July 20, 2004
0800
Falls Church, Virginia
JAG Headquarters
Mac stared at the heavy vellum envelope sitting atop the pile of mail in her inbox. Her name was inscribed on it in handwriting whose elegance bordered on calligraphy. There was no stamp, so it had to have been hand-delivered. Puzzled, she reached for her letter opener and carefully slit it open. She tried to think of anyone she knew at JAG who might be getting married in the not-too-distant future, but she couldn't come up with anyone. Sturgis and Varese would probably be voted most likely to walk down the aisle in the next five years, but she wasn't willing to put money on it. As for her or Harm, well, little AJ would probably be married before either of them were. Sighing at the thought, she pulled the contents from the envelope. Mac's eyes widened as she read the enclosed card. Thirty seconds later, she was on her feet and heading toward Harm's office, card in hand. This was something he had to see.
Cue opening credits.
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****************
"Harm, did you get...Oh. I guess you did." Mac skidded to a halt in his doorway. Her partner was staring dumbfounded at the cream- colored invitation in his hand.
He looked up at the sound of her voice. "Come in and shut the hatch, okay?"
She complied, then took a seat in front of his desk. "So what do you think?"
"I think I better ask you to take Mattie shopping for something appropriate to wear."
She snorted. "What? You don't trust her judgment?"
"Not for a party at the Blankenships' I don't." Harm shook his head. "Mac, the guy is named John Carroll Blankenship the Fourth. This is not going to be a weenie roast. A tee-shirt and jeans is not going to cut it."
"You could let her stay home."
"I could. But it's my weekend to have her, and Jen will be at the party too. I don't want to leave her alone all afternoon."
"I'd be happy to stay home with her if you don't want to let her stay home by herself." Mac shrugged. "It won't bother me at all to miss it." The last time she'd gone to this sort of affair, she'd been a trophy on Mic's arm. She would gladly miss this party.
"Suck it up, Marine. You aren't using my ward to get out of a command performance." He grinned. "Besides, it'll be good for her to experience that sort of thing."
Mac's eyebrows went up. "Harm, she's fifteen. Were you 'experiencing that sort of thing' at that age?"
He nodded, his expression rueful. "Unfortunately, yes. Frank had a different social circle than my father had had. When he and Mom got married, I started having to go to a fair number of parties like this." Harm rolled his eyes. "The only good thing is that it helped me when I started having to go to dress events at the Academy."
"Far be it from me to deny Mattie any advantage for the Academy. We need all the female Marines we can get. I'll be happy to take her shopping." Mac laughed as he chucked a paper wad at her. "See you at staff call." She rose and left the room.
************
1800
North of Union Station
Harm's apartment
"Yes, Mattie, you have to go." Harm needed a cranky teenager on his hands about as much as he needed a minivan. It had been a long, tedious day at the office between trying to explain to Bud that "casual" on an invitation that had come straight from the engraver's did not mean cut-offs and a Star Wars tee-shirt and attempting to make sense out of the budget review that Admiral Blankenship had insisted only he could help with. Harm almost regretted helping the admiral's nephew in his custody case. If it hadn't been an old friend, he would regret it. Being on Admiral Chegwidden's blacklist was looking better than being on Blankenship's good list.
Mattie flounced over to the refrigerator and pulled out a diet Coke. She popped the top and drained half of it before she returned to the sofa. "Harm, can't you look at it from my point of view? You want me to go to 'garden party' with the JAG staff. In...a...dress. On a Sunday afternoon. I'll be the only teenager there. There will be a bunch of Navy lawyers, a handful of Marines, and some stuffy admiral and his social-climbing wife. If the Roberts bring their kids, I'll be lucky not to get stuck baby-sitting little AJ."
"Mattie, I promise you, that will not happen. If he really needs a keeper, I'll watch him." Harm had never wished for a beer so badly in his life.
"Better not let Bud or Harriet hear you say that." Mattie gave him a wicked grin.
"Why not?"
"Because, Harm, little AJ Roberts is the spawn of the devil. Remember that time you conned me into sitting for them?"
Harm nodded. "Yes. Was it really that bad?"
She rolled her eyes. "Harm, the kid decided that the baby needed to eat, so while I was changing Jimmy's diaper, AJ made him a bowl of rice cereal -- in a mixing bowl. He used the whole box. And mixed it up with milk from the refrigerator."
"That doesn't sound that bad, Mattie. At least he didn't use apple juice or something like that."
Mattie tried to keep her tone patient. "You really don't know much about babies, do you?"
