'It's a Wonderful Life' at JAG
Chapter 2
Disclaimers: As previously stated.
Spoilers: Any episode from Season One, Two or Three. In particular, the episodes, "The Prisoner.' 'We the People,' 'Full Engagement,' 'Washington Holiday,' 'Death Watch' and 'To Russia With Love-Gypsy Eyes'. The movie "It's a Wonderful Life," will also be loosely referred to.
The details of the episodes and the movie will not happen in the same order and some may not have the same result as the episode or the movie. (Got that?) LOL!
A/N: Thanks to Karen for her beta reading in a busy time.
A/N: I have the episode 'Full Engagement' happening in October instead of February. It would have been freezing cold and there would have been at least, a few inches of snow on the ground, when they landed that Stearman.
A/N: Many things will take place, or be reviewed in a very short period of time in this story. The time span between 2230 and 2310(Eastern Standard earth time, grin ) will contain a great deal of detail. Since we really don't know the nature of angels, how they measure time, or for that matter, how many can dance on the point of a needle, then I have the license to pack as much as I want to into 40 minutes. (Smile)
A/N: Keep in mind that in the first half of Harm and Mac's story, each scene will have a bit of narration prior to it. The angel, XO Gabriel, in my story, will narrate for a time, as the angel Joseph narrated in 'It's a Wonderful Life.' The narrations and some scene changes will be framed by a line of asterisks.
Rating K
Christmas Eve, 2004
In the heavens above Northern Virginia…
XO Gabriel continued to show Lieutenant Clarence, the life of Harmon Rabb Jr. as it unfolded in his first years at JAG. The former aviators apprentice marveled at the amount of women in uniform, who were stationed at all levels, in all the services. In 1918, the only women who served in the military were nurses. The women who passed through the now, Lieutenant Commander's life, flew airplanes, commanded ships, and were partnered with him as attorneys, Lieutenant Clarence couldn't believe it. Women didn't even vote, in 1918.
Lieutenant Clarence decided that aviation had come a long way, as well. There were many changes from the 'Jenny' he had dreamed of flying, so long ago. He continued to be amazed at the women who worked at JAG with the Commander. One of them, Lieutenant Meg Austin, was someone he would have liked for a partner himself. She was beautiful and competent. But Commander Krennick, though she was very beautiful, he decided, was the type of woman that his mother warned him to stay away from, under any circumstances.
New people came into Lieutenant Commander Rabb's life, people Lieutenant Clarence was instructed to remember, Namely, Admiral AJ Chegwidden, who replaced Admiral Brovo, as Judge Advocate General. The young apprentice was relieved that his subject seemed to strike a rapport with his new superior, almost immediately. It was about time that something worked out the way it was supposed to for him. But what could have happened that would make the Commander so full of despair that he would want to throw everything away?
Lieutenant Commander Rabb's ordeal, in his first year at JAG, when he was taken prisoner while on assignment in Hong Kong, revealed a lot about him. It became clear that the one thing that motivated his subject the most was his father. He was the greatest source of his pride and also of his deepest pain.
Up until tonight, Lieutenant Clarence had not been allowed to see the earth as it was, since his arrival years ago, only angels who had earned their wings could do that. Tonight, he was also able to discern the thoughts and motivations of his subjects. Though this newfound power helped move things along more quickly, it also had the Lieutenant asking far too many questions for XO Gabriel's taste.
"Lieutenant Clarence, if you intend to be of any assistance to your subject, you should wait until we finish, to ask a question."
The Lieutenant's questions ceased and they continued to look in on Lieutenant Commander Rabb's life.
1345
May 1996
D and S piers
Norfolk Naval Base
Norfolk, Virginia
Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. approached NCIS Special Agent Turkey on pier 6. His partner Lieutenant Meg Austin accompanied him. The usual inter service jibes were exchanged between the Special Agent and Commander Rabb. Both Meg and Harm were having a very good time with the Special Agents name, until the body bag of the murdered victim was unzipped. It was Lieutenant Diane Schonke.
Harm turned and walked away, his immediate grief and repulsion, sickening him. After he had taken a few steps, he looked back again, praying that he had been mistaken. It was to no avail, it was true, it was Diane and she was dead.
"Do you know victim, Rabb?"
Harm nodded his head but turned away.
"Cover her." Meg spoke sharply, and reached forward to pull the cover back over the victims face and zipped the bag.
Harm closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. In his minds eye, he could still see Diane's beautiful face and the gaping and bloody hole that lay just below it.
Now, he would never know. They had been friends all the way through the Academy but had never committed to being more. He knew his feelings went deeper, but thought they had time; they could have been so much more.
