Title: The Path Of Duty
Author: Susan -- SStroud@aol.com if you're interested in sending feedback.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be. I'm just borrowing them for a little entertainment while we wait for the premiere.
Spoilers: Mostly just the rest of the VS stories, but especially Val's and Aerogirl's 2- parter "A Wing And A Prayer." A huge shout out to them for letting me use part of their story in mine.
A big thanks to Jen and Bree for organizing this and for letting me take a second turn. If you haven't done so, check out the website and then drop Cathleen a line to tell her how wonderful the graphics are.
http://www.wtv-zone.com/trgarchive/vs/season4/season4.html
Finally, a huge thanks to Lisa for the beta read, the title and for convincing me that I could actually write this. And to Selena for getting me unstuck at the end as well as encouraging me to keep writing. And to Aerogirl for her patience in answering all of the many questions I threw at her regarding medals and such.
The title is part of a quote by Tennyson from Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington. "Not once or twice in our rough-island story, the path of duty was the way to glory."
0054 EST
Marine Barracks
Washington, DC
Two marine officers walked purposely across the street, their conversation casual and light in spite of the late hour. "Are you going to ask her out?"
"I've thought about it."
"So why haven't you?"
"It doesn't seem right since I know I'm shipping out in a few days."
"Woah, hold up a minute, Jackson."
"Aw come on, Sterling, it's not like I've never had an unselfish thought before."
"No, I mean literally hold up," Sterling replied. "What is that?"
Jackson looked to where his friend was pointing and they both cautiously stepped closer. "Is that a body?" Jackson asked.
Sterling stopped before he got too close. "Oh my god, it is."
Jackson already had his cell phone out and was dialing the number for security. "Is he...dead?"
Sterling inched closer, but once again came to a stop before reaching the huddled form partially hidden in the shadows. "I don't know for certain, but there's an awful lot of blood here."
"This is Corporal Jackson, we need base security outside of barracks house three. There's a body here and we're not sure but we think he might be dead."
Jackson listened to the voice on the other end of the phone as he reached out and grabbed Sterling's arm. "They said not to touch anything."
Sterling nodded his understanding and Jackson turned his attention back to the call. "Yes, Sir. We'll be waiting right here."
As Jackson disconnected the call, Sterling pointed to where the man's hand was lying in a puddle of blood. "Jackson, look at that. I think it's Colonel Phillips."
"No way," Jackson argued. "We just saw him a few minutes ago."
"What should we do?"
"Wait for security," Jackson replied. "They should be here any minute."
*****
(Opening Credits)
*****
0855 EST
Monday
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
"This is one of my favorites," Bud said as he passed another picture to Harm. "A.J. finally decided he wanted to hold his baby sister."
Mac couldn't help the soft "ooh" that escaped as she looked over Harm's shoulder at the picture of their four year old godson holding his month old sister. "Bud, they're adorable," she stated as she took the picture and passed it on to Sturgis.
"I was a little concerned when A.J. didn't seem to want to have anything to do with Tina," Bud admitted. "But I think he was just afraid of accidentally hurting her. So Harriet and I have been teaching him how to be gentle with her."
"It looks like he's adapted pretty well," Harm commented as he took another picture from Bud.
"I believe Harriet said Tina is now the center of A.J.'s universe," Bud replied with a large smile. "He even tried to show her how to hold a bat."
"I can't believe how much she's grown since the last time I saw her," Sturgis commented.
"Speaking of which, Harriet and I wanted to thank all of you for the new furniture for Tina's room."
"That's what godparents are for," Sturgis replied with a conspiratorial wink at Harm and Mac. "At least, that's what I've been told."
The Admiral chose that moment to walk into the conference room, and waved them off before any of them could come to attention. "As you were people."
Mac and Sturgis quickly handed pictures back to Bud who tucked them under his notepad before the Admiral began.
"Commander Rabb, I want you to report to the Marine Barracks as soon as we finish here," the Admiral stated as he passed down a file. "Colonel Robert Phillips body was found early this morning, and the coroner's preliminary findings is listing it as a homicide. You can take Lieutenant Roberts with you, but his primary case is still going to be the Walter's discrimination case."
"Aye, Sir," Harm replied.
"Lieutenant, it's my understanding that Walter's C.O. hasn't been exactly helpful," Admiral Chegwidden commented as he turned his attention to Bud.
"He's hiding his unwillingness under a plethora of paperwork, Sir," Bud replied. "Every request I've sent to his office for information has been replied to with at least a box worth of files I've had to search through."
"I'll inform Petty Officer Coates to make herself available as much as possible to assist you, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Colonel, how is the Pershing case coming?" Admiral Chegwidden asked.
"She's opted for civilian defense, Sir, so it's slowed things down some. I'm hoping we'll actually go to trial by the end of the week."
"Can you do without Commander Turner for a few days?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Good." The admiral handed a folder down to Sturgis. "Commander, I'd like you to look into a mishap on board the Patrick Henry."
"Isn't she docked at Norfolk, Sir?" Sturgis replied.
"Yes, and apparently during some routine repairs, something went wrong with the electrical systems. It caused a power outage which led to three sailors being hospitalized. I'd like to know what happened and who is to blame."
"Aye, Sir."
"Are there any other pressing matters we need to go over, Colonel?" Admiral Chegwidden asked Mac.
"Have we gotten word on if and when we're getting temporary help while Lieutenant Simms is on maternity leave, Sir?"
"I'm actually on my way to a meeting to address that right now," the Admiral replied.
"Then I guess that only leaves the matter of a medal ceremony, Sir," Mac replied, deliberately refusing to meet Harm's gaze.
Admiral Chegwidden nodded as the barest hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Friday at 1400 hours on the deck of the Patrick Henry there will be a medal ceremony for Commander Rabb. I expect everyone to be present and in full dress uniform."
"Sir, may I ask why the rush on this?" Harm asked as he tried to avoid the looks of his co-workers.
"The Pentagon realizes that public support of the war is waning and they want to use this as a way to show the Navy in a very positive light. Besides that, the ceremony taking place on the Patrick Henry should get the media focused on the fact that we have carriers returning to port next week."
"Along with the men and women who serve on them, Sir," Harm added.
"Exactly, Commander. Now are there any other questions?" When nobody spoke up, the Admiral stood up with a crisp, "Dismissed."
"Aye, Sir," they all chorused as they stood to attention.
They all gathered their papers as the Admiral left the room and Mac tried to fall into step behind Sturgis, but Harm caught her arm before she could escape. "Just a minute, Mac."
"Harm, I've really got to get to work on the Pershing case," she said.
"It can wait five more minutes," he assured her.
They stood in silence until the door closed behind Bud and then Harm turned to face her. "You knew about this."
She tried to keep the guilty expression off her face as she replied, "Harm, I thought we had an understanding that there are things in the office that I can't tell you."
"I don't think this qualifies as privileged information, Mac. In fact, I think you deliberately withheld this piece of news because you knew I didn't want anyone to make a big deal about this."
"I hate to be the one to break this to you, Harm, but what you did that day was a very big deal. The Navy isn't going to miss such an opportune chance at good PR just because *you* think it was just another day at the office."
"Believe me, I don't think of it as just another day at the office," he replied. "Especially when I let myself think about how close I came to losing you."
Mac smiled softly and reached out to place her hand on his arm. "Except you would have done it even if I hadn't been on that plane." When he finally nodded in agreement, she added, "The Navy is giving you a medal to honor your flying. The people who will be there to celebrate with you are there to honor the man who would risk his own life to save a plane full of strangers. Let them do this, Harm. For some, it's the only way they'll ever find to be able to say thank you."
