"Nine gold rings" Ch12 – "O come all ye Faith-ful"
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. From Ch12 onwards, please read "The long road to Justice" if you need the back-story on Faith Coleman and her murdered husband Cdr Alan Coleman. (a/n updated 31-JUL-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 on 11DEC2001
Publication date: 30-JUL-2022. I wanted to explore some AU lines around the Christmas2001 episode of "Answered Prayers" – in this new "Harm-Skates-pregnancy" alternative universe. What if someone else left Amy Helfman's court with Coates in tow that December day?
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A/N: 30/07/2022: Note: Delving into the canon timeline, I believe that the broadcast date of "Answered Prayers" is too early in the month for the events which transpired in that episode. Hence, I hereby give notice that I am timing "Answered Prayers" closer to Christmas Day – otherwise this chapter won't fly...x
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Ch12 – "O come all ye Faith-ful"
Friday 21st December 2001, 14:27hrs EDT
I-70, en-route from Hagerstown, south-east to Chevy Chase, MD USA
"I am sorry that you had to go through that, Petty Officer. I know he's your father but, my God, what a horse's ass!"
Faith Coleman was beyond livid. How could that spiteful, shrivelled-up old bastard say such things about his own daughter?
She reached a decision.
"OK Coates, enough of this. I shall be your escort over Christmas. You'll be staying with me in Chevy Chase. When I say 'back to lock-up', I do not want to hear any arguments or smart-mouthed back-chat at any point – deal?"
Jen's tears were slowly drying, so there was simply a muffled "Yes please – that sounds like a plan. You have a deal. Thank you, ma'am" from the passenger seat.
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A few miles further down the road, Jen had processed the offer of accommodation and came up with a very reasonable question.
"Excuse me ma'am, but what about your husband and/or children – will I fit in with them?"
Faith sighed; Coates' question had spiked through the armour which she normally held in place around her heart. She couldn't deflect or evade this question from her 'prisoner'.
"Sadly no, Coates – it's just me at present."
She decided to explain. "My husband was killed a few years ago, in the summer of '95: we had never reached the children stage - mainly because he was murdered in the third week of our honeymoon."
"Oh God, how awful. I'm truly sorry to hear that, ma'am."
Faith looked down at her bare left hand, resting it briefly on the centre of the steering wheel. Three weeks, six years earlier, was nowhere near enough time for a wedding band to leave its mark. She looked across briefly at Jen.
"Well, it was more than half a decade back, so don't worry. I find it comforting – in a way – that people often do not know how to respond when you tell them that you are a widow. I simply don't mention my status and I no longer wear my wedding band in public." She shrugged: "it was just too much of a visible and painful reminder of the second worst day of my life."
Jen looked closely at Faith as the older woman concentrated on piloting the Jeep. This seemed like one heck of a waste of a lovely-looking woman, in Jen's youthful view. She decided to probe Faith a little further.
"But you are young and beautiful – or does the whole dating thing just not work for you – if I might ask, ma'am?"
Coates had suddenly realised that she could be about to seriously piss off her "jailer" and host for Christmas, so she paused. Faith guessed the reason for her young passenger's sudden silence – and smiled reassuringly as her grip tightened instinctively on the steering wheel, then relaxed again as she composed her reply.
"It's not a problem, Coates. I just haven't met any man yet who would measure up to my Alan." She fell silent again, as the miles rolled past. She began looking for a suitable watering hole up ahead, such as the "Golden Arches" of a McDonalds franchise, rising up from the horizon. It was time to move the conversation forward; this was at risk of becoming maudlin.
"Come on Coates, let me buy you a coffee or a late lunch if you are hungry."
Her offer was greeted by a warm smile from the passenger seat.
"Thanks ma'am – if I can get my stomach un-knotted after Hagerstown, I would *kill* for a Big Mac. Prison breakfast chow was seriously uninspiring."
"OK Petty Officer, you have yourself a deal."
Faith steered across into the right-hand lane and positioned her Jeep for the exit.
With a massive sigh, Jen suddenly relaxed visibly - causing Faith to wonder just what this young woman had gone through since losing her mom at the tender age of 16.
Faith made her decision. There was no point in guessing the background to this troubled young woman.
It was time for some direct interrogation over a meal and a coffee in a roadside diner alongside the I-70 as it speared south-eastwards through the Maryland countryside.
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Friday 21st December 2001, 15:02hrs EDT
Cracker Barrel country store, Ballenger Creek,
I-270 Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Freeway, Maryland, MD USA
"I am sorry about that, but one of the male officers was talking about 'the Iron Maiden' and he was looking across at your office door whilst the Gunny was processing my paperwork before the hearing, so I put two and two together - then I met you, ma'am."
