The life and loves of Carolyn Imes, Chapter 1 - "A young child's eyes".
A/N: AU. As I wrote the body of my 2018 story "Resurrection 2013 - the return of Loren Singer"(see that first chapter for all the disclaimers), the realisation grew that there was further mileage in expanding upon the back-story of Commander Carolyn Imes. My grateful thanks to "Syrae" as my helpful beta-reader. They are not mine; I am merely taking them out of the DPB box, playing with them and putting them away again. This is a fictional story, in a fictional Alternative Universe, about fictional characters who entertained us in a fictional TV series between 1995 and 2005. Mike
Characters borrowed with love and appreciation for the great team who brought us "JAG"; may your following careers blossom.
A/N: Allusion to canon: "People v Rabb" (S03Ep10), first broadcast on 25-Nov-1997 and "The Stalker" (S03Ep17), first broadcast 17-Mar-1998.
Final A/N 13-05-2019: AU. A multi-chapter story, linking into the events of my 'Resurrection 2013 – the return of Loren Singer' alternate universe. Expect updated chapters roughly every two months through 2019. Mike: England, 13-05-2019
Characters from FFNET - C Imes; T Manetti; L Singer
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Ch 1 – A young child's eyes - a Michigan birth
Thursday 1st August 1963 4:30PM CT
Green Bay Courthouse
South Jefferson St, Green Bay, WI – office of Carolyn Rosemary Imes
"Good afternoon, Carolyn Imes speaking".
"Hiya sister, you have a new niece! Six pounds, 13 ounces, all fine; she has finally stopped dancing on my bladder and – I tell you, Carolyn – she is *just* beautiful".
The mother's pride echoed down the phone line from Lansing in Michigan, despite the exhaustion in her voice from a 19-hour labour to bring her daughter into the world.
"I just wish Tom was here with me. It would validate my choice of names".
"Well, maybe your big sister Carolyn can help there. What names were you thinking of, Angela?"
"I thought about christening her Carolyn Rebecca, after Mom and you of course - that isn't too close to you, is it?"
"Aw no, sister – I'd be truly honoured. And if little Carolyn junior decides on a career in law, she can carry on the family name. Yes, go for it, with my loving blessing and endorsement. Oh, and well done, Angela!"
The older Carolyn Imes sighed: "Given my love life, young Carolyn may be the only member of our next generation. Look, I'll try to line up a Greyhound and come visit you before the snows arrive."
As the sisters promised to catch up again by phone over the weekend, Carolyn turned once more to the dockets on her desk in Green Bay.
In Lansing as she suckled her new daughter, Angela uttered a prayer. "Oh Tom, I wish you could be here with me to meet her".
Sadly, Tom had arrived home from south-east Asia beneath a USA flag earlier in the year, having become one of the 118 casualties killed in Vietnam during 1963. The low level of losses amongst US military advisers in Vietnam during the early 1960s was merely a footnote and would be largely overlooked in many historians' treatment of "the war" as the death toll (on all sides) ramped up to an industrial scale after 1965.
Yet every death had a consequence. Tom's death was the first element in the financial troubles which would dog Angela throughout young Carolyn's growing years. Despite that, Carolyn would have a happy childhood. She would look back with fondness at those formative years whenever "life" threw her a problem in her adulthood.
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Friday 1st August 1980 8:30PM ET
Banks of the Green River, Lansing MI
Her happy childhood continued through her school days. She learned an important lesson on her 17th birthday when a group of school-friends held a midsummer barbecue down by the creek on the banks of the Grand River on the Friday evening.
A slightly-inebriated boy called William took a shine to the young Carolyn (he was known as "Billy six-pack" for his fondness for obtaining and consuming packs of beer - he looked older than he was). Sadly, his physical size was not matched by suitable politeness and manners, with the result that Carolyn was force to "defend her honour" by booting him into the creek.
