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Date Posted: 15:45:42 05/12/05 Thu
Author: Laura BF
Subject: Inside
In reply to: Laura BF 's message, "Time, Not Eternity 7/8?" on 15:44:41 05/12/05 Thu

Time, Not Eternity 7/8? -- LauraBF,
As promised, here's chapter seven. Sorry it took me
so long, anyway. RL reared its ugly head. This
should take about one more chapter to wrap up, and
then I've got a Fair Winds and Following Seas
follow-up planned. After that, well, I've got a few
ideas that we'll just have to see about. ;) I need to
be writing saleable literary fiction for magazines so
that I can get into graduate school...

Anywho, all previous chapters available at
<a rel=nofollow target=_blank href="http://bratling.0catch.com/jagstories.com">http://bratling.0catch.com/jagstories.com</a> I also have
to apologize, because I kinda discovered some
mistakes--Commander Jacobs is really Commander
Saunders. Jim, our witness, isn't coming in at noon,
rather he's supposed to be coming in around four.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 7:
Losing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future."
--Winston Churchill

~*~*~*~

1830 ZULU
17 NOVEMBER 2004
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Mattie squinched up her face as she contemplated her English homework. She'd promised Harm that she'd go to school while she was there, so she figured that starting on the homework she'd been given the week before was a good start. She supposed she was lucky that she hadn't been gone long enough for her school records to be transferred, but it didn't feel that way. She would much rather stay with Harm without having to actually do nasty things like homework.

Mattie knew better than to think she could get away with that. Harm was much better about checking up on her about schoolwork than Tom had ever been. Harm was better at a lot of things, she reflected wryly. She sighed and looked at her book again. Shakespeare. She grimaced. She needed Harm to explain it.


Mattie looked up when she heard a knock on the door. "Um, hi," she said when she saw the Admiral poke his head into the office.

"Mathilda," he said with a nod. "It occurred to me that we didn't get off on the right foot. Since we're both here and concerned for Commander Rabb's welfare, it seems to me that we ought to rectify that situation."

Mattie looked at him suspiciously from the safety of being behind Harm's desk. "And how do I know you have his best interests in mind?" she demanded. "Last time I really saw you, you were pretty mean to him. Harm deserves better!"

AJ was silent for a few minutes and he walked into Harm's office, closed the door, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Perhaps he does, Mathilda, but in my defense, I had no choice." He drew in a deep breath. "I'm not his CO anymore--I have a choice now. I won't let him be sandbagged because I know he and the Colonel didn't get married."

Mattie examined him through narrowed eyes. Harm had told her that the Admiral was usually a fair man, an honorable man, and didn't lie about things. Harm had never lied to her, so she decided that it must be true. "Fair enough," she said slowly. "As long as you're trying to make sure that he doesn't get blamed, I'll call a truce."


AJ glanced over the desk. "What are you reading, young lady?"

Mattie grimaced. "Shakespeare. Harm usually explains this stuff to me, because I don't get it--the language is too weird."

AJ stood up and walked over. "Let me see," he ordered absently, pulling his reading glasses out and examining the book. "Ah, Julius Caesar. 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen. Lend me your ear. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him...' Perhaps I can help until the Commander gets back."

Mattie smiled for the first time at him. "Thank you, Sir," she said. "I hope he gets home soon..." She looked at the literature book again.

"He will." AJ said simply, then got a chair to pull up next to her. He sat down and looked at the book. "Now, what exactly is your assignment?" he asked.

"I'm supposed to have ten pages read by tomorrow," she said. "But I just don't understand it!"

AJ pulled the book to him and began to read it out loud and explain what it meant. As Mattie listened, she decided that Harm's cranky old boss wasn't so bad after all. Especially if you had to understand what Shakespeare was talking about.

~*~*~*~

1930 ZULU
OUTSIDE COMMANDER SAUNDERS'S QUARTERS
PATRICK HENRY
NORFOLK PIER

Mac sighed and resumed pacing back and forth. "What's taking him so long?" she asked, obviously frustrated.

Harm crossed his arms over his chest. "Power down, Marine," he said. "The Commander will find out soon that it's not particularly smart to keep the JAGs who are investigating your case waiting."

The hatch opened slowly, revealing a slightly rumpled man. He was balding, and if Harm had been pressed to describe him, he would've had to say that he was average. He was the kind of man who was so ordinary looking that he could blend in anywhere. In other words, by virtue of his ordinariness, he was the CIA's dream agent.

Witnesses would never be able to describe him, because of his looks. He had no distinguishing features at all. The man gaped at them for a few seconds. "JAG? Why is JAG investigating? It's a simple assault case! He attacked me, not the other way around."

"Come with us, Commander," Mac ordered. She stressed his rank as if to say that if he didn't cooperate, he wouldn't be keeping it, or other vital bodily organs, much longer.

