AU based on Skeleton crew ending differently. Mac and Harriet aren't present. I thought I'd warn you…
It was my first JAG fanfic, I wrote it around February, 2008. Many more came since. I found it out of the blue a few days ago and I decided to post it, unchanged. I don't know anything about DC. I just hope it holds it together.
A review would mean more than you'll ever know. Please? Thanks in advance.

May 27, 2002
0830 local
Rabb family apartment
Georgetown, Washington DC

Seven years. Seven years since those tragic events that had changed their lives forever. All had been affected, and today the consequences, be them good or bad, were still visible.

She woke up, in the apartment where she had been supposed to join him that night. Vegan like him, she had been waiting impatiently for her own vacation, as they were the only time of the year where they could be together. She was shipped out very often, mostly because of her excellent records. And, one day, she slowed her deployment rhythm. She never had a home, spending her dry-land month she had every year at her best friend's place. When you were gone eleven months a year, why the hell have a permanent house? A PO box in Norfolk was enough.

After those events, that almost every sailor in Washington knew as the 'Skeleton crew assault', she asked to be back on regular deployment basis. Six moths at see, six months home. Four years later, she had stopped sea deployments, just after he joined her on her last carrier duty for an investigation she had helped solving and his flight qualifications. The investigation and his short time in jail had required an very detailed health check, where his eyes condition had been cured by a slight surgery. He'd been back to full fights duties, but never changed designator. The occasional flight missions he still did was enough for him. She had asked for a land-based duty station. And, once again, her perfect records had helped her getting it. She now worked for the Intelligence – Cryptology department of the Chief of Naval Operations' office in D.C. She never had regretted anything, and, like him, she occasionally did sea duty for short periods. The whole ordeal they'd been through seven years ago had permitted them to see everything in a new angle.

She woke up slowly, watching the cloudless sky and the men who was still peacefully sleeping by her side. She liked to wake up early, with the sunrise. Kissing the one who's become her husband, she rose and when to see her twins daughter. The two-year-old Patricia and Sarah were still sleeping too. Every morning, she took them to the military day care someone with a strong sense of family once installed in her administration's building. It was a little rudimentary, but well protected. Specially trained NCOs were taking care of the bunch on children brought every morning to this facility. Two rooms, one for playing and one for eating and sleeping constituted the area, disposed not far of the main entrance, again for security reasons. Due to the sensibility of some situations, the facility itself was designed like the rest of the building. Sound proof walls and two alarm systems, one silent and one very soundly. Not knowing it was there, you could never guess a bunch of children were among the very building that made almost all naval decisions. She loved her kids, but never could stop working. More than that, she loved to work close to them, knowing they were safe. Every day, she brought them here. The little girls loved it there. Today was slightly different. Today, they would bring their daughters to the day-care.

Today was peculiar. One sunny day in May, in the middle of the week, and always free. The anniversary of her assault, the two gunshots who almost cost her her life. Like every year, she would not go to work, heading instead for JAG Headquarters. The Admiral, whom this case almost cost her her career, had pulled some strings long ago to have her free one or two day starting on the 27th. She had make it an order long ago for the four main protagonists of the case to gather every year. Discuss and remember.

She always disliked the lunch. The lunch itself, not the remember-and-discuss part. The Admiral, first female Judge Advocate General wasn't someone really nice. Krenick's privileges had freed her for the day. Annual commemoration. The day would have been perfect if it wasn't for that damn lunch.

Looking over her children, she woke her husband up. She was resolved not to let Krennick's obsession ruin the day. Rear Admiral upper half Alison Mary Krennick always made a point in reliving those tragic events, remainders of a period where she was constantly hitting of a then Lieutenant Commander. The case itself was a four weeks ordeal, but she was holding on this day, on the beginning. May 27th was a date to remember, a date who changed a lot of lives.

Sitting on her bed, she was watching her husband as he was slowly waking up. The day started always so well. She loved to watch him sleep. He never was an early riser, and she was grateful for it. She loved the smile on his face as he came back from dreamland.

