To Hell and Back
Chapter 15
Chaplain Commander Gregory Lichfield slid into the passenger seat of the dark blue Navy sedan and sighed heavily.
His companion, in the driver's seat, Captain Hugh Davies sent his companion a wry, sympathetic grin, "Yeah, I know. I hate these details too."
Lichfield nodded and took a final glimpse over his shoulder at the neat house, set back a few feet from the road, where the bereaved parents stood, arms around each other's waist as they watched their unwelcome visitors depart. "At least my part in this is pretty simple compared to yours. All I have to do is liaise with the local minister and conduct the ceremony, but you…"
Captain Davies knocked the gear selector into drive and eased the sedan away from the kerbside. "It's not too bad, and sadly I've had a fair bit of practice in organising these things recently… far too much practice. But I've got a good Chief and she'll make sure all the necessary paperwork is done and that the remains will be here for next Friday and that a bearer party and firing party are detailed for the duty. But the first step is to tell HQ JAG and Bethesda what's happening… so it's straight on the phone when we get back!"
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A J Chegwidden replaced the phone on its hook and drummed his fingers almost silently on his desk blotter before he reached out and stabbed the call button on his desk top intercom, "Coates!"
"Sir?" Jen's slightly distorted voice reached Chegwidden's ears.
"Pass the word for Commander Rabb, if you please. He's to report to me ASAP!"
"Commander Rabb to report to you ASAP, aye, sir!" Even the intercom couldn't disguise the crispness of Coates reply and Chegwidden allowed himself a brief smile of satisfaction as he took the opportunity to relax back into the embrace of the big chair. He had taken a chance on the young woman when he appointed her as his de facto Yeoman, despite the fact that she wore the rate and rating of a Legalman Petty Officer Class Two.
He was not, however, allowed much more than a couple of minutes to relax before a sharp rapping on his office doorframe told him that his top attorney had arrived in obedience to his summons. Forcing himself erect in his chair and linking his hands loosely together on the blotter he growled, "Enter! And watched as his junior officer entered, closed the door behind him and crossed the expanse of carpet before coming to a halt in front of the Admiral's desk.
"Commander Rabb, reporting as ordered, sir!"
"Stand easy, Commander!"
Harm assumed the position of Parade Rest, he had a pretty shrewd idea of what was heading his way.
"I've just got off the horn with the Casualty Assistance Officer from Great Lakes." Chegwidden said by way of introduction. "He has visited the late Lieutenant Ellis' family and has ascertained their wishes. Which are that Lieutenant Ellis be interred at his local cemetery in Royal Oak, Michigan. They have asked for naval assistance, and to that end, the Casualty Assistance Officer at Great Lakes will provide a bearer, firing and colour party. However, the family has also expressed a wish that this office be represented. So to that end I am ordering you to attend the funeral which will be next Friday at 1400 hours at Royal Oak…"
Rabb blanched. Next Friday was the day that Skates' parents were due to visit them, and they, having travelled up from Florida, would not, he reckoned, be best pleased to find him absent. "Sir, I'm… well…happy is not the word to use, but I'm quite prepared to attend the funeral, but Lieutenant Webster counted himself as Lieutenant Ellis' friend, and has expressed a wish to me, that he be permitted leave to attend the funeral if that was in accordance with the family's wishes – as it seems to be, sir."
"Two of you, from the same team, when that team is already short-handed?" Chegwidden asked pointedly.
Harm gulped and braced himself, "Yes, sir. But with respect, may I point out that the funeral is to take place on a Friday, and in any event, it shouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility that the return journey to Michigan can be made in one day, sir…"
Chegwidden considered the younger man's words for a few moments and then gave a slight nod, "Very well, Commander. I'll have Coates put together an itinerary for the two of you, and as long as you can both be back in DC by midnight Friday, then both you and the Lieutenant are free to attend the funeral. If however," the admiral paused for emphasis and repeated, "If however the return journey cannot be completed in that time, then I will only authorise you, as the late Lieutenant Ellis' immediate superior to attend. Is that understood, Rabb?"
"Clear as a bell, sir!" Harm replied.
"Good!" Chegwidden grunted in satisfaction, "Dismissed!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" Harm responded and heel and toe'd to face the door, acutely aware of Chegwidden pebble-like eyes following his every move.
Chegwidden wasn't the only one observing Harm. As he quit the admiral's office, Jennifer Coates looked from her computer, an expression of concern flitting across her face as she saw the frown on Harm's face.
"Uh… is everything okay, sir?" she ventured.
"Huh? What? Oh… oh, yeah, everything's fine, thank you Legalman Two!" Harm replied, forcibly replacing his frown with a reasonable facsimile of his famed 'flyboy' grin, but which Jennifer Coates noted didn't quite reach his eyes. She also noted that his gaze had swept over, without noticing, the vase of white roses that had been delivered to her a little while ago, courtesy of a certain Marine helo pilot!
Harm crossed the bullpen, making a determined effort not to let his face betray his feelings. Nevertheless, it was with a mild sense of relief that he reached the haven of his own office, and closing the door behind him, he slid into his chair, and leaned back, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepling his fingers as he re-ran the conversation with the admiral. Attendance at the funeral wasn't the cause of his frown; rather it was the day of the funeral. The same day that Skates' parents were due in town, and would, no doubt, be expecting him to be present for their inspection. But there was no help for it. He must attend the funeral. Even if he hadn't just been told to attend by the admiral, he would have made the effort even if just as a sign of respect for Lieutenant Ellis. Which reminded him… Leaning forward he picked up his phone and with a long finger stabbed in a three figure extension number.
"Lieutenant Webster, sir!"
"Lieutenant, this is Commander Rabb. Lieutenant Ellis' funeral will take place in Michigan on Friday next. You and I are both to attend. So make damn sure that your best Service Dress Blues are one hundred percent for the occasion!"
"Aye, aye, sir! But, sir…" George Webster's voice took on a note of reproach, "I wouldn't present myself at my friend's funeral in any other way, sir."
Harm felt a momentary flash of irritation and was forced to bite back the sharp rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue, and when he did speak it was in a patient, almost conciliatory manner, "No, of course you wouldn't, Lieutenant, but I do like to make sure that all the bases are covered."
