Chapter Fifty:
Out With The Old, In With The New

WEEK 31
DECEMBER 31ST, 2001

1930 LOCAL
ABACO BEACH RESORT
ABACO, THE BAHAMAS

As she watched the sunset from the veranda of her hotel room, Renee Peterson couldn't help but marvel at her good fortune. At the beginning of the year, she had been hopeful that she would end up married to a certain Naval aviator. Naturally that hadn't happened, but Renee wasn't bothered by this. Over the course of that year, she'd realized that when God took away a pilot, a mortician was given.

"What are you doing?" Cyrus asked. He had just gotten back from the hotel bar with their drinks. He sat down on the edge of their king sized bed and passed Renee her drink.

"Nothing," Renee replied, sipping from her pink umbrella straw. "I'm just thinking about how I've never been happier in my life."

Cyrus smiled. "Well, I'm very glad to hear that," he leaned over and kissed Renee.

Indeed, what Renee Peterson was so desperately trying to find in Harmon Rabb Jr, had been in Cyrus Fortney the entire time. 2002 was certainly going to be a great year.

1900 EST
RARE STEAKHOUSE AND TAVERN
WASHINGTON DC

Loren Singer looked over the menu, trying to decide if she wanted fish or steak. Her date had gotten stuck in traffic (a lie she'd heard multiple times) so she wasn't going to spend much longer waiting for him. She'd already gone ahead and picked out a wine. Her date was someone Loren knew well enough, so she was hoping he wouldn't be a dick and stand her up, but she couldn't be too positive.

The first time I make New Year's plans since moving to DC and they got ruined, Singer thought to herself with a rueful smirk. I'm going to need more wine.

"Loren?"

That night, luck was in Loren Singer's favor. She looked up from her menu and smiled. "Hi Commander."

Taking off his cover, Commander Theodore Lindsay pulled out his chair and sat down across from Singer. "Please, call me Ted. I'm sorry I was late. Traffic was horrific."

Singer smiled. "That's okay. I'm glad you could make it, Ted."

1945 EST
MADISON RESIDENCE
BURLINGTON, VERMONT

Gloria Madison could barely hear the phone ring over the sound of the giggling group of girls in the living room. Chloe and her friends had all gathered at their house to watch the ball drop on TV.

"So, have you heard from Nick lately?" Bree asked. She was sitting on the couch with Chloe and Molly.

Chloe instantly started to blush, ducking her face behind the edge of her blanket. "Yeah," she said. "He said he'd call me at midnight."

Bree and Molly gasped, and Chloe's blush deepened. She buried her head entirely under the blanket as Bree and Molly began to pelt her with questions and small pieces of popcorn.

Gloria, not quite sure what she was walking in on, gently knocked on the living room wall to announce herself. "Chloe," she said. "There's someone who wants to talk to you."

Chloe ripped the blanket away from her face while Bree and Molly exchanged wide-eyed and eager glances. "Who is it?" Chloe asked, trying to ignore the teasing looks from her friends. She got up and walked out of the living room, her grandmother following after her.

Bree and Molly listened intently to catch some snippets of Chloe and Nick's conversation, turning down the television and sneaking into the hallway. They were shocked when, instead of greeting Nick, Chloe shouted, "Dad!"

2000 EST
CHEGWIDDEN RESIDENCE
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

It worked for a little while, but soon enough AJ got too antsy to bide his time aimlessly flipping through channels on the television. Everyone was only talking about the new year anyway; AJ had heard all of that stuff before. Each year, all the news stations had the same spiel about resolutions and new beginnings.

That night, AJ had more on his mind than the ball dropping in Times Square. He was waiting on someone. Someone he'd made plans with but wasn't certain they'd be able to make it. The last time he'd talked to them, they were boarding the plane, but that had been hours ago.

Finally, he heard the doorbell ring. That simple sound plunged AJ into action. He rushed to get the door, getting to the threshold in seconds. On the other side of the door was Francesca, grinning from ear-to-ear with several suitcases surrounding her.

