Ch07 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." - "2006"
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: 21-AUG-2024: Chapter 07 – Our heroes and heroines begin to settle into new life arrangements as the echoes of the catastrophic events of 2004 begin to fade in the run-up to the New Year of 2006. The hunt for Sadik continues in the background. Disney 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", we are now into 2006, 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 McBurney-Coleman, Bud Roberts jr, Kate Pike - to name but a few.
A/N 21-08-2024: An August 2024 update on the story, exploring the AU timeline in 2006. Thanks, Mike
Ch07 – "2006"
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Friday 23rd December 2005, 18:00hrs
The "JAG family" Church, Falls Church VA:
The memories of The Fallen were invoked at the annual Christmas Service at the JAG Church. Friday 23rd December 2005 saw several one-year anniversaries marked and observed, as the wider JAG family prepared for Christmas and another year.
Life rolled onwards towards the new year of 2006.
In the background, Carolyn's red team at NCIS kept trawling, watching, sniffing. The extensive penetration of CCTV across the USA, along with DNA analysis, meant that the net would inevitably close one day. Everyone involved in the hunt had made a solemn vow:
"However long it takes, we shall bring justice for Harriet, Alison, Brian, Alan, Cathy, Anita and Gregory."
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Saturday 24th December 2005, 05:14hrs
Home of Bud and Eileen Roberts:
LtCdr Bud Robrts jr and Lt Eileen Roberts (Nestor as was) had married on Saturday 3rd September 2005.
They had finally got it together, on Christmas Eve of 2004 at the end of the horrific year which had seen Harriet and other JAG HQ colleagues destroyed by Sadik's cruel methods. Eileen had comforted Bud after the "wine spillage incident" as Bud's grief over Harriet bubbled over as he had raged at the unfairness of life. He had been so grateful that Eileen had arrived to comfort him.
Bud and Eileen were slightly surprised (but rapidly became joyful) to learn of an addition to their new nuclear family – or pregnancy – when Eileen woke up early on Christmas Eve morning recognising the familiar sensations of morning sickness.
Bud and Harriet's children – Young AJ, James Kirk Roberts (born Oct2003) – along with Eileen's six-year-old daughter Erin, would be gaining a sibling in the summer of 2006. The Roberts Fertility syndrome was continuing!
In truth, Harriet's parents were delighted to see the healing that was evident in the smile of their "favourite son-in-law" (as Lydia had named him). The airmiles total between the Sims home in Naples Florida and the Roberts home in Rosslyn began to steadily accumulate as 2006 wound on into the summer. Eileen Roberts was in great shape physically; after her late husband's death on 9/11, she had focussed on three things: her daughter Erin; her USN career; and getting fit.
She was determined that she would be around for decades, in order to support Erin for as many years as possible and to compensate for the tragic loss of Erin's dad.
Bud received a surprise promotion early in 2006 – a step up which everyone believed should have been a parting shot at the end of Chegwidden's tenure as the JAG a couple of years earlier. In fairness, "Biff" Cresswell was very satisfied with Bud's performance – especially in his "part-time" advisory role as the "IT Guru of Falls Church".
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Thursday 1st December 2005: 07:55hrs EST
NCIS HQ, Navy Yard, Washington DC, USA
Carolyn Rabb dropped off little Rebecca at the creche and settled into the planning for the "Sadik 2006 search program".
She had patience – and total determination to find and wipe out the vermin responsible for Harriet Roberts' and Alison Krennick's mind-less self-destruction. Even the death of the subjugated Catherine Gale was an item on her Sadik score-card.
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Monday 11th September 2006, 01:27hrs
Maternity Unit, Sibley Memorial Hospital, 5255 Loughboro Rd NW, DC 20016:
The arrival of little Cassandra Eileen Harriet Roberts on July 30th 2006 added to the general joy within the JAG HQ. Little AJ along with James Kirk were delighted to have a little sister. They had obviously been prepared (by father, stepmon and grandparents) for the impending arrival of "your new little sister" and the bedrooms in the Roberts home in Rosslyn were re-arranged to accommodate "the boys" as well as enable Eileen to settle the new Roberts child into the home.
Eileen returned to work in late September 2006 and the baby-care unit in Falls Church picked up another customer.
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Friday 22nd December 2005, 15:45hrs
The "JAG family" Church, Falls Church VA:
It seemed very appropriate to schedule the christening ceremony for Cassandra ("Cassie") Roberts as a prelude to the annual JAG Family Christmas Service at the JAG Church in the run-up to Christmas. Tali Medwick was named as Godmother ("Tuna" was very pleased that his wife continued to merge even more completely into the JAG family) and – in a break from the "Rabb godfather tradition" in the new Roberts family – Alan Mattoni was named as Godfather.
Alan and Jackie – having adopted Dar-Lin after the death of her twin sister in 1999 – had experienced their own miracle a year later when little Annabelle Mattoni made her appearance. The "four-ship" Mattoni family were all present and correct for Cassie's christening.
The JAG Christmas ceremony was continuing to evolve, linking memorials with the determination that "the future will be better". Caitlin and Lester Evans had decided not to hop across "The Pond" for Christmas, having discovered – to their considerable joy – that Trisha Pike-Evans would be gaining a little brother or sister in the new year. The UKRN/USN Poseidon programme was progressing well, so Caitlyn had decided "now or never" and Trisha (the daughter that she had conceived with Harm Rabb on that "stood me up against a wall" motel weekend) was overjoyed with the news. A/N: see my story "Red Mittens and a Rose Garden".
"You know, this Christmas pregnancy reveal is becoming a JAG family tradition" said Jack McBurney to his wife that evening, as they settled in at home and prepared for Christmas.
Faith McBurney-Coleman simply looked at him, smiled, reached behind her to her briefcase and handed him a little white plastic stick. Eyes wide open in surprise, he looked at the indicator - "POSITIVE" – then hugged Faith.
"Merry Christmas, darling".
The McBurney-Coleman twins were now into their second year, so it was looking like their August 2007 second birthdays might be celebrated in the L&D Ward of the Maternity Unit.
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The overall happiness across the JAG realm in 2006 continued as the perfect counterpoint to Sadik's nihilistic hatred of life. 2007 would start to see Carolyn Rabb's NCIS Red Team ramp up the pressure on Sadik and his slave.
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Final A/N 21-AUG-2024: 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 Ch07 of: "Conversion: re-building - the Aftermath." - 2006
Mike: UK, 21-08-2024