Broken Bough
Chapter 14
Wednesday, February 4, 2003
0730 Local Time
JAG Headquarters
In the ensuing week all was smooth sailing for the wedding. Still in between all the wedding planning there was still JAG work to do. Now Harm was involved with a case where he was unusually assigned. Also that unusual assignment brought its own set of troubles.
At Monday's staff call AJ announced that Harm had been appointed as a judge in a high-profile case. A U.S. pilot was involved in the accidental bombing of British troops in Afghanistan. Sturgis was assigned to the defense while Bud was assigned to prosecute. Also Bud was teamed with someone totally unexpected.
Also at Monday's staff call AJ had reintroduced Commander Allison Krennick to the staff. Chegwidden explained that Krennick had been assigned TAD to JAG Headquarters to fill the empty slot left vacant by Mac's transfer to the Navy Yard Judiciary.
It was all Harm could do to keep his surprise and disgust from showing on his face. Harm could swear that the smile she gave him when as she sat immediately across from his place at the table was almost predatory. Harm couldn't wait to introduce her to Sarah. That would have to wait though. Harm wasn't expecting to see her at JAG Headquarters any time soon.
Now Harm was going into the canteen to get his first cup of coffee for the day. He smiled as he saw Jennifer Coates was just putting the pot down after she poured her own. Before she could let it go Harm asked, "Is that a fresh pot Coates?"
"Yes sir I just made it. Would you like me to pour for you since I have it in my hand," Jennifer offered.
"Thank you Coates," Harm said as he offered his mug to her. He continued with, "I'm going to need it. My mom and Loren were over last night with Sarah's mother,"
Jennifer laughed as he tried to stifle a yawn.
She said cheekily, "Oh that must have interesting sir. Mother and mother-in-law exchanging stories."
"Nah it was nothing like that. It was all wedding related. We were going over stuff like the wedding favors, what things people were going to do at the rehearsal and in the mass, etcetera."
"Oh what kind of favors did you come up with?" Jennifer asked.
"Glass ring holders, you know for the top of your dresser," Harm said.
"Oh that's nice sir," Jennifer said as she prepared her coffee to her liking.
"We also decided on one other thing Coates," Harm said.
"What's that sir?"
"Sarah and I would like it if you would do a reading for us," Harm offered.
Jennifer blushed in surprise but then smiled in delight as she said, "I'd like that sir. Thank you for the honor."
"Great, well we'll discuss what you're reading at the rehearsal a week from this Thursday at 1800 at St. Mary, Mother of God Church. I'll give you directions to the church later."
That's great sir. Also sir thank you for assigning me to clerk for you at this trial, I'm learning a lot," Jennifer said sincerely grateful.
"You're welcome Jennifer. Now go on get out of here. We have work to do," Harm said in gentle dismissal.
"Aye sir," Jennifer said with a smile as she walked out.
After she turned the corner out the door, Harm winced as he heard Krennick yell, "Watch where you're going petty officer you almost spilled your coffee on my uniform." Then heard Jennifer's "Aye ma'am, I'll be more careful."
At that Krennick walked into the canteen. She smiled as she saw that Harm was alone in the room.
"Good morning Commander or I should say 'your honor'," Krennick said with a bit of a disdainful inflection in her voice.
"Good morning Allison," Harm replied neutrally as he moved out of her way to the coffee.
"You know Harm I can't wait to get this trial over with," Krennick said as she poured her own coffee.
"Why's that Allison?" Harm asked.
"That way I can ask you out to dinner, we can relive some old times," Krennick said.
Harm smiled his most charming smile as he replied, "Well I'll speak with my fiancé about that."
Krennick was so floored by Harm's use of the word 'fiancé' that she forgot that she was pouring the coffee.
Harm had to suppress his smile as he said, "Careful Allison or you'll spill coffee on the counter."
Krennick was jerked out of her trance as she looked down and saw that she did just that.
At her cry of, "Ah damn it!" Harm slipped out the door. He smiled as he heard her cussing as she bustled on with her clean-up.
When Harm saw Harriet, he went to her and said, "Lieutenant could you please go into the canteen? Commander Krennick may need little help. I just told her that I was getting married."
