"Nine gold rings" Ch10 – "Boone and AJ sort out staffing"
Alternative title "Ch10 – fighting over Loren Singer;" (that would be a first!)
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: "Answered Prayers": S07Ep11 first broadcast 11DEC2001
A/N: 22-JUL-2022. Two updates in three days. I am willing to bet that you, my dear readers, would never have expected to read about Boone and Chegwidden fighting over Loren Singer in the canon timeline! Thank heavens for FanFiction!
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A/N 22/07/2022: Note: mixing up the script from December 2001! Tom Boone has a need – and AJ has suggested a neat solution. Trish Burnett gets to work on wedding plans.
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Ch10 – "Boone and AJ fight over Singer"
Tuesday 4th December 2001, 15:07hrs EDT
Office of RAdm Tom Boone; "C" Ring, Pentagon, Arlington VA, 20301, USA
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Harm looked at his father's wingman and smirked. Tom Boone knew that smirk better than most. He knew it meant trouble.
"Damnit Rabb, Who?" Boone bellowed.
"Lieutenant Loren Singer!" Harm calmly replied
"Thank god, I thought you were going to say 'Mac' just to piss me off. Ok sell me." Tom relaxed back into his seat as Harm put down the pile of personnel files, through which he had been reading diligently for several hours.
Harm began his pitch. This could do much good in JAG HQ, reducing stress levels which just seemed to follow the "problem child of JAG" as she strode over-confidently around the building.
"She is a smart attorney but she cares more about advancing her career than finding out the truth. That's why she needs your guidance sir. She would listen to you because you would control her promotions and to be honest you snapping at her like you do Skates and I will do her good. The JSF (F-35) contract negotiations would benefit from her diligence - plus she'd love the political atmosphere of the Pentagon as she aims to climb the greasy pole to promotion!"
Tom chuckled, rising to the bait.
"I DON'T SNAP! I Bellow! Get it right! OK: I am calling Chegwidden, to see what he thinks of the case that you have just made for me taking Singer. If he fights me for her you got a deal. If he doesn't then I am going to assume that he regards Loren Singer as his problem child – in which case I am going to make Skates work this weekend and cancel her leave" Boone said, smirking back at Rabb.
Rabb knew Chegwidden would fight for Singer because she was a damn good lawyer, with potential. He also knew that, with Mac going off the deep end, the Admiral would need all the lawyers he could get: Loren's departure might open up possibilities for exploring candidates amongst the next crop of NJS graduates.
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Admiral Chegwidden didn't like the idea of Singer going under Boone's Command one bit. He knew it was Rabb's doing. He thought about sending him out to investigate with Mac as punishment – but then he thought better of it!
Boone was surprised at how Chegwidden offered up different lawyers to him, trying keep Singer under his Command. Boone didn't give an inch and asked if young Loren Singer could be available to interview the next day.
AJ agreed reluctantly, but with the stipulation that the interviews with Boone would have to be at JAG HQ since the young blonde spitfire had court proceedings in the morning.
Boone agreed.
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Tuesday 4th December 2001, 18:39hrs EDT
Home of Tom and Alison Boone, 258xx Priesters Pond Drive, Chantilly VA 20152 USA
"Hello the house!" Harm had rapped on the front door, sheltering Beth as the wind whipped around the corner of the storm porch.
Alison Boone welcomed the guests, wiping flour from her hands on a pinafore wrapped around her waist. She clearly had gone to the kitchen straight from work; you don't see many four-ring USN Captains dressed for domestic and culinary work! The wonderful range of aromas wafting from the kitchen spoke to Alison's successful labouring since returning home from the Pentagon.
She smiled and reached out her hand.
"Hello Harm and welcome back. Beth, welcome to our home: please head into the lounge and take the weight off. Harm, please look after your wife – I remember my energy levels were dipping in the third month when I was carrying young Thomasina. My dear husband is on drinks duty and my presence is required in the galley, where my starter dish is just reaching critical mass!"
Alison closed the front door, sealing out the winter chill, then headed back into the kitchen. Beth slipped off her boots and luxuriated in the warmth from the heated floor: "Harm, we should look for this in our next home"; he merely nodded.
With the drinks served and Beth chatting with little Thomasina whilst watching over Little Harm, Harm and Tom adjourned out on the balcony, trying to pretend that smoking cigars was keeping them warm against the chill of a December evening in Chantilly.
Over dinner, the conversation turned briefly to the subject of Loren Singer. Alison was keen to hear more – she jokingly asserted that "I get protective when my husband finds another blonde" and everyone laughed. Harm gave an accurate (and well-balanced) assessment of Loren: Tom knew that he would be gaining a woman with significant potential – so long as she could be taught to "play nice".
Hearing Harm's assessment of Loren, Tom thought back over Chegwidden's reaction before pronouncing. "Damn lucky he fought for her Rabb. Be ready tomorrow when you get help me interview her."
"Aye-aye, sir."
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A very convivial evening continued longer than expected, meaning that Skates finally rested her head on her pillow at 23:45hrs. Five minutes later, she was snoring gently.
Harm sat up for a while, simply watching this wonderful woman as she slept and thanking his good fortune.
He realised that 2001 had been a crazy year in so many ways, yet Beth had given him life – by warming him up (keeping him alive) on that mad night on the ocean in September – and at the same time she then helped him to start the life which was now growing steadily inside her.
At one point, he had begun to despair of ever finding the right woman and settling down - then Elizabeth Paige Hawkes had dropped from the skies alongside him and even started a new life without either of them realising!
Shaking his head at the unreality of the cosmic events which had brought them together, Harm lay down gently and soon fell asleep alongside Skates.
