"The long road to justice" – Ch12 – "A near loss, a new life"
AU: a speculative story, imagining the unpublished back story of Faith Coleman in the JAG supporting cast, who crossed over into the early days of NCIS. (See Ch01 for disclaimers).
A/N: "they aren't mine, I'm just playing with them - apart from any character created by myself".
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 and its spin-off. Because there is no "back-story" to so many of the JAG characters, I have let my imagination roam around Faith Coleman's possible back-story - and I hope you enjoy it. This will eventually circle around into the events of my story "Red Mittens and a Rose Garden - the Trisha Pike chronicles". Comments and PMs and suggestions are most welcome; I shall update periodically. Mike
Canon:
"UnSEALed" (2004) –NCIS S01Ep18 first broadcast 06-Apr-2004:
"Hail & Farewell Pt 1" (JAG S09Ep23) first broadcast 21-MAY-2004
"Whole New Ball Game" S10Ep04 – aired 29-OCT-2004 – appointment of MajGen "Biff" Cresswell
"Call of Silence" (2004) - NCIS S02Ep11 first broadcast 23-Nov-2004 (Ernie Yost, Iwo Jima, flashbacks and school friend)
"Hometown Hero" (NCIS S02Ep21) FB 03-May-2005
A/N: With grateful thanks to my beta, "Syrae".
A/N published 28-AUG-2022: Transitioning Faith into the post-JAG (or "season 11") world of her contributions to "NCIS" - and onwards with her life.
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Ch12 – "A near loss, a new life"
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Tuesday 6th April 2004 - 17:16hrs EST
NCIS HQ, Navy Yard Washington DC
During her involvement with the Curtin case, Faith had been quite impressed with the new NCIS agent on Gibbs' team – a former Secret Service agent called Kate Todd. Along with the Goth-dressing forensics specialist Abigail "Abby" Sciutto, Faith found herself discussing weekend spa visits and was involuntarily dragooned into the "female NCIS minority" club. This included a promise to include Paula Cassidy when she returned from a mission afloat - which meant that Faith's social circle suddenly expanded. She was not at all resistant to the idea. A female peer-group would always be a good support structure.
Clearly, she would be seeing more of the "NCIS ladies" in the future. Her developing circle of friends was a perfect counterpoint to her deepening relationship with Jack McBurney.
She looked forward to a varied workload (and maybe more joint work with NCIS) as 2004 developed. The Admiral was quite content to allocate her as the "go-to" JAG officer for any involvement with NCIS, having extended her TDY at Falls Church to Christmas of 2004.
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Friday 21st May 2004 – 21:45hrs EDT
Admiral Chegwidden's Dining Out evening, Washington DC
Faith was the designated driver for the evening, so she had enjoyed her one glass of wine. It was gratifying, she felt, for Bud Roberts to finally be promoted to Commander. His resilience, which was supported as ever by his loving wife Harriet (who announced her own news by transferring to the reserves in order to concentrate on her recently-discovered pregnancy with twins), had been an enduring part of Faith's time at JAG.
She noticed Harm and Mac sitting on a bench outside the hotel; they seemed deep in thought and deep in each other. She hugged Jack's hand: "I really do hope that they get it together and solve their problems," she whispered.
Jack looked across, then turned back to her. "Well, they've taken one heck of a long time to *not* get it together," he quipped. As they closed the car doors, he leaned across the centre console and gently took Faith's hands, pulling her carefully towards his passenger side of the car. He caressed the knuckles of her bare left hand, then leaned in and kissed the hand.
He looked up into Faith's eyes. "Faith, I reckon that it is time to turn the Germantown proposition of 2003 into a proposal in mid-2004 - if you'll have me. What say you?"
In the darkness of the car, she smiled before answering.
"Yes Jack, I would like that. With Sturgis Turner serving as the interim JAG, we may find some mad bureaucracy to fit in with, but what the heck – yes please, I *will* marry you."
They sealed the deal with a kiss, before Faith drove them home to where she could show him how appreciative she was that he had waited patiently since that "proposition" on the bridge in Germantown after Loren Singer's funeral.
She was very proud, when she went to sign in at the Falls Church CP the next week, to be seen with her diamond engagement ring on display. It was almost a shame that Harriet had transferred out – the gossip factor would have been huge.
She wondered what Harm and Mac had needed to talk about, on the Friday evening.
Sturgis Turner would do a good job – in Faith's eyes – as the interim JAG until the permanent incumbent arrived at the end of October. Faith appreciated – and could understand – Sturgis' approach and methodology, although she appreciated the fact that others (such as Harm or Mac) might be driven to distraction by his style of management.
She shrugged: ah well, you cannot please everyone. She and Jack had decided to refrain from discussing spousal co-location until the new JAG was in place; they saw no sense in rocking the boat and it was clear that Falls Church was working well.
