"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch06: "Meet the in-laws."
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 22-Aug-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: ?
Characters from FFNET– Harmon Rabb jr; Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie: and (eventually) family.
"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch06: "Meet the in-laws."
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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. Her happy explosion of joy managed to resist – for quite some time – Harm's attempts to inject reality into her "joyful grandmother-to-be" welcome speech to the pregnant brunette standing before her and wearing the Rabb family ring.
"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 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, whilst reaching out to her side for Harm's hand.
Finally, Harm couldn't contain his frustration (or excitement) anymore. He managed to inject a sentence…
"Mom – this isn't Diane…!"
Then realisation dawned.
"Oh holy crap! Harmon David Rabb junior - EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
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Friday 9th May 1997 15:24hrs PT
Burnett family home, Hidden Valley, La Jolla, CA 92037
Trisha Burnett wasn't very often short of words. As an accomplished art gallery owner (and the wife of a senior VP at Chrysler) she would often be called upon to break the ice and make small-talk.
But this wasn't small-talk.
Harm had (finally) "got it together" with a young woman and the next generation of the Rabb dynasty was clearly on its way and growing beneath the summer dress of the young woman standing in front of her, who bore such a close resemblance to….
"Mom, may I introduce you to my partner – and the upcoming mother of our children – Major Sarah Mackenzie of the US Marine Corps. Sarah, my mom, Trisha Burnett."
"OH! Sarah, please forgive me – but the resemblance.."
"Yes Mrs Burnett, I am beginning to learn about 'the resemblance'. Harm froze when we first met, then dropped hints for the next 48 hours during our first mission together. I had joked with him on our first night that I must have had a twin somewhere, but I didn't truly pick up when he said 'not any more'. In fact, it wasn't for a coupla weeks (before he called me 'Diane' yet again!) that I called him on it and then he explained about Diane's murder last year."
Trish Burnett was listening to the young woman speak, with a natural authority and confidence that she had never truly seen in young Diane. Well, at least Tom Boone had been telling the truth – admittedly only in snippets – last year.
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This young woman had a confidence that had always been lacking (or hidden) in Diane Schonke. Maybe it was the US Marine Corps programming (Harm had mentioned the Marine Corps when he introduced his Sarah to Trisha).
"Well, Sarah – and Harm; please come in and we've got some drinks ready. Sarah, I assume that you're not drinking, but I presume that tea, coffee or juice would work for you?"
"Yes thanks Mrs Burnett, I'm avoiding alcohol for obvious reasons." She absent-mindedly stroked her bump: "and these two seem to be able to tolerate caffeine early in the day (so far they've been pretty placid on the flight over)."
Trish turned to her. "So, the first Rabb twins in who-knows-how-many generations – that must be your Mackenzie contribution to the gene pool?"
"Very probably; Harm was most keen that I explore the Rabb family tree and the genealogy, so expect some questions this evening and tomorrow because I would love to know more."
"SO, what about your family, Sarah?" Before Harm could leap in again, Sarah had looked at him and shaken her head – she would deal with this question head-on.
"Unfortunately Mrs Burnett…"
"Oh please Sarah, call me Trisha or – if not too presumptuous – "mom"; you ARE family now, like it or not."
Sarah smiled, broadly, as she nodded her head: "Well in that case, "Mom", I accept. No, unfortunately my own mother left home on the day of my 15th birthday and my Dad was a hopeless drunk. It was my uncle and his wife who really helped set me on the path to adulthood and the USMC (even though my Dad was a serving Marine). I really want to know more about this family that I am marrying into."
"And so you shall, Sarah; so you shall. Come and please sit whilst I serve the tea."
Sarah relaxed into the over-stuffed cushions on the couch and looked across at Harm; he was evidently beginning to finally relax.
Mother-to-be (wife-to-be) had met the future mother-in-law and everything seemed to be going smoothly…
The conversations flowed easily and the family photograph albums came out. Trisha gave a brief potted history of Harm Senior and his loss over Vietnam, then turned to how she had met, been wooed by and then married Frank Burnett (who would be arriving in around a half-hour, at which point everyone would be sitting down for dinner). It turned out that Trisha was a stickler for "proper meals" – and Sarah found herself relaxing further as the evening wore on.
