4

0804hrs EDT
Monday, May 30 2011
Psychological Department
WRNMMC
Bethesda, MD

The assembled staff of the psychological unit stood and came to attention as the door to the group meeting room opened to allow Colonel Matthew Vincent, USAF, to enter. As usual he looked mildly surprised at the display of military formality and with a vague gesture of his hand he waved everyone to sit down, "Relax, people, relax!"

With his balding head, surrounded by a fringe of longer than regulation-length greying hair, his permanent air of vagueness and his somewhat less than pristine uniform, it was easy – or it had been for Jen – initially at least – to see the Colonel as a bumbling fool. She had, however, been swiftly disabused of her opinion, and in the time she had spent under his guidance at Bethesda she had not only developed a keen respect for the sharpness of his analytical mind but also a deep affection for the older man.

Taking his seat in the circle of chairs – another of his idiosyncrasies, he hated the formal hierarchy imposed by a conference table – the Colonel cast a seemingly casual eye about the room. Casual he might appear, but not much was missed by that glance. "And where is Mister Patterson today?"

"Uh… he's unavoidably detained, Colonel, but he should be in by about ten-hundred hours," Captain McIntyre offered.

"Unavoidably detained, you say. H'mm and by whom or what?" Colonel Vincent asked mildly.

McIntyre shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Uh… I'm not quite sure of the details, sir."

"Come, come, Mister McIntyre, you seem to know so much about our missing friend. Surely, your knowledge, as suggested by your comments anent his probable time of joining us, goes to greater extents than you are prepared to admit?"

McIntyre winced, was there no fooling the Old Man, ever? "I'll admit to that, sir. But I'd really rather not go into detail in open forum, sir."

Vincent regarded him with seemingly mild interest, "Very well, Mister McIntyre, see me after we dismiss."

"Yes, sir!"

"Now…" Vincent continued mildly, "once again, the new week brings us new cases. You'll need to review these files, and let me have your initial thoughts by close of work today – that's five o'clock this afternoon, boys and girls. That's plenty of time, so I won't be accepting any excuses. Now…" he delved into his briefcase and pulled out a stack of slim blue folders, "Captain Baker…, Lieutenant Carter… Lieutenant Edwards, Captain Middleton, Captain McIntyre, Lieutenant Philips, Lieutenant Ramirez, Captain Sifuentes..." as he called each name he handed out a file folder to be passed around the circle until it reached its destination.

Jen stretched put her hand to receive her folder and as everyone else had done she opened it to take a swift look through its contents, and felt a cold hand clench around her stomach, "Sir?"

"Yes, Miss Philips?"

"Sir, I'm sorry; I'll have to recuse myself from this case." The old legal term slipped unconsciously from her lips.

"Really?" The colonel's voice reflected only a mild interest, "Would you care to elucidate?"

"Yes, sir… I know the subject…"

"Very well, pass the file along to… Lieutenant Ramirez; Lieutenant hand your file to Lieutenant Philips, please. Thank you. Lieutenant Philips?"

"Sir?"

"Trot along to my office sometime this morning please. Any time will do… whenever you have five minutes to spare."

"Aye, aye, sir!" Jen responded crisply. A casually spoken invitation from Colonel Vincent it may have been, but the intent behind his words was obvious. He might as well have said, "My office – now!"

1115hrs EDT
Monday, May 30, 2011
JAG Headquarters
Navy Yard
Washington DC

Harm breathed a silent sigh of relief as he left the building that house the new JAG Corps Headquarters. His scheduled interview with Admiral Tucker hadn't taken place as planned, she had been called to the Pentagon, and so he had been seen by the Deputy JAG, Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Stiles Morris. The African-American officer had been much as Harm remembered him, a little greyer around the temples perhaps and a little thicker through the waist.

