"The beltway has already been closed, and police are advising motorists to stay off the interstate until the storm has passed and road crews can get things cleaned up." "I guess we'll be getting a white Christmas after all." "Bud." "Bud." "Lieutenant, are you all right?" "There's a 20-below wind-chill out there, ma'am." "I think I've frozen some vital organs." "I'll get you some coffee." "So, what is all this stuff?" "Harriet and I are handing out gifts to the children's hospital." "Really?" "That's so nice." "Yeah, I know how lonely a hospital can get." "I had an emergency operation on Christmas Eve when I was a kid." "Appendix?" "Candy cane stuck up my nose, ma'am." "Listen up, people." "Weather's getting pretty nasty out there, so as acting department head of JAG," "I'm gonna secure everyone except the duty." "So go on, get out of here." "Have a safe, happy holiday." "I always thought you were a scrooge this time of year." "Happy holidays." " Here you go, sweetie." " Oh, thank you." " So, what did we get?" " Bye." "Drive safe." "Mistletoe." " Harriet." " Come on, just one little kiss." "Excuse me." "Are you lost?" "No, actually, I'm looking for my mom." "Does your mom work here at JAG?" "Yeah, her name is Sarah MacKenzie." "So, what are you gonna be doing this holiday season?" "Little of this, little of that, nothing definite." "Don't you think you're leaving it till the last minute?" "I thought you were gonna go sailing in the Bahamas." "Oh, I had to put that off until the spring." "What are you doing?" "Oh, nothing." "This time of year's so crazy." "Everybody's rushing across the country to be with their families." "Yeah, kind of makes you glad you're single." "Yeah." "Now, you're not gonna go see your mom?" "She's on a cruise." " You okay?" " I don't know." "Things have been pretty messed up lately." "And with my Article 32 hearing coming up, it's only gonna get worse in the new year." "You're gonna make it." "You're a lean, mean fighting Marine." "And you have me backing you up." "Now, what could be better?" "Major, there's a little girl here." "She claims she's your daughter." "Wow, and I thought getting a pony for Christmas was a lot to ask for." "Chloe, what are you doing here?" "I came to see you." "Well, does your father know you're here?" "My stepfather is probably drinking with all his friends." "Chloe's my little sister." "We spend a few days together a month." "It's part of a mentoring programme for young girls." "My real mother was killed by terrorists." " Really?" " You poor thing, that's terrible." "Well, it's also not true." "Chloe's mother died four years ago from breast cancer." "This is Ensign Sims." " Hi." " Hi." " Lieutenant J.G. Roberts." " You can call me Bud." "Your name is Butt?" "What's that short for?" "Butt ugly?" " Okay, Chloe, that's enough." " Come on, it's just a joke." "I'm trying to break the ice here." "Yeah, well, you broke it, and now you're sinking." "So apologise to the lieutenant and show some respect, please." " I'm sorry, lieutenant." " Apology accepted." " This is" " Is Commander Rabb." "Mac's told me all about you." "In fact, you're all she ever talks about." " Really?" " Yeah." "Although sometimes it's hard to tell what parts are true and what parts are just, well, you know, her fantasies." "Chloe, what have I told you about lying?" "You said that a woman never lies, unless it's about her age, her weight or her best friend's husband." "Boy, you're quite a role model, major." "I never told her that." "I never told you that." "Maybe not in those words." "You need to go to my office, so we can call your father, now march." " It was nice meeting you." " You too." "What a cute kid." "Butt." "As you were, ensign." "Where the hell is everybody?" "They went home, sir." "It's only 1520." "Yes, sir, Commander Rabb secured everyone except for" "He what?" "Well, sir, on account of the inclement weather, l" "I leave you in charge, in less than three hours, you have a mutiny on your hands?" "I thought you were on your way to Italy, sir." "They closed the damn airport." "I'm sorry, admiral." "Anything I can do?" "Can you fly me to Milan in your Stearman?" "Only if you wanna arrive freeze-dried." " Mr. Roberts." " Yes, sir." "I need to get to Milan tonight." " Sir, the storm" " Come hell or high water, lieutenant." "Aye, aye, sir." " Well..." " Brian, it's Sarah MacKenzie." "Chloe showed up at my office here at JAG." "If you'd like, I can drop her off on