"Aye sir," Harriet replied. She smiled a bit as she saw Harm's smirk. Bud had already informed her of Krennick's reputation with Harm. She turned and walked into the canteen.
1030 Local Time
Main Courtroom
Harm had just admonished Bud & Krennick on the appearance of favoring the prosecution by the SECNAV and he and his party took seats in the first row behind the Prosecution's table. As the counselors moved back to their respective tables, the motion of the courtroom door opening caught his eye. He smiled a bit and then he very carefully schooled his face into a neutral facade and didn't make eye contact as Sarah, Trish and Deanne sidled into the courtroom. As the Marine corporal showed them three seats in the back row, they kept their faces neutral as well as they also avoided making eye contact with Harm. Throughout the course of the morning's courtroom session, Trish and Sarah couldn't keep a smidgen of pride off their faces as they observed Harm in action on the bench.
When Harm called for the lunch recess, he was amused when he saw the SECNAV slow his step and slightly tilt his head in acknowledgement to Trish and Sarah as he passed them on his way out. He obviously didn't know Deanne.
The three visitors left the courtroom and made their way around to the hallway behind the courtroom where Harm was coming out from the door behind the bench. They found him speaking with Jennifer Coates about some documents she was showing him. He looked up and smiled when he saw them coming from behind the petty officer.
Jennifer looked behind her and smiled as she saw the three women approach them. She turned full on to properly greet them.
After receiving Sarah's welcome smooch, Harm started with, "Petty Officer Jennifer Coates, may I introduce my mother Patricia Burnett and Colonel Mackenzie's mother Deanne Mackenzie.
"I'm very pleased to meet you Mrs. Burnett, Mrs. Mackenzie," Jennifer said as she shook their hands.
Harm asked, "So what brings you all here to JAG's hallowed halls?"
"My case was decided early this morning. So seeing as I don't get a new case until the next day, Captain Olcott gave me the rest of the day off. So I called your mom and my mom to see if they wanted to do lunch. Your mom suggested we go see you in action as a judge. Also when I came in I saw Traci Manetti and as you and I discussed, I asked her to do a reading at the mass and she agreed," Sarah replied.
"Oh that's great Jennifer has also agreed to do a reading at the mass," Harm said.
"Oh good, we can determine which of the two you and Commander Manetti will read at the rehearsal," Sarah said appreciatively.
"Thank you ma'am and whichever one you choose is fine ma'am. It was my honor to accept, especially after what you and Commander have done for me," Jennifer replied.
Sarah acknowledged Jennifer's acceptance as she continued, "You're welcome Jennifer. So getting back to my time, Captain Olcott has been very nice in keeping my court calendar light. Though she says that after the honeymoon, I'm gonna get loaded down."
Harm chuckled at that.
"Also mama said she needed a dress for the wedding. So after lunch, we're going shopping," Sarah said with girly enthusiasm.
Everyone laughed at her display, even Deanne. She was enjoying her time with Sarah, but now she got a little aggravated at hearing 'mama' all the time. So she said, "Sarah darlin' could please do me a small favor?"
"Of course mama," Sarah replied.
"Could you please just call me 'mom'? Mama' makes me sound so old," Deanne said with a smile.
Sarah was a little surprised, but took it in stride saying "Okay mom if that's what you want."
"Yes darlin', that's fine. So are we gonna stand here gabbing or are we going to eat? Because I'm starved," Deanne declared.
"Boy Sarah really is your daughter," Harm said.
Sarah gave him a flinty, but not so serious look at that. On their way to lunch, they stopped at the bullpen and got Loren and Harriet to join them. Carolyn was in Norfolk on a case.
As she waited on the tray line and walked among the tables Mac enjoyed the greetings from the staff. The small group found a table large enough for all of them. After eating in relative silence, they discussed the wedding plans.
"So then the last thing we need to do after we finalize the seating arrangements Saturday, is have the bachelor party," Harm said.
"Yes darling. That will give you the whole week to recover," Trish said with a grin.
"Speaking of that, I spoke to Dad last night. He's flying in Friday and he'll stay the week until after the wedding. The only thing is it's going to be crowded at the apartment the day of the wedding," Harm said a little bewildered.
