Thank you for the reviews!!!
Pissed Of Poet: Heh, Mr. Webb is sometimes hard to put in. I find I need a really good reason to have him show up, or it doesn't seem realistic. To tell the truth, I couldn't find a spot for him. I suppose I could've had him elsewhere in the cemetery during the service. Anyway, that chapter was written until a lot of pressure. I didn't have access to my computer for two days, and I hate to say it, but it was rushed through. Sorry if you got that feeling! Anywho, lol, yes, Grace can be very stubborn. And I really wanted to show the breakdown of her psyche. It might have even come on a little strong. Oh well, thanks a bunch! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*240*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, POET!!!!
Kiwi: Aw, thank you! LoL, yes, a lot has happened *wipes away sweat*...can't....write....lol, nah, I can. Thank you, see ya next week!!!
NavyCB: LOL, don't let the week go too quick!!! I hope you had a great Christmas too, thank you so much!! See ya next week!
Kstorm: Haha! Welcome back! Well, FINALLY, after much wait and many questions, about half of them will be answered in this chapter. Thank you for staying interested!!! See ya next week!
JagSister: Aw, I know, I feel bad for Grace as I write this stuff. LoL, and yes, Singer's death is just fate, I believe. LoL, I love having Harm all protective and spy-like. Lol, I think every girl's dad does the same, but you're right, I've never thrown anything at mine, either, :D. Thank ya very much, and I'll see ya next week!!!!!
DD2: AH! Yay! My most enthusiastic reviewer! Oh, just wait until you read this!!!!!!!!! Thank you, and see ya next week!!!!!!
NadaZimri: Hey, there, girly. Yeah, Grace very much needs some normalcy back in her life. LoL, there will be sooooo much happening in this chapter, since it's part one of the conclusion. You'll be surprised! Yes, I really did want Singer to appear as a human being, and not just the wicked witch of the West. LoL, Bellie....I was hoping you would have forgotten that one by now, lol. Naw, it's all good. See ya next week!!!!!
Hazel: Ah, yes, very emotional. Hey, congrats on the winter break! Sleep in now!!! :D see ya next week!
Nikole1025: LOL, a novelist, now that's an idea!!!! Heehee, thank you. Eric is quickly becoming a favorite character to write about. Hope you had a happy holiday!!! See ya next week!
Sunchaser: Hey there, welcome back!! Aw, I feel for Grace too, lol. It's so emotional for me to write these chapters. Thank you, and hope you had a great holiday!
Chloe: Hey there! Yeah, Eric's father is in the CIA. This chapter will expand a little more on that. So sorry, I didn't do much with it after it was mentioned a few chapters ago. There was just so much going on, I had a hard time finding a good place for it. Thanks again, and see ya next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*250*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, CHLOE!!!
Jagchick105: WOW, so the mock trials are a LOT like that episode on JAG when Harm and Mac helped those kids at the academy, with the actors and everything! How long have you been doing it? Ah, and the JAG lawyer you had was cute too??? *smiles dreamily* Lol, and you dress up, do national competitions, geeze, it makes me excited just reading about it! Oh, it sounds like so much fun. I think I'm gonna look around and see if they have stuff like that in the local high school or something. What got you interested in it in the first place? Hey, and you have a very Happy Birthday too. Thank you so, so much, and cya next week!
e-dog: Aw, thank you! I was thinking about what Grace might have went through after she discovered Singer and everything, and I thought we should see exactly what happened. So thank you for mentioning that, ;) See ya next week!!!
Mimmi: Aw, I know. The last couple chapters have been quite depressing, haven't they? Oh, thank you for such nice comments, it makes me feel so good!!! I really liked having the storm in there, I thought it was a good way to make it more emotional. Thank you for noticing that, :D. Oh, Eric has quickly become one of my favorite characters! I just wanna hug him! :)...Oh my, the details are hard to balance. I'm never sure if I'm writing too many details or not enough, so I'm glad you've pointed out that they're good. Thank you! Happy holidays and see ya next week!
Lisa Brown: LoL, well, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I didn't want this story to come out too corny or, because I know there have been a lot of kid stories in this section. I hope this is unique enough, because I've put a lotta work into it. Thank you, and see ya next week!
Maggie: Yeah, I thought I should stick the "second family" bit in there. My main mission was to make Singer as human as possible. Ah, well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because stuff is sped up a bit! Thank you, and see ya next week!
