badge. When he looked at the man's face, he recognized him from his picture. "Good morning, Mr. Secretary. Welcome to JAG," Tiner said to the new SecNav. "May I help you, Sir?"

"Chegwidden. Where is he?" the SecNav said shortly.

"The Admiral is in his office, in conference, Sir. I'll inform him you're here." Tiner picked up the handset and pressed the intercom. "Excuse me, Admiral," he said when the Admiral answered, "Secretary Sheffield is here to see you, Sir." Tiner set the receiver down, making his way around the desk as he said, "The Admiral can see you now, Sir."

"Well, I should damn well hope so!" barked the SecNav as he walked past Tiner and into the Admiral's office. He saw a female standing in front of the Admiral's desk and glared at her before speaking to the Admiral. "And that boy was going to make me wait while you talked to a secretary?" he sneered.

Admiral AJ Chegwidden looked at Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie and nodded his dismissal. She turned and left his office through the side door. "Still haven't learned rank insignia, have you, Mr. Secretary," AJ stated it as a fact, not a question.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What brings you to JAG, Mr. Secretary?" AJ asked bluntly, changing the subject.
"A problem. A very big problem."

Ten minutes later, AJ buzzed Tiner on the intercom. "Tiner, have MacKenzie, Rabb, and Turner come in here on the double."

"Aye, aye, Sir!" Tiner replied. He quickly rounded up the three lead attorneys and herded them toward the Admiral's office.

"Is Sheffield still in there, Tiner?" asked Mac as she put her hand on the doorknob. She groaned as Tiner nodded in the affirmative. Mac entered the office first, followed by Commanders Harmon Rabb and Sturgis Turner. The three officers came to attention stance and Mac, as the senior officer of the three, said, "Reporting as ordered, Sir!"

As she spoke, Sheffield turned around and stared disbelievingly at Mac. "What the hell is this, Chegwidden?" he barked.

"I believe you mean 'Who the hell is this', don't you, Mr. Secretary?" corrected AJ. But before the SecNav could speak, AJ continued by making the introductions. "Mr. Secretary, these are my senior attorneys: Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, my Chief of Staff," AJ grinned at Mac. Then he focused on the men. "Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Commander Sturgis Turner."

Sheffield frowned. "Not acceptable, Admiral. It's too dangerous..."

"Surely, Mr. Secretary, you aren't suggesting that because Colonel MacKenzie is a woman, she isn't able to perform her duties? I know you wouldn't be suggesting that... not here. Not in a law office," AJ scowled. Sheffield turned and glared at AJ, but he didn't say a word. "No," AJ continued. "I didn't think so." He turned to his three officers. "Take a seat. We have a problem."
They all took seats and Sheffield explained the situation. "As you've probably heard, there's been a rash of weapons being smuggled out of Norfolk for the last several months."

Harm interrupted. "Actually, Mr. Secretary, it's been going on for almost a year now. They've not been able to come up with any leads at all."

Sheffield frowned. He didn't like to be interrupted. "The MPs made an arrest last night. Unfortunately, the man they arrested happens to be the son of a United States Senator. So this is already high profile, and the press will be on it before the day is out."

"Which Senator is that, Mr. Secretary?" asked Sturgis.

Sheffield and AJ watched the two men closely as Sheffield said, "Senator Jackson Bailey, from Colorado."

Both Harm and Sturgis inhaled sharply. "Bailey, Sir?" questioned Harm.

"Then the man arrested was Commander Scott Bailey, Sir?" confirmed Sturgis.

"That's right," affirmed AJ. "And I understand you both know him rather well."

Harm and Sturgis looked at each other, then back at the Admiral. "Yes, Sir," they chorused.

"Yes, well," muttered Sheffield. "He's already insisting that one of you represent him. He's not talking to a soul until he sees one of you. His father, however, is insisting that both of you represent him. I had agreed to that assuming the Admiral and his Chief of Staff would prosecute." Sheffield turned and looked at Mac. "But now, I just don't know if that is such a good idea."

"Mr. Secretary, you obviously don't believe that I can possibly handle this case. Let me set your mind at ease. I don't want it." Mac stood. "If you'll excuse me, Sir, I'll get another attorney for you. A male." She turned to leave, wondering what she was thinking. There wasn't another male attorney! Not with Bud gone.
"Sit down, Colonel," ordered AJ gruffly. He didn't wait to see if Mac obeyed; he knew she would. He turned his attention back to the SecNav. "Mr. Secretary, you've already insisted that because of having both Commanders on the defense, that I be the prosecuting attorney in this case with my Chief of Staff as second chair. Just who the hell did you think was my Chief of Staff?!"

Sheffield grew warm under the collar as his neck began to turn red. "Sure as hell not a woman," he mumbled. "My predecessor referred to your Chief of Staff as 'Mac'. He said this 'Mac' could handle anything I threw at him."

Mac smiled, in spite of herself. She never realized that Alexander Nelson thought so highly of her skills.

"Secretary Nelson knew my people," AJ stated smugly. He never really liked Nelson, and he certainly bumped heads with him a lot, but Nelson knew Mac's worth. He always had. "His choice, and my choice, for second chair with me is Colonel MacKenzie. If you disagree with that, Sir, give me your argument in writing or there will be an internal investigation. I guarantee it."

"Are you threatening me, Admiral?"

"No, Mr. Secretary. I'm simply stating a fact. And I believe you know why it's a fact. Sir," AJ said cocking his eyebrow meaningfully.

Sheffield looked at Mac and back to AJ. "You'd just better win. That's all I have to say." He rose from his chair and headed for the door.
Before he pulled it open, however, Mac spoke. "No, Mr. Secretary. We had better find the truth. If Commander Bailey is guilty, the Admiral and I will prove it." Sheffield slammed the door as he departed. Mac turned back to AJ. "Admiral, I do apologize. I was way out of line, Sir."

"Yes, you were, Mac. But he was a lot further out of line." AJ shook his head in disgust. "A secretary! Silver oak leaves on your collar, and he calls you a damn secretary!"

Mac laughed. "It's not the first time I've been called that, Sir. Probably won't be the last. And there are certainly worse things he could have said," she smirked.

"Better be the last time I hear it," AJ growled. "Have a seat, people. Let's..." A knock on his office door interrupted him. "Enter!"

Tiner stepped inside. "Excuse me, Admiral. Ms. Cavanaugh is here for lunch?"

AJ swore under his breath. "Damn, I forgot." He looked up and said, "Okay, let's break for lunch, people. Back here at 1300 sharp. Dismissed." They all rose and chuckled as they heard the Admiral mutter, "Asshole called her a secretary!"
Harm and Sturgis made their way out to the bullpen, Harm almost running through the Admiral's outer office. Mac stopped to talk to the Admiral's new girlfriend... who also happened to be her friend. "Hi, Meredith."

"Mac. Hello. How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." She nodded toward the Admiral's office. "Lunch?" she grinned. Meredith nodded with a smile. "He's not in the best mood right now. Maybe you can cheer him up a bit, hmm?" she conspired. "We have to meet with him again after lunch."

Meredith looked past Mac as AJ stepped up behind her. "Not in a good mood, hmm? Maybe I don't want to have lunch," she teased.

"Damn well better!" AJ said with a fake gruffness. "In fact, come in here for a minute," he said as he took Meredith's hand and pulled her inside his office. He pulled her into his embrace as he kicked the door closed.
Mac smiled as she returned to her office. She was quite pleased with herself. Even though she hadn't actually planned their meeting, she still took credit for introducing Meredith to the Admiral. Meredith was a bit of a nut, Mac knew; she wondered if the Admiral had discovered that yet.
"Hey, Mac! Are they gone yet?" asked Harm, eyeing the Admiral's office but walking into Mac's.

"Not yet. They're necking," she grinned.

"Oh God. I did not need to know that," Harm groaned.

"Commander Rabb!"

"Oh, geez..." sighed Harm quietly. He turned and approached the Admiral and Meredith. "Good morning, Ms. Cavanaugh."

"Really now, Commander. You're taking me flying on Saturday; surely you can call me Meredith."

AJ frowned. Mac looked surprised. And Harm... well, Harm just looked lost. Finally he got his composure back. "Looking forward to it, Ma'am."

"Did he tell you, Mac? Harm is going to teach me to fly his plane!" Meredith gushed.

Mac grinned inwardly as she looked past Meredith at the Admiral. 'Yep. He knows it now. I wonder if she's baked anything for him yet.' Mac almost giggled, but she caught herself just in time. "That's wonderful, Meredith. I just hope you don't get shot at."

Meredith looked askance at her friend. "Shot at? Why would I get shot at, Mac?"

"First time he took me flying, I got shot in the leg, almost raped, practically killed. All in all, it was an... eventful plane ride," Mac smirked.

Meredith turned shocked eyes to Harm... who blurted out, "Not by me! I didn't shoot her!"

Mac and AJ burst out laughing at his defensive expression. Meredith looked back at Mac. "It's a long story, Meredith. I'll tell you about it sometime. But not now. I think the Admiral is ready for lunch."

"That I am, Colonel." AJ took Meredith's arm. "Shall we go?"

Wednesday, 16 October 2002
1445 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Their meeting finally at an end, AJ dismissed Harm and Sturgis. "Mac, stay behind a minute, please," he requested. Mac sat back down. AJ waited until Sturgis closed the office door behind him as he left. "Mac, you know that I'm going to depend on you to do most of the legwork on this case, I trust? I just don't have the time to devote to this right now. If I had my druthers, you'd be sitting first chair. Unfortunately..."

"I understand, Sir," Mac said quietly.

"Mac, Sheffield really isn't as bad as he seemed this morning. I didn't know he was so against women in the military until this, but..."

"Admiral, I don't think it's women in the military that he's against. It's women in business of any kind. 'Women belong at home... barefoot and pregnant. And if they absolutely have to work, they shouldn't be anything more than a grocery clerk or a secretary.' I've been up against his type all my life."

AJ sighed. "I'm sorry about his 'secretary' comment, Mac."

Mac smiled and shook her head. "Not a problem, Sir. Actually, growing up, that's what I wanted to be. A secretary. That's what my mother did, and I wanted to be like her. It was when she left home... and left me there... that I decided being like her was the last thing I wanted."

AJ nodded. "Certainly understandable." He stood and walked around to the front of his desk, then he sat in the chair next to Mac. "I'd like you to go ahead and get started on this case, Mac. I'm not going to be able to do much with it until the weekend. Even my evenings are already filled with work."

"That's fine, Admiral. I can get started, set up some interviews, and prepare the information for you..."

