Author's Note:  Just want to say that story is very much AU. Sorry if that isn't your cup of tea (or whatever) but I can't help that part of the story. In Australia JAG has not been broadcast on Free To Air TV for over 6 months. This means that unfortunately us Aussie are stuck rather unhappily in Season 8 (The last episode aired was All 'Ye Faithful). I have put many months of bloody sweat and tears into the fic and for the record it is my first JAG one. This may or may not be obvious as you read through it so I thought that I would warn you now. I may not be an expert on everything JAG (just an extremely obsessed military/legal fan) but I think that I should be at least given points for enthusiasm! Lol. Most of all please enjoy. It's something different, maybe even quirky and true to my style of writing. Whether you like or don't like it, please do not hesitate to tell me. Well that's me done. This is the second post (something that often happens after I evaluate my work) so many mistakes have been taken care of and bit and pieces have been added. Enjoy. 

DISCLAMIER: This story has nothing to do with the legal owners of JAG. It is purely fan fiction and should be treated as such. The story line and characters not from JAG are mine but that is all. I am not in any way getting paid for this work only hopefully in reviews.

Life For Rent Chapter One – Working Late

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"If my life is for rent,

And I don't learn to buy.

Then I deserve nothing more than I get,

'Cause nothing I have is truly mine." – Life for Rent, Dido.

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FRIDAY 1800 HRS

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie slumped tired in her chair. She had been through a long hard day filled with cases and interviews and she wanted more than to go home, run a bath and soak her stress away. She looked up from the mound of paperwork sitting in front of her and watched as the lights in the bullpen not being used flickered and turned off. The only light that now remained was that of her lamp and the lamp of Commander Harmon Rabb's across the other side of the bullpen. She tried to catch sight of him, but was caught off guard when Lieutenant Harriet Sims poked her head through the door.  She smiled happily at Mac.

"Ma'am, I'm leaving now." She said, walking into the office and juggling a stack of files on her hip. "Is there anything you would like me to do before I go?" 

Mac smiled feebly at her friend. She looked beat and Mac felt much the same. She shook her head considerately. "No thank you Harriet. Everything is pretty much taken care of." She said, biting her lip and looking down at the open manila folder in front of her. "I just have another file to sort through and I'll be on my way out."

Harriet smiled weakly, showing concern for her senior officer. "It's getting late ma'am and you've been working all day. Isn't it about time you called it a night?"

Mac sighed tiredly and raised her head slightly to meet Harriet's eye. "Maybe your right." She said defeated, not having the heart to argue with Harriet. "I could do with a long hot bath and a good night sleep."

Harriet smiled happily. She had been able to convince a workaholic to take time off. She was happy with herself.  "Well it's settled then. You go home, have a bath and a long relaxing weekend." Harriet added, clapping her hands together slightly excitedly. "What I would give to be able to do the same." 

Mac chuckled and slid the cover of her folder closed. "If you ever needed Harriet, I could look after AJ and give you and Bud a break." She offered, getting up out of her chair, and beginning to form a small pile of take home paperwork in front of her.

Harriet nodded. "Thank you Ma'am." She said happily. "When things start to calm down and you're not as busy I may just take you up on that offer."

Mac smiled. "Anytime." She said giving her a wink. "I love babysitting little A.J. He holds the secrets to the male psyche." 

Harriet laughed. "Well I'd better be off. Have to go and relieve Bud from babysitting duty." She said and turned her way out of the office. "Have a good weekend Mac." She called from the doorway.

"You too, Harriet." She added as Harriet crossed the bullpen and disappeared into the elevator.

Mac listened as the elevator door slide closed, leaving only Harm and herself as the only JAG personnel on the floor. Quietly Mac packed her paperwork into her briefcase and switched off her desk lamp. She was glad that Harriet had encouraged her to go home, but the thought of mounting paperwork and case files loomed heavily on her mind. She decided that her long hot bath and curl up in bed would have to wait; paperwork would be on tonight's agenda. Half-heartedly Mac picked up the suitcase from her desk and made her way out of her office. She hesitantly looked across to Harm's office and decided she would have a chat with him on the way out. As she approached the office, she heard the receiver of a phone being slammed back into handset. Obviously a bad phone call. Cautiously, she stopped in the doorframe and knocked softly on the door. Harm looked up from his desk, a frown upon his face. He met eyes with Mac, and smiled.

"Hey Marine." He greeted timidly, leaning back in his chair. "How was your day?"

Mac sighed and walked into the office. Where did he want her to start?

"It could have been worse." She said biting her lip. "What about yourself? Hard day at the office?"

Harm grinned, leaning heavily upon the armrest of his chair. "Something like that." He said slyly, meeting her eye. "But nothing a couple of beers, some takeaway and an evening with friendly company and TV wouldn't cure."

Mac arched her eyebrow. "I see.  Are you inviting yourself over to watch my TV?"