He was silent for several moments before his gaze finally locked on hers. "I don't need another medal, you know. I already got my reward."
"Me, too," she agreed, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "Now let's get to work before someone comes looking for us."
*****
1015 EST
Marine Barracks
Washington DC
Bud and Harm sat at a table in the conference room that had been set aside for their interviewing purposes. Their notebooks were open on the table in front of them, and they were comparing notes on their interview with Corporal Sterling when a knock sounded at the door.
"Enter." Harm called out.
A young corporal stepped into the door and immediately came to attention. "Corporal Jackson reporting as ordered, Sir."
"At ease," Harm replied. "You were with Corporal Sterling last night when the body of Colonel Phillips was found, correct?"
"Yes, Sir," the young man replied as he moved to stand at parade rest.
Harm motioned to a chair on the opposite side of the table as he introduced himself. "I'm Commander Rabb and this is Lieutenant Roberts. We're with the JAG office and we're here investigating the death of Colonel Phillips."
"Yes, Sir. My CO informed me that you would want to ask a few questions," Jackson replied as he finally relaxed and settled into a chair across from them.
Harm and Bud both turned to a clean sheet of paper before Harm began. "Corporal, what time was it when you noticed the body?"
"I'm not sure of the exact time, Sir," he replied. "I know that it was after midnight, though. Corporal Sterling and I were heading back to our barracks after a late night out with some of our buddies who were shipping out the next day."
"Why don't you walk us through what happened," Harm suggested.
"Well, Kyle...that is...Corporal Sterling and I had been out having a couple of beers with some of our buddies who were shipping out the next day. Kyle and I both had to be at a briefing at 0700, so we'd agreed to only stay out until midnight. At around 11:30 or so, Colonel Phillips came in and stopped over at our table to wish everyone good luck on their next tour. It was one of those traditional things he always did when a unit was getting ready to ship out. Anyway, the next time I looked at the clock, I realized it was a few minutes past midnight, so I got Kyle's attention and we said our goodbyes and headed back to the barracks."
"Where did you find the body?" Bud asked.
"In the shadows outside of barracks three," Jackson replied. "We were just walking along talking and all of a sudden, Kyle tells me to hold up and walks over to see what it is. I think we both realized at the same time it was a body, so I got out my cell and called base security. They told us not to touch anything, so we stayed back, but we both recognized Colonel Phillips' ring. It was only a couple of minutes until security got there, and then they took our statements and sent us back to our bunks."
"Do you know what time Colonel Phillips left the bar last night?" Harm asked.
"No, Sir," Jackson replied. "I remember hearing the bartender tell him he had a phone call, but I don't recall seeing him leave."
"How well did you know Colonel Phillips?" Harm continued.
"Mostly by reputation, Sir. He was a great officer and well respected. I never had any personal dealings with him other than the night before my last tour when he came over to the table we were sitting at to wish us the best. I asked one of my buddies about it, and he told me it was tradition for Colonel Phillips."
"Do you know of anyone who might have had a reason to want to see him dead?" Harm probed.
"No, Sir. Like I said, he was well respected. I've never heard anyone speak bad of him, and I know things have been incredibly subdued around here today after word got out that he was dead."
Harm nodded as he jotted a few notes before looking up at Jackson. "Thank you for your time, Corporal. We'll be in touch if we have any other questions. Dismissed."
Corporal Jackson came to attention, but instead of turning to leave, he stood there facing Harm. "Was there something else, Corporal?" Harm asked.
"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Granted."
"I hope you find who did this, Sir."
"We're going to do our best, Corporal."
"Yes, Sir."
"Dismissed."
"Aye, Sir."
Bud waited until the corporal was out of the room before turning to Harm. "Their stories are identical, Sir. Right down to the bartender telling the colonel he had a phone call."
"What does that tell us, Bud?" Harm asked as he put his notebook in his briefcase.
"They're either telling the truth or they've done a good job of making sure their stories match, Sir."
"What does your gut tell you, Bud?"
Bud returned his own notebook to his briefcase before he met Harm's gaze. "My gut says they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Sir."
Harm sighed as he got to his feet. "So does mine, Bud. I guess that means we've got a base full of marines to question today."
*****
Tired of waiting for the JAG season premiere? Check out Law & Order on TNT.
Do you know you can sit and watch like 6 hours straight on Mondays and quite possibly not see the same cast in any of the episodes?
*****
1935 EST
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac knocked on Harm's open door and walked in without waiting for a reply. "Are you planning on staying here all night?" she asked.
He looked up from the file he was working on with a small smile. "It's not that late, Mac."
"It's nineteen thirty-five," she replied automatically.
"What?" he asked, looking for a clock even though he knew she wouldn't be wrong about the time.
She smiled as she watched him run a hand through his hair in an uncharacteristic show of frustration. "Colonel Phillips?" she asked.
He nodded as he motioned to the pile of notes on his desk. "Bud and I interviewed at least fifty marines today and not a single one of them had a negative thing to say about the man. He was a well respected officer and nobody had any idea why someone would want him murdered."
"Have you talked to his wife?" Mac asked as she leaned a hip on his desk.
"Earlier this evening," he replied as he leaned back in his chair to look up at her. "She's pretty torn up."
"Anything there at all? Financial problems? Marriage troubles?" she probed.
"Nothing," he replied. "I even checked his financial records to see if he had extra income coming in from some illegal operation that he kept well hidden, but so far, I've hit brick wall after brick wall."
"It's still early in the investigation," she reminded him.
"I know," he replied. "But so far, this case isn't making much sense."
Mac reached a hand out and rested it on his arm as a sign of encouragement. "You'll find the key."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said with a smile.
She straightened back up and started towards the door. "Tell me you've at least sent Bud home."
"He came in earlier and said something had come up in the Walters case and he needed to be gone for a couple of hours. I told him not to bother coming back into the office and we'd start fresh in the morning."
"Take your own advice, Harm," she said.
"I won't stay much longer," he assured her with a grin.
"I'll see you when you get home then," she said with a wink as she backed out of his office, leaving him to pore over his interview notes in silence.
*****
1015 EST
Tuesday
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Petty Officer Coates knocked on Harm's door and waited for his call of "Enter" before opening it and stepping into his office.
"What can I do for you, Jen?" Harm asked as he looked up at her.
"Lieutenant Roberts asked me to bring these to you when I finished putting them in order, Sir," she replied as she handed him a stack of folders.
"Are these the service records I asked for?" Harm asked.
"Yes, Sir," she replied. "They're in alphabetical order so they'll be easier to reference."
"Thanks, Jen," Harm stated. "Has Lieutenant Roberts made it back to the office yet?"
"No, Sir," she replied. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Not at the moment, but I'll be sure to yell if there is," he replied. "Thanks."
"Yes, Sir," Jen replied, acknowledging the implied dismissal and being sure to close the door behind her when she left.
Harm once again pulled out his interview notes and then began going through the service records in hopes that one of them would give him a clue as to the motive behind Colonel Phillips murder.
*****
1430 EST
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
"Is this everyone who was on the base that night, Bud?" Harm asked as they checked names off their list.
"Yes, Sir," Bud replied as he pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to Harm. "This is the list of everyone who has either shipped out already this week or who is scheduled to do so later in the week."
"Excuse me," a voice said from Harm's open doorway. "I'm looking for Commander Rabb."
"I'm Commander Rabb," Harm stated as he started to get to his feet. "How may I help you, Colonel?"
The Colonel motioned for him to stay seated as he stepped into the office. "I'm Colonel David Craig. I believe you were looking for me yesterday at the base and I thought I would stop in and make myself available for any questions you have."
