Dr A J Chegwidden, MD

by fictionalmike

AU: Just a little drabble, adopting a bit of "fanon/canon" in assuming that Admiral AJ's sister Adele wasn't childless whilst she was preparing her marriage plans for marrying her Marine - and producing a girl child of similar age to Harmon Rabb jr. I was somewhat inspired by episodes from the first four seasons, going back to 1996-1999 (25 years back!). *COMPLETED*

Ch01 of "Dr A J Chegwidden, MD."

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". See Ch00 of this story for the whole disclaimer A/N. 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 have already assisted me in the three stories which make up this be considered.

A/N: Publication date: 05-FEB-2024: AU: AU: Just a little drabble, adopting a bit of "fanon/canon" in assuming that Admiral AJ's sister Adele wasn't childless whilst she was preparing her marriage plans for marrying her Marine - and producing a girl child of similar age to Harmon Rabb jr. I was somewhat inspired by a couple of episodes from the first four seasons, going back to 1996-1999 (25 years back!)

A/N: I recall another author giving "Big AJ" a sister called Adele in Texas. So, if she had a daughter, why not keep some family names and initials in play? I ALSO PAY TRIBUTE TO Radiorox for Chapter Three of the story "What's she like?"

A/N: Canon episodes: "Code Blue" – S02Ep13, first airdate 04-APR-1997: "The Adversaries" – S04Ep19, first airdate 15-APR-1999: "Going after Francesca" - S04Ep04, first airdate 13-OCT-1998

Characters from FFNET – H Rabb jr; Admiral AJ Chegwidden, S Mackenzie; OC, Jordan ?

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Ch01 of "Dr AJ Chegwidden, MD"

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Thursday 7th November 1996: 22:13hrs EDT

Emergency Room, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital, 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A.

"AJ, we need you – crash cart!"

Alyssia dumped the remaining quarter-cup of her coffee in the trash and turned around, stepping forwards into the mayhem and maelstrom of the ER on a Thursday night.

One of the enjoyable aspects of the Bethesda ER was the number of military personnel who were brought in on Friday evenings (and Saturdays as well) having committed what could only be regarded as acts of gross stupidity. Tonight, a group of sailors had decided to commence the "weekend stupidity" 24 hours ahead of schedule!

LtCdr Alyssia Juliet ("AJ") Chedwidden (MD) shook her head once again as the plaster technicians wheeled the Seaman 3rd Class away, to put his leg together after he had failed to fly to the pier of the dock from the boat where the party had been held.

His buddies had, in fairness, carried him along the pontoons to meet the ambulance, but he was likely to be blowing "above the limit" on hourly breath samples until around dawn before his BAL would be back below the legal limit (so that the plaster techs could get to work on his broken arm and fractured ankle using medical anaesthetics rather than self-administered amnesia juice). He was probably still flying at 10,000feet, she reckoned!

She sighed – he was in for a painful few months in plaster and then probably a few more months of uncomfortable physical therapy.

Darn gung-ho Military Men! She often thought of her Uncle Albert – just one year her mom's senior, yet the "big brother" to whom Adele Chegwidden had always looked up, whilst she brought up Alyssia. Alyssia knew that her father had served with Uncle Albert in the early stages of the Vietnam war, but had come home under an American flag a month before Adele had given birth. Adele had worn her engagement ring for years, but Vietnam cast another pall over the Chegwidden family, resulting in Alyssia's family name continuing.

It meant that she had a strong bond with her "Uncle AJ" – despite his ultimate divorce from the fiery Italian "bella" with whom he had fathered his daughter Francesca.

She had always gotten along with her cousin Francesca. Even when she became Francesca Paretti, the two teenage girls had remained as pen-friends even after the divorce, and Auntie Marcella had ensured that the contacts continued even after she had remarried, to Victor Paretti. The occasional transatlantic flight across to catch up with Marcella and Francesca had been generously funded by "Zio Vittorio" – and Alyssia had always been grateful for his generosity as they grew from girls into women.

Now in her early 30s, Alyssia was even more grateful for Francesca's fashion tips: a woman could only go so far wearing scrubs all day!

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Losing her mom Adele to breast cancer during her third year in Med school had been hard – and Alyssia had been even more surprised when, joining the ROTC partway through her University career, she had been persuaded to sign up.

In due time, as a military doctor she ended up being posted to Bethesda as part of her first ten-year commission commitment. Although this was a long way from her Mom's grave in Austin Texas, she wasn't too far from Falls Church, where Uncle Albert was currently in post as the JAG. Taking the post in 1996 following old "Clarinet" Brovo, he was likely to be serving a four-year stint, so their opportunities to catch up had multiplied.

