Email: astridz55@earthlink.net
Category: Romance
Rating: PG
Spoilers: none
Summary: Mac visits a chat room and meets a
new friend. My very first story.
Disclaimer: CBS, Paramount, Belisarius
Productions, and Donald
P. Bellisario owns the characters.
1330 Zulu (0830 Hours – 8:30 am)
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Yawn.
"Am I keeping you from your nap,
Colonel?" asked Harm as he walked into Mac’s office.
"Sorry Harm. I was up rather late last
night."
"Oh really? Doing anything fun?"
"It’s all Bud’s fault," complained
Mac not really thinking.
"Excuse me!" replied a surprised
Harm.
"He showed me some chat rooms he likes
to go on and I got to chatting last night."
"You lost track of time?"
"No. I just didn’t pay any attention
to it."
"Well we have a meeting with the Admiral
now and he’s been a grumpy bear all morning so I suggest you try not to yawn at
him."
They went to the meeting, and Harm was right.
The Admiral was in a grumpy mood. He assigned them their cases then snapped a
dismissal. They walked out of his office.
"Wow," supposed Bud. "What’s
up with him?"
"I don’t know but I do know I don’t want
to get caught chatting about it," replied Mac.
They each went into their own office and
began to work on their new cases. While Mac was doing some Internet research
she thought she would take a quick break and check her e-mail. She had some new
mail and since no one knew her address she guessed that it must be from her
chat buddy, 4mrseal. Seal for short. She looked around, didn’t see anyone and
opened the email.
Ms. Jarhead, (sorry
but I just have to ask.)
I just wanted to
drop you a quick line and apologize for keeping you up so late last night. I
hope that boss of yours doesn’t get on your case if you are tired on my
account. He sounds like a blind idiot, if you ask me. If he can’t tell you have
feelings for him you are probably better off without him. But hey I know how
that goes too don’t I. Too bad I don’t practice what I preach. J I hope I don’t scare off all my coworkers today. My mood hasn’t been
all that pleasant. How about we chat again tonight? Not as long, I promise!
Maybe we can come up with a way for the blind idiot to notice you. And maybe
you can help come up with an idea for me regarding the stubborn, sexy, skirt.
Seal
She smiled. A skirt? ‘Oh I’ll get him for
that one’ she thought as she began to type.
Seal,
First off, I had
some family that was in the Corps, hence the nickname. Second, A SKIRT? Are you
being sexist or just funny? Funny I would hope. Regarding the blind idiot J I can’t say anything because where I work it is heavily frowned
upon to date others in the same office much less the boss. I can’t transfer out
due to fact that I totally love what I do and I don’t think I would be approved
for a transfer anyway. (I tried once before.) Why can’t you just tell your SSS
how you feel? You never mentioned that last night. Tell me tonight, I would
enjoy chatting with you again.
Chat later,
Jar
P.S. Don’t worry
about keeping me up late, the boss was in such a foul mood he didn’t even
notice me today.
Unfortunately, as she was just signing off,
with a smile on her face, the Admiral walked by and saw her.
"Is something in that case file that is
amusing, Colonel?"
Mac startled, "Um, no sir. I was just
thinking of, of something else sir."
He simply glared at her and stormed back to
his office. Mac stared out the door in surprise, ‘he usually isn’t that bad,’
she thought.
Harm popped his head in her door, "What
was up with that?"
"Well if you find out let me know,"
Mac asked.
"Want to go do lunch in about half an
hour?"
"Sure. Let me just finish this stuff up
and I’ll be ready."
1700 Zulu (1200 hours – Noon)
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
On their way out the door the Admiral stopped
them. "You two. My office. Now." Under his breath Harm mumbled,
"Uh, oh." They walked into his office and shut the door. Standing at
attention they asked "Yes, Sir!"
"At ease. I just called you in here to
apologize for this morning."
"Sir?" Harm asked.
"My mood, Commander," the Admiral
replied.
"Is everything okay sir?" asked
Harm.
"It’s fine. Just a long night. Have a
good lunch. Dismissed," he added with a smile.
Stunned, they walked out of his office.
"What got into him in the past hour?" asked Mac.
"I don’t know." Harm shrugged,
"let’s go have a good lunch."
The rest of the day passed quickly for Mac,
she was waiting to chat with her new friend. Finally the day was over.
2400 Zulu (1900 Hours -7:00 p.m.)
Mac’s Apartment
Washington, DC
"You have a chat request." Mac
rushed over to her computer that she turned on once she got home. Seal was on.
She smiled and started typing.
MsJarhead: Hey how
are you?
4mrSeal: In a much
better mood after your e-mail. Thanks.
MsJarhead: By the
way, you weren’t being sexist when you made that skirt comment were you. Make a
comment like that where I work and you can get in big trouble.
4mrSeal: No I
wasn’t being sexist. She wears skirts almost everyday. So forgive a man for
noticing J . Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed what your boss
wears.
MsJarhead: I have
but he doesn’t wear skirts. He would get in even more trouble! You never told
me about the SSS. ‘Fess up. I told you about the blind idiot. It’s your turn
now.