"Papa!" she exclaimed, stepping over the threshold to hug AJ.

"I was worried you weren't going to be able to make it," AJ replied.

Francesca rolled her eyes. "Of course I would make it on time. How could I pass up spending New Year's Eve with my father?"

AJ's smile dimmed when he saw all of Francesca's suitcases. "How long are you planning on staying?" he asked.

"Just a couple of days," Francesca replied. "It was all I could take off."

"You needed seven suitcases for two days?"

Francesca laughed while AJ could only stare at all the suitcases with a dismayed expression on his face.

2015 EST
APARTMENT OF STURGIS TURNER
WASHINGTON DC

"Should we put the TV on?" Chaplain Turner asked.

"No," Sturgis replied.

"Well what if I want to watch TV?"

Sturgis smirked. "You never want to watch TV, you're just trying to distract me."

Playing chess had always been a favorite pastime of Sturgis and his father. They'd been playing it together ever since Sturgis was old enough to understand how to play it. Because they were both together for the holidays that year, Sturgis and Chaplain Turner decided tonight would be as good as any for a good game of chess.

Chaplain Turner chuckled. "I can beat you without distracting you. It's your move, by the way."

Sturgis looked down at the chessboard and frowned. He picked up a rook, went to move it, then sat it back down. He then went to move a pawn, but second guessed that as well. Chaplain Turner laughed at his son's trepidation.

"It's your move, son."

"I know."

2100 EST
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Tiner was doing something he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing-well, two things he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing. For one, he was sitting in the Admiral's office. He was also pretending to be the Admiral. Tiner was very well aware that these actions could have very serious repercussions, but he believed it was for a worthy cause.

"Admiral Chegwidden?"

"Yes-" Tiner paused, clearing his throat to make his voice sound deeper. "Uh, yes. Yes, Colonel Barkley. This is Admiral Chegwidden."

"Yes, sir...I know who you are."

Tiner cleared his throat again. "That's good."

"What is it that you wanted again, sir?"

"I wanted to speak with Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez. It's urgent," Tiner/Admiral Chegwidden said. "I need to have a word with him."

"Yes, sir...Sir?"

Tiner cleared his throat for a third time. "Yes Colonel?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Colonel," Tiner tried to sound as menacing as he possibly could. "Just get me Gunnery Sergeant Galindez."

"Of course, sir. Right away, sir."

Tiner listened to the sound of rustling on the other end of the line. Soon he heard the receiver being picked up again and a familiar voice say, "Admiral?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tiner dropped his act. "Hey Gunny."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Tiner?" Gunny asked in confusion.

"Yeah, it's me."

"But-" Gunny paused again. "I thought it was the Admiral…"

Tiner laughed, far too proud of his deception. "That's what I wanted Colonel Barkley to think. It was really me the entire time," Tiner leaned back in the Admiral's desk chair, folding his arms behind his head and cradling the phone to his ear with his shoulder. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah…Tiner, why are you calling me?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to wish you a happy new year."

"Really?" Gunny laughed, in disbelief that Tiner would do something like this.

"Yeah so...happy new year, Gunny."

"Happy New Year, Tiner."

2130 EST
ROBERTS RESIDENCE
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

Harriet and Bud stood together in the doorway, watching fondly over Little AJ as she slept in his bed.

"What happened to him refusing to go to bed?" Harriet asked.

Bud smiled sheepishly. "I told him it was already midnight, he believed me."

It certainly wasn't ethical to do so, but Bud and Harriet definitely took advantage of AJ's naïveté. He couldn't tell time yet, so why shouldn't they use that to their advantage?

Harriet looked between Bud and Little AJ. They didn't have any plans, which was a first. Usually everyone from JAG got together at someone's place to watch the ball drop, but that year everyone had come to the silent, unanimous consensus to spend the evening more quietly than usual. This gave Harriet an ample portion of the evening to think, and she finally came to the conclusion that now was as good a time as any to bring up a subject she'd been wanting to bring up for a while.

