A Friendly Demonstration
Chapter 56
Harm's last words to Gill before they climbed into their own cars set her heart racing. 'What could he mean?' she asked herself. 'A talk about our future! He can't be meaning to propose! Can he? I mean if he was going to propose he wouldn't give an advance warning! What's he up to?' These and similar thoughts revolved around in her mind until they hit the open road, where she had to concentrate on driving, and she happily followed Harm's lead as he drove the thirty five minutes from the hospital back to RAF Northolt.
But then as she pulled into the kerb in front of Harm's quarters, her doubts came back to assail her and for a moment she thought that her legs wouldn't support her for the few yards walk from kerbside to front door. Despite her worries however, she made it and once inside, Harm back-heeled the door closed and turning to Gill he scooped her into his arms and gave her a gentle, loving kiss.
"You go on through to the lounge, while I fix us a coffee," he suggested.
"Uh… have you got anything stronger?" Gill asked slightly tremulously.
"Well… I've only got a couple of bottles of beer…" Harm said doubtfully, as he cast a curious glance at her.
"That'll be just fine, thanks," Gill smiled and leaving Harm to fetch the beers from the kitchen fridge, Gill crossed the hallway and went on through into the lounge, where her treacherous legs finally gave up the struggle and deposited her six-first onto the couch.
Relieved that she had made it that far, Gill was able to accept her beer from Harm with a smile and a murmured "Thank you."
Harm sat down beside her and took a sip from his beer before putting it down on the coffee table in front of the couch, "Uh… Um… Well… Gill, see, here's the thing…"
"Is this the talk you said you wanted to have?" Gill asked nervously.
"Um, yeah, it is… but please don't interrupt, just hear me out, okay?"
"Okay," Gill replied
"I think I've told you that I love you, and I'm pretty sure that you've told me that a few times too… and I don't doubt that in the slightest degree, but I'll admit I was nervous, wondering how you and Mattie were going to get along. And I am so pleased that she and you seem to have hit it off…"
"Oh, we couldn't do anything else!" Gill protested, "She's such a lively girl and… Oh…" she caught sight of Harm's expression and added contritely, "I'm sorry, I was interrupting again…"
"Yeah, you were!" Harm agreed "and now I've lost track of what I was going to say. You know, I had it all planned out in my mind, what arguments I was going to use, and what objections you might come up with, and how I would counter them. But now we're here, and we're actually talking, every single, simple, logical idea I had has deserted me. Gill, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I would like you to move in here with me and Mattie full time."
Gill's jaw dropped open, "Pardon?" she asked.
Harm drew a breath before he repeated, "I would like you to move in here, with me and Mattie, full time."
"But, Harm…" Gill tried to interrupt.
"Look, Gill, you heard what the doctor said this evening, Mattie's going to need a lot of therapy over the next few months, and I'm pretty darned certain that she'll need understanding female company. Somebody she can tell things that she can't tell me. You and she get on great together – you've already agreed with me on that. Then there's the logistics… it looks like you'll be visiting more and more regularly during the week, now that Mattie's here, and as you've said before, it isn't the most convenient thing in the world for you to have to leave here pre-dawn, almost, to get to the Mess, to get changed and then go on to Stanmore. If you were to live here, then you could go direct… Okay, you'd have to use your car instead of the tube… but you say you pay for your food and accommodation in the Mess, well, that's a saving that would pay for your gas, and as I say, it means you could leave here at a respectable time of the morning and still get to work for zero nine hundred. I haven't checked specifically, but when I drove from Jen's place to here the night Mattie landed it only took about half an hour…"
Gill listened with growing dismay to Harm's line of reasoning. It seemed to her that all he wanted from her was to act as a companion to Mattie, and she sought frantically for some way of gently refusing his offer without putting the skids on their relationship, which she was bound to confess, was the best, most satisfying one she'd ever had. But if she moved in now, in the light of Harm's reasons, it would be for all the wrong reasons, and once again she opened her mouth to object to his plans, but Harm hadn't finished yet.