"No, Mac. I don't mean you're going to do all of the work. I fully expect to do as much as I can. Why don't you lay out a plan of attack, go ahead and get started implementing it, and then we can meet over the weekend. How's Saturday evening?"

"Saturday, Sir?" Mac confirmed. "Don't you already have plans with Meredith for Saturday evening, Admiral?" She was sure she'd overheard him earlier in the week ordering tickets for something.

AJ sighed. "That's Friday night, Mac. And she doesn't want to go anyway, so we could probably just as easily meet then. Which would be better for you?"

Mac blinked hard. "She doesn't want to go?"
AJ shrugged. "I got tickets to a play. She says she teaches Shakespeare all week; she has no desire to sit through it on the weekend. She'd rather go parasailing or sky diving... or have Rabb take her flying."

"I wondered how that came about, Sir."

AJ shook his head. "Sure wish he'd felt comfortable enough to tell me 'No!' when I mentioned it to him."

Mac chuckled. "Harm? Say no to taking someone up in his plane? Surely you jest."

"She doesn't just want to go for a ride, Mac. She wants to fly the damn plane!" he explained.

"Oh my."

"Yeah. Oh my," he groaned.

Mac decided to drop that subject. "Well, surely someone would buy the play tickets from you, Sir."

"I guess I keep hoping she'll change her mind. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is one of my favorites," AJ sighed.

Mac smiled to herself, 'Mine, too.'

"Okay, so you'll come by the house on Saturday night?" AJ confirmed.

"That'll be fine, Sir. What time?"

"1900 work for you?"

"Certainly. Shall I bring a pizza?" she asked.

AJ grinned. "That's what you and Rabb do, isn't it?"

Mac smiled. "Usually, Sir."

"You just bring yourself, Colonel. I'll have food for you."

"I eat a lot when I'm working at night, Admiral," Mac warned him.

He chuckled, "From what I hear, you just eat a lot, period!"



Thursday, 17 October 2002
0900 EDT
Norfolk Brig Norfolk, Virginia

Harm and Sturgis arrived in Norfolk to meet with their client. They were shown to the consultation room and waited until the guard brought Commander Scott Bailey to them. "Harm! Sturgis! Thanks for coming down. I can't believe all this is happening."

Harm nodded toward Scott and spoke to the guard. "Lose the cuffs, Chief," Harm ordered. The guard unlocked the handcuffs that bound Scott's wrists. "That'll be all, Chief. Wait outside, please."

"Aye, aye, Sir," the Chief agreed, stepping back through the door.

As soon as the door closed, Harm reached over and smacked Scott on the back, grabbing his hand and pumping his arm in greeting. "Scotty, it's been way too long, Man!"

"Yeah, it has, Buddy. What's it been, six... seven years?"

"More like eight," Harm said. "I don't think we've seen each other since Steve's wedding."

"Geez, that was in '93!"

Sturgis moved forward and extended his hand to Scott. "March of '93, in fact," he said as Scott shook his hand. "How've you been, Scotty?"

"Well, until this week, I've been doing great, Sturg," he replied.

"What happened, Man? How'd you become a suspect in a weapons smuggling ring?" Sturgis asked as he sat down at the table.
"I don't know," Scott said shaking his head. "I really don't know."

Harm pulled out a chair. "Have a seat, Scotty," he nodded toward another chair as he sat down, himself. "Now tell us what happened."

An hour later, Harm and Sturgis left the brig, Harm completely confident that their friend from Annapolis days was innocent of the charges. "Weapons smuggling and Scotty. They just don't mix," quipped Harm as they got in his SUV to head back to JAG.

"Harm, his story did conflict a couple of times. I don't know that he's telling us everything," disagreed Sturgis.

"You saying you think he's guilty?" Harm asked belligerently.

"No, I'm not saying that he's guilty," replied Sturgis, patiently. "I'm saying that I don't believe he's telling us everything. Maybe he's covering for someone. That's something that wouldn't be at all out of character for Scotty. He's always been protective of his friends."

Harm nodded. "Maybe. And you're right, he's always been a good friend that way."

"I think we'd better talk to his CO before we go any further. He should be able to shed some light on this."

When Harm and Sturgis left Captain Cooper's office 30 minutes later, they weren't at all sure what the Captain had told them. "Was he taking the blame for all this?" asked Harm.

"No, he wasn't. But he wasn't shirking it either," said Sturgis.

"I got the distinct feeling that the good Captain was covering himself."

"Yeah, but why? For what purpose?" asked Sturgis.

"If I don't miss my guess, he's up for a new command this year," Harm replied. "And he doesn't want the Senator messing it up for him. If the Captain comes down hard on Scotty, the Senator is sure to blame the Captain, and poof! There goes his new command."

"So you think the Captain is hiding something?"

"I think he's covering his ass, that's what I think!" said Harm.

Thursday, 17 October 2002
1655 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Harm and Sturgis walked into the bullpen and saw Mac at the water cooler. "Hey, Mac!" called Harm. "Did you ever find that..."

"Excuse me, Commander," interrupted Tiner. Then he turned to Mac, "The Admiral would like to see you in his office right away, Ma'am."

"Okay, Tiner. I'll be right there," Mac replied. She turned to Harm, "Good trip?"

He nodded. "Scotty's innocent, Mac."

"Guilty as sin!" she countered, heading for the Admiral's office.

"Prove it!" Harm yelled after her.

"We will, Flyboy! We will!"

Mac knocked on the Admiral's door. When she heard his command to enter, she opened the door and came to attention stance in front of his desk. "Colonel MacKenzie reporting as ordered, Sir."

"Have a seat, Colonel," AJ said without looking up from his papers. "I just had a call from Captain Cooper at Norfolk."

"Commander Bailey's CO, Sir?" clarified Mac.

"That's right. It seems that Rabb and Turner have already paid him a visit."

"Yes, Sir. They were at Norfolk most of the day today, Admiral."

"Any particular reason you didn't go down there with them, Colonel?"

Mac raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I had Tiner block your calendar for Monday, Admiral, so we could go to Norfolk together. I assumed that you'd want to be present to question Bailey. Was I wrong, Sir?"

AJ shook his head. "Not wrong. I'm just concerned about waiting that long to talk to him... and to the others down there. I don't want anyone surmising that we don't think we have a case... or that we think we have an airtight case."

"Admiral, if you'd prefer I conduct the interviews on my own, I don't have a problem with that. I can go to Norfolk tomorrow, Sir."

"No, I'd actually prefer to go with you, and tomorrow is out for me."

"Yes, Sir, I know. That's why I set it up for Monday. Tiner said you have to be at the Pentagon most of the day tomorrow."

AJ groaned, "Yes, I do. And I have a sneaky feeling that Senator Bailey is going to be there, too... putting the screws to Sheffield."

"Admiral, maybe it would be better if I go on down to Norfolk tomorrow anyway, Sir. We can still go back on Monday. But that way, should anyone suggest that the prosecution isn't taking the case seriously, you can tell them that I'm there..."

"No, Mac. I'm not going to coddle the SecNav or some sap of a Senator who thinks he owns the Navy. You have everything set for Monday; we'll go on Monday," he said, the decision made.

"Very well, Sir."

"In the meantime, have you found anything we can use?" he asked.

"Actually, no, Sir. There are a lot of people who've come forward on Bailey's behalf. They've all given statements that indicate he's innocent. And Harm and Sturgis seem convinced of it, too, Sir."

"That figures. There were six of them at the Academy... inseparable, from what I hear."

"Six, Admiral? Harm, Sturgis, Bailey. That's three. I would assume Luke Pendry and Keeter would be two more," Mac said as AJ nodded. "But who was the sixth?"

AJ looked straight into Mac's eyes as he said quietly, "Dianne Schonke."

Mac was glad she was sitting down. She'd almost forgotten about her look-alike... her now dead look-alike.
Mac sat in her own office some time later remembering the night on the dock in Norfolk. She and Harm watched a man fall into the water and be crushed by a ship... the very man who had murdered Dianne. And then Harm kissed her. She had relished that kiss, and hoped for more. But when he looked up and realized whom he'd kissed, she knew it wasn't meant for her. "I know. You were kissing her," she'd told him, giving him an excuse. Mac knew then that Harm would never really be able to love her; he would always see Dianne. That hadn't stopped her from falling for him, though. 'Sure am glad I got over that infatuation!' she thought to herself. 'Just wish I had before I blurted out to Sturgis how I felt last year!'

Mac's thoughts veered off to another man. A more powerful man than any she'd ever known: AJ Chegwidden. A man of strength, of courage and honor, of principals. 'Yeah, principals. That's why he didn't kiss me,' Mac thought, remembering the encounter in the Admiral's bedroom several years ago. 'He almost kissed me.' "Almost only counts in horseshoes," she mumbled aloud.

"You been playing horseshoes lately, Mac?" Harm quipped, standing in Mac's doorway.

She looked up, startled. "How long have you been there?"

"Minute or two. You looked pretty deep in thought; I didn't want to disturb you."

Mac sighed. "I was just thinking of... um..." she blushed.
"Oooh! So it wasn't work you were concentrating on, eh?" Harm teased.

"Not exactly, no," she replied, trying to busy herself to cover her embarrassment.

"What exactly, Mac?" he pressed.

"None of your business. Are you on your way out?" she changed the subject.

"Yep. You leaving soon?"
"Just let me lock up and I'll walk out with you," said Mac.

"How about we grab a bite at the new Mexican place on Columbia?" he offered. "My treat."

"Why? What are you up to?" she asked warily.

"Just want to know who you were thinking about to make you blush so, Mac," Harm teased.


Friday, 18 October 2002
0915 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"Tiner, if the Admiral calls in, I need to speak with him," instructed Harm.

"Actually, Sir, he's talking to the Colonel right now," Tiner replied.

"Oh! Great..." Harm headed for Mac's office. He spoke quietly, "I need to talk to him when you're finished."

Mac nodded her understanding and continued her conversation with the Admiral. About 10 minutes later, as they were ready to hang up, she remembered just in time, "Oh! Admiral, Harm said he needs to talk to you. Do you have time now, Sir?"

AJ sighed. "Not really, no. But go ahead and transfer me in there."

"Aye, Sir. See you tomorrow evening, Admiral." Mac pressed the Transfer button on her phone set and dialed Harm's extension. When he picked up, she told him she was transferring the Admiral to him, and then she hung up.

"Admiral?" Harm asked to be sure the connection was there.

"I'm here, Commander. Make it quick."

"Sir, Mac mentioned last night that you have a couple of tickets to a play for tonight. She said she didn't think you were going to be using them, and Mac really wants to go. So I thought I'd see if you'd sell them to me, Sir. And I'll surprise Mac with them."

