Vacation is All I Ever Wanted
A/N: This is a real place that inspired my first story. I do not own these characters and make no financial gain with this endeavor. If they were mine, the show would still be on the air.
6 June 2009
1500, EST, Holden Beach, North Carolina
The warm, salty air tingled their noses as they pulled onto the main thoroughfare of the island. This road trip of sorts was the first for the crew in the mini-van and the SUV bringing up the rear of the convoy, and Mac thought it felt a little foreign, but she was looking forward to the adventure. Bud Roberts was driving the mini-van filled with Harriet, little AJ, and their infant twins. It would definitely not be a quiet vacation, but it would be fun. Mac and Harm brought up the rear, enjoying the quiet while it lasted.
"What is the address, again, Mac?" Harm asked.
"1129. We have a ways to go yet. I still cannot believe they closed JAG for the computer changeover. We never would have had the chance to go away all together like this. I mean, we work together every day, but we never have the chance to just relax and have fun together. "
"Yes…you could have knocked me over when the Admiral told us we were all getting 10 days of forced leave," Harm replied. "I am looking forward to just being able to have fun together as friends, though."
Mac thought for a minute, and could not help the smile that brightened her face.
"What are you grinning about, Mac?"
"Nothing," she fibbed. "Just the thought of you and Bud parasailing in your cute little Speedos…"
"Alright, now…get your mind out of the gutter!" He reached his long, muscular arm over tickling her side. "Hey, you've been working out!"
Mac pushed his arm away, admonishing him.
"Keep your hands to yourself, young man. Hey! Here we are!"
Harm pulled the SUV into the gravel driveway and below the rented beach home.
"It is even prettier than the realty's website!" Mac exclaimed. "Harriet really outdid herself!"
"Remind me to give her a raise…this is huge!" They got out of the cars, stretching their legs after the long drive from Falls Church, Virginia. Harriet's smile was electric enough to light up the whole street, even though it was just getting to be dusk.
"Oohhh! Let's go in!" She giggled as she waved the keys in front of them. They shut the doors, and grabbed some of their bags to carry inside. Opening the door, they were greeted by the huge living room, a kitchen that extended the entire length of the living room, and overstuffed furniture that looked well suited for lounging and napping. Harriet began giving directions like a kindergarten teacher. "Now, Bud, take the kids' things upstairs. We have the master suite with the kids' rooms and the sitting area upstairs. That way, the Commander and the Colonel will not be bothered if they get up early and make noise. "Mac and Harm exchanged knowing looks, assuming that they would still be up earlier than the kids if they went on their runs together. They said nothing, allowing Harriet to continue.
"Colonel, I mean Mac…You and Harm have the rooms off of the kitchen." To this, Harm guffawed before he got an elbow in the ribs. Mac's appetite was something he loved to tease her about, even though she never gained an ounce. She has to have the metabolism of a high school student, he thought. "Are you sure you want to do that? You might come down to breakfast and find nothing left!" Mac rolled her eyes, and ignored him.
Mac and Harm chose their rooms, identical bedrooms with queen-sized beds and a master bathroom each. Putting her bag down, she went out to Harm's SUV to retrieve her suitcase. Putting her things away, she could not help but feel the excitement of someone half her age. Bud, Harm, Harriet, and the kids were her only family, really. Her uncle was in contact with her, but not regularly. She could hear the clicking and banging next door to her. Walking over to Harm's room, she stood in the doorway watching him trying to open one of the dresser drawers. When he finally got the offending drawer unstuck, the force made him fall back on the bed. Mac could not suppress her laughter. Startling him, his handsome features turned red. "It must be the humidity," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"Sure Harm. Whatever you say." She smiled, walking back to her room to finish. She liked to have everything cleaned up and in its place to feel like she had made a new home, even if it was only for a week. She had learned long ago that the secret to being moved around so much was to have a routine and a system for setting everything up. It made her feel as if the strange places weren't so foreign that way. She shut the drawer after putting her last article away when she saw a large, blue streak out of the corner of her eye. Harm scooped her up, and tossed her on the bed in a fury of tickling.
