'Say You Love Me'

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own any part of JAG or its characters nor do I won Faith Hill or her song, "I Love You".

A/N: This story is based on Faith Hill's song "I Love You". The first time I heard it, I thought it would make a great HM story, so here it is... finished!!! So, please review and tell me what you think! By the way, if I'm not figuring the military time right, please let me know! -Lyss


JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH
1300

Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. sulked out of the court room. He had lost his case, unfortunately to Colonel MacKenzie.

"Harm!" Mac called from behind him. He turned and tried to smile as she ran after him. "Sorry I kicked your butt in there," she said. "My client was innocent, though."

"So you say," Harm said with a smile. "I'll let you know that I'm fighting for a minimum penalty at the sentencing hearing," he added with a serious tone in his voice.

Mac frowned and crossed her arms. "You know very well that Lieutenant Garrison deserves much more than the minimum sentence," she said sternly.

"Oh, yeah?" Harm said, inching closer to her. "I'll let the judge decide that."

Mac became frustrated and began to massage her temples with her left hand. As she did so, Harm noticed a silver band on her ring- finger. Mac was marrying Clayton Webb in less than a week, but until now he hadn't given her an engagement ring.
"I see Webb finally bought you a ring," he said as he pointed at her hand. "It took long enough," he mumbled.

"Yes," Mac said, totally ignoring Harm's last remark. "Isn't is beautiful?" she asked as she held her hand out towards him. The diamond in the center of the band glimmered in the light.

Harm reached out and took her hand in his, examining the ring. "Are you sure it's real?" he asked.

"Of course it's real!" she said defensively and she pulled her hand away. For a moment they stood in the hallway in silence.

"I can't believe you're actually going to marry him," Harm said finally.

"And why shouldn't I, Harm?" Mac asked. "Give me one good reason why."

"You know why, Mac," Harm said, looking deep into her eyes.

"No, Harm, I'm sorry but I don't know why." She turned walked down the hall towards her office.

"Mac, wait!" Harm called as he walked quickly to catch up with her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. The office grew quiet as all eyes focused on the two of them. Harm looked around and, suddenly feeling embarrassed, took Mac by the hand and dragged her into his office.

"What is wrong with you?" Mac asked him after he had shut the door.

"I have one question for you," he said, pointing his finger at her. "Do you love him?"

"Clay?"

Harm nodded an affirmative.

"Yes," Mac snapped without thinking.

Harm's arms dropped to his side and he looked down at the floor. "That's all I wanted to know," he said finally.
Mac nodded and walked quickly out of his office.

MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
2410

Mac lay in bed, her eyes wide open- she just couldn't sleep. Harm's question kept running through her mind, "Do you love him?" She rolled the words around in her mind.
"Do I?" she asked aloud. She sat up in bed and began to rock back and forth. "NO!" she yelled into the darkness. She had known that all along, but assumed it didn't really matter. Clay had offered her what she wanted.... a husband, a home and a family. 'A family with Clay?' she asked herself. The thought made chills run up her spine. "God, what am I doing?" she yelled to the ceiling.
She knew in her heart that Harm was the only one she ever wanted to raise a family with. Unlike with Clay, she felt safe and secure with Harm.

I must be crazy now, maybe I dream too much. But when I think of you, I long to feel your touch

She thought of the first time she had met him in the rose garden. How when he shook her hand, her stomach had flipped and how when she looked into his eyes, she went weak in the knees.

I wish I could go back to the very first day I saw you. Should've made my move when you looked in my eyes

She knew she loved Harm. She always had and she always would. 'Does he feel the same way about me?' she wondered as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Throwing her blankets off, she stood and began to get dressed. She knew there was only one way to find out.

HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
0100

Mac was standing outside Harm's apartment building. She looked up towards his window and took a deep breath. Walking into the building, a thought struck her. 'What if he doesn't love me?' For the moment she pushed the question to the back of her mind. 'I have to know,' she thought as she slowly ascended to the second floor. She stepped out of the elevator and walked cautiously up to Harm's door.

So today I finally find the courage deep inside, just to walk right up to your door...

Lifting her hand to knock, fear overtook her. 'I don't think I could bear it if I knew he didn't love me,' she thought.

...But my body can't move, when I finally get to it, like a thousand times before

The fear of rejection was too strong. Quickly, she turned and ran to the elevator. Once the doors had securely closed behind her, she began to sob.

