Ch01 - "Conversion - Aftermath: the re-building"
"Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." Ch01 - Summer 2004
A/N: AU. This is a fictional story, in a fictional Alternative Universe, about fictional characters who entertained us in a fictional TV series between 1995 and 2005. Mike. Characters borrowed with love and appreciation for the great team who brought us "JAG"; may your following careers blossom.
A/N: AU: "they aren't mine: I'm just playing with them - apart from any fictional character created by myself". Feel free to PM me if you spot any typos - my goal is 100% error-free. Feedback and comments are also welcome. Your opinions, critiques (and requests as PMs) are always helpful - and welcomed.
A/N: Building upon the excellent 2023 story-line "Conversion" by "jpstar57" (with whom I was honoured to collaborate in the creation of that story). This sequel will span (and overlap with) the "Conversion" timeline from 2004 through to 2019 - when "Loren Diane O'Hara" (Sadik's brainwashed and subjugated puppet, formerly known as Sarah Mackenzie) was executed. John ("jpstar57") and I agreed the parameters of our two story-lines - so I commend you to read the whole of "Conversion" before you begin to read this story. If you don't like the story-line of "Conversion", this is more positive - but please don't complain! This first chapter is *NOT* intended to be an easy read, so be warned.
A/N: Publication date: 13-JUN-2023: summary: the entire JAG family (and beyond) is involved in the healing process. Disney-style warning: "mild peril".
A/N – link to Canon Episodes: given that the main driver for my story is the "JAG family" healing after the events of "Conversion", I shall not be listing any quoted episodes. I merely state my appreciation that the Bellisario creation has inspired nearly 30 years of fanfiction since that pilot episode back in 1995.
Characters from FFNET – Many and varied. Harm, Carolyn, Faith, Bud to name but a few.
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Aftermath of July 6th 2004 explosion of Harriet Roberts and the exploding corset inside JAG HQ:
Friday 9th July 2004, 18:21hrs EDT
Benzinger's bar and grill, Falls Church VA
Even Jack Keeter's ebullient character struggled to lift the mood which was, obviously, near-funereal.
He had arrived for a long-planned "pre-wedding-planning" weekend with Harm and Carolyn. Harm had set this up long in advance, knowing how Keeter's "assignment" to "Langley Aerospace" might render his availability somewhat rare. Plus, Jack had expressed his desire to meet "this wonderful, amazing woman and teenager who have persuaded the great Harmon D Rabb jr to embrace fatherhood and family life."
No-one could fathom how Harriet Roberts, the bubbly, lovely, friendly, do-anything-for-anyone and mother of two, could have undergone such a change in the space of a weekend.
How could she walk out of the JAG HQ office on the previous Friday looking forward to a week of "me time" when Bud had taken their sons for a weekend in Florida with Big Bud, Mikey and Harriet's parents, only to return on the Tuesday morning to slaughter five people (plus herself) and injure 20 more (some with career-ending injuries and "life-changing" injuries)?
Sadik's two totally-subjugated and programmed female soldiers - Soldier Catherine (Gale) and Soldier Sarah (Mackenzie) had been interviewed; they were believed to have been the last witnesses to see Harriet alive. Dr Vera McCool was maintaining a low profile, going about her "vanilla" workload in Bethesda.
Each woman was in her "vanilla" Western persona, in line with Sadik's deeply-embedded programming. Of course, they provided alibi evidence up to the point where they testified that they had dropped off a "very inebriated and happy" Harriet at her home to start her weekend of "me-time" (with Bud's full knowledge and support) without the obligation of husband and children. Soldier Sarah was able to verify that she had been the designated driver, whilst Soldier Catherine joked about a hangover on the Saturday morning. They were professional, poised, intelligent, coherent, validated - and totally plausible. The investigators left, completely satisfied.
In the absence of CCTV evidence to the contrary, the investigators were led to the (obviously incorrect and mis-directed) conclusion that Harriet had been "lifted" after CIA lawyer Gale and USMC JAG Lt Col Mackenzie had delivered her safely home, late on the Friday night.