Nearly before Lieutenant Clarence had time to react to what he had seen, another scene from Commander Rabb's life played out before him.
Commander Rabb stood at attention before the President of the United States and received his Distinguished Flying Cross in the Rose Garden of the White House. He was in the company of Admiral AJ Chegwidden and his new 'responsibity' Lieutenant Bud Roberts.
As they walked the path that led them from the Rose Garden to the Admirals limousine, a woman who was standing near it turned toward them. Admiral Chegwidden introduced Major Sarah Mackenzie to Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
He was stunned to see someone, who could have been Diane, standing before him in a Marine Corps uniform. After they awkwardly shook hands and introduced themselves as 'Harm' and 'Mac,' they began their assignment. An assignment that forged their friendship.
Mac had initially thought Harmon Rabb Jr. was just another fighter jock, full of himself and not to be trusted. By the end of their assignment, recovering a stolen Declaration of Independence, he had put his career and life on the line for her and her Uncle Matt. No one but her Uncle Matt had ever gone the extra mile for her before, until that day. As a result, from that day, it was difficult not to admire him. Mac still kept up her guard though, time would tell.
What began for Harm as a curiosity became a habit. He studied Mac whenever possible to see how much like Diane she really was. What puzzled Harm was that the differences between them didn't disappoint him, they fascinated him. His friend Jack would never let him live it down if he knew how much time he spent on this. No one knew, and he didn't feel the need to share. He and Mac were friends and co-workers. Besides, he thought, this fascination he had would pass. There was still a lot he wanted to do with his life, there was no room for a serious relationship, certainly not with someone he worked with.
2245
October, 21 1097
Somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains…
After their afternoon trip in Harm's Stearman became a run for their lives. Harm and Mac sat near the fire Harm had built just a few minutes before. Mac had calmed down considerably, since they had decided to stop for the night. Harm had tried to reach out to her, but she would not allow it.
Mac was ashamed of her break down, and knew that if she allowed herself to lean on him at all she could never face him again. She'd had to kill in her own self-defense, and now it appeared that it was just catching up with her.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Harm. I don't know what came over me." Though they'd only known each other a few of months, his respect meant so much to her.
'Its okay Mac, I shouldn't have left you alone."
"If you hadn't, we might both be dead."
"So…can we agree that I wont feel guilty about leaving you, if you wont feel guilty about getting emotional a few minutes ago?"
"Okay, but I want to say," she wiped the now drying tears from her face, "that I feel bad about giving you a hard time about your plane. I didn't realize what it meant to you."
Harm was quiet for a moment. "I haven't told anyone, really." He told her earlier that day, about his father, his grandfather and how instrumental working on 'Sarah' had been in his recovery after his ramp strike.
"Do you ever think about going back? To flying I mean." She looked at him now, directly.
"Everyday." He answered honestly, he loved flying the Stearman, but he believed he was born to fly a Tomcat. It was as though the jet fuel were in his blood, and being at sea, flying off the deck of a carrier, was his natural state.
He didn't say more, this was as open as he had ever allowed himself to be with a woman. This conversation was making him feel exposed and it made him uncomfortable, though he knew he could trust Mac.
Mac, for her part, pushed away the dread of his ever leaving JAG. He was too good at what he did now. He was the best partner she had ever had, he treated her as an equal, and she didn't want to lose that. There was more to it than that though; she just didn't know how to explain it, even to herself. Lost in her serious thoughts, Mac looked up at the stars for a moment.
Harm felt a small amount of tension between them, so to fill the silence he decided to lighten the moment. He handed his cigar to Mac, just to see if she would actually smoke it.
Mac took it without flinching. As she took a deep drought from it, Harm raised his eyebrows. He was impressed… she was tough alright.
"Do you smoke, Mac?" Harm grinned at her.
"No, but I thought that this cigar might taste so nasty, it might help me forget how hungry I am." She gave him a mischievous side long glance
Harm could not keep from laughing and the tension between them eased. "We'd better call it a night Mac; I need to get some rest if I'm going to get you back to the plane tomorrow." He stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves from his jeans. "By the way…Have you gained weight?"
Mac gave his leg a swat, before he helped her stand up. "No, you just need more muscle, Stickboy. Maybe you should get a real work out, with a Marine."
In no time they were settled in, well hidden from anyone who might come upon them. They lay facing each other on a bed of soft white pine branches. Her eyelids were heavy as she smiled at him sleepily and began to nod off, she was exhausted. Harm closed his eyes and waited for her breathing to even out.
