By: Liz D
A Future Fic based on the AU created in Old Friends and Old Friends, New Relationships
Chapter Eight
Spoilers/Prereqs: Sequel to Old Friends and Old Friends, New Relationships
Written: Winter 2005
Disclaimers: No disrespect to JAG's cast, crew or creators.
Thank you. Sorry it took so long, wrestling with the muse – damn she is strong willed. Lots of case advance here but sprinkled with shipper moments.
Letting
The Days Go By
Chapter Eight
1115 LOCAL - January 10, 2008
Court Rooms JAG
Okinawa Japan
Lt. Commander Lorenzo was fit to be tied. Mac could be seen ordering him to stand down. Harm had already left the courtroom not even attempting to hide his amused expression. Livingston caught up with him.
"What the hell just happened in there?"
"We caught a break." Harm kept walking. "Probably the first and last one."
"What about those motions to suppress and all that other - " He kept pace with Harm.
"The judge will deny those … and the continuance … we have – AT BEST … 22 hours."
"So you finally believe us?" Livingston asked.
"What I believe is irrelevant … I am doing what I can … and part of that is tracking down Silvers' girlfriend."
"Kim?" He asked. "What does Kim have to do with this?"
"Maybe nothing, maybe everything." Harm decided that this guy might be his fastest source. "Who's Kim's brother?"
"Brother?" Livingston asked.
"Yes, BROTHER." Harm pulled out the photo of Kim, Silvers and some other Marine.
"What the hell?" Livingston was clearly surprised.
"You know this guy?"
"I have seen him around but never with Silvers." He scrubbed his hand across his face. "This guy is bad news."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that that guy is no marine … I don't care what costume he's wearing …"
"Name?"
"Harrison … Hammond … Henson … something like that … don't know his first name … he is American … gets on base some how …"
"How?" Harm asked.
"No clue … but he is a civilian … some kind of transporter … you know … a shipper."
Harm noticed Mac walking toward him. "See if you can dig anything up on this guy … an address might be nice." He shooed him away quickly.
Mac approached. "I see you haven't lost your … touch." She said a little too full of herself.
"Mac I needed that continuance."
"There was nothing wrong with the chain of custody Harm … you know that." She challenged.
"If that is the case, then the judge will see it that way."
She smirked – the kind that is normally seen from Harm. "You don't know who Judge Akins is, do you?"
"No." Harm was beginning to get annoyed. She should be royally pissed at him at the moment; he did everything he could to make her look bad in there – if not personally at least her command. Instead she looked rather pleased with herself. "Should I?"
"Well." She stated. "He is the only judge who was never a lawyer. He hates lawyers and the only thing he hates worse than lawyers are lawyer tricks. He will give you the benefit of the doubt ONCE … but after that you are SCREWED … every objection, every motion, everything … you are screwed … and I don't just mean for this case. Every case after - even if your argument has merit." She crossed her arms across her chest. "You will have to work twice as hard to get him to side with you on any motion or objection or anything from here on out."
"Mac, I needed more time." Harm pleaded his case to the one person who could not help him.
"I wasn't going to fight you on the continuance." She stated simply.
"But you said last night-." He argued.
"I said that it was not a good idea, and I still don't think it is." She smiled. "But honestly, you just got here … you need more time. I don't want this case to look like we rushed it through – regardless of the outcome."
"So why didn't you stop me?" He asked.
"You never gave me a chance." She explained. "You haven't changed."
"What does that mean?"
"For good or bad you always assume the worst of your opponent." She smiled. "Sometimes that works to your advantage, but some times it back fires." She looked over her shoulder at Lorenzo who was waiting for her. "I suppose you had no reason to think I would have cut you any slack." She looked back at Harm. "When was that last time we faced each other in court?"
"It has been a long time." He smiled. "But I see you have honed some skills."
"Some of those I learned from you …" She gestured for Lorenzo to go on without her. " … the hard way."
"And others?"
"Time and experience." She explained.
"Like letting me shoot myself in the foot?" He asked.
"You don't usually do stuff like that … but again, you're out of your element."
"I won't make that mistake again." He smiled. "Guess I need a guide … someone to show me the ropes."
"I can assign someone to assist you." She offered.
"Not you?"
"This is now my case Harm … had to set Lorenzo second chair, he can't control his buttons yet."
"You can?" He asked.
"Oh the buttons are still there, and they have the same effect – it is just my response is no longer a knee jerk."
"Just so long as I know I can get through." He said suggestively.
She shook him off. "What about this new information?" She asked changing the subject. "Or were you making that up too."
"I am under no obligation to share this with you." He stated. "But, I think I should … I think this lead is something real."
