Title: Saudi Arabian Holiday Author: Hugo "Animal" Chikamori E-mail: hchikamori@yahoo.com Rating: PG-17 Classification: Mac/Animal R Spoilers: ??? Summary: Mac, Harm, Liandra are in an Envoy's party to Saudi Arabia. Mac is captured by a Bin Laden supporter and is held captive in a Taliban stronghold. Disclaimer:Harmon Rabb Jr. Sarah Mackenzie, AJ Chegwidden, Bud Roberts, Harriet Sims, et al characters regularly seen on JAG, are creations of Donald Bellisario and are the property of CBS, Paramount and Bellisarius Productions. Animal, Lia, Metalman et al (other than the above) are the creative property of Hugo and Heather Chikamori. Author's Note: ------------------------------------------------------------------- TWO WEEKS EARLIER JAG HEADQUARTERS FALLS CHURCH, VA "Mac!" Lia exclaimed to her cousin as she brought in a brief to her. Captain Liandra O'Hara Rabb grinned, "We've got a hot one here." Lieutenant Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie-Chikamori looked at it grimacing. "Not another political junket." "Cushy, huh?" Lia grinned at her cousin's disgusted expression "Admiral wants Harm, you and me on it." Liandra said. "Looks like we're headed to Saudi Arabia!" Mac sighed. Animal was not going to like this. Actually, he was not going to like this one bit. More aptly, he was going to have screaming litters of kittens...expansive litters of screaming kittens. After he had finagled a holiday from assiting in running a battlegroup, they had packed their luggage in preparation for a relaxing vacation in the Caribbean. Mac turned pleading eyes to her cousin. "Are you sure I can't get out of this?" "Nope." Her cousin replied with a smug look on her face. "Wanna break Animal the news?" "You're his wife, you do it." "He's not going to take this well..." Mac implored. "That's not surprising." "Are you sure you won't help?" "Can't, and nope..." Lia said as she tossed her hair off her shoulders as she headed out of Mac's office. "Besides, I gotta tell Harm." "Thanks." Mac said dryly. "Don't mention it." LATER Animal did not have screaming litters of kittens. He did not even have bobcats. He had a cougar. "THEY WHAT???!!!!" Mac held the receiver about two feet away from her ear. She swore it vibrated. "I'm glad he's taking it so well." she muttered. She said in a normal speaking voice. "Well, sweetheart, you think I like this either?" Geez, men could be so unreasonable. "It's not like I had any decision in the process. No, Harm didn't either...Yes, even though he is technically, the assistant JAG. He was completely left out of this." The snort on the other end of the phone line was distinctly sarcastic. "Yeah, right." her husband growled."Would you like me to chew AJ a new ear?" "Honey, he still is a two-star compared to your one." Mac laughed as she heard her husband growl like an irritated grizzly bear. "When do you have to leave?" Animal asked. "They want us to leave tonight." Mac replied, bracing herself for another outburst. Another irritated snort essayed from the receiver,"Well, it doesn't look like I can tell CNO to ixnay my vacation time, so I guess I'll have to take it in Saudi Arabia! Does AJ need a pilot on this press junket?" her husband asked. "Can't hurt. I'm sure the admiral wouldn't mind having another FLAG officer on this, besides, the attache is a Saudi Arabian rear admiral who is going with us to show us around" Mac replied, her heart a little lighter now. Can you get a refund on the Caribbean tickets." "I'll just get them transferred to a later date. Admiral's privilege." Animal replied. "Harm is frocked for one-star. Wouldn't another be overkill?" "Yeah, but the squid is just an imaginary one-star..." Mac purred. "You have yours..." referring to Harm being able to wear the star of a rear-admiral, but couldn't collect the pay yet. "Damn it, Sarah...you keep doing that, I won't be able to get out of my chair." he groaned, referring to her amorous teasing, reverting to a normal speaking tone, he asked. "Is the attache an equivalent of a one-star?" "That's affirmative." Mac replied. "Admiral Hamir Al-Fahid." She heard a snapping of fingers on the other end of the line. "What?" "Ah, good ol'Admiral Ol'Fathead." Animal said snidely. "He used