AN: Yay, welcome to the penultimate episode of Season 2 (originally the last episode of JAG Season 2). I have an original episode planned for the season finale.
Thank you to everyone for your great reviews, especially Shelly M. Thank you so much for thinking that highly of my episodes - and I too wished I was on the original writing team - in the sense that I could have a Hollywood career by now :) Hopefully one day.
Previously on JAG - Retold
(Ep 6: Trinity)
It was New Years 1970, the start of a new decade, but there was no joy in the Rabb household. Young five-year old Harmon Rabb Jr. stared at the front door as adults - friends of his mom and dad mingled in the living room.
"Mom?" he called and the adults noticed him standing there.
"Where's daddy?" Harm asked.
oxoxoxo
(Ep 12: Code Blue)
Harm shoved his beautiful JAG partner Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie aside and found himself the loser of a battle versus a car. He rolled onto the hood and for a brief moment he could swear he was airborne. But soon he landed heavily, ungracefully, painfully.
Mac rushed to his side and rolled him over. "Hang in there, Harm. You're going to be okay." she said.
Harm stared up at her familiar features and smiled. "Hey, Diane." he sighed.
oxoxoxo
(Ep 1: We The People)
"I keep forgetting I don't know you." Harm said as his smile dimmed.
"Déjá vu again?" Mac asked.
"Only whenever I see your face. Or hear you talk. I wouldn't know about your smile, I haven't seen one yet."
Mac glanced at him and saw the defeated slump in his shoulders.
"Sounds like I have a twin out there." she said.
He didn't want to remember her that way. But he did. The love of his life, Diane Schonke, dead on that Norfolk pier, her blood seeping through her chest wound, seeping through her shirt...
"Not anymore." Harm said darkly.
oxoxoxo
(Ep 5: People v. O'Hara)
Mac let her hands fall to her lap and she looked down at them. Harm could read her body language and the sudden change in her mood made him concerned.
"Mac? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Not nothing. Tell me."
Mac looked at Harm and for the first time let him see the pain in her eyes. "My father used to hit my mother."
Complete shock ran up Harm's spine, paralyzing him for a second. "What?"
"My father was a drunk. And he wasn't a very happy one."
oxoxoxo
(Ep 6: Trinity)
"Are you angry at your father?"
Harm stared at Dr. Sandra Chang, the psychologist assigned to evaluate his mental state.
They were in her office and Harm was only here because his CO, the JAG - Admiral A.J. Chegwidden had made it mandatory for him to go to therapy. Granted it was his own damn fault this had started, he didn't have to fire an automatic weapon in court in the first place...
"No. Why would I be angry at my father?"
"Do you blame him for leaving you?"
Harm's voice was soft, almost fragile. "How can I hate him? The Navy needed him. He had no choice."
oxoxoxo
(The Game Of Go)
Mac stepped up to Harm looking dapper in his dress whites, reached up and pulled his head down towards hers. And then she caught herself. She was inches from his face. She looked up into his eyes and saw the surprise in them. She could imagine those eyes ablaze with desire...
She hesitated for a second, but then pulled away.
oxoxoxo
(Ep 8: Full Engagement)
Mac and Harm sat around a small fire, trying to keep warm.
"I saw the blood again. I couldn't get that look off my mind. The same look as Eddie." Mac said with a haunted look on her face.
"Who's Eddie?" Harm asked quietly.
"He was the closest thing I had to a friend growing up." she took a deep breath. "There was a huge party the night we graduated high school. We both got wasted. I don't recall the accident, just the cool passenger window against my face. And then we were on the pavement. There was blood everywhere."
"But the thing I remember most is that look in his eyes. He knew he was gonna die, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."
Mac added guiltily, "They say every alcoholic has to hit their own rock bottom. That was mine. Eddie had to die before I finally faced it. In a way, I killed him."
oxoxoxo
(Ep 9: Identities)
Harm entered Mac's bedroom, dressed only in his undershirt and boxers, and found Mac curled up on the bed.
"Harm?" she called, still turned away from him.
"Yeah, Mac?"
"Do you think... you could sleep in here tonight?" she asked shyly.