Bud could not confirm anything of the timing, having previously agreed to leave Harriet in peace so that she could enjoy the Friday night. He had known that she was struggling with postpartum depression…
In fact, after she had been subdued, her unconscious body had been swiftly bagged and laid onto the rear seat under a blanket by Sadik's two Subjugated Soldiers (fully controlled in the personas which were embedded through their brainwashing). They delivered her to Sadik's farm, where the brainwashing facility took control and broke her - the facility was so ruthless, destructive and effective that Sadik and his other "soldiers" had "turned" Harriett within 48 hours. She was completely controlled and programmed ready for her mission, with no chance of escape from Sadik's desired destiny for his latest weapon.
The fully-detailed facts of Harriet's abduction would not emerge for over a decade until the trial, when Sarah Mackenzie (in her brainwashed persona of "Soldier Loren Diane O'Hara") finally faced the US justice system. Even when shown to a restricted audience of courtroom attendees and the jury, the video evidence was truly sickening.
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Bud sat in the corner nursing a beer, sandwiched between Harm (who was doing his best to cheer up the younger man whom he had extensively mentored over the years) and Carolyn Imes. Carolyn was still moving gingerly, having developed all the bruising from - in her own words - "being spun around like a sweater on a short-spin cycle in a tumble-dryer" in the falling elevator during the bombing of JAG HQ a few days earlier. Jack Keeter sat across the table, making up the foursome.
Everyone felt bad, or lost, or bruised, or indignant - hell, just plain angry in Keeter's world. No-one could fathom the "why" of Harriet's fiery and explosive ending.
Harriet's mom Lydia Simms and her husband were onsite in the Roberts home on babysitting duties. Lydia had, of course, already apologised to Bud for pulling a knife on him and blaming him for Harriet's death in her initial explosion of grief at the death of her daughter. The fact remained, that "tom-boy" Harriet had joined the US Navy WAY before she actually met Bud!
Lydia knew that Bud had been the best thing to happen to Harriet - ever! She was truly remorseful over her outburst - made worse by her knowledge of just how Harriet's slaughter had upended Bud's world.
So Lydia and Bud had hugged and made up: an event which Bud had related to Harm as he had gotten himself on the outside of the first 12oz glass of "Brain Damage" - the "Special Brew" of Benzinger's micro-brewery. One spare remaining barrel had somehow survived the "July 4th" celebrations the previous weekend. Harm sighed, knowing that - at some point - he would have to call time on Bud's self-medicating "open mouth, pour, swallow, refill" mission to drain the entire keg of "Brain Damage".
"High-octane" barely came close to describing the main features of "Brain Damage".
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Tonight, Harm was the designated driver; Carolyn had decided to have an evening away from the Advil and Tylenol bottles, going straight to "the good stuff" - several doses of vintage cognac across the course of the evening, interspersed with water. Harm had already been admonished that he wouldn't be "getting lucky" that night (or any night soon, most likely) - and indeed that Carolyn's usually-lithe, responsive and flexible body would need the support provided by the firmer mattress of the guest bedroom bed (along with plenty of water in the "Hangover-mitigation" phase of the evening's drinking).
"So, what about Cathy Peters' kid - Cathy was a widow, wasn't she?"
Carolyn nodded: "Yeah, he was killed in a flight-deck mishap last year: a snapped arresting wire sliced him in two on the PH and he obviously died instantly."
She shivered: "I investigated - hell of a mess."
Harm nodded: "So Samantha is technically an orphan - just like Mattie when my cousin Claire finally succumbed to breast cancer earlier this year. You know Carolyn, we did good there - but having the Pennsylvania DCFS on our side definitely helped us in Mattie's case."
He was repeating the case history so that Bud would feel included and could follow the conversion - although he reckoned that two (or possibly three - the "Roberts Family Liver" history was well-known through "Big Bud") further large glasses of "Brain Damage" would erase Bud's memory for the rest of the night!
