Diclaimer: Not mine, Bellisario's
Maj. Sarah 'Mac' Mackenzie: I guess in some ways we're all searching for something.
Lt. Cmdr. Harmon 'Harm' Rabb, Jr.: Oh yeah? What are you searching for?
Maj. Sarah 'Mac' Mackenzie: What every woman wants. A great career, a good man, and comfortable shoes, lots and lots of them.
What do men want?
Sunday afternoon
A mall somewhere in Washington DC
It had been a quiet weekend. Being back in Washington after an extended TAD Harm and Mac had decided to do their chores on Saturday and spend the Sunday together. The morning was spend in the Spy museum, and now they were wandering through a mall, both having to run some errands.
Mac lingered in front of a shoe store, drooling over some high heels. Harm laughed. "Come on, Marine, you have a closet stuffed with shoes and these definitely don't look comfortable."
"At least I know what I want: a great career, a good man and lots of comfortable shoes. But what do you men want?" a good humoured Mac gave back.
Harm chuckled "I guess pretty much the same, the career, the good wife, a house and a dog?"
"That's four things", Mac pointed out.
Harm winked "Yes, guess we guys always want to push the limits."
Friday, 9.45 am
A street somewhere in Washington
Almost whistling if it hadn't been for the decorum of the uniform, Harm left the house and boarded his car. That went well, he thought, having gained more information from the witness he interviewed than he had expected. It should be enough to convince the man he was prosecuting either to take a plea bargain, or, would he want to have his day in court, to convict him.
In the same cheerful mood he drove off. But then, a flash from the right, screaming tires, and a thump and a loud bang when Harm's car hit the rim and then swerved into a tree.
A bit groggy Harm stumbled out of his car, rubbing his head and thanking God for seatbelts, and looked for the thing which hit him. It didn't take long to discover the 'thing' in fact was a dog, an on first sight pure bred Golden Retriever which was laying on it's side and made a desperate attempt to scramble back on its feet. When Harm approached, the frightened animal showed its teeth and growled.
Harm decided to step back and in stead walked around the car to check the damage. It turned out he had a flat tire and the hood of the car was severely damaged.
Out of the door of the neighbouring house a man rushed. He knelt down next to the dog and stroke animal's head. "Poor girl, what did you do?"
"I'm sorry," Harm offered. "She just ran onto the street. I think she was chased, I couldn't avoid her."
The man looked up at him and paled. "Hammer?" he all but yelled, obviously in shock. He reached out with his hand as to touch Harm, then dropped it again. "You can't be Hammer."
"No," Harm shook his head, flabbergasted. "That was my dad. Did you know him?"
"Yes," the man confirmed, still shakily. "He was one of my best friends, back then. So you must be Harmon Jr, the little boy he was so proud of."
Harm blushed. To his relief the dog whimpered and that brought the attention of the man back to the wounded animal.
"Poor Lucy," he sighed.
"Is she yours?
"No, she is a stray but I was trying to gain her trust. I feed her and she sleeps on my porch." He stroke the dog's head again. "We need to get you to a vet, girl."
He looked up to Harm. "Got to ask around whether one of the neighbours can drive me to a vet. Your car seems out of order for now."
"You don't have a car?"
" No, I sold it. I don't drive anymore. My eyes, you see. I have cataract. Became too dangerous."
"Why don't I call the Humane Society?" Harm offered. "Maybe they can pick her up and drive her to a vet."
The man nodded and rose. "That would be great. By the way, my name is Alex DeWitt."
It didn't take long for Harm to request and receive the number of the Washington Humane Society and they promised to send a car right away. In the meantime Mr. DeWitt got a blanket from his house and with Harm's help he managed to carry the whimpering dog to his porch.
Harm made some more calls, first to the office to report his accident and then to his garage to have his car towed away and the damage checked out .
Mr. DeWitt offered him a cup of coffee while he waited and Harm gladly accepted. They decided to sit on the porch, in order to keep an eye on Lucy. When Mr. DeWitt returned he not only carried a tray with two mugs of coffee but also a photo book. "Here," he pointed out after placing the mugs on the small table. "Here are some pics of me and your dad."
Harm was more than interested to see them. Some of them he knew already, sent home by his dad, others he didn't know and he gladly accepted Mr. DeWitt's offer to have them copied for him.
Harms eye fell on the sign "For Sale" in the garden. "You selling the house, sir?"
"Yes. And please, call me Alex." Harm nodded.
