Title: More Than That 2: More Than a Dream (2/3)
Author: MacKenzie Rabb
E-mail: mackenzie_rabb@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Classification: Romance (Harm/Mac)
Spoilers: "Family Secrets"
Disclaimer: Harm, Mac, and everybody else at JAG, belong to Donald
Bellisario, CBS, and Paramount Pictures. I am currently in the process of
begging for Harm. Please don't sue me, you won't get anything. I'm 18, and
I can't find a job! :)
Summary: Sequel to "More Than That". Mac and Harm have some decisions
to make about where to go in their relationship.
Author's Notes: Well, this is my first sequel piece, and there's one to follow,
so I hope I can muster up the creativity for the 3rd and final part. I hope you'll
all be patient while I write it! And I hope you enjoy this one, it certainly took me
long enough to write.
0700 Hours
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
One week later
Mac woke up to a note lying on the coffee table across from her. It read:
My dearest Sarah,
I'll see you at work, and I'm looking forward to this evening. I'll be by around 7:00 p.m.
Love,
Harm
It had been this way for a week now, sleeping on the couch, finding notes in the
morning. No one suspected anything at the office, and they could do whatever
they wanted on their own time. They were both afraid of how tricky things could
get in the future, but right now they just wanted to be together as much as possible.
They had been spending practically every evening together, one leaving earlier or
later than the other from the office, meeting at Mac's place, and talking, watching
TV, kissing, or just listening to music. They'd even been out to dinner a couple
of times, finding little places in Virginia where they'd have less of a chance of
running into someone they knew.
Mac got up off of the couch and ran her hands through her hair. The whole
week had been somewhat surreal. She had taken Harriet and Bud's case to
court, and lost. How the doctor got off she'd never know. She just hoped
that Bud and Harriet would be all right and be able to move on.
Other than that, she'd been having a wonderful time with Harm. Sleeping on the
couch didn't even bother her, as long as she was in his arms. They couldn't go
any further than that. If they were caught and could truthfully say they'd only
been dating, there might be fewer consequences. As it was, they'd be in enough
trouble already.
Much of what they talked about was just how much trouble they'd be in. There
were no restrictions in the UCMJ about officers dating other officers, so it all
depended on the opinion of their CO. It also depended on the mood of the
Admiral on any given day.
But Mac had to get to work on time, so there was no time to worry about it further.
After a quick shower, she grabbed a piece of toast and headed out the door.
0750 Hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm had gotten into headquarters a half hour early. He was facing lots of
paperwork, mainly because he hadn't been taking any home with him. His work
wasn't suffering. He just had a little bit of catching up to do.
Around eight, he saw Mac walking through the bullpen toward his office.
Her arms were full of files, but she was practically glowing.
She looks gorgeous, he thought as she knocked on his door.
"Enter," he said.
"Good morning, Sailor," she said, sitting down across from him.
"Morning, Mac," he replied with a grin. He only used her nickname at work
now, just in case anyone overheard anything.
"Sleep well?" she asked with an impish little grin.
"Like a baby," he said, giving her one of his looks.
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "What's on tonight?"
"I figured dinner and dancing at an intimate little place in Alexandria. What do
you think?"
"Sounds great, but you can't dance," she pointed out.
"I can slow dance, remember?" he asked with a wink.
"Ah," she said, leaning back. "So, what should I wear?"
"Something nice. It's a classy little place."
"Okay."
They just looked at each other for a few moments.
"We better get to work," Harm finally said.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I came in here to give you these. Half for you," she
said, dumping a ton of files on his desk, "and half for me. Have fun. By the
way, you gonna beat Bud in court this morning?"
"I plan to. But then when don't I plan to win?" he laughed.
Mac got up and walked to the door. Turning back to face him, she mouthed,
"I love you," then said, "I'll see you later" just before she walked out the door.
That night, Harm arrived at Mac's apartment at 6:59 p.m. He'd had a long day
in court, and now he just wanted to relax.
Mac opened the door as soon as he knocked. She threw her arms around his
neck and planted a kiss on his lips, as he kicked the door shut behind him.
"Well, hello, Beautiful," he said, as Mac let herself down from her tiptoes.
"Hello, yourself," she laughed. "Be right back. Gotta get my shoes."
She was wearing a calf-length, emerald green dress that was slightly off the
shoulder and long sleeved.
She's beautiful, but she's going to freeze, he thought.
Mac came back out of her room in green satin pumps, and a long black dress
coat.
"So, Harm, what's the name of this place we're going? I forgot to ask," she
said to keep her mind off kissing him. If she started that, she didn't know if
they'd ever leave. Harm was wearing a black, buttoned-down shirt, that was
open at the throat, and a pair of black slacks. He had on a heavy coat over
that, which was a good thing, because it had started snowing again an hour
ago. She wasn't too sure he wouldn't melt it anyway.
"Victoria's," he replied.
"That does sound classy," she answered. "Well, let's go," she said, pulling
on her gloves. "I'm ready for some slow dancing."
***
After a wonderful dinner of seafood, Harm and Mac were dancing the night
away. They had just been holding each other, and swaying to the music for
over an hour.
Mac lifted her head from Harm's shoulder as she spotted Bud and Harriet
being seated at a table.
"Harm," she whispered urgently.
He pulled back to look at her. "What is it?"
"Bud and Harriet just showed up," she said, still whispering.
"Are you serious?" he asked, slowly turning them around to the music so he
could take a look. "Great," he muttered, turning them back around.
"They're bound to see us sooner or later," Mac said. "What are we going to tell
them?"
"Is there a back door out of here?" Harm asked.
They both looked around.
"Nope," she said. She buried her face in his shoulder. "How did they wind up
here at the same time as us?"
"We'll just tell them we decided to go out to dinner. No big deal," Harm tried
to assure her.
"Oh yeah, they won't see the romance in this place at all." She sighed. "And
we were doing so well too."
"Sarah, I really don't think that they'll say anything, even if they suspect what's
going on here. They're our friends. We'll just walk through to get our coats,
and if they notice us, we'll stop. If not, we keep on walking." He turned around
one more time to look at them. "They look pretty involved," he said. "Let's go."
They casually walked off the dance floor, and made their way through the maze
of tables, staying as far away from Bud and Harriet as possible.
They made it to the coat check without being stopped, but Harriet had seen them.
She and Bud had been looking at their menus, when she glanced up and saw
Harm heading toward the front of the restaurant, with Mac close behind.
"Bud," she whispered, leaning forward. "Harm and Mac are here."
Bud looked up as she motioned in Harm and Mac's direction.
"What do you think they're doing here?" he asked.
"They look like they're on a date, Bud. Have you noticed anything at the office?"
