Title: At the Ranch

disclaimers: I don't own JAG or anything good for that matter

Summery: AJ gets a disturbing phone call, calling him home.

Category: Romance, Angst, some smut thrown in for good measure.

Authors notes: I figured, we don't know much about AJ's past, I'll create it myself.  Thanks to Ava for the beta and to Lisa and Renee for their help too.  Also thanks to all the others, Marnita, Reesa, and Torey, who helped with information about ranches. Feedback to astridz55@earthlink.net

“Rabb, I'm giving you the defense on the Estes case. Lieutenant Roberts you have the prosecution. Colonel, I believe that your vacation starts today?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Enjoy it, Mac.”

“Sir,” Tiner interrupted.

“I'm in the middle of a meeting, Tiner.”

“Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir, but you have an emergency call on line two.”

The JAG staff watched as their CO reached for the phone then nearly turned white a few moments later. “I'll be right there,” he said before slamming down the phone. “Tiner!”

“Yes, sir?”

“Get the SecNav on the phone for me.” Not paying attention to Tiner's quick agreement, the Admiral continued to speak as he walked to the door. “Something has come up; I need to leave. Mac, finish up here. Harriet, you're with me.”

“Aye, Sir,” Harriet said as she scrambled to follow him.

“Harriet, I need you to call Francesca. Tiner has the number. Tell her that there was an accident and I need her to meet me at the ranch. She’ll understand. Get her flight number, and I’ll call when I get there for it so I know when to pick her up.” He was busily opening and slamming folders trying to finish up some things. Harriet left to wait at Tiner's desk for the number.

“Sir? The SecNav is on line one for you.”

“Mr. Secretary. Chegwidden. There has been a family emergency, and I need to take immediate leave.”

“This can't wait?” asked Sheffield, not really expecting that it could. He had heard that AJ Chegwidden wasn't known to ask for leave at all, much less emergency leave.

“No, it cannot,” the Admiral said coolly.

“Very well. Tell whomever you leave in charge to call me, and let me know when you get back.”

“Yes, Sir,” the Admiral said, a bit surprised at how easy this call had gone.

“AJ, I hope everything is okay. Let me know if you need anything,” Sheffield said before he hung up, leaving AJ staring at the phone in shock. Shaking his head, he refocused his thoughts. “Tiner, get Roberts in here!”

Bud came in moments later, and accepted the credit card that the Admiral handed him. “I need you to get me a flight to Lubbock right away. I don't care how, just get me there as soon as possible.”

Bud rushed off to make some calls as most people stood around talking about what had happened. Bud was glad that he had stopped by to visit Harriet today. Harriet got off the phone and joined the group. “Well, I know it isn't Francesca. She’s fine, but the Admiral wants her to meet him. She will be calling back with her flight information, so I guess that we will find out soon enough.”

Mac, knowing that the Admiral would not like people to be speculating about his personal life, decided to just go and ask him. She knocked on his open door.

“Do you have a flight already”?" asked AJ.

“No, Sir.” He looked up, surprised that it was Mac standing in his door. “Bud is working on it now, and Harriet mentioned that Francesca will get a flight and call back as soon as she knows the information.”

“Good,” he said while turning his attention back to his files.

“Sir may I ask-“

“Admiral.” Bud broke in. “I have your flight details. You'll need to leave here in about an hour to get there on time.”

“An hour? I told you I wanted a flight out now. Dismissed!” he snapped.

Bud drew himself to attention. “Yes, Sir.”

“Admiral,” Mac said cautiously.

“What do you want?”

“I just thought that I would tell you that I heard Bud on the phone. I believe that this was the best flight. There is an earlier flight, but there is a three-hour layover in Chicago. This flight only has a short layover in Dallas, Sir.” She could see the fury gathering in his eyes but she pushed ahead, “I know that it isn't my place to say anything, Sir, but unless you try to remain calm, what good are you going to do for anyone?” She watched, surprised to see the fight ebbing out of him, as he sank back down into his chair.

“Mac, you don't understand. You can't.”

“I doubt that I could possibly know how you feel, Sir. I'm guessing that this is about your family, and mine was certainly anything but stable. How could I possibly understand one that was “normal’?” she said softly before she was surprised by his snort of harsh laughter.

“Oh, Mac. You couldn't be further from the truth.”

“Well, snapping at people isn't going to affect your arrival time, Admiral. All that will do is raise your blood pressure, and I just, we all care for you, Sir. We don't want anything to happen to you.”

He looked up into her eyes, knowing she was right, and he asked, “Can you tell Bud I need to see him again?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Mac walked out of his office not realizing what he called her until she was standing in the middle of the bullpen. She shook her head to clear out those thoughts that she thought were behind her.

“Bud? The Admiral would like to see you again,” she said.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said with some trepidation.

He reported to the Admiral's office, and knocked on the open door.

“Come in, Bud,” AJ said, looking up from his files. “Close the hatch and have a seat.” Bud did as ordered then AJ spoke again. “I want to apologize for snapping at you. It was uncalled for.”

“It's alright, Sir. You obviously have quite a bit on your mind.”

“Still that is no excuse.”

“Apology accepted, Sir. And Admiral, Francesca called Harriet back. She has a flight scheduled to DC, and I am working on getting her a connecting flight to Lubbock. I'll give you the details if you call once you get there,” Bud replied as he returned the Admiral’s credit card.

“Thank you, Bud. I told Harriet that I would call. You all have been a big help. I appreciate it.” He reached for his trench coat and picked up his briefcase. “I better get out of here.” AJ walked into the bullpen where most of his staff waited. Glaring at Harm, he mockingly said, “Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone.”

As the staff snickered, he quickly left the bullpen. With the action calming down, people went back to work.

End part 1

Part 2

While Mac finished organizing her desk, she thought about the Admiral. Suddenly she realized that he had left so quickly, there was no way he could have gone home to pick up any clothes. She wasn't sure if he kept a bag in his truck like she did, but regardless, it would be packed for no more than a day or so.