AJ grinned in spite of himself. 'Mac mentioned the play to Harm, did she? And that I had tickets? She must really want to go.' "Sure, Harm, that would be fine; Mac will enjoy the play, I'm sure. But you can just have the tickets." As Harm began to argue, AJ continued, ignoring his protests, "I'll be tied up here most of the day, and the tickets are at my house. You'll have to swing by to get them on your way to the theatre."

"Can do, Admiral," Harm said cryptically.

"Mac just walk in?" AJ asked perceptively.

"That would be a yes, Sir."

"Don't forget, Harm. Mac doesn't like surprises very well. Be sure you tell her what you're planning. She'll be more than a little upset if you don't tell her and she's not dressed appropriately."

"Good point, Sir. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Admiral."

Harm hung up and looked at Mac. "How would you like to go to that play tonight, Mac?" he grinned.

"The play? You mean 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?" Mac clarified. Harm nodded. "Really?" Mac looked so happy. Harm was glad he'd decided to ask the Admiral about the tickets. "Are we going with the Admiral and Meredith?"

"No, Mac. Just the two of us. We're using the Admiral's tickets."

"I still can't believe Meredith didn't want to spend a romantic evening with..." she blushed as she realized what she was about to say. She finished, "Shakespeare."


Friday, 18 October 2002
1715 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Petty Officer Tiner rushed out the door and ran down the steps. He couldn't wait for the elevator; if he did, he'd surely miss the Commander. He bolted out the front door of the building and into the parking lot, just as Harm was pulling his SUV out of its parking place. Harm braked and lowered his window. "Tiner! You trying to get yourself killed?"

"Sir! No, Sir! Just trying to catch you, Commander!" Tiner said in a rush. "Senator Bailey just called and insists that you and Commander Turner meet with him and Commander Bailey tonight, Sir."

"What?! That's absurd!"
"I'm sorry, Sir. Commander Turner is talking to the Senator now," Tiner said, nodding toward the JAG Ops windows upstairs. "The Commander asked me to catch you before you left, Sir."

Harm pulled his SUV back in the parking place and followed Tiner back inside the building. When he reached the bullpen, Sturgis was just hanging up the phone. "What is this about the Senator wanting us to go to Norfolk tonight, Sturgis?"

"He's insistent on it, Harm. Says that Scotty forgot to tell us about something, and he wants to get it off his chest. Tonight."

"Damn! I have a date with Mac tonight, man. I can't just..."

"With Mac?"

"Yeah. What's so strange about that?" asked Harm.

"I didn't know you two were actually dating," Sturgis replied.

"Well, we're not, actually. But I thought we might... you know... test the waters?"

Sturgis shook his head. "Harm, ol' buddy... you'd better tread softly where that woman is concerned."

"Why? What do you mean?"

Sturgis just shook his head. He'd promised Mac that he wouldn't tell Harm about her feelings for him. And he'd kept his word for almost a year now. He actually thought that Mac had changed in her feelings for Harm; he wasn't sure why, but he was almost sure she had. And now to find out that she'd accepted a date with Harm. 'This is worse than a roller coaster at an amusement park!'

"I guess I'd better call Mac and cancel," Harm muttered as he walked back to his office. "She is not gonna be happy." Harm picked up his phone and dialed Mac's home number. Busy. "That's odd," he said aloud. "She has Call Waiting. I wonder why it didn't ring through?" Harm then tried dialing Mac's cell phone. He heard it ringing through the receiver... and in the next room. "Damn! She forgot it... it's in there on her desk," he realized. He tried her home number again. Still busy.

"Let's get going, Harm. I want to get back before midnight if possible," said Sturgis.
"Couldn't reach Mac. Why don't you go on down by yourself, Sturgis? Scotty won't care if I'm not there..."

"No way, Rabb! If I go, you go. So get a move on. I'll drive."

En route to Norfolk, Harm tried calling Mac from his cell phone every 5 or 10 minutes and got a continual busy signal. "I wonder if her phone is just out of order?" he wondered aloud.

Friday, 18 October 2002
1725 EDT
Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment
Georgetown, Washington, DC

Mac realized when she was almost home that she'd forgotten her cell phone at the office. She decided she wouldn't need it tonight; Harm would have his. She could just swing by the office on Saturday and pick it up. She also realized that she'd forgotten to submit the final reports on three of her cases from this week. "What on earth was I thinking about, to forget all this?" she asked herself as she connected her laptop and dialed through to the office computer. "Shakespeare!" she giggled, remembering how she almost embarrassed herself last night thinking of the Admiral.

Mac kicked off the first report and went to her bedroom to strip out of her uniform. She walked back out to the table and checked on the report's progress. "I really need to get a cable modem," she mused as she saw that the phone line was connected at only 28K. "It's going to take forever at this speed," she moaned. Mac went back to her bedroom and proceeded to take her shower. When she dried off, she went back to check the progress on the computer. The first report was just finishing, so she kicked off the second and returned to the bathroom.


When 1845 rolled around and Harm had still not been able to reach Mac, he decided, "I'd better call the Admiral... let him know we won't be using the tickets." He dialed the Admiral's home.

"Chegwidden!" AJ answered on the second ring.

"Rabb here, Sir. Senator Bailey called, Admiral. Sturgis and I are on our way down to Norfolk to meet with the Senator and Scotty tonight, Sir."

"What!? What the hell happened?" AJ asked.

"I'm not really sure yet, Admiral. Something about Scott's not having told us everything and wanting to talk about it tonight. The Senator didn't really give us much of a choice, Sir."

"So I guess you won't be needing the theatre tickets, hmm?" AJ asked unnecessarily.

"No, Sir. I'm afraid not. But Admiral, I haven't been able to reach Mac. She left her cell phone at the office, and her home phone is ringing busy... I think it must be out of order. She doesn't talk on the phone this long to anyone... not even Chloe. And she has Call Waiting, so if she was on the phone, it wouldn't ring busy... it would ring through."

"She's probably on the computer," offered AJ.

"Sir?"
"When she's on the computer, dialed to the office anyway, she has to disable Call Waiting. That makes her phone ring busy. Mine does the same thing," AJ explained.

"I never thought of that, Sir. That's probably it."

"What time were you supposed to pick her up?"

"1930, Admiral."

"Okay, Harm. I'll be sure she knows what happened and that you won't be there," AJ offered.

Mac carefully applied her makeup. She wanted to look especially nice tonight. "Why?" she wondered. "It's just Harm." When she finished with that, she looked through her dresser drawers trying to find just the right underwear. "Where are they?" she muttered, pawing through the delicate lingerie. "Ah! Here they are!" She pulled out a skimpy black lace bra and matching thong panties. When she donned those, she went back to the computer and started the third report.

She looked through her closet and pulled out her favorite little black dress with the low scoop neck. It was simple, sophisticated, and sexy... all rolled into one. She slipped it over her head and zipped the back. She dug through her jewelry box until she found her white gold snake chain and black onyx pendant. She pulled the chain through the bale on the pendant and fastened it behind her neck. "Now for the earrings. Which ones?" she asked herself, pulling out several pairs in white metal. She decided on a pair of white gold stampato; they complemented the pendant perfectly. She preferred her arms and hands bare of jewelry with this dress. She pulled out her strappy black sandals and slipped them on her feet.
"I wonder if I'll be too cold in this dress?" she wondered aloud. "It is awfully lightweight... I guess I'll take a sweater with me, just in case I need it," she decided. "Of course, I could just use that as an excuse to get Harm to put his arm around me!" Mac stopped in her tracks. "Where the hell did that come from?" She looked in the mirror. "You decided you weren't in love with Harm... not six months ago! And he's never going to see past her to love you! So what exactly do you want from him, anyway?" she asked her reflection. "The hell if I know," she muttered under her breath.

Mac disconnected the phone line from the computer and shut it down, just as the doorbell rang. "Perfect timing! Wait a minute... 1925? Harm's never early," she realized as she went to the door. She peered through the peep hole and was surprised to see the Admiral. She pulled the door open. "Admiral! This is a surprise, Sir."

AJ stood in the doorway, unmoving. He stared at Mac; his eyes traveled down her body and back up to her face, pausing momentarily at her bust line. "You're gorgeous, Mac," he breathed... then realized to whom he was speaking. He cleared his throat and stumbled out, "I... umm... I'm sorry... You look... absolutely beautiful, Mac."

Mac smiled brightly. "Thank you, Sir. You look very nice yourself, Admiral. You and Meredith going out after all?" she asked, admiring how handsome he looked in his dark gray suit and tie.

AJ didn't answer her question right away. "Harm's been trying to call you since 1730. It seems he and Sturgis were summoned to Norfolk this evening by Senator Bailey." He watched Mac's smiling face fade into a frown.

"He's not coming?"

"I'm afraid not, Mac. I'm sorry. You were obviously looking forward to an... enchanting... evening," he said softly.
Mac sighed heavily. "I don't know why I would have been, Sir. We've never had one yet. And I'm not really sure I even want one anymore, to tell you the truth." Mac noticed AJ shift his weight from one leg to the other. Assuming he was anxious to get back to Meredith, she said, "Thank you for coming by to tell me, Sir. I'm sorry you had to go out of your way to..."

AJ interrupted her. "Actually, Mac, I was... um... rather... hoping... you'd let me take Harm's place this evening," AJ said haltingly.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"I'm sure my company isn't what you hoped for and it certainly won't be an enchanting evening... for you, but..." AJ pulled the theatre tickets out of his suit pocket. "Shakespeare, Milady?" he grinned.

Mac's jaw fell open. "You mean... you're taking me?" she breathed.

"If it's okay with you. Yes," he nodded.

"But... what about Meredith?"

"Meredith didn't want to go; remember?" He paused before continuing. "Do you, Mac? Do you want to go? With me?"

"Absolutely, Admiral," she breathed.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yes, Sir. Let me just get my purse and we can leave," she said, not believing this was really happening. 'Enchanting, did he say? Oh God, this has to be an enchantment; It can't be real! I'm going out with the Admiral!' she thrilled. Now she was especially glad she'd taken such pains with her toilette this evening. Mac didn't even think about her sweater lying on the bed in her room.

Friday, 18 October 2002
2215 EDT
The Lansburgh Theatre
Washington, DC

Mac sat next to AJ, listening intently to the actors. Helena was speaking now:

"Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?
When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?
Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,
That I did never, no, nor never can,
Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,
But you must flout my insufficiency?
Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do,
In such disdainful manner me to woo.
But fare you well: perforce I must confess
I thought you lord of more true gentleness.
O, that a lady, of one man refused.
Should of another therefore be abused!"