Jen was genuinely apologetic for her faux-pas, but Faith had chuckled before sliding back into her Vulcan calm as she sipped her coffee and thought back to the reaction of the (clearly-disappointed) JAG Commander when she had declined his offer to "move to somewhere more comfortable". Matters had recently become slightly uncomfortable, when Faith had discovered that the Admiral had extended said Commander's TDY to beef up the first floor lawyering team across the year-end into 2002. Faith had, of course, been brought across from San Diego for similar reasons.
Faith sighed. It made sense to explain; clearly Jennifer Coates was of above-average intellect and blessed with good observation skills.
A stray thought crossed her mind: could Coates be destined for higher things, if she ever got her crap together?
"Well Petty Officer, that would be someone whom I turned down – ever-so politely, without bruising his ego, in a quiet spot in the bar – over Hallowe'en."
"Oh, right. But thank you, seriously, for the offer of accommodation. I am truly grateful, ma'am."
"No problem. I mean, can you imagine the gossip if, for instance, Commander Rabb had been handed the case and then needed to take you in over Christmas? The gossip machine in Falls Church would have choked! No, Coates, it would be best - every way around – for you to have *me* acting as your 'jailer'. I happen to know that there is always a comfortable cell available at the 'Faith Coleman home for recidivist females' up in Chevy Chase".
"OK then ma'am, please lead on; I am pleased to accept that you have convinced me. Mind you, Commander Rabb is rather dishy, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes Petty Officer – but he is nearly old enough to be…" Faith paused, thinking back to the embittered Reverend Coates whom she had witnessed, just a few hours previously, hurling abuse at his daughter.
Faith had been seriously impressed by the young woman's composure – and she suspected that, *if* Harmon Rabb had witnessed such a vicious and verbal attack upon his prisoner, the Reverend Coates would have been delivering his Christmas sermons (now and into the future) with the assistance of the local orthodontist!
"You know what, Coates, forget that last line. You've got me looking after you over the holiday period, not Commander Rabb. Besides, looking at what you are wearing, plus with the Christmas invitation to Lt Harriet's home, I don't think that the Commander could possibly lend you any clothes! He is, I understand, a bachelor although he does now have a pregnant girlfriend, according to the scuttlebutt around JAG HQ."
"Well, scuttlebut is usually right, of course ma'am. Yes, I am officially pleased to have Commander Faith Coleman as my jailer for Christmas and over the New Year."
With laughter ringing between them, the two women returned to Faith's Jeep, ready for the return to the I-270 and the continuing run south across the Monocacy Memorial Battlefield (1864).
Thinking through Faith's offer, Jennifer's face immediately brightened up. Faith Coleman had spotted (and solved, hopefully) another problem in Jen's life – a current lack of clean clothing. Everything was still in her rack on-board the USS Gainsborough. At that moment, Faith continued to explain her offer.
"Look, I can offer you a complete home experience for Christmas and we'll worry about the court appearance when everything opens in the New Year. I reckon you'd be glad to get out of your uniform today. We are about the same size I reckon so, if I call in at Macy's or Old Navy (or the outlets around Clarksburg), you can pick up anything you need in the underwear department, then we plan a casual Christmas and I can lend you anything smart if needed. How does that sound?"
The silence from the passenger seat became deafening; with the car on a straight section of the highway, Faith risked a quick look across at her passenger. Jen Coates sat with her mouth wide open in surprise. Tears were streaming down her face as she searched in her purse for a Kleenex. Then she smiled across the vehicle cabin at Faith.
"You know ma'am, this could be my best Christmas since Mom died."
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Friday 21st December 2001, 18:39hrs EDT
Home of Bud and Harriet Roberts, DC USA
"Will they accept me, ma'am? They are probably all officers."
Faith reached out a reassuring arm and gently pushed Jen forward by the shoulders. "I really don't think that anyone will be too judgmental – after all, it is Christmas, with 'peace to all men of goodwill' and the like!"
Jen nodded. Once more, she was being shown kindness on a scale that she had lost since the death of her mother.
The mood was sharply punctured when a trim figure in a deep-red silk dress with mandarin collar turned around and spotted Coates as Faith was introducing her younger associate to Alan and Jackie Mattoni with their adopted daughter Dar-lin.
Loren made a bee-line for Faith.
"Good evening Commander; why is your prisoner here and why isn't she in lock-up?"
Faith flexed her feet in her stilettoes, to calm herself (and in order to loom large over the physically-shorter Loren) whilst formulating her reply. She was resisting the strong temptation to kick the crap out of the annoying blonde.
"Easy tiger, she'll be gone in the New Year. Play nice Faith – you know that you can do this…"
She smiled warmly at the annoying "Wicked Witch of Washington" – as she had overheard someone else describing Lt Loren Singer.
