Title: Life, the universe and everything
Prompt:
Stacey Warner: "God, you are such an idiot."
House: "Actually, I thought I was more of a jerk."
From House M.D.
Prompt by Katiegirl
Word count: about 3000 words.
Category: Romantic comedy-drama (it's hard to categorize…)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I would love to own them, but right now all my money is going towards my summer vacation, so don't sue.
Also, the title is borrowed from one of Douglas Adams "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" books, don't own those either.
Author's Notes: For this story's sake, the episode All Ye Faithful in Season 8 didn't happen, and this happens around that episodes' time. The reasons will become apparent later in the story.
A deep from the heart thanks to my beta-reader, Colie, without whom I wouldn't have participated in this Ficathon and who's enthusiasm kept me writing. "I want to hear you upbeat!"
--
At times life seems like a well thought out plan. If you only take the right cues, step wisely according to the marks painted on the earth, listen carefully to the guiding voice of the director and speak according to the script, everything will work out and lead to the happy ending.
Thing is, you can never be all that sure that you are taking the right cues, and not accidentally taking over someone else's, or making things up.
It's these times of being unsure about your destiny that your true spirit is tested. It's these splits in the road of your life, that make you want to sit at the crossroad and cry, that build your character. No one's to say that one choice is better than another, 'cause you never really know, do you?
"Ah, hell."
Mac crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it in the general direction of the far wall.
She was trying to write the closing argument for the following day, but kept finding herself spewing philosophical crap that had nothing to do with the case of an officer trying to blame the world and its wife for a calculation mistake that he made and that lead to quite the big mishap during a training exercise.
She needed a break.
Getting up to the kitchen, she pointedly ignored the balls of white paper that littered her living room floor.
Armed with a piping hot cup of Marine-grade coffee and a box of cookies, she sat back down and threw her blank legal-pad a withering look. Actually, maybe it was the pen that was the problem. Said pen received a contemptuous glare. She imagined it recoil in fear.
She gave a small self-deprecating laugh. "Aaaand I've lost it."
The cup didn't even reach her lips when there was a knock at the door. She sighed into the steaming liquid; she did not want company. A whispered "Go away." and a meaningful lift of the brow disappeared into the fragrant vapor.
A minute of peaceful bliss ended on another series of curt rapping noises on her front door, followed by a familiar bellow of "Hey, Mac?"
She resignedly dropped her chin to her chest and took a deep breath. At least she wouldn't have to get up...
"Yeah, it's open!"
The door opened to reveal her handsome partner in jeans and a T-shirt, grinning at her like the cat that caught the canary. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Harm. What brings you by?"
Harm opened his mouth to speak but then caught sight of the white "carpet" that fanned out from where he was standing all the way to and around the couch. Mac could practically hear the wheels turning in his head as his eyebrows rose to his hairline, and she sighed tiredly; she was never going to hear the end of this.
"I'm trying to write my closing argument and it's..." panic started bubbling as she saw him squat down and pick up a white ball. She was up and by his side in less than a second. "Give me it." she struck her hand out, palm upwards. The devilish glint in his eyes did nothing to calm her nerves. "Harm..." she warned.
"What..?" he was at once an innocent angel and the devil incarnate. The sound of paper unraveling sprung her to action and Harm suddenly found himself flat on his back, a speedy Marine weighing him down.
She was straddling him, both hands squarely on his shoulders. Her face inches from his, her hair falling forward and framing her face, her breathing just slightly labored. Their eyes locked and held. The universe blinked away. He didn't dare move, nor look away. The urge to reach up and kiss her was building up inside him like a river rising behind a dam, threatening to go over.
He had no idea what external force snapped him back to real life, but he did his best to bounce back from the dark abyss of desire he would've gladly fallen back into.
"Ouch, Marine. Play nice, will ya?" he grunted and noted to himself to be more prepared next time. Scratching up his wits, he realized he'd hit a sensitive spot... and he intended to play it for all it was worth. "It's always instant gratification with you, isn't it?" he winked at her and flashed a quick grin.
Mac laughed and shook her head, still slightly dazed herself, snatched the half unraveled paper from his slack grip and slapped his chest playfully. "God, you are such an idiot." She said while getting up and off of him. "To incur the wrath of a Marine like that... silly squid!" She gathered the remaining evidence of her "lawyer's block" and threw them into the paper bin by her desk.
Harm propped himself up on his elbows and grinned widely. "Actually, I thought I was more of a jerk, since obviously my quick thinking exceeds yours." With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Mac turned back to her desk, only to whirl back to him, her eyes wide when she heard paper rustlings.
In a deep, radio-broadcaster-from-the-50's voice, Harm read: "..and so we go about our lives, wondering if there's some bigger plan in the works, believing in fate, or destiny, or a god, or several, trying to find meaning to it all..." he trailed off and caught the gaze of his shell-shocked partner thoughtfully. "No wonder you can't write a closing argument..."