4mrSeal: Ok. I’ve
worked with her for a couple of years now and I am really attracted to her.
She’s very special to me. She is very independent and totally self sufficient
but she makes me feel so protective of her. Not that she needs protection, mind
you. I just don’t want to see her hurt.
MsJarhead: but…
4mrSeal: she has
this guy friend she always hangs out with
MsJarhead: So. I
have a male best friend and it’s totally platonic. I know people say that’s
impossible but in our case it is. He’s kind of like a big brother, always there
for me, for a laugh or a cry.
4mrSeal: Yeah but
have you ever kissed him?
MsJarhead: Once.
That’s when I knew he would only ever be a big brother to me. No more evasions.
The SSS?
4mrSeal: Ok. She is
a coworker, employee actually. Like your company it is seriously frowned upon
to date coworkers. So that leaves me with the option of one, transferring her
(not an option, she’s too good at what she does.) Two retiring
(don’t think I
really want to do that. I’ve been with this company for a lot of years)
MsJarhead: so you
are of retirement age?
4mrSeal: I’m not
that old if that is what you are asking. I’ve just worked with this company for
about 30 years.
MsJarhead: but you
have only known her for a few.
4mrSeal: yes. That
is another thing. I’m old enough to be her father.
MsJarhead: So your
point is…? Some women like older men. J
4mrSeal: J well I guess I know your opinion about that now. Is your idiot older?
MsJarhead: Yeah a
bit. But I don’t think age is too important.
4mrSeal: sure you
don’t want to meet? We just might hit it off.
MsJarhead: Thanks
for the ego boost but…
4mrSeal: yeah I
know. The blind old idiot. So what would you do if the relationship restriction
were lifted?
MsJarhead: Probably
give him a piece of my mind for driving me crazy all these years. J After that, I’d probably kiss him. What about you and SSS?
4mrSeal: Same
thing. Maybe I should retire. I am really as high as I can get in my company.
But this is really the only job I’ve ever had.
MsJarhead: Maybe
you should get a life J
4mrSeal: you are
right, maybe I should. Oops, look at the time. I promised not to keep you up
late.
MsJarhead: That’s
okay, but I probably should get going. Good night, Seal
4mrSeal: ‘Night,
Jar.
For the next week Mac was enjoying chatting
every now and then with Seal. He told her that he was going to retire soon so
he could pursue his SSS. He felt so good about himself, he suggested that she
try it too. They decided to meet. Just at a coffeehouse in DC. Nothing too
special. She had a meeting on Friday after lunch then slipped out to meet Seal.
She only told Harm about where she was, even though she knew he would pick on
her about it. Mac got to the coffee place and realized she wasn’t sure who to
look for. She sat down in the front near the door and waited. Finally, a waiter
noticing her Marine uniform walked up and nervously asked if she was Ms.
Jarhead. "Yes. I am. Are you, Seal?"
"No ma’am, I’m not but he left this for
you." She opened the note that said,
Jar,
Sorry I couldn’t
meet you, but my retirement suddenly was approved along with a new position at
a different company. I had to get back to the office. I hope you like the
little gift. Saw it and thought of you.
Seal
Before she could open the gift her phone
rang. "Hello"
"Mac. How’s it going? Did he show
up?"
"No. I’m on my way back."
"You better hurry. The Admiral wants us
in his office in 15 minutes. I’ll try to stall if necessary."
"Thanks. See you as soon as I get there."
She paid for her coffee, and quickly went to her car. As she sat in her car she
opened her gift from Seal. It was a bracelet with a little seal charm on it.
She quickly put it on and hurried back to the office. By the time she got there
everyone else was there already. "Have a seat Colonel."
"Sorry sir, I had a long meeting,"
she mumbled.
"No problem. I brought all of you in
here today to give you some news. I’ve thought about it for a while but I
haven’t said anything about this until I knew it would be finalized. Effective
immediately, I am retiring as JAG." Everyone gasped, Harriet started to
cry. "I’ve served for a long time and it was recently brought to my
attention that I should get a life." Mac was speechless but she had enough
presence of mind to reach for the tissues for Harriet. As she did AJ noticed
her bracelet. "Colonel, is that a new bracelet?"
"Yes sir, my Internet chat buddy gave it
to me."
"Is that a seal?"
"Yes that’s his login. 4 Mr. Seal"
The Admiral sat stunned, ignoring their
questions, for a moment while people talked and suddenly remembered that
MsJarhead said she was in love with her blind idiot of a boss. He stood up and
began to walk around his desk to stand in front of Mac. He leaned back against
the desk and crossed his arms before he spoke. "Actually that would be
Former Seal, and I guess that makes me the blind idiot, MsJarhead." Harm
was amazed that the admiral would call Mac a Jarhead.
"Admiral," Harm stopped when he
noticed that the Admiral was ignoring everyone but Mac.
"That was you?" asked a stunned
Mac. He nodded.
"So wasn’t there a promise about what
would happen when the idiot left? Effective ten minutes ago, Jar." He held
out his hand to Mac.
She took his hand and stood up and said,
"Yes there was, Seal," she smiled and wrapping her arms around him
she kissed him in front of all their even more stunned friends.
The End