"Yeah, DCFS are the right agency for little Samantha for now. I am sure that someone in the "JAG Family" might be motivated to bid for Guardianship or adoption of little Samantha. Hell, in my heart I would give it thought, but I know - in my head - that we need to focus exclusively on Mattie for now, Carolyn."
"Yeah, I know. Dear God, there is just no end to the victims here: Harriet's ripples are still spreading."
She shivered again, thinking back to how that elevator had almost become her coffin. Rationally, she knew that being inside a steel box, which dropped below the main area of blast and shrapnel, was probably why she had lived to tell the tale - and to hug Harm as he arrived from Norfolk.
Harm realised what she was thinking (just how had they become *so* close so quickly?). He knew that her body was still bruised, battered and only just beginning to heal. He reached out to gently squeeze Carolyn's hand. She began to respond, then groaned. "Oh damn these bruises; I could REALLY make your night, Harm. Unfortunately, the spirit is willing but the flesh is not only weak, it's pretty-well banged up."
Carolyn smiled as she looked into Harm's eyes. "You do know I love you, right Harm?"
"Oh yeah baby; God, it will be hell waiting for you to heal. |When you come back to our bed, I shall be waiting - and gentle." He flashed his special "flyboy" smile and she chuckled gently - just within her pain threshold.
"Patience will be rewarded, sailor - now kiss the mother of your new daughter."
Harm was - of course - happy to obey. He leaned in gently, ensuring that only his lips were in contact with Carolyn's body. She sighed and leaned into deepen the kiss...
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Just beyond Carolyn's shoulder. Mattie Grace Rabb looked on with amusement.
She had been chatting with Eileen Nestor, who had driven Harm's Lexus back up to Falls Church from Norfolk on the Thursday evening after work. On the day of the bombing, her late husband's squadron buddies had managed to rush Harm back to Falls Church by helo, so that he arrived just in time to witness Carolyn's rescue from the wrecked elevator.
Eileen was camped out in one of the guest rooms at the Roberts house with her three-year-old daughter Erin. She was backing up Lydia and Roland Simms, assisting with the babysitting of the young children who had been born to the lovely, bubbly (and saucy, based upon the bride's honeymoon outfit!) bridesmaid from Eileen's wedding to Jack a few years back. She still had a soft spot for Bud, having accompanied him to the Ball that night long ago, where "Hero Harm" had saved the Romanian princess from the blonde sniper and Bud had finally started to get his act together with Harriet.
Eileen didn't mind and she hadn't begrudged Harriet her good fortune in hooking up with Bud. Shortly afterwards, Eileen had met the dashing Sea King pilot Jack. That love story had led to marriage, the birth of young Erin and then Jack's untimely demise at the Pentagon on September 11th 2001. Eileen had long-ago given up trying to fathom the celestial reasoning that had brought Jack to the Pentagon on that accursed morning to meet an old squadron mate. Sometimes, she had rationalised, "shit happens".
Eileen had gone through her own mourning in the aftermath of "9/11" and she understood sudden loss only too well. She had been a widow for more than three years now, but the shadow of "9/11" still cast a pall over her life. She considered it her duty to try to help Harriet's widower. She had brought her child with her, for a "play-date" with the Roberts boys.
Harm and Carolyn were grateful that Bud had another friend to help in looking after him in the aftermath.
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Harm sipped his Pepsi and surveyed the scene, counting off the dancing couples.
"At least the Iron Maiden is loosening up" said Harm as he observed Faith Coleman dancing intimately and closely with Jack McBurney. Although Faith's face was buried in Jack's neck, Harm thought that he could detect the reflection of tears on Faith's face.
Carolyn turned and followed the direction of his gaze, to look at the JAG/USMC couple, then she turned back to Harm, her face suddenly serious.
"Yeah, well she needs and deserves Jack McBurney, to support her. Look, she is wading through some absolutely horrific evidence from Tuesday's blast at JAG HQ. However, I'm so glad that I staggered into HQ yesterday…"
At Harm's raised eyebrow, Carolyn began to explain what she had experienced the previous day...