"And besides all that, and more important than all that, I love you Gillian Shephard, and I miss you when you're not here. I hate being on my own in a quiet house in the evenings when you're not here, I hate going to bed alone these days, and I hate it even more when I wake up alone. I want you here full time, as part of my life – No! As the most important part of my life, so Gill, will you please move in with me?"
All Gill's objections, bar one, were swept away by Harm's closing declaration, and with her heart in her throat, Gill gave voice to the only reason she could think of for refusing, "What about objections from RAF, this is their station?"
Harm nodded and allowed himself a half-smile for the first time since he had sat down, "Well, that's true, but there's something Jen Coates told me when she first arrived. The Navy rent the accommodation here from the British Ministry of Defence, so there is a case for arguing that whatever use is made of them is none of the RAF's business."
"Harm! You shyster!" Gill exclaimed, half shocked, but also half-laughing.
Harm nodded, "True, but let's look at it; you've met the neighbours, including Tim Davenport, and if you think he hasn't realised that you stay overnight, then you're not as smart as I thought you were!"
"Oh, I know he knows!" Gill declared, "He's even said good morning to me as I made my escape on a couple of occasions! Plus of course there's the RAF Service Police on the main gate. They book me in and out every time I enter or leave the station. But they are not the authorities, Harm."
"Maybe not, but I still don't give a damn, and if they do start to raise a ruckus then we could just move, find somewhere suitable to rent, somewhere nearer Stanmore, and near a tube line so I can get into London easily!"
"Well that would be one solution…" Gill said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it, okay? Gillian Shephard, will you, or will you not, move in and come to live with me?"
"No. I'll come to live with you and Mattie!" Gill exclaimed, "Now shut up, Harmon Rabb and Mmmph!"
Gill's words were silenced as Harm pulled her towards him and kissed her thoroughly.
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Once she'd put her blouse and under garments into the washing machine and slipped on one of Harm's t-shirts that hung to mid-thigh it was with a very much lightened heart Gill enthusiastically pitched in and helped Harm prepare dinner, which as he informed her with a sly glance was butternut squash risotto.
"No plaice?" Gill asked mournfully.
"Not even a single scale!" Harm grinned back, stopping what he was doing to scoop Gill into his arms again, just so he could hold her for a few moments and drop a kiss on her sweet smelling hair.
"Ohhh… that was so unfair…" Gill complained as she leaned back against the warm support of his chest.
"Why is it unfair?" Harm asked with a smile.
"Because you're too tall to do it to you!" Gill retorted, but with a chuckle, "And anyway, doesn't that risotto need a little more stock – before it burns, that is!"
"Before it… I'll have you know, that I haven't burnt anything in years! And I'm not proposing to start now!"
And he didn't. Although the taste was strange to Gill, she had to admit that it wasn't unpleasant, "Mind you," she added a rider, "Just because I'm moving in with you, that doesn't mean that I'm forsaking meat in my diet!"
"Carnivore!" Harm shot back at her.
"Nope! If you want to start applying labels, try for omnivore. I do eat other things than meat!" Gill declared, loading her fork with rice as if to prove a point.
Harm grinned, "Are you sure you're not studying law?" he teased her.
"Definitely not," Gill said virtuously.
"H'mm…" was all that Harm said. He had a feeling that if he engaged in a verbal battle with Gill this evening that he would come off a very poor runner up.
Dinner, despite its strange taste, as far as Gill was concerned, was soon finished, as was the subsequent washing and drying the dishes. Which could have been completed even quicker if Harm and Gill hadn't stopped every minute or so to exchange kisses. "You are insatiable!" Gill complained happily into the side of Harm's neck.
"I can't help it," Harm replied, "Mattie's not here, and knowing that all you're wearing is my t-shirt seems to be having an effect on me!"
"M'mm… I know!" Gill replied squirming against the outward manifestation of the effect she was having, "But you're going to have to hold your horses until I get that blouse ironed at least!"
"You'd better hurry up then, woman!" Harm growled.
"What and take all the fun out of watching you squirm?" Gill grinned.
"Tease!" Harm complained.
"Yep!" Gill agreed happily.
