You know the drill. The disclaimer is almost worthless, like we actually think we might own claim to them.

Harm's office
JAG

Mac leaned in the doorway and looked at Harm, who was hunched over his desk. The bruises and cuts were still evident on his face. They had just returned two days ago from Twenty-Nine Palms. They had both been surprised to see Renee and Mic waiting for them at Andrews Air Force Base.

Two days earlier....

Harm and Mac stepped off of the transport. It had been a long ride home and they weren't really able to have their talk because of the other people on the plane. As they set foot on the ground, Renee, followed by Mic, walked up to them. When Renee got to them, she threw her arms around Harm and held him close to her. Mic moved to embrace Mac. Mic let her go and turned to Harm.

"You look worse than Australia, mate."

"I feel worse than Australia."

"At least you did yourself proud, Harm. Is your next stop Mike Tyson?" Harm laughed as hard as he could without it hurting.

"No, my fighting and boxing days are over. I'm getting way to old for this."

"Well, I know just the cure," Renee purred, as she linked her arm through his and led him to her car. Mac watched their retreating forms, knowing instinctively that they were back to where they were before Twenty-Nine Palms.

Present...

"How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm not totally one hundred percent yet, but I'm getting there."

"Well, I'm sure Renee's cure did a lot for you."

"Yeah, nothing like..."

"I don't want to hear about it." She waved her hands to silence him. Just then Tiner knocked on the door.

"The Admiral would like to see you in his office, Commander."

"What did you do this time, Flyboy?"

"Guess I'm about to find out."

@@

Admiral Chegwidden's Office

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Harm asked, as he entered the office. He was surprised to see Bud already sitting there.

"Yes, have a seat please. I'm sure you are aware of the case of the government versus Lt. Todd Adams?"

"Yes, sir. Kind of hard to miss it, it has been all over the papers since his arrest last week," Bud answered.

"Commander?" Chegwidden asked.

"He allegedly killed his partner in a jealous fit after finding her with another man," Harm answered coldly.

"Commander, you seem a little more aware of the case than just the press," Bud questioned.

"I went to law school with Todd, there is no way he did this."

"Well, its a good thing you feel that way, since Lt. Adams requested you as his defense council. He is being transported to the Naval Yard Brig as we speak. The Article 32 hearing is scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

"Why did they transfer the case here, sir?" Bud asked.

"Lt. Adams and Lt. Joblin were both assigned to the JAG office in Pearl Harbor. They didn't want any conflicts of interest so they transferred it here. Bud, you are going to be co-defense council."

@@

Next Morning
Harm's apartment

"I have known Todd for eight years, there is no way he could have killed CJ. He loved her, he has for years." Harm explained part of the case to Renee, as he finished putting on his uniform.

"What was his motive?"

"Alleged motive," Harm said sharply.

"Sorry, but from all I've read it really sounds like he's guilty."

"That is what I hate about the press. They always make the person sound guilty."

"I'm sorry. I don't want to fight right before you leave for work." She moved over to where he stood in front of the closet.

"It's all right." He smiled as he turned to kiss her softly.

Washington Naval Yard
Brig

Bud and Harm walked into the Brig to find Lieutenant Todd Adams standing at attention waiting for them.

"Commander, thank you for coming," Todd said quietly.

"At ease, Lt. You know I would do anything to help you."

"Thank you, sir."

"As always, cut the sir, Todd," Harm smiled at him as he motioned for Todd and Bud to sit. "This is Lt. Bud Roberts, he is going to be my co-council for the case."

"I can use all the help I can get right now." Todd smiled weakly.

"I'm going to get you out of this," Harm said to his friend.

"Lt. if you could just start at the beginning and tell us everything," Bud started.

"I met CJ, that is Lieutenant Cynthia Joblin, three years ago. We had both just been assigned to the legal services office in Hawaii. We worked on a lot of cases and assignments together. CJ was the best partner I've ever worked with. She was bright and smart and beautiful and one of the best friends I had ever had."

"Did you love her?" Bud asked.

"More than anything," Todd whispered.

"Did she know this?"

"I told her about two months ago. She said that she only thought of me as a friend and that there was too much in her past for her to consider a relationship with me. I told her it was okay. It really was okay. I didn't kill her, Harm. You've got to believe me."

"I believe you, Todd. Tell me about the night she died."

"I was at a party with Jason, that is Lt. Jason Sparks."

"He is another lawyer assigned in Hawaii, correct?"

"Yes, we're all pretty good friends over there. Helps alleviate some of the boredom. All we get are divorce cases, wills, and settlements. You get all the fun stuff." Todd laughed, as Harm and Bud looked at one another.

