TITLE: Pall
DEFINITION: PALL
Pronunciation: 'pol
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, short for appallen, to become pale
1 to lose strength or effectiveness
2 to lose in interest or attraction his humor began to pall on us
3 to become tired of something
4 to cause to become insipid
5 to deprive of pleasure in something by satiating
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, cloak, mantle, from Old English pæll, from Latin pallium
1 (a) square of linen usually stiffened with cardboard that is used to cover the chalice (b) a heavy cloth draped over a coffin; (c) a coffin especially when holding a body
2 something that covers or conceals; especially
3 an overspreading element that produces an effect of gloom a pall of thick black smoke
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
RATING: PG-13 or R. R to be safe. Mostly for language to begin with, maybe for... other things... later on.
SUMMERY: After an attack on a graduation ceremony at Annapolis the JAG office is thrown into a state of flux.
SPOILERS/TIMELINE/ALTERATIONS I'VE MADE: A little AU. Please see previous chapters for more details.
DEDICATION: To my readers. I'm writing this for you.
NOTE: In the episode The Return of Jimmy Blackhorse Harriet tells Bud that her sister had eight (I think) bridesmaids and that she only wanted four (again, not sure on the numbers but that's not the point of this note), indicating that she is not an only child. Then in Wedding Bell Blues Harriet tells Mac that if she had a sister she would want her to be just like the Major which Mac said was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. These episodes were not aired long after each other, only one episode separating them, and the lack of continuity is annoying. However, for the purposes of my story Harriet does not have any siblings. This is a The Return of Jimmy Blackhorse backstory-based fic as far as Harriet's family is concerned. Harriet is not an only child in this fic.
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
1200 (EST)
THURSDAY, JULY 22
"When was it written that cafeteria food should resemble something you find stuck in your drain?" Harm asked as he led Harriet through the hospital cafeteria's line.
"I think it's one of the Commandments, sir," Harriet replied. Harm smiled, glad that Harriet was getting a little of her normal disposition back. "Remind me again why you wanted to have lunch today," she said as Harm pulled out his wallet to pay for their meals.
"There are some things that we need to talk about," Harm said.
"That doesn't sound good," Harriet frowned. "Where's the Major? I thought you said she would be joining us."
Harm picked up the tray. "She's coming. She just had to pick something up before meeting us here." He followed Harriet over to an empty table and they separated their meals. "Okay, first of all, how are you doing?" Harm asked.
"Better, sir," Harriet said. "I don't know what came over me before," she said, embarrassed.
"Hey, it's okay," Harm assured her. "You're only human, Harriet."
Harriet scowled and crumbled her pre-packaged crackers into her soup. "So what's changed in the last twenty-four hours?" she asked.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to divert Harriet's attention any longer—not that he had been all that successful before—Harm started talking. "We have some new leads. Nothing firm yet. Clayton Webb got us names and backgrounds on the three shooters and we passed that along to the FBI."
"That's good," Harriet said. She frowned. "Is that good? I mean, Mr. Webb isn't going to expect you and the Colonel to take on another one of his missions, is he?"
"I doubt it. He didn't go through Mac, or me. He went through Meg, and she's too smart to get tangled up with the CIA," Harm said. Then, realizing what he had implied, he fumbled for a way to amend his statement. "I mean… um…"
"I get it, sir," Harriet said with a small smile.
Harm smiled gratefully. "Anyway, the intel Webb gave us gives Reigner and Rowe leverage over the surviving shooter and they hope to start making some headway now that they have something to work with."
"Good," Harriet said. "But there's something else, isn't there?"
"Yeah," Harm said. He wasn't sure when Harriet had started being able to read him like a book but somewhere along the way she had found the secret decoder for the Harmon Rabb Jr puzzle. "The Feds want to talk to you, get a statement… and talk to the doctors and get Bud's medical records."
Looking down at her food Harriet sighed softly. "Okay," she said quietly. "I mean, if it'll help them there's no point fighting it." She had been expecting this. She wasn't happy about it, but she had known it was coming. "When?"
"This afternoon, if that's good for you," Harm said. "At JAG. I thought that home court advantage would make things a bit easier."
"I'll have to bring AJ with me," Harriet said.
"That's fine," Harm nodded. "Mac's getting the documents that will allow the doctors to give Reigner and Rowe Bud's files. You'll have to sign them and get the files before coming to the office this afternoon."