"Why would I?"
"Good point. Anyway, babies don't drink milk, Harm. They either nurse or drink formula. Juice would have been okay. So after AJ's *help,* I couldn't feed the baby at all. Then he decided he better help some more, so he smeared the stuff all over the counter top trying to rinse it down the disposal. Like I said, spawn of the devil."
"Gotcha. Okay, I won't volunteer to watch him. Anyway, the admiral has kids a little older than you, so you won't be the only teenager there. I think one of them is a son." Harm gave her the look that no woman had ever been able to resist. "Mattie, I need you to go with me. Everyone is supposed to take their family."
She sighed dramatically and clutched her heart. "All right. But you're going to owe me. And I'll need to go shopping. I don't have a summer dress that would be appropriate for a 'gahden pahty.'"
"Mac said she'd love to take you." He arched a brow. "Unless you'd rather I took you to pick out a dress."
"That's okay, Harm. If the admiral has a son, I am not going to wear any dress that you pick out. Been there, done that, got the photos." She laughed at his pained _expression. "Do you want me to help you cook dinner?"
"You better believe it, especially after that last crack. I thought I bought you pretty dresses."
"You did, Harm. For a twelve year old." She ducked as he tossed a sofa pillow at her head.
************
July 22, 2004
1930
Bloomingdales Junior Department
Tysons Corner Center
"What about this one?" Mac pulled a navy blue dress off the rack.
Mattie considered it carefully. The dress had a tank-style top, a dropped waist, and knife pleats in the skirt. Contrasting white piping edged the neckline and the navy blue belt at the hips. "It might work. Harm likes navy blue, and I think he likes pleats." She giggled. "And it's not strapless."
Mac joined in her laughter. "You're a wise young lady, Mattie Grace."
"Yes, I am." The girl's eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "It would be fun to take one home though."
"Mattie..."
"Oh, come on, Mac. Where's your sense of adventure? Wouldn't you love to see if Harm's eyes would pop completely out of his head if he saw me in something like this?" She pulled a red dress off a different rack and held it up for Mac's perusal.
Mac had to giggle at the thought of Harm's reaction if he saw Mattie in the dress. The entire dress must have been all of two feet long, from the strapless top to the micro-mini skirt. She made her decision. "Tell you what, Mattie. Go try on both dresses and let me see you in them."
"Are you serious?"
Mac's eyes brimmed with laughter. "Yes. If they fit, we'll buy both of them, and you can model the strapless one for Harm. After we watch his reaction, you can show him the blue dress. I'll return the red one tomorrow after work."
The teenager laughed in delight. "Mac, you are the best. If you ever need a reference for anything, just let me know." She took the dresses and scurried off into the fitting room.
Mac shook her head and wondered just what she'd gotten herself into. It was highly probable that Harm would kill her before they got the chance to tell him it was a joke. On the other hand, it had been so long since she had seen him really laugh that it was worth the risk. She just hoped that his sense of humor was merely dormant, not MIA for good.
"Well, what do you think?" Mattie stood before her, the red dress barely covering her body. "Will Harm like it?"
Mac's eyes widened. "Mattie, that dress is positively..." She searched for the right word.
"Indecent?" Mattie suggested, a twinkle in her eye.
"Yes, in a decent kind of way. I mean, it does cover the essentials, but it certainly leaves nothing to the imagination."
"Very true. And it looks like if I exhaled too much it would fall all the way down." Mattie laughed as she twirled around. "This is going to be awesome."
"Mattie, I don't know. Do you think that we can convince Harm it was just a joke before he kills us both?"
The girl's giggle returned. "Yeah. I'm thinking it's more likely that we'll have to do CPR on him. Which part do you want? The C or the R?"
Mac prayed for strength. How on earth did Harm do it? The girl was irrepressible. "Mathilda..."
"Okay. I'll quit. I'll go try on the other dress." She slipped back into the fitting room.
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****************
2030
North of Union Station
Petty Officer Jennifer Coates stepped off the elevator in front of Commander Rabb's apartment. She was drawn to his open door by the sound of hysterical laughter. She didn't hear a male voice, however. Peeking into the room, she saw Mattie and Colonel Mackenzie holding onto each other as if they were unable to remain upright without the other's support. Tears were streaming down their faces, and their bodies shook with laughter. As she stepped into the apartment, she found Commander Rabb sitting on the sofa, his eyes as round as saucers and his mouth moving, but not making a sound. A trickle of orange juice was dripping off the edge of the coffee table from a bottle lying on its side. The commander looked as if he were about to hyperventilate.