"Yes, sir. Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Any clues on timings, yet, sir?"
"None yet, Coates is putting together an itinerary for us, but be prepared to make the return journey in one day!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
'And that was the easy part!' Harm told himself ruefully as he replaced the phone in its cradle. The hard part would be telling Skates and Mattie this evening. He certainly wasn't going to tell Skates over the phone. The one consolation he had to look forward to was that while Beth may not like the idea of him heading off to Michigan on the day her parents arrived, she would understand why he had to go. And that was leaving aside the fact that he had been detailed to do so by his Commanding Officer.
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"So… that's it." Harm said as he Skates and Mattie sat at the dinner table. "George Webster and I depart Dulles at 0910 and arrive at Detroit at 1035, where Coates has arranged for a car and driver from Great Lakes to pick us up and take us to the Ellis' Church for the service, and then onto the cemetery for the interment and back to Detroit to catch the 1820 flight back to Dulles, so I should be home by 2000 hours." He offered Beth a weak grin, "Can you stall your folks until I get home?"
Beth looked helplessly across the table, "I can try… but Mom will be expecting to be met by you, and she will be expecting to be fed. Dad will be okay, he understands about duty things like this, but Mom…"
"Well, if Harm can't be here, maybe he could prepare a meal for you all on Thursday… Something like that fish pie he does, and stick it in the fridge, and I could reheat for everyone…"
"H'mm… that idea's not with merit, Squirt," Harm acknowledged, "But… perhaps it might be better all round if we made reservations for a party of five at… at…"
"How about that Thai restaurant on H Street?" Skates suggested. "I know my folks will like that and there'll be no shortage of veggie items on the menu for you. What about you Mattie? Can you cope with spicy food?"
"Oh yeah!" the teenager's eyes sparkled with sudden enthusiasm, "Bring it on!"
Harm nodded, "Okay then, that's what we'll do. Can I leave that to you, Beth? Say make a reservation for twenty-one hundred? That'll give me time to get back from the airport and changed into something civilised. Which reminds me…" he fixed an admonitory stare on Mattie, "No jeans and sweatshirts. You can either wear the dress that you wore for court, or a pair of pants with a blouse. But definitely no jeans!"
"Aw… Harm…" Mattie started to protest, but to her surprise she was forestalled by Beth.
"Harm's right in this case, Squirt," the brunette grinned, "Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And I have a sneaky suspicion that we'll all need to look good and be on our best behaviour!"
"Your mom said something?" Harm asked with a slight frown.
Beth shook her head. "It's not so much what she's said, it's the way she said it, and more importantly what she didn't say! It sounds weird, and I can't explain it, but I have a feeling that she's going to be hard to please this time around!"
Mattie nodded glumly, "Okay… if that's the way it's got to be, then I'll be good." She thought for a moment and then sent a beaming smile across the table at Beth. "You're going to be home all day tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked in a voice that was just a shade too innocent.
Harm and Beth immediately felt their suspicions rise, "What are you thinking, Mats?" Harm asked, not altogether sure that he really wanted to know.
"Well… I have got that dress," the teenager admitted, "But I don't have any dress pants, just the dress and jeans…"
"It'll have to be the dress, then," Harm said firmly. "And what's that got to do with Skates being at home all day tomorrow?"
"Well… I've got a few dollars saved up, from my allowance, and what's left over from Charlottesville, and I was about to ask Skates that if her furniture arrived early enough, she could take me to the mall, where I could buy some pants that I would be happy to wear and that you two would approve of. After all, if I went shopping on my own, God knows what I might come home with!" she finished with a huge beaming smile.
Harm hid a grin as he recognised Mattie's not so subtle attempt at blackmail, but at the same time he recalled without much effort, the horribly clashing colours of Mattie's favourite sweater and gravely shook his head. "I don't know…" Harm said slowly and then turned to his former RIO, "What do you say, Beth?"
"Well…" Skates grinned at Mattie, "Taking your daughter for retail therapy is generally reckoned as part of a mom's duty, so if, and I say if, everything has arrived and been put in place by sixteen thirty tomorrow, then, yes, we can go to the mall. But remember, I reserve the right to veto anything unsuitable!"
Harm shook his head in wry amusement, "You do realise that we have both just been played?" he asked Skates as he cast an accusing eye at Mattie.
"Yeah, I kind of figured that!" Beth replied, "But what the heck. A little retail therapy won't hurt, and it's far, far better than letting a teenager clothes shop unsupervised!"
"There is that, I suppose," Harm conceded as he gathered his flatware together.
But despite the fairly light hearted banter at the table, Harm could tell that Beth wasn't overflowing with happiness, and once Mattie had helped out in the kitchen and then gone to her room to finish her homework, Harm came to stand behind Beth as she put the last of the dishes away, and folded his arms around her waist, breathing deeply of the light herbal scent of her favourite shampoo.
Beth sighed and leaned back against the support of Harm's chest, her own arms coming up to rest on Harm's forearms, "M'mm… feels good," she murmured, "But why the sudden PDA?"
"Well partly because I can tell that you're not thrilled with me not being here next week when your folks arrive, and partly because I just plain like holding you."
"Okay I can live with that, but Mom is not going to be a happy bunny that you're away on the day she gets here, especially when the whole point of the journey up from Florida is to meet you… I understand why you're going, but Mom… and as she already doesn't seem like she's too happy with our set-up here…"
"That's tough," Harm replied softly, "But it's not really that important."
"It's not?" Beth queried, squirming around so that she could look up at Harm.
"Nope! The really important thing is that you are happy with our set up here. You are happy, aren't you?" he added anxiously.
Beth couldn't help smiling at the worried expression that had etched itself on Harm face, and stretching up on tip toes she planted a soft kiss on his lips before settling back on her heels and allowing her smile to broaden, "Of course I'm happy, stoopid. Otherwise we wouldn't be here like this!"
"Then we can work around any other problems!" Harm declared roundly.
Beth nodded as if in agreement while she silently considered just how awkward her mother could be if she took a real dislike to Harm. Instead she smiled and murmured, "Ya know, this is real nice… but we've still got the accents to finish off in my new room…"
Harm sighed and released her, "Yeah, let's get it done now. But I'll just check on Mattie first!"
