Title:  Conflicting Stories
Author:  Heather “Feather” Lee
E-mail:  harms_girl@yahoo.com
Rating:  PG-13
Classification: Animal/Liandra , Lia/other 
Spoilers: None, except whatever comes out of Feather’s demented (thanks to Animal) mind.  *
Summary:  Liandra is attacked by an old friend of AJ’s and the repercussions turn everyone’s 
world upside down.
Disclaimers:  JAG and all its characters belong to


NORFOLK NAVAL BASE LIBRARY
2100 EST/ 200 ZULU
FRIDAY 1 JUNE 2001

“Thanks, Lia. I really appreciate this.  Animal wants this research paperwork on his desk first 
thing Monday morning.  I’ll just go grab the books I need and be back in a minute,” my friend 
Lieutenant Commander Kimber Benton Burrows said to me as I parked my silver Dodge Viper by 
the curb.

“No problem, Kimber.  That’s what friends are for.  Besides,” I grinned, “I know what a grouch 
Animal can be if he doesn’t get his own way.”

She smiled at me as she got out of the car.  “Be back in a jif.”  Slamming her door, she ran up 
the library steps.  

I leaned over and re-locked her door.  We may have been on a naval base, but I wasn’t about 
to advertise the fact that I was in a car alone.  Leaving the car engine cranked, I fished around 
in the glove compartment for a CD.  “Aha, an oldie but definitely a goody,” I said to myself as I 
slipped ‘To Hell With The Devil’ by Stryper into the stereo.  As the opening notes of the title 
song thrummed to life, the drummer wannabe in me began to beat on the steering wheel in 
time to the music.

Abruptly, something began beating on my window.  I jumped as I turned around to see what it 
was.  An officer in dress whites stood there, gesturing for me to roll down the window.  Flipping 
the stereo off, I cracked the window.  What, do I look stupid to you?

“Can I help you?” I asked the officer as I peered at his rank insignia.  A Commodore.  Great.  
He’ll probably pull rank on me because I didn’t open the window more.

“Liandra?  Is that you?” he asked through the darkness.

My brain did a tailspin.  “Commodore Keeter?” I sputtered.  Jack’s dad, here at Norfolk?  Last I 
heard he was in San Diego.

“Long time no see.  I need your help with something.  Can you step out of the car for a 
minute?”

“I guess so, sir.  I have a friend who should be coming out of the library in a minute or two, so 
that’s really all the time I have.”

“That’s fine.  That’s all the time I need.”

I opened the car door and got out quickly, shoving my keys in my jacket pocket as I locked my 
door.  “What can I help you with, Commodore?” I asked politely.  I didn’t feel comfortable calling 
him ‘Mr. Keeter’ as I had not seen Jack’s dad in several years.

“You were studying computers in college, right?” Commodore Keeter asked.

“Yes, sir.”  

He led me over to his truck.  “I just got this laptop and I can’t get it to plug into the cigarette 
lighter,” he explained as he unlocked the driver’s door.

“All right, let me have a look at it.”  I leaned in to check it out, when I felt my body twisted 
around and shoved downwards.

Jack’s father towered over me, a malevolent gleam in his eye.  “No, let me have a look at you,” 
he sneered as his hands went for my skirt.

I raised my arm to fend him off, and got brutally slapped across the face.  A savage look came 
over his face, and he smacked me several more times.  “Don’t do that again,” he snapped.

Having no other alternative, I furtively raised a booted foot and slammed it into the 
Commodore’s groin.  Taking quick advantage of the fact that he was knocked off balance, I slid 
out from under him and ran for the library.  His hand snaked out to wrench me backwards, and 
pain shot through my side.  Slamming me onto the hood of the truck, he pinned me against it.  
“So, you’re still a little tease, eh, Liandra?  You liked to tease my Jack, too.  Well, you won’t 
tease me,” he said, his words slurring drunkenly as he viciously grabbed my chin and put his 
lips to mine.  Forcing his tongue inside my mouth, he groped at my breasts until I managed to 
knee him again in the groin, harder this time.  As he staggered away, I finally heard Kimber’s 
footsteps clattering down the stone walkway.  “Liandra,” she called out.  “Are you alright?”

“You haven’t seen the last of me,” he vowed as he climbed in his truck and drove away.

Weakly I stumbled over to the car, leaning against the rear bumper for a moment.  “Lia!” 
Kimber shouted, dropping her books in shock.  “What happened?”

“Nothing.  Some drunk officer pulled the wool over my eyes by asking for help then got fresh 
and I had to fight him off.”  I handed her the keys as she picked up the books she’d dropped.  
“Could you drive?”