Resigned to her fate, Mac's shoulders fell along with her eyelids. "Tell me about it..." she uttered. Risking another look at him, Mac was surprised to find Harm considering her seriously and for a split second felt the familiar pang of regret at having judged him wrong.
Harm gathered himself up from the floor, not without a few groans for dramatic effect, and looked up to find Mac still staring at him. He gave her a straight from the heart warm smile that seemed to soften the edges and after a few seconds she shook herself back to reality and smiled sheepishly.
"C'mon." he said and received a questioning look. "You look like you need some fresh air, let's go for a walk."
A second full of protesting thoughts later, Mac gave in; she wasn't being productive anyways. "Let me just grab my jacket." She threw over her shoulder, already heading to her bedroom.
--
Mac took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "You were right; I did need some fresh air."
They'd been walking in the park for almost half an hour, mostly in silence, each busy with their own thoughts. It was a beautiful, clear day. The air was crisp but not too cold, filled with a plethora of scents, each telling a different story, if you only cared to listen.
Stretching her hands high above her, she received an amused look from Harm. She just shrugged and kept on walking.
"So..." Harm began after a few minutes more of silence, "care to tell me why you're pondering the question of life, the universe and everything?" His choice of words made her pause, but before she could voice the query, he went on. "'cause I can tell you right now the answer's 42." She knew he was kidding, but had no idea how.
"What?!"
Harm broke into free laughter and shook his head. "From this book Bud made me read..."
Mac laughed, but it was mostly nervous laughter. She really didn't want to talk about the meaning of life right now. Mainly because she wasn't sure hers had any at the moment. So she chose diversion as a tactic. "Care to tell me why you came by in the best of moods today?" She was pretty sure it wouldn't work, but she was ready to pull out all stops – kissing him till he forgot what he'd asked came to mind...
But Harm broke into a grin that, wide as it was, seemed to be half of what it wanted to be. Momentarily dazzled, it took Mac a minute to bounce back and with a small smile she went on. "What, Harm? What is it?"
Harm looked around and pulled her to a nearby bench. Mac couldn't remember seeing him this excited since... well, never really. "Okay," he began, and she was reminded of a small boy racing to tell his mom about how well he did that day. "I've been sworn to secrecy, but I figured you have a right to know, since you're the godmother an' all."
"Everything ok with little AJ?" Well, of course it was, otherwise her partner wouldn't have his lips stretched from ear to ear now would he? No.
Luckily, Harm simply ignored her and went on. "I went to visit Bud, had some last things I wanted to discuss with him about the case..." he stalled. Mac frowned. He never stalled.
"And??" She was very close to grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.
"Harriet's pregnant!" He blurted out in what could easily be called "Bud-fashion".
"Really?" It was amazing what stupid questions people asked when faced with surprising news, good or bad. "Oh my god, that's wonderful!" Mac pulled Harm in for an ecstatic hug, which he eagerly returned. She pulled back slightly, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "And they want us as godparents again?" Harm just nodded happily and readily accepted another hug.
Pulling back to see his face again, Mac's grin matched Harm's in width and wattage. Her eyes wore a sheen of happy tears for their friends and their growing family.
"Oh wow." She breathed. They stared at each other for a few more minutes, remnants of their grins still lingering on their faces. A flash of recognition changed Mac's countenance to a pensive one.
"There's more, isn't there?" She cocked her head to one side and re-assessed the light in his eyes.
"Huh?" She'd caught him off-guard.
"That's not the only thing that has you in such high spirits! What's going on, what aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing." Harm said quickly. Mac raised a brow as if to say 'try again'. Harm disintegrated himself from their loose embrace and turned slightly away. "I'm just really happy for the Roberts'." He gave her what he hoped was an honest look.
She wasn't convinced. "Go tell that to someone who hasn't been your partner for years. Try Singer, she'll probably believe anything you say if there's something in it for her.." She went for levity.
Harm just shook his head and got up from the bench. "C'mon, Mac, let's head back." He threw her a short look and started walking away.
Mac didn't know why, but it was suddenly imperative that she find out just what Harm was trying to hide from her. Getting up quickly, she trotted up to him, closing the distance he'd created with a few long strides. She put a stopping hand on his arm and stood face to face with him.
"What?" it was almost a whisper, and her entire being was directed at projecting just how much she cared and wanted him to share this with her.
"It's nothing, Mac. Really." But he wouldn't look at her.
"It's something." There was conviction in her words. Then it hit her and she almost physically stumbled at the impact. "You've go someone new." She blurted. It took Harm a second to realize what she'd said, and that she'd taken a step back from him.
"What? No!"
