"Nine gold rings" Ch09 – "Announcing an engagement and finding a JAG"
A little "what if", inspired by Season One, this AU story explores some plausible (if not-publicly-canon) moves on the "pairings" front in mid-season, beginning in the spring of 1996 then moving forward. No links to my other stories as at mid-July 2022.
A/N: "they aren't mine, I'm just playing with them - apart from any character created by myself". See Ch01 for all the disclaimers.
Summary: this is a fictional story, in a fictional (slightly) Alternative Universe, about fictional characters who entertained us in a fictional TV series between 1995 and 2005. Comments and PMs and suggestions are most welcome. All mistakes are mine. Mike
Canon: Canon episodes: "Dog Robber: Part 2" (S07Ep10): first broadcast 27NOV2001.
A/N: 19-JUL-2022. With grateful acknowledgement (see body of text) to Beachbum912 for the "Skates' surprise" unfinished storyline, which I have shamelessly pillaged (with full permission) for my own nefarious storytelling ends!
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A/N 19/07/2022: Note: Harmon Rabb jr and Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes move forward with the pregnancy and their wedding plans. Tom Boone has a need – and AJ comes up with a neat solution.
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Ch09 – "Announcing an engagement and finding a JAG"
Tuesday 4th December 2001, 08:55hrs EDT
JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA, USA
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Harm and Skates kept the news of their November engagement quiet until the Chinese adventure was over. A quiet Tuesday morning early in December provided the perfect opportunity to break the news – both regarding the upcoming Rabb-Hawkes baby and Harm's choice of the woman who would be his RIO through life. Harm had pre-warned Tiner so that the Admiral was on hand for the twin announcements.
Earlier in November, Harm and Skates had invited themselves around to Bud and Harriet's home to inform them, so that Skates could pick Harriet's brains on pregnancy care and planning a nursery. Harm was delighted – and gratified – to see Harriet's positive response as she hugged Skates. He then explained to Harriet and Bud why he would be keeping the news quiet for "a few weeks". The Chinese EP-3 Orion adventure with Tom Boone had elongated his planned timeline.
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Eventually, Harm and Skates stood in the middle of the bull-pen, with the Admiral standing behind them, to make their big announcements.
Skates was paranoid that she was beginning to show, even though she was only about nine weeks along. On Harm's advice that morning, she had selected her older Dress Blues jacket (one size larger) from the wardrobe before getting into the car with her fiancé for the drive to Falls Church.
When Skates had explained Harm's plan for the morning, Tom had happily endorsed her later start at the Pentagon, clearing a meeting to later in the morning: he wanted his god-son to have a smooth announcement.
There was, of course, one member of the audience who was not ecstatic about the news, but Harm forestalled that by gathering up Skates and Tom Boone for a planning session in his office; he locked the door and closed the blinds, just in time to forestall a Marine green whirlwind which was heading for his office.
Mac was not happy about the door being shut in her face. Even worse was hearing the door get locked on her. Mac spun on her heels and ordered Bud and Harriet into her office. She needed to know why they hadn't told her about Harm and that damn flying snake. Once her office door was closed Mac turned to her friends and said "I want to know why neither of you told me about this?"
Bud decided to be the man and protect his wife. He said: "Commander Rabb ordered us not to tell anyone about his personal life. He said and I quote: "my life outside the office is just that - my life" end quote. Sorry ma'am but Commander Rabb is right, we have no right to butt into his life."
"What about my life? Maybe I was coming back for him? Now I have lost him to that witch! We have to find a way to get him to come back to me."
Hearing Mac's tearful statement, Harriet spoke next: "Sorry ma'am but the Admiral has also said the commander's life is his to live and we are not allowed to interfere. I won't go against him and neither will Bud!"
Mac was pissed now. The Admiral was on that bitch's side. There had to be a way to get rid of her.
Bud and Harriet slipped away from Mac, knowing the lid was about to blow.
Seeing that the coast was clear, Tom Boone headed out towards the galley to round up some cups of coffee; his view was that, just occasionally, an Admiral could get his own coffees and treat his "family". Plus, it looked like Harm and Beth (as he had come to call her – somehow "Skates" didn't fit the close working relationship in the Pentagon JSF programme office) might need a few minutes of "alone time".
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Mac got an idea and was in the process of working on it when Admiral Chegwidden walked in.
"Mac! Don't do it! They haven't broken any rules. If you do anything to try and get rid of Lt. Hawkes, then I will personally charge you with conduct unbecoming."
He leaned across her desk: "You cannot use the UCMJ for your own personal vendetta, Colonel."
With that said, the Admiral left.
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Meanwhile inside Harm's office, Beth said "I like it when you get all protective of me!"