Morris greeted Harm with a degree of reserve but even so, offering his condolences on Sarah's death, showing real sorrow and Harm recalled that Mac had served several stints under Morris' command on the bench while he had been Chief Judge and had developed a friendly professional relationship with the senior officer. Then the Admiral had become all business. He had been formally pleasant; he hadn't even mentioned Harm firing that Heckler and Koch in his courtroom all those years ago, but nevertheless he had been pretty clear and firm about Harm's options. Firstly he could opt for immediate retirement with all the pension and benefit rights appropriate to his rank, or he could submit to a psychological evaluation and accept whatever conclusion and recommendations the Psychologists came up with. Morris paused before he made his next comment, "Rabb, no-one here thinks you're insane, just that you are having a hard time adjusting to losing the Colonel and your baby. Your first appointment at Bethesda is at fourteen hundred hours today. And starting from tomorrow you'll be working here under Rear Admiral Daniel Evans, he runs the International Law section, so that should play to one of your strengths." And then Morris had surprised Harm, "Oh, just one more thing Rabb, despite the circumstances it is good to see you again!"

1137hrs EDT
Monday, May 30 2011
Psychology Department
WRNMMC
Bethesda, MD

Jen straightened her peanut butters and made sure her Lab Coat was properly fastened before she took a deep breath and tapped on Colonel Vincent's door-frame, entering at his invitation. "Lieutenant Philips reporting as ordered, sir!"

Matthew Vincent shook his head, "Miss Philips, sometimes I despair of ever getting you people to act like human beings. Pray be seated…"

Jen did as she was bidden, wondering as she did so exactly what the Colonel had meant when he said 'you people', did he mean naval officers, all officers or just women? Whatever he'd meant she wasn't about to ask him, knowing full well that any reply from him would come in the shape of a question aimed at discovering her motive for asking her question.

Vincent waited until Jen was settled, and then with his elbows on his habitually cluttered desk's surface and his hands lightly clasped, he leaned forward slightly, "This subject that you say you know…" his eye fell to his notepad "how well do you know him?"

"I… first met him ten years ago, sir, and then a year later I was PCS'd to Falls Church, where I worked with him for over four years before he shipped out. I knew both him and the officer whom he married. She died, and their unborn baby with her… that's why he's been referred to us… he's having a hard time adjusting to that double loss."

"So yours was purely a working relationship?"

"Uh… no sir. For almost a year he had guardianship of a teenaged girl. She lived in the apartment next to his and she needed a companion to share the apartment with her. I needed a place to live, and she and I shared… we were almost like a family…"

"And your relationship with the subject…?" Vincent left the question hanging.

Jen bit her lip, she had known this question would be asked, "It was strictly platonic, sir. The subject was in a relationship with another officer whom I knew and respected, and besides, there was no other option, he was an officer and back then I was still enlisted."

"I see… Tell me, Miss Philips, how was the subject's relationship with his… ward?"

"A very close and loving one, sir. It hit him very hard when she went back to her natural father, and then when she died he was devastated…" Jen fought back her own tears and bit down hard in an effort not to sob as she continued, "… but he received orders and was shipped out to England before she was buried… The Navy wouldn't cut him any slack… she wasn't 'family'." Jen finished with a clear undertone of bitterness.

"I see," was Vincent's non-committal comment, "And now, Miss Philips, what is your relationship with the subject?"

"We have only just re-established some sort of contact, after an eighteen month hiatus, sir. So it is still platonic."

"So… you have renewed your acquaintance with the subject?"

"Yes, sir… we spent much of the weekend in each other's company."

Vincent looked keenly at the young woman sitting opposite, "I see…You are an attractive young woman, Miss Philips… do you feel that that the relationship might develop beyond the stage at which it now is?"

"I… I… don't know, sir… It…it might, I guess," a furiously blushing Jen stammered.

Vincent nodded, "So… how would you describe his psychological state now, compared to what it was when you were last in regular contact with him."

"Sir, with all due respect, I would rather not answer that question. My friendship with the subject could make any judgement I might come up with biased, and I don't want anything, especially anything I might say or do, to negatively impact his therapy.

"Oh, but I insist. Besides, you have already made a judgement in saying 'his therapy', what makes you so certain that the subject will receive any therapy from us? He might be so psychologically damaged as to be disqualified from further service."