But Mac suddenly realized that it all made perfect sense – their friends' news had made him happier because he was one step closer to having a family. To being a father like he so wanted. She could practically feel the blood draining from her face and her heart. In an automatic reaction she raised her shielding walls, reminded herself that she should be happy for him and put on her best fake smile. "So, who is she? Anyone I know?"
She hoped she was a bitch. She could deal with hating a bitch. She might still stand a chance if Harm's new girl was a bitch.
But Harm still looked confused and not like she found out his big secret. "Mac, what're you talking about? There's no one!" The truth in his voice made her stop. But then... what...? Her thinking was fast, but when her heart was thrown into the battlefield it tended to slow her down and right now she felt like a turtle that'd been thrown on its back. She'd fallen and she couldn't get up.
Mac turned away and took a few steps forward. Deep breaths, she told herself. Deep breaths. The cool air helped settle both her mind and her stomach. How did she let herself fall that fast? With a single stupid thought she'd cornered herself in and lashed out.
This day needed to end.
"Well, thanks for the walk, Harm. I really needed it. I'm gonna go back to my closing argument now..." With a small wave and a fake little smile in his direction, Mac began walking away.
"Mac." she didn't turn back. "Mac!" his voice was closer and stronger than it should've been. She walked faster. Sadly, her long legged partner had no problem keeping the pace. "Mac, wait up. What just happened?"
My life just up and bit me in the ass, that's what. Oh god, when did I become so bitter?
Harm just wouldn't let go. "C'mon, Mac, you know you can talk to me, what's going on?"
Mac suddenly stopped and turned to face Harm. Electricity cackled around her, the wind picked up and rallied around her, banking the powers before the strike. "Sure, I can talk to you, tell you everything, reveal my heart, my soul to you. And what do I get in return? A wall. Solid brick. Well I'm done, I'm too involved anyways, too caught up, I'm moving on, I'm go...ing..." her torrential words evaporated into thin air. Their wave ebbed, turned to white foam and disintegrated. The thoughts that had poured out of her mouth without a barrier suddenly stopped, washed away by a gentle yet firm touch.
His hands were holding her face still; the ends of his long fingers just brushing the bounds of her brown tresses. His gaze was deep and focused and it warmed her like a shot of alcohol going down and spreading through. His thumb moved to caress her bottom lip and all breathing ceased.
"Shut up, Mac." Harm said in a most unfitting cocky tone, which was followed by a quick grin. Quick because she only saw it for a split second before everything vanished and his lips met hers softly.
It was a tame, friendly kiss by any standards, but her heart filled her entirely as she opened her eyes to his previous grin.
Her hands, left in a preaching position in midair, gravitated to his skin. One ended up against his chest, while the other traced the line of his cheek bone and came to rest under his jaw. "Did you just shush me?" Mac raised a brow and enjoyed his short laughter. Short because she kissed it away, letting her tongue pick-up its traces from his lips, his own tongue.
Mindful (what small remainder of her mind that wasn't focused on him) of the public setting, she backed away, and was delighted to find that she'd managed to completely wipe the grin off his face. "I think we need to continue this conversation elsewhere, what do you say, sailor?"
Evading the words that were evading him, Harm kissed her lips briefly, then her cheek, took her hand in his and started walking. Her laughter trailed behind them, wove into the background noise of the afternoon and flew down to blow through the grass in a winding path.
--
Much later, sprawled on her sofa in a tangle of caressing limbs, words were whispered in Mac's ear.
"Incidentally, I was so happy because I saw this as a chance to strike up a new deal in about nine months." Her questioning look earned her a soft melting kiss in the hollow of her neck before he continued. "I wanted to rectify the earlier one and change it to – 'In one year, if neither of us is crazy, how about we go halves on a life?'"
The grin on her face matched his as she fell into step. "You and me. Have a life together?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "With your heart and my soul..." A strand of hair was brushed backwards. "It'll be perfect."
She couldn't help the joyful laugh. "What if it's your heart and my soul?" A crooked ear was softly traced.
"That could work too."
He'd had enough of recreating. The point had gotten through better than he could ever expect; he was ready to start counting down the days. Actually, if he really thought about it, he might have to shorten the deadline... he traced her collar bone with his nose ever so softly, and touched his lips to the point where shoulder met graceful neck, to start a journey upwards.
Words came out on her broken breaths "Don't make a promise you can't keep..."
Completing the journey at the curve of her jaw, Harm brought his face level with hers.
"I haven't yet, my love. I haven't yet."
He sank and she rose and they melded together with feeling, believing in fate, destiny, a god or several. The first seeds were planted. A seed of a belief in the other's feelings, a seed of a belief that their paths were finally intertwined and not just side by side. Whispered words of love watered them and happiness shone down on them.
"You've got yourself a deal, sailor."
--
The End.