Author's Note: even though it /may/ seem very clear that Sydney and Sydelle are one in the same, please have faith that I'm not going to wrap this story up in one chapter…there are still unknowns…I /do/ have over 55 stories archived here…I know what I'm doing : )


Chapter 3 - Coincidence?


06.24.03
1630 Zulu
Seal Beach Naval Base
Seal Beach, California


Sturgis walked into the house he, Harm, and Mac had been given to stay and work out of. Mac was sitting at the kitchen table with an elbow on the table which supported the hand her chin was in. She looked miserable. Harm was leaning on a counter behind her obviously watching her and worried. "What'd you find?" Harm asked.

"Nothing. I just asked for a picture…" Sturgis answered.

"It looks like you got a lot more than a picture," Harm said pointing to the album underneath Sturgis' arm.

Mac's eyes lit up, "can I see it?"

"Mac…I know you think that this is-"

"My little girl has been missing for two and a half years tomorrow! The little girl who is missing here is the same age as Sydelle!" Mac yelled angrily getting to her feet, and realized she hadn't said her daughter's name in so long. Tears began to form in her eyes as she took a step towards Sturgis and was held in place by Harm. "For God's sake! This child's name is Sydelle's name broken up!" Tears began to fall from Mac's eyes. "There's too many similarities Sturgis!"

"Mac…" Harm said, his voice soothing and calm.

Sturgis' expression and stance had not changed. He expected this, "that's why I accepted this album…and why I had initially asked for prints and medical history…" Sturgis looked sincere and sounded just as sincere, "I honestly see the similarities…and I know how much you both hurt…what you've been through…and if this child /is/ your daughter…I'm going to do everything in my power and I know you will too to find this child and bring these people up on charges."

Mac calmed herself. She could tell Sturgis was on their side and that she was being difficult, but he seemed to understand. "Thththththank you for understanding…" she told him relaxing and leaning back against Harm.

Sturgis held out the book to them, which Mac accepted. "I'm going to stop by and get the medical records…I'll be back," he said and then quickly exited the house.

Mac and Harm sat down with Harm's arm around her and opened the album. Tears immediately began to fall from both sets of eyes. A picture of a small baby girl in a pink fitted baby hat was on the first page right above a birth certificate that read 'Sydney Marie Collins', Jennifer and Robert Collins were listed as the parents, Georgetown Memorial Hospital as the hospital, and the date of birth was December 24, 2004. Mac froze and stared at it. "Harm?" she said seeing signs of hope.

"I see it…" Harm said tracing along the bottom of the date and hospital name.

"Look at the middle name…"

"It's different…"

"She /is/ our baby, Harm…" Mac said tears running down her face and emotion caught up in her words.

"We don't /know for sure/," Harm said trying to remain as calm as possible but thinking the same thing.

Sturgis walked in, the records had been waiting for him and he didn't have to walk far. He looked at them both concerned. "Are you two okay?"

"Their baby's birth certificate gives the date of birth one day before Sydelle…at Georgetown Memorial Hospital and the baby's middle name is different on the birth certificate…it's not Elle…it's Marie…" Harm explained.

"That doesn't prove anything…you both know that…" Sturgis warned.

Mac continued to flip through the book and stopped at one of her current pictures. "She doesn't even look like them…"

"Mac…now you two know better…"

"Can't we do like a DNA test?" Harm asked.

"On what?"

"How about a strand of hair?" Mac asked.

"Maybe…" Sturgis said. "I know you two are probably now positive that this /is/ your daughter, but don't get your hopes up too high…the test will prove who she belongs to. Plus there's still the obstacle of finding her let alone the fact that she's thought that Robert and Jennifer Collins were her parents for the last two and a half years."

"We don't even have leads…" Harm said.

Mac took a minute to compose herself, wiping her tears away, and then looked at them. "We'll just have to get this investigation rolling, won't we?" The possibility of find Sydelle had given her new hope. At the moment, JAG wasn't keeping her going…it was the thought that her baby girl was here and that she just had to find her.

"Why don't we get blood samples from both of you and have them run a DNA match?" Sturgis suggested.

Mac and Harm nodded. "Then we should probably question the family and the staff more," Mac said obviously determined.

"She was taken from her bedroom, so our focus should be on base staff. There is a possibility that she's still on base. Also, I think perhaps it would be wise if /I/ were to handle questioning of the par-Major and Lieutenant Collins."

They both nodded once again in agreement. "We'll focus on the base staff."

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06.24.03
1800 Zulu
Seal Beach Naval Base
Seal Beach, California


Sturgis was busy tracking down Major Collins while Mac and Harm were questioning staff. Sturgis finally located Robert Collins, "Major Collins!" he shouted running to catch up with him.

Collins halted and waited for Sturgis to catch up. "What can I do for Commander Turner?" Robert Collins asked not looking at him and resumed walking once the commander had caught up with him.

"I have some questions."

"I have a job to do, Commander," he answered coldly.

"You /do/ want your daughter back, don't you?" Turner asked curious after how the major had just spoken to him.

"Of /course/ I do! I just can't sit in my house crying and worrying! I'm still a Major in the US Navy, I have responsibilities."

"I won't take up too much of your time."

"Shouldn't you be questioning people?"

"There are two others doing that right at this moment."

"Who?"

"Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie-Rabb, my colleagues."

"You don't think that my wife or I have anything to do with this do you? I mean, we would never harm our little girl. We love her," Robert Collins said.

"We have to cover /every/ angle, Major. Just like on every case…"

"What do you want to know?"

"If Sydney has any medical problems."

"You have her medical files."

"I'm not a doctor."

"She has asthma…" Robert said stopping and rubbing his temples realizing he hadn't thought about that. "Oh my god…if she has an attack and doesn't have her inhaler…"

"What is it triggered by?"

"Heavy dust…smoke…she's allergic to a certain kind of grass but it only grows in South Carolina. Oh my god! I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!"

"When was the last time she had an attack?"

"I..Iiiiii I don't remember…awhile ago…"

"Well, that's good and it explains why you didn't remember it right off," Sturgis pointed out. "Don't worry Major, we'll find Sydney."

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06.24.03
1800 Zulu
Seal Beach Naval Base
Seal Beach, California


Harm and Mac were questioning all of the security staff that were on duty the night Sydney Collins was taken. So far they were coming up with nothing. "She couldn't have just vanished…" Harm said walking with Mac.

"We /have/ to find her, Harm…"

"I know we do, Sarah. I know…"

"Where could she be?... I mean if no one saw her taken?!"

"We /will/ find her."

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TBC