Undercover - Chapter 6

1450 local
Monday
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Jamie's working in her office, door wide open. She's flipping through files, taking notes. Harriet enters the room, arms full of files.

Harriet - Commander, here are some more.
Jamie - Thank you lieutenant. Put them... hum... somewhere.

Harriet lays the files down on a pile of files.

Jamie - Are you all right, Lieutenant?
Harriet - I'm making it work, Ma'am.
Jamie - That'll be all for today, Lieutenant. I think I have enough work for a few days.
Harriet - Only a few days?
Jamie - I'm a fast reader. You can go back to your usual work. I'll call you if I need anything else.
Harriet - Yes, Ma'am.

Harriet goes out of the office and passes by Mac, who knocks on the door frame.

Mac - How is your first day at JAG, Commander?
Jamie - Not bad at all! See, I have already found some work!
Mac - I can see that! But those are coming from the archives.
Jamie - I'm getting used to the way of working at JAG HQ.
Mac - Isn't it boring?
Jamie - No, It's okay. Harm talked to me about you. He says you're his best friend. It's unusual to see such a strong friendship between a man and a woman.
Mac - I'm flattered.
Jamie - Harm cares a lot about you, Colonel.
Mac - Please, call me Mac.
Jamie - So you can call me Jamie or Jay.
Mac - Okay Jamie. Are you new in DC?
Jamie - Yes. My last posting was Anchorage.
Mac - Did you step on an Admiral's foot to find yourself in Alaska?
Jamie - No, but when I was promoted, I had to choose what was left, Anchorage or the Aleutians. At least, I was still on the continent!
Mac - It must not have been very fun.
Jamie - You get used to it. Three years is not forever. But I'm glad to be back in a civilized area.
Mac - I can believe it! And where are you staying?
Jamie - At Harm's.
Mac, growing paler - He's putting up with you until you find something?
Jamie - No, Mac, we're living together.
Mac - Oh... I... I didn't know it.
Jamie - No wonder, you're one of the first to know.
Mac - So you're here for a long time.
Jamie - For awhile, at least.
Mac - Well... I can see you have a lot to do. I'll leave you to it.
Jamie - Mac, is everything all right?
Mac - Yeah, See you 'round Jamie.
Jamie - See you, Mac.

While leaving Mac passes by Harm. She avoids his look and keeps walking to her office. Harm is surprised with her attitude.

Harm - Is there a problem with Mac?
Jamie - Come in and close the door.

Harm does as she says.

Jamie - You don't understand much about women, do you Harm?
Harm - What are you talking about?
Jamie – Who. I'm talking about Mac.
Harm - And what about Mac?
Jamie - She's in love with you, Harm. That's what's about Mac.
Harm – What?
Jamie - You didn't notice! She's way too upset about knowing we live together to be just a friend. A real friend would have been happy for you, would have congratulated you for having found someone. But she was shattered when she found out. And that's the sign love is involved.

Harm looks at her, astonished. He sits on a chair. Jamie gets up and leans on the desk, in front of him.

Jamie – Harm?
Harm - But there has never been anything between us.
Jamie - That's not an argument.
Harm - But why did she never told me?
Jamie - You know her past, don't you? Abusive father, a mother who left, alcohol. It's not easy to love when you've had an easy childhood. So when you had a very hard childhood, it's almost impossible to built a normal love relationship. She's too afraid of falling into that again to throw herself at you. And maybe you make it more difficult for her going out with other women.
Harm - And *you're* telling me that?
Jamie - That's another problem. Okay, here is what we're gonna do. For the moment, you will *not* get interested in her another way than a colleague and best friend. You forget all I just said and you concentrate on our mission. Is that all right? I found a couple of things that appears to be related to our affair.

Jamie gets up to take a paper on her desk, but Harm stays motionless.

Jamie - Harm, come on!

No answer.

Jamie - Commander Rabb!
Harm - Yes, Commander, I heard you. I also found something.

He gets up and they go back to work.