Okay y'all. A large bit of this chapter is through The People v SecNav.
Now that we've got Harm back, I'm trying to link it into the regular
season nine.
Chapter 19:
Stormy Weather
"In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
--Oscar Wilde, "Lady Windermere's Fan"
1250 Zulu
5 February 2004
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Jennifer hung up her overcoat, pulled out her chair, and started to sit down. "Ouch," she said as she moved away from the desk. She moved back and frowned. "Little AJ! What are you doing under there?"
"You yelled at me," he said reproachfully.
"Well, you startled me, AJ," she said. "That's what happens when you bite people."
Little AJ stuck out his lip in a pout. "I don't wanna be here; I want Uncle Harm."
Harriet walked in. "AJ! That's where you went. Is everything okay, Jennifer?"
"Everything is fine, Lieutenant. If I might ask, what's Little AJ doing here?" Coates asked.
"She yelled at me," Little AJ protested again.
"It's just a small misunderstanding," Coates explained.
Harriet sighed. "AJ's school is out for a teacher workday, and his babysitter has jury duty. Normally, I'd stay at home with him, but my end of the month reports are already late, and I have to get them in."
"I might be able to watch him," Jennifer offered.
"Thanks, Jen, but I'll manage. Between my work schedule, Bud's investigations, and the new baby, things have been pretty hectic lately. Little AJ's been acting out." Harriet gave Little AJ a stern look. "Go sit at Mommy's desk," she ordered.
"I don't want to. I wanna see Uncle Harm!" Little AJ stamped his foot.
"Tough." Harriet leaned down to his level. "Sweetie, Uncle Harm is resting right now, because he's sick. Mommy has to work. Go wait at my desk until I get there."
Little AJ slumped. "Yes, Mommy," he said with a sigh as he left the office.
"Have you see Comm, um, Captain Rabb yet, Jennifer?" Harriet asked.
"No, I haven't," she said. "Between my roommate problems and what's been going on here, I haven't had time to go to Bethesda. If the Admiral's meeting with the SecNav goes well, I'm thinking of asking if I can take the time during lunch to head up there."
"Good luck," Harriet said with a wry smile. "In my experience, the Admiral's meetings with the SecNav rarely go well."
"I know," Jennifer said. "I'd better talk to him and remind him that he needs to be there by 0930. With the Captain being in the hospital, and the Colonel out taking care of him, it might have slipped the Admiral's mind." She walked over to the door and knocked on it.
"Enter," came the Admiral's voice from the other side of it.
Jennifer took a deep breath and started to go inside. At least working in a place like JAG Headquarters, she'd never be bored.
1430 Zulu
5 February 2004
SecNav'S Office
Washington, DC
Sheffield picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. "Glad you could be here, AJ," he said with a ghost of a smile.
"I'm here as ordered, sir," AJ said stiffly as he felt sweat gather between his shoulder blades. Shit. Meeting with this man was the last thing he needed or wanted to do right now. He'd rather be anywhere and doing anything other than meeting with the man who was responsible for hurting one of his best officers. He remembered the way Harm seemed to cling to Mac, and the only way the man he knew would ever let someone see him like that would be if he was emotionally shattered. Unfortunately, he had to answer to Sheffield, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
Sheffield handed AJ a file. "Athens Bar Association has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court charging the President, the Secretary of Defense, myself and others with war crimes and crimes against humanity." He paused and gestured towards his leather couch. "Have a seat."
AJ accepted the file, sat down, and put on his reading glasses. "The Iraq incursion?" he questioned as he started to read the file. He paused for a minute to try and digest the sheaf of papers in front of him. "Blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions, United Nations charter, and international treaties, specifically bombing a residential area and destroying a hospital in the town of Tikifa." He looked at the SecNav, puzzled.
Sheffield took another sip of his coffee, then sat the cup and saucer on the armrest of his chair. "Tikifa, yeah. A platoon from First Marine Division was pinned down by enemy fire, most of it coming from a hospital that Iraqi forces had taken over." He paused and straightened his tie. "We launched an air strike from the Enterprise and, uh, destroyed the hospital."