Just over an hour and a half later Harm carefully brushed the last possible run on the window pelmet and turned to Beth, "I reckon that's just about it!" he exclaimed happily.
Beth looked around and grinned in satisfaction. The walls were painted in a soft cream shade and the skirting boards and window frame and pelmet had all been finished off in a mid-blue shade that would match the soft furnishings when they arrived.
"So… Just need to get the floor up to a reasonable standard, "Harm observed.
"Yeah, I'll get some polish down on the floor tomorrow morning before we leave for duty, and leave it to soak in, then we can buff it up once we get home," Beth replied.
"It'll take a mite more than that!" Harm objected.
Beth nodded again, "True… but that's a long term project, and besides with the delivery arriving on Friday, there's bound to be some scrapes and scratched, so getting the floor to a high finish can wait a bit."
Harm grunted in chagrin; he should have realised that himself, but a larger worry had just taken up residence in his mind. "The room is okay, isn't it Beth. We've had to make a rush job of it, but…"
"But nothing, Hammer! The room is perfect. You've done a great job on combining the two apartments into one, and this room is perfect, just as it is!"
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Harm was up and washed, teeth cleaned, into his running gear and waiting for Beth in the lounge when she made her appearance from the bathroom she shared with Mattie. To Harm's surprise she wasn't dressed for running, but was in her oldest pair of jeans and a t-shirt which had seen better days.
"Beth?" Harm queried.
Beth shook her head, "I'm not running this morning, Harm. I want to get that polish down on the floor before I change into uniform, and there just ain't enough hours in the morning!"
"Well…" Harm's eyes sparkled as he ventured a tease, "You could have gotten up half an hour earlier," he suggested.
Beth cast him a look of the uttermost dislike, "Go, run!" she commanded in a flat tone.
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" Harm grinned and left the petite brunette torn halfway between laughter and a hissy fit.
By the time Harm returned from his run, about forty minutes later, Beth was in the shower and a fully dressed Mattie was in the kitchen area, beating a bowl of eggs and with what Harm could tell, with a grimace of distaste at the smell, was a tray of bacon under the grill.
"Morning, Harm!" Mattie grinned, "Eggs and toast for breakfast, or would you prefer an omelette?"
"Morning, Squirt!" Harm replied, crossing to the fridge and plundering it of a bottle of mineral water, "Eggs will be just fine, but don't put 'em in the pan until I've dressed.
"Got it!" Mattie beamed.
Breakfast over and done with, Harm bundled Mattie into the Lexus and dropped her at the schoolyard gates where she flashed him a grateful grin and with a hasty "See you this evening!" she leapt out of the car in urgent search of her friends.
Shaking his head at the energy the teenager displayed Harm tried to remember if he had been quite as lively as a teenager and regretfully decided that he hadn't. He had been far too focussed on his goals, and his responsibility as 'the man of the house' – he still hadn't accepted Frank Burnett in that or, indeed, any capacity. With a sigh he regretted even more that it had taken him so long to realise and appreciate Frank's sterling qualities and then offered a silent prayer of thanks that he and Mattie were not, so far, having any of the problems that he had caused Frank. Of course, the circumstances under which he had come to care for Mattie were vastly different to the situation that the teenaged Harm had faced with Frank… but still…
Shaking his head again, he knocked the Lexus' gear selector back into 'drive' and checking his mirrors pulled away from the kerbside to start the drive out to Falls Church.
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Admiral Chegwidden eased himself into his seat in the conference room, "As you were, people!" he commanded and waited until his assembled officers had sat down again before he tapped the pile of case files in front of him.
"We are going to be busy little attorneys for the foreseeable future," he told his officers in a matter of fact voice. "It seems that both the Navy and the Marine Corps have decided that we aren't fully employed, so their bad boys and girls have been kicking over the traces a little more than usual!"
Harm concealed a wince, but felt his stomach turn to stone as his CO looked directly at him. His worst fears were quickly realised as Chegwidden said, "I realise that you are short-handed, Rabb, but then again so is Arnold, so I'm going to take it as easy as I can on both of you. That being the case…" he shuffled through the case files, "Rabb, your people will prosecute HM One Phillips, Article one oh eight, improper disposal of US government property – he was stealing drugs from the pharmacy at Bethesda, where he worked and was selling them on the street. Commander Arnold, you catch the defence for this one. Phillips is currently being held by NCIS at the Navy Yard, and has refused to speak without an attorney being present. You're the lucky attorney, so I suggest you get over there ASAP and guide him through his interview with NCIS. You also catch Corporal Otto Schmidt, Article eighty nine, Disrespect to a Superior Commissioned Officer. Apparently, in front of several witnesses, he accused his CO of being a paedophile, in that he, the CO, had made improper advances towards Corporal Schmidt's fourteen year old daughter. Rabb, your team catches this defence for this one! Schmidt is currently relieved of duty, and is under orders to stay in his on-base housing at Quantico. The case is being handled by the Quantico office of NCIS, so you'll need to liaise with them over interview times." Chegwidden paused, and then looking at Alan Mattoni continued, "Commander Mattoni, you will defend MN Two Suarez, Article ninety two, Dereliction of Duty, failing to ensure that the sonar buoy launcher on the USS Centaur was maintained according to its schedule. Commander Turner, your team will prosecute…"
And so it went until at the end of the meeting every team had two or more fresh cases to either defend or prosecute, and Harm beckoned the two remaining members of his team to follow him as he returned to his office, a thoughtful frown on his forehead.
Waving them into the two visitors' chairs Harm kid into his own seat and placed the two files on the desk blotter in front of him. "Commander Fairchild, you'd better take the HM One Phillips' case, and you Lieutenant can take on the Corporal Schmidt case. Both of you let me know when you'll be away from the officer conducting interviews. Try not to make it Monday, I will be away all day at Norfolk, interviewing crew members on the USS Challenger for the MM Three Reynolds case. So you," he nodded at Liz Fairchild, will have to catch the ball, if any, at the Staff Meeting that morning. And you need to make sure that your desk is as clear as it can be by secure on Thursday, so schedule any visits for the early part of the week," he added, now directing his gaze at George Webster.
