Title: 'People vs. Chegwidden' - Conclusion
Author: Daenar
Disclaimer: See Part One
From part eighteen:
Mac couldn't believe what she was seeing. Time seemed to freeze as Harm slowly walked towards her, his gaze firmly locked with hers. She didn't notice that the TV director motioned for the cameras to close up on the Rabbs' faces, the moment being too moving not to let the national public share it. As Harm went past Mac, he cast her the quickest of smiles before taking a firm stance in front of a frighteningly pale Krennick.
"Com..." Allison's first attempt to swear Harm in failed as her voice left her. She embarrassedly cleared her throat and tried again. "Commander Rabb, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"
Harm turned his face to Mac as he answered, his words reminding him of another situation back in Venice when he had said them to no one else but her: "I do."
Part Nineteen - Conclusion:
Mac took a deep breath as she walked up to Harm. The cameras once again closed up on their faces. "Commander Rabb, before your... accident you were defending Lt. Cmdr. Maryann Cramer against charges of dereliction of duty. You had been appointed temporary JAG as Admiral Chegwidden was being detained and you investigated the Walden murder. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Colonel Rabb." Harm inwardly grinned at hearing himself address Mac with his own name. It still felt wonderfully new to him.
"Can you please tell us what happened on Thursday, February 18th?" 'I hope it won't be too painful,' Mac silently added.
Harm frowned. "I had been trying all day to get a hold on the Walden case. I wasn't convinced by the evidence at hand that seemed to point in the admiral's direction. So I tried to find further evidence that might indicate another suspect. I didn't succeed that day. Eventually I decided to occupy myself with my research on the Cramer case instead. I went out to the NFESC and was all the more surprised to find out about the documents that Cmdr. Cramer gave away. I deepened the research from that point and came by the name of Minton Greenwood Inc. as a part of the tri-firm consortium that Branwick Industries belongs to. I was already suspecting that, during her absence from an important experiment that caused an accident, Cmdr. Cramer might have stolen the data to get it to Branwick Industries, as I had found out that Cmdr. Cramer's family owns the company. I secured the evidence I had found and went home. On the sidewalk in front of my house, Cmdr. Cramer shot me."
Stifled gasps were again heard as the cameras all at once focused on the stone-like figure of Maryann Cramer.
"Objection, your honor!" Krennick shouted. "Cmdr. Cramer is not on trial here!"
"Your honor," Mac quickly cut in, "If the commander were granted the time to finish his story there would be no need for any further objections whatsoever."
Judge Helfman's eyebrows shot up. "I'll allow it," she said, trying to hide her curiosity. "But make it quick, please. Overruled."
"Continue, please, Commander Rabb," Mac addressed Harm, giving him a smile that warmed him from inside.
"I don't know exactly if it was one or two days later that my wife came to see me in the hospital. I had been in a coma and had no control whatsoever over my body. I couldn't make anyone notice that I was conscious. But my wife nevertheless talked to me, filling me in about the newest research results in the Walden murder case. As soon as she mentioned Minton Greenwood being involved in an environmental crime that Sydney Walden had uncovered I made the connection to the Branwick case. I had wondered myself how a small firm like Branwick could stay in competition with the global players. But with the knowledge that they saved money, firstly by using illegal substances such as dimethylformamide in their production processes, and secondly by being enormously favored by Minton Greenwood, I understood that Sydney Walden's possible disclosures were an imminent threat to Branwick's efforts to prevent bankruptcy.
"By then, I had recovered the ability to move my eyelid and managed to communicate my knowledge to my wife by winking 'yes' or 'no'. The JAG staff went on investigating and somehow Lt. Cmdr. Cramer must have noticed that she was the center of our focus. That's why she came after me, two days ago, knowing that I was near to defenseless. Unnoticed by the hospital staff, she got me into her car and drove out into the hills, intending to leave me outside, far away from the next village. She knew that I could never make it back on my own." Harm paused to let the news sink in. By now, even Krennick was speechless.
"How did you make it back, Commander?" Mac asked.
