"On A Level Playing Field"
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Meg grinned as she walked into the office. As she stepped into the bullpen, YN2 Coates stepped up to her. "Ma'am. Admiral Chegwidden requested your presence in his office."
"Thank you, Coates." She said, congratulating herself that she remembered the young yeoman's name and there were a lot of new names to remember. Making sure that her service blues uniform was neat, she raised her hand to knock on the door, just as AJ opened the door.
"Sir!?" Lieutenant Commander Austin startled, stepped back two steps.
"I see you were coming to see me as I requested…Walk with me. I need to get myself a cup of coffee."
"Yes, sir." Meg replied, noting the sharp look directed at her from a certain Marine Lieutenant Colonel. Evidently she didn't like the fact that Meg was getting some attention from the admiral. Oh well, she could suffer as far as Meg was concerned. She smiled as they walked.
"Something amusing, Lieutenant Commander?"
"Oh, just spent last afternoon with an old friend, sir. Took me out to a movie. He also helped me find my new place out in Reston on the weekend before I reported, sir."
"Oh? Seeing someone?" AJ asked, sort of knowing the answer before he even asked it. "A certain ex-Navy fighter pilot, I presume."
Her next answer confirmed it. "I can neither confirm nor deny that, sir." AJ rolled his eyes. If a certain Marine Lieutenant Colonel heard about this, nuclear fireworks would be the result. It might be interesting to see but the fallout would be spectacular and potentially career-ending.
After getting his coffee and retreating back into the office along with Meg, he punched a button on his intercom. "Coates, have you got the items that I requested?"
"Yes, sir." Coates replied. "Everything is as requested. Admiral."
"Then would you please be present…Coates."
"Yes, sir." Coates said. About five seconds later, a knock came on the door.
"ENTER!" Admiral Chegwidden barked. The door opened and Coates slipped in bearing what appeared at first glance to be a garment bag. Receiving the garment bag, AJ said to Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin. "The promotion board convened about a week ago." Meg wasn't certain of where this bit of information was going. "How long have you been a Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant Commander Austin?"
"Sir, 4 years, sir."
"Well, Lieutenant Commander Austin, it seems that the promotion board seeing as how you were exemplary in the performance of your duties while at Weapons Research and Development seemed fit to deep-select you." Meg looked stunned, like a deer in the headlights. Opening up the garment bag to reveal a US Navy female Commander's jacket, he said. "Remove your Lieutenant Commander's jacket, please."
Meg did as requested. "Congratulations, Meg." AJ said as he slipped the Commander's jacket on her. "I wish I could have made this a public promotion in the bullpen."
"Understood, sir. It wouldn't be the same without the former Commander Rabb, there, sir." Meg replied as AJ winced.
"You will have to get yourself a Commander's Combo Cap from the PX."
Reciting the oath of military office and having it repeated back to him; it was formalized. Meg had entered AJ's office as a Lieutenant Commander and left it as a Commander.
JAG BULLPEN
FALLS CHURCH, VA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Now Commander Meg Austin stepped out into the bullpen and surveyed the faces looking back at her. "Congratulations, Commander." Bud chirped.
"Thank you, Bud." Meg replied as she headed for her office stopping to a dead halt as she realized whose office she had been given. Harm had emptied the office, but the nameplate on the door above had yet to be changed. It still read "Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. "
"I'll get Building Services to get it changed." Mac's voice came from beside her. Meg hadn't noticed that the Marine Lieutenant Colonel was standing beside her.
"I guess…" Meg said faintly, wishing that the sign could remain. At least then she'd have Harm with her at that office at least in name only. Turning to Mac she said "That sign has been there for a long time, hasn't it."
"Yes. And no one has taken it down." Mac replied shortly. "Things change." Her tone was dismissive. Meg noticed her look down at the three full gold stripes of Meg's new uniform jacket. "Congratulations on your promotion, Commander. It appears that we are now of equal rank." Her tone was still cold.
