TITLE: Know It All

AUTHOR: Clairisant and Brenda

CLASSIFICATION: Harriett/Victor

FEEDBACK: Always welcome.

WARNING: Story contains main character death.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is an addendum to the Need To Know story. Our beta reader asked us to tell the story of how Harriett and Victor got together in that story and we decided to keep her happy (she gets mean if we don't) and do so here. So this is for you Qupey!

CREDITS: A special thanks to our beta readers, Qupeydoll and Patti.

Chapter 1

Wednesday, October 23, 2009

1430 EST

General Counsel's Office

The Pentagon

AJ's cell phone rang in the middle of the afternoon; it was unusual, but not unheard of for him to receive personal calls during the workday. Many times it was his daughter in Italy claiming she had forgotten the time difference. He was pretty sure that she did it deliberately just to hear him grumble. He answered, "Chegwidden here," but was surprised to hear Judge Sarah (Mac) Webb's voice come over the line asking him if he would meet her and General Cresswell near the elevators down the hall from his office!

About to question the strange request, Mac added in an almost tearful voice, "Please just come AJ, it's important!"

Knowing something was very wrong, he briskly said, "I'll be right there." Leaving his office and starting past Lieutenant Commander Harriett Roberts' desk, his heart filled with dread, knowing that something had happened to her husband, Bud. He told her, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't answer the phones while I'm gone, let ALL calls go to voice mail!"

"Sir?" she questioned at the odd order.

"Just do it Harriett!"

"Yes Sir!" she said with an apologetic look, for questioning an order from him.

Walking into the hall he spotted Mac and General Cresswell waiting for him near the elevators at the end of the hall. When they saw him, Cresswell took a step towards him and Mac stopped him with a hand on his arm. Nodding at her Cresswell took a step back as AJ arrived next to them.

"AJ," she said quietly as a single tear slid down her cheek, "There was an incident in the courtroom today. There is just no easy way to say this, Bud was shot."

"Oh God, I knew something had happened. I'll get Harriett and we'll head to Bethesda!"

Mac gently reached out and stopped him as he started to walk away. "There's no need to hurry. That's why I wanted to tell you before we told Harriett. She's going to need all our support, he was killed instantly AJ."

AJ went still. He felt his heart stop and fought to keep his knees from buckling. Bud had been like a son to him and now he was dead, and worst of all he was going to have to put his own grief aside to help Harriett and the children through this. He turned back to face Mac, "How did it happen?"

"His client was found guilty and was being sentenced to life without parole in Leavenworth. He lost it and grabbed the guard's gun and started shooting. Three people were injured and when Commander Dawson aimed at me, Bud tackled him to the ground, he was killed instantly."

"Admiral, I'd like to offer you my condolences, I know how close you were to Captain Roberts," General Cresswell said.

"Thank you, General, I'm sure you know Bud was a fine officer," AJ replied. "Harriett is going to need the children picked up. She won't be in any condition to do so."

"I can pick the girls up from the JAG day care and then get the boys from school," Mac offered.

"Thank you Mac, I'm sure that will be a load off Harriett's mind. Could you also pick up Allison from her day care and bring her to the house with you?"

"Yes of course I can," she answered.

Then AJ turned to Cresswell and said, "Bud's only other living relative is his brother Mike who is stationed in Naples. He'll need to be notified."

"I'll see to it," Cresswell assured him.

Then the three turned and went to deliver the bad news to Harriett. AJ squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. Mac's was shaky and Cresswell's was relieved. He'd had this duty before to tell a loved one that someone had died and he didn't begrudge Admiral Chegwidden the coming moments.

To be continued….