Ch04 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath."
Ch04 - Spring 2005 - March to June 2005
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" story 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 story is more positive - but please don't complain!
A/N: Publication date: 26-JUN-2023: Chapter 04 - Harm and Carolyn settle into preparation for their new roles as parents to a newborn due in the Fall of 2005 (ably assisted by Mattie who is thriving in the new nuclear family unit). Alison Krennick's widower and his children eventually decide to return to the UK - where paths will cross with a name from Harm's past. Bud and Eileen begin to plan a joint future together. 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. Harmon Rabb jr, Carolyn Imes-Rabb, Faith Coleman, Bud Roberts jr to name but a few.
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Monday 28th March 2005, 07:00hrs
Walter Reed National Medical Centre, Bethesda MD
Harm and Carolyn did not mind that Tali Mayfield missed their wedding. She was just about ready to give birth and her doctor had advised her to stay in town. On the Monday after the wedding, she had been in labour the last eight hours since just before midnight when she had telephoned Faith Coleman.
Faith was with her as her birth coach for the whole process. She regarded it as "good training" for the upcoming birth of her first children.
Tali still had not told her parents that they were going to be grand-parents. Tali was panting through a contraction, squeezing Faith's hand almost to the breaking point. Tali let go of Faith's hand as the contraction passed. Right at that point, her doctor came in to examine her. Tali panted, "Think I'm dilated enough Dr. Walden? I gotta be. It's been seven, nearly eight, hours."
Dr. Sydney Walden did her examination and said, "Yes Lieutenant. You're crowning. Let's get you into delivery."
At that announcement, Dr. Walden went to the door and signalled for the nurses to come in and wheel her bed into the delivery room. After she was transferred to the delivery chair, it was another forty-five minutes until Tali delivered a beautiful baby girl, weighing 8lbs-10oz (3.91kg) at 22 inches long, whom she named Michelle Marie Vukovic Mayfield.
"You've done well, lieutenant," Faith said as she kissed her younger friend's forehead.
"Thanks Faith," Tali replied.
Tali would live the life of a single mom for a short time, before reconciling with Greg Vukovic's parents and her own. All of the new grandparents were just thrilled to be grandparents, regardless of the circumstances. A new life was to be celebrated. Tali then named Carolyn and Faith as co-godmothers, with Harm and Jack as co-godfathers.
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Tali Mayfield would eventually meet and fall in love with one Lt. Comdr. David "Tuna" Medwick. She met him when Harm introduced them to each other at the July 4th 2005 JAG picnic. Tuna was there on leave from Oceana to visit Harm & Carolyn to celebrate their own upcoming baby.
Tali and Tuna were married one year later.
Faith and Jack would happily go on to plan their wedding. Jack had proposed formally on New Year's Eve, timing his proposal a few seconds before 2004 ended so that Faith could say "Yes" at the stroke of 12 Midnight to begin 2005 as an affianced couple. They would be married on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 2005.
Faith didn't care that she was visibly pregnant with twins at the time.
She and Jack would have a very happy family of five as their marriage allowed them to adopt, as well as continuing their own genetic line.
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Monday 25th April 2005, 11:45hrs
Walter Reed National Medical Centre, Bethesda MD
"Mrs Carolyn Rabb, please".
Harm and Carolyn stood up, heading towards the white-coated orderly holding the clipboard.
By the time that Harm and Carolyn had returned from their honeymoon on (around) April 10th 2005, Carolyn's morning sickness had arrived (thereby wrecking the final week of their "alone time") then vanished once again, leaving Mrs Rabb glowing and steadily putting on weight.
"Oh lord, I sympathise with Loren Singer - she must have really suffered on board once she realised that she was preggers" Carolyn lamented.
"Yep: Jenn Coates reported (after Loren was killed and subsequently discovered) that she had been quite uncomfortable on board."
Harm sighed. "I hoped that getting her back onshore would have made life easier for her, but unfortunately she (or Teddie Lindsay) had other ideas."
"Well Harm, I'm at ten weeks and I'm already beginning to suffer. Faith's even further along."
He sighed "Carolyn, if or when I fly into protective mode, would you cut me some slack please? This is a really important baby for the Rabb lineage and I wouldn't want to jinx anything on your journey to motherhood."