"Not a thing. Maybe they were just having dinner, Harriet. They are friends,
after all."
But Harriet would have none of that.
"They're both single now. What if they finally got together, and didn't tell
anyone? You can't tell me you didn't see that coming. I just had a talk with
Mac last week, and I think it's a possibility."
"I don't think they'd be so obvious. I mean, going out? They're smarter than that,
Harriet. I'm sure they were just having dinner. It's not a big deal."
Harriet just gave him a "that's what you think" look, and let the subject go.
***
Meanwhile, in Harm's car, Harm and Mac were worried that they'd been caught.
"Okay, okay. I know Bud's not going to intentionally say anything. But this is
Bud we're talking about, and sometimes he slips up," Mac said. "Also, I had
a talk with Harriet that day we had a fight, and she told me before you did
that you loved me. She's going to suspect something."
"Well, then we'll just deny it. We'll be okay," Harm said, squeezing her hand.
"You want to go home now?"
"Yeah," she said. Then she got an idea. "But first, let's go get some ice cream,"
she said with a smile. "It'll make us feel better," she coaxed.
"It's twenty-five degrees outside!" Harm said.
"C'mon, Harm. It'll be fun. There's a little ice cream parlor just down from my
building." She took his hand. "Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssse?" she asked like a little
girl begging.
"All right," he said. "But I can't stay at your place tonight. I don't know how much
snooping they'll do if they saw us, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Okay, Sarah?"
She sighed. "Okay." Back to sleepless nights, she thought.
2300 Hours
Sandy's Ice Cream Parlor
Georgetown
"How can you eat all that?" Harm asked, marveling the height of her three scoop
Rocky Road ice cream cone.
"I just can. There's really no reasoning behind it," she answered with a grin.
They were sitting in a booth in a fifties style ice cream parlor, black and white
checkered floors and all.
"Well, this is a side of you I've never seen," Harm said, taking her free hand
and lacing their fingers together.
Mac giggled. "Harm, there's lots of sides to me you haven't seen yet."
She took a big bite of her ice cream, and turned Harm's hand over to look
at his watch. "It's getting late. We should probably go home soon," she said
with a little frown. "We've got work tomorrow, and then we can see what we
can conjure up for the weekend. You know of any place we can go for the
weekend that's well hidden?" she smiled. "Wouldn't want to run into anyone
we know," she laughed. "I just wish I knew if they saw us." She shrugged.
"And if they did . . . Oh, I don't want to think about it right now. Let's go.
I'll finish this on the way home," she said, standing up and pulling him with
her.
Less than five minutes later, they were once again in front of her building.
"Do you have to go home?" Mac asked.
"I think that's the best idea. I'll walk you up though," Harm offered.
"All right," she sighed. She brushed the ice cream cone crumbs off her hands,
as Harm came around and opened the door for her.
He took her hand, and they entered the building and took the elevator ride to
her floor in silence.
At her door they had a hard time saying goodbye.
"I'll miss you," Harm said, holding her tightly.
"I'll miss you too," Mac said. She kissed him. "Let's just get this over with,"
she said. "I'll see you in the morning. Love you."
"I love you too, Sarah," he said. And with one lingering kiss, he turned and
walked down the hall.
Mac turned the key in her door, went in, and leaned against it. She felt like crying.
I don't know how much longer we can go on like this, she thought.
They'd only been "together" a week, but really they had almost four years
behind them. That was longer than some married couples had known each
other. She had him now. She had Harm, and it was hard to think of anything
else. It was especially hard to think of the next nine hours without him.
Oh, grow up, Sarah, she tried to tell herself. It's just a night.
She went into the bedroom, got into her pajamas, and crawled into bed for
the first time in a week. It was cold, and no amount of blankets was going to
replace Harm's warmth.
There goes my heart yet again, she thought. Only this time she was sure Harm
wouldn't break it like all the others.
Meanwhile, Harm wasn't having a great night either. This was more complicated
than he thought it would be.
If Bud and Harriet had seen them, and word got back to Chegwidden, they
were in more trouble than they would want to think about. There were very
few secrets in most offices, but a military gossip mill was stronger than most.
Especially at JAG. And Bud and Harriet weren't the best at keeping secrets.
Intentional or not, something almost always wound up falling out of their mouths.
He tried desperately to get comfortable, and go to sleep, but he no longer
felt right without Mac in his arms. He finally knew his Marine loved him,
and he could finally admit to them both that he loved her.
He decided one thing right then and there. He was going to ask his Sarah
to marry him. He couldn't live like this anymore. They couldn't.
Friday Morning
0805 Hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac walked into headquarters the next morning, every nerve on edge and
hoping to avoid Bud.
He spotted her before she was there thirty seconds.
"Good morning, Ma'am," he said, walking alongside her.
"Morning, Bud," she replied.
They were almost to her office.
"Harriet and I just wanted to thank you again for working our case," he said.
"No matter the outcome. She'll be back at work on Tuesday."
"Don't mention it, Bud," she said, as they arrived at her door. "And I'm
glad to hear she's coming back." She put her hand on the knob. "Is there
anything else, Bud?"
"Actually, Ma'am, may I talk to you in your office?" he asked quietly.
An alarm went off in Mac's head. Might as well deny everything now and get
it over with, she thought.
"Sure," she said, opening the door.
Bud followed her in.
"Ma'am, I don't mean to be nosy," Bud started.
Sure he doesn't, Mac thought.
"But Harriet and I saw you and the Commander at Victoria's last night."
She sat down at her desk and stacked some papers. "Yeah, Bud?" she
responded, raising her eyebrows.
"I, uh, well, Harriet thought . . ." he stammered.
"That we were on a date?" she asked, laughing.
Bud was embarrassed now. "Um, yes, Ma'am."
"Bud, we just went out to dinner. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course, Ma'am. We just-"
"It's okay. Don't you have work to do?" she said, by way of dismissal.
"Yes, Ma'am," he said, turned, and left.
Mac leaned back in her chair and sighed. She'd just dodged a bullet. A big one.
There was a knock on her door.
"Enter," she said.
Harm came in and closed the door behind him. He smiled at her.
"I just saw Bud," he said. "He looked like he'd swallowed a cactus," he laughed.
"I know," she said, smiling back.
"So he asked?"
"Oh yeah!"
"What did you tell him?"
"That we were just having dinner. I think he believed me. He certainly looked
embarrassed." She shook her head. "We got out of it this time, but next time
we may not be so lucky."
"I know, Mac," Harm said, sitting down across from her. "Are you sure this
isn't too much pressure for you?"
Mac looked at him, slightly amused. "I'm a Marine, Harm. I work best under
pressure. But how about you, sailor?"