Her subsequent enrolment onto a self-defence course enabled her to pick and choose her male companions on a more level playing field after the "Billy six-pack" incident. Her future liaisons would definitely be conducted on *her* terms.
Night-school courses for six years kept Carolyn off the dating scene for her late teenage years and into her twenties, apart from one memorable Spring Break (which was the last time that she was to see Dana Burchill, her best friend from school days, before Dana headed off westwards for a career in California).
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By the time she took the Michigan Bar exam in 1987, the 24-year-old Carolyn Rebecca Imes had a thorough appreciation of the value of money, a love of the law and a determination to serve her country. She missed the "cut" by one point on the Michigan Bar exam, however a gap in the regulations enabled her to join up, entering the US Navy's Judge Advocate General's service. She happily donned her US Naval uniform every morning as she began her service to her country.
Carolyn developed a good reputation for investigations (particularly murders and family cruelty) and her flame-haired figure was a common sight at the investigations into Capital Crimes. Promotions followed and her career path was marked out for greatness as she was assigned to postings in several duty stations around the globe.
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By late 1997, she was in the third and final year of a posting to Rota, working at the NATO naval base in Spain and enjoying the life of a single woman with an active social life. Up until then - just as during her preceding posting to Okinawa - she had always been careful to avoid deep emotional entanglements as she entered the second half of her 30s. She had attained the rank of Lt Commander and she was working steadily towards her third ring based upon her excellent performance in Rota.
One man crossed her path and she was happy to add him to her small circle of trusted friends. A former jet-jockey, Harmon Rabb Jr had retrained as a lawyer after failing to successfully land an F14 Tomcat onto a carrier in 1991, killing his back-seater in the process.
They formed a friendship based upon mutual respect and professional detachment. By 1995, she heard that he had suffered the loss of his long-term girlfriend Diane, retreating into his shell for a while – and his letters to Spain stopped.
Their friendship had always been platonic. Understanding his grief and need for privacy, Carolyn decided to wait for Harm to pick up his pen again.
In the meantime, she continued into the second year of a loving, passionate but (by mutual agreement) limited-scope relationship with Giovanni, a delightful Italian Naval liaison officer. Carolyn was happy to be loved, but she knew that Giovanni was not "The One" to partner her through time and all eternity.
It was he who, carefully removing her spectacles one night, suggested that she consider using contact lenses, just before kissing her senseless on the floor of his rented villa. She concentrated on Giovanni, pushing Harm – and her other male friends – to the back of her mind as she concentrated on making the most of her Italian lover. She knew that "Mama Frustrada" (as she had lovingly nicknamed Giovanni's momma in Firenze) would never allow him to settle down with an independently-minded American bella!
Shortly after Giovanni's suggestion, Carolyn invested in contact lenses. Her neatly-plaited hairstyle continued, accompanying her neat USN uniform. This enabled her to adopt a demure, non-threatening appearance in court – as many a defendant discovered (to their cost) just too late after underestimating her.
It would be another two years before her path would cross again with Harm's. This time, he foolishly got himself tangled up in the case of a murdered Russian and the attempted purchase of some old KGB historical documents (of dubious provenance) in 1997.
Admiral Chegwidden brought Carolyn across from Spain to join Harm's defence, at which point she became aware of another woman in Harm's inner circle – one Major Sarah Mackenzie – just as "Mac" was tempted away to the private sector by one Dalton Lowne.
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Tuesday, 25th November 1997 - 06:24hrs EST
Detention cells, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
"Carolyn Imes – how are you doing?" Harm was genuinely pleased to see her as she walked into his detention cell accompanied by Lt. Bud Roberts Jr.
With her hair neatly drawn back and her spectacles polished, Carolyn was the archetypal neatly buttoned-down naval lawyer. Her spectacles gave away the fact that it was *far* too early in the day for her contact lenses.
Somewhat bemused, Bud Roberts looked on as the "prisoner" hugged the female JAG lawyer passionately. He rationalised that there was "a history" on display here in the cell, as he waited to introduce himself to the two friends.