Carolyn leaned across and took his hand, gently caressing the wedding band on his hand. Had it only been three weeks since they had vowed "I do"?
"OK Harm, you've got yourself a deal; BUT..." she raised an admonitory finger "...I reserve the right to discuss and amend - so no giving orders to a senior officer, OK?" Just occasionally, she let slip the matter of her senior time in rank, preceding Harm's promotion to Commander in November of 1999 after his return from flying. Of course, she only ever mentioned this seniority with a big smile on her face!
"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am."
They had been free of early pregnancy problems since they had returned from their honeymoon. A single week of morning sickness was beginning to sound to Carolyn like the Deal of the Decade. He took her left hand and kissed the knuckles and her wedding band.
"OK, onwards to November, Mrs Rabb."
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Wednesday 27th April 2005, 09:15hrs
CNO operations suite, Pentagon, Arlington, VA, 20301
"Thank you for seeing me, Admiral."
"Not at all Lester, take a seat, please".
Lester Evans had struggled to settle into the new role at the Pentagon, despite much support from the inbound settlement team. The wider Evans family was blessed with reasonable financial reserves, but the USN-provided apartment in Annandale was definitely useful. It was just that his world had been upended whilst he was bringing his children across to the USA in December 2004. He knew that he was distracted from the role in the Pentagon (which normally he would have been able to accomplish with his eyes shut). He also knew the cause of that distraction.
He could not get his head around Alison's conversion from recently-promoted Rear Admiral to suicide bomber, apparently in the course of a single weekend. Eventually, evidence from the farm (along with Harriet's inquest) began to help him to understand what terrible things had been done to his wife over that single weekend. Nevertheless, he still spent many nights crying into his pillow. His mother was a god-send, helping to share the load of calming and supporting Lucinda and Nigel through the sudden loss of their mother.
After two months, by the middle of March 2005, he made the decision to look at short-touring the Pentagon posting and seeking a return to RN facilities within the UK. The Commodore back home was very understanding and the Pentagon hierarchy were fully supportive; everyone knew what had happened to Rear Admiral Alison Evans nee Krennick. Stiles Morris - as Alison's former CO - had invited the Evans family for dinner on more than one occasion, and it was Stiles who listened on the final evening as Lester was still struggling to make up his mind.
"Lester, long ago a very good friend of mine gave me a piece of invaluable advice: 'change one thing in your life at a time'. This country will be here in the future. You should concentrate on the living; wherever is best for them."
Lester made his decision. By this time, Alison's American estate, in line with her Will, was in process of being settled - which would give him one thing less to worry about. He and Alison had been married for some time, so all the dependents' benefits were properly administered.
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Fortunately, his skills were transferable and not unique (he had always heeded his father's advice about "the graveyards are full of people who thought that they were indispensable"), so after a short trawl through Royal Navy HQ another RN Captain was identified to take over his role with "the cousins across The Pond" . She had recently returned from maternity leave and her husband (a graphic designer) was delighted to jump at the chance of spending time (with a sponsored Visa care of the US Government as a valued dependent) "across the Pond". Their eight-month-old daughter would, quite frankly, settle anywhere so long as someone was here to feed her, play with her and read her stories as she fell asleep.
Replacing Lester Evans became a simple logistical exercise between the two navies of the Free World. He broke the news to his mother that evening.
"OK Mum, we're heading back home."
"I think that is the sensible resolution to this, Lester. I also know that your Alison will understand. My darling boy, I am *so* sorry that this has come about because of what was done to your Alison."
Mrs Evans had appreciated the time spent getting to know Lester's brash American wife. Early on, she had recognised in Alison Krennick a kindred spirit as a strong-willed supporter of Lester and a woman who had advanced through the remaining "boys' club" atmosphere which was now rapidly fading more than a decade after "Tailhook".
Granny Evans offered up a quick prayer for her daughter-in-law's spirit. It was just a crying shame that poor Alison would never see her husband and her children growing up. The Evans family was still undecided over where to scatter Alison's ashes. A quiet family funeral service had been followed by a cremation which had taken place at the nearest crematorium to Falls Church.
Alison and Harriet's remains had been cremated on the same day, one after the other. Lester had carried the pathetically-light pot of ashes back to the apartment, whilst Bud and Eileen had carried Harriet. Some ideas for a joint scattering were half-developed: in due time, the ashes would be interred beneath a memorial oak tree which would be planted in the grounds of JAG HQ on 4th July 2005 - the first Independence Day following Harriet's attack and two days before the anniversary of her death.
