Title: Circling (yes, I know it’s a stupid title)
Author: Bree (virtualjag@yahoo.com)
Archive: Well since I’m the one archiving the Virtual Season there’s no reason for your sticky fingers to worry about it.
Disclaimer: *Please*, I don’t even have a full time job.
Spoilers: Is green fuzz on your pizza worse that the white fuzz?
Notes: In this world everyone wears their nametags like they’re supposed to.
Last summer, when the drought that has been pounding the Southeast was at it’s worst many farmers nearly lost everything. What weird things might you do to save your way of life?
More at the end.
More thanks than she’ll ever realize go to Susan who so graciously fixed my grammar and pointed out that I wasn’t following the whole shipper theme of the VS. Thank you, again, Susan.

Thursday
JAG HQ
1800

She found him at the conference room table searching for one paper among the hundreds he had strewn from end to end.

"I’m gone Harm. I’ll be in early tomorrow."

His head snapped up. "What? I thought you were going to help me go through all this tonight." His arms were flailing wildly to indicate the mess on the table.

"I told you this morning that Mic and I are having dinner tonight."

"Can’t you reschedule?"

"Harm," her voice was weary, "Mic is not like one of my cases. He’s not simply a client who I can ask to come back tomorrow. I have decisions I need to make and they will affect him. He deserves a face to face explanation, not a telephone call."

"Whatever. Do what you want." He turned back to the task at hand determined not to look at her again. Her shoulders sagged just a bit. Why did he have to be so difficult? Finally she turned and left.

He heard the tap of her heels fade and listened for the whoosh of the elevator doors closing. Knowing she was gone, he threw himself into a nearby conference chair. He leaned back and covered his face. Musing aloud he asked the empty room, "What kind of decisions is she making? If they’ll affect Brumby, how will they affect me? Or do I want to know?"

They never had gotten around to having that heart-to-heart they claimed they would have. There were too many other people who kept getting in the way.

Friday
JAG HQ
1100

"Excuse me." Harm held up a finger to indicate he would be with the voice to his left in just a moment.

"...And could you make sure that the admiral reads the last one before he signs it. I want him to realize he’s authorizing my leave this time. Thanks Tiner." He turned in the direction the voice had come from and found himself looking at a young civilian woman. "May I help you?"

"Maybe. I’m looking for a lawyer." She pushed her hair behind her ears and hoped that she looked and sounded more confident than she felt.

"Well, you are in luck. I just happen to be a lawyer." She didn’t speak right away. She just stared at him. He was beginning to feel self-conscious when she finally spoke.

"Well," she glanced at his shoulder boards, "Commander, I think you’ll do."

Harm could barely hold back the slight smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. "Well, then follow me Ms..."

"Cleveland. Diana Cleveland. You can call me double-O seven." They both had to laugh at the bad joke. "Lead on Commander Rabb."

"Let me stop and double check an appointment with someone." He led the young woman across the bullpen area to an office along the front wall. When he walked in without knocking, the Colonel, phone to her ear, spun on her heel to glare at him.

"Commander, do you not know how to knock?"

"No, ma’am. I was raised in a barn." He heard Diana choke back a laugh.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to ask if you were still going on the Martin interview with me."

She spoke to the person on the phone, "Can I call you back?" she paused to listen then added, "okay, I’ll see you then." She turned her attention to Harm.

"Yes, I’m going with you. Why? Did you need to discuss it?"

"Nope. I finished up last night."

"Harm," there was a slight warning tone to her voice.

"No accusations, Mac, just stating the facts. I’ll meet you at one. I’ve already signed out a fleet car. I have to go right now." Without waiting for a response he backed out and headed down to his office. Mac stared at the young redhead that followed him.

"I wonder what happened to Renee," she mused out loud.

1300

Mac was reading over the papers she had just printed out as she made her way to Harm’s office. Without thinking, or knocking, she walked on in.

