Chapter 2 Part 2
January 2001
The JAG Office was back in full swing after the New Year celebrations had ended. Even Lieutenant Harriet Sims had returned. Colonel Mackenzie delivered a new pile of files to Harriet's desk which made Harriet happy. Seconds later Harm was introducing his old partner Commander Caitlin Pike to Sarah and Harriet. That's when Harriet spotted the Colonel's bare right hand, and she pounced.
"You took the ring off!" exclaimed Harriet, clasping Mac's right hand. Mac blushed and brought out her left hand with the ring on it.
"You're engaged!" Harriet screamed. "Oh, my gosh. Congratulations."
Mac looked at Harm. He had a small smile. "Well, when were you gonna tell us?" he asked. But what was going through Harm's mind was relief that he had escaped this whole situation. I'm glad that is not my ring. I would hate to be with a woman who took almost a year to make up her mind and say yes.
" I was waiting for the right moment." Mac replied.
"Well, if this is it, then I'll spread the word." Harriet interrupted and off she went to spread the gossip.
"Congratulations." Kate offered her best wishes to Mac.
"Thanks. So how long are you here?" Mac asked.
"About a week. Doing computer revisions." Kate explained.
The easy camaraderie between Kate and Harm, indicated to Mac that they knew each other. So she asked. Kate explained that she had once been at JAG for six months before moving on to NCIS.
The Admiral interrupted their little gathering at this point and reminded Kate that she would be working in the Conference room, and that she was to think about the offer he had made, for her to return to JAG, since he could always use another trial lawyer.
Turning to Mac, he said that he had just heard about her engagement. "I'm very happy for you."
Later that day Kate discovered that Admiral Hollenbeck had just be promoted to the position of Inspector General. Kate was shaken and immediately went to Harm to talk to him. She told him that Hollenbeck had once groped her during a briefing several years earlier when he was a Captain and she was a Lieutenant.
Lieutenant Singer may have heard their conversation and alerted the media because the next thing that happened was Kate getting a whole lot of phone calls from the media to comment. When Harm asked Singer outright if she had alerted the media, Singer did not deny it.
Kate was furious and she admitted to Mac over a coffee break that she had once slept with a senior officer in Okinawa, and that had been a mistake.
Because of the article in the paper, Admiral Hollenbeck was charged with sexual harassment and an article 32 was convened. Admiral Chegwidden asked Mac to defend Hollenbeck, to which she refused. When asked why, she admitted that when she and Kate had been talking, Kate had admitted to some personal information that might be detrimental to the defence. She was excused. Harm also tried to weasel out, on account of his previous albeit brief relationship with Commander Pike, but the Admiral refused to accept his excuse.
A short time later, Mac bumped into Commander Mattoni and Lieutenant Singer. Unknown to them, Commander Pike was hovering nearby. Mattoni was wanting to know why Mac had recused herself. Mac refused to respond and so Mattoni told Singer do to dig up everything she could on Commander Pike.
Commander Pike was worried. She immediately headed for Harm's office, knocked and then barged in. She did not expect to find another woman wearing Lieutenant Commander stripes, sitting in a chair next to Harm and with both their heads bent over something on the desk.
Harm looked up in surprise and with a look of annoyance.
"Harm. Sorry." Kate plowed to a stop.
"No. Come on in." Harm waved for Kate to stay where she was.
"Commander Pike, this is Lieutenant Commander Tracy Manetti." Harm did the introductions.
Kate was confused. This woman was clearly of Japanese origin, but the surname was Italian, not Japanese.
"Hi." Tracy spoke first instantly sizing Kate up as one of Harm's old flames. And judging by the look on Kate's face, she probably wanted to get back into Harm's pants.
" Hi." Kate was a little too shocked to say anything more, until she recovered. "And it's Kate."
Harm was reticent. "Um Kate and l - go back a-ways." he explained to Tracy.
An awkward silence ensued.
Tracy nodded her head. "I've heard nice things about you." That was a blatant lie. She had heard nothing about Kate whatsoever. And nothing about any of Harm's previous girlfriends, except for Mac. Tracy was going to have to interrogate him this evening, just so she was not surprised again."