"I was a fighter pilot, Mac. I'll be fine. Look, do you want to go somewhere
this weekend?" he asked, his voice lowered.
"I don't know. I think I'd rather just stay close to home. I'm getting more and
more uncomfortable with this, Harm. What are we going to do?"
"What about no pressure?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, maybe a little. But what do you expect?"
"Anyway, come over to my place Christmas Eve. I've got a surprise for you."
"Harm . . ." Just his smile cut her off. "You know I'd be there anyway. But I'll
see you before then?"
"Absolutely," he said with a wink. "I've got an Article 32 in half an hour, so
I better go." He leaned forward. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she whispered back.
She shook her head as she watched him walk out the door. I always knew
he was trouble, she thought.
At six-thirty that evening, Mac was on her way home when her cell phone rang.
"MacKenzie," she said.
"Hi, Sarah," Harm said.
"What's up, Harm?" she asked
"Nothing much. Where are you?"
"On my way home. How about you?"
"I've got to run an errand, but I'll be at your place around seven-thirty or eight,
okay?"
She frowned. An errand? she thought. "Okay," she said. "Is everything all right?"
"Couldn't be better," he assured her. "See you soon," he said, just before he hung
up.
***
Harm was on his way to Christie's to pick out a ring for Mac. He wanted to
propose on Christmas Eve. He'd never been so certain of anything in his life.
He wanted to marry her, and soon. His only wish was that she would say yes.
When Harm got to the jewelers, he found the perfect ring almost immediately.
It was a one carat solitaire that sparkled like the brightest star in the sky. It
would look beautiful on Mac's hand.
Just as he was about to pay for it, he saw Renee walk in the door. She
spotted Harm right away and strode over to him.
"Why, Harm, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I, um, was looking for a ring."
"Oh," she said. "Finally proposing to Mac?" she asked, smiling.
"Yeah," he replied simply.
"I always knew that she had your heart, Harm. I just don't see why you
didn't see it. You were a lost cause for me, but I'm still sorry I had to lose
you."
"How's it going with Brumby?" he asked.
"I don't know. We'll see I guess. He's certainly not you. But if I didn't give
up, you were probably about to. Mac's one lucky woman, so you be sure
to tell her I said that."
"Thanks, Renee. What are you doing here this evening?"
"I'm here to pick up some earrings. I have a Christmas party in L.A.
tomorrow. I'm leaving for California later tonight." She stood on tiptoe
and kissed him on the cheek. "I hope you've found happiness, Harm.
I really do. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Renee," he said.
Well, that was something, he thought. Renee being gracious. But then, she
dumped me, and not the other way around, so why shouldn't she be?
he laughed to himself.
Christmas Eve
1915 Hours
North of Union Station
Washington, D.C.
Harm had never been so nervous in his life.
It's just Mac, it's just Sarah, it's just the woman you love, he kept thinking to
himself. That was the problem though.
He'd gotten a Christmas tree just for the occasion. He usually didn't have a
reason for one. Christmas Eve was generally a depressing holiday for him,
the day he lost his father. But he'd gone to The Wall and told his dad all
about his plans, and he knew the senior Harm would be happy for his son.
He felt a lot better after that.
He'd never proposed to anyone before, so he needed all the encouragement
he could get. If he didn't believe that Mac would say yes, he wouldn't be able
to go through with it. He had to believe.
Harm had never loved anyone so intensely and completely. Maybe he'd thought
he had in the past, but Mac was far more extraordinary than anyone he'd ever known.
He finished lighting the candles in the living room, then there was a knock on
the door.
***
Mac stood on the other side of Harm's door, gift in hand. She couldn't wait
to see him. She was a little worried.
He was a wreck on the phone, Mac thought. I wonder what's up. He's usually
so calm and cool. She knew. She could count the times she'd seen Harmon
Rabb flustered on one hand.
Harm finally answered the door, and she immediately gave him a big hug.
"Merry Christmas, Harm. Is everything all right?"
"Merry Christmas, Sarah. Everything's fine. Let me take your coat," he said,
helping her with it.
He led her over to the couch, in front of the tree, and as they sat down, she
looked amazed.
"Oh my God, Harm, this tree is beautiful," she said. "But where did all these
ornaments come from?" she smiled, knowing good and well he rarely, if ever,
had a tree.
"Mom gave me a lot of this stuff. When she's not gone at Christmas, she
usually has a professional decorator."
"Ooh," Mac responded, raising her eyebrows.
He laughed. "You ready for dinner?"
"I'm starved," she replied.
"When aren't you?" he teased.
Mac smacked him on the arm as they headed for the table.
After dinner, they were back on the couch, and Mac insisted that Harm open
his present first. He didn't argue, because he didn't want anything to get in the
way of his proposal.
Harm opened the small box wrapped in green and gold, to reveal a necklace.
It had a silver chain, and on it hung a charm that looked just like his plane, Sarah.
"Forever" was written on one of the wings, and the engraving on the back said:
"Semper Fi, Sarah".
"Always faithful," he whispered.
Mac smiled. "It's true. It's just taken on a whole new meaning now."
Harm caressed her cheek and softly kissed her. "It's beautiful," he said, and
he knew now was the right time.
He retrieved the small velvet box out from under the tree, and handed it to her.
With a somewhat wary look, she undid the single red ribbon tied around the
black velvet. She slowly lifted the lid, as Harm went down on one knee in front
of her.
Mac gasped at the diamond that was twinkling up at her from the box. It
was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. She tried to open
her mouth, but Harm put a finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything.
He was going to say what he wanted to say, regardless of the outcome.
He took her free hand in his, and began his speech.
"Sarah MacKenzie, I love you more than anything. More than life itself.
I would die for you, but I can't live one more day without you to share in
every part of life. I know I don't deserve you, or the privilege of spending
the rest of my life with you. But I would be honored, and the luckiest man
alive, if you would be my wife. Will you marry me, Sarah?"
Mac's eyes were shining with tears that were threatening to spill over any
second. She leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around Harm's neck,
as a little sob escaped her.
"I'm the one that doesn't deserve *you*," she said.
Harm held her for a moment, then she pulled back.
"Yes, Harm," she said with a little nod of her head. She kissed him over
and over again. "I love you so much."
"I love you too. Here, let's put that on," he said, taking the box from her.
He removed the ring from its slot, took her left hand, and slipped it on her
finger. He kissed her again, and then she leaned back on the couch with a
troubled look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Harm asked.
She sighed. "Harm, I'm going to marry you, so don't worry about that.
Nothing short of God is going to stop me. But this brings us right back
around to the question of what we're going to do. We're partners at JAG,
remember?"
"How could I forget?" he said, sitting down beside her.