One of the advantages of her job – and an Uncle who was now the JAG – had been an introduction to one LtCdr Harmon Rabb, USN JAG, not long after his promotion in 1996 which meant that Harm and AJ were of equal rank. She had comforted him when his Academy girlfriend Diane Schonke had been murdered in May of 1996 and they had developed a "friends with benefits" arrangement later in 1996.

She was never sure whether "Uncle AJ" had warned Harm. Uncle Albert had merely smiled – when she called him out on it – and retorted that she was "a big girl now" and that she could always invite him to stand in as "father of the bride" when Harm finally got his shit together. As things turned out, that was to be a short-lived but intense love affair as Harm began to recover from the trauma of Diane's tragic slaughter, before passion cooled and developed into a lifelong friendship. He even introduced her to "Sarah" - his restored Stearman biplane - and they flew out to Belleville for occasional weekends with his grandmother, Sarah Rabb. She watched as he continued to slowly heal from the impact of Diane Schonke's murder.

In fairness, "friends with benefits" worked well for them – and she was able to comfort him when his new JAG partner arrived in early January of 1997, re-opening old wounds about Diane.

He had sounded *SO* confused when her phoned AJ from Arizona at the end of the Matt O'Hara case.

"We need to talk".

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Friday 9th January 1997: 18:05hrs EDT

Apartment of Harmon Rabb jr, North of Union Station, Washington DC

When Harm returned from Arizona, he invited her over to his new (as in "construction site") apartment near Union station for a Friday night catch-up. As she arrived and knocked, she was surprised to note a shocked expression on his face. It took three beers before he even started to loosen up and talk – then they mutually decided to order pizza to mop up the beer as he worked through his surprise, concerns – and hopes.

"I tell you, AJ, she's a clone of Diane. OK, she's gone through the USMC 'devil-dog' programming, but she could be Diane." He shook his head and lit a cigar, watching the tendrils of smoke drift upwards. AJ snuggled in – she liked the scent of Harm's cigars, even though she was a non-smoker. Her Mom's breast cancer had been a warning not to provoke her lifeline.

It was always a given that she would "never kiss an ashtray" – so Harm wouldn't be getting lucky tonight. In fact, AJ relaxed her rule and – after half a bottle of mouthwash and ferocious tooth brushing – she considered the "offer" to join Harm in his massive custom-built bed.

"Alyssia Juliet, I need you tonight – please?"

Sometimes, Harmon Rabb jr could whine like a little schoolboy, but she still loved him and was happy to comfort him as he worked out his confusion regarding the woman whom AJ was starting to refer to as "the Diane clone" – despite not having met Sarah Mackenzie yet. She knew that Diane Schonke had been good for Harm during his recovery in 1991-92 from the ramp strike which had taken the life of his RIO. AJ had always been certain that Harm and Diane would probably be tying the knot one day - until the day she had stood alongside Harm at Diane's graveside. She had never been able to get a handle on Harm's JAG colleague that year, the tall fellow-Texan Meg Austin, but Harm always insisted that he and Meg had followed the rules and AJ was happy to believe and trust them.

Harm always kept a photograph of Diane – in her USNA Midshipman uniform – on his desk. Early on in their relationship, AJ had insisted that Diane would not be watching the "bedroom manoeuvres" – and Harm had willingly complied, turning Diane's photograph away to face the wall. AJ knew that he was still grieving, yet she was glad to comfort him with her body and to have him scratch several of her itches. She wasn't quite accepting of the "fuck-buddies" connotation, but she would see how the term was created and might apply. She was a big girl and she could handle Harm; they always played safe, eliminating the risk of creating any little "Chegwidden-Rabblets".

The late evening activities and the end-of-night reacquainting was enjoyable – and the morning pre-breakfast exercises were of mutual benefit. Harm made breakfast and AJ did the "walk of shame" back to her apartment in Chevy Chase (a short run from Bethesda and almost due north from Harm's apartment near Union station).

The friendship worked well. It was clear to AJ that Harm had been struck by Sarah Mackenzie's resemblance to his slaughtered love Diane Schonke, but something held him back. AJ chuckled when she looked at the situation – the "impediment" to a relationship might very well have been her Uncle "Big AJ".

She continued to act as Harm's sounding board, even after he had defended and then bedded the skinny blonde Navy shrink from down the corridor in Bethesda – LtCdr Jordan "Jordi" Parker. AJ knew that Jordi had nightmares about Harm "deserting" her to return to Fleet Operations.

AJ was far more relaxed: "If you love them, set them free".

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Friday 9th April 1999: 18:29hrs EDT

McMurphy's Bar, downtown Falls Church VA

After a few months of Jordan and her insecurities (plus a hostage crisis inside Harm's flat where Jordi bravely deflected Clark Palmer's devious plans), Harm invited "AJ" to join in a JAG wet-down at McMurphy's and she had a chance to observe Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie from close-up.