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Later, in the dark of the bedroom and as she lay held protectively in the circle of Harm's strong arms and with her head nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, Gill gently smiled to herself. She had agreed to move in with Harm – and Mattie – and for her this was a huge step. Never before had she made a commitment that came anywhere near as major as this. But… it was Harm… and, yeah, he was worth it. Her smile broadened as she imagined what Sue Marshall's reaction would be, and with that happy thought, she closed her eyes and slipped into a deep, restful sleep.
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Wednesday morning came too early for Gill as she was woken up by Harm slipping out of bed. "What time is't?" she murmured groggily.
"Zero five thirty, ssh, go back to sleep…" he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll give you a call when I get back," Harm promised.
It was on the tip of Gill's tongue to ask where he was going at such an ungodly hour of the morning, but her eyes fluttered closed and she drifted off back to sleep. But not for long. Gradually the feeling seeped into her mind that she was now alone in bed, so sitting up she turned on the bedside lamp and squinted at her watch, "Five fifty? Where the hell…" and then she realised, Harm had gone for his usual run. Flopping onto her back again Gill groaned; it was obvious that the two of them would have to make some major adjustments if they were to live together, and as that thought crossed her mind, she smiled and with a "Oh, what the hell!" she levered herself out of bed and into the bathroom.
By the time Harm arrived after his circuit of the airfield Gill was up, showered and dressed in her skirt and freshly ironed blouse and had a jug of coffee percolating.
"Go, shower, shave and get dressed. I'll have breakfast ready for when you get down here!"
"What are we having?" Harm asked.
"Porridge – what you call oatmeal!" Gill laughed.
"Sounds good to me!" Harm laughingly agreed and trotted upstairs.
The benefit of Gill not having to rush to St John's Wood were evident, as for the first time on a working morning she and Harm had time to enjoy breakfast together, rather than Gill just throwing a few scraps down her throat, followed by a mouthful of coffee, a hasty kiss and a rush for the door.
So Gill and Harm left the house together, Gill to climb into her own car and make straight for Stanmore, while Harm eyed PFC Hawks and found that, as usual, she was immaculately turned out, in tailored slacks and a faux sheepskin car coat with a fleece collar. The fleece he also suspected of being artificial, but that wasn't important, and a PFC had a limited budget for clothes spending.
"Good morning, Private Hawkes!" he beamed.
Hawkes straightened up even more, if that was possible and drew herself up to her fullest height, "Good morning, sir. The car's ready."
Harm heard the unspoken, 'If you are', and merely nodded and said, "Okay, let's get going!"
He was just about to slide into the front passenger seat when a flicker of movement across the road caught his eye, and he saw Tim Davenport and his wife exchanging a fervent hug on the doorstep. By Tim's feet lay a flight bag, which to Harm's experienced eye looked to be full. Hoping that his neighbour was just flying for the day, he had a sinking feeling that Tim was going to be absent for a while.
"Wait here!" he told Hawkes, and then as Tim and his wife broke their hug he started across the road, arriving just as the front door closed and Tim inserted his car keys into the car door.
"Morning, Tim. Going somewhere?" Harm asked, nodding at the flight bag.
"Yes… I can't tell you where, but it's a deployment and I shall be gone about six weeks…" Tim hesitated as though he was carrying out an internal debate, but then spoke, "Look, Harm, I really don't like to ask, particularly as I don't know you very well. The thing is though, that although the girls are very good and help their mum as much as they can… Look, would you be a good chap, and just sort of keep a friendly eye on Bella and the girls? I don't mean ride herd on them, but if anything should need doing, like clearing a blocked sink or… or… well… you know, the usual little handyman jobs that crop up…"
"Of course!" Harm assured Tim, "And look, if you have time before you get to the flight line, give her a call and give her my number…" Harm dug into his wallet, and pulled out a card, "Here are all my numbers, home, office cell – that's mobile to you, I'm told." Then Harm grinned, the temptation to brag just a little was too much, "Look… Gill's more or less moved in with me now that Mattie's here, and we'll be at home most evenings, so if Bella wants to drop by for a coffee and some adult company, well, she's more than welcome. You can tell her that too. We don't stand on ceremony, Gill and I usually wear jeans and sweat shirts in the evening, so she needn't think she has to dress up…"
Tim Davenport blinked, "That's very generous, Harm, and yes, I'll be sure to pass the messages on. But now, I really must be heading for the flight line. I'll make an effort to come and see you once I get feet dry again!"