AJ tossed the file on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Collateral damage," he observed.
Sheffield nodded. "Thirty-two civilians dead, eighteen of them killed in the hospital."
AJ reached up, pulled off his glasses, folded them, and put them in his pocket. "More civilians were killed in Afghanistan, including children," he observed.
Sheffield shrugged. "Well, we had international support for that one, therefore no war crime."
AJ leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. "If they want a war crimes trial, tell them to go to Saddam Hussein's," he said. He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest again. "Mr. Secretary, this complaint is meaningless. We withdrew from the 1998 Treaty of Rome. The United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court."
Sheffield smiled. "Not at present," he said smoothly, "But there might be a policy shift."
AJ frowned. "Along what lines?" he asked.
Sheffield smiled wider and settled back into his chair. "Americans are asking why we're spending billions of dollars on schools and hospitals in Iraq when we could be spending the money right here at home."
AJ shrugged. "Waging peace is costly. What's that got to do with the ICC?"
Sheffield took a sip of his coffee. "We can't reconstruct Iraq by ourselves. The President needs more backing from the UN, and he's willing to make certain concessions to get it."
AJ leaned forward again. "Like recognizing the court's authority?" he asked.
Sheffield picked up his coffee cup and fiddled with it. "Well, let's say the President is looking for ways to reach out to the international community," he said.
AJ frowned. "Well, he could have picked genetically modified wheat or the ozone layer. This is a hell of a case to reach out on."
Sheffield put the cup and saucer down and straightened his tie again. "Well, in point of fact, I picked the case." He shifted slightly in his seat. "It was my idea to go to the Hague and answer the war crimes charges." He smiled and pushed his glasses up. "It's high profile and the potential rewards are enormous."
AJ's scowl deepened. "And so is the risk. You're going to be on foreign soil, you could be found guilty--"
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, AJ, won't we?" Sheffield leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin.
"There are no guarantees, Mr. Secretary," AJ pointed out.
"I'll need your two best lawyers in international law and the rules of engagement to defend me, AJ. I believe that would be Captain Rabb and Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie. From the file, you should know that we have to fly out in a few days, so I need you to get them ready." Sheffield steepled his fingers in front of his face.
"They're unavailable," AJ said, settling back in his seat. He'd seen it coming and was grateful that he'd already signed Mac's papers for emergency family leave. He figured that since Harm was technically her next-of-kin, he counted. "I'll recall Captain Krennick from San Diego and send Commander Turner as her co-council. Hell, I'll send Major Pierce along too as a junior attorney."
"Not acceptable, AJ. I want Rabb and Mackenzie." Sheffield frowned.
"You can't have them, sir. Rabb is still hospitalized, and Mackenzie is on emergency family leave. She has over sixty days of leave on the books, anyway, and I refuse to pull her off of it."
"AJ, this could mean your career," Sheffield reminded him gently.
"Sir, I'm sure that the CNO will agree with me--pulling Captain Rabb out of the hospital, a man who isn't currently fit for active duty, to defend you wouldn't be good PR for the Navy. Neither would pulling someone off emergency leave." AJ shrugged. "We're going to get enough bad press from this anyway."
Sheffield smiled craftily. "The press need never find out."
AJ smiled sweetly. "Do you know who Rabb's stepfather is?" he asked.
Sheffield waved his hand. "Should it matter?"
"Captain Rabb's stepfather is Frank Burnett, VP over at Chrysler. I called him last night to let him know that his stepson was safe, and Mr.Burnett won't exactly be happy that you want him to leave the country when he can't stand by himself." AJ leaned back and smiled wolfishly. "He has contacts and friends higher up the food chain than you, sir, and it wouldn't do to antagonize him."
"Are you threatening me, AJ?" Sheffield asked.
"No, sir. Just making clear the consequences of your actions, sir." AJ said stiffly. "I'll recall Krennick; she and Commander Turner will defend you."
"Dismissed, Admiral," Sheffield said.