my way home from work." "So give me a call and let me know what you want me to do." "Bye." "I told you he was probably out drinking with his creepy girlfriend." "No, he's probably out looking for you." "Chloe, you are old enough now to realise that what you do affects other people." "That's what responsibility is all about." "Are you mad at me?" "No, maybe a little disappointed." "Hey, you know, I was thinking, maybe I could come and live with you." "I wouldn't be any trouble, you know." "I could clean your house and cook your dinner and" "Oh, and I can even do your nails." "We could spend Christmas together." "It'd be fun." "I would love to spend Christmas with you, but you've got a family." "No, I've got a stepfather who could care less." " That's not true." " Major MacKenzie?" "There's a Sergeant Turner for you." "Major MacKenzie." "Oh, hello, sergeant." "How can I help you?" "Yeah, Orman v. Katz." "I remember that case." "Darrel, hey, it's Harm." "How are you?" "Good, good." "Hey, what do you say to New Year's at Vegas?" "No, stop it." "Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." "All right, say hello to your parents for me." "Okay, I've got the file." "What do you need?" "Gordo, Harm." "Hey." "What do you say to a Christmas road trip?" "Engaged?" "To who?" " Trying to find a flight to Rome." " Congratulations." " Yeah, preferably today." " Okay." " No, I'm not kidding." " Have a good holiday, bye." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Bud, what do we got on the blotter?" "Oh, nothing much." "We have a lieutenant commander brought in on a DUI in the interview room." " I'll take it." " Other than that..." "Oh, are you okay?" "I'm fine." "Where's Major MacKenzie?" "She's in her office on the phone." "Does she have any idea that you're in here?" "I don't know." "Do you have any kids?" "Not yet, but I'm gonna have a baby in May." " Boy or girl?" " I don't know yet." "Most people want boys." "I don't know about that." "I'd love to have a little girl." "Then adopt me." "Can I get you something to eat?" " Lieutenant Commander Parker." " That would be me." "You're a doctor at the Bethesda Naval Hospital." "I'm a psychiatrist." " Have a seat, doc." " Thank you." " Excuse me." " Seems like you had some car trouble." "Yeah, me and half the city." "Hit an icy patch going out the main gate, went off the road." "Some MP show up, and instead of pushing me out, they arrest me." " What's that all about?" " You failed your Breathalyzer, doctor." "I wasn't drunk." " I had an eggnog at lunch." " Just one?" "Yes." "They must have made a mistake." "You lost control of your car." "Have you looked outside today?" "It's a skating rink out there." "Well, you're just lucky nobody was hurt, doctor." "Unless you count Melchior and Balthasar." "Who?" "When I spun off the road, I wiped out a Nativity scene." "Miraculously, I managed to avoid baby Jesus, but I decapitated two Wise Men and a donkey." "Hopefully, God has a sense of humour and Mary and Joseph won't press charges." "There you are." "Major MacKenzie, I was just about to bring her to you." "I still haven't heard from your stepfather, but I think we should take you home anyway before it gets any worse out." "I don't wanna go." " Chloe, you have to go home." " No." "Okay." " What's going on?" " Nothing, nothing." "What happened to your arm, Chloe?" "I don't wanna talk about it." " Well, you have to." " Why?" "Because if somebody hurt you, I need to know, so I can stop it from ever happening again." " It would stop if I lived with you." " That's not a solution." "You don't want me to live with you?" "No, it's not about what I want." "The courts would never allow it." "But you're a lawyer." "You could convince them." "We could take care of each other." "You always said you wanted children of your own one day." "Who did this to you, Chloe?" "What will happen if I tell you?" "I'll notify the authorities, and they'll make sure it doesn't happen again." "Will they take me away from my stepfather?" "That depends." "Did he do this to you?" "If they take me away from him, can I come and stay with you?" "We'll see." "Did your stepfather hurt you?" "Yes." " Bud." " I'm sorry." "This thing is so cool." "I would have killed to have one of these when I was a kid." "You're not supposed to be playing." " You're supposed to help me wrap it." " I'm testing it." "There's nothing worse than getting a toy for Christmas without any batteries." "Well, now