" From him? Kate asked.
"No. He never says anything nice." Tracy replied.
"Oh, good. I'm glad it's not just me." Kate laughed and relaxed. Right at that moment, Mac barged into the office, while reading a brief, and the atmosphere turned cold again.
"Harm." She asked. She almost bumped into Kate before she stopped moving.
"Mac." Kate acknowledged
"Kate." Mac returned the acknowledgement. And then her gaze moved to Tracy."Tracy." Mac ground out reluctantly.
"I'm just leaving. Have to get back to the Pentagon." Tracy came out fighting on all levels. Since they were both in uniform, and in front of others, she could not touch him in any romantic manner. "I'll see you later."
Harm smiled and nodded, "I'll do my best."
"Does he ever stand you up?" Kate burst out.
"Only when duty calls. and even then I still get a phone call." Tracy replied.
"Well, it was nice meeting you." Kate was just being polite.
"You too." As was Tracy, as she left the room, pausing only to acknowledge the Marine.
"Mac"
"Tracy." Mac's voice was as cold as ice. Tracy left the office. Mac turned and headed out, mumbling, "I'll come back later." Kate felt like she had won that little war. She closed and locked the door.
"Wow, When they made you commander, did they gave you a harem?" she joked.
"Kate." Harm gave her a warning.
"I remember you standing me up. I think it was against the wall of our motel room." Kate had a huge grin on her face.
"You wanna discuss your testimony or you just wanna make my life a living hell?" Harm growled.
Later that evening, Tracy drove over to Harm's apartment to find out just how many other girlfriends Harm had in his past. She was not jealous over the fact that he had a past. That was to be expected. After all, she had a past too.
No, she just wanted to know their names so that she would not be surprised if she should meet up with any of them. She also wanted clarification of Mac's comment at the Surface Warfare Ball about Harm preferring blondes. Which of these past ladies were blonde.
Over dinner, Harmon tried to list all the girlfriends or women who might claim to be his girlfriend, up until he came back from flying and met Tracy.
Diane Schonke. A classmate from the Academy. She looked like Mac, but she's dead. She was a Brunette, just like Mac is.
Maria Elena Carmen Moreno Gutierrez. An air hostess with the Spanish Iberian airline. Being Spanish meant she was also a brunette.
Alison Krennick. She was a barracuda. Harm explained that back when he was a lieutenant just starting out at JAG, Krennick was a Lieutenant Commander and was constantly harassing Harm to sleep with her. Harm was embarrassed about being harrassed by a women so he never did or said anything official, and of course he always said no. He had been taught that women just did not do the chasing. Harm recognised that she was a user. Anyone she slept with, would most likely be trashed and get a bad FITREP at some point in their career. Oh, and yes she was a blonde.
Annie Pendry. The widow of Harm's best friend at the Academy. Her son Joshua is Harm's godson, but since the Tiger Cruise a few years ago, Annie had refused permission for Harm to see Joshua. Annie has light brown hair but Harm would not have called it blonde. Joshua had blond hair though - the last time Harm saw him.
Caitlin Pike, "whom you met today. We had a very brief affair that ended after just one weekend. Barely 48 hours." Harm admitted to not being happy that he could not resist her charms, but Kate was never terribly fussy about where she found companionship. Harm had refused to have anything more to do with her other than professionally for the rest of the case. She later transferred out.
Meg Austin. Harm's second JAG partner after Caitlin Pike. Meg was transferred out for a classified mission and had not been heard from for several years. She was a blonde.
Terry Coulter. A forensic expert from Atlanta in Georgia. She had tried to hit on Harm once during a case in Arizona, but Harm had ignored it. Also a blonde.
Jordan Parker. A psychiatrist at Bethesda and also a blonde. She and Harm had broken up when Harm went back to flying. Jordan only wanted the lawyer and not the pilot.
Renee Petersen. She was a video director and had produced the new Navy advertisement that featured Harm. She had also hit on Harm, several times, but did not seem to get the message that Harm was not interested. Definitely a blonde. Mac called her the Video Princess.