"Well, I was enjoying Spain, but the Admiral needed me to help you with your troubles here. It is good to see you Harm, but what the heck have you gotten yourself into now?" She sat down at the table and opened her briefcase as Harm introduced Bud.
She knew about Harm's quest for his father and, when she finally tracked down Sarah Mackenzie at her civilian law firm, Sarah was able to fill in some of the gaps in Harm's background for Carolyn.
Despite the $900 suit and pearl necklace, Carolyn sensed that Sarah was ill-at-ease in Lowell, Hanson and Lowne. The sullen brunette's quip about "all I've done is write for four weeks" clearly indicated a measure of disillusionment with "civilian law" – namely the way that the law firm was using her skills.
Carolyn, despite her "do you have any more jobs?" quip to Dalton, could clearly see the drawbacks to what, even in 1997, was a male-dominated profession. Just briefly, she appreciated the equality policies of the US Navy's JAG Corps and she was glad to be working under their purview. It was clear that Sarah Mackenzie was uncomfortable, having recently shed her military uniform for civilian life.
"Harm is consumed by the disappearance of his father – and more so after he lost that notebook back in September".
As she gained familiarity with the former Marine, Carolyn's instincts came down strongly on the side of "don't want her as a witness". In her view, Sarah Mackenzie was a loose cannon on the gun-deck of the Good Ship Harmon!
When Sarah forced the issue, Carolyn's response was clear, forceful and decisive.
"Lady, I don't want you anywhere near the witness stand".
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Tuesday, 17th March 1998 – 21:34hrs EST
"Duty JAG" night office
JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
The following March, Carolyn was genuinely sorry for Mac when Sarah's ex-boyfriend Dalton (whom she had dumped following an unforgiveable breach of bedroom/personal trust) was killed and left lying in the street by Mac's deranged policeman stalker.
Carolyn was not surprised when Harm leapt to the rescue, eliminating Detective Coster as a threat. Even then, Carolyn observed that Mac didn't really go overboard to show Harm her appreciation.
"Boy, this woman sure knows how to pick the oddballs", mused Carolyn as she settled into the Duty JAG chair ahead of another long night.
Just a few weeks later, it was to Carolyn that Harm turned in the aftermath of his shattering discovery of the truth about Diane's death some two years previously. Whilst Mac had helped him uncover the murderer, Carolyn provided the sympathetic ear, late at night, as Harm processed the implications and also worked out his confusion caused by the similarities between the facial appearances of the two women.
Their conversation finished with an unanswerable question from Harm: "Carolyn, am I wrong to forget Diane when I look at Mac with her night-and-day-different personality?"
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Friday, 15th May 1998 – 10:13hrs EST
JAG JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
As Admiral Chegwidden read out the details of the "JAG strippergram" and his escapades the previous evening, Harm initially denied any involvement.
Carolyn was the first of the female JAGs gathered around who looked critically at Harm's tush, then expressed an appreciative view!
Harm's embarrassment was compounded when the photograph yielded the fact that the stripper's uniform had a set of mill-rindes clearly on display.
Sometimes, it was so much fun being a platonic friend of Harm! She even offered to help him seek out his missing uniform; Harm was too embarrassed to take her up on her offer, but he did manage to track down the missing Dress Whites before the formal event at which he needed them.
News of the subsequent bail hearing following the Stag Night merely added to Carolyn's enjoyment of Harm's discomfort. Carolyn was happy to leave it to Mac to arrange the bail hearings, but she chuckled when she saw the chastened men re-appear in the office.
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Tuesday, 18th May 1999 – 23:17hrs EST
"Duty JAG" night office
JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
Harm dropped by, very late, to sound out Carolyn on his planned return to flying. He and Mac had been unable to discuss the matter, so he needed a sensible view from one of his female circle of friends. By the end, Carolyn was quite certain that she had helped him, whilst scrupulously observing the first rule of counselling – "let the patient work it out for themselves".
