Disclaimer: JAG and its characters belong to CBS and Paramount. No infringement is intended, and no profit will be made.
When your heart speaks, take good notes. - Judith Campbell
They stared at each other in silence. He held her gaze until she looked away. "Fine. You want me gone? I'll book a seat on the next flight to Sydney."
"But what will you go back to? Is the Australian Navy going to welcome you back with open arms?"
"For another day or so." Mic laughed bitterly. "When I told my CO why I wanted to leave, he said he'd accept my request but wouldn't process it until Monday. He told me he'd seen too many men throw their careers away for women and regret it later.
"So I can still leave. Just tell me you don't love me, you don't want to marry me, and I'm gone. But if I get on that plane, Sarah, I'm never coming back. I love you, and it's too hard to keep hoping for something I can never have." He paused, meeting her gaze and reaching for the hand that hung inches from his. "Tell me what you want me to do. One way or another, it's forever."
Mac again looked away, but didn't drop her hand. She knew that sending Mic away would be the stupidest thing she could possibly do. Over her objections, he had won her heart long ago, but she had denied to herself that she was in love until the moment he put the ring on her finger. Still, she couldn't just accept that, heeding the demons inside her who whispered, "You tried marriage once and it was a mistake. Don't screw up again." That, she knew, she would not do.
Everything in Mic's body seemed to stop except his heart, whose beat thundered in his ears as he awaited Mac's response. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he knew that if she rejected him now, it was over. He had been infatuated with Mac since the moment he watched her greet the other officer at the airport. That had turned into love, and now he understood why his mum had told him to fall in love only once: he couldn't go through those emotional extremes for anyone else. Mic's rational side chided him, saying he was being melodramatic, and surely he could find another woman if Sarah rejected him. As always, his emotions won the argument.
Mic felt Mac's hand move away from his as she looked at him again. His heart sank as she wordlessly slipped his ring off her finger. He started to turn away, then stopped as she slowly transferred the ring to her left hand, easing it down her fourth finger. "Don't ever leave me," she murmured.
The huge grin on Mic's face as he slid his arm around Mac delayed their kiss for a fraction of a second, but didn't make it any less ardent.
"You see?" said Renee from across the room. "I told you they were meant for each other. Now come dance with me."
Harm was not alone in wondering what Mac would say to Mic. The rest of the JAG staff, while ostensibly congratulating AJ on his award and talking to each other, kept sneaking not-so-subtle glances toward the corner of the room where Mic and Mac had been talking.
The two now joined the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Brumby," AJ said.
"Thank you, Admiral. It's nice to be back."
"I guess you'll be around for a while?" asked Harm, whose curiosity had brought him back to the group.
"Don't sound so happy about it," said Mic with a smile.
Harriet broke in before Harm could continue. "It looks like the admiral's not the only one receiving congratulations tonight," she said, acknowledging the new location of Mac's engagement ring. "I'm so happy for you." The others quickly added their congratulations.
No one could tell which half of the couple was happier, but everyone agreed that Mic and Mac's joy was well-deserved. Despite their personal feelings about Mic, everyone, including Harm, had to admit that their love deserved a chance.
When your heart speaks, take good notes. - Judith Campbell
They stared at each other in silence. He held her gaze until she looked away. "Fine. You want me gone? I'll book a seat on the next flight to Sydney."
"But what will you go back to? Is the Australian Navy going to welcome you back with open arms?"
"For another day or so." Mic laughed bitterly. "When I told my CO why I wanted to leave, he said he'd accept my request but wouldn't process it until Monday. He told me he'd seen too many men throw their careers away for women and regret it later.
"So I can still leave. Just tell me you don't love me, you don't want to marry me, and I'm gone. But if I get on that plane, Sarah, I'm never coming back. I love you, and it's too hard to keep hoping for something I can never have." He paused, meeting her gaze and reaching for the hand that hung inches from his. "Tell me what you want me to do. One way or another, it's forever."
Mac again looked away, but didn't drop her hand. She knew that sending Mic away would be the stupidest thing she could possibly do. Over her objections, he had won her heart long ago, but she had denied to herself that she was in love until the moment he put the ring on her finger. Still, she couldn't just accept that, heeding the demons inside her who whispered, "You tried marriage once and it was a mistake. Don't screw up again." That, she knew, she would not do.
Everything in Mic's body seemed to stop except his heart, whose beat thundered in his ears as he awaited Mac's response. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he knew that if she rejected him now, it was over. He had been infatuated with Mac since the moment he watched her greet the other officer at the airport. That had turned into love, and now he understood why his mum had told him to fall in love only once: he couldn't go through those emotional extremes for anyone else. Mic's rational side chided him, saying he was being melodramatic, and surely he could find another woman if Sarah rejected him. As always, his emotions won the argument.
Mic felt Mac's hand move away from his as she looked at him again. His heart sank as she wordlessly slipped his ring off her finger. He started to turn away, then stopped as she slowly transferred the ring to her left hand, easing it down her fourth finger. "Don't ever leave me," she murmured.
The huge grin on Mic's face as he slid his arm around Mac delayed their kiss for a fraction of a second, but didn't make it any less ardent.
"You see?" said Renee from across the room. "I told you they were meant for each other. Now come dance with me."
Harm was not alone in wondering what Mac would say to Mic. The rest of the JAG staff, while ostensibly congratulating AJ on his award and talking to each other, kept sneaking not-so-subtle glances toward the corner of the room where Mic and Mac had been talking.
The two now joined the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Brumby," AJ said.
"Thank you, Admiral. It's nice to be back."
"I guess you'll be around for a while?" asked Harm, whose curiosity had brought him back to the group.
"Don't sound so happy about it," said Mic with a smile.
Harriet broke in before Harm could continue. "It looks like the admiral's not the only one receiving congratulations tonight," she said, acknowledging the new location of Mac's engagement ring. "I'm so happy for you." The others quickly added their congratulations.
No one could tell which half of the couple was happier, but everyone agreed that Mic and Mac's joy was well-deserved. Despite their personal feelings about Mic, everyone, including Harm, had to admit that their love deserved a chance.