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Memorial Day weekend, Sunday 29th May 2005
Home of Bud Roberts and Eileen Nestor
Bud and Eileen had continued to move ever closer since she had made her (very welcome and much-appreciated) move on Bud over the Christmas. Their children were fully-accustomed to playing together and living together. She had rented out her house in Chantilly (it enabled her to generate income for the College fund for her daughter Erin, as well as a move away from happy early memories of her marriage, which had been soured by the events of September of 2001).
Plus, truth be told, she was ready for a change. With Bud, everything had come together for her. In theory, a bridesmaid should take over from the bride; here (in the typical way of the Roberts family) the bride was helping the bridesmaid's family. Eileen and Bud had, occasionally, dug out their respective wedding photograph albums for affectionate trips down Memory Lane.
Bud gently lifted the two wedding albums off Eileen's lap and - not without some discomfort - knelt on one knee in front of her.
Eileen suddenly realised what was about to happen. She had a moment of panic, because she had not removed her wedding ring since her fingers had swollen up five years earlier during her pregnancy. So her wedding band remained in place.
She need not have worried; Bud, in his enthusiasm to explain his feelings and his intent, had yet to procure an engagement ring. When he revealed this deficiency to her, she simply leaned forward, said "yes I will marry you" and then kissed him passionately.
Slowly, the painful episodes inflicted by Sadik's Subjugated Soldiers were fading away, washed over by good, happy, friendly and enjoyable events in the Circle of Life.
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Midsummer Day: Friday 24th June 2005, 09:53hrs BST
UK Royal Navy fleet ops HQ; Northwood, Middlesex, UK
Several months after he had returned to the UK and taken up a posting back at UK Fleet headquarters in Northwood (in the leafy suburbs to the northwest of central London), Captain Lester Evans headed down to the Conference centre in "the Hole". This is an affectionate name for the deep-excavated bunker beneath the main complex which controls all of the UK's maritime assets, including the UK's CASD (Continuous At-Sea Deterrent) which sees at least one of the four Vanguard class SSBNs on patrol in the oceans, as the UK's Trident-based nuclear "Weapon of last resort".
Preceding him down the corridor, with a USN officer's cover under her left arm and with a document wallet tucked beneath her right arm, he admired the well-filled uniform trousers of a female American officer; for a moment, he was reminded of his first-ever introduction to his late wife Alison Krennick when she had first crossed his path.
The lady was tall (perhaps an inch or two taller than his Alison) - and she was walking confidently in her low-heeled pumps.
She preceded him into the Conference room, placed her papers and cover on the conference table and then, with a whispered cry of "oh yeah, coffee!" she headed for the coffee tray in the corner. Sensing that she hadn't yet detected his presence and keep to avoid surprising her when she had a pot of hot coffee in her grasp, Lester politely piped up:" "I don't suppose the Mess ratings have brewed any tea, by any chance Commander?"
She pivoted on one foot, then her lips curled and she gave him the most wonderful, dazzling smile as she took in his rank insignia.
"Well Captain, I'm still on 'NATO-standard' coffee, but I guess I really ought to try and let you Brits teach me about tea."
"Well, madam, that would be my pleasure if you would allow me." He paused. "I'm also very conscious that we've not been introduced. Lester Evans, Comms Integration programme manager on the Poseidon programme".
She turned quickly to put the coffee pot down, then turned back with her right hand outstretched. After spotting a class ring, Lester scanned her left hand quickly - no rings (not that a bare ring finger meant anything these days: his Alison had kept her thin wedding band hidden under her USNA Annapolis class ring).
The American officer spoke first.
"Well then, Captain Evans of the Poseidon programme; you are just the person whom I have been looking for - which makes sense, given this meeting. I am Commander Caitlyn Pike, on detachment from the USN Poseidon counterpart programme. It is a pleasure to meet you."
They maintained eye contact over the coffee pots for some time as they chatted, until the rest of the meeting attendees walked in.
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Final A/N 26-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, UK – 26-06-2023
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End of Ch04 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." Ch04- Spring 2005
Mike: UK, 26-06-2023