A/N: I am speculating on how old Meg and her brother are and I assume he was older than her the way she compared him to Harm in one Episode. I am using her father's death in this fic. And I am calling her brother Ben because we don't know what his real name is.

Austin Residence, Texas 1973

Four-year-old Meg Austin sat on her mother's lap, her nine-year-old brother, Benjamin on the arm-chair. Mrs Austin looked into her daughter's innocent blue eyes. Baby, how am I going to tell you that your daddy is dead? She ran her fingers through the thin golden hair and kissed Meg.

'Mama where daddy?' Meg asked her eyes wide with curiosity. Mrs Austin's tears fell and stained her daughter's horse t-shirt.

'Mom?' Ben asked. Something's happened…the war should have been over by now, and dad should be coming home…he looked at his baby sister. Now I have to protect her. Mrs Austin tightened her arms around Meg.

'Kids…your dad…Meg, honey, you know your daddy went to a place called Vietnam to help some nice people who were fighting some big bullies?'

Meg nodded, her tiny hands twirling her hair around, her mouth open and her big blue eyes full of wonder. Where Daddy? Where Vie-am?

'What Vie-am?' Meg asked, making her mother smile thinly.

'Vietnam is where daddy went to help sweetheart, it's far away. Well, daddy got in trouble with the bullies and they captured him…Honey remember when Ben's dog went to sleep for a very long time because the doggie angels liked him so much?' Mrs Austin spoke gently to her daughter, and her son just listened attentively. He knew where his mother was going, but this whole 'bullies', 'nice people' and 'doggie angels' was for the benefit of his baby sister who had no concept of death yet. Meg began tugging her mother's hair as she grew restless, and her attention span dwindled.

'Meg sweetie, listen to me,' Mrs Austin took Meg's tiny, delicate hands in hers. Meg looked at her mother again expectantly.

'Meg, the angels loved daddy so much that they took him away, and the bullies helped them, because they didn't like daddy.'

Ben was silent. Inside he steamed with anger, but he kept strong outside as Meg set up a loud wail and their mother stood up and carried her around the room, whispering calming things in her ear, but to no avail. Meg was crying loudly, her tiny body shaking. Mrs Austin wrapped her arms tightly around Meg, her daughter's delicate frame shaking with every sob.

'Shhh Meg,'

Meg eventually cried herself to sleep, and Mrs Austin carried her upstairs and put her to bed, Ben following.

'Oh Ben! He's gone!' His mother fell to the floor outside Meg's room. Ben knelt beside his mother and hugged her. You're the man of the house now. You need to be strong for them. Especially Meg…He let his mother go into her room, and lie down on the bed and cry. A little while later he heard Meg wake up crying and he went to her.

'Shh Meg darling…its okay…Benji is here…I'm here…'

Five years later

Meg moped around the house one afternoon after school, eventually sitting in the kitchen at the table and pulling out her homework. Her mother had told her about the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong and the POW camps just days earlier.

'Was daddy there?' Meg had asked when she was told. Mrs Austin nodded, and explained her use of analogies years earlier.

'You were young, too young to understand darling…'

Meg had accepted the explanation, but still maintained her father wasn't dead. She was quiet and drawn in these days, and her mother had her going to a child psychologist. Her daughter had been diagnosed with going through the stages of grief, a usual response to death or loss. Meg's denial and isolation had started three years ago when she was told her dad was dead. For twelve months, she had gone around asking when daddy would be home, where has daddy gone? It pained her mother and brother, and they were gentle with her. For the past two years she refused to believe her dad was dead even further, maintaining he was just on a deployment for the navy, a very long deployment. She had isolated herself from everyone and was adamant that her dad was coming back.

'Hey sweetie,' her mum said softly, bringing Meg an afternoon snack.

'Hi, when's dad going to be home?' Meg asked. Mrs Austin's heart broke again. Her daughter was still in denial about her dad…and she kept isolating herself, burying herself further and further in books and horse riding. Her mother put an arm around Meg's thin shoulders.

