Chapter 5

Mac's morning had proceeded much more calmly. She'd spent the morning over at the Washington Naval Yards interviewing for a case which would begin next week and so had missed the fireworks. Sturgis filled her in on how court had gone. He had just reached the part where Harm was invited' to Chegwidden's office when she saw Harm's mom exit the elevator. She walked over, Sturgis followed he knew the Burnett's from Academy days, he knew he'd met the other woman in the group somewhere before.

"Mr. and Mrs. Burnett it's nice to see you again" Sturgis could see the teen with them was undoubtedly related to Harm.

"Mrs. Burnett, I'm Colonel Mackenzie. I'm glad to finally meet you. Harm is currently in with the admiral. I don't think it should be much longer. He'll be out shortly so why don't we wait in my office?"

The group followed Mac to her office.

Sturgis went to get his cover. He was meeting his girlfriend, Verese Chestnut, who was back in town, for lunch. He knew he'd seen the woman with the Burnett's before and he was trying to remember where. He was still in his desk when he remembered the very brief encounter with the woman in Mac's office.

Flashback
1989
Honolulu, Hawaii, Waikiki Beach
1130 local

Ensign Sturgis Turner had the morning off, he and his bunkmate Ensign Wilson, were going to take in Waikiki Beach. They'd just been settled in when a beach ball landed nearby. A toddler was coming forit. "Mine" the toddler said. He gave the ball back to the toddler.

"Andy, say thank you." The young woman, obviously the boy's mother, prodded.

"Tank oo" the little boy sped off, as fast as he could, towards someone familiar. Sturgis stood up. "Harm, buddy, what are you doing these neck of the woods, I thought you were in stationed at Pensacola?"

Harm responded. "I'm here on leave, you?"

"No, I'm stationed at Pearl, have the afternoon off, could be a worse duty station." Sturgis replied smiling.

Harm's next words surprised the submariner. "Sturgis, I'd like you to meet Shannon and the little guy with the good aim is Andrew."

"Nice to meet you, Shannon, Harm and I roomed at the Academy."

Harm was about to tell Sturgis this was his wife and child when Wilson who was waving somewhat frantically, interrupted by yelling at Sturgis.

"Hey, Turner, we got to go, trouble back on board, we need to go back to Pearl ASAP".

Sturgis quickly shook Harm's hand. "Nice seeing you, Harm, I'll try to get a hold of you before you head home." The reunion never did materialized and the roommates didn't see each other for nearly a decade, before they were working together at JAG. When Sturgis asked Harm about the woman he'd met at Waikiki after his arrival, Harm tersely informed Sturgis that they'd broken up years ago. Sturgis had not brought up that long ago meeting since.

Chapter 6

JAG headquarters
Falls Church, VA
1122 local

Harm left the admirals office heading towards his cubbyhole office the echoes of the admiral's wrath in his head. He hoped his family would be running late even if leaving a message at the gate for them stating he was to be off the grounds for the rest of the day would be embarrassing. He needed at least a couple of minutes to decompress. After the worst dressing down in his career, if not his life the admiral had given him a choice – non-judicial punishment of suspension for the rest of the day plus the next ten working days or an Article 32 hearing for several counts of dereliction of duty. Harm knew if he went with the article 32 he would likely be ending two careers, his Navy and his law career.

The suspension along with everything that had occurred in the past year was career stalling but he at least he still had a job, Harm knew from his experience with Mattie few family court judges would look favorably at a someone who'd just torpedoed his career. Therefore, he took the suspension it was the lesser of two evils. The admiral informed him a permanent letter of reprimand was going into his file. Annual reviews were coming up--- Harm was looking at a review that would most likely see him leave the Navy as a Commander, recommending that he not be promoted even though he was due to go before a promotions board.

Harm would be persona- non-grata at headquarters by noon. For the duration of his suspension, he'd have to have a legitimate reason, such as an appointment, to be on the grounds or find himself in the brig.

"Bud, Mac, my off—." He saw this mother and stepfather, ex-wife and son walking towards him. "Bud, Mac, my office NOW." To the visitors "Let me take care of this--- then we can go." Mac and Bud quickly walked into his office. "Bud, the Admiral will call you in to take over, I'm not TAD. The admiral gave me a choice: ten days suspension or being brought up on charges."

"Yes sir." Bud then went back to his office. Harm had seemed out of sorts since Christmas. Bud had learned when to lay low. This was definitely one of those times.

"Mac, before you start, the admiral said it was an accumulation of several of my 'brilliant actions' in court plus disregarding CAG's orders at Christmas, the 'appropriation' of the Humvee while he was ejected and the whole fiasco with my trial, and then the resignation. He said since Christmas my work, with the exception of the SecNav's case, has been deplorable. The one bit of good news is I now have a lot of time to get everything worked out in my personal life. The admiral said if I get my six in trouble once more in the next year that I'll be doing a three-year tour in Diego Garcia." He stopped his tirade and then asked "Mac if you don't have lunch plans please come with us, with the mood I'm in I am likely to kill. Let's get out of here."

