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Title: The Tiner Chronicles #1
Spoiler: Lifeline
Rating: 13
Disclaimer: Like it says on the site, I don’t own JAG or the characters. Just borrowing!
Feedback: If you like this, I’d love to know! Send to me at StarTrails@h...
Summary: This is the first installment of a series in which I revisit some episodes, from Tiner’s point of view. They way I’ve imagined it, this is Tiner’s “journal.” I really think he would have an interesting perspective on things and wanted to make Tiner a little more three dimensional than we usually see him. (If you remember the show, think of this like Doogie Howser’s journal, that he wrote in at the end of every episode. If you are too young/old to know what Doogie Howser was like, feel free to email me and ask.)
*Also, if you have suggestions for other episodes that you would like to see written this way, please let me know! So far, this is the only one I’ve written. I’m planning on doing Jagathon, too, but I’d love to hear your ideas. Thanks!
May 15, 2001
Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. OhmygoshOhmygoshOHMYGOSH!!
I cannot *believe* what happened tonight! This could change *everything*! And Lord knows I hope it does. How many years have I held my tongue hoping they’d do something more interesting with theirs. And I think they finally did!
So much to cover. I don’t even know where to begin. I guess at the beginning....
Tonight was Colonel Mackenize and Commander Brumby’s engagement party. Lieutenant Simms convinced the Admiral to host the party at his house, and as usual, I was the sole member of the preparation and decorating committee. I never imagined when I enlisted that my duties would someday include flower arranging and picking a menu, but orders are orders, I guess.
So I was sprinkling droplets of water on some of the lillies to simulate the morning dew. I read somewhere that some philosopher said life is a dewdrop within a dewdrop. Anyway, the Admiral thought it was ridiculous and made me stop. I swear, he must think I’m such a doofus. But it’s not my fault. It was an *engagement* party for crying out loud and excuse me for being a romantic.
Slowly but surely, people started arriving. The Roberts’ were first. Bud felt weird about it, but someone’s got to be first, and Harriet told him as much. I was relieved. At least it wasn’t Singer who was early, or I’d be stuck making small talk with her until someone else showed up to save me.
It pains me to admit it, but when Singer did show up, she was a knockout. She’s so attractive... until she opens her mouth. Ugh. She’d probably be a great girl if she’d let her hair down more often - literally and figuratively. Why was I not surprised she didn’t have a date? You go out with enough politicians and muckety-mucks and I guess word gets around. Hardly anyone could stand her to begin with, and it seems by now, she’s alienated the few people who could.
Gunny brought a girl named Gloria. Redhead. Not too shabby. Did I have a date? Nooooo... I was too busy helping Harriet plan this thing and field all the questions for the Admiral. I’m cute, I’m a military man, going to law school. I could’ve had a date if I wanted.
But who am I kidding? The closest I’ve been to a girl in months was when my Criminal Law professor got right in my face to insult me and overrule my objection in our mock trial last week. There’s so much to do during the day that by the time I get home I’m so tired all I want to do is have a milkshake and crash in front of the TV. I don’t even answer the phone anymore. After entire days of making excuses to the SecNav over the phone, I’d bite someone’s head off, and I don’t want to do that to some poor innocent telemarketer. “Oh, he’s in a meeting, Mr. Secretary... Oh, I’m sorry, the Admiral’s out of the office for the day, Sir.” Imagine me, a Petty Officer, bullshitting the Secretary of the Navy. And to think, my mom didn’t want me to enlist.
But I’m getting off track. And I’ve got to get this all down while it’s still fresh in my mind. Yeah right, as if I could forget any of this. So finally, Colonel Mackenzie and Commander Brumby showed up. I’ve never seen so many heads turn like that. I mean, the Colonel’s a beautiful woman, but you never really get the full effect when she’s in uniform. Boy, she looked like a million bucks. Absolutely radiant. She doesn’t normally have much to smile about around the office, what with all the crap she takes from Commander Rabb. But tonight, her smile lit up the whole room. Commander Brumby’s, too... at first.
For a while I went about my business, refilling people’s wine glasses and things like that. After a bit, I noticed the Colonel and the Commander weren’t around. Bud told me they went outside to wait for Renee and talk about the case they’re working on. And I’m sure that’s how it started out. Totally innocent.
