Title: The Dark Side
Author: Lisa aka mzgriffon
Feedback: Mzgriffon@aol.com
Summary: Tiner faces some new career challenges and uncovers the secrets from a friends past. While back at JAG, Harriet’s hoping she has a safe delivery.
Disclaimer: These people have never belonged to me, but occasionally my inner control freak comes out and demands that I decide what they do.
Notes: This is dedicated to TC and my husband. They each know why.
Special thanks goes to Susan for emergency brainstorming with me when all she really wanted to chat about was her vacation and cute nieces.
See the end for special author notes.
Five years ago
New York City
Payne Whitney Center, New York Hospital
"Sturgis, man, you can't leave me here." A young ensign pulled on the arm of the Lieutenant Commander's coat.
Sturgis Turner stopped and readjusted his hold on the young man. His time was running short and the rain pouring down around them was only making the task that much harder. Finally, pulling his sea bag higher up his arm, he gripped the ensign's coat at the back of the neck and started to drag him into the emergency room. "I have to, Charlie. You'll be safe here. They'll help you."
"But, they're storm troopers," Charlie huddled closer to Sturgis.
"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, how many times do I have to tell you? The storm troopers aren't real. This is not a galaxy far, far away." Sturgis handed a note to the nurse at the desk as he tried to reason with him. "Look. I have a call into Captain McNeil, and I left a message with your sister's secretary. Marie will be here in the morning and she will take you to Westchester."
"But Sturgis, they will just put me in a rubber room and give me that stuff and I'll drool. I don't want to drool," Charlie was in tears now. He was fully aware of how his fragile mind was breaking.
"I know, Charlie, I know. But I can't stay. I have to catch the train to Newport. I have to report in the morning for my new assignment." Sturgis pulled the younger man into a tight hug. He wasn't sure whose tears he was trying to keep at bay. "I tell you what. You stay here and do what they tell you. And when I get leave, I'll come back and we'll go to the Circle Line.”
Charlie shook his head eagerly. The Circle Line was as close to Navy life as he was likely to see ever again. "From the Battery to Liberty Island?"
"Yes, Charlie. From the Battery to Liberty Island." Sturgis patted him on the shoulder.
"Ok, Sturgis. I'll stay here," Charlie nodded. He looked back over his shoulder and eyed the attendant warily. "But I still don't like the storm troopers."
"Good man, Charlie." Sturgis handed his young friend over to the staff and turned to catch his train.
{JAG Opening Credits}
0752 EST
NCIS HQ
Metro DC Area
Jason Tiner stopped in front of the glass doors. Adjusting the collar of his bright summer whites, he didn't even think twice before shining the toes of his shoes on the back of each calf. He took a deep breath and pulled the open the door.
Getting directions from the receptionist, he made his way through the labyrinth of corridors into the NCIS bullpen. He looked around for this 'training' officer. Tiner wasn't sure he even heard Admiral Chegwidden correctly yesterday afternoon. He wasn't so sure about this at all, but orders where orders.
"Who are you?"
Tiner turned around and jumped slightly at the sight of the punked out tech addressing him.
"Lieutenant j.g. Jason Tiner reporting as ordered, Ma'am," he said smartly, almost coming to attention. That was one thing the instructors managed to drill out of him. Last year, he came to attention almost anytime anyone addressed him.
"Just got those JAG Boards, Lieutenant?" Another voice came from behind him.
Tiner spun on his heel and this time he did come to attention. "Yes, Sir."
"Do you know why you are here, Lieutenant?" Agent Gibbs questioned. He took a sip of coffee and looked Tiner up and down.
"Sort of, Sir." Tiner tried not to cower, but this was the guy that had almost sent Commander Rabb to Leavenworth. He was just a little intimidated.
"Sort of? Apparently, the JAG has decided you've been riding a desk too long and sent you to us to give you a glimpse of the dirty work we do around here." Gibbs circled Tiner the whole time, looking him up and down.
Abby covered her smile as she followed Gibbs' inspection. She saw the smudges on the back of Tiner's white pant legs. Gibbs caught her eye and winked.