With that, they left his office, Harm and Mac walking towards the small group waiting for him. "Let's go," he said gesturing his visitors towards the elevator"

"Harm" his mother started to say before Harm interrupted somewhat harshly.

"Let's discuss this elsewhere Mom," his tone rather abrupt. They got to the parking lot. "Harmon David, I raised you better than that" his mother turned on him when he got to his vehicle.

"Mom, I'm not having a good day, I'll explain later, just not here."

Mac interjected because she was trying to calm him down before the guards had to come over. "Flyboy, why don't you drive my Corvette? I'll drive everybody else in your Lexus."

He smiled for the first time that day. "It's a deal."

The smile disappeared with Shannon's request. "Harm, I would really like to talk to you alone."

"Shannon, we need to talk and this would be a good time for it without anyone to interrupt us". After exchanging keys with Mac, Harm took Shannon in Mac's corvette. Mac guided everybody else over to the Lexus.

Chapter 7

On the Beltway

Between Falls Church Virginia and Union Station in DC

Washington DC

1202 local

Andy finally broke the silence that had been in the car since leaving JAG headquarters "So you work with my dad?" Mac nodded Andy asked another question "Why did you call him flyboy?

Mac chuckled, "He's a pilot."

Andy had a questioning look on his face. "He flies? What's he doing at JAG then?"

Mac answered, taking the time to look directly at him as they were stopped at a red light. "He is one of the senior lawyers. He's has even been on the bench, once which is he was the judge. About twelve years ago was flying at night and he had a mishap they found out he had night blindness which grounded him from flying for the navy."

"Your accent sounds Australia, but different than Sydney. Mac queried of her teenaged passenger.

"I should, we live in Tasmania."

"So do I call you Andrew or Andy, or do you go by Drew?"

"I go by Andy; I know I'm in trouble she calls me Andrew John Rabb. Mum said they decided I wouldn't be Harmon Rabb the third. I didn't know the truth about my dad til I turned thirteen and I found their divorce decree, while I was looking for something in mum's records. It was about that time I saw Dad on TV. He was in Australia at the time."

Mac knew exactly what case that was since she'd been in Australia for part of that case. She also found it interesting Harm had an AJ of his own. She was going to give Harm a bad time about that for sure. She would wait until he was in a better mood however.

Trish and Frank were listening intently to the conversation in the front seat. The couple had been together for many years and could carry on a conversation with their eyes. Franks' said "Don't interrupt we'll find out more this way. Trish's' responded, "Mac's the closest thing to an impartial observer here."

Andy continued. "The story she told me about my dad when I was little was just a load of bull. She'd said my dad left when I was little. When I found the birth certificate, she was forced to tell me the truth. They had married six weeks after they met, and had me a just under a year later. Since Dad was serving on a carrier, he was gone several months at a time. About the time of the first Gulf War, she freaked and left for home, Mum was from Australia. She sent dad divorce papers with a solicitor here in the states. She told the Australian court with dad's job being dangerous she wanted sole custody. She told her solicitor not to give her forwarding address, soon after Mum and I left for Tasmania. Other than two trips to Sydney I hadn't been out of Tasmania since then, until this weekend. You know, I just remembered, Mum's cousin live here in DC, he almost married a couple of years ago but they broke it off after postponing the ceremony at the last minute."

Mac paled for just a second, a thought just came to her and to her credit, her voice didn't waver when she asked the teen "this might seem a very odd question but is your mother related to a Michael Brumby?"

Chapter 8

"Mum and Mic are cousins; they grew up together after his parents' death and he calls my grandparents mum and dad."

"Just what's so funny?" Andy said after he quit laughing. The car before them had stalled so they had to stay for the light to cycle around again.

When Mac stopped laughing "It explains a whole lot; no wonder Harm hated his guts."

Dad hated whose guts?" Andy was thoroughly confused. However, he could tell his father was not a happy camper. Harm's body language telegraphed that clearly, while they were walking to the car back at JAG Headquarters.

"Mic Brumby." Andy looked quite confused so she added. "When your dad went back to being a full-time pilot JAG had an exchange officer from the Australian Navy. He stayed here for a while after your Dad returned to JAG. They both showed an interest in me, Mic showed more interest, to make a long story short I chose Mic. As you know, I didn't marry him. Just before my wedding your dad had his quals, which he needs to keep his flying current. He finished. While flying back they developed mechanical problems. Your dad and Skates, his RIO, had to eject. Harm was missing for hours. To make a long story short I postponed the wedding. Mic, to his credit realized I wasn't really in love with him and he called everything off and returned to Australia. The woman your dad was seeing broke up with him, in fact she married her high school sweetheart, a mortician of all things very shortly after."

