This is a short, "What should have happened in Adrift Part II" sort of
story. It begins right after Mac left Harm's apartment, a little before she
sees him embrace Renee' through the window. This is just a little thing I
put together all at once. Tell me what you think of it. I'm not sure how
many parts I should extend it to. It depends on where the story takes me,
but I'm planning on making it at least a two parter. Honest feedback is
always appreciated.
******************* I'M WAITING *******************
Harm still stood staring at the door to his apartment. Mac had just walked out. It was taking every ounce of strength he had to just stand there and let her go. His freaking sense of honor wouldn't let him neglect Renee' in her time of mourning. He sighed, somewhere deep inside him, he knew that Mac wouldn't wait until he got back to draw her own conclusions about this "thing" that was between them. If he was going to talk to her, he had to do it now. Or she was going to bolt. He knew it. And the knowledge of it ached him. He felt as if she was physically pulling him toward her. She needed him badly, and she needed him NOW. He had even told her to come to him, but again, "curious happenstances abound and all hell breaks loose." That little saying that he and Sturgis had caught onto while in the academy, certainly encompassed the entirety of he and Mac's relationship. He shook his head and swallowed a disdainful laugh. 'Renee' is a decent woman, she's certainly got the whole package, all wrapped up with a bow on top.' He thought with disapprobation. 'But she sure as hell has terrible timing. First the admiral's porch and now this.' Harm slightly shook his head, and stared at the floor. He turned slowly from the door as he heard Renee' stirring. She looked like hell. And despite his recent train of thought, his heart went out to her. He may not love her like she wanted him to, but she had always been good to him. And besides, no one deserved this kind of pain. Renee' stood up and Harm put his arms around her, trying to make up in physical comfort what he lacked in true emotional support.
"I'm hungry." She said into his shoulder.
Harm stepped back and eyed her. "Well that's a good sign, I think." He said, trying to be convincingly tender. "I don't have much to eat around here." Harm frowned thoughtfully, "I can make you some of my famous vegetable soup." He suggested.
Renee' thought for a moment and said in a tired voice, "That sounds good Harm."
"Okay." He said, kissing her on the forehead. "I'll have to go to the store to get everything for it. Why don't I go draw you a bath, and you can relax and try to get your bearings." Harm looked her in the eye, trying not to look expectant or anxious. He choked back a sigh of relief when she nodded her agreement.
Harm leaned over the tub and turned on the water, and it suddenly occured to him, he didn't have a clue how hot Renee' preferred the water in her bath. Oddly enough, he knew exactly how hot he would need to make it for Mac. Mac. Harm shook his head slightly, and adjusted the water temp to a few degrees lower than a 'Mac bath'. Renee' was no Marine. He chuckled a little despite himself. Hell, Renee' was just not Mac.
Walking out of his bedroom, Harm found Renee' sitting on the couch weeping. He sat next to her and absentmindedly stroked her back.
"I just talked to him yesterday." She said between tears. "I just can't believe it."
"I know." Harm replied softly, "It'll take a while for it to sink in. Either way, you'll get through this. I promise."
Renee' raised her eyes, and looked at him. She knew he was trying hard to be supportive. But the fact is, he didn't say 'WE will get through this' He said, 'YOU will get through this'. It was a minor point, but it spoke volumes. Especially since Mac was never going to marry Mic Brumby. Renee' leaned into his shoulder.
"Thank you." She replied.
Harm nodded and said, "you better get into that bath, it'll do you good. I need to go to the store and get you fed. You're going to need your strength. Is there anything else you want me to pick up?"
Renee' shrugged a little and then said, "Chocolate. Lots of Chocolate."
Harm nodded, and kissed her forehead. "I shouldn't be too long. Maybe a half hour or 45 minutes. You go relax in your bath, let me take care of the rest."
Renee' smiled, "Thank You for being here for me Harm."
Harm smiled back, "You're very welcome Renee'." He reached out and touched her shoulder, grabbed his keys and headed out the door, cane in one hand, cell phone in the other.
He practically ran out of the apartment building. Injuries be damned. He got to his SUV and immediately said, "Mac" into his cell phone. Harm sat behind the wheel and hoped against hope that she would pick up the phone. After the fourth ring, she answered.
"Hello." He heard Mac say. To the untrained ear she sounded just fine. To him, she sounded miserable.
"Hi Mac."
"Harm what are you doing?"
"Are you home yet?"
Mac hesitated, "um, no not quite yet. Why?"
"Where are you?"
"Harm, why?" She said, more firmly.
"Because I'm not letting you go Mac, we need to talk."
"What about Renee'?" Mac asked surprised. "You can't just_"
"I know it. I'm not. Renee's relaxing at my place. I'm on my way to the store to get some food. I told her I would be gone for about a half hour."
"Harm_"
"Where are you? Can you meet me somewhere so we can talk?"
"We don't have enough time."
"What I have to say won't take long Mac." Harm paused, "I take that back, it's taken way too long for me to tell you all that I need to say. But this will be a start. Can you meet me?"
Harm heard Mac let out the breath she had been holding. Almost breathlessly she said, "Uh, yeah sure. Where are you going?"
"How far are you from the Safeway on Connecticut avenue?"
Mac scanned her surroundings, "I'm about five minutes from there."
"I'm about ten. I'll meet you there."