"Yes, sir." AJ stood and walked quickly towards the door.
"We'll see about that." AJ heard Sheffield mutter as he left the room. AJ sighed and shook his head. He doubted that the CNO would cave under Sheffield's demands; it wasn't as if he were trying to foist incompetent lawyers off on the man. Normally, he would have sent Rabb and Mackenzie in a heartbeat, but it just wasn't feasible. Rabb was in no shape to try cases, and he knew that unless Harm was okay, Mackenzie would be a wreck, too.
1645 Zulu
5 February 2004
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Little AJ snuck into the Admiral's office and came to attention in front of the desk. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but since Uncle Harm was gone, Uncle Admiral AJ was the best choice to answer his questions. After all, his uncles knew everything. They knew more than Mommy and Daddy.
Little AJ almost smiled when AJ noticed him. "At ease, sailor--have a seat."
Little AJ climbed up into one of the leather chairs. "Uncle Admiral AJ?"
He smiled. "What can I do for you, sailor?" he asked.
"I'm hungry," he said with a frown.
AJ reached into his desk and pulled out a tin of cookies. He took one, then held the tin out to his namesake. Little AJ took a couple of cookies and grinned. "What do you say, AJ?" he asked.
"Thank you, sir," the child said obediently.
"Do you think you can be quiet while I get some work done?" AJ asked.
Little AJ nodded and was quiet for a few minutes. "Uncle Admiral AJ?" he said finally.
"What is it, AJ?" he asked.
"What's acting out?"
AJ put his pen down and examined the child in front of him. "Acting out is when you do things you know you shouldn't because you're upset about something and you don't talk about it. Is something bothering you, sailor?"
"Mommy says that I've been acting out," Little AJ said with a pout. "Mommy and Daddy are always working or taking care of Jimmy, and I get stuck with the dumb babysitter. I hate her. Uncle Harm is scared and sad, and I don't like that."
AJ got up, walked over to the chair beside Little AJ, sat down, and held out his arms. "Want to come over here?" he offered.
Little AJ nodded, slid out of his chair, and climbed into AJ's lap. He cuddled close, content that he was being held by somebody that loved him. "Uncle Harm hurts," he said. "I poked his monsters with my stick yesterday and made them go away, but they'll come back. Monsters are like that."
AJ hugged the child. "Sailor, how about I take Jimmy for a while and talk your dad into taking you to the park--would you like that?"
"Uh huh. But what about Uncle Harm?" Little AJ's lip started to wobble, and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't want Uncle Harm to hurt."
AJ rubbed his namesake's back. "It's okay, sailor. Your Uncle Harm is almost tough enough to be a SEAL--he'll be all right, I promise. Now, what are the monsters?"
Little AJ sniffed and wiped his face on the scratchy gold braid on the cuffs of his jacket. "Bad things. I poked five of 'em yesterday. They make Uncle Harm sad and scared. They make him have bad dreams."
"I've got some of those," AJ said with a smile. "Don't worry, little sailor. His monsters will leave if we love him enough." He grabbed a tissue out of the box on his desk, wiped away the child's tears and held it to his nose. "Blow," he ordered.
Little AJ obeyed. "Okay. So we just have to tell Uncle Harm that we love him?"
AJ nodded. "We have to let him know that we're here if he needs us. Now, I've got some things for you to play with in my bottom desk drawer--would you go look for them?"
A smile lit up Little AJ's face. He slid down from the admiral's lap and hurried over to the desk. After a few minutes of searching, he pulled out a Ziploc™ baggie filled with toy cars. "Are these for me, Uncle AJ?"
"Of course they are," AJ said with a smile. "Why don't you go play with them over by the fireplace? After I get some work done, I might even join you."
"Thank you!" he said with a dazzling smile.
AJ lifted an eyebrow and looked at him.
"Sir," the child finished obediently before taking his prizes to the designated area to play. His uncles were the coolest people in the world. He wanted to either be like Uncle Harm or Uncle AJ when he grew up; he wasn't sure which. After all, flying airplanes was just as cool as being a SEAL.
