Disclaimer: I do not any JAG or any of the characters. They belong to CBS and Bellisario productions. So please do not sue. However, Harmony belongs to me.

A/N: Thank you to my beta. =) Also I plan on posting a chapter every other weekday. A lot of people aren't on the weekend so there is no need to post. This is a sequel to In Search of Harmony, which if you have not read can be found in my profile. I also want to pick at your minds…for those of you who read all of In Search of Harmony and will hopefully read all of this. (Pleaseeeeeee) How would you feel about a fic that would be a prequel to this one and In Search of Harmony. With Harmony much younger, and lots of Daddy Harm? I might have an idea but I want to see what kind of interest, if any there would be. In the mean time enjoy this and I love reviews, they are my crack. **insert sad puppy face here**

In Perfect Harmony

~12~

1414 Zulu

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

"Hey Harmony!" Bud called out.

Harmony could see he was trying to catch up to her and slowed down. "Yes, sir." She turned towards him.

He was going to go in slowly, start off with the case than in pilot speak land the plane right on to the deck. "How is the research going?"

"Pretty good. I watched a few clips of the ZNN report of Katrina, and then the one covering the shooting. I mean it's nothing we haven't seen before. I am waiting on a copy of the police report and autopsy report." She started to walk with him. "I read some case studies about PTSD and Katrina. A few officers committed suicide. Sir, unless one was there you can't really and truly understand the effects of the storm." She sighed. "The first day we were there they had us at the Superdome helping get people on the buses so they could get to Houston. Someone in a wheelchair had died and they just left her in a corner, she was covered in a sheet but was just left there. Others died on the sidewalk. Those who were too old, or too sick, or too whatever, just left there to die. Others died from heat stroke or dehydration. There was no moving air in the Superdome and the toilets were no longer working. People would go where they wanted. There was no dignity, there was no humanity, there was nothing like that. People stopped being people and became ruthless animals, and not because they wanted too, because they had no choice. It was the only way for them to survive." Harmony continued her story as they walked through the JAG bullpen.

"I had been helping an elderly woman to one of the buses. I remember her name Eleanor DuPont. She really was a sweet old lady, showed me pictures of her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. I enjoyed talking to her, for a while she made me forget how horrible everything was at the moment. What I didn't know and what she had failed to tell me was that she was a diabetic and hadn't taken her insulin since the day of the storm. Not because she forgot, because she didn't have enough and no one could get her any. I was in line with her as she waited to board the bus when she started to have a seizure her body was going into shock. I helped her down to the ground, cradled her head in my lap. I called for help, but it was too late…she passed away. I wanted to do something for her, move her body somewhere less – less public. I couldn't though, they tossed a sheet over her and just let her lay there like it was trash day."

Harmony's story was heart breaking, she was right though one couldn't understand what happened in New Orleans those days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina unless they were there. "So you think that Chief Petty Officer LeBlanc was justified?"

"He was trying to survive. Everyday human instincts were no longer useful, they would only get him killed. He was doing what he had to do to keep going. It was either going to be Mr. Chouteau or him who died. Either way one of them would die and Mr. Chouteau had an 9mm on his person he wasn't out for a friendly stroll in the neighborhood Commander Roberts."

"Then that is what we will go with. " Bud spoke as they walked into the small pantry to get some coffee. "That's what we will use as our defense."

"The people of New Orleans did not deserve that kind of treatment, letting their dead bodies just rot. It didn't seem right and it didn't seem fair. I have seen stray cats treated better." Harmony poured some sugar into her coffee.

He needed to get her into his office this didn't need to be aired out in public. "We'll go in my office and you can help me put my open statement to together."

"Sounds good to me sir." Harmony responded with a small smile taking a sip of the steaming brew. Harmony followed behind Bud as the headed into the office.

"Mind closing the hatch behind you Lieutenant." Bud pointed towards the door

"Not a problem sir." Harmony shut the door behind her, and then placed her coffee on his desk. "So the opening statement?"

"Actually I want to talk to you about something else first, have a seat." He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. "I talked to Mikey last night."