"We appreciate that, Sir," Harm said. "This is Lieutenant Roberts. He's working with me on the investigation into Colonel Phillips death."
"Lieutenant."
"Sir."
"Please have a seat, Sir," Harm offered as he motioned to the empty chair across the desk.
"Robert was a very good friend of mine," Colonel Craig stated as he sat down. "I want to see his killer brought to justice."
"Do you know why anyone would want to see him dead?" Harm asked.
"No, Commander," the Colonel replied. "Robert was a natural leader and the marines in his unit as well as the other units on the base had the utmost respect for him. I've known Robert for nearly twenty years and in that time, I've never known anyone who would have reason to want to see him dead."
"How about his personal life?" Bud asked.
"He adored Nancy," Colonel Craig replied. "They've been married for over ten years now and I've never seen Robert as happy as when he's with her."
"What about the separations when he was on tour?" Harm asked.
"Anyone in the military can tell you that the separations are hard, Commander," he replied. "Robert and Nancy were no different in that aspect. However, they found a way to work through the separations and enjoy the times they were together."
"What about children?" Bud asked.
"Robert was the legal guardian of his goddaughter and Nancy has a son from a previous marriage, but he lives with his father. They never had children together," Colonel Craig replied. "But I imagine you've probably already gotten all this information from Nancy."
Harm nodded. "Yes, Sir. But sometimes the rose colored picture changes when it's viewed through another person's eyes."
"I understand, Commander. I wish there was something I could tell you that would help you find his killer, but I honestly can't think of a single person who would want to see Robert dead."
Harm and Bud both stood as Colonel Craig got to his feet. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Colonel," Harm said as he handed him a business card. "If you think of anything at all that might help, please give me a call."
The Colonel looked at the card for a moment before he met Harm's gaze again. "Commander, if you're half as good of an investigator as you are a pilot, I have no doubts that you'll get to the bottom of this mess."
"Thank you, Sir." Harm replied, not even bothering to ask how the Colonel had known about his piloting skills.
Bud waited until Colonel Craig was completely out of the office before he sat back down and reached for a sheet of paper. "He was the last person we had on our list of personal friends that we wanted to interview."
Harm returned to his seat as well and looked over at Bud. "What time was the bartender supposed to be on duty tonight?"
Bud consulted his notebook and found the notation before he replied, "1600, Sir."
"Have you had lunch yet, Bud?"
"No, Sir. Why?"
Harm began gathering files and notes and putting them in his briefcase as he replied, "I haven't either. Let's go grab a late lunch and head over to the base so we can talk to Mr. Caedmon before he starts his shift."
*****
1545 EST
The Watering Hole
Washington DC
"I've already told the police everything I know," Josh Caedmon said as he sat across from Bud and Harm. "This place is always crawling with marines from the base. Colonel Phillips was pretty much a regular."
Harm looked at the older man with a grim smile. "What do you mean by regular?"
"I mean he was in here in at least twice a week, sometimes more."
"Was he a heavy drinker?" Bud asked.
"He never had more than one beer," Josh replied. "And he usually didn't stay very long. I think he just liked to make sure nobody was causing any trouble."
"Tell us about the night of his death," Harm suggested. "Anything unusual happen?"
"Not really," he replied. "Colonel Phillips came in around eleven-thirty or so and visited with a few of the marines before he came up and ordered a beer. I assumed he was doing his usual rounds to the ones who were shipping out."
"What about the phone call?" Bud prompted.
Josh shrugged. "That wasn't really all that unusual. The officers occasionally get calls in here."
"Did Colonel Phillips get a lot of calls here?" Harm asked.
"Not that I recall," Josh replied.
"Do you know who was on the phone that night?" Harm prodded.
"No," Josh replied. "It was a woman though. She sounded a little young to me, but nowadays all of the kids seem young to me."
"Did you hear any of Colonel Phillips conversation?" Bud asked.
"I make it a point not to listen in on phone conversations, Lieutenant," Josh replied. "I learned a long time ago that there are some things I'm better off not overhearing."
Harm jotted down a quick note before he looked back up at Josh. "Is there anything else you can remember about that night? Did you see anyone follow the Colonel out or anyone who was hanging out looking suspicious?"
"I'm sorry, Commander. I really wish I had something more to give you, but I don't." Glancing up at the clock, he quickly added, "If we're finished, I really need to get to work."
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Caedmon," Harm stated as the older gentlemen got to his feet.
"What now, Sir?" Bud asked.
"I'd like to find out who called Colonel Phillips that night," Harm replied. "Any luck with the phone records?"
"The only incoming call that fits the time frame was placed from a pay phone just a couple of blocks away from here," Bud replied.
"How about forensics? Did they at least come up with something useful?"
"The gun was a .9mm. One shot through the heart at point blank range. The markings on the bullet indicate a silencer was used, but so far, they've had no luck matching the casing up with any other cases on file."
"What about evidence at the scene?" Harm asked.
"They lifted a partial shoe print, but not enough to get a match on the type of shoe, and there's no telling how long the print had been there," Bud replied.
"Enough of a print to match if we found the shoe?" Harm asked.
Bud shrugged slightly. "I have no idea, Sir. But they'll definitely be able to match the gun."
"Alright, why don't you call it a night, Bud."
"Sir, I have a preliminary hearing in the morning on the Walter's case," Bud reminded him.
"I know, Bud," Harm replied. "I told Sturgis I'd go with him to Norfolk tomorrow to talk to one of the petty officers working on the repairs on the Patrick Henry when things went crazy. It will most likely keep me out of the office most of the day. Hopefully the distance will give us both a fresh perspective on this case."
"I hope so, Sir." Bud replied.
"Me, too, Bud."
*****
Did you know that when woodpeckers peck, they curl their tongues around their brain to prevent a concussion? Wonder if we could teach that trick to quarterbacks?
*****
1500 EST
Wednesday
En Route from Norfolk
"Did you really have to drag me along for that?" Harm asked Sturgis.
Sturgis took his eyes off the road long enough to give his friend a wide smile. "It wasn't that bad, Harm."
"What did the kid do, tell you that I was his favorite pilot or something?"
"Actually, I asked him why he'd joined the Navy and he told me he wanted an adventure. When I asked him what the biggest adventure he'd been part of was, he mentioned your little rescue mission. It wasn't until after I'd interviewed several of the others who were on duty at the time of the electrical problem that I began to suspect Petty Officer Long. I was hoping that bringing you along would inspire him to tell me the whole story."
"And do you feel that he did?" Harm asked, looking around at the traffic on the road.
"Actually, yeah," Sturgis replied.
"So where does that leave your investigation?"
"I think it was an accident," Sturgis replied. "No negligence or sabotage, just one of those freak shortages in the electrical system."
"I'm glad one of us is having some luck this week," Harm said with a sigh.
"I can't comment on your case, but that was a pretty nice SUV you drove in this morning."
Harm couldn't help his smile. "I guess something good came out of being stalked."
"What made you decide on the Aviator?" Sturgis asked. "Just feel like advertising?"
Harm laughed at that. "No. I was actually looking at the Jeep Cherokee, but I saw the Aviator and took it for a test drive and was hooked."
"Has Mac seen it yet?" Sturgis asked. "I'm curious as to her reaction to it."
"She's the one who talked me into buying it," Harm replied. "I was going to settle for the Jeep, but she told me she liked the feel of the Aviator better."
Sturgis chanced another glance over at him. "Are you telling me that you took Mac car shopping with you?"
Harm merely nodded.
"The same Harmon Rabb who told me during our first year in the Academy that if I took my girlfriend car shopping with me, I might as well buy her a ring?"
Harm nodded again.