He realized she needed to feel safe tonight, and he was only too happy to provide it. "Okay." he answered and crawled in beside her.
She put her hand over his, keeping his hand on her midriff. "Thank you. she said and squeezed his hand.
"Anytime." and she smiled because she could feel his smile against her hair. "Goodnight Marine." he said as he pressed a gentle kiss against her temple.
He pulled the blanket over their bodies and held her in his arms until they were both asleep.
And now on JAG - Retold.
oxoxoxo
Episode 13:
Rendezvous (Part 1)
0900 ZULU
NORTH VIETNAM
An unkind sun beat down through a hazy sky, trying its best to dry out the numerous paddy fields that dotted the countryside. This was Vietnam in between monsoon season - dusty, humid, inhospitable.
A lone water buffalo, slightly too skinny to be considered healthy and too covered in mud to be considered well tended was tied up to a pole, chewing lazily on the weeds around its feet. Mosquitoes the size of Buicks swarmed around its mud coated flank, but the buffalo was too engrossed in its meager feast to even notice the flying pests.
Nearby the fetid pools that were now the breeding ground for the mosquitoes were several bamboo cages, as exposed to the elements as the rice paddies themselves. Most of the cages were empty. Those that weren't, housed men.
Not just any men. Americans.
Not just any Americans. Pilots.
They were bound, their heads bagged in crude gunny sacks that hid their faces, though left their bodies exposed. They were stripped to their waists, their once fair skin now red with sunburn. Even their metal dogtags, once proudly worn, now baked in the heat of the harsh sunlight burned whenever it touched skin.
Mosquitoes swarmed around their bare torsos, spreading malaria to those unlucky enough to catch it. Or perhaps those that met death that way were the lucky ones.
The peasants that stood watch over these cages came calling, opening one to drag out the man inside. The man when he was pulled to his feet towered over the tiny Asian men who were his captors. They prodded him with sticks and moved him towards a hut.
The man sighed in relief as he felt the cool shade of the hut take his burning skin out of the sun. It was welcome relief of but a few seconds as he was soon forced to kneel, and he heard the unmistakable sound of sharpening knives. All at once, the hood over his head was removed to reveal his gaunt unshaven face.
To reveal the face of Harmon Rabb Jr.
Harm tried to speak but his cracked lips and dry mouth made it hard at first. It was then the beating with bamboo rods started and suddenly resistance fled him. He curled up into a ball on the ground, taking the beating.
Mercifully they stopped from time to time to taunt him in an indecipherable gobbly-gook language, and Harm meant it in as offensive a way as that could be meant.
Then the words started to make sense.
"You're half the man your father was. Or have you forgotten all about him? The man who gave you life. The man who fought for his country. The man you share a name with. The man who you shame with every useless cowardly breath you take."
Harm let the insults wash over him. They hurt less than the physical beating. But only marginally less.
"You swore you'd find him. You swore that you'd never stop looking. Isn't that why you joined JAG?"
One of his captors grabbed his hair and spat in his face. Before the beating resumed.
After what seemed an eternity, they left Harm for dead. He lay curled on the floor, silently mouthing his service number over and over like a mantra until the words themselves lost all meaning.
Machine gun fire ripped through the hut, slaying all those fool enough to not be slumped on the floor. The bodies fell all around him and Harm vaguely felt a strong, comforting and warm hand grasp his arm. He let the hand pull him to his feet and when he turned to his savior, he was shocked.
She was a sight for sore eyes. She was beautiful. She was his lifeline, but Harm knew her as...
"Mac."
oxoxoxo
Harm jerked awake and his hand flailed, sending his digital radio clock crashing to the floor noisily. The LED display and plastic casing cracked rendering the clock well and truly busted.
"Shit." Harm cursed, though he had stronger cuss words reverberating in his head. His hand searched for his wristwatch on the nightstand blindly. Feeling the familiar metal face, he lifted it to look at it.
3:43 A.M.
This was going to be a long day.
oxoxoxo
1250 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
Harm stood by the coffee machine with lack of sleep already catching up to him. He poured yet another sachet of sugar into his already over sweetened coffee in the hopes that either it'll keep him awake all day, or put him into a diabetic coma by the end of it. Both seemed almost preferable at this point.
