A/N: A special thank you to Byrhthelm for the use of Lieutenant Annette Walker.
January 9, 2004
Force Judge Advocate's Office – London, England
0722 Greenwich/ 1222 Eastern
Harm arrived early for work, owing to the fact that Beth had an early meeting scheduled at the Embassy. So, rather than taking two separate taxis in, he had simply decided to go with her and spend the extra time finishing off the last few files relating to the handover. With luck, he could have those done before Alison showed up this morning. That would clear his day to work with some of the younger JAGs on their cases or investigations, meaning spending time with them rather than stuck in his office with her.
However, all of his careful planning proved to be for nothing, because as soon as he opened the door to his office, he instantly saw Alison sitting across from the desk. So, with a forced smile, he walked over to the desk and sat down. He had deliberately left the door open, wanting those in the outer office area to be able to hear what was said. That way, he had his witnesses if he needed them.
Alison, for her part, easily took in the fact that the office door was still open. She wondered why and if it was connected to her private investigation. She had tried to cover her tracks, but it was now somewhat obvious that she had failed somewhere. But, that might not necessarily be a bad things. Making Harm nervous could work to her advantage, after all. So, she kept her peace about the open door and just continued to do what she had been before he'd walked in.
The silence that filled the office grew thicker with each passing moment. Harm could almost swear that the volume of noise from the outer office also had diminished as well, as if the other personnel had realized something was going on. What he didn't know was that the open door was the signal. In her time here, Alison's office door had never been left open. So, for it to be so now, and for so long, was a signal to the staff that something was different.
It was something of a relief for the office when a trio of personnel came through the doors to the outer office, since it served to take their attention away from the doorway to the inner office. There were two Lieutenant JGs and a Legalman First Class, none of them known to the office staff. Going to the yeoman's desk, one of the Lieutenant's handed over a stack of paperwork.
"Orders to report in, yeoman second class," he said with a voice that carried into the inner office and served to bring Harm's attention from the file he was reading.
Looking up, a smile crossed his face as he recognized two of the three people standing in the space. He also suspected that their presence was backup, courtesy of Manetti. If so, at least it was two people he knew were friendly towards him.
"Captain, I have two officers and a legalman first class with orders to report in, Sir," Simpkins said as he approached the desk and handed over the paperwork.
"Send them in, please," Harm replied, as Alison got up from her seat.
"I'll step outside," was all she said before leaving the office, passing the incoming personnel as she did so. The trio marched up to the desk and braced before it.
"Lieutenant JG Tiner reporting with party of two, Sir," came a voice from the past.
"At ease, all of you. Simpkins, close the door and I'm not to be disturbed until we're finished."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
"Now, I know this officer and the legalman as well, but not you, Lieutenant," Harm said, in what was correctly interpreted as a question.
"Lieutenant JG Annette Walker, Sir," the petite redhead said. The sound of her voice spoke of Texas and reminded Harm of Meg, someone he found himself thinking of since the revelations of yesterday.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant. Where'd you go to law school?"
"At Georgetown, Sir. I met Lieutenant Tiner there and he's the one who convinced me to join the Navy's JAG Corps. I was pretty undecided, between the Air Force, Navy and Army, until we went out for dinner one night after class. He told me about some of the things you and Colonel MacKenzie used to get involved in. It sounded interesting, so I signed up."
"I see. Did the Navy pay for your law school, then?" Harm asked, taking an instant liking to the young woman.
"No, Sir. My uncle paid my way, as long as I agreed to either join the military or law enforcement after I graduated. Personally, I think he was hoping I'd come back home to Texas and join him," Walker said, with a relaxed smile.
"Oh?"
"Yes, Sir. My uncle's a Ranger, Sir."
Harm nodded at that. He'd often heard about Texas Rangers from Meg and knew that to be one meant something special to a Texan.
"Well, welcome to NAVFOREUR and the FJA Office," Harm said as he leaned back against the desk. "Forget any fancy notions of riveting investigations in faraway places. Here, you'll be paired with a more experienced JAG officer, who will help you gain some experience. This is your initial assignment from NJS, correct?"
"Yes, Sir," Tiner and Walker replied together.
"Excellent. For today, go down to personnel and complete your in-processing paperwork with them, then get with housing and arrange your quarters. Take the weekend to get settled in and report back here at 0800 Monday. The same goes for you, Coates. Get moving, people."