"Us?"

"Face it, you two are famous in JAG circles as getting to have all the fun. The rest of us are stuck in Dullsville waiting for our time to be up so we can get cushy civilian jobs."

"Well, when you put it that way," Bud laughed. "Go on."

"Jason and I were at the party all night. I talked to several people there and they can all confirm my alibi. I don't even know why they bothered to arrest me."

"You were seen fighting with the victim the day of the murder. No one at the party can say for certain that you were there all night." Bud read from the investigation report.

"Can't you see I'm being framed." Todd pushed his chair back and went to the window of the cell.

"Todd, I believe you," Harm said quietly. "This is going to be easy. There is no murder weapon. You have an alibi. You had no motive."

"I miss her so much, Harm."

"I know, Todd. I know."

Harm closed his briefcase and stood.

"We're going to go talk to Lt. Sparks and some more witnesses. We'll be back tomorrow morning before the Article 32 hearing."

"Thank you, both for coming here."

Harm and Bud quietly left the room.

@@

JAG Headquarters
Later that same day

"So, Colonel, I hear you and I are going to be adversaries in the court again?" Harm asked, leaning against the doorframe to her office.

"As always," she smiled at him.

"Well, get ready to lose."

"You know Harm, one of these days I'm going to be beat you outright."

"I'm sure you are, Mac. But this isn't the case you're going to do it with." He turned on his heel and started to walk away.

Mac caught up with him at the elevator.

"Harm," she pulled on his shirtsleeve. "Don't get too emotionally involved in this case. I know Lt. Adams is a friend of yours."

"Mac, I don't get emotionally involved in my cases."

"Yes, you do," she sighed, heavily, as Harm turned and walked from her.

Brig
Next Morning

"Ready?" Harm asked Todd, as he and Bud entered the interview room.

"As ready as I can be for something like this," Todd answered soberly as the three walked out of the room.

The three walked somberly into the courtroom and took their seats.

When they were ready to start questioning witnesses, Mac called her first witness.

After Detective Scales was sworn in, Mac asked him several questions about the discovery of the body.

"When was the body of Lt. Joblin discovered?"

"Monday afternoon around 1300 hours. When she didn't report for work Monday morning, her commanding officer called us concerned. We told him that she had to be missing at least 48 hours before we could open a file on her, but that in this instance we would open an investigation if no one heard from her by Tuesday morning."

"And is that what happened?"

"No, her CO became even more worried about her when he hadn't heard from her by lunch. After lunch, he went to her apartment, got the super to let him in and that's when he found the body."

"Was she dead?"

"Yes, by the state of her body we guessed that she had been dead for several days."

"Objection, your honor, the witness is not an expert in judging the time of death."

"Withdrawn. Detective Scales, what did you determine the cause of death to be?"

"Multiple stabs wound to the chest."

"How many?" Mac turned to look at the defendant.

"Sixteen."

"No more questions for this witness."

"Commander Rabb, your witness."

"Detective Scales, did your team find a murder weapon?"

"No, we did not."

"Your honor, I would like to submit defense exhibit one. Detective, can you explain this picture to us?"

"Yes, Lt. Joblin's apartment was spotless. There were no dirty dishes in the sink and none in the dishwasher. There was however, one knife missing from her knife set."

"Which one was it?"

"The meat clever."

"Did your team determine this to be the weapon used in her murder?"

"Yes."

"Have you recovered it?" Harm turned around to look at the prosecutor.

"No. We covered the area around Lt. Joblin's apartment and did not find it."

"You also searched Lt. Adams' apartment. Did you find it there?"

"No."

"In fact your search found nothing to link my client to the murder, did it?"

"No, it did not," the detective replied.

"That's all."

"Detective Scales you may step down."

"The prosecution would like to call Dr. Aaron Bale to the stand," Mac said, standing.

"Dr. Bale, you performed the autopsy on Lt. Joblin correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"And what did you determine to be the cause of death?"

"Multiple stabs wounds to the chest by a large knife."

"What did you determine to be the time of death."

"Her body was found so long after death that it was hard to determine the exact time of death. Using what resources available we determined it to be between 1700 and 1900 on Friday night."

"No further questions."

"Commander Rabb, your witness."

Harm rose and walked over to the witness box.

"Dr. Bale, is it possible that death could have occurred any time other than between 1700 and 1900?"

"Yes, but it is unlikely. The rate of decomposition of the stomach contents and the body temperature all point to between 1700 and 1900."

"Doctor, how long have you been practicing forensics?"

"About a year."