Harm nodded, "Well, take care out there and fly right!"
"I'll try," Tim grinned and ducked into his car, leaving a thoughtful Harm to wander back across the road to the waiting Hawkes.
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Harm breezed into the bull pen, as usual waving off the mass attempt to rise on the part of the pen's denizens as LN2 Foster spotted him coming in through the door and yelled, "Captain on deck!"
As the noise of chair legs on floor died away behind him, Harm walked into the outer office where Jen and Julia were already at work, Julia opening the morning's mail and Jen checking a courtroom hour's return. Both immediately sprang to their feet and chorused, "Good morning, sir!"
"Good morning to you too!" Harm grinned. "Anything urgent for me this morning, either of you?"
"Nothing from me, sir!" Jen replied smartly.
"Nothing from me – yet, sir!" Julia also answered, but with a jaundiced look at the pile of official looking envelopes that remained to be opened.
Harm nodded, "In that case, and in order of importance. Coffee, please, then pass the word for Commander Bishop, and then the mail!"
"On it, sir!" Julia smiled and whisked away to the galley, leaving Harm alone with Jen, who took advantage of the moment.
"Did you visit with Mattie last night, sir? Oh, of course you did! Sorry I asked. How was she sir?"
"Well, she seemed to have made friends with the girl in the next bed, and to have twisted her eminent surgeon around her little finger. More importantly she seemed to like him, even if she wasn't too enthralled about being poked and prodded and hooked up to various machines all day. But it seems she kept her sense of humour, and even laughed at herself for falling over." Harm saw the quick alarm on Jen's face and hurriedly added, "No, no, nothing to worry about. Apparently the therapy room where she fell has a padded floor. I have to hand to those guy they seem to know what they're doing!"
"I should hope so, sir!" Jen said, half amused and half indignant, "The thing is, Victor and myself were thinking of taking a drive up to see her this evening, would that be alright, sir?"
"If it's okay by the hospital, then it's fine by me, and I know Mattie would be more than okay with it. But…" he fixed Jen with a piercing eye, "No chocolate, no candy and no sodas! Capisce?"
"Of course not, sir!" Jen defended herself.
"Good. In that case, yeah, I'm sure she'd love to see you!" And with a smile Harm opened his office door and but then stopped and turned his head to look over his shoulder at Jen, "And no Cosmo!" before he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.
Jen looked in stunned surprise at the door and then as she realised what Harm meant with his final prohibition, giggled before she turned her attention back to her computer screen, and she was still smiling when her desk top intercom buzzed, "Sir?"
"Legalman One, get onto movements I want passage for Lieutenant Commander Bishop to Naples, LTD secure tomorrow. She'll be attending a shipboard special court martial on the Frank J Fletcher at Naples."
"Aye, Aye, sir!" Jen replied crisply, and her fingers flying over her keyboard she accessed the web site for the joint movement centre at Mildenhall, but even then she was still smiling when Julia returned five minutes later with Harm's coffee.
Once the coffee was delivered Julia sat down behind her desk again and sent a quizzical look at Jen, "Something tickle your funny bone?" she asked lightly
"Oh… no, nothing like that, I was just thinking about this evening. Victor and I…"
Julia clapped her hands over her ears, "No! No, I don't want to hear it!" she declaimed dramatically.
"Well, in that case, I shan't tell you!" Jen grinned.
"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do!" Julia retorted, but also with a grin, and picking up her phone dialled an internal number.
"Lieutenant Commander Bishop,"
"Good morning ma'am, this YN Two Martinez. Captain Rabb's compliments ma'am, and he would like to see you in his office at your earliest convenience."
"I'm on my way, Yeoman Two!"