Sturgis raised his eyebrows but forced his concentration to stay on the road. "Is there something you want to tell me, Harm?"
"I guess that depends on what you want to know," Harm replied with a mischievous grin. "Because if you're asking me if I've proposed, the answer is no."
"But you're thinking about it?" Sturgis prodded.
"We looked at rings before we looked at cars," Harm admitted.
"Oh my god," Sturgis mumbled. "I had no idea you two were that serious. I mean, I knew it was serious, but I guess I've just never imagined you as talking about marriage."
"Can you keep a secret?" Harm asked.
"I've done my share of that in the past," Sturgis replied.
Harm sobered for a minute. "Mac told me about that. Thank you."
"For what?"
"Being her friend when I wasn't doing a very good job of fulfilling that role," Harm replied.
"You're welcome," Sturgis replied. "But it's a two way street. Mac is a wonderful friend."
"I know," Harm agreed.
"So what's the secret?" Sturgis asked.
"I've already bought her a ring," Harm admitted.
"Really?"
Harm nodded. "We went together and she picked out a couple that she liked, then I went back the next day and bought one of them."
"Marriage is a pretty big step, Harm."
"I know," Harm replied. "But I think I'm ready to take it. And at least I'll be doing it with my best friend at my side."
"Then I believe a hearty congratulations is in order."
"Thanks, Sturgis."
*****
1900 EST
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
Mac shifted her briefcase and juggled the grocery sack she was carrying in order to get her key in the lock. Hearing the distinctive click, she quickly turned the handle and pushed the door open, hoping that she could make it inside without dropping anything. As soon as she stepped into her apartment, she realized something was out of place.
"Harm?" she called out, relaxing as she realized there was a delicious aroma filling the apartment.
Harm stepped out of her kitchen wiping his hands on a towel as he crossed the apartment to help her. "Do you think you could have carried one more thing?" he teased as he lifted the groceries from her arms.
"I tried," she admitted. "But I couldn't quite balance my duffel bag on top of everything else, so I left it in the trunk."
Harm leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before he turned and headed back to the kitchen. "Why don't you go ahead and get changed. Dinner won't be ready for a few more minutes."
Instead of making her way to the bedroom, she followed him to the kitchen. "I thought I was supposed to cook tonight," she commented. "And where is your car? I didn't see it outside."
Harm smiled at her over his shoulder as he pulled items from the grocery sack and began putting them away. "Sturgis and I finished our interview early, so I just had him drop me here. I told him I'd have you give me a ride back to pick up my car later."
"I'm sure that went over well," Mac commented as she moved over to help him finish putting away the groceries.
"I think he's pretty much decided he's best off not asking questions when it comes to the two of us," Harm replied, hiding his smile as he opened the refrigerator to put the milk away.
"Now if we could only get Harriet to adopt that same philosophy," Mac replied.
"We're going to have to tell her we're dating soon so she will stop trying to fix me up with other people."
"How is she anyway?" Harm asked. "Did you make it over to visit her and Tina?"
"Mother and daughter are both doing great," Mac said in a somewhat wistful tone.
Harm stopped mid-stride and turned to look at her. "What aren't you telling me?"
Mac shook her head slightly and forced a smile on her face. "Nothing, Harm."
His eyes narrowed and she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips. "I'm not a witness ready for cross-examination, Harm."
"Did something happen while you were visiting Harriet that I should know about?" he asked softly.
"Nothing that doesn't happen every time I hold that precious little girl," she replied, meeting his gaze.
Harm sat down the jar of peanut butter he was holding and reached for her hands. "Still hearing that biological clock, huh?"
"It tends to get louder when I'm around my goddaughter," she admitted.
"We only have a few months left on our deal, you know."
"I know," she agreed, allowing him to pull her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned back slightly to look up at him. "When we made that deal, did you really imagine we'd ever be here like this?"
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips and he replied, "I honestly thought we'd get to this point a lot sooner than we did."
"Really?"
"Really," he confirmed, reaching up to brush her hair back from her face. "But let's not rehash all of our past mistakes tonight. We're here together now, and that's really all that matters, isn't it?"
"Absolutely," she agreed before leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips.
When she started to pull away, he followed her, leaning in to kiss her again. Her lips parted under the gentle probing of his tongue and he moved his hands to cup her face as he deepened the kiss.
The shrill ringing of the phone interrupted them and they pulled apart somewhat breathless. "We'll finish this later," Mac promised as she reluctantly stepped out of his embrace.
"I'm going to hold you to that," Harm said as he watched her walk out of the kitchen and over to the phone.
She flashed him a smile over her shoulder as she brought the phone to her ear. "MacKenzie."
[ "I'm sorry to bother you at home, Colonel." ]
"It's okay, Bud. What's going on?"
[ "I was hoping you might know where Commander Rabb is, Ma'am. I need to talk to him and he's not answering at home or on his cell." ]
Mac hesitated for only a minute before she said, "Actually, Bud, he's here. Hang on and I'll get him for you."
[ "Thank you, Ma'am." ]
Mac covered the mouthpiece of the phone as she walked back to the kitchen. "Harm, it's Bud." He quickly wiped his hands on a towel before turning to face her. "I'm going to go change," she said before handing the phone over.
Harm nodded in acknowledgement and lifted the phone to his ear. "Hey Bud, what's going on?"
[ "I'm sorry to bother you, Sir, but I ran across something that I think might be important." ]
"What is it?" Harm asked as he tucked the phone against his shoulder and picked up a spoon to stir the sauce simmering on the stove.
[ "It's a small notation in Colonel Phillips service record from fifteen years ago, Sir. He was a major at the time and apparently, he was involved in an altercation with a fellow officer."]
"Anyone we know, Bud?"
[ "Colonel Craig, Sir." ]
Harm sat down the spoon and focused his attention on the information Bud was telling him. "Does his file give any specifics about what happened?"
[ "No, Sir. Only that he accepted non-judicial punishment and a notation on his record."]
"I want to talk to Colonel Craig again, Bud."
[ "His unit is shipping out at 0800 tomorrow, Sir. I've already called him and he agreed to meet you, but it has to be tonight." ]
Harm turned around to see Mac enter the kitchen and gave her an apologetic smile as he said, "Are you still at the office, Bud?"
[ "Yes, Sir." ]
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
[ "Yes, Sir." ]
With that, Harm disconnected the call and looked at Mac. "I'm sorry."
"No apologies, Harm," she stated. "Go get changed and I'll put dinner in the fridge until later, then I'll drive you over to the office."
Harm started out of the kitchen but stopped mid-stride and turned back to her. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"Of course, I do," she teased him. "That's why you love me."
"Just one of the many reasons," he assured her. "And one of these days, our lives will slow down enough for me to convince you of that."
She laughed softly and gave him a gentle shove towards the bedroom. "Go on. You don't want to keep Bud waiting."
*****
2025 EST
Colonel Craig's House
Washington, DC
"Thank you for taking the time to see us tonight, Sir," Harm stated as Colonel Craig motioned him and Bud to the couch.
"Lieutenant Roberts was fairly insistent," Colonel Craig replied as he sat in a chair across from them. "Not that I mind, though. Especially if it will get you any closer to finding Robert's killer."
Bud cast a somewhat nervous glance at Harm who nodded in encouragement for Bud to explain the reason behind their visit. "Sir, while looking into Colonel Phillips service record, I ran across a small notation in his file mentioning an altercation he had with you over fifteen years ago."
Colonel Craig shook his head ruefully. "I truly hope you're not here because you suspect that altercation to provide me with motive to want to see Robert dead."