TBC...
Chapter 19:
Stormy Weather
"In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
--Oscar Wilde, "Lady Windermere's Fan"
1250 Zulu
5 February 2004
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Jennifer hung up her overcoat, pulled out her chair, and started to sit down. "Ouch," she said as she moved away from the desk. She moved back and frowned. "Little AJ! What are you doing under there?"
"You yelled at me," he said reproachfully.
"Well, you startled me, AJ," she said. "That's what happens when you bite people."
Little AJ stuck out his lip in a pout. "I don't wanna be here; I want Uncle Harm."
Harriet walked in. "AJ! That's where you went. Is everything okay, Jennifer?"
"Everything is fine, Lieutenant. If I might ask, what's Little AJ doing here?" Coates asked.
"She yelled at me," Little AJ protested again.
"It's just a small misunderstanding," Coates explained.
Harriet sighed. "AJ's school is out for a teacher workday, and his babysitter has jury duty. Normally, I'd stay at home with him, but my end of the month reports are already late, and I have to get them in."
"I might be able to watch him," Jennifer offered.
"Thanks, Jen, but I'll manage. Between my work schedule, Bud's investigations, and the new baby, things have been pretty hectic lately. Little AJ's been acting out." Harriet gave Little AJ a stern look. "Go sit at Mommy's desk," she ordered.
"I don't want to. I wanna see Uncle Harm!" Little AJ stamped his foot.
"Tough." Harriet leaned down to his level. "Sweetie, Uncle Harm is resting right now, because he's sick. Mommy has to work. Go wait at my desk until I get there."
Little AJ slumped. "Yes, Mommy," he said with a sigh as he left the office.
"Have you see Comm, um, Captain Rabb yet, Jennifer?" Harriet asked.
"No, I haven't," she said. "Between my roommate problems and what's been going on here, I haven't had time to go to Bethesda. If the Admiral's meeting with the SecNav goes well, I'm thinking of asking if I can take the time during lunch to head up there."
"Good luck," Harriet said with a wry smile. "In my experience, the Admiral's meetings with the SecNav rarely go well."
"I know," Jennifer said. "I'd better talk to him and remind him that he needs to be there by 0930. With the Captain being in the hospital, and the Colonel out taking care of him, it might have slipped the Admiral's mind." She walked over to the door and knocked on it.
"Enter," came the Admiral's voice from the other side of it.
Jennifer took a deep breath and started to go inside. At least working in a place like JAG Headquarters, she'd never be bored.
1430 Zulu
5 February 2004
SecNav'S Office
Washington, DC
Sheffield picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. "Glad you could be here, AJ," he said with a ghost of a smile.
"I'm here as ordered, sir," AJ said stiffly as he felt sweat gather between his shoulder blades. Shit. Meeting with this man was the last thing he needed or wanted to do right now. He'd rather be anywhere and doing anything other than meeting with the man who was responsible for hurting one of his best officers. He remembered the way Harm seemed to cling to Mac, and the only way the man he knew would ever let someone see him like that would be if he was emotionally shattered. Unfortunately, he had to answer to Sheffield, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
Sheffield handed AJ a file. "Athens Bar Association has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court charging the President, the Secretary of Defense, myself and others with war crimes and crimes against humanity." He paused and gestured towards his leather couch. "Have a seat."
AJ accepted the file, sat down, and put on his reading glasses. "The Iraq incursion?" he questioned as he started to read the file. He paused for a minute to try and digest the sheaf of papers in front of him. "Blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions, United Nations charter, and international treaties, specifically bombing a residential area and destroying a hospital in the town of Tikifa." He looked at the SecNav, puzzled.
Sheffield took another sip of his coffee, then sat the cup and saucer on the armrest of his chair. "Tikifa, yeah. A platoon from First Marine Division was pinned down by enemy fire, most of it coming from a hospital that Iraqi forces had taken over." He paused and straightened his tie. "We launched an air strike from the Enterprise and, uh, destroyed the hospital."