Jen cast haunted eyes at her CO, "Sir… could I write my opinions down and seal them in an envelope, and then once whoever carries out the initial interview can report their findings to you, and you could then compare them to my impressions?"

"H'mm very well, Miss Philips… ah… as you Navy people seem so fond of saying… make it so!"

Jen smiled at Vincent's well-worn joke and replied, "Aye, aye, Sir!"

"Thank you, Miss Philips, that will be all."

Jen closed the office door behind her, leaving Matthew Vincent idly twirling a pencil between his fingers and a half-smile on his face. Yep, he might be getting a bit long in the tooth, but he could still teach these young pups a thing or two, and he could still recognise the signs of a woman in love…

1521hrs EDT
Monday, May 30 2011
Psychology Department
WRNMMC
Bethesda, MD

Jen had spent most of the afternoon so far hanging around the Psych Wing reception desk, wanting catch a sight of Harm before he left the building, and at last her patience bore fruit. His unmistakable figure in Summer Whites contrasting with the peanut butters of the medical and nursing staff made him an easy target to identify. As she approached near enough to make out his expression, her forehead creased in concern, he looked battered and drained and she hurried her steps towards him.

"Harm?" she said quietly as she halted in front of him and laid a hand on his forearm.

Harm stared at her with empty eyes for a second or two, and then the life seemed to return to them as he forced a half-grin, "Hello, Jen, I didn't expect to see you here!"

Jen looked puzzled, "Why not? It's where I work."

Again Harm looked as if he was unable to formulate a conscious thought, and then he shrugged, "Of course it is…Working for your doctorate right? I remember you telling me, now…"

Jen chuckled, although she's never felt less like laughing in her life, "You're looking a bit punch drunk, sir. And badly in need of a coffee! Why don't I walk you out, and we can stop in the commissary en route. The coffee there's not bad… it's not good either, but we've both had worse… Do you remember Tiner's attempts at coffee making?"

Harm relaxed as memories of happier days returned, "If you think Tiner's coffee was bad during your time at Falls Church, Jen, you should have tried it earlier in his career before he realised you had to put a filter in the machine!"

Jen looked at him in disbelief, "Surely he didn't…?"

"Oh, yes Jen! Surely he did!

The chuckles and smiles lasted them all the way to the commissary, where Jen, protesting that it was more than time she contributed, paid for the coffees, Harm having rejected outright her suggestion of a sandwich. Jen had then merely smiled and directed him to an empty table while she brought their drinks across from the server.

"So… who did you see, this afternoon?" Jen asked once they'd taken their first few sips from their coffee.

"Should you be asking me questions like that? Isn't there a conflict of interest somewhere in there?" Harm asked, his brow furrowed.

"There would be if I was to ask you about anything you said in the interview. But as it is, I'm just a concerned friend asking which doctor you saw." Jen replied with an easy smile.

"Would that be 'witch doctor' or 'which doctor'?" Harm asked with the hint of a grin.

Jen was about to make a flip remark when she caught the tell-tale that Harm wasn't entirely joking, so changing her answer she answered casually, "Oh… we leave the head-shrinking to the psychiatrists… so that would be 'which' doctor."

Harm nodded, "OK… it was an Air Force Colonel… a Colonel Vincent…"

Jen looked across the table in surprise, "The Old Man?"

"That's hardly respectful, Lieutenant," Harm sad severely, but Jen wasn't deceived by his tone as she caught the hint of laughter in his eye.

"That's Old Man in him being the CO," Jen protested with a smile, "Not as in being old in terms of years – besides, I kinda like older men!" she finished with a smile that Harm was to realise later was distinctly naughty.

But at the moment, he just grinned and shook his head, "Jennifer Coates, you are bad!" he mock-scolded her.

Jen's face clouded when he called her by her maiden name and Harm saw it. Instantly he was contrite, "Oh, Jen… I'm so sorry… it's just that I've always thought of you as Jennifer Coates, the impudent, insubordinate Petty Officer who turned her life around, and I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting to your new name and the bars on your collar…"

Jen heaved a theatrical sigh, this was just the opportunity for which she had been frantically searching, now if she could just harness his expressed contrition… "That's OK, sir; I guess you'll make it up to me somehow…"

"Of course I will, Jen! Anything…!"