As Helena left the stage, Lysander stepped forward and spoke:

"She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there:
And never mayst thou come Lysander near!
For as a surfeit of the sweetest things
The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,
Or as tie heresies that men do leave
Are hated most of those they did deceive,
So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,
Of all be hated, but the most of me!
And, all my powers, address your love and might
To honour Helen and to be her knight!"


Lysander exited the stage as Hermia awakened.

"Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best
To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!
Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!
Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:
Methought a serpent eat my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.
Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! Lord!
What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?
Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
No? then I well perceive you all not nigh
Either death or you I'll find immediately."


The curtain fell after the second act and the lights came up quickly. AJ turned to find Mac brushing away tears from her cheeks. "Mac? You okay?" he asked, concerned, pulling out his handkerchief and handing it to Mac.

"Thank you, Sir," she nodded, accepting the offered piece of cloth. "I forgot about that scene," she hiccupped. "It hit a little too close to home this time."

AJ nodded, thinking she must be referring to her last year's wedding fiasco. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked. She shook her head. "They have non-alcoholic beverages, Mac. Probably anything you'd want. You sure?"

"Maybe a gingerale?" she asked.

AJ turned surprised eyes to her as he extended his hand to help her stand. "I've never known you to order a soda before, Mac. Just tonic water with lime."

"I don't usually, Admiral." She did not want to tell him that she needed the gingerale to settle her stomach. She really had the butterflies tonight. "Where do we go?" she asked, hoping to avoid further discussion about her choice of beverage. She was sure he couldn't possibly know what she was thinking of as being "too close to home" in that last scene. 'Surely he thinks I meant Mic and Harm. God, I hope he thinks I meant Mic and Harm! If he has a clue that I meant him and Harm...'

"It's right through these doors, Mac."

"But that's not where everyone else is going." Then it dawned on her. "This is an exclusive reception room, isn't it, Sir?"

AJ nodded. "Comes with the seats, Mac. When I see a Shakespeare play, I want to be able to really see it. All the nuances the players put into their acting... and I want to hear the quiet asides they almost whisper sometimes."

"Our seats are what they call the Dress Circle, aren't they?"

AJ nodded again. "That's right."

"I usually sit in the nosebleed section," she grinned. "I'll have to come with you more often." AJ turned surprised eyes to Mac and she blushed furiously, realizing what she'd just said. "Oh, Admiral! I didn't mean... I was just..."

AJ laughed and put his arm lightly around Mac's waist guiding her to the refreshment table. "Not a problem, Mac. I wish you could come with me more often," he whispered for her hearing only. Mac felt a tingle run down her spine at his words.

When they finished their drinks and had visited the private rest rooms, AJ and Mac returned to their seats. Rather than sitting immediately, however, they leaned against the back of the seats in front of them and looked around the theatre. "See anyone you recognize, Sir?" she asked.

AJ shook his head. "Nope. Rather unusual, too. I usually run into at least a dozen people I know when I'm here. You see anyone you know?"

"Not a soul, Admiral. But you know, actually I did see someone in the ladies' room I think I should have known. I've seen her before, I do know that. I just couldn't quite place her. She looked at me the same way."

"Maybe it'll come to you..." AJ suggested. The lights began to dim, so AJ and Mac turned around and sat down. As Act III began, Mac felt a sudden chill and shivered. AJ noticed and leaned over to his right.. "You okay?" he whispered.
"I should have had that gingerale without ice, I guess. Now I'm cold," Mac said as she crossed her arms and rubbed them lightly. "Forgot my sweater." AJ quietly removed his suit jacket and put it around Mac's shoulders. She leaned to the left toward him to make it easier for him, and then she pulled the jacket close to her. "Thank you, Sir," she whispered.
She could see AJ nod to her, but he didn't speak again. The play continued, and Mac was lost in the dream world that was Shakespeare. As Titania's fairies cast their spell on the lovers, Mac sighed, bringing a quiet chuckle from a man sitting on her right. She blushed in the darkness and felt AJ's right hand come to rest on her left knee. She looked up at him and smiled.

"That's my favorite part, too," he whispered in her ear.
Mac felt his breath in her ear and down her neck, and it sent another chill down her spine. She pulled his jacket closer and breathed deeply to calm her emotions. But that only served to stir them more as she smelled AJ's scent on his jacket. She realized that his hand was still on her knee. 'Should I?' she wondered. 'Oh why not... just do it!' And Mac moved her left hand to rest on his hand. She felt him stiffen for just a moment, and then he relaxed.
As Act V began, AJ turned his hand and clasped Mac's with his, truly forgetting whom he was with. He began moving his fingers unconsciously, tracing patterns on her palm and skimming the length of her fingers. His mind was concentrating on the play, but his body was concentrating on his actions, not even thinking about whose hand it was he was playing with.
When the play concluded and the audience rose in a standing ovation, AJ was surprised to find himself holding Mac's hand... and even more shocked to find his pants were most uncomfortable. 'Geez! How the hell am I going to walk out of here?' he groaned to himself. 'I sure hope Mac doesn't realize my problem. God, would that be embarrassing to explain: "Excuse me, Colonel, but playing with your hand gave me a hard-on." Yea, right, I can see myself telling her that! Shouldn't have even been holding her hand... what the hell was that about?'

As the others in the theatre began to file out, AJ turned to Mac. "You in a hurry?" he asked.

She shook her head as she removed his coat from her shoulders and handed it back to him. As their hands brushed, they looked into each other's eyes. "Thank you for the jacket, Sir," she breathed.

"You're welcome," he answered softly. "I'm surprised you didn't get cold earlier in that dress. It's lovely, but there's so little of it," he teased lightly, smiling at her.

"Well, if it isn't Admiral Chegwidden with his Chief of Staff!" a familiar voice said from the next row. "This is a surprise!"

Mac and AJ turned to see Clayton Webb with his mother. "Hello, Webb," Mac said, trying to smile... and now remembering where she'd seen the woman from the ladies' room before. 'Webb's mother!'

"Good evening, Webb. Porter, nice to see you again. It's been a long time," said AJ gallantly.

"Yes, it has, AJ. You're looking well," Porter offered. Then she turned to Mac. "I thought I recognized you earlier in the powder room, my dear. But I wasn't sure..."

"I had the same thought, Mrs. Webb," Mac smiled. "I even told the Admiral that I thought I should have recognized you."

Webb interrupted the women and addressed AJ. "I didn't know you two were seeing each other."

"You know better than that, Webb," Mac snapped at him.

"Do I?" he drawled.

Porter Webb looked from her son to Mac and then AJ. 'I wonder why he's baiting them so?'

"Yes, you do," AJ added emphatically.

Webb nodded. "Yes, you're right, actually... I do. And I must say you've certainly not given anyone anything to gossip about tonight. Except the mere fact that you two are here together. But you've certainly kept your distance and your hands to yourselves. Pretty amazing feat, too... with Mac in that dress."

"And you would know that, how, Webb?" Mac asked, annoyed, but concerned.

"Saw you as you came in tonight. Then as you sat there waiting for the play to begin. And during the intermission. Waiting for the second half to start. And now," Webb detailed. "Nope. Nothing... well, except that you ended up with his jacket on," he winked at Mac.

"I was cold. Forgot my sweater at home," she explained, glad he didn't know they'd held hands through the last act.

"Shame to have had to cover the dress up anyway. You really do look magnificent tonight, Mac. So, where's Harm? I thought he was your date tonight?"
"He and Sturgis are in Norfolk this evening. Rather sudden trip," she rolled her eyes.

"What... so he sent the Admiral in his stead? What's that... like sending his father to take out his special girl just to be sure you don't go with someone else?" Webb laughed, shaking his head.

His mother grinned at AJ. She had noticed what her son evidently had not. AJ had quite a raging erection bulging in his trousers when they first spoke to him. 'Father?' she thought. 'Not quite. More like sending the more experienced, far more attractive and eligible older brother! Bad move, Commander Rabb!'

The four of them left the theatre together and walked to the valet parking area. "So, are you stopping anywhere for dessert, AJ?" asked Webb. He turned to the valet, "Blue Mercedes SL55 Convertible. Virginia plates."

AJ looked at Mac. "Would you like anything, Mac?" He then turned to the other valet, "Black Cadillac Escalade. Virginia plates."

"Clayton has promised me Café La Ruche tonight. Come join us, won't you?" Porter offered graciously.

Mac smiled. "Truthfully, Admiral, I'd love to go for some dessert. But I think..."

AJ interrupted her. "Wonderful. I've always enjoyed Café La Ruche myself. We'll meet you there, Webb."

"But, Sir..." Mac started to protest.

"Mac, if you'd prefer to go home, that's one thing. But let me worry about anyone gossiping about seeing us together, okay?" AJ said seriously. "You're an officer in my command. My girlfriend wasn't able to come tonight. Your... umm... well..." he stumbled. "Harm wasn't able to come tonight. So we attended the play together. Very simple explanation."

"But Café La Ruche, Sir?" whispered Mac as the valets pulled up with both vehicles.




Friday, 18 October 2002
2355 EDT
Café La Ruche
Washington, DC

The foursome entered the exclusive French café together. It had been years since AJ came here, and Mac had never had the luxury. It became evident very soon, however, that Webb was a frequent guest.

"Nous sommes quatre ce soir, Emile," Webb told the Maitre D in flawless French. ("There are four of us tonight, Emile.")

"Très bien Monsieur Webb. Juste un instant et je change votre table." The Maitre D returned, saying, "Si vous voulez bien me suivre?" ("Very good, Mr. Webb. Just one moment and I'll switch your table. ... If you will follow me?")

As they walked through the elegant cafe, AJ recognized several of the patrons. 'Oh God... maybe Mac was right. I probably should have just taken her straight home. This isn't going to be easy to explain.'

As they reached their table, Webb pulled out a chair and smiling said, "Mac?" Mac glanced quickly at the Admiral, but she accepted the chair Webb held for her. He leaned over and whispered as she sat, "Too many people here who know AJ... don't want to give their tongues any tales, Mac."

AJ hid his surprise well at Webb's move, and he pulled out the chair opposite Mac, saying, "Porter?" The women realized quickly that they'd just effectively been swapped.
The waiter immediately brought a carafe of water with lemon slices. "Que puis-je vous servir?" ("And what may I bring for you to enjoy?")

Webb answered, "On prendra de la Crème Brulée avec Les Prunes a la vanille de Poached et Feijoa Sorbet tout autour, Jean-Claude. Et une bouteille de Cordier Laufaurie-
Peyraguey Sauternes... quatre-vingt-dix quatre. Oh, et une boisson non alcoolisée appropiée à ce dessert... pour mon invité." ("We'll have Crème Brulee with Vanilla Poached Plums and Feijoa Sorbet, all around, Jean-Claude. And a bottle of Cordier Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes... '94. Oh, and a glass of something non-alcoholic that will complement the dessert... for my guest.")