At that Sarah announced, "Well we have a plan for that. Harriet, Loren and I are taking a personal day on Friday and along with mom and Trish we'll spend the day and the afternoon before the wedding at the Roberts getting ready. That's also where the photographer will take my 'before the wedding' poses."
"What about Bud and little AJ?" Harm asked.
"Well the two of them as well your dad, Jack Keeter and Commander Turner will get ready at your apartment. Bud is taking AJ there so that he won't be underfoot while we women get ready. He'll go to the church and be the ring bearer. After the mass, AJ's sitter will take him home for during the reception," Harriet announced.
"Speaking of the guys where is Admiral Chegwidden going to be?" Harm asked.
"Well he'll go to our house to take the photos," Harriet said.
"Oh man he'll just love being the only guy in female country," Harm said.
The ladies laughed indulgently at Harm's quip.
As the happy group discussed their plans, Allison Krennick was going through the tray line. After she left court, Krennick went to her office to plan for the afternoon session. She certainly didn't like Harm's questioning of her witness from the AWACs plane, Lt. Kaufman when Turner deferred his cross examination. That put further proof in her mind that as an aviator, Harm couldn't be impartial.
As Krennick came out from the tray line she saw the group of women sitting around Harm at his table.
'Oh there they are, Harm and his harem,' she thought derisively.
Krennick already knew Singer, Coates and Simms. She had no idea who the two older women were. She had an idea who the brunette Marine light colonel sitting next to Harm was, as when Harriet helped her clean up her coffee spill that morning she told her of Harm & Mac's upcoming wedding and that Mac was a Marine Lt. Colonel.
Krennick didn't get a look at Mac while she was in the court room. At the recess she sat with Bud to get their papers together, while Mac, Trish and Deanne were the first ones out of the courtroom.
Allison's green eyed monster was starting to surface as she saw how unconsciously Harm and Mac were touching each other. As she came off the line she planned a route that would allow her to pass in front of them.
As Krennick rounded the table from their right, Mac had her head turned away from her as she spoke with Deanne, who was sitting at Mac's left.
Intending to just pass by to get a look at the hussy who stole her sexual target, Krennick primly greeted Harm with, "Commander Rabb."
Harm looked up and ever the gentleman said, "Oh hold on a minute commander I'll introduce you."
Krennick stopped for that.
Harm continued, "Commander Allison Krennick, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and our mothers…" That's as far as Harm got before he was interrupted, for to say what happened next was a disaster would be charitable.
During Harm's introduction, Mac turned around and got up to greet the new woman. She was totally surprised as she saw Krennick's tray slip from her grasp and crash to the floor.
Krennick went into total shock thinking she was seeing a ghost. Her mouth was only able to function enough to form a perfect "O". After about two seconds she regained some control of her senses as she cried out, "OH MY GOD! Lieutenant Schonke? You're marrying Lieutenant Schonke?"
One of the things that Harriet didn't know to tell Krennick that morning was Mac's almost identical resemblance to the deceased Lt. Diane Schonke on whose murder case Krennick and Harm worked.
Now AJ was coming out of the tray line a few persons behind Krennick and saw the whole thing. He put his tray down on the nearest table and went over to mitigate the situation. While he perfectly understood Allison's behavior, he couldn't allow such a display to go unnoticed.
AJ got near enough for Krennick to hear him softly order her to, "Lock it up commander!"
To her credit Krennick's military training kicked in as she snapped to attention. She heard AJ say, "Follow me!" which she dutifully did.
While they walked away, the commissary workers came to clean up the mess.
For her part Sarah was a bit distressed. Trish saw that and motioned toward Deanne. Deanne got the signal and said, "Come on darlin' you, Trish and I need to have a talk. I'm dying to hear who this Lt. Shock is."
"That's Schonke mom. And she's a woman who could have been my twin," Sarah explained as she was getting her now empty tray ready to take away.
"Oh then we really need to have that talk. There's something you need to know," Deanne said.
Something in her mother's statement gave her a feeling of dread. "Uhm let's go into the conference room upstairs. Jennifer, Harriet and Loren, you're welcome to come. I think I'm going to need the support," Sarah asked.