Obediently, the commander fell in behind them as they walked to the Officer's Wardroom. It was empty at this time of day--perfect for conducting an interview with a suspect. Silently, Harm and Mac exchanged a look that said everything about how they would handle Commander Saunders. Years of working together had made them experts in knowing which strategy would be effective when dealing with an officer like him.

"Have a seat." Harm said, gesturing towards one of the chairs with his cover before he dropped it on the table.

Commander Saunders sat down and frowned as he stared at the table top. Harm dropped into a seat, folding his long legs under the table. Mac locked her arms behind her back and slowly walked back and forth in front of their suspect. Nervously, Saunders fidgeted as if he were trying to find a comfortable spot on the chair before he subsided.

"Commander," Harm said quietly. "Would you please tell us what happened around the time of the alleged assault?" He suppressed a smile as he noticed the way the commander was chewing on his bottom lip. He flicked a quick glance over to Mac--she was eyeing the officer's disheveled appearance.

"I, um, was, um," Saunders stuttered. "M-m-minding m-m-my own business when Lieutenant Meecham attacked me out of nowhere," he finished. Saunders looked up at Mac pleadingly, as if he expected her to take pity on him.

"Are you sure, Commander?" Mac asked, using the same tone as she had before.

"Lieutenant Meecham told us that you threatened his family, Commander," Harm said. He was doing his best to seem as if he were the calm, cool one who might believe the Commander's story. In reality, the thought of any Naval officer behaving in such a way made him want to deck said officer. He wouldn't do it, of course. He didn't want to end up in the brig. But that wouldn't stop him from wanting to.

Commander Saunders straightened. "He's a Mormon," he said with a scowl. "People like that don't belong here. And I didn't say anything that any decent, sane person wouldn't say to a damn cultist!"

Harm glanced in the personnel file he was holding. "From this, I see that you're from Missouri," he said, his voice getting softer.

Saunders crossed his arms over his chest. "That's right," he said with a grin. "Born and bred."

"My guess is," Mac began, "that you know about the history you used to threaten him because of where you're from."

Saunder's face creased into another scowl and he didn't talk.

"Tell us what happened that night, Commander," Harm said softly.

Saunders shrugged. "Nothing much. I admit that I was razzing the Lieutenant, but it wasn't too bad. Next thing I knew, he was swinging at me."

"Are there any witnesses, Commander?" Mac asked, coming to a stop in front of the man and staring down at him.

"Ensign Craig and Lieutenant Kelly were there," he answered. "So were Petty Officers Thomas and Brown."

"Do you always choose public places to dress down people in your command?" Harm asked with an uplifted eyebrow. He personally had never reamed out a junior officer where there was an audience. Looking at Commander Saunders, however, he could see that the man wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box.

"No, sir, I don't," Saunders admitted. "But I don't want people like him in my command.

Harm and Mac exchanged a glance. It was a miracle that Commander Idiot had managed to even become a Commander. "Thank you, Commander," Mac said. "We'll be in touch."

Commander Saunders gave the two of them an uncertain look. "You're *dismissed*, Commander," Harm said.

Saunders got up and walked out the hatch. As it swung shut behind him, Mac gave Harm a mischievous look. "Naval officers like that make me glad I'm a Marine," she said as she wrinkled her nose at him.

Harm shot her a half smile. "And some Marine officers we've investigated or prosecuted make me glad I'm in the Navy."

"Squid!" she said slapping him lightly on the arm.

"Jarhead!" he retorted reaching over to grab her hand. He gave it a short squeeze before dropping it and giving her a full-fledged happy flyboy smile. "I've missed this," he said.

"What?" Mac asked.

"Teasing you," Harm said. "We haven't been this easy with each other in years."

Mac was silent for a few minutes. "I think somewhere along the line," she began, "we just stopped listening to each other and lost sight of our friendship."

"I'm glad we found it again," Harm said.

"So am I--promise me that no matter what happens we'll always be friends?" Mac asked.

Harm turned and began to walk slowly down the corridor. "We always have been--I promise."

"Thank you," was Mac's quiet response.

"Commander Saunders is guilty," Harm said.

"I know." Mac lengthened her stride to keep pace with Harm. "I think that Lieutenant Meecham was telling the truth."

Harm nodded and tucked his cover under his arm. "I know. We just have to prove it." Together, they walked down the corridor to the enlisted mess. They needed to find their witnesses to verify the Lieutenant's story. If it were true, Harm knew that he'd be recommending that the Commander receive the harsher punishment of the two officers. There simply wasn't room for that kind of prejudice in the Navy.

~*~*~*~

2035 ZULU
17 NOVEMBER 2004
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT
RALIEGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Kate sighed and tapped her fingertips against her thigh. They'd been waiting for what seemed to be forever. She sighed softly, noticed what her fingers were doing, and ruthlessly stopped the motion. She'd learned to stand at attention for hours on end--it wasn't like she couldn't *handle* waiting for a potential witness to show up.