Her first reaction was to grab some paper towels from the kitchen counter and try to sop up the spilled juice. Commander Rabb continued to stare at his ward, his breathing labored.
"Commander, are you all right?" Jen asked him, worried at his lack of response to the spilled bottle and her question. Curious as to the cause of his distress, Jennifer turned her attention back to the colonel and Mattie. She gasped herself as she took in the scrap of red fabric that her roommate was wearing. It dawned on her just what had happened. Mattie and Colonel Mackenzie had gone shopping for a dress for the admiral's party and had obviously found one so outrageous that the mischievous teenager had conned the colonel into letting her play a joke on her guardian, anticipating a reaction not unlike the one she had gotten. In her turn, Coates burst into laughter too.
"Mattie, why don't you go get the real dress?" she said before turning back to her nearly catatonic neighbor.
"Excellent idea. I think I'll join you." Mac followed the still giggling Mattie out the door.
Harm finally snapped out of it. "Jennifer, what was *that*?"
"I believe, sir, that it was a sundress."
"Mattie can't wear that to the admiral's party."
"No, sir, she can't. I seriously doubt that she is planning to. Didn't you notice how hard she and the colonel were laughing? I think they were pulling your leg." She started to laugh again. "Sir, if you could only have seen your face..."
"That bad, huh?"
"Like a landed trout, sir." She rose to put the soggy paper towels in the trash.
Harm looked around the apartment. "Where'd they go?"
"I suggested that Mattie go get the dress she is really going to wear. I'm sure she thought it would be fun to play a practical joke on you. She must have fooled the colonel, sir."
He ran his hand through his hair. "Thanks for cleaning up that mess. I don't know what happened. I saw her in that thing, and I lost it. Dropped the juice bottle, couldn't even talk."
"I noticed, sir."
He blew out a long breath. "But if you think that the colonel had nothing to do with it, think again. I wouldn't be surprised if it were her idea, not Mattie's." He chewed on his bottom lip. "You know, Jen, they really shouldn't be allowed to get away with it."
She shot a quick look at him and noticed a gleam in his eyes that she hadn't seen in over a year. "No, sir. They shouldn't." She grinned at him. "So what do you want to do?"
**************
Jen burst through the door to her apartment saying, "Colonel, come quick! The commander still isn't moving."
Mac turned to face her. "What!"
"I think he must have fainted. I'm not getting any response from him."
"Is he breathing?"
"Yes, ma'am. Maybe he hyperventilated."
"I hope that's what it is." Mac turned to go back to Harm's apartment with Jen and Mattie on her heels.
Harm was lying supine on the sofa, one arm dangling down toward the floor, his breathing shallow. His eyes were shut and his jaw slack.
"Oh no. I didn't mean to hurt Harm. I just wanted to make him laugh." Tears pooled in Mattie's eyes.
"I'm sure he's fine, Mattie." Mac tried to sound reassuring, but she was beginning to have some concerns herself. After all, Harm was forty. Although he seemed to be in good shape, ate right, and exercised, he did have a stressful job. Perhaps the sight of his ward in a dress no self-respecting streetwalker would wear had caused this reaction.
Mac darted across the room, her heart in her throat. "Jen, find the phone in case you need to call 911."
"Yes, ma'am." Jennifer bit her lip, but turned to look for the telephone handset.
"Harm, are you okay? Can you hear me?" She checked his carotid pulse. It seemed fine. She relaxed a bit and gently touched his cheek.
At her touch, he grabbed her waist and began to tickle her.
"Harm! Stop!"
She wriggled and tried to get away from his grasp, but he sat up and pinned her to the end of the sofa. He leaned forward, pressing her back against the cushions, his fingers dancing across her ribcage.
"Harm, please, stop." She gasped between giggles.
"Okay." He released her from his grip and sat back. "Just remember, Marine, paybacks are hell." Turning to face his ward, he said, "Nice dress, Mats. Nice prank too." Then he leaned back against the cushions and began to chuckle.
************ Commercial Break ********************
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*************
August 1, 2004
1615
Great Falls, Virginia
Harm pulled up across from the imposing Georgian style brick house that belonged to his new commanding officer. He whistled at the sight. A concrete circular driveway looped around the front yard that was shaded by stately oak trees. Grilled windows were set off by black shutters that contrasted with the deep red brick and the white trim. The driveway was already filled by the cars of his colleagues.
"Wow! Nice house," Mattie said.
"Not too shabby." Harm grinned at her.