A duet of "Aye, aye, sir!" sounded in Harm's ears as his to juniors looked at each other and then stood, each taking their allotted file from the desk. Harm nodded and waited until they had cleared the office before unlocking his desk drawer and bringing the Reynolds file into the light of day. Opening the file he re-read it, scoring underlines in pencil where he found an item that needed clarifying, and frowning slightly over Doctor Mallard's autopsy report, wishing, not for the first time, that he had a medical dictionary to hand. He was on the verge of standing, with the law library as his destination in mind when a slow smile creased his face and he reached for the telephone, checking the number he wanted before he tapped it into the number pad.
"LN Two Graham, sir!"
"Graham, this is Commander Rabb. I believe that in the law library are some medical dictionaries. Please be so good as to run up there and bring one to me in my office."
"Medical dictionary from the law library to your office, aye, sir!"
Harm put the phone back on its cradle, there were some advantages in having this team system after all. And a Legalman dedicated to a small group of attorneys was definitely one of the pluses, especially when the said sailor could be sent scrambling around the building looking for publications and checking references instead of the attorneys having to do it themselves!
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Mac gave herself a quick check. She had managed a good, a very good, night's sleep last night, despite her fears that talking about her rape and her rape dream would inflict a repetition of that dream on her. She had, therefore, been able to wake up refreshed and had even gone for a short run before showering and breakfasting. As a result she was seized by a mood of optimism and was determined to present the best appearance she could when she turned to for her appointment with Inez Elgin.
She had, once more chosen her outfit with care; a knee length black skirt and a pair of calf-high black boots were topped by a cream, silk blouse, all worn under her camel coat with the tie belt. A locket at her neck allowed a glint of gold and she wore her OTC ring on the ring finger of her left hand. She had paid equal care to her hair and make-up and was confident that she looked her best.
Bolstered by that confidence she swung open the door to Commander Elgin's waiting room and declared in a just slightly too loud voice, "Good afternoon Corpsman Two, I'm here for my thirteen thirty with Commander Elgin."
Corpsman Two Lee returned Mac's greeting with a friendly smile, "Of course, ma'am. If you'd like to take a seat, I'll let the doctor know you're here!"
Mac nodded, but rather than sit, she passed the next couple of minutes examining a reproduction, not a print she noted, of Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch'; an odd choice of picture for a shrink's office she thought wryly and wondered what that might say about Commander Inez' own mental state. That thought brought a smile to her face and she was still wearing it when she turned to answer Lee's, "The doctor will see you now, ma'am!" and left the young woman wondering what had caused an overnight one hundred and eighty degree shift in the Marine Colonel's attitude and demeanour.
She was greeted as she stepped into the inner office by a cheerful, "Good afternoon, Colonel! Lee, two coffee's please! Now Colonel," Inez Elgin stepped around her desk and perched on the front corner of it, "Please take your coat off, and sit down."
Mac duly did so, uncomfortably aware of the blonde's scrutiny, so it was some relief that she heard Inez say, "Well, you're looking much better today, Colonel. No bad dreams last night? Despite having gone through the wringer again?"
Mac shook her head, "No… Although I admit I was expecting a return of the nightmare…"
"H'mm… do you think perhaps I may have been on the right track when I suggested that bringing it all out into the open would in fact prevent its recurrence?"
"Uh… no… I hadn't figured that at all, but, maybe, just maybe."
A knock at the door announced the arrival of Corpsman Lee with the coffee, and while that was being brought in, Inez said, "Well, give that a couple of minutes thought while I fix us the coffee. Black with sugar, if I remember correctly?"
"Uh… yes, thank you," Mac replied somewhat vaguely as she tried to get her head around what was to her, Commander Elgin's startling suggestion. The annoying skinny blonde couldn't be right, surely? After all it had been her own strength of will, her own determination to get a good night's sleep that had triumphed over whatever phantoms lurked in her subconscious!
"Oh… thank you!" Mac said as she realised that Commander Elgin had been practically waving a cup of coffee under her nose for a good few seconds.
Inez Elgin smiled, "Those must have been some thoughts! Would you care to share them?"
Mac took a sip of her coffee and nodded approvingly. Whoever had taught Corpsman Two Lee to brew coffee must have been a Marine! No sooner had thought crossed her mind than she blurted out, "Was it a Marine who trained Lee to make coffee?"
Inez Elgin looked taken aback at the question, "Not that I know of, and that can't have been what you were thinking. You hadn't even smelled the coffee when I asked you!"
Mac had the grace to look a little embarrassed, "Um… no… of course not. I was… uh… actually thinking over what you had said, and yeah maybe you helped a little, but I made up my mind that I wasn't going to have any nightmares last night, that I deserved a good night's sleep, and by God, I was going to have it!"
"Ah… the power of positive thinking. Believe it or not Colonel, after all the negativity you've demonstrated in this office and in the written work you've submitted to me, that is a huge step forward!"
"Negativity?" Mac demanded, beginning to bristle.
"Yes… Let me explain what I mean. Leaving alone for the moment your own actions, while I just look through this list of the good and bad points you made about Commander Rabb…"
"Do we have to?" Mac demanded truculently.
"Yes, I really think we do. Now, you claim that for nearly eight years you and the Commander were best friends, yet that doesn't come over when reading your comments about him, for instance there are repeated uses of the word 'betrayal' when referring to his dealings with you. If that was the case, why continue a friendship that on the surface was likely to turn out, as it did, to be unsatisfactory?"
"Oh… uh… I don't know, really," Mac floundered, "Force of habit, I guess…"
"Hardly a satisfactory reason to maintain a problematical relationship, is it, Colonel?"
"I told you, we never had, never could have had, a relationship!" Mac spat at Commander Elgin.
"Why not?"
"Well… there were the fraternisation regulations for a start! And then…"
"But you were of equal rank were you not? And fairly senior. You wouldn't have been the first service couple who met through work."
"No… but if we had gotten into a relationship, then one of us would have to be assigned a new billet, and JAG HQ is too prestigious a billet to relinquish without a great deal of thought." Mac paused, "Well, at least for me it is!"