Irritably, she wished she'd brought something to read; she needed a distraction. They still had another twenty-five minutes to wait until he was supposed to show--and that was only if he was on time. In her experience, peons like their quarry weren't always the most dependable people. Especially after they'd been at a place for a while; the tendency was for people to become complacent and slack off.

Her father had done that kind of thing--and then been a little disdainful when she had joined the Navy. Sure, it had started as a way to pay her way through school and law school, but it had become her career. She'd had the opportunity to get out years ago, but she had discovered that she kind of liked the life.

She suppressed another sigh, and looked around the hotel lobby for something to do. Nothing. She supposed she could go into their overpriced gift shop, but the idea didn't appeal to her. She glanced over at Meg to discover that her erstwhile partner had her nose buried in a copy of the Navy Times.

Meg glanced at her from behind the paper. "Bored?" she asked.

"Yes!" she said, her gray eyes snapping with irritation.

Meg grinned. "You wouldn't happen to like to see my other copy of the Times, would you?" She reached into her briefcase and pulled it out.

Unmindful of how it would look, Kate snatched the newspaper from her partner's hand and opened it up. Ignoring Meg's soft giggle, she started reading. It didn't seem long before their witness arrived and Meg nudged her lightly in the side. "What?" she asked crossly.

"He's here," Meg nodded at the counter.

Kate folded her paper and stood up. "Fine. Let's go find out what he knows." She walked toward the counter, putting a little more sway in her hips than was strictly necessary to make sure that he was looking at her. She'd long since learned that her sexuality could be used as a weapon, and she was determined to use it.

"Hello, Jim," she said, deliberately making her voice huskier as she looked at his nametag.

"Um, uh, hi," he said.

Kate watched as he started to sweat. "My name is Commander Kate Pike, and this is my partner--"

"Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin," Meg interrupted and held out her hand.

She watched as he gulped again. "We're from the Judge Advocate General's office and we need to ask you some questions."

Jim ran his hand nervously over his balding head and bit his lip. "About what?" he asked. "I didn't do nothin' illegal to make the Navy mad at me, did I?"

"Well, Jim, why would you think you'd done anything wrong?" Meg asked sweetly.

"Because I was a seaman in your Navy when I was young," he clasped his hands together and started twisting his fingers. "Ev'rybody knows that you JAGs only show up when somebody's in trouble."

Kate leaned forward on the counter and gave him a shark-like smile. "You're not in trouble," the pitch of her voice dropped another level. "But you have information that might help us get some fine officers out of trouble."

"Oh, *officers*," he said with disgust. "Never did like officers. Full of themselves, mostly. Haven't seen any 'round here in ages."

"This was during that big blizzard a few years back--December 18, 2001 to be exact," Meg said.

Jim creased his forehead and frowned. "I think so. A Marine lady and a Navy guy?"

Kate nodded. "Yes. Tell us what you know, *Jim*."

Jim settled back on his stool. "I was watchin' for 'em," he admitted. "Guy I know asked me to. 'Sides, it's not usual to see Navy and Marines travelin' together."

"Why were you supposed to watch of them?" Meg asked.

"Paid me real good to change the register to make it look like they were married," he admitted. "Seemed harmless enough, so I did it." He gave them a broad smile. "'Sides, they looked real happy together."

Kate and Meg exchanged a glance. "Anything else you can tell us?" Kate asked.

Jim shook his head. "Nuthin' else," he said.

"Thank you," Meg said, pulling a card out of her purse. "If you remember anything else, would you please give us a call?" She scribbled the number for JAG Headquarters on the back of the card and handed it over.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said with a smile. "I'll do that."

The two officers turned and walked out of the lobby towards the Navy car they'd requisitioned from the motor pool. "Why would anyone pay to have a hotel register changed?" Meg asked Kate quietly.

"I don't know," Kate admitted. "But we find out who did it, and we should be able to find out how Harm and Mac ended up married."

~*~*~*~

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Replies:

[> [> Liked it. Glad to see it was continued. Only one more chapter left? To be followed by another story soon, right? -- MJ, 19:19:31 05/12/05 Thu


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[> [> the URL for the rest of the story must have been posted incorrectly because I got a "file not found" message when I went there. -- harmsgirl, 23:27:19 05/12/05 Thu


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[> [> [> Chapter 1-6 are on archive 10 still of this board. They have not been knocked off yet. -- GS, 23:57:46 05/12/05 Thu


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[> [> [> [> http://bratling.0catch.com/jagstories.html should work. Be sure to type it in correctly--it's 0catch, not Ocatch. (zerocatch) -- LauraBF, 01:16:05 05/13/05 Fri


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