#1Jagfan: Ah, yes, I really wanted Grace's personality and traits to reflect her parents. And we all know how Harm constantly takes responsibility for things he doesn't really have to. Thank you for noticing that! Hmm, well, with this chapter, we've kinda sped ahead a little bit. But there will still be some aftermath from Singer's death in this. You'll see what I mean. So I better stop talking and let you read! :D See ya next week!
Girlgunner: I love Eric! Thank you! I was hoping that moment wouldn't come out too sappy or anything, so thank you :D. Ohhh, yeah, there's some chemistry between Harm and Mac. Heh, well, you should trust your gut feelings, but this is part one of the conclusion. See the author's note below for more on that. Thank you for reading, and see ya next week!
CharmedMummy: Hey there! Once again, great questions! I'll answer them in order. 1(Agent Gibbs): Truth is, I thought about using Gibbs, I haven't really been watching NAVY NCIS very much, so I wouldn't be very comfortable writing about a character I hardly know. 2(Mac and the support group thing): You caught on right away. The exact reason why Mac was a little against it was because of her own problems, and thinking Grace didn't need it. Well done, ;) 3(Harm/Mac moment): LOL, I'm evil, aren't I? Don't worry, this chapter will satisfy all shippers! 4(Eric): I wrote this chapter at midnight Thursday night, and wasn't giving my complete attention to it. When I re-read the chapter on ff.net, I really didn't like that Eric had "wept" either. The word just kinda stuck there and I didn't do much with it. I'm in the process of tweaking that and using your suggestion with his eyes bein' teary, but not actually crying. 5(Arlington scene): That was a very difficult scene to write. I needed a balance of emotion between Harm and Grace, and I know it didn't come out quite right. But I put Harm's comment in there on purpose. I wanted to give the effect that Harm was still this guy trying to figure out how to deal with kids. Only now, he's got an ever more emotional kid and it's going to be hard for him to figure out how to say things right. Harm is used to laying things out as he sees them. Unfortunately, he did that at the wrong time and directed at the wrong person. :D Once again, something I should have elaborated a bit more on in the chapter, but I was half awake when writing that. 6(Last scene): Thank you, I might have been half-awake, but I do rather like that last little scene, showing how Grace has gone into breakdown mode. Thanks again, and hope you had a happy holiday and a nice new years!!!
Pennithil: LoL, machines can be dumb sometimes, I know :D. LOL, you shall get ur fill of Harm/Mac romance in this chappy! Thanks, and see ya next week!!!
Carby24/7: Oh, no, I didn't think it was that much of a cliffhanger!!! :D....I'm evil, aren't I? :D...Oh, thank you very much for complimenting my writing. I need to hear that too!!! And I get exactly what you mean about who would kill Singer if Grace went back to the future. Heehee, well, you'll just have to wait and see....MUAHAHAHAHA...*cough...*hack*...ughhh....no more evil laughs for me...anywho....hope you had a great holiday and you got everyone you wanted as well!!! (A Harm!!!! :D :D :D)!!!!!!!! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*260*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, CARBY!!!!
Moonlights Sundance: Oh my, thank you. I find it a constant challenge to...emulate (my new word, it sounds cool, doesn't it? :D) Harm and Mac. Thank you for telling me it sounds real!!!!! See ya next week!
ArwenUndomial: Hey there! Ah, you're cuttin' it close :D. It's okay, just as long as I don't get scared thinkin' you don't like this anymore :). Yeah, Grace really fell into shambles in the last chapter. But she's better...though not healed...but better in this chapter. LOL, and don't worry, our Harm/Mac shipperness will be totally fulfilled in this chappy, I promise ;D. Oh my, Arwen. You know, I did very much like All Ye Faithful, but I don't think I could watch it more than......a dozen times. Then I'd get a little frustrated. I wish they would put JAG episodes on DVD. That would reeeealy make me happy :D. But hang in there, you'll make it!!!! Aw, and thank you. I very much like this story and having you guys help me along makes all the work so worth it :). Thank you, and see ya next week.
A/N: Hello my nice readers. Well, we've reached part one of the conclusion. I realize chapter ten was probably a little rushed. My computer was at the computer doctor's and the amount of days I was left to write wasn't very many. I was up until nearly midnight Thursday night trying to finish it, so sorry again if it was rushed. Anywho, remember, this is part ONE of the conclusion. The next chapter is the last!!! But if it goes the way I'm planning, there is certainly room for an epilogue and or sequel. Thank you all again for your continued support. It means so much.
Little Disclaimer: The song, "Everything's Not Lost" belongs to Coldplay, blah, blah, blah...