To their credit the two lieutenants and petty officer didn't demure. They looked at each other and nodded as Harriet spoke for the three of them, "We're with you every step of the way Sarah."
Mac looked at them with a grateful smile as they left the cafeteria.
When they got to the conference room Deanne took a seat in the middle of the table. Sarah took the seat next to her with Harm at her side. Trish, Loren & Harriet took seats on the opposite side.
Deanne began with, "Okay first things first I wasn't Joe Mackenzie's first wife."
That floored Sarah and shook her to the core. She asked in a low voice, "Who was his first?"
"That would be my sister Rachel," Deanne explained.
"I don't know of any Aunt Rachel," Sarah said still astonished.
"Well you wouldn't, she was my older sister by three years. She died while giving birth. She and Joe met while they attended Yuma Central High School. They were so much in love. Right after they graduated, they got married and in order to support his new wife, Joe joined the Marines. After Joe graduated Boot Camp they went to live in South Carolina, at Camp Lejeune," Deanne explained. She had to stop to take a breath as her emotions got the best of her.
Harriet got her a cup of water that from the water cooler in the corner.
After she sipped a little she went on. "Well anyway nature took its course and Rachel was pregnant. Everything with the pregnancy went well until the day of the birth. After a beautiful and healthy girl was born Rachel began to bleed internally. It started out slow and all she felt was some discomfort after the birth. Later that night she woke up with blood on her bed sheets. They rushed her into surgery, but it was too late, she lost too much blood. They found out that she bled out into her uterus. The bleed was so small that they missed detecting it."
"What happened to the baby?" Harm asked.
"Well Joe admitted that he was in no shape to care for the girl so he allowed one of his platoon mates who was also married to adopt her. I didn't know their names. Joe never told me," Deanne said. She stopped to take a sip of water.
Harm spoke up saying, "Their names were Peter and Mary Schonke. Diane was always telling me that she liked to irk her father by choosing the Navy over the Marines after we graduated."
Everyone smiled a bit at that as Deanne continued, "So afterwards Joe wrote a letter to us back in Yuma telling us of what happened. About a year and a half after that, Joe was transferred to the Yuma Marine base. That's when he called on the family and we met and hit it off. Six months later we got married and a year after that you were born Sarah."
"So Diane was my half sister by three years," Sarah said.
"Yeah that fits. She was born in 1965, the same year as me and you were born in 1968 Sarah," Harm furnished.
"That's right. All through our marriage I always thought that Rachel was the shadow that was always looming, almost like I married both Joe and her. Every now and then he'd let slip that I didn't measure up to Rachel or he'd say, "Rachel wouldn't have done that." The night that he came home drunk and put the knife to my throat was the last time he said that to me. I got fed up and told him that Rachel wouldn't have put up with a drunk like him like I'd done all those years and that he didn't deserve either of us. Needless to say that he didn't take that very well and he pulled the paring knife and threatened to cut me up into rabbit food."
Deanne was shedding quiet tears at this point.
Sarah and the other ladies were shedding tears as well.
"Oh mommy," Sarah sobbed as she and Deanne embraced to cry out the rest of their shared grief.
As they broke apart Sarah said, "That explains a lot."
"You can say that again," Loren said in wonder.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
It was Jennifer who piped up, "Oh my God, we're late for court."
"Oh right. You two get going. I'll go explain everything to the admiral, oh and Jennifer?" Sarah said.
"Yes ma'am?" Jennifer said turning to her. Sarah walked to her and took her hand
"Thanks for coming, thanks for the support" Sarah said as she grasped Jennifer's hand in both of hers.
"You're welcome ma'am," Jennifer said with a smile as she also used both her hands to grasp Sarah's.
"And thank you everyone else for coming. I really appreciate the support," Sarah said to Trish, Loren and Harriet.
"You're welcome as well dear," Trish said for her and the two lieutenants.
As they walked out Sarah said, "And let's not dwell on this. It happened long ago and it was nobody here's fault. I want to have a nice happy wedding, even if it kills me."
Everyone laughed loudly at that in total agreement.
AN: The wedding is next.