It was in the middle of this mental debate that Lieutenant j.g. Bud Roberts found his superior officer in.
"Good morning sir." Bud greeted the Lt. Cmdr. but quickly noticed just how uncharacteristically rough around the edges the senior JAG attorney looked this morning.
"Sir, are you alright?" Bud asked, concern coloring his voice.
It took a second for Harm to realize that he was no longer alone in the pantry. "Huh?" he turned sleepy eyes to the roundish junior officer and tried to give him a comforting grin. "Yeah. Just... didn't get much sleep last night."
Noticing the dim grin, Bud glanced at the taller man with even more concern, "Nothing serious I hope sir."
"Hmm? I hope not too, Bud." Harm tried again to smile but this one had even less wattage than the last one.
"Is there anything I can do to help sir?"
"Not unless you know how to turn back time..." Harm muttered under his breath.
"What's that sir?"
"Nothing. How's night school by the way?" Harm changed the subject.
Put on the spot, Bud forgot all about his superior's problems for the moment. "I always knew law was hard, sir, but I didn't know just how hard it was."
Harm chuckled as he sipped on his drink once more. The sugar really wasn't working... or was it? He suddenly started to feel a little better.
Major Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie entered the pantry looking for Bud but was pleasantly surprised to find her JAG partner Harm there too. She greeted them.
"Hey there Bud, Harm."
"Good morning, ma'am."
Harm almost jumped out of his skin the minute he saw her. "Mac!"
She eyed him curiously, "Yeah. Surprise much there, Commander?"
Harm could only stare as Mac rinsed out her mug and made small talk, "So Bud, how was your weekend? Do something fun?"
"Not if you consider studying fun ma'am."
"Not even with Harriet?" Mac raised an eyebrow at his comment.
"She couldn't make it ma'am. They keep her pretty busy up in Norfolk."
It was at this point she realized Harm staring at her as if he'd never seen another human being before. She stared back curiously.
"Uh, something wrong with my face there, flyboy?
That seemed to shake him out of his trance, "Huh? No." he said as he quickly averted his eyes. "Of course not, right Bud? No, right. Time to get back to work. Bud?" he said with unnatural cheeriness as he ushered the junior officer out of the pantry with him.
Harm gave her a small smile before leaving, leaving Mac alone and confused. She glared at her partner's retreating back.
"Well good morning to you too." she muttered under her breath even as she poured herself a cup of the black sludge that was JAG coffee.
oxoxoxo
The sugar in his coffee was starting to make his mind work, as he found himself clearing case files with an almost singleminded clarity he didn't know even existed. For once, he actually got through boring procedural follow-up paperwork without thoughts of homicide, fraticide or suicide crossing his mind.
Glad to clear it from his in-tray, Harm shoved the thick file into his filing cabinet and shut the cabinet door. When his attention was diverted.
His gaze fell upon the picture he had since the day it was taken almost 30 years ago. He was four, almost five in the picture, much too young according to his mom to go onboard the aircraft carrier but she hadn't protested all too strenuously. She loved her husband and her son far too much to keep them apart.
It was the picture of him in the cockpit of his father's F4 Phantom II, with his father looking down at him with an easy smile.
oxoxoxo
SEPTEMBER 14, 1969
USS HORNET
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Rabb Senior sat down on the bottom bunk in his cabin and pulled his son onto his knee. "Son, I'll be shipping out soon."
"Soon?" Harm looked up at his dad.
"At the end of September." Hammer said ruefully.
"Okay." Harm took it rather well. Then Hammer realized his young son had no concept of time and how the months of the year worked.
"Son, that means I... I won't be at your birthday party." he explained.
And suddenly what his father was saying shattered his entire young world. "What? No!" tears began to form in his small almost five-year old eyes.
"I'm sorry, son. I want to be there, but the country needs me. People need me."
"Why can't they send someone else's daddy? Why must they send you?" Harm tried to hold back the tears but he might as well have been holding back a dam. The tears rolled freely down his cheeks.
"Because I took up an oath, Harm. I made a promise to protect everyone and everything that's important in this world."