She realised that her energy levels were beginning to drop away in the evenings – another reason to have a conversation with Admiral Chegwidden about a change of posting. With the twins on board, she was only going to get bigger in the coming months.
Thinking back, she was beginning to realise that the "Russian adventure" the previous month might not have been the wisest move for her, but she had enjoyed the mission and had (more-or-less!) acquitted herself honourably.
No, there was no doubt about it – Major Sarah Mackenzie would HAVE to step back from front-line duties for six months or more.
She was pretty certain that her husband-to-be might insist on it!
At that thought, she looked across the dining room table and smiled at Harm over the soup, just as Frank Burnett arrived home.
"Diane?"
"Sadly no, Mister Burnett – but hello and I am learning more about my unknown 'twin'. I am Sarah Mackenzie and I have the honour to be your stepson's fiancée (and the mother of his first children)."
Frank, in the middle of shaking hands, cast his eyes down towards Sarah's mid-riff. "Well, congratulations and welcome to the family; we are delighted – and surprised – to have you joining us, young Sarah."
He turned to Harm: "Have you explained about the other 'Sarahs' scattered through the family?"
Harm chuckled, reached out for Sarah's hand and replied: "No, not yet, but Sarah knows about airplane Sarah (we had a bit of an adventure in that Sarah back in the spring) but I've not mentioned Grams yet."
Sarah raised an expressive eyebrow as she looked across at Harm.
"The other Sarah Rabb is my grandmother, over in Pennsylvania."
"Well, in that case I know one name that we shall *not* be using, come Christening time" she retorted, smiling. Gentle laughter rippled around the table, then the food service got under way.
The evening passed by very quickly and it was not long before (paying due attention to the three-hour time difference between the East Coast and California) Sarah began to yawn.
Trish quickly patted her hand. "Sarah, I know that carrying one Rabb child ran down my energy levels, so I can only guess at what your pair of babies are doing to you. It is no problem if you decide to head up early; we'll look after the dishes down here and Harm knows the way."
Half an hour later, with Sarah fast asleep in the guest room, Harm re-joined his parents for a nightcap. He didn't dwell on his fiancée's brave disclosure to him, back in January, regarding her alcoholism – and he saw no reason to share the knowledge. His Sarah was pregnant and she was off alcohol – that would suffice.
Frank had brought out the "secret" bottle of 12-year-old Scotch (Trisha kept an eagle eye on him, knowing about his heart) and all three sipped their way through a 20-minute quick background summary from Harm covering JAG, Sarah, the Rose Garden, Uncle Matt and the amazing surprise in March (and again when the ultrasound confirmed "double trouble").
Eventually, everyone pottered off to bed, ready for the new adventures of a California morning.
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Saturday 10th May 1997 05:10hrs PT
Guest suite: Burnett family home, Hidden Valley, La Jolla, CA 92037
Sarah Mackenzie awoke to an insistent but pressing problem; one of her two "little darlings" was doing his or her morning exercises – and was using Sarah's bladder as a football!
She slid out of bed and made her way to the en-suite bathroom where she relished in the feeling of relief which washed over her (well, technically, it flooded out of her!) and she returned to bed without disturbing her fiancé.
Looking at the Rabb ring on her finger in the low light, she idly wondered how Harm would react if her waters broke at night. Would he panic (like 90% of new fathers, she surmised) or would he apply the iron-disciplined "Fly-Boy" approach and simply deal with the problem.
She knew that she had a few months to find out and to prepare the father of her new children.
Sarah rolled over, propped her "bump" on Harm's arm, then drifted off back to sleep.
Fortunately, her little "soccer star" hitch-hiker had also heard the whistle for "full-time" and end of play!
She slumbered on, comfortable alongside her fiancé.
A new day in California lay ahead of Harmon Rabb jr and Sarah Mackenzie.
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Final A/N 22-AUG-2024: steadily returning to the new normal in summer 2024. Story updates will follow in due course. Mike.
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End of: "One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch06: "Meet the in-laws."
Mike: UK, 22-08-2024