"Excellent choix, Monsieur Webb," the waiter intoned, glancing at Mac. ("Most excellent choice, Mr. Webb.")

"Il prend si bien soin de moi," Mac smiled, reaching out and laying her hand on top of Webb's. ("He takes such good care of me.")

AJ raised his eyebrow in question. 'What the hell are they saying?' he wondered.

Porter turned to AJ, "So, tell me, AJ... you said your girlfriend wasn't able to come this evening. Who are seeing now? Do I know her?"

"I doubt it, Porter. Actually, Mac introduced us a few months ago. Her name is Meredith Cavanaugh. She's a literary professor... teaches Shakespeare," AJ replied.

"Teaches it! Oh, then she'll be sorry she missed tonight's performance," Porter offered.

"Actually, she didn't want to come tonight," AJ said sheepishly. "She gets enough of him during the week, I guess."

"Can one ever get too much of Shakespeare?" sighed Porter.

AJ shook his head. "Not to my way of thinking."

Porter laughed and laid her hand on AJ's. "Nor to mine, AJ. Nor to mine."

Webb looked at his mother talking so freely with AJ... then laying her hand on his. And now AJ was turning his hand and holding his mother's hand! 'Good God! Surely he's not going to make a play for my mother! Right in front of me? I'll kill him!'

Mac realized what was going through Webb's mind as she watched the play of emotions on his face. Just as she was going to suggest that they dance to get Webb away from the table, AJ asked Porter, "Would you like to dance, Porter?"

Porter's face lit into a brilliant smile. "I'd love to, AJ."

Mac sensed that Web was about to come out of his seat, so she quickly put her hand on his thigh and rubbed it up and down... immediately bringing his attention back to her. "Mac?"

"You looked like you were going to pounce on him there for a second, Clay. I was just trying to keep you from it," Mac offered by way of apology, quickly removing her hand.

"Oh, please... don't feel you have to stop," Webb grinned wolfishly.

Mac blushed. "I didn't mean it that way, Clay..."

"I know," he let her off the hook. "So, you and Rabb are finally getting together, hmm?"

"I doubt it," she said. "Something always comes between us. I don't think we were meant to be together."

Webb whispered, "But you wish you were."

Mac looked into his eyes. "I don't really know anymore, Clay. I honestly don't know anymore."

"He's not good enough for you, Mac." She turned hurt eyes to him, but he continued. "Mac, you know I like Harm... he's my friend. My good friend. But he's just not good enough for you. You deserve better."

Mac almost snorted. "Yeah, like who?" Webb glanced out to the dance floor and nodded. "Don't go there, Clay. That's not a possibility," she hissed.

"I know that, Mac," he whispered. "And I would never say a word to anyone else about it. But he's the one who would be perfect for you." Then he said so softly, she almost didn't hear him, "Damn well wish it could be me."

The waiter served their dessert just as AJ and Porter returned to the table. "Webb, this was an excellent choice," complimented AJ, as he took his third bite. "I wasn't quite sure what I was getting after you ordered in French, but I must say, I'm impressed."

Porter beamed in pride, "Clayton is always an excellent judge of food and wine... and people."

AJ raised his eyebrow at the last word. He glanced at Mac and saw her blushing. Then he looked at Webb and saw a smirk on his face. AJ leaned over toward Porter and said, "Looks like we might have returned to the table a little too early."

'If he only knew why she was blushing,' thought Webb.

As they were finishing their dessert, AJ felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder as he heard a voice he recognized all too well. "AJ, old man! I thought it was you out there dancing a while ago."

AJ turned in his seat to see the former Secretary of the Navy. AJ rose from his chair, as did Webb, when they realized Mrs. Nelson was with him. "Mr. Secretary. Mrs. Nelson. Good to see you, again, Sir. Ma'am," AJ said. "Mrs. Nelson, may I introduce..."

But she interrupted him. "Oh, AJ, I know everyone here. Hello, Porter. Mac. Clayton," she nodded to each of them. "It's good to see you all."

"Hello, Elaine." "Ma'am." "Mrs. Nelson," they intoned.

The former SecNav turned to Mac and said, "I understand you gave my replacement an earful the other day, Colonel." He grinned widely, "Good for you!"

AJ chuckled, "That she did, Sir."

"And he called her a secretary, I understand? And thought she was going to be a man? Ha!" Nelson continued. Mac blushed slightly and nodded. "Bet he won't make that mistake again, will he?" Nelson laughed.

"I seriously doubt it, Sir," agreed AJ.

"Well, we won't keep you. Just wanted to say hello," Nelson said, putting his arm around his wife's waist.

"Good night, Sir. Ma'am." "Good night."
"Glad you came over, Mr. Secretary," said AJ.

"AJ, you're going to have to stop calling me that," Nelson chuckled.

AJ grinned. "Old habits die hard, Sir."

"Some are better off dead," Nelson said, nodding. "Come, my dear. I believe you promised me a little something when we get home," he whispered in her ear... but the others heard him.
She blushed slightly and slapped his arm gently. "Alexander! They'll hear you," she scolded as they walked away.

"They certainly seem happier than they have in years," said Porter. "I think Elaine is very glad that Alex isn't the SecNav anymore. He's home a lot earlier... she sees a lot more of him."

AJ wiggled his eyebrows and joked, "Sounds like they're going to see quite a lot of each other tonight, too!"

Both Mac and Webb had just taken sips of their drinks... and both now choked on them. Porter just laughed. "Yes, AJ, I think you're right!"


Saturday, 19 October 2002
0205 EDT
Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment
Georgetown, Washington, DC

AJ pulled up in front of Mac's apartment and turned off the engine. "I'd invite you up for a nightcap or something, Sir, but..." Mac hesitated.

"But it's awfully late, and I probably shouldn't be going in your apartment at this hour, hmm?" he grinned.

"Admiral, I just don't want anyone to..."

AJ interrupted her, "And I appreciate that, Mac." He opened his car door and was around to Mac's side before she realized it. He pulled her door open and offered his hand. "However, I will see you safely to your door... even if you are a Marine and can take care of yourself," he teased.

Mac smiled. "Thank you, Sir." They walked up the steps and into the building. "Thank you for taking me tonight, Admiral. I had a..." she hesitated. "An enchanting evening."
AJ recognized his own words. "I'm glad, Mac. And it was my pleasure, believe me," he whispered, standing so closely behind her, she could feel his breath on her neck.

She slowly turned around to face him, doing her best to control her urge to fling her arms around his neck and kiss the life out of him! "Well, good night, Admiral."

What Mac didn't know was that AJ was fighting a similar urge... to pull her into his arms and bury his tongue in the recesses of her mouth. "Good night, Mac. See you tomorrow evening."

"This evening, actually, Sir." Mac unlocked her apartment door and stepped inside. She turned back to watch as AJ strode back down the steps and outside to his waiting vehicle. "Damned regs!" Mac swore as she closed the door.


Saturday, 19 October 2002
0720 EDT
Sarah MacKenzie's Apartment
Georgetown, Washington, DC

Mac awoke hearing someone banging on her front door. She rolled over and slipped her robe on and slid her feet into her scuffs. "Who the hell is that at this hour on a Saturday morning?" she mumbled as she walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw Harm. "Harm!" she exclaimed, opening the door. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

Harm grinned from ear to ear and pulled a paper bag from behind his back. "I brought Cinnabons!"

"But Harm, it's not even 0730!" Mac complained.

"Mac, I'm sorry about last night. Really, I tried to get Sturgis to go without me, but he insisted that if he had to go, so did I. Actually, he and Bobbie had a date last night, too... he called to cancel on our way to Norfolk... while I was trying to reach you." Mac finally stepped aside and let him come in; he obviously wasn't taking the hint that she wanted to sleep some more. "The Admiral did reach you, didn't he, Mac?" He saw Mac's nod and continued, "I tried calling him back later to be sure he did, but all I got was his answering machine. And his cell was turned off. I guess he and Meredith ended up going somewhere."

Mac shook her head. She might as well tell him; he'd find it out anyway. "No, they didn't..." she started to say.

But Harm interrupted her. "They must have, Mac. Maybe since we weren't going to use the tickets, he convinced her to go after all... you know, at the last minute."

"No. He was with me," she said, taking the bag of cinnamon rolls from Harm. "Let's eat these before they get cold."

"With you? What do you mean, Mac? You worked on the case last night?

Mac set the bag on the kitchen table and started making a pot of coffee. "We went to see the play, Harm. The Admiral showed up instead of you at 1930... well, actually, he got here at 1925... and we left for the theatre."

"But Mac, he's your CO. Did you run into anyone you knew? Did anyone see you together?"

"Harm, it was very obvious to anyone that we weren't on a 'date'. I mean I called him 'Sir' and 'Admiral' all night. And yes, we did see a few people we knew. Actually, Webb and his mother were there... we even went for dessert with them afterward... and ran into the Nelsons."

"The SecNav Nelsons?" Harm asked incredulously.

"Not anymore, remember? The new one thinks I'm a secretary," Mac giggled, remembering how Alexander Nelson seemed quite pleased that Mac had set the new man straight.
"Mac, I can't believe you and the Admiral went out together like that! And then for dessert..."

Mac grinned. "Actually, I think he might just call Webb's mother for a date," she said conspiratorially.
Harm raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Mac nodded, "Yep. Webb sat me at the table, and the Admiral sat Porter... and then they teased each other... and danced with each other... and flirted..." Harm's jaw fell open. "Webb was having a fit! It was hysterical! I thought he was going to deck the Admiral at one point!" Mac laughed.

"That's amazing!" Harm said. "So, Webb brought you home, eh?" Harm felt a twinge of jealousy.

"No, the Admiral did. Webb took his mother home," Mac said, her hand covering her mouth as she yawned.

"Just what time did you get in, Mac?" Harm asked.

"0205."

"Good God, Mac! What if someone saw you out with him that late!?"

"Harm, the Admiral told me to let him worry about it. And that's exactly what I'm doing. I did as he asked last night, Harm. And he behaved like the perfect gentleman that he is... and he didn't forget that he's my CO," Mac said emphatically. 'Well, except maybe once... that was a pretty large rod he had in his pants when the show was over after he'd been making love to my hand!' "You can ask Webb; he even commented on how 'un-date-like' we behaved."

"And you enjoyed the play?" Harm asked.

"Immensely!" Mac gushed. "It was a wonderful production. Absolutely fabulous!"

"Well, okay... Hey! You're already on your second roll and I haven't even started yet!"