"How many autopsies have you performed?"

"Several," he replied uneasily.

"How many have you performed by yourself?"

"One."

"Lt. Joblin's?"

"Yes, sir."

"So it's possible that your estimation of the time of death was wrong?"

"Yes, but..."

Harm cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I have no more questions for this witness."

"You may step down. Call your next witness, Colonel," the judge said.

"The prosecution calls Jack Wilson."

"Mr. Wilson," Mac started, "How are you acquainted with the victim?"

"CJ and I had been dating for several weeks before that idiot killed her."

"Objection your honor," Harm said calmly.

"Sustained, the witness will refrain from editorializing and stick to the facts," the judge looked at Wilson sternly.

"When was the last time you saw Lt. Joblin?"

"Tuesday night right before she died."

"Had you ever met the defendant, Lt. Adams before today?"

"Yes, sir, that same night. CJ and I were, well, we were being intimate when Lt. Adams walked in and found us. The asshole went ballistic."

"Objection," Harm said a little more sternly. He and Bud looked at their client.

"Mr. Wilson, I don't want to warn you again."

"Mr. Wilson, how did Lt. Adams react to finding you and Lt. Joblin together?"

"He was very unhappy. He said that he loved her and that she should be with him and not me. That I wasn't good enough for her and that I would just hurt her in the end."

"What was her reaction to this."

"Objection your honor, hearsay," Harm replied.

"Overruled, he was there, Commander."

"She said that she thought he understood that she didn't want that kind of relationship with him and that she was a big girl and could take care of herself."

"Did he get violent with her?"

"No, he did not."

"No more questions for this witness."

"Given the hour court will adjourn until tomorrow at 0900. At that time, Commander Rabb you may question this witness."

Harm and Bud followed the guards back down to the barracks. Once they were alone, Harm turned to Todd.

"Why didn't you tell me about the scene at her place."

"I didn't think it was important," Todd replied.

"Todd, you're a lawyer too, you know that everything is important," Harm answered.

"I did some research on Jack, after I found them together. He has a history of stalking. I think he killed her."

"Bud, I want you to find out everything you can about Jack Wilson. We're going to need it tomorrow."

@@

Next Morning
Courtroom

"Commander Rabb, you may cross exam the witness now," Admiral Morris said from the bench.

"Thank you, your honor."

"Remember Mr. Wilson, you are still under oath," Admiral Morris warned, sternly.

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Wilson, how long had you and Lt. Joblin been dating?" Harm asked.

"A few months."

"Where did you live before Hawaii?"

"Around."

"Isn't it true that you were arrested in Indiana for stalking?"

"Objection, your honor, relevance?" Mac asked.

"Your honor, I'm attempting to prove that someone other than my client may be the murderer."

"Overruled, but Commander, tread lightly."

"According to the Evansville police you were arrested in July 1999 for threatening the life of a woman you had dated."

"She owed me money."

"According to the report she owed you, five dollars and a six pack?"

"It was the principle of the matter."

"So, you threatened to blow up her car?"

"Objection, the defense is leading the witness."

"Sustained." Morris looked at Harm.

"How many other women have you harassed?"

"I wasn't harassing CJ."

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe that is why she told you that it was over and you murdered her."

"Objection."

"Sustained. Commander, do you have any more questions for this witness?"

"No," he said, and slowly walked back to the defense table.

Over the course of the next few days, Mac carefully laid out her case. How Todd was the last person to see her alive. How the body was so badly decomposed that the coroner couldn't get a good reading of the time of death. After three days, she rested her case, believing that justice would prevail and she would get a conviction.

Harm's main defense strategy was to call character witnesses, who would testify that Lt. Adams wasn't a violent person. The first person he called was Father Thomas McKinnon.

"Father McKinnon, how long have you been acquainted with the defendant?"

"I've known Todd since he was a child. His parents are members of my congregation."

"So, you know him pretty well, don't you?"

"Yes, he was always one of the bright spots of the youth. He always had a goal in life. I was so proud when he joined the Navy. His parents didn't have a lot of money, but Todd really wanted a good life. He weighed his options for several weeks about which branch to join. He decided on the Navy when he found out that with good grades, he would also be able to go to law school."

"So, Lt. Adams has always wanted to go to law school?"

"Objection, your honor. Calls for speculation, there is no way this man can know the defendant's mind."

"I'm going to allow it for a while, Colonel, the man is a priest."

"Thank you, your honor," Father McKinnon said quietly.

"What kind of child was Todd?"

"He was always very proper in church, never raised a ruckus. Always listened intently to the sermon. As he got older, he started helping with the younger children."