Meg raised an eyebrow. "I see. Colonel. I do have to get some things unpacked in here so I may be awhile. I figure there are cases that need dispensing with so I figure that the meeting will dictate what sort of capacity I will be working at in the office, so if you will excuse me." She cut the conversation short, practically dismissively towards the Marine lieutenant colonel and went into Harm's (now her's) office and shut the door. Looking up at the door, she waved back at the Marine lieutenant colonel who she swore almost had steam coming out her ears. So Mac had tried to drive Harm batshit insane, did she? Well, that was one strike against her and now that Meg was on equal ground, she was going to utilize that to her best advantage.
JAG BULLPEN
FALLS CHURCH, VA
TUESDAY NOON
A familiar face graced the JAG office eliciting calls of "Hello, Commander Rabb!" to which a civilian clothed Harm cheerfully said. "I'm not in the Navy anymore. Call me Harm." Jacket over his arm, a present in one hand and a legal briefcase in the other, he wandered through the bullpen, looking kind of lost.
Meg peered out the door of her office to which Harm raised an eyebrow as it was his former office. Then his eyes travelled down to the three full stripes on her uniform jacket and his other eyebrow went up to join the first one. "Meg, you got promoted?"
"Yes, Harm." Meg said. "Admiral Chegwidden told me to come into his office this morning, then dropped this welcome surprise. He said I was deep-selected."
"Congratulations, Meg, you deserve it." Harm grinned widely; spread his arms open wide and hugged her.
"Decorum?" Meg questioned.
"What the hell…I'm not in the Navy anymore. I can hug you if I want to. Commander." Harm replied as he wrapped his arms around his former partner.
"So…Harm…how long are you going to be with Colonel Mackenzie and Lieutenant Roberts?" Meg asked.
"I don't know, but if you'll wait, I'd like to take you out for lunch?" Harm offered.
"I'd like that." Her eyes twinkled. "Is that a date?"
"If you want it to be." Harm said.
"If you're asking, I do…" Meg said suggestively, as Commander Sturgis Turner walked up.
"Hi, hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Oh, hello, Commander Turner." Meg said as she turned to acknowledge Commander Turner.
"Hi, Sturgis." Harm said.
"Hi, Harm." The two friends talked for a few moments and then Harm said his goodbyes to Turner. "Meg, I'll look you up after I finish up with Mac and Bud."
"Sure thing, Harm." Meg replied waving her fingers at Harm who grinned back at her.
"Cozy…you know her?" Sturgis said after Meg had retreated back into her office.
"Yeah, she was my first…" he paused for a moment to contemplate his next words as Sturgis looked at him funny. "constant legal partner before she got transferred to Weapons."
"Oh…" Sturgis said.
"Mac and Bud are in the conference room." Sturgis said waving off a thanks from Harm.
Harm noticed YN2 Coates. She smiled up at him. "Nice to see you, sir…" her tone was eager.
"Nice to see you too, Jennifer." He grinned. He'd always liked the young yeoman.
"The admiral's out but I'll let him know you're here." She said; after having talked to the admiral that morning and gotten royally chewed out, she still wanted to have the admiral and Harm mend fences.
Harm dismissively said. "That really won't be necessary" as he walked away from her.
"I believe it is, sir…you two really need to talk to each other." She took a step towards him, her brown eyes were pleading with him to take her advice.
"I really have nothing to say to the admiral…" He turned to find Admiral Chegwidden standing there with a mug in his hand. Nodding curtly, the admiral continued on his way, another legalman passing behind him. Harm shook his head as he made his way out of the office to head towards the conference room.
As the door closed behind him, Jennifer sighed, her countenance downcast. "Damn." She said softly.
JAG BULLPEN
FALLS CHURCH, VA
ONE HOUR LATER
The door opened as Meg's back was turned. She turned around to find Harm standing there smiling. "So. Are you ready to head for lunch?"
"More than ready. I'm famished…since you made me wait." Meg replied with a look that spoke of retribution on his meagre finances and potentially his savings. "I hope that your debit card is more than up to the task of feeding me."
Harm rolled his eyes and muttered "I hope so too…"
"I heard that."
"I meant for you to hear that."
The two of them linked arms and headed out the door of his office when Mac and Bud came back into the office. Meg took the opportunity to wave at Bud and Mac saying "I'm going for lunch. Be back later." She grinned unrepentantly as the door was closing , they could hear the door to Mac's office being slammed…hard.
"I think she's annoyed." Harm said smugly.
"I'm sure she is." Meg agreed.
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