Making up her mind, Mac said her goodbyes and noticed that Tiner was away from his desk. She knew where he kept the Admiral’s house key, so she unobtrusively went to his desk and picked it up. She just hoped that Tiner wouldn’t need the key before she could replace it.

Mac felt a little uncomfortable being in the Admiral’s house without permission or his being there, but she knew that he would appreciate the clothes. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on to the bedroom. Using no unnecessary movements, she opened the closet, and grabbed the duffle bag off the shelf. Mac then proceeded to pack a couple of shirts and slacks along with the Admiral’s running shoes.

She stopped for a moment and looked around the room. It was definitely the room of a single man, but it was spotlessly clean. Setting the duffle bag down on the floor, she reached into his dresser. With a faint flush, she packed his underwear, socks, and some t-shirts. There was no reason for Mac to feel embarrassed, but she couldn't help it.

How often does one touch their boss’ underwear? Finishing up, Mac went into the bathroom and packed his shaving kit. She put everything in the duffle bag then walked out of his house, making sure the doors were locked on her way. After tossing the Admiral's bag in the trunk with hers, she drove off to the airport.

She made it with plenty of time to spare, and was able to get her flight changed to Lubbock. Once her bags were checked, she called Bud. Mac had no idea where the Admiral was going, other than Lubbock, so she needed some help.

“Bud, this is Mac. I need a favor.”

“Of course, Ma’am. What is it?”

“When the Admiral calls to get Francesca's flight number, can you tell him to call me on my cell phone? It is very important.”

“No problem. Miss Paretti should be here this evening, and then I’ll get her a connecting flight. I don’t want her to have any problems if her flight is late.”

“Good thinking, Bud. I better go; my flight is about ready to board.”

“Have a good vacation, Ma’am.”

“Bye, Bud. I'll talk to you later.” Mac hung up the phone, picked up her carry on, and boarded the plane. Once seated, she thought about the Admiral's reaction to her showing up. She didn't think that he would mind, but he had been acting different since he got that phone call. It must have been very bad news.

Four hours and forty-three minutes later, the plane landed in Lubbock. Mac immediately checked her cell phone for a call from the Admiral, but there were no messages. Frowning to herself, she walked to the baggage claims area and picked up her luggage. She headed toward the exits, unsure of where she should go. She decided to wait until she got into her rental car before she called the Admiral’s cell phone. Lost in thought, Mac paid little attention to those around her, until she noticed a woman pushing a baby carriage. Mac quickly stepped out of the woman’s way and directly into the path of a man rushing for the exits.

“Excuse me!” she said startled.

“Mac?”

“Admiral?” they spoke at the same time.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in surprise.

“I thought that I would drop off a bag for you since you didn't get to pack anything, Sir. Why are you just getting here?”

“Let's walk. The damn plane had a mechanical problem, so the short layover became much longer. Have you heard about Francesca’s flight?”

“According to Bud, Francesca’s flight is due in Dulles this evening. He’ll get her a connecting flight to Lubbock. Bud was worried about delays and possible missed flights.”

“That's good. Hopefully, I will know what is happening by the time she gets off the plane. Now I just have to get a car. I should have had Bud call ahead.”

“I have a car waiting for me, Sir; I'll be glad to drive you.” At his confused look, she continued, “I was going to go to Arizona and search for dinosaur tracks. I can do that anytime. I don't mind driving you around.”

“Thanks for the offer, Mac, but the hospital is about an hour east; you'll be going in the wrong direction.”

“I don't mind at all, Sir. I haven't been to this part of Texas before, so I might just stick around here if that is okay.”

“Okay, that will be great.”

Not wanting to waste any time, they got Mac’s rental car and headed east out of the city.

“May I use your cell phone?” he asked.

“Of course. Just point me in the right direction.”

He did, and then he called the office to check in. Mac was surprised that he didn't call the hospital; she couldn't help but think that he was afraid to get bad news. She then realized he had not told her what was wrong.

They soon found themselves in a small town, and Mac simply followed the signs to the hospital, letting him keep his thoughts to himself.

Managing to find a parking spot close to the Emergency Room doors, they both hopped out of the car, AJ leading the way. Mac felt like the Admiral had already forgotten her presence when he walked up to the registration desk.

“Abigail-“

“Miss Abby is in room three.”

The Admiral rushed toward the specified room. Mac sat in the waiting room where she could see him.

AJ had feared this day for so long, and he knew that it was finally here. Just before he made it to the door of room, three people rushed in with a crash cart. One of the nurses wouldn't let him in, so he stood there in shock. It wasn't possible that he was this close and didn't get to say goodbye. Fate wouldn't be that cruel to him. He just stood there, knowing that Mac was watching him. However, AJ didn’t mind her being a witness to his weakness.

Mac saw what happened, and felt her heart sink for the Admiral. Memories crept in of how she felt when it was too late for her to say goodbye to her father, and now the Admiral was too late to say goodbye to a loved one, himself. Knowing that it wasn't the wisest thing to do, she walked up to him. Just before she touched his arm, the nurse from the desk walked up.

“Admiral Chegwidden?”

He looked over to her and nodded.

“She was moved to room two. I am so sorry; I told you the wrong room. It is right there,” she said, pointing to the next room.

AJ took three long strides and pushed the door open.

Mac followed him, and looked into the room. She saw a black man sitting by the bed of an elderly white woman. The Admiral breathed a sigh of relief that she was still alive, and it caused a reaction that Mac did not expect.

A voice that sounded much younger than her appearance cried out, “Albert Jethro! What in tarnation are you doing here?”

AJ smiled a bit before he started yelling. Mac was surprised that he was yelling at an old woman, but she was even more surprised when she realized what he said.

“Well, this lug of a brother of mine called and said you were in an accident. He didn't say anything else!”

The woman scooted over in the bed and, patting the edge beside her, said, “Come here and have a seat, Albert. I'm fine.” AJ sat down next to her and took her small hand in is. “I just took a little tumble from Blaze, and Tony-“

“You were riding that damn horse?” AJ exclaimed.