"Um… dinner with me tonight, sir?" Jen asked.

"Of course, if you want… where and at what time – your choice?"

"How about I pick you up at the Willard, at say… eighteen thirty hours."

"Fine… I'll meet you in the lobby. What's the rig of the day?"

"Rig of the day…? Jen asked looking confused at Harm's use of a strange term.

"Oh, sorry… again!" he chuckled, "Uniform of the day, I mean. Too much time hanging out with the Royal Navy!" he added in explanation.

"Ah! Then that would be civilian casual, sir," Jen told him, bracing for his next question and his reaction her answer.

Harm nodded, "Alright, where are we going, or haven't you decided yet?"

Jen bit her bottom lip for a moment and then looked him straight in the eye, "To Bud and Harriet Roberts'' place." She stated firmly.

Harm's faced was a picture of consternation, and reluctance, "Oh… I don't know, Jen… I mean after what you said about Bud and Harriet and their reaction to me cutting them off…"

"Harm, I spoke to Harriet last night… she was so happy to hear you were back in town, she said she can't wait to see you again! She made me promise to bring you… or at least to ask you to come and see them… Harm, she misses you, so, so much…"

"Jen… I don't know…" Harm protested feebly.

"Harm, you said that you didn't know how to fix this… well, this is me trying to help you to fix this part of it!"

"And you really think I need your help?" Harm challenged her, an edge of belligerence beginning to show in his voice.

"Yes! I do really think you do need my help! You haven't exactly achieved stellar results on your own, have you?" Jen replied in a stern undertone.

Harm's face relaxed from its frown as he replied in crestfallen tones, "No… you're right… I haven't been very successful have I?"

"That's OK, my d… that's OK, Harm, you just lost your way for a little while, but just trust your Aunty Jen, and she'll guide you back on the right path through the woods!"

"OK, we'll give it a try, if you think it'll work."

"I'm sure it will, Harm. Trust me, I'm a doctor – well almost!" she finished with a giggle.

"H'mm… Jen, did you just handle me?"

Jen looked across the table at him, adopting an wholly innocent expression and with her eyes opened to their widest and shining with false sincerity, "Who sir? Me, sir? No sir!"

Harm grinned and as he'd done so often in past battles of words with her, he shook his head in resignation and declared, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Jen, you are bad!"

"Oh, Harm… you have no idea!" Jen chuckled.

"No… But I'm beginning to learn!" he said in reply

1829hrs, EDT
Monday, May 30 2011
Lobby
The Willard Hotel
Washington DC

Jen stepped through the door of the hotel, held open by an obliging bell-hop and quickly scanned the lobby. It was too early for the lobby to be really crowded and Jen once again had no problem in seeing Harm, especially as he had, unbeknownst to her, for the last ten minutes been looking up from the newspaper he was ostensibly reading every time the door opened, as he waited for her arrival, and as she entered the building he stood to greet her, with a welcoming and approving smile on his face. And she certainly merited his approval: Jen's hair was worn down, cascading down her back with the sides swept back and fastened together in back by a mock-tortoiseshell barrette forming them into a pony tail resting on the curtain of the rest of her hair as it hung in a shining veil down her back. She had chosen a shirt of deep crimson and a slightly flared, tan skirt, its hemline just above the knee and completed her ensemble with a brown leather shoulder bag and a pair of low heeled pumps equally suitable for driving, walking, or and Harm's heart leapt a little, maybe even dancing.

Jen in turn was equally appreciative of his appearance, Harm's deep blue shirt she knew would really bring out that colour in his eyes and his medium grey pants were crisply pressed. He had a lightweight tan jacket hung over his arm and his smile as he came forward to meet her almost approached the intensity of the best of his famed 'flyboy' efforts.

They stopped a couple of feet from each other until Harm stepped forward again and bending his head dropped a soft kiss on Jen's cheek, and if Harm's heart had leapt a little Jen's took off into low earth orbit. "You look wonderful, doctor!" he said with a teasing grin.