Harm heard Mac smile through the phone. "I'm waiting." She said with a meaningful lilt in her voice, and Harm clicked off his phone and smiled, holding it to his cheek as if it could somehow connect him tactilely with her. Turning toward the supermarket, Harm's stomach began to flutter. His life was about to change. He was sure of it.
******************* I'M WAITING *******************
Harm still stood staring at the door to his apartment. Mac had just walked out. It was taking every ounce of strength he had to just stand there and let her go. His freaking sense of honor wouldn't let him neglect Renee' in her time of mourning. He sighed, somewhere deep inside him, he knew that Mac wouldn't wait until he got back to draw her own conclusions about this "thing" that was between them. If he was going to talk to her, he had to do it now. Or she was going to bolt. He knew it. And the knowledge of it ached him. He felt as if she was physically pulling him toward her. She needed him badly, and she needed him NOW. He had even told her to come to him, but again, "curious happenstances abound and all hell breaks loose." That little saying that he and Sturgis had caught onto while in the academy, certainly encompassed the entirety of he and Mac's relationship. He shook his head and swallowed a disdainful laugh. 'Renee' is a decent woman, she's certainly got the whole package, all wrapped up with a bow on top.' He thought with disapprobation. 'But she sure as hell has terrible timing. First the admiral's porch and now this.' Harm slightly shook his head, and stared at the floor. He turned slowly from the door as he heard Renee' stirring. She looked like hell. And despite his recent train of thought, his heart went out to her. He may not love her like she wanted him to, but she had always been good to him. And besides, no one deserved this kind of pain. Renee' stood up and Harm put his arms around her, trying to make up in physical comfort what he lacked in true emotional support.
"I'm hungry." She said into his shoulder.
Harm stepped back and eyed her. "Well that's a good sign, I think." He said, trying to be convincingly tender. "I don't have much to eat around here." Harm frowned thoughtfully, "I can make you some of my famous vegetable soup." He suggested.
Renee' thought for a moment and said in a tired voice, "That sounds good Harm."
"Okay." He said, kissing her on the forehead. "I'll have to go to the store to get everything for it. Why don't I go draw you a bath, and you can relax and try to get your bearings." Harm looked her in the eye, trying not to look expectant or anxious. He choked back a sigh of relief when she nodded her agreement.
Harm leaned over the tub and turned on the water, and it suddenly occured to him, he didn't have a clue how hot Renee' preferred the water in her bath. Oddly enough, he knew exactly how hot he would need to make it for Mac. Mac. Harm shook his head slightly, and adjusted the water temp to a few degrees lower than a 'Mac bath'. Renee' was no Marine. He chuckled a little despite himself. Hell, Renee' was just not Mac.
Walking out of his bedroom, Harm found Renee' sitting on the couch weeping. He sat next to her and absentmindedly stroked her back.
"I just talked to him yesterday." She said between tears. "I just can't believe it."
"I know." Harm replied softly, "It'll take a while for it to sink in. Either way, you'll get through this. I promise."
Renee' raised her eyes, and looked at him. She knew he was trying hard to be supportive. But the fact is, he didn't say 'WE will get through this' He said, 'YOU will get through this'. It was a minor point, but it spoke volumes. Especially since Mac was never going to marry Mic Brumby. Renee' leaned into his shoulder.
"Thank you." She replied.
Harm nodded and said, "you better get into that bath, it'll do you good. I need to go to the store and get you fed. You're going to need your strength. Is there anything else you want me to pick up?"
Renee' shrugged a little and then said, "Chocolate. Lots of Chocolate."
Harm nodded, and kissed her forehead. "I shouldn't be too long. Maybe a half hour or 45 minutes. You go relax in your bath, let me take care of the rest."
Renee' smiled, "Thank You for being here for me Harm."
Harm smiled back, "You're very welcome Renee'." He reached out and touched her shoulder, grabbed his keys and headed out the door, cane in one hand, cell phone in the other.
He practically ran out of the apartment building. Injuries be damned. He got to his SUV and immediately said, "Mac" into his cell phone. Harm sat behind the wheel and hoped against hope that she would pick up the phone. After the fourth ring, she answered.
"Hello." He heard Mac say. To the untrained ear she sounded just fine. To him, she sounded miserable.
"Hi Mac."
"Harm what are you doing?"
"Are you home yet?"
Mac hesitated, "um, no not quite yet. Why?"
"Where are you?"
"Harm, why?" She said, more firmly.
"Because I'm not letting you go Mac, we need to talk."
"What about Renee'?" Mac asked surprised. "You can't just_"
"I know it. I'm not. Renee's relaxing at my place. I'm on my way to the store to get some food. I told her I would be gone for about a half hour."
"Harm_"
"Where are you? Can you meet me somewhere so we can talk?"
"We don't have enough time."
"What I have to say won't take long Mac." Harm paused, "I take that back, it's taken way too long for me to tell you all that I need to say. But this will be a start. Can you meet me?"
Harm heard Mac let out the breath she had been holding. Almost breathlessly she said, "Uh, yeah sure. Where are you going?"
"How far are you from the Safeway on Connecticut avenue?"
Mac scanned her surroundings, "I'm about five minutes from there."
"I'm about ten. I'll meet you there."
Harm heard Mac smile through the phone. "I'm waiting." She said with a meaningful lilt in her voice, and Harm clicked off his phone and smiled, holding it to his cheek as if it could somehow connect him tactilely with her. Turning toward the supermarket, Harm's stomach began to flutter. His life was about to change. He was sure of it.