Chapter 11: Hotel Oscar Mike Echo, Part 11505 ZULU
Rabb Home
Georgetown, Virginia
Oct. 25th...
Nearly One Year Later...
Grace twitched in her bed as a chilly breeze stirred the tiny wind chime at her window. She opened an eye, but squinted as the morning sunshine filtered into her room. Feeling a chill pass through her, Grace hugged the comforter tightly and brought her knees up. She listened to the wind chimes as they clattered softly, producing high notes. Grace had forgotten that her window was open. She'd opened it yesterday because Dad had finally finished painting her room, and the stench of paint was thick in the bedroom. Now you could barely detect it. Grace rolled over on her back, breathing in the fresher air. She loved Saturday mornings. The laziness of it all. Of course Dad never took advantage of it. He'd be up and out early for a run. By the time it hit eight o'clock, he was completely ready for the day. Grace could hear the floorboards creak downstairs as he walked around. A pot clattered on the floor and Grace heard him swear curtly. She grinned. He was certainly aggressive in the kitchen. Then again, her father had said it took him a long time to get used to a new kitchen. Even though they'd been using it for nearly ten months now.
Grace kicked the covers away and swung her legs to floor, feeling a shiver pass through her. She went over to the window and shut it, having had her fill of fresh air for the morning. She grabbed an Old Navy sweatshirt and pulled it over her tank-pajama top. After stretching her arms, Grace opened her door to have her nostrils assaulted by the smell of pancakes that drifted up the stairs of the small, two-story house. After using the restroom, Grace clomped down the wooden steps that hadn't been carpeted yet.
The scent of food became stronger as she pushed open the swinging door that led to the kitchen. Her father stood hovered over the stove, flipping those pancakes. He saw her out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, sleepyhead."
Grace grunted and sat down at the kitchen table in the middle of the room and examined the front page of the dispatch. "Where's Mom?"
Her dad slid a pancake onto a dish on the counter. "She and Harriet are shopping for her wedding dress."
Grace straightened in the chair instantly. "What? I told her to take me with her!"
Harm shrugged. "She didn't want to wake you."
She groaned and let her head fall onto the table. "This stinks."
"That may be," He said distractedly, "but these pancakes are good, and I made too many of them." Harm stacked three fluffy pancakes onto a plate and placed it in front of Grace.
"Now eat."
Grace picked up the knife and sliced a sliver of butter. "I heard the phone ring this morning, who called?"
Harm brought a cup of coffee and another plate of pancakes to the table. "Oh, right, Daniel called."
Grace's fork fumbled out of her hand and it clattered on the plate causing her Tabby cat, Merlin, to trot out of the room. "Again?"
"He asked that you call him back." Harm murmured as he poured syrup on his pancakes.
Grace groaned.
"I thought you resolved this whole thing between you and Daniel...we don't want a repeat of Wednesday."
Grace huffed and leaned back in the chair. "It's not my fault he sang "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" to me from the JAG parking lot."
Harm stifled a laugh by shoving a piece of the pancake in his mouth. "And after that, I do recall the Admiral then ordering that the 'relationship' be 'terminated.' "
Grace drank some of her orange juice. "It was never a 'relationship' to start with. He just wouldn't leave me alone."
"What's Eric's say in all this?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, he thinks it's hysterical."
Before Harm could respond, the phone rang and Grace's eye got large. She leaned forward and whispered. "Tell him I'm not here!"
Harm smirked and went over to the phone on the wall. "Hello?" His gaze shifted over to Grace, "...yeah...sure, hold on..."
Grace's mouth opened in shock. Harm brought the phone over and handed it to Grace, whose face was twisted in hate. Grabbing the phone, she sighed before putting it to her ear. "...hello?" Grace's frame relaxed and she gave her father a nasty look, "Hey, Nancy." Harm chuckled softly and went back to his pancakes.
"Yeah, Daniel called again...no, I was asleep, thank God..." Grace continued talking as she left the kitchen to sit on the stairs.
As Harm went back to eating, his meal was disturbed again when his cell phone rang. Sighing, the attorney stepped over the stretched phone chord to get to his cell phone on the counter.
"Rabb."
"Hey, squid."
Harm smirked as he put the griddle in the sink. "Jarhead."
"Gracie up yet?"
He chuckled. "Barely. She's on the phone with Nancy."
A pause on the other line, and Harm could here the muffled voices of shoppers in the background. "Is she mad at me?"
"For not waking her to shop for one of the most important parts of our wedding? No, she's perfectly content."
Another pause. "Good point."