"You think? Your whole apartment could fit in that house and have leftover space, Harm. Wow."
He chuckled at her comment. "You said that already."
Mattie shrugged her shoulders. "So I'm speechless."
"That'll be the day. Come on. Let's go join the party." He unhooked his seatbelt and climbed out of the Corvette. He circled the car and opened her door. "Time to meet the dragon, Mattie."
"Dragon? Are you trying to make me hide in the car, Harm?" She got out of the car and smoothed down her skirt.
Grinning at her, he said, "No. I'd hate for that dress to go to waste."
"So you like it better than the red one, huh?" She giggled at the horrified look that crossed his face with the memory.
"Need I remind you that you have yet to pay for that little stunt?" He placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked up the driveway.
She shook her head. "No, you don't. I'm sure that you are loving knowing that until the other shoe drops, I'm going to be nervous."
Harm clutched at his heart. "Mattie, you wound me. I would never, ever do anything you should be nervous about."
The girl snorted. "Yeah, right." She took a deep breath. "I told my dad about it."
"And?"
"And he said I owed you an apology. That it wasn't nice to worry you like that." She kicked a pebble. "So, I'm sorry. I really didn't think you would get quite so shocked. I thought you'd freak for a minute and then realize that I wouldn't really want to wear a dress like that."
"Apology accepted." He gave her a squeeze. "But your payback is still coming."
Mattie heaved a huge sigh. "Got it. So how long do we have to stay at this thing?"
"At least until someone else leaves."
"That's real clear." She rolled her eyes at him.
"Until after they serve the food." He looked down at her. "It won't be that bad, Mattie. You know most of the people already."
"Yeah, the devil's spawn and Jen."
"You know Mac and Sturgis."
"I have a feeling Mac's going to be staying out of your reach."
"Why? I already got her back." He grinned at her _expression and wiggled his eyebrows. "You're the one who still has to worry." He pushed the button for the doorbell.
A smiling maid answered the door. "Commander and ...?"
"Harmon Rabb and Mattie Grace," Harm replied.
"Welcome, Commander and Miss Grace. Please follow me. Everyone is in the backyard." She led them through a marble-floored foyer and out through French doors to a creekstone patio and delivered them to the Admiral and his wife.
"Commander Rabb, welcome to my home." The admiral smiled graciously and turned to his wife. "Candace, this is Commander Rabb and his ward, Mathilda. He attended the Academy with Richard."
Harm smiled at the elegantly-coifed woman and took her proffered hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."
"I'm delighted to meet you. Any friend of Richard's is always welcome here." She turned toward Mattie and held out her hand. "And I'm happy to meet you, my dear. My son John will be even more delighted to meet you. He has been feeling decidedly de trop this afternoon. For some reason, he wasn't thrilled to have little AJ Roberts following him around like a lapdog. Shall we go find him?"
Mattie swallowed a bit nervously. "It's nice to meet you, Admiral, Mrs. Blankenship. And I'd love to meet your son." She smiled and turned to follow their hostess.
The admiral clapped Harm on the back and engaged him in conversation as they watched the two move off toward a tall, dark-haired teenager who could only be John the fifth. Mattie's face brightened as she shook hands with the boy. Harm swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat as he witnessed Mattie develop what looked like a crush before Mrs. Blankenship finished making the introductions.
************
"So, Mattie, how did you get stuck coming to this?" John Blankenship grinned at her. "I mean, I live here, so I was pretty much out of luck."
Mattie returned his smile. "You must not know Harm if you think I had a choice. First he told me that it would be a good experience for me."
John groaned. "I hate when parents do that."
"It gets worse. When I still tried to get out of it, he did the old guilt trip thing."
"Oh man, that sucks."
"Yeah. The worst part is, Harm hardly ever uses it, so when he does pull it out, it's really effective. I know he's doing it, but I can't help myself. I fall for it every time."
Her companion laughed. "Want to find a coke?"
"That would be great." She followed him toward a gazebo set up for refreshments. "Wow."
John grimaced. "Don't look at me. My parents always go overboard when they have a party. I can't decide if it's because they like things to be this fancy or if they just grew up this way. Either way, it's embarrassing when my friends see it."
Mattie looked around at the tables covered with white linen cloths and silver serving dishes. "Hey, as long as AJ Roberts isn't hiding under that table, I'm cool."
"You've met him too, huh?"
Mattie rolled her eyes. "Met him? I got conned into babysitting him. Longest night of my life."