And of course there was Sarah Mackenzie. Harm's current partner. While Mac was beautiful, she used her beauty to seduce a long string of lovers. As much as he was interested in Mac in the early stages of their partnership, Harm had observed that she was unable to show him any loyalty.
Harm and Mac had shaken hands on a baby deal in 1999 on the day young AJ Roberts was born. The deal was that in five years, if neither of them was in a relationship, they would go halves on a baby.
Unconsciously Harm was testing Mac's loyalty. Would she be willing to wait for him and be loyal to him? Harm was a great believer in loyalty. Sadly, Mac was unable to stay loyal. She aligned herself with Mic Brumby less than a year after the deal was made. Harm no longer had any reason to show Mac any loyalty, and as far as he was concerned, their baby deal was null and void. He just hadn't told her that yet.
The next day on the court room, Kate was testifying for the prosecution about how the then Captain Hollenbeck had kissed and groped her. Commander Mattoni stood up to attack her testimony. He asked her about the senior officer she had slept with in Okinawa when she was still a Lieutenant.
After the court session was over. Kate barreled out the door looking for whomever had spilled their guts. The only person she had told about the affair in Okinawa was Mac, and Kate was boiling mad. She confronted Mac in the ladies room where she accused Mac of passing on the information about her affair on Okinawa to Mattoni, and she did it to get Kate out of the way so that she (Mac) could have Harm.
"You are really reaching." Mac started in on her lecture. "You have a lot of nerve. I wasn't with you five minutes before you were telling me your secrets. I couldn't be the only one who knows about Okinawa. You're indiscreet. You have a big mouth."
Kate opened her mouth deny that.
Mac continued. "So shut it before you say something else I shouldn't hear."
Back in Harm's office, Kate explained that after she and Brockman had broken up, he had written a bad fitness report. Yes he was angry while he was writing it, but it was now a matter of public record. Kate didn't question being promoted early. She was just grateful that the poor fitrep had not ruined her chances.
After Hollenbeck had testified in court. Harm hit him with Kate's early promotions board just a few months after the incident. In the end the judge ruled against Kate saying that there was insufficient evidence for sexual harassment, and therefore she was not recommending that this incident be referred to court martial."
Just minutes later Harm and Kate were told by the Admiral Chegwidden that SECNAV had decided to rescind Hollenbeck's promotion to the IG office. Someone else would get that job. The promotions board matter was the tipping point. That was the main reason why the Judge had not ruled on the sexual harassment case.
At a party later that evening, Kate told Harm that she was turning down the Admirals offer to stay at JAG and that she was moving out of DC. As they said goodbye, Harm sighed.
"It would have been nice having you around." he said.
"Harm, the last thing you need is a third female to complicate your life." Kate laughed.
"Where do you get three?" Harm was shocked.
"Tracy, me and Mac."
"I'm not involved with Mac." Harm insisted.
But that didn't stop him from looking in her direction. Standing behind Mac was the women of his dreams - Tracy Manetti. She was loyal, funny, intelligent, witty, confident, honest and genuine. She had an exotic heritage, a positive attitude and an excellent taste in fashion when she was not in uniform. To put it mildly Tracy was an enigma, one he badly wanted to unravel.
Harm also knew he had to go slow in this relationship, both for his own peace of mind, and also because Tracy had mentioned having at least three older brothers, none of whom he had met, but any one of whom could challenge him.
Over the next few weeks, Harm was involved in a number of major cases including a collision between a Turkish ship and an American ship during a NATO exercise as well as the USS Cole bombing. Harm also spent some time on a Russian Submarine under the Barents Sea. Later that month, Harm was seconded as the acting JAG while the Admiral went on vacation.
All the while, he and Tracy had become closer in their relationship as well. They were spending every weekend and most week nights together, whenever Harm was not away on an investigation. Tracy may have been getting a little frustrated at how slow he was moving, but she stayed silent and she stayed loyal.