Harm wasn't listening. He fought his father's grasp but Hammer kept hold of his son, needing the boy to listen, needing the boy to accept it. "Son, please, I'm sorry."
That stopped the younger Rabb with the tear streaked face. He still refused to look the older man right in the eye. Hammer sighed.
"Son, I know it's hard for you to understand, but... do you know what a promise is?"
Harm shook his head petulantly. "No!"
"Harm?" Hammer said with a firmness that let the little boy know he was being serious.
"... A promise is... a wish you make with someone else and must make come true." Harm said in between sniffles.
"That's right. And do you know what I wish?"
Harm shook his head again, this time sincerely. This time looking up at his father with sad, yet hopeful eyes.
"I wish that when I come back, we'll spend more time together doing whatever you want. Do you wish that too?"
"Yes."
"Then I will do everything I can to make that wish come true."
"Promise?" Harm choked out.
Hammer wiped away the tears, "Promise. And I don't make promises I don't intend to keep." before he pulled his son into a huge hug.
And Lil Hammer hugged back with as much strength his tiny body had.
oxoxoxo
A knock at the door brought Harm back to the present. Harm turned round to see the young eager babyface of Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Tiner at his door.
"Sir, the Admiral wants to see you in his office ASAP."
Harm nodded, "Thanks Tiner." and turned back to the picture he was holding. He stared at it before setting it down in its usual spot.
Exiting his office he literally bumped into the woman he had dreamed about last night and he had spent the morning acting like a buffoon around. Again he was caught a little by surprise.
Mac looked up at her tall partner and saw the haunted look in his eyes for just a brief second. But all too soon, he had it hidden from her.
"Where you speeding off to, sailor?" she asked good-naturedly, hoping that levity would draw Harm out of his shell.
"The Admiral's office." Harm replied neutrally.
"Uh-oh. This can't be good." she said.
That broke through his steely facade, "What do you mean, this can't be good?"
"Where do you think I'm going?" she asked as she walked with him towards the Admiral's office.
"You too?"
"Me too. What have you gotten us into now, flyboy?"
Harm looked at her with mock hurt, "Hey, I resent that."
"But do you deny it?" she smiled coyly.
Their banter was lifting his mood, "Cute. But I don't see what are you're complaining about. After all, you're the Admiral's favorite."
"Jealous?"
"Should I be?" he lobbed back.
Tiner saw the two senior attorneys smiling at each other and mentally made a note to put in his weekly contribution to the office pool regarding their relationship. "Sir, ma'am, the Admiral said to go right in."
"Thanks Tiner." Mac replied as Harm held the door open for her. After they entered, Tiner was sure that sooner rather than later, Harm and Mac were gonna help him win the office pool and make him seven hundred and eighty five bucks richer.
oxoxoxo
Harm and Mac snapped to before their CO, Admiral A.J. Chegwidden. The two-star Admiral was seated behind his desk and looked up at them over his bifocals.
"At ease. Sit." he said before staring back at the document in his hand. After a few seconds though, he put it down, whipped off his glasses and leaned back in his chair.
"Commander, you're prosecuting the Holst case aren't you?"
"Yes sir."
"How's that going?"
"It's not sir. NCIS hasn't turned up any new clues, Mrs. Holst isn't cooperating and well... the CPO..." Harm trailed off.
"He's fired yet another attorney?"
"Fired or forced out, sir. I think she asked for a TDY as shipboard JAG somewhere."
A.J. took a deep breath before handing over the sheet of paper he had been studying to Harm. "Well, I have good news on your part. I just received word that Mrs. Holst has broken ranks and has applied for protective services while she files for divorce from the CPO."
Harm's face lit up, "She's giving up spousal privilege?"
"Don't look so happy yet, Commander. We aren't forcing her to testify in return for protection. You're going to have to convince her to talk."
"I'll go down to Norfolk as soon as I clear my schedule, sir."
"Consider it cleared." the Admiral said.
"Sir?" Harm looked at his CO with a mixture of confusion and trepidation.
"This case has dragged on for too long. SecNav wants this off our books now, and for once I'm inclined to agree." A.J. then dropped the bombshell. "Until the case is tried, you'll be based in Norfolk."
"But sir, my other cases." Harm began to protest, but the Admiral cut him off.