you know it works, so how about wrapping it up?" "Can't we keep just this one?" "Bud J. Roberts, you are a grown man." "But I love robots." "Please?" " You are starting to try my patience." " Where's your Christmas spirit?" "My Christmas spirit's gonna kick you right in the pants unless you start helping me with this stuff." "Oh, my gosh." "The Navy's top-secret combat drone is on a rampage." " This your robot, lieutenant?" " No, sir." "Not really, it's a Christmas present for the kids at the children's hospital." "I guess it wandered off, sir." "What the hell is that sound?" "Chipmunks?" "Their Christmas album, sir." "Lieutenant, this building is the JAG headquarters for the United States Navy." "We don't allow chipmunks, squirrels, gophers, any other type of singing vermin in JAG." " Understood?" " Yes, sir." "Good." "You found me a flight to Italy?" "Actually, I'm waiting on a few phone calls, sir, but I am working on it." "Work harder." "Yes, sir." "What if I waive my right to an attorney?" "I wouldn't recommend that, commander." "I don't think you understand the severity of this situation." "A charge like this could ruin your career, not to mention put you behind bars." "This is insane." "However, if you agree to undergo some substance-abuse counselling at the arraignment" "Counselling, for what?" "I told you I had one drink." "I'm trying to help you, doctor." "You wanna help?" "Get me out and call me a cab." "I don't think that's the help you need." "This afternoon's accident could be the sign of a much deeper problem." "Oh, you've gotta be ki-- You're trying to analyse me?" "Wanna talk about problems, commander, take a look in the mirror." "I don't even know where to start with you, Harmon." "Where'd you get that handle?" "You must have been named after your father." "Grandfather?" "Cherished family pet?" "I bet you have a heck of a bedside manner." "And I bet you've got a family history of naval service, which means there's a good chance you've been trying to live up to past expectations, right?" "I think you're confusing expectations with aspirations." "Gold wings are interesting." "Nobody goes from pilot to lawyer without some baggage, but that's a whole other story." " Am I gonna be billed for this or--?" " You're single." "That's painfully obvious without looking at your hand." "Relationships are few and far between." "Too busy, too picky." "You sure you're not describing yourself, commander?" "I can see you in a relationship with a single mother." "A ready-made family is appealing to someone your age, who's afraid he's running out of time." "Well, am I close?" "Let's just say the Amazing Kreskin has nothing to worry about." "Classic defence response." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve." "Your personal problems are none of my business." "I'm not the one with the problems." "Then why are you down here with me?" " It's my job." " Yeah?" "This entire city's a ghost town this time of year." "But you're still down here with me, because you've got nothing better to do." "Well, that's where you're wrong." "Hey, you got a minute?" " What's up?" " In your office." "It's about Chloe." "If this is to ask me to babysit, the answer is a big no." "I think she's being abused." "Hey, Chloe." " You like ships?" " Not really." "My real father died at sea the day I was born." "Oh, he did, did he?" "Yep." "They got hit with a missile." " What was the name of the ship?" " I don't remember." "Chloe, what do you want for Christmas?" " Nothing." " Come on." "Don't you want Santa Claus to bring you something?" "Santa Claus?" "I think I need a drink." "As in soda." "I'm thirsty." "There's milk and juice in the kitchen." "Want me to get something?" "No, I'll get it." "Hey, Chloe, when's your birthday?" "May 17th." "I'm a Taurus." "Abuse is a serious allegation, Mac." "It can ruin people's lives if it's unfounded." "Bruises on a 10-year-old's arm is not uncommon." "She's a kid." "I had bruises all over my body until I was 13." "No, these aren't bruises that one gets from climbing trees or playing tag." "They're from an adult hand grabbing her." "Besides, I asked her if her stepfather hurt her." "She said yes." "Well, from what I've seen, she seems like the kind of kid who's been known to cry wolf." "No, this is different." "Well, she said she wanted to spend Christmas with you, right?" "What better way to make that happen?" "But what if she really is being abused?" "You need to