'Honey, your dad died five years ago,' she said gently.

'No he didn't, he's just on a long deployment with the navy,' Meg said angrily. 'You just want him to be dead because he went away!'

Mrs Austin looked at her daughter. Meg was lying on the floor in a heap yelling and screaming. Mrs Austin knelt beside her.

'Dad is not dead!' Meg ran up to her room with her books.

At school the next day, Meg was bullied by some of the older kids, and kids in her year. She was small and thin, and her isolationist attitude wasn't helping her gain friends either.

'Hey Meg, how long has it been since daddy died?' One of the boys in Ben's year taunted her.

'Yeah Meg, where's daddy? Missing him yet?' A girl in her year chided Meg.

'HE'S NOT DEAD! He just went on a naval deployment and hasn't come back!' Meg replied, half yelling. She bolted off to the library as Ben came up.

'Look Tommy, you leave my sister alone. She has enough to deal with,'

Tommy laughed snidely. 'Your brat sister thinks your daddy is coming home,'

Ben scowled at Tommy and walked away from him. No-one was allowed to talk about Meg that way. She was delicate and sensitive, and shy. And she was also very submissive. He found Meg later in the library crying over a novel, trying to escape the bullying. He gathered her in his arms.

'Come baby, its time to go home,'

A year later

'WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?' Meg stood in the rain and screamed at the sky, her tiny body soaked. Her brother ran out to her as she yelled and cried.

'Meg, you're going to get sick, come inside,'

'NO! I HATE HIM FOR LEAVING! I HATE HIM!' Meg shrieked as Ben tried to grab her. Meg bolted away and fell to the ground crying, her whole body shaking.

'DADDY I HATE YOU FOR LEAVING ME!' She screamed again, her voice growing hoarse.

'YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE! WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT?' Meg's final scream rang through the area and she collapsed in a small heap, rain wet and shivering. Ben picked her up delicately and carried her home.

Their mother ran out of the front when Ben got home and took her convulsing daughter from Ben. She whisked Meg away inside and into a warm bath. Meg woke up shivering.

'Mommy?'

'Shh darling I'm here,' Mrs Austin soothed her daughter, drying and warming her up before dressing her in warm pajamas.

'Come sweetie, you rest…go to bed,' Mrs Austin said to Meg gently, rocking her to sleep.

That afternoon in the rain caused Meg to become very sick. She came down with the flu, and her mother stayed by her side all day, and all night, mopping her fever-soaked face and trying to coax food into her weak body. Her anger was still strong. She absolutely hated her father for leaving her. Hated him so much, she began yelling at her mother, and hitting her weakly.

'Hate him! Hate him!' Meg screamed, hitting her mother's back as Mrs Austin hugged her. Meg's weak muscles did nothing. Eventually she collapsed on the bed, hitting the pillows. Mrs Austin watched her ten year old daughter do this to herself, yelling and screaming angry words to her dead father. Mrs Austin turned the photo of her late husband beside Meg's bed towards her daughter's pinched, pale and tear-stained face.

'DADDY WHY DID YOU GO?' Meg cried hoarsely, coughing and spluttering. She sneezed and then grabbed the basin by her bed and threw up, shaking.

'LEAVE ME ALONE!' Meg screamed at her mother, throwing a cushion at the door as she left. A few hours later, Doctor Gilbert, the psychologist Meg was seeing came on a house call.

'Meg, tell me what's wrong,' Doctor Gilbert said gently in her calm manner, trying to soothe the ten-year-old's pain.

'I hate him, he left me!'

'Your dad, honey?'

'Yes, he hated me so he left me!' Meg said stubbornly. She threw her teddy across the room angrily. 'He gave that to me just before he left for Vietnam. I never want to hear his name again!' Meg started hitting the psychologist, who calmly took the young girl's thin hands.

'Meg sweetie, your dad loved you, he didn't want to leave you darling,' Doctor Gilbert said gently.