Mac looked at the diamond, the lights of the tree playing off of it. Pulling
a leg underneath her, she turned to face Harm.
"You've told me this before, but we'll figure it out. It doesn't have to be
right now, but we will." She crawled into his lap. "Right now, just hold me,"
she smiled into his chest.
They talked late into the night, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
Mac woke up at 3:15 a.m. with an idea.
"Harm," she said, shaking him slightly. "Honey, wake up."
He came to slowly. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.
"I've got a solution, Harm. I'll resign my commission. I can start my own law
firm."
Harm looked stunned. "No, Sarah. I can't let you give up your career like
that. And you may not have to. We don't know yet."
"Harm, we both know that if we go to the Admiral engaged we're probably
in big trouble. You're still on the fast track, and I just don't know if I'm going
anywhere anymore. I've had a lot of trouble if you hadn't noticed. It would
give me more time for our family if I was working for myself. We could at
least consider it."
"Not if we don't have to," he said with a dead serious look on his face.
"But just think about it. Home by five, plenty of time off for kids when we
have them. I could dictate all my time off, and it would be wonderful. My
career doesn't mean anything to me if I can't have you, don't you realize that?"
"I feel the same way, Sarah. But you've worked a lot longer for what you've
gotten in your career. I can't have you throw all of that away for me. We're
going to have to take this to Chegwidden. Both of our lives and careers depend on it."
"Fine, Harm," she said. "We'll go in Tuesday, but we may be hanging
ourselves," she warned.
"Have faith, Sarah. It's gotten us this far," he said, kissing her.
Tuesday 0900
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm was nervous again. That seemed to be happening to him a lot lately.
He and Mac were to be called into the Admiral's office any minute to discuss
their situation. But Chegwidden didn't know exactly what was going on yet.
Mac took a drink of water and a deep breath in her own office. She looked at
the brand-new ring sparkling on her left hand, and smiled.
Oh well, she thought, if we get kicked out on our sixes, we still have each other.
Tiner buzzed her to get to the Admiral's office ASAP, and as she made her
way to his office, she met up with Harm. They gave each other nervous glances
as Harm rapped on the door.
"Enter," the Admiral said.
They both walked in and snapped to attention.
"At ease," Chegwidden ordered, and gestured for them to sit down in the
chairs across from him.
They did so, and the Admiral started his interrogation.
"You both wanted to discuss something with me?" he asked, lacing his fingers
together on the desk in front of him.
Harm started in. "Yes, Sir. I'll get straight to the point. Sa-" he glanced at
Mac, "Colonel MacKenzie and I have become engaged." He stopped to
let that sink in, and to try to breathe.
Admiral Chegwidden was silent for a moment. Then, with a grin, he stood
up and came around the desk.
Harm and Mac had to try to hide their shock as they stood up, and the
Admiral shook Harm's hand.
"Harm, you son of a gun! Finally got your head out of your six?"
Harm recovered from that comment, and with a smile and a nod replied,
"Yes, Sir."
Chegwidden shook Mac's hand as well.
"Uh, Sir," she said, a little breathless, "we needed to talk to you about what
we're going to do about our jobs here at JAG."
"You two aren't resigning on me again, are you?" A.J. questioned sternly.
"No, Sir," Harm said. "We just need you to lay out some options for us."
A.J. went back to his desk, and sat down.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you have one option. And that's to stay right
where you are. You can't be partner's anymore, but I'll find a way to keep
you both working here. Admiral's privilege," he assured them.
"Thank you, Sir," they said in unison.
"Will that be all?" A.J. asked.
They both stood at attention and said, "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."
"Now get out there, tell everyone what's going on, and let Harriet know she
won the office pool. Dismissed."
"Aye, aye, Sir," they said, turned, and walked out the door.
They stopped just before they reached the bullpen, and Mac cocked her
head and gave Harm a puzzled look.
"Was that way too easy, or was it just me?" she asked him.
"It was too easy. He likes us, Sarah," he said with a laugh and a shake of
his head. "We've given him plenty of trouble, and he still likes us." He took
her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go."
They walked into the bullpen and Harm raised his hand, motioning everyone
to stop what they were doing.
"Attention, everyone. Colonel MacKenzie and I have been ordered by the
Admiral to make an announcement."
Everyone in the bullpen, and those coming out of their offices, were listening
intently, somewhat suspecting what was about to be said.
Harm went on. "The Colonel and I are engaged," he said, lifting Mac's left
hand to show off the ring.
The entire office gasped, and then broke into applause.
Harm and Mac were quickly surrounded by well wishers giving them
handshakes, and in Harriet's case, hugs.
Overwhelmed as they were, neither had ever been happier.
Harriet hugged Mac for the third time. "Have you set a date, Ma'am?"
"Uh . . ." Mac looked at Harm questioningly.
"Not yet," he said. "Any ideas? Soon, I hope," he smiled.
"How about March?" she asked. "It's soon, but it would be long enough
to plan."
"That's fine with me," he said.
Harriet's smile was a mile wide. It was the first time she'd been truly happy
in what seemed like forever. "Anything you need, Ma'am, you just ask."
"You know I will, Harriet," Mac said.
Just then, the Admiral came out of his office.
"I assume that everyone's heard the good news?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir," they all replied.
"Then back to work, people," he ordered. "Let the Colonel and Commander
have some room to breathe."
Everyone made their way back to their work stations, some murmuring one
last "congratulations" as they filed past.
Chegwidden came up to them.
"As of tomorrow, you're no longer partners. I've put in a call to the SecNav,
and I, shall we say, persuaded him to let you both keep working here. But
there will be a few rules."
"Of course, Sir," Harm agreed.
"No public displays of affection at the office."
"Of course not, Sir," they both replied.
"If you go up against each other in court, you will leave whatever happens
here, and not take it home. Rabb, you will take excellent care of MacKenzie,
and if I hear any different, you can consider your six kicked."
"You don't have to worry about that, Sir," Harm assured him, trying not to smile.
"And Colonel, I expect you to keep him out of trouble," he told Mac.
"I'll certainly do my best, Sir," she answered, amused as well.
"I don't envy you that job," A.J. told her. "Congratulations again. I hope
you two are finally happy."
"Thank you, and we are, Sir," Mac said.
"Well, you better get back to work, but I don't want to see either of you
here past 1700. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," they said.
"As you were," he said, going back to his office.
Mac turned to Harm. "I think we were just given a prenuptial talk, and an
early evening," she said with a little laugh.
"Well, that's not bad, considering what might've happened," he reminded her.
"True. But I wasn't complaining."
"Good. So what do we do with our early evening?"
"Looks like we have a wedding to plan, Commander," she said with a wink,
as she headed back to her office.