"Do you have a sea bag in your vehicle, Mr. Tiner?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir."
"Any civvies in that bag?"
Tiner's eyebrows dipped at the question. "Yes, Sir."
"Good. Go change and meet me back here in fifteen." Gibbs turned and went back to his desk.
"Welcome, Jason. I'm Abby." Abby extended her hand and gave Tiner a sympathetic smile.
###
0908 EST
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
Mac glanced at the clock ticking soundlessly on the wall and tapped on the files in front of her. Harriet was squirming in her seat. It was getting too uncomfortable to sit for very long. On the other side of the table, Harm doodled flight plans on his yellow pad and Bud sighed audibly for the sixth time.
Everyone had taken their customary seats for staff call some time ago.
"Harriet, did he call in this morning?" Mac finally broke the silence.
"No, Ma'am. I checked with Jen on my way in here."
At that moment a harried Admiral burst through the doors. Harriet attempted to get to her feet, but he stopped her with a quick 'as you were.' She smiled and sat back down.
"My apologies, people. Beltway traffic," he said as he sat down at the head of the table.
Harm cocked an eyebrow and caught Mac's eye. She smiled back and in a silent conversation of eyebrows and half smiles, they caught the lie. Just who did he think he was fooling. The Admiral never used the Beltway to get to work. The man was still technically on his honeymoon.
"Down to business, people. Colonel, I need you to coordinate with NCIS this week."
Harm came to attention in his chair so fast his yellow pad went sailing to the floor.
"May I ask why, sir?" he asked.
"Harm, I'll fill you later," Mac said to placate him.
"Thank you, Colonel. Now on to other things." The Admiral pulled the files in front of him and began passing them out.
####
0918 EST
The Morgue
NCIS HQ
"Hey, Duckie. Meet Lieutenant j.g. Jason Tiner," Emphasizing the j.g., Gibbs introduced Tiner to the masked and gowned pathologist.
"Morning, Lieutenant. Ever see a dead body before?" Dr. Donald "Duckie" Mallard motioned Tiner to the table.
"Ah, no, Sir." Tiner answered and did as he was bid.
"Well, you are in for a rare treat, then." Duckie whipped back the sheet covering the 'body' on his table to reveal a clothed but almost completely decomposed skeleton.
"Meet Ensign Charles Lattimer." Gibbs said as he reviewed the file in his hand. "Ensign Lattimer was found in Norfolk yesterday, when the concrete pier in which he was entombed collapsed."
"How'd he get there, Sir?" Tiner walked around the table to get a closer look from all angles. He was rather proud of himself for not passing out and a little surprised by his own fascination.
"Well, that's what you and I are going to find out." Gibbs handed him the file and turned to leave the room. "Apparently, Ensign Lattimer was discharged from the Navy about five years ago."
"Why was he discharged?" Tiner opened the file and scanned it as he followed.
"Seems he was given a medical discharge. His file doesn't say why, but that doesn't really surprise me considering all the right to privacy changes that have been made to these files in the last couple of years." Gibbs called over his shoulder to Duckie, "Give me a cause of death ASAP."
"I'll see what these bones will give me, but it won't be easy." Duckie waved at them and returned to his sole companion. "Let's see what you where doing in that pier, my boy."
Gibbs and Tiner continued down the hall and entered Abby's domain.
"Hi, Guys. Let me show you what I have for you on Ensign Lattimer." She walked over to the layout table and began to pick through the personal effects. In succession, she picked up and showed them the Navy ID card, a NY driver's License and a photograph.
"Oh, no," Tiner exclaimed.
The picture showed Ensign Lattimer and then-Lieutenant Commander Sturgis Turner leaning against a sign by the Circle Line gangway in New York City.
"Guess you know where we are headed next, Lieutenant." Gibbs lifted an eyebrow.
{Commercial Break}
1130 EST
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
Tiner pulled into the parking lot he'd known so well over the last several years. The Marine guard, a corporal he used to catch the occasional Redskins game with, barely acknowledged him as he waved him through the gate.