She was glad that there were no incoming JAG duty calls that night because Harm had, embarrassingly, talked himself to sleep on her shoulder. After two hours and in considerable discomfort, she eventually *had* to nudge him and send him on his way.
A short while later, Harm set his departure date for Pensacola, one week later.
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Tuesday, 12th October 1999 – 10:00hrs EST
Main Courtroom, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
Harm's return coincided with a messy case involving the SecNav's son, who eventually resigned from the Navy.
Stepping out from the courtroom after the narrative verdict, Carolyn sighed – the outcome was frustrating. There were no winners; the Navy had lost a potential future leader whilst the CO of the ship, known as a stickler for "by the book" command styles, suffered a ding on his record. No-one had really "won".
But Harm was back in the courtroom; this facilitated Carolyn's planning of her scheduled departure to spread her wings overseas once more.
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Tuesday, 23rd November 1999 – 10:00hrs EST
JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
Carolyn had built up a stock of happy memories during her time in JAG HQ. When her next posting, to Naples, was announced for the end of 1999, she looked forward to the new challenges of the new Millennium with optimism and hope. She was 37, on track for her third full ring and keen to return to Europe. She might even look up Giovanni, to see whether Mama Frustrada had managed to marry him off to some docile Italian woman who would obey "Mamma" without rocking the boat.
Carolyn had always been certain that her hair colour precluded her serving as the "obedient, docile" wife of *any* nationality of husband; she preferred a marriage of equals – although she still didn't feel the pressure of any "ticking clocks".
Harm's promotion was announced just as Carolyn was packing up her apartment. She telephoned Harm to congratulate him and they met for one final coffee. He seemed in good spirits and they laughed about a recent case which had seen Mac running around trying to hide and protect a vial of frozen sperm.
The three broad rings on Harm's sleeves reminded Carolyn of her next objective. She reckoned that she would be able to achieve the advancement without emulating the antics and attitude of Lt Loren Singer (who had let slip her intention to become the first female JAG in history). She wished Harm well and returned to packing her apartment.
Life was good.
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Carolyn was not to return to JAG until late in 2002, some three years later. At that point, events in her life would take a dramatic turn, altering the course of her life permanently.
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Sunday, 5th January 2003 – 22:45hrs EST
ER Family meeting room, Walter Reed Hospital
8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
Admiral Chegwidden addressed the small group of JAG lawyers who had gathered late on the Sunday evening, in response to the news that "Lt Witch" had been rescued from a rock in the Potomac.
"Lt. Singer is still unconscious and we don't know why. Her lungs are clear but she has suffered a nasty gash and impact to the back of her head and has lost some blood. Physically, she has a broken wrist and a broken shoulder blade – all are compatible with going over Great Falls without a barrel". Clearly, the briefing from the attending physician in the ER had relayed his amazement that he was not scheduling an autopsy for the half-drowned Lieutenant Singer.
"Sir, what's the prognosis?" Carolyn piped up.
"Not good as things stand for her, although the foetal heartbeat is strong, so her baby seems OK if (obviously) nowhere near ready to be born." The Admiral paused. "OK people, I need to arrange volunteers to provide a JAG presence here around the clock until next Saturday lunchtime at least".
The Admiral was also thinking of the need for evidence-gathering support to the NCIS team who were also in attendance. The incident was currently classified as "unexplained".
He looked straight at Carolyn. "Commander Imes, would your domestic setup allow you to take first watch? I know that Lt Roberts and Lt Sims need to arrange their child-care".
Carolyn simply nodded supportively. "Of course, sir; I just need ten minutes, to pop to the hospital shop to buy a book. I suspect that Loren won't be waking up for a while, so I'm happy to sit CQ as I'm not in court tomorrow." Bud and Harriet nodded their gratitude and lost no time in heading home.
Carolyn braced before moving to step away from the Admiral as she headed out to the hospital shop. "Sir, this doesn't look good".