"No, Sir," Harm replied. "However, since it's the only black mark on an otherwise exemplary record, we were hoping you could shed a little light on the incident."
"God that was ages ago," Colonel Craig replied as he leaned forward in his seat. "We were on liberty and Robert had gone and gotten himself pretty smashed. He'd gotten word the day before that his best friend from his teenage years had been killed in a car accident. I'm not entirely sure what started the chain of events, but someone started mouthing off and the next thing I know, Robert was toe to toe with a guy who could have easily bench pressed him. I stepped in hoping that calmer heads would prevail and managed to step right into the nastiest left hook I've ever been witness to."
"Colonel Phillips hit you?" Bud asked, quickly adding a "Sir."
Colonel Craig chuckled softly. "He wasn't a colonel at the time, Lieutenant. And he wasn't trying to hit me, I just managed to get in the way."
"I can understand how that happened, Sir," Bud replied casting a sideways look at Harm.
Harm merely shook his head before turning his attention back to the colonel. "Sir, I don't suppose you happen to know the name of the friend who was killed, do you?"
"I'm sorry, Commander, but it was a long time ago. I do know the man was the father of Robert's goddaughter. It was right after that when he became her legal guardian. He never really talked about the events surrounding her parents deaths, though. I always assumed it was just because it was too painful for him." After a brief pause, he added, "You don't really think the two incidents are related, do you?"
"At this point, I'm willing to chase anything that might resemble a lead, Sir," Harm admitted. "And I think I'd really like to talk to Colonel Phillips goddaughter. The bartender said the phone call the Colonel got that night was from a young woman. From what I've been able to gather, Shelly was the only other woman in Colonel Craig's life, so I'm wondering if she called him that night."
"Then I would suggest talking to Nancy," Colonel Phillips replied. "I'm sure she knows the name of Shelly's birth father and she will undoubtedly be able to put you in touch with Shelly."
Recognizing the statement as a dismissal, Harm and Bud stood to their feet. "Thank you again for your time, Colonel," Harm stated.
"Just find out who did this, Commander," Colonel Craig replied. "That will be thanks enough for me."
"Aye, Sir."
*****
0900 EST
Thursday
Home of Nancy Phillips
Washington DC
Harm and Bud stood on the front porch and knocked on the door. Expecting Mrs. Phillips to open the door, they were somewhat startled when a young, dark haired woman greeted them. "Hi, I'm Shelly. You must be Commander Rabb and Lieutenant Roberts."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harm replied. "Would you mind if we came in and asked you a few questions?"
She stood back to allow them to enter as she replied. "Mom told me she'd spoken to you last night and you wanted to talk to me. I only had one class today, so I went ahead and drove home so I could be here."
"We appreciate your willingness to talk to us," Harm said.
The young lady led them into the living room where Mrs. Phillips was already seated. "Commander, Lieutenant," she greeted.
"Ma'am."
"Please have a seat," Mrs. Phillips offered.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Harm replied as he and Bud sat down on the sofa across from Mrs. Phillips.
Shelly perched herself on the arm of the chair Mrs. Phillips was in and looked directly at Harm. "Commander, have you found whoever did this?"
"We were actually hoping that you could help us out," Harm replied. "Did you talk to Colonel Phillips the night he was killed?"
Shelly shook her head. "Yeah. I actually drove down here to see him. When I got close to the base, I called his quarters. When he didn't answer, I took a chance and called The Watering Hole. I know he likes to give everyone a send off before they ship out and I was hoping he'd be there."
"Was he?" Harm asked.
"Yes, Sir," Shelly replied. "We talked for a few minutes and I explained what was going on. He assured me that things would be fine and since I already felt better about the situation, I didn't even tell him I was in the area. Instead, I just got back in my car and drove back to school. It wasn't until later the next day when mom called me that I even knew anything had happened to the Colonel."
"Would you mind explaining your relationship with Colonel Phillips for us?" Bud asked.
"He and my dad were best friends when they were younger," Shelly explained. "He was my godfather and became my legal guardian when my father was killed in a car accident when I was six."
"What about your mother?" Harm asked.
Shelly reached for Mrs. Phillips' hand and gave it a squeeze as she replied, "My biological mother died giving birth to me. So when my father was killed, I was pretty much all alone. Neither of my parents had any siblings and my father's parents were in no condition to take on the care of an adolescent girl, so Colonel Phillips petitioned the court for guardianship. Since my father's will stated he wanted the Colonel to have custody should anything happen to him, there wasn't much of a debate on the issue. At that point, he basically became my family."
"I met Robert two years later," Mrs. Phillips said as she took over the story. "He had already sacrificed several prime assignments to stay stateside and take care of Shelly, and at first, he was a little reluctant to get involved with me. He didn't want to disrupt Shelly's life anymore than it had already been. But I fell in love with both him and Shelly and I wasn't willing to give up that easily. Once Robert realized that I cared as much for Shelly as I did him, he finally let me into his life. We were married just a few months later and we've been a family since then.
"The Colonel could have just as easily let me be put into foster care," Shelly said. "But he didn't. I once asked him why and he told me it wasn't in his nature to turn his back when there was something he could do to help. I didn't understand it at the time, but I think I do now. He was a good man, Commander."
Harm smiled as met her steady gaze. "I already know that, Shelly. I've interviewed almost an entire base and every person I talked to told me the same thing. It still doesn't explain why someone killed him, though."
"I wish I could help you," Shelly stated.
"Why did you call him that night?" Bud asked. "What kind of trouble were you having?"
Shelly shook her head and stood up to start pacing. "There's this guy in one of my classes who doesn't seem to want to take no for an answer. I went out with him once and since then he keeps asking me out, following me, calling my dorm room and hanging up. Basically, he's been a real jerk."
"Have you reported him to the campus police?" Harm asked.
"Yeah," she replied. "Unfortunately, he never sticks around long enough for them to catch him in the act."
"So you called Colonel Phillips to help you out?" Harm prompted.
"I didn't know who else to turn to," she replied. "I was pretty shook up Sunday night when I drove into town. Billy had been drunk and had followed me back from the library that night, ranting about how things weren't over between us. Instead of going into my dorm, I got in my car and took off. For a while, I thought he was following me, but I think I was just being paranoid."
Harm felt a tightening in his gut and he leaned forward in his seat as he asked his next question, "Shelly, are you sure he didn't follow you?"
Shelly stopped pacing and turned to face Harm, her eyes widening as she realized where Harm was going with the question. "You don't really think Billy killed the Colonel, do you?"
"You tell me," Harm replied. "Has he stopped harassing you?"
Shelly shook her head slightly as if the thought made her sick. "I haven't seen him all week. He wasn't in class Monday morning, and I haven't been back to classes since then." She took a deep breath to calm herself before she continued, "I just don't see him as the kind of person who would kill someone though."
"You said he was drunk," Harm pointed out.
Shelly sank into a chair and dropped her face into her hands. "Oh my god, if Billy did this, then I led him right to the Colonel."
"Let's not jump to conclusions yet," Harm advised. "Why don't you give us Billy's last name and we'll check him out. If it turns out the guy is really just a jerk, we'll make sure he gets the message to leave you alone. If he turns out to be a murderer, we'll make sure he never hurts anyone else again."
"Chapman," Shelly replied as she looked up at them through tear filled eyes. "Billy Chapman. He's a junior."
Harm and Bud got to their feet. "We'll let you know what we find out," Harm assured them. "In the meantime, you should probably stay here with Mrs. Phillips." Turning to Mrs. Phillips, he added, "If you'd like, I can have a guard posted here."
"I think I'd like that," Mrs. Phillips replied as she moved to Shelly's side. "At least until we know for sure if this Billy character is the one responsible for Robert's death."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Harm stated.