"She'll be fine, Mac. Did you find a dress?"
The marine sighed. "Yes."
Harm stopped as he was about to put a plate in the dishwasher. "Uh oh, that doesn't sound good."
"I found a perfect dress...I just don't think it's within our budget."
A small smile played across Harm's lips. "Mac, it's a wedding. There's no such thing as a budget. Just get whatever you need."
Harm wished he could see the grin on his fiancée's face. "Thank you, Harm. I needed to be reminded that."
"No problem."
"So are you getting ready?"
Harm chuckled. "I'm doing dishes, Mac."
"What? Harm, I told you last night you had to bring little AJ to the tailor to be measured for his tuxedo!"
Harm nearly dropped a plate. "What?! I don't remember that!"
He heard her make a frustrated sigh on the other line. "You're supposed to pick him up at the Roberts and bring him to Brooks Brothers at eleven-hundred!"
"What? Why can't Bud take him?!"
"Bud's sick, remember?"
Harm glanced up at the wall clock to find it was a little after ten-hundred. After saying a quick good-bye to Mac, Harm tossed a spatula in the sink, and the sailor breezed out of the kitchen.
"—I mean it's not like he's a bad guy, it's just he's getting me into more trouble than I'd like."
Grace whipped around her head when her father passed her on the way up the stairs. She put the phone down, covering the receiver. "Where are you going?"
Harm quickly explained as he bolted into his bedroom. Grace grinned as she brought the phone back to her ear.
"I gotta go...the mall...look, if he calls you, tell him I'm sick...I don't know, make it up, like, tuberculosis or something...I dunno what it is, but it sounds bad, right?"
***
1540 ZULU
Streets of D.C.
"How do planes stay in the air?" Little AJ asked as he pressed his nose to the SUV window, observing a 747 as it slowly descended for a landing.
Harm and Grace each exchanged sidelong glances. "It's complicated, buddy." Harm answered quickly.
"Why?" AJ asked curiously.
Grace turned around in the passenger seat. "You know how when Eric makes paper planes, they always fall down eventually?"
AJ nodded his little blond head excitedly.
"Well, it does that because it doesn't have the big engines on big planes which have huge...fans...that make it stay in the air."
AJ furrowed his little brow seriously, trying to figure out with his young mind what Grace had just said.
Harm slowly looked over at Grace. "Fans?"
She shrugged as she turned back around. "That's what you told me when I was five." She mumbled.
"Four." Harm said a little too quickly, "AJ's four, right, buddy?" Harm threw over his shoulder to the little boy.
"Uh huh!" He answered louder than he had to.
Grace fixed her father with an amused stare. Harm felt it eventually and gave her a double take. "What?"
Making a half smile, she just shook her head.
***
1558 ZULU
Georgetown Mall
DC
After finding a parking space (quite a difficult task), the three hurried down Wisconsin Avenue. Quickly finding out that AJ couldn't walk as fast as they could, Harm hoisted the little boy to his shoulder as they all squeezed through the thick crowds going into the mall. When the three finally found the Brooks Brothers store, it was ten after eleven. A short, scrawny man in his middle thirties stood impatiently outside the store, his head cranking around in all directions until he saw Grace and Harm, with AJ squealing excitedly on his shoulder.
The tailor straightened his tie and cleared his throat upon seeing the child and nodded at him. "Mr. AJ Roberts, I presume?"
AJ's eyes got huge as Harm put him back on the floor. "Are
you Santy Clause?"
The tailor blinked, drawing his hands behind his back. "...No..."
"Then how do you know my name?!"
The tailor cocked an eyebrow, a tactless look on his face. He then looked up at Harm. "Mr. Roberts?"
"Mr. Rabb, friend of the family."
With a sharp sigh, the tailor turned on his heel into the store. "This way, please."
Grace nudged her father. "I'll be around."
"Be back in an hour!" Harm called after her.
Grace waved her hand dismissively as she disappeared into the crowd. With any luck, she'd run into Mom and Harriet. The place was busier than usual. Grace could come up with a couple reasons for that. Early Christmas shopping, and searching for the last minute Halloween costume. Whatever the reason, shoppers bustled around in what could be called controlled chaos.
Grace slow poked through the crowd, letting it take her wherever it wanted. But she finally squeezed out to look at a display window. It was a teen-jewelry store, called "Claire's," and Grace watched longingly as a girl, a little younger than herself, got her ears pierced on the other side of the store. Grace sighed. In her...past life, she'd almost convinced her parents to let her get her ears pierced. It took a long time, and a lot of work to reach that point. Now she was starting over again. And whenever she asked, her parents curtly said no.
