"Nine gold rings" Ch11 – "Telling Grams why she loves him"
A little "what if", inspired by Season One, this AU story explores some plausible (if not-publicly-canon) moves on the "pairings" front in mid-season, beginning in the spring of 1996 then moving forward. No links to my other stories as at mid-July 2022.
A/N: "they aren't mine, I'm just playing with them - apart from any character created by myself". See Ch01 for all the disclaimers.
Summary: this is a fictional story, in a fictional (slightly) Alternative Universe, about fictional characters who entertained us in a fictional TV series between 1995 and 2005. Comments and PMs and suggestions are most welcome. All mistakes are mine. Mike
Canon: Canon episodes: none – pure fluff in the Pennsylvania countryside!
A/N: 25-JUL-2022. Finishing the July 2022 trilogy and closing the Rabb farm contribution first drafted by Beachbum-912 a few years back (which may explain some of the phraseology used in these chapters)… Next chapter we shall be back in the DC area, running up to Christmas of 2001 and the ending of that traumatic year for America.
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A/N 25/07/2022: Note: Harmon Rabb jr and Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes head back to Belleville for a pre-Christmas call on Grams. More family history is revealed – along with a hope for the future.
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Ch11 – "Telling Grams why she loves him"
Saturday 15th December 2001, 09:55hrs EDT
Rabb Family Farm, North Township Drive, Bealesville, PA
"Well Harm; this was worth the early start! Oh brother, it has been quite a month so far."
At the start of December, Grams had advised Harm and Beth that she was "way too old (and way too stiff) to go traipsing over snow-bound roads to DC – or La Jolla". Because Harm and Beth were booked to spend Christmas across on the West Coast at La Jolla, this had meant another weekend drive across into rural Pennsylvania – a task which both the expectant parents were happy to accomplish.
At the back of Harm's mind was the pragmatic reasoning that no-one knew how many Christmases Sarah Rabb had left in her. He had been busy chatting with his fiancée as they shared the driving. Beth was insistent on taking her share, with the immortal line "Harm, I am pregnant, not sick."
"Yep; you know Beth, it seems already that we are seeing another side of Loren. Tom definitely likes her, from his comments the other evening."
"I agree; she looks like she will settle into the Puzzle Palace like it is her home; plus, I have to say that I like her. I can't put my finger on it, but she seems to be keeping something back, both during those interviews and when she visited me for the orientation trip. Maybe she has realised that she misjudged her approach at JAG and is looking for a way to change. This could mean that we'll see a whole new side to Loren Singer when she joins the team in January."
Harm reached across the centre console of the Lexus, to gently squeeze her hand.
"Beth Hawkes, you are a GOOD person. You know, you might very well be right about Loren; I think she is single (although she keeps her personal life completely private as far as I know). It will be interesting to see how she develops friendships – and you, my dear Beth, will have a front row seat. I do hope that there is someone out there to love her."
"Well, I can only offer a role model – because I have experienced plenty of love these past many months, O darling father of my child."
Skates paused, to concentrate on driving as she steered the Lexus across the infield and parked on the still-frosted grass at the side of the Rabb family homestead. Grams was already sitting on the porch in her rocking chair, shotgun locked and loaded – she had already warned them about her problem with an egg-stealing raccoon. She broke the shotgun – for safe weapons-handling – and stood up slowly to greet the visitors from DC.
"Hello the lovebirds; welcome; come in and have a coffee then Harmon, you are due out in the wood-store whilst young Elizabeth and I continue our conversation from our last meeting. Don't worry Harm, I won't hurt her!"
With coffee consumed and axe sharpened, Harm headed out to the woodshed; Beth settled in an armchair in the corner of the kitchen and soaked up the warmth from the stove. Grams was working on creating one of her family special apple pies.
The two women – who shared so much including Rabb DNA – fell easily to talking. On their first visit the previous month, Beth had been a bit shell shocked by Harm pretty much dropping his grandmother on her. This second "flying visit" (at ground level – Beth was still owed a trip in the Stearman) gave her a chance to follow up with Grams. She did know family was important to the father of her child and she wanted to know everything about him. Somehow, consulting the "Rabb family genealogy Oracle" seemed the best way to accomplish her goal.
Grams divulged something which Harm had said to her on the first visit with Beth: "besides I am always going to be OK when I have Skates with me!"
Grams knew that Skates had been his RIO and Harm had explained that she was always was the first to see the bad guys in the air. Sensing that Skates was inexplicably nervous, Grams put Skates immediately at ease: "Well, he did say that if she can put up with him in a cockpit then she has a chance of putting up with his Grams."
"His Grams" was sort of interrogating Elizabeth at their second meeting. That's how it felt to Beth. Having heard a few stories from Harm about Skates (or Elizabeth as Grams wanted to call her), she began her questions.
"Elizabeth, do you have a middle name? The Rabb men have long used 'David' as a middle or first name".