"Bud, can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure sweetie," he frowned when he saw the pensive look on her face, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Harriet assured him. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

They moved to the living room, sitting down on the sofa. The television was playing softly in the corner, but other than that there was silence.

"I'm going to write a book," Harriet said, speaking the phrase out into existence for the first time ever. She decided it would be best to state it, without any "I think's" or "I want to's." Harriet just knew she was going to write a book, simple as that.

Bud blinked at her. "What?"

"I'm going to write a book," Harriet repeated, deciding to explain herself so Bud wouldn't have to ask a million questions. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's something I really want to do and I think it would be a good idea."

"Harriet-"

"Because I used to be an English major before I switched to political science, and a couple of weeks ago I found an old paper that I wrote-"

"Harriet-"

"And the laptop wasn't that expensive, I promise."

"Harriet," she finally heard Bud talking. He smiled and took her by the hand. "It's okay. You don't need to explain anything."

"I-I don't?" she asked. This was surprising, to say the least. Usually Bud had questions about even the slightest new developments, let alone the big ones.

Bud laughed. "Of course not," he took her hand and squeezed it. "I think it's a great idea, actually."

Harriet's eyes lit up. She knew she was going to write it either way, but knowing she had Bud's approval was definitely an added bonus. "Really?" she asked, and Bud nodded. Harriet threw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek even though it wasn't midnight yet.

After everything, for the first time in too long. Harriet finally felt as though there was light at the end of the tunnel.

2200 EST
HOME OF MELINDA GARDNER
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

Melinda wasn't really sure what she was expecting. Maybe some sort of light at the end of the tunnel, but that wasn't what she felt. It was new year's eve, and she was finally signing her divorce papers. Feelings were swirling around everywhere like the snowflakes, but Melinda couldn't catch any of them long enough to decipher what they were.

After going to the Christmas Eve sermon together, Nathan and Melinda were able to sit down and have the first civil conversation they'd been able to have since Nathan left Manhattan. That conversation led them to develop a reasonable consensus. It wasn't exactly a happy ending, but Melinda and Nathan could both agree that it was for the best.

After eleven years of marriage, Melinda Gardner and Nathan Gardner finalized their divorce on Melinda's couch, two hours before the start of the new year. Melinda had her friend Laura semi-break into Melinda's brownstone to get the divorce papers to mail them to DC. Instead of celebrating like everyone else, Nathan and Melinda spent the evening making sure their assets were divided the way they wanted. Much like for a funeral, everything had to be perfect for their divorce.

"How does everything look on your end?" Nathan asked. Him and Melinda were sitting on opposite ends of Melinda's sofa, paperwork spread out between them.

Melinda nodded, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Yep," she shuffled her papers into a stack. "Everything looks good."

"Where do we sign?"

"Let's see…" Melinda scanned over the papers on the sofa. "I think we sign right...here," she pointed to a section at the bottom of one of the pages. She passed it to Nathan.

Looking at the paper, which he hadn't signed (he'd given them to Melinda without signing them with the hopes that she would sign first. In hindsight he should've known better.) the gravity of what they were doing finally hit Nathan. Deep down he knew they couldn't stay married, but he found himself nonetheless shocked that things were ending.

Don't be a hypocrite, he told himself, you were the one who ended things.

Aloud, Nathan said, "So this is it. huh?" he asked. Melinda looked up at him.

"Yeah," there was none of her usual dry humor present in her voice. "This is it."

She watched Nathan for a few moments, examining the pensive expression on his face. "Oh come on," she reached out to put a hand on his knee. "You wanted this."

There was no malice in her voice, she was simply stating the truth. Still, Nathan couldn't help but feel like the biggest asshole in the world. "Is this what you wanted, though?"

Melinda looked away thoughtfully. "Well, at first it wasn't what I wanted," she smirked and looked at Nathan. "Obviously it's not what I wanted, but now...I think it's for the best."