Harm asked the Father several more questions. Once he felt he had the jurors' sympathy, he rested his questioning.

Mac rose from her seat, and walked to the witness box.

"Father, have you spent much time with Lt. Adams since he joined the Navy?"

"No, I have not."

"So, you really aren't a good judge of what kind of person he is now?"

"Colonel, people don't change that much over time. Todd was a wonderful, joyous child, and teenager and I have no doubt that he is the same way as an adult. He wouldn't have done this as a child, and he wouldn't have done it now."

"Or so you say. What kind of person do you think Lt. Adams was when he was in say, law school?" Mac asked, turning to look at the defense table.

"We spoke a few times while he was at Georgetown. He always spoke highly of his classmates."

"Did he ever tell you about the time, those classmates almost got him arrested for disorderly conduct?"

"Objection, the prosecutor can't present the defendant's prior conduct."

"Your honor, the defendant wasn't actually arrested, and the witness has been telling us for fifteen minutes what a good boy he was."

"Overruled."

"I know something of the incident, yes."

"Tell us what you know."

"That Todd and several of his friends went to a bar after an exam, had a little too much to drink, and they dared Todd to ask out a waitress. Then her boyfriend showed up and Todd tried to..."

"Go on, Father."

"...pick a fight with the man, who was three times bigger than he was."

"And the police were called."

"There were no charges ever filed, though."

"No charges were filed because the boyfriend had illegal drugs on him, isn't that right?"

"Yes, I believe that is correct."

"I have no further questions."

@@

Harm continued his defense for several days. He called several character witnesses. One testified that he had seen Mr. Wilson harassing other women and two that testified to Lt. Adams mental state and that he couldn't have killed Lt. Joblin.

When it was time for closing arguments, Mac walked over to the jury box.

"Don't be swayed by Lt. Adams', baby face demeanor. Don't be swayed by the fact that he has many friends who will swear that he is the boy next door. Be swayed by the facts. He was the last person to see Lt. Joblin alive." She paced in front of the panel, locking eyes with the members.

"He made a scene with her and the boyfriend. He was unstable with the break up. He told several people that he couldn't live without her. The only verdict you can return is guilty." She walked back to the prosecution table and sat down.

Harm stood up and walked over to the place where Mac had just stood.

"Lt. Adams did not kill Lt. Joblin. He loved her, more than anything he says. He may have been the last person to see her alive, but he did not kill her. No murder weapon was found. Jack Wilson had motive; Lt. Joblin had ended their relationship after she found out about his arrest record. Look at the evidence and return the only verdict that you can, not guilty.

Two days later

Harm, Todd and Bud stood at attention as the foreman read the verdict.

"We the jury find the defendant, not guilty." Todd heaved a huge sigh of relief and gave Harm a thank you hug.

"I knew we could do it, sir," Bud said.

"Looks like you pulled another one out of your hat, flyboy." Mac walked out of the room.

Later that night

"How exactly is it that you win so many cases?" Renee purred, as she slid up to Harm on the sofa.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into a kiss. "It's my charm." They were startled by the phone ringing. Harm let the machine pick it up.

"Harm, if you're there answer the phone, please," Mac begged.

"What?" Harm said, shortly into the phone.

"I'm at St. Mary's you need to get down here now."

St. Mary's Church

"What happened?" Harm asked, running down the hall toward Mac. They both knew that Father McKinnon had been staying at the church rectory while he was in town.

He looked over at the haunting image of Lt. Adams, sitting in the corner, sobbing. "I didn't mean to do it, she told me that she didn't love me. I couldn't handle it. You have to understand."

"Todd," Harm walked over to his friend. "Tell me what happened here."

"I wanted to confess my crime. Father McKinnon told me to turn myself in. I couldn't do that, so I grabbed a knife."

Harm looked up at Mac. "He's going to be fine, he put up a good fight."

"What about CJ?" Harm asked.

"She told me I wasn't her type. She was trying to spare my feelings; she should have just told me I was a wimp. That was what she meant. I had to show her that I wasn't."

"It's going to be fine, Todd. We're going to get you the help that you need. I promise."

The police came and took Todd away. As they were leading him away, Mac turned to Harm.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"No, this is the second time in less than a year, I have helped acquit a guilty man. This time someone almost died. What happens when someone does die, because I don't know when to quit?"

"Harm, you believed him."

"His story, it was just so, so...."

"Compelling?" Mac asked.

"Familiar," Harm whispered. "His love for her ultimately cost both of them their lives."

He and Mac locked gazes, each wondering, but not voicing, what the love they felt for each other would cost them.

End