November 28, 2003
JAG Headquarters – Falls Church, Virginia
0742 Eastern
Coates was just finishing a telephone call when the Admiral came out of his office, steam practically shooting from his ears. From the glare he was directing at her, she was either the one responsible for the issue or the one he'd elected to hold responsible. Therefore, she quickly shot to her feet and braced herself.
"What is this?!" AJ shouted at her, waving a piece of paper.
"I don't know, Sir."
"It is a request for a personal day for one Commander Harmon Rabb Junior, Petty Officer. A request that you just stuck in a stack of papers and left for me to find."
"Sir, I gave you that request Wednesday morning with the morning messages, Sir," Coates said defensively.
"Watch your tone, Petty Officer! That was close to insubordination and disrespect of a superior officer!" AJ screamed at her. "Not to mention the potential dereliction of duty involved. For example, how long ago was Commander Rabb recalled to the Navy?"
"About two weeks ago, Sir."
"And he had resigned his commission before them, correct?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Now, Petty Officer, given those facts, would the Commander have had any leave time available to use for this request?" AJ asked.
"No, Sir," Coates answered.
"Then, when he gave you that request, you should have reminded him of that fact, Petty Officer. Now, you are going to have to fix your mistake."
"How, Sir."
"Well, I would suggest that you call the Commander and advise him of the situation, Petty Officer. Inform him that failure to report for duty will result in him being charged with Unauthorized Absence and that he has until 1000 to report here," AJ told her before stalking out of the space and heading across the bullpen.
Having heard the explosion and not wanting any of the Admiral's rage directed at them, the support staff managed to keep their heads down. What they missed was the secret smile that crossed AJ's lips as he made his way to the galley and then back to his office with a cup of coffee. When he was back in his office and the door was closed, AJ made for the computer and started digging. His first search was for information on the house that Harm had bought. Only Coates' reminder about staff call brought an end to the searching.
JAG Headquarters – Fall Church, Virginia
1554 Eastern
Harm had been less than happy with his early morning call from Petty Officer Coates, but quickly realized the real person behind it. He had made a simple assumption, based on past events. Never before had a request for a personal day been denied by the Admiral. The Admiral also should have known the reason behind the request, because Harm had not only listed it on the request form but also from his conversation with the Admiral yesterday.
Also, if there had been a problem with granting the request, something should have been said on Wednesday. When he had said something to Coates, there had been a noticeable pause on the telephone before she replied that the Admiral claimed to have not seen the request until that morning. Harm knew instantly that that was simply an excuse on the Admiral's part, but he couldn't very well say that to a Petty Officer without potentially raising charges of disrespect towards a superior officer from the Admiral if it got back to him. So, Harm had simply thanked the young woman and said he'd be there shortly before hanging up and making a mad dash through the apartment to get ready for a day quite different than he had planned.
A swift shower and shave was followed by toweling dry and climbing into a set of service blues. Mattie was sitting up and blinking sleepily when Harm came back down from the bedroom area.
"What's up, Harm?" she asked.
"I've got to get in to work. My request for the day off was denied."
"Damn, that means I'm stuck here for another day by myself."
Harm heard the annoyed tone in his ward's voice and sympathized with her. The apartment wasn't exactly in a neighborhood where she could go out for a walk and there was really nothing in the apartment for her to do. He almost laughed in amusement at the situation, before his mind supplied a solution to the problem. Only it also was another problem, he thought before reaching for his phone.
"Lieutenant Commander Hawkes, Sir."
"Good morning, darling," Harm said, his pleasure evident in his voice.
"Oh, it is now," Beth purred back, fully awake now.
"I'm sorry to do this to you, but I won't be here today. My request for a personal day just got denied by the Admiral, so I have to go in."
"Well, we can still get together for dinner, although I was looking forward to spending a relaxing day it you."
"We certainly can have dinner together, but I do have a favor I need to ask," Harm said cautiously.
"I think I can guess. Mattie's feeling a little cooped up in your no television bachelor pad and you were hoping I could stop by and keep her company," Beth said, almost laughing at Harm. "I'll tell you what, Harm. You go off to work and I'll stop by in about two hours, after I take a shower. Then Mattie and I will find a way to entertain ourselves until you come home tonight."