Jen blushed slightly, "Well you're not too shabby yourself, sailor, she grinned back at him, still feeling the burn of his lips on her skin.

Harm stood still grinning at her and admiring her until Jen, becoming a little uncomfortable at the picture they were presenting to a couple of openly curious bystanders, murmured, "If you're quite finished, sailor, shall we get going?"

"Of course! Harm agreed, "Whenever you're ready!"

"That would be right about now!" Jen said. Maybe a little too emphatically, but Harm just gave her another tighter-lipped version of his grin and extended his arm, "Well, then let's go!"

Jen smiled gratefully and linked her arm in his as they exited the hotel, the parking valet springing into action as soon as he'd seen them in the doorway, and in a matter of few seconds, brought the Impreza to a smooth stop in front of the hotel steps.

Harm held Jen's door for her and waited until she was seated before returning to the passenger side and easing his long frame into the seat.

Jen smiled across at him, "All buckled in?"

"Yep! " Harm drew a deep breath, "OK, let's do it!"

Jen eased the Subaru away from the kerb into the still light traffic stream and circled around the block to head south towards Fourteenth Street Bridge. "Where are we going?" Harm asked.

"Oh… Bud and Harriet moved from Rosslyn down into Alexandria when the twins arrived, they needed a bigger place," Jen explained.

"Uh-huh, so they've still got just the four?"

"Yes, just the four!" Jen repeated, the laughter lines crinkling the skin at the corners of her eyes and her dimple appearing in her right cheek, "Isn't that enough?"

"Well, I wasn't sure," Harm said light-heartedly, "But it sometimes seemed to the rest of us that Bud only had to look at Harriet with a gleam in his eye and wham! She was pregnant again!" Jen risked a brief sideways look at him. He sounded cheerful enough, but she was almost certain she'd picked up on an underlying hint of stress.

'Poor baby, he always hated acknowledging he was in the wrong, and he knows he's going to have to eat some humble pie tonight!' she said to herself, and unconsciously she reached out her hand a briefly squeezed his wrist, "It'll be OK Harm," she assured him, "Harriet loves you too much to let Bud kill you!"

Harm smiled gratefully, he hadn't realised he'd become so transparent and he quickly switched the subject back to the Roberts' children. "I never saw the twins, you know…" he mused out loud.

Jen grinned, "Nikki and Matthew? They're adorable!" For an instant she thought about telling him that Matthew was named after Mattie Grace, who had become the Roberts' most frequent baby sitter for A J and James, but decided that it would be inappropriate to raise that subject right now. Harm would need all his self-confidence to survive the coming evening as it was; he didn't need any extra stress.

"Adorable, hey?" Harm prompted her, disrupting her train of thought.

"M'mm… Nikki's the image of Harriet, and allowing for the difference in gender so is A J, but Jimmy and Matthew are definitely Roberts. As a small baby Matthew even looked a lot like Big Bud!"

"Ouch! Poor kid!" Harm joked, eliciting a giggle from Jen.

1856hrs EDT
Monday, May 30 2011
The Roberts' Residence
South Columbus Street
Alexandria, VA

Jen braked to a smooth halt in front of red-brick house, the front yard of which was enclosed by a traditional white picket fence and where rose beds lined the paved walk across the lawn to the front door.

"Are you ready, Harm?" Jen asked, a note of concern in her voice.

The grin he turned in her direction was a bit shaky but he managed to say, "Yeah, let's get this done!"

Jen gave him another reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Harriet won't eat you, just trust your Aunty Jen, remember?"

Harm shook his head, "Jen, while I thought of you as a sister, I never, ever once considered you as my aunt – you're way too young for that!"

"Flatterer!" Jen scolded him, but with her eyes dancing with laughter, but she was thinking 'Sister, hey? Well, Mister Rabb, you've got one hell of a wake-up call headed your way!"

Jen had hardly knocked on the door before it was opened and Harriet Roberts stood in front of them. Harm summoned another of his shaky grins and said quietly, "Hello Harriet…"

Harriet stared at him for a second and then burst into tears, throwing her arms around his neck and dragging his head down to where she could plaster kisses on both cheeks.