Lieutenant Commander Gloria Bishop was well aware that the formulae used by Julia were just that. 'The Captain's compliments', 'Would like to see you', 'At your earliest convenience', were all just a polite way of saying 'get your six to the Captain's office, ASAP, and no excuses!' And woe betide the officer who took those formulae at face value. Gloria Bishop dropped everything on her desk, and patting her short cropped brown curls into order she hurried across the bull pen, trying at the same time to think of a reason for this out of the blue summons. As far as she was aware she hadn't screwed the pooch, and without a clue as to the nature of any delinquency on her part, she had no chance to prepare any sort of defence. She would be easy meat for an attorney of Harmon Rabb's calibre.
"Commander Bishop, is here, sir!" Julia spoke into her intercom unit before Gloria had a chance to say anything.
"Send her in, please Yeoman Two!"
"Aye, aye, sir! Ma'am, the Captain says to go in!"
"Thank you!" Gloria Bishop took a breath, tapped on the door frame and marched across the square of carpet to halt, at attention in front of Harm's desk.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes, take a seat and relax, Gloria. You're not in trouble. Now, how's your case load at the moment?"
Gloria felt the tension ooze out of her, this was just the Captain asking for a progress report. "The Collinson missing movement case is on the court calendar for an article thirty two on Wednesday of next week. I've got the witness statements on the Howlett MVA, and I'm waiting for the forensics report to get back to me, sir."
Harm nodded, having to send samples for analysis back to the USA was a time consuming process, but without direct access to a crime lab in the UK there was no help for it, but it did slow down the whole investigative procedure and he was aware of at least one case being dismissed out of hand, even though the perpetrator was guilty, because the delays imposed had exceeded the ninety day limit.
Harm nodded, "How close to the ninety days is the Collinson case?"
"We've got about six weeks in hand, sir," Gloria replied cautiously.
"Okay…" Harm slid a file across the desk, "Then this one is yours to defend, a shipboard SCM, prosecuted by the Task Force SJA to take place aboard the USS Frank J Fletcher, currently undergoing repairs alongside at Naples. Liaise with Legalman One Coates for transport, but I want you on your way by secure tomorrow. A word of advice Gloria; the skipper of the Fletcher is after this guy's blood, but don't let that, or any input from the SJA or whoever is sitting as Judge, pressure you into going into court unless and until you're ready. If there is any pressure and it becomes intransigent, then remember I'm just a phone call away!"
Gloria recognised the implicit dismissal and rose to her feet, the file now tucked under her left arm.
"Aye, aye, sir!"
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Jen and Julia, scurried along the street in a hurry to get to the café for lunch, their heads bowed against the rain which to their added discomfort was backed by a bitingly cold North Eastern wind, its strength intensified by the channelling effect of the tall buildings that lines the street. Gratefully they pushed open the door to the café and were immediately enveloped by the warm, steamy atmosphere of the place. Spotting a corner table that seemed to have just been vacated Julia grabbed Jen's arm and nodded in its direction. Pulling a face at the debris left by the previous occupants of the table, Jen nevertheless realised that it was the only empty table in the café, and from the looks of things it was going to be the only one for quite some time. So with a resigned shrug she followed Julia and sat down opposite her.
Julia had already made a start on stacking the dirty plates and dishes when the waitress, a harassed young woman with a thick Eastern European accent bustled across to clear the table and wipe it down.
"You order, yes?" she asked.
"Uh… Yes…" the orders for toasted cheese and ham sandwiches and sodas given Jen and Julia relaxed slightly. Jen unbuttoned her jacket and gave a sour look out of the window, "What wonderful weather we're having!" she groused.
"Well… what would it be like in DC this time of year?" Julia sked.
Jen just glowered at her, "It's that boyfriend – whoops! I mean that fiancé of yours! He's got you thinking that everything in England is fantastic!"
"Well, it is," Julia said smugly.
Jen grinned and shook her head, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Boy, have you got it bad!"
"Yeah, ain't life grand?" Julia grinned in agreement.
"Anyway, did you speak with your all-singing, all-dancing- oh-so-wonderful British Soldier about Friday night?" Jen asked.
"Sure did! He's all for it, and he says not to worry about cots or anything like that, he's got an airbed – a double-sized airbed!" Julia finished mischievously.
"H'mm… sounds like a practiced seducer!" Jen teased her friend.