"Because Anacostia is closed for Christmas, Lieutenant – believe me, I drove over there with Coates. Her parental home in Hagerstown is not viable (I drove over there as well) and believe me, after three hours on the road there is nothing else vaguely suitable – nor secure - in the area. So, I have a house guest until everything opens up at JAG HQ in the New Year."
Loren had the good grace to visibly blush. Faith smiled civilly, then sipped her drink. Suddenly, an opinion of Loren formed, which Faith just could not get out of her mind.
"Muppet!"
The thought seemed oh-so bitchy and so un-worthy of Faith Coleman, yet just-so perfectly appropriate to the situation.
Faith knew, of course, that Loren had been head-hunted to the JSF programme in January, so this Coates case would most likely be their one-and-only interaction. She sighed. "Suck it up sailor, you have about an hour of face time with little Miss Lemon-Face and then she is gone."
Comforted by that thought, Faith turned and consented to engage in conversation with the well-dressed man (who turned out to be an aviator who had accompanied Harm through Annapolis) over the next half-hour. She spent a very enjoyable half-hour, giving the goo-goo eye contact of the supposed "dumb brunette", soaking up the rich trove of naval aviation stories.
She was reminded of the flight-deck mantra:
"When does the whining of a jet aircraft stop?"
"When the pilot finally shuts up!"
Jack Keeter never realised just how effectively he had been played; for once, "the Iron Maiden" was perfectly positioned for the randy aviator to bounce off when he "made his approach"! Faith had high standards and, as a woman in the Noughties, she knew how to behave and how to avoid compromise (although she had probably been overcautious since her husband's death).
Keeter never stood a chance with Faith Coleman, but she had some sport watching him try. She eventually left him bouncing over the side of the carrier, trailing smoke after a badly-misjudged attempted landing!
Keeter resolved to console himself after Faith's diplomatic brush-off: Ah well, plenty more fish in the sea!
Then Loren announced to the room that her bracelet had gone missing.
Faith turned around, noticing a complete and obvious absence of one PO Jennifer Coates.
Damnit; now where would that silly young girl run to?
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Faith thrust the dollar bills from the table into the man's hands, stared into his semi-drunken eyes and snarled "Sir, quit whilst you are ahead and have both hands working." He looked into her soulless Vulcan eyes (one of Faith's perfectly-developed tricks for non-verbal communication), nodded and sank his remaining beer in one gulp, then turned and vanished out of the door.
She turned to Coates. "So why did you run, Jennifer?"
She had decided that it made sense to make this a bit more personal than before, in order to try to break through to the unhappy and confused young woman.
A defeated, listless shrug accompanied Jen's answer: "Why not?"
Faith could see that Jen was almost heading into shock: the events of the day – hell, the past week, she realised – were piling up and catching up with the young woman in front of her. Faith had also caught a heel-tip in a crack in the sidewalk as she had chased after Coates – and these were one of her pairs of Bally shoes. Swiss shoemakers were not cheap. She turned her gaze to the contrite young woman sitting across the table from her.
"Look Jennifer, this really isn't working. Nickels and dimes and singles do not make up into a good cash-flow."
Jen's shoulders slumped and Faith realised that the young woman was fast approaching the end of her tether.
Instinctively (and against much of her "Vulcan sang-froid" principles) Faith reached out and, placing a motherly (or sisterly?) arm around Coates' shoulders, she hugged Jen.
By the time they had returned to the Roberts' residence, the mystery of the misplaced bracelet had been solved and the younger Roberts child had fessed up. Faith had diverted via her car to kick off the damaged stilettoes and to pick up the smart pair of flats which she usually drove in.
Hopefully no-one would notice that she had shrunk by a couple of inches.
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Within a further half-hour, the party had begun to break up. Faith thanked her hosts and Harriet re-confirmed that the young Roberts boy had misappropriated Loren's bracelet. No harm done. Faith turned to Coates, smiling openly.
"OK, back to Chevy Chase and we'll pull up the drawbridge. You, my young Jennifer, need time to relax and process this week. Come on, Christmas has officially started."
Faith had a suspicion that, if Jen had known her better, the grateful PO would have flung her arms around her. Fortunately, Naval decorum held.
Jenn just nodded meekly and Faith led her to the passenger door of the Jeep.
As they travelled through the snow-strewn streets towards Faith's apartment up in Chevy Chase, a desultory conversation began. Jen began to reveal more about her childhood. Clearly, losing her mother at the age of 15 or 16 had been *the* major traumatic event in her teenage years.
Every so often as she observed Jen, Faith suspected – by means of a strong hint – that there was a better person seeking to get out.
The coming year of 2002 could be interesting; at that point, Faith had no idea of just how interesting the year would be!
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A/N: 30-07-2022: and that rounds off the Christmas 2001 re-telling; now, onwards to 2002 and the Rabb-Hawkes baby…M
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End of "Nine gold rings" Ch12 – "O come all ye Faith-ful"