| Subject: Worth the Wait- Ch. 8 |
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Grandma JAG
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Date Posted: 23:20:22 10/26/02 Sat
In reply to:
Grandma JAG
's message, "Worth the Wait" on 22:59:22 10/26/02 Sat
Chapter 8
JAG Headquarters
25 March 2002
0800 hours
Harm knocked on the door of the Admiral’s office. “Enter,” responded the Admiral from inside. Harm took a deep breath as he entered the Admiral’s office.
Admiral Chegwidden looked up from his desk, surprised to see Harm standing there at attention. “At ease, Commander. It’s rather early for you, isn’t it? What can I do for you?
Harm sat down across from the Admiral and smiled. “First of all, Admiral, welcome back. I’d like to talk to you about something personal, if I may.”
“Oh, all right, Commander. How are the wedding plans coming?” The Admiral hoped that something hadn’t fallen apart while he was gone.
“Everything is really falling into place, sir. We even found a house to buy! It’s going to take some work, but Sturgis and I are going to work on it in the evenings and weekends to get it livable in the next month,” Harm said excitedly.
“Well, I have purposely kept your and Mac’s case load fairly light because of all the planning you’re doing, but I don’t think I can spare you anymore time than that........,” the Admiral couldn’t believe that Harm was asking for more time off. Where did he think he was--------a private law firm or something?
Harm looked puzzled for a moment as he let what the Admiral said sink in. “Oh, no sir, it’s nothing like that. With daylight lasting longer and three free weekends, I’m sure we can get it ready in time. No, I’m here on an entirely different matter.”
“What is it, son?” The Admiral couldn’t imagine what was on Harm’s mind.
“Well, sir, when Mac was planning on marrying Mic, she asked you to give her away at the ceremony,” Harm hesitated, not sure how to approach this.
“Yes, that’s right,” the Admiral wondered what the problem was.
“And I know she is planning on coming in here this morning to ask you if you would do the honors at our wedding,” Harm continued.
“And do you have a problem with that, son?” The Admiral didn’t know what Harm was getting at.
“Oh, no sir, nothing like that, Admiral,” Harm went on hurriedly. The last thing he meant to do was offend his CO. “It’s just that I found out that her Uncle Matt is up for an early release from Leavenworth, and I was hoping that you might know someone in a position to help win approval for his parole. I know nothing would make Mac happier than to have her Uncle Matt give her away. Not that she wouldn’t be honored to have you walk her down the aisle......”
“I understand, Harm,” the Admiral smiled, enjoying watching Harm squirm. “Family is important, and Mac has gone most of her life without one. As a matter of fact, I do have an old SEAL buddy who serves on the parole board. Let me give him a call and see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” replied Harm. “And thank you, sir, for easing our case loads a little. We will make it up to you.”
“You bet you will!” retorted the Admiral, smiling. “Now, get back to work, Commander, before I dig up another case for you.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Harm saluted as he was dismissed.
As he walked back toward his office, he bumped into Mac just arriving at hers.
“You’re here mighty early, sailor,” Mac teased. She looked over to the direction Harm was coming from. “Is the Admiral back? I need to talk to him about giving me away at the ceremony.”
“I just left him, and he was about to make a long-distance phone call.” Harm wanted to stall her to give the Admiral time to, hopefully, arrange for Uncle Matt’s parole. He wanted to surprise Mac with the news. “It might be awhile.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll catch him later. Important case?” Mac glanced at the file in Harm’s hand.
“Oh, nothing I can’t handle with little or no difficulty,” Harm complained. He was anxious to get back to the more challenging cases, but right now, marrying Mac was his major focus.
“I know these cases must be boring for you, Harm. But it’ll only be for a little while longer. I kind of like the ‘stress-less you.’ We can talk about things other than law for a change,” Mac looked up at Harm with a smile.
“I know. It’s a nice diversion from the stressful cases we’ve both had the past several years. Boring is good------sometimes”, Harm smiled back at his bride-to-be. “Hey, remember our lunch date. We’re going to sign the papers at the escrow company today!”
“How could I forget?” Mac was starting to get excited about their new house, and the prospect of fixing it up together--after the honeymoon, of course. She just hoped that Harm and Sturgis were able to get it livable in the next three weeks. “Well, I’ve got to be in court in 23 minutes, so I better getting going,” Mac hurried into her office as Harm went into his next door. This was so cool, working next door to my future husband, Mac thought. Does it get any better than this?
