A/N: Season 1. Post- 'Sightings' and 'Hemlock'; spoilers. Meg-centric.

Good as Gold

1635 ZULU

SOMEWHERE NEAR DEL RIO, TEXAS

Ten-year old Cathy Gold perched sullenly on the corner of the worn couch in the ancient trailer she shared with her uncle, JD Gold. The child had a head of long, auburn hair and wide, curious eyes. That same curiosity also manifested itself in various ways that often got her into trouble.

Cathy's father had died when she was a baby, and her mother had died recently in an auto accident. JD, a Vietnam vet, was her only surviving relative, and had been obliged to take her in.

The lonely, desolate surrounding desert offered little in the way of stimulation for the young girl. She had very little in common with what to her had initially seemed to be a cold, unloving and uninterested uncle. She had even run away a handful of times; as far as El Paso once. On other occasions, her haven of choice was the de-commissioned Navy base that had once been a hub of activity and the main source of employment for the town's residents. It was that very tendency to run to the abandoned base that once landed Cathy in very serious danger.

Several months earlier, a Colombian drug cartel had been discovered in an underground hangar on the base. It was perfect cover for their illegal cocaine processing operation, and they had used covert means of intimidation and terminal force on anyone who got too inquisitive.

Their methods of intimidation included the use of a helicopter equipped with an array of flashing coloured lights and a sonic weapon to disrupt electronic devices. The sonic pressure produced by this device also caused painful sound waves. Anyone in hearing distance would be temporarily debilitated.

One evening, the drug lords made an appearance in the modified helicopter at the trailer after tracking one of those 'inquisitive' persons there, a frightened Mexican man. Lights blinding and sonic weapon screeching, JD had been momentarily disoriented, and lost sight of his niece as she'd run off into the night in an attempt to escape.

When she did not return, two naval JAG officers were sent to investigate amid wild rumours that a top-secret military experiment being conducted at the base was somehow responsible.

Lieutenants Harmon 'Harm' Rabb and Meg Austin arrived and spoke with both JD Gold and the town Sheriff, Stu Pope.

JD was certain Cathy's disappearance was connected to the base, which even though closed, was never cleared of its equipment. The few remaining locals had hoped since it was left in its 'as is' condition, the Navy might one day return and once again make use of it.

JD's mention of the unidentified flying object that had caused serious damage to the trailer brought nothing but skepticism from the Sheriff and from Lt. Rabb. Lt. Austin, however, was willing to keep an open mind. She stopped just short of saying she believed 'little green men' were behind Cathy's vanishing act.

The JAG officers did agree that the base was the best place to continue their investigation. After determining it wasn't live, they scaled the fence that bordered the area, and found the entire premises to be deserted – or so they thought.

When darkness fell, the two officers managed to find the missing girl, as well as pick up some unwelcome enemies. Meg and Cathy had spent several tense hours hiding from the drug cartel, whose members were armed with automatic weapons with green, tritium lasers sights and night-vision goggles.

By dawn, after some pressure-cooker moments and a brief, but deadly fire-fight, the Colombians were out of business and in the custody of the DEA... And young Cathy was reunited with JD.

The two JAG officers made their farewells, but not before Lt. Austin made a special promise to the young girl.

JD was presently watching his new television intently. Basketball season was over, so the sports event of choice at the moment was baseball.

The Texas Rangers were taking on the Yankees in Game 11 of the new season. Though they had an early winning record behind them, things were looking grim for the home team this particular game.

Cathy sighed loudly. She knew JD was really trying hard to be a good legal guardian, but there were some roles he just wouldn't be able to fill.

"JD..." she started tentatively, unsure of his mood. She thought maybe he'd mind terribly being interrupted from the game.

"What, honey?" he said, not taking his eyes from the screen.

"Why hasn't Meg called?"

"We've been over this, Cathy. And the answer is I just don't know."

"That's a stupid answer," Cathy declared with a pout. "You haven't even been trying to call her."

JD felt cut to the heart and turned to face the child. He knew he shouldn't have let her last comment get to him, but the truth was he, too, was puzzled by the JAG officer's silence.

Lt. Meg Austin had promised to take Cathy riding on her ranch. That date had never materialized, and Cathy had been left bitterly disappointed.