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*Flashback:
The previous day in NCIS HQ: Thursday 8th July 2004
Carolyn, with her bruised arm still supported in a protective sling, had returned to work briefly: NCIS wanted to explore a few elements of the initial statements which she had given in the ambulance and later in the ER on the day of Harriet's explosive departure from this world.
It was the first time that she had worn her uniform since she had almost ended up being entombed in it. Obviously this was a replacement set - her Summer Whites from Tuesday were, most likely, beyond redemption after the elevator car incident. Today's uniform skirt was one size smaller than her ruined uniform and she felt proud that she fitted the slimmer skirt just fine. This gave her a slight, confident, bounce in her step as she walked in.
Wednesday had seen her resting around their home, just dressed in sweats as she convalesced. By Wednesday night, the horrendous bruising was still developing.
Today, fully-dressed once more in the skirt and jacket part of her USN JAG uniform, she strode confidently through the building, heading for the upstairs conference room. Several NCIS personnel, looking at her arm in its sling, gave her a wider berth in order to avoid a potential collision.
In the aftermath of the explosion, NCIS had provided office space to parts of the JAG HQ team whilst the investigation of "the Harriet bomb" incident was being initiated and the evidence was being probed. Carolyn checked in with the Legalman who was collating her live cases, then realised that she needed to make a "head call". Her earlier cups of coffee had worked their way through her system, so she darted into the ladies' washroom, pushing the door open with her free hand as she slid off the sling in readiness to...
Heading for a stall, she heard soft weeping.
Someone was clearly trying to deal with an emotional problem in the female privacy of the washroom.
"Hi, my name is Carolyn Imes, JAG HQ; may I help you, sister?"
The weeping continued, lapsing slightly into "sniffles".
She paused, before carrying on: "Look, I desperately need to do what I need to do, then I shall head out afterwards if you don't wanna chat. No pressure!"
She stepped into an adjoining stall and attended to her pressing problem, then unlocked the door of her stall and stepped out to wash her hands. She stopped in surprise, looking at the person who was standing by the next basin.
Faith Coleman was standing there, tears streaming down her face, clutching a crumpled tissue. There were two more tissues on the side of the wash basins. Carolyn washed her hands quickly, then turned to face Faith, who still looked distraught.
Instinctively, Carolyn opened her healthy arm wide and stepped forward, eyebrow raised in curiosity, towards Faith. The taller JAG woman walked into Carolyn's one-armed embrace, rested her chin on Carolyn's shoulder, then burst into tears again, this time weeping brokenly for two minutes.
Carolyn just stood there - in fairness, there was little that she could do until "the Vulcan" calmed down and started to explain what was wrong.
Tears don't leave a mark on a uniform, right?
"Oh God, thank you Carolyn", she eventually stammered out. Carolyn gestured to the comfortable armchairs in the corner, by the coat rack.
"Come, sit; tell your Auntie Carolyn. What's disturbed your Vulcan calm today?"
Carolyn was aware of Faith's nicknames and deliberately played up the connection, trying humour to brighten her colleague's bleak and dark mood.
Faith responded with a weak smile, sniffed and then blew her nose again. Carolyn noted that Faith was wearing little make-up that day - thereby eliminating the risk of the "panda-eyes smeared-mascara situation."
Faith sighed, then started talking in a quiet, yet confident, low voice.
"Carolyn, it's this damned Harriet case. Harriet made me *so* welcome when I came aboard (before I'd even *met* my Jack, let alone gotten together with him)".
Another sigh, another snuffle and another tissue used and discarded into the trash can. Carolyn just sat there, a supportive arm draped across Faith's shoulder.
"My job is to analyse the video evidence, because NCIS are overloaded and still scraping up evidence at HQ, so the Admiral supplied me TAD. But - oh God Carolyn - I've now watched Harriet's death, in slow-mo, about 20 times over several days. I've got to document the timeline and details of each death (all five of them) and the trajectory of everyone who was injured. Just now (before I took refuge in here), I've just followed Harriet's final walk to her death, literally step-by-step."