'Uh uh…he wanted to die because he hated me,'

Doctor Gilbert sighed. 'Meg darling, he loved you.' She repeated to the small, traumatised girl. Mrs Austin came into the room and took Meg in her arms.

'Meg, he loved you. Remember how he would take you horse-riding before he went away?'

'NO, HE DIDN'T! NOBODY DOES!' Meg screamed through her tears. Mrs Austin held Meg tightly, calming her.

'That's not true baby, I love you darling girl, I love you…'

'I still hate daddy for leaving,'

'I know baby,' Mrs Austin looked at her daughter. Meg was still pale and thin and very sick, and had now, without notice, fallen asleep in her mother's arms. Doctor Gilbert left and Mrs Austin put Meg back in the bed, under the covers. She sat beside her daughter, stroking the fine golden hair and holding the delicate hand comfortingly. Meg's tiny whimpers through the night kept her mother awake with worry, and trying to comfort the little girl.

Meg's anger was long-lasting, two years in fact. Everyday she was angry meant more yelling at everyone, and it was her mother and brother who bore the brunt of this anger. One day, just after she had turned twelve, Meg bolted inside the house as she returned from an appointment with Doctor Gilbert, her mother behind her.

'Meg Austin!'

'WHAT? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT ALL BETTER MOM? YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT? I HATE HIM, AND I ALWAYS WILL! NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE THAT!' The twelve-year-old was still fragile, but wouldn't hear any reason. She took any opportunity to floor her brother when he annoyed her, more out of anger and spite than anything, and spent her time yelling at the tiny memorial of her father in their garden, kicking dirt and stones on it. She found comfort in her horse, and would ride Garnet everyday, yelling at the sky, to her dad.

'Why did you leave me? I hate you!' She said to her father's tiny memorial stone they'd made. She kicked the stone and cried out in pain. She shrieked and yelled at the sky, at the tiny mound memorial, venting the anger against her father.

'YOU ABANDONED ME!' Meg screamed at the sky. Her mother had followed Meg out and now knelt beside her daughter.

'Meg honey, your father loved you, he didn't want to leave you baby…come now, darling listen to me. He loved you and will always love you. Nothing will ever change that,'

'HE DIED WITHOUT…HE PROMISED…YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME!' She screamed at the sky.

'Meg, honey…' Mrs Austin gathered her small daughter in her arms and hushed her.

'THE NAVY KILLED DADDY! I HATE THEM! I HATE THE NAVY!' Meg's cries where muffled in her mother's shoulder.

'No, the navy didn't kill your dad love, one day you'll know,'

'KNOW WHAT?'

'Who killed him…one day you'll know, you'll find out…'

'IT'S 1981! HOW CAN THEY NOT KNOW?' Meg shrieked and tried to run from her mother.

'I don't know, sweetie…he only died…the Vietnam War only ended eight years ago. One day we will know what happened,' Mrs Austin picked her daughter up and they got on Garnet, Mrs Austin sitting behind her daughter, taking them home.

One day…when? I don't want to know ONE day, I want to know TODAY! The steady rocking of the horse and the afternoon sun soon sent the twelve-year old to sleep.

1985

Twelve years after her father's death, Meg had reached the third stage of mourning, bargaining. She was sixteen now, and still her usual shy self, submissive and quiet. She still kept to herself at school, and had decided to pursue a career in the navy. For dad, to honour his memory…was her reasoning behind her decision.

'Mom, why did dad have to die? I mean he had us to come home to,' Meg was curled up on the couch in her mother's arms one day with a stomach bug. Mrs Austin kissed her daughter's forehead. Meg was her only child at home since Ben had left at nineteen to go to university. He was now twenty-one.

'Meg, darling…I don't know…he didn't want to die,' Mrs Austin grasped at straws with her youngest, still trying to deal with the death of her father twelve years previous.

'Then why didn't they capture and kill someone else?' Meg asked a small pout on her face. Mrs Austin tightened her arms around Meg.

'Sweetie, these things just happen. Now I know more information is coming to light about the Vietnam War as the years pass, but you can't go on like this!'