"Oh, I’m sorry. Apparently I was raised in the same barn as Commander Rabb."

"Not a problem. I was just on my way out."

As the red headed woman headed out the door, Harm stopped her, "It’s going to be alright Diana."

"Thanks Harm."

As Mac watched the exchange, her confusion and curiosity got the best of her.

"Who was that?" she asked as she watched the young woman walking toward the elevators.

"Did I not introduce you to Diana? Well, no time now we have that interview. You ready?" He was sliding his jacket on and picking up his briefcase.

"Yeah, let me grab my stuff. I’ll meet you downstairs."

En route to the Martin farm

"I wonder why the Admiral put us both on this case."

"I don’t know. Maybe he just drew names out of a hat."

"Very funny Harm."

"I’m not funny. This case is what’s funny. I mean, come on, we’re actually investigating crop circles. I can’t believe all the Petty Officers are so insistent on *not* making a deal."

"Maybe they didn’t do it."

"Are you saying you think that aliens landed in Martin’s corn field?"

"I don’t know. But after all, they’re all innocent until the prosecution proves otherwise."

They were silent as Harm maneuvered the car down the narrow road leading to Jason Martin’s home. Mac stared out the window trying to decide what else could have caused the enormous circles in the field. Suddenly, she saw a man standing the tall grass on the roadside.

"Stop!"

Harm slammed on the brakes, hard. The back end of the car fishtailed slightly as they came to a sliding stop.

"What is it?"

She looked back to where the figure had been. There was nothing there. He had vanished.

"Mac, what is it? Did you see something?"

She turned to him, "I saw a man standing back there. On the side of the road."

Harm looked out the back window of the sedan. "There’s nothing back there. Are you sure it was someone? Maybe a tree or a shadow just looked like a man."

Undoing her seatbelt, she pushed the door open and climbed out. Harm scrambled out to follow her. She stood in the road looking at the spot where the figure had been. There was nothing. The grass wasn’t even bent to indicate where he might have been.

Harm took her by the elbow. "Come on Mac. Your mind’s just playing tricks on you."

"Maybe." She headed back to the car.

"Next time you see your disappearing man, don’t scream like that. I damn near killed us trying to stop this old car."

Putting the car into gear, he straightened it out as Mac leaned in to turn on the radio. For the rest of the drive, she hummed along with the radio and inspected her fingernails to avoid watching the roadside. She was positive she had seen someone, and the suddenness of the appearance and disappearance frightened her. Finally, the car pulled up in front of a rather large yellow farmhouse. A young man came out on the front porch to meet them.

"Is that Martin’s son?" Mac asked.

"No. That’s Jason Martin." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh. I guess I was just expecting someone older."

As they came up the front steps, Jason extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you Colonel, Commander. I hope you don’t mind us talking out here. My wife has the kitchen in a mess cooking for a church social. Can I get you something to drink?"

Harm and Mac settled into wicker chairs that surrounded the glass topped table in the corner of the wrap-around porch.

"I’d like a glass of tea if you don’t mind."

"Alright Colonel. Commander?"

"Nothing, thank you."

Jason disappeared into the house.

"I was expecting some cranky old man," Mac whispered. Harm swallowed a laugh.

"Here you are, Colonel." Jason sat a tall glass of tea in front of Mac and took the seat across from the two of them.

"Thank you, Mr. Martin."

"No need to be formal, ma’am. Just call me Jason."

Harm spoke up to interrupt the pleasantries. "Tell us your story, Jason."

"Alright. Let me just make a point first. I’m not out to get money. This farm," he swept his arm around to indicate everything around them, "has been in my family for four generations now. My great-grandfather purchased the land in the 1920s. During the Depression and World War II, it kept my family going. My father was able to expand despite a less than encouraging economy. I don’t want to lose all that they’ve built. The drought of the last few years is pushing me perilously close. If I had wanted to be a rich man I would take my college education, go out, and find a high powered job. I farm because the land is in me. If I lose this land, I lose myself. As I told you, I’m willing to simply allow the petty officers to purchase seed and replant."