"Hey, hey… power down Harriet…" Harm said helplessly casting a silent and futile plea for help at Jen who was having a hard time controlling her laughter.

After what seemed an age Harriet released her vice like grip of Harm and stepped back, smiling through her tears, "Oh… sir… I'm so sorry… but I am just so happy to see you after all this time!"

"Harriet… how many times have I told you… and especially now since you're not active duty, call me Harm!"

"I'm sorry, si… Harm," Harriet giggled mopping her eyes and stepping back to allow Harm and Jen to enter the house, "I'll try to do better, I promise."

"It's not you that needs to try to do better, is it… sir?" Harm looked up at the voice to see Bud Roberts standing halfway down the stairs, his round face fixed in an expression of disapproval and almost of dislike.

Harriet threw him a disapproving look of her own and admonished him, "Bud, you promised that you wouldn't…"

"No, Harriet," Harm interrupted, "Bud has every right to call on me to answer for my neglect. I am sorry Bud, Harriet; I've been a very bad friend to you both… I… I lost my way for a while, but Jen has convinced me to try and find my way back." He drew a deep breath, "I know I must have hurt you both, and A J, and maybe even Jimmy, if he remembers me, and I don't how to fix that, but I'm willing to give it a try, if you'll give me a chance!"

Bud's face remained fixed in its stern mask and Harriet seeing his unchanging expression pleaded once more, "Bud…?"

Harm interrupted what Harriet might have been about to say, the Roberts certainly didn't need to argue about whether he was a welcome guest or not. "Bud, if I'm not welcome in your home, then I'm not welcome. I apologise once more, for my neglect of you and again for my intrusion this evening…"

"No… come on in, sir," Bud replied heavily, "If I ostracise you, then all I'm doing is acting out how you shut us out… Sir, I don't hate you, I never could, Harriet and I owe you far too much and we love you far too much for that… but… that doesn't mean what you did didn't hurt us or that I'm happy with you, or that I like what you've done."

Harm nodded, "That's understood, Bud. And thank you."

Bud nodded, his face relaxing slightly, "You'd best go through and sit down, sir… I'll join you in a minute. I just need to go and tuck the twins in." His face relaxed into a good humoured and proud smile, "It's my turn tonight!"

Harriet visibly relaxed as she shepherded Harm and Jen through into the lounge, directing them to share the couch while she sank into one of the armchairs.

"Whew! That was a bit touch and go!" She grinned.

Harm shook his head gravely, "Bud had the right of it, Harriet, I did treat you badly, and I had no right to expect that you would even talk to me ever again."

"Harm… I promise I won't mention this again if it makes you uncomfortable… you suffered an awful loss… I remember how bad I felt after we lost our Sarah…" her voice broke for an instant, but she made a brave recovery, "And I can't promise you that the ache will ever go away… but it does fade with time… and we were blessed with Jimmy and the twins, and that makes it a bit more bearable. I know how much you and the Colonel loved each other, but she wouldn't want you to going on the way you have been doing. If I'm out of line, just say so, but I believe that Mac would want you to carry on and have a full life…"

Harm felt his anger rise and for a moment he was tempted verbally flay the blonde sitting opposite, and then as her words, or more accurately the sense of her words sunk in he recalled that not only had she lost a baby, but that she'd also almost lost Bud, had had to endure hours of uncertainty while she waited for word of his survival on the operating table. Harm felt like kicking himself as hard as he could, he had shut Harriet out, not failing to remember that of all his friends, she was not only probably the most forgiving, but the one who came the nearest to sharing his loss.

With a mental curse at his own stupidity, Harm slid off the couch and dropped to his knees, and taking both Harriet's hands in his, he confessed, "Harriet, I'm a blind, unthinking, selfish, self-pitying idiot who deserves for you to kick his six clear from here to California. But… can you instead forgive that idiot for all the hurt and pain he's caused you?"

"Oh, Harm… you're already forgiven…" Harriet said, her voice once again on the verge of cracking.