'Like what?' Meg asked innocently.

'Grieving,'

'But mom, I'm not…'

'Doctor Gilbert says you are honey…'

Meg felt tears slip down her face. 'I just wish he was here! He shouldn't have died.'

'I know, I know baby, but I've got you, and Ben, and we…'

'I don't care mom, I want dad back.' Meg pulled herself from her mother's arms and ran up to her room and slammed the door just as someone knocked on the front door. Mrs Austin went to open it and saw her husband's old friend, Ollie North there.

'Oliver, what took you twelve years to show up here and help us? Meg's…'

'How is little Meg?'

'Sixteen, and in the third stage of grieving, bargaining. She's not so little anymore,''

'Hey I'm sorry…I tried to stop them killing your husband but…how is Ben?'

'At university…come in,'

Ollie followed Mrs Austin in as Meg came down the stairs. She saw Ollie and scowled.

'Who do you think you are coming in here? My dad's memory hasn't even been laid to rest and…'

Mrs Austin grabbed her daughter in a hug. 'This is Oliver North, your dad's old friend…they were…' Mrs Austin watched as Meg put two and two together.

'Why couldn't he die? Why did dad have to die?'

Oliver went to Meg apologetically. 'Darlin' I tried to save your dad, because he talked about you so much, I knew you the minute I saw you…those eyes…he showed me your picture when times were down before we were caught. He loved you,'

'Then he had no reason to leave me!' Meg replied, sitting down, fuming. Mrs Austin placed her hands on Meg's thin shoulders. Meg traced patterns on the table with her finger while Ollie tried to talk to her.

'Meg, your dad was so brave, right up until the end. Really he was,' Ollie said to Meg calmly.

'I still don't understand why YOU got to live. It isn't fair,'

Mrs Austin gripped her daughter's shoulders tightly. 'War isn't fair love, lots of people died, and many of them with families,'

'Why was it dad, and not someone without a family?' Meg asked again, more emotionally this time. Ollie frowned.

'Because Meg, it was unavoidable. The Viet Cong were ruthless, they didn't care if you had family or not. We were all American, and all helping the South. They wanted us dead,'

'So how did you escape? Why didn't you help dad escape?' Meg asked Ollie.

'I couldn't! I barely saved myself. You're a child; you were merely a toddler when your dad died. You don't know what it was like; you'll never understand what it was like, okay? You will never know what war is like!' Ollie yelled at the sixteen-year-old, who blinked at him in surprise. Ollie's mouth dropped open when he saw the look of innocence on Meg's face and he began talking to her apologetically.

'Meg, sweetie, I didn't mean…'

'No, I understand,' Meg fled up to her room to be alone. Mrs Austin scowled at Ollie.

'She's very fragile! She has been since her father died!'

'Third stage of grieving? She'll…'

'You don't know that she'll be better soon! She has been seeing a child psychologist for this grieving process for a few years! She won't talk to anyone else!'

'I'm sorry, I just…she was asking too many questions!'

'She's in the bargaining stage of grief, what did you expect?'

Ollie shrugged. 'Your husband never said she was so delicate,'

'He loved that girl more than anything in the world! She was torn apart when I told her he was dead! Four years old! Do you know how hard it is to explain death to a four year old?'

Meg listened from the landing to her mother and Ollie. Why you dad? I miss you so much, and I realise you were trying to protect our country but I still don't understand why it was you that had to die! Meg crept into her room, curling up on her bed.

'Dad, you shouldn't have died…why did they have to be so mean? Why do people have to have so much hate in them that…that they kill other humans?' She asked out loud, not realising her mother was at her door.

'I don't know darling,' She took Meg in her arms again. Meg rested her head on her mother's shoulder, biting her lip in thought, a habit she would continue to have into adulthood.

'He called me a child,' Meg said softly. Mrs Austin kissed her daughter's head.