"Aye, Aye, Sir," the trio said before snapping to attention, yet there was a slight hesitation on the part of Tiner and Walker that hinted at a need to say more.
"Yes, Mister Tiner?" Harm asked.
"A moment of your time, Sir?"
"Very well. Coates, carry on. These two officers will have to find their own way without your skilled guidance."
"Yes, Sir," Coates said with a smile, before turning and exiting the office.
"What is it? Something private, I assume," Harm said.
"Somewhat, Sir. You see, Annette and … I mean, Lieutenant Walker and I…."
"What Lieutenant Tiner is trying to say, Sir, is that he and I got married on New Year's Eve."
"I see," was all Harm could think to say, as his mind raced. It struck him as strange that the pair would have been assigned together under the circumstances.
"We were initially supposed to report to the RLSO Southeast, Sir. With me going to Kings Bay Submarine Base and Lieutenant Walker reporting to NAS Jacksonville. Then, yesterday we were ordered to report to Commander Manetti at the Pentagon and were informed our orders had been changed and we were both coming here, Sir."
"And was the Commander aware of your marital status?"
"Yes, Sir. The first thing the Commander said was 'Congratulations' and that we should think of this as a wedding present, of sorts. She also included a note for you with our orders, Sir," Lieutenant Walker said.
Harm picked up the stack and quickly found the small envelope concealed in the middle of the stack. Pulling it out, he tore the flap open and removed the sheet.
"Harm,
This will be quick, since I only have a few minutes. After our talk, I realized that a few 'friendly' faces might be of some assistance in the next few days. I have not briefed them on the issues in regards to Captain Krennick. I leave that decision to you. While the Captain is scheduled to leave tomorrow, I think that may be delayed due to the ongoing investigation. If so, no doubt she'll put two and two together and come to the conclusion her snooping was discovered.
Best wishes and take care,
Tracy"
Harm looked at the paper for a moment, thinking.
"Change of plans. Once you get everything done with personnel and get your housing taken care of, you're both invited to join myself and my wife for dinner tonight. And that's not an order, just an offer. If you'd rather spend the evening getting settled in, I'd certainly understand."
Tiner and Walker exchanged a quick glance, followed by an almost imperceptible nod from the petite redhead.
"We'd be delighted, Captain," Tiner said.
Harm turned to the desk and wrote down the address on a small pad of paper, then tore off the top sheet and handed it over.
"Oh, and civilian causal is the dress code for the evening," Harm said as he escorted the pair to the door and opened it. "Stop by around 1830, alright?"
"We'll be there, Sir," Walker said and she and her husband left the office, going past a waiting Alison.
"Leave the door open, please," Harm called after them, as he went back to his desk trailed by Alison.
"I'm a little curious, Harm?"
"About what?"
"Well, as far as I know, this office is fully staffed in terms of both officers and enlisted personnel. So why are we getting two brand new, fresh from NJS, JAG officers and a legalman first class?" Allison asked, looking him square in the eye.
"The orders that came with them are fairly clear. They were posted here for their initial assignments and we are to rotate a…" Harm paused while he picked up the copy of the orders that had accompanied the trio, "a Lieutenant Harper, Lieutenant JG Martinez and a Legalman First Whitlow out. Harper will be getting orders to NAS Jacksonville, Martinez to Kings Bay Submarine Base and Whitlow to JAG HQ."
"But Harper and Martinez have only been here about a year? Why are they being transferred now, halfway through their assignment?"
"If I had to guess, it might have something to do with the shakeup of JAG assignments instituted by General Creswell and the SECNAV. I mean, look at how long I was at JAG HQ. There were other officers, both there as well as other places, who had spent at least twice as long as they should have in a position. That's not good for an officer's professional development, nor for morale. So, the General may be moving staff around to get these people into new billets as well as getting a good mix of experienced people working with newer people."
Alison just looked at Harm. Oh, she'd heard through scuttlebutt about the mess at JAG HQ and how Admiral Chegwidden had abruptly retired. What exactly had happened hadn't been known, just that Harm had been involuntarily recalled after resigning his commission. Why he'd resigned in the first place hadn't been part of the things she'd heard, nor had a rationale for it taking an order to get him back in the Navy. As to why he'd been brought back, that was something she did know about. After all, the memo about the Imes situation and checking all of her lawyer's records to make certain they were actually members of the bar had also included a description of the potential damage done in this case.