"It became too large for me. My wife died two years ago and my son lives with his family in Utah. As does my daughter. I'm going to live in a small house close to them. You interested?"
This took Harm off guard.
"Well," he stammered. "It's a nice house, but I wasn't really planning to move."
"Where do you live now?"
"Just north of Union Station, I own a loft I renovated myself."
"All by yourself?"
"Yes."
"You never think of marrying, starting a family?"
Harm felt a warm blush creep his cheeks. In fact he thought a lot about that recently but hadn't been able to act on it yet.
"Well, if you change your mind, I'm offering you a nice price," the elderly man said.
"Why, sir?" Harm asked surprised. "Alex," he corrected himself.
"Because ..." Alex started "your old man saved my live and I never had an opportunity to repay him" Harm was very eager to hear the story but didn't want to push the old man in what might be bad memories. Alex was keen to tell though. "It was my first month in 'nam and we, my buddies and I lost contact. Then there was that Vietnamese sniper. He managed to take out Tom and Lewis." The man's eyes clouded. "We couldn't locate him and we were sure we would be next. And then your dad appeared, out of the blue, chasing the sniper away with his board guns. He saved our asses. Later I heard he got disciplined for deviating from his orders. After that we spent a lot of time together. I always wanted to repay him but never got the change. A few months later he went MIA."
Harm nodded. He knew all about that but was not at liberty to reveal the circumstances.
At that moment a car from the Washington Humane Society showed up and the attention was back to the dog again. It turned out she had a broken or badly bruised front paw. "She is yours?" the officer from the WHS asked. "No, she's a stray but I took care of her. I named her Lucy, after my deceased wife," Mr DeWitt explained. "I'll pay for the treatment and I would like to have her back if she is treated. Maybe, when she is restricted to rest, she will trust me enough to live in the house."
In the mean time Harm thought about Mr. DeWitt's offer. He had to admit he was really tempted. As well as he had thought about telling Mac about his feelings, he had considered selling his loft and buying a real house, a home to live in as a married couple, a home to raise children and this was exactly the kind of house which had came to mind.
Maybe it was time to take the next step.
When Mr. DeWitt returned he looked sad. "You know, I just realized although I want Lucy back, I can't keep her. Not when I move to Utah, that is. The senior apartments don't allow dogs more than 25 pound. Maybe it's better the WHS find a home for her."
Harm made up his mind.
"You know, Alex, your offer to buy the house is very tempting. I really want to look into it further. But I need to discuss it with a couple of people and I want a broker to have a look at it. I know you want to make me a nice price but I want it to be a fair price as well."
The elderly man nodded. "That makes sense. We can discuss the finances later."
"And if I buy the house, I can keep Lucy too," Harm added.
Alex beamed. "You would do that? I would hate to see her leave or end up in a bad home."
Harm extended his hand and the two men shook hands.
"Right, now let me call the garage to find out when the tow truck will be here and then I call a buddy of mine; he is a broker."
After hearing the tow truck would arrive in ten minutes, Harm called Joseph Calder, a man he knew from playing basketball together. He immediately agreed to check Mr. DeWitt's house out and report back to Harm as soon a possible.
Next thing to do for Harm was to arrange Mac to see the house, but that had to wait till he was back at the office.
Back at the office, his car at the garage, Harm looked for Mac. Unfortunately she was not there, having lunch with Harriet. And since he lost so much time that morning, he had barely time to leave her a note before rushing into court.
While he was in court, a telephone call came through.
"This is Calder's Real Estate, Can I speak to Commander Rabb, please?"
"I'm sorry, but Commander Rabb is not available."
"Right, can you ask him to call me back then. The preliminary rapport on the house he wants to buy is in. He has our phone number."
"Yes ma'am, I will."
That was the beginning of a frantic scuttlebutt, which reached Mac only 15 minutes later…
At 17.00 Harm left the courtroom, a big smug grin on his face. Against all odds he won his case. Now it was time to see whether Mac had found his message.
But when he rapped his fingers against the doorjamb and poked his head around the door, he was met by an angry and upset Marine. She was on her feet in a second, almost pulling him in and slamming the door behind him.
"When did you plan to tell me? When al is said and done and you're safe in... in God knows where? You jerk!"
"Whoa Marine, calm down. What's wrong? You seem really upset about something."
His display of ignorance only served to infuriate Mac more.
"Yes, I am. Why shouldn't I be! The man I …"she stopped right in time, not wanting to reveal her feelings. "You are leaving and you didn't bother to tell me!"
Harm was stunned.
