Chapter 4:

In Darkest Night

"We have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

-Charles de Lint

0145 ZULU

17 NOVEMBER 2004

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

"Sir" Jen stopped as she noticed AJ on the floor. "Are you okay, sir? Can I help you get up"

"Coates" AJ acknowledged. "I think I can manage on my own." He started to get up, but changed his mind as his hip gave him a bad twinge. "Maybe you can help me after all, Petty Officer" he said with a wince.

Coates set the pile of folders she'd been carrying on a nearby desk and helped him up. "What happened, sir?' she asked.

"It's AJ now, remember" he asked. "An overeager teenager accidentally knocked me down on her way to the Commander's office" he said wryly. "I doubt she's forgiven me yet for being, 'that mean old man who fired Harm.'" AJ dusted off his pants. "I'll hand it to the Commander, he seems to collect the feisty ones."

Jen gave him a confused look. "But sir" she began. "Mattie went to live with her biological father. She moved out almost a week ago"

"I suggest you take it up with her, Coates-it looks like she's come back." He finished dusting himself off and gave Jen a half-smile. "If you'll excuse me, Jennifer, I need to go have a word with the Colonel."

"Yes, sir" Jen said, picking up her stack of files.

AJ watched as she headed towards Commander Rabb's office, then he turned and walked briskly across the bullpen and knocked on Mac's door. "Come in" was the immediate response.

"Colonel Mackenzie" he said as he walked into the office and shut the door.

Mac turned around. AJ could see surprise written all over her face. "Admiral! What are you doing here" she asked.

AJ sat down in one of her chairs and crossed his arms. "I got a call from your new CO claiming that you and Commander Rabb snuck off on an investigation on my watch and got married." He allowed a small smile to cross his face. "Since I know that neither one of you would do that and Cresswell seems intent on blaming the Commander for it, I decided to see if the two of you could use an old, retired Navy lawyer to defend both of you."

Mac had a guarded look on her face. "Sir, I appreciate the offer, but... given our past history of going against the regs, how can you be sure"

AJ's smile got bigger. "I was your CO for eight years, Mac. The two of you have put everything on the line before for each other, but you've never hidden it when you've disobeyed orders or regs for various reasons. I don't think the two of you could actually conceal it if you got married."

"Sir, you wouldn't have done anything like this last year" she murmured. "Last year, you hung both of us out to dry."

AJ sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "No, I wouldn't have" he admitted. "And I did. Not only was I still your CO, but I was also burned out from playing politics and being forced to betray my principles for the sake of my job. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, Colonel, but I'm attempting to fix some of that now." He looked up at her and let his hands come to rest on his thighs. "Sometimes a man just has to mend fences that he's torn down, and I guess it's my turn."

Mac looked down at her desk. "Thank you, sir" she said finally. "I'll accept if you take both of us together. You're right-we didn't do it. Our only crime is being stranded in a snowstorm in North Carolina." She gave him a brief smile. "I don't know where this trumped-up marriage came from."

"You're welcome, Colonel" he said as he stood up. "I'd better go find the investigators before they come looking for me; I know they will sooner or later, and I'd rather it be here than at home." He shook Mac's hand and turned towards the door. "You know where to reach me."

He barely heard Mac's acknowledgement as he left her office and crossed the bullpen to where Kate Pike and Meg Austin were standing. He doubted that they'd been assigned there in the short time he'd been gone, so that only left one option open-they were the ones sent to investigate the case.

0300 ZULU

17 NOVEMBER 2004

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Cresswell grimaced as he looked at the file. He'd need to send senior officers to investigate, and the only ones free were Rabb and Mackenzie. With their relationship being scrutinized, it was probably a good thing that the vessel the two officers involved in the incident were stationed on was currently in Norfolk, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted them out of his sight until everything was settled.

He hated to see a fine Marine's career ruined over something like a fraternization and an adultery charge, but unless the investigation turned up something, he'd have no choice but to charge both of them. He reached for the intercom and pressed the button. "Petty Officer Coates, please ask Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie to report to my office-and tell Commander Rabb's daughter that I'll be happy to talk to her about the Marines after we finish."

"Yes, sir" came the muffled response.

It seemed like hours, but was in reality only a few minutes until the Commander and the Colonel knocked on his door. "Enter" he called.