As for Harm, he just remained silent and waited for Alison to say something more. Years of practice had help give him the ability to simply wait, knowing that time and silence could work wonders. Besides, he had absolutely no clue what was going on inside her mind right now and didn't want to say something that could start a whole new topic of conversation.
The sound of the telephone ended the silence and Harm reached to pick it up.
"Captain Rabb, Sir."
"Good Morning, Captain. This is Commander Harvey down in personnel. Is Captain Krennick there, Sir?" came a woman's voice over the telephone and Harm wordlessly handed the handset over to Alison.
"This is Captain Krennick."
"Sorry for the short notice, Captain. BUPERS cancelled your orders to CINCPAC, Ma'am. New orders have come in, directing you to report to Admiral Kieso for special assignment."
"What? I've already out-processed, turned in my quarters and have seating on an Air Force C-17 leaving RAF Mildenhall this evening for Dover," Alison said, her voice rising with every word, drawing the eyes of everyone in the outer office to the doorway. Harm started to get up, intending to leave the office and close the door, so that she could have this conversation in private. One look in the angry woman's eyes was enough to stop him in his tracks, however.
"Captain, I'm just doing my job. I'll contact RAF West Ruislip and arrange for temporary quarters, Ma'am. I'll also contact the Air Force and cancel your seat. If you have any questions about your orders, Ma'am, I suggest you discuss them with Admiral Kieso."
"I intend to do just that," Alison said before slamming the handset down and storming out of the office. Harm gave her time to get out of the outer office before picking up the telephone and calling Captain Pratt's number.
"Just a head's up, Captain Krennick is on her way to see the Admiral and she's ten different degrees of pissed off right now."
"Thanks for the warning. I'll let the Admiral know, although I think the topic of their discussion is going to leave her angrier than when she arrived," Captain Pratt said. "NCIS just left after briefing the Admiral on the situation involving Captain Krennick and he's had two telephone calls from the Pentagon this morning focused on her."
Harm let out a sigh, which was unfortunately heard by the other officer.
"Is there something I need to be aware of?"
"Nothing I'm comfortable talking about, Captain," Harm replied.
"It's my job to protect the Admiral. If there's something going on…"
"If he's gotten two phone calls and a visit from NCIS, I would say that the Admiral is aware of what is going on. Wouldn't you agree? And besides that, anything that I might say to you could be misconstrued and make me liable for charges."
Now it was Pratt's turn to sigh. Damned lawyers, always worried about the legal niceties. Couldn't he just see that she wanted to do her job, which was to limit surprises like NCIS visits and investigations?
"Alright, we'll let it go. For the moment. But if this goes any further, you and I will be having this conversation again," Pratt said.
"Fair enough," was all Harm said in reply before hanging up
Grove End Road – London, England
1733 Eastern
Harm and Beth came through the door together, having managed to leave work at the same time for the second day in a row. The cynical part of Harm wondered how often that would be the case, while Beth had simply enjoyed that fact that it had. Beth went upstairs, while Harm made for the kitchen. The plan was simple: Harm would start dinner while Beth changed, then they would switch places. The menu would be relatively simple, with shrimp scampi and Caesar salads.
With Mattie gone for the weekend, Harm decided to get out a bottle of wine to go with the dinner. A nice Muscadet or Pinot Grigio would go well with the scampi, he believed. Luckily, he'd ordered some wines with their first grocery delivery. Going to the pantry, he found the little wine refrigerator that had come with the house and opened it. Looking for a moment, he found what he wanted and took the bottle out.
Beth came in then, dressed in a baby blue silk blouse and slacks. Harm smiled at his wife, who came over for a quick kiss before taking over the cooking. Harm stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Harm, you need to get changed, now! You told them it was causal and if they show up and find you still in your uniform, what will they think?" Beth asked rhetorically.
"Yes, Ma'am," Harm said. He took a step back, but before he turned to leave, he let his hands trail a path across her body, gently caressing her.
"Harmon Rabb, go! Now!"
Harm had a silly grin on his face as he went upstairs to change. Just the sight of Beth turned him on in ways he'd never experienced before. Annie, Jordan, Renee, even his one-time feelings for Mac paled in comparison what he felt with her. A line from a song came to mind as he changed his clothes, something about God blessing a broken road that led straight to her. That's what his life had been, a broken road. Yet, everything he'd gone through had made him who he was and placed him in Beth's life and he wouldn't trade that for anything.