"I'm sure you can still talk to your clients over the phone. As for any pending trial dates..." A.J. turned to Mac, "Major, you're pinch hitting for the Commander.
Mac was caught off guard. "Sir, my cases..."
"Anything based in Norfolk, hand it over to the Commander. That should halve your workload."
Obviously the Admiral had thought this through because he was right.
"Yes sir." Mac replied.
"Good. Commander assist the Major in handing over, and have Tiner arrange anything you need at Norfolk. Dismissed."
They both rose and chimed, "Yes sir." before they exited the Admiral's office.
Once outside, Mac turned to Harm. "Still think I'm the Admiral's favorite?"
"Hey, he didn't banish you to Norfolk."
"No, he just saddled me with all your court dates. Reading your notes is gonna be torture enough."
"I make good notes."
"Yeah... when they're legible."
He caught the glint in her eye enough to know she wasn't being completely serious. "Well, you can always call if you have any questions."
"Knowing your writing, I'd have better luck calling cryptography."
He wagged a warning finger at her, "Get your shots in when you can, Marine. You'll miss me when I'm not around."
Mac scoffed at the thought.
As the entire office watched their interaction, Tiner knew that the office pool was going to be much much richer by the end of today.
oxoxoxo
0920 ZULU
NORTH VIETNAM
Bruised and battered, Harm leaned heavily on Mac as she dragged him out of the torture shed. Consciousness was fleeting, he saw the insides of his eyelids as much as he took in his surroundings.
When he finally stirred, he found himself on a PT boat wending its way down river. Harm tried to prop himself up and found that Mac was by his side, pressing a cool cloth against his fevered brow. Her brown eyes were alive with worry, searching his for signs of lucidity.
"Mac..."
"Hey there Hammer. Thought we lost you for a second there."
Hammer? How did she know his father's call sign? He was so distracted by that thought he didn't even catch on to the collective term 'we'.
"They haven't made a prison that could hold old hardhead here." a gruff voice spoke. Harm turned in that direction to find a very much younger Tom Boone staring down at him. "Shame about losing the mustache though, Hammer. It really did cover up that ugly mug of yours."
"Hammer?" Harm finally asked.
"He doesn't remember?" Mac asked Boone worriedly.
"Well, sweetheart, you better make him remember quick." Boone replied.
So she did. By kissing him. Hard.
Harm found himself unable to resist, and soon enough found that he didn't want to resist either. He pulled Mac in closer, clinging to her as if she was his lifeline and returned her passion with everything he had. It had been so long since... since he had someone...
"Enjoying yourself there, Rabbit?"
Harm pulled away and found Mac smiling at him. But standing a distance behind her was a young Navy Lieutenant from his past, one who had loved him once, one who shared Mac's face. She looked at him sadly.
"Diane?"
Harm found himself looking between the two women - Diane Schonke and Sarah MacKenzie, both distinct and separate but like mirror halves of each other. One that he had loved and the other whom he was attracted to.
"Diane, how?" Harm asked, unsure what was going on.
Diane looked at her double, giving the Marine a critical once over. Mac stood up and similarly assessed the woman who broke Harm's heart just nine months prior.
"You've already found my replacement so fast. It's nice to know we're all replaceable in your world, Harm." Diane sneered.
"Diane, that's not true."
"Isn't it? Isn't that why you dream about her saving you, loving you, being with you?"
"You're dead."
"And that makes it okay? Or does it make it easier? Can't imagine it does. It must be so hard to keep our names straight in your head. Tell me, when you're with her, do you think of me?"
"Yes." Harm said.
"Liar."
"Diane."
"Who's Diane?" the Navy Lieutenant asked.
Harm blanched, "Mac?"
Diane smirked, "See, even you can't tell the difference between us. You think you can, but you're not sure. There's only one way to be." she said just as she pulled out a handgun and emptied the clip into Mac's chest.
"Mac!"
oxoxoxo
Harm jolted awake and found himself in a strange bed. He panicked and bolted out of bed before remembering he had been stationed to Norfolk for the time being. This was his hotel room.
He sat back down on the bed and held his head. He took a couple of seconds to calm his breathing and his heart, but he could do nothing about his thoughts... his dreams.