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Tuesday 4th December 2001, 18:21hrs EDT
Rabb Family Farm, North Township Drive, Bealesville, PA
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania earlier in the day, Trish Burnett had been a woman on a mission. With Frank attending a conference for Chrysler on The Hill, she had rented a car and headed out into the Pennsylvania hinterland to catch up with Harm's grandmother (who was also her first husband's mom).
She knew that if Harm and Beth did a small wedding now in 2001 before becoming parents, they probably would never do the big wedding.
To Trish, that did not seem right. Accordingly, Trish had gently bullied Beth into giving her the number to her parents' house. Trish had called the number and thankfully Beth's mother answered.
Mary Hawkes said "Hello?"
"Mrs. Hawkes, this is Trish Burnett, Harmon Rabb's mother. I had a thought and I wanted to see what you thought about it. Now, I know that Harmon and Elizabeth have said they wanted a small wedding this time but we both know they won't ever get to have their big wedding if they start off down that route."
Mary Hawkes thought for a few seconds. "I know but it's their decision" she countered.
Trish persisted: "I have the contact information for most of Harm's co-workers (well, I will once I call his boss!). I can also call Tom Boone, he owes me a lot." Trish stated, prompting Mary to laugh encouragingly. Mary had already met Tom one Friday evening when she and her husband had visited the Pentagon to take Beth out for a meal.
"You are one determined lady, Trisha Burnett. Alright, what can I do to help?" Mary asked.
"Well you can call your family members and remind them not to tell Elizabeth about this – not a word; state secret, sealed lips if possible. We have to move fast in order to make this work. Call me back later tomorrow and we will talk in more detail" Trish replied.
"Will do!"
Throwing another log into the fire, Trish settled down for an evening catching up with Sarah Rabb: the two women knew that the two young lovebirds were destined for one another; now, they just needed to set up a successful wedding!
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Wednesday 5th December 2001, 08:29hrs EDT
Outside the office of Harmon Rabb jr; JAG HQ, Falls Church VA, USA
Harm had been waiting with Beth as Boone arrived, fresh from his early morning meeting with Chegwidden on the subject of Loren Singer. Harm opened his office door as Tom hove into view.
Nodding to Skates, Tom looked at Harm who was standing behind Skates as she settled into one of the visitor chairs.
"He's still fighting for her, Rabb. I know how I want to interview her."
He sighed and looked at Beth: "Skates are certain you want to marry this sorry excuse for a flying lawyer?"
Beth snaked her arms around Harm and looked up into his eyes, smiling, then turned to Tom.
"Hey, he's not too bad, Boss-man!" she observed, then looked up into Harm's eyes again: "Worth it" she remarked.
Harm pretended to pout at Skates' pronouncement. "Gee, thanks Honey!" Then he undid his pretend-grouchiness by kissing his fiancée passionately.
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Wednesday 5th December 2001, 11:57hrs EDT
Office of RAdm Tom Boone; "C" Ring, Pentagon, Arlington VA, 20301, USA
Later that same morning, Trish called Tom Boone next at his Pentagon office. She wanted to discuss the next stage of her plan for "Harm and Beth and the Big Wedding". Thankfully Admiral Boone had just sent the couple in question off to a solo lunch after they had all returned from the (successful) interviews with Loren Singer.
Loren would be joining Tom's staff in January (Chegwidden had announced that he had work still lined up for her and he wanted her to partake of the JAG Christmas atmosphere).
Tom's yeoman told him he had a personal call and that it was Trish Burnett on the line.
"Trish? How lovely to hear from you. What's up?"
"I am glad I caught you Tom. Elizabeth and Harm aren't around are they?"
Tom sighed as he replied. "Nope: I got sick of the loving gazes and made them go to lunch early, after we got back from the trip to Falls Church and the interviews for my new JAG. What can I do for you Trish?" Tom asked.
"Well I need your help and this is classified "Family Secret" - so Harm and Elizabeth can never know".
Tom chuckled at Trish inventing a new security classification, then he sat down and listened as Trish explained her plotting and planning for surprising the happy couple with a big wedding.
Tom knew Trish well enough to know that he would never talk her out of this.
Smiling ruefully to himself, he also realised that she would pull it off.
"Alright what can I do to help?" Tom asked
"I need you to get Harm's boss to talk to me and help me. I need his co-workers - other than Mac - to be there on the day." Trish replied.
Tom promised that he would handle AJ personally and make sure that AJ would either take her call - or call her straight back. The afternoon conference in Falls Church was expanding its scope steadily; at this rate, getting hold of Loren Singer would just be a footnote on the agenda. It was also clear that Trish Burnett was not a woman to mess with. If she put her mind to it she probably could take over the world.
It was also abundantly clear that she (as always) wanted the best for Harm and, therefore, by definition she extended that commitment to his fiancée and their forthcoming child.
His mind wandered back to the summer of 1980, to the time when he had been present when Harm had been dragged back from Vietnam by the CIA. Trish had slapped Harm's face once, then burst into tears and hugged him frantically. He smiled as he composed his answer.
"Leave it with me Trish: I shall be honoured to make it happen."
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Little did Harm, Beth and Loren realise that their world was, once more, about to be upended by the arrival of a troublesome Petty Officer.
Jennifer Coates would be a figure in their lives for Christmas 2001 and far beyond.
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A/N: finishing off my pillaging of BB-912's unfinished script (thanks Mike). I reckon there is one more (short-ish) chapter which I can extract from the working documents. Additionally, I extend my grateful thanks to several authors, from whom I have garnered the words, sentences and snippets regarding Harm's return from his 1980 Vietnam "adventure" as a 16-year-old.
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End of "Nine gold rings" Ch10 – "Boone and AJ fight over Singer"
Mike, United Kingdom, 22-07-2022.