"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch05: "California confusion."
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: Published 05-MAY-2024: continuing this additional short story in the "Don't get too comfortable - you're gonna be working together" Alternative Universe. As you will know if you read my stories, I don't usually "ship" Harm and Mac. A surprise visit to La Jolla sparks surprises in far more directions than Harm had considered.
A/N – link to Canon Episodes: "Cowboys & Cossacks" (S02Ep14 airdate 11-APR-1997)
Characters from FFNET – Harmon Rabb jr; Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie: and (eventually) family.
"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch05: "California confusion."
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Friday 14th March 1997 14:50hrs EDT
Sibley Maternal Foetal Medicine
5255 Loughboro Rd NW, Washington, DC 20016
Harm and Sarah had booked the afternoon off for the first ultrasound scan.
Harm held her hand as the sonographer got to work, apologising for the chill in the ultrasound gel. Sarah had nodded, accepting what was coming.
After a few minutes, the sonographer grunted, then she leaned in and moved the wand once again around Sarah's gel-covered belly. She looked across at Sarah, then up to Harm with a big beaming smile on her face.
"Well, Sarah, you are definitely pregnant: I also reckon we now also know why your pregnancy hormones are elevated."
Harm gestured for Sarah to respond.
"OK, why is that? I presume that my baby is healthy."
"Oh yes, Sarah: your baby is healthy"...
She paused before she delivered the next part of the news:
"...and so is their brother or sister!"
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Tuesday 15th April 1997, 07:56hrs
Ante-room, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA, USA
"Good morning Tiner, is the Admiral free please? The Major and I need a word – jointly – with him."
Tuesday 15th April 1997, 07:59hrs EST
Office of AJ Chegwidden, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA, USA
"Welcome back: congratulations, Major, on the Russian language contribution. It was reassuring to hear that your pregnancy wasn't compromised".
"No sir and thanks for your confidence in me on the mission, I suspect that Harm's probably the nervous wreck, having been effectively hijacked by the mad Russian skipper."
Mac's smile was warm and genuine, as she reached out to caress Harm's hand. This had increasingly become their natural signal of communication.
Rear Admiral AJ Chegwidden smiled at his two leading lawyers over the rim of his reading glasses. They had returned from the high-seas fiasco with the USS Cayuga and the mentally-unstable Russian skipper. Yuri Kretchiak had promised to send a "babushka" Russian wooden doll for Mac's upcoming babies.
She was beginning to assess her workload, despite having acquitted herself with distinction during the "rumble with the Russians". She was now well into her fourth month of this unexpected pregnancy and reality was starting to knock on her door. "I'm a Marine" would only get her so far.
She was relishing the challenge and was now entirely at home with wearing the Rabb family engagement ring. However with the twin embryos hitting each expected development mark, she knew that – probably sometime pretty soon – she would need to bow to maternal priorities. Hence, their decision whilst flying back to CONUS that they needed to take the initiative on some career planning for both of them. Better to give the Admiral a proposal, than to sit and take whatever might come their way.
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The Admiral prepared to pass on the positive feedback from US Central Command. He also needed to have – at some point – a slightly-delicate conversation with the expectant mother and he was still tiptoeing around the best way to broach the subject. Career-wise, there was no doubt that the arrival of Major Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie had been positive for the JAG HQ in general – and one Harmon Rabb jr in particular. There had been good vibrations and continuing positive feedback.
"Mac" (the universal form of address in the JAG HQ office had adopted Sarah Mackenzie's referred form of address from the first meeting in the White House Rose Garden).
She looked at him: this might be "the talk" which she had been anticipating since her morning sickness had struck, out of the blue, on that morning some months back.
AJ continued. "I believe that it is time for us to discuss – with your fiancé in the room unless you would prefer privacy – the coming months and – potentially – the longer-term career aspirations for Major Sarah Rabb-to-be."
She smiled and nodded, reaching out for Harm's hand.
"Yes, Sir. Harm and I will be looking at the ideal options for us, but we would welcome your guidance. We'll also be heading out to California early in May to update Harm's mother and his stepfather."
"OK, what are your ideal future plans subject to the needs of the service?"
"Well sir, the ideal arrangements look like this…"
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Friday 9th May 1997 15:20hrs PT
Burnett family home, Hidden Valley, La Jolla, CA 92037
Trisha Burnett had barely been able to contain her excitement since Harm had telephoned her two weeks before.
His announcement had - typically - been shrouded in mystery. Not even his godfather, RAdm Thomas "Tom" Boone, had been able to shed any light in response to Trisha's subtle probing.
In announcing that he had "great news to share", her only son had then reverted into his "silence of the clams" incommunicado approach, but he *had* promised that it was very good news which he wanted – no, he NEEDED - to deliver in person.
She heard the wheels of the hire car crunch on the gravel at the end of its journey up from San Diego airport. Harm had swung the car around so that his driver's side was facing the front door.
Obviously someone else had alighted on the far side of the car. Harm walked around and solicitously guided the second visitor around the front of the car and up to the front door, where Trisha found herself – in total amazement - welcoming his guest whom she recognised.
"Hello Diane! Apologies for my surprised expression, but Tom Boone was rabbiting on last year about you being murdered. How lovely to see you again after all these years."
"Mom…"
Harm's interjections from the side were ignored as Trisha continued welcoming the younger woman who stood in front of her, looking slightly uneasy.
"Mom!"
At this point, the female visitor turned to Harm, raised a hand in the universal military "stop" sign (and also revealing the Rabb family ring on her left hand), then turned to face Trisha again. Trisha continued.
"I must say, Diane, that you are looking well…" Just then, a gust of breeze from the Pacific pushed the younger woman's cotton dress against the front of her body, showing in full detail the fact that she was approaching the mid-point of a pregnancy…
"Oh Diane; congratulations. I guess that explains the Rabb family ring; welcome (finally) to the family; I am just so sorry that my son took so many years to 'make an honest woman out of you' - but congratulations on the baby."
As she spoke, Trisha eventually realised that Diane's voice had dropped about half an octave from the voice which she remembered, all those years ago, as they shared the vigil at Harm's hospital bedside after the ramp strike.
Trisha frowned – this was most confusing. Her female visitor continued speaking, thanking Trisha for the invitation and the welcome and hospitality.
Finally, Harm couldn't contain his frustration (or excitement) anymore.
"Mom – this isn't Diane…!"
Then realisation dawned.
"Oh holy crap! Harmon David Rabb junior - EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
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Final A/N 05-MAY-2024: steadily getting back into the saddle after 16 funerals in 2023 and our "trip of a lifetime" to New Zealand and Australia earlier this year. Story updates will follow in due course. Mike.
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End of: "One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch05: "California confusion."
Mike: UK, 05-05-2024