"Mac, no! That's not true! I'm not leaving!"
She snorted "Right, then tell me why you need a broker? Tiner took the call. Everybody knows and you didn't bother to tell me." With this last words her voice was soft and hurt.
Harm set himself in the window sill. "I'm not leaving, not leaving Washington that is. But I consider leaving my apartment en buying a house. A lot has happened today. I planned to tell you, that's why I left you the note to ask you to keep the evening for me. I'm sorry you had to hear it by scuttlebutt. But when I came back you had lunch with Harriet and then I was in court all afternoon. I didn't expect Joseph to call back that soon."
Mac softened a bit. It was true, there had been no time to talk to her that afternoon. They both had been busy. And he had left her a note. He was off the hook, for now.
"Right. I don't have plans for the evening so why don't you fill me in now?"
Relieved Harm rose to his feet. "Okay. But there are things I need to show you, too. In fact, I made an appointment right after work so maybe I can brief you while driving?" He raised his brows. "I was going to change before leaving. You might feel better in civvies as well?"
Mac nodded. "OK, see you in the parking lot in five."
At the parking lot Harm realised he didn't have car. "Do you mind giving me a ride? I had a small accident this morning, my car is at the garage."
Instantly Mac went into caring-mode. "You're not hurt, are you? What happened?"
"No. I'm fine" and at her concerned look "Really, I'm OK, but the car needs some fixing. Flat tire and a damaged hood. I tried to avoid a dog running loose and hit first the rim and then a tree."
Mac closed her eyes for a moment. He was fine. She didn't know what she would do if he had been wounded or worse if she lose him.
She dug up her keys. "You drive. You know where we're going."
During the drive Harm filled Mac in about his day.
"So you really want to move. You spend so much time renovating your loft."
"That's true but that was several years ago. I think I'm ready for a new challenge. And it will be nice to have some more space. This might prove to be a good deal."
"But can you afford it?" she wanted to bite her tongue right away, after all, it was not her business. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."
Harm didn't mind though. "Yes, I have my dad's inheritance and for years Frank has been giving me a couple of bonds or stocks every birthday. He is a good investor, I've quite a bit of money. To be honest, a large sum is to become free soon and he asked me a couple of days ago whether he should reinvest or whether I want to use the money elsewhere. Plus Joseph said he could make a good price for my loft."
Mac nodded thoughtfully. In fact, she was wondering whether there was more behind it. Was he considering more life altering decisions? What was it what he said: a career, a house, a good wife and a dog?"
When they reached their destination Harm pulled the car over and turned to Mac.
"We're good?"
"Yes." She shrugged. "I... I'm sorry for lashing out to you. It was … It hurt thinking you ..."
Harm reached out and took her hand. "Mac, I did that once, not telling you about the changes I wanted to make in my live. And it cost me, it cost us. Believe me, I'm not going to make that mistake again."
Mutely she nodded. He let go of her hand and instantly she missed its warmth. Walking around he car he opened her door and helped her out.
Mr. DeWitt was already waiting for them and keen to show Mac the house and its premises. Darkness falling fast they first walked the garden and Mr. DeWitt pointed out the swing hanging from an old tree and the small vegetable garden in the back.
Then they went inside and he showed them the different rooms. There were the living, a large study, the kitchen with an utility room and a bedroom with a small bathroom downstairs.
Upstairs there were three more bedrooms and a second larger bathroom. On top of it there was a spacious attic. The garage was spacious enough to fit two cars. While Harm followed Alex to the living again, Mac was still standing at the master bedroom's balcony overseeing the backyard. It was perfect. Perfect for newly weds, perfect to raise a family. It was clear Harm was ready to move on. But was there a place for her in his dreams? She swallowed hard, determined not to show her feelings. If she had to cry, it would be in the safety and privacy of her own little home. Her own little empty home.
20.15 pm
Italian restaurant, Washington
They sat on a small table next to the window, Harm with a spinach lasagne and Mac savouring her ossobucco. Harm was very talkative, using the silverware and salt and pepper dispensers to map out the way he wanted to furniture his future home.
Mac offered her advice once in a while but she couldn't help thinking how well some of her furniture would match. She sighed silently, careful not to disturb Harm.
The main course gone, Mac started to talk "when I was a kid ..." But she was interrupted by the waitress nearing their table and asking whether they wanted desert.
After dinner Harm paid and they walked outside. It was a lovely evening, the air crisp with a hint of coming winter and a full moon. Mac headed for the car but to her surprise her partner had other ideas. "Why don't we take a walk through the park? It's such a beautiful evening."