"Well, Jason, when I spoke with my clients they insisted they had done nothing wrong. Even if they make a deal it goes onto their record."

"I understand. I got into my share of trouble when I was in college."

Monday
JAG HQ
0815

Nearly everyone had already taken their seats around the conference table. Now they were waiting for Admiral Chegwidden. He would be impressed that they were all actually early for once. Mac leaned back and stretched as Harm settled into the chair next to her.

"How was your weekend, Mac?"

"Well, I," she covered her mouth as a huge yawn overtook her.

"That tiring, eh?"

She grinned at him, "Actually, no. I spent most of the weekend cleaning or reading about crop circles."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Crop circles?"

"Yeah. It’s actually very interesting. There are some elaborate and beautiful designs. So what did you do that was so thrilling this weekend?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Worked on some bookshelves I’m building. Got a tattoo. Went and saw a movie. You know, weekend stuff."

She smiled and nodded her head slightly, "So what movie did you go see?"

"Shaft," he leaned toward her, "oh, come on Mac, tell me more about your elusive tattoo."

She whispered conspiratorially, "It’s of a crop circle and only one man knows where it’s at."

The twinkle in his eyes faded just a bit. "So, will Brumby tell me all about this crop circle if I ask nicely?"

"If he knew. Remember the ad line ‘only her hairdresser knows?’ Well, only my tattoo artist knows."

Both leaned back into their seats as Admiral Chegwidden strode in and began the Monday morning meeting.

Thursday
1630

"The defense calls Jeffery Martin to the stand." Mac’s voice bounced around the nearly empty courtroom.

Jason watched in amazement as his younger brother took the stand and was sworn in.

"Jeff, could you state for the court what it is you do."

"I’m a graduate student at the University of Virginia."

"Mr. Martin, what do you know about your brother’s farming operation?"

"Everything. I spend my weekends and my summers working on the farm. I work on the farm and Jason and my father take care of me, financially, while I’m in school."

"Then you know that the operation has been in financial trouble the last few years."

Jeff laughed, "Ma’am, it’s a farm. Farms attract financial trouble like honey attracts flies."

"What about the last few years?"

"Well, the last few years *have* been rougher than usual. The drought has left everyone trying to figure out how they’re going to survive."

"What do you plan to do after you graduate from UVA?"

"Objection. Your Honor, this line of questioning is headed no where," the prosecutor interjected.

"Your Honor, this line of questioning does have a destination if the prosecution will just let me get there."

"Well, speed it up, Colonel. Objection overruled," the judge decided.

Mac turned back to the man on the stand.

"After graduation Mr. Martin?"

"I plan to go to Vanderbilt and work on my Ph.D."

"You’re not going back to the farm?"

"No ma’am. The farm is my brother’s dream. Not mine."

"Where were you the evening these crop circles were created in your brother’s field?"

"I was staying with my brother. I spent all of July working with Jason."

"Had you seen the petty officers before?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I had seen them at the creek that separated Jason’s land from the neighbors. It seemed like them and some of their buddies would just go down there, drink, and fish some. I mentioned it to Jason and he said as long as they weren’t really bothering anything not to worry about it."

"What do you know about the formation of the crop circles in your brother’s field?"

"I know that the petty officers didn’t do it."

"How do you know that, Mr. Martin?"

"Because I had it done."

"*You* had it done?"

"Yes ma’am."

"Why?"

"Well, I think that in my own way of thinking, I was helping. I assumed that the crop circles would draw people in and my brother would come up with a way to make some money from it. And I knew that if that didn’t work we could always blame the petty officers for destroying the crops. I thought that the Navy would just force the officers to pay for the destruction. I never thought it would come down to actually going to court."

"Thank you, Mr. Martin. No more questions."

The judge glanced at the prosecution’s table. The prosecutor simply shook his head.