"I wouldn't say that," Julia replied judiciously, "But his mom's got some strict house rules. Even now when we're engaged, there's no 'misbehaving' under her roof, so I guess he's had to improvise some in the past."
"Doesn't that bother you?" Jen asked, leaning back as the waitress brought their order to the table.
"No… I mean it wasn't my first time either, and he hasn't asked me about past boyfriends, and I'm not interested in his past girlfriends, just as long as I'm his last girlfriend. Aren't you and Victor about the same?"
Jen took a bite from her sandwich and chewed and swallowed before she replied, "Yeah, I guess so… I just never rationalised it in those terms."
"So…" Julia studied Jen across the width of the table, "Is this it for you too? The big one?"
Jen blushed slightly, "I'm not sure… I'd like to think so… and it's definitely something I want, but it's early days yet. And then Victor's a career marine…"
"And as far as I can tell Johnny's a career soldier, but at least Victor is an American citizen. You wouldn't believe the paperwork me and Johnny have to go through. He's got to have a medical exam by our people, he's got to be security cleared…" Julia's face fell, "I don't know… it would be so much easier if I just left the Navy…"
"You don't want to do that, do you?" Jen asked in quick alarm.
Julia shook her head, "No, I don't. Well not at the moment, anyway, and there are a couple of benefits…"
"Like what?" Jen asked.
"Free re-location for both of us – eventually, and there'd be no hassle with getting him a green card. Apparently there are special provisions for military spouses."
"But that would assume that Johnny would give up his career for a move to the States," Jen said shrewdly.
Julia sighed, "I know, I know, but we haven't really talked that through yet."
"Well, don't you think you ought to?" Jen asked in horrified surprise.
Julia took a slurp of her soda, "We're kind of putting all that sort of stuff on the back burner until he gets back from his deployment. For the moment him getting back home is all that concerns us," Julia said, putting on a brave face.
Jen saw through the façade and for an instant was tempted to reach out and grip her friend's hand in reassurance, but a split second's thought made her realise that a show of sympathy just now could cause the younger woman to have a meltdown, so instead she nodded.
"That's a reasonable short term goal, but…"
"Yeah, but!" Julia agreed with some bitterness.
Jen decided to drop the subject, instead she fumbled in her purse for her wallet, "Come on, let's head back," she said with a shiver, "The rain's getting harder and it looks like it's here to stay!"
"Okay," Julia agreed also grabbing her purse, only to be interrupted by Jen, "No, leave it. I'll get these. You can get tomorrow's lunch!"
"If we're both spared!" Julia cracked with another grin.
Jen stopped in surprise, "Where did that come from?" she asked.
Julia looked puzzled for an instant and then her expression cleared, "Oh… It's what we say all the time at home. A bit like, 'God willing and if the creek don't rise'. Here's the thing though, there aren't many creeks in southern New Mexico!"
Jen pulled a face and then gave a theatrical shudder, "Whatever! But it sounds pretty creepy!"
Julia thought for a moment and chuckled, "Yeah, well, I guess it does! It must be a Catholic sort of thing, all that guilt…"
"Oh, no! We are so not going there!" Jen said as she paid the check. "Are you ready? Let's go!"
Coats buttoned up to the throat and hands deep in their pockets the two young women hurried back to Grosvenor Square, "At least the wind and rain are at our backs, this time!" Julia called out.
"Yeah, that's something I suppose!" Jen laughed.
But the pair were more than relieved to reach the shelter of the JAG wing of the embassy although once inside both looked mournfully at their wet coats.
"You do realise that there's no way these things are going to dry before secure, don't you?" Jen asked Julia, once they had reached the women's locker room.
Julia, who was in the process of stepping into her uniform skirt nodded, "Yeah, we'll probably all go down with pneumonia by the time we get home," she said in dire accents.
"Julia Martinez! Bite your tongue!" Jen protested.
"Okay," Julia agreed equably, "But with all this rain, do you reckon that the Thames might rise?"
The notion seemed so absurd to Jen that she broke out laughing and the two were still smiling a few minutes later as they took their places behind their respective desks.