"So, you think I'm funny, eh?" Ultra-ticklish, she writhed in agony on the bed, half-loathing and half enjoying the physical attention she was getting. Ever the master Marine, Mac used a wrestling move to flip Harm on his back and pinned him against the mattress as she held is arms above his head.
"You were saying?" Mac smiled with a triumphant grin until she saw Harriet's form in her doorway. Harriet could not disguise her amusement. There is so much sexual tension in here…were Bud and I ever like this?
"Um…we were talking about eating out and then hitting the grocery, unless you two want to stay here and slug it out..."
"No, that's fine. I am starving! Letting Harm go, she failed to notice the schoolboy grin on his face. He loved sparring with his best friend, no matter if it was in the courtroom, in the gym, or just verbal spats. She was one of the few women he felt comfortable with anywhere, and could talk to about almost anything. She saw through his wall of bull when it was necessary, and knew just the right questions to ask to allow him to see things clearly and get to the heart of the matter. If she is so perfect, why do I keep messing things up between us?
"Hey…anyone home?" Mac's question brought him back to the present. "Harriet just asked if you wanted to take the first dinner shift tomorrow night."
"Sure…I just hope the kids will eat my pasta. I guess we could always make something else for them if they don't like it. Peanut Butter and Jelly is always a good standby!"
"Ok…" Mac looked at him quizzically, but then decided not to ask what he was thinking about. He looked so deep in thought that she could have proposed marriage to him and he would not have known it.
2200 EST, Holden Beach, North Carolina
"I won! I got my last phase!" Harriet excitedly yelled, until she clapped her hand over her mouth, reminding herself that her children were all asleep in their bedrooms upstairs. Shuffling the cards together, Bud counted the points and declared the remaining winners of Phase 10, their favorite card game. They had eaten at a local seafood restaurant, and grocery shopped for dinners for the week. They had planned to eat lunch out when they felt like it, and save money by making dinner each night, rotating the responsibility.
"Well, I am beat. I know it's early, but I am ready for bed. Harriet, are you coming?" Bud asked. Harriet nodded between yawns, feeling exhausted but triumphant for the evening. "Good night, you two. See you in the morning. Breakfast is on your own. Just eat whenever you are ready. "
Harm and Mac both said their good nights, and sighed contentedly as Bud headed up to bed.
"I think I am going to take a walk on the beach. I just can't resist the way that moon looks tonight. Look at how it fills the beach! "Mac gestured to the luminous orb in the sky that was quite visible through the picture window next to them.
"Well, then I feel it is only right that I escort you on this mission…do you mind?" Harm gave her his goofiest grin.
"Why, I would be delighted kind sir," Mac said, with mock formality. Standing up, Harm offered her his arm and together they walked down the deck, and through the passageway that lead out to the beach until they reached the open landscape. They headed slowly up the beach, with their arms still intertwined. She loved the feel of his strong, muscular arms, and truth be told, Harm was intoxicated by the scent of her perfume. The lilac scent blended nicely with the aroma of the surf at night. It almost felt surreal…they were here, alone, and no one was calling them, texting them, or demanding anything.
"Wow…Mac, look at those clouds up there. You can barely see it, but those are thunderheads moving in. We may be in for a storm tonight. Can you smell the ions in the air?"
"I love that smell…it always makes me feel like I can do anything. Conquer any obstacle."
"You can, Mac. You know that, "Harm softly and gently reassured her. Mac smiled, and squeezed his arm a little tighter.
"Thanks…I appreciate the vote of confidence. You know what I mean, though. There is something about a storm brewing that invigorates me."
"I totally understand. It felt the same way when I flew off the carriers during impending storms. It just gets your adrenaline pumping. Most people don't get why, but it always made sense to me. We had probably better turn around and head back towards the house. I don't want to get caught in a storm out here."
With that, they turned around, keeping the same pace as before. Eventually, they reached the walkway and slowly made their way up to the pergola that sat next to the pool. It housed several benches that offered the perfect raised view over the dunes, allowing a stellar view of the beach.