JAG Headquarters
1600 hours
Harm looked up as Mac burst into his office, breathless. “Is the Admiral still here?” Mac exclaimed. “I was tied up in court all afternoon, so I haven’t even had a chance to talk to him yet.”
“I don’t know,” Harm replied, hoping that the Admiral had talked to his SEAL buddy and that things had been worked out. “I’m done here, so I’ll go with you.”
Together they walked to the Admiral’s office. Tiner was sitting at his desk as the two entered. He looked up at the couple, envious of their obvious happiness. He hoped he could find a girl like that some day. “Afternoon, Commander, Colonel,” Tiner said. “Did you need to see the Admiral?”
“If he’s in, Tiner,” Mac said, hopefully. She was anxious to get one more item crossed off her list.
Tiner pressed a button on the intercom and said, “Admiral, Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie to see you, sir.”
“Send them in,” the Admiral responded.
Harm opened the door for Mac and then followed her into the Admiral’s office. Together they snapped to attention as the Admiral said, “As you were,” and motioned for them to sit down. “Mac, I haven’t seen you since I got back, but I hear that the wedding plans are going well,” the Admiral started, since he knew what she was here about.
“Yes, sir, everything is really falling into place, amazingly,” Mac smiled. “There are just a few more details to take care of, and I’m hoping that you can help me with one.”
“Anything, Mac, just name it,” the Admiral said.
“Well, sir, you so graciously agreed to walk me down the aisle when I was planning to marry Mic, and I was hoping that you would consent to give me away this time,” Mac looked at the Admiral expectantly.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that this time, Mac,” the Admiral replied, afraid that if he looked at her, he might give away his surprise.
Mac’s smile turned to a frown, and then a look of bewilderment. “I don’t understand, sir. Did we pick a day that you can’t be there? Do you have another commitment?” Mac was almost in tears. What was she going to do now? Walk down the aisle by herself?
“No, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world!” The Admiral smiled at Harm, who didn’t dare to smile back. This sounds like good news, Harm thought to himself.
“Well, then sir, I don’t understand. Did I do something to offend you?” Mac was racking her brain to think of what she might possibly have done to cause the Admiral to not want to give her away.
“Mac, you could never do anything to offend me. It couldn’t please me more to walk you down the aisle and hand you off to this sailor, who has taken way too long to make this day possible. I just don’t think your Uncle Matt would appreciate me doing a job that is rightfully his,” the Admiral looked straight at Mac, as she tried to keep her composure.
“Uncle Matt? But he can’t, he’s in Leavenworth!” Mac was confused. She looked at Harm to see if he knew anything about this, but he was just looking at the Admiral.
“Well, as of next week, he’ll be a free man. It seems that the parole board met this morning and granted him early release. Since he’s been a model prisoner, and they don’t expect him to steal the Declaration of Independence again, he will be free next week as soon as they complete all the paper work.” The Admiral was now grinning from ear to ear. It was so nice to be able to relay good news for a change.
“And you know this because.......,” Mac stopped, waiting for a response, and looking again at Harm for a clue.
“Well, the Commander here made me aware that your uncle’s case was coming up for review, and I happened to mention that an old SEAL buddy of mine is currently serving on the parole board. So I made a quick phone call this morning to see if I could put in a good word. He just called me back a few minutes ago to tell me the good news,” the Admiral said, happy to be able to do something for his two favorite officers.
Mac restrained herself from hugging the Admiral, so she turned and hugged Harm instead. The Admiral looked away as if he didn’t see this interaction.
“Well, sailor, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Mac quipped.
“It’s only the beginning, Mac,” teased Harm. “There’s much more to come.”
Mac turned to the Admiral. “Thank you so much, sir. It means a lot to be to be walked down the aisle by my uncle, but I would have been just as happy with you by my side.”
“I know, Mac. But this is something for a family member to do, especially someone as special to you as your Uncle Matt. I was happy to be in a position to do something.” The Admiral sighed, actually happy that the pressure was now off him. Now he could just sit back and enjoy this wedding with everybody else.
“Now, you two get going! I’m sure there are better things for you to be doing besides keeping me here late!”
“Yes, sir!” They both snapped to attention and turned to leave the room. As they walked toward the elevator hand-in-hand, Mac said to Harm, “What do you mean, this is only the beginning? What other surprises do you have for me?”
“Well, aren’t we the anxious one? It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it? Guess you’ll just have to wait and see!” Harm smiled as the elevator opened. “Just wait and see.”
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