They continued having dates, going to movies, theatre plays and to art exhibitions as well as evenings out for dinner. Harm had still not met any of Tracy's family, nor had he crossed the line into intimacy yet. Tracy however was not in any hurry for the situation to become too personal until she and Harm got something permanent going. Quite frankly, Tracy was now looking for a commitment from Harm, but she knew she couldn't push him, so she waited, patiently.
April 2001
One evening in late April, Harm and Tracy had just returned from an evening out, when Harm noted the light flashing on his answer phone. It was a message from Jordan. She said she was back from Spain, and clearly she wanted to get back together with Harm.
Harm immediately went into damage control - and for him that meant ignoring the message.
"You want some wine?" he asked Tracy.
"Sure." she replied. "I think the elephant might want some too."
"What?" Harm was desperately trying to ignore the elephant in the room.
"The one you're ignoring." said Tracy as she wandered over to the telephone and pressed the 'last number dialed' button. "You just received a message from your old girlfriend, Harm. Call her back."
"What was it?" Harm grasped at straws. Maybe Tracy didn't get that number Jordan had left.
"555-2694?" Too late. Tracy already had it dialled and the speaker phone was ringing.
"Parker residence." the male voice answered.
"Hello. Is Lieutenant Commander Parker there, please?"
"Who am I speaking with, please?" the unknown voice asked.
" Commander Harmon Rabb."
"This is NCIS Special Agent Kenworthy, Commander. Are you a friend of hers?"
Harm paused and picked up the receiver, taking the call off the speaker phone. What is NCIS doing at Jordan's place? This is not good "Yes, I am."
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Commander Parker is dead." Agent Kenworthy spoke.
Harm went into defensive node, he refused to say anything more to Tracy. She was a little hurt, but she knew he was just putting up a wall to prevent any emotional damage. Harm grabbed the message tape and went over to Jordan's apartment.
He immediately became a suspect since he was the last person that Jordan contacted before she died. NCIS later cleared Harm due to his alibi - he had been out on a date with Tracy at the time.
Harm insisted on a JAGman investigation because the NCIS team were not keeping JAG in the loop. He also asked the Admiral for permission to call in Terry Coulter as a forensic expert to determine the cause of death.
The NCIS soon determined that Jordan had killed herself but Terry's forensics determined that the gun powder residue on Jordan's hands did not match that scenario.
During this investigation, Tracy tried to keep Harm focused on his home life and on her, so that he couldn't brood over Jordan's death. They made plans to attend a theatre play, but Harm forgot because he was so caught up in trying to find Jordan's killer.
Tracy didn't get upset and go storming off down to the JAG office to berate him. That would be a juvenile attitude to take. Besides, Mac was not exactly her favourite person right now. And Tracy preferred to keep the inter-personal fighting to an absolute minimum.
Later that night Harm was on the couch thinking about Jordan, When Tracy interrupted him.
"I'm sorry, Tracy, I'm a thousand miles away. Just let me get through this, okay? I'll make it up to you."
"Do you get through things, Harm?" Tracy asked.
"Eventually." he sighed.
"What about your father?"
"That is resolved, Tracy, You know that.".
"Until next Christmas when you revisit the Wall? How about your flying career?"
"That's out of my system."
"Really? So when are your quals?" Tracy clearly had a tone of disbelief.
"In two weeks." Harm admitted, knowing that Tracy was right,. He still had not resolved his flying status. He kept up his flight status just to stay as a naval aviator, when he had already been kicked off the active status board because he was too old.
"How about Jordan? Why'd you guys break up?"
"Jordan broke up with me. When I got back from sea duty, I wanted to pick things up where we left off.
She didn't think I could commit. No, actually she said she wanted a lawyer and NOT a pilot. A lawyer was safe, a pilot was not. She didn't wanna get pulled back in."
"Pull me in, Harm." Tracy begged.
"I just did that, Tracy." .
"No. No, you've made gestures. But there is so much of you that I don't know. I still don't even know what drives you? You share all these stories about your family members and your friends, but never about yourself. It would just be helpful to know how you grew into this person you are."
"I don't have that kind of insight into myself, Tracy." Harm knew that was a lie. He also knew that the last thing he wanted to tell Tracy about, was his teenage visit to Vietnam looking for his father. That would just confirm to her how obsessed he was, despite the fact that he had cried in her arms last year and grieved his father's death.