'Honey, I know…you're my baby, but you're anything but a child. You are a young woman, and you're the most beautiful, most intelligent girl in school,'

'No, I'm not. I…'

'Shh sweetheart, rest…' Mrs Austin eased her daughter into sleep.

'Hush sweetie, everything will be okay,'

Meg's High school Graduation

'Congratulations Meg, you did it!' Her mother picked her daughter up and whirled her around. 'I'm so proud of you! Going to the Naval Academy, becoming a naval lawyer and computer weapons specialist! Your father would have been proud!'

Meg smiled through her tears. Yes, dad would be proud, if only he was here…She shrieked as someone grabbed her from behind.

'Benji! You made it!' Meg hugged her big brother. Ben hugged his little sister.

'Sis, you made it! Come, we're going to celebrate,' He picked her up and carried her to the car, Meg laughing the whole time.

'Meg, where do you want to go?' Mrs Austin asked her daughter. Meg shrugged.

'I'm not bothered Mom, wherever,' Meg replied cheerfully. 'Surprise me,'

'Meg, honey, don't make it so hard! Do you want to go out now, or for dinner?'

Meg deliberated over the decision for a while, taking her cap and gown off.

'Dinner,' She replied. 'I'm not hungry now,'

'All right,' her mother replied, smiling at her daughter. Meg seemed lighter…maybe she was finished grieving.

At home, Mrs Austin called Doctor Gilbert, who was continuing to see Meg, and asked about her daughter's behaviour.

'Meg is still in stage three of bargaining Mrs Austin. I wouldn't be surprised if she plummets into depression soon,'

'But she's going to the naval academy, to become a naval computer weapons specialist and naval lawyer!'

'She'll still be able to do those things,' the Doctor reassured Mrs Austin. 'In the meantime, try and answer her remaining questions while she is in the final stages or bargaining. When she hits depression she is going to need all your attention and help,'

Mrs Austin watched her daughter laughing and smiling with her brother. She seems happy…Meg looked to her mother, and her face fell.

'Mom, what's wrong?' she asked. Mrs Austin smiled.

'I can't believe you're all grown up Meg. Look at you…oh I wish your father could have been here to see this,' Mrs Austin watched for her daughter's reaction. Meg's eyes clouded over and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

'Mom…' Ben started to say, drawing Meg's head onto his shoulder. 'Shh Meg,'

A tear rolled down Meg's cheek, lit up by the candle-light on the table. Meg pushed her dessert away from her. She didn't feel like eating right now. Ben tightened his arms around her.

'Do you want to go home?' He asked her softly. Meg nodded, and Ben signalled for the check. Their mother paid it while Ben escorted his little sister out and held her while she cried.

Depression, Ben thought, stroking Meg's hair. He helped Meg into the car and watched her curl up into a tight ball, squashing herself to one side of the backseat. Mrs Austin came back and got in the car, her eyes resting on Meg as her body shook with crying.

'Mom, what are we going to do?'

'She's in stage four, depression. I don't know Ben; we'll have to help her…'

'She's leaving for the naval academy and law school!'

Meg sunk deep into herself while at law school and the naval academy, but managed to keep her grades up. She had to, to achieve her dream. She went home every holiday, and threw herself into the work she had over that time, and became more drawn in than before. Her mother approached her one day as she sat on the couch watching TV after finishing her studying, dark rings under her eyes, evidence of sleepless nights.

'Meg honey, what's wrong?' Her mother asked softly, sitting beside Meg and taking Meg's thin, pale hands in hers.

'I miss him so much! I wish he was here,' Meg burst into tears and Mrs Austin lifted her daughter's upper body and rocked her gently. And she realised why Meg had been pushing herself – it was her way of dealing with stage four of grieving, depression. Through the sleepless nights…the constant crying and pouting, Meg was trying to hide away her depression from the world.

'Shhh darling…its okay, hush…' she rocked back and forth with Meg in her arms, her daughter's head resting on her shoulder. Meg whimpered as her mother rocked her, the pain in her heart too much.

