Better Ending to Adrift 2
Sreed
Disclaimer: Wanting and getting to have them are two totally different things..
Spoilers: Continuing my Better Endings Series. Post-Ep for Adrift 2 when Mic gets on the plane and Mac calls Harm, minus the drama of Renee.
Author Notes: Having watched every episode of JAG at least 4 times, I reached the point of seeing a better ending to just about all of them. All with shipperiness involved, of course.
Once Mac hung up she was momentarily frozen in place. Did he just say what she thought he said? He wanted to talk? Harmon Rabb was telling her to come to him. Finally come to him? She shudder involuntarily at the thought and goose bumps appeared on the skin of her arm. Then reality broke through and she sprinted through the airport. One thing, one man, one name was on her lips. Harm. She was going to Harm, to what: to be held finally, to speak words of…love? Was she just dreaming, or would this really mean they finally opened up to each other and admitted what they both knew that night on the Admiral's porch. They loved each other in a way that spoiled them both for anyone else. She had been crazy to think she could replace him with Mic. Mic was a great guy, but Harm was…was…irreplaceable in her life. Almost losing him to the sea had been the world's biggest wake up call. Oh please, let him love me too. If this ended badly, her heart would be finally and irrevocably broken into a million pieces and no one would be there to put it back together. That was Harm's job. It always had been, always would be. Mac couldn't even remember how she got from the airport to parking in front of his apartment. She sat for a minute taking deep breaths.
As she got out of her car, she looked up at the window to his apartment and there he was looking down at her with that look of protectiveness he always wore for her. Over the years it was that look that kept her hanging on. It was there the night they hid out on the mountain from poachers. It was there the night Dalton died. It was there when her husband Chris was murdered. It was there the night she tried to stay at his place and protect him, but instead ended up being comforted by him. It was there when she was almost killed on the submarine. She even saw it the day he left her to go back to flying. He had always had her back. That had meant more to her over the years than any words he had spoken, but now she needed to hear it from his lips. Tonight they either went forward or it would be over. She couldn't take it anymore. She entered the lobby and began to climb the stairs. She couldn't take the elevator. It would be too hard to stand still in an enclosed space.
Finally, Mac stood in front of Harm's door shifting back and forth. Her nerves were on end.
She raised her hand to knock, but he was already opening the door.
"You came."
"I did."
"Are you okay?"
No, not really. I'm very confused right now."
"Mac we need to talk."
"About…?"
"Us."
"What about Renee?'
"We broke up."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It had been coming for awhile."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Yeah. Why did you break up?"
"I think you know why."
"Harm…"
"What?"
"If you say that one more time, I am going to scream. I can't take this cryptic code anymore."
And then a strong arm was pulling her through the door, closing it and wrapping her tightly to him.
"Harm…"
"Just let me hold you for a minute, okay?"
"Oh…okay." That was all Mac could manage, taken back by this sudden and fierce closeness. God please don't let me be imagining this.
Harm just stood holding her, cradling her against him. His long arm began stroking up and down her back, his face buried in her neck, breathing her in.
The moment left them both shaking with the intensity of it. After awhile, Mac realized it was taking all the strength Harm could muster to continue standing there balancing on his cane.
"Harm, you need to sit down before you fall down." She turned until his arm was across her shoulders and he was leaning on her slightly. She walked them both to the couch. As she lowered him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down to him.
"I don't want you getting away from me again. Come here."
Mac landed in his lap and not on the couch. When she started to slide over he stopped her.
"Oh, no you don't. I want you right here, where you belong, in my arms."
Mac swallowed hard and gazed into those beautiful ocean colored eyes.
"Okay, you are seriously scaring me here. Who are you and what have you done with Harmon Rabb?"
Harm didn't say anything. He just looked into her eyes and brought his lips to melt against hers. Mac couldn't help herself. She moaned and fell into the kiss. When they finally broke apart just to get air, if for no other reason, he spoke.
"Mac, I know you just broke up with Mic, but drifting around in the middle of the ocean waiting to die put a lot of things in perspective for me. There were moments out there when I really did think that would be the end for me. All I could think about was all the things I never said to you, never allowed myself to say to you. I kept thinking if I got out of there alive, I wouldn't let anything stand in the way of telling you the truth. I realized that you don't have all the time in the world for things. I almost lost you to Mic and I almost lost you in the sea. I can't believe I got another chance to make it right. I have blown it so many times before. Forgive me for that Mac, please? I don't want to ever lose you again, Sarah. I have been stubborn and selfish and filled with pride. I love you Sarah. I love you. I love that you're stubborn too. I love that you speak your mind, you're tough when you need to be and soft when it is called for. I love your laugh, your sense of humor, the way you handle a gun. I love your mind, I love your smile, I love your lips..."
He leaned in for another soft kiss and then continued, "I love you body, your eyes, the way your eyebrow goes up when you know I'm bluffing in court. I love the fact that you call me on my stuff and you aren't afraid to go toe to toe with me when I'm wrong. I want to love you for the rest of our lives Sarah. I want to be with you, only with you."
Was it really possible to experience this much happiness at once? Mac couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe this man was looking into her eyes with his heart on a platter, laying it out there finally for her to take. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed out loud with the sheer joy of it!
"Sarah?" Harm was confused by the laughter.
"It's okay Harm. It's okay. I'm just happy. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you to open up like this to me? And it isn't just your fault Harm. I am to blame too. I had some time while you were swimming around out there to get some perspective too. I thought Mic would be enough, you know? I couldn't have you, so I would make myself happy with him. But then you went down and all I could think was, I can't go on without you in my life. I only wanted you. Mic would never have been enough. Only you. Only you Harm."
Mac buried her face in his chest and wept for what she almost lost. When she finally stopped crying, Harm lifted her face between his two hands and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. She couldn't remember how many times he had done that for her. It made her heart practically leap out of her chest.
"Mac, from this moment on we start telling the truth to each other. Deal?"
"Definitely deal."
"No more holding back."
"No more holding back."
"No more hiding our feelings."
"Feelings on sleeves. Got it." A smirk snuck onto Macs lips.
"Are you mocking me?"
"Mocking you?"
"Maaaac…"
"My turn. No more stoic looks."
"No more stoic looks."
"No more handling things on your own."
"All on the table. Got it."
"Are you mocking me Commander Rabb?"
"Mocking you?"
"Haaaarm…"
They looked at each other and fell together sideways on the couch giggling uncontrollably. Harm began to tickle Mac.
"I have never heard you giggle before Sarah Mackenzie. I like it."
"There are a lot of things you haven't heard or seen me do."
"Can't wait."
Their eyes met one more time and then they sank into each other's arms, lips exploring the newness of their kisses. Once again they were adrift. Only this time, they were drifting together, only together. Only with each other.