"Now, that sounds as if a billet at JAG was something that Commander Rabb could give up?"
"Oh yeah, he did! But not for me!" Mac raged, "Oh no, I wasn't good enough to quit JAG for, but his damned Tomcats were!"
"Tomcats?" Inez queried.
"Yeah! Before he became an attorney he qualified as a pilot, flying F-14s, but then he got an eye infection and lost his flight status. Then just before we made our baby deal, he went and got his eyes fixed and re-qualified as a pilot, left m… left JAG and went back to flying!"
"But you must have seen that coming, why so bitter?"
"Because like he always does, he keeps things to himself until he can present everyone with a fait accompli, and then sit back with that arrogant smirk on his face telling everyone just how smart he is!" Mac drew a breath, "So, no, I didn't see it coming. His girlfriend at the time didn't see it coming, and when he finally told her, she dropped him like a hot potato!"
Inez nodded. She hadn't missed the near slip that Mac had made, but there was definitely a lot of anger there, and all of it at the moment seemed to be directed at Harmon Rabb, not her father, not the man who raped her or the other men in her life who had tried to control her.
"You also mentioned a 'baby deal', you've made passing references to that in previous sessions, but you've never said exactly what it was."
Mac gave a self-conscious laugh and fanned her suddenly warm cheeks with her hand, "Uh… it was probably just as well nothing came of it."
"Came of what?" Inez insisted.
"Well, one of our friends, a married officer, went into early labour, and ended up giving birth on the floor of the admiral's office, with the admiral, acting the part of midwife. I guess everyone was feeling just a little bit gooey, and when Harriet and her son were whisked off to hospital, we stood on the steps and watched the ambulance go. Then Rabb turned to me and said something like, 'how about, if neither of us is in a relationship in five years, we go halves on a kid?'."
Inez Elgin blinked, and took a second to gather her thoughts, "I see… Did you accept the deal?"
Mac nodded, "Yeah we kind of ceremoniously shook hands on it there and then."
"Okay… But let me try and get the chronology rights. This deal, was it offered before or after the Commander had stated his intention to return to the fleet?"
"Oh… uh…after."
"And given that you felt that he was abandoning you, does it not seem a little strange in retrospect that you agreed?"
Mac writhed internally. "I guess it might sound a little strange…"
"Yes, indeed. Now… one of the things that you claim prevented you and he from entering a romantic relationship was the fact that you were serving together. You didn't see his move back to the aviation community as one way of removing that hurdle. Given of course, that you would have been reluctant to quit your billet at JAG HQ?"
"Umm… To be quite honest no, that never really occurred to me… It just seemed some way to keep a line of communication open to him for the foreseeable future."
"And what, given the Commander's disposition did you expect this baby deal to consist of? That he's make you pregnant and then walk out of the door? Or perhaps the baby deal was just a part of his future plans, somewhat nebulous though they might be?"
"What sort of plans?" Mac challenged Inez.
"Well, despite your criticism of his appreciation of family values, did it not ever cross your mind that he might perhaps have meant courtship, marriage and then a child? After all, the man has an impressive reputation for integrity."
Mac gave a bitter laugh, "Yes, he seems to have most of the people fooled most of the time!"
"Yet, you still seem angry at him for taking on a teenager?"
"Yes! The girl doesn't know what she's in for. Rabb gets these obsessions and really does become obsessive, then he loses interest and drifts away from people. I mean look at him! He's in his forties and has never committed himself to anyone!"
"And you are how old, Colonel? No, don't answer hat, I have the answer in my records. Now you say Rabb never committed himself to anyone, but he stayed as 'best friend' to you for eight years, including through your near miss with marriage?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Mac replied uncomfortably.
"But he never showed any interest in anyone else throughout that time? That sounds pretty com mitted to me. And it was you who said 'never' and cut him loose?"
"Well there was the Video Princess…"
"At what stage in your friendship did she appear?"
"Uh… while I was dating Mic… but she didn't stay around long…." Once again Mac laughed bitterly, "Believe it or not, she married a mortician! A guy she went to high school with!"
"So… how long ago was this near miss of a marriage?"
"Uh… back in '01."
"And he hasn't dated anyone since?"
"Not that I know of."
"And it never struck you that he was just waiting for you to be receptive?"
Mac looked troubled, "No… I mean. He had switched his designator again, and come back to JAG. He was too old he said to have a full career in aviation, so he came scuttling back to JAG… I figured that he'd just taken refuge again, settled for second best, and then of course with him being back at JAG, it raised all the old fraternisation issues."
"Yes… we've looked at that situation, but tell me, Colonel, given that you seem to have switched your opinion of Commander Rabb, just when did that occur?"
"Oh… I guess I got a little sick of him being welcomed back to JAG with open arms, and just breezing in as if he'd only been away for a week or two instead of six months. He was everyone's golden boy! And it was the same this time! When the admiral practically had to grovel to get Rabb to agree to reinstate his commission. Just like when he came back from the fleet, he just breezed into JAG like nothing had ever changed, and once again, everyone was fawning over him!"
"You didn't fawn over him, I take it?"
"Certainly not! Mac spat out, and sat upright, stiff-backed and her arms folded in front of her chest.
Inez Elgin took note of the defensive, closed posture, and realised that there was very little she could do today to get Colonel MacKenzie to slip back into the more relaxed mood she had shown at the beginning of the session.
"Okay, that's fine," she murmured, "Let's leave the subject of Commander Rabb for the time being… Tell me about the near miss you had with marriage?"
Mac was still rigid as she began to recount the tale of her troubled relationship with Mic Brumby and Inez Elgin sat back listening carefully. She noted with dismay the clues that Mac had missed in the Australian's behaviour, clues to his controlling and misogynistic nature and was also surprised at the numerous times Rabb's name cropped up in the story, and she nearly jumped to her feet when Mac described how in his rush to get back to the wedding, he and his RIO had been forced to eject into the stormy Atlantic Ocean and that he had nearly died of hypothermia as a result. Inez gave an inward shake of her head; how could MacKenzie be so blind as not to notice the depths of the man's devotion to what would ultimately prove to be a lost cause.