Gibbs might not give a damn about rank and protocol, but Tiner still had to operate within the Navy, even if he was out of uniform. He snapped a salute to three commanders and an admiral as they made their way into the Ops Center elevators.
"Tiner, will you give it a rest? You're going to hit me with that right the next time you do that. And you don’t have to salute when you’re not in uniform." Gibbs was slightly amused at the awkward position the younger man found himself in.
"Sorry, sir. I guess the DIs at NJS didn’t quite drill that one out of me." Tiner was struggling to find his new place in a world he thought he knew so well. "But, just so we understand each other, sir. I don't believe Commander Turner had anything to do with Lattimer's death."
"I never said he did." Gibbs turned and pushed a hand through his hair. "But so far we have a five year old corpse, no cause of death and very little information on our victim. Now, given what you have seen so far, where would you start to determine what happened to the ensign?"
Tiner thought for a moment and realized he had jumped the gun in his eagerness not to repeat the events of last spring. "With someone who knew the victim," he sighed, just as the doors to the elevator opened.
Tiner and Gibbs made their way into the bullpen to talk to Admiral Chegwidden.
"Well, if it isn't Lieutenant j.g. Jason Tiner," Coates greeted them over the half wall near the copier.
"Ah, Coates give me a break." Tiner's shoulders slumped. First, the corporal at the gate barely gives him the time of day. Now, Coates was giving him a hard time, too.
"You got it already, Sir," she giggled. "You're an honest to god Navy lawyer now. What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to ship out to a battle group in the Med?"
"I thought I was, but as I was leaving Newport, they told me Admiral Chegwidden wanted me back for a TAD assignment," he answered.
"You did pass, right?" she inquired. "I mean I'm not going to be giving up my newly acquired prime real estate."
"Yes, I passed," he smiled back. "But it was a near thing. Those DI's dogged our every step trying to make us into Naval officers."
"Well, that's what's important. We can't all be Commander Rabb or Colonel Mackenzie."
"If you two are done chitchatting, we'd like to see the Admiral." Gibbs finally interrupted. He wasn't quite sure if the pretty petty officer was flirting or just giving a former enlisted man a hard time.
*****
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" The Admiral pulled off his glasses as he indicated they should sit.
"Sir," Tiner began, "we need to speak to Commander Turner."
"We believe he may have some information for us regarding a dead body we found in Norfolk recently, Admiral. We believe the deceased to be Ensign Charles Lattimer," Gibbs explained.
"Gibbs, you're not suggesting he had anything to do with it, are you?" Gibbs might as well have thrown the Admiral's baseball through the windows behind him. AJ was incredulous.
"No, sir. I'm not trying to pin this on anyone," Gibbs continued. "We just want to ask the Commander a few questions. Admiral, Lattimer was someone's son. We have to find out what happened. We owe it to the family."
"Of course, you do, Agent Gibbs," the Admiral conceded. "But let me make one thing very clear, I will not see another one of my officers in the brig."
"Yes, sir. We'll do our best to make sure that doesn't happen without going over the evidence twice." Gibbs gave the Admiral a tight smile of contrition. Last spring was a nightmare no one in this office wanted repeated.
"All right, dismissed. I'm sure Coates will be able to find the commander for you."
{Commercial Break}
1142 EST
Harm’s office
JAG HQ
"Relax, Harm. Tiner is working with NCIS for a couple of weeks just to sharpen some of his skills."
"Why didn’t you tell me?" Harm stood to look out the window. He was smarting a little about being kept in the dark on this.
"Because what happens in the office stays in the office. Remember?" She stood as close to him as she dared in the office. "Harm, if this is going to work, we have to understand that in my position as Chief of Staff, there are things I won’t be able to tell you. Besides, we had no idea he would detailed here for the TAD, we had asked for Quantico."
Harm looked at her over his shoulder and smiled. She was right. As always, when it came to mixing the personal with professional, she was the one with the level head.
"Knock, Knock. Not interrupting anything, am I?" Sturgis asked from the doorway.
