Ch02 - "Conversion - Aftermath: the re-building"
"Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." Ch02 - Fall 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!
A/N: Publication date: 14-JUN-2023: Chapter Two - moving on through the Summer towards Christmas of 2004. The entire JAG family (and beyond) is involved in the healing process. Carolyn graduates and joins NCIS. harm and Carolyn finally get engaged. Then Alison Krennick arrives to take up her role on the Judiciary - and Sadik's "Soldier Sarah" has her eye on Alison. 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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Monday 26th July 2004, 08:05hrs EDT
Admiral Chegwidden's outer office, relief JAG HQ, northern Falls Church VA
Jennifer Coates had returned to work earlier in the week. The stitches in her inner thighs, - where the flying shrapnel had slashed through her skirt on July 6th - had been removed the day before and the neatly-stitched wounds were healing. She had settled into the alternate office accommodation which JAG were using (along with two other US Government sites around the greater DC area) whilst the teams of CBs wrestled with the challenges of straightening the blasted buildings at JAG HQ in Falls Church.
Chegwidden was surprised by Carolyn's apparently-sudden change of plan. Rather than transferring to the DSO (to maintain "plausible distancing" when she and Harm moved inevitably to deeper involvement and marriage), Carolyn was transferring out of JAG entirely. She was booked on the following month's FLETCC course, leading to her new posting as an NCIS Special Agent.
Carolyn explained her justification - her burning rage at what had been done to her friend - the lovely, bubbly wife of Bud Roberts. She wanted to ensure that the murdering scum faced justice. She assured Chegwidden that this wasn't a decision made in the heat of anger - indeed that Harm had aggressively challenged her when she first expressd the idea of NCIS. Harm was eventually convinced - and gave her his blessing. Chegwidden was satisfied.
He wished her well, shook her hand and immediately realised that Carolyn Imes' departure, vacating the DSO posting, meant that he might be able to assist another pair of emerging lovebirds within his command. If Jack McBurney would run with the plan, he could be posted to DSO and "loaned back" on an extended basis for casework alongside Faith Coleman, just like the IG had loaned Harriett...
"Ah crap: history repeating!"
AJ Chegwidden paused; Harriet had been gone less than three weeks and everyone was still "under the weather" in the aftermath of her death.
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Bud was working part-time, basically when he felt like it. Chegwidden had lined up several sessions with the psychiatrists at Bethesda. Bud seemed to be getting on well with Dr Vera McCool (who had apparently done a good job in getting Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie back on her feet and back into work). Accordingly, Chegwidden was happy to rely on McCool's judgement: he was happy to sign off McCool's treatment plan.
Little did anyone realise that Vera McCool was an important link in Sadik Fahd's chain of subjugated "soldiers", hiding in plain sight. She was perfectly positioned to identify potential victims and recruits. One of her best nominations to Sadik had been Sarah Mackenzie who, having been "turned", programmed and directed, was now living in her "vanilla" persona and awaiting the next command from her Master.
Similarly, "Soldier Catherine" Gale was performing normally in her "vanilla" persona as a CIA lawyer, having failed to attract Harm into a relationship earlier in the year. Harm had already committed completely to Carolyn Imes, in the light of her support, encouragement and developing love during the process of adopting Mattie Grace Rabb.
Given the aftermath of Harriet's death, Carolyn had informed Harm and Chegwidden that she was going to keep her leaving celebration on ice for now; maybe Benzinger's would be better positioned for October (maybe around Hallowe'en) for her post-FLETCC arrival into NCIS.
Because of the silence regarding Carolyn's new posting, Sadik's "spy network" missed out on a small but vital nugget of intelligence. Mac did not know where Carolyn was headed. Over time, this would bring Sadik's terrorist organisation closer to receiving justice. Carolyn's transfer to NCIS would - eventually - turn the tables on Sadik's operation. But that lay in the future.