“Albert Jethro, I've been riding that horse for more years than I care to count, so I will ride him when I want to! It wasn't Blaze’s fault he stepped in a gopher hole. I might have to put him down now, and you know how much I love that horse."

AJ took a deep breath, but he knew that this was just like her, more worried about others than herself. “I’m sorry that I yelled at you. You do tend to surprise me every now and then.” She smiled, not at all sheepishly. “But you get the surprise this time. Francesca is on her way here, too.”

“Oh, dear, I hate to make her fly all the way here for this.”

“I'm sure that she doesn't mind. Last week, she even said that she needed to come and visit you soon. This is just a little sooner than she thought.” AJ cupped her cheek in his hand. “Are you sure that you are okay, Grandma?”

“I'm fine. I just have some bruises. and the doctor wants me to take it easy for a little while. Why don't you go with Tony and talk to the doctor. See if you can get me out of here. I want to be in my own bed.”

“Okay. We won't be long,” he said as he stood up. He turned around and spotted Mac, having completely forgotten her until now. As if she could read his mind, the old woman spoke up first.

“Are you Sarah or Mac?”

Mac looked a bit confused at AJ before he responded for her, “This is Sarah.”

“I'm Abby Sheild. My grandson has told me so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you.”

“I’m pleased to meet you too, Ma’am. Unfortunately, you have me at a disadvantage because your grandson has never mentioned you before.”

“Oh, Sweetie, I wouldn’t worry about that. Albert always has been very private about his family. Have a seat and I will tell you all about it.”

“Grandma?” AJ said warningly before Tony laughed.

“Give it up, Big Brother. You know how proud she is of you. Let's go find that doctor.”

“At least, that way I won’t know what she says,” AJ said while smiling. “I’ll be right back.” He left Mac with his grandmother and walked into the hall where the women could still hear them. “It's good to see you, Tony.”

“Been a long time, AJ.” Mac could hear the two men embracing before walking off.

“They are brothers?” Mac asked.

“That is what they call each other. Does that surprise you?” Abby questioned carefully.

“Not really, they have the same hair line,” Mac said with a mischievous smile. Abby laughed delightedly.

“I knew that I would like you, Sarah. My Albert only has good things to say about you. Would you be a dear and get me some water? This is a long story.”

“Of course, Mrs. Sheild,” Mac said as she stood up and moved to the sink.

“Why don't you just call me ‘Grandma’? Most of the people around here call me that; another one won't hurt.”

“Alright, Grandma.” Mac smiled. She had a feeling that this Grandma was just as feisty as her own grandmother who passed away when Mac was just twelve. She poured a glass of water then settled back in her chair for the story.

“I got married when I was 16 to the most wonderful man. His name was Jonathan, but I always called him Jackie. He was in the Navy, and eventually he served in the Pacific during WWII. He came home finally and well, we just were never blessed with children.” She saw a look of surprise on Mac's face so she continued. “I know it's odd to think about my having grandchildren but no children. Trust me, my grandchildren love to use that confuse people.”

“I can see why,” Mac said with a smile.

“One day, Jackie was out working on the ranch while he had some leave. He found a girl trying to cross our land. Poor thing was lost, she was trying to find the town, and she thought she was taking a short cut. Well, Jackie insisted that he bring her back to the house and let her rest, then he would take her into town. He brought her home, and after a bath and a good meal, poor little Frannie, she started crying. Just about broke my heart. She was trying to get to her parents’ house because her boyfriend left her alone with a baby on the way. She didn't think that her parents would take both her and the baby though. Frannie had run off with the boyfriend, and she was too innocent to know what was going to happen next. I told her that if her parents didn’t want to take her in, then I would be glad to. As I am sure you've guessed, her parents wanted nothing to do with her. Frannie moved in with me. It was sure nice to have someone around the ranch other than ranch hands. I was only 11 years older than her, but I treated her like my own child.”

“She had the baby in Lubbock, and I just fell in love right away. What a precious baby he was. While we were still in town, there was another child born, but his mother actually abandoned him. The nurses saw how much I doted on the one baby, so they asked if I would want to take the other one home, too. I can see that surprises you, but I figured that with one baby already in the house, it didn’t make much difference to have two. So I took him.”

“Just like that? You didn't adopt or anything?”

“Eventually I did, but the mother had given a false name at the hospital. I always thought that she ran away from home when she found out she was pregnant and went back after leaving her baby. Her family probably never knew. The baby was going to be sent to an orphanage, and I just couldn’t do that to him.”

“That was Tony, wasn't it?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, but I do know that the Ad, um, Albert has a daughter named Francesca and you commented that the first baby’s mother’s name was Frannie.”

“That's right. Now you see why he is fair to anyone and tends to be protective of people. Albert always thought that he had to stand up for Tony when other kids picked on him for not having a mother. The sad thing was that when Albert was 12, his mother died in an accident. Oh dear! I didn't even think about that. Frannie was thrown from her horse. She was dead before anyone could help. Albert was the one who found her. I guess that I shouldn’t have told him I fell off the horse.”

“I always thought that he treated people like a family."

“He's a good boy, my Albert. He and Tony, both. After them, I ended up taking in more kids, and they all called me Grandma. I have 23 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. Tony just became a grandpa last month to twins.”

“Congratulations. That sure is a big family for someone who never had children,” Mac said with a smile.

Abby laughed. “I always wanted a house full. I just never expected it to be that full!”

“The doctor said you can go, Grandma,” AJ said as he walked into the room, worried about what his grandmother told Mac about him.

“I guess I will have to find a rental car so you can be more comfortable on the trip home,” Tony spoke up.

“I’ll be glad to drive her in my car,” suggested Mac.

“That's great, but you should probably go with AJ. I know the way to the ranch, and since Grandma likes to doze in the car, I don't want you to get lost,” said Tony with a twinkle in his eye. Wondering what he was up to, Mac simply handed him the keys.