"You may step down, Mr. Martin."

"May I say something else?" Jeff Martin asked. Mac turned to look at the young man.

"Yes, Mr. Martin," the judge answered.

"I did pay to have someone come out and make the circles but they never showed up that night."

"Your Honor..." Mac interrupted.

He waved a hand at the Colonel to indicate he wanted her silence.

"Some buddies of mine from college were supposed to come out and make a few simple circles. They never made it that night. They were in a car wreck and spent most of the night talking to police and at the hospital. I don’t know how those circles were formed in Jason’s field but I know it wasn’t the petty officers or my friends."

"May I ask the witness a few questions, sir?" Mac asked quickly before the prosecution could chime in.

"Of course, Colonel. He’s your witness."

"Jeff, you said you know it wasn’t the petty officers. How do you know it wasn’t them?"

"Jason saw them down by the creek when he was coming in from that back field. That was about 7:30 or 8 o’clock. My friends were supposed to arrive at about 10:30. I headed out around 9:45 to meet up with them. The petty officers and their friends had cleared out. I waited until nearly midnight. I checked the field several times thinking maybe the guys had come in from a different direction and I saw nothing. There were no people and there was no crop circle. That circle was done sometime between midnight and six in the morning."

"Then who made the circle?"

"I believe it was military aircraft, ma’am."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Because of what I saw as I walked back to the house."

"Describe it for the court please."

"I was nearly to the barn when I heard something fly over. It sounded really low but because it was dark I couldn’t see anything. Then out over the back field I saw lights flicker. At first I thought it was just heat lightening and didn’t pay much attention. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I think it was aircraft."

"Why military?"

"Colonel, I’m not the kind to believe in UFO’s that visit the Earth just to smash crops. No one but the military could possibly have aircraft that could fly that low and that quietly."

"Your Honor, the defense asks for at least a one day recess so that both sides can investigate Mr. Martin’s claim."

"Okay. This court is in recess until 1300 Monday." The judge tapped his gavel and went back to his chambers.

Harm and Mac made their way back downstairs.

"Well that didn’t go as planned."

"Be quiet, Harm."

"I’m just saying, how were you supposed to know he was holding back information?"

"Oh, and you would have thought to ask him about UFO’s?" No answer. "Oh, man. You probably would have. You’re weird that way. That’s twice I’ve thought I had a case nailed shut only to have my star witness go bonkers on me."

"Are you going to get Jeff Martin a job now?" She just glared at him. "Come on, Mac. Look on the bright side. He did say that it couldn’t have been the petty officers."

"I guess."

"Come on let’s head out to the Martin’s and take a look around."

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I promised Harriet I would get out of here early tonight so we could go catch a movie. Girl’s night out."

"But be here early tomorrow so we have plenty of time to look around."

"Thanks." She gave his hand a quick squeeze before disappearing into her office to gather her things.

Friday
0730

Mac climbed out of her car and stretched her arms over her head. Never again would she agree to a double feature on a night when she didn’t get to sleep in the next day. As she bent over to stretch her back, Harm’s SUV appeared. The window rolled down and she leaned into the vehicle.

"So, sailor, whadda ya want," she asked mimicking some 1940s actress. He just laughed as she climbed in. "Why aren’t we taking a car from the motor pool?"

"The motor pool guys don’t come in until eight."

"What, are they Air Force?"

"I think so."

"Ah, to serve and be a clerk. Must be nice."

Harm maneuvered his vehicle out of the parking lot and into early morning traffic. He seemed distracted. Leaving him to his own thoughts she began going through her notes from Jeff Martin’s testimony. They were nearly to the Martin farm and she couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

"Okay, let’s hear it."

"Hear what?" Harm asked.

"What it is that’s bothering you."

"Nothing." His eyes never left the road.

"You’re a sorry liar, Commander. Spill it. You’ve been acting strange for the last week. I know it’s not this case. This case has been like a bad sitcom. Did you and Renee have an argument?"