When Harm came downstairs, he was wearing a gray pullover and gray slacks. Going to the kitchen, he started on the salad while Beth kept up with the scampi. Everything was just about done when there was a knock at the door. Seeing that Beth's hand were full, he went to answer it.
"Good evening, Lieutenants. Right on time, I see," Harm said with a smile. "May I take you coats?"
Jason helped Annette out of her coat and handed it to Harm before shrugging out of his. After securing them in the closet, he led the way into the kitchen where Beth was putting the serving dishes on the table.
"Lieutenants Tiner and Walker, allow me to introduce my wife, Commander Elizabeth Hawkes," Harm said. "Darling, these two just reported to the FJA's office this morning."
"I'm very pleased to meet you both," Beth said, offering her hand.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Jason said with a smile.
"Likewise, Ma'am," was Annette's reply.
"And that will be the last time we'll use ranks this evening, people. I'm Harm, she's Beth and you're Jason and Annette."
"Yes, Sir," came the chorus from the other three, drawing a sharp look from Harm until he realized how much like an order that had sounded.
"Well, dinner is ready, so why don't we all sit down and eat," Beth suggested. "Harm told me you were married a week after we were. Was that your suggestion, Annette?"
"Actually, no. Jason and I had talked about getting married, but the whole thing was a surprise he and my uncle cooked up between them. All I thought was happening was a New Year's celebration and a visit to see my uncle. I went home to Texas for the holidays and Jason came with me. He and my uncle seemed to be spending a lot of time together, which I just thought was my uncle making sure that Jason was good enough for me," Annette said.
"My dad did that to Harm when they met. It must be a guy thing."
"Probably. Anyway on New Year's Eve, my Aunt Alex came to my room carrying a dress for me to wear to the party. It was still covered in black bag, so I had to open it and there it was, just the most perfect wedding dress. Jason had seen me looking at pictures of that dress and sent the information to my Uncle Cordell, who bought it for me. He and his friends arranged everything for us, right down to inviting the JAG staff from NAS Fort Worth to serve as honor guard and perform the arched swords after the ceremony."
"Your Uncle sounds like a great guy," Harm said, catching the glint in both Beth and Annette's eyes, as well as the loving look on Jason's face.
"So, what about you, Sir?" Jason asked, only to be stopped by Harm.
"Jason, it's Harm for tonight. Remember when I gave you my cover with the scrambled eggs on it? I gave that to someone I consider a friend, not just because I was looking to throw it out and decided to just give it to you instead. In a few years, I look forward to hearing you've made Commander and earned the right to wear it."
"Thanks, Harm. Speaking of that day, I know you were single then. So, when did all of this happen?"
"Did you keep in touch with anybody at JAG after you left to ODS and then NJS?" Harm asked, wondering if the younger man knew anything of the events that had occurred.
"I got a couple of letters from the Roberts and a card from Commander Turner when I graduated NJS, but other than that, no," Jason said. "The last I had heard, you went to work for the CIA and were flying for them, then I saw your picture on the news and guessed that was over. So, what? You asked the Admiral to take you back and this time he agreed?"
"Not exactly. You remember Commander Imes, right?"
"Of course."
With that, Harm launched into the twisted tale of how he'd ended up back in the Navy, as well as being married and the father of a teenager. During the course of the story, both couples finished dinner. So, Beth cleared the table and then everyone moved into the living room to relax and listen while Harm finished up.
"Wow, that's pretty amazing, Harm," Annette said when he had finished.
"Yeah, I suppose it is. But the best part is how much I gained by going through all of that. If I hadn't gone through what I had, I probably wouldn't have met Mattie or been around her enough to see the true nature of her situation. I mean, it took me over a week to figure out her dad wasn't around. If I had just gone out there, taken my plane up and then left, I never would have known. And then there's Beth," Harm said, laying a hand on hers. "As angry as I still am about some of the things he did, I have to thank the Admiral for putting me in a place where I could reconnect with her, not just physically but also emotionally. And having you tell me you loved me was the best thing that's ever happened to me, darling."
"You say the sweetest things," Beth said as she gave him a soft kiss, mindful of their guests.
"Well, I wish I'd have been there to see the look on Lieutenant Sims' face when she had to send the pool winnings to Gunny," Jason said, with a laugh.