Mac nodded. Everything to prolong an evening with Harm, she thought wryly.
Side by side they walked, exchanging a few words now and then. But Mac was so engulfed in her thoughts she failed to see the branch laying on the ground and tripped over. Had it not been for Harm quick reaction she had hit the ground but now he managed to keep her on her feet. Till her surprise he didn't let go of her hand. They walked in silence for another hundred yards, Harm's thumb softly caressing the back of Mac's hand. Just before the silence could become awkward he started to talk "at dinner you were going to tell me something… about you as a kid." Mac frowned her brows, she didn't remember.
"It was just before dessert, when the waitress interrupted you."
Mac nodded. Now she remembered. They strolled another hundred yards before Mac spoke again.
"When I was a kid we moved frequently." She shrugged. "You know, drinking and keeping a steady job don't go well together. One summer we lived in a little town, I don't recall what it was called any more. Of course we lived a the wrong side of the tracks. I must have been about eight at the time. When I wanted to get away from home, I always climbed a big tree several hundred yards away from our house and looked over the track to this nice white house, very similar to the one you want to buy. There was a family, a mum and dad, a boy and a girl my age and a baby and they had a large beige dog, you know, just a mutt without pedigree but they loved it all the same." She sighed. "They seemed so content, so happy. I so wanted to be part of that family and I promised myself that one day I would live in a house like that. At the end of the summer we moved again and I never saw the house again. I never knew who that family was either."
Harm squeezed her hand in a silent comfort. Mac's emotions were all over the map. She didn't want him to let go of her, ever, she wanted to yank herself free, she wanted to scream at him to say something. After another hundred yards they neared a lantern. Harm came to a halt, and turned her around so he could see her face, leaving his own face in the dark.
Mac looked up to him wide-eyed. Harm now had both of her hands in his and lifted them to kiss her knuckles. She saw a little muscle next to his eye twitch and absent-mindedly asked herself why he was so nervous. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
"Could you imagine… would you consider to live in this house one day? With me?"
Mac just could stare at him.
"I love you, Sarah," Harm whispered hoarsely, "I love you so much."
Tears welled up in Mac's eyes. Silently she freed her hands, did one step and wrapped her arms around his waist, lying her head against his chest.
"Hold me," she choked out.
Immediately she was enveloped by his arms and held tight. She felt his breath in her hair and he murmured soft loving words in her ear.
Finally Mac lifted her head and bent backwards so she could see his face.
"I love you, too, Harm."
She thought she had never seen a smile this happy on his face. The kiss they shared was everything she had hoped for, and then some.
Moments went by. Suddenly Mac laughed out loud. "You did good today, in reaching your goals."
Harm looked puzzled.
"You know, the career, the house, the wife and the dog?"
Now Harm laughed too. "You're right, two out of four in one day is not bad."
"You don't happen to have an engagement ring with you, don't you? You know, you could make that three out of four," Mac chuckled, then became beet red when she realised what she has said and hid her face to his chest once more.
To her surprise he didn't answer and when she dared to look up, she saw he was blushing fervently too.
"Harm?"
He nodded slowly.
Mac gasped. "Yes? You do?"
He nodded again, and put a step back while reaching in his inner pocket. When his hand came out he held a small velvet pouch. Mac was nailed to the ground when she saw him kneel down in front of her. "Sarah, I love you and there is nothing that I want more than spend my live with you and love you forever? Will you marry me?"
Words evading her Mac reached out for him and pulled him towards her. After a few seconds she whispered: "Yes, yes I will." Harm wrapped his arms around her once again and held her close, until he recovered enough to slide the ring onto her shaking finger.
For a long time they stood in each others embrace. Finally Mac shivered in the cold night wind. "You're cold. Let's go home." Mac nodded and happily let him lead her to the car.
When they neared her house, Harm became nervous again. What did she expect from him? Would there be a kiss and goodbye at the door? Was he to come in, have a coffee?
Mac on the other hand had already made her mind up.
After killing the engine he went out, rounded the car and opened the door for her.
"Wanna come in?"
Relieved he nodded and followed her inside. At her door she turned around and gave him a smile. He smiled back, still waiting for his cue. Which he got.
She pulled him close and kissed him throughout. Then she used one hand to fumble with the key to unlock the door, her other arm still firmly locked around his neck. Task completed, she pulled him inside her dark apartment and with a determined kick she closed the door behind them.
The end