The End
Author: MacKenzie Rabb
E-mail: mackenzie_rabb@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Classification: Romance (Harm/Mac)
Spoilers: "Family Secrets"
Disclaimer: Harm, Mac, and everybody else at JAG, belong to Donald
Bellisario, CBS, and Paramount Pictures. I am currently in the process of
begging for Harm. Please don't sue me, you won't get anything. I'm 18, and
I can't find a job! :)
Summary: Sequel to "More Than That". Mac and Harm have some decisions
to make about where to go in their relationship.
Author's Notes: Well, this is my first sequel piece, and there's one to follow,
so I hope I can muster up the creativity for the 3rd and final part. I hope you'll
all be patient while I write it! And I hope you enjoy this one, it certainly took me
long enough to write.
0700 Hours
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown
One week later
Mac woke up to a note lying on the coffee table across from her. It read:
My dearest Sarah,
I'll see you at work, and I'm looking forward to this evening. I'll be by around 7:00 p.m.
Love,
Harm
It had been this way for a week now, sleeping on the couch, finding notes in the
morning. No one suspected anything at the office, and they could do whatever
they wanted on their own time. They were both afraid of how tricky things could
get in the future, but right now they just wanted to be together as much as possible.
They had been spending practically every evening together, one leaving earlier or
later than the other from the office, meeting at Mac's place, and talking, watching
TV, kissing, or just listening to music. They'd even been out to dinner a couple
of times, finding little places in Virginia where they'd have less of a chance of
running into someone they knew.
Mac got up off of the couch and ran her hands through her hair. The whole
week had been somewhat surreal. She had taken Harriet and Bud's case to
court, and lost. How the doctor got off she'd never know. She just hoped
that Bud and Harriet would be all right and be able to move on.
Other than that, she'd been having a wonderful time with Harm. Sleeping on the
couch didn't even bother her, as long as she was in his arms. They couldn't go
any further than that. If they were caught and could truthfully say they'd only
been dating, there might be fewer consequences. As it was, they'd be in enough
trouble already.
Much of what they talked about was just how much trouble they'd be in. There
were no restrictions in the UCMJ about officers dating other officers, so it all
depended on the opinion of their CO. It also depended on the mood of the
Admiral on any given day.
But Mac had to get to work on time, so there was no time to worry about it further.
After a quick shower, she grabbed a piece of toast and headed out the door.
0750 Hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm had gotten into headquarters a half hour early. He was facing lots of
paperwork, mainly because he hadn't been taking any home with him. His work
wasn't suffering. He just had a little bit of catching up to do.
Around eight, he saw Mac walking through the bullpen toward his office.
Her arms were full of files, but she was practically glowing.
She looks gorgeous, he thought as she knocked on his door.
"Enter," he said.
"Good morning, Sailor," she said, sitting down across from him.
"Morning, Mac," he replied with a grin. He only used her nickname at work
now, just in case anyone overheard anything.
"Sleep well?" she asked with an impish little grin.
"Like a baby," he said, giving her one of his looks.
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "What's on tonight?"
"I figured dinner and dancing at an intimate little place in Alexandria. What do
you think?"
"Sounds great, but you can't dance," she pointed out.
"I can slow dance, remember?" he asked with a wink.
"Ah," she said, leaning back. "So, what should I wear?"
"Something nice. It's a classy little place."
"Okay."
They just looked at each other for a few moments.
"We better get to work," Harm finally said.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I came in here to give you these. Half for you," she
said, dumping a ton of files on his desk, "and half for me. Have fun. By the
way, you gonna beat Bud in court this morning?"
"I plan to. But then when don't I plan to win?" he laughed.
Mac got up and walked to the door. Turning back to face him, she mouthed,
"I love you," then said, "I'll see you later" just before she walked out the door.
That night, Harm arrived at Mac's apartment at 6:59 p.m. He'd had a long day
in court, and now he just wanted to relax.
Mac opened the door as soon as he knocked. She threw her arms around his
neck and planted a kiss on his lips, as he kicked the door shut behind him.
"Well, hello, Beautiful," he said, as Mac let herself down from her tiptoes.
"Hello, yourself," she laughed. "Be right back. Gotta get my shoes."
She was wearing a calf-length, emerald green dress that was slightly off the
shoulder and long sleeved.
She's beautiful, but she's going to freeze, he thought.
Mac came back out of her room in green satin pumps, and a long black dress
coat.
"So, Harm, what's the name of this place we're going? I forgot to ask," she
said to keep her mind off kissing him. If she started that, she didn't know if
they'd ever leave. Harm was wearing a black, buttoned-down shirt, that was
open at the throat, and a pair of black slacks. He had on a heavy coat over
that, which was a good thing, because it had started snowing again an hour
ago. She wasn't too sure he wouldn't melt it anyway.
"Victoria's," he replied.
"That does sound classy," she answered. "Well, let's go," she said, pulling
on her gloves. "I'm ready for some slow dancing."
***
After a wonderful dinner of seafood, Harm and Mac were dancing the night
away. They had just been holding each other, and swaying to the music for
over an hour.
Mac lifted her head from Harm's shoulder as she spotted Bud and Harriet
being seated at a table.
"Harm," she whispered urgently.
He pulled back to look at her. "What is it?"
"Bud and Harriet just showed up," she said, still whispering.
"Are you serious?" he asked, slowly turning them around to the music so he
could take a look. "Great," he muttered, turning them back around.
"They're bound to see us sooner or later," Mac said. "What are we going to tell
them?"
"Is there a back door out of here?" Harm asked.
They both looked around.
"Nope," she said. She buried her face in his shoulder. "How did they wind up
here at the same time as us?"
"We'll just tell them we decided to go out to dinner. No big deal," Harm tried
to assure her.
"Oh yeah, they won't see the romance in this place at all." She sighed. "And
we were doing so well too."
"Sarah, I really don't think that they'll say anything, even if they suspect what's
going on here. They're our friends. We'll just walk through to get our coats,
and if they notice us, we'll stop. If not, we keep on walking." He turned around
one more time to look at them. "They look pretty involved," he said. "Let's go."
They casually walked off the dance floor, and made their way through the maze
of tables, staying as far away from Bud and Harriet as possible.
They made it to the coat check without being stopped, but Harriet had seen them.
She and Bud had been looking at their menus, when she glanced up and saw
Harm heading toward the front of the restaurant, with Mac close behind.
"Bud," she whispered, leaning forward. "Harm and Mac are here."
Bud looked up as she motioned in Harm and Mac's direction.
"What do you think they're doing here?" he asked.
"They look like they're on a date, Bud. Have you noticed anything at the office?"