Without a word, the officers came to attention in front of his desk. "At ease." Cresswell folded his hands in front of him before continuing. "I've got a short investigation for the two of you-I need to know if you can handle this professionally or not"

"We can, sir" Mac answered immediately. The commander nodded his agreement.

"Normally, this investigation would go to junior officers. Lieutenant Meecham is accused of striking a superior officer." Cresswell handed Rabb and Mackenzie copies of the file. "He doesn't deny it, but he claims that it was self-defense and religious persecution." He leaned forward, his hands flat on the desk. "I don't need to tell you how sensitive a case of this nature is-I need you to go down to Norfolk and find out exactly what happened."

Rabb and Mackenzie came to attention again. "Yes, Sir" they answered.

"Dismissed." Cresswell watched as the left, then settled into his own thoughts. From the Lieutenant's file, it was entirely possible that his claims of religious persecution were true.

From his own experience, Cresswell knew that military life could sometimes be a... cultural experience for everyone, but especially the LDS servicemen. They tended to stand out more than most and almost always drew fire for their religion. Even without reading the file, he would have suspected that Meecham was a Mormon. His time at Brigham Young University had made it so that he recognized the names of some of the families that went back to pioneer days, and 'Meecham' was one of them.

Heaven knew that he'd put up with a lot of razzing about it in the early days. Most people in the Church were used to it, though. He suspected that there had to be a lot more to it than a few snide comments about polygamists to make the Lieutenant lose his temper. After all, Russia wasn't exactly the easiest mission to serve in and that was where Lieutenant Meecham had gone. When all was said and done, there was such a thing as righteous anger...

He didn't know Rabb and Mackenzie well-but he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. It was entirely possible that their 'marriage' was a mistake, anyway. For both cases, it was a matter of letting the investigations run their course.

0350 ZULU

17 NOVEMBER 2004

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Meg studied her notes, then glanced over at Kate. "We're gonna have to go to Raleigh to get any further on this."

Kate shifted in her chair and nodded. "I know. Everyone here thinks that they didn't do it, and I really don't think that Harm could. A casual fling, yes, but not a secret marriage."

Meg smiled. "He doesn't have it in him to keep up a lie for that long." She took a deep breath. "I was his partner for a year and I've never known him to lie. He avoids the subject, yes, but he doesn't lie."

"I think I cured him of casual flings, anyway" Kate muttered. "I don't know Colonel Mackenzie well, but from what I've heard, she might be able to do it."

"Oh" Meg tilted her head quizzically.

"The Colonel kept the fact that she was married a secret for the first few years she was at JAG" Kate said dryly. "I've seen her service record-she even had an affair with her immediate commanding officer while she was still married to a" she consulted her notes. "Chris Ragle."

"But if Harm is innocent" Meg began.

"Then so is Colonel Mackenzie" Kate said. "It still wouldn't surprise me if she was somehow behind it."

"I only know her by reputation, but I think she would have told him if she did something like that" Meg argued. "I kept in touch with Harm after I transferred out, and she used to be all he talked about. For the past few years, though, he hasn't mentioned her much at all." She grimaced. "Did you notice the way she was looking at him during staff call"

Kate nodded. "Whether or not the charges are true, Mackenzie is in love with Harm; she was looking at him like he was the only man on earth. Think Harm knows"

Meg shook her head. "Harm's oblivious, I think. I had a big crush on him for the first few months of our partnership-he always treated me like I was his kid sister."

Kate favored Meg with a wolfish grin. "He never treated me like that. The way that man looks in dress whites should be outlawed."

Meg fiddled with her wedding ring and smiled. "I know what you mean."

Kate stood up and absently brushed invisible wrinkles out of her uniform absently. "We'd better get down to the motor pool and requisition a car if we want to get to Raleigh before dark."

Meg nodded and stood up. "Think that any of the same staff will be there after three years"

"I hope so" Kate said. "We can at least get the hotel records before we go to Lejeune to find out more about the case they were on."

The two women left the small office they'd been using and headed downstairs, determined to clear their friend if they could.

0330 ZULU

17 NOVEMBER 2004

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Mattie looked up from her Math homework as she watched Harm enter the room. He had a file tucked under his arm and a sheepish expression on his face. "Mats, I've got an investigation in Norfolk, so would you be okay if I asked Jen to stay with you while I'm gone"

Mattie dropped her pencil, stood up, hurried around the desk, and hugged him. "I understand better now than I used to" she said, then kissed him on the cheek. "I'm not saying that moving back here is permanent, but I do know that I want to be just like you when I grow up."

