Title : Finally

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.

Summary : Harm gives Mac an ultimatum…

Spoilers : Set in Season 10, but AU. Shippery, of course (why else do I write?).

Rating : Up to M, to be safe. Feel free to use your imagination!

A/N : This is a story I posted previously. Came across it recently and thought it might raise a few eyebrows! Hope you enjoy reading!

BENZINGER'S BAR

The impromptu gathering had been organized, as always, by Harriet. Despite no longer being at JAG she was still a big part of the 'family', and there had been no doubt about who was best to contact to gather everyone together for a pre-Christmas celebration. Throughout the night Harm and Mac had behaved with the utmost decorum toward each other, and it was driving Mac insane! Harm was polite, attentive, and humorous even, delighting in hugging Harriet constantly, so genuinely happy for her and for Bud, and their impending arrivals. If Mac had been totally honest with herself she would have admitted that she was jealous of the attention Harm was bestowing on Harriet. That thought was quashed, though, simply because it was Harriet, and Harriet was no threat to her relationship with Harm. Or lack of a relationship. Near the end of the evening the JAG personnel had all but left the bar, and there was only Mac and Harm left of the original group. Mac believed Harm had drunk too much to drive legally, wondering how had he got to the bar, as she realized that she hadn't seen his SUV or the Corvette outside earlier. Had Alicia Montes dropped him off, she wondered? That thought made her cringe, and she brought her mind back to the present. Before she could formulate a reason not to do what she was about to do, she opened her mouth.

"Can I give you a ride home, Harm?"

The question hung in the air as Harm turned to face her, a glass of whisky in his hand. The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes as he answered her.

"You think I'm too drunk to drive, Mac?" he countered.

"No…of course not, I just…I didn't see you car outside when I arrived. If you have something arranged, forget I asked." Mac began to turn away, but Harm's voice halted her movement.

"I'd appreciate the ride, thank you."

"You're welcome, Harm. I'll go get my coat."

Harm nodded without speaking, and Mac looked at him for a long few seconds.

"Like what you see, Marine?" Mac's mouth fell open at the words she thought she had heard. Had Harm really said that to her?

"Excuse me?" she countered, waiting for his response.

"I asked if you'd bring my jacket over too. It's on the chair next to yours."

"I…of course." Mac turned away, and Harm watched her walk across the room to the area where the JAG group had been seated earlier. As Mac made her way back to where he stood he put down the remainder of his drink on the bar. Nodding to the bartender, he took his jacket from Mac and put it on, as she did hers. That was something that niggled at Mac, and she bit her lip at the feeling of anger that had suddenly shot through her system. In the past, he would have helped her on with her jacket first. In fact, as she recalled from that very evening, he had helped both Harriet and Jennifer put their jackets on! What the hell is going on? Why am I so jealous of those I have no need to be jealous of! Hell, Harriet is a happily married, pregnant woman, and Jennifer is more of a daughter to him than anything else! He's more or less said the same himself! Mac's thoughts churned around in her head, making her miss Harm's next words.

"Um…sorry? What did you say?"

"I asked you where your car was parked," Harm repeated, holding the door open for Mac to precede him out of the bar. Maybe his sense of courtesy wasn't totally lost around her, she mused, smiling as she walked through ahead of him.

"It's just around the block. I couldn't find a space right outside. Comes with arriving late, I guess."

"Early date with Webb?" Harm's words were intended to raise a reaction, and they scored big-time! Mac swung around to face him before they had moved another pace.

"What? Harm, why would you ask that? I told you back at Manderley that it was over between us."

"Oh, I know it's over between us, Mac. You told me so, in no uncertain terms, back in Paraguay. I was asking about Webb."

"You're twisting my words," Mac's voice dropped to an almost-whisper, and her eyes were pained as she looked at Harm. He felt a pain too, deep inside, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from inflicting more on her.

"No more than you've twisted mine lately."

"Harm, what's with you? If you're going to continue to be a bastard, you might as well find yourself a cab home!"

"Is that what you want? I mean, come on, Mac! Be honest, and tell me what you really want from me!"

Mac glanced around the empty street and located the alley near to her car. When she had arrived she had queried parking there, but with the lack of spaces closer the choice had been made for her. In her mind she remembered smiling at the thought that she could at least ask Harm to escort her to her car for 'protection' later on! With a quick tug on Harm's coat sleeve she dragged him after her into the dark recess of the alley, pushing him up against a wall once she knew they were out of sight of the street, and anyone walking by. From what little she could see in the alley, they were alone there as well.

Harm waited for Mac's next move. To say her actions so far had him totally at a loss was a given, and he had no idea what she planned next. When Mac made her next move, he was speechless! Literally.

Mac took his mouth with hers, jammed her tongue up against his in his mouth, and pushed it aside as she roamed around the whisky-flavored recesses. Harm didn't react. He didn't hold her; he didn't push her away. He didn't return her kiss. Dazedly she pulled away and looked at him. Her brain registered that he was talking. To her.

"Is this what you want, Mac?" Harm breathed heavily, the scent of his breath, the mix of whisky and winter, arousing Mac even more.

Harm was talking again. She really had to concentrate on his words. "You really want me to screw you up against a wall in a back alley behind a bar? Because if you do, I'll do it. Once. One time only. No repeats."

Mac managed to make sense of Harm's words, and her face paled at the tone he used. Looking up at him their eyes locked, and she flinched at the coldness in his. This wasn't Harm. At least, not the Harm she was used to. The Harm she loved. This man was prepared to have sex with her in a cold alley, like some lust-driven stranger. Her mouth opened to speak, and she had to clear her throat before she found a semblance of her voice.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked, fear in her voice for the answer he would give.

"I mean that if all you want is hot sex with a stranger, I'll give you that, right here, right now. But that would be the only time, Mac. Then you and I would be finished. If it meant transferring, or resigning again, I would."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want this. I don't want a one-night stand with you, Mac."

"Oh…" Mac's reaction took Harm by surprise, and he watched as she practically shrank before him and turned away. He made to grasp her arm but she evaded him and began to walk back toward the street.

"Mac?" he tried to talk to her, to stop her, but her next words stopped him, momentarily.

"It's all right. I understand, Harm. You don't want to be around me anymore."

"No!" Harm called out, and then realized how bad that would sound to her. Catching up with her he put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her movements. Her head remained bowed, but she didn't move away from him. Turning her around so that they were facing each other he tilted her face to his with a hand under her chin.

"I want all of you, all the time, in every way. You the Marine, you the woman. You, Sarah. I love you! I'm in love with you. I want to make love to you. With you. If you don't want that, then tell me now, and I'll walk away."

To be continued