Title : EYE TEST
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Summary : Mac takes an eye test.
Spoilers : Set in Season 10, after Four Percent Solution. No particular story, just following something I saw in the news and it seemed perfect for a story. Any more would give it away…
Rating : T, to be safe. Feel free to use your imagination!
A/N : A story in its own right, but can be considered a sequel to 'Scrabbling For Words'.
JAG Headquarters
"Harm, I'm not going to be in first thing tomorrow. Can you take the deposition on the Vonet case for me?"
"Um…sure, yeah… Are you okay?"
Mac smiled as she picked up her briefcase and cover and closed her office door behind her. As they were still in uniform, in JAG Headquarters, and in full view of the General's open door there was no chance to kiss Harm, much as she wanted to, so she settled for putting her hand on his arm.
"I'm fine. It's just a check-up on my eyes. I've stopped with the headaches, my eye is no longer blurry, and I'm not squinting any more in bright light, so the quicker I get the all clear the quicker I can return to full fighting mode, so to speak."
"Full fighting mode, huh?" Harm grinned, and Mac saw his eyebrow raise slightly, both of them remembering what had happened earlier that morning…
Flashback
Harm's Apartment, that morning…
"Harm, I'm fine! Please, I can do this myself…"
"But it's not been a month yet. You're…"
"If you don't put me down right now, you're going to be in trouble, sailor," Mac gave a mock threat, and Harm shifted her in his arms and looked down at her.
"Oho, in 'fighting form' are we, marine?"
"Full fighting mode, sailor, and if you don't…" Mac threatened, and Harm countered.
"If I don't…what? Kiss you?" Harm did just that, and Mac tried hard to resist. "Touch you?" Harm murmured against her lips, and Mac tried really hard to resist his hands as they moved to hold her closer. "Make love to you," Harm lowered her to the nearby mattress, and Mac gave up the fight. It wasn't really a fight anyway – the war had already been won, and they had both come out on top. Together.
End Flashback
"Out of the gutter, Rabb. I'm going to call at my apartment and arrange the sublet, then I'll be home with you as soon as I can." Mac realized what she had said about the same time as Harm did.
Home
Mac had been spending most of her time with Harm since their declarations of love and commitment, and when she had put her idea to Harm about subletting her apartment, he had asked her if she was sure. Mac had pointed out the practicalities of moving in with him, such as Mattie and Jen being down the corridor. It wasn't so much that Harm's apartment was now her primary base; after all, they still spent time in her apartment. It was more the fact that - wherever they were - when they were together, they were 'home'. But Mac had also confessed that she loved Harm's apartment more, and besides – as and when they needed more space they could always sublet Harm's apartment instead and move back into hers. Maybe by then they might even need a house, with a garden…
"Is this appointment at Bethesda?" Harm asked conversationally, and Mac had the sneakiest suspicion that he was fishing for something, but she shrugged it off and answered him.
"No, my regular optometrist. It shouldn't take too long."
"No problem. I'll take care of Vonet."
"I'm sure you will…" Mac retorted, and began to walk away to the elevators. Harm hung back and Mac turned to ask what he was up to. "Harm? I thought you were leaving too?"
"Yeah… I just need to make a phone call. I forgot…something. I'll see you back at the… At home," he amended, and gave Mac a smile that seemed to her to be just a tad vulnerable.
"Harm? I can do this later and go home with you, if you want?"
"No! I mean no, it's okay… I'll see you soon."
"O…kay," Mac managed to blow him a discreet kiss as she vanished through the glass doors and out of the bullpen. Harm's eyes followed her to the elevators, and then as she disappeared from view he walked into her office and picked up the rolodex. A few minutes later he replaced the receiver on her desk, a grin on his face that almost approached smugness. As he left her office, closing the door behind him, the General walked out of his office.
"Still here, Rabb? I thought you left with the Colonel."
"I…ah…had a quick phone call to make, sir."
"And your phone isn't working?" Gordon Cresswell looked pointedly at Mac's office, the door handle still in Harm's grasp. He released the handle and dropped his hand to his side, but not before the General had noticed something in his hand.