Soon, the doctor showed up and shooed the visitors out of the room. Mac thought about it for a moment then said to AJ. “You never told me you had a brother.”

“You never asked,” he stated simply, making Mac think about when he surprised everyone by revealing that he had once been married. She didn't catch the half grin on his face as he turned a bit and kept talking to his brother. Mac didn't mind; she enjoyed seeing him happy, and that was so rare these days.

A few moments later the doctor stepped out of the room. “She is going to need to rest as much as she can. I know that she doesn’t know the meaning of the word, but try to keep her from doing too much.” The men agreed, and Mac suddenly knew where the Admiral had gotten his stubbornness. A short while later, they were all in Mac's rental car headed for the vehicle in which Tony and Grandma had come to the hospital. After a few miles, Tony stopped the car, stepped out, handed AJ some keys, and pointed to the field.

Mac stepped out of the car, waved to Abby, and then followed AJ to the small plane. Mac was surprised that the pilot waited here for so long, but she was even more surprised when she found no one in the plane. She watched as AJ pulled the keys out of his pocket and opened the door for her.

“You never said you could fly a plane.” Mac saw his smile and guessed that he was going to respond with the same thing as earlier, so she said with a smile, “I know. I never asked.” AJ laughed with her as he continued to check the systems of the plane.

“I have a feeling that I am going to learn a lot more about you in the next day or so,” Mac said.

“Week. Grandma won’t let you leave now. Not until you have to. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” she said with a smile. “Your grandmother is great. It's just that...”

AJ glanced over concerned, “What is it?”

“What am I supposed to call you?” she asked a bit nervously.

“You can call me AJ, or Albert if you insist on being like Grandma, Sarah,” he said with a smile.

She caught the use of her real name, but he said it as if he were used to saying it. She was lost in thought about that for a while, until AJ interrupted. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, Sir. I was just thinking about how you said you didn’t have a normal family. I see what you mean now; you have a wonderful family.”

“You don't think my family is different?”

“Well, it sure is different than mine. Your family is obviously very close and loving.”

“It is. Sure, I had some tough times growing up, but I always knew that I was loved.”

“I have a feeling that your past is why you are so supportive of us all. I felt abandoned; Harm didn’t know his father; Bud’s father abused him. But Harriet’s family, I don't understand that part at all.”

AJ smiled briefly thinking about his office manager. “I don’t know what Grandma told you, so I’ll start from the beginning. My mother, Frannie, was from a very wealthy family. She had everything she wanted, but she wasn’t allowed to date. Of course, this was in 1944; there was a war happening. Her parents thought that she should wait until the man they chose for her came home from the war. Mom did wait for a while, but then she met David Chegwidden. She fell in love, and ran away with him. Unfortunately, he didn’t love her. When she told him she was pregnant, he left. Luckily, my grandmother took her in. Mom’s parents wanted nothing to do with her. They didn’t even come to her funeral.”

“I'm sorry,” she said sincerely.

“No need to be. I had my grandparents who loved me. I couldn’t have had better than that. Sure, I could have probably gone to my mother’s parents; they could have given me everything I wanted but not the things that I needed. They never would have disciplined me if I needed it, but I sure did get that from my grandparents.”

“Did you ever meet your mother’s parents? Or your father?”

“I tracked down my father when I was a teenager. He didn’t have too much to say. I went to my mom’s mother’s funeral about ten years ago. The man who is my grandfather actually accused me of trying to get something from them. That certainly wasn’t true, so I left and never spoke to him again. He died a few years back, and he never said anything about me to anyone except his lawyer. I wasn’t mentioned in the will, of course, but he did make sure that I got some things that had belonged to my mother. Even after all that time, he was still embarrassed that his daughter had a child out of wedlock, so he never acknowledged me.”

AJ could tell that Mac wanted to say something but he didn’t want to hear that she was sorry again. He never liked hearing pity from people, but before he could think of something to say, she spoke up. “You were very lucky.” He looked over to her in surprise. “Did you think that I was going to say ‘sorry’ again?” He broke eye contact and looked straight ahead. “I said it once, and I do mean it. I am sorry that you had a tough time growing up, but if you didn’t, you wouldn't be who you are today. And I think that’s someone pretty special,” she mumbled the last sentence.

He looked over to her staring out the window and knew she didn’t think he heard her last comment. Just as softly, he responded, “Thank you, Sarah.”

The next few minutes passed silently before AJ finally spoke again, “There’s the ranch.”

Mac looked out the window and not seeing a landing strip she asked, “Where’s the runway?”

“This plane belongs to a friend over on the next ranch. He has a runway, but we usually just land in a field. I know that he’ll come over with our truck once Grandma gets back. Tony drove Grandma to their place, then they got in the plane.”

“You all know how to fly?”

“A bunch of us. The Tuckers have had a plane for years. Most of us learned to fly before we got our driver's license. It’s useful here on the ranch. We’re too far away for any ambulance to get here in a reasonable time, so when the Tuckers bought the plane, we all asked to learn to fly. They agreed, and we helped them out on their ranches, here and in

Wyoming.”

“That's nice,” Mac said a bit nervously.

AJ looked over and saw her hands clenched together, her knuckles white against her black pants. He suddenly remembered about the time when she was flying with Harm and they landed in a field. Without really thinking, he reached out and patted her hands, “We'll be down soon. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay; just remembering things.”

As much as he wanted to hold on to her hand, he let go, and within moments the plane was safely on the ground. AJ taxied a bit to get closer to the ranch house before turning around and stopping. He quickly hopped out of his seat and stepped around the plane then opened her door. He took her hand and helped her out of the plane.

“Sorry about the bumpy landing, Sarah.”

“No, it was fine. It could have been a tail hook,” she jokingly shuddered. They both smiled.

“Let's go get you some tea. It will make you feel better,” he wrapped his arm around her waist and led the way to the house.

AJ set the kettle on the stove and then sat next to Mac at the table in the large kitchen. He told her a little about the history of the ranch while the water heated. “This ranch has belonged to my grandfather’s family for several generations. The Sheilds were some of the first white people to settle in this area.”