"No, Sturgis. Come on in," Mac invited. Both men stared at her. Harm smiled and Sturgis struggled to keep his face a neutral as possible. She had just invited Sturgis into Harm’s office. She took small note of her flub and shrugged her shoulders.
"Mac, do you have a few minutes?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Agent Gibbs and Lieutenant Tiner from NCIS are here and they want to talk to me," Sturgis explained.
Harm’s eyebrows shot up as much as if to say ‘See, I told you’ and Mac sent him a withering glare.
"Any idea, why?" Mac asked without taking her eyes off Harm.
Sturgis took in the exchange, but let it pass. He knew things had changed between the two. He didn't feel the need to comment because they had been professional in the office and the tension around the bullpen had dropped to a two year low.
"Not sure. But all things considered, I would just as soon have you in the room."
“Hey, why not me?” Harm asked. He was a little offended at the idea that Sturgis would prefer Mac to him.
“No offence, Harm, but your last run in with Agent Gibbs didn’t go so well.” Sturgis answered.
Harm scowled both at the implication he couldn’t handle another meeting with the NCIS agent and that said implication came from such a good friend.
"Sure give me a few minutes." Mac went to the door with Sturgis. Turning back to Harm, she said, "Dinner, tonight. My place and don’t bring the scowl."
###
"Harriet, do you have the leave schedule for the fall?" Harm asked as he passed through the bullpen a few minutes later. "Hey, are you ok?"
"Yes, sir, just good ole Braxton Hicks." Harriet smiled and rubbed circles on her belly as Harm escorted her back to her desk.
Bud came by then as well and took note of his wife's distress.
"Honey, are you ok?"
"Bud, I’m fine, she said, laying a hand on his arm. "Will you relax? I am not going to have this baby here and now."
"Harriet, why aren’t you home?" Harm was concerned. This pregnancy hadn’t been any easier than the previous two. Turning to Bud, he repeated his question, "Lieutenant, why isn’t your wife home?"
"I tried to get her to stay home today, sir. But she wouldn’t hear of it. I even reminded her the doctor said the false labor would only stop if she rested."
"False labor?? What false labor?"
"Oh yeah, sir. We were at the hospital last evening because she was having contractions every 10 minutes, but they stopped," Bud explained.
"Harriet?!"
"Sir, I can’t stay home all day worrying about what might happen. Besides who would be there to help me if something did happen? Little AJ?" Harriet chuckled at the overprotective men.
###
"Agent Gibbs, I did a tour of duty with him on a sub. It was his first time on board. Captain McNeil asked me to watch over him and I did. We became friends of a sort." Sturgis explained his relationship with Charlie Lattimer as he handed the photo to Mac to examine.
"Did he contact you again after your trip on the Circle Line?" Gibbs asked.
"Not that I recall. I was stationed at Pearl shortly thereafter and I haven’t heard from Charlie since."
"Did you know he had been given a medical discharge?" Tiner jumped in.
"No, I did not. But that doesn’t really surprise me."
"Oh, Commander, why not?" Gibbs asked neutrally.
"Agent Gibbs, space on a sub being what it is can stress any man. Charlie was a little more bothered by it than most." Sturgis was choosing his words carefully.
"That doesn’t tell me anything, Commander."
"Charlie suffered a break down towards the end of the trip. He started talking to himself. Making up stories about how Darth Vader was choking him. He wouldn’t eat or bathe. He was a mess by the time we got back to Groton. I was changing my designator at the time and that seemed to stress him more."
"What did you do, sir?" Tiner prodded.
"I took him to New York. He said he had family there. I thought some rest and being close to people who loved him would help." His voice was tight with emotion. "But Charlie was so out of touch, he gave me the wrong address or something. In any case, there was no one home and I had to get to Newport."
"What happened then?" Mac rested a hand on Sturgis’ arm. She had never seen this man so emotionally shook up.
"I took him to a hospital. I called our CO and left a message for his sister."
"But you saw him again, didn’t you?" Gibbs asked.