Fumbling for his wallet, Harm dug out a business card for Dr. Sandra Chang - his therapist at Bethesda. Harm played with the card, contemplating calling her. He checked his wristwatch in the dark and found the time.
4:31 A.M.
Harm shook his head - at least he got a little more sleep today. It was just a nightmare, he was fine. He didn't need therapy, that was just what the Admiral forced him to do. He didn't need help. He played with the card a second longer before ripping it up and tossing it in the trash.
oxoxoxo
1230 ZULU
NORFOLK NAVAL COMPLEX, VIRGINIA
Harm entered the complex trying to decipher the signboard to get to where he was going. Harm chuckled realizing that for most of his adult life, he had been directed where to go, be it by a CO or by a RIO. He never actually had to learn to navigate except onboard ship, and he had taken to that like a duck to water.
He made his way a little aimlessly searching for his temporarily assigned office space in the admin department when he caught sight of a familiar face. He approached the blonde Ensign and cleared his throat. "Ensign Sims?"
"Commander Rabb!" Harriet Sims beamed when she saw him. "I was just looking for you, sir."
"Well, you've found me. But I'm still looking for room 108."
"Follow me, sir."
"I'm not sure if I should take you away from your duty, Ensign."
Harriet turned around and looked at Harm quizzically, "You didn't know, sir? I've been assigned as your assistant."
This was indeed news to him. However he gave her his best smile. "Well, then my day is starting to look up. It's always nice to see a friendly face, Harriet."
Harriet blushed under the good looking Commander's attention, "Thank you sir, though I'm sure I'm not your first choice as an assistant."
Harm cocked an eyebrow at that statement and she explained. "I mean, I'm not Lieutenant Roberts, sir."
Harm's confusion cleared up and an easy smile formed, "No, but then again, neither am I. So we'll learn to cope together." he said as he followed Harriet's lead towards their office.
"How is he, sir?" Harriet asked about Bud, before catching herself, "I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't mix business with personal."
"Good rule, but yes, he misses you too. Especially this weekend." Harm said as he followed Harriet around the featureless halls and suddenly he was at his office.
"Room 108 sir."
Harm admired the fact that the space was actually bigger than his usual office. He even had a window view just behind his desk. He let out a low whistle, "Maybe I should make my reassignment permanent, Harriet."
"Oh, sir, I'm sure they'll miss you at JAG. Bud says you're the best attorney there, sir."
"Ha, he better not let Mac hear that."
"Mac, sir?" Harriet asked.
"Major MacKenzie." Harm explained.
Harriet's face lit up, "Oh, is she going to be joining us?"
"Not this time. You'll just have me to babysit, Ensign." Harm said with a smile as he started populating his desk with files, and suddenly he was all business, "You're up to speed on the case?"
"Yes sir. Four months ago, Ensign Rob Felker was found strangled to death on a beach in Willoughby Bay. He was last seen in the company of Mrs. Elizabeth Holst, the wife of Chief Petty Officer Holst who was later arrested and charged with..."
"Yeah, that's enough, Harriet." Harm stemmed her motormouth recap, satisfied that she was indeed up on the case. "Now on the night of the murder, Ensign Felker and Mrs. Holst were seen... getting friendly at a popular bar."
"The Port Of Call, sir." Harriet furnished the relevant information, "It's a local wine bar."
"Sounds classy." Harm said knowing it didn't, "Have you been?"
"Oh no sir. It's... well, it's for... uhm..." Harriet couldn't blush brighter even if she tried.
Harm tried not to compound her embarrassment but he needed to know, "For?" he asked.
"For casual hookups, sir." Harriet concluded.
"How casual?" Now he was just being mean.
She didn't catch the wide grin creeping across his face, "Let's just say, if you went in alone sir, you wouldn't leave alone."
"Sounds like a fun place to be." Harm nodded before turning to the pretty blonde, "What are you doing tonight, Harriet?
oxoxoxo
0200 ZULU
PORT OF CALL BAR
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
The cheesily named bar sported equally tacky decor, so tacky that it must have been by design. The patrons however didn't seem to mind it, after a while, cheap alcohol made anything look better.