She took a deep breath before continuing. "Oh God; it tears me apart every time I watch. She was a mother, wife, friend, colleague. What in heaven's name would make her do *that* - to herself and to her colleagues - those five dead people and the 20 casualties? I watch it every time, following each victim through the moment of their deaths and beyond. Carolyn, how in the hell could I present this in court in the future?"
Carolyn took Faith's hands in hers, gently caressing the long, elegant fingers. "Faith, you will present this evidence in court whenever it is required. I say this because you are the most detail-oriented, accurate and - dare I say it - anally-accurate lawyer it has EVER been my privilege to meet. If the call comes, you *will* answer it, my dear legal-eagle sister."
"Thanks Carolyn, I needed that. It's just…"
She paused, flashed a slight lopsided grin, then carried on, her choice of vocabulary surprising Carolyn with its earthy language: "I just do not understand what the fuck made her do this."
Her fingers had tightly formed into fists, so Carolyn just raised one arm to support her friend's shoulder, pulling Faith gently into her embrace as Faith continued.
"I simply cannot fathom this, Carolyn. Why do stable, married women suddenly 'go Postal'? I cannot get my head around this, but what's impossible for me - right now - is to view those video recordings again. But I have to, because I've yet to track Gregory Vukovic's death, as he was further up the corridor and he is next on my list. Jesus Carolyn, I watched you walk into that elevator. I can see you moving, moment by moment, into the elevator - Christ, you were oh-so-lucky not to be victim six or casualty number 21."
She paused again - and Carolyn reached a conclusion.
"Come on Faith, let me run one of these deaths videos through for you - you can take a break and step out if you want. It if is to be the death of Gregory Vukovic, then so be it."
Faith nodded, dabbed her eyes one more time and straightened up. Another tissue was discarded and then she was ready to face the NCIS corridors once again.
"Thanks Carolyn - what would I have done if you hadn't arrived just now?"
"Faith, I reckon you would have cracked this feeling; you are an officer in the US Navy, not some ditzy cheerleader. Faith, you are "the Vulcan" - or "the Iron Maiden"; people look up to you and depend on your sanity, your calm, your ability to push through any kind of shit."
She smiled once again, giving Faith's shoulder a gentle squeeze with her one good hand. "Come on, let's do this together."
Stopping by the break room to grab two coffees which Faith carried for them both, the two JAG officers settled into the Video Evidence Lab's viewing room once again. Faith explained the stop/go/pause/backwards motion controls to Carolyn, who then took over, driving the system one-handed.
Carolyn was feeling distinctly uncomfortable as she watched herself walk into the elevator, her gaze staring back as Harriet's rear view as the bomber strode (walking smoothly on her unaccustomed heels) towards her ultimate fate in the bull-pen.
"That's it!"
Looking at this earlier footage (just 50 feet from the detonation point) meant that Faith and Carolyn were looking at footage which was taken slightly earlier in the day - and Carolyn had spotted something which Faith hadn't got to view yet. Faith had been concentrating on the explosion and deaths inside the bull-pen, not Harriet's journey into the room. She hadn't yet felt able to watch Harriet's final steps - and yet it was those steps which might actually break the case.
She remembered the mantra of the female JAG officer: "A good career, a good man and good shoes - lots of comfortable shoes."
"Faith, where did those shoes come from? Are they in an evidence bag? I have half a memory (despite being banged up in the elevator fall) of a price label under the instep of Harriet's shoes. Yes, that's it! I was wondering where she had bought them! Harriet was a dutiful Lieutenant and ex-PAO Ensign; she knew the uniform rules forward, backward and sideways. So where did those killer heels come from? I am not sure that Harriet would willingly go for stripper heels."
Faith bit back on her initial retort: she had just invested in a very similar heel height as part of an outfit which she was building, in order to give Jack McBurney an unforgettable birthday present - herself! She came back to Planet Earth and re-focussed on the matter in hand.