"Renee and I are fine."

"Do you and Renee talk about your cases? I don’t necessarily mean specifics but in generalities."

"Not really. The law isn’t something she finds particularly interesting."

"Well then, if I may be so bold, and I believe I can because I’ve known you longer than anyone present..."

He interrupted, "No, my invisible pal George is in the backseat and we’ve known one another since childhood." He smiled a little with that comment.

"Okay, George is the exception here. I know what it’s like not to be able to discuss some of your cases with another person. Even in the most general terms. I think that if I can tell someone just the broad facts it makes the load a little easier. I’ve given voice to my thoughts. Want to give voice to some thoughts? Give them life?"

"You don’t want this burden. If the thoughts come alive, they’ll simply haunt you like they haunt me." With that said he turned the SUV onto the lean gravel road to Jason Martin’s home, and silence reigned once again. Harm had slowed to avoid a pothole when he noticed a figure moving along the side of the road. Stopping quickly he threw the vehicle into park and jumped out.

"Excuse me," he called. The man was about a hundred yards ahead of him and was moving swiftly to the tree line.

"Hey, you," he yelled to the disappearing person. The man stopped and turned to look back. The man’s face was covered in black paint and his blue eyes stood out in stark contrast. Despite the distance between, them the blankness of the man’s eyes startled Harm. With a few quick steps, the man was into the trees and gone. It was as if he had simply fallen off the face of the Earth. Harm sprinted to the point where the man had disappeared. A breathless Mac caught up with him a few moments later.

"Who was he and where did he go?"

"I don’t know, Harm, but we won’t find him. He doesn’t want us to find him. He was probably the same man I saw the last time we were out here." A chill shook her body as she realized the stranger was probably within earshot of them. He slid an arm around her shoulders and they headed back to the car.

"I just have a feeling he could answer a lot of questions about this case."

"Hence the reason he ran. There’s more to this case than we’re ever going to know."

As they made their way on down the road, Mac recalled the civilian woman from last week. Right now she needed a conversation that would help her shake the uneasiness that had overtaken her back there.

"Harm, who was that red head who came to your office last week? I think you called her Diana. Looking at trading Renee in for an even younger model?" She hoped the jealousy wasn’t as evident in her voice as it was in her soul.

"No."

"Then who is she?"

"Doesn’t matter."

Suddenly realization dawned.

"She’s the reason you’ve been acting so strange. You might as well tell me. I have ways of making men talk you know."

Harm parked the SUV in front of the Martin’s house.

"We’ll talk about it on the way back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The two quickly made their way across the yard and through the pasture gate. The field they were looking for was on the far side of the large pasture. Watching their step, they wove through the meadow. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on perspective, the Martin’s had been forced to sell many of their cattle and rely heavily on crops they raised.

"Cows are creepy." He just stared at her. "Well, they just stare at you. Like you’re some sort of alien."

He snorted, "Maybe they know you want them ground up and on a bun."

Ignoring his last comment, she pointed to the thin wire fence they were coming up on. "Is that an electric fence?"

"No clue. Why don’t you touch it?"

She laughed, "This girl I went to law school with was always telling us stories about when she was growing up. She said they used to touch her grandfather’s electric fence with a long weed. She claimed it didn't really hurt just this weird sensation went up your arm."

"How do you find the strangest people to be friends with?"

"In strange places. Think about where I found you."

"There’s no gate around here." He looked up and down the length of the fence. "Man, you have to go through the barn down there." He pointed at the large barn at the other end of the fence.

"Jeff did say that he was almost to the barn when he saw whatever it was he saw."

"Let’s just crawl under the fence." He lowered himself to the ground and rolled under the fence. "Come on, Mac."

As she rolled under the fence she grumbled, "Next time I’ll wear overalls and boots."

"Boots probably wouldn’t fit in the ‘comfortable shoe’ category."

