HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
WASHINGTON DC
THURSDAY
1845 HRS
"Harm, I noticed that Admiral Nakamura was in today." Meg said. She remembered that from the JAGMAN investigation in 1995 as second officer on the case and how driven Harm was to get then Commander Nakamura the award as was given by then Commodore James Pointer the battlegroup commander involved in the SEAL Team rescue of a VF-41 Black Aces Tomcat crew that had gone down doing a TARPS recon mission over North Korea. "I think he was meeting with AJ."
"Yeah. I had a talk with AJ today too." Harm said as he looked at Meg. "He came back, proffered the Imes cases and not a whole lot else. Animal, if you recall, on the other hand came by to see me yesterday and proffered me a damn good offer, O-6 and COMNAVAIRSYS JAG."
Meg looked at him. "You'd be crazy not to take Admiral Nakamura's offer. You told me about it back on Wednesday night and I think it's probably the best offer you're going to get out of the whole deal."
"Add to that: the office situation is toxic over at JAG HQ." Harm replied as she held his hands.
"Harm, whatever you decide is up to you…" She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips which he eagerly accepted. It seemed as though deep down in his heart he had reconciled that Meg was his woman. He had missed her so much when she had disappeared and he couldn't believe his good fortune that she was back in his life. "…and I support your decision whatever it is, just so long as I get one promise."
Harm looked at her blue eyes. "And…" he paused searching in their depths for the answer to everything that he ever dreamed possible.
"And that's that I get to always be in your life."…and there it was.
"But…" Harm said pausing dramatically and making Meg fear that she was being set up for rejection. "what if I want more?" he said taking her by the hands. "What if I want forever? If I went back to JAG I wouldn't be able to make things work the way I want it to. I wouldn't be able to have you, because we'd be in the same chain of command."
"And with you at Patuxent River?" Meg thought to ask. "How will we make it work? Not that I'm saying that we can't. I just want a solution to our problems before we go over. And above all, you're going to have to tell Admiral Chegwidden that you're not accepting his offer."
"I know…and that's probably the easiest part of the decision." Harm said. "I don't mind the fallout, just so long as it doesn't affect you. Nor do I care what it is that Admiral Chegwidden thinks. I'm beyond that." He paused as he took a drink of the wine that they were having with dinner. "I'm just glad that I'm not in the same chain of command so that I can pursue a relationship with you."
"I'm glad of that too." Meg said. "I think you need to call Admiral Nakamura and tell him that you need to discuss this with him at JAG HQ. That way you tell both Admiral Chegwidden and Nakamura at the same time. And I'll be with you every step of the way, Harm." It was too early in their relationship to start calling each other pet-names and endearments. Each of them were feeling out the relationship and finding where they stood. At least they knew anyhow that they were a part of each other's lives and that was the number one thing.
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
FRIDAY MORNING
0830 HRS
Animal strode through the twin doors of the JAG office resplendent in service dress blues. "Good morning." He said as the whole bullpen snapped to attention. "As you were. I'm just visiting. Save it for the JAG."
"Who is right behind him." AJ said "What brings you out this morning…to gloat."
"Nope, Admiral. Commander Rabb told me that he made a decision and that he'd like to present his decision at the JAG office." Animal stated. "And no, Admiral. I have absolutely no idea what his decision is."
'Like hell he doesn't.' AJ thought to himself. 'Dangling an O-6 commission in front of Rabb is like hanging a red blanket in front of a bull…and expecting him not to charge. No idea…bullshit.'
Rabb came in dressed in civilian suit and tie. "Mr. Rabb." AJ said. "Good to see you."
"Good to see you too, AJ." He said. "Getting that last in before I end up having to call you sir again."
"Testing the waters of an Article 89, aren't you?" AJ muttered sarcastically as Harm ignored him.
"Good to see you too, Animal." Harm said. Animal just grinned at him.
"Good morning. Harm." Animal replied. There really was no 'I am superior officer' attitude that Animal had. 18 months of basic and advanced flight training syllabus had beaten that out of the two. Animal, though he was wearing the stripes of a rear admiral (upper half) was just Animal, his former flight instructor and that was the friendship the two of them had had over the years regardless of their difference in rank. Animal had instilled 'self-confidence in his flight skills' in his young student that enabled Harm to have the guts to do the Pardo Push over Bosnia, saving his wingman, which earned Harm his 2nd Distinguished Flying Cross.