When he was sure she was asleep, he opened them and watched Mac as she slept. Her face, usually tawny and glowing with health, had a grayish hue. She had dark circles under her eyes. Harm spoke his thoughts in a whisper.
"I'm getting you out of here Mac, I swear it."
He wouldn't allow himself to think anything else. There just weren't any other possibilities. He reached across and rested his hand on her arm and tried to get some rest before the sun came up.
Lieutenant Clarence looked at XO Gabriel anxiously, "Did they get away? Did she live?' In his time, Mac's leg wound might have been fatal.
XO Gabriel nodded toward the next scene, as Harm and Mac flew away in the yellow Stearman, in the nick of time.
The next thing Lieutenant Clarence saw was the Commander attending what looked like a large formal ball. He was in uniform and appeared to be in the company of many important dignitaries and officers.
It was held at the ball room at the Willard Hotel; Commander Rabb was scanning the crowd, very much into his role as Princess Alexandra's bodyguard. Though there were times, he felt more like a paid escort. So far everything was going as planned, Agent Webb had informed him that the threat to the Princess was eliminated, but Harm still had a sense of unease. He continued to scan the crowd, also well aware of the location of the secret service agents posted about the room.
Harm stopped short as Admiral Chegwidden entered the room with a beautiful woman on his arm. Not recognizing her at first, he thought the Admiral had brought a beautiful date to the NATO ball. Then the woman turned toward him and smiled. Harm could not keep from saying her name aloud. "Mac?"
She looked beautiful, nothing like the Marine he was teasing about love and baseball, just this afternoon.
Mac spoke a few words to the Admiral, excusing herself, and then walked toward Harm.
"Hello, sailor, are you ready to begin our little plan." Mac decided that Harm looked much better in his 'dress mess' than he did in his dress whites. The uniform was definitely not underrated; though she would never have told Harm so.
Harm was still so captivated by her that he nearly forgot for a moment. "Yeah, sure." He smiled at her, with his expression revealing nothing of what he felt. "Lead on, Marine.
Bud had, as usual, put his foot squarely in his mouth and ended up on a date with the wrong woman. Being the good friends they were, they had formulated a plan to get Harriet and Bud to dance and hopefully, dancing would lead to some kind of reconciliation.
After a bit of deception for a good cause, Bud and Harriet were dancing together, their respective dates were dancing with each other and Harm was dancing with Mac.
He was finally doing what he had wanted to since he saw her come into the ballroom with the Admiral. He was dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room. Sarah Mackenzie.
She teased him, saying that he only thought of her as his sister, but the look that flashed in his eyes, for a split second, was not one he would have given a sister.
"I don't think of you as a sister, Mac." After seeing this soft and feminine side of her, he doubted that he ever could have 'brotherly' thoughts about her again.
The political intrigues were still in play and an assassin did lay in wait for Princess Alexandra, but Harm proved to be more than an 'escort,' he had saved her life and that of her father, King Josef, of Romania.
Not a bad night's work, and the glimpse at a different side of Mac, was just the icing on the cake.
XO Gabriel explained that Commander Rabb and Major Mackenzie grew closer over the next several months. Without either of them noticing, each assignment seemed to deepen their relationship and strengthen their bond.
When Sarah Mackenzie looked at Harmon Rabb Jr. she saw him as she had the smartest and most popular guys, she had seen in school. They were great at everything and had the eye of every female in the room. She saw herself as the awkward girl, whose clothes didn't quite fit properly and whose hair was badly in need of some type of style. The girl with two left feet who, deep down, couldn't believe someone like him would give her the time of day.
Harmon Rabb saw Sarah Mackenzie as he did one of the smart, street savvy girls he had seen in school. They were comfortable in the own skins and could make him feel like an idiot, with just one look. Inside, Harm was still the lonely boy, who never felt that he fit in. He never understood the attention he drew from women or what to do with it once he got it. As far as Harm was concerned, smooth, he was not, at least not with Mac.
0745
Tuesday
May 19, 1998
SecNav's limo
George Washington Parkway
Admiral Chegwidden knew the reason for this meeting, during the commute to work, as he and the SecNav made their way toward Jag Headquarters.
"I have heard that two of your senior attorneys are in Moscow."
"Yes sir, they have taken leave and are vacationing in Russia."
"It is my understanding it is a great deal more than a vacation. The word is that he believes his father was taken to Russia and he is pursuing nothing more than rumors about American POW's."
"There have been rumors for years…"
The SecNav cut him off. "That is correct. Rumors, AJ, I wont have months and months of diplomacy ruined by a 'loose cannon' like Rabb. I don't know what you were thinking, allowing him to go, without at least notifying me."