"Well, we haven't been able to access the locker room yet because of the devastation from the bombing, but external video coverage is still sparse and yet we are sure that she simply walked in at her normal time around 08:15hrs."
"In those heels?"
"Yes, looks like it - so she *drove* her car wearing those heels that morning?"
Both women were well-accustomed to the damage which was inflicted on high-heeled shoes when a woman drove a car. The tiny bits of grit and stones in the car mat would rip and erode the smooth, shiny, polished leather at the back of the shoe, where the stiletto heel joined the body of the shoe. Both Faith and Carolyn had a pair of flats in their cars, for just this purpose of avoiding shoe damage.
"So, did she dress and leave the house in those shoes, with the bomb corset already laced up?"
"Corset?" Carolyn hadn't picked up on that minor detail in Harriet's evidence.
Faith's expert fingers - several days into viewing the video evidence - flew across the video control keyboard, cueing up the first moment that Harriet was detected on any CCTV camera on the site. There was a gap, from her car pausing at the CP, to Harriet's arrival at the steps in front of the front door.
"Yes, it looks like she drove in wearing some form of corset - here, look at the pattern of the explosion; plus Ducky Mallard was quite certain that she was corseted and that the corset carried the explosives. The devastation to her torso and the bits that he found embedded inside what was left have given him an irrefutable theorem. She was certainly walking straight and upright when she strode through the front door. Obviously the corset is invisible beneath her uniform."
"Damn. OK, show me this again."
Faith acknowledged Carolyn's request, then re-cued the video and stepped through the final moments of Harriet's life, frame by excruciating frame.
An apparently-innocuous detail caught Carolyn's eye. "Faith, pause and back up."
As Harriet stepped forward, both women noticed that she raised a finger to the side of her head.
"Did she have an earpiece in? Did she just tap it to open an incoming call?"
"But her lips don't move - look, her face is set. I dunno, you know that her head ended up in Bud's office; let's look again."
On the next running of the video, the two women looked at each other, then said the same thing at the same time.
"Bluetooth earpiece!"
"She wasn't doing this alone - or of her own volition! Someone was in contact!"
"Or in control of her!"
All of a sudden, the rationale behind the "why" of Harriet's actions began to be much clearer.
"Shit Carolyn: this blows the case wide open - we are looking at a conspiracy and it explains so much more."
Faith reached across instinctively and in her enthusiasm, she hugged Carolyn. As the flame-haired lawyer whimpered at the physical contact with her battered and bruised body, Faith realised her mistake.
"Ah crap, Carolyn, please forgive me."
"Yeah, I guess I have to - after all, I *did* invite myself in to help you! Come on, we need the Evidence Retrieval Team to look for that earpiece, if it survived."
"But so much around Harriet was literally vapourised in the heat of the explosion. We haven't even bothered trying to find the corset laces."
"Agreed - otherwise we'd have DNA touch evidence from whoever laced her in. But her head was intact - the devastation was below her neck to the top of her thighs. I reckon that's what has spooked Bud so much in the morgue - she obviously had distinguishing marks in her thighs, calves or feet which he could recognise. But this explains the devastation - it was the corset that exploded, not Harriet."
Carolyn shrugged: "Well, maybe she laced herself in?"
Faith shook her head. "Nah, with the extra weight of the explosives, she would definitely need help. Holding up that corset around her torso, hooking up the front busk then pulling all the slack out of the laces, then lacing up tight - nope, assistance would be needed,"
Carolyn looked at Faith with new-found respect, realising that Faith had just spoken with evident personal knowledge of the subject, decided to gently tease her "straight-laced" (now, where did that come from?) colleague.
"So, an expert on corsetry, huh? I am honoured to be learning more about you every day, Faith."
Faith's freckles faded as she blushed, turning away to cover her embarrassment.
Carolyn placed a gentle supporting hand on her colleague's shoulder. "C'mon, many women understand corsetry - but not all of us have the courage to lace up."
A discreet cough enabled Faith to regain her "Vulcan calm".
"OK, onwards with the tape."
Faith turned back to the video screen, desperately hoping that Carolyn would drop her line of (friendly) questioning.