He laughed. "I can imagine. He was following me all over the place until he noticed my dog."
"And?"
"And he ran off through the hedge after him. Haven't seen him since." He handed her a cola. "So where do you go to school, Mattie?"
"Thomas Payne. You?" She sipped her drink.
"I just graduated from Gonzaga."
"Cool. What was that like?"
"Boring. Four years of wearing a tie and all guys."
Mattie gave him a puzzled look. "If you didn't like it, why go there?"
He laughed. "Trust me, when your name is John Carroll, you go to a Jesuit school." He shrugged. "At least it got me ready for college."
"Are you going to go to Annapolis?"
John shook his head. "Nah. That's my sister's gig. She thinks she wants to be a fighter pilot."
"Me too." Mattie hurried on. "Not that it's not cool if you don't want to go there. Where are you going to go?"
"U Va. I can't wait. It's gonna be tight, going to school with girls, not having to answer to my parents every minute, and best of all, no ties."
"Isn't U Va kind of a party school?" Mattie asked, her eyes gleaming.
"Yeah, supposed to be." He grinned broadly.
Mattie giggled. "Do your parents know that?"
He shrugged. "I didn't point it out, but my dad went to law school there, so I imagine he has some idea." He motioned toward another part of the property. "Want to go wander through the woods?"
"Sure. Beats standing around and talking to all the grownups."
The two teenagers headed toward the wooded area at the back of the property.
*********
Sturgis and Varese's arrival caused the admiral to excuse himself to Harm and go to greet them. Harm took advantage of the breather and went in search of Mac. He could think of a lot of more interesting things to do than listen to the man describe his latest trip to the Guggenheim. Just because his mother ran an art gallery didn't mean he shared her passion for modern art, but a lot of people didn't seem to understand that.
He finally found her sitting on an iron bench beneath a tree. "Hey. Mind if I join you?"
She scooted over. "Be my guest." She waved a hand at the scene in front of them. "Do you believe this place? No way is he paying for this on a military salary."
Harm shook his head. "His family is from Baltimore. Social Register set. I imagine there is some inherited wealth there."
She nodded in agreement. "No doubt. Still, I can't shake the feeling that we're on a movie set or something."
He surveyed the lawn, taking in the sweeping slope of the grass that had to owe its color to an underground sprinkler system, the latticed gazebo where waiters in black slacks, white shirts, and black ties were distributing cold drinks and keeping the appetizer trays filled, and the wooded section where his ward was disappearing with their hosts' eighteen year old son.
"Mac, did you see that?" He grabbed her arm.
"See what?"
"Mattie just went into the woods." His voice was strangled.
"So?"
"With a boy."
"And your point? Would you prefer she had gone with a girl?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. I'd prefer that she didn't go off into the woods at all." His face was lined with worry.
Mac put her hand on his. "Harm, she's fine. Mattie is a very sensible girl. I'm sure they're just going to look at a creek or something."
"You say that like it's a good thing." Tension was rolling off him in waves.
She rubbed his arm. "Harm, relax. John seems like a very nice boy. I can't imagine that he would do anything ungentlemanly with a guest of his father's." She started to giggle.
Harm pulled his attention away from the path into the woods to glare at her. "This isn't funny, Mac."
"Yes, it is. It's hilarious."
"Hilarious?"
"Yes. Need I remind you that a suspicious mind denotes a very misspent youth?"
"You're wrong on that score." He shook his head. "My youthful transgressions were not of the romantic or sexual kind." He took a deep breath. "But you're right, Mac. Mattie is a good kid, and I'm sure that the admiral's son is too. What's the worst that could happen?"
Mac opened her mouth to reply, but Harm stopped her.
"Don't answer that. I don't think I want to know." He looked around the yard again. "Want me to get you something to drink?"
"That would be nice, but I'll go with you. I suppose we ought to be a little sociable."
"Probably so." He escorted her to the gazebo.
************
1730
Bud almost skidded to a halt in front of Harriet and Candace Blankenship. Beads of sweat clung to his upper lip, and his breathing was harsh and labored. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but I need to talk to Harriet."
"Of course, Commander. I'll talk more with you later. I can't imagine what it must be like to have twins." She glided off toward Sturgis and Varese.
Harriet turned worried eyes toward her husband. "Honey, calm down. Take a deep breath, and tell me what's the matter."
"Have you seen AJ?" His tone was frantic.
"I don't think he was invited, Bud."
"Not Admiral Chegwidden. Our AJ. You know, five years old, blond hair, penchant for disappearing?"