Mrs. Phillips merely nodded. "I know you're just doing your job, Commander. We'll be okay."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harm agreed. "I'll call when I know something."
As they showed themselves out, Harm turned to Bud. "Call Mac and have her get a marine unit assigned to protective detail on Mrs. Phillips and Shelly ASAP. I'm going to call campus police and see if they know the whereabouts of Billy Chapman. Then I'll drop you back at the office so you can get me all the information available on him while I head over to campus to talk to Mr. Chapman."
*****
0900 EST
Friday
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
"Excuse me, Bud," Mac said as she knocked on his door.
"Come in, Ma'am."
"Have you seen Harm this morning?" Mac asked.
"He called a while ago and said that the police had finally picked up Chapman around two o'clock this morning," Bud replied. "Apparently, as soon as they started questioning him, he confessed to the murder of Colonel Phillips. So Commander Rabb was going over to the DA's office to get them up to speed on our investigation."
"What was his motive?" Mac asked.
"It's a little complicated, Ma'am," Bud replied.
"I've got a few minutes," Mac replied as she settled herself into a chair.
"Colonel Phillips took over the legal guardianship of Shelly Macbrier when she was six years old. Her mother had died during childbirth and her father was killed in a car accident. In his will, her father not only named Colonel Phillips as her guardian, but he also set up a trust fund for Shelly. The trust fund was to be handled by Colonel Phillips until Shelly either turned twenty-five or got married."
"I'm with you so far, Bud," Mac stated.
"Enter Billy Chapman," Bud continued. "A basically good kid until he fell in with the wrong crowd on the college scene. He started drinking and gambling and before he knew it, he was in debt up to his eyebrows to some very unpleasant people."
"Let me guess," Mac interrupted. "He saw Shelly's trust fund as his ticket out of trouble."
"Exactly," Bud replied. "Although we still weren't clear on how he found out about the trust fund. It's not like Shelly was advertising it. Anyway, he and Shelly went out once and then Shelly told him that she wasn't interested. He wouldn't take no for an answer and started harassing her...almost to the point of stalking her."
"So she turned to Colonel Phillips for help?" Mac asked.
"Yes," Bud replied. "And Colonel Phillips assured her he would handle things. Shelly went back to school and Billy Chapman followed Colonel Phillips into a dark corner where he pulled out a gun and shot him through the heart."
"I still don't see how killing Colonel Phillips would help Chapman," Mac said.
"Neither did I until we discovered that under the terms of the trust fund, if anything happened to Colonel Phillips, Shelly would become the sole proprietor of the trust fund as long as she had reached her twenty-first birthday."
"How on earth could Chapman have possibly known all that?" Mac asked.
"He hasn't named names yet, but Commander Rabb seems to think one of the people he was in debt to probably got him the information," Bud replied.
"And what about Shelly?" Mac asked. "What's her involvement in all of this?"
Bud shrugged slightly, "For all intents and purposes, she trusted the wrong guy."
"You don't think she was in any way involved in the murder?"
"There's no motive there, Ma'am," Bud replied.
"What about the trust fund?" Mac asked.
"Why would she want to kill the only family she's ever had?" Bud replied. "Especially since college is already paid for. Besides, she's never shown any interest in the trust fund before."
"I see your point, Bud," Mac agreed as she got to her feet. "Sounds like you and Harm have once again crossed the i's and dotted the t's."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Bud replied.
"If you talk to the Commander, will you please remind him that the medal ceremony starts promptly at 1400?" Mac asked as she headed to the door.
"Yes, Ma'am," Bud replied with a grin. "Before you go, may I ask you a question?"
Mac took a deep breath before facing Bud, half expecting him to ask her why Harm had been at her apartment two nights ago. "Sure, Bud. What's on your mind?"
"The Walter's case, Ma'am," Bud replied.
"I heard you've finally got a court date set on that one," Mac replied.
"Yes, Ma'am," Bud replied. "But why did the Admiral assign me this case?"
"He didn't," Mac replied. "I did."
"Excuse me?" Bud asked.
"Bud, when this case first crossed my desk, I knew you would be the best one for it. Not because of your injury, but because of how hard you worked to get past your injury. You decided that nothing was going to stand in the way of doing what you loved to do and you went after it. When I saw Petty Officer Walter's discrimination case, I knew that was the level of commitment it was going to take to win this one. That's why I assigned you this case."
"This has been one of the hardest cases in my career, Ma'am," Bud admitted.
Mac flashed him a bright smile and said, "I know, but it goes to court next week. That's half the battle right there. I have complete confidence that you'll see this one through to the end, Bud."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"Just stating the obvious, Lieutenant."
*****
Three weeks and counting...don't miss the season premiere. And while you're waiting, make sure you tune in for the exciting conclusion to the Virtual Season.
*****
1400 EST
Friday
USS Patrick Henry
Norfolk, Virginia
Harm and Skates stood at attention in the center of the newly assembled platform on board the deck of the Patrick Henry. Standing in the background were Skates' husband, Peter, Mac, Admiral Chegwidden and Captain Alexander Adropolous. Captain Pike stood at the podium where he addressed the crowd gathered for the medal ceremony.
"During a standard carrier flight qualification drill in the Atlantic Ocean, in an effort to prevent the loss of a commercial airliner, Lieutenant Commander Hawks acted unhesitantly and with consummate skill as she assisted in the stabilization of the commercial airliner's thrusts while the F-14 she was serving on was attached to the underside of the Boeing 747's wing. The action enabled the pilot of the commercial airliner to land his plane at Andrews Air Force Base without the loss of any of the four hundred and twenty-seven passengers on board. Lieutenant Commander Hawks' gallantry was in the finest tradition of the Naval Services and reflects great credit upon herself, Naval aviation, and the United States Navy. She is hereby awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross."
Captain Pike turned to pin the medal on Skates' uniform before handing her the official documents and shaking her hand. "Congratulations, Commander."
"Thank you, Sir."
Captain Pike turned back to the podium and continued. "During a standard carrier flight qualification drill in the Atlantic Ocean, in an effort to prevent the loss of a commercial airliner, Commander Rabb unhesitantly and with consummate skill stabilized the commercial airliner's thrusts by attaching the F-14 he was piloting to the underside of the Boeing 747's wing. The action enabled the pilot of the commercial airliner to land his plane at Andrews Air Force Base without the loss of any of the four hundred and twenty-seven passengers on board. Commander Rabb's gallantry was in the finest tradition of the Naval Services and reflects great credit upon himself, Naval aviation, and the United States Navy. He is hereby awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, third award."
Captain Pike then turned to pin the medal on Harm's uniform before handing him the official documents and shaking his hand. "Congratulations, Commander."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Some of the best damn flying I've ever seen, Hammer," Captain Pike added softly, so that only Harm and Skates could hear him.
"Thank you, Sir," Harm replied, somewhat amazed at the admission.
Captain Pike turned back to the podium. "On behalf of the United States Navy, I would like to thank you all for coming out today." After a brief pause, he added, "Company dismissed."
Harm let out a sigh of relief and turned to Skates. "Maybe the next time we fly together, we can have an uneventful day."
Skates smiled her agreement even as she noticed his attention wasn't on her but at a point just over her shoulder. She turned slightly to see Mac approaching and she stepped to the side.
Mac forced her gaze from Harm's and spoke to Skates. "Congratulations, Skates."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Skates replied as Peter walked over and took her hand in his.
"Isn't this the part where I get to show the entire world how proud I am of you?" he asked. Skates nodded and Peter turned to Harm. "With your permission, Commander?"
"Permission granted," Harm replied.