"Well, shall we retire to the conference room." AJ asked.
"I request LCOL Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Meg Austin as witnesses and Yeoman 2 Coates, Commander Sturgis Turner, Lieutenants Sims and Roberts so that I don't have to repeat myself in the bullpen afterwards. Commander Nakamura from the Judiciary to make this official. Am I missing anyone else? " Harm said with a smug look at both of them. Mac frowned as Meg smiled knowingly. Harm didn't miss the cold look that Mac gave Meg when she smiled as Meg already knew what Harm's decision was.
"Very well…" AJ replied, he ushered the other seven officers, one enlisted and one civilian (returning to military service) to the conference room. As they arranged themselves in the room, tellingly, Harm beside Meg, Lia, Jen Coates, Bud and Animal; Mac, Turner, Harriet and AJ on the other side. "Well, Harm, we're waiting…with baited breath."
Harm took a long look at AJ and Mac, passing his gaze between Animal, Harm's friends at JAG and Meg and then stood up. "In the interests of keeping this meeting as short as possible, I've had the opportunity to review both offers in the light of which they were given. Considering the short-staffed nature of the Judge Advocate General office and balancing the needs of that office with the offer that was presented to me by Admiral Nakamura here as well as the offer of an O-6 position in a command that will have me primarily around aircraft. Believe me, it was a tough decision." At that point Harm paused for another long assessing look at the people around him looking down the other side at Sturgis Turner, Mac, Harriet and AJ.
"Well…" AJ sounded impatient.
"I've decided to take the COMNAVAIRSYS JAG position offered. It offers me the added opportunity of utilizing my experience with naval air systems as well as my JAG experience in legal matters and combines a situation where I will be most comfortable in." At this statement from Harm AJ's brow furrowed. He knew that with Admiral Nakamura's prime offer on the table, he hadn't had a snowball's chance in hell of getting Rabb back.
Mac cried out. "You can't? We need you." Harm noticed that it was a 'we', not an I. How much longer was Mac going to keep him dangling.
"There was also one other mitigating factor for me in order to take the position that Admiral Nakamura offered me, one that Admiral Nakamura himself brought to light and Commander Meg Austin verified." He paused as he scanned Mac's face. Her eyes were not on him, but glaring at Commander Meg Austin who just smiled back at Mac. 'Oh, there was going to be nuclear fireworks.' he thought to himself. "Admiral Chegwidden, there is the matter of my relationship with Commander Meg Austin."
"WHAT?!" Mac's shout came on top of Meg's snicker of laughter at Mac's response and the punctuating gasps of surprise from darned near everybody in the conference room with the exception of Animal and Meg.
"That's an Article 133 charge, COMMANDER RABB!" Admiral Chegwidden thundered. "You could lose your oak leaf for that!"
"Negative, Admiral!" Animal stood up. He'd had enough of AJ's bluster "If I'm led to believe correctly, for an Article 133, you have to be in the same chain of command. Now I'm no lawyer." Animal spit that out as if the word was distasteful in the eyes of a former combat aviator. "But I believe that Commander Austin and Captain..." he paused for a moment to drive that rank home in AJ's mind. "Rabb did not formalize any part of their relationship prior to his becoming a civilian and as far as I'm concerned, their relationship was formalized when Captain Rabb was a civilian so as such, it does not fall under my purview as his new executive officer, the commanding officer being an old friend of mine." Animal said this so smugly that AJ wanted to drive a fist through the oak table…and Animal aimed an evil smirk at AJ. "And besides…" he paused for a moment to let AJ fume a little more. "even if Captain Rabb was in contravention of Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it is up to the commanding officer to determine whether or not Article 133 charges would even come into play. I believe formalization of Article 133 charges are determined by the CO of the unit rather than at the discretion of the Judge Advocate General. I may be a dumb aviator, Admiral, but I'm not THAT stupid. I'm pretty certain that I could get Vice-Admiral Hadfield to look the other way. When I served with him in VF-41 he was a closet romantic, especially during his recreation time at Naples with the girls there."
Admiral Chegwidden was gritting his teeth so hard that it seemed as though they would bust. Harm took a moment to look at Mac; her eyes were locked with Meg and an expression that clearly read 'This isn't over yet!' was clearly written on her face.