It didn't take long for Grace to sense the figure behind her. She also only needed to take in a whiff of air to recognize his cologne.
"Morning, Eric."
A frustrated sigh rang out behind her. "How do you do that?" He complained as he walked up next to her.
"My secret," Grace grinned, "What are you doing here, anyway?"
Eric faked offense, placing a hand over his heart and gasping. "Well, don't I have as much right to the mall as anyone else?"
"You hate the mall." Grace concluded for him.
"True...my parents are driving me nuts."
Grace rolled her eyes. She'd heard him say that too many times. "Tsk, aw, how so?" But the playfulness left her voice when she saw Eric's face.
"Dad's being called out. Mom doesn't want him to go. Insanity ensues."
Grace bit her lip. "Where's he going?"
"Saudi Arabia."
"For how long?"
"Who knows."
The silence that followed was quite uncomfortable, and Eric could only handle so much seriousness. He playfully shoved her arm. "Hey, you remember how this life was. Just be glad you don't have to live it anymore."
He was referring to her own "parent" that was "in the CIA." The story had stuck for so long, sometimes it felt like it were actually true. Grace just made a small, rueful smile in response. Then Eric pulled her away from the window and the two emerged back into the crowd.
***
"Please, keep your arms horizontal!"
The tailor huffed a sigh as he tried to measure little AJ's arms. The boy had a wide smile as he stared at himself in the three-panel mirror. Harm was off to the side seated in a chair, reading a magazine. He glanced up when the tailor sighed.
"You givin' him trouble, buddy?" Harm asked.
Little AJ flapped his arms. "Uh uh, Uncle Harm!"
The tailor had to recoil to avoid getting hit by AJ's flailing arms. Finally giving up, the little man stood from his knees. "Mr. Rabb, is there any way you can control this child?"
Harm cocked an eyebrow at the tailor's candor and then waved AJ over. The boy hopped off the stool and bounded over to the attorney. Harm leaned forward in the chair, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
"You think you can stay real still for just a few more minutes?"
Little AJ curled in his bottom lip, thinking hard about what Harm had said. After a good ten seconds, AJ made a big nod.
"I thinks so."
Harm sighed in relief. "Good."
"Well, well, well, look who finally made it?"
Harm closed his eyes and chuckled at the familiar voice. He stood, wrapping his arms around Mac and placing a kiss on her head.
"Thanks for calling me."
"Mommy!" Little AJ hopped off the stool, a strip of measuring tape whipping about from his arm as he jumped into Harriet's arms.
"Are you bein' good, sweetheart?" Harriet asked as she caught the nasty expression from the tailor.
AJ nodded. "Did you know big planes gots big fans that make 'em stay in the air?!"
Harriet's eyebrows rose. "Oh, did Uncle Harm tell you that?"
"Uh uh, Gwacie did!"
Harm glanced down at his watch. "Speaking of Grace, she should be back by now..."
***
"No, no, no, get outta the way!" Grace practically screamed as she tried to shoot the alien down. Eric didn't bother to comply, and continued to shoot the plastic gun at the video-game screen. And as the next second passed, the aliens attacked and bright red blood poured down the screen. Grace sighed and put the blue gun back in the holster on the arcade game. Eric stared at the screen, now displaying huge, blinking letters saying, "YOU LOSE."
"I told you to get out of the way!" Grace whined.
Eric jammed the gun back in the holster. "I thought I could get the dude."
Before Grace could answer, her cell phone went off. She quickly pulled it out of her jeans pocket and flipped it open.
"Hello...hey, Harm...I'm with Eric, at the uh, the arcade...what do you mean it's twenty past noon?" Grace checked her watch, "Oh, crap, I'm sorry...where are you...okay, we'll be there in a few minutes...sorry." Grace slowly hung up and put the phone back in her pocket.
"Dun, dun, duuunnn!" Eric grinned as he mimicked the Dragnet theme song.
Rolling her eyes, Grace took a hold of his arm, leading them out of the arcade. "Come on, they're at the food court."
"I'm not hungry though!" Eric explained as his friend pulled him through the crowds.
***
2158 ZULU
Bethesda Naval Hospital
DC
Monday, October 27
"Really, it's not as many anymore. I haven't had one for three weeks now!"
Doctor Backus nodded, her little eyes narrowing behind her thin-rimmed glasses. It was that same look with all shrinks. The look that says, "I agree with you, but you're still nuts."