Harm hugged her back, and Mattie could see that he was holding back tears. "Mats, without you here, my life is pretty empty. Do me a favor and be better than me when you're my age" He kissed her on the forehead. "Find somebody to love who loves you back and start your own family."

Mattie hugged him again before releasing him reluctantly. "I'm guessing that you have to get ready to go" she said. "And I've got somebody to see before you take me home, so I'll be right back."

Harm set the casefile on his desk. "All right, but you're going to go to school tomorrow, and for as long as you're home."

Mattie shot him an impish grin. "Aye, aye sir" she said.

"And if you need help with your homework"

"Call you like I do every night, because my father was never good with that kind of thing" Mattie supplied.

"Are you happy back in Blacksburg, kiddo" Harm asked.

Mattie bit her lip. "Most of the time, but I miss you. I love you, Harm. You know that, don't you"

"Yeah, I do." Harm pulled her into another hug.

Mattie hugged him back, relishing the safe feeling she got in her dad's arms. "Harm, have you thought about transferring out and leaving here or something" she asked quietly. It had been on her mind ever since she'd left. For the past year, it seemed to her that he was only hanging around Washington because she was there.

Harm was quiet for a few minutes before answering. "Sometimes" he admitted. "But I won't abandon you, Mathilda. I don't abandon the people I love."

"Good, because I still need you" she looked at him seriously. "Dad."

Harm gave her a bone crunching hug, his eyes bright with unshed tears. She'd never seriously given him that title before, but it seemed right. In all the ways that mattered, he was her dad. He released her and she gave him a bright smile. "I'd better hurry so that I'm ready to leave when you are" she said, turning towards the door.

Just as she was about to leave the room, Jen hurried up. "Mattie, General Cresswell would like to talk to you about the academy before Harm and Colonel Mackenzie leave."

"Jen, would you please tell him that I'll be right there" Mattie asked, her eyes pleading.

"Sure" Jen answered with a smile. "But don't keep him waiting for too long-he's a little harder to read than the Admiral was, and I'm still never sure what he's going to do next."

Mattie nodded. "Okay. I just need to have a quick word with somebody, and I'll be there."

"Mathilda" Harm said warningly.

"I know-behave."

"Jen, I'm not sure if I'll have to stay in Norfolk overnight..." Harm began.

"And you'd like to ask me if Mattie can stay in my spare room for the night. Commander, she can stay here for the day, and I'll take her home with me so that you and Mac can leave straight from here." Jen flashed him a smile. "I'll also make sure she gets to school."

"Thanks, Jen" Harm said. It was the last thing Mattie heard as she left the room and made a beeline for Colonel Mackenzie's office. She bit the inside of her lip and a slow anger roiled in her stomach. She'd asked the Colonel to take care of Harm, and right after she left, this happened. She needed to have words with the Colonel before going to talk to Harm's new boss.

She knocked on the door and entered without bothering to wait for a reply. "You promised to look out for him" she said with a glare at Colonel Mackenzie.

"Mattie, I"

"I know what happened when the two of you got accused. I know that neither of you had anything to do with it, and I know you started yelling at him." Mattie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Mac.

"Mattie" Mac tried to talk again, but Mattie interrupted.

"Harm thinks that he's gonna spend the rest of his life alone except for me, did you know that? He won't leave here. He says it's because of me but I know better; it's more than that. It's you. He lov" She cut herself off abruptly. "Forget I said that. Harm'd be pissed if he knew I said anything." Mattie put her hands on her hips. "Harm's a good guy. He doesn't deserve to spend the rest of his life alone. And it's up to you if that happens."

She flounced out of the room and headed towards the General's office. She knew she shouldn't have spilled the beans, but it felt good. Harm needed somebody to speak for him because she didn't think he'd do it for himself, so she'd do it for him right now. He was, after all, her dad.

Mattie went into Jen's office and started to knock on the General's door. "Mattie" Jen said, making her turn around.

"Yeah, Jen" she asked.

"I'm taking you home, okay? That way Harm and the Colonel can leave for Norfolk quickly so that you can talk to General Cresswell."

Mattie bit her lip and nodded. Sometimes she really hated the fact that his job took him away from her, but it wasn't like she could really complain at this point because she'd abandoned him in favor of her father. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Enter" was the response.

Mattie pushed the door open and went inside. She was here for him at the moment, and that was what mattered.