"Unbeknownst to Cmdr. Cramer, I had my cell-phone with me and managed to reach Lt. Prumetti and his fiancée who went after me, tracking the signal with the help of the phone company."
Low murmurs were heard in the audience. Judge Helfman gave three quick strikes with the gavel. "Silence, please."
Mac inhaled slowly. She was both dreading and looking forward to the following, the most decisive question. "Commander, do you know who killed Doctor Sydney Walden?"
Harm firmly and reassuringly met her glance. "Yes, Colonel, I do."
Again gasps were barely held back in the public. The camera zoomed in on Harm and Mac's faces.
"Who killed her, Commander?" Mac asked.
"Lieutenant Commander Maryann Cramer did."
"Do you have any evidence to prove your accusations?"
"Yes, I do," Harm answered firmly. At this, Captain Amy Helfman dropped her reading glasses that she had taken down from her nose the moment before.
"What kind of evidence do you have?" Mac was really beginning to enjoy the interrogation.
Harm was all game. "The lieutenant commander told me and I recorded it on my cell-phone's voice recorder." Harm's voice was almost serene. The TV director marveled at how such a strong, sensual undercurrent could flow even in a matter-of-fact examination if counsel and witness were in love. She knew that she would never in her life get another opportunity to film a trial like this one. Bless the Rabbs.
Mac stepped to her desk and retrieved the cell-phone in question. "Would this be your cell-phone, Commander?"
"Yes, Colonel."
"Your honor, defense exhibit K. We have an amplifier here that I would like to connect the commander's cellular phone to, in order to listen to the recording he mentioned."
Judge Helfman resolved to just let happen anything that was bound to happen now. She had lost track of the developments in this case that continued to surprise her ever more. "Go ahead, Colonel Rabb."
Mac handed the phone to a technician who attached it to the amplifier. Holding her breath just like everyone else in the room, she listened, praying that their plan worked. The loudspeaker cracked as the conversation between Harm and Cramer could be heard, low but still distinct enough to be understood without mistaking the sense:
["Yes, I killed Doctor Walden. I'm amazed no one found out yet. Seems I really made sure not to leave traces."
"You went to her house, rang the bell, let her open the door and then you stabbed her."
"If you already knew that, why ask, Commander Rabb?"
"Just to make sure."
"You're not in the place to investigate me any longer. So why bother?"
"Just like that. Why did you do it?"
"Doctor Walden had found out about the chemicals. One of MG's drivers saw her poking around the barrels in the woods, taking notes. The money we save by getting rid of our garbage like that enables Branwick to stay competitive. Branwick's my granddad's life's work and I'd do anything to save the company. Through her disclosures, Sydney Walden had endangered it. So, you see, I had no choice. It was rather fortunate that the admiral showed up when he did."
"Thank you. No further questions."]
The courtroom was deadly quiet. Even the admiral had paled, hearing Harm's tale and the recording. Judge Helfman was the first to find her voice as she turned to Chegwidden's MP guards. "Please arrest Lieutenant Commander Maryann Cramer for premeditated murder of Doctor Sydney Walden and double attempted murder of Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr."
Maryann didn't budge. She didn't resist as the guards handcuffed her and led her away. Still no one said a word.
"No further questions," Mac eventually broke the silence.
"Thank you, Commander Rabb, you may step down." Helfman cleared her throat. "In the face of the new evidence brought forth by Commander and Colonel Rabb I see no need to continue with this court-martial. Lt. Cmdr. Maryann Cramer confessed that she committed the crime that Admiral Chegwidden has been charged with. May the defendant and his counsels please rise."
Mac, Fred and the admiral did as they were told.
For the first time today, Amy Helfman finally allowed a smile to grace her features. "Rear Admiral AJ Chegwidden, Judge Advocate General of the Navy, your name is officially cleared of all charges brought forth against you. This court-martial is dismissed. An Article-32 hearing concerning murder charges against Lt. Cmdr. Cramer will be held on Monday, 0900 sharp." The gavel fell.