“Grandma and Grandpa met in 1932 when he was home from Boot camp. They fell in love and got married a year later. At first she went with him wherever he was stationed, but he knew that she missed Texas. Every time he suggested that she move to the ranch, though, she said that her place was with him, not alone. She finally gave in when his parents were in an accident. They hired a foreman to take care of the men’s work, and my grandmother came back to take care of the house and the hands.”

“What happened to them?” Mac asked just as the kettle started to whistle. Mac watched as AJ fluidly stood and went unerringly to the tea supplies. Mac thought that Grandma must never have changed her kitchen for him to still know where everything is. Moments later, there were mugs of steaming hot tea in front of both of them.

AJ continued, “They recovered from their accident and took back some of their chores but decided that they enjoyed their time alone. They did some traveling and finally settled down. They both passed away in their sleep a few years after that.”

“What about your grandfather?”

“He finally retired from the Navy as a Chief Warrant Officer. He came home and helped Grandma with all the kids she brought home. He was a good man; you’ll have to ask Grandma to tell you some stories about him. She tells them better than I do. He passed away while I was in law school. I came home on emergency leave, and I was almost ready to stay until Grandma kicked me out. She knew that I would miss the Navy too much if I left it then.”

“You’re darn tootin’ you would have missed the Navy, Boy! It's been your life, ‘til now,” said Abby as she walked into the kitchen. Mac started a bit, not having heard her walk up behind her. Abby dropped her hands to Mac's shoulders. “Didn’t mean to startle you, Sweetie. You okay?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’m just not too fond of small planes.”

“You didn’t get sick in old Sam’s plane, did you?” she joked.

“No, Ma’am. It’s just the last time I was in a small plane like that, I was shot.”

“Oh, dear. That’s horrible! Albert, shame on you for not telling me that. I would have let her drive.”

“Oh, please don’t worry about it. I didn’t think that it would bother me; I guess landing in the field triggered it. My friend landed in a field due to mechanical problems, and when we tried to find help, we found poachers instead. I haven’t been in a small prop plane since then.”

“I can't say that I blame you then,” Abby said.

“Grandma, where should I put these bags?” asked Tony as he walked past the kitchen to the staircase.

“Put those in AJ's old room,” she said, carefully watching the reactions.

“Wait, the green bag is mine,” Mac called out.

“I know that.”

“Grandma!” AJ exclaimed.

“Now why does every generation think they are the ones who invented sex? Just because I never had children of my own doesn’t mean that I didn’t try. Over and over again as a matter of fact!” Abby looked at AJ’s red face and decided to take it easy on him, for the time being.

“Albert, hand me that phone. I’m going to take care of dinner.”

AJ stood up to get the phone, and Mac couldn’t resist a small laugh as he handed it to Abby. “She cooks just like I do, with a phone!”

“No, Grandma is a really good cook. Just listen,” AJ said with an answering smile.

“Ginny, this is Abby. Oh, I’m fine, just a little shaken up. No, no. I made the doctor send me home. Tony is here and Albert came home too. I just thought I would give you a call to say ‘hi’ before I started dinner. Now, Ginny, you know that isn’t necessary. Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out. Okay, if you insist, but I will return the favor some day. Alright, I’ll talk to you in a little bit.” She hung up the cordless phone then said brightly, “Dinner’s on its way.”

Mac burst out laughing along with Abby and AJ. When the laughter died down, Abby suggested, “Why don’t the two of you change for dinner? Jeans will be fine, you’ll be more comfortable.”

“Okay. Can I get you anything before we go upstairs?” AJ asked.

“Not at all. I’m fine,” she insisted. “By the way, Tony said that Blaze is going to be fine. He just needs to rest for a while.”

“That is good,” AJ said before he led Mac upstairs to the room that used to be his a long time ago. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it hadn’t changed too much over the years. They both looked around the room smiling, AJ lost in memories and Mac beginning to see a new side to him.

“By the way, I want to apologize for my grandmother,” AJ said.

“It’s not a problem, Sir. In fact, it’s rather refreshing to hear someone speak her mind.”

“Oh, Grandma is good at that,” he said with a smile.

“I’ll grab my bag and let you stay here, Sir, if you point me to another room.”

“No, that’s okay. You can stay here. I’ll be in the room across the hall. I’m going to change out of this uniform. I’ll be out in just a minute,” he said as he walked out the door. “Oh, and Sarah. Call me AJ.”

In just a few minutes, AJ was ready and they walked downstairs just in time to meet the neighbors bearing dinner. AJ greeted his old neighbors and introduced Sarah to them, before taking the bag of food from them. He let them lead the way to the kitchen. Mac watched in surprise as Ginny walked right into the kitchen and began fussing over Abby. Dinner was an enjoyable meal. Mac just sat and listened to the friends catch up with each other.

“Well, Abby. I’m glad you’re doing okay, but we really need to get back,” Sam said nearly two hours after when dinner and the dishes were finished.

“Are you going to take your plane tonight? It’s getting rather late,” Abby commented.

“No. Albert, can you drive us home and then drop off the plane tomorrow?” he asked.

“Sure. I’ll be glad to. Also, Sarah hasn’t driven up through the gate,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Albert, you drag poor Sarah here and you don’t even tell her the name of our ranch?” Abby said.

“For one thing, Grandma, I didn’t drag her here, and for another thing, I thought it would be more fun to have her see it for herself.”

“You aren’t going to tell me are you?” Sarah asked suspiciously.

“No, because you didn’t ask,” AJ winked at Sarah.

“How did I know you were going to say that?”

They all got ready to go after a few more minutes of small talk, mostly making sure that Abby would be alright by herself for the short while they were gone. She insisted that she was going to get her knitting and sit in front of the TV.

Mac sat behind AJ, and she hopped out to get the several gates that they had to cross to get to the neighbor’s house. Soon they were on the main road and driving back to the ranch. Mac knew that there was no chance for her to get the name of the ranch out of AJ, so she didn’t even bother to try.