"Let me see those photos." Pulling out the first one, "See here, the edge of the design is a good thirty yards from here. There are no paths that indicate where people would have walked. I don’t see how someone could have gotten into the field without leaving a trail."

"Well that’s all well and good, but what we need is something that proves the military had nothing to do with this."

"I know." She began pushing barley aside and stepping carefully in order to break as few stalks as possible.

"Where are you going? What do you think you’re going to find out there?" He stayed by the fence watching he make her way to the crop circle. "Well?!?"

"Look at this," she yelled from the middle of the design, "These stalks aren’t even broken. They’re just twisted and bent. That’s just like the crop circles found in England. If Jeff’s friends or even the petty officers had done this, stalks would be broken and dead but they’re still green."

"Is there anything else that might be helpful?"

"No." She retraced her steps to where Harm was. "It’s possible that aircraft did this. I don’t see how we would ever get anyone to let us in on the secret." The two headed toward the barn to get back to the house.

"We could beat answers out of Webb."

"What good would that do? We would probably just find out that the Dept. of the Navy was still responsible."

"Probably." Reaching the barn, Harm tried to open the small door. Mac watched him battle with the handmade door latch for several seconds.

"Move. Have you never opened a barn door?" Grasping the plank, she gave it a swift jerk and the door swung open.

"Barns aren’t common in La Jolla. Mr. Martin, how are you," Harm warmly greeted the young man.

"Colonel, Commander," Jason Martin greeted the two, "Jane said ya’ll were out in the field. Did you find anything?"

They both blinked repeatedly as their eyes adjusted to the barn’s dim interior.

"Not really," Mac stated.

"Well, I was on my way to find you. Jane brought this to me. It was delivered by courier." Martin held up a large envelope. Just then Mac’s cell phone rang. She smiled an apology to the two.

"Mackenzie."

"Colonel Mackenzie, this is Captain James. I just received orders from the SecNav."

"How does that affect me, sir?"

"The Martin case has been dismissed."

"Sir?"

"That’s all I know, Colonel. I wasn’t given any explanation. Just told it was dropped."

"Commander Rabb and I were hoping to get to the bottom of this."

"I’m sure you were but you’re not to investigate any further. Orders are orders. It is not ours to question."

"I understand, sir." Flipping the phone shut, she turned back to where Jason and Harm were discussing the delivery.

"Mac, look at this. It’s a cashier’s check for a thousand more than the Martin’s were asking for."

"That was Captain James. The case has been dismissed. SecNav’s orders."

Both men looked confused.

"Did he give any explanation?" Jason asked.

"Only said and I quote, ‘It is not ours to question.’ And we’ve been ordered to halt out investigation."

The confused expressions remained.

Harm turned to the other man, "Well, Mr. Martin, I’m glad you got what you needed. I just wish we could tell you and your family what caused the circles. And that it won’t happen again."

"Well, at least the petty officers won’t have this on their records," Jason added.

Mac held her hand to him, "Thank you, Mr. Martin, for being so willing to work with us. I wish you the best of luck with your farm." Shaking hands all around, Harm and Mac continued out of the barn and back to the car.

They were back to the spot where they had stopped earlier before either one spoke.

"Mac, I wanted to know what caused this. If some branch of the military did this I want to know why and insure that they don’t nearly destroy someone’s livelihood."

"I know. But not everything is a conspiracy. I’m not even sure we would have ever found the answers we were looking for. What if this was like so many of the other circles and there was no earthly explanation. I’d rather not ever know what the cause was and know that the Martin farm will make it at least another year."

"I guess this means we have to go back to JAG and do paper work."

"Or we could go have a long lunch." She grinned widely.

"Oh, was that your stomach? I thought I had heard thunder."

"Very funny sailor. Just for that, you’re paying."

Finish

More of my blathering notes: Yes, I realize I tossed Diana in there and never did tell you what she was all about. I’m planning on doing that later. It’s just one of those subplots that runs through several episodes (or at least another fic).