"I thought you might. Now where were we?" Harm said kissing her again.
Harm knew he really shouldn't but he couldn't help himself.
"Harm, we are at your office! Save it for when we get home!" Beth admonished.
"Fine if I have to!" Harm pouted, before breaking into his trademark goofy smile, which made Beth's knees melt.
"My God, when we both make love, it is going to be unreal" she thought to herself.
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At about that time Tom Boone delivered their coffees, then excused himself and walked through the bullpen to go see AJ.
Tom could sense the tension in the room - most of it coming from a certain female Marine Colonel.
He wished he could put Harm on his staff but since he and Hawkes were together he couldn't. AJ heard the call of "Admiral on Deck" and came out of his office.
Whilst he and Tom Boone didn't always agree, they were at least friendly to each other.
"Admiral Boone; good to see you!"
AJ led Tom Boone into his office.
"What do we owe the pleasure?" AJ asked.
"Well I was told I need a JAG for this JSF programme office; a sharp legal mind with loyalty to the USN already built-in if possible. My first choice won't work - and you know why. However, I will be needing his help in selecting one. I trust him and if he tells me the lawyer is good, then that works for me."
Boone expanded on his answer: "I can allow Harm to assist in the selection process. I know that young Lt. Hawkes is here and in with Rabb".
AJ chuckled: "Yep: I am certain the whole earth heard the Colonel's reaction."
Tom Boone nodded and wondered how AJ was going to deal with that Marine. It was time to bring Rabb in.
"Should we summon the love birds?"
"I think it's time!" AJ stabbed the intercom button: "TINER!"
"Sir?" Tiner asked.
"Call Rabb and kindly invite him to bring Lt. Hawkes with him!"
The admiral's orders quickly brought results: Harm and Skates appeared as ordered.
Rabb was assigned to help Boone and to assist him in the selection of a JAG for JSF, working temporarily over at his office in the Pentagon. Admiral Chegwidden wanted to have some peace in the JAG HQ office and knew that, if Harm was still in the office, then Mac would be on the war path. If Rabb was out of the office then maybe it would be quiet. AJ was even considering assigning Mac to any case away from the office.
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Mac came out of her office about an hour later. She was still in a horrible mood. Harm had finally moved on and left her behind. "I am gonna find a way to get rid of her and make him mine again. Now how do I do that?"
Mac was clearly not thinking rationally. Harmon Rabb jr was ALL about family. The flying dwarf was carrying his child! Mac broke a heel as she stamped her foot in her office. Breaking out a lower-heeled pair of pumps, she strode out into the bull-pen. There *had* to be a way around this!
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Some while later, Mac was still terrifying the staff. No one knew where Commander Rabb had gone.
Mac knew he had left with that little flying snake. Damnit I lost another battle she thought
Harm meanwhile was reading through personal files for Admiral Boone.
He already had an idea of who to suggest to Admiral Boone - one Lt. Loren Singer, she was a spitfire for certain. Loren could use someone like Thomas Boone to break her "Ice Queen" attitude and to make her a better officer. It was certain that, had Marilyn Isaacs survived, Tom's influence would have (eventually) turned even her into a top-flight naval aviator, had she not gamed the system and paid for her error with her life.
Loren was a good officer but she needed to learn at least one vital first lesson - that working with others is better than trying to one-up them. Tom Boone would love the challenge. Skates would be there (for the first few critical months of the Singer-Boone working relationship) to play referee between the two. Also she could give tips to Loren Singer on how best to deal with Admiral Boone. He knew that Loren would see direct attachment to an Admiral as a step up on her avowed journey to the stars.
AJ also suspected that Tom would see echoes of his wife (the former Alison Krennick) in the young Lt Loren Singer. It was time to recall Tom from the coffee lounge in the next ring of the Pentagon.
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Admiral Thomas Boone strode into his office to find Harm smiling. This concerned Thomas Boone because he had known Harmon Rabb Jr since he was born. Rabb men all had the same smile. His father usually got that smile right before setting up some sort of joke.
"Alright Rabb! Out with it before that smile gets too big!" Admiral Boone commanded - still with a smiling twinkle in his eye.
"Sir I know just the JAG for you. You'll like her a lot. She will remind you of a young me, back in the days before you taught me all about the Navy." Harm retorted.
"OH GOD! WHO?" Boone asked.
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A/N: my grateful thanks to Beachbum912; Mike (bb-912) has kindly allowed me to quote extensively from his unfinished (2016) story "Skates' surprise" – which offers an AU storyline for late 2001 and fitted very well into my planned storyline for this adventure.
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End of "Nine gold rings" Ch09 – "Announcing an engagement and finding a JAG " Telling Tom about Singer"
Mike, United Kingdom, 19-07-2022