The brief look of humor on Andy's face when she mentioned the mortician soon dimmed with worry.

"You said dad hated Mic's guts; why?" the teen was spoken to like an adult and so he answered in kind, being honest in his words and feelings.

Mac shrugged. "I don't know. I just know they never liked each other in fact they barely tolerated each other at work much less when they had to be together socially."

They reached Harm's apartment, several minutes before Harm, who'd managed to hit every light red, worsening his already sour mood.. Staying in Harm's vehicle, they listened to a CD Mattie had put in before her court ordered return to her father. Harm hadn't been able to take the CD out yet even though his problems at JAG had coincided with her court ordered return to her father.

Chapter 9

The tension between Harm and Shannon was so evident a blind person would have seen it. The portion of the conversation Mac, the Burnett's and Andy heard as they drove up was contentious. It was obvious the two needed to get festered emotional wounds drained.

"Harm, I need to get back, I don't need trouble with the Admiral, I'll be back, and bring any forms you need" She told him as she gave him her keys.

Harm gave her back her set of keys and she got into her car. "I'll grab lunch on the way back. It was nice meeting all of you. See you tonight. "

"Let's go upstairs." Harm led everyone inside and went to his apartment.

As soon as they were in the apartment, his mother asked, "Why didn't Mac stay?"

"She has to go to back to work--- I don't." He said this as he took his coat and cover off and put them on the desk for the time being.

Trish looked concerned if not downright worried.

"Lately all I can do is to manage to tick the admiral off. This morning was just the icing on the cake. I've the rest of today and all through all next week to get my 'act together'. I'm skating on extremely thin ice with the admiral right now. He told me one more stunt in the near future and I will be doing a three year tour in Diego Garcia and that's if I'm not shown the door."

"Isn't Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean?" Andy queried.

"Yes it is" Frank told his grandson.

"I take it would not be a promotion." Andy asked no one in particular. His grandmother nodded in the affirmative to his statement.

Harm went over to the kitchen "No, it wouldn't. You may not be hungry, but I'm going to make myself a bite to eat. Help yourself."

"Harm, did you get called on the carpet because of our visit." Shannon asked. She'd been very quiet to this point, realizing that from words spoken earlier her former spouse was still irate. The conversation in the car gave her an idea of how unhappy he was about her past actions.

Harm sighed. "No, I've been skating on thin ice with the admiral for awhile. The trial, my resignation, add to that my time away from the Navy. I think I came back to JAG because of Mattie. Then her father came back. To tell the truth, I've had more than a few cases that I should've handled differently the past few years. The admiral told me to reassess my priorities while I'm off."

Frank noticed the blinking light on the answering machine indicating messages left. "Harm you have a couple of messages. Do you want to listen to them now or later?"

"Now, there's a pad on the table next to it. Get the numbers I need to call them back." The first one was his dentist reminding him of his appointment next week. The second was from Sergei.

"Older brother, wanted to tell you I got married today. We decide to have small wedding. Galina and I went to what you call justice of peace. We see you in summer on vacation."

"Sounds like a wrong number". Shannon volunteered as she had never heard of Harm's brother. The look on Trish Burnett's face told her otherwise.

Trish asked Harm, "Who's Galina?" She figured it was someone special to her son's brother but hadn't really understood the Russian accented voice of the man who was her husband's son.

"His fiancée, I guess I should I say wife I've met her. She is very pretty, a flight attendant for Aeroflot." Trish relaxed a little. Galina's a little too flaky for my tastes but Sergei loves her."

"Who was on the phone Dad?" Andy had been in the bathroom during most of the phone call.

Before Harm could reply Trish answered her grandson, considering the topic, a sensitive subject to her, her voice was amazingly objective. "He's your uncle Sergei; your dad's half brother. Harm learned his dad was taken to the Soviet Union. Your grandfather somehow escaped the KGB around 1980. Apparently, he was protecting Sergei's mother from being raped by soldiers when he was shot and killed. Your uncle, his mother was carrying him at that time; your grandfather saved both their lives. Isn't that right Harm?" He nodded.

Harm took the story from there. "I met Sergei's mother while I researched the possibility dad was still alive. She said he died protecting her. A year later I was sent to Russia on assignment; Sergei was in the Russian army as a helicopter pilot. As his brother, I tried to bring him come back to the states with me but he stayed. He was in Chechnya and was shot down. A year later he was brought to the states as part of an exchange." Andy and Shannon were listening to the story in amazement. "I tried to help get him citizenship but the DNA proof was not conclusive enough for the INS which is a lot stricter since 9/11. Sergei thought the immigration process was taking too long. He said he was 'lonely', but I think he was homesick. He went back to Russia. He's visited me here since."