Harmony groaned. "Commander, please. I thought we already discussed the status of my relationship with Lieutenant Roberts."

"He said you've been drinking, he said you've been drinking a lot. I didn't think you drank."

"He needs to learn to mind his own business." Harmony growled.

"He's worried about you Harmony, and so am I. When was the last time you really slept?" He looked at her.

"I am fine sir, there is no need for you or anyone else to worry about me. I sleep just fine. So what if I drink? Big deal. It's not like I am the only one who does that."

"But it's not like you Harmony. You've never been one to drink. In fact the only time I can recall seeing you drink was when your dad and Mac got married, and it was a sip and I am pretty sure that you didn't like it."

Harmony reached for her coffee cup. "People change sir."

"Not like this. Listen, if something is bothering you Bethesda has people you can talk too." Bud informed.

"I talked to those so called people after my plane was shot down, and all they did was make me feel like a worthless failure. It didn't work to well, and I had to cut my losses and I think the separation between and them was the best thing. I think I am going to keep it that way too."

Bud nodded his head slowly his fingers were intertwined with each other. "I know you have been through a lot lately, but you do not have to do this on your own. Mikey wants to be there for you, he wants to help you. Harmony do you have any idea how much he loves you and cares about you?"

"He should have thought about that before he kissed her. You can say Cammie started it all you want, and maybe she did, but he still could have stopped it and I didn't see that happening. Not until he realized I was in the room. I was hurt Bud, it felt like Mike reached in tore my heart out of my chest, threw it to the floor and stepped on it."

"He's hurting too. This is hurting him just as much as it is hurting you. He would do anything to take back what happened, just so he can have you back in his life." Bud took a sip of his coffee. "He's not going to stop loving you, ever."

Bud was not making this any easier. Harmony just wanted an easy break up, but hearing what people were saying was making it anything but that. And they wondered why she was drinking. "I feel bad for him sir." Harmony swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. She was trying to fight off a wave of emotions. "He needs to move on, find someone else. He shouldn't spend the rest of his life alone and miserable because I am not with him."

"He only wants to be with you though." Bud informed her.

"That's silly, absolutely silly. I am obviously not good enough for him, pretty enough, smart enough, funny enough, whatever; which is why he kissed Cammie. She's everything I'm not."

"Now you know that isn't true Harmony. You are a far better person than she will ever be and that is exactly why Mikey wants to be with you."

With each passing second this was getting harder and harder. "I can't do it sir. I just can't risk being hurt like that again. I need to do what is best for me."

Bud nodded his head. "Well just know if you need to talk about anything, he is there for you. You don't need to be afraid to call him; ok?"

Harmony nodded her head. "Ok." Though she didn't think she would be calling Mike anytime soon, even at all.

"Ok then lets get back to defending Chief Petty Officer LeBlanc." Bud spoke flipping open his files.

2135 Zulu

North of Union Station

Washington, DC

Harmony was thankful to be home, she had been mulling over her conversation with Bud all day. Is what made matter worse was Harmony still loved Mikey and people were only reminding her of that, and it made the process of actually moving hard, rather difficult.

Pressing the speaker button on her phone, she punched in the PIN for voicemail and allowed the messages to play. Most of them were pointless and had no meaning for her, and then she heard Mikey's voice and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hey babe it's me. I am really worried about you, and I just wanted to call and make sure you are ok. If you want you can call me back. I love you with my heart and I am here for you. Don't forget that. You will always be my number one girl. I'll uhm – I'll let you go. Love you."

Harmony replayed the message, letting her fingers linger on the phone. "I love you too." She whispered. She continued to allow the message to repeat while going into her bedroom. Opening the drawer of her nightstand she pulled out a bottle Mikey's aftershave that she made sure he forgot. Harmony took a sweatshirt of hers and sprayed down with the scent. A scent she had missed so much. Taking the sweatshirt with her Harmony wandered into the kitchen grabbing another bottle of vodka and going to the couch. Holding on to her sweatshirt Harmony inhaled the scent while sipping from the bottle. She continued as Mikey's voice started to fade away.