"Yes, it's Paige; don't know why I never use it. I've always been 'Skates' since I strapped on my first set of roller-skates and throughout my flying career. But please let's stick with Beth as I join the Rabb family" Beth replied, smiling as she relaxed into the "interrogation". She placed her hands on her waist; "let's face it, I won't be flying in an ejection seat for a while."
"A lovely name Elizabeth, so can you tell me more about how you met my grandson? I suspect that Harmon has never given me the full gory story."
"Beth replied "Well Mrs. Rabb…."
Grams interrupted "No Beth, please call me Grams and sorry for interrupting."
Beth continued "Then please call me Beth and that is alright. The first time we met he was on an investigation. The investigation was about a female pilot. Unfortunately I was assigned to fly with her as her RIO. She was not a good pilot and died in a crash while trying to land on a carrier. I would have died too if it hadn't been for Harm. Some instinct had made him head across towards the tail of the deck behind the LSO platform, so he was able to see my parachute heading over the side as the wind caught it. He jumped off the flight deck, landing on the safety nets and caught my parachute before it ripped free. He pulled me back up and he saved my life. Otherwise I would have been pulled into the carrier's screws and turned into fish food."
She paused, shuddering as her irregular nightmare surfaced once more from the dark recesses of her mind. Then she continued.
"The next time I met him, I was up on charges for sexual harassment and he proved my innocence and saved my career. I then heard through scuttle-butt that he was coming back to flying. I got copies of all the manuals for him - some by less-than-legal means - and then I took them to him at JAG HQ. By this time I had a huge crush on him. He really was my knight in shining armour. The downside came when we were assigned to the same squadron. I pulled a few strings to end up flying with him, hoping he would annoy me enough to make me not have that crush."
Grams interrupted again "Wow that is some story!"
"Well it's not over yet. We spent six months flying together and talking about everything. He did not annoy me at all: in fact it was the opposite effect – rather like the annoying big brother that I didn't want! I was so mad when he left us to return to being a JAG. I know the CAG told him that he had no future in flying but I didn't want to lose him. If I had thought he would return my feelings then I would have told him right there and then. I thought he and Mac were going to end up together. They seemed to have a connection. Then when he was back doing his Quals in September, he told me that Mac was marrying someone else. He had this crazy promise that he had made, to be at her wedding. So that was why he and I were flying on that doomed Tomcat mission back to the mainland when we went for our swim, when that bucket of bolts fell out of the sky. I was fully intending to tell him how I felt when we landed - but then we were struck by lightning and ended up in the water in a bad storm."
Beth paused, sipping her coffee. "The only thing that kept me going in the water was Harm's voice. It took them a long time to find him. Once they had we almost lost him and I convinced the doctor to let me share body heat with him. Jesus, he was so cold! Frankly Grams, I reckon the medics had decided that he was circling the drain, on his way out. They locked us in the room overnight and my body heat saved him – despite Harm claiming it was down to him hearing me: just me telling him not to leave me – and that I needed his help and asking him to save me."
Grams waited a second after Beth finished her story, then said "WOW! Harmon never told me about the last crash, but since you saved him then I forgive you. I am guessing you told him about your feelings right after that?"
Beth shook her head no. She was actually embarrassed by that. Grams continued "Why in heavens name didn't you?"
"Well Grams by the time we alone again and I was going to tell him, we were back on dry land – and then Mac walked in claiming to have saved him – by locating him with her psychic visions!"
By now Grams was mad at Mac more so than she normally was. Although having never met the woman, Grams had heard about this woman and what she did to Harm and did not like her.
"Well child I can tell you one thing. You mean more to him than that Mac woman ever has. First off he is introducing you to me and second he brought you up here. That has only happened one time and that was Diane, over ten years ago. However let me tell you the way he looks at you is more loving than he ever looked at her. You simply being near him makes him smile."
Beth smirked at that last comment. Grams liked her but how would that change when she told her about how the baby had been conceived? Beth decided to chicken out on that part of their story.
Grams was now certain that Beth was a good girl for her grandson - and she had learned that Elizabeth liked to be called Beth.
Grams said "Beth, sorry for interrogating you like that but I have to protect my grandson. He would have been the last line in the once proud family of the Rabbs."
Harm wandered in at about that time and heard what his Grams said. Harm hadn't told her about how Beth had become pregnant. Beth didn't know Harm had walked in.
Beth said "Well Grams, as you know Harm won't be the last Rabb now. This wasn't planned but Harm and I are going to have a beautiful Rabb baby and I am looking forward to continuing the Rabb dynasty."
Grams reached across and hugged her. "Well then, young lady, let me formally welcome you to the family. You will be a great addition to this family as well. I know you and Harm will need to talk about this but Welcome to the family. Since you are carrying my great-grandchild you are definitely in the family now." Grams announced
"Thank you Grams! Oh Harm I know you are back there. I can smell your aftershave" Beth stated happily.