"But-"

"Nathan," Melinda stopped him. She smiled. "I'll be okay. I can take care of myself."

Nathan nodded. "I know, but-"

"We can still be friends," Melinda said. "Just because we're getting divorced doesn't mean we don't have to stop liking each other," she looked up at him with a wry expression, and Nathan chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right," he looked back down at the paper in his hand. "Should we sign these now or wait until midnight?"

Melinda pursed her lips in thought. "I've already been sitting on these for a year," she said. "What's a few more hours?"

2330 EST
MACKENZIE-RABB RESIDENCE
GEORGETOWN

As much as he hated to, Harm gently nudged Mac awake. They always watched the ball drop together, every year since Mac had been at JAG. It was their tradition, and Mac would never let Harm live it down if he let her miss it.

Mac jerked awake, accidentally jabbing Harm in the elbow with her sudden movement. They were snuggling on the sofa underneath a huge quilt Mac's grandmother made, watching the news coverage of Times Square.

"Did I miss it?" Mac asked, her eyes instantly darting to the clock.

Harm smirked. "No. We have about another thirty minutes."

"Oh," Mac snuggled back against Harm's shoulder. "Okay."

"You know," Harm gently rubbed a hand across Mac's bump, searching for a stray kick or punch (Mac swore there was a difference, and Harm had no reason not to believe her). "We could still make it to McMurphy's if you really wanted to go."

Mac looked up at him incredulously. "Please tell me you're joking."

Harm shrugged, deciding to tease Mac for a little longer. "Why not?"

She blinked at him. "A pregnant lady? In a bar? I think I'll pass on all that public scrutiny."

Chuckling, Harm felt a small kick under his palm. "Alright, I see your point," he shifted his weight in an effort to keep his left leg from falling asleep.

"Do you want me to get up-"

"No, you're fine. I just have poor circulation."

Mac rolled her eyes. "Sure," with a groan, Mac pulled herself into a sitting position. She looked down at Harm. "Do you want some popcorn?"

"Sure," Harm sat up. "I can make us some."

As they watched the popcorn pop in the microwave, a sudden thought occurred to Mac. "We're going to have a baby next year," she mused.

Harm scoffed. "We're going to have a baby in three months, Mac."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean," she told him. She grabbed a dish towel and lightly smacked him on the hip with it.

"Yeah, it's pretty wild, huh?" Harm looped an arm around Mac's waist, pulling her close against him. He hugged her against him, placing a kiss on her forehead and resting his chin on the top of her head. "We're going to be parents."

Mac looked up at him. "You think you're ready?"

"I'm ready as I'll ever be," Harm said. "What about you?"

"I don't think I'm ready, but I'm going to try my best," Mac tried to keep her worry from showing in her voice. Her confidence going into motherhood had gotten better over the past few weeks, but she still caught herself worrying on several occasions. The new year was making it especially amplified, because the new year equaled a new baby for Harm and Mac.

"You'll be fine," Harm assured her. "We'll be fine. We always worked well together, right?"

Mac smirked. "Right."

"Our kid is going to be amazing too, so that'll help."

After the clock struck midnight, Harm and Mac headed out onto Mac's balcony, which Harm made a mental note to baby proof as soon as he got the chance. There was a gathering happening in the park a couple of blocks away, and someone had set off fireworks. Harm and Mac kissed under the stars and colorful streaks of light filling the sky.

"Happy new year, Harm."

"Happy new year, Mac."

Mac rested her head on Harm's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his middle. She still had the quilt draped over her shoulders. Through her worry of what the forthcoming year had to offer, and through the excitement of the celebratory fireworks, Mac felt a sudden moment of calmness. The year was 2002, she was going to be a mom, and everything was going to be alright.

And now's it almost 2023! Crazy how time flies, right?

Hooray for Chapter 50! There's about fifteen left to go, so we're in the relative home stretch. I truly can't believe this story ended up being this long - when I first started writing it, I figured it would be forty chapters max...haha. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story so far, your support means so much!

Thanks for reading!

-Harper