So they were out there for a little while, and then Renee must’ve finally found the place, because the three of them came back inside. Everyone just kind of mingled and chatted and ate for a while after that. I think everyone was having a good time. It’s nice to see people out of uniform and meet their wives and husbands.
I was talking to Commander Mattoni and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Colonel Mackenzie go back out onto the porch. A second later, I saw Commander Rabb excuse himself from talking to Singer and make a beeline for the door. My jaw must’ve hit the floor because Mattoni had to ask me twice if I was okay.
Okay? Was I okay? Time was running out. The clock was ticking in a major way, and I can’t even remember how many times the Commander’s hit the snooze button. If he was finally going to pick the clock up and smash it against the wall altogether, I was a lot more than okay.
Boy, did I want to go to the window, slide the curtains open just a smidge, and sneak a peek. But they deserve better than that from me. Both of them. I’ve known officers who treat the enlisted personnel like hired hands, like dirt beneath their shoes. Well, I may not have gone to the Academy or OCS, but I’m not some slave they can just order around. Well, okay, maybe the ordering part. But anyway, the Commander and the Colonel have always been great to me. Not to mention the free entertainment. If my mom knew these two, she wouldn’t need her soap operas anymore.
So I let them be. It was killing me not knowing what was going on out there, but I kept myself distracted by talking to Gunny’s date. She was wearing a strand of pearls, and I was telling her how body contact gives them a natural luster. It was completely innocent, but Gunny came back and thought I was flirting with her. Like she’d really want me if she could have him. He could probably bench press me into the next decade. But just wait till I’m done with law school. We’ll see who has the better career in ten years.
The Commander and the Colonel were still outside, and it had been over an hour. I spotted Renee, sitting by herself, so I filled up her wine glass, and offered to “find” the Commander for her. She said it wasn’t necessary, that he knew where she was. Yeah, I’m sure! Of course he *knew*. The question was, did he care?
I never gave her much credit before. I mean, the Barbie doll looks and Hollywood personality were pretty thick, but I guess a decent amount of intelligence is underneath all that hair spray and lip gloss. Because I think even she could sense something wasn’t right. It was the Colonel’s engagement party, but Mic was sitting all by himself, too. And their significant others were, well, outside, being significant with someone else.
After a while, I saw Mic and Renee talking, and they both looked a little better for it. I wish I could’ve “happen to be passing by” while they were talking, but I was helping Bud clean himself up. He had all sorts of things spilled on him, poor guy. And on such a special night for Harriet, too.
When it was time to serve the cake, the Admiral asked me to get the Commander and the Colonel. I had to work pretty hard not to run straight for the porch and pull the door wide open. I turned the knob slowly and opened the door just enough to stick my head out. But, oh my God, it was enough to get an eyeful.
I felt like I stepped into a forcefield. Like a million electric shocks hitting me at once, except it didn’t hurt one bit. The night was warm to begin with, but I swear, it must’ve been a thousand degrees out there on that porch. The heat between those two was everywhere.
But apparently the Colonel didn’t feel it, because she was wrapped in the Commander’s jacket. I bet she wished it was his arms.
I popped my head out and told them the Admiral was asking for them. Then, to divert my thoughts (and stall for a second to look at them some more), I mentioned it was getting chilly. The Commander agreed, and then told me, although in much nicer words, to get lost.
He didn’t even look at me for one second. His eyes never left the Colonel’s. The look between then could’ve cut diamonds. I can only hope he was making his move. And with not a moment to spare, either. I can’t believe he even let it go this far. Or maybe he was planning on playing the hero on a white horse, coming to whisk her away from the evil villain the second before she said ‘I do’. Not that I think Mic’s a villain. He’s a great guy. Just not for the Colonel. But it’d be next to impossible to park the getaway Tomcat in the church parking lot.
Finally, I nodded and went back inside. What choice did I have? If he charged me with disobeying an order, he wouldn’t exactly be willing to defend me.
I can’t say I know what they said to each other in all the time they were out there, but when they came back in, there was a definite tension in the air. Thick tension. Pressure so heavy I thought we’d all get the bends.
So I don’t know exactly what, but *something* happened tonight.
And it’s about time.
End of #1 - TBC?
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