Harm shrugged. "If that's ok with you. I thought that maybe we could catch up. It's been a while since we did something like a takeaway and TV night." He replied sitting forward on his chair. "Besides, I'm hanging out for a Veggie Burger and I know that you'll be wanting something along the lines of a cholesterol fest."

Mac chuckled; feeling the sudden longingly of takeaway hit her stomach. "Throw in a hamburger with the lot and I may just consider it."

Harm grinned. "I think I could do that."

"Great. Why don't you pick up the food and then meet me at my place.  I could always use someone to flick the channels while I eat my burger." She gave him an engaging grin. 

Harm laughed casually and got up out of his chair. He leant across the desk grabbing his own stack of paperwork and shoving it into his briefcase. "I think you've got yourself a deal."

**

FRIDAY 1900HRS

MAC'S APARTMENT

GEORGETOWN, DC

Mac surfed the television channels idly, waiting for her burger and company to arrive. She could almost taste the juicy steak and salad and was having trouble trying to concentrate on anything besides food. When the doorbell finally rang Mac practically jumped off the couch and ran to the door.

"About time." She said eagerly, opening the door for Harm. "I was beginning to think that you'd gone AWOL with my burger." She grabbed the takeaway bag from Harm's hand and walking towards the kitchen bench.

Behind her Harm laughed casually. "You think I'd want a death wish like that?"

Mac shot Harm a dirty look pretending to be offended. "I'm not that bad." She said digging into the bag and pulling out the two burgers. She noted one was Veggie and rolled her eyes at Harm.

"Trust me, I've seen grown men eat a lot less than you."

"Well at least I eat real food." She threw back at him.

Harm shrugged. "I eat real food, I just choose not to eat something that was previously a mammal."  He said watching her as she went to the fridge and pulled out a can of Coke for herself.

Mac shook her head, preoccupied with opening the Coke. "Moving on…there isn't much on TV tonight. I already checked it out. Looks like we have to rely on good old friendly conversation."

"Well that wasn't part of the deal." He replied, taking his burger from the bench and grabbing a coke from the fridge. "Looks like we might have to be nice to each other for a change."

"It does doesn't it?" She said making her way towards the couch and sitting herself down on one end. "Or you could help me look though this court martial I have to work on. Two heads are better than one."

Harm nodded, taking a bite from his burger and grabbing a seat next to Mac. "Sure. There's nothing like spending a Friday night working."

Mac frowned. "How pathetic. There has to be something we can talk about." She chewed at her burger, searching her mind. "Nope I've got nothing."

Harm chuckled. "Me either." He picked up the TV Remote. "Let's just have another look huh?" 

**

FRIDAY 2200 HRS

MAC'S APARTMENT

GEORGETOWN, DC

Mac rubbed her eyes and stretched her legs across the couch, dropping them into Harm's lap. The TV had become boring, as had the court martial. Instead they had settled for a childish game of Truth or Dare.

 "Your turn," she said smiling warmly at him. "Truth or Dare?"

Harm laughed, and took another swig from his third coke. They had been playing this game for about 2 hours and Mac still hadn't run out of forceful questions that got Harm to admit more to her than he usually would. Harm concluded that it was his own stupid fault for playing a teenage game of Truth or Dare with one of the best lawyers in the Military.

"Dare." Harm replied, glad that he would be safe for another round. Mac pursed her lips for a moment, contemplating a dare fit for a Squid. She smiled, thinking of a perfect one for the occasion.

"I dare you to massage my feet." She said raising her eyebrows and nodding towards her feet perched in his lap. "And that was a pretty cowardly way to worm your way out of this game, by the way."

Harm laughed quietly and leant forward to place his drink on the coffee table. He took hold of her left foot and began rubbing it slowly. "What did you expect me to do?" he asked arching a brow at her. "I didn't think that I could handle another truth question."

Mac smiled happily. "Well at least I know that my question powers do no go to waist on you Harmon Rabb." She laughed; closing her eyes tiredly as Harm gently massaged her foot. "Now it's my turn. I pick…. truth." 

Harm bit his lip, concentrating on the massage. He racked his brain for a question that could combat the massage dare. It was a relief to chill out after the hard week he'd had. "Truth?" he repeated, lifting his gaze to Mac's face. "Are you sure?"

Mac nodded, eyes still closed. "Uh huh. Hurry up flyboy, we don't have all night." She murmured. 

Harm smiled. "Ok. I've got a good one."

Mac forced her eyes open, and smiled warmly. "Go on..."

Harm nodded and paused the massage. "If I hadn't have crashed down in the ocean and gone missing, would you have gone ahead and married Brumby?" He asked quietly, placing his palm against the bottom of Mac's foot and cracking her ankle.

Mac looked away from Harm, thinking desperately for an answer. She had never actually thought about it. Would she had married Mic if Harm hadn't have gone missing? Would things be different now? Could she bet sitting on her couch right now receiving a foot massage from her husband Mic Brumby or would she still be sitting on her with her best friend and JAG partner, Harmon Rabb? She turned back towards Harm and frowned.