"Yeah, I took him on a day pass and we rode the Circle Line. Charlie had been hospitalized for five, maybe six weeks. He called and said that he could get a pass. He asked me if would I keep a promise I made to him when I took him to the hospital. I said I would and we made a plan for me to pick him up in White Plains. We took the train into the City and headed for The Battery. We rode the ferry and went to the top of the Statue of Liberty. And then I took him back. That was the last time I saw him.
"Agent Gibbs, Charlie was a sick boy. He didn’t belong in the Navy. Find out why he died. I should have stayed in touch with him. I failed in my duties as a friend and a senior officer. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with a client."
Sturgis abruptly ended the interview and left the room.
"So, it’s not just Rabb that gets hot under the collar when he’s not the one asking the questions. Is it, Colonel Mackenzie?" Gibbs asked in frustration.
"Well, Agent Gibbs, if it were anyone else, I might agree with you," Mac said sharply. "But for now, I’m going to assume it’s just you."
###
2112 EST
Mac’s Apartment
Georgetown
"Mac?" They were lying on her couch, relaxing after dinner. Harm was twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. Soft music played in the background. Case files and note pads littered the coffee table and floor.
"Yes, Harm?" Mac asked sleepily. She was dozing across his chest.
"When we go halves, are you going to work all the way to the end?"
"I hadn’t really thought about it." Mac sat up to look him squarely in the eye. Since things had changed between them, this kind of talk happened more frequently, but this particular subject had yet to make an appearance until now. "Why are you thinking about it?"
"Harriet." He shrugged. "Did you know she was having false labor?"
"False labor? And she was in the office today? What kind of quack of a doctor does she have this time?"
"Yeah, I kinda had the same reaction." Harm just smiled at her sudden concern.
Mac got up and went to the phone. Harm sat there and watched as she went into action. Hitting the speed dial, she took the phone into the kitchen with her. He heard a few murmured words.
"Well, they're fine," she said when she hung up and plopped back down on the couch next to him. "She says she just has indigestion tonight."
"Good, maybe now you can concentrate on someone who is not fine," Harm said waggling his eyebrows.
"Oh, and who would that be?" She giggled as he pulled her back into his lap and into a long lingering kiss.
{Another commercial break}
###
1345 EST
NCIS HQ
Metro DC area
"Abby," Gibbs shouted as he came through the door. "Duckie gave us a cause of death, do you have anything for us on our Mr. Lattimer?"
"Broken neck, right?" she guessed. Gibbs nodded. "And, yes, I do, but it’s not what you would expect."
As she handed him the file that took her the better past of the last 24 hours to compile, Abby began reciting the contents to Tiner.
"Lattimer was the only son of Michael ‘The Enforcer’ Lattimer and Gina Torrente." She paused to allow for the anticipated expressions on the men. She wasn’t disappointed as two mouths opened in shock.
"He does have an older sister. She raised him. Apparently, Dad lost favor with the boss, Gina’s uncle, after a job went bad. He was sentenced to 10 –20 at Riker’s Island, when Charlie was just a little kid. Mom dropped off the face of the earth shortly thereafter and Sis raised her little brother on the right side of the law as best she could considering she was 16 and a mob princess. She got a good job, put her brother through Catholic Schools and sent him to college."
"Where is she now?" Tiner asked.
"Transferred to Baltimore Sales office of AMH Life Insurance Company about six years ago. Right around the time Charlie joined the Navy. There is also a report from Halpern Construction in the file. They were the ones who built the pier."
"Feel like driving to Baltimore? We should be able to catch her before she leaves work." Gibbs once again tossed Tiner car keys.
###
"Jen, have you seen Commander Turner? I have some depositions for him to sign and he's not in his office." Harriet leaned heavily on the petty officer's desk to catch her breath.
"No, Ma'am. He left here at lunchtime. Said something about checking out some life insurance."