'Mommy, I can't sleep! I dream about him every night, about him dying! About…about…the time I spent with him before he left, I miss him so much,'

Mrs Austin's arms tightened around her daughter's thin shoulders.

'I know Meg, but now listen to me. I know you're doing fine in the naval academy, but sweetheart, you're hardly eating.'

'I'm not hungry,'

'Meg, come…you're skin and bones. You really need to eat,' Mrs Austin said to Meg, pulling her into the kitchen.

'Just leave it mom!' Meg replied.

'No darling, you've been grieving for fifteen years already! When will it stop?'

'When I am ready! I have three years left at the Naval Academy before I go to Law School!'

'Honey…'

Meg burst into fresh tears and clung to her mother. Mrs Austin eased Meg into a chair.

'Come sweetie, have something to eat to keep your strength up,'

Meg finally gave into her mother and ate the food her mother prepared for her.

'Meg, it will be okay one day…you just need to get through this depression honey,'

Meg nodded silently as she ate. Mrs Austin stroked Meg's hair gently, sending calming waves to her daughter.

'Thanks mom,' Meg finished the meal and went back to the couch. Her mother heard her crying loudly. Oh my darling girl, you're hurting so much and I can't do anything to ease your pain! Mrs Austin started crying softly herself. Meg was struggling to complete the grieving cycle, and her mother worried that she wasn't going to. Quietly Mrs Austin dialled Doctor Gilbert, who arranged to come over the next day.

'Meg, is something wrong?' Doctor Gilbert asked her patient. Meg was lying on her bed, tears spilling down her face. Mrs Austin sat beside Meg, stroking her hair and face gently, Meg gripping her hand.

'I miss him, I want him back,' Meg said. 'I want daddy home,'

'Meg, you know he's dead,' the psychologist said calmly. She had been treating Meg since she was young, and knew what to say.

Meg nodded. 'Of course I know he's dead. If he was alive I wouldn't be talking to you now would I?'

The doctor shook her head. 'No Meg, we wouldn't be talking right now if your father was alive,'

'I want to find out how he died, I need to know.' Meg said to them firmly. Mrs Austin shook her head.

'Sweetheart, no! You'll just…I don't want to see you more upset than this, it will just hurt you even more my love.' Meg let her mother hold her tightly. She was right; it would just cause Meg more pain if she tried to find out exactly how her dad had died. Doctor Gilbert watched as Meg fell into a deep sleep and she left quietly, leaving mother and daughter alone.

'MEG!' Mrs Austin ran after her daughter as Meg ran out the house.

'Meg Austin, where are you going?' Mrs Austin asked as her daughter packed up her car.

'Back to the academy and themilitary cemetery at Arlington, I need to see dad,' Meg burst into fresh tears and put her head on the steering wheel. Mrs Austin got in beside her.

'Meg, honey come back inside darling, we can go to the grave together later.'

Meg let her mother lead her back inside. She threw herself on her bed and started crying loudly. Her mother followed her in, and sat beside Meg, rubbing her back.

'Hush baby…shhh now…' Mrs Austin whispered to Meg, whose body was shaking as she cried. Meg didn't look at her mother; instead she buried her face in her pillows, staining them with her tears. Mrs Austin eventually left her daughter, who cried herself to sleep and didn't awaken until the next day.

'Ensign Austin! You have a duty!' A senior officer from Computer Weapons had followed Meg during her lunch break. The twenty-three year old was six months out of the Naval Academy and had just started her law degree.

'With all due respect, sir…' Meg said shakily. She was kneeling by her father's grave, shaking and crying.

'It's been nineteen years, surely…' Lieutenant Commander Doyle said to her harshly.

'Like you'd know! You grew up with both parents,' Meg said to her partner, who was an all-out jerk.

'Time to come back to the office I think,' He said harshly to Meg before making a snide comment under his breath to her. 'It's your fault we're stuck there right now anyway,'

'Sorry,' Meg said softly. She had heard him.