AJ tossed the file on the coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Collateral damage," he observed.
Sheffield nodded. "Thirty-two civilians dead, eighteen of them killed in the hospital."
AJ reached up, pulled off his glasses, folded them, and put them in his pocket. "More civilians were killed in Afghanistan, including children," he observed.
Sheffield shrugged. "Well, we had international support for that one, therefore no war crime."
AJ leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. "If they want a war crimes trial, tell them to go to Saddam Hussein's," he said. He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest again. "Mr. Secretary, this complaint is meaningless. We withdrew from the 1998 Treaty of Rome. The United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court."
Sheffield smiled. "Not at present," he said smoothly, "But there might be a policy shift."
AJ frowned. "Along what lines?" he asked.
Sheffield smiled wider and settled back into his chair. "Americans are asking why we're spending billions of dollars on schools and hospitals in Iraq when we could be spending the money right here at home."
AJ shrugged. "Waging peace is costly. What's that got to do with the ICC?"
Sheffield took a sip of his coffee. "We can't reconstruct Iraq by ourselves. The President needs more backing from the UN, and he's willing to make certain concessions to get it."
AJ leaned forward again. "Like recognizing the court's authority?" he asked.
Sheffield picked up his coffee cup and fiddled with it. "Well, let's say the President is looking for ways to reach out to the international community," he said.
AJ frowned. "Well, he could have picked genetically modified wheat or the ozone layer. This is a hell of a case to reach out on."
Sheffield put the cup and saucer down and straightened his tie again. "Well, in point of fact, I picked the case." He shifted slightly in his seat. "It was my idea to go to the Hague and answer the war crimes charges." He smiled and pushed his glasses up. "It's high profile and the potential rewards are enormous."
AJ's scowl deepened. "And so is the risk. You're going to be on foreign soil, you could be found guilty--"
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, AJ, won't we?" Sheffield leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin.
"There are no guarantees, Mr. Secretary," AJ pointed out.
"I'll need your two best lawyers in international law and the rules of engagement to defend me, AJ. I believe that would be Captain Rabb and Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie. From the file, you should know that we have to fly out in a few days, so I need you to get them ready." Sheffield steepled his fingers in front of his face.
"They're unavailable," AJ said, settling back in his seat. He'd seen it coming and was grateful that he'd already signed Mac's papers for emergency family leave. He figured that since Harm was technically her next-of-kin, he counted. "I'll recall Captain Krennick from San Diego and send Commander Turner as her co-council. Hell, I'll send Major Pierce along too as a junior attorney."
"Not acceptable, AJ. I want Rabb and Mackenzie." Sheffield frowned.
"You can't have them, sir. Rabb is still hospitalized, and Mackenzie is on emergency family leave. She has over sixty days of leave on the books, anyway, and I refuse to pull her off of it."
"AJ, this could mean your career," Sheffield reminded him gently.
"Sir, I'm sure that the CNO will agree with me--pulling Captain Rabb out of the hospital, a man who isn't currently fit for active duty, to defend you wouldn't be good PR for the Navy. Neither would pulling someone off emergency leave." AJ shrugged. "We're going to get enough bad press from this anyway."
Sheffield smiled craftily. "The press need never find out."
AJ smiled sweetly. "Do you know who Rabb's stepfather is?" he asked.
Sheffield waved his hand. "Should it matter?"
"Captain Rabb's stepfather is Frank Burnett, VP over at Chrysler. I called him last night to let him know that his stepson was safe, and Mr.Burnett won't exactly be happy that you want him to leave the country when he can't stand by himself." AJ leaned back and smiled wolfishly. "He has contacts and friends higher up the food chain than you, sir, and it wouldn't do to antagonize him."
"Are you threatening me, AJ?" Sheffield asked.
"No, sir. Just making clear the consequences of your actions, sir." AJ said stiffly. "I'll recall Krennick; she and Commander Turner will defend you."
"Dismissed, Admiral," Sheffield said.
"Yes, sir." AJ stood and walked quickly towards the door.