Harriet walked back through the bullpen and sat down heavily at her desk. Everyone knew to come find her whenever they needed something at this point. Between the leg pain, the indigestion and the false labor, Harriet felt lucky she could even make it to work these days. Time was getting short and she so hoped that this baby could be born without the drama of AJ's arrival and heartache of Sarah's. All she wanted was a quiet labor room, a soothing epidural and a chance to play cards until it was time to push. She smiled to herself and popped another TUMS as she reached for the next file on her desk.
Across the bullpen, Mac and Harm were conferring in her office.
"I couldn't believe he left that meeting so abruptly yesterday. And now, he's like a ghost," Mac said.
"Mac, take it from me, no one likes being questioned by NCIS," Harm responded.
"I know, but it was totally unlike him to lose his composure like that. And then just before lunch he had Jen practically hacking into the system to get Lattimer’s service record. I asked him what he thought he was doing. He said something about taking care of things," Mac said explaining their friend's odd demeanor. "You don't think he's going to try and find out what happened himself?"
"Sturgis? No way. Remember he's the guy who used to think junior officers were just there to take orders." Harm tried to dismiss the whole thing to quiet Mac's worry, but he was equally concerned about Sturgis' behavior. "Sturgis Turner did not kill anyone. Furthermore, he wouldn't run an investigation parallel to NCIS. It goes against everything he believes in about the Navy, but…that doesn't mean we can't. Let's go have a chat with Petty Officer Coates, shall we?"
1516 EST
AHM Insurance Company
Baltimore, MD
Tiner nudged Gibbs as they walked across the parking lot to the main entrance of the office building.
"Gibbs, look. That's Commander Turner." Tiner pointed none too subtly in the other direction. "Maybe we should go talk to him."
Gibbs immediately pulled Tiner back. "Not so fast. Let's go see who he talked to, but it's not much of a stretch to think he went to see Lattimer's sister.
###
"Miss Lattimer, we are trying to find out what happened to your brother," Tiner explained.
"I didn't think NCIS cared. They certainly didn't five years ago. I believe they told me he's not the Navy's problem anymore." Marie Lattimer took off her glasses and glared at both men. Tiner thought she reminded him of Colonel Mackenzie.
"Look, agents. I'm thrilled you finally found my brother. He's dead and in a way that's best. Charlie would have missed the Navy tremendously and his life would have been a living hell." Marie was obviously tired and emotionally spent by the revelations of the day.
"So, is it true your brother suffered from a mental illness?" Gibbs asked. He still didn't have any answers.
"Yes, he did. Shortly after his first cruise, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Commander Turner helped me get him admitted to a hospital in New York. He came down here for his out-processing and I had a group home and day treatment set up for him. It wouldn't have been much of a life, but he wouldn't have been on the streets."
"Ma'am, when was the last time you saw him?" Tiner asked.
"The day of his interview. Charlie and I went down to Norfolk with Bob, my fiancé. I couldn't stay for the whole meeting though. We had a huge sales conference to prepare for so I came back early. Bob stayed with him the whole time, until Charlie ran away from him."
"Wait a minute. Charlie ran away from your fiancé?" Tiner was shocked.
"Bob said Charlie just took off after the meeting. He said Charlie was very upset. Bob waited by the car for hours, but Charlie never came back. I had him call the base guard and shore patrol. They called NCIS. That's when I was told Charlie was over 18 and there was nothing they could do to help me," Marie retold the story.
"Well, it's obvious he never left the base. We’d like to speak to Mr. Caldwell." Gibbs said.
"You and me both, Agent Gibbs," Marie said ruefully. "Bob Caldwell withdrew his proposal, so to speak and transferred to Chicago about a month after Charlie disappeared. His exact words were 'I can't love you while you're mothering a…well, I won't repeat what he called Charlie.'"
"That's pretty harsh, ma'am." Tiner felt for the young woman's loss.
"Well, thank you," Marie responded. "I thought so, too. But to be honest, Bob really did have a point. I was obsessed with finding Charlie. I'm all Charlie ever had."
"Miss Lattimer, you weren't surprised when we came to see you today. Why was that?" Gibbs interjected at this point. Tiner's easy going attitude was grating on his nerves.
