"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch08: "Echoes of the past".
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 13-Dec-2024: expanding my original 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. Harm and Mac have now met Diane's parents: the Schonkes explain the story behind the otherwise amazing similarity between Mac and Diane…
A/N – link to Canon Episodes: parallel/alternate universe – light nod to "Second Sight" (S04Ep20 – 27APR1999) and "Death Watch" (S03Ep19 - 31MAR1998).
Characters from FFNET– Harmon Rabb jr; Sarah "Mac" Mackenzie: and (eventually) their family.
"One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch08: "Echoes of the past".
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*FLASHBACK* Previously on "One night in Red Rock Mesa"…
Saturday 10th May 1997 18:40hrs PT
Main family room: Burnett family home, Hidden Valley, La Jolla, CA 92037
Sarah was resting in Harm's arms when the front doorbell rang. Trish answered the door then called out "Harm!" quite sharply. He excused himself, gently (but quickly) sliding out from under Sarah. He replaced his body with a cushion, propping up her gently-swelling midriff. She smiled warmly, hovering between wakefulness and comfortable snoozing, as her babies continued to drain her usual USMC energy levels. She watched his six as he strode quickly out towards his mom's summons.
Sarah could hear the distant conversation. There was serious surprise in Harm's voice as he greeted the (so-far unidentified) visitors. They had clearly dropped by in passing (Trish had previously explained that "open house" was a feature of her Saturday afternoons with Frank).
Sarah jerked more fully alert as Frank walked into the room and gently stroked the back of her hand to wake her.
Trish Burnett guided the visitors into the lounge, where Frank was assisting Sarah to stand up.
The brunette woman took one look at Sarah's face, dropped her eyes to the gently-swelling waist-line, then blurted out her surprise.
"OH! My god – Diane?"
Sarah kept her face impassive - this was getting a little tedious!
Harm quickly stepped between the two women, shaking his head.
"Umm, Aggie, there is something you need to know!"
The woman continued to look straight at Sarah, almost as though she was diving into the Marine's soul. Then tears began.
The gentleman alongside the mystery woman – who also looked rather shocked – turned to Frank, then Harm, then finally Trish before he spoke in the well-modulated tones of the East Coast Ivy League upbringing.
"Good lord – can someone tell me what is going on here? I know that we buried Diane last year."
Harm took the lead – as he had the most complete picture of what was going on.
"OK, here's a short version – but first may I introduce everyone?"
Harm turned to Sarah and took her hand. "May I please introduce my work partner – and fiancée – Major Sarah Catherine Mackenzie of the Jag Corps in Falls Church."
The mystified women blurted out: "Hang on – did you say Mackenzie?"
She looked as though a realisation was dawning – and taking her back some 30 years...
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Harm nodded before continuing quickly: "Yes Aggie; this is Major Sarah Mackenzie, USMC.
He turned to his fiancée: "Mac, may I please introduce Diane's parents – Robert and Agnetha Schonke..."
*END FLASHBACK*
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Saturday 10th May 1997 18:42hrs PT
Main family room: Burnett family home, Hidden Valley, La Jolla, CA 92037
Everyone hugged, tears were shed, and the genuine warmth of the combining families was clear, as Agnetha Schonke took up the story.
"Well, that answers a thirty-plus year mystery. You see – Sarah - during her pregnancy, Deane Mackenzie had become increasingly afraid of Joe and his drunken outbursts. She was genuinely concerned about keeping her child safe. Then she discovered that she was carrying twins. That became a prospect which terrified her."
Harm and Sarah looked at each other, as her hands dropped instinctively to her waistline.
Together, they both thought: "Well, that explains the twins, I guess."
Aggie continued. "I worked in the maternity unit in Yuma." She paused, as long-buried memories began to surface.
"Robert and I had learned – the previous year – that I would never be able to conceive, so we hatched a crackpot plan with Deanne which" she looked across at Sarah – "seems to have worked out rather well, all these years later."
Sarah was a quick learner – and was busy "joining the dots" in the story which was unfolding in front of her… She made the connection ahead of Harm.
"So I had a twin: DAMN – Mom never told me."
Sarah had tears in her eyes. Aggie delved into her handbag and produced a very old, coloured photograph. "Robert just so happened to have colour film in his camera that day – at that moment when I took the picture, you and your sister were about four to five hours old."
Sarah turned the photograph over and – sure enough – written in the back was her date of birth, with no other information. She was mesmerised by the picture, running her fingers over both babies. "So you decided to help Mom by giving a home to one twin…"
"Yes, we named her Diane in tribute to Deanne – her birth mother."
In the middle of the room, Harm was quietly going into shock!
