Amazed - Chapter 9

1203 local
Tuesday December 17th 2002
JAG HQ
Harm's office

Harm – Enter!

May - Hi dad!

Harm - May! I didn't know you were coming!

May – Surprise!

Harm - So, how was your morning?

May - I slept! And that was wonderful! How was yours?

Harm - Usual cases. I only hope the admiral won't send me again on the other side of the state while you're here!

May - So do I! I brought some lunch. Care to share?

Harm - That's a very good surprise! I just have to clean my desk a bit.

May - Take five minutes, I also brought lunch for Mac.

Harm - How nice!

May - I'll get her.

Harm - No need.

Harm take his phone and dials.

Harm - Mac, it's Harm. Could you come to my office? I have a surprise for you.

May takes Chinese food out of a big bag. Mac comes in.

Harm - Do you want to share our lunch?

Mac - May, you brought all that?

May - Hey, someone has to feed you!

Mac sits and they eat. May looks closely at Mac and her father. She watches the looks they share, the smiles and all what they don't say. Suddenly, May's mobile rings.

May - Excuse me. Hello! Val, Hi! How are you? Oh, wait a second!

She turns to Harm and Mac.

May - I go to your office, Mac. You drive me out when you're finished!

She leaves the room. Harm and Mac find themselves face to face. May's leaving has stopped the chattering and they don't know what to say. They even avoid each other's gaze.

Harm - So, how are you doing with May?

Mac - Not bad. She doesn't go out, doesn't make noise. She cooks and cleans. And she likes old black and white movies.

Harm - Looks you're having fun!

Mac - Yeah. She has much humor.

Silence falls again.

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Meanwhile, May's call to Val is over. Noticing there's no one around, she takes a deep breath goes to the admiral's office. Tiner is not behind his desk. She feels some anxiety when she knocks at the door.

AJ – Enter!

May - Good morning, Admiral.

AJ - Cadet McCall. I didn't know you were coming today.

May - I missed Commander Rabb yesterday, so I brought his lunch today.

AJ - And you don't eat with him?

May - I received a call and I left him with Colonel McKenzie.

AJ - Do you think it's judicious?

May - They like each other, Sir. And as they are the same rank, they do not cross rules of fraternization.

AJ - What I meant is they may cut each other's throat.

May - I don't think so, Sir. Neither were in the mood.

AJ - So, what are you doing here?

May hesitates a second.

May - You know why.

AJ gets paler and turns away his gaze. The he looks at May dead in the eyes.

AJ - No, I don't know what you're talking about.

May - I do think so.

May and AJ keep looking at each other. May doesn't give up. Standing in front of AJ, she dares him. He doesn't move. The wall he built around his feelings shows no sign of weakness.

AJ - Cadet McCall, I would like you to leave this office at once.

May continues to look at him.

May - You know I'll keep fighting.

AJ finds hard to stand May's stare.

AJ - Shall I make it an order?

May - No, Sir. Have a nice afternoon, Sir.

She goes to attention without leaving AJ's eyes. Then she turns and goes to the door. At the moment she opens it, she hears a whisper.

AJ - I do know.

She turns to AJ. He has a haunted, desperate look. May's expression softens ans she smiles slightly. Then she leaves the room, silently closing the door behind her. AJ is shaking. He has trouble breathing and his heart is beating as if he just run ten miles. He closes his eyes and tries to find his breath back.

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May comes back to his father's office. Mac is about to leave.

May - It was Val, my roommate. Sorry, it took some time. She wanted to tell me about the birth of her nephew. As it is the first, we talked quite a time.

Harm - We left some for you.

May - Thanks, but I'm not very hungry. I'm going to take a walk around and I'll come back to your apartment, Mac.

Mac - Are you okay?

May - I'm fine. I just want to be alone for a while. It's sunny outside, it'll be good. Don't worry.

Harm - Are you sure you're gonna be okay?

May - Yes dad.

She puts a kiss on her father's cheek and leave JAG.

Alone in the office, Mac and Harm look at each other.

Harm - I wonder what happened.

Mac - I guess we'll know sooner or later.

Harm - You're probably right.

********************

1315 local
Tuesday December 17th 2002
Madison Park, Falls Church

May wanders down the alleys in Madison Park. Wrapped up in her coat, she fold her arms to be a little warmer. The sun is shining, but the air is ice cold. She walks slowly, watching the kids playing, the lovers kissing and the elderly sitting on the benches. She thinks of AJ, of their last conversation, of the last look he gave her when she left.

'How can I convince a man forty years older than me that I really love him? He must believe I'm after his money, or his rank, or that it has something to do with dad.'

She worries about her father's reaction.

'How can I tell him I'm in love with his CO? What can I do so he doesn't fall out with me or AJ? He will believe I used him to get to AJ.'