As Mac wound to the end of her tale, Inez was relieved to note that although she wasn't as relaxed as she had been when she entered the room, she was at least no longer as stiff and defensive as she had become while talking about Harmon Rabb.
The soft buzz of the countdown timer of her mobile phone warned her that they had run out of time, and slipping a hand into the pocket of her lab coat, she discreetly turned the buzzer off and smiled at Mac, "Well, Colonel, that's all we've got time for today, so I'll see you tomorrow, same time, same place."
Mac nodded and got to her feet, shrugging into her coat as she did so. Inez Elgin watched her go and as the door closed behind Mac, she shook her head. The Colonel still had a long way to go, both in coming out of denial and in managing her anger. And as to that, Inez had a suspicion that the person Sarah MacKenzie was angry at, was herself!
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Harm arrived at the apartment at about eighteen hundred after an afternoon spent working on an opening address in the Reynolds' case. Of course it could, at this stage only be a draft, and would probably have to be amended in the light of Reynolds' shipmates' statements, and may even have to be completely discarded. Much of Harm's defence strategy was to highlight the constant bullying of Reynolds by Stravinsky, culminating in the slap to the face which had left directly to the fatal fight between the two sailors. But for that strategy to work, Harm needed corroborating statements from other members of the Challenger's company, especially the Chief MM.
Entering the apartment he found that he was alone. A note propped on the kitchen worktop told him that Beth's furniture had all arrived and that she and Mattie had gone to the mall to try to find something suitable for Mattie to wear to a good restaurant, and would Harm please call the restaurant and make the reservations for twenty-one hundred a week from today?
Harm read the note through again and noted with a quirk that Beth had made no mention whatsoever of the time she and Mattie could be expected to return from their expedition, and suddenly realised that for the first time since Christmas he was actually alone in the apartment, with no remodelling left to be done and not a clue as to when he should start prepping for dinner.
Well, the last issue was easily settled. Once he'd showered he'd prepare a vegetable stir fry so that when his womenfolk returned home I wouldn't take too long to cook dinner.
Dinner was well and truly prepped and although he was forced to shake of ridiculous sensation of guilt at not having anything pressing to do, he was determined to take advantage of this unexpected 'me' time. Harmon Rabb sat on the couch with an open paperback pot boiler in his hand, trying to lose himself in the absurdities of the plot, but breaking off every minute or so glance at his watch. He was becoming slightly anxious over the length of time that Beth and Mattie were out, it was fast approaching twenty thirty hours, and he had a nagging feeling that the larger stores at the mall closed their doors at twenty hundred. Not that he had been to any of the stores that Beth and Mattie would hit, but still…
He found himself increasingly unable to submerge himself in his book, and after what seemed to be the fiftieth fruitless attempt at reading the same two pages he threw the unoffending paperback into the corner of the couch and jumped to his feet, debating whether to grab his reefer and head for the mall to try and find Beth and Mattie. A few seconds' internal debate however, convinced him that it all probability he would miss them, work himself into a lather and then get home to find they had returned no more than five minutes after he'd left.
Fortunately for his blood pressure he had only fulminated for a few minutes before he heard Beth's key in the door, leaping to his feet from the couch where he had angrily hurled himself, and stood glaring at the door which swung open to reveal both Beth and Mattie laden down with bags bearing the logos of some of the more up-market stores to be found at Tyson's Corner Mall.
"Where have you been?" he challenged them.
Beth and Mattie exchanged a glance which amply demonstrated their incomprehension. "Uh… to the Mall!" Beth snapped in reply, taken completely aback at what seemed to her to be a completely unwarranted attack, her own quick temper rising. After all, Harm knew where they had gone, and he knew that they had gone shopping.
"For this length of time?" Harm demanded, "Do you know what the time is?"
"Yes, for this length of time! Do you expect us to account to you for every minute we spend out of the apartment?" an unrepentant Beth snapped back.
"No! Of course not! But a phone call to let me that you were okay but running late would have helped – a lot!"
"Uh…" Mattie shot an anxious glance at both Harm and Beth, "Uh… People, I guess we did get carried away, and forgot about the time, didn't we?" she directed the question at Beth, who although still fired up had the grace to look slightly abashed.
"Yeah, I guess we kinda did… But I didn't think you'd get all bent out of shape just 'cause we were gone maybe longer then you expected," Beth acknowledged in a half-apology. "But why are you so all fired up?" she challenged Harm.
"Because… Because this isn't the safest neighbourhood in DC, and I get worried when you're out after dark. I've been scared of all sorts of things happening to you. Like I just said, you could have phoned to let me know you were going to be late!"
Mattie could just about see the hot rejoinder on Beth's lips and once more intervened, "Yeah, we could have, Beth. And I'm sorry Harm the thought of calling just never crossed our minds."
Beth nodded agreement and making an immense to effort swallowed her anger and in a far more conciliatory tone than hitherto added, "I guess when we get immersed in shopping, everything else just flies out of the window!"
Harm took a deep breath, realising that he had let his worry prod him to anger and giving a shake of his head replied, "Okay… it's over and done with, you're safe, I was worried and that made me mad at you, but yelling at each doesn't help! Friends?" he finished hopefully.
"Of course!" Beth muttered mutinously, "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook entirely! Well, not yet, anyhow!"
For a second Harm was tempted to ask how he had suddenly become the bad guy here, but once again bit back on his temper, "Okay…"
But again before he could say anything else Mattie spoke up, "Ya know, Skates, it looks like we did cause Harm some extra worrying, so maybe an apology of some sort would help. From us to him, I mean!" she added hurriedly.
Beth glowered at the teenager and then her own sense of justice kicked in, overriding her indignation, "Yeah… Okay… Harm, I am sorry we forgot, or didn't think, to call, but like I said, once we got involved in shopping…"
"Yeah… and talking of shopping…" he nodded towards the pile of bags that during the course of the argument had been dropped higgledy-piggledy on the floor, "That looks like more than just a pair of pants?"
Beth had the grace to blush slightly, "Well… you know how it is… First there was the pants, then a blouse to go with them, and because it's cold out there after dark, Mattie needed a jacket to match, and then shoes that went with the pants, and… and there are a couple of other things… female things that she needed. She is a growing girl!"