Cameras at once closed in from all sides on the defense. But neither member of the JAG family cared. Mac and Harm shared a long, tight embrace, much to the delight of the TV director. Then Mac turned to face a smiling AJ who had congratulated Fred to his outstanding performance.
"Permission to hug the admiral, sir?" Mac's expression was one big smile.
"Granted," AJ answered, smirking. The cameras instantly zoomed in on the JAG and his Chief of Staff hugging tightly.
Epilogue Sun, March 14th 1546 ZULU The Naval Academy Chapel Annapolis, MD
"Patricia Jeannine Rabb, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The minister gently wetted the little girl's forehead with water and carefully dried it off afterwards.
The smile had been present all day on AJ Chegwidden's face. This ceremony had been the final step needed to really make him a part of the Rabb family. When, a week ago, Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet had approached him, telling him that they all wanted him to be Trisha's godfather instead of Bud, he had been at a loss of words. But when Bud himself had urged him to stand up for little Trisha at Harriet's side, he had readily complied. 'She may be my godchild,' he told himself, 'But I feel as if she were my grandchild instead.'
AJ was holding the little girl in his arms, unaware that he was being watched by the beaming parents. Harm and Mac exchanged a warm smile and a squeeze of hands, knowing that they had made the right decision. AJ Chegwidden was family. Somehow, he had always been.
When the service was over, the christening congregation met in a small but fancy Italian restaurant out of Annapolis. They had made a reservation of the whole place for the day to be able to celebrate the christening as well as the happy outcome of AJ's trial without being disturbed. Besides Harm, Mac, AJ, Harriet and Bud, only Sturgis, Tiner, Fred and Claire, Sergei and Jeannine and Harm's parents were present. Jeannine had gotten extended leave from the college, given the extraordinary events she had been involved in.
The party had an exquisite meal and felt the tension of the last few weeks slowly fade away as they conversed easily with each other. Harm's pronunciation was almost back to normal. Only occasionally would he stumble over a word that had too many consonants following one another without any vowels in between. Walking with crutches was still extremely fatiguing for him, but he kept up his training and was confident to fully master it shortly. He was still on leave from JAG but luckily had no chance of getting bored at home with his little daughter around, keeping him occupied.
When they had finished the second main course, AJ rose and tapped his knife to his wine glass. At once, everyone listened up.
"Dear Mac, Harm and especially Trisha," AJ warmly addressed 'his' family, "If anyone had told me two weeks ago that I would be standing here today, toasting to you and celebrating with my extended working family, I'd never have believed him. I have to admit - but please keep this off-record - that at times I got pretty desperate during the murder investigation. I wanted to use this opportunity to beg your forgiveness, too, that I didn't always believe that you would actually get me out of that mess."
Stifled laughter was heard as AJ's glance met with many smiling faces. "Well, your CO just undermined his authority by admitting he was wrong and tells you he is sorry. But let's leave this aside now, okay? I wanted to thank you, Mac, Harm, and you, too, Bud, that you gave me this wonderful opportunity to be part of your family in a way that goes way beyond working together. As you know," he smiled a little wryly, "I tend to be some sort of a lonesome cowboy and I am really, really grateful that I can be sure to have people around that care. Harm, Mac, I congratulate you on your perfect little girl, and I daresay, if she's anything like you, I might in time break with my firm conviction and lure her into being the first female Navy SEAL. To Trisha!" He raised his glass as laughter was heard at his final remark.
Having toasted, everyone was about to join into conversation again as AJ spoke up once more. "I thought that, on a special occasion as this, one had to come up with a special gift. So...." his grin took on a decidedly nasty edge that Harm and Mac had learned to dread. He motioned to a waiter who pulled up a big TV set in front of the table, together with a video recorder.
"Thirteen months ago, neither of us would have suspected that two of the most stubborn people alive would ever get their heads out of their sixes and tell each other what everyone else knew all along. It actually needed a trip to the most romantic city in the world to work the magic."
A dreadful suspicion began to rise inside Harm and Mac as to what the TV was intended for. But all they could do was wait and smile, although somewhat strained.