"Thanks, Beth. I'll let Mattie know you'll be coming and I'll see you tonight. I love you, darling."
"I love you too, Harm."
Hanging up the phone, he turned to Mattie who was grinning from ear to ear. Clearly she had heard enough of the call to know what was going on. She had also fixed a pot of coffee while he'd been on the phone, so she could now hand him a cup. The hot liquid stung going down, but his need for caffeine necessitated it. Finished, he set the cup down and headed out the door.
Because of his late start, Harm missed staff call but did manage to report before the 1000 deadline. So, he had headed for his office and closed the door before starting in on more case files. It was more of the same, those relatively minor cases that had been allowed to linger when more important matters had needed addressing. What made matters even worse, in Harm's opinion, is that at least half of the cases he'd handled this week never should have even been sent to JAG HQ. Rather, they could and should have been handled by the various JAG and NLSO offices around the country.
Knowing that complaining about the situation wouldn't achieve any results, Harm just lowered his shoulders and attacked the pile. The lunch hour passed and still he worked away. It was only a knock on the door that finally broke the tide. Looking up, he saw Coates standing there.
"Excuse me, Commander. The Admiral wants to see you ASAP," she said.
"Any clue as to what it's about, Coates?" Harm asked as he stood up.
"No, Sir. He's been holed up in his office all day, though, and he's been making a number of calls, judging by the lights on the phone."
"Alright, then. Thank you very much."
Harm walked swiftly from his office to the Admiral's and knocked. An instant shout of "Enter" brought Harm through the door and in front of the Admiral's desk.
"Commander Rabb, reporting as ordered, Sir."
"Commander, some disturbing information has come to my attention and I intend to get to the bottom of it before either of us leave this office," AJ said, a harsh tone to his voice.
"What information, Sir?" Harm asked, puzzled at what he might had done to provoke this type of interrogation.
"Well, I'd start with the fact that you just purchased a new house. It closed at 975 thousand dollars, yet somehow you managed to pay cash for it. The financial disclosure on file for you listed a net worth well shy of that amount. In addition to that purchase, there is also the 400 thousand dollars you paid to the Third National Bank of Virginia with respect to various loans against Grace Aviation and a property outside of Blacksburg."
Harm's face had steadily turned white as he listened to AJ, his temper skyrocketing as the implications sprang forth. AJ saw this and misread the reaction, seeing it as guilt, shock and concern. The next few minutes would sadly prove him not only wrong but also destroy any hope the Admiral might have harbored that Harm would voluntarily stay at JAG.
"Commander, I demand an explanation and if I am not satisfied with that explanation, rest assured that I will be calling the Inspector General's office and having a full investigation done on the source of that money," AJ concluded, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at the younger officer in front of him.
By this point, Harm was practically boiling with rage. Only the small calming voice whispering in the back of his head kept him from doing anything that would instantly end his career. Slowly, he took several deep breaths, not caring that he was making the Admiral wait for his answer. Finally, it was time, his temper as much under control as he could hope for.
"The source of that money was a college fund my mother and step-father had created for me, Sir. When I began to apply for guardianship of Mattie, I knew I would need help financially. I approached them about that college fund, only to be informed that what I had hoped would be a savings account of something around a hundred thousand dollars was actually an investment portfolio worth over 60 million dollars. That portfolio was transferred into my name and I submitted an updated financial disclosure document to BUPERS, Sir. I also have a copy of that disclosure in my office, Sir."
"Very well, Commander. Get me a copy of that disclosure," AJ said.
"Aye, aye, Sir. I'll also be giving you another copy of my resignation request and a transfer request. This is a perfect example of why I had no desire to be in your command, Sir. Rather than come to me and ask, you assumed I was hiding something and showed absolutely no trust that I would truthfully answer your questions. Just like you believed I was capable of murdering Lieutenant Singer," Harm spat the last sentence out, still remembering the way he'd been treated by the man across from him.
"You're coming dangerously close to disrespect, mister," AJ growled at him.
"I'm not finished, Admiral. I also intend to inform the Inspector General about this conversation and demand that his office look into your private investigation of my personal life, as well. My personnel records are supposed to be confidential and not supposed to be used in the manner that you've elected to use them, Sir."