"Cath, honey, do you know where the Lieutenant works?"

She rolled her eyes. "Washington D.C., JD."

"Right. And where do we live?"

"Texas." Another eye roll.

"Right again. It's a long-distance call. Remember what happened that last time I tried to call Lt. Austin?"

"Yeah. You got someone who told you she wasn't available, and that they weren't 'at liberty to discuss it'," Cathy said with a hint of sarcasm, as if she'd memorized the whole conversation.

"And the time before that?" JD asked patiently.
"You got her answering machine."

"Now, what do you think I should do, Cathy? Long-distance calls aren't cheap. Lt. Austin will call when she's good and ready. Navy lawyers are busy people."

"That's what grown-ups say when they don't want to admit they don't want to do something."

"Now, Cathy..."

"I thought Meg was different," the girl said sullenly. "She was nice. She promised me..."

JD chewed his lip. He'd have bet his trailer and everything in it that Navy lawyer was the type to be true to her word.

"Okay, Cathy," he said, "tell you what: I'll call again tomorrow."

Cathy beamed, but JD wasn't finished. "If I don't get any answer from her, we drop this. Maybe Lt. Austin got re-assigned some place far away. Who knows? But you're gonna have to start thinking that maybe she won't be able to live up to her promise. You're a big girl, Cathy. You understand, right?"

"Yeah, JD," Cathy's face showed a return to her previous disposition. "I understand."

That night, Cathy lay in her small bed and tried to sleep, but she knew it wouldn't be possible. Instead, she kept replaying in her mind with vivid detail the events of the night she met the JAG lawyers. The truth was, she thought about it often. It had made her something of a hero amongst her peers in school. She omitted the parts about thinking the mysterious drug dealers were ghosts; how she had hoped that if they were from beyond the grave, they could help her speak to her deceased mother. Lt. Austin hadn't laughed when Cathy revealed that secret hope, and had confided that her own father was dead, too. Meg hadn't laughed, either, when Cathy admitted she was scared while hiding from their pursuers near the base chapel. Meg had held her close, just like her mother used to do.

Cathy turned onto her side as she thought about the promise Meg had made, and all the things they'd talked about.

"You kinda smell like my Mom," Cathy said, feeling at complete ease with the young officer she'd met only hours before.

"About now I smell like a Texas bronc buster," a chagrined Lt. Austin had replied. "Your Mom bust broncos?"

"She rode horses. Me, too," Cathy replied.

"Really? What kind?" Meg asked.

"Quarter horses," Cathy said, smiling at the memory. "She used to barrel race."

"Me, too," Meg said, returning the smile.

"Do you have a horse?"

"Mm-hmm. 'Tyree'. He's the best quarter-horse in Texas."

"You're from Texas?" Cathy asked, excited at these new commonalities she was discovering.

"Mm-hmm," Meg answered. "A ranch about 200 miles north of here. And when we're all finished here, you and I are gonna go riding there."

Cathy restlessly turned onto her back. Meg had sounded so genuine. Uncomfortably, Cathy recalled the next question she'd asked Meg. It was an honest, heartfelt question, one that took sudden flight, and filled her heart with hope.

"Can I live there with you?"

Those soaring hopes had been quickly dashed. The Navy lieutenant's face had fallen, and Meg had given the girl the unvarnished truth:

"I'm in the Navy, Cathy. I don't live there any more. Besides, you have your uncle."

"JD doesn't like me," Cathy said in rebuttal to Meg's gentle reminder.

"He loves you, Cathy," Meg said gently, but firmly.

"Did he say that?"

"He didn't have to. I could tell."

The words, at the time, were little consolation. Even now, Cathy sometimes wondered what it would be like if there was a chance Meg could have been a foster mother to her. What would it have been like, living on that horse ranch with Meg, some indistinct 200 miles north of Del Rio, instead of this junky trailer in the middle of nowhere, Texas?

Cathy sighed deeply and tried to quiet her mind. Tomorrow... At least tomorrow, JD was going to try to reach Lt. Austin. The girl whispered a silent prayer that this time, her uncle would be successful. After all, what reason could Meg possibly have for breaking her promise?