"Not a thing. Maybe they were just having dinner, Harriet. They are friends,
after all."
But Harriet would have none of that.
"They're both single now. What if they finally got together, and didn't tell
anyone? You can't tell me you didn't see that coming. I just had a talk with
Mac last week, and I think it's a possibility."
"I don't think they'd be so obvious. I mean, going out? They're smarter than that,
Harriet. I'm sure they were just having dinner. It's not a big deal."
Harriet just gave him a "that's what you think" look, and let the subject go.
***
Meanwhile, in Harm's car, Harm and Mac were worried that they'd been caught.
"Okay, okay. I know Bud's not going to intentionally say anything. But this is
Bud we're talking about, and sometimes he slips up," Mac said. "Also, I had
a talk with Harriet that day we had a fight, and she told me before you did
that you loved me. She's going to suspect something."
"Well, then we'll just deny it. We'll be okay," Harm said, squeezing her hand.
"You want to go home now?"
"Yeah," she said. Then she got an idea. "But first, let's go get some ice cream,"
she said with a smile. "It'll make us feel better," she coaxed.
"It's twenty-five degrees outside!" Harm said.
"C'mon, Harm. It'll be fun. There's a little ice cream parlor just down from my
building." She took his hand. "Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssse?" she asked like a little
girl begging.
"All right," he said. "But I can't stay at your place tonight. I don't know how much
snooping they'll do if they saw us, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Okay, Sarah?"
She sighed. "Okay." Back to sleepless nights, she thought.
2300 Hours
Sandy's Ice Cream Parlor
Georgetown
"How can you eat all that?" Harm asked, marveling the height of her three scoop
Rocky Road ice cream cone.
"I just can. There's really no reasoning behind it," she answered with a grin.
They were sitting in a booth in a fifties style ice cream parlor, black and white
checkered floors and all.
"Well, this is a side of you I've never seen," Harm said, taking her free hand
and lacing their fingers together.
Mac giggled. "Harm, there's lots of sides to me you haven't seen yet."
She took a big bite of her ice cream, and turned Harm's hand over to look
at his watch. "It's getting late. We should probably go home soon," she said
with a little frown. "We've got work tomorrow, and then we can see what we
can conjure up for the weekend. You know of any place we can go for the
weekend that's well hidden?" she smiled. "Wouldn't want to run into anyone
we know," she laughed. "I just wish I knew if they saw us." She shrugged.
"And if they did . . . Oh, I don't want to think about it right now. Let's go.
I'll finish this on the way home," she said, standing up and pulling him with
her.
Less than five minutes later, they were once again in front of her building.
"Do you have to go home?" Mac asked.
"I think that's the best idea. I'll walk you up though," Harm offered.
"All right," she sighed. She brushed the ice cream cone crumbs off her hands,
as Harm came around and opened the door for her.
He took her hand, and they entered the building and took the elevator ride to
her floor in silence.
At her door they had a hard time saying goodbye.
"I'll miss you," Harm said, holding her tightly.
"I'll miss you too," Mac said. She kissed him. "Let's just get this over with,"
she said. "I'll see you in the morning. Love you."
"I love you too, Sarah," he said. And with one lingering kiss, he turned and
walked down the hall.
Mac turned the key in her door, went in, and leaned against it. She felt like crying.
I don't know how much longer we can go on like this, she thought.
They'd only been "together" a week, but really they had almost four years
behind them. That was longer than some married couples had known each
other. She had him now. She had Harm, and it was hard to think of anything
else. It was especially hard to think of the next nine hours without him.
Oh, grow up, Sarah, she tried to tell herself. It's just a night.
She went into the bedroom, got into her pajamas, and crawled into bed for
the first time in a week. It was cold, and no amount of blankets was going to
replace Harm's warmth.
There goes my heart yet again, she thought. Only this time she was sure Harm
wouldn't break it like all the others.
Meanwhile, Harm wasn't having a great night either. This was more complicated
than he thought it would be.
If Bud and Harriet had seen them, and word got back to Chegwidden, they
were in more trouble than they would want to think about. There were very
few secrets in most offices, but a military gossip mill was stronger than most.
Especially at JAG. And Bud and Harriet weren't the best at keeping secrets.
Intentional or not, something almost always wound up falling out of their mouths.
He tried desperately to get comfortable, and go to sleep, but he no longer
felt right without Mac in his arms. He finally knew his Marine loved him,
and he could finally admit to them both that he loved her.
He decided one thing right then and there. He was going to ask his Sarah
to marry him. He couldn't live like this anymore. They couldn't.
Friday Morning
0805 Hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac walked into headquarters the next morning, every nerve on edge and
hoping to avoid Bud.
He spotted her before she was there thirty seconds.
"Good morning, Ma'am," he said, walking alongside her.
"Morning, Bud," she replied.
They were almost to her office.
"Harriet and I just wanted to thank you again for working our case," he said.
"No matter the outcome. She'll be back at work on Tuesday."
"Don't mention it, Bud," she said, as they arrived at her door. "And I'm
glad to hear she's coming back." She put her hand on the knob. "Is there
anything else, Bud?"
"Actually, Ma'am, may I talk to you in your office?" he asked quietly.
An alarm went off in Mac's head. Might as well deny everything now and get
it over with, she thought.
"Sure," she said, opening the door.
Bud followed her in.
"Ma'am, I don't mean to be nosy," Bud started.
Sure he doesn't, Mac thought.
"But Harriet and I saw you and the Commander at Victoria's last night."
She sat down at her desk and stacked some papers. "Yeah, Bud?" she
responded, raising her eyebrows.
"I, uh, well, Harriet thought . . ." he stammered.
"That we were on a date?" she asked, laughing.
Bud was embarrassed now. "Um, yes, Ma'am."
"Bud, we just went out to dinner. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course, Ma'am. We just-"
"It's okay. Don't you have work to do?" she said, by way of dismissal.
"Yes, Ma'am," he said, turned, and left.
Mac leaned back in her chair and sighed. She'd just dodged a bullet. A big one.
There was a knock on her door.
"Enter," she said.
Harm came in and closed the door behind him. He smiled at her.
"I just saw Bud," he said. "He looked like he'd swallowed a cactus," he laughed.
"I know," she said, smiling back.
"So he asked?"
"Oh yeah!"
"What did you tell him?"
"That we were just having dinner. I think he believed me. He certainly looked
embarrassed." She shook her head. "We got out of it this time, but next time
we may not be so lucky."
"I know, Mac," Harm said, sitting down across from her. "Are you sure this
isn't too much pressure for you?"
Mac looked at him, slightly amused. "I'm a Marine, Harm. I work best under
pressure. But how about you, sailor?"