Harriet clutched his arm. "No, don't tell me that, Bud. Don't you dare tell me that he's missing."
Bud gulped. "But what if he is? Don't you want to know?" Sweat was running in rivulets down his face.
His wife's face turned pale and her voice went up half an octave. "Bud, you're serious, aren't you? AJ really has disappeared?" She looked around, her eyes wild. "Where can he have gone?"
"I don't know. I was talking to Jen, and suddenly I realized that he had run off with the dog."
Harriet relaxed a bit. "If he's with the Blankenships' dog, he can't get very hurt, can he? I mean, won't the dog protect him?"
"You're thinking of Lassie," Bud muttered.
"Bud!" Harriet tense up again. "Don't you think we should look for him? Maybe ask Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie to help?"
"Good idea." Bud's head bobbled on his neck. "I'll go find them right away." He patted her hand. "Try not to worry, sweetheart."
"Right." Harriet shook her head at his lack of comprehension and went off in search of her son.
************* Commercial break ****************
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******************************
Bud ran Mac and Harm down outside the refreshment gazebo and was frantically trying to explain about AJ's disappearance when the admiral walked up. The younger officer had to start over at the beginning. Harriet, for her part, was practically in tears as she explained the situation to Mrs. Blankenship. Harm was forming a search party when they were interrupted by one of the admiral's servants.
"Sir, I believe this must belong to someone." The man held out a small, blond boy in one hand and a bunch of crushed flowers in the other. The child was notable by his lack of clothing and the water dripping from every inch of his body. A bedraggled Afghan hound followed the pair. He, too, was sopping wet and had leaves stuck to his coat.
The servant spoke again. "Madam, Admiral, I found *this* in the fountain. Apparently he and Corcoran decided to romp in the nasturtiums before splashing in the fountain."
Harriet and Bud gasped. "AJ! What on earth were you thinking?"
"I got hot. And I didn't hurt the nasty-tums much." He looked up at his captor. "Will you let go of me now?"
The man looked to the admiral for guidance.
"Let the boy go, Hobbs. Commander Roberts, perhaps you would care to escort your son to the garden to find his clothing." The admiral's tone was decidedly chilly.
Bud stood at attention. "Yes, Sir." Turning to his son, he held out his hand. "Come on, AJ. You and I need to have a talk."
Mac and Harm had to bite their lips to keep from laughing as they heard AJ's reply.
"Is your hand or your mouth going to give me that talk?"
"We'll talk about that on the way, son." Bud hauled his child off toward the garden.
Silence reigned for long moments, no one daring to laugh at AJ's latest escapade, fearful of incurring the admiral's wrath. Harriet turned to Mrs. Blankenship and attempted to apologize. The older woman was murmuring something vague, when a shout of laughter took everyone by surprise. The JAG staff turned toward the sound, only to find John and Mattie clutching their sides and howling with laughter.
"Didn't I tell you?" Mattie gasped.
"You did, Mattie, but I didn't believe you. I'm sorry. I owe you an apology."
The two teenagers went off again. Their laughter broke the frozen atmosphere in the backyard, and everyone began to chuckle. Even the admiral managed a stiff smile.
Candace Blankenship said to Harriet, "Well, you know boys will be boys."
"I know. I just wish he'd settle for being a boy. Some days, I think he's a one child demolition crew."
******************
1930
"So was it so bad, Mats?" Harm asked as he turned on the ignition.
She gave him a smile. "No, it wasn't. I had a good time. I'm actually kind of sorry we're leaving."
"You are?" He cast her a sideways glance, trying to see her expression.
"Yeah. John is really nice. Cute, too."
"Cute, huh?"
"Yeah. I bet you looked a lot like him when you were eighteen."
"My hair was shorter."
Mattie bounced in her seat. "Anyway, he got my phone number."
"He did what?" Harm's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel.
"Asked me for my phone number. You know, so he can call me?"
"Mattie, he's too old for you. He's going to college in the fall. Come to think of it, your father and I haven't even discussed if we're going to let you date before you're twenty-one."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Harm, I know that. Besides, he doesn't want to date me, although it would be too cool." She let out a dreamy sigh.
"Mattie..."
"Gotcha." She gave him an evil grin. "Anyway, he got my number so the next time his sister has leave and comes home, he can hook us up. She can tell me what it's like to be a girl at the Academy."
"Oh. Right. That's okay then." He had a sudden thought. "You know, Mattie, I now owe you two paybacks." Harm flashed her a wide smile, and pulled out into the street.
The End.