do whatever, whatever it takes to make sure she's protected." "Just be sure." "Enter." "I just talked to Chloe." "She said her biological father died at sea the day she was born." "The only reason she says things like that is because she's starving for attention." "Do you know her father's name, major?" "No, not her real father." "Why?" " She was born May 17th,1987, right?" " Yeah." "That's the day the USS Stark was attacked by an Iraqi MiG." "It fired two Exocet missiles." "Thirty-seven crewmen were killed." "I didn't think she even knew her real father." "She's been living with her stepfather ever since she was born." "Maybe it's worth looking into." "She could be eligible for survivors' benefits." "Nice work, Bud." "Right about now, that little girl needs all the help she can get." "Francesca, it's me, your father." "I'm supposed to be getting on my plane right about now, but we're in the middle of a snowstorm." "This is the first time I was looking forward to Christmas in a long time." "I'm sorry." "I'll call you." " Harriet, that hurts." " Hold still, I can put it in." " This is really squeezing." " It's not fitting." " Twist it." " Oh, it's too big." " No." " Don't." " Oh, don't be such a baby." " You're pounding on my" "Sir, I realise this is not the uniform of the day, but Harriet and l" " Ensign Sims and l" " I don't wanna hear it." "All I wanna hear is that you found a way for me to get to Italy without resorting to eight tiny reindeer." "Sir, JFK, Baltimore, Chicago, they're all snowed in." "I will find you a flight." "I promise you, sir." "Nice shoes, ensign." "Thank you, sir." "Hi." "Bud, have you seen Chloe?" "I think she went to the kitchen to find something to drink." "Thanks, anyway." "Could someone tell me why there's a chocolate-covered elf in my office?" "Chloe, what are you doing here?" "Jerry Springer's coming on." "This is not your office." "You have no business being in here." "I am sorry, admiral." "So you're the sexy admiral." "I thought you'd have more hair." " Excuse me?" " Okay, time to go." "I can explain, sir." "I've heard so much about you." "Why don't you ever ask Mac out?" "Kids." "Okay, march, young lady." "What are you trying to do, get me court-martialed?" "I wasn't hurting anything." "Chloe, what was your father's name?" "Kyle Anderson." "My mom told me about him before she died." "I told you to stay in this office." " I'm sorry." " No, you're not." "Every time I turn around, you're insulting someone or you're being rude or disrespectful." "I'm trying to help you, but you're making it very hard for me to believe you." "I knew you wouldn't." "Well, give me a reason to, Chloe." "Look, I know that life hasn't been easy for you." "I know what that's like." "But that does not give you a right to be rude or to lie about everything." "Haven't you ever lied?" " We're not talking about me." " I'm not lying." "All right, then prove it to me." "Tell me the truth." "Not now, lieutenant." "Major, I think you might wanna see this." "It's a list of all the sailors killed onboard the USS Stark." " Is Chloe's father one of them?" " No, ma'am." "But I checked the crew manifest and there was a Petty Officer Third Class Kyle Anderson onboard the Stark when she was attacked." "He survived, ma'am." "Does this mean my real dad's alive?" "Maybe." "But why would my mom tell me he died?" "I don't know." "Maybe she didn't know what happened to him." "Guess I'm not the only one in this family who lies." "I thought my mom and dad were in heaven together." "If you believe in that sort of thing." "Heaven's a nice thing to believe in." "Maybe my real dad owns a farm." "And I could go and live with him, and he'd get me a dog." "Chloe, don't get your hopes up, okay?" "Look, you can believe in heaven and I'm gonna believe that my real dad owns a farm." "Well, we're not even sure this is your real father." "What if it is?" "I could go live with him, couldn't I?" "I don't know." "But I'm his daughter." "Why wouldn't he want me to come and live with him?" "He might not want me, huh?" "We don't know that." "Maybe that's why my mom told me he died." "He probably got married and has a bunch of his own kids now." "Let's just slow down and take this one step at a time, okay?" "Okay." "Tiner." "Mr. Roberts, can you come here?" "Lieutenant?" "Lieutenant." "New Year's resolution:" "Remember to kill Rabb." "What's this?" "I thought you might be hungry." "I was, so I ordered some food." "Yeah, all