Or at least that's what Grace drew from it.
"Tell me again about the last incident." Dr. Backus insisted calmly.
Grace inhaled deeply, letting the breath out slowly. "Nothing's really changed. They've all pretty much been the same. I hear two gunshots. I see...red...everything just turns red. Sometimes just red dots. And then it's over."
Backus wrote something down on the legal pad on her lap. "And you're taking your medicine?"
"Every night." Grace answered truthfully.
"Hm." The therapist replied.
Growing restless, Grace sat up on the leather couch, swinging her legs to the floor. "Look, Doc, it's been nearly a year. I'm fine. So what if I still have nightmares? They're rare, anyway!"
Backus put the legal pad down next to her and crossed her arms. "Grace, the fact is, the anniversary of Singer's death will be next month," Backus continued despite Grace rolling her eyes, "How are you going to handle it?"
Grace shrugged a shoulder. "I'll visit her grave."
"Easier said than done." Backus warned.
Grace had to laugh. "Oh, come on. What's going to happen? Is the ground gonna shake and split from under me if I go there?"
"No. Worse. All the feelings you had a year ago may come crashing down on you."
Grace shook her head. "Okay, first of all, whatever feelings I had are gone. I'm past it, I'm over with it, I'm done! I don't even know why I'm still seeing you!"
Backus disregarded the last statement and brought the legal pad back on her lap. "How's family life?"
Grace sighed, relieved that the subject had been changed. "Great. Harm's as much a dad to me as my real one was, and I can't wait for him to marry Mac." She added coolly.
"And your friends?"
"Couldn't ask for better ones." That certainly wasn't a lie.
Dr. Backus glanced up at the wall clock. "Hour's up, Grace."
Thank God. She thought bitterly.
"Look, I want you to spend the week thinking about how you'll deal with the anniversary, all right?"
Grace nodded as she stood, pulling on her tan leather jacket. "Sure. See ya next Monday." As she headed towards the door, Dr. Backus stopped her.
"Wait up!"
Grace turned around as Backus placed a "Fun Size Snickers Bar" in her hand. "Happy Halloween!"
Grace froze. Happy Halloween? Her last one hadn't been too happy. Grace shook away the events of last year as she gingerly accepted the candy.
"Thanks."
A few minutes later, Grace reached her dark green Corolla, but she just sat in the car for a moment, staring down at the pedals. Eventually, she looked up, letting her eyes sweep across the parking lot. She'd gone through so much to get to this point. The point when she didn't wake up every morning to a gun shot exploding in her ear, or blood blinding her vision. She'd trained herself to not even think about the murder. She was as normal as she could get.
Grace put the key in the ignition and turned it, bringing the car to life. The radio flipped back on and Grace was greeting with the "Monster Mash" song that they'd been playing the last two weeks. Grace changed the station to one playing rock and put her foot to the pedal, anxious to get away from here.
***
2230 ZULU
JAG HQ
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm listened solemnly to the voice on the other line as Dr. Backus informed him of Grace's progress.
"But she hasn't been having the nightmares. Doesn't that say something?"
"Commander, the fact is, she had them up until barely half a month ago. Though she's...progressing, she could be doing better."
"Well...what's wrong with her now?"
A sigh on the other line. "I believe she's still suffering from post traumatic stress. Don't forget, Commander, her type of treatment takes a while."
Harm glanced up at Mac, who leaned against the edge of his desk next to him, and he shook his head. Mac's frame wilted and she bowed her head.
"Okay, Doc. Thanks for the update."
"No problem, Commander. But don't worry. She is getting better, just slowly."
The two exchanged farewells, then Harm hung up the phone with a sigh. Mac eagerly awaited the details.
"Well?"
Harm bit his lip, then leaned forward over the desk. "Backus said she's still got post traumatic stress."
Mac rolled her eyes. "How could she say that? She's doing great!"
Harm shrugged. "She's the doctor, not us."
"Well, we're the parents, doesn't that mean anything?"
Harm stood, slipping his arms around Mac's waist, drawing her to him. "Of course it does. But we just have to be patient. Backus knows what she's doing."
Mac took advantage of being close to him and straightened Harm's tie. "That damn thing's been bothering me all day."
Harm smiled. He knew Mac was only trying to get her mind on other things to avoid getting too depressed. So Harm figured he'd help her along.
"Have I kissed you yet today?"
Mac glanced up mischievously at her fiancée. "I don't believe you have, sailor."
"Oh? Well, I better...before I lose interest and be forced to search for another Marine to marry."