The Admiral glared at Harm, loathing the man standing in front of him, yet also well aware of the fundamental line that had been crossed. Somewhere, something had gone vastly wrong in his relationship with the Commander and now it was irretrievably broken. He had made a massive mistake in judgment and would now have to face the consequences.
"You're dismissed, Commander," AJ finally said.
"Aye, aye, Sir."
Harm exited the office and closed the door behind him. He hurried to his office and got the three forms, placing them in a folder and bringing them back to the Admiral's outer office. He handed the folder to Coates and instructed her to give it to the Admiral. A glance at his watch and he decided to secure for the day, wanting nothing more than to leave JAG and not look back.
Harmon Rabb's Apartment – North of Union Station
1756 Eastern
Harm stepped out of the stairway door to be greeted by the sound of blues emanating from his apartment. Opening the apartment door, he stepped into a sea of boxes. A stunned look crossed his face as he realized that almost the entire apartment had been packed up. Mattie and Beth were both sitting on the couch, smug expressions on their faces as they watched Harm take it all in.
"We decided to kill two birds with one stone," Beth said as she stood to greet Harm, reaching up to claim a kiss.
"Yep, hours of girl talk while getting this place ready for tomorrow. Oh, and Beth called a moving company. They'll be by first thing in the morning to load all of this and take it over to the house," Mattie put in as she also came over to Harm, settling for a hug.
"You've been busy today," Harm said, the mood of his day having mostly changed just from stepping through the front door.
Beth, however, could see that something big had happened. She'd seen Harm display a number of different emotions in the time she'd know him, but never before had she seen him this upset. He was Mr. Cool, always presenting that fighter pilot front. She remembered his voice the night they'd pushed Tuna's plane by the tailhook. Compared to the almost panic in hers, his had been the tone of someone ordering dinner. The only time it changed was when she'd questioned his decision and he's raised his voice for a moment. His calm and confidence in her had inspired her, restoring her confidence in herself.
"You look like you had an awful day," Beth said when Mattie had stepped away.
"You don't know the half of it, darling," Harm replied, pulling Beth to him gently, holding her close.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"Well, I have a phone call to make. Why don't you listen in and then you can ask any questions you might have afterwards."
Beth's curiosity was sparked by that comment, so she sat down silently on the couch while Harm picked up the phone and came to sit next to her. He quickly dialed a number and when the other end was answered, asked to speak with the senior officer on duty. He held the phone in such a way that Beth could clearly hear both sides of the conversation, while Harm detailed what had transpired in the Admiral's office that afternoon. Beth watched Harm's face as he spoke and while his voice remained calm, she could clearly see the returning anger. Taking his free hand in hers, she gently caressed it while looking him in the eyes. It took him a second to realize what she was soundlessly saying to him, then his heart lifted as his mind revealed the words "I love you".
Two hours of questioning took place, not only about the events of that day but also Harm's involuntary recall, the review of Imes' cases and the current cases he was working on. By the time he was finished, he felt like he'd been through the ringer. However, judging by the look on Beth's face, more was still to come.
"My God, Harm, what happened over there?" Beth asked in shock.
"Things change, people do too. Some things were said and done that, not just today but over the last year or so, and it's all built up to this. That's part of the reason why I didn't want to return to JAG when the Admiral came for me," Harm told her. "JAG had become like a field of snow. When the snow is fresh, it looks so clean and pure. It's only after the snow melts away that you see the garbage that it had covered."
"So, what happens now?"
"Now, I wait until the Inspector General's office does their investigation. After that is anybody's guess. The Admiral crossed a line, but whether the SECNAV will press for charges or not? I don't know and I don't know what will happen with me."
Leave it to Mattie to break the mood that was developing, however.
"Uh, guys, what's for dinner?" she asked. Seeing their looks, she turned defensive. "What? I've told you before, Harm, hungry teenager here."
Harm couldn't help but laugh at that, so he stood up followed by Beth. Seeing the state of the kitchen, an instant decision was made to go out for dinner. Harm even decided on a steak house in deference to the woman, figuring he could find a salad or something while they had their meat. A nice night out with two most important people in his life.