Eighteen months later, Meg had reached Lieutenant junior grade. Lieutenant Commander Doyle kept at her throat, telling her off all the time. Meg was still going through the depression stage of her grieving, and would start crying at the slightest thing.

'Lieutenant, why don't you take some personal leave?' Admiral Burns said to her calmly in a meeting with her. Meg shook her head.

'Not possible sir, I have too much work here,'

'Meg, listen to me, you've been here since you were twenty-one…you're twenty-five now…'

'Yes sir, I know, and I am enjoying it,'

'Meg, I've seen the way Doyle treats you,'

Meg bit her lip. She didn't want special treatment.

'With all due respect sir, I don't want to discontinue my work here,'

Admiral Burns looked at Meg calmly. She was collected and knew what she wanted, a career in the navy.

'Then I'll transfer Doyle, I refuse to have one of my officers mistreated like that,'

Meg's face turned scarlet as Doyle entered.

'What have you done now Austin?' He snarled at Meg.

'It's you who's the problem. I am transferring you to Twenty Nine Palms. The Marines there need a staff Judge Advocate,' Burns said shortly.

'Gee Austin, what's wrong? Still crying over your father? He's DEAD!'

Meg ran out the room in tears.

'Doyle, get out of my sight!' Burns yelled. Doyle left the office, and growled at Meg who was staring mournfully at a photo of her father, tears streaming down her face.

Two years later

'Lieutenant JG Austin, your transfer to JAG in Falls Church has been successful. You may leave at anytime,' Admiral Burns said to Meg calmly as he entered her office.

'Thank you sir,' Meg replied. She started packing her desk up.

'Meg, we're going to miss you here,'

'No-one will miss me sir, I was just…'

'…grieving and you are almost there now. Take care Meg,'

Meg looked up, her face tear-stained from a fresh round of crying. 'Of course sir,'

Meg stood in front of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall and traced her father's name that was engraved there.

'Dad, I miss you so much! I wish you hadn't left, because I have needed you so many times while growing up…' silent tears ran in rivers down her pale cheeks.

'I start at JAG tomorrow, I did it. I joined the navy, became a Computer Weapons Specialist and now I'm a navy lawyer…now is one of those times that I need you…mom and Ben can't help with this…God I need you so much dad!'

The helicopter landed in a park in Washington and Lieutenant Harmon Rabb was called over to it. As he got in, he was greeted by Commander Lindsey.

'Lieutenant Rabb, glad to find you,' Lindsey said as Harm put the harness on as they took off.

'What's my assignment sir?' Harm asked.

'Shadow torpedo fired from the USS Tigershark, you need to determine who did it and how. This is Lieutenant JG Austin,'

Harm was putting his orange suit on for transport to and from the submarine, he stood over Meg.

'Pleased to me you sir,' Meg said as they shook hands.

'You too Lieutenant,'

'Lieutenant Austin will be joining us at JAG from now on Rabb,'

'I'm sure Lieutenant Austin is an excellent lawyer,' Harm said to Lindsey. Meg smiled.

'Thank you sir,'

'Lieutenant Austin is a computer weapons specialist,' Lindsey added as Harm and Meg connected with their eyes.

'I thought you were a lawyer,' Harm was confused but Meg just smiled at him.

'I'm multi-talented sir,'

'I'm sure you are,' Harm replied, grinning back at her. He noticed something strange about her, but let it go.

'No you're not but in time I'll prove it to you,' Meg replied. The past few days her heart had felt lighter. She hadn't broken down for ages when she thought of her dad, or heard him mentioned. She looked at Harm a little longer, until Lindsey snapped at her.

'Get back to reading that briefing Lieutenant,'

Meg turned from Harm and started to read the file in front of her. I'm there, I have finally accepted Dad's death…it has taken me twenty-three years but I made it…and I love him even more because I know he'll always be with me.

'Stage five, acceptance…' Meg murmured softly as she read the file, smiling to herself. Neither Harm nor Lindsey knew what she had said, and neither of them saw her smiling, but Meg was happy, because she had survived the grieving process, and was now at peace with herself and her father's death.