Bud Roberts stood in the doorway a tray of drink in his hand as he observed the scene, 'Yeah, it's forgiven, but not forgotten, not yet Harmon Rabb', but then giving his head a shake he smiled and stepped forward, "I see it's your car tonight, Jen. Very… impressive!" he stood and waited for the groan that he knew would meet his pun, neither was he disappointed. After the fuss had died down he grinned, and continued, "So… a ginger ale for you? White wine for you Harriet and a beer apiece for me and the Capt… for myself and Harm." he finished with an apologetic look at Harm.

Harm took the beer and responded to Bud's silent toast, accepting it as a peace offering. Peace may not yet have broken out between the two men, but at least a cease-fire had been tacitly offered and accepted.

Harriet let about twenty minutes of inconsequential chat pass before she excused herself and disappeared into the kitchen from whence she reappeared about ten minutes later to summon her husband their guests to the table.

"I remembered most of your tastes," she told Harm with a smile, "so we have a vegetarian moussaka, salad and garlic bread. Jen you will take one small glass of wine with your dinner? Just for your stomach's sake?"

"Thank you Harriet, yes, I will… but just the one, mind!"

"And just the one wit will be, Jen, or I'll be taking your keys off you!" Bud warned, only half-joking.

"Yes, sir," Jen said obediently, bringing a chuckles from the other three as Harriet served out portions of the moussaka.

As the meal ended and second helpings of the moussaka were offered and declined, Harriet sat back in her chair and asked, "Harm… what is going to happen to you now you're back here stateside."

"Ask me that in another forty eight hours Harriet." He replied cryptically, and in answer to her inquiring look he explained, "That's when the Admiral should have the results of my psychological evaluation, and depending on that, whether or not I'll still have a career in the navy."

Seeing the blank looks on Bud and Harriet's faces, he glanced at Jen, "You haven't told them?"

Jen shook her head, "No it wasn't my place."

Harm nodded in appreciation for her reserve and then looked up again at his hosts, "Well, Admiral Tucker relieved of my command in London, and ordered me back to DC so I could undergo a psychological evaluation to discover whether I was still emotionally and or temperamentally fit for service. I saw Admiral Morris this morning, and he made it clear that no-one thinks I'm crazy, just running a little bit haywire." He grinned mirthlessly, "After all, A J used to complain that I was ruled by emotions…" he paused for a long moment, "I guess he was right."

"No, he wasn't right… I love A J Chegwidden, but he could never read you Harm, you were always a mystery to him!" Harriet responded, "Not like us girls, we could all read you like a book, isn't that right Jen?"

"Yeah," Jen grinned, "in large print too!"

"Hey!" Harm protested, "Just who are or were 'us girls'?"

"Oh… that would have been me, Judge Helferman…"

"So that's why I never got away with any crap in her court!" Harm interjected.

"Just so, Harriet agreed with a grin, "now let me see, Oh, yes… Congresswoman Latham, Carolyn Imes, Tracy Manetti, Sue Nestor… that forensics Commander… Terri Coulter, yes that's the name! And even poor Loren Singer had you pretty well summed up!"

"Ouch!" Harm groaned.

Yeah, there goes your reputation as international man of mystery!" Jen smiled at him.

"But there are a couple of names missing off that list…" Bud said frowning in an effort to remember… obviously there's Mac…" he jerked and glared at his wife as here shoe made a sharp contact with his leg, "And Commander Parker, and Renee…"

"Yeah, what about that?", Jen asked desperately trying to cover up Bud's blunder as Harm's face became closed… how come your girlfriends never really got you, Harm?"

"Oh, that's easy Jen!" Harriet contributed in covering up the indiscretion. "They all got too close to him and were dazzled by his smile!"

Harm had felt a pang as Bud had mentioned Mac and Jordi in the same breath, but he fought to restore a grin to his face, "That smile was vastly overrated, you two! It got me into more trouble than you could shake a stick at!"

"And it was all female trouble!" Harriet crowed, "Do you remember that Romanian Princess, Harm… you practically had to fight her off with a club!"

"Who said I fought?" Harm challenged her, with his most innocent expression plastered on his face.