"Good morning, sunshine. A lot on you mind on this beautiful day?"

She kissed him.

"I was just thinking about the day. It's always so sunny, every year."

"Love you."

"Love you too. You go wake up Trish and Sarah this morning? We're taking them to day-care. Together, remember? You're A's class' here. You sure the Admiral didn't requested our ancient ranks? I really don't want to put this old one again, I'm all shivering by the only thought."

"Calm Down, my love. Diane, how could I even forget? She is crazy, but this is something she can't do. And she really has no interest in her ancient O-5 rank. We're coming as today. Two Commanders in love."

He was watching their summer whites, with their identical three full stripes on the shoulders. He had made Commander a while ago, she was just promoted. They were equal in rank, and loved it.

"The commemoration's not all that bad. It shows how, that night, my not being patient – since I always control it, it was a very positive breach - did good. I saved you life. Had I not been here, I would have lost you forever."

"Admiral Krennick wouldn't have been JAG. Admiral Chegwidden wouldn't have been forced to change positions. I know you really liked him. Would have been that bad?"

"I'd rather Krennick hitting on me again than losing you forever on that dreadful night. Even if, today, my wedding band and her position would have brought her more problems she ever had to face. I really don't want to think about my life without you."

He pulled her close for a long kiss.

"Hopefully, that night, I was on mid-watch. I only took off at 0425… I was late. Reading your letters had me lose track of time."

"When did you ever had track of time?" They were both smiling and laughing. "A holy deed. But I don't want to think about the past, not right now. We are here, living off base in a beautiful place. Working in the same city not that far away, perfectly in order with the strict Navy rules regarding fraternization. We have our twins. Our daughters are the best thing that ever happened to us."

"Today is always different."

Leaning in beside him, he was holding her close. Her head resting on his chest, they were happy. She felt safe, he was grateful to have her in his life. And they were both hoping not to ever have to break their embrace. Never.

At 0930, they dropped off their daughters at day-care. They both knew very well the NCOs in charge of surveillance and animation. And, reciprocally, they knew what it meant to see both Commanders Rabb dropping their children. 'Skeleton crew' was common knowledge, an urban legend every new Navy enlisted or commissioned in the area heard about. Seeing them arrive, Captain Lindsay, Intel-Crypto new CO, saluted them back and whispered some good luck with the Admiral words. He also had in the past to deal with this very ambitious woman, and only this promotion, that corresponded perfectly to his pencil-pusher abilities had saved him from being completely lost and forgotten to the Navy. Krennick's last wrath had almost cost him everything, resulting on him asking and obtaining this new affectation shortly after. He never liked Harm, and not always Diane, but had a great deal of respect for them. What was mostly pissing him off was the fact that she was turning out more and more like her husband, within the limits of her tasks, but no less. Solidarity to them was a once a year deal, for this meal.

After wandering in the park, always in summer whites, they met with Lt. Commander Meg Austin, administrative and corporate lawyer who occasionally still teamed with Harm. The rest of the time, he worked alone or with Lt. Commander Roberts, the then Ensign he had met on his first high profile case on the Seahawk almost eight years ago. On that day, he had been shooed out of the French's embassy's reception to celebrate Bastille Day, their equivalent to the Fourth of July. Among his co-workers also were his Academy friend Commander Sturgis Turner and Commander Carolyn Imes. They were a great team, five lawyers ready to do – almost - everything to get the truth out. On this day, they never missed an occasion to express their sympathy for what they had to do.

Meg Austin always gave the image of an eternal bachelorette. At least, as far as JAG and the Navy was concerned. She engaged in a serious and long term relationship with a civilian, Alycia Stein. Navy regulations had her keep it a secret, except for her close friends. This situation wasn't always hard to keep, as long as she could continue to play light tease with her best friend and superior. Harm, who was among the few ones knowing, always let it pass. It was his way of helping her in not becoming suspicious.