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As the images progressed, the women watched Gregory Vukovic's lascivious admiration of Harriet's rear view as she passed him. "Well, at least Vukovic had some consolation in death: he died happy: I can see him smiling."
"Agreed - we know so little about him. He'd just reported in to Falls Church, so the eulogy is going to be difficult. I am hoping that Casualty Assistance will assemble some information because I believe that his parents have both passed."
"Problem for tomorrow, Faith. OK, cue up the video again. Now we reckon that Harriet received a call, let's try to work out where that earpiece went in the explosion; there may be evidence. Maybe parts of the phone have survived somewhere in the ash pile?"
Carolyn would spend the next three hours supporting Faith and viewing the video evidence repeatedly. Faith benefited from having a friend working with her as they re-watched the horrific images, so Carolyn just had to "suck it up" and support her stressed colleague.
By the end of the day, she was ready to head home and soak in a hot bath. By contrast, it would not be until early October (and the unveiling of the memorial in the rebuilt JAG HQ) that Faith would uncover the final legacy of Gregory Vukovic's life - when Tali Mayfield would reveal the news of her pregnancy following her July 4th celebratory weekend with Gregory.
*End of Carolyn's flashback
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Friday 9th July 2004, 19:57hrs EDT
Benzinger's bar and grill, Falls Church VA
Carolyn returned to the present after her flashback and continued explaining Faith's dilemma to Harm.
"Yeah, I heard that she had drawn the short straw - reviewing the video evidence for NCIS who were/are short-handed. She had tears in her eyes yesterday during the evidentiary hearing. So I spent some time with her, supporting a colleague. I am not sure that I have the stomach for watching Harriet's self-immolation in slow-motion high-definition CCTV evidence many more times. Faith has had to track every single victim."
"Well, 'the Vulcan' has young Jack McBurney to keep her on the home planet."
He squeezed her hand: OK, another dose of medication, Mrs Rabb?"
Carolyn looked up at him, smiling but with a finger raised in admonition: "Harmon David Rabb, I have told you before. No ring, no name change. But yes, another dose of medication please."
Behind her, she heard Mattie's chuckle. Somehow, Mattie was sure that it would only be a matter of time before she could truly refer to her new "Mother and Father in the Rabb nuclear family unit."
Harm's plan was to "pop the question" well before Christmas. He had no intention of letting Carolyn Rebecca Imes slip through his grasp.
Mac's dismissive, resentful words, spoken in the aftermath of his Adoption hearing for Mattie, had cut deep - and helped him to his epiphany. Carolyn's support during the Mattie adoption case had opened his eyes and had made it clear that *she* was "The One" to stand alongside him through life's great journey.
If only he hadn't wasted those years on "the Dance" with Mac.
Ah well, he now knew for sure where his future lay…
He leaned in, to kiss Carolyn passionately. Marriage would have to wait, for a while, in the aftermath of events this past week.
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But tonight, there were higher-priority matters to be addressed.
Harm realised that Bud was starting to make inroads into the fourth glass of "Brain Damage". Eileen Nestor was watching him from an adjacent table - and she was clearly concerned but also *very* caring …
He smiled at Carolyn, as they both realised that Eileen Nestor was going to be most-needed as Bud's baby-sitter that night.
And in the morning, the world would still be turning and the sun would rise.
Life would go on.
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Final A/N 13-JUN-2023: Building upon the excellent 2023 storyline "Conversion" by "jpstar57" (with whom I collaborated in the creation of that story). During a number of chapters, this sequel will span the timeline of 2004 through to 2019 - when "Loren Diane O'Hara" (Sadik's brainwashed and subjugated puppet, formerly known as Sarah Mackenzie) was executed. John ("jpstar57") and I agreed the parameters of our two storylines: so I commend you to read the whole of "Conversion" before you read this story. Mike, Sacramento CA – 13-06-2023
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End of Ch01 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." Ch01 - Summer 2004
Mike: Sacramento CA, USA, 13-JUN-2023