to be the Saudi Navy commander our squadron did a number on in a wargame five years ago." Mac said. "OK...dearest. Be nice to him, OK? We don't want to tick our hosts off." "I don't like the guy..." Animal concluded. "Well, dear, you'll just have to put up with him." "Sweetie," Animal said. "You know 'putting up' means me knee- ing him in the nuts. Standard Navy Pilot's greeting." "Behave." Mac ordered, her voice showing a hint of laughter. "Me...I don't know the meaning of the word." Animal said snidely. "I'll buy you a dictionary." Mac retorted. "Naw...waste of money..." Animal replied. "I'll just ask Demo Dick M. to teach me 'manners and deportment' and the finer art of being able to snort a meatball out my nose." Mac rolled her eyes. "Honey...if you expect to come along, you are going to have to come to Falls Church. Can you bring one of my suitcases, the ones with the Class 'A's. And you had better bring your blues and your dress-whites. You may need them." "OK...be there in two hours." Animal replied. "Two hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty-three seconds." Mac corrected. "Whatever you say, dearest." Animal said cheerily as he told Mac he loved her and hung up the phone. "That man..." Mac whispered as a grin crept across her lips. 2HRS, 15 MIN, 23 SEC LATER A short, asian U.S. Navy rear admiral (one-star) grinned as he came through the doors of the Judge Advocate General's office prompting a bellow of "FLAG OFFICER ON DECK!" from Gunny Galindez. "As you were." Animal interjected as his wife leaned her head out of her office. Animal strode through the office towards her. As he approached her, he grinned. "Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie?" "Admiral." she grinned back, looking at him. Harm and Liandra came around the corner, "Hey, Animal, you coming along?" "Well...all depends. I hate baklava, and lentils make me want to spew chunks, so yeah. Looks like I'll be coming along too." Animal said dryly. "Say Harm, congrats on the one-star." "Yep, catching up to you." Harm grinned jovially. "Sorry, Harm ol'buddy." Animal grinned back. "Good try, no banana." he stated drolly as he looked at his friend, a frocked rear-admiral (lower half) and said proudly. "My friend, the esteemed CNO caught me by phone, on my way out the door to come up here and told me that I just was frocked myself...two-star." Animal grinned as Mac, Harm and Liandra gasped. Mac was the first to recover, decorum be damned and embraced her husband. He grinned, a bad pun on his lips..."Now, isn't that 'frockin' amazing???" Harm, Lia and Mac groaned. Rear Admiral (upper half) AJ Chegwidden grinned as he came out of his office. "Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, front and center." "Sir." Mac strode over to face Admiral Chegwidden. "Congratulations, Colonel." Admiral Chegwidden said as he handed Mac a case. Mac opened it. Resting in the case were a pair of eagles. Liandra beamed at her cousin. Looking at Animal, AJ said. "I see you're out of uniform, Admiral. Two stars, isn't it?" "Yes, it seems so, doesn't it?" Animal grinned. "If there is a PX in this place, I'll hasten to remedy the situation." "Glad you could join us. Admiral." AJ grinned as he stuck out his hand. Animal shook his hand. "Glad to be here. I assume that you will be the head of the entourage?" Animal asked. "Yes, they specifically asked for me by name. I figured it would be good to have staff with me." AJ said. "I guess I'm just accompanying my wife, sir." Animal grinned. "Never could pass up a date with a pretty Marine." he smiled at Mac, who rolled her eyes and restrained herself from swatting his arm. "So. Admiral, what seems to be my role in this whole VIP shindig?" "You just play the whole war-hero thing." "Oh..." Animal said dryly. "War-hero? Didn't know I was one. Rabb here on the other hand..." Mac smacked him in the arm "Look at your ribbon-rack, you dummy!" "Oooooooh..." Animal said giddily like a child,"It's real colorful..." Mac rolled her eyes. "Six years I've been married to him and he still baffles me." Harm, Lia and AJ laughed. "Well, you knew what you were getting into when you married him..." Harm riposted cheerily. Animal stuck his tongue out at him.