Title: Harm Goes Flying
Author: Peter
Classification: Harm/Mac
Spoiler: End of the fourth season, beginning of the fifth
Summary: Harm meets Mac's mother before he returns to flying and is made aware of Mac's true feelings for him.
Disclaimers: The characters of Jag are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.
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part 1
1800 hours Sunday
1 Aug 1999
Mac's Apartment
Mac had just returned from Arizona. She had gone to Arizona to deal with issues she had with her dying father. The man she had hated since time began. She had wanted to resolve her unresolved feelings for him, but she had arrived there too late.
He had lapsed into a coma. Father Genarno had helped her to work through a lot of her issues with her father. But the best thing that happened while she was there was that she saw her mother for the first time in seventeen years.
They had talked about why her mother had left when she did and why she was left behind. She invited her mother to come to DC visit her. Her mother said she would be able to in ten days and agreed to come before the end of the month.
Mac could hardly wait to call Harm and tell him all about her trip. She was finally beginning to feel good about herself. She wasn't angry anymore. She didn't hate her father any more and she was going to renew her relationship with her mother.
Harm would be proud of her. He always seemed to be there to help her resolve the problems that she didn't want to deal with. She decided to call him and invite him over for dinner.
1900 Hours
Mac's Apartment
There was a knock at the door. Mac, who had earlier changed into a nice pair of blue jeans and red blouse, went over to the door to let Harm in. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a blue shirt. Boy did he look good Mac thought to herself.
"Good evening Flyboy. It's so nice to see you. Did you miss me while I was gone?" asked Mac seductively.
"Good evening to you too Ninja girl. You're looking lovely tonight. Have you been away? I've been so busy this past week I didn't know which end was up." smiled Harm as he tried to be cute.
"Don't you try to get cute with me stick boy. You are the one who got me to go to Arizona to resolve my issues with my father." replied Mac as she whacked him on his shoulder.
"You're right again Ninja girl. I can't seem to fool you any more. You seem to know all my tricks. And yes, I did miss you." smiled Harm.
"Thank you for missing me Flyboy. You better believe it, I know all your little secrets." chuckled Mac.
"Well you do know most of them, but I still have a few you don't know about. By the way how was your trip?" asked Harm. He figured it must have gone well. She was in playful mood.
"Well it was very frustrating when I first arrived, but it turned out to be a very good trip." replied Mac.
"That's nice to hear. Why don't you tell me about it?" asked Harm curiously.
"First off it was a very long and tedious flight. The flight was delay for two hours. When I finally did get to the hospice where my father was staying, he had already lapsed into a coma.
That made me even more irritated and furious then before. I did a lot of stomping and growling." replied Mac solemnly.
"No way, not you Ninja girl." chuckled Harm.
"Ha, Ha Harm. You're very funny stick boy. I took it out on the padre who was running the hospice. He slowly and patiently helped me resolve the issues I had with my father.
He showed me newspaper clippings my father kept in his wallet. Harm, my father was proud of me. He was proud of my accomplishments. I can't explain how good that made me feel." responded Mac.
"It makes me happy to see you this way. You should be able now to let go of the past and move forward." smiled Harm. She really does look like a new person.
"You were right about going to Arizona. It has allowed me to feel so much better about myself, but that isn't the best news Harm." smiled Mac.
"It isn't Sarah?" asked Harm.
"No. I saw my mother while I was there. The padre had contacted her too. At first she wasn't going to come, but then she thought I might be there.
So she took a chance and came. She's going to come and visit me for a few weeks later this month." replied Mac very happily. She was on cloud nine.
"I'm so happy for you, Sarah. This definitely is great news. We should go out and celebrate." responded an elated Harm. It seemed all her demons, the sense of abandonment, and not worthy of being love, were finally disappearing.
"How about tomorrow night? I'm pretty tired from the trip to go out tonight. We can order a pizza." asked Mac hesitantly.
"That sounds like a good idea. I have some good news too, Ninja girl." replied Harm excitedly.
"Oh pray tell old great one what could it be?" asked Mac sarcastically.
"I took Sarah up last weekend while you were away. You weren't around and I had nothing better to do. I stay out too long before I got back to the airfield. By the time I got back to the airfield it was getting petty dark.
I landed the plane without too much difficulty. I went to the doctor and had my eyes checked out. I though that my night blindness had gone away." smiled Harm.
"What did the doctor say?" asked Mac.
"He told me that night blindness doesn't go away, but that wasn't my problem." replied Harm.
"What was the problem?" asked Mac.
"I was misdiagnosed. I had retinal scarring. Which could be easily fixed. He scheduled me for laser surgery in six months, but when he had a cancellation, I was able to have it done last week." replied Harm.
"How did it go?" asked Mac.
"Well I was pretty nervous at first about having it done, but it seems to have work out great. I can see so much better at night now. It supposed to get better over the next couple of months." responded Harm.
"That great Flyboy. I wish I could have been there for you like you've always been there for me. I'm so happy for you." replied Mac as she began to wonder what this all meant. Did it mean he would leave to go back to flying?
"You've been there for me more times then I can count. If it hadn't been for the cancellation I would have liked to have you there with me. I really could have used your support, but it just happened so fast." replied Harm as he tied to reassure Mac.
"So what does all this mean?" asked a worried Mac.
"It means that I can fly jets again full time if I choose." replied Harm happily.
"Are you sure you want to do that. You have a very promising career at Jag. The Admiral is grooming you to be his successor." replied Mac shakily.
"Changing my designator to an aviator just gives me more options. Besides you know how much I love to fly. I had to quit flying before because of the night blindness. I didn't stop because I wanted to.
I left because I had to. I couldn't see well enough at night to make carrier landings. If I do go back to flying and later decide to leave, I will be doing so under my own terms." explained Harm.
"I really don't want to see you leave Jag, but I will support your decision if you choose to do so." replied Mac as she fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"Thank you Sarah, I knew you'd understand." smiled Harm.
Mac's heart was breaking. She didn't understand. Why was he thinking of giving up a promising career at Jag to go back to flying? Why was he leaving her? Chloe was leaving soon to go to Vermont to live with her grandparents.
Now Harm might be leaving her too. Why did people she loved always have to leave her?
2000 hours Monday
2 August 1999
Delmonicos Italian Restaurant
The next day Harm took Mac out to her favorite Italian restaurant for a night of dining and dancing. Mac had a wonderful time. She was glowing. Harm was calling her Sarah, her given name.
She always felt special when he did. He was holding her real close while they dance. She loved the feeling of being held in his arms. He was treating her like a princess. She was very happy.
Why couldn't they do this all the time. She loved Harm and didn't want to see him go. Why couldn't he love her like she loved him?