The Strongest Man
By: Amanda M. Daugherty

Disclamiers: I don't own JAG or the characters. The song used at the very end is The Strongest Man by Neal McCoy and is on his Life of the Party CD.

Special Thanks: I would like to think everyone on the shipper, hmshipper, and shipperfic list for all the wonderful feedback you've already given me. I know there are more people out there who have email me and I thank you too. You guys are great. I also want to think a person who I can't remember their name(Sorry, it was a long time ago) who told me about my mistakes and helped me make this a better story.


Jessie's
Alexandria, Va.



Col. Sarah Mackenzie walked to the back booth of the cafe in Alexandria where she was supposed to meet a man who she hadn't seen or talked to in ten years. Of course there were letters and Christmas cards. When Mac saw Admiral Harmon Rabb Jr. she froze in her tracks. He was still as gorgeous as ever. His eyes were still had the hypnotizing gaze that a girl could stare at for hours and his smile that could light up a dark room hadn't lost any voltage over the years.

Harm rose up from his seat when his former partner and best friend Col. Sarah Mackenzie reached his table in the back of Jessie's where they chose to meet when she learned that he would be coming to Washington DC for a couple of months and maybe permanently.

Mac remembered the cold day in January when she learned that Harm had been given orders to report to the Dallas JAG office to command it.



JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Va.
Ten Years Earlier



"Col. the Admiral would like to see you in his office ASAP." Petty Officer Jason Tiner told Mac when she came into JAG Headquarters that morning.

"Did he ask for Commander Rabb?" Mac asked the young Petty Officer.

"He's already in there ma'am." Tiner said.

'That's odd' Mac thought. Harm never showed up earlier than she did.

Wondering what this was about Mac knocked on the Admiral's door and entered.

"Col. have a seat." the Admiral pointed to the chair beside Harm.

"Col. how do you feel about Commander Rabb's leadership skills?" The Admiral asked Mac.

"Sir?" Mac asked wondering what this was all about. Mac looked at Harm for answers, but all he did was look at her.

"You heard me. What do you think of Commander Rabb's leadership skills?" The Admiral asked again.

"From the times Commander Rabb was left in charge of this office he was a great leader. He gave advice regularly and treated everybody like an equal. If I may sir what is this about?"

"Col. Commander Rabb has been selected to command the JAG offices in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Mac mouth hung open for a minute and then turned into a smile.

"Congratulations Commander Rabb."

"Now before I dismiss both of you, we have something else to finish." Turning to his intercom the Admiral told Tiner to tell the SECNAV that they were ready.

"Commander Rabb, Col. Mackenzie please follow me." The Admiral got up and walked out his door and into the bullpen.

Harm looked out in the bullpen and everybody was standing at attention.

"Commander Rabb I believe its time for your promotion."

Harm walked up to the SECNAV and stood at attention while he delivered the promotion speech.

When he was finished Bud and Harriet helped Harm slip out of his Commander's jacket and into his Captain's jacket. Harriet gave Harm a kiss on the cheek and told him congratulations.

After many of the staff members congratulated Harm the Admiral told Harm to start packing his office and go home and clear things up because he was do at the Dallas-Ft. Woth office in two weeks.

Harm said goodbye to several collages and left with promises to call, write, and even e-mail.

But he quickly broke his promise. For a while he wrote to Mac, the Admiral, and Bud and Harriet every week. That turned into once a month, and finally he turned into a Christmas card every Christmas and birthday, until he called Mac one day at the office to let her know he wanted to meet her.



JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Va.
This morning

"Col. Mackenzie there's a call for you on line one."

"Thank you, Lt." Mac picked up the phone and was surprised to find out who was on the other side.

"Hello?" Mac asked.

"Hey Ninja-girl" Came the voice of Captain Harmon Rabb Jr.

"Harm, hi."

"Hi, Mac. Listen I'm going to be in Washington for about two months maybe longer and I was wondering if we could get together sometime."

"I don't know Harm. I'm really busy."

"Too busy to see your best friend."

"I don't see what you mean. My best friend left ten years ago."

"Please tell me you aren't mad at me for leaving. Mac it was a great career opportunity."

"I wasn't mad at you for leaving, but if you were a best friend you would have called or wrote."

"Mac I got busy. It's not easy commanding a JAG office. Look let me make it up to you meet me for lunch at the Jessie's in Alexandria."

"I don't know if I can."

"Okay. I'll be there if you can make it I'll be waiting."

They hung up wondering what it would be like to see each other again.


Jessie's
Alexandria, Va.


"How have you been Mac?" Harm asked once they were seated.

"Good and you?" Mac kept up the impersonal conversation.

"Busy. How is Bud, Harriet, Richie, and AJ?"

"Harriet just had a little girl."

"Really? What'd they name her?"

"Carley Lexis. You should see her, Harm. She's adorable."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"The Admiral got married."

"Yeah, I know. I was there." Harm looked down at where his hands were folded and resting comfortably on the table.

"You were? I didn't see you."

"I arrived right as the ceremony was starting. After the ceremony I stayed long enough to congratulate the Admiral and Sidney and then I had to fly back to Dallas. So how's my favorite marine?"

"Busy."

"I'm not talking about work?" Harm smiled.

"Neither was I." Mac replied her face was serious.

"What's wrong Mac?"

"Nothing."

"Okay I'll buy that. So anybody in your life?" Harm asked as the waiter approached to take their order.

"I'll have a coffee, black. Mac?"

"I'll have a ice tea." Mac ordered then the waiter left and the conversation continued.

"So?" Harm asked.

"So what?"

"So has there been a man to capture Sarah Mackenzie's heart?"

"Yeah." Mac smiled as her thought's drifted off to the man waiting for her at home.

"What's he like? Do I know him?" Harm asked while the waiter placed their drinks in front of them.

"No you don't know him. You'd like him, Harm"

"So tell me about this strange man who's captured your heart."

"Well" Mac took a sip of her tea. "He doesn't send me flowers or shower me with diamonds and pearls, but he can show me his smile and stop all my tears."

Mac stopped and laughed at a memory.

"What's so funny?" Harm asked.

"He always leaves notes for me on the refrigerator when I come home from work and in the morning he always finds a note from me with his lunch."

"Wow. Lucky guy."

"No I'm the lucky one. He doesn't judge me for my past and forgives me if I make a mistake."

Harm who had a sad expression on his face looked up and smiled.

"Harm why'd you want to meet me?" Mac asked noticing the sad look.

"Truthfully?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to be stationed back in Washington and since I wasn't going to be at JAG I was hoping we might be able to start some kind of relationship, but I see that can't happen." Harm quickly changed the mood. "So what's this prince charming look like?"

"Wait a minute and I'll show you a picture." Mac dug in her purse for a minute and pulled out a wallet size picture.

"We had these taken a couple of weeks ago."

She handed the picture over to Harm who quickly turned it over.

"Harm that's my son, Jacob Austin Mackenzie."


"Then she pulled out his picture
That's when I realized
The strongest man in the world
Was only five"



THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!