Mac laughed, "Ya snooze, ya lose, Flyboy!"

Saturday, 19 October 2002
1858 EDT
Chegwidden Residence
McLean, Virginia

Mac rang the doorbell and waited. It took AJ a minute before he came to the door. He was wiping his hands on a kitchen towel as he nudged the door open with his foot. "Come on in, Mac. Dinner's almost ready."

"You didn't cook, did you, Sir? I could easily have just stopped and picked up..."

"I enjoy cooking, Mac. Well, to be truthful, only every now and then," he chuckled.

"And I guess this is one of the 'now' times?" she smiled, enjoying the aroma of fresh onion and garlic permeating the room.

"That it is. Make yourself comfortable, Mac. We have a long evening ahead of us," AJ said, returning to the kitchen.

"Can I do anything, Sir?" she offered, following him to the doorway.

"Sure, if you'd like. Pour the iced tea and get the garlic bread out of the oven," he instructed.

Mac opened the oven door. "Mmmm, this smells divine," she purred. "What else did you make, Admiral?" she asked as she pulled the garlic bread from the oven and placed the pieces in the waiting basket.
"Veal parmigiana with spaghetti, tossed salad with fresh Italian dressing, and the garlic bread. Oh, and tiramisu for dessert. I hope that's okay. I know you love meat, so I thought the veal might be good."

"Oh, Admiral... it's perfect! I love veal parmesan!"

"Parmigiana," AJ corrected with a smile.
Mac laughed. "I didn't correct you last night, Sir!"

"What? When I butchered the name of that wine?" he laughed.

"Yes! I thought Webb was going to bust a gusset laughing so hard!"

"Which one? Clay or Porter?!" AJ snorted.

AJ carried the tossed salads out to the dining table and Mac brought the pitcher of iced tea and basket of bread. "Admiral, wouldn't you normally be drinking a rosé with veal?" she asked as she filled her glass with the amber liquid.

"Normally, yes. But I'm having iced tea tonight," he said.

"Admiral, I don't mind if you drink. Really," Mac offered.

"We have a lot of work to do tonight, Mac. I'd prefer to not have alcohol making my brain the least bit fuzzy," he explained. "Iced tea is fine."

She nodded and poured his glass of tea. He went back to the kitchen for the tray of veal just as the phone rang. "Mac would you grab that, please?" AJ yelled.

"Certainly, Sir," Mac replied heading for his desk. She picked up the receiver. "Admiral Chegwidden's residence. Colonel MacKenzie speaking."

Meredith's voice came over the wire. "Mac? Hello!"

"Meredith, hi! How are you? How was your flying lesson?"

"Oh! It was spectacular!! I can't wait to go again. Harm was absolutely wonderful... did he tell you how I flew us upside down?" she gushed.

"No, actually... I haven't talked to Harm since this morning. You flew upside down, huh? Wow. Better you than me," she muttered.

AJ heard her comments as he brought the dinner to the table. "Dinner's ready, Mac."

"Oh! Did I call just as you were going to eat? I'm sorry. I guess AJ did tell me you'd be there at 7:00. I was thinking 7:30. Silly me. But Mac... tell me... how did you enjoy the play last night? Did they give a good performance?"

"Oh, Meredith, it was wonderful. They were so good! You really should have gone."

"But if I'd gone, you wouldn't have seen it," Meredith said graciously. "And I'd have been too tired to go flying today!"

"And flown upside down," Mac laughed.

"True! Well, I'd better let you go. Just tell AJ I said hello. I'll talk to him tomorrow. I know the two of you will be completely consumed in your work tonight."

"Unfortunately, that's true, Meredith," Mac agreed.

When they hung up, AJ shook his head. "She didn't fly upside down on purpose, Mac. It was an accident. And then she started a nose dive! Harm couldn't get her to let go of the stick! Finally she did and he got control back. Then she stepped on the rudder! God, I thought they were both goners for a minute!" AJ smirked. "Good thing Rabb is such a good pilot."

"Just wish he had the balls to say no to his CO once in a while, eh, Sir?" Mac chuckled.

"You got that right, Mac!" AJ replied, laughing.

When they finished dinner, they made quick work of the dishes and moved to the living room. Mac spread out her papers and findings on the coffee table and went over each item carefully. Before either of them realized it, it was well past midnight.
AJ shook his head. "Mac, this case is not going to be easy to win."

She nodded. "I know that, Sir. There just isn't enough evidence to convict Bailey. Not without an eyewitness. And so far, no one has come forward."

"Probably because of the Senator," AJ surmised.

Mac sighed. "I'm hoping that we'll find someone... or something... when we're in Norfolk on Monday, Sir."

"Let's hope so, Mac. The SecNav called me this afternoon. They're pushing for an early court date."

"How early?"

"Monday, week."

"You don't mean 28 October?" Mac asked in amazement.

AJ nodded. "That's the date."

"Admiral, there's no way we can be ready by then! Who agreed to that?"

"Sheffield," he said in disgust. "He has the impression that if you go to court sooner, the prosecution has a better chance of winning."

"What law school did he go to, Sir?" Mac asked in confusion.

"He didn't, Mac. My point exactly."

"I don't see how..."

"Mac, we're going to have to work every night next week on this. I'm reassigning all of your other cases."

"What will Harm and Sturgis say to that, Sir?"

"I'll be reassigning most of theirs, too... or at the very least, delaying them. With Bud out and Singer gone," AJ shook his head, "I just don't have enough lawyers to go around. "Manetti will be taking your cases, and I'm going to attempt to get Mattoni back on a TDY for a few weeks. Let's just hope we don't get anything in next week that can't wait," he muttered.

"Well, Sir, I'll be available to meet with you whenever you have time..." Mac began.

"Every night this week, Mac. Count on it. And probably next weekend." AJ remembered what Meredith had planned. 'Hmm, good... I won't be able to do all that nonsense with her!'

"What about tomorrow, Sir?"

"Well, there really isn't much more we can do at this point until we've talked to the defendant and the others in Norfolk. So enjoy your day off tomorrow, Mac. We'll leave for Norfolk at 0600 on Monday from the office."

"Very good, Sir."

"I guess we can call it a night, then," AJ said as he stood up and stretched.
Mac gathered her papers and tried to keep her eyes off of her CO's body. 'And what a gorgeous body it is, too,' she sighed to herself.

Monday, 21 October 2002
0945 EDT
Norfolk Brig
Norfolk, Virginia

"What do you mean he refuses to talk to us?" bellowed AJ.

"I'm sorry, Admiral. That's what he says. He refuses to talk to anyone without one of his lawyers present," said the guard.

AJ turned angry eyes to Mac. She explained quickly, "Admiral, I spoke with Commander Bailey on the phone on Friday. He assured me that he would be happy to talk with us this morning... and he did not see the need for Harm or Sturgis to be present. I explained to him why he might want one of them here, but he said that Harm had assured him we wouldn't trick him into saying something detrimental, and he saw no reason to drag either of them back down here."

"Well, he damn sure changed his mind over the weekend, didn't he, Colonel?" He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed JAG Headquarters. Tiner answered, and before he'd even said his name, AJ barked, "Get Rabb on the phone. Now!"

"Admiral! Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!"
Not 30 seconds later, Harm was on the phone. "Rabb!"

"Either get on the phone to your client and convince him to talk to us, Commander, or get your ass down here inside of an hour!"

"But Sir," Harm started.

"No 'buts', Commander. That's an order!" AJ pushed the Off button. "Let's go see Captain Cooper. He doesn't have a choice as to whether to talk to me!" AJ grumbled as he grabbed his cover and briefcase.

Meanwhile, Harm got on the phone and dialed the Norfolk Brig. "I need to speak with my client ASAP. Commander Scott Bailey. This is Commander Harmon Rabb."

A couple of minutes later, Harm heard Scott's voice. "Hi, Harm. What's up?"

"What the hell are you doing, Man? Refusing to talk to the Admiral?"

"Dad told me on Saturday that I shouldn't talk to anyone, especially not the prosecuting attorneys, without either you or Sturgis here."

"You knew you had a meeting with them this morning, Scotty. Why didn't you call me and tell me so I'd go down with them? You have any idea how pissed the Admiral is right now?"

"Dad told me not to worry about the Admiral. And to delay talking to them as long as I can. So that's what I'm doing, Man."

"Well, you're not really doing anything but making enemies, Scotty... and that's not a good thing to do... make an enemy of a two-star. Either you talk to them now, or I head down there and you talk to them when I arrive in an hour."

"Takes longer than that to get here from there, Harm."

"Not when the Admiral orders it, it doesn't," Harm said. "And what do you mean, your dad told you to delay talking to them? Why would he say that?"

"Dad says the trial is going to be a week from today. The longer I go without talking to them, the less time they have to prepare their case. And they lose. Dad's pretty smart about those things, you know."

Harm shook his head in frustration. "Yeah, and they lose because of that... all they have to do is request an appeal. ANY judge will grant it on those grounds, Scotty. And an appeal will give them all the time they want. Your Dad doesn't know military law or military judges. Now what'll it be? You gonna talk to them? Or you gonna make me risk life and limb to get there in an hour?"

"See you when you get here, Harm," Scott quipped, hanging up.

"Damn!" Harm swore as he slammed the phone down. He yelled to Tiner as he threw his papers in his briefcase, "Tiner! Call the airfield and tell them I need a helo to Norfolk. I have to be there within the hour. Chegwidden's orders."

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

"And have a driver at the Norfolk pad when I arrive, Tiner! I need a ride to the brig. A fast ride!"

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

Harm ran down to his vehicle, threw his briefcase in the back and his cover on the seat, and jumped in. He raced to the airfield, and found the helo powered up and ready to leave. "Thank you, God!" he mumbled as he grabbed his things and ran to the helo pad.

The helo landed on the Norfolk pad at 1040, and sure enough, there was a car and driver waiting for Harm. He jumped in the car, "Let's go!"

"The brig, Sir?" the driver confirmed.

"Yes, on the double!" Harm pulled his cell phone out and dialed Mac's cell number.

"Colonel MacKenzie," she answered.

"Mac, it's Harm. Where are you?"

"Waiting for you at the brig, Flyboy. You'd better get here quick!"

"I'm on the base. Just landed... hang on." He turned to the driver. "How far away are we?"

"Only about 3 minutes, Sir."

"Make it 2, Petty Officer," Harm insisted. "I'll be pulling up in 2 minutes, Mac."

"You'd better. Your hour is up then."

"Yeah, I know," Harm groaned.

As the Petty Officer slowed the vehicle, Harm grabbed his briefcase and jumped out before they even came to a complete stop. "Thanks, Petty Officer!" he yelled as he ran up the steps to the brig. As he rushed through the doors, he called to the guard behind the desk, "Admiral Chegwidden! Where is he?"