As Peter leaned down and wrapped Skates in his arms to kiss her, Harm's gaze once again locked with Mac's. Mac smiled as she quoted Peter's words. "Isn't this the part where I get to show the entire world how proud I am of you?"
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked.
"Absolutely," she replied before she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. She pulled away long before he was ready to let her go, but he forced himself not to wrap his arms around her and pull her close again. Stepping back from him, she gave him a wink and whispered, "Later."
Harm smiled in return and turned his attention to the people who had surrounded him as Mac moved to stand at his side. Admiral Chegwidden held out his hand with a hearty, "Congratulations, Commander."
"Thank you, Sir," Harm replied.
Peter and Skates moved to stand next to Mac as Admiral Chegwidden held out a hand to Skates. "Commander Hawks, I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude for making sure I got both of my officers back in one piece."
"Thank you, Sir, but Commander Rabb did the hard part."
"I have no doubts it was a team effort," he replied.
"Thank you, Sir."
Mac smiled at the other man who stood to the side. "Captain, if I may do the honors?"
The man nodded in acquiesce. "Colonel MacKenzie, it's good to see you again."
"Captain Alexander Andropolous, allow me to introduce Commander Harmon Rabb and Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Hawks."
Captain Andropolous held out his hand to Harm and then Skates. "It's Andy," he stated. "I don't know where to begin to thank you for what you did."
Harm glanced a look at Mac before he smiled at Andy. "It's really not necessary, Andy."
"I know over four hundred people who would disagree with you, Commander," Andy replied.
"They've obviously never had the opportunity to fly with him before then," Skates teased slightly. "Hammer makes every flight a memorable one."
Harm couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Skates, aren't you supposed to be reporting for shore leave or something?"
They all shared a laugh at that before they grew serious again. "All joking aside, Commander, "Andy said. "On behalf of myself, my crew and the passengers of United Flight 958, thank you."
"You're welcome," Harm replied.
*****
Harm stepped to the railing of the deck and looked out over the water. In the past two hours, he'd been the recipient of more hand shakes, thank yous, and hugs from strangers than any man should be subjected to in a lifetime, much less one day. And while he understood the Navy wanting to get as much positive PR out of this situation as possible, he hated being paraded around like some war hero. Especially while there were still thousands of servicemen and women on foreign soil fighting a war. They were the true heroes.
Harm turned his back to the railing and searched the thinning crowd for Mac. The last time he'd seen her, some over-eager reporter was trying to get an exclusive interview with her. He spotted her talking to a young girl who had been a passenger on the plane and as if sensing his gaze on her, she looked up. Catching his eye, she flashed him a bright smile before turning her attention back to the young girl.
A shadow crossed Harm's line of sight and he turned his head to see Stuart Dunston standing next to him.
"Commander Rabb, it's good to see you again."
"Mr. Dunston."
"I'm sure you've probably talked this incident to death, but would you mind if I asked a few questions?"
Harm narrowed his eyes as he looked at the reporter who had been both adversary and friend over the years and finally gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Sure, why not. If I have to talk to a reporter about this, it might as well be you, Dunston."
Stuart smiled slightly at that. "I think I'll take that as a compliment."
"It's probably as close as you'll get to one from him," Mac said as she joined them.
Stuart smiled in her direction. "Colonel MacKenzie."
Mac moved over until she was standing next to Harm, not quite touching him, but close enough he could feel the silent support she was offering. In response, Harm leaned back against the railing and forced himself to relax. "Fire away, Dunston, and please keep in mind that I will not answer any questions about the incident prior to when I made contact with Captain Andropolous."
"Understood, Commander," Dunston agreed. He quickly pulled a notebook and pen from his pocket and began. "When you first made contact with the 747, what was the condition of the plane?"
"They were missing part of their left wing, they had only had one working engine and they were losing altitude rapidly," Harm replied.
"At what point did you decide to try to make your F-14 a part of the 747?"
"When my wingman joined me flying formation with the 747, I dropped back to see how bad the damage was to the wing. Once there, I got the idea that if we could somehow get close enough under the wing, we could actually use the thrust from our plane to at least stop them from losing any more altitude and hopefully get them to U.S. soil."
"Did you consider what would happen if you were unsuccessful?"
"Yes," Harm replied, his gaze instantly going to Mac. "I discussed it with my RIO before we radioed back to our flight commander. I explained to him that I planned to impale our forward structure on what was left of their engine pylon and tuck ourselves underneath their wing. He asked a few questions which I answered as honestly as I could and then he gave us the go-ahead to try."
"What were you thinking at the time?" Stuart asked, his eyes drifting from Harm to Mac and then back again.
"I was thinking that I had to do something to help them," Harm replied. "At the rate they were losing altitude, there was no way they were going to make it to land, and the odds of all the passengers surviving a water landing weren't good enough for me."
"At what point did you realize the odds of you and your RIO surviving the landing?" Stuart asked pointedly.
"It wasn't until several minutes after we'd successfully become a part of their wing."
"Would have knowing that ahead of time changed the way you approached the situation?" Stuart asked.
"No," Harm replied.
"You would have willingly risked your life for four hundred and twenty-six strangers?" Stuart asked.
"There were four hundred and twenty-seven passengers," Mac interrupted.
"Yes, but you weren't exactly a stranger to him, were you, Colonel?" Stuart asked.
At that, Harm stood to his full height and glared at Dunston. "Leave her out of this, Dunston."
"I had no intention of bringing her into it," Dunston replied. "I didn't even realize she had been a passenger until I spoke to Captain Andropolous earlier. Would you like to hear what he had to say about the incident?"
Harm turned to Mac and she nodded her agreement, so he turned back to Dunston. "Considering the events that transpired in the cockpit that day, I think we'd better."
Stuart turned to a different page in his notebook and read from it. "'I have never seen anyone handle a plane the way Commander Rabb did, nor can I imagine that there are many men who would risk their life for four hundred and twenty-six strangers.' Knowing that there were four hundred and twenty-seven passengers, I asked him to clarify that, and he replied, 'One of them wasn't a stranger. Colonel MacKenzie was sitting in the cockpit with me when we landed at Andrews.'"
Stuart looked up and met Harm's gaze. "You can imagine my shock at hearing that, especially when he commented that he'd felt like an intruder when she'd told you that she loved you before she explained the situation with the landing gear."
Harm sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes, instantly having visions of his personal life splashed across every newspaper and television news show in Washington. Mac's hand on his arm forced him back to the present and he met her gaze briefly before turning back to Dunston. "What are you planning on doing with this information?"
Dunston looked between the two of them again before he spoke. "I'm not planning on doing anything with it. In fact, I told Captain Andropolous that if he really wanted to show you his appreciation, he would keep that little piece of information to himself. I think he understood what I was saying."
"So why bring it up now?" Harm asked.
Dunston chuckled slightly as he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess you can call it curiosity. I've dealt with you two enough over the years that I've often wondered if there was something more going on."
"We haven't exactly gone public with our relationship," Mac informed him. "And we would rather not have that happen by a news story."
"It won't," Stuart assured them. "Believe it or not, I do have a lot of respect for you two, and Admiral Chegwidden. And believe me, I know I don't want to be on his bad side."
Harm and Mac both chuckled at that and Harm held out his hand to Dunston. "Thank you."
Stuart took his outstretched hand with a serious expression. "No, Commander, thank you. That was an amazing thing you did that day."
Dunston then turned his attention to Mac. "Colonel, I know you've been avoiding giving interviews, but I would consider it an honor if you two would consent to a short television interview. I'll give you a list of questions ahead of time and we can even tape it outside of JAG so as not to put any extra pressure on your schedules."