“Sure,” she replied as we got back in the car.

Settling in, Kimber dropped the keys on the floor as she adjusted the seat for her longer legs.  
“Oh, darn,” she mumbled as she flicked on the overhead light.  Picking up the keys and starting 
the engine, she reached up to turn off the light when she gasped.  “What happened to your 
face?”

“I told you I had to fight that creep off.  He backhanded me when I tried to fend him off.”

“Well, you’ll have a nasty bruise in the morning, thanks to him.  Come on, let’s get you home 
and cleaned up.  He tear your shirt, too?” she asked as we turned off of the main road leading 
from the base.  

Glancing down at my shirt, I realized when Commodore Keeter had jerked me backwards and 
flung me against his truck, my shirt must’ve ripped.  “Yeah, I guess so.”

THIRTY MINUTES LATER
HOME OF CMDR HUGO CHIKAMORI
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

“Hey, Kim, what’re we doing here?  I thought you were taking me home.” I queried as she 
pulled my Viper to a stop in front of Animal’s house.

Getting out of the car, she ran around and opened the passenger door.  Extending her hand, 
she deadpanned, “I lied. Now, come on, get out of the car, or do I have to go inside and get 
Animal?”

“Okay, I’m coming,” I groaned as I took her hand and got out of the car.

Kimber slid an arm around my waist as we walked up Animal’s driveway and she impatiently 
rang the doorbell.

“Yeah, yeah, hold on,” a muffled male voice called back.  Throwing open the door, Animal’s RIO 
(Radar Intercept Officer), Lt. Mick “Scooter” Doerksen stammered, “Lieutenant Commander 
Gracen, what happened to you?”

Shoving Scooter aside, Kimber hauled me in the doorway.  “Never mind that.  Where’s Animal?” 
she growled as she led me into his living room and helped me sit on the couch.

“Out back,” Scooter replied.  “A bunch of us are having a cookout.  Animal’s in command of the 
grill,” he grinned.

“Yeah, well, I don’t mean to ruin the party, but go get Animal, will you?”

“What for?”  Scooter asked.

“Are you blind, Lieutenant?” Kimber snarled, pulling rank on her squadron mate.  “Liandra’s 
been beaten up.  Now, go get the Commander.  That’s an order.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Scooter ran out the back door, hollering at Animal.

Kimber walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge.  “Ugh, all he has in here is 
Pepsi,” I heard her mumble.    “Lia, Pepsi okay with you?”

“Sure,” I called back as Animal came sprinting through his back door, Scooter and Metalman 
right behind him.

Animal took one look at me and his face contorted with confusion.  “Liandra, what happened?” 
he whispered as ran over to the couch and gathered me tenderly into his arms.

I winced as Animal’s arms encircled my waist.  He tilted my chin up to face him.  “Baby, talk to 
me.  What happened?”

“Not now.  Send everybody home.  Not in front of the guys.” I pleaded.

“Okay, sure.  Kimber,” Animal said, “take Lia up to my room while I get rid of my guests.”

“You got it, boss.” Kimber pulled me to my feet and walked me over to the stairs, snatching up 
the Pepsi can she’d appropriated for me from Animal’s refrigerator.

As we climbed the stairwell, I heard Animal yelling at his squadron to pack it up and head home.  
Several of the guys complained rather loudly and I heard Animal threaten to ram their wings 
down their throats if they didn’t do what he said, “and do it NOW!”

After much grumbling, the front door of Animal’s home finally closed, and Kimber’s husband 
sounded the all-clear.  “Everybody’s gone, Animal.”

Entering Animal’s bedroom, I flopped down on his bed as Kimber walked into the adjoining 
bathroom.  I could hear her turn the water on, and fumble through his medicine cabinet.  “Drat, 
doesn’t he have a first aid kit or something?”

“No,” Animal said as he came in, “all I have is hot water and hydrogen peroxide.”  Going into 
the bathroom, he spoke to Kimber.  “I’ll take it from here, Kimber.  Thanks for bringing her 
over.”

“Sure thing, Commander.  You take good care of her, okay?  I’ll let myself out.  I’m with Phil of 
course so, Lia, here’s your keys,” she said as she set them down on Animal’s nightstand.

Animal grinned at her as she left the bedroom and headed downstairs.  “I will, Lieutenant 
Commander, you can count on it.”

Sitting down beside me, Animal said softly, “Now let’s have a look,” as he gently reached for my 
chin.  I closed my eyes and sat uncomplainingly as he gingerly washed my face and put 
peroxide on the cuts I had received from the Commodore’s ring.  That is, until he got to my left 
cheek.  “OW!” I protested, swiping at his hand.  