"Agreed, Commander, but let's be positive this week at least – for the benefit of her unborn child, if nothing else". Chegwidden looked tired, but he was grimly determined that Loren would not be abandoned until every medical test had been run.
He wasn't yet ready to write off the prickly Lieutenant, but the decision might eventually have to be taken, condemning her (in the worst, most-brutal case) to simply continuing to exist as a brain-dead incubator for the unborn baby girl growing within her womb.
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Monday, 6th January 2003 – 03:275hrs EST
ICU Bay 6, Walter Reed Hospital
8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
"Hello Lord, it's me again – time for a selfish chat I'm afraid".
Quietly, Carolyn laid her book down on the bed and knelt down at the side of Loren's bed. She ignored the potential for dust on the knees of her jeans and scuffs to the leather of her long boots, being grateful that she was insulated against the cold of the January night. Holding one of the unconscious woman's warm but lifeless hands, Carolyn offered up a heartfelt prayer, resting her forehead on the blanket alongside Loren's still form.
"Please God, let us have a good result here; even if the baby arrives and it takes a while for Loren to return to us, please make sure that there is eventually a good outcome – and preferably for both of them."
At that point, kneeling in the ICU at Bethesda, Carolyn Imes had no idea as to how long the granting of her prayer would take – nor the adventures and experiences which would follow. For now, she just hoped – and prayed - for a positive outcome for Loren and the unborn child growing within her.
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Tuesday, 7th January 2003 – 19:53hrs EST
ICU, middle deck, Walter Reed Hospital
8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
"Hi; I'm looking for whoever is caring for Lt Loren Singer".
"Hello, I can help with that…." Carolyn marked her page, put down her book and stood up in response to the enquiry from over her shoulder. Beckoning the NCIS agent into the conversation, she turned to address the source of the voice….
… and stopped dead, mouth open and hand outstretched.
She found herself addressing 220lbs of prime Marine. Six feet tall, he stood half-a-head above Carolyn despite her heels, with a confident easy style as he held out Loren Singer's battered, muddy cover, which had clearly been rescued from the Potomac. His other hand was held out in greeting as they introduced themselves.
Carolyn felt her hand being taken in greeting. Somewhere below the belt line of her uniform skirt, a fire was starting. Her pulse rate jumped by 20% and she could feel herself blushing as she struggled to smoothly maintain coherent thought and speech. Just occasionally, she cursed her mother for her colouring!
"Hi, I'm Commander Carolyn Imes, USN JAG Corps. I'm one of Loren's colleagues and we are maintaining an oversight whilst she recovers from her swim. Thank you for coming, Lt Colonel….?"
"Oh, err, Peter Andersen, USMC. Hi Commander, pleased to meet you. I found this when I rescued Loren, then shoved it into my jacket and promptly forgot about it. I need to find it a home and I guess that you'll know a good safe place?"
Then he smiled at her, as he handed Loren's cover to the NCIS agent who was standing at Carolyn's side and then looked her in the eye.
At school, many years ago, her best friend Dana had used a phrase which, right now, seemed so appropriate: "a brain-fart".
At that point in early 2003 at Bethesda, gazing up into the Marine officer's eyes, Carolyn Imes' brain shut down!
Struggling to string together a coherent sentence, Carolyn regained the power of speech with a simple question.
"So Colonel, might I offer you at least a coffee as thanks for bringing Loren's cover back to us?"
"Yes please Commander: that would be most welcome." He paused, a slight smile playing across his face as he summoned up his courage to ask his next question. "But as we're not posted together, would you please consider doing me the great honour of addressing me as Pete – please?"
Some months later, she and Pete would forever laugh at her initial response to his simple question whenever they thought back to their first meeting in the hospital. Carolyn's brain was still recovering when she stammered out her reply to his simple question:
"Oh yes, please!"
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**End of CH1 of "The life and loves of Carolyn Imes"
Ch 1 - "A young child's eyes"**
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