Author's Note: Set somewhere in an AU (Mic-free and mostly Renee-free) Season 6, or maybe very early Season 7. In fact, set this one where you will, as long as Harm and Mac are both single and have been working together for a number of years. This one will have 3 chapters, although the final chapter will be very short. I would love to know what you think about this story, so please review! Thank you for reading.

Originally written for and posted (under the name 'Dee') at the HBX for the June 2012 Challenge, which was to:

… write a short story/scene in which Harm's smile plays a prominent part. For an added bonus, use the line below in your story. Anyone can say the line in your story, even Harm!

Mac: "That's a very nice smile, and I'm sure most of the time it gets you what you want . . ."
We The People

Disclaimer: The usual, I own neither the show nor its characters, etc etc.

Chapter One - Mac, then Tami and Gina

Mac's POV

Mattoni and I are in the elevator, on our way down. We're going to a meeting at the Office of Legislative Affairs – a meeting that's guaranteed to be long and boring. I'm not looking forward to it, and for some reason I feel a little blue this Friday morning. An annoying little voice whispers in my ear that it just might be because I haven't seen Harm today, and because I know I won't be seeing him for the next couple of days. I ignore the pesky little voice – as usual, it doesn't know what it's talking about. Mattoni and I have just stepped out onto the first floor when the object of my most recent thoughts comes striding toward us, looking as always like a million bucks (not that I'd ever let him know it).

'Mac, hold the elevator, please,' he calls out from a few feet away.

I suddenly remember that he's not supposed to be here this morning. Wanting to find out why he is, I decide not to hold the elevator, watching it go up with an 'Oops, sorry, Harm.'

'You did that on purpose,' Harm says, indignantly.

'Why are you here?' I respond. 'Aren't you supposed to be on your way to visit your mother?'

'My flight leaves at 1530. I'm just here to pick up a few files, and then I have a few errands to run before I leave for Dulles.'

'Files? Please don't tell me you plan to spend your time in La Jolla working instead of hanging out with family.'

Harm looks at me wryly. 'I'll try not to.'

'Enjoy it; Harm,' I say, serious now, 'you're lucky to have them around.'

Mattoni clears his throat. 'We need to get a move on, or we'll be late for the meeting.'

'We're fine,' I reply, 'we still have thirty-four minutes and fifty-two seconds.'

Nevertheless, we exchange our goodbyes quickly.

Harm's POV

I've been to the office, the drycleaners, the gift shop, my apartment and now I've just arrived at my last stop before the airport, a dentist's office. I'm here to see Gina Scalia, the daughter of one of my mom's oldest friends. Gina works as a dental assistant here.

I walk into the office and introduce myself to the receptionist, a pretty, curvy brunette who introduces herself as Tami and asks me to take a seat. 'I'll call Gina right away, she's expecting you,' she says, with a big smile. As I sit in the small waiting room, Tami's end of the telephone conversation drifts over to me clearly.

'Gina, Commander Rabb's here.' Tami's voice drops a tiny notch. 'Oh my gosh, you didn't tell me he was a total hunk with a killer smile. Is he single?'

Tami's eyes light up at Gina's response, whatever it is. Tami continues, 'You'd do that for me? Awesome! I love a man in uniform. Anyways, hurry up, don't keep him waiting!'

Gina arrives in the waiting room a few minutes later and gives me a warm hug. She pulls me into a nearby office – we're out of Tami's earshot, but she can still see us through a glass partition. I haven't seen Gina in years, but she hasn't changed a bit – petite and pretty, with long, wavy, black hair and brown eyes. She still has the nose ring and tattoos around her wrists that scandalized her mother when she got them as a teenager. The only change from the last time I saw her is that she's pregnant now.

'Harmon Rabb Jr!' she says, as our embrace ends and she takes a step back to look at me. 'Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!'

'It's good to see you too, Gina. It's been a long time. You look beautiful.'

Gina laughs. 'You, my friend, are good for a pregnant woman's ego.'

'Congratulations. I can't believe the little brat that played in our yard is about to become a mother.'

'Well, we're all getting old, Harm. But seeing old friends like you makes me feel young again,' she replies, with a smile.

I smile back. 'How's your mother?' I ask.

'Doing well... she's recovering well from her most recent surgery. I'm so glad she's here where Tim and I can help look after her. Not that it wasn't a battle getting her here - you know how opinionated and... vocal she is.'

'I remember well. One time Tim and I were playing war games on your street – I must have been about eight. Somehow, we managed to wander off. It was pretty dark by the time we realised we were a long way from home. When your mother found us, boy, did she let us have it. My ears are still ringing... but she gave us the biggest hugs afterwards.'

'Yeah, she's a great hugger. And so is your mom – please give her a big hug from me.'

'I will. So where's this package I'm taking to La Jolla?'

Gina hands me a small paper bag. 'Feel free to open it up and take a look. It's just some fabric swatches that my mom wants Trish to look at – our mothers are working on a big, bicoastal design project,' she says with a smile.

'Really?'

'Uh huh,' she replies, rubbing her belly, 'it's this little fella's nursery. But the way Trish and my mom have been planning, you'd think they were doing the interior design for a gazillion-dollar Italian villa or something.'

We laugh together and then Gina continues. 'It's so good to see you, Harm. You look great –still the same gorgeous smile.' She snaps her fingers. 'You know, speaking of that smile… I have a friend who owns a modeling agency – she is always looking for smile models.'

I'm incredulous. 'Smile models.'

'Yeah, you know, for toothpaste ads… stuff like that. I could give her your details.'

'Err, thanks… but I'm not exactly looking for work.'