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Agnetha Schonke paused, then looked directly at Mac.
"Sarah, what has become of your mother? We obviously agreed between ourselves, that day in Yuma, never to communicate ever again, so as to keep Joe in blissful ignorance."
Mac snorted in derision, then smiled: "You know, Mrs Schonke…"
Agnetha interrupted Sarah, using the younger woman's military title to make her point.
"Oh Major, do please call me Aggie. I heard Harm call you Mac – what form of address would you prefer?"
Sarah thought for a moment; this was a branch-point in her life, where several conflicting, competing and complementary time-lines were coming crashing together.
"Well – Aggie – thank you. Although my military persona is 'Mac' – all the way through basic training and on to my postings in Bosnia and Okinawa and now to DC, my friends call me Sarah."
She took Harm's hand and smiled at Aggie. "I would be honoured to consider you and Robert as my friends."
Harm placed his other hand over Sarah's, smiled and squeezed gently. She leaned into his shoulder, smiling contentedly as she looked up into the eyes of this shocked man, who (everyone present knew knew) had previously been dating her biological sister...
Aggie and Robert held hands, tears in their eyes. This was almost a dream come true – except with a pregnant Sarah leaning on Harm's shoulder, rather than "their" Diane, gently swelling with the evidence of their love.
Then Mac continued.
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"OK, Aggie – Dad (Joe Mackenzie) made Mom's life a living hell. She finally walked out on my 15th birthday and took my dog – Ruggles – with her. I heard nothing from her and there has been 'radio silence' ever since. Then I left home at 17, got married in a drunken stupor and finally came to my senses thanks to my Uncle Matt. So Joe Mackenzie is just a distance nightmare."
She squeezed Harm's hand, determined to expunge one further painful memory of Joe Mackenzie's drunken ramblings.
"Plus, I am pretty certain that Uncle Matt and Aunt Connie helped me realise that I was NOT, in fact, Joe Mackenzie's 'stupid tramp daughter' as they helped me to grow up, wise up, dry out and to get away from Joe Mackenzie. Then Uncle Matt encouraged me to join the Marines – and everything came together for me."
Aggie Schonke nodded as the understanding developed. They were clearly shocked by Sarah's teenage life experiences. Then Aggie picked up the conversation once more.
"Ah yes, Matt and Connie – we were so sorry to hear that Constance had passed away. But Matt's letters only stopped earlier this year; prior to that, we had exchanged letters almost monthly and he was a tower of strength when Diane was…" She paused, raised a tissue to her eyes, then carried on. "He made a point of staying in touch until this New Year just gone."
"Ah, well: we may be able to explain that."
Sarah looked to Harm for validation and he nodded quickly. Sarah resumed the story.
"Harm and I actually only first met (in the White House Rose Garden of all places!) at the start of this year when I was sent TAD to DC - and our first JAG case involved Uncle Matt, who is now in Leavenworth."
At the Schonkes' matching set of raised eyebrows, Sarah quickly added: "It's complicated but it involved the temporary theft of the Declaration of Independence."
"Ah, I remember that. Well, Sarah, Robert and I have a number of historical documents which might help explain our background with an explanation of you and our Diane. So let's exchange address and contact details."
She paused, then looked directly at Sarah: "assuming that you would want to stay in touch?"
Sarah sprang from her seat, ignoring her twins, and walked across to Aggie Schonke. "Hell yeah! Hey, pregnant or not – you just try and stop me – Auntie!"
The two women hugged.
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Their loving hug was witnessed – and appreciated – by everyone else in the room. Robert turned to Harm and smiled: "Well, that solves a near 30-year-old mystery: we had agreed never to speak about the second baby and so we obviously lost track of the Mackenzies. Wow, to think that you have dated both the sisters."
There was nervous – but friendly – laughter around the room!
Harm nodded. "But be assured Robert, the 'unknowing twin sisters' became wonderful independent women with their own characters – plus Sarah here has gone through the US Marine Corps "Devil-dog" training and she is not only her own woman but – apart from my surprise when we first met – she has tolerated me mistakenly calling her 'Diane' on a couple of occasions. We only have Diane's photo from Annapolis, so my memory of her can be refreshed constantly by looking at Sarah here."
Trish Burnette spoke up. "Well people, apart from organising some snacks, cheese, chips and dips, I have a surprise for Harm."
He raised a quizzical eyebrow.
Trish smiled: "Harm, have you forgotten that box of photographs that we found under your bed during the remodelling?"
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Final A/N 13-DEC-2024: A quick pre-Christmas update for mid-December; further story updates will follow in due course. Mike.
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End of: "One night in Red Rock Mesa" Ch08: "Echoes of the past".
Mike: UK, 13-12-2024