"I was a fighter pilot, Mac. I'll be fine. Look, do you want to go somewhere
this weekend?" he asked, his voice lowered.
"I don't know. I think I'd rather just stay close to home. I'm getting more and
more uncomfortable with this, Harm. What are we going to do?"
"What about no pressure?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, maybe a little. But what do you expect?"
"Anyway, come over to my place Christmas Eve. I've got a surprise for you."
"Harm . . ." Just his smile cut her off. "You know I'd be there anyway. But I'll
see you before then?"
"Absolutely," he said with a wink. "I've got an Article 32 in half an hour, so
I better go." He leaned forward. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she whispered back.
She shook her head as she watched him walk out the door. I always knew
he was trouble, she thought.
At six-thirty that evening, Mac was on her way home when her cell phone rang.
"MacKenzie," she said.
"Hi, Sarah," Harm said.
"What's up, Harm?" she asked
"Nothing much. Where are you?"
"On my way home. How about you?"
"I've got to run an errand, but I'll be at your place around seven-thirty or eight,
okay?"
She frowned. An errand? she thought. "Okay," she said. "Is everything all right?"
"Couldn't be better," he assured her. "See you soon," he said, just before he hung
up.
***
Harm was on his way to Christie's to pick out a ring for Mac. He wanted to
propose on Christmas Eve. He'd never been so certain of anything in his life.
He wanted to marry her, and soon. His only wish was that she would say yes.
When Harm got to the jewelers, he found the perfect ring almost immediately.
It was a one carat solitaire that sparkled like the brightest star in the sky. It
would look beautiful on Mac's hand.
Just as he was about to pay for it, he saw Renee walk in the door. She
spotted Harm right away and strode over to him.
"Why, Harm, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I, um, was looking for a ring."
"Oh," she said. "Finally proposing to Mac?" she asked, smiling.
"Yeah," he replied simply.
"I always knew that she had your heart, Harm. I just don't see why you
didn't see it. You were a lost cause for me, but I'm still sorry I had to lose
you."
"How's it going with Brumby?" he asked.
"I don't know. We'll see I guess. He's certainly not you. But if I didn't give
up, you were probably about to. Mac's one lucky woman, so you be sure
to tell her I said that."
"Thanks, Renee. What are you doing here this evening?"
"I'm here to pick up some earrings. I have a Christmas party in L.A.
tomorrow. I'm leaving for California later tonight." She stood on tiptoe
and kissed him on the cheek. "I hope you've found happiness, Harm.
I really do. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Renee," he said.
Well, that was something, he thought. Renee being gracious. But then, she
dumped me, and not the other way around, so why shouldn't she be?
he laughed to himself.
Christmas Eve
1915 Hours
North of Union Station
Washington, D.C.
Harm had never been so nervous in his life.
It's just Mac, it's just Sarah, it's just the woman you love, he kept thinking to
himself. That was the problem though.
He'd gotten a Christmas tree just for the occasion. He usually didn't have a
reason for one. Christmas Eve was generally a depressing holiday for him,
the day he lost his father. But he'd gone to The Wall and told his dad all
about his plans, and he knew the senior Harm would be happy for his son.
He felt a lot better after that.
He'd never proposed to anyone before, so he needed all the encouragement
he could get. If he didn't believe that Mac would say yes, he wouldn't be able
to go through with it. He had to believe.
Harm had never loved anyone so intensely and completely. Maybe he'd thought
he had in the past, but Mac was far more extraordinary than anyone he'd ever known.
He finished lighting the candles in the living room, then there was a knock on
the door.
***
Mac stood on the other side of Harm's door, gift in hand. She couldn't wait
to see him. She was a little worried.
He was a wreck on the phone, Mac thought. I wonder what's up. He's usually
so calm and cool. She knew. She could count the times she'd seen Harmon
Rabb flustered on one hand.
Harm finally answered the door, and she immediately gave him a big hug.
"Merry Christmas, Harm. Is everything all right?"
"Merry Christmas, Sarah. Everything's fine. Let me take your coat," he said,
helping her with it.
He led her over to the couch, in front of the tree, and as they sat down, she
looked amazed.
"Oh my God, Harm, this tree is beautiful," she said. "But where did all these
ornaments come from?" she smiled, knowing good and well he rarely, if ever,
had a tree.
"Mom gave me a lot of this stuff. When she's not gone at Christmas, she
usually has a professional decorator."
"Ooh," Mac responded, raising her eyebrows.
He laughed. "You ready for dinner?"
"I'm starved," she replied.
"When aren't you?" he teased.
Mac smacked him on the arm as they headed for the table.
After dinner, they were back on the couch, and Mac insisted that Harm open
his present first. He didn't argue, because he didn't want anything to get in the
way of his proposal.
Harm opened the small box wrapped in green and gold, to reveal a necklace.
It had a silver chain, and on it hung a charm that looked just like his plane, Sarah.
"Forever" was written on one of the wings, and the engraving on the back said:
"Semper Fi, Sarah".
"Always faithful," he whispered.
Mac smiled. "It's true. It's just taken on a whole new meaning now."
Harm caressed her cheek and softly kissed her. "It's beautiful," he said, and
he knew now was the right time.
He retrieved the small velvet box out from under the tree, and handed it to her.
With a somewhat wary look, she undid the single red ribbon tied around the
black velvet. She slowly lifted the lid, as Harm went down on one knee in front
of her.
Mac gasped at the diamond that was twinkling up at her from the box. It
was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. She tried to open
her mouth, but Harm put a finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything.
He was going to say what he wanted to say, regardless of the outcome.
He took her free hand in his, and began his speech.
"Sarah MacKenzie, I love you more than anything. More than life itself.
I would die for you, but I can't live one more day without you to share in
every part of life. I know I don't deserve you, or the privilege of spending
the rest of my life with you. But I would be honored, and the luckiest man
alive, if you would be my wife. Will you marry me, Sarah?"
Mac's eyes were shining with tears that were threatening to spill over any
second. She leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around Harm's neck,
as a little sob escaped her.
"I'm the one that doesn't deserve *you*," she said.
Harm held her for a moment, then she pulled back.
"Yes, Harm," she said with a little nod of her head. She kissed him over
and over again. "I love you so much."
"I love you too. Here, let's put that on," he said, taking the box from her.
He removed the ring from its slot, took her left hand, and slipped it on her
finger. He kissed her again, and then she leaned back on the couch with a
troubled look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Harm asked.
She sighed. "Harm, I'm going to marry you, so don't worry about that.
Nothing short of God is going to stop me. But this brings us right back
around to the question of what we're going to do. We're partners at JAG,
remember?"
"How could I forget?" he said, sitting down beside her.