Mac looked at Harm before she answered. "We'll talk about it. I have your number."
Dunston nodded in understanding and turned to walk away, leaving Harm and Mac standing there alone. "Do you suppose we can get out of here now?" Harm asked.
"Are you okay?" Mac replied.
"Yeah," he stated. "I guess I never even considered that Andy might mention our conversation to a reporter. I mean, it's not that I don't want people to know about us, I would just rather be able to tell my mother myself as opposed to her hearing it on the evening news."
"I guess we're just lucky he picked Stuart Dunston to talk to then," Mac replied with a smile. "Now what do you say about taking me out for dinner on the way back to Washington and then back to your place so I can give you a proper congratulations?"
"I think that sounds wonderful," Harm replied. "However, the Admiral has invited all of us back to his house for a get together this evening."
"Then I guess our private celebration will have to wait a while longer," Mac commented with a sigh.
"Unfortunately, yes," Harm replied. "Now, let's go find Skates before we go. I'm pretty sure her and Peter are going to join us at the Admirals and I think we'd be better off to give her an official statement on the status of our relationship before we get there and she decides to ask questions."
Mac smiled as they fell into step together. "Are you sure you don't want to just wait until we decide on a ring and change that status again?"
Harm cast her a sideways glance and replied, "Do you want to risk Harriet hearing about us from someone other than you? Because you and I both know she'll grill Skates for any information she can get."
"Point taken, Counselor," Mac replied. "Let's go find your RIO and then get out of here."
*****
One Week Later
1845 EST
Friday
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
Harm opened the door to Bud and Harriet with a smile. "Glad you could make it," he stated as he stepped back to let them in.
"This is the first time we've been out of the house without the kids since Tina was born," Harriet admitted as she accepted Harm's hug.
"I trust that the babysitter has the number here," Harm replied.
"As well as our cell phone number and both yours and the Colonel's," Bud replied somewhat sheepishly.
Harm chuckled slightly as he led them both to the kitchen where Mac was pulling a casserole from the oven. She looked up with a smile as they entered. "Hi. Dinner's almost ready."
"Is there anything I can do to help, Ma'am?" Harriet asked.
"You can start by dropping the Ma'am for the night," Mac admonished her. "Tonight, it's just four friends having dinner together while we watch Stuart Dunston's interview."
"I have to confess that I was really surprised when I heard you'd agreed to doing an interview with Dunston," Bud stated.
"He let us set some ground rules," Mac replied. "After that, it was really just a matter of answering a few questions."
"I'm looking forward to seeing it," Harriet said. "But first, did he really get footage from Andrews of the landing?"
Harm grimaced slightly as he nodded. "I think the Admiral had something to do with that."
"I'm not sure if I want to see that," Harriet confessed.
"I'm not sure if I want to see it either," Mac admitted.
Harm held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't look at me. I would just as soon forget the entire incident."
They all shared a laugh before Mac began filling plates. "Harm, why don't you finish the drinks? We can eat in front of the t.v. tonight if nobody has any objections."
"None here," Bud replied as he accepted a plate from Mac and handed it to Harriet. She took it with a smile and within minutes, they were all seated comfortably in front of the television. They talked about A.J. and Tina until the news started at which point they grew silent. It wasn't until the first commercial break that Mac stood up and began carrying the dishes to the kitchen.
"Leave those," Harm stated. "We'll get them after the interview is over."
She smiled as she replied, "Sorry, I'm just a little anxious about how this turned out. I'll be back before the news is back on."
When the newscaster came back on, Mac walked back to the living room, but instead of sitting back down on the couch, she stopped beside the chair Harm was sitting in and perched on the arm of it.
As the taped interview began, Mac instinctively reached for Harm's hand and laced their fingers together. It was with great effort that Mac kept her eyes on the screen when Dunston's voice described the scene taking place. From the footage taken from the tower at Andrews Air Force Base, it was easy to see the F-14 tucked securely beneath the wing of the 747. When the two planes hit the ground, Mac and Harriet both gasped.
The scene then switched to the medal ceremony where Harm and Skates had received their DFC's before switching yet again to the grounds outside of JAG Headquarters. Dunston's voice once again filled the screen. "While many of us would call the pilot of that F-14 a modern day hero, he has a different definition of the word."
The picture cut to Harm whose voice filled the apartment as they watched. "Lord Tennyson once said, 'Not once or twice in our rough-island story, the path of duty was the way to glory.' I'm not a hero. I'm just a man doing what I was trained to do. The true heroes are the men and women who take on the responsibility of being parents to children who have none. They're the men and women who risk their life every day to keep us safe from criminals and fires and natural disasters. And they're the men and women who fight in our armed forces knowing every day they wake up might be the last one they see. The true heroes are the families who say goodbye to husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers in the name of duty. Even when that path of duty never leads to glory."
The picture once again changed, this time showing Stuart Dunston walking along the pier in Norfolk. "I'm standing here in Norfolk where plans are being made to celebrate the arrival of the USS Thomas Jefferson. She is expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock after a six month rotation in the Persian Gulf. Perhaps this time, the path of duty will end on the road to glory. This is Stuart Dunston. Good night."
Harm hit the power button on the remote control and dropped it to the table beside him as his gaze drifted to where Mac's hand was still securely wrapped in his. "I didn't expect that," he said as he looked up and met her gaze.
"It was part of the ground rules I laid down," Mac admitted.
"That was amazing," Harriet commented as she wiped tears from her face.
Bud cleared his throat before he spoke, "I had no idea how bad that day could've turned out."
Mac forced her gaze from Harm's over to where Bud and Harriet were looking at them expectantly. It wasn't until a smile formed on Harriet's lips that Mac realized she was still clinging tightly to Harm's hand. "I guess we have something else to tell you guys," Mac finally said, her gaze once again drawn to Harm's.
Harm winked at her before he turned his attention to Bud and Harriet. "As you can see, that day had the potential to end very badly."
"I think that would qualify as an understatement," Harriet commented.
Harm chuckled slightly before he continued, "It actually turned out okay, though. While I wouldn't recommend a life and death situation to admit your love to each other, once the words were out there, there was no taking them back."
Harriet squealed as she jumped from the couch and ran over to wrap her arms around both of them. "I'm so happy for both of you."
"Thanks, Harriet," they replied.
Bud joined them, but controlled his excitement much better as he offered Harm a warm handshake and gave Mac a hug. "Congratulations."
"There is one other thing," Harm continued.
"What's that?" Harriet asked.
Harm gave Mac a sideways glance before he turned to Bud. "Bud, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my best man?"
Three sets of eyes turned to look at him, each of their owners wearing matching stunned expressions. Bud was the first to find his voice. "Sir?"
Harm's eyes locked with Mac's and a smile played on his lips as he replied, "How about it, Sarah? Will you marry me?"
Her expression slowly changed to a smile and her whispered "yes" was nearly lost as she leaned in to kiss him.
Another squeal from Harriet interrupted them and they stood up with laughter ringing in their ears. It was several minutes later before the excitement died down and Harriet ushered Bud out of the apartment with a promise to call early the next morning to go looking for a wedding dress.
As soon as the apartment door closed behind Bud and Harriet, Harm turned Mac in his arms and led her to the couch. After settling her on the seat, he knelt in front of her and reached into his pocket. Pulling out the small velvet box, he opened it and held it out to her. Without uttering a single word, he slid the ring onto her finger and then smiled at her before leaning in to capture her lips in a kiss.
"I love you," she whispered when they broke apart several moments later.
"And I love you," he replied. "Forever."
"Forever," she repeated before he leaned in for yet another kiss.
The End