TITLE: Observations Of A Seaman
AUTHOR: Vid Z.
PAIRING: Harm/Meg
TIMELINE: end of Season 5
SPOILERS: everything except for the Diane eps.
!!!WARNINGS!!!: this fic is written in a first person POV of someone who is emotionally and physically involved into the life of JAG HQ and of Harmon Rabb, someone who respects and likes him a great deal, someone who is actually a part of the support staff. That person also liked Meg very much and had never made peace with her transfer, thus they have automatically been against the woman, who had tried to replace Meg, namely Mac. Because Meg left, only Harm remained, which is why the narrator is also very protective of Harm and dislikes anyone who hurts Harm.
Long story short: this fic includes Mac and Bugme BASHING for the things that happened in season 5! Mainly Bugme bashing, though as I can't imagine anyone liking the guy, least of all the support staff, who are all on Harm's side.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc of the TV show JAG are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fic. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I had a sudden idea a while ago for a fic that was in a POV of someone who was actually a part of the JAG staff, completely unnoticed, yet he notices everything that goes on. This person is not only Harm's fan, but also Meg's fan. I, the author, had personally fallen in love with Meg, the character, quite quickly, as have many other fans (yes, I knew she wasn't a real person). She was someone extremely positive, had something that just drew a person to her, she was extremely good to and for Harm, more than Mac ever was, IMHO. She made Harm smile and laugh constantly, while Mac evoked only grimaces of emotional pain in the last few seasons (I don't remember the last time prior to FWAFS that we've seen Harm laugh or really smile around Mac), which was just a big plus in her favor. JAG was never the same after DPB made the bonehead move and fired her. The only person who could compare to Meg in all the next 9 years of the show, in terms of being good to and for Harm, in personality, friendliness, warmth, caring and as a person in general, was Jen. Unfortunately she was limited by the regs and by the strong H&M fanbase of the show, which prevented anything happening between her and Harm. Season 1 was a magical time for me, a time when I actually fully enjoyed watching JAG and didn't dread switching to it, dreading to see another way of how Mac would hurt Harm again. It was only Harm and Meg back then, with a love that was obvious (that only die-hard H&M fans can fool themselves into believing was not there and into believing that Harm viewed her only as a younger sister. Damn, if every man looked at his yonger sister like Harm looked at Meg, then every single guy in the world would've been in prison. Not to mention their heavy, steamy flirting..), yet this love was killed by the hunger for money, the eternal enemy of this world.
DEDICATION: In memoria amoris.
SUMMARY: an evolution of Harmon Rabb, Jr. as seen through the eyes of a member of the junior staff.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Well, well, well, what do you know... We've hit the magical number 40!
That's right folks, I have 40 fics posted on this site, when, 3 years ago I never would've even believed I would be writing. Funny how things change...
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I think I should introduce myself first.
I'm Seaman John Atkins and I've been stationed at JAG HQ for the last 5 years.
I have one of those utterly boring and badly-paying jobs in the military, I do the menial things that others are above of doing. There are millions like me all over the world, keeping the military functioning. And we are the reason why the military even functions, because without us everything would stop.
Yet, no-one ever notices us, while we notice and know everything.
I make copies of documents when someone needs them, I empty the trash baskets and take out the trash, I get new office implements to the new users when they run out of old ones, I clean the floor and offices.
Why, you ask, would I have the job of cleaning? Doesn't the Navy have cleaning ladies?
The answer is 'no'. Why would they employ someone especially for that when they have all those low-ranking Seamen and Privates to do it for them without any additional pay and with our standard pay being so minimal.
I was a LT once, but got stripped of rank during one of the Navy's scandals when the Navy (or just some circles inside it) needed a scape goat. The truth is, I never even had anything remotely to do with that scandal, but was a convenient tool in order to rescue the sevice. I wonder how many people have been sacrificed in the good of the service like I was?
Anyway, the point of this tale is not to listen to me whining, but something completely else. Or should I say someone.
--------------------------------------------
I was transferred here soon after my demotion.
My transfer in went by completely without the notice which I received when I was still an LT and got transferred to a new posting.
Back then I usually received a visit from the base's 2IC, welcoming me and informing me of my duties.
The only visit along that line that I received was by an over-worked Petty Officer who briskly informed me of my duties and gave me a list. That was it.
It was soon after that that I took notice of the office's hot-shot.
Every office has one, but only a few deserve to be noticed in a good way.
One of the better ones was a young LT, named Harmon Rabb.
He was a lawyer, a good one.
He was also cocky, but not arrogant. Cocky because he knew he was good, but was also very aware of his own limits. He didn't have a swelled head, thinking he was the king of the world, or that no-one was better than him.
From what I knew of him back then he was also very lucky. My, how little did anyone really know...
The reason why everyone considered him lucky was because he had a gorgeous female partner, who clearly had the hots for him.
A beautiful woman (and it was obvious she knew it), tall, slim, yet muscular, brown eyes and brunette. She looked exactly like Miss Parker from the show Pretender. For a second I wondered if she was moonlighting, but quickly dismissed the idea. The hours the actors put in filming every episode would leave her with no time for her Navy career. Yet, they looked like twins.
LT Kate Pike was her name.
Flirty, temperamental, yet intelligent. From what I could find out she was the "love 'em and leave 'em" type; interested in one-night-stands, but not in serious, committed relationships.
The two LTs flirted. A lot and heavily. Yet nothing ever happened.
She was there only for a few short months before being transferred out after an investigation which uncovered the fact that LT Rabb was an Aviator. A decorated one at that. That was also the first demon we found out about. It seemed we, the staff, were all wrong. The young LT's life wasn't a bed of roses, it was more like a bed of nails.
--------------------------------------------