Harm showed Mac the picture. She did have some information to share about the other man in the picture. His name was Frank Henderson. He had come to Japan on his only tour with the marines - 10 years ago. Since he has been skirting legal entanglements and pretty much comes and goes in Japan at will. He's a Japanese-American who often had business on base – was he the local rep for a shipping business that does a lot of work for the military. If he was the brother of Kim Nekobuta (Silvers' girlfriend), she was unaware of that. Mac seemed to suggest that the local authorities were interested in speaking with him about a murder that took place six months ago, but have yet to find that he is on the island. It was believed that he had gone back to the USA.
Harm put forth a theory that Henderson may have set Silvers up. Mac believed that Henderson – if he was involved –is probably letting Silvers take the fall, but regardless Silvers was involved.
"So where can I find the girlfriend?" Harm asked.
"You have her name, address and place of employment in one of the files I gave you."
"You didn't check her out." He asked.
"She had nothing to add." Mac shrugged.
"There is something more." He tucked the picture back into his coat pocket. "Thanks Mac." He started to walk away.
"Harm." She called to him.
He looked back and waited.
"Nothing." She looked shy.
"Nothing?"
"Be careful, huh?"
"My middle name." He flashed her a toothy grin and continued.
He was disappointed in that meeting. It was a little too much like old times – all business. Not all their encounters could be full of innuendo and double entendre and God knows it would get old the longer it didn't pay off, but he didn't want to waste a minute of the time they had. He needed to some how win her over. To remind her about what was great about them and to get her to see that they should be together.
Of course he was not being practical. There was no way he was going to give up JAG HQ to play house-husband to Mac in Okinawa and he would never expect her to give up her command to come back to Washington. As he drove to Kim Nekobuta's home, he realized that wooing Mac and trying to win her back was a fool's errand. If they did agree – if Mac finally owned that the divorce was a mistake, what was their next move? It would be figuring out how to live with 17 hours between them for an indefinite period of time. He didn't want that life either. What he really wanted was to roll the clock back three years and start the whole thing again. But that wasn't going to happen either.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
1420 LOCAL - January 10, 2008
Fly By Night
Shipper
Okinawa Japan
Nekobuta was not at her residence. He proceeded onto her work. She worked at a shipping company – Fly By Night – as a bookkeeper. When Harm was pulling into the place, his phone rang.
"Rabb … Livingston, what did you find out? … Where? … You're sure … Tennessee? … Fine. … Where did you get this information? … Yes I do … Livingston … I'll accept that – for now." Harm ended the call.
Livingston had informed Harm that the brother – half brother – was Frank Henderson who was the local rep for Fly By Night Shippers. The scuttlebutt was that he was in Tennessee and hadn't been in Japan for over three months. Livingston would not give up his source; Harm presumed that it was Silvers. There was something in Livingston's tone that wasn't quite so cocksure.
Harm proceeded into find Kim Nekobuta. What he found was woman in her early 40s who was clearly the queen of her little world. She had three people working for her who all jumped when she spoke. Harm didn't speak much Japanese but he understood enough of tone to know that she was very unpleasant to these women. When she looked up at Harm – in his dress blues and easy smile – her demeanor changed from overlord to seductress.
"Yes commander." She said in English with only a hint of a Japanese accent that Harm assumed was more for effect than out of necessity.
"You are Kim Nekobuta?" He asked.
She sidled up next to him. "And you are?"
"I am Commander Harmon Rabb." He told her. "I am here to talk to you about --."
"Jack Silvers … I know … I have nothing to say." She said quickly still trying to hang on to her flirt.
"I see … so you and --."
"Jack and I are through … I told him not to get involved, but he wouldn't listen to me."
"Involved?" Harm asked.
"With me … he thinks he loves me … he thinks he can't live without me … he says that I am his sun and his moon." She playfully rolled his eyes, but clearly she loved the idea that she could just throw men a way that worshipped her.
She was so full of herself; Harm was hard pressed not to smile. "I see." He motioned for them to sit down. "When was the last time you spoke to him?"
"The night the idiot broke out of jail – the brig." She corrected. "I had sent him a letter breaking it off. I told him to stop writing to me and stop calling. I told him that I wanted nothing more to do with him."
"And?"
"And he called me from base, just before the shore patrol found him."
Harm was not sure if this woman could give Silvers character reference or not – assuming Silvers was not guilty. If he was guilty – then she was probably up to her neck in it as well.
"Do you know that I have been hauled in by the police for …" She made elaborate quotation marks with her hands. "…'questioning' at least seven times in as many days?"
"What can you tell me about Frank Henderson?" Harm asked, as if out of the blue.
"Nothing." She stated quickly.
"You know him?" He asked.
The edge crept back into her voice. "I am sure you know I do … I am sure you know that he is my half-brother --- you know what they say Commander, you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family."
"You work here together." He pressed.