Grinning, Mac tugged on the tie she'd just fixed, forcing the sailor to lean forward for their lips to join. But before it could even become a full-fledged lip lock, Harm's door opened.
"Oh, gross!" Grace squealed, shutting the door behind her, "Can't you guys put a sign on the door or something?"
Harm scoffed. "Can't you knock?"
"The admiral doesn't knock. What would he do if he walked in on that?"
Mac chuckled dryly and stole a quick kiss from Harm. "I have an appointment. See you at dinner."
When Mac walked by Grace, she playfully shoved her with her shoulder and Grace shoved back before the Marine left the office. Grace flopped down in the chair across from Harm's desk, folding her arms.
"Tough session?" Harm asked, as if he hadn't spoken with Dr. Backus.
"Just frustrating." She replied half-heartedly.
Harm fiddled with a pen. "You know, November first is quite an important day."
Grace felt the corners of her mouth curve up. "Yup. It'll officially be a year since I...came here."
"Yup."
A second of silence.
"It feels so long ago." She murmured.
Harm put the pen down and leaned back in the chair. "Yeah."
After another moment too long of silence, Grace stood, shouldering her backpack. "I'm off to the library. I just came to see if I could help."
Harm glanced over at the filing cabinet. "Nope. Coates filed...everything."
Grace couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Every since Coates took Tiner's job, it seemed she never stopped working. Grace didn't mind it at first, until Coates moved into her territory and started doing her work. But Grace shoved it off. If she looked at the positive side, it gave her more time to do other, perhaps even more important, things.
***
2300 ZULU
Petworth Branch Library
Washington DC
Grace propped her feet up on the wooden shelf across from her, leaning back in the chair a little bit. She lazily flipped through the old news articles, searching for the right one to base her paper on. The basement of the old library was silent, and it was eerie to her at first, but she soon became consumed by the thick, musty books containing the old newspaper pages. Even so, she put on headphones and stuck a Coldpay CD in her portable CD player to distract her a little bit.
Grace suddenly stopped humming to, "Everything's Not Lost," and her eyes widened. Set towards the bottom right of the old newspaper page, was a headline entitled, "WOMAN CLAIMS TO BE FROM FUTURE." Grace stopped the music, and slipped the headphones down so they rested around her neck. Then, her mouth agape, Grace began to read the small story.
"32 year old Eleanor Kingsly was admitted into an undisclosed psyche ward for claims of coming from the future. Ms. Kingsly's sister, who asked her name to remain anonymous, professes that her sister has been ill since childhood and should be kept safely isolated. But Ms. Kingsly continues to tell her doctors that she was sent back through time on Halloween night in her family's house outside Georgetown, Virginia. No other relatives have been discovered."
Grace didn't realize her hands were trembling until the words she was reading started to blur and shake. She dropped the huge book and shuddered as it landed with a loud thud on the concrete floor. And suddenly, a simple sentence she'd heard long ago entered her mind.
"Only one family's lived in the house since. They moved in around the 50's...they vanished."
Grace wanted to stand, but she feared her legs wouldn't work. Because she realized that, for the first time since she'd been here, something actually made sense.
***
0020 ZULU
Eleanor Kingsly's Home
Somewhere in the boonies of Virginia...
"Yeah, I'm at Eric's...I'm having dinner with him and his mom...um, I dunno when I'll be home...before eleven...yeees...I promise....oh—okay—yeah—Dad...I know...yeah, I know...okay...bye."
Grace rolled her eyes and hung up the cell phone as she pulled up the gravel driveway that very much didn't belong to Eric's family. An owl hooted somewhere in the woods that surrounded the old cabin. Grace rolled up her window as she brought the car to a stop next to a blue Oldsmobile that wasn't parked very straight. But Grace guessed the owner didn't give much of a crap how well the car was parked.
Since it was twenty-hundred, it had turned quite dark and the only light shining when Grace turned off the car was a lantern hanging at the wood porch. It swung gently in the invisible breeze, a squeak of metal ringing out every time it moved. Grace sat in the car, watching the cabin to see if there was movement inside. Grace wasn't about to leave this car if she didn't have to. She only hoped this was the right address that she'd looked up. There was one light on in the window upstairs, but the window looking into the living room was quite dark. As if on cue, the first floor suddenly lit up and the shadow of a figure walked slowly past the front window, the curtains obscuring her view. Grace steadied her breathing. She was just an old lady. What harm could she do? Grace raked a hand through her hair, then got out of the car, closing the door as gently as possible so as not to alarm the person inside the house. Then gathering her confidence, Grace stepped carefully up the steps up to the porch and stood in front of the door. She gingerly raised her hand, and knocked on the storm door. Grace stepped back a foot, so if Ms. Kingsly happened to look out her window, she could see that Grace wasn't some freaky guy trying to break in.