"Interrogation room number 1, Sir. It's just..." the guard stopped talking as Harm ran past him.

Harm reached the room and knocked on the door before opening it. "Good morning, Admiral. Mac," he said calmly, but slightly out of breath.

"About time you got here," grumbled AJ. "Couldn't talk any sense into your client, hmm?"

Harm ignored the Admiral's words; he knew an opposing lawyer's barb when he heard one. And that was definitely one. Harm turned to the guard. "Bring Commander Bailey in, please. Let him know that his lawyer is here."

"Aye, aye, Sir," the guard said, and left.

"So, Harm. How many speed limits did you break getting to the airfield?" teased Mac. AJ looked at her questioningly... then as Harm replied, he shook his head in disbelief.

"Let me see... 50 in a 15, 50 in 25, 60 in a 35, 60 in a 45, and 90 in a 60. And that's not counting all the red lights and stop signs I ran," Harm moaned. "Sure am glad it was late enough that the school kids were already off the streets."

AJ glared at Harm. "Why the hell didn't you just have the helo pick you up at JAG, Rabb?"

Harm looked up with a shocked look on his face. "Oh," was all he said.

Mac laughed and shook her head. "I don't believe you, Harm! You actually drove to the airfield?"

The door opened and Commander Bailey was led inside. AJ immediately barked at the guard. "This man is a prisoner, Chief. Why isn't he cuffed?"

Harm and Mac tried to hide their grins. Normally the Admiral would have been glad to see that the guards hadn't cuffed an officer. But not after the stunt Bailey pulled this morning. Bailey stared at the Admiral; he didn't even glance at Harm or Mac.

"My mistake, Admiral," replied the Chief, taking the cuffs from his belt and putting them on Bailey's wrists.

"Admiral, are those really necessary?" asked Harm. "My client isn't a flight risk or dangerous..."

AJ glared at Harm. "Yes, Commander. They are necessary. He is a prisoner. Those are the rules. Remember?" AJ asked condescendingly.

Harm sighed as he turned to Scott. He shrugged, letting his friend and client know, 'Hey, you asked for it, Buddy!'

"Now, can we get down to it?" AJ barked.

"Certainly, Sir. Admiral Chegwidden, this is Commander Scott Bailey. Scott, Admiral Chegwidden and Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie."

"He knows who we are, Rabb. Get on with it."

"Aye, aye, Sir. As you are aware, my client prefers that either Commander Turner or I be present at all interrogations, Sir. Can't blame him for that, Admiral," Harm added.

"I can, however, blame him for wasting my time, Commander," AJ bellowed. "He told Colonel MacKenzie when she set up our appointment for this morning that he did not feel the need for your being here. If he changed his mind about our meeting, he should have had the decency as a Naval officer to inform us. Or at the very least, to inform you!"

Bailey cringed at the Admiral's tone. 'Uh oh. Maybe Dad was wrong this time,' he thought, never taking his eyes off the Admiral.
Harm was just about to counter the Admiral, when Mac quietly and professionally said, "Shall we begin, gentlemen?"
"Yes." "Fine." they chorused.
Scott was surprised that both men's hackles seemed a bit soothed by the Colonel's soft words. He turned and looked at her for the first time. "Jesus!" Scott rose from his chair and backed up to the wall, staring at Mac.
"Sit down, Mister Bailey!" bellowed the Admiral.

"Di... Di..." Scott stammered.

"Yes, Commander, if we can prove treason, you may well get the death penalty!" AJ informed him snidely.

"Di... I didn't... I... Jeeeesus!" Scott continued to stare at Mac and could hardly complete a word, let alone a sentence.

Harm suddenly realized what the problem was. He rose and stood in front of Scott. "Scotty, she's not a ghost. You're not seeing Dianne," he said gently. "This is Sarah MacKenzie. She's a ringer for Dianne, yes. But she's not Dianne."

Scott looked at Harm. "And you work with her? See her every day?" Scott asked. Harm nodded. "God, how do you do it, Man?"

"Mac isn't Dianne, Scotty. She's a completely different person. Different personality entirely. Only the looks are the same."

"Yeah... but what looks!" Scott breathed.

Harm grinned. "You always were a little jealous, weren't you, Scotty?"
Scott looked sheepishly at Harm. "You knew about that, huh?"

Harm nodded. "Yeah. Everybody at the Academy knew about that." Harm put his hand on Scott's shoulder. "Come on, Man. Sit down and let's get this meeting over with."

"Still don't know how you do it. Geez, Harm, you were in love with Dianne. How do you stand it?"

"Like I said, Mac is different. She's her own person and... she's just... well... Mac!" Harm stumbled.

"Well said, Commander," muttered AJ. "Can we get down to business now? You can discuss your love life later."

Just as Mac was going to begin her questions, Scott asked Harm one more question. "But how do you do it, Harm? Kiss this one and not see Dianne?"

AJ and Harm both inhaled sharply at Scott's question, but Mac answered quite simply, "He doesn't. It's quite obvious when he's kissed me that he was really kissing Dianne."
AJ was shocked, to say the least. 'Good God! No wonder they've never gotten together!'
Harm looked at Mac, bewildered; he'd only kissed her twice to his recollection. And yes, the first time, he had been kissing Dianne. But not at her engagement party last year... on the Admiral's porch... that had been Mac all the way... 'Surely she knows that?'
Scott, on the other hand, was now satisfied.
"Now, Commander Bailey..." Mac began her questions.


Monday, 21 October 2002
1335 EDT
Norfolk Naval Base
Norfolk, Virginia

AJ, Harm, and Mac finished eating their lunch in the Officer's Club on base. "What's next?" asked Harm.

Mac grinned. "For us," she nodded at the Admiral, "more interviews this afternoon. For you? You get to find a way back home."

"I just figured I'd wait and ride back with the two of you," Harm said. "If that's okay with you, Admiral?" he added.

AJ shook his head. "No can do, Rabb. We drove down in Mac's vehicle, not mine."

Harm gulped. "You mean there's no room for me?" he asked Mac.

"That's what it means," Mac said flippantly. "You oughta know how little room there is in a 'Vette!"

"I'd suggest you start looking for a ride home, Commander," offered AJ. "There's probably someone heading up to the DC area this afternoon or tonight."

"Sir, I could just jump the helo back..."

AJ shook his head. "No need for the extra expense there, Rabb. Find a ride." AJ stood and laid his napkin on the table. "Colonel? What time are our interviews over today? I'd like to take a look at the harbour where all this smuggling took place."

"The last interview is at 1500, Sir. We should be finished by 1530."

"Good. Good. Plenty of time for the harbour."
Mac waved to Harm as they walked out of the club. When they were outside, she started to laugh. "I can't believe you did that to him, Sir!"

AJ grinned evilly. "It was pretty nasty of me, wasn't it..." he chuckled. "Serves him right."

Mac felt the need to defend Harm... a little bit... especially after saying what she did about him. "He really had no way of knowing that his client changed his mind, Sir..."

"Hell, Colonel, I didn't mean for that! I meant for kissing Dianne instead of you!"


Monday, 21 October 2002
1540 EDT
Norfolk Harbour
Norfolk, Virginia

AJ and Mac walked around the grounds. The harbour was large; there were lots of people milling about by the waterfront. "Most of them are tourists, I'd bet," said Mac. "Probably only here for the day."

"True," AJ agreed. "But there are people who are always here, Mac. Dock workers, local business people who eat their lunch by the water, mothers who bring their youngsters to the park every day..."

"Waiters from the restaurants here on the water," added Mac. They both watched as an elderly man dressed in a ragged coat dug through a garbage can. "And the homeless," she added sadly.

"But how do we know who knows anything?" AJ asked, shaking his head.
"We need more time, Admiral," said Mac. "Isn't there some way to delay the proceedings?"

AJ shook his head. "The Senator and the SecNav are adamant that it begin on Monday."

"With what little we have, Sir, it'll be over on Monday, too!"

AJ nodded. "We'll have more by then, Mac. We have a week." He nodded toward a bunch of people in the park. "Let's go see if any of them remember seeing anything."




Wednesday, 23 October 2002
2230 EDT
Chegwidden Residence
McLean, Virginia

They thought they'd have the week to prepare. But they didn't. When the liquid oxygen was contaminated and Commander Phil Zuzello lost consciousness and was medivac'd to Bethesda, AJ knew the case couldn't wait. He'd assigned Harm and Mac because he had to. AJ really had no choice. He and Mac still met each night to work on the smuggling case, but they were getting no where, fast.

AJ looked up from the papers he was studying and saw tears streaming down Mac's face. He set the papers down and moved closer to her on the sofa. "Mac? What is it?" he asked, concerned.

She looked up at him with her tear-streaked face. "How could she do it?" Mac gulped.

AJ was at a loss. He didn't have a clue what Mac was talking about, nor why she was so upset. "Mac, I'm sorry. I don't know who you're talking about." He took the papers from her hands and laid them on the table, then he turned back to her. "Tell me, Mac," he encouraged.

"Jeannine Zuzello," Mac hiccupped. "She actually signed the papers to let her husband die. How could she do it?" Mac's tears came in earnest, flowing freely down her cheeks.

AJ knew the problem now, and he knelt in front of Mac, pulling her forward into his arms. "It's okay, Mac. Let it out. Cry. You need this," he whispered to her as he hugged her tightly and rubbed her back. AJ let her cry for a couple minutes before he began talking again.

"You know, Mac, it took a lot of love and courage for Mrs. Zuzello to do what she did. She obviously loved her husband very much... but their love wasn't a selfish love. Keeping someone alive on a machine... when there's no hope for them to recover... or in this case, to even regain consciousness... that's selfish love. The person looking on can't stand the thought of losing the one they love. But they don't consider their loved one. Mrs. Zuzello did consider him. He wouldn't have wanted to live like that, surely. And he wouldn't have wanted to put her through that either. I believe that, Mac. I really do. Her love wasn't selfish."

Mac looked up into the Admiral's eyes. "I know," she sniffed. "I just don't know that I could do it. I don't think I'd have the strength... the courage... to let the man I love die... to sign his life away."

AJ nodded. "You're a strong woman, Mac. You'd do the right thing."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm a strong Marine... but I'm not a strong woman. I'm a courageous Marine... but I'm not a courageous woman. I don't think I could do it."

AJ gently brushed her hair from her face and wiped her tears with his thumb. "You said it at the hospital, Mac. Which is worse? Kissing your husband goodbye in the morning and never seeing him again... or signing his life away at a hospital?"

