Over before it begins

Disclaimer: Don't own JAG but if I did think of the possibilities

Arlington National Cemetery

13:15 Zulu

2014

It was a beautiful day and at this time and as all times it was quiet with the solemn white markers planted in the ground interspersed with greenery a lot of people the Grey haired Commander looked down at the 2 grave stones sitting side by side with a look of profound sadness in his features. Releasing his breath with a sigh he said quietly to himself "I wish it could've been different", awash in his grief and overwhelmed by his memories he hardly noticed 2 people walking up behind him until he heard an "excuse me Cmdr" at that the Cmdr turned and looked up to see a woman with the uniform of a flag officer with the rank of Rear Admiral along with a teen aged looking boy but he couldn't see the boys face due as he was standing behind the woman.

"Did you know them Cmdr?" the admiral enquired, pointing to the headstones while fishing for a name with the open ended question.

"Commander Bud J Roberts Jr Ma'am" as he said this his eyes went to the face of the Admiral and stared before blurting "Lt Austin", Meg smiled and looked at Bud replied "that's Admiral Bud I haven't been a Lieutenant in a long time" Bud's face went red with embarrassment as he went over what he had said "yes ma'am; sorry ma'am" and came to attention in front of the superior officer "at ease Bud just relax" Meg chuckled as Bud relaxed then Meg became sombre "So you come here to see him as well" "No ma'am, well yes ma'am, I come here to see both" Bud responded then hesitated before continuing "you see ma'am I was there when Lt Cmdr Rabb and Major MacKenzie died"

Meg looked stunned at Bud as if he had grown another head and she could only get out a breathless "you were" she stopped and took a deep breath and continued "how did it happen and I mean really happen, I mean I've heard rumours about what happened out there but I won't really know the truth until I'm confirmed as the new JAG" Bud hesitated because he really didn't want to remember it much less talk about it but when he looked at Meg's face who was looking at him with an 'I'm serious' look on her face and also a pleading look in her eyes Bud closed his eyes and with the memories of that day starting to wash over him he started his story.

Red Rock Mesa

1997

It was a very hot morning, then again it was Arizona I had been riding in the helicopter with Mr Webb from the State Dept but we later found out that that he was with the CIA and it was him that had lost the Declaration in the first place; well we had reached Red Rock Mesa and found their car abandoned, well we had landed and were looking for any sign of them when we heard a helicopters rotors and looked to see where it was coming from.

What happened next will haunt me forever because what happened to them should never happen to anyone.

Well from where we were standing I looked up and saw someone hanging from the struts and then I saw someone lean out of the helicopter and hit the guy hanging on and he just fell. I didn't and wouldn't know until five minutes later who it had been then the guy that had been at the door fell out along with the box that contained the Declaration of Independence, the biggest heartbreak for me happened just seconds later when someone who I realised was Major MacKenzie came flying out the helicopter backwards and plummeted towards the ground.

Mr Webb was too interested in retrieving the declaration that he didn't care who had fallen and I went to check I wish that I hadn't because when I discovered the bodies of my two superiors I cried and fell to my knees and threw up and I nearly ruined my career when Webb came up behind me and congratulated me on the success of the mission and patted me on the back, I stood up and lost my temper and punched him in the face, Admiral Chegwidden was informed and flew out to see me and to do a debrief and Webb had the gall to intervene and want my commission after hitting him, the Admiral grilled me about it and when he heard what had happened and what Webb had said to me then HE hit Webb, it's safe to say that he didn't ask JAG to do anything else for him ever again.

Colonel O'Hara turned himself in to the Admiral personally and we got his side of the story about what happened on the helicopter he said that his men double crossed him and were going to trade the declaration for the money and took himself and the Major as hostages, well the Cmdr wasn't having any of it and when the helicopter lifted off well he jumped for it and well as I told you he was attacked and fell; the Major put him off balance and that's why his attacker fell and Colonel O'Hara informed us that the Major had picked up a rifle but instead of using it against the other captor she was going to hit him with it and knock him out instead of killing him, well just as the Major was bringing the stock down to land on her captors head he kicked out catching the Major in the stomach pitching her backwards and she fell out also and even told us that he and the Major were related, something we didn't know and that Lt Cmdr Rabb had volunteered to defend him at Court Martial not caring what it would do to his own career.

Well as Lt Cmdr Rabb had obviously seen something in the Colonel worth defending as a favour to his departed star junior officer he defended the Colonel himself and during the trial brought in the evidence that the State dept set the Colonel up by waving the declaration in his face and taunting him to steal it so in the end Colonel O'Hara only got 10 years in Leavenworth but was released for good behaviour in five. The colonel was allowed to go to the funerals as a goodbye to his niece and a thank you to the man that had wanted to defend him and Sarah even though it cost him his life, well it as an easy request as it was a double funeral and they were laid to rest beside each other partners forever in full military services; at the end of the service before the MP's tool the Colonel away the Colonel mentioned to the Admiral that he had noticed something powerful in both their eyes when they looked at each other that had made him think that had they lived they would have either married each other or killed each other, to that the Admiral chuckled and pointed out that he had seen the same thing himself when they first met and ordered them not to get to close as they would be working with each other.

With that Bud finished his story and opened his eyes and wasn't surprised to find tears streaming down his and Meg's faces and turned to face the grave of Rabb's when he heard a quiet sob from the boy that had arrived with Meg had moved when Bud had closed his eyes and took in the sight of the dark haired boy on his knees in front of the grave.

A question was about to come to Bud's lips when Meg beat him to it with "Oh Bud sorry where are my manners, this is my son David" With that she beckoned to the Boy "David come here and say hello to a friend of mine" the boy got to his feet and walked over to where his mother was and lifted his head and looked at Bud and Bud's blood ran cold and his face went white as he saw a familiar face from the past look back at him as Meg made a formal introduction "Cmdr Bud Roberts this is my son David Harmon Rabb"

A/N: This is my first Fic and am thinking about doing a 2nd chapter about what happened when Meg first learned of Harm's death and the revelation to Harm's mom that Meg was pregnant with Harm's child, therefore continuing the Rabb curse.