Bud Roberts was married to the young Navy Archive brunette geek. He had transferred at JAG six months after the case and almost never went back on board after that. He always was committing himself fully with his work and had soon become a very brilliant lawyer, always knowing the rules. He was the AJG reference on this subject, establishing them once in a while to his sometimes too wild friends. Harm was, as always, the first on his list. With his wife, he had adopted two young war orphans, not being able to have some of their own – and never letting it show.

Sturgis and Carolyn were an item for two years. Always extremely discreet and choosing to stay unmarried, they had managed to stay at JAG. Transferring always was out of question and the fraternization charges they were guilty of never even once strained their relationship once they had gotten involved. In a similar way to Meg, only a few knew. Six of them, to be exact. Diane, Harm, Meg, Alycia, Bud and his wife.

At noon, all three entered the mahogany furnish office. All four exited it shortly after. Krennick only having authority on military personnel, Harm, Diane and Meg were the only ones with mandatory presence. Guilty Ensign Hollbath was in jail and NCIS Agent Turkey had been forgotten pretty quickly. The other officers sometimes wondered why she wanted to relieve those painful events.

They entered the restaurant, being at once shown to a very comfortable and slightly isolated round table. The Admiral, who always made all the arrangements, started.

"Today we are commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Skeleton crew case. I give you a chance to never have to do this again. This year, I chose a subject that I particularly am attached to. I want you to keep me out. Review the case, as if I weren't there. I want no charge, and no breach of protocol. As every year, this is an opportunity for each of you to speak totally freely, to forget rank and the due formality of military protocol."

Alison Krennick gave for this lunch a 'mission' that changed every year. Telling a story, relieving, testify. For the fist time, she wanted a case and a trial where she didn't come badly of it, where her carrier never had been threaten for a very long time. The consequences could have been disastrous for her. A follow up had quickly cleared everyone at JAG, except her. It had taken months, and sometimes she resented them for it. She had been on the verge to lose her carrier. Only the actions after that – and the exceptional before – had granted her the position she had right now. This year, her way was to put herself out. An easy way would have been a mistrial for breach of protocol, but she was expecting something else. The time everyone was free of their opinions was for her to set, and they soon learned to do as she compelled them to.

The lunch started.

"Everybody is here? Okay, stupid question. Sit down, people."

Every year, the same routine. Alison always sat first, with Meg right in front of her, then Harm and Diane. Those habits were the easy part, the one she controlled perfectly. Neat order, for once. Not to remind her of the case that had lead to Admiral Chegwidden's change of affectation and to her fastened promotions. A.J. Chegwidden's was now a tree-star, very high in the SEAL chain of command. She has been promoted a two-star with her current position, after a very high profile and extended case three years before. She had gained the most valuable military medal at that time. Two Navy Crosses had been given, one for her and one on the grave of her CO, the then JAG. Excellent and effective chief of staff, she had been easily promoted.

"Who wants to begin? By the way, Commander Shonke, congratulations for your promotion."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Just humor me a little, I want to know. why do you still have your maiden name?"

"Administration, ma'am. you know him, he can be a loose cannon. Keeping my name has been better, in a lot of ways. Hopefully, I'm in a not very curious unit, by nature and function, except when it comes to what is happening out of our country. But that doesn't diminish, in any way, what I am or feel." Harm was staring at her, not able to be at least slightly annoyed by her remark.

"Tell me, how long were you in a coma?"

"Very profound for a few days. In total, three full weeks."

"The fact that she is here is in itself a miracle. A little longer in that car and she wouldn't have had a chance."

"Please excuse my bluntness, but I thought you wanted something else out of this year's lunch. I don't think the story of my three weeks and the miracle that kept me from dying are your first concerns."

Diane always looked straight into the eyes of the one she was talking to, and more if she was upset or angry. Never the less, her last words had made her change her focus from the Admiral to her husband. He was a release, in the middle of this. Looking into each others eyes, everything else disappeared.

Noises brought them back to reality.

"Commanders, still with us?"