"Ah… then I don't think I need to know any more!" Harm conceded and then took a breath, "Okay… so if you want to put that stuff away, I'll get started on dinner…"
"What's on the menu?" Mattie asked eagerly, and at the expression on Harm and Beth's faces she added by way of explanation, "Hey, hungry teenager here – and it's way past normal dinner time!" and then could have bitten her tongue as she realised that she could well have sparked off another round of argument.
Fortunately, by this time, both Harm and Beth had regained most of their equilibrium and it was left to Beth to shake her head in mild reproof, "One of these days Mattie Grace, you're going to open your mouth wide enough to get both feet in at the same time!"
An already furiously blushing Mattie muttered something inaudible, but sounded vaguely like an apology as she grabbed the bags from the floor and made a bee line for her bedroom.
"Hey, Mats, it's a stir-fry, so it won't take many minutes!" Harm called after her, before turning to Beth and asking innocently, "And how was your day?"
For a second Beth gawped at Harm in disbelief before she gave a shout of laughter, "Clown!" she exclaimed and as Harm moved to the kitchen area, Beth climbed up onto one of the breakfast bar stools and shook her head fondly.
"No, seriously… how did it go today?" Harm asked again. "I mean, did all the furniture arrive safely?"
Beth grinned, "Well… there were a couple of differences of opinion over what was ordered and what was delivered, but everything came right in the end and the room looks okay, doesn't it?"
Harm shook his head, "I don't know," he confessed. "I mean, I wouldn't just go into your room, not now it is your room. It was different when it was a spare room I was working on, but now… well, now it's your private space."
"H'mm… well… Mattie's seen it, of course, but I don't think she took much notice; she was in too much of a hurry to get to the stores… So I suppose I could give you both the grand tour – after dinner, of course!" Beth grinned.
"I'd like that," Harm agreed softly. "But if Mattie was in such an all-fired hurry to get to the stores, I'm guessing that she hasn't made a start on her homework yet? So maybe she ought to busy herself with that instead."
"No… probably not! Beth agreed as she opened a bottle of red table wine and poured two glasses, sliding one across the breakfast counter to Harm, "Here… As for Mattie's homework… she's got all weekend ahead of her, so as long as it's finished by day's end on Sunday, does it really matter that she hasn't started it this evening? Just for once?" Beth finished, seeing that Harm was about to object.
"If it is just for once, then no… but I don't want her getting into bad habits," Harm replied as he checked the rice before sliding the mixed vegetables into the sizzling hot sauce in the wok.
"Who and what bad habits?" Mattie asked as she crossed from the dining area to the kitchen.
Ham and Beth looked at each other and the expressions on their faces were enough to set Mattie giggling, "You look just like you've been caught with your hands in the cookie jar! Both of you!"
Beth shook her head and said ruefully to Harm, "Over to you, Hammer!"
"Yeah, thanks Beth! Well, young lady," he turned towards Mattie, "I was a little concerned that in your eagerness to get off shopping today that you hadn't started your homework. Beth pointed out that you had all weekend to do it, but I didn't want you to get into the habit of leaving your weekend homework until Sunday. I mean, next week's going to bad enough – from that point of view – with Beth's folks visiting, and it's so easy just to let things slip."
Mattie nodded, "Uh-huh, and would it make you any happier if you found out that I have already started my history essay, and another hour should wrap it up? And as I want to go to the Smithfield's tomorrow for a girlie evening with Susan and a couple of other girls from class, then I figured I'd finish the essay this evening – another hour should do it, and then I can work on the chemistry tomorrow, that is if Skates doesn't mind coaching me a little?"
Harm grinned, this was payback time, if only in a minor way, "Over to you, Beth!" he exclaimed happily.
"Well, I'm no chemistry wizard, but I'll help if I can…" Beth said doubtfully. "But in the morning I have to get the rest of my stuff out of storage and close down the rental on the storage unit."
"Stuff?" Harm queried, momentarily side-tracked from the questions that had previously sprung to mind.
"M'mm…" nodded Beth as she scooped a handful of flatware from the kitchen drawer and started to set the table while Harm finished off the cooking, "Most of my clothes, including my summer uniforms, and then there's some personal stuff… framed photographs and stuff like that. But it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours or so," she finished with a smile at Mattie, "and then I'm all yours!"
"Okay people, take your seats!" Harm commanded as he carried the food to the table, and for the next few moments there was almost silence as three hungry people wolfed down the first few mouthfuls of their dinner. However, once the edge had been taken off their appetites Harm frowned across the table at Mattie, "Now what's all this about you going to the Smithfields' place tomorrow, and how come this is the first I've heard of it, and is this the same Mrs Smithfield that gave you a ride home from volleyball practice?"
"Uh… yeah, that's the same Mrs Smithfield…" Mattie swallowed the mouthful of food and laid her fork down on her pate. "Susan decided that she needed a girlie evening, but she only got the okay from her mom last night, so she didn't ask anyone until today…"
"And what does this girlie evening involve?" Harm asked suspiciously.
"Oh… we'll giggle a lot while we talk about boy… uh, things, try out new hairstyles, experiment a little with make-up, paint our toenails, you know, the usual sort of thing. The same sort of thing that Jen and I did the day after that blonde lady officer's party…"Mattie said helplessly while trying to figure out how to make Harm, in the face of his forbidding frown, understand what the evening involved.
"No drinking or smoking?" Harm demanded sternly.
"Not alcohol, no! And definitely no smoking!" Mattie declared roundly, "I mean, can you imagine Mrs Smithfield letting that happen? No, we'll be sticking to sodas and milkshakes, and there might be s'mores, but that's about it."
"H'mm, Mrs Smithfield's going to be there?" Harm demanded.
"Of course she is!" Mattie replied, "It's not as if she's going to leave a gang of teenage girls unsupervised in her house!"
"And you mentioned boys!" Harm interjected.
"Yeah, but there won't be any there. We'll talk about them, probably mostly how big dorks they are, and how disgusting and immature they are!"
"Beth?" Harm queried.