"If you want to call what Frankie does here work." She waved him off. "He is not in Japan anymore … he is back in the states and that is where he belongs."
"Do you know if Frank and Silvers knew each other … did any business together, were just friends."
"I have no idea." She stated. It was then that Harm was sure she was lying. "Look, Jack and I have only dated a couple of times. We partied … that was all … he is a good guy … a little stupid, but a good guy."
"But you broke up with him."
"He is not my type … I like them taller and smarter." She cooed. "And from what I understand he will be going away soon and for a very long time."
At that Harm smiled his best come hither smile. "Well it is my job to make sure that doesn't happen." His eyes shone. "Can you help me?"
The struggle was evident in her expression. She wanted to believe that Harm was coming on to her, but she couldn't give anything away. "I am sorry, Commander I can't."
He stood to leave.
"But if you would like to have dinner sometime – I find that my calendar is open." She returned his smile ten fold.
"I'll keep that in mind."
He left and looked back through the window. Kim was in a heated phone conversation with someone. He drove around the corner and waited. About ten minutes later, Kim came flying around the corner. She was going so fast there was no way she could have noticed Harm. He certainly noticed her and followed.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
1530 Local - January 10, 2008JAG Offices
Okinawa Japan
Mac was sitting at her desk wondering what she would do with the new information that was presented to her. The ante was definitely upped, but she still had an undeniable feeling that she was being forced down a particular path to gain a desired result and not just about the case.
It was Harm. Something stirred in her when she thought about him, about him being there, about his obvious desire to get back together. It was flattering, ego boosting and for the first time in a very long time she felt like a woman first again. He loved her; she had never stopped loving him. He no longer appeared to be a shadow of his former self and if they did get back together then they both knew what they were getting into. They would not be deluding themselves about anything and they knew many of the pitfalls that can derail a marriage. So why not get back together? As Harm had said, no real damage was done. They hadn't wrecked anything. It was logical, it was reasonable, it was clear and it was the right path. Why did she feel like she was being forced down that one too?
Her cell rang. She was expecting it to be Harm.
"Gates." She answered after checking the caller ID.
"Hey baby, what's up?" Gates was always up when she called Mac. She made of point of it. It was actually her plan to make Mac so homesick that she would have to come back.
"All kinds of stuff." She laughed. "Including my blood pressure."
"Ah … so Rabb is right there with you?"
"Stop … it has nothing to do with Harm." Mac turned in her chair and lowered her voice remembering Harm's comment that her walls have ears.
"Nothing? Or not everything?" Gates asked.
"Why are you pushing so hard for this … and how did you know he was here?"
"Someone has got to feed the cats, girlfriend." She said simply. "And why I am pushing so hard for this is because it's good for you."
"Gates the harder you push, the harder Harm pushes, the more I want to resist."
Gates let out a breath. "Fine, I won't push. I won't even bring it up."
They were silent for a moment.
"Gates?"
"He is saying all the right things, isn't he?" She launched back in ignoring her previous comment.
"Thought you weren't going to bring it up."
"He got to you. You are finally questioning yourself. Good for him."
"No – not good for him. Not good for me." She nearly cried.
"Do you believe him … or is he just saying was he needs to say to gain his objective – like most men."
"Harm is not like that." She defended him.
"So?" Gates asked. "What are you going to do?"
"What am I supposed to do, Gates?" She spit back. "What do you people want from me?"
"Baby, this always been your problem. It is not about what we want from you, it's what you want for yourself." Gates was worried that Mac might bring up the damn baby issue again, but she hoped that Mac had learned to accept it.
"That is not helpful." Mac stated.
"Yes it is … and if you ask yourself … if you really take the time to listen … maybe you will hear."
Mac nearly laughed. "Did you join a cult? Or find religion or something?"
"Maybe what you have been searching for is right outside your back door."
"Thank you Auntie Em."
"Look Mac … I am really going to stop pushing. Maybe you do know what is best for you. Maybe your career is all you really want out of life. Not all women are meant to be partnered. I sure as hell am proof of that. Never understood those 'death do you part' marriage vows. Maybe Rabb is just not the right guy for you … too much history and most of it not great." She sighed. "So, from now on I am here to listen and love you … no judgments, no pushing – no advice." She stated.
"Gates, if I didn't have your judgments, your pushing and your constant UNSOLICITED advice – how would I get through a day?" Mac laughed.
Gates did too. But she actually meant it this time. She had meddled her last in the affair of Harm and Mac.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
1845 Local - January 10, 2008VOQ
Okinawa Japan
Harm let himself into his quarters. He has spent the last several hours following Nekobuta hoping she would lead to something. She had run some errands and gone home and stayed there. Harm finally decided that he was wasting his time. He would need to talk to Silvers again and find out what exactly he would discover if he kept pursuing the girlfriend and the brother. From the looks of things it would only strengthen the prosecution's case.
