First of all I'd like to thank you for the reviews and the encouragement to continue with this endeavor. It has been challenging to do so after seeing what's been happening in Season 2. Ideas are running amuck. Especially the stab in the heart with Will and Nina at the end of episode 3. I have a couple more almost ready to post, but here's one for now.
Come Together
The staff was gathered in the conference room for the second meeting of the day. As days go, it was pretty much business as usual until Mac walked into the room. Staffers glanced at her face and could see that it was strained and drawn.
Mac looked to Jim and said, "Let's have you run this meeting."
She reached out her arm to hand him the dry erase marker. He stood up with a curious and ready attitude, but when he met her eyes, he knew something was wrong. "Mac?"
At that moment, Jim's blackberry buzzed on the table. He picked it up and studied the text as if he couldn't believe what he was reading. The rest of the room could read from his face that it was not good news.
Jim looked at her and when their eyes met they locked and both pairs started to fill with tears. The exchange of something very personal and emotional passed between them. Jim dropped the marker and phone on the table and they both moved towards each other and connected in a very hard embrace – the kind of hold that hangs on for dear life. Then came the sobs somewhere deep inside of Mac until it could be heard around the room like a shot in the dark. The room became so silent that the only sounds heard were Mac's agonized cries and Jim's quiet crying. They held each other like they were the only ones in the room and everyone else felt like intruders on a moment that was only meant for them. What was transpiring between these two was something so private that the Will and the staffers felt like awkward spectators.
When they finally released each other, Mac said, "I just need a little air. She hurried out of the conference room and out of the bullpen.
Tess then announced, "She does know it's raining outside, right?"
Jim sucked in his sniffles and said, "Listen, let me just check on Mac, Will I throw the meeting to you. I'll be right back."
Will wanted to be the one to check on Mac, but he left that honor to Jim since he felt like he was on the outside looking in. After Jim left the conference room they all looked at each other speechless and wondered what the hell just happened. Then they all looked at the phone that was left lying on the table. In that next moment, all heads swung in Neal's direction.
"Right," Neal said after getting consensus from the group to look at Jim's phone. "There was a roadside bomb, seven Marines dead …"
Mac stepped out onto the terrace and out into the heavy rain. She made her way to the edge and gripped the railing, finally leaning back and lifting her head skyward so that the drops would hit her full in the face. She was crying, but now her tears were mixing in with the rain.
Jim made his way to follow her and paused at the glass door to spy his eccentric mentor paying homage to the rain like some special shaman giving prayer to the gods.
He braced himself, pushed open the door and moved to stand beside her. She made no acknowledgement that she knew he was even present, but after a few moments, without even dropping her head, she said, "I can't believe they're gone."
"I can't either," he agreed.
"Mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and wives will be inconsolable tonight."
Jim didn't even need to respond because both he and Mac knew that there were no words to express the loss of their Marine family. Family that they laughed with, cried with, broke bread with and that saved their asses on several occasions.
After a few moments of silence, Mac asked, "Do you remember when we were in that scorching desert, with sand in our hair and grit on our skin …. how we longed to feel the cool rain on our faces and on our skin? Anything…. anything just to break those endless sun baked days that never seemed to end."
"Yeah," Jim answered, raising his head to taste the rain on his tongue.
"Maybe if I stand here long enough it will wash clean my sins," Mac said as she grasped Jim's hand in her own. She lowered her head and turned her body to face him. "I'm sorry I dragged you out there and that you got shot and that you could have gotten killed."
"Mac, there's no need for sorry. I'm a big boy and I knew that what I was getting into was going to be no picnic." He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Hell you almost died out there yourself. We can't change what happened. I think it's time you gave yourself a break."
"I feel like a part of me has died out there with them." Her crying started anew and Jim wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"They were the very best," Jim pronounced.
The two of them stood out there until they were both soaked to the skin. Jim was the first to say, "Shall we go in?"
"I'd like to stay out here a bit longer," Mac said.
He nodded and said, "I'll see what I can grab to dry us off and be back."
"Thanks."
Jim made his way back to the bullpen to look for some towels. Rummaging through his desk drawers he found a couple of small hand towels and determined that wasn't enough. He headed to Mac's office and retrieved the blanket that she had on her small sofa.
The staffers and Will were still in the conference room and saw Jim come back drenched to the bone. They could only imagine that Mac was probably in the same condition. They were at a loss as what to do so they stood their ground and stayed in the conference room as they saw Jim leave with some towels and a blanket.
Charlie finally arrived on the scene and a few minutes later, Jim and Mac made their way back arm in arm with the blanket pulled over and around them.
Exiting the conference room, the rest huddled around Charlie, Mac and Jim to show their support and solidarity. No words were needed as they gave a collective hug to two of the soaked team. And a team they were - pride filled both Charlie's and Will's hearts as they joined hands surrounding two of their own.
The End