I've had multiple requests for an update on how things are going back at JAG, so here is the first of two, maybe three chapters featuring the happenings on the East Coast.
Note: I've written Bud's rank as Lieutenant Commander, though he didn't get promoted until after he lost his leg and, in this fic, he's fully-limbed. I've decided to keep him at LC for several reasons, most of which are probably not clear as of yet, but, for those of you who caught that one,I do have my reasons for the rank-change and they do not include a mistake on my part. This time, at least.
Oh, and a quick question that I'd love some feedback on because I'm toying with a new sub-plot to thread into this fic. What are your thoughts on a Meg/Gunny relationship?
Please let me know what you think, both about the chapter and the potential 'ship.
M
Down three lawyers and one office manager JAG Ops was even crazier than its usual 'just out of the madhouse' feel. Meg was trying desperately to pick up the slack for Harm, Mac and Bud, while taking on new cases as well. Carolyn and Mattoni were working as desperately as they could to make things work out, and the Admiral had even ended up taking on two murder cases because the new lawyers weren't used to the pressure of the Falls Church office and were all having trouble adjusting. Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez had come back to JAG, having finished a TOD overseas and needing to be in the environment that had been his home for so long, and his presence was greatly appreciated, though he would never, and could never, be Harriet.
It had only been two days since Harm, Mac, and Bud left.
Meg had been assigned to Bud's office and she was searching for a transcript of a deposition when Jen knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, ma'am, if you're busy I can come back," Jen said nervously. Meg hadn't known her for long, but it was obvious that Jennifer Coates was not the nervous type.
"Come in, Petty Officer," Meg said gently. She had an hour until court and, other than locating the deposition, she was fully prepared so she didn't see the harm in finding out what was bothering the Petty Officer. "What's on your mind?"
"It's about the Colonel and the Commanders," Jen said.
Meg nodded. That was the most common source of concern in the JAG office at that moment and it made sense that Jennifer, who had been brought into the JAG world by Harm, would be feeling no small amount of helplessness and trepidation. "Has there been any news?" she asked as she motioned for Jen to take a seat.
"Commander Roberts arrived safely on the carrier at 0400 and seems to be doing well so far, all things considered," Jen said. "But… no one has heard anything from Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie. The airport in San Diego confirmed that they landed safely and that they did go to Plan B, whatever that means, but since then… nothing." She looked down at her hands and then straightened up again and tried to back peddle. "I realize that my concern may appear undue, ma'am, however—"
"It's not undue, Jen, and don't let anyone tell you that it is. Harm and Mac may be your superiors, but they're also your friends," Meg said firmly. "Look, I've known Harm for years and, even though I haven't been around him for a while, the basic principles that make up Harmon Rabb are still there. He's fiercely protective of the people he loves and he will do anything he can to make sure that justice prevails. And I realize it sounds like I'm quoting the description of some TV hero but you've known Harm long enough to know that I'm right. And Mac is the same way, only she can keep a clear head most of the time whereas Harm is very emotional about things. If they haven't contacted anyone it's because they don't want to risk anyone tracking the message to their location. If they were in trouble they would have made contact, though. I'm sure of it."
Jen wasn't convinced, but she did feel a little better after hearing Meg say all the things she had been telling herself for the past few hours.
"I hope you're right, ma'am," Jen said honestly. She stood up to leave but Meg stopped her.
"Before he left Harm told me that you've been living in less than ideal quarters," Meg said.
"That is quite an understatement," Jen said, blushing slightly.
"Well, it's not a permanent solution, but Harm and Mac asked me to look after their places while they're dealing with all this, and Mac mentioned that she would be fine with you moving into the as yet unfurnished spare bedroom in her apartment, even if it's just until you find a place of your own," Meg said. She grabbed a set of keys from the desk. "Tiner and Mattoni will be at your place Wednesday at eighteen hundred to deal with the heavy lifting. They tell me they'll expect payment in the form of cold beer and the promise that you don't have too much heavy furniture."
"I have a bed and a dresser, but that's about it," Jen said.
Meg smiled. "Good. So you can take care of Mac's apartment and I'll crash at Harm's until this is all sorted out, and some of our problems are, if not solved, then put on hold for the time being," she said. Jen smiled weakly in return and Meg wished she could see a little more of the infamous Coates optimism and candour. "And if you need any help with anything, anything at all, let me know."
"I appreciate that, ma'am," Jen said.
"Meg," the blonde corrected firmly.
"And if you need any help acclimating to DC, I'm here to help," Jen said.
"Unless you can make it ninety-degrees and sunny everyday and breezy at night I'm afraid there's not much you can do to make this transition easier, but thanks for the offer," Meg said good-naturedly.
Jen smiled and waited to be dismissed before going back to her desk and Meg went back to searching for the file.
She finally found it only to find the Admiral standing in her doorway, a grim expression on his face. Meg stood at attention but the Admiral waved her off.
"Sir?" she said softly, afraid to find out what was bothering the Admiral so much. She hadn't worked under him for long before she left DC but she knew he wasn't a man who was easily shaken.
"I just got a call from a Captain at Annapolis. Bud's younger brother, Mike, was killed half an hour ago. There was a training exercise at Quantico that Mike was involved with and he was on his way to his car when he was shot," the Admiral said as he rubbed his forehead. "I want you and Gunny to go to Quantico and find out exactly what happened."
"Sir, I'm due in court in a few minutes," Meg said.
"I've already spoken to the judge on your behalf. The session had been rescheduled to next Monday, 0900."
"Thank you, sir," Meg said. She put the file down and sighed softly. "Whoever is doing this has a grudge against Commander Roberts."