"I needed a number that Mac…Colonel Mackenzie, had in her rolodex, sir."
"Very well." The General walked a few paces away and then turned back, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Commander?"
"Sir?"
Cresswell waved his hand in dismissal. "Forget it," he muttered, and Harm nodded his head in confused acknowledgement.
"Aye, sir." Harm began to walk away, and then turned once more as Cresswell spoke again.
"But if there are to be any life-changing decisions in this office, you'd let me know, right?"
"Of course, sir."
Offices of Plaza Opticals , Next Morning
" Please begin reading the eye chart, Miss Mackenzie."
" W-I-L-L-Y-O…ohh!" Mac paused, pushing the eye-test equipment of out the way and getting up off the seat to walk toward the computerized eye chart. A movement at the corner of her left eye caught her attention and she turned slightly to see Harm standing in the doorway in place of the optometrist. "Harm?"
"Read the rest, Sarah…please?"
Mac turned her eyes back to the chart and read the whole sentence out in a soft murmur.
"Will you marry me?"
"Yes, I will."
"Huh?" Mac's response was less than elegant, but Harm bit back a grin and spoke again.
"The question now is willyou marryme?"
Mac fell silent for a moment as she took in the box in Harm's hand, and the ring nestled in the velvet interior. Her eyes raised to his and if Mac had any further doubts, they were gone in that instant.
Everything that defined Harm was in his eyes. His integrity, his honor, and his love. All there for her.
"Yes," she answered softly, a smile on her face as she took a step toward Harm, and he pulled her into his arms with a smile of happiness, and a hint of relief.
Through the open doorway the cheers of the store staff and other patients was more than evident, but for Harm and Mac the world had narrowed to the two of them, and as the optometrist closed the door to give them a few more moments of privacy, their lips met in a kiss.
JAG Headquarters
Mac entered the bullpen ahead of Harm, having arrived to find no sign of his Corvette in the parking lot. The first person she saw was the General, and he didn't look too impressed at her late arrival.
"Colonel, my office. Now! And bring Rabb with you."
"Ah…yes, sir. Um…the Commander is…" Mac searched for a reason, and came up with a peach of an idea. "Commander Rabb is taking the Vonet deposition, sir."
"Really? Then how come it's on my desk already, as provided by Commander Roberts?"
"It is?" Mac said and winced at the poor answer, and then it dawned on her that for Harm to be with her he must have traded off the deposition to the only other person both of them would have trusted with the case. Bud. With a slight groan, Mac braced herself for a severe reprimand and walked toward her commanding officer. "Sir, if I can just explain…"
"My office, Colonel. This is not a topic for the bullpen to overhear." Cresswell turned and re-entered his domain, and Mac followed silently behind, giving Bud a smile and a sideways shrug as she left her briefcase and cover on Jen's desk.
Mac entered the General's office without looking around.
"Take a seat, Colonel," Cresswell invited, and Mac did as she was asked. Within seconds she was aware of a third presence in the room, and she was back on her feet again. "Harm! What in… How did you get here?"
Harm stepped forward and smiled at Mac, reaching to take her left hand. That alone had Mac's face losing color, but when Harm's free arm slipped around her waist as he turned them both to face Cresswell, she nearly fainted. The warning bells sounded in her head, and the words 'fraternization' ran across her vision in blaring red letters…
"That's a beautiful ring, Colonel. Congratulations, sincerely." Gordon Cresswell came closer to admire the solitaire, and Mac unconsciously – albeit with Harm's help – raised her hand a little.
"I…um…thank you, sir. Wh…what's going on?" Mac turned her gaze on Harm. "You left after me! Your car isn't in the parking lot. How…?"
"I needed to distract you for a short time, so I could get here ahead of you. The only way I could think of was to call your cell phone. I knew you'd pull over to answer. It gave me the time I needed."
"Needed? For what? Other than getting here ahead of me, which by the way is a cheap…" Mac had been about to berate Harm for his tactics when her attention was caught by the General laughing out loud. "Sir?"
"I have to admit, when I was advised of your relationship dynamics I never realized quite how they would impact my life, and that of my family. My wife is waiting with bated breath to find out how this is going to turn out. Colonel, before you give the Commander a really hard time I ought to point out that I put him in an awkward position."