But her honeymoon planning beckoned.
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In the fourth year of America's "War on Terror", the pace of military operations continued to ramp up. The appointment of a USMC Major-General as the new JAG set the scene for fresh changes in Falls Church.
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Monday 1st November 2004, 09:46hrs EDT
JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
Cresswell, having arrived at "Zero Dark Thirty" on his first morning in JAG HQ, had maintained a pattern of early starts; he had also dropped in occasionally at the boxing ring at the local gym. Jennifer Coates, his Yeoman, had adjusted her working hours to match; Cresswell was appreciative, whilst cautioning the young woman that she should "be sure not to forget you have a life outside your uniform". That kind of consideration paid dividends in terms of his Yeoman's loyalty. A solid working relationship had formed by Cresswell's third day on the job.
He had now read through all the personnel files and SRB jackets for his officers and the lawyer teams were imprinted in his brain. It was time to shake the tree.
"Coates, please ask LtCdr Coleman and Major McBurney to join me in my office at 10:00hrs".
"Aye-aye, sir".
Jennifer Coates passed the message to the first floor team, enabling Faith and Jack to acquire cups of coffee in good time ahead of the meeting with General Cresswell.
The discussion was thorough and gave Cresswell a good view of how two of his attorneys worked together. Keeping their engagement quietly in the background during working hours, it was clear that Jack and Faith were well-regarded by the staff in Falls Church and he was certain that Faith was ready for higher things. He just needed to stretch her capabilities and experience before recommending her for Commander's stripes.
"So, how are the wedding plans progressing?"
"Very smoothly sir; we are looking at Independence Day next year."
Cresswell smiled warmly; "Excellent. Well, do remember that promotions boards like to see stable married couples when considering the candidates for senior ranks."
Whilst Faith maintained her Vulcan face in the meeting, inside she was quietly rejoicing. 2005 would be a good year!
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Monday 1st November 2004, 19:16hrs EDT
Apartment of Faith Coleman and Jack McBurney, Chevy Chase, MD
Later that evening, their conversation resumed over dinner in the apartment.
"Well, that gives us a timetable without too much pressure, doesn't it?"
"Yes, but it also makes good sense, darling."
An hour later, Faith and Jack were still in conversation.
"So, we still look good for the summer. Still OK for July 4th?"
"Works for me."
So it was that, on Monday 04-JULY-2005, Faith Marie Coleman would be marrying Jack McBurney. Carolyn Imes-Petersen would be her maid of honour whilst Traci Manetti would be Jack's Best Woman.
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Tuesday 23rd November 2004 – 15:45hrs EDT
NCIS HQ, Navy Yard Washington DC (NCIS S02Ep11 23-Nov-2004 )
During early November of 2004, Faith became involved with the case of retired USMC Corporal Ernie Yost. The loss of his wife had clearly pushed him over the edge and he had come to SECNAV's attention - as a recipient of the MoH - when he wrote in to confess to murdering his buddy on Iwo Jima.
Tracey Manetti – now assigned back to the Pentagon to run interference for her godfather – had handled the original letter and had rapidly called in Faith. Despite the NCIS crew and their sympathies for Ernie, an investigation was necessary.
Faith did not appreciate being ordered to collect Ernie from JAG HQ and take him into custody, but "orders are orders".
Good investigative efforts by both JAG and NCIS eventually resulted in Gibbs' recreation of the atmosphere on "Sulphur Island". This was enough to jog Ernie's tattered memories and for him to realise that the guilt which had driven him was based upon a mis-remembered set of events in the heat of battle.
Through her tears, Faith realised that Ernie Yost was definitely suffering from PTSD and she closed the case, thereby leaving Ernie to see out his days in peace, comforted by the refreshed memory that Wade Dooley had endorsed Ernie's choice of their former school sweetheart as his wife. It was further proof that good, long-lasting marriages were possible – a thought which gave Faith considerable confidence in planning her own nuptials.
Later that evening, she headed home to change in Chevy Chase before heading back into the city. She arrived behind schedule at the Japanese restaurant, walking in to witness Ernie aiming a "pulled punch" at Gibbs' chin as both men laughed. She joined them for a celebratory glass of sake and then dived into a portion of teppanyaki -cooked steak. This was one of the better outcomes to her caseload in 2004.
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Friday 29th April 2005 – 21:45hrs EST
Benzinger's Bar, Falls Church, VA
April saw the end of an era, as the "Harm-Mac dance" came to a conclusion – spurred on by Cresswell. May would see the workload in Falls Church step up.