Mac looked at the diamond, the lights of the tree playing off of it. Pulling
a leg underneath her, she turned to face Harm.
"You've told me this before, but we'll figure it out. It doesn't have to be
right now, but we will." She crawled into his lap. "Right now, just hold me,"
she smiled into his chest.
They talked late into the night, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
Mac woke up at 3:15 a.m. with an idea.
"Harm," she said, shaking him slightly. "Honey, wake up."
He came to slowly. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.
"I've got a solution, Harm. I'll resign my commission. I can start my own law
firm."
Harm looked stunned. "No, Sarah. I can't let you give up your career like
that. And you may not have to. We don't know yet."
"Harm, we both know that if we go to the Admiral engaged we're probably
in big trouble. You're still on the fast track, and I just don't know if I'm going
anywhere anymore. I've had a lot of trouble if you hadn't noticed. It would
give me more time for our family if I was working for myself. We could at
least consider it."
"Not if we don't have to," he said with a dead serious look on his face.
"But just think about it. Home by five, plenty of time off for kids when we
have them. I could dictate all my time off, and it would be wonderful. My
career doesn't mean anything to me if I can't have you, don't you realize that?"
"I feel the same way, Sarah. But you've worked a lot longer for what you've
gotten in your career. I can't have you throw all of that away for me. We're
going to have to take this to Chegwidden. Both of our lives and careers depend on it."
"Fine, Harm," she said. "We'll go in Tuesday, but we may be hanging
ourselves," she warned.
"Have faith, Sarah. It's gotten us this far," he said, kissing her.
Tuesday 0900
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm was nervous again. That seemed to be happening to him a lot lately.
He and Mac were to be called into the Admiral's office any minute to discuss
their situation. But Chegwidden didn't know exactly what was going on yet.
Mac took a drink of water and a deep breath in her own office. She looked at
the brand-new ring sparkling on her left hand, and smiled.
Oh well, she thought, if we get kicked out on our sixes, we still have each other.
Tiner buzzed her to get to the Admiral's office ASAP, and as she made her
way to his office, she met up with Harm. They gave each other nervous glances
as Harm rapped on the door.
"Enter," the Admiral said.
They both walked in and snapped to attention.
"At ease," Chegwidden ordered, and gestured for them to sit down in the
chairs across from him.
They did so, and the Admiral started his interrogation.
"You both wanted to discuss something with me?" he asked, lacing his fingers
together on the desk in front of him.
Harm started in. "Yes, Sir. I'll get straight to the point. Sa-" he glanced at
Mac, "Colonel MacKenzie and I have become engaged." He stopped to
let that sink in, and to try to breathe.
Admiral Chegwidden was silent for a moment. Then, with a grin, he stood
up and came around the desk.
Harm and Mac had to try to hide their shock as they stood up, and the
Admiral shook Harm's hand.
"Harm, you son of a gun! Finally got your head out of your six?"
Harm recovered from that comment, and with a smile and a nod replied,
"Yes, Sir."
Chegwidden shook Mac's hand as well.
"Uh, Sir," she said, a little breathless, "we needed to talk to you about what
we're going to do about our jobs here at JAG."
"You two aren't resigning on me again, are you?" A.J. questioned sternly.
"No, Sir," Harm said. "We just need you to lay out some options for us."
A.J. went back to his desk, and sat down.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you have one option. And that's to stay right
where you are. You can't be partner's anymore, but I'll find a way to keep
you both working here. Admiral's privilege," he assured them.
"Thank you, Sir," they said in unison.
"Will that be all?" A.J. asked.
They both stood at attention and said, "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."
"Now get out there, tell everyone what's going on, and let Harriet know she
won the office pool. Dismissed."
"Aye, aye, Sir," they said, turned, and walked out the door.
They stopped just before they reached the bullpen, and Mac cocked her
head and gave Harm a puzzled look.
"Was that way too easy, or was it just me?" she asked him.
"It was too easy. He likes us, Sarah," he said with a laugh and a shake of
his head. "We've given him plenty of trouble, and he still likes us." He took
her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go."
They walked into the bullpen and Harm raised his hand, motioning everyone
to stop what they were doing.
"Attention, everyone. Colonel MacKenzie and I have been ordered by the
Admiral to make an announcement."
Everyone in the bullpen, and those coming out of their offices, were listening
intently, somewhat suspecting what was about to be said.
Harm went on. "The Colonel and I are engaged," he said, lifting Mac's left
hand to show off the ring.
The entire office gasped, and then broke into applause.
Harm and Mac were quickly surrounded by well wishers giving them
handshakes, and in Harriet's case, hugs.
Overwhelmed as they were, neither had ever been happier.
Harriet hugged Mac for the third time. "Have you set a date, Ma'am?"
"Uh . . ." Mac looked at Harm questioningly.
"Not yet," he said. "Any ideas? Soon, I hope," he smiled.
"How about March?" she asked. "It's soon, but it would be long enough
to plan."
"That's fine with me," he said.
Harriet's smile was a mile wide. It was the first time she'd been truly happy
in what seemed like forever. "Anything you need, Ma'am, you just ask."
"You know I will, Harriet," Mac said.
Just then, the Admiral came out of his office.
"I assume that everyone's heard the good news?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir," they all replied.
"Then back to work, people," he ordered. "Let the Colonel and Commander
have some room to breathe."
Everyone made their way back to their work stations, some murmuring one
last "congratulations" as they filed past.
Chegwidden came up to them.
"As of tomorrow, you're no longer partners. I've put in a call to the SecNav,
and I, shall we say, persuaded him to let you both keep working here. But
there will be a few rules."
"Of course, Sir," Harm agreed.
"No public displays of affection at the office."
"Of course not, Sir," they both replied.
"If you go up against each other in court, you will leave whatever happens
here, and not take it home. Rabb, you will take excellent care of MacKenzie,
and if I hear any different, you can consider your six kicked."
"You don't have to worry about that, Sir," Harm assured him, trying not to smile.
"And Colonel, I expect you to keep him out of trouble," he told Mac.
"I'll certainly do my best, Sir," she answered, amused as well.
"I don't envy you that job," A.J. told her. "Congratulations again. I hope
you two are finally happy."
"Thank you, and we are, Sir," Mac said.
"Well, you better get back to work, but I don't want to see either of you
here past 1700. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," they said.
"As you were," he said, going back to his office.
Mac turned to Harm. "I think we were just given a prenuptial talk, and an
early evening," she said with a little laugh.
"Well, that's not bad, considering what might've happened," he reminded her.
"True. But I wasn't complaining."
"Good. So what do we do with our early evening?"
"Looks like we have a wedding to plan, Commander," she said with a wink,
as she headed back to her office.
The End