“Grandma decided to rename the ranch after her in-laws passed away. She decided to have a little fun with it. You know how some ranches are named after their brand?” AJ waited for Mac’s answering nod. “Well, the ranch used to be the Double Bar M, and Grandma wanted to make sure that some of the name stayed the same, so after much thought…” he let that linger as he turned the car into the driveway. Mac looked at the gate and saw the name proudly displayed.

The M Double O Ranch.

Mac was still laughing about the name of the ranch when they walked back into the house. She noticed Abby sitting in her chair watching TV and knitting.

“You named your cattle ranch ‘MOO’?” Mac asked amused.

“I figure you only live once, you might as well enjoy it! Right, Albert?”

“Right, Grandma.”

Mac noticed an unusual look in AJ’s eyes, but didn’t understand. They both sat down on the couch as Abby spoke again.

“Francesca called earlier. Her flight arrives about nine in the morning. Tony said that one of his boys would pick her up.”

“That’s not a problem. I can go in and pick her up.”

“David was planning on seeing that new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie, and it’s rather long from what I hear. So he’s staying over night in town.”

“That’s good,” said AJ.

“I’ve heard good things about that movie,” commented Mac.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing it myself, but I have a problem with it,” Abby said.

“What’s that, Grandma?” asked AJ.

“Only the first two parts are out, and I don’t want to have to wait for the last part. Who knows if I’ll be here by then,” she said as Mac and AJ just stared at her in surprise. “Well, it’s true!”

Mac looked over to AJ and decided to change the subject. “Do you mind if I get some water?” she asked Abby.

“Of course not, Dear. Make your self at home,” Abby insisted as she continued her knitting. Mac stood up and offered to get Abby a drink, also. “There is nothing wrong with me. I can get my own drink.”

“I know that Ma’am. It’s just that since I was already up, I was going to offer to get you and A- um, Albert something.”

“Alright. I’ll take some ice water,” Abby said as AJ nodded in agreement. “Oh and Sarah, you can call him AJ even though I don’t.”

“How come you don’t?” Mac asked.

“There is nothing wrong with his name, and I refuse to call him something that you monogram on one’s underwear.”

“He doesn’t have monogrammed underwear,” Mac said without thinking, until she noticed the raised eyebrows of AJ and Abby. “I didn’t mean… I mean… I… I’m going to get that water now.” Mac disappeared into the kitchen and tried to ignore the laughter that followed her.

A few moments later, AJ walked into the kitchen still smiling and spoke before Mac could turn around.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. You walked into that one,” he said.

“I realize that now,” she smiled to herself. “I didn’t mean to imply…”

“That we are together?” She nodded. “Grandma put us in the same room; she already assumes that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, Sarah. Don’t worry about it.” AJ picked up two of the glasses of water and continued, “So, would you like to take a quick tour around the ranch tomorrow morning?”

“Sure,” she said as she followed him out of the kitchen. “What time do you want to go?”

“Some time early. How about seven?”

“Sounds good,” said Mac.

“I guess I best take my water and let you two get to bed if you plan to get up that early. Good night, you two lovebirds,” Abby said as she packed away her knitting before getting up.

“Grandma,” AJ warned only to be ignored. “I’m sorry, Sarah. Once she gets her mind set on something-“

“I heard that, Albert Jethro,” Abby called from the door of her first floor room. “I landed on my hip, not my ear! And don’t think I’m the only stubborn one in this family. Right, Sarah?”

“Right!” Sarah said before looking at the shocked look on AJ’s face. “She’s right.”

“I like this one, Albert. You better keep her. Good night,” Abby said as she disappeared into her room.

“I’m going to have to have a talk with her.”

“She just loves you and wants you to be happy,” Sarah said.

“Sarah’s right, Albert. You’re my grandbaby,” they heard called out from Abby’s room.

Sarah covered her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to suppress her laughter as she slipped upstairs to her room.

Mac finally got up and stumbled to the bathroom only to nearly collide with AJ.  Still half asleep, she mumbled an apology and didn't even notice his attire.  Or lack thereof.  He chuckled once she shut the door behind her and went back to his room to get dressed.  By the time Mac got out of the shower, AJ was waiting out in the hall with a cup of steaming coffee.

“Thank you,” she said as she accepted the cup. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“That’s okay. What size shoes do you wear?”

“Size nine. Why?” she asked before taking a sip of coffee.

“I’ll get some boots for you to wear.”

“I have some hiking boots.”

“Leather boots are easier to clean off,” he said. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in a few.”

“Okay. Thanks for the coffee,” she said as she walked back into her room.

A few minutes later, Sarah padded downstairs to the kitchen.

“Good morning. You must be Sarah; I’m Tony’s wife Sadie.”

“Morning. It’s nice to meet you. Mind if I get some more coffee?” Sarah asked.

“You actually drink that tar AJ calls coffee?” Sadie asked incredulously.

“I heard that Sadie. Complaining about my coffee again?” AJ asked as he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“AJ. It’s good to see you again,” she said as she gave him a hug. “Just why are you making this pretty young thing drink your coffee?”

“Who do you think taught me to make it this way?” AJ joked as he handed Sarah the boots. “We’re going out for a walk. Sarah wants to see some of the ranch.”

“Okay. I’ll see you two later. Nice to meet you Sarah.”

“Nice to meet you too, Sadie,” Sarah said as she pulled on the boots. Energized by the coffee, she stood up and with AJ’s hand leading the way against her back she walked out the door.

“Sorry about the comment about the coffee, Sarah.”

“That’s okay. Uncle Matt used to make coffee like that. That’s one thing that helped me to dry out.”

“So you have to have your morning coffee before you wake up?”

“I guess so. Certainly was true this morning. I didn’t get much sleep.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. It was just so quiet.”

“It’s the country. It tends to be quiet when there aren’t any people around.”

“Very funny,” she said dryly.