'It could be a nice side hustle for you, Harm. A little extra cash. Say ahhh.' Taken unawares, I comply, probably out of some deeply ingrained respect for dentists (and the pain they are capable of inflicting). Gina tilts her head and looks into my mouth. 'Hmm, of course you might need to have just a teensy little bit of cosmetic work done.'

I close my mouth and protest. 'Hey!'

Gina laughs. 'Most smile models need a little work… nothing serious, just a little polishing up here and there. I can help you with that - and give you a nice, friendly discount.'

'Thanks, but no thanks, Gina. I'm not interested in a "side hustle" as a smile model, and I'm definitely not interested in sitting in your torture chair."

She lets out another peal of laughter. 'Ooh, my "torture chair"? Didn't know you were into the kinky stuff, Harm. Ok, seriously, why are you not interested in smile modeling? You did such a great job when you starred in that Navy recruitment ad – you're a natural in front of the camera.'

'First off, I can't think of anything more boring or awkward than standing around having my picture taken for hours on end. Second, I certainly don't have any spare time for it. Third, I don't particularly need the extra money. But most importantly, and I think you know this, I am not about to walk up to my commanding officer and ask him for permission to be a "smile model" on the side.'

'Ok counselor,' she says laughingly, holding her hands up in surrender, 'you've won this round. I had to try, my friend's been on my case for referrals… and it's a way for me to get a little extra work as well so…. Anyway,' she continues, checking her watch, 'do you have time for a quick cup of tea or coffee? I have a few minutes.'

'Maybe some other time. I should get going. But it's been so good to see you.'

Gina smiles, and there's a tinge of mischief in her grin. 'Same here. You know I had a huge crush on you back then, Harm.'

'You did not!'

'Oh, but I did. And so did all my friends... we thought that out of all Tim's friends, you were definitely the cutest.'

I don't quite know what to say to that. So I go with, 'that was a long time ago, Gina.'

'Yes it was... a lifetime ago, it seems.' She laughs again, almost to herself, and shrugs. 'I was heartbroken when you left for the Academy, you know. I was in my "rebellious phase" then, I'd just run off and gotten my ink and piercings, and I was dating a high school dropout who played in a local band – in short, I was a walking "rebel teen" cliché... so no one would have guessed that I was secretly pining for one of my brother's friends... I was devastated when you left. It felt like the end of a dream. You were going somewhere far away, and I knew you wouldn't come back for me, and you probably never even knew how I really felt about you.'

'You're right,' I reply, moved by her words and the picture they painted. 'I had no idea how you felt. And if I had, I probably would have asked you out. I thought you were cute too.'

'I know,' Gina says, with another sweet smile, and then she laughs out loud. 'Everyone thought I was cute back then. "Tim's cute, tomboyish sister". But you and I both know that's all you ever saw me as.'

'Don't knock it... I have lots of great memories of Tim's cute, tomboyish sister.'

'And I have lots of great memories of you. Truth is, as far as childhood crushes go, I had great taste, if I do say so myself. You're one of the good ones, Harm. I mean, you were a little odd and sometimes even batshit crazy, especially when you ran off to Vietnam like that and scared your mother half to death, but you've always had such a good, kind heart. That's why I can't wait for you to meet a nice girl and settle down.'

I roll my eyes. 'Now you're starting to sound like my mom.'

'Seriously, Harm. Look, I know you men think you're the only ones that are scared to commit, but I know all about commitment phobia... I didn't want to settle down either. I've always been a free spirit, you know that... I thought the whole "love, marriage and a baby carriage" spiel was way too white-bread and conventional for me... but trust me, when it's right, starting a family is the most amazing thing. My husband tells me all the time that he wishes we'd gotten together earlier, and honestly, I do too. It's been awesome – I mean, sure, we have our moments when we want to kill each other, but on the whole, we are so happy. And I want you to be just as happy.'

I roll my eyes again. 'That's all very nice, Gina, and I'm very happy for you and Bill, but is that why you told Tami that you'd give me her number?'

'How did you know – '

'I figured it out from her end of the conversation. She wasn't exactly discreet.'

'Well, she's pretty, isn't she?'

'Giiiina,' I respond, drawing out her name with a note of warning.

'What? Ok ok, I'll admit that she's probably not really your type, but a date or two wouldn't hurt.'

'Thanks, but trust me, I have no problem finding dates on my own.'

'Are you seeing anyone serious?'

'Not at the moment.'

'Well then, what do you have to lose?'

'If you'd asked me that question five years ago, I'd have said "absolutely nothing", and asked Tami for her number myself. I've had more than my fair share of fun dates that I knew weren't going to lead to anything more. And I've enjoyed every minute of it. But as you yourself said earlier, we're getting older. Right now, I'm not really in the mood to go on dates just for the heck of it.'

'I said we were getting old, Harm,' Gina responds sardonically, 'not decrepit. Jeez, don't get so heavy, Harm. Whatever happened to the legendary ladies' man I keep hearing about?'

'Ok, let's make a deal. If I'm still not seeing anyone serious by the time your baby arrives, you can give me Tami's number – and any others you might have.'

She laughs again. 'I don't have any others. All my friends are married, or engaged, in serious relationships, or single by choice. So you'd better get your game on, Harm, if you plan to give poor Trish any grandchildren. It would be such a shame not to pass that killer smile on to the next generation.'

'What killer smile?' I respond, flashing the exact one I know she's referring to.

'Some things never change! You still have the ability to fry my brain with that smile – and,' she says, looking at Tami, who's still staring at us from behind her desk, 'I see I'm not the only one. Get out of here, Harm, before she comes over and gives you her number herself.'