"What pool, Jason?" Harm asked in a deceptively gentle voice, while Beth and Annette looked on cluelessly.
"The pool she was running on you and Colonel MacKenzie getting together. I think the only people not aware of it were you and the Colonel. Even the Admiral had one hundred dollars in, set for two weeks after you two returned from Australia. The only person who bet against it happening was Gunny. He put a hundred in immediately after he and the Colonel returned from the Guadalcanal, saying that no man wanted a woman to demand he give things up as the price of being with them."
"Do you know how much he won?"
"Not exactly. The last I heard was right before you went to Paraguay, Lieutenant Sims was talking ten thousand. Everyone was so sure it would eventually happen that if they missed their first guess, they'd bet again for a new time frame."
"How much did you have in this pool, darling," Annette asked sweetly.
"Nothing. All my extra money was going for school and dating you, once we met," Jason said quickly, already schooled in exactly what that tone of voice meant coming from the redhead. Her temper could certainly match the color of her hair and he knew not to needlessly kindle the flame.
"Good answer, but I'm not buying it. How about you, Beth?"
"I agree, Annette. It was a good answer, but somehow I doubt you didn't have a couple of dollars in that pool, Jason," Beth responded. "It's alright to admit it in front of me. Heck, there was a time I would have put money in that pool if I had known about it."
That remark served to relax Jason, drawing a laugh from Harm.
"I think the First Sergeant and I need to have a word about gambling," Harm said with a grin.
"Don't you dare, Harm," Beth said in a tone that clearly denoted a line Harm would be wise not to cross.
"Do I need to pull rank, Commander?"
"No, Sir, Captain, Sir. Just as long as you don't mind sleeping on the couch, Sir."
Jason and Annette were momentarily concerned, until they saw the laughter in Harm's eyes and the love in Beth's. Then, they knew it wasn't a real argument, but rather a husband teasing his wife and her teasing him back.
The two couples settled back and spent another couple of hours chatting, before it was time for Annette and Jason to head back to the quarters they'd been assigned by the housing officer. Their belongings were due to arrive next week, so they were making do with a few things on loan from the base's stores. Still, it was better than a hotel, in Annette's mind. Harm followed them out to the road and helped wave down a taxi for the journey out to West Ruislip.
Once they were safely off, he walked back to the house and was unsurprised to find the lights downstairs off. Locking the door, he made his was up to the master bedroom and found Beth under the covers. Undressing, he quickly joined her before turning off the bed side lamp.
Visiting Officer's Quarters – RAF West Ruislip
2321 Greenwich/ 0421 Eastern
Alison had spent the evening stoking her anger with a steady diet of alcohol and cigarettes, while using her laptop and the internet connection in the room to build her case against 'righteous' Harmon Rabb. By the time of her Article 32 hearing on Monday, she intended to be more than ready to not only defend herself but also see that charges were filed against him.
Her interview with Admiral Kieso had been much shorter than she had hoped for and she'd been forced to spend three hours simply waiting until the man had had a moment to see her. When he had, he'd also had both his aide as well as his chief of staff present. In response to her justified, in her mind, demand to know what was going on, the Admiral had motioned for the chief of staff to proceed.
The man had simply laid out the facts known to them and offered several methods for resolving the issue, ranging from a punitive letter of reprimand up to an Article 32 hearing. Alison hadn't even hesitated and immediately demanded the hearing. She was convinced in her own mind that what she had done and was continuing to do was for the good of the service, versus for her own vindictive motives. It never crossed her mind that the only reason she had even thought to investigate Harm was because of his refusal to sleep with her.
What Alison didn't know, indeed what she couldn't possibly have known, was that at this very moment a flight was crossing the Atlantic. On board was a group of women who would destroy the case that she was preparing against Harm. They were joined by another group, sent out by General Creswell to oversee the hearing and handle a court-martial if necessary. Their orders were to keep it quiet, since the navy didn't need the headache of a sexual harassment case between two senior JAG officers going public.
Neither group spoke to the other, nor did the women speak to each other. The team handling the hearing, on the other hand, was having a quiet conversation amongst themselves. Largely, it was a matter of them deciding which of the two junior officers would be handling which side of the case, while Admiral Morris presided. He suspected that whatever decision the two officers arrived at, whoever had the defense would be sitting second chair to the accused. The good news, though, was that they'd all have the weekend to get over their jetlag before things started on Monday.