"I dunno." She said softly, feeling the tension drain from her body and her feet relaxed with Harm's touch. "I loved Mic but I wasn't in love with him. There's a difference. I think I just panicked that time was beginning to tick and I still wasn't in ideal relationship or any relationship for that matter."

Harm nodded, he was satisfied with that answer. He felt a heavy weight settle in his chest but he pretending to ignore it. He didn't know why he wasn't relieved that Mac wouldn't have married Brumby. He continued to massage Mac's feet in silence; he didn't want to speak again as he felt that he couldn't trust his tongue. He knew that Mac's situation with Mic was the same as he had with Renee. He loved her or rather he felt strongly for her, but he was never in love with her and he didn't think that he could have ever had been in love with her. He felt something much stronger for Mac, but how much stronger he didn't know.

Mac felt uncomfortable in the silence that had fallen between herself and Harm. She wanted to blurt out that that the reason she wasn't in love with Mic was because she was in love with Harm. She admitted to herself that that was the reason she still allowed the pair to dance around each other. She still loved Harm deep inside, but she couldn't quite bring herself to admit it. Mac sighed heavily and looked away from Harm and towards the turned off TV. She wished the remote were handy so that she could switch it on and fill the silence, but the remote was on the table, near Harm's coke, and she didn't dare move. She felt Harm's hands slow and then stop. He shifted under her feet and leant forward to grab his drink.

"It's my turn." He said acutely, taking a sip. "This time I pick truth."

Mac smiled apprehensively. "You still want to play, Squid?"

Harm chuckled lowly and looked her directly in the eye. "You can't scare me off that easily, Marine." He added lifting the sullen mood. "Now fire a truth question at me."

Mac took a deep breath, racking her brain for a question. None sprang to mind. "I'm out." She said miserably. "Can't think of one single question that I want answered."

Harm smiled. "Does this mean that you rest your case?" he said slyly, sinking into a flyboy grin.

Mac chuckled. "I guess it does." She added, withdrawing her feet from Harm's lap and tucking her knees up under her chin. "What about you Commander…do you have another question?"

Harm nodded. "I have one in mind." He said slowly, emptying his glass. "But I don't know if you want to answer it."

Mac laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "I have to. It's the rules of the game. Fire away."

"If you could spend one night with an single person on this earth, who would it be?" he asked candidly, settling back into the couch.

Mac arched a brow. "What do you mean spend…"

"Use your imagination." Harm added softly, folding his arms across his chest.

Mac smiled, thinking for a moment. She laughed in defeat. "I have no idea." She said cheerfully, stretching her right leg out so that Harm could finish her massage.

Harm shook his head. "I can't believe you." He replied, a grin across his face. "You wormed your way out of it."

Mac laughed. "Fine. You answer the question and then I will."

Harm shrugged. "That's easy."

"It's is?"

Harm secured her with a sincere and genuine smile. "It is."

Mac raised her eyebrow. "It's not a supermodel or actress is it?"

Harm shook his head. "No, it's not. You're not even close."

Mac racked her brain. "I give up. 'Fess your secret flyboy."

"Come on Mac." He said obviously. "It is so obvious that if you haven't figured it out I'm genuinely offended." 

Mac shrugged. "I don't know. Singer?" She tried hard not to laugh. She was winding him up.

"Not funny." Harm replied, pretending to scold. "I'm offended now."

Mac chuckled. "Come on. Now I really want to know. Give me a clue." She pouted for added effect.

"I don't know," he replied riskily. "You might not be able to handle it-"

"Don't flatter yourself." She laughed. "Do you want me to answer then?"

Harm shook his head. "No. Ok. I'll tell you." He reached forward thumbing Mac's cheek. "It's you. It has and always will be. I love you Sarah."

Mac's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She only had one coherent thought running though her brain. In fact it was screaming through her brain. Kiss him! Mac made to move forward but found that Harm had beaten her. He grabbed hold of her legs lightly and pulled her into his lap.

"I was wondering when you'd give me the chance." He said quietly, staring her intently into her eyes. "I've been wanting to say it for years and tonight just seemed like the ideal chance. If I didn't say it now I don't know when I get another chance would roll around."

Mac's stomach somersaulted. She swallowed hard and then smiled blissfully. "Well then, what's taken you so long?" She said kissing him gently on the lips.

After a while they broke apart and Mac tried to recapture Harm's lips.  "Not so fast." He said pulling her if possible closer. "This was my idea. The ball is in my court."

Mac smiled playfully. "Fine. Just shut up and do it then will you." She gushed, leaning towards his lips.

Harm smiled and pulled Mac down across the couch. He planted another kiss on her lips, this time more passionate.

"I'm not in any rush, Mac. I have all night."