AJ went on, smirking even wider. "Our little trip to Venice was indeed a remarkable one. But one event in particular was so outstanding that I don't really think it would be fair to keep it classified any longer. Commander Rabb has always been known for... let's say... rather innovative methods to prove his theories. Until last year, I'd say that firing an automatic weapon into a courtroom ceiling was his all time high."
"What?" Trish asked, laughing. Harm only shot her a blushing smile.
"But Venice set new standards. I now invite you to watch for yourselves the latest episode of 'Investigating with Harm and Mac'." AJ put a cassette into the VCR and pressed 'play'. Pictures of a foggy night became visible on the TV screen. Gothic palazzos could be recognized in the background as the camcorder zoomed in on Lieutenant j.g. Federico Prumetti.
["It's February 26th, 0214 ALPHA, I'm Sottotenente di Vascello Federico Prumetti, over there we have Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. Neither of them has ever rowed a gondola. What we are trying to prove is that it is impossible for beginners to reach Rialto, starting from San Marco, in half an hour. Responsible for filming is Ms. Claire Farnham..."]
As the whole party with growing delight watched their desperate attempts to row Fred's gondola, Mac leaned over to Harm. "You know, Harm," she whispered, "As much as I'm inclined to resent AJ for digging out the tape..." Her mouth began to twitch violently. "It was a hilarious sight when you fell into the Grand Canal..." Like a year ago, fits of laughter made it impossible for her to go on.
Harm's frown only showed for the fraction of a second. Then, as another memory invaded his thoughts, a radiant warm smile spread over his face. He gently took Mac's hand in his and brought it to his lips. "You know, Mac," he whispered back. "As much as I'm inclined to resent you for laughing at my expense..." His smile became breathtaking once again. "It was my fall into the Canal that really started our relationship, the day after. Remember?"
"Of course I remember, flyboy. It was me who hugged you in the first place. But, did I ever thank you for deciding to take a bath in the icy water of the lagoon just to have me?" Mac smiled at him lovingly.
Again he kissed her fingertips, returning her smile. "No, you didn't. But you know what, Marine? I'd do it all over again."
THE END
From part eighteen:
Mac couldn't believe what she was seeing. Time seemed to freeze as Harm slowly walked towards her, his gaze firmly locked with hers. She didn't notice that the TV director motioned for the cameras to close up on the Rabbs' faces, the moment being too moving not to let the national public share it. As Harm went past Mac, he cast her the quickest of smiles before taking a firm stance in front of a frighteningly pale Krennick.
"Com..." Allison's first attempt to swear Harm in failed as her voice left her. She embarrassedly cleared her throat and tried again. "Commander Rabb, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"
Harm turned his face to Mac as he answered, his words reminding him of another situation back in Venice when he had said them to no one else but her: "I do."
Part Nineteen - Conclusion:
Mac took a deep breath as she walked up to Harm. The cameras once again closed up on their faces. "Commander Rabb, before your... accident you were defending Lt. Cmdr. Maryann Cramer against charges of dereliction of duty. You had been appointed temporary JAG as Admiral Chegwidden was being detained and you investigated the Walden murder. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Colonel Rabb." Harm inwardly grinned at hearing himself address Mac with his own name. It still felt wonderfully new to him.
"Can you please tell us what happened on Thursday, February 18th?" 'I hope it won't be too painful,' Mac silently added.
Harm frowned. "I had been trying all day to get a hold on the Walden case. I wasn't convinced by the evidence at hand that seemed to point in the admiral's direction. So I tried to find further evidence that might indicate another suspect. I didn't succeed that day. Eventually I decided to occupy myself with my research on the Cramer case instead. I went out to the NFESC and was all the more surprised to find out about the documents that Cmdr. Cramer gave away. I deepened the research from that point and came by the name of Minton Greenwood Inc. as a part of the tri-firm consortium that Branwick Industries belongs to. I was already suspecting that, during her absence from an important experiment that caused an accident, Cmdr. Cramer might have stolen the data to get it to Branwick Industries, as I had found out that Cmdr. Cramer's family owns the company. I secured the evidence I had found and went home. On the sidewalk in front of my house, Cmdr. Cramer shot me."