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Friday 8th October 2004, 11:45hrs EDT
FLETCC course completion conference, awards and closure ceremony
Location redacted: USA
"...and so, in second place of the graduates of FLETCC course cadre 2004/08, Special Agent Carolyn Imes of NCIS, based at the DC Navy Yard."
Carolyn smiled as she accepted the certificate and posed for the photographer. In the wings, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was waiting with her new set of NCIS credentials - including the gold shield for which she had trained and worked so hard.
As she walked towards him, he smiled and extended his hand for a congratulatory handshake.
"Well done, Imes. Proud of you, Probie."
"Thanks Boss. Couldn't have got through this without those evening calls to keep me on point."
"Now, go and let that shyster Navy lawyer know just how well his future wife has performed".
Carolyn turned, mouth agape: "How the hell did you know that, Gibbs?"
Gibbs smiled: "Remember 'Profiling 101' in week three?"
She nodded.
"Well, I just had to watch you. You know, you light up when he is in the room - every Thursday night chill-out session, you had a big, shit-eating grin in your face when he walked in."
He chuckled, before he added a rider: "...every time, Carolyn. Every time."
Then his face turned serious.
"OK Probie; part of my job is to teach you the rules of the work. You have aced FLETCC (frankly I had little doubt, given your previous JAG career of excellence over the years) and now we need to add "street smarts" to the skills profile of my new "legal eagle recruit."
He stepped back, looking up and down Carolyn's body. She began to open her mouth to protect when he raised an admonitory finger.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Probie - and they have just spent two months teaching you that."
He smiled ruefully before continuing: "Now, I'm obviously not going to recruit you, support you through FLETCC then simply piss you off with a lecherous glance - OK?"
Carolyn relaxed. "OK Boss; I'll cut you some slack; you're on probation - like me. So, why the up-and-down review of what I'm wearing?"
"Well, you always seemed to be wearing the skirt when I met you at JAG or NCIS HQ in your USN JAG uniform - correct?"
She nodded.
"And now, in your new role you are usually wearing pants as your "go-to" clothing?"
"Yes, Harm and I went out for "retail therapy" a while back. I bought seven pairs, plus civilian blouses and a couple of jackets and blazers - with room for a Kevlar vest underneath."
"Good - because it looks like Kevlar is going to be worn more-often, if the latest directive is promulgated."
"Ah crap - the average vest always seems to have been designed for guys - even the over-exercised steroid-junkies will fit them. But the female form is different - and DON'T you dare drop your eyes from the current eye contact, Gibbs.".
He smiled - and to his credit he retained eye contact as he continued.
"Carolyn, before we hypnotise each other, may I brief you on Project 38D?"
She broke contact, mouth agape in surprise, then she sniggered. "Seriously, Project 38D for female-formed body armour?"
"Well, in fairness, the origin was - apparently - '.38 calibre defence' - as if you'd believe that load of old horse puckey!"
By this time both of them were chuckling.
"Oh crap Gibbs, I am gonna love this job. OK, you can signed me up for Project 38D."
"Right, will do. Now, on to your first rule."
"Err, how many of them are there?"
Gibbs shrugged. "More than a few. I will teach them to you over time. Now, Carolyn, this is why I was assessing your clothing. What footwear do you favour?"
Carolyn was, at that time, wearing a pair of kitten-heeled ankle boots for the awards and presentation ceremony, paired with one of her new pant-suits. "Usually an ankle boot for this new job, as I usually wore courts or pumps with my USN uniform. Now, it's usually low heel or no heel, good grip on the sole. Why, Gibbs?"
"Rule nine."
She frowned: "OK, I'll bite; what's Rule Nine?"
"Always carry a knife."
"Come on Probie; I have a present for you in the parking lot."
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Carolyn and Gibbs walked to the parking lot, where Gibbs opened the trunk of his car and handed Carolyn a wicked-looking seven-inch ceramic knife in a scabbard.
"You will probably wear your backup piece in an ankle holster; I believe that you are right-handed?"
She nodded.
