Chapter 136

"Hurry, it'll be dark by the time we get back now," she said before ducking back inside the house.

"I want you all to know it's been wonderful getting to know you," AJ said, staring each of them in the eye. "If your family ever needs anything I'll always be available."

"We don't take charity," replied Gregg.

"None was offered, son," AJ said resting his hand on Gregg's shoulder. "Just help from one friend to another. I hope I get to see you all again soon. Next time I intend to beat your butt off in baseball."

Walking to the Escalade and helping Krista inside, "Amie that's a fine bunch of children you have. Instead of just helping deliver our twins want to help us raise them?"

Grinning Amie replied, "You can just slip them in with mine and I'd never know the difference."

"You're a marvel, Ms. America. I sincerely hope our children grow into as fine adults as yours have," AJ replied giving Amie a big hug and kiss.

As he drove away Amie stood watching, holding her cheek where he'd kissed her. She was surrounded by several children each one waving goodbye.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

1000 EST

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Krystal decided she wanted to learn how to belly dance to surprise Tom. On Wednesday morning after he had dropped her at work, she dialed Krista's number.

Krista, answered the phone on the second ring, "Good morning, LilacRose, how may I help you?"

"Mind teaching me to wiggle my ass like you do, sis," giggled Krystal.

"Krystal, is this you? What are you taking about sweetie?" she asked with a frown at her sister's strange remark.

"Dufus, I want you to teach me to belly dance so I can surprise Tom. Will you do it? And not tell anyone, including AJ?" she asked, nervous about her ability to learn such a seductive art.

"Sure, why don't we start them on Friday before we go for our treatments? You could leave work at noon and then come to the shop, we could have a lesson and still make our three o'clock appointment," smiled Kris imagining her sister with two left feet learning to belly dance.

"Sounds great!"

"Alright, see you for lunch on Friday," said Kris. "Oh, sis, don't forget to bring your belly. Bye."

Thursday evening the twins had their first appointment with Dr. Stephanie Malcolm. She was a physiatrist specializing in abused and battered women. Both girls liked her very much after the first meeting and decided that she could really help them. They set up weekly sessions, which their husbands sometimes attended with them.

Mac and Bud had taken the first flight to Japan on Monday. They stopped at the base hospital where they found that both girls had been treated and released several times. Krista had been treated for a broken arm and then a wrist. Another time she had been brought in with a mild concussion. Krystal had been treated for broken arms and wrists at different times. Her jaw and collar both had both been broken. The doctor showed them that someone from the hospital had paid a visit to the home and talked to the father. He had reported to them that the girls were accident-prone. They checked school record and found that both girls turned up at the school constantly with bruises, but the father refused to speak to school officials.

Trying to locate Davis, they found that he had died three years ago. He had been shot while trying to rape an officer's daughter.

Returning to the office on Friday, Mac and Bud reported all they had learned to AJ. He dismissed them with their promise they would never utter a world to anyone especially his wife or their co-worker Krystal. He was furious, wondering what kind of man could let that go on under his command, and then realizing that both Davis and the twins' father were the same kind of man. AJ sat there with an internal rage burning, he wanted to take this out on someone, but everyone involved, except the innocent girls, were all dead and gone.

To be continued…