"I'd rather kiss you goodbye and never see you again," Mac whispered. "I don't think I could watch you die," and her tears started anew.

AJ was sure Mac didn't realize that she had intimated that she wanted him as her husband. He was just as sure that she didn't actually mean it that way. So he pulled her back into his embrace and rocked her as she cried.

Several minutes later, Mac pulled back and sniffed. "I'm sorry, Admiral. I can't think what came over me, Sir. I guess it was just..."

"Not a problem, Mac," AJ interrupted her, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. He nodded toward the bathroom. "Why don't you go freshen up a bit? You'll feel better."

"Thank you, Sir." AJ stood and offered his hand to Mac to help her up from the sofa. She smiled her thanks and headed for the bathroom. As she closed the door and looked in the mirror, she gasped, suddenly remembering what she said. "Oh my God!"

Thursday, 24 October 2002
0835 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Harm strode into the break room to get his morning cup of coffee. "Mac!" he exclaimed, seeing her pouring a cup for herself.

"Good morning, Flyboy," she replied.

"Where've you been hiding? I haven't gotten you at home one night this week."

Mac turned to Harm. "Harm, you know very well that the Admiral and I have been working long and crazy hours on the Bailey case. Monday we were in Norfolk until very late. Tuesday night we were here in the law library; last night we were at his house. Tonight, I believe we'll be sequestered away at my apartment," she groaned.

"That bad, eh?" teased Harm.

"Bad?" she asked.

"You groaned when you said he'd be at your place tonight, Mac."

"Oh that. No... it's just that I don't know what to make for dinner. I hate to get pizza, but... I'm really not going to have time to do anything else."

"Pizza always works for us, Mac," Harm reminded her.

"Yes, but he made veal parmesan on Saturday. From scratch. And last night, he made chicken divan. I hate to just order a pizza."

"Well, you'll think of something, Mac," Harm told her. "How about lunch today? I want to talk to you about..."

"Can't do it, Harm. Not this week. Not with the Bailey trial and the Moritz trial, too."

"I still can't believe I was fired from that case," Harm muttered.

"Severed," Mac corrected, grinning.

"Whatever."

AJ walked into the break room just as Harm and Mac were leaving. "Pizza sound good for tonight, Colonel?" AJ asked her.

"Excuse me, Sir?"
"Pizza. I thought I'd stop and pick up a couple of pizzas on my way to your apartment. If that's acceptable?"

"But, Admiral... it's my turn to..."

"Nonsense! You're doing far more than your share of the work on this case, Colonel. The least I can do is feed you!" AJ interrupted. "Meat lovers?" Harm laughed at the smile that covered Mac's face. "I take it, that's a 'Yes'?" AJ asked.

Mac nodded. "Yes, Sir. Meat lovers will be just fine. Thank you."

The rest of the day flew by, and there wasn't a soul at JAG who wasn't amazed at the outcome of the Zuzello case. The very idea that Albrecht intentionally tainted their oxygen supply and then stayed at 45,000 feet... watching his friend lose consciousness... "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" asked Harm of the ship's Captain after Albrecht was arrested and taken to the brig.
Friday, 25 October 2002
1145 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"Somebody order double anchovies?" asked Bud as he and Harriett entered the bullpen. Harriett had 5 large pizza boxes in her arms.

"Bud!" "Welcome back, Bud!" people exclaimed from all over the bullpen. "Looking good, Lieutenant!"

AJ made his presence known, too, welcoming Bud back to the office, even if only for a brief visit.

"Would you like some pizza, Admiral?" Bud asked him.

AJ frowned and shook his head. "No thanks." He turned to go back to his office, but stopped and said to Bud, "Next time you're in the office, I expect to see you without those crutches." AJ smiled at the young crippled officer.
"Yes, Sir!" Bud agreed, pulling his crutches aside and coming proudly to attention stance.
As AJ returned to his office, Harm took the pizza boxes from Harriett. "Pizza party!" he called, and most everyone gathered around to partake of the food.

"I wonder why the Admiral doesn't want any pizza?" asked Sturgis.

"Perhaps he doesn't enjoy pizza, Sir?" suggested Commander Manetti.

"Oh, he likes it all right, Tracy," replied Mac. "But I think he's had his fill for a while," she grinned, taking two pieces and putting them on her napkin.

"Uh oh. Mac... what'd you do last night? Challenge him to a pizza eating contest?" asked Harm.

Mac grinned. "Let's just say the first thing he asked Tiner for this morning was the bottle of Rolaids!"

"I should have warned him about you and pizza," Harm quipped.

"How do you spell relief?" giggled Harriett remembering the old TV commercial.

Bud answered, "R - O - L - A - I - D - S!" and they all laughed until they heard the Admiral bellow from inside his office.

"Tiner!! Where the hell did you put that bottle of Rolaids!?!"



Friday, 25 October 2002
1715 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Mac knocked on the Admiral's office door. "Enter!" he barked.

Mac opened the door and walked inside, coming to attention stance in front of his desk. "Reporting as ordered, Sir."

AJ looked up from his papers. "Have a seat, Mac. I'll be with you in a minute."

Mac did as she was ordered. As a minute stretched into five, Mac began to feel slightly uncomfortable. She wondered if perhaps the Admiral had forgotten that she was there. Yet she didn't want to interrupt his train of thought... he was obviously engrossed in what he was reading. After another five minutes, Mac thought perhaps she should clear her throat or something to make herself known. Just as she was about to do so, the intercom buzzed. AJ punched the button on the speakerphone. "What, Tiner?"

"Ms. Cavanaugh is here to see you, Sir."

"Give me just a minute, Tiner... then let her come in," AJ instructed him. He disconnected the line and looked up, surprised to see Mac. "Good God! I forgot you were sitting there. Why didn't you say something, Mac?"

"You were so intent on your reading, Sir. I didn't want to disturb you," Mac replied. "Did you need something, Admiral?"

"I was just going to suggest that we take a breather tonight for a few hours... and then meet back here at the law library around 2100."

Mac looked surprised. "Oh. I thought..." she started, but stopped as the office door opened and Meredith entered.

"AJ, I'm sorry I'm a little early, but..." she started talking as she pranced inside. "Oh! Mac! I'm sorry, AJ; I didn't realize you were having a meeting."

"We're just finished, Meredith," AJ said standing and walked around to the front side of his desk to greet his girlfriend.

"That'll be fine, Sir. Will that be all, Admiral?" Mac asked, standing up.

AJ nodded, "Dismissed."

As Mac pulled the office door closed behind her, she saw AJ take Meredith in his arms and kiss her soundly.

She returned to her office and sighed. "I knew better..." she shook her head.

"Knew better than what, Mac?" asked Harm, standing in her doorway.

Mac looked up, shrugged her shoulders, and shook her head. "Than a lot of things, Flyboy," she tried to laugh. "You need something?" she asked.

"Do you have the Connors file?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Mac said. She rummaged through the stacks on her desk and then her drawers. Finally finding it, she handed it to Harm. Thinking he left her office with the file, she turned to look out the window.
But Harm hadn't left. He walked up behind her and put his hands on her waist. Neither of them noticed the Admiral walk in. He was just going to speak when he heard Harm ask, "How about dinner tonight, Mac? You name the place. Anywhere you want to go." He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Anywhere at all, Mac."
Mac turned around and smiled up into his face. "How about a Japanese steak house? I haven't been to one of those in ages. And they have meat for me and veggies for you."

"Beni Hana's it is," Harm said putting his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. "Are you okay, Mac? You seem a little down all of a sudden."
Mac replied, "I have to be back here by 2100 is all, Harm."
AJ was surprised at Mac's words. He thought she'd almost been enjoying their working together. Sure, they were late nights and it was hard work, but last night... having a pizza eating contest... he was just so sure...

"Hey, that's right! You were supposed to be cooking tonight, weren't you? You were all excited about it earlier..." Harm remembered.

"No big deal. It probably wouldn't have been edible when I finished with it anyway," Mac said softly.

AJ groaned inwardly. 'That's what it is. I insulted her. I didn't even remember she said she wanted to cook tonight. Damn!'

"What were you going to cook?"

"Filet mignon and lobster tails," she answered. AJ berated himself even more.

"Wow!" Harm exclaimed. "Trying to impress the boss, eh?" he teased.

Mac gave him an exasperated look. "I ordered them from Omaha Steaks; they come frozen. And they give you the cooking directions, so I figured maybe they'd taste okay... even if I cooked them."

"So what happened?"

"We're taking a few hours off, that's all. And meeting back here instead of at my place. I think he's taking Meredith out for dinner tonight."

"You're probably relieved, huh?" Harm said, knowing she was disappointed, but trying not to let her know that he knew.

"Yeah. Relieved," Mac agreed. "So, let's get out of here," she said, pulling back from Harm... and seeing the Admiral in her doorway. "Admiral!" she exclaimed. Harm jerked away from her. "I'm sorry, Sir; I didn't see you. Did you need something?"

AJ shook his head. "No, Mac. I just thought... well, never mind. 2100 in the law library."

Meredith walked up behind him then. "Mac, feed him well! And don't let him eat so much pizza next time. He's taken half a bottle of Rolaids today!"

Mac turned puzzled eyes on the Admiral and then Meredith. AJ took Meredith's hand and said, "Say goodbye, Meredith."

She giggled and replied, "Goodbye, Meredith!" Then with a little wave, she followed AJ out of Mac's office.

"What was that about, I wonder?" asked Harm.

Mac shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows with Meredith? She's a nut."

"You about ready to go, Mac?"

"Just have to visit the ladies room, and then I'm ready." Mac headed out of the bullpen and rounded the corner just behind Meredith. They entered the ladies room together. "So, where are you two going for dinner tonight, Meredith?" Mac asked her friend.

Meredith turned surprised eyes to Mac. "Who, two?"

"You and the Admiral, of course."

"We're not, Mac. I have an evening seminar to lead. One of the other professors called in sick, so I'm doing it for him. That's why I came by here early... to tell AJ I had to cancel our dinner. He said you two would just have dinner and get started earlier than you planned."

"Oh," Mac intoned. 'Well, if he wants to do that, he'd better say something fast. Otherwise, I'm going to dinner with Harm!'

When Mac returned to the bullpen, Harm and AJ were talking. Mac went to her office, picked up her cover, and approached the men. "Ready?" she asked Harm, expecting the Admiral to say something to her.

"For you, Mac? Always," Harm smiled.

"I wish that were true, Harm," Mac said softly, realizing now that the Admiral wasn't going to say anything. 'Or do I?' she wondered to herself. As they were leaving the bullpen, Mac said, "Harm do you mind if we run by my apartment first? I'd really like to change clothes."

Continue to Part II