"Harmon Rabb!" Harriet exclaimed in shock while Bud and Jen collapsed in laughter.

Harm waited until the laughter had died down, but while the good feeling it had generated was still visible on each face and then asked, "Bud said he was putting the twins to bed as we arrived, but where are A J and Jimmy?"

Bud and Harriet exchanged a meaning laden glance before Bud replied, "Well… A J's not quite as forgiving as Harriet, or even me. So we figured that this first meeting was going to be difficult enough without a surly pre-teen hanging around, and Jimmy… well… he just about follows A J's lead in everything. So… we packed them off for a sleepover…"

Harm shook his head, "Bud… you shouldn't do that. You don't have to feel that you need to get your kids out of the way just because I might be upset at their response to me. Hell, I deserve that they kick my six!"

"Yeah, you do!" Bud said uncompromisingly, "but I won't have them upsetting their mother by them being rude to a guest, especially to someone who is their Godfather – you hadn't forgotten that had you? No? Good! And before you say you won't come and visit with us anymore, I'll take the liberty of telling you that I don't let my kids decide who is and who isn't our friend!"

Harriet piped up, "This evening was an exception Harm. I can assure you that on any other occasion you'll find the boys here. In fact, I think you… and Jen… ought to come round on Sunday… we'll have a cook out, and Bud… you can invite some of the people from Falls Church…"

Bud nodded. "That's a darn good idea, sweetie! What do you say, Harm?"

Harm looked at Jen, "What do you think, will it be OK?"

"Of course it will be OK. We'll be there, Harriet." Jen declared stoutly.

"Yeah, OK… we'll be the…" Harm broke off as he out of the corner of his eye he saw Jen try to smother a yawn."

"Uh, Bud, Harriet… it's a school night for my driver, I think she needs to get me home and get home herself…"

"Oh of course!" Harriet said immediately while Bud glanced up at the clock.

"I should think so!" he agreed, "It's gone twenty three hundred!"

Jen and Harm didn't exactly scramble out of the house, Harriet wouldn't let them. Instead she gave each of them a kiss and a hug, reminding them of their promise to turn up on Sunday, "About thirteen hundred would be about right!"

Bud also gave Jen a hug and a kiss on the cheek but when he turned towards Harm, he just grinned and stuck his hand out. "I still don't like what you did, Harm… but I guess I can understand a little of why you did it, but even so… it is good to have you back!"

"Funny, you should say that!" harm exclaimed, "Admiral Morris said the same this morning!"

Bud and Harriet both laughed, as the same thought stuck them, "Looks like he's finally forgiven you for shooting that HK in his courtroom!"

Bud and Harriet stood on the porch watching as the tail-lights of Jen's car disappeared into the night. Bud gave his wife a squeeze, "Well sweetie, how do you think it went?"

Harriet looked up at him her eyes partly clouded, "He's still in a lot of pain, Bud… but I think he's going to get better very quickly. Well, he will if Jen has anything to say in the matter."

"Jen, why?" he queried, his eyebrows raised in astonishment.

Harriet sighed, after all these years Bud was still totally clueless about some matters. "Because, if Jen has her way it won't be too long in the future before there'll be wedding bells!"

"Harriett!" Bud was genuinely shocked.

"No, no matchmaking this time around, Bud. I've learned my lesson, but I heard her voice last night on the 'phone, and now they're already acting like a couple," she sighed happily.

"What do you mean?" asked a puzzled Bud.

"Oh… Bud Roberts! Didn't you hear? When we invited them to the cookout for next weekend, he checked with Jen to see if it fitted in with any plans they'd made, before he accepted for them both. Isn't that exactly what we'd do?"

"Yeah… I guess… but that doesn't necessarily mean…"

"Oh Bud Roberts!" Harriet complained again. "Just trust me on this!" and then another thought occurred to her and the next look she sent her spouse was almost indecently suggestive. "Bud…" she slowly in a throaty voice, "Do I have to remind you that the boys are away for tonight… all night…"

"No," said Bud, "I know they are…"

"Oh for God's sake Bud Roberts!" Harriet laughed, "Just shut up and take me to bed!"