Stifled gasps were again heard as the cameras all at once focused on the stone-like figure of Maryann Cramer.
"Objection, your honor!" Krennick shouted. "Cmdr. Cramer is not on trial here!"
"Your honor," Mac quickly cut in, "If the commander were granted the time to finish his story there would be no need for any further objections whatsoever."
Judge Helfman's eyebrows shot up. "I'll allow it," she said, trying to hide her curiosity. "But make it quick, please. Overruled."
"Continue, please, Commander Rabb," Mac addressed Harm, giving him a smile that warmed him from inside.
"I don't know exactly if it was one or two days later that my wife came to see me in the hospital. I had been in a coma and had no control whatsoever over my body. I couldn't make anyone notice that I was conscious. But my wife nevertheless talked to me, filling me in about the newest research results in the Walden murder case. As soon as she mentioned Minton Greenwood being involved in an environmental crime that Sydney Walden had uncovered I made the connection to the Branwick case. I had wondered myself how a small firm like Branwick could stay in competition with the global players. But with the knowledge that they saved money, firstly by using illegal substances such as dimethylformamide in their production processes, and secondly by being enormously favored by Minton Greenwood, I understood that Sydney Walden's possible disclosures were an imminent threat to Branwick's efforts to prevent bankruptcy.
"By then, I had recovered the ability to move my eyelid and managed to communicate my knowledge to my wife by winking 'yes' or 'no'. The JAG staff went on investigating and somehow Lt. Cmdr. Cramer must have noticed that she was the center of our focus. That's why she came after me, two days ago, knowing that I was near to defenseless. Unnoticed by the hospital staff, she got me into her car and drove out into the hills, intending to leave me outside, far away from the next village. She knew that I could never make it back on my own." Harm paused to let the news sink in. By now, even Krennick was speechless.
"How did you make it back, Commander?" Mac asked.
"Unbeknownst to Cmdr. Cramer, I had my cell-phone with me and managed to reach Lt. Prumetti and his fiancée who went after me, tracking the signal with the help of the phone company."
Low murmurs were heard in the audience. Judge Helfman gave three quick strikes with the gavel. "Silence, please."
Mac inhaled slowly. She was both dreading and looking forward to the following, the most decisive question. "Commander, do you know who killed Doctor Sydney Walden?"
Harm firmly and reassuringly met her glance. "Yes, Colonel, I do."
Again gasps were barely held back in the public. The camera zoomed in on Harm and Mac's faces.
"Who killed her, Commander?" Mac asked.
"Lieutenant Commander Maryann Cramer did."
"Do you have any evidence to prove your accusations?"
"Yes, I do," Harm answered firmly. At this, Captain Amy Helfman dropped her reading glasses that she had taken down from her nose the moment before.
"What kind of evidence do you have?" Mac was really beginning to enjoy the interrogation.
Harm was all game. "The lieutenant commander told me and I recorded it on my cell-phone's voice recorder." Harm's voice was almost serene. The TV director marveled at how such a strong, sensual undercurrent could flow even in a matter-of-fact examination if counsel and witness were in love. She knew that she would never in her life get another opportunity to film a trial like this one. Bless the Rabbs.
Mac stepped to her desk and retrieved the cell-phone in question. "Would this be your cell-phone, Commander?"
"Yes, Colonel."
"Your honor, defense exhibit K. We have an amplifier here that I would like to connect the commander's cellular phone to, in order to listen to the recording he mentioned."
Judge Helfman resolved to just let happen anything that was bound to happen now. She had lost track of the developments in this case that continued to surprise her ever more. "Go ahead, Colonel Rabb."
Mac handed the phone to a technician who attached it to the amplifier. Holding her breath just like everyone else in the room, she listened, praying that their plan worked. The loudspeaker cracked as the conversation between Harm and Cramer could be heard, low but still distinct enough to be understood without mistaking the sense:
["Yes, I killed Doctor Walden. I'm amazed no one found out yet. Seems I really made sure not to leave traces."