“Hold still,” Animal said.  “I’m almost done.  You don’t want these cuts to get infected, do you?”

When Animal got up to put the peroxide back in the bathroom, I grabbed his phone from the 
nightstand and dialed JAG HQ.  On the fourth ring, a female voice I was well acquainted with 
answered.  “JAG, this is LCOL MacKenzie.”

Animal raised an eyebrow at me as he came back in the room and sat down beside me.  I just 
shook my head.  “Listen,” I mouthed.  He nodded understanding.  “Mac,” I said into the phone, 
“this is Lia.  I hate to bother you, I know you’re probably up there trying to get some work 
done, but I need a big favor.”

“Name it,” Sarah said without a second thought.  

“I realize this is the kind of thing Bud usually does, but he might not have enough pull for this 
information.”

“What kind of information?” she asked warily.

“Look, don’t spaz out on me here, just listen to me for a minute.  You, too, keep your mouth 
shut till I’m done,” I said, leveling a finger at Animal.

“You, too, who?  Harm’s not here.” Sarah sounded confused. 

“Oh, sorry, Mac.  I’m over at Animal’s.”

“Yeah?”  I could hear the grin in her voice, and couldn’t help but smile myself.

“It’s ten o’clock at night, Lieutenant Commander, what are you doing at Commander 
Chikamori’s?” LCOL MacKenzie asked, taking on a formal, yet facetious, tone.

“Getting patched up.  Listen, the long and short of it is I took Kimber by the Norfolk Naval 
Library earlier for some stuff she needed for a report, and while I was waiting this creep in 
whites roughed me up.  Don’t start with me about why didn’t I get away from him, either one of 
you.  He was bigger than me, and he had me pinned down most of the time.

“Mac, sit down, this is gonna be hard to hear, but the information I need is the current 
assignment station for a man by the name of Commodore Theo Keeter.”

“Keeter?!?!” both Mac and Animal sputtered.

“Yeah, Jack’s dad,” I told them. “It’s a shock to me, too. I’ve known Jack almost as long as I’ve 
known Harm. His dad was never like that as far as I knew.  But, look, the weird thing is, Jack 
called the office last week looking for Harm and I talked to him for a little bit. I asked after his 
dad and he said his dad was in San Diego.  So, the question of the evening is, what’s he doing 
here?”

“Okay, Lia, I’ll get right on it.  Where can I reach you?” Sarah asked as Animal got up and rifled 
through his dresser.

Coming back over to the bed, Animal tossed one of his Navy t-shirts at me, along with a stern 
look.  “Get that look off your face, Lieutenant Commander.  You’re not going home. You are 
staying here,” Animal stated firmly.

I laughed. “I guess you can reach me here.  I’m outranked.”

“Let me talk to Animal for a minute, will you?” Sarah asked.

“Sure. Animal,” I said, handing him the phone, “Mac wants to talk to you.”

“Yeah, Mac, what is it?”

“She’s in denial, Animal.  She was almost raped, yet she’s laughing.  Watch her close, okay?”

“You got it. Mac, call me ASAP when you get any information on Keeter.”

“Definitely.”

“Animal, lemme talk to Mac before you hang up, please.”  He handed me the phone.  “Mac, do 
me a big favor, okay?  Keep this quiet.  Don’t let Uncle AJ find out anything about this.  He and 
the Commodore are old friends, and I don’t want him to find out until he absolutely has to.”

“Okay. I don’t really agree with you, but all right.”

“Oh, and Mac?”

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Don’t tell Harm either.  He’d try to kill Jack’s dad if he found out,” I told her.

“Harm can just get in line,” I heard Animal growl softly from beside me.

Shock washed over me and I hurriedly ended my conversation with Mac.  She promised she 
would call me the minute she had any useful information.

As I hung up the phone, I turned to face Animal.  “Did I hear you correctly, Commander?”

“Hear what?” he asked, a smile peeking out of the corners of his mouth.

“Did you or did you not just say Harm could get in line with regard to killing Commodore 
Keeter?” I asked with a grin, putting on my best lawyer’s tone of voice.

“Yeah, I said it, and I meant it too,” Animal put his hands on my shoulders as he spoke.  He 
leaned over and kissed me lightly.  “Now get in bed and get some sleep.  I can tell by looking at 
you that you’re exhausted.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” I said as I threw him a joking salute.

*******************************************************************************
ANIMAL’S HOME
THE NEXT MORNING
0930 EST/1430 ZULU

    Source: geocities.com/mrs_hchikamori