Red Mittens and a Rose Garden – the Trisha Pike Chronicles,
Ch27 – "Planning the Reckoning"
A/N: AU. What if there was a long-term consequence to the weekend romp between Lt Caitlin Pike and Lt Harmon Rabb Jr at that motel back in the summer of 1996? What is the responsible way to deal with an unexpected aftermath?
A/N – link to Canon Episodes: "Rules of Engagement" (S05Ep02) first broadcast 28-Sep-1999. "Salvation" (S06Ep19) first broadcast 19-Apr-2001. A "post-canon" timeline puts this into "JAG Season 24…" (solely for those who want to count! "Season 24" would have started around 20-Sep-2018).
A/N: Publication date: 19-07-2020:
Notes: Mike, UK, 19-Jul-2020 – msg... Happy Sunday
Characters from FFNET – C Pike, H Rabb jr, Faith McBurney-Coleman plus OC
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Ch27 – "Planning the Reckoning"
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Thursday 3rd January 2019 – 17:56hrs EST
Penthouse suite, 210 E Fairfax St, Falls Church, VA 22046:
The Rabb family held a council of war that evening. They would transition back to Annapolis – and the Residence – on Sunday afternoon ready for the next working week at the Academy. For now, Caitlin (and Harm) wanted privacy to develop their next steps in dealing with Buxton and Palmer.
"OK, NCIS have the address; Harm, let's leave the professionals to do this. I have had enough of these fuck-wits messing with our lives."
"Well Caitlin I can see your point, but these guys have messed with my family." He took Caitlin's hand gently, then squeezed it between his thumb and forefinger. "My *family*, Caitlin. That matters to me."
She took his hands between hers, raised them to her lips and kissed his hands, looking deep into his eyes.
"Harm, it matters to me too. But, if I asked you to stop this and leave it to NCIS, would you please do so, darling?"
Caitlin was nose-to-nose facing Harm, then she smiled and kissed him again as he formulated his answer; he was clearly distracted by his wife's ministrations.
He sighed. "Yes, OK darling; what you ask does make sense."
With her outer jacket removed, Trisha spread her arms and hugged both her parents.
"Thanks for protecting me; thanks for bringing in the professionals; but most of all thanks, Mom and Dad, for letting this go. Now then, what's the idea for tonight's meal?"
"How about something slow-roasted – like Buxton and Palmer?"
"Good thinking, Mrs Rabb!"
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Thursday 10th January 2019 – 09:27hrs EST
NCIS HQ, Navy Yard, Washington DC
"Good morning Admiral, this is Agent McGee, NCIS; do you have five minutes for an update on our case against the National Inquisition?"
"Yes of course, Agent McGee. Please proceed."
"Well, the newspaper is defenseless and we're proceeding steadily (alongside the compensation case which they have fully accepted). We have an interesting set of information from the background checks which we have carried out. Buxton and Palmer were more-or-less brought up as brothers."
"More or less?" Harm's eyebrows were somewhere up close to his hairline as he tried to puzzle out what McGee meant.
"Yes: X-Man Burton was born on February 12, 1966. His mother, whilst pregnant, had taken in the child of her sister. Her was born on December 14, 1965 but his mother died in childbirth and his father had been killed in Vietnam in the middle of 1965."
"So, cousins, close together in birth dates and brought up as close brothers?"
"You got it Admiral; weird, huh?" McGee was pleased to have been able to explain the odd circumstances.
"Thanks Agent;"
Harm thought through the facts: "So the two moms were sisters; Clark Palmer and Andrew Buxton were born two months apart; one mom died in childbirth so Clark was brought up by X-man's mom. Jeez, what a shitty start to their lives."
Harm pulled himself together. "But hey, my Dad was killed (or shot down, listed MIA and then lost) over in Vietnam but I didn't turn into a psychopath."
He squared his shoulders as he made his decision.
"OK McGee, please proceed with your planned action."
"Will do Admiral – we shall keep you informed; the local team will be conducting the interviews out in California."
"Thanks, Agent McGee."
Ending the call, Harm marshalled his thoughts once more before attempting to decide how he was going to explain this saga to his wife and his daughter.
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Thursday 17th January 2019 – 10:58 PT
Buxton Residence, Scrubbville Flats, Sierra Nevada, California
"Good morning Mr Buxton, we are NCIS agents and we need to talk to you."
"Sure, come on in. We'll have to talk around my brother's treatment – he'll be transferring to the hospice this afternoon. Now then, what's this about?"
"Well, firstly Admiral Rabb presents his compliments and assures you that he has no desire to deepen your current crop of problems. However both he and his wife, along with the young Midshipman who was libelled, want you to simply answer one question before they leave you alone. They also want you to know that they are not happy."
"Sounds like a good deal; what was the question?"
"Dear X-Man; what the fuck were you thinking? Signed, Momma Bear Rabb."
Buxton sighed, reaching down to load another bag onto Clark Palmer's IV drip.
"Well, I could claim to be distracted, or I could say that I could blame my brother here. But really, I just wanted Mister Holier-then-thou Harmon Rabb to feel some pain."
With that, X-Man turned back to his near-constant task of tending to his dying brother.
As the NCIS agents left the property, a hospice transportation ambulance drew up and the crew dismounted.
The NCIS agent opened her phone and dialled Harm's number, away on the East Coast. She waited for the call to connect, shading her eyes as she looked out over the beautiful rugged sun-baked scenery.
"Admiral, this is Agent Merriweather from NCIS; I have conducted the interview with Mr Buxton. His brother is en-route as I speak to the hospice. I recommend that we mark this case as closed."
Several timezones and several thousand miles away, Harm agreed.
The newspaper compensation would be the final act of closure.
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The Rabb family had endured enough – it was time to enjoy 2019.
Sometimes, when you begin a mission of revenge, your target is not always achievable. Life is for the living; the best revenge is living well. Oh yeah, there is also one piece of advice which *still* holds true:
"Don't fuck with the Rabb family."
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End Ch27 – "Planning the Reckoning"
Notes: Mike, UK, 19-Jul-2020 – msg...