"You went to her house, rang the bell, let her open the door and then you stabbed her."
"If you already knew that, why ask, Commander Rabb?"
"Just to make sure."
"You're not in the place to investigate me any longer. So why bother?"
"Just like that. Why did you do it?"
"Doctor Walden had found out about the chemicals. One of MG's drivers saw her poking around the barrels in the woods, taking notes. The money we save by getting rid of our garbage like that enables Branwick to stay competitive. Branwick's my granddad's life's work and I'd do anything to save the company. Through her disclosures, Sydney Walden had endangered it. So, you see, I had no choice. It was rather fortunate that the admiral showed up when he did."
"Thank you. No further questions."]
The courtroom was deadly quiet. Even the admiral had paled, hearing Harm's tale and the recording. Judge Helfman was the first to find her voice as she turned to Chegwidden's MP guards. "Please arrest Lieutenant Commander Maryann Cramer for premeditated murder of Doctor Sydney Walden and double attempted murder of Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr."
Maryann didn't budge. She didn't resist as the guards handcuffed her and led her away. Still no one said a word.
"No further questions," Mac eventually broke the silence.
"Thank you, Commander Rabb, you may step down." Helfman cleared her throat. "In the face of the new evidence brought forth by Commander and Colonel Rabb I see no need to continue with this court-martial. Lt. Cmdr. Maryann Cramer confessed that she committed the crime that Admiral Chegwidden has been charged with. May the defendant and his counsels please rise."
Mac, Fred and the admiral did as they were told.
For the first time today, Amy Helfman finally allowed a smile to grace her features. "Rear Admiral AJ Chegwidden, Judge Advocate General of the Navy, your name is officially cleared of all charges brought forth against you. This court-martial is dismissed. An Article-32 hearing concerning murder charges against Lt. Cmdr. Cramer will be held on Monday, 0900 sharp." The gavel fell.
Cameras at once closed in from all sides on the defense. But neither member of the JAG family cared. Mac and Harm shared a long, tight embrace, much to the delight of the TV director. Then Mac turned to face a smiling AJ who had congratulated Fred to his outstanding performance.
"Permission to hug the admiral, sir?" Mac's expression was one big smile.
"Granted," AJ answered, smirking. The cameras instantly zoomed in on the JAG and his Chief of Staff hugging tightly.
Epilogue Sun, March 14th 1546 ZULU The Naval Academy Chapel Annapolis, MD
"Patricia Jeannine Rabb, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The minister gently wetted the little girl's forehead with water and carefully dried it off afterwards.
The smile had been present all day on AJ Chegwidden's face. This ceremony had been the final step needed to really make him a part of the Rabb family. When, a week ago, Harm, Mac, Bud and Harriet had approached him, telling him that they all wanted him to be Trisha's godfather instead of Bud, he had been at a loss of words. But when Bud himself had urged him to stand up for little Trisha at Harriet's side, he had readily complied. 'She may be my godchild,' he told himself, 'But I feel as if she were my grandchild instead.'
AJ was holding the little girl in his arms, unaware that he was being watched by the beaming parents. Harm and Mac exchanged a warm smile and a squeeze of hands, knowing that they had made the right decision. AJ Chegwidden was family. Somehow, he had always been.
When the service was over, the christening congregation met in a small but fancy Italian restaurant out of Annapolis. They had made a reservation of the whole place for the day to be able to celebrate the christening as well as the happy outcome of AJ's trial without being disturbed. Besides Harm, Mac, AJ, Harriet and Bud, only Sturgis, Tiner, Fred and Claire, Sergei and Jeannine and Harm's parents were present. Jeannine had gotten extended leave from the college, given the extraordinary events she had been involved in.
The party had an exquisite meal and felt the tension of the last few weeks slowly fade away as they conversed easily with each other. Harm's pronunciation was almost back to normal. Only occasionally would he stumble over a word that had too many consonants following one another without any vowels in between. Walking with crutches was still extremely fatiguing for him, but he kept up his training and was confident to fully master it shortly. He was still on leave from JAG but luckily had no chance of getting bored at home with his little daughter around, keeping him occupied.