"Awkward?" Mac knew she was parroting, but couldn't seem to stop herself.
"Yes…" Cresswell chose to ignore the quirk and defended Harm. "I ordered Commander Rabb to advise me, ahead of time, of any life-changing decisions that might be made in this office. Of course, he couldn't tell me until he'd asked you, and so he was good enough to give me the news ahead of your arrival."
"You…" Mac turned back to face Harm, and he smiled as he saw the edges of her lips tilt up in response. "I don't suppose we can just slot back into work and go to our offices now, can we?" she asked, tongue in cheek. Harm shook his head, about to answer, but before he could…
"I wouldn't dare try, Colonel. At the very least you have alerted my Yeoman to an event of enormous proportions, and if my guess isn't wrong there's an extremely excitable Reserve Lieutenant waiting outside my office for you two to make an appearance. My only request is that you limit any PDA's to a chaste kiss or two, and then back to work. There will be nothing further after this morning. Any other untoward activity will be severely reprimanded. Are we clear?"
Both Harm and Mac nodded their heads, but neither relinquished their hold on the other, and Creswell made no order to do so, only rolling his eyes as he lifted the telephone receiver on his desk.
"Petty Officer, get my wife on the line please. Tell her 'it's a go', and I'll give her the details when I get home."
Jen's disembodied but excited voice sounded in the wood-paneled room. "Aye, sir!"
JAG Bullpen, minutes later…
Mac had been engulfed in an excited hug as soon as she and Harm stepped out of the General's office. Harriet was beside herself, and Mac was concerned that the younger woman would go into labor once again at JAG! Over Harriet's shoulder Mac managed to attract Bud's attention, and he immediately came over from shaking Harm's hand enthusiastically. Harm came to take Mac's left hand in his and raise it to his lips, gently rubbing her knuckle above the solitaire with his lips. Lifting his head he made a brief announcement of his and Mac's engagement, and after congratulations and good-natured ribbing he helped Bud get Harriet into Mac's office so that they could talk a little more in private.
While Harriet 'oohed' and 'aahed' over Mac's ring, and the re-telling of the proposal, Mac discovered that Harriet's presence in JAG was a total coincidence as she had arrived to visit Bud, and was waiting in the bullpen when Harm pushed open the glass doors and walked through, his trademark smile in place. On seeing Harriet he had given her a welcome hug, and this was the scene that met Bud as he walked out of the break room carrying two hot drinks for himself and Harriet. With a nod at Bud Harm released Harriet and carried on his way to see the General. Leaving his cover and briefcase with a bemused Jen, Harm knocked on the open door into the General's office.
"Rabb? What is it?"
"About that matter of decisions, sir…" Harm began, closing the door behind him and thus shutting out Jen's attempt to eavesdrop, albeit surreptitiously.
Harm's Apartment, that night…
"I thought Harriet was going to have the twins right there at JAG!" Mac wiped the tears of laughter as she recalled the reaction from their dearest friends.
"And I didn't realize just how strong Bud's grip has become. He's been working out big time!" Harm rubbed once more at his right hand.
"Want me to kiss it better?" Mac offered, and suddenly the atmosphere changed and the temperature rose a few degrees.
Harm moved a little closer on the couch, and Mac turned to look at him, her hands moving to lay against his chest, feeling his body heat and his now-racing heart beat.
"And his grip on my shoulder," Harm added, his voice growing huskier as Mac leaned forward.
"This could take a while," Mac murmured as her lips hovered near to Harm's, their eyes fixed on each other.
"Want to get comfortable?" offered Harm, starting to lean back on the couch and pull Mac with him. When she resisted he paused, holding her gaze, burning up under the look in her eyes.
"I have a better idea. Want to get naked?"
At her whispered words Harm rose with a fluid move that took Mac by surprise, her delight evident in her husky laugh as she was lifted off her feet. Harm headed for the bedroom, and further conversation gave way to…
Well, I'll let you fill in the blanks!
THE END
Problems with spacing - hope it doesn't spoil the reading!