Harm and Mac had departed for London after yet more angst and anguish regarding their relationship and their future – forced into decisions by Cresswell's action in setting them PCS locations which were eight time-zones apart. Eventually they would settle and marry in London, only for their family hopes and plans to be repeatedly de-railed by Mac's worsening endometriosis. (A/N: see my story "Red mittens and a Rose garden" for the further details of that storyline).
Faith and Jack were certain that Falls Church would continue to be the base for McBurney-Coleman operations in Cresswell's new regime.
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Tuesday 3rd May 2005 – 15:45hrs EST
NCIS HQ, Navy Yard, Washington DC
As NCIS JAG liaison, Faith had been allocated by SECNAV to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accusation against PO Dobbs. A 24-hour window was not helpful, but Gibbs and the team pulled it off.
They reviewed the case over coffee in the conference room. She pushed and tested Gibbs, obtaining his grudging respect, although he sometimes tested her resolve extensively:
"Look Gibbs, Dobbs died as a result of enemy fire in Iraq. What bearing does that have on a girl who was killed two years ago in Richfield, Virginia?"
"You can never be too thorough".
Faith resisted the temptation to reply "baloney" and continued to push back, testing Gibbs and encouraging him to work through his reasoning.
"You're pushing it, Gibbs. Why are you sticking your neck out for this guy?"
Gibbs swallowed his coffee, then stared into her eyes. She could sense his certainty before he spoke. "Several Marines witnessed Petty Officer Dobbs saving lives. No one witnessed him taking one."
She nodded: "OK Gibbs, you have made your case; I will support you".
Faith was pleased to report back and recommend that there were no charges which could be brought – the young woman had been killed by a family member. Abby Sciutto had, furthermore, confirmed that the plastic sheeting used to re-wrap the girl's dead body had not gone into production until four months after Dobbs had shipped out on his final, fateful deployment to Iraq.
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Ultimately, she swapped into her civvies and then accompanied Gibbs to the Silver Star ceremony, which she found quite inspiring.
The triumph of acquitting the allegations against PO Dobbs was followed, within the same month, by the shattering news of Caitlyn Todd's assassination by the Mossad double agent, Ari Aswari.
The murder of Caitlyn Todd on 24th May 2005 provided the catalyst for the next stage of Faith's life, as they snuggled on the couch following Caitlyn's funeral.
"Jack, I have seen enough death and destruction; you know me better than anyone whom I have allowed to get close. I want to start creating life – and for that, my darling Marine, I choose to be a married woman."
Jack looked at her, his face suffused with love, affection and strong desire. His answer consisted of just one word.
"When?"
Faith smiled enigmatically.
"Well, I have an idea…"
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Monday 4th July 2005 – 11:45hrs EST
"The JAG Church", Falls Church, VA
"Honour Guard, blades to the wind".
"Presenting, for the first time in public, LtCdr Faith McBurney-Coleman and Major Jack McBurney-Coleman".
The celebrations ran through the afternoon. Ultimately, the time approached for Jack and Faith to depart on their honeymoon – ironically, to Germantown for a fortnight. It had seemed a very appropriate location – where they had started to get really serious, after Loren Singer's funeral in 2003. That night, they settled into their honeymoon bed in the little guest house where their relationship had previously moved forward at the time of the funeral some two years before.
Neither of them realised that, deep within Faith's body, a new life was already growing.
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Tuesday 16th August 2005 – 14:23hrs EST
ER, Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre
8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
The General, summoned to the ER, barely recognised the blood-spattered woman, in her USN summer whites, as the usually-immaculate Faith McBurney-Coleman. Fresh blood was smeared across her "fruit salad" medal rack, where she had desperately cradled Jack's head as she first reached him on the floor of the court-room. Her customary "Vulcan calm" was totally disrupted as she stood by the curtained area. A very irregular heart rate was beeping out from behind the curtain.
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She had just walked into the court-room when the shooting started - and had seen Jack fall. Quick reactions by Faith and the Marine guard (after he had put three rounds into the would-be escaping convict) had stabilised Jack, but Faith still had more of his blood on her jacket than was ideal.
The cuffs of her summer whites were also smeared with his blood, as was the area around her medal ribbons, where she had cradled his head as the medics got to work on his wounds as she desperately tried to encourage her wounded husband.
"Jack, come back to me."
Cresswell tried to be supportive. "Commander, he is in the best place and will receive the best treatment."
She turned to stare frantically into his eyes, tears pouring down her face, which was deathly-pale and showing all the freckles in her makeup-free complexion as she considered his assurances. He realised that there was almost more colour in her summer whites uniform than in her face.
She nodded to Jack's gurney.
"But General, you don't understand; I cannot lose another husband. Jack *has* to survive. He doesn't yet know that he's going to be a father."
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End of "The long road to Justice" Ch12– "A near loss, a new life"
Mike, United Kingdom, 28-08-2022