I've had to eat today is half a bagel and some throat lozenges." "Good." "Well, I hope you like Cantonese." "They were the only ones who'd deliver in this weather." "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier." "I was taking this situation out on you and I apologise." " I was out of line." " Apology accepted." "It's just this time of year, peace on earth, good will toward men and all that." "The truth is, it's hard on a lot of people." "I treat depression every day." "I'm still not immune." "None of us are." "As a matter of fact, I know how you feel." "Because you pegged me pretty good back there." "Oh, yeah?" " Which part?" " Oh, well..." "Single, never been married." "I was named after my father." "He was in the military." "Well, hell, you pretty much got everything right." "You know, I have no plans for Christmas." "You know where I usually spend Christmas Eve?" "Playboy Mansion?" "At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial." "My father was a fighter pilot." "He went down Christmas Eve, 1969." "So I usually go to the Wall to be with him." "That is so sad." "What do you normally do?" "My holidays are spent with my friends." "Mr. TV and the Häagen-Dazs brothers." "You're not in a relationship?" "Well, no, every now and then, I meet a guy who's pretty hot." "Only to find out he's in love with his mother and he still wets the bed." "What about you?" "What's your problem?" "What problem?" "No, I mean, why aren't you in a relationship?" "It's not because of my mother and I don't wet the bed." "So far, so good." "Keep talking." "Oh, I guess this job keeps me pretty busy." "And what little free time I did have has been spent looking for my father." "He was MIA, and ever since I was a kid," "I promised myself that I'd find him and bring him back, you know." "I guess it became a bit of an obsession, but at least I had a definite goal." "I found him a few months ago." "He's buried in Russia." "I'm sorry." "You know, I obviously had hoped to find him and bring him back, that we'd be reunited, but the pragmatist in me always prepared me for the worst, you know." "You'd think that I would have closure now, but" "And I mean, I guess I do in a way, but it's just..." " You discovered a void in your life?" " Yeah." "I never realised how much of who I am has been shaped by my search for him." "You know, and now it's like I'm not driving the bus anymore, you know." "I'm sitting in the back and I have no idea where it's going." "Welcome to the human race." "Sad thing is, most people spend their whole life riding the bus instead of driving, commander." "Call me Harm." "Harm." "The person I'm calling may wanna speak with you." "I want you to answer any questions they ask you honestly." "Who are they?" "Child Welfare." "Hello, this is Major Sarah MacKenzie." "May I speak with someone in Child Welfare?" "Yeah, I'll hold." "Wait, it wasn't my stepfather." "He didn't hurt me." " Chloe." " It wasn't him." " Well, who was it?" " Mickey, his girlfriend." "Your stepfather's girlfriend hurt you?" "Why?" "Because she's a jerk." " Has she hurt you before?" " Not really." "But she really lost it this time." "Lost what, her temper?" "Her temper and her mind." "Well, what made her lose her temper, Chloe?" "I don't know." "I guess she didn't like the way I did her hair." "What did you do to her hair?" "I tried giving it a new style." "So what, you cut it, you coloured it, you permed it?" "What?" "Yes." "Did she consent to this, Chloe?" "Not really." "What do you mean, not really?" "She either did or she didn't." "Which is it?" "Well, how should I know?" "She was passed out." " Chloe." " She treats me like dirt." "I was just getting her back." " She hates me, they both do." " That is not true." "Yes, it is." "My stepfather doesn't even like kids." "That's why I'm an only child." "Now he just wants to get rid of me all the time so he can be with her." "Why do you think I ran away?" "Why do you think nobody's come to get me?" "They don't want me, you don't want me." " Nobody does." " Chloe, Chloe." "Chloe, come back." "I found him, ma'am." "What?" "Chief Petty Officer Kyle Anderson." "He's a widower from Fletcher, Vermont." "He's stationed out of San Diego onboard the USS Cayuga." "Did you try contacting him?" "No, Cayuga's part of a carrier-battle group deployed to WESTPAC until the end of March." " Think he knows he has a daughter?" " I don't know." "Boy, is he gonna be surprised when he finds