"Tell me about your childhood. I mean, did you? Did you wear braces? Did you cause a lot of trouble? Did you have an imaginary friend?"
"Tracy" Harm was getting annoyed. "I'm just really tired right now. I can't even think straight."
Tracy was getting frustrated now. They had been dating for almost a year, and he was just so afraid to talk and to commit. If this was what he was like when they weren't being intimate, she could imagine just how much worse it would be if they were intimate. Tracy was glad that she had not taken Harm to visit her parents and brothers. She was also glad that they had not yet become intimate. He was not ready for her family.
"Sorry to have bothered you Harm. I'm going home." Tracy got up, grabbed her purse and began walking away. Harm panicked. He did not want to lose this girl.
"Just give me a week, okay?" he begged.
"Do I have to die for you to commit to me?" Tracy asked and then closed the apartment door behind her.
A note in Jordan's date book mentioned a man whom she felt was becoming too obsessed with her and visiting her several times a week. Eventually it was discovered that Jordan had been killed by this man's jealous wife.
A few days later Harm received a letter on the mail from Jordan. It had been written the night she was killed because it referred to the voice mail message she had just left. This letter appeared to be an apology from Jordan for the way she had treated him about his going back to flying.
I'm a better person for having known you. And I hope you feel the same way about me. I don't know what choices you've made. But I can only hope you're embracing them with the same confidence.
My best wishes, always. Love, Jordan.
Harm called Tracy and invited her over to watch a movie. They turned out to be home movies of Harm as a teenager. These were filmed by his mother at a dance for which Trisha was clearly a chaperone.
"That's me. That's Mary Kelly. I was 13. My mom filmed it. She found it a little while ago and sent it over."
"Do you remember all this?" Tracy asked.
"Like it was yesterday." whispered Harm.
"What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I wanted to dance with her."
"Then why were you just standing there?" asked Tracy gesturing at the movie.
Harm shrugged. "I don't know. But let's talk about that."
Harm spent the next several hours opening up and telling Tracy about his childhood, and what it was like growing up without a father. He even mentioned the trip to Vietnam when he was sixteen.
May 2001
A week later the Admiral threw an engagement party for Mac and Mic. While Harm had been sent an invitation, he was not inclined to go. Tracy did not wish to go either. So Harm sent back his regrets that he and his plus one would not be attending.
The next day after the party, Mac knocked on Harm's office door and asked to speak to him privately.
"Why did you not attend my engagement party?" she asked. "Does this have anything to do with Sydney or our baby deal.
"Mac. I was stupid, I never should have made that baby deal with you. I consider it to be null and void, especially since you accepted Brumby's ring. And I do not go chasing after women who are engaged and married. " Harm explained.
"And that's why you have been ignoring me since we got back from Australia?"
Harm nodded.
"But Harm, I am still your best friend, aren't I?" Harm did not like the petulant tone in Mac's voice.
Harm shook his head. "We are friends Mac, just like I am friends with everyone in this office, but we cannot be best friends any more. That role now belongs to Mic." There was a pause and then Harm spoke again.
"Do you love him?"
Mac got angry and immediately responded with her own question. "Do you love me?"
"I'm not marrying you, Mac. Do you love him?" Harm was patient.
Mac was angry that Harm did not say that he loved her. What she actually wanted was to marry Harm, mostly because he was tall and handsome, not because she really loved him. Mac didn''t realise that unconsciously, she wanted Harm as a trophy spouse. Mic was a second rate substitute.
"So will you be at my wedding?" Mac asked.
"No. I have to do my quals next weekend."
"Couldn't you just do your quals some other time?"
"Yeah, right - Six months from now." Harm grimaced
"Harm, you fly, maximum, two, three times a year. And for that you risk missing my wedding? No, the truth is you don't consider it important." Mac was very bitter that he would not be at her wedding.
Harm drew in a deep breath before speaking.
"First off, my quals were arranged long before you even set a date. Secondly, frankly, if you need me at your wedding to make it work, maybe you should reconsider who you're marrying."