"Huh… sorry. Yes." Came their simultaneous answer.

"You're right. Focus, people. Seven years ago, Commander, you were in a coma, and judged 'highly critical'. Nobody knew if you were going to be fine. Today, I can be amused, but I can assure you that at the time, I surely wasn't. The insane behavior of your crazy husband made me very angry with him. I remember asking myself if finding you dead right at the beginning wouldn't have made things better."

No words were ever left out. The uniform did count, but their insignia didn't. For one lunch, they all were the same rank.

"Krennick!"

"Sorry, but you weren't far from uncontrollable. I sure know it hasn't really changed since… but your career too almost came to a brutal end. I almost lost one of my top lawyers at JAG. Seven years ago, the circumstances were different. I wanted Chegwidden's chair. Now that I accomplished everything I wanted professionally, I just have to control you enough to be able to keep it."

"You did say it then, better my career than yours. It was very different…"

"And we drifted again. Meg, this case was one of your best shot."

Thank you, ma'am. I specialized soon after. I never wanted to live that again. I have, but not too much. With Harm caught in between your condition, Diane, and all the fire he was taking from you and Chegwidden, I hardly had enough room to continue. And that already small place tightened again when Lt. Lamb was killed. If you pass my language, they didn't missed him. We arrived on an aggravated assault and attempted murder case that could still turn out to murder at any time. Keeping you on the case, Harm, wasn't really ethical but mandatory. We had no one else. The only was to know exactly what was the truth was to wait for a change. We had discovered serious irregularities in the high command of the Seahawk. Lt. Lamb's death and your arrest charged everything. I couldn't wait anymore. I was still quite inexperienced and the only one on the case with no suspicion hanging above her head. I was assigned to your defense, and I gave my best. You never made it east for me, and not only as my partner and superior. But again, you weren't the only one. I knew you were innocent, that the murder and the attempted murder charges were just BS. I'm still not sure why Chegwidden trusted me on this, he knew you were really good and in real danger. A failure would have mean your life in jail. So I continued my discreet investigation, discovering other irregularities and severe breached of protocol. All of them by the deeds of Commander Hollbarth. I let him believe he didn't have anything to be afraid of, that I'd never say anything, that I wouldn't reveal his direct link to the case by not reporting you complaint, Diane. I was out of his sight by day, except on his request. The Skipper had given orders for full cooperation for everyone on the ship. The then Lt. Sarah Williams involuntarily gave me the key to everything. I wish she was here today, but I know she always sails at this period."

"I remember, before jail, she always was right beside you, at the hospital, waiting for me to leave to come be with you. When I was in, she and you, Meg, were the only one allowed and coming to see me. She was coming every day, during the hour and a half required for the doctors to take care of you, Diane.

This time, his sea-blue eyes held on the intense look to her big brown eyes. They didn't zoomed out, though. It was too much of an ordeal to not be careful.

This time, his blue eyes held the intense gaze to Diane's brown eyes. The conversation wasn't lost to them, though.

"Sarah Williams noticed his habit. He wrote everything down. His XO quarters were full of book notes – everything he ever wrote, even a few years back. I had to convince Chegwidden to let me snoop, and it was nothing compared to the miracle I had to pull off to prevent him from telling Hollbath ahead of my visit. He was entitled to, and thankfully never asked. I thing a j.g. like me didn't scare him at all. The day I went through his things, I almost gave up. I was almost done and had found nothing. I was tired, and I let my metal relaxation balls slip from my hand. Both rolled in the same direction, like they were oblivious to the sea waves. They came to hit one wall, producing to very different sounds. One had a plain sound, the other a hollow, being only inches apart. I verified the legal side, in case I found something. The last thing I wanted was to find something and have it not receivable in court because I found it on an area non covered by my authorization. I approached, and tried to open the obvious hidden space. Inside was the last book, the one from the cruise. I would have needed lenses to read it, but the dates made me know I had found what I was searching."

"He really has a strange behavior."

"He surely had."