"We'll see about that." AJ heard Sheffield mutter as he left the room. AJ sighed and shook his head. He doubted that the CNO would cave under Sheffield's demands; it wasn't as if he were trying to foist incompetent lawyers off on the man. Normally, he would have sent Rabb and Mackenzie in a heartbeat, but it just wasn't feasible. Rabb was in no shape to try cases, and he knew that unless Harm was okay, Mackenzie would be a wreck, too.
1645 Zulu
5 February 2004
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Little AJ snuck into the Admiral's office and came to attention in front of the desk. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but since Uncle Harm was gone, Uncle Admiral AJ was the best choice to answer his questions. After all, his uncles knew everything. They knew more than Mommy and Daddy.
Little AJ almost smiled when AJ noticed him. "At ease, sailor--have a seat."
Little AJ climbed up into one of the leather chairs. "Uncle Admiral AJ?"
He smiled. "What can I do for you, sailor?" he asked.
"I'm hungry," he said with a frown.
AJ reached into his desk and pulled out a tin of cookies. He took one, then held the tin out to his namesake. Little AJ took a couple of cookies and grinned. "What do you say, AJ?" he asked.
"Thank you, sir," the child said obediently.
"Do you think you can be quiet while I get some work done?" AJ asked.
Little AJ nodded and was quiet for a few minutes. "Uncle Admiral AJ?" he said finally.
"What is it, AJ?" he asked.
"What's acting out?"
AJ put his pen down and examined the child in front of him. "Acting out is when you do things you know you shouldn't because you're upset about something and you don't talk about it. Is something bothering you, sailor?"
"Mommy says that I've been acting out," Little AJ said with a pout. "Mommy and Daddy are always working or taking care of Jimmy, and I get stuck with the dumb babysitter. I hate her. Uncle Harm is scared and sad, and I don't like that."
AJ got up, walked over to the chair beside Little AJ, sat down, and held out his arms. "Want to come over here?" he offered.
Little AJ nodded, slid out of his chair, and climbed into AJ's lap. He cuddled close, content that he was being held by somebody that loved him. "Uncle Harm hurts," he said. "I poked his monsters with my stick yesterday and made them go away, but they'll come back. Monsters are like that."
AJ hugged the child. "Sailor, how about I take Jimmy for a while and talk your dad into taking you to the park--would you like that?"
"Uh huh. But what about Uncle Harm?" Little AJ's lip started to wobble, and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't want Uncle Harm to hurt."
AJ rubbed his namesake's back. "It's okay, sailor. Your Uncle Harm is almost tough enough to be a SEAL--he'll be all right, I promise. Now, what are the monsters?"
Little AJ sniffed and wiped his face on the scratchy gold braid on the cuffs of his jacket. "Bad things. I poked five of 'em yesterday. They make Uncle Harm sad and scared. They make him have bad dreams."
"I've got some of those," AJ said with a smile. "Don't worry, little sailor. His monsters will leave if we love him enough." He grabbed a tissue out of the box on his desk, wiped away the child's tears and held it to his nose. "Blow," he ordered.
Little AJ obeyed. "Okay. So we just have to tell Uncle Harm that we love him?"
AJ nodded. "We have to let him know that we're here if he needs us. Now, I've got some things for you to play with in my bottom desk drawer--would you go look for them?"
A smile lit up Little AJ's face. He slid down from the admiral's lap and hurried over to the desk. After a few minutes of searching, he pulled out a Ziploc™ baggie filled with toy cars. "Are these for me, Uncle AJ?"
"Of course they are," AJ said with a smile. "Why don't you go play with them over by the fireplace? After I get some work done, I might even join you."
"Thank you!" he said with a dazzling smile.
AJ lifted an eyebrow and looked at him.
"Sir," the child finished obediently before taking his prizes to the designated area to play. His uncles were the coolest people in the world. He wanted to either be like Uncle Harm or Uncle AJ when he grew up; he wasn't sure which. After all, flying airplanes was just as cool as being a SEAL.
TBC...