"Do you want to sit here for awhile before we go inside?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Mac smiled. "Sure. I am not quite ready to go in yet, anyway."
Sitting down, he took the corner seat, and she sat down next to him, pulling her legs up and wrapping her long, tanned arms around them so that her feet were on the bench, too. Harm put his arm around the back of the bench, allowing her to lean against him. Sitting there in silence, they watched the waves come in and go back out again.
It was amazing, watching the beauty that God had made glimmer in the moonlight, and eventually crash on the sands. Mac could barely make out the whitecaps in the dark, but felt a sense of anticipation knowing that tomorrow's playing in the waves would be exciting. For now though, it offered a sense of contentment and tranquility. All was right with the world at this moment, for at least a little while.
Mac's eyelids began to get heavy, and eventually Harm felt her body go limp against his. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, laid his head against her hair. Soon, he too had dozed off and they both became victims of the lulling sounds of the surf.
Mac was the first to feel the cool water drip on her legs. Jolted awake, she jumped up and was fully alert, like the combat-ready marine that she had trained to be. With that, Harm awoke, shaking his head to clear the sleep.
Soon, the skies opened and rain poured down on them like a faucet without an off switch. "Come on!" Mac grabbed Harm's hand and together they ran up the stairs of the pool deck, and the outside deck until they were safely inside the house.
"Oh my goodness, that was fun!" Mac exclaimed, all the while dripping rainwater onto the clean hardwood floors. Harm tried to stifle his laughter, but could not. Only Mac could find the enjoyment in being caught in the rain. They ran into Mac's room, where she offered Harm a towel to dry off.
"You're amazing, Mac. Every other woman I know, Harriet included, would be upset that they were cold and wet, and that their hair was messed up or something."
Mac momentarily stopped drying herself off, and smiled genuinely at him. "Thanks, I think."
"It's a compliment. Take it that way. Thanks for the towel. I owe you." With that, he rolled the towel, snapped it at her legs, missing intentionally. She grabbed it, and arched her eyebrows, giving him a look of admonishment. Harm went to his room, showered, and went to bed; he could not help but smile.
7 June 2009
0700 EST
Mac rose the next morning, pulled on her running clothes and shoes. Even though she was on vacation, her favorite thing to do was to run and get a feel for the area. Knowing that most of the inhabitants would be asleep while she was out was satisfying. She knew no one would probably be in her way. Harm's door was closed, so she assumed he was probably still asleep.
She found her rhythm easily, getting into that runner's zone. She was only aware of her breathing and her footsteps as she ran. Thump, thump, thump, thump…however, soon there were additional footsteps in addition to her own. Getting over to the right so that the other runner could pass her if he or she chose, she watched to her left, but no one ever came. Then, she felt a slap on her rear and another blue flash to her left. Harm. What is he? Like 12?
Determined not to let him get away with it, she ran faster to catch up with him. Breathing hard, she caught up to him and could not resist a little bit of middle school antics herself; she pulled his tiny little running shorts up, and gave him an uncomfortable new style. The chase was on.
Racing back to the house, Mac ran around the back, hoping to beat him to the house, but he knew her well. It was there that he ambushed her.
"Gotcha!" he yelled, grabbing her by the waist and carrying her to the pool. "Give up?"
"Never!" Mac shouted defiantly. He held her over the water, planning on throwing her in if she didn't, but sure that she would give in.
"OK!" He started to hurl her into the pool, but did not count on her countering with a move of her own. She held onto his neck as if her life depended on it. He only succeeded in sending them both into the refreshing, blue abyss.
They both popped up, and with Mac letting out a triumphant yelp. They both climbed out laughing, and dripping water all over the pool deck. "OK. Truce?" Harm asked, holding out a muscular arm for her to shake.
"Sure," she said taking his hand as a peace offering, "after I do this." With that, she pulled him back into the pool with a beautifully executed flip. Harm came up sputtering, shocked and amused that she would pull such a maneuver. "Well, I am going to dry off. See you at breakfast!" With that, she sauntered off triumphantly, headed to her bedroom, and closed the door.