When they had finished the second main course, AJ rose and tapped his knife to his wine glass. At once, everyone listened up.
"Dear Mac, Harm and especially Trisha," AJ warmly addressed 'his' family, "If anyone had told me two weeks ago that I would be standing here today, toasting to you and celebrating with my extended working family, I'd never have believed him. I have to admit - but please keep this off-record - that at times I got pretty desperate during the murder investigation. I wanted to use this opportunity to beg your forgiveness, too, that I didn't always believe that you would actually get me out of that mess."
Stifled laughter was heard as AJ's glance met with many smiling faces. "Well, your CO just undermined his authority by admitting he was wrong and tells you he is sorry. But let's leave this aside now, okay? I wanted to thank you, Mac, Harm, and you, too, Bud, that you gave me this wonderful opportunity to be part of your family in a way that goes way beyond working together. As you know," he smiled a little wryly, "I tend to be some sort of a lonesome cowboy and I am really, really grateful that I can be sure to have people around that care. Harm, Mac, I congratulate you on your perfect little girl, and I daresay, if she's anything like you, I might in time break with my firm conviction and lure her into being the first female Navy SEAL. To Trisha!" He raised his glass as laughter was heard at his final remark.
Having toasted, everyone was about to join into conversation again as AJ spoke up once more. "I thought that, on a special occasion as this, one had to come up with a special gift. So...." his grin took on a decidedly nasty edge that Harm and Mac had learned to dread. He motioned to a waiter who pulled up a big TV set in front of the table, together with a video recorder.
"Thirteen months ago, neither of us would have suspected that two of the most stubborn people alive would ever get their heads out of their sixes and tell each other what everyone else knew all along. It actually needed a trip to the most romantic city in the world to work the magic."
A dreadful suspicion began to rise inside Harm and Mac as to what the TV was intended for. But all they could do was wait and smile, although somewhat strained.
AJ went on, smirking even wider. "Our little trip to Venice was indeed a remarkable one. But one event in particular was so outstanding that I don't really think it would be fair to keep it classified any longer. Commander Rabb has always been known for... let's say... rather innovative methods to prove his theories. Until last year, I'd say that firing an automatic weapon into a courtroom ceiling was his all time high."
"What?" Trish asked, laughing. Harm only shot her a blushing smile.
"But Venice set new standards. I now invite you to watch for yourselves the latest episode of 'Investigating with Harm and Mac'." AJ put a cassette into the VCR and pressed 'play'. Pictures of a foggy night became visible on the TV screen. Gothic palazzos could be recognized in the background as the camcorder zoomed in on Lieutenant j.g. Federico Prumetti.
["It's February 26th, 0214 ALPHA, I'm Sottotenente di Vascello Federico Prumetti, over there we have Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. Neither of them has ever rowed a gondola. What we are trying to prove is that it is impossible for beginners to reach Rialto, starting from San Marco, in half an hour. Responsible for filming is Ms. Claire Farnham..."]
As the whole party with growing delight watched their desperate attempts to row Fred's gondola, Mac leaned over to Harm. "You know, Harm," she whispered, "As much as I'm inclined to resent AJ for digging out the tape..." Her mouth began to twitch violently. "It was a hilarious sight when you fell into the Grand Canal..." Like a year ago, fits of laughter made it impossible for her to go on.
Harm's frown only showed for the fraction of a second. Then, as another memory invaded his thoughts, a radiant warm smile spread over his face. He gently took Mac's hand in his and brought it to his lips. "You know, Mac," he whispered back. "As much as I'm inclined to resent you for laughing at my expense..." His smile became breathtaking once again. "It was my fall into the Canal that really started our relationship, the day after. Remember?"
"Of course I remember, flyboy. It was me who hugged you in the first place. But, did I ever thank you for deciding to take a bath in the icy water of the lagoon just to have me?" Mac smiled at him lovingly.
Again he kissed her fingertips, returning her smile. "No, you didn't. But you know what, Marine? I'd do it all over again."
THE END