"Now that that's out of the way and you know which way Captain Rabb has decided, I believe there is a promotion ceremony. Animal gathered a garment bag from the chair beside him, unzipped the garment bag, handed him his uniform. I'll give you ten minutes to go get yourself dressed in your proper uniform so that you can take your recommissioning oath. Harm departed with the uniform shirt, pants, shoes etc, that Animal had purchased for him. In ten minutes, he had returned with his service blues on, his four gold stripes gleaming from each sleeve, dressed as a United States Navy Captain. Animal grinned and then raised his own right hand stating solemnly as any formal naval aviator could. "Mr. Rabb…Attention to orders." He grinned. "Raise your right hand, 'I, Harmon Rabb Jr. do solemnly swear, that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God'. Congratulations, Captain Rabb." Then he looked at Commander Meg Austin. "Commander, PDA regulations are hereby suspended for the next…oh…" he looked at his watch and grinned. "2 minutes."
Meg grinned back at Animal, threw her arms around Harm and gave him a kiss on the lips while Animal looked over at Mac to assess her reaction. He was sure he could see a nuclear mushroom cloud going up over her head as she fumed in silence. Bud, Lia and Jen were both smiling at the display of affection being shown by Meg Austin and Harm Rabb. Sturgis was indifferent, AJ wasn't happy about this seeing as how he'd lost one of his best lawyers. Harriet just looked sour as she had hoped her friend would have been the one to take Harm off the market.
Mac muttered under her breath. "Oh, this isn't over yet…not by a long shot, squid…"
"Congratulations, sir." Commander Sturgis Turner replied as he extended a hand to Harm once Harm and Meg had separated.
"Sturgis, between the two of us, it'll always be Harm." Harm grinned as he extended a hand.
"Congratulations, Captain. I guess the better man won." AJ extended his hand.
"No, sir. It was just the simple fact that we got off on the wrong foot ever since my resigning my commission to go chase after Mac in Chaco Boreal and just went downhill from there ever since my return. With all due respect, there was no way that I could ever serve under your command after all that has happened; not that it was any of our fault."
"So tell me something, Captain Rabb…" AJ said as he crossed his arms, nodded his head and then looked Harm directly in the eyes. "Was it all worth it?"
"To tell you the truth, not in the way that I had expected that it would turn out, sir. But yes, it was all worth it. It finally told me just exactly where I stood." He left that vague comment out there to stand on its own merits; for the other to figure it out.
"Very well, Captain Rabb. Congratulations on your promotion and good luck at your new posting." AJ nodded as he exited the room. It felt like the end of an era with Harm, but he knew that he was going to a better future.
"Captain, I guess I should say congratulations." Mac said, as she stepped up to him, extending her right hand to shake his. "I didn't realize that it would come to this. That you were departing JAG."
"Oh, I'm still a JAG…it's just that I have a position at Pax River." He grinned. "And a position that finally feels right."
"You know that things aren't going to be the same without you here." Mac said raising an eyebrow at Meg who returned the favor at her. "I guess no more JAGMAN investigations together, right…"
"Nope, I guess, not." Harm replied. Mac gave Meg another look as if to say. 'this isn't over yet.' And said quietly to Harm. "Best of luck on your new position, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie." Harm said as Mac turned around and walked out of the conference room.
In the meanwhile, Animal pulled a small sheaf of papers out of his uniform coat, and walked over to Yeoman Coates. "Yeoman Coates?"
"Yes, sir!" Jen snapped into a position of attention as she looked directly at the Asian US Navy Rear Admiral (upper half). "What can I do for you, sir."
"Well, Yeoman Coates…since I appear to be pissing off AJ quite considerably today. I figured I'd do one more thing to send him screaming off the edge..." Animal said with a grin that stretched widely across his face. "I need some staff on my already meagre yeomans' staff, you'd be reporting to Chief Yeoman Leon Trebalos. And since you've indicated how much you hold Captain Rabb in high regard that you'd be much happier where Captain Rabb is." He handed two pages to her keeping two pages for himself.
"Yes, sir." Jen looked up at him with absolute gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you so much, sir."
"Well, Yeoman 2? Would you prefer to present it to Admiral Chegwidden or would you like me to block bullets for you? Jen." He winked at her informally calling her by Coates' first name.
"If it wouldn't be too much problem, sir. I'd prefer to ask you to do it, sir." She said, looking as though she'd much rather face a pit of pissed off Gaboon vipers than present transfer orders to Admiral Chegwidden, especially on a day that he lost his best attorney.