“I thought you were going to be camping out in Arizona. I’m sure it is even quieter there.”

“Yes, but I’m not used to this much quiet in a house.”

“You’ve lived in the city too long,” he laughed.

“True, but it is close enough to work, and I really don’t want to move if I don’t really have to.

“I don’t blame you. When I joined the Navy, I looked forward to moving around, but I think I’ve done it enough.”

Sarah looked at him thoughtfully but didn’t say anything as they continued to walk. Every now and then AJ pointed out a lake or an old cabin. He also pointed out the cow pies and the fire ant hills to avoid.

“Since it’s colder now, the fire ants aren’t too bad, but I would still avoid them,” AJ suggested.

“I think I’d be more afraid of the cow pies,” she smiled.

“Trust me, it’s unavoidable on a ranch. That’s why I gave you the boots.”

“Oh, joy,” she said as she felt one foot slip beneath her. Not wanting to fall into the pile she reached out and grabbed AJ’s hand. He held her steady until she managed to get both feet under her.

“And you were just talking about this,” she said ruefully.

“Actually, no I wasn’t,” he said as he looked down. “That’s just mud.”

“Oh, good,” she said as they continued walking, neither realizing that she was still holding his hand.

“I hope I’m not causing any problems with my being here,” she commented softly.

“Not at all. Grandma just wants me to be happy, and she is making assumptions since you came with me.”

“But I didn’t.”

“I know that and you know that, but Grandma doesn’t. She is just thinking about the fact that the only other woman I’ve brought here was Marcella.” Before Sarah could say anything, they both heard a bell ringing. “Francesca’s here.”

“How do you know?” Sarah smiled as they turned back to the ranch house.

“Did you notice that bell out front? She always rings it when she first comes to the ranch and then again when she leaves. Most of the kids and grandkids do.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Sarah. I’m a SeAL. We don’t ring bells.”

“Papa!  How good to see you!” exclaimed Francesca.

“It is good to see you too, Daughter.”  He pulled her into his arms and whispered in Italian only for her ears, “Play along with me about Sarah, please?”

“Okay,” she said, wondering what was happening.  “Sarah, it is good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too, Francesca.  Did you have a good flight?"

“It was long, but uneventful.  Unfortunately, they didn’t serve breakfast.”

“Albert, you take her things, and Francesca, dear, come into the kitchen.  We'll get something for you right away,” said Abby as she hustled her away.

In a surprisingly short period of time, they were sitting down to a breakfast feast. 

“Now this is what I call breakfast,” commented Sarah.

“Talking with your stomach again?” joked AJ.

“Albert!”

“Oh no.  That’s fine.  My best friend always says the same thing.  Poor guy doesn’t know what he’s missing though,” she said as she helped herself to some bacon and sausage.  

“He's a vegetarian.”

“Why that's just-“ started Abby.

“Uncivilized,” finished Sadie causing the table to erupt into laughter.

“So how did the two of you meet?” asked Sadie.  Mac and AJ both noticed the knowing smirk on Francesca’s face but luckily Abby and Sadie missed it.

“Sarah.  Why don’t you explain?” asked AJ as Mac glared at him, making him realize that she would get him back for this.

“Actually, we first met at a party.  We had talked on the phone once, but we didn’t get to meet until we were both over at Bill’s one day.”  Mac stopped and watched as AJ nearly choked on his breakfast before she continued.  “It was a nice party. He has this huge house, but he had the party out in the gardens.”

“You don’t strike me as someone who would like a garden party, Albert,” Abby said.

“Sometimes you have to do what you have to do,” he said.

“Very true.”

The rest of the morning and much of the afternoon passed in a blur.  AJ and Francesca spent as much of their time together or with Abby as they could.  Sarah, not wanting to intrude into their family time, tried to keep busy.   She asked Sadie if she needed any help cooking dinner.  She gladly accepted the help.  The two women talked about a variety of things but soon the conversation turned to AJ. Sadie was almost ready to tell her about AJ’s old nickname when he walked in.

“Don't you dare tell her that, Sadie!” exclaimed AJ, surprising both women.

“Why not, AJ?” she asked innocently.

“Because I am asking you nicely to keep that to yourself.”

“Okay, then AJ. I won't tell her,” Sadie said to AJ before turning to stage whisper to Sarah. “Don’t worry. Tony will tell you.”

“I hope you aren't telling her anything?” AJ turned his glare from Sadie to Sarah.

“Well, I was going to tell her about the All Seeing Eye.” Sarah teased.

“Oh great. Might as well tell her about the time I broke Webb’s nose.”

“You broke someone’s nose?” Abby said as she walked into the kitchen with Francesca.

“Grandma, I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

“But you did mean to hit him?”

“Yes. I just didn’t realize he was standing as close as he was.”

“I thought I taught you not to hit people.”

“You did, Grandma. I was just very upset,” he tried to explain.

“All the more reason not to hit him then.”

Mac decided to speak up. “Webb had done something that inadvertently put me in danger. AJ was just protecting me.”

Abby looked between the two, and then she said, “Good thing Albert didn’t kill him then.” Abby walked out of the kitchen without another word.

“Thank you, Sarah,” AJ said before smiling and following his grandmother.

Sadie walked out to finish setting the table, leaving Sarah and Francesca in the kitchen watching some pots on the stove.

“Can you tell me why Papa is calling you Sarah?”

“No. Grandma asked if I was Sarah or Mac and your father introduced me as Sarah. I’m not sure why.”

“I asked him earlier, and he said nothing. But I think I know why.”

“Why is that Francesca?”

“It’s because he’s had feelings for you for a long time.”

“No, I’m sure he doesn’t. It’s against regulations,” Sarah said as Sadie walked back into the kitchen.

“Even so, he still does,” Francesca insisted.

Dinner was soon ready, and Tony finally came in from working on the ranch. Everyone was already seated at the table when Tony jokingly rubbed AJ’s baldhead before saying, “How's it going Hairy?”

“Which one of you put him up to that?” AJ glared at Sadie and Sarah. Unfortunately, both were too busy laughing to pay any attention.