Grams smirked at Harm and said "She'll fit right in Harmon. I like her a lot: she has spunk. I think she'll keep you out of trouble if you let her."
"I can't argue with that Grams. I am glad you two are getting along." Harm answered
Just then, Beth excused herself to visit the bathroom. Frowning, Grams turned to Harm and hissed between clenched teeth: "Harmon, I thought you were better brought-up and knew better than knocking a girl up?"
"Grams, I didn't mean to get Beth pregnant but I will never abandon my child or her. Throughout my posting on the carrier, I suppressed my feelings for her because she was my RIO and shipmate. The first time I saw her in a dress and heels – rather than a flight suit, with her hair down – she simply blew me away with her beauty. Besides, she also led me to believe she had a fiancé, all the time that we were flying together. But don't get mad at her! We were simply unavailable to each other."
He smiled proudly: "That is all in the past now. I want to do the right thing, not only because she is carrying my child but because I love her more than anyone before. On board the carrier, I had to hide my feelings: I don't have to anymore." Harm stated.
"That's good Harmon. She is the right person to wear the Rabb ring." Grams retorted
Grams then pulled Beth back into the kitchen while Harm hauled the bags upstairs. He would be only a few minutes and Grams wanted company while making dinner. Beth tried to help but Grams told her "no, not this trip you are my guest this time. Next time you are family and will be expected to help."
Beth laughed at that statement. Meanwhile upstairs Harm put the bags in the bedroom. After dinner Grams ushered Harm and Beth out of the kitchen. Harm suggested a walk before it got dark.
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They headed out for their walk. Benefitting from their arrival early in the day, Harm was giving Beth the tour of the farm. He started with the barn.
Harm said "Alright I am going to give you the nickel tour of the farm." Beth broke in "Ok but I don't have a nickel to pay you!" It was a cheesy but still funny. Harm had to chuckle and then continued. "Here is the barn where both my dad and I rebuilt Sarah. Admittedly his task was harder than mine because I had his notes to guide me. The stables used to be over there. When Grams was younger she kept some horses. Nothing special but they were fun to ride the trails on."
They continued the tour with Harm telling Beth all about the area they were in. He skipped the graveyard and Beth saw that he did. She didn't say anything because she knew how much his dad meant. The cemetery also held a marker for his Grandfather, who had failed to return to his carrier during the 1942 Battle of Midway – thereby starting an unwelcome tradition for Rabb males.
The pregnancy was barely affecting her fitness, but she knew that she would be slowing down over the coming months.
They ended up at an overlook above the small lake. The sun was setting and it was beautiful. At this point Harm turned to Beth and said "Beth, this place is the farm is very special to me. I came here every summer of my childhood and I hope one day to retire up here. I always come up to visit Grams when I have something to celebrate or I need a recharge."
"This weekend is definitely celebrating." Beth tried to break in but Harm put a finger across her mouth. She realised that he was trying to say something important.
Harm continued "Beth when you told me the news that I would be a father, I was shocked to say the least. However it was also a very pleasant surprise to me. You see, I had all but given up on becoming a father. I know you think I was hung up on Mac but I was not. She played with me like a yo-yo. The only think about Mac which I like is her looks - because she looks exactly like Diane but other than that she is completely different and has driven me crazy for years. Enough about that though, you were always unattainable for me. I was either on an investigation or we were shipmates or a team then there was your story about the fiancé. What I am trying to say is even though we have never dated, I love you. I know you better than most married couples know each other and I'm sorry that our original 'team wedding rings' went down with the Tomcat in September. We spent so much time flying together that we learned pretty much everything about each other that we would have learned in the course of dating. Then you jumped my bones in sickbay so we know that works for us."
He paused for effect: Beth blushed and looked away – which was just the reaction that he was hoping for. Then she surprised him once again.
Beth slid smoothly into his arms to kiss him. Harm caught her and returned the kiss. Soon they were walking back to the house and Beth was getting cold. Harm had his leather jacket on and took it off and wrapped it over her shoulders. She hadn't said a word about being cold - just one shiver and yet he instantly took care of her. It made her smile even more. She couldn't stop smiling for anything.
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Grams knew instantly that the farm was working its magic on the newly-engaged couple. She passed on a message. "Harm, while you two were out, your mother called, to make sure you are lined up for La Jolla at Christmas."
She looked at Beth and continued: "Beth darling you have nothing to worry about. If his mother steps out of line, you just need to tell me and I will get my frying pan out. Remember, Trish is still my daughter in-law."
"I am not worried Grams. Harm explained the ring to me. He may need your help more than me." Beth retorted.
The evening meal was consumed in a lively, companionable atmosphere. Harm knew that he had a court date on Monday, dealing with a pilfering Petty Officer.
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A/N: my grateful thanks to Beachbum912, who had assembled an unfinished script in 2016.
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End of "Nine gold rings" Ch11 – "Telling Grams why she loves him"