Mac was shocked and angry as she stood up and stalked out of Harm's office. She went to commiserate with Harriet.
"He's not coming, Harriet. I've lost him."
"Lost who, ma'am?" Harriet asked.
"Harm. He did not attend my engagement party last night, and he won't be at my wedding either. He says he has to do his quals."
"We'll see about that!" Harriet was aghast at how poorly Harm were treating her. He was Mac's best friend after all.
Harriet stood up, marched across the bullpen and right into Harm's office, without knocking, and opened her mouth.
Harm spoke first. "Attention, Lieutenant" he barked
Harriet stood to attention and snapped her mouth shut. Harm waved for her to sit down in one of his chair.
"Harriet. You and Bud are good friends and I love being AJ's godfather, but I need you to stay out of my private life, and stop trying to match make and push Colonel Mackenzie and I together.
"You should have stopped doing that as soon as she came back from Australia with that friendship ring on her hand. I was raised to be a gentleman and to not go chasing after women who are engaged, married or otherwise spoken for. And that friendship ring Mac wore, meant that she was definitely spoken for.
"I expect you to also accept that I am no longer Mac's best friend. Her new best friend is the man she is going to marry."
Harriet looked at Harm with tears in her eyes. "But Sir. He is just not right for her. I don't trust him. You are the right person for Mac, Sir."
Harm shook his head. "No Lieutenant, I'm not. But if I can ask? Why do you insist on matching people up together?"
"Because I want you to be happy, sir, like I am." Harriet wailed.
"I am quite capable of finding my own happiness. And being an adult, I do not need any help, nor have I ever asked for any help. You really do need to stop interfering, Harriet."
Harm continued in his command voice. Harriet had heard Harm's command voice many times, but never directed towards her. "This is a direct order, Lieutenant. You will refrain from making ANY comments or passing in any gossip about me or my private life to anyone else in this office, past, present or future. You will also NOT spread any gossip about anyone else in this office either. Be warned that gossip can have a detrimental effect on the smooth running of the office. If I hear that you are spreading gossip about anyone in this office, including myself, I will have you up on charges of conduct unbecoming an officer, so fast your head will spin. That is all. Dismissed."
Harriet was in tears. She could only stand up, assume the brace, turn and walk out of the office. Once she got back to her desk, she collapsed and with her head in her arms on her desk and cried.
The following weekend, Harm shipped out to the Patrick Henry where he aced his quals despite the rudeness of the airlant LSO - one Commander Stacy Loftness - who claimed that Harm must have pulled some big favors to get back into the air and that he, Loftness, did not want a Washington Weenie wasting his time.
The weather had gotten steadily worse while Harm was doing his qualifying traps, and once he had completed the traps, the storm turned ugly. There was absolutely no way for Harm and Skates to get off the Patrick Henry at all.
Harm made two phone calls. One to the Admiral to explain that he was stuck on the Patrick Henry and was unable to get back for the wedding. The second and longer phone call was to Tracy to apologise for having to break their date, because the storm cell prevented him from flying home safely. She agreed with Harm that it was far safer for him to stay on the Patrick Henry than to even attempt to fly home.
And so in late May 2001, Sarah Mackenzie was married to Mic Brumby. Mac was totally unable to stop things with a simple NO. For too long she had relied on others to make her decisions for her. Mic had told her what to do relating to their personal lives. He had manipulated her into accepting the ring in Sydney, and then manipulated her into switching it from the right hand to the left, at Xmas time. Mac did not understand that despite her mantra of I'm a marine, I can take care of myself, really she was totally unable to take care of herself on a personal level. Mac needed someone to tell her flat out what to do. After the ceremony and reception, they had departed for Australia for their honeymoon, by the time Harm flew back into town.
A/N - Apologies for the Harriet bashing, but I have always detested her gossiping and her interference. She is LONG overdue for a serious warning by a superior officer to STOP interfering in other peoples personal and private lives.
A/N - As there is NO Renee in this AU, I have substituted Tracy for most sightings of Renee in canon.