"Not a problem, Jen." Animal grinned relishing the thought. Oh, he loved the joys of being equal rank with Admiral Chegwidden who was fond of the attitude of 'know your rank and place'. 'Stubborn ol' SEAL.' Animal thought to himself. 'See how you like this one!'. "See you on Monday at Pax River, Jen, and those two pages are for you to present to YNC Trebalos."
"Yes, sir…." Jen snapped to with the biggest smile on her face that she could ever have and said joyously "Thank you so much, sir."
Getting greetings and congratulations from the rest of the crowd, Harm and Meg headed out to the bullpen.
In the interim, Jen returning to her desk stated to Admiral Chegwidden on intercom. "RADM Nakamura to see you, sir."
"Alright. Send him in."
REAR ADMIRAL CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
Rear Admiral Nakamura grinned as he entered in the office. AJ got up, muttering pungent oaths said. "You blindsided me, Admiral."
"Well, AJ. You dug your own hole." On top of that. Animal tossed the two pages onto his desk. "Congratulations…" Animal gave him a hard look. "SECNAV gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. And on top of that now, I'm short-staffed too so…I took the opportunity to get some orders cut." Animal gave him another hard look as AJ looked over the two sheets of paper.
"YOU'RE GODDAMNED WELL TAKING MY YEOMAN?!" AJ bellowed furious at the fact that Animal was swiping Coates. "Anybody else you want, Nakamura?! Mac? Maybe even Turner!? HOW ABOUT I JUST GIVE YOU MY GODDAMNED OFFICE LIST AND YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO SCOUR MY OFFICE CLEAN!"
"Not a chance. They don't have the skill-set I'm looking for." Animal retorted. "And you're going to give yourself a myocardial infarction if you don't power down. Admiral!"
JAG BULLPEN
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
Harm, Mac and Meg looked at each other at the cacophony emanating from their commanding officer's office. "Do you know what's going on?" Mac asked. The two admirals appeared to be at each other's throats.
"Ma'am." Jen Coates looked up from hustling papers to and from the various desks and stated. "I think it's because I received orders, ma'am."
"What orders?" Mac looked at Jen in surprise.
"My transfer orders, ma'am." Jen said. "With Captain Rabb now at Pax River, ma'am…" she looked like she was joyous, yet sad locking eyes with Harm, "I have no place here, ma'am. I can't work in this atmosphere, ma'am."
"Where are you going? Coates?" Mac asked.
"I've been transferred, ma'am… to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Where I can serve a commanding officer and executive officer and a COMNAVAIRSYS JAG that I am able to work under, ma'am." Jen said.
Mac looked as though she was being left behind. "Well…I guess all I can say is good luck to you, Coates."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
Harm grinned. "Well…Jen. Welcome aboard." He extended his hand and shook Coates "It'll be good to see another familiar face at Pax River."
"Thank you, sir."
Meg smiled at Jen, "I'm so glad that he won't be leaving everyone familiar behind. The only one he knows over at Pax River is Admiral Nakamura."
REAR ADMIRAL CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
"There any way I can block this?" AJ growled. "You did an end-run around me, Admiral. You bunted and took first while your team-mate took home plate!"
"Don't think so, Admiral." Animal said smugly then gave AJ a more serious look. "The thing I see here, is that your attitude has to change around the office, or retaining your staff is going to be a hell of a chore. I don't know where or when your attitude changed, AJ, but it's been slowly poisoning your office." AJ looked up with a hint of deep anger and was about to bite down on Animal when Animal said, a cold expression on his face. "AJ, you know damned fucking well, that I'm the only one with the rank and uniform around here that will tell you to your face, just exactly what the hell has been going on." He paused as he paced the room. "You either change…AJ or you're going to be facing your exit interview. So this may be your last year in uniform and you may have nothing to lose, thanks to SECNAV telling you it's the highway, AJ, but you damned well better understand that you owe a duty to your staff to make your office a workable atmosphere. So read me and read me well, AJ. This isn't coming from me, it's coming from the Chief of Naval Operations, the SECNAV…and above all, the President of the United States. The repercussions from the atmosphere in your office has been reaching atmospheric heights and it's getting to that…point…where higher ups are taking notice. And trust me, AJ, it's only a matter of time before they take action!"
"And they sent you as the messenger boy to read me the riot act?"
"Could have been worse, AJ…they could've sent my commanding officer. But he had more important things to do, than reading you the riot act!"
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