"Please continue, Meg. I never heard all of it. Harm always looses himself before he could manage to arrive at the end."

"Inside, one page per day was written. It looked like a list of all he'd done, good or bad. In January, it became interesting. Before, he never really did anything incriminating enough. As soon as you arrived, the tone changed. He was hopelessly attracted to you, and in the same time very careful about his career. Only a few traits of his personality were clearly showing. He was jealous, possessive, and his wrath slowly increased when you reported Lamb's actions. He watched you leaving the ship, then saw Lamb run after you. He went off too, decided to find him, but he found you instead."

"He approached by from behind, I never really saw him. It was at night. I felt cold in my chest and I remember waking up. The actual date made me gasp hard. I had been unconscious for three weeks. At first, it was black. Then it became kind of dichromatic. Voice appeared, some kind of constant sounds coming from very far. I felt there always was someone by my side, I wasn't alone. Life became clearer and clearer, with distinct sounds. It was like someone called me, talked to me. One day, I woke up. Sitting by my side and holding my hand, this very handsome sailor was slowly crying."

"I thought you moved at once, your hand…"

"Let her finish!" Krennick and Meg loudly interrupted him.

Sarah saw me through the door window and went to search for a doc. They didn't enter right away, waiting for you to realize I was awake. I was seriously thinking that you had fallen asleep, or that you had become unfeeling."

"I was just out of jail, after Meg brilliantly cleared me from all charges and got Hollbath convicted. Three weeks had passed and you were still unconscious. I came to see you, and I found Sarah watching over you. I hadn't realized she was still here. Before I went to jail, she always used those few hours to go home and sleep."

"I called you name and you looked up, with you reddened eyes. You smiled, kissed the back of my hand, leaned on and kissed me tenderly. It was and will ever be the best kiss I ever received. Sarah and Dr. Langström waited for you to sit back again to enter."

"But…"

"She is my best friend and the doctor is bound by medical confidentiality. I don't think any of us can put you in real danger. Your reputation as a big bad lawyer is safe," she said laughing.

"It better be…"

"The doctors told me I wouldn't have too much difficulties going back to normal. I made my deposition the week after and the case was definitively closed."

The audience was stunned, not moving and not talking. Diane spoke again, with a slight discomfort.

"I'm sure you weren't expecting this from today, Admiral."

"I admit I didn't. I got to listen to the side I wasn't in. You really know how to tell stories, even with your husband's uncontrollable interruptions. You made this lunch agreeable. I wasn't expecting that much."

All knew the air had changed. From now on, the annual lunch wouldn't be a chore anymore. It would be an occasion to be looking forward to. An anniversary – of a never-ending friendship between four people. Right now, they would relax and enjoy the afternoon.

Alison Krennick granted Harm and Diane their evening, making orders to have their daughters baby-sit for the night. She went home to her foster daughter, a little girl she welcomed in her life a few years back. She started to cook, and it was very rare. She just cherished the moments of simple intimacy with the most important person in her life.

Meg Austin went back home, changed into civvies and drove with her fiancée to Central Park for the evening end the next day. They loved the city and the huge park, where hiding wasn't necessary anymore.

Harm and Diane went back to the park, and had a romantic candle-lit dinner in their favorite restaurant. They returned home when the sun began to disappear in the horizon. Their apartment was a great place to watch a sunset. The sky was magnificent, all red and pink and orange. In civvies, they laid on their back on the bed. He took his wife of six years in his arms, feeling incredibly well, happy and perfectly relaxed. She was feeling loved, protected, totally at peace with herself.

They loved each since the beginning, that first day in September 1981 at the Academy where she had noticed that very tall boy with a sad smile, like he had something missing from his life. He had remarked her with her smile, the joy of life and serenity emanating from her. They rarely talked about what they were feeling, words weren't required.

She was looking at the sky, through the big windows of the apartment.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"The beautiful day we had."

At her words, he didn't answer, losing himself with her in the last rays of the sun.

The end

So, what do you think?