"Sounds about right. Just about what me and my friends did in high school. If it's just a girlie evening it's a kind of ritual, almost a rite of passage," Beth said soothingly.
"H'mm…" Harm made a non-committal sound and conveyed another forkful of rice to his mouth, quite obviously chewing over the idea of Mattie going to the Smithfield house just as obviously as he was chewing his food. Beth looked at the slightly anxious Mattie and, on Harm's blind side, gave a wink of encouragement.
Harm finished his mouthful of food and with fork poised over his plate he asked Mattie, "And just how did you think you were going to get from here to the Smithfield's place?" he asked.
"Well… I was going to catch a bus to the school, that's where we are all meeting, and Mrs Smithfield is going to pick the three of us up from there… and I was kind of hoping that either you or Skates might come and pick me up. Otherwise Susan says it won't be a problem if I sleep over at theirs…"
"And does Mrs Smithfield realise that the evening might turn into a sleepover?" Harm demanded.
"Uh… I don' know…" Mattie said worriedly as she could see Harm's veto looming on the horizon.
"Well… I can't see the evening lasting too late," Beth intervened, "especially if Mrs Smithfield is there. She's going to want to get to bed t a reasonable hour so I'm sure she'll make arrangements with the other girls' parents to make sure that they aren't left too late. And if that is the case, then I'm happy to go and pick Mattie up. It can't be that far… after all she must live in the same school district!"
"So, I can go?" Mattie asked eagerly.
"I'll think about it, and I'll need to call Mrs Smithfield first."
"I've got their number on my cell-phone!" Mattie said helpfully.
Harm glanced at his watch, "It's not far off twenty-two hundred; a bit late for calling a stranger. I'll call her in the morning and I'll let you know after I've called her whether or not you can go. No, no arguments, Mattie, or it will be a definite no! So, if you've finished, you can give Beth and I a helping hand, and then if I remember aright, Beth is going to give us the grand tour of her new room!"
Mattie tried for a grin, but her discontent was still obvious as she conceded a reluctant, "Okay, I s'pose…"
Harm had nodded approvingly and had looped a long am around Beth to give a congratulatory squeeze. The furniture and soft furnishings she had chosen for her room complemented the cream of the paintwork, the mid-blue soft furnishings and the light oak furniture harmonised well with the built in closet that Harm had put together for her. Mattie had been frankly envious and although she hadn't made any comments before indicating that she was dissatisfied with her own room, she turned a hopeful face towards Harm and suggested diffidently, "I, uh, don't suppose you feel like doing over my room? Just so it doesn't look too shabby by comparison with this…"
"Yu don't suppose right," Harm agreed, "but again, I'll give it some thought and see how the budget stands. I know I did all the work myself but there were the materials to buy and some of the tools, not to mention that skip and stuff, all had to be hired. So as I say, let me think about, and I'll get back to you."
"Promise?" Mattie asked, remembering all too clearly how all too many of the same sort of undertakings had been left unfulfilled by her father.
"I promise," Harm agreed, "But now young lady, I know it's not a school night, but you've still got that essay to finish and if you reckon that's an hour's work… well… you can see the time now just as well as I or Beth, so off with you. Either finish your essay or head for bed, and we'll see each other in the morning!"
"Yeah, goodnight, Mattie," Beth endorsed Harm's command.
A reluctant grin crossed the teenager's face, "I know when I'm being ganged up on! Goodnight you two!"
Their arms still around each other's waist, Harm and Beth chorused a goodnight to Mattie and watched as the young woman crossed to her bedroom, the door hutting with a decided 'click' as she engaged the privacy lock on the inside of the door. Beth leaned her head against Harm's upper arm and murmured, "This is nice… but we're going to have to break it up and sit down and talk."
Harm looked down at his former RIO in mild surprise, "Ya think?" he queried.
"M'mm," Beth nodded while giving Harm a gentle nudge in the direction if the lounge and the couch.
"Okay… now that you've got me here, what are you going to do with me?" Harm asked softly as he and Beth settled on the couch, one of his arms looped around her shoulder while her head nestled in the hollow of his shoulder.
"Well…" Beth craned her neck so that she could squint up at Harm, "About Mattie going to the Smithfields' tomorrow."
"What about it?" Harm asked.
"Well, if everything she says checks out, then I think we should allow her to go. Yes, I know!" Beth held a finger against Harm's lips to still the objection she saw forming there. "I know you want to protect her, but we can't keep her locked up in a cage, not even a gilded one. Teenagers… heck, people… learn by making mistakes, and if we don't let her make mistakes then she's never going to learn how to handle life."
"You think that going to this girlie evening is a mistake?" Harm is anxiously.
"No, not all!" Beth laughed, "But seriously, can you see Mattie getting too enthusiastic about boys, hair, clothes and make-up? I mean look at the struggle we have trying to get her to wear anything other than jeans and sweaters! A dollar to a dime says she'll be bored stiff one the novelty wears off."
"H'mm… I s'pose," Harm conceded reluctantly and then sent a mock glare down at the top of Beth's head, "Are you two tag-teaming me?" he demanded suspiciously.
Beth chuckled, "It might seem like it, but no. Like I said at the dinner table, girlie evenings are practically a rite of passage, certainly an integral part of being a girl at high school. Besides…" and here Beth's voice took on a throaty quality that sent a shiver racing up Harm's spine, "just think, we'll have the whole Mattie-free apartment to ourselves for the evening!"
"Yeah… I like the sound of that!" Harm exclaimed through suddenly dry lips.
"So, you'll speak civilly with Mrs Smithfield, and if she confirms what Mattie says, then we are agreed that it's okay for Mattie to go, as long as I pick her up at the end of the evening?"
"Yeah, but I'm not too happy about her taking the bus, even early in the evening… so I think I'll run her to school and wait there until Mrs Smithfield shows up."
"And while you're gone, I'll get dinner ready," Beth said mischievously.
"The hell you will!" Harm expostulated. "No, as we are having a free evening, I reckon we should order in. Maybe something from Le Grenier on H?"
"Now that does sound like a plan," Berth agreed, "But what are we going to do with all that free time?"
"Oh… we'll think of something," Harm smiled as he used a long, strong but gentle finger to raise Beth's face to his own.
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