The Admiral looked at him directly. "The Commander had over 45 days leave on the books, he took 30 of them, and I don't see the need to inform the Secretary of the Navy every time one of my attorneys goes on leave…sir. And if I may ask, who told you where Commander Rabb was taking his vacation. I wasn't aware he had discussed it with anyone besides myself or Major Mackenzie."
"That is not your concern, what is your concern is contacting Commander Rabb and convincing him that he should choose another vacation destination. Immediately."
The conversation ended abruptly, as they approached the main gate and the limo dropped Admiral Chegwidden off at JAG Headquarters, and as it pulled away, the SecNav's cell phone rang.
"Nelson… Oh, Commander Lindsey, yes, I just finished my meeting with Admiral Chegwidden. Thank you again for the heads up on the situation with Commander Rabb. Your insight in this matter is very much appreciated…..No…. I won't be back into the office today, I'll see you tomorrow."
They ended the call.
Commander Lindsey replaced the handset on the phone in his office, at the Pentagon, with a satisfied smile on his face. He would show Admiral Chegwidden what a good chief of staff could do. He had been transferred out of Headquarters JAG just a few weeks after Chegwidden's arrival. He had been told by the Admiral that it wasn't personal, but Lindsey knew it had been.
He and the Admiral's working relationship had begun deteriorating from the very first week. He had merely been trying to inform the Admiral of the various 'quirks' of the staff members, to make his transition smoother. The Admiral, very diplomatically informed him that he would make his own decisions about his staff. He told him that his input was appreciated, though the Admirals tone and expression revealed the opposite. It left Commander Lindsey feeling more like a gossip, than an officer trying to assist his superior.
He thought the Admiral would, eventually, appoint Rabb as his chief of staff, or worse yet, Major Mackenzie; he was probably already sleeping with her.
There was a right way and wrong way to do things, as far as Commander Lindsey was concerned. It seemed to him, that both Admiral Chegwidden and Commander Rabb never did anything by the book, like everyone else. It was contradictory to good order and military discipline. It seemed that if you were in good with the Admiral, you could get by with anything.
They would all regret treating him this way. Commander Lindsey didn't care how long it took; he would make them all pay for the humiliation of being replaced by officers who were so obviously his inferiors.
One week later…..
2105
May 26, 1998
Aeroflot flight 769
In the skies over the North Atlantic
The passengers in the plane were settling in for the over night flight. Most of the overhead lights were out inside the plane, the few passengers who were reading, provided just enough light for Mac to see Harm's troubled features. He sat with his head back on the seat, and his eyes closed. The expression on his face broke Mac's heart. Even at rest, the pain he felt was still evident. She would have given anything not to have been the one to tell him, to have to translate the way in which his father had died. The wounded look on his face, the tears in his eyes, and the shaky sound in his voice were still vivid, in her imagination.
They had barely spoken on the trip back to Moscow. He had been polite, but seemed barely aware of anyone around him.
Harm was awake, but he was in no mood for conversation. He knew Mac was trying to be there for him, he was glad she was here, but he still had no words. So he kept his eyes closed, knowing that this would be a long night. He had believed, with all his heart that he would come home with his father. The feeling that he was alive had never left him. He had been directed to a woman who was said to have known his father. When he and Mac spoke with Pitchta, he knew, without a doubt, it was over. Now, it was as though he had a huge hole in his soul. It seemed the force that had driven him since his father became MIA was gone.
At this moment, he wished he were at the airfield in Leesburg, he wanted to take 'Sarah' up and escape it all for awhile. He felt close to his father there. The only other place was on the Seahawk, while he was still with a squadron. He felt his father's loss more keenly now, than he had since he learned he was missing.
Mac prayed she hadn't lost the Harm she knew, the one whose eyes lit with mischief, the one whose attitude could be at once infuriating and endearing. He spoke to her, at times, with a look, but he was closed to her now. She discovered something on this trip, a feeling she had fought, in earnest, for the last 3 months. Finally she had come to a conclusion she would admit to no one, one that was simple, but no less true.
She turned to look at him again, knowing that she might never be able to tell him, but she would love Harmon Rabb Jr. until the day she died.
TBC
A bit of sidetracking history…..
A/N: The airplane referred to as a 'Jenny' is officially a Curtiss JN-4 and JN-4D. One of many types of planes used during WWI.
A/N: A fact about women who served during WWI fascinated me and I just had to share. There were over 30,000 women who volunteered to serve in WWI, many months before the 19th Amendment (A woman's right to vote) was ratified. Armistice was on November 11 1918. The 19th Amendment was ratified and added to the US Constitution August 18, 1920. That was nearly two years after the END of WWI.