"Commander Turner came to see me just a little while ago. He told me to expect you. And he didn't want you, Agent Gibbs, to be the one to tell me that my brother was dead," Marie said as she pinned Gibbs with an icy glare. "Now if you'll inform my secretary where and when the body will be released, I have a sales presentation to complete and a funeral home to call."
Tiner knew a dismissal when he heard one and got up and walked to the door. Gibbs slowly followed, but not without getting in one last question.
"Miss Lattimer, have you heard from you father or mother lately?"
"No, Agent Gibbs and I doubt I ever will."
###
1620 EST
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
Harm and Mac waylaid Sturgis as he got off the elevators. They pulled him into his office and shut the door.
"What in God's name are you doing running ahead of NCIS?" Mac started.
"Do you know how much trouble I got into doing that and it didn't help," Harm continued. "I spent four weeks in the brig."
Sturgis stared back at them with a bemused smile on his face. "Did you two rehearse that, or is it a by-product of your relationship?"
"Are you laughing at us?" Harm was on a roll now. "Mac, I think he's laughing at us."
"Well, as his attorney, I am not amused." Mac crossed her arms in front of her and leaned against a filing cabinet.
"Tell us everything you know about Charlie and Marie Lattimer and start talking fast, because Mac is not about to let Agent Gibbs railroad another one of her friends." Harm sat down and waited.
###
As soon as Gibbs and Tiner returned to the car, Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.
"This is Agent Gibbs from NCIS DC. I want to speak with Jay Austin."
"Sir, what are you doing?" Tiner asked.
"Getting to the bottom of this finally. I'm calling NCIS Great Lakes," Gibbs said and returned his attention to the cell phone. "Sam Crawford, you ole sea dog. Where's Jay?… That's just fine… Maybe even better… I need you to head for Chicago and look up a Bob Crawford. I want you to talk to him about Charlie Lattimer. I'll have my office fax you the file."
{final commercial break}
###
0945 EST
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
"Ma'am. Sir. It's time." Jen poked her head into the Break room.
"Thanks, Jen. Everything is in the conference room?" Mac asked.
"Yep," Jen answered practically bouncing in her shoes.
"OK, let’s go get 'em then." Harm ushered both ladies out to the bullpen.
Mac caught Bud first. "Come walk with me, Lieutenant" She took him down the hallway.
Harm got behind Harriet's chair. "Let's go for another ride."
A parade of sorts made its way out of the bullpen and into the hallway. The foursome soon pushed through the conference room door.
"Surprise!!" Balloons and streams decorated the usually sedate conference room. The effect was low key, but festive. Everyone quickly surrounded the happy couple with well wishes.
"Oh, sir. Ma'am Thank you." Bud and Harriet beamed.
Cake and coffee were passed to everyone and people sat back as Harriet began opening gifts of all shapes and sizes.
"You're welcome. Here's to a happy healthy baby Roberts." The Admiral toasted them with a raised coffee cup.
Harriet stopped opening presents to catch her breath and Mac noticed she was squirming in her chair as well.
"Harriet, is everything OK?" She asked.
"No."
"No?!"
"I think I'm in labor."
"Are you sure? Yesterday it was indigestion."
"Yes, ma'am I'm sure. My water just broke."
"Roberts! Front and center!" Mac called, looking across the room for Bud.
"Yes, Ma'am?" Bud was instantly by his wife's side.
"Get your wife to the hospital on the double."
"With all due respect, Ma'am it's just false labor."
“Mr. Roberts, did you get a medical degree when I wasn’t looking?” The Admiral almost thundered. He was not interested in playing mid-wife again for Harriet. Once was one time too many.
Mac pointed to the small puddle underneath Harriet's chair. "Does that look like false labor to you, Bud? Get your wife to the hospital now."
Everyone fell into action as if they had rehearsed it. Harm grabbed Harriet still in her chair and headed for the elevator with Bud. Sturgis opened doors for them as they went.
"Jen," Harriet called from the hallway." Pick-up AJ and call my mother."
"Sir," Bud asked, "will you call my father and Mikey?"