"Alright," Harriet said, trying her best to take everything in stride.
"The FBI agents… what are they like?" Harriet asked.
"They or he?" Harm asked. Harriet blushed. She'd been caught. Being out of the gossip loop was killing her. "Honestly we didn't talk much. Strictly business. But already I like him better than all the guys from Mac's past, so that's a plus."
"Yeah, but now you're not jealous of her relationships because you've got Commander Austin," Harriet said.
Harm frowned. "I don't 'have' Commander Austin," he said.
"But you want to," Harriet said as she stole a carrot from Harm's plate.
"Maybe," Harm admitted. Harriet shot him a glare and he relented. "Okay, yeah, I do. But there are so many issues there and… I'm sure she just thinks of me as a co-worker, a friend."
"I highly doubt that's the case, sir, but I suppose it doesn't matter either way if you don't intend on acting on your feelings," Harriet said.
Harm had a bad feeling that Harriet was making plans in her match-making head, but he didn't want to push her. If she was meddling in his love life then she was that much closer to being the Harriet he had always known.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
1450 (EST)
THURSDAY, JULY 22
The tape recorder hummed as it recorded dead air for a minute before Rowe asked her next question. Little AJ was with Petty Officer Coates and Harm and Mac were seated on either side of Harriet, there for moral support more than because they were her and Bud's lawyers. Reigner was at Quantico using the new information to try to get something—anything—out of Marino, though Harm was positive that the Admiral had the best chance of getting the truth out of the shooter.
"What happened the day of the shooting?" Rowe asked.
"Commander Rabb, Major MacKenzie, Lieutenant Roberts, and I had taken little AJ to the graduation ceremony… his first official military event. After the actual ceremony we wandered around for a while, talking to people we knew, and then I had to take AJ inside to change him… and I was looking at the pictures of past classes, showing him old pictures of his extended family… then he started crying. I didn't hear the shots until after he started wailing. I took cover, protecting AJ as best I could without being sure of where the shots were coming from and where they were aimed at. When the shooting stopped I waited until I was sure it wasn't just a pause to reload or something and then I went back out into the hallway. Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie found me and told me what happened and then… I can't really explain it. It was like I knew Bud was hurt. The Commander and I ran out to the field and found Bud. He was taken to the hospital… and you know the rest."
Rowe nodded. "How is your son holding up?"
"Thankfully he doesn't know what's going on," Harriet said.
"And how are you holding up?" Rowe asked gently.
Harriet looked from Harm to Mac and then over at Rowe again. "I have an amazing support system," was all Harriet said.
HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
2300 (EST)
THURSDAY, JULY 22
Harm and Meg had both been at the office until after 2200 going over Marino's history with the Admiral who was still on Pacific Standard Time and were both starving by the time they got back to Harm's place.
"I don't feel like cooking," Harm said as he hung up his coat.
"Me neither," Meg agreed, flopping down on the couch without bothering to take off her coat. She kicked off her shoes and flexed her toes, glad to finally be off her feet. "You think there's anywhere around here that'll still deliver?"
"Pick your poison," Harm said, grabbing a stack of well-used menus out of one of the drawers in the kitchen and handing them to Meg.
Meg went through the menus and decided that pizza was the easiest to deal with. Harm called the order in and Meg got changed into a pair of cutesy pyjamas with dancing pigs on them.
"What the hell are you wearing?" Harm laughed when Meg came out of his bedroom.
"Shut up," Meg said as she went back to the couch and curled up in the corner. "I was talking to Harriet today after she gave her statement to Agent Rowe," she said, changing the subject. "She said she still hasn't told her family what happened."
"Yeah," Harm said. "Harriet's parents never approved of her decision to join the Navy and they always thought that she could do better than Bud. And I don't think Harriet's spoken to her sister in five years. From what I've heard there was a big family battle and Allison just walked away. Then Harriet went to Annapolis and things got even more strained."
"How can her parents not like Bud? He's perfect. Not really my type, but he's smart and funny and loyal and cute… and it sounds like I'm describing the family dog but you know what I mean," Meg said, blushing slightly.
"So what is your type?" Harm asked.
Meg opened her mouth to respond but the knock at the door cut her off. Harm groaned and got up, paying the delivery boy for the pizza and tipping heavily for the late delivery.
It wasn't until he woke up the next morning that he realized that Meg had never answered his question.