Author:
McRose - the writing team of highplainswoman and janlaw
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Date Posted: 07:26:57 04/22/07 Sun
In reply to:
McRose
's message, "Doppelgänger" on 19:52:35 04/06/07 Fri
Doppelgänger Chapter 8
WARNING – See A/N 3 to the Prologue. If you are convinced that LT Sleaze is a sociopath, not salvageable etc etc you may wish to opt out of the rest of the story. Up to you. However, we pose this theory to you: most if not all fans of the show and JAG fanfiction believe that Harm has leadership qualities. If you believe that, then why can’t you believe that he can turn Vuk around?
Author’s Note. The “Snowflake Twins” were created by highplainswoman for the story “Afterburners.” Sadly not yet finished (it will be …someday…promise …) it can be found on fanfiction.net. LT Chris Shane and LT Becca Fielding are cousins – young JAG Corps officers who met Vic when they reported to JAG HQ shortly before he transferred to the JLSO in summer 2005. For the purpose of “Doppelgänger,” they were transferred to the JLSO in January 2007 and the events chronicled in “Afterburners” did not take place.
CO’s Office, Joint Legal Service Office
Naval Station
San Diego
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
“Riiingg.” Grabbing her phone, Mac noted that the call was coming in on her private line, the LED display telling her it was Harm.
“Hey, Sailor,” her low, slightly husky voice, with just a hint of laughter and anticipation, never failed to arouse him. “Hey, ‘Skipper,’” his use of the honorific normally reserved for a Navy commanding officer was intended to both tease and reflect his pride in her.
“Haaarmmmm,” her quick chuckle at the ‘skipper’ was, as it always was, their personal shorthand – the unspoken communication they’d shared for over ten years now. “I’m not in the Navy.”
“I don’t care. I like calling you ‘skipper'.”
“Sooooo…Captain double-oh-seven…what’s up?”
Now he was the one laughing. “Need a small favor.”
“Personal or professional?” Mac was the only one who could make routine business-like chat sound sexy.
“Sorta-both.” Harm explained that Conlon had called back to let him know that he couldn’t come to San Diego himself, but that Annabeth Chase would represent the D.A.’s Office, observing Petty Officer Morrison’s trial for fraudulent enlistment, perjury, obstruction of justice, UA and missing movement. “He said she’s never been to San Diego before; she’ll arrive Sunday. I was thinking you could ask Vukovic to meet her, take her to Pass and ID for her rental car pass and a visitor’s badge for the week so she can get through the gate Monday without any trouble.”
“I don’t think he has the duty this weekend, and the duty section should really be the ones to take care of her. All the troops work hard - I don’t like asking someone to give up their liberty …um-m-m-m …did you have a special reason for wanting him?” Mac paused, wondering what Harm was up to. Maybe…. “Which one is it, anyway? The blond or the brunette?” San Diego’s local paper and TV stations had seized on and played up the local Navy angle; which had the JLSO’s and AIRPAC’s PAOs fielding questions right and left, since the JFK was deployed. Mac had seen both prosecutors with Conlon at the press conference in front of the courthouse in Indianapolis, and Tracy had been complimentary towards both women when she debriefed Harm and Mac upon her return to San Diego, before she codded out to the ship.
“I dunno …I really can’t remember which was which; both were at all the meetings and in court. The other one’s called “Mo” but I think that’s part of her first name, not her last. We could do it, but we’re taking Mahara and the Roberts’ kids to Sea World Sunday. I figure Vic’s the natural one to meet her; he’s trial counsel for the court-martial so he can give her a rundown on what’ll happen Monday …and alert her that the press’ll corner her at some point if they realize who she is, since she prosecuted Juice O’Malley.”
“Okay.” Mac shrugged, not really caring who met the visiting prosecutor. “As favors go, if it involves Vic, I owe you, anyway. You did good with Vukovic, Harm, you really did. Taking him TAD at NCIS for five months after Bud and I took command to shape him up or make the case for adsepping him was one of the best favors you ever did for me. I think it was a wake up for him from the git-go – more like the alarm blaring in his ear – right from when the three of us met with him after the change of command and told him how the train was gonna run.”
“I started to see it when he snared the disbursing scam artists back in February – his first big investigation with you, Jen, and the ‘Snowflake twins.’ He definitely started to “get” what ethics and integrity are all about when he was offered a pretty high dollar bribe to tank that case. Now that you’ve returned him to the JLSO, we can see that he’s still Vic, but not the same Vic we knew at JAG. He’s really changed, and not just the way he acts with his DivO, the other J.O.’s and the enlisteds, not to mention Bud and myself. He’s confident in his abilities because he knows he’s prepared, without the overbearing arrogance and sleaze. I’ve no qualms about him prosecuting Morrison with the press watching. And, Bud gave 2nd chair to Snowflake “A” – it seems like all Becca has to do is look at Vic and he snaps to.”
“Good.” Harm really was pleased with how he’d turned Vukovic around. “Bud told me on the q.t. that Vic went to the petty officer and the ensign he’d kept hitting on last year, apologizing for how he’d acted. He went to Bud first, to get Bud’s approval to contact them. I think Bud might’ve called each one first. And, the scuttle’s reached Bud that he’s told Graves he wouldn’t feel right dating a coworker – she’d invited him to some party.” Harm laughed wryly. “Bud says he’s not in love with her, so it’s not like it was with us ….”
“God, I hope not – I wouldn’t wish those years of angst on anyone.” Mac too could laugh now, at Harm’s oblique reference to their long history of bicker and banter at JAG. “Every day it seems longer ago and farther away, Harm ….that part of our lives....”
“Hey, you’ll have us getting old ...getting grey ...don‘t do that…” Funny, Harm thought, most days he felt younger, not older. Maybe that’s what happiness was doing for him.
“Anyway, you’re right about orienting Conlon’s rep for the trial and the press coverage we know we’re in for. I’ll speak to Vic or have Bud do it – that stuff’s the XO’s job!” Mac returned to Harm’s request that Vic meet the prosecutor from Indianapolis upon her arrival.
“And, I think we should have her to the house one evening during the week, maybe grill on the pool deck. I’ll ask Bud and Harriet too…Whichever one she is – the blond or the brunette -- they both looked pretty young on TV at the press conference with you and Conlon; maybe the J.O.’s can entertain her another evening or two, take her to one of the hot spots in the Gaslamp. In fact,” Mac was thinking out loud, “the ones getting out might be interested in talking to her about what it’s like in a busy D.A.’s office – I know some are applying for Assistant D.A. and Assistant Public Defender jobs. Maybe she’d be willing to talk to anyone interested and answer questions after court recesses one afternoon.”
Switching topics smoothly, Mac twitted her husband. “Ready for Shamu, Sailor? It’s all Mahara’s been talking about since we told her we’d take her.”
“Better Shamu than the overgrown rodent again,” Harm shot back, “I’ll never live down those mouse ears you all made me wear!”
“In the photo album, Sailor….gotta go…see you at home.” Mac could barely speak she was laughing so hard at the mental picture of Harm with Mahara on his shoulders, bending down and leaning over that she culd give Mickey-the-mouse a kiss, both of them wearing mouse ears on their heads! Harm must not have seen the similar picture Bud had on his bookcase. Life was so good .... she had everything she'd ever wanted.
End Chapter Eight
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