Lean On Me Chapter 1, a jag fanfic

TITLE: Lean On Me

AUTHOR: Vid Z.

PAIRING: Harm/Loren

TIMELINE: Season 6.

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc of the TV show JAG are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fic. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A COUPLE OF YEARS OLD AUTHOR'S NOTES (so add a few more years to the ones stated): I first came up with this fic's plot and have already decided on it being a Harm/Singer fic years before I even started writing fics. Back then I haven't even started writing yet (so that's more than 4 years ago, but I think at least 5 or 6) and apart from reading and liking the fabulous "The Unlikely" series by Nicole I haven't really thought of Harm/Singer seriously. Only 3 ship (the three parts of Nicole's series) and 1 UST fic (Yvonne's "One Day") of this pairing existed then only, so believe it or not I didn't really consider the pairing worth dedicating myself to for the simple reason I wouldn't have anything to read myself. The change in thinking came only later. So, I wasn't the one to bring this ship into the world, but I can call myself the one who put it on it's feet and established it as a serious pairing, equal to Mac/Webb, Mac/Chegwidden,... Anyway, this fic has been buzzing around my head ever since, but it never had a solid enough form for me to write it down or I was too lazy or just had no posibility to write it down (either didn't have paper or my computer present) or just didn't trust myself with writing a fic. I started writing so late only because I was insecure about my ability as a writer. This year it was for the first time that I was seriously getting around to writing it, but then my mother had a breast cancer scare a few months ago and the desire to write this fic left me for obvious reasons. Those weeks from the first time I heard of her situation until the resolution (a couple of weeks until biopsy and then 2 weeks until we got the results through the mail) were some of the worst, because that was a very big worry on top of a whole pile of problems and worries we had then. Thank god it turned out okay. It was only in May that I got to writing this again and I hope I did it justice, especially considering how long it took me.

NEW AUTHOR'S NOTES: after letting this sit on my pc for a few years I've decided to resume it. Beware that I'm rewriting chapters as I'm proof-reading them for posting. The original form of this fic is nauseatingly fluffy and as I've started to write more realistic and level-headed fics I'll be rewriting it as I go.

Also, the title is a working title until I think of one better, so it's subject to possible change.

SUMMARY: A hurt/comfort romance story, with angst, but also fluff.

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Harm was smiling as he looked around the bullpen when suddenly the smile turned into a frown.

Mac, standing next to him, saw the direction he was looking and frowned herself, misinterpreting the reason "Yeah, I don't like her either."

He didn't bother correcting her that he wasn't frowning in dislike, but in concern.

It was the previous week that LT Loren Singer's behaviour had suddenly changed. Dramatically.

She'd used to come to work and stride through the bullpen and into her office with a haughty and arrogant air, the attitude of a person whom nothing could move, but in the last week that had changed noticeably.

She rushed through the common area, breezing past everyone, trying to make herself invisible and walked looking down at the ground.

She reminded Harm of a cat one of his previous neighbors, while Harm'd been in elementary school, had had. The poor animal had suffered much abuse and everywhere she went she was always speed walking while hugging the ground, trying to avoid being seen. And she'd always tried to keep to the walls, like soldiers walking on the sides of a path rather than middle, to avoid easy detection, just like Loren was trying to keep as far away from anyone while still being in the same room.

Something was very obviously very, very wrong.

Knowing she'd never share the reasons for her distress voluntarily and that no-one but him at work actually cared about the black sheep of their little family Harm knew it was on him to try to find out what the matter was and help if there was any way he could.

Excusing himself from Mac he took the direct path towards Loren's office, ignoring Mac's strange and even pissed-off look.

Peering inside he saw the woman of his thoughts sitting in her chair, gazing thoughtfully at the computer screen. She was frowning heavily, but Harm could see that it was not in anger, but in fear. That gave him the courage to step inside, silently close the door and take a seat, ignoring Loren's shocked look.

He sat there silently, only observing her with a penetrating look. Loren had the feeling he was seeing right through her.

When he'd said nothing for half a minute her surprise had turned into anger and she inquired him testily.

"Commander?"

The raised eyebrow accompanied the silent command to tell her why he was bothering her.

He was silent for another 40 seconds and by the time he finally spoke up Loren was at the end of her tether and just about to call in the Master at Arms.

When he finally spoke his voice was soft, threaded through by an inflection Loren had never before heard. Well, at least aimed at her. Which is why it took her a while to identify it.

It was caring.

"What's wrong, LT?"

She instinctively stiffened and her eyes narrowed. Harm could almost see walls going up.

"Wrong, sir?"

His expression didn't change, nor did his relaxed slouch in the chair. She didn't know what made her angrier: the casual way he was slouching in her presence as if they were best friends or lovers or that he was trying to find out the matter of her personal terror.

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