Title: Harm and Mac Songbook: I Don't Believe In If Anymore

Author: Rising Sun

Rated: PG

Classification: Story

Summary: AJ Chegwidden's POV on the events of September 11, 2001

Spoiler: Baby, It's Cold Outside

September 11, 2001: Terrorists using hijacked airplanes attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Disclaimer: JAG characters portrayed belong to JAG, CBS and Paramount Television. No copyright infringement intended. All other characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people are purely coincidental.

Performing in this saga: Roger Whittaker sings "I Don't Believe In If Anymore"

Feedback: Would be nice.

Author's note: The HMS series is written in a manner that allows for each story to be read as a self-contained story or as part of an arc. This story is part of a potential quintet:

* HMS25a: War

* HMS25b: It's Good News Week

* HMS25c: I don't believe in if anymore

* HMS25d: War

* HMS25e: The Last Farewell

Story Written October 2001

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TUESDAY - 0436 LOCAL

AJ CHEGWIDDEN'S HOME

MC CLEAN, VA

AJ stretched. God! It was good to be alive! He had FINALLY finished his assignment for the SECNAV and he had returned to JAG the day before. It was only at times like these when forced to assign an acting JAG did he realize just how much he missed the damn place. Rabb alone was enough to get him gray assuming he had any hair to go gray, add Mac and Bud to the gumbo and he was guaranteed to remain young.

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TUESDAY - 0646 LOCAL

JAG HQ

AJ CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE

AJ placed his coffee on to his desk the lowered his formidable body into the chair and stared at the pile of paper. Somehow he did not remember leaving that amount of work behind last night was he working at JAG? Or in the Twilight Zone? The place just seemed to breed paper!

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TUESDAY - 0816 LOCAL

JAG HQ

AJ CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE

The door swung open and PO Tiner entered. "Apologies sir but I think you may want to see this." He strode over to the TV, switched it on and tuned it to ANC (The All News Channel).

AJ Chegwidden was no rookie, he was SEAL and had seen action in Vietnam and though the action was vastly different he was the Judge Advocate General. Nothing he had done had prepared him for what he saw that morning on his TV screen.

Had he been told he would have said that so early in the morning that the person had been drinking. He himself was stone cold sober why he could not believe what he had witnessed.

Two planes had slammed into the World Trade Center towers and another into the Pentagon! He rubbed his balding head and wondered at the world in 2001.

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Now if you load your rifle right

And if you fix your bayonet so

And if you kill that man my friend

The one we've called a foe

And if you do it often lad

And if you do it right

You'll be a hero overnight

You'll save your country from a fight

Remember God is always right

If you survive to see the sight

A friend now greeting foe

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0850 LOCAL

AJ CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE

Of course it wasn't long before Rabb was in his office.

What was the use for separating the two of them? Even with Mac in Honduras trouble seemed to stalk them admittedly this was on an unprecedented scale but trouble was trouble was trouble.

He ordered Harm to make contact with her.

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1330 LOCAL

AJ CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE

AJ's buzzer sounded. "Yes!"

Tiner's voice came through "Sir I have the SECNAV on the line."

"Patch him though."

The Secretary of the Navy's raspy voice came though. "AJ you've seen the horror on the news?"

"Yes sir and I have been in contact with various people and the picture looks grim indeed." AJ acknowledged.

"Admiral your services are required at Capitol Hill. As soon as you appoint an Acting JAG I want you to report to my office."

"Yes Mr. Secretary." AJ hung up and considered the candidates for the post. He'd tried both Rabb and Mac and with the benefit of hindsight Mac had better luck handling Rabb than the other way round.

[FLASHBACK]

1900 LOCAL

MC MURPHY'S TAVERN

AJ turned to Harm and pointed out "Well, I didn't read your name in any police blotter."

Mac came to her partner's defense, "Sir, the Commander was actually a model citizen."

AJ turned and stared at her "How come he obeys you and not me?"

She laughed, "Lucky, I guess."

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Oh yes he smiled to himself Mac would handle Rabb and any other person in the place. Now all he had to do was get her back to U.S. soil!

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Of I knew then what I know now

I thought I'd bid you know somehow

If I could have the time again

I'd take the sunshine leave the rain

If only time would trickle slow

Like rain that melts the fallen snow

If only Lord if only

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TUESDAY - 1936 LOCAL

JAG HQ

ADMIRAL CHEGWIDDEN'S OFFICE

This was getting ridiculous AJ needed to get his Chief of Staff back and they couldn't even raise her on the phone! He summoned Rabb and demanded a report. He didn't like what he heard. He was not prepared to face the fact that he would not have his first and instinctual choice as Acting JAG.

He passed the phone to Harm "Indulge me Commander and use my phone. See if that changes your luck." It apparently did change their luck as they got through. He hid his smile as he realized that Rabb wanted to express a bit more than hello with Mac. But this was not the time and that could wait. He took the phone Harm passed to him.

"Mac?" He rumbled. He instructions were short and simple ""You are aware of the situation...?" He snorted when she said she had been following the news. "Get back here ... ASAP. Break your cover. Soon as we begin to normalize I want you on the first transport back here. Got that?"

He got her confirmation that she understood and passed the phone back to Harm.

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FRIDAY 1313 LOCAL

JAG BULL PEN

FALLS CHURCH, VA

It wasn't often that AJ had seen Mac speechless but telling her she was to be indefinite JAG albeit acting had certainly produced such a moment. Not giving her a chance to adjust to the situation AJ was out the door and on his way to Capitol Hill via the JAG bullpen. The only thing that had kept the SECNAV from having his six was that the man didn't what Harmful as he called him to act as the JAG.

"Attention on deck!" Some one shouted.

For once AJ left them at attention, he announced in his trademark powerful voice. "People effective on the arrival of the new JAG I have been transferred to Capitol Hill." He turned to Mac "just as immediately Lt. Colonel MacKenzie here is the Acting JAG. Nothing new to you she has done it before therefore I expect you to serve her as you've served me."

What more was there to say? Nothing. It looked as if his country may go to war and he was on his way to the SECNAV's office. No use in wondering what the week would have been like if this had not happened it had. Besides if is for children

The elevator doors closed.

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Oh I don't believe in IF anymore

If's an illusion if's an illusion

No I don't believe in IF anymore

If is for children if is for children

Building daydreams

THE END.