The way that "Mac" looked at Harm displayed a definite attraction. She knew from "Uncle AJ" that the working relationship in Falls Church meant that Sarah Mackenzie might as well have been wearing a nun's habit (or a concealed chastity belt) because the relationships were frowned upon.

Nevertheless within a year Uncle AJ revealed to AJ that he actually had a "cunning plan" (inspired by the British TV series "Blackadder") to regularise the situation if Harm and Mac ever got their heads out of their collective sixes. But Harm seemed content with Jordi – she met and satisfied his needs, whilst he satisfied her physical needs and helped to stabilise her nerves and anxieties. The irony was not lost on Alyssia: "Great shrink, Jordi – don't drop him" thought AJ on more than one occasion.

But for some time, nothing happened in the Harm-Mac alternate universe.

AJ began to wonder whether LtCdr Carolyn Imes might be more-likely to actually make a pass at Harm. Although Carolyn seemed to dive regularly into the USMC pool at Eight & I, AJ was not entirely convinced that Carolyn would be entirely averse to bedding Harmon Rabb if the opportunity presented itself. Somehow, she reckoned that Carolyn would not fight temptation too hard if/when temptation came knocking. AJ took her hat off to Carolyn Imes - a modern woman who knew what she wanted.

These thoughts all culminated in a raucous, alcohol-fuelled evening party in McMurphy's. By this time, AJ had worked out that Sarah Mackenzie didn't drink (Harm had merely mentioned Mac's "strength of character" and AJ had decided to leave well alone). But Harm's girlfriend Jordan Parker had become a regular fixture in his life and so AJ had stepped back. Harm knew that – whilst she was single and unattached - AJ Chegwidden was happy to "come and stay over" if he needed company when he was in between girlfriends and she was solo. The long-lived "fuck-buddy" deal was alive and well, although at the age of 35 AJ was beginning to feel a clock ticking…. She just felt that she had not yet met her Mister Right, so Harm was a convenient distraction, with no strings on either side.

"Oh, I'm just using him for sex."

Seated around a table, Carolyn Imes, Jordan Parker, AJ and Mac were discussing their common topic – one Harmon Rabb jr. The adult women sat alone: Harm had absented himself to drink, on the other side of the room, with Bud Roberts - who was actually the one being promoted and therefore the subject of the wet-down.

Eventually Jordan – a smart "shrink" in AJ's opinion - finally wound herself up to pronounce, to Mac and the assembled women "I'm happy to keep him happy until you decide that you want him."

AJ studied Mac's face in the low light levels; the Marine lawyer seemed shocked, pale, open-mouthed.

Carolyn leaned in but AJ placed her hand on Carolyn's forearm, looked into the flame-haired attorney's eyes and mouthed "hold up".

It was obvious that Mac had experienced an epiphany. AJ felt that it was only fair to leave the woman in peace.

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Some time later, when Jordan was found murdered, Harm and Mac had just returned from a mission. Once he had spoken with NCIS, Harm called AJ. He needed a friend to talk to – and what he (obviously) felt for his USMC JAG partner precluded him from discussing "the Jordan fallout" with Mac.

So AJ stood in for Mac, listened, comforted and was a responsive partner when the dam finally broke.

Fortunately, she had not arrived in uniform, because the tears and snot would take quite a lot of cleaning. But she was glad that he had called her. She knew her Harm so well by now and she was glad to be there to comfort him. Then the USPS delivered Jordi's final but optimistic letter - and the waste and loss became even more profound once the true murderer was unmasked after a determined investigation.

Damn, what a waste.

After lunch on the Sunday, she bade him a fond farewell. It would be their last weekend together, but she had left Harm in a good place: the best place possible.

Two weeks later, she was tasked with attending to a Naval aviator who had broken an arm.

What was it with these flyboy types? Unbeknownst to her, there was a naval Aviator in her future as the years passed.

Careerwise, she was back at work and was heading steadily up the greasy career pole at Bethesda. By this time, AJ had met and married Jack Keeter (a contemporary of Harm at USNA, but a naval "Special Operations" pilot who kept breaking bones) and was the mother to a pair of adorable three-year-old "Keeter twins" – Adele and Diane – who joined the Chegwidden clan in early September 2001. Dr Alyssia Juliet Keeter was off the "available list".

Harm was ahead of her, making the step to Commander in November 1999. She and Jack sent him a congratulatory card. Now, it was up to him. Dr AJ Chegwidden knew that, from now on, Mac would (at some point) decide that she wanted Harm.

However no-one – absolutely no-one – expected the Dynamic Dancing Duo to take a further six years!

FIN.

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Mike: UK, 05-FEB-2024.