1300 Zulu

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

They had been using the temporary courtroom since the bombing. The main courtroom was under going a major make over and would take another six months or so for it to be complete. Until then all business was taking place in a small cramped room that lacked the usual ornate luxury of the old room.

Bud sat on the right hand side, Chief Petty Office LeBlanc was in the middle and to the left of him was Harmony. In a matter of minute Bud would go up before the members with his opening statements.

"Is there anything you need sir?" Harmony asked leaning around CPO. LeBlanc.

"I think about good. I went over my statement this morning and last night. We are good to go. If I need anything you will be the first to know."

"No problem sir that is what I am here for." Harmony cast him a small smile. "All you have to do is say the word."

It wasn't long before Bud was up and giving his opening statements. "On August 29th, 2005 Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the Louisiana coast with winds of 125 MPH, one of the strongest Category 3 storms that the state had ever seen. When they eye of the storm approached the City of New Orleans, the city had already been battered by torrential rainfalls for hours. The storm surge from Katrina broke 53 leaves which lead to the city being flooded with millions and millions of gallons of water, water that was anything but clean. Not only was it filled with sewage, but poisonous snakes as well.

Roads that lead in and out of the city were damaged and were impassable, however many of the city's residents were unable to evacuate, for whatever reason. The refugees were taking to the Superdome where they had to wait out the storm. No one anticipated the out come, and no one thought that days after the storm they would still be at the Superdome under unsanitary conditions. People were urinating and leaving fecal matter behind any place they could find a spot.

Many of the city's public safety officials had been working non-stop even before the storm made landfall. Just like Chief Petty Officer LeBlanc. On the evening in question September, 2nd, 2005 CPO LeBlanc had been working for seven days, with only ten hours of sleep. Those who were left in the city were on edge, scared, lost, over heated, they had reached their breaking point and beyond. They were at their wits ends, not just the citizens, but the public safety officials as well. On that night Chief Petty Officer LeBlanc came upon a Canal Street convenience store were looters were in the store. One such looter was Mr. Mr. Chouteau, a man with an extensive and violent criminal past. This wasn't the first time he and Mr. Chouteau had crossed paths either. So when Chief Petty Officer came across Mr. Chouteau looting the store he knew that it could get dangerous. Witness on the scene states that Mr. Chouteau had a weapon and had proceeded to point them weapon at Chief Petty Officer LeBlanc, so out of stress from seeing what he had seen, the despair he witnessed, the lack of sleep and trauma from the events Chief Petty Officer reacted knowing his life was in danger, he did what he did to survive. Mr. Chouteau AK-47 clearly out powered CPO's Glock. So I ask you to consider these factors during the situation when hearing the defense.

Bud finished the rest of his opening statements and headed back to the table. "How do you think it went?"

"So far so good." Harmony spoke giving him the thumbs up. I think you have them sir."

The first witness to take the stand were various psychologists, quote and quote experts, the ZNN reporter and camera man who had originally filmed the event, and a person who was in the store and claimed to have seen the event take place. However his story didn't seem to match everyone else's story. So his statement would more than likely be thrown out. It seemed like he just wanted a free flight to DC to come see his cousin.

After they finished with those witnesses they broke for lunch. During that time Harmony found herself holding a small bottle, of vodka. The ones that are about shot size, she needed this, she had to have this. If she didn't she knew that she wouldn't make it through the rest of the day. Closing her eyes she brought the bottle to her lips and downed the clear beverage. The more and more she drank the stuff the easier it became to drink it, and the more she became hooked on it.

Harmony knew she had to do her best to mask the smell of the alcohol on her breath. She had known for sometime that spicy foods and potato chips, and coffee often did that trick, so that was the rest of her lunch. She pocketed another small bottle of vodka that she could use during a short recess.

There were only two more witnesses for the day when they returned from lunch, which allowed them to go home early. Harmony was extremely thankful for that. Getting home she did the same thing she had done the night before, put Mikey's voicemail on speaker leaving it on repeat, the sweatshirt still had the scent of his aftershave. With a bottle of vodka in her hand she was good to go.