Harm sat in the corner booth hoping to remain inconspicuous. He was out of uniform lowering his profile. However that didn't mean that the women of the bar hadn't clocked him the minute he entered. Fortunately, most of the women were insecure enough to not chat him up - being shot down would do nothing for their self esteem.
The day hadn't gone well. For some reason, Liz Holst refused to return any of Harm's calls and any effort on Harm's part to glean her whereabouts was handily rebuffed by protective services. Harm sighed, how could he convince the woman to testify against her husband if he couldn't even convince her to take his calls.
Harm looked up from his drink, a mild, pleasant and obviously cheap house wine and noticed his 'date' for the evening. He eyed her little black dress appreciatively. Out of her uniform, Harriet was slimmer than he anticipated, and her choice of heels - three inches of 'what were you thinking?' made her legs seem to stretch on for miles.
"Nice dress, Harriet." he said with a bright smile.
She colored brightly at his compliment, "Thank you sir." and she took a seat next to him.
Harm leaned in and whispered, "I know we're on a case, but for tonight, call me Harm." At her questioning gaze, he explained, "It'll help us blend in."
Understanding dawned, "Yes sir, I mean, Harm."
Harm eyed the landscape, taking in the women who seemed half as desperate as the men, but were on the wrong side of hard up just the same. "So Felker was in here before Liz Holst arrived, right?"
"Yes sir... Harm. He arrived around 2230 with the Chief Petty Officer's wife arriving about 15 minutes later."
"And they were here until..."
"No one knows exactly when they left, but they think it was just after last call. They are sure they did leave together though, the Ensign and Mrs. Holst weren't being exactly discreet."
"And nobody thought to remind Felker about her marital status?" Harm asked, a little curious.
"Well s... Harm, Ensign Felker knew more than anyone what he was playing with."
"And he paid for it with his life."
Before Harriet could respond, a woman came up to their table, made brave by Harriet's presence. Harm sitting there alone was intimidating and unattainable. But seeing his 'date' in Harriet, suddenly any halfway decent looking woman in the bar thought they were an upgrade on the pretty blonde, and sensed that maybe Harm wasn't as unattainable as they first believed. Harriet set the bar low.
The woman who approached was pretty enough in her own way, though truth be told she wasn't his type. Perhaps underneath all the make-up she could rival Harriet's fresh faced beauty, but it was hard to imagine how underneath all that warpaint.
Harriet turned to the woman with jet black locks. She knew her and knew of her - the woman didn't tend to be shy about what she wanted and she obviously wanted a piece of the tall Lt. Cmdr. from JAG. Not that Harriet could blame her.
"Hey there Harriet. Fancy meeting you here." she said without even a glance at the blonde Ensign. After all, there was something more interesting to look at, even if she didn't know his name... yet. She made her play for Harm immediately, offering a handshake. "Jennie Marquette."
"Harm." he shook Jennie's hand firmly.
"You must be Harriet's sailor. I've heard so much about you." Jennie said, positioning herself none too subtly between them, effectively blocking Harriet out.
Before Harriet could refute it, Harm played along, "Met her onboard the Seahawk." he said with his flyboy grin, instantly winning over the raven-haired bimbo.
Jennie proved to be a veritable fount of information as she spilled, dished and downright gossiped about anyone who walked in the door. A couple of glasses of wine, a couple of flirtatious looks and jokes and Harm had her eating out of the palm of his hand. He didn't notice that Harriet, feeling a little bit of a third wheel felt more than a little upset. She knew what Harm was doing, understood it, might have even admired it, but it still didn't mean being ignored didn't hurt her feelings just the same.
Jennie proved helpful by providing a timeline of the night in question, fresh in her mind even four months later. Harm worried though if Ensign Jennie Marquette would be useable as a witness herself. Undoubtedly her mere presence here in this bar already lowered her credibility as a witness.
"So you didn't happen to know if CPO Holst saw his wife with Felker?"
"He wasn't in here that night... but his buddies were. I'm sure one of them blabbed."
"His buddies?"
And Harm got their names, building a witness list. If he couldn't convince Mrs. Holst to testify, then maybe he wouldn't need to.
Continued in Next Chapter