“Harry?” asked Sarah.

“This knucklehead decided to call me that because I had a hairy chest,” AJ explained.

“Hate to break it to you, Hairy, but it was your hairy back that earned you that nickname,” Tony said.

“Don’t think that I haven’t forgotten that you have a nickname yourself, Little Brother.”

“Oh, I know you haven’t forgotten, but I also remember that you promised to never tell anyone about that,” Tony said with an evil grin.

“I know, but one of these days…” AJ threatened.

“Don’t worry, Albert. You may have been sworn to secrecy, but I wasn’t. Right, Patty?”

Abby said with an evil grin much like her grandsons.

“Grandma!” Tony exclaimed as AJ began laughing.

“Patty? How come I’ve never heard of this Patty?” asked Sadie.

“Because Patty isn’t a person. Poor child,” Abby shook her head. “Every time he went outside, he managed to find a cow patty and stepped right in it.”

“No wonder you always walk so carefully outside,” said Sadie.

Tony looked around the table at all the people trying not to laugh, his eyes finally coming to rest on AJ. “I’m going to get you for this, AJ.”

“He kept his promise, Tony. Your fault was neglecting to ask me not to share that name, also. Besides, I think we’ve all picked on Albert enough for one day.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

“So, Sarah. I hear your best friend is a vegetarian. Those are fighting words on a cattle ranch,” Tony commented trying to change the subject.

“I know, but what can you do? Some people just don’t have any taste,” she commented.

“As long as you don’t feel the same as she does.”

“Don’t worry about that Tony. I am definitely a beef eater, and my friend isn’t a she.”

“Your best friend is a man?” asked Tony. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Tony, you don’t need to be forcing your outdated opinions on the guests,” Abby said gently.

“It’s not a problem, Ma’am. My friend is worse,” Sarah said before turning back to Tony. “I admit that there are, or were, some strained moments between the two of us, but we’ve gotten past that.”

“So you admit that there were problems?” asked Tony.

“’Were’ being the operative word,” she said, not noticing the strange look on AJ’s face.

The rest of dinner was pleasant, much to AJ’s delight. Sarah did notice that he seemed a bit withdrawn, though she didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure if he was thinking about what Tony had said. Tony was voted to do the dishes and since no one wanted to help, everyone disappeared. Sarah followed AJ out to the barn.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Sarah,” he said softly.

“Would you like me to leave you alone?"

“No. I just don’t want to talk about it yet, if you don’t mind.”

“That’s fine. I’m sure they just pick on you because they love you.”

“I know that,” he insisted.

“And all your secrets are safe with me.”

“I know that, too. It’s just making me think of some other things right now that’s all.”

They fell silent for a while just standing next to each other, when AJ finally spoke again.

“Would you like to see the calves that Tony found today?”

“Calves? I thought they were born in the spring?” she asked as they turned to walk into the warmth of the barn.

“They put the bull in with the cows in the spring. Grandpa found that there were fewer problems if the calves were born in the winter.”

“Really? I would think that the cold would be bad for them.”

“Actually, the bugs are worse in the summer for the calves than the cold.”

“I never would have thought of that.”

“Here’s Il Taglio, and this here is Spot.”

“Il Taglio?” Sarah tried to pronounce the name.

“As you can tell, Francesca named this one. She thought Slash would be appropriate,” he said, pointing out the white slash across his otherwise black face.

“Il Taglio sounds better than Slash. Why are they here?”

“For some reason their mothers aren’t letting them nurse, so Tony brought them in and they will hand feed them.”

“Oh, they're adorable.”

“Want to feed one?”

“Sure,” she said enthusiastically. AJ got two large bottles of milk and returned moments later, handing her one bottle.

They fed the calves almost in silence, if saying anything, only talking about how hungry the calves were. Finally the calves finished drinking their milk and Sarah and AJ both walked out of the stall.

“Feel like going back in?” Sarah asked.

“I guess.”

“I was thinking that it might be best if I left,” suggested Sarah.

“Why?”

“To avoid any more misunderstandings.”

“It’s okay. Of course, if you want to leave, you can. But you don’t have to,” he said.

“I was just thinking that you might be uncomfortable with my being here. I know you're a private man.”

"Yes, but I don't mind that you're here," he said, sounding a bit surprised himself. “It means a lot to me that you came.”

“I just brought you some clothes,” she said trying to downplay his compliments.

“No. ‘Mac’ simply brought me clothes, and I do appreciate that. ‘Sarah’ has done much more than that. She’s been here to give me that shoulder she offered long ago. And I appreciate that so much more.”

“AJ? Sarah?” Tony called from the back porch. “You two coming back in?”

“Brothers,” AJ mumbled. “We better go.”

“You going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Would you like to go for a ride tomorrow? I can show you more of the ranch.”

“Sounds good.”

“If we leave around seven, I can show you a great spot to see the sunrise.”

“Okay. I'll meet you in the kitchen at seven, then,” Sarah said.

They spent some time in the living room visiting when Tony and Sadie said they needed to get back to their place and get some sleep before morning.

“I thought you lived here,” commented Sarah.

“Did AJ show you the overseer’s house?” asked Tony. Sarah nodded, remembering the house about 100 yards away. “That’s where we live. Good to see you again. Francesca. We’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Tony hugged Francesca, then Abby, before stopping in front of Sarah. “I hope I didn’t offend you at all, Sarah.”

“You didn’t, but I think you need to worry about what AJ might do to you,” she said with a smile.

Tony looked at his brother standing behind Sarah, his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.

“I guess I’ll need to think of a way to apologize to him tomorrow.” Tony leaned down and embraced Sarah, causing AJ to glare a bit more.

Soon, goodnights were said all around, and everyone else made their way to their rooms. Sarah walked into her room and noticed a small CD player on the nightstand. She also saw a few CDs of soft music and nature sounds. She was touched that AJ went to the trouble of finding this for her so it wasn’t too quiet for her to sleep.

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