"So, your backup piece will be on your right ankle. We need a scabbard for your left ankle. If you are facing the bad guys, they will frisk you, find the backup piece and knock holes in each other's shoulders congratulating themselves - just as you gently kneel down, slide out the knife and do serious damage. Talk with Kate Todd - she had brought some other Secret Service ideas across, so pick her brains."
"OK, I see your point - I'll catch up with her the next time that we are both in the building. Where do I find a scabbard for a nine-inch knife?"
Gibbs' head spun round: "NINE inches?"
Carolyn never missed a beat, keeping a straight face. "Yes, so if we are ever in a sticky situation, one of us just says: Oh, I don't know... 'nine' to the other (or into the earpiece) and we know that a knife is in play."
She hefted the ceramic knife in her hand, spun around on one slim heel and, with one flick, speared the knife straight into the centre of a carved heart on the trunk of the tree behind her.
Rarely did Leroy Jethro Gibbs look flabbergasted. Today, in the car park of the federal training centre, "his gast was well and truly flabbered"!
"Probie, where did you learn to...?"
Carolyn smiled, as another happy memory surfaced.
"A posting to the UK, working TAD with Britain's Royal Navy. I spent time with the Royal Navy SID team; boy can they drink - including the girls! We played darts and then graduated to slightly heavier kit. I guess you'e never seen a bunch of half-drunk RN matelots slinging fire axes at targets?"
She smiled, stepped up to the tree and removed the knife. She turned to face Gibbs, proffering the handle of his knife to him across her sleeve, for him to retrieve.
"Thanks for the temporary tool, boss. I think I'll go and source my own, if you don't mind?"
Gibbs merely nodded.
He knew that recruiting Carolyn Imes had been the correct call; he could see her leading a team of her own within a decade, despite her sudden hard right turn from a good career in JAG. Carolyn was definitely one to watch and he was glad to have her on his team.
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Monday 25th October 2004, 08:15hrs
Approach to the rebuilt bull-pen
JAG HQ, back where it belonged in Falls Church VA
Faith Coleman watched Tali Mayfield as she reached out her left hand to Gregory Vukovic's requiem photograph, then looked down and placed her right hand on the belt buckle of her belt.
As Tali's tears bubbled up, Faith guided her to the re-built and enlarged galley, where she brewed two cups of tea.
Tali tearfully confirmed Faith's suspicions that the younger lieutenant was pregnant. The further information, that the deceased Greg Vukovic had been the father, emerged during the conversation.
"Crap, this bombing is just the gift that keeps on giving" thought Faith as she comforted Tali.
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Thursday 25th November 2004 (Thanksgiving Day)
Rabb family farm, Belleville PA
Harm had already planned the weekend. This was going to be special: for him, his family and - most importantly - his future wife.
The family weekend went well. Frank and Trish Burnett had flown across to join in. Trish rapidly gave Carolyn her vote of approval.
Obviously, Carolyn had accepted Harm's proposal. His family had all hugged her and welcomed her into "the family".
Harm and Carolyn had pencilled in March of 2005 for the wedding.
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Monday 06th December 2004
Main floor office suite, JAG HQ, Falls Church VA
As was her custom, Mac casually surveyed the office area, in her "vanilla" persona. Today, her gaze settled upon the next perfect "recruit" for her master's perverted campaign against the American establishment.
She watched as Rear-Admiral Alison Krennick was greeted and welcomed to the Judiciary.
She knew that her Master would enjoy breaking the senior woman - and that Alison Krennick would make a great and influential soldier, opening doors which Soldier Sarah could only dream of accessing. (A/N: *link to "Conversion" Chapter 13 ending).
The game was afoot!
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Final A/N 14-JUN-2023: Building upon the excellent 2023 storyline "Conversion" by "jpstar57" (with whom I collaborated in the creation of that story). 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 – 14-06-2023
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End of Ch02 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." Ch02 - Fall 2004
Mike: Sacramento CA, USA, 14-JUN-2023