out." "Chloe took off in the elevator." "Can you get her back?" " Yes, ma'am." " Great, thank you." "Enter." " Major." " Sir." "It's about Chloe." "She's essentially an orphan." "She's got a stepfather with an abusive girlfriend, and I think we may have found her real father, sir." "He's a chief aboard a destroyer." "I've got a good feeling about him." "You never met the man, major." "No, sir, but he's got an impressive service record and" "But what if he was never part of this little girl's life on purpose?" "I mean, men with great service records can still hate kids." "I know, sir." "I also know that sometimes great men aren't with their children when they're growing up, even though they would like to be, sir." "I just would hate for you to get this little girl's hopes up." "Yes, sir." "But if I do contact him and he is interested in meeting her" "Then we'll see what we can do." "Thank you, sir." "About this afternoon, when Chloe was in your office, sometimes she says things..." "No need to explain." "You know, major, there are two sides to duty." "Occasionally, well, we have to do things we don't wanna do." "But sometimes, duty can be about resisting the temptation to do things that we would like to do." "You're not talking about my Article 32 hearing next month, are you, sir?" "No, I'm not." "Understood, sir." "Good." "Good." "I run a tight ship, major." "I like to keep it that way." " Dismissed." " Aye, aye, sir." "You don't seem like the military type." "How'd you wind up joining the Navy anyway?" "I had no choice." "I had to beg, borrow, steal my way through medical school." "By the time I finished," "I had the same financial debt as some small countries." "It was a matter of survival." "The Navy saved my skin." "I guess I blew it." "You really only had one drink this afternoon?" "Yes, honest." "I was so sick yesterday I missed work." "The only reason I had a drink was because it was our Christmas lunch." "Look, you think I'd be carrying around half a pharmacy if I was lying?" "You know how much alcohol this has in it?" "I only had some small swigs." "The recommended dosage is teaspoons, not swigs." "You've been taking this all day on an empty stomach on top of a drink?" " I know, stupid." " Kind of." "When was the last time you had a swig?" " At the accident." " Before the Breathalyzer?" "Commander, you're a doctor." "You should know better." "Is this gonna hurt or help my case?" "Well, let's just say you're lucky you have a good lawyer on your side." " Where's Chloe?" " I don't know, ma'am." "I searched the whole building." "She's gone." "Chloe?" "Chloe, are you in here?" "Chloe?" "Chloe?" "Chloe?" "So I went running into my mom's room screaming:" ""Mom, Mom, Santa's stuck in the chimney."" " What happened?" " Well, she called the fire department." "Took them three hours to get Uncle Charlie unstuck." " Hey, am I interrupting anything?" " No, not at all, what's up?" " Hi." " Hi." "It's Chloe, she's missing." "She took off out of my office and we haven't been able to find her anywhere." "The guards didn't see anyone leave the building, but I'm afraid she might, and in this weather..." "Don't worry, we'll find her." "I'll help you look." " Oh, see you in a bit." " I'll be here." "Friend of yours?" "No." "No?" "You two sounded like you've known each other for years." " Oh, yeah?" " Yeah." "What is it?" "I think I know where Chloe is." "Chloe, are you up there?" "She's sitting on the hatch." " Chloe?" " What?" "What are you doing up there?" "You need to come down." "It's dangerous." "So?" "So you could get killed." "Come down here right now." "I don't want to." "Did you find her?" "You better hurry up, Chloe, Santa Claus is here." "Yeah, right." "I'm not kidding." "I'm looking at him right now." "He's got a white beard, twinkly eyes and a great big fat belly that jiggles when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly." "It's a pillow, sir." "Say something, Santa." "Hello, Chloe." "Just give me a break, will you?" "Please, Chloe, we need to talk." "You're talking to me now." "Face-to-face." "Lieutenant Roberts found your father." " I don't believe you." " It's true." "He's on a ship called the USS Cayuga." "It's a destroyer in the Sea of Japan." "Your father's coming home in March." "If you come down, we can try phoning him." "Keep talking to her." " Go up there, Bud." "Get her." " Me, sir?" "Yeah, pretend it's a chimney." "Oh, very funny, sir." "Hey, Chloe, if you come