"Apparently," Chegwidden nodded. He looked at Meg and nodded. "I'm having trouble with the concept as well, Commander, but that seems to be what we're dealing with here."
"Does the Commander have any other family that should be warned?" Meg asked.
"His father lives in Norfolk. He's being dealt with," the Admiral said. "Bud and his father aren't that close, though, so it is unlikely that whoever is doing this will go after the Master Chief."
Meg frowned and then said, "That's why both Harm and Mac went with little AJ, isn't it, sir? They left because they're targets, too; probably next on the hit list."
"The thought did occur to us," Chegwidden nodded. "And, though less likely than Harm or Mac, you might be in danger as well."
"How so?"
"It was your recommendation that got Bud into JAG," the Admiral said. "And it is doubtful that Bud made any enemies while he was PRO on the Seahawk."
"Then by that logic you are a potential target as well, sir," Meg pointed out.
"I suppose you're right," the Admiral said, though he didn't seem too terribly concerned with that thought. He hesitated for a moment and then spoke again. "Make sure you have your weapon with you," he said before leaving.
Meg sighed heavily and went to the wall safe, spinning the dials and pulling out her gun and checking the clip. Once she was sure that everything was in proper working order she grabbed her coat and her cover and left the office, locking up and making a beeline for Gunny's desk. He, too, was checking his weapon over, his coat and cover sitting on the top of his desk.
"Ready to go, ma'am?" Gunny asked. Meg nodded and they left.
They were quiet for most of the drive until Meg got sick of the silence. "So, what's your background, Gunny?"
"Mostly front line action, ma'am. After my first enlistment ended I went back to New Mexico for a while and then I went back to the Corps. Colonel MacKenzie brought me into JAG after Lieutenant Simms went on mat leave with little AJ and Tiner had the office looking like a war zone."
"He still hasn't learned how to file, huh?" Meg asked, remembering the few weeks Tiner had been there at the same time she had. She'd never had so much trouble with paperwork in her career and, try as she might, she couldn't even blame Harm for it.
"That would be a negative," Gunny smirked. Meg smiled in return and then Gunny said, "What about yourself? The Admiral mentioned that you used to be Commander Rabb's partner, before the Colonel arrived."
"Correct," Meg nodded. "Harm and I were partners for about a year. I was fresh out of law school and too naive to really handle Harm as a partner so when I got the chance to get out, get more experience, I took it. Haven't looked back since." She looked down at her hands. "Until recently, at least," she added bitterly.
"Ma'am?" Gunny said tentatively.
Meg shook her head. "It's just… regrets. Things I wish I did that didn't seem important enough at the time. Like when Bud sent me an invitation to his wedding. I could have taken some leave, witnessed his joy, met Harriet, seen my old friends. Or when Harm called me because some new evidence had come up in the last case we investigated together… I just shrugged it off because the victim was his Academy sweetheart and I assumed that Diane had become another one of his obsessions."
"Diane, ma'am?"
"Diane Shonke, and drop the ma'am, Gunny," Meg said. The man beside her was at least ten years her senior and, even though she was an officer and he was enlisted, it felt odd being a ma'am to him. "Diane was a crypto officer on the Seahawk. The carrier was in Norfolk and when Diane left for weekend liberty she was followed to her car and murdered. She had been due to drive to DC so she and Harm could talk about their undefined relationship… and then we got called to Norfolk and she was in the body bag…" Meg sighed softly, remembering how hard that case had been for everyone involved, but especially Harm. "And then, two months later, Mac walks into his life."
"What does the Colonel have to do with the Commander's girlfriend?" Gunny frowned.
"Well, other than the fact that Diane was Navy, Mac and Diane are identical. Mac's a few years younger, I think, but physically they look exactly alike. When Harm first told me I thought he was seeing things. Then Bud mentioned it to me… though the thought of dual hallucinations did occur to me, I knew it was real."
"Does the Colonel know?" Gunny asked. Meg smiled. Semper Fi, Marine. The Gunny was prepared to stand up for Mac if necessary, even though everyone who mattered knew that Mac could take care of herself, especially when it came to Harm.
"Yeah. Maybe not the whole story, but she was with Harm the night he tracked down Diane's killer," Meg said. She had never heard about that night from Harm himself—the way she had shrugged off his vehement insistence that Holbarth was the killer and that he had proof this time had cut Harm too deep for him to turn to her so readily only hours later—but Bud had told her everything he knew and his description of the body being crushed between the dock and the carrier was far too descriptive for her tastes, especially since, it being a stormy night, visibility would have been limited so Meg knew that most of the description came from Bud's own imagination and not from what he actually saw.
The mile marker alerted Meg that they were only a matter of minutes from Quantico and, even as she noticed Gunny perking up a little—being one of two Marines working in a Navy office—at the proximity of all the other Jarheads that were only a few miles away, Meg turned her focus back to the case and off of her melancholy reminiscences.
"Do you know anyone at Quantico that will be willing to be candid, Gunny?" Meg asked.
"I knew a few people," Gunny nodded. Meg smiled slightly when she noticed that he hadn't added the obligatory ma'am. "Not sure if they're the people who will be able to help, though."
"Any allies are better than none," Meg reminded him.
"You don't have much experience dealing with Marines, do you, ma'am?" Gunny asked with a smirk.
Meg narrowed her eyes at him. "I've had my fair share, Gunny, including accelerated Boot at Parris Island. I can hold my own."
"I'm sure that's true, ma'am," Gunny said, though it was clear that he wasn't sure she would have as easy a time of things as she thought.
TBC...