Grace heard slow footsteps from inside, and then they stopped right at the door. After a few seconds, the clicks of locks clapped from inside, and the front door opened. The woman that greeted her was definitely not as scary as she thought she would be. She was certainly old, probably in her early eighties. But she looked like a school teacher. She wore a bright blue sweater with a red apple knitted on the breast pocket. A skirt wrapped tightly around her little waist, and flowed loosely down to the woman's shoes. Her gray/white hair was in a stiff bun, but a loose strand of it curled in front of her ear. Many wrinkles creased her face, but her eyes were warm as she stared up at Grace as if she were a lost child.
"Can I help you, dear?"
Grace suddenly realized her mouth was agape, and she clamped it shut before answering. "Um, are you Eleanor Kingsly?"
The woman blinked in surprise. "My, I haven't gone by that name in a long time." She said with a chuckle. She stuck out a bony, wrinkled hand. "Now, it's Elle Nolson."
Grace swallowed as she shook Ms. Nolson's hand. "I'm sorry to bother you, but...considering my situation, I had to come. My name's Grace Rabb. I—I read about you in an old newspaper."
Elle cocked an eyebrow and looked past Grace's shoulder. "Yes, I have been mentioned in there a few times. Well, you'll catch your death if you stay out there, young lady. Come on in, I just got a fire goin'."
Grace's childhood "stranger danger" warnings suddenly flashed through her mind, but her gut feeling told her she was safe. "Thank you."
Elle closed the door behind Grace and then shuffled past her into the living room, where a fire crackled at the stone fireplace across the room. The home was quaint. Stairs to Grace's right led to the bedrooms, and ahead of her, was a swinging door that probably led to the kitchen. The living room took up most of the first floor, and simply connected to the dining room, whose walls were filled with photographs and a couple animal heads.
Mrs. Nolson added a small log to the fire, then sat down with a grunt into an old armchair. She gestured to the couch across from her.
"Please, sit, Miss...Rabb, was it?"
She nodded. "Grace is fine."
"Hm, now, what did you read about me in the papers that convinced you to come all the way out here, Grace?"
She bit her lip. "The future stuff."
Ms. Nolson brought her gaze away from the fire and stared at Grace. It scared her until the woman finally looked away.
"You're too young to be a reporter. Why would that interest you?"
Grace stared into the fire as well. "I fell through those stairs at the Dupree Mansion. I know you're telling the truth."
Grace continued to stare, unsure of what Ms. Nolson's reaction would be. She surprised her by answering calmly.
"I've been pestered by a lot of pranksters over the years, Miss Rabb. I tired of it."
Grace shot her a look. "Ms. Nolson, I assure you, it happened to me too! I was with friends last year, or it was actually year 2020, and I was dared to go into the mansion on Halloween. I was walking up the stairs, and I fell through, and—" Grace stopped, surprised to hear tears in her voice. This was the first time she'd talked about it in a very long time.
Ms. Nolson fixed Grace with a shrewd stare, studying her. "That was very convincing, Miss Rabb. But I've yet to see proof."
Grace sighed despairingly. Why hadn't she thought of that? "I—I don't know how to prove it right now, um...ask me something?"
Ms. Nolson curved a smile. "Dear, I went off talking about my experience so much, that the papers recorded everything. You can tell me exactly what I said if you wanted to."
"Then how can I get you to believe me?" Grace exclaimed.
Ms. Nolson studied her with those sly eyes again. She was trying to figure Grace out, like she was sensing a truth in her. Grace desperately waited for an answer.
"How long have you been here, then?"
"A year this November first."
Ms. Nolson sniffed. "You know how to get back, don't you?"
Grace felt her fear build. There was a way?
"Every Halloween, Miss Rabb. Somehow, it's the only time it can happen. It's also the very night Mr. Dupree died."
Grace felt her lips part as the shock ate away at her. It was so simple. It made so much sense. Why hadn't she figured it out before?
"You—you mean I can go back?"
"Right where you left off." Ms. Nolson concluded.
Grace felt her feet get ice cold, and her head burning hot. There was an answer...a way. A way to get back...but...would she go?"
***
TBC
***
Next chappy's the last. See ya'll next week. Ya'll have a happy New Year!!!