down, I'll give you 20 bucks." "This is Major MacKenzie at JAG." "I'd like to place a shore-to-ship call to Chief Kyle Anderson aboard the USS Cayuga." "Thank you." "Okay, if you come down, I'll give you 20 bucks, a pizza, a French manicure..." "And two front-row seats to the next Spice Girls concert." "I hate the Spice Girls." "The Spice Girls broke up." " Well, no." "Ginger left, that's all." " Did you find Chloe?" " You guys talk to her." " Us?" "Well, yeah, look at it like practise for when you have your kid and he climbs up in an elevator shaft." "All right?" "Hi, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." "How are you with children?" "Don't you think you're rushing things a bit?" "You spoke to this man?" "Sir, he didn't even know Chloe existed, but when I told him he had a daughter, he was thrilled." "His own wife and son were killed in an automobile accident two years ago." "It's like he's been given a second chance at a family." "What about the stepfather?" "Most of what Chloe says is true." "He's not abusive, but he is indifferent." "She is so lonely, sir." "All she ever wanted was to be part of a family." "If she could just see her father," "I know it would be the greatest gift we could give her." "You realise that between man-hours and satellite time, we're talking about a $4,000 phone call." "How can I justify that, major?" "It's Christmas, sir." "Lieutenant Commander Parker, I'm sure you know the Kringles." " Hello." " Hi." " Any luck?" " No, sir." "Chloe." "It's Lieutenant Commander Rabb again." "I brought a friend to see you." "She wants to talk to you." "Her name is Lieutenant Commander Parker." "Hi, Chloe." "You know, I always wondered what was on the other side of those little elevator trapdoors." " What's it like up there?" " Dark." "Is there room for me to come up there with you?" "No." "You know, when I was your age and things started getting confusing," "I'd climb up into my parents' garage and stay there by myself for hours." "But I didn't really wanna be up there with the spiders and the bugs and the bats." "What I really needed was somebody to talk to." "Would you like to come down here and talk to me, Chloe?" "No, you talk like a shrink." "I'm a psychiatrist." "I don't like shrinks." "Have you tried ice cream?" "We even threw in 20 bucks and a French manicure." "Chloe, I spoke with your father." "Would you like to come talk to him?" "We could use the video phone." "Chloe?" "What if he doesn't like me?" "He's gonna like you, Chloe." "But what if he doesn't?" "I can be pretty bratty sometimes." "Yeah, but you don't have to be." "Well, why don't you come down and at least try talking to him?" "Could I at least put on some makeup first?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Chief Anderson?" "I'd like you to meet your daughter, Chloe." "Hi." "Hi." "You look like your mom." "Why'd you leave us?" "I didn't know you existed until today." "Your mother never told me." "Why?" "I don't know." "She was young and confused and maybe a little scared." "Parents make mistakes too." "I'm sorry, Chloe, I wasn't there for you." "I'd like a chance to make it up to you." "I don't suppose you live on a farm." "No, but my parents do." "They do?" "Really?" "Yeah." "My grandparents live on a farm." "Do they have horses?" "Oh, yeah." "At least a dozen." "Can you ride them?" "All day long." "Do you like horses, Chloe?" "I love horses." "Me too." "I have a pinto pony named Scout that would be perfect for you." "Cool." "Do you like to ride?" "I love to ride." "I haven't done it in a while." "Oh, well, we've got plenty of time." "We'll get you lots of practise then." "Yes, sir." "Thank you." "Hey, I got bad news." "Judge is stuck on the beltway." "He won't be able to hear your case tonight." "So I have to stay locked up?" "No, I got you released on your own recognizance." "Thank you." "Can you call me a cab?" "I can give you a ride if you want." "Even better." " Hi." " Hey." " Hey." " How's it going?" "Chloe's going back to her stepfather until her father returns." "What about the girlfriend?" "We had a little talk, girlfriend-to-Marine." "I don't think there'll be any more trouble." "You're a good friend, Mac." " I'm hungry." " Again?" "Yes." "Why don't I buy everybody Christmas dinner?" " Yeah." " All right." "Oh, hold the elevator, sir." "Thank you, sir." "Admiral." "I almost forgot." "I got you a flight to Italy, sir." "Merry Christmas, admiral." "Merry Christmas."