"Sure, Bud," Harm said. "We'll all meet you at the hospital as soon as we can."
As the whole JAG office escorted the Roberts' out of the building, Tiner and Gibbs approached from the parking lot. Having a pretty good idea what was happening, Tiner ran ahead to check on Harriet, leaving Gibbs to bring up the rear. As soon as Sturgis came out of the building, Gibbs motioned him to the side.
Mac saw Gibbs lead Sturgis away from the group, but waited until Harm had finished helping Harriet into the car before she got his attention with a simple, "Harm."
"What?" He looked up to where she was pointing.
"Look." She pointed to where Gibbs had Sturgis cornered by the tables.
Harm turned his attention to Admiral Chegwidden as he approached them. "Sir, I think we should go see what Agents Gibbs has to say." Nodding his agreement, the Admiral led them over to where Gibbs and Sturgis, and now Tiner were standing.
"Agent Gibbs, to what do we owe the pleasure?" The Admiral immediately took control of the situation.
"You haven't turned our young apprentice attorney to the Dark Side of the Force have you?" Harm added.
"No, Commander, I haven't. We just wanted you to know we found out what happened to Lattimer. Go ahead, Tiner, you took the phone call." Gibbs prompted his temporary protégé.
"Apparently, Miss Lattimer's fiancé and Charlie got into an argument after the out-processing interview. Bob Caldwell was jealous of her attention to her brother and was angry that Charlie would now be so much a part of their lives. Well, things got out of hand pretty quickly and Mr. Caldwell assaulted him while they were still on the base and Charlie ran away. He somehow stumbled into one of the concrete forms for a new extension pier. But Caldwell didn't know that. The next day the Halpern Construction poured the concrete and hid Charlie until the pier failed." Tiner told the story with enthusiasm and flare.
"That's terrible." Mac remarked
"Yeah, Ma'am. Luckily Bob Caldwell was more than ready to tell his story by the time we got to him."
"Good work, Tiner. I'll see you in my office tomorrow for final orders to a ship. And Gibbs, I believe the Colonel needs your evaluation by the end of next week." The Admiral shook hands with the men from NCIS and walked back into the building.
Later that Night
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Maternity Ward
Sturgis saw Mac and Harm come up behind him in the reflection of the window glass.
"So the newest Roberts has arrived safe and sound?" He asked never taking his eyes from the pink-bonneted baby inside the nursery.
"Yep," Harm confirmed after a short silence. "Tina Michelle, 6 pounds, 8 ounces, 19 and a half inches."
"Is it always like this?" he asked. Sturgis was talking about the warmth and lightness that seemed to permeate the air around JAG Ops the rest of the day.
"Yep," Mac confirmed, again after a short silence. "I heard a rumor that you were going to be asked to be a godfather. What do you think, Cousin?"
"Along with you two?" Sturgis turned and looked at Harm and Mac looking at the baby. Harm had his hands on Mac's shoulders and she had covered one of them with her hand.
Mac looked up at Harm before responding, "Probably."
"Sure, I'll do it." Sturgis smiled. "You are both so talkative tonight," he added, once again struck by the silent communication that seemed to be flowing between them.
Harm and Mac just laughed.
"Come on, let's go celebrate." Mac wrapped her arms around both men's waist and the three of them turned their backs to the sleeping baby and headed out.
The End
A/N: Despite past references to OCS, Tiner would have passed the bar and then gone off to Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, as do all Naval JAGs. In Tiner’s case, going in as an enlisted man, he would have come out a Lieutenant Junior Grade. I cannot take credit for this tidbit, it came from Leeza, who has been there and done that, and was kind enough to show me the errors of my ways. The instructors at NJS are usually Marine DIs. Also, while NCIS is a civilian service, many of its agents are former military and Gibbs was a Marine. Check out these websites for further information: http://www.jag.navy.mil/html/njs.htm and http://www.ncis.navy.mil/.
A/N #2: can anyone identify my inside jokes for this VS? Hint: They are all the people you don’t see in the story.