He was in the process of changing out of his blues into something more comfortable when a knock came on his door.
"Mac?" He stepped back to let her in.
She smiled weakly and entered. "Henderson was found." She stated simply.
"Oh?" He asked.
"Looks like he never made it back to the states."
"Where was he found?"
"In the morgue." She sat down. "He was listed as a John Doe – a drowning victim – allegedly." She shrugged. "It was a screw up in the system. His fingerprints were on file. He should have been IDd at the time." She almost laughed. "Do you know who discovered it? … My petty officer … she just stumbled across it and put the pieces together."
"How long?" Harm sat down across from her.
"It was five months ago." She took a breath. "Harm, we need to talk to Silvers about what he knows about this."
"You think Silvers did this?" He asked.
"I don't know." She stated. "But in light of the evidence you showed me this morning and some other information that links Silvers and Henderson, we need to talk to him and we need his lawyer present."
"What other information?"
Mac pulled a file from her brief case. "I have spoken to Judge Akins and he has cancelled the morning session pending the filing of new charges."
"OK." He was thinking quickly. "May I speak to him first?"
"Of course."
Mac had delivered her message. She should have left. But she remained.
"Something else Mac?" He asked.
"Harm … this thing … between you and me … you confuse me … you always have."
He didn't like her tone of voice. It was tentative and scared. "Is that a good thing?"
"No." She said simply. "You keep me off balance."
"I won't let you fall, Sarah."
"I know that." She looked into his face. "In my head, I know that … I also know that if I did fall, I could pick myself up."
"But?"
"But … I don't know … I don't know how to describe it."
"Try." He encouraged her gently.
She thought for a moment and then laughed a little. "You know what I was thinking the other night … I was thinking that we either never should have met, or we should have gotten together the first day." She looked down remembering their first days together running around the Arizona desert. "God you were sexy … "
"Was?" He mocked hurt.
"…in a I-can-have-any-girl-I-want-and-have kind of way." She shook her head. "That damn wife beater t-shirt and those awful shorts."
"Where do you think we would be now if we did get together that first day?" He played along.
She shook her head. "Probably enemies; making each other's life a living hell." She looked up at him. "Or worse … not speaking at all – not even friends."
He nodded. That was certainly possible. They were both very immature when it came to relationships back then. "And if we had never met?" He asked.
She got a very sad look on her face. "I have no idea … but I don't think I would be where I am today if it weren't for you – career wise."
"So at least one thing good came out of our meeting." He stated like he was holding up a consolation prize.
"Harm a lot of very great things have come from having you in my life." She took his hand. "I love you … I always will … you have to know that."
"I do … I think I do." He leaned back taking her hand with him. "So what are we doing, huh? I mean, I screwed up … I'm sorry … I know it's not that simple … but it has to be easier than this."
"We both screwed up, Harm." She pressed his hand. "But I don't think there is a simple answer."
"Is there an answer?" He asked.
"Probably more than one." She admitted slipping her hand out of his. "You have some work to do."
"We are not done with this conversation, are we?" He asked.
"No." She smiled weakly at him. "Not at all."
He walked her to the door. "Sarah." He stopped her. "I need you to meet me part of the way on this thing."
"The case?" She smiled knowing that it was not the case he was talking about. "I know … and I will … OK?"
He nodded sadly.
She touched his face and brought her lips to his for a safe chaste kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." She slipped from the room.
"In my dreams." He corrected. "I'll see you in my dreams."
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Mac slowly walked back to her office. She would not sleep that night. She had gotten better at knowing when she was going to have insomnia. She thought about going to the gym or taking a run, but instead she would get more work done. There was something about the case that was not sitting right with her. She still felt like she was being lead or pushed down a particular road. That too many "new" pieces of evidence were being brought to light at very appropirate times. Something was not right. Mac hated being pushed. The more force used to push her, the more she pushed back. It was time to push back in the case.
At 0300 she leaned back in her chair and let her mind spin at will about Harm and their history (she had been fighting it all night long – well for the past several days). Was Harm pushing her too? Or was he pulling? Or was he just opening the door and inviting her to step through? What about Gates? Gates wasn't actually pushing either. She was poking and prodding, but not pushing. Yet there was an undenaible feeling that someone or something was pushing her back to her marriage, back to a life that she had taken great pains to create and leave behind; back to a life that wasn't 100 percent, and had some major disappointments and away from this new life she was just getting started on. Whatever it was that was pushing so hard was causing Mac to dig her heels in. She could barely allow herself to luxury of thinking about it rationally.
She got up to look out the window. What was it that was pushing so hard? She caught site of her reflection in the window. She had her answer.
End Chapter Eight ---