Harm sat on the edge of his bed, eyes wide open, thinking. He ran his hand through his hair as memories flooded back to him. 'Oh, Mac,' he thought. 'Why Webb?'
He rubbed his eyes as he got up and walked to the window. Glancing out, he saw a shadowy figure running from the building. He squinted trying to see who the person was. 'A woman, definitely,' he decided. His eyes followed the dark figure as she got into a red corvette and speedily drove away.

JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH
(NEXT DAY) 0930

"Mac?" Harm asked as he poked his head into her office. She held up her index finger gesturing him to wait.

"Yes, Petty Officer..... I already told you I'd try......" she was saying into the receiver. "Yes, I have to go....... see you in court." She hung up the phone and turned her gaze to Harm, shaking her head.

He raised his eyebrows. "Tough case?"
She nodded while shuffling through a stack of papers. "The Petty Officer has absolutely no evidence to back up his story."

"Never good," Harm replied.

"No," Mac said. "Did you need something?" she added as she picked up her mug and turned to look at him.

"Yes," Harm said, remembering why he had come in the first place. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

"Well, I figured something was wrong because you came to see me last night."

Mac spat her coffee out onto her desk and began to cough loudly. "What makes you think I was there?" she asked after regaining her breath.

"I saw your car pulling out of the lot," Harm replied, a confused look on his face.

"You did?"

Harm sighed. "Mac, stop playing games with me. I know you were there."

"I... I just needed to talk."

"Why didn't you knock then?"

"I realized it was too late and I didn't want to wake you up," she stammered, covering for herself. "I really need to get going. I have to meet with a client in fifteen minutes," she said as she glanced at her watch.

"We'll talk later," Harm said to her as she walked past him.

HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
2332

Harm lay in bed, his eyes wide open. He couldn't bear to think of Mac married to another man. 'I want her to be happy.... but Webb?' he thought. He couldn't imagine why she had agreed to marry the guy. She said she loved him, but something just didn't seem right. Harm got up and walked into his living room, searching for paper. He knew what he needed to do- before it was too late.

JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH
1325

Harm took a deep breath before opening the door to Mac's office. He stopped at the doorway and studied her. She was sitting at her desk, bent over the computer, surrounded by a stack of papers.

"What?" she said, not bothering to look up.

Harm didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to her desk and laid an envelope on top of the stack of papers.

Then without a word you handed me this letter....

Mac raised her eyebrows as he turned and walked quietly out the door. She reached for the envelope and studied the simple handwriting on the front. With trembling hands, she opened it and pulled out the piece of paper hidden inside. Taking a deep breath, she began to read.....

Mac,
I hope this somehow finds the way into your heart. I don't know how to put this lightly, so I won't try......
Sarah MacKenzie, I love you... I am in love with you. I have been for a long time now, but my fears kept me from letting you know how I feel. I can't stand the thought of you marrying another man without knowing this. All my life I would wonder: what if?
If you don't feel the same way about me, I'll understand, but please, baby, please say that you love me too.
No matter what you choose to do, though, I'll always be here for you, loving you until the end of time.
Always,
Harm

....Read I hope this finds the way into your heart, it said, I love you, please say you love me too, 'til the end of time

Tears spilled down Mac's face as she finished reading. Grasping the letter firmly in her hand, she stood from her chair and walked out of her office and into Harm's. He stood up from his chair when he realized she was standing in the doorway, staring at him through tear- filled eyes. "Did you mean this?" she asked in a shaky voice, holding up the letter.

"Every word," he said, calmly.

"Oh, Harm!" Mac sobbed as he crossed the distance between them and firmly pressed his lips against her's.

"I love you, too," she whispered as their kiss ended and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Harm scooped her up and spun her around the room, planting another kiss on her lips- a kiss that nine years of friendship and love had created.

Outside Harm's office, a small crowd had gathered, watching the two officers. Admiral Chegwidden, on his way to the courtroom, stumbled into the crowd of people standing in front of Rabb's office. Looking closely, he saw two of his senior officers engaged in a passionate kiss.

"PEOPLE!" he roared to the crowd. They all jumped and stood at attention. "Back to Work!" Several 'Aye, Sir's' were heard before the group quickly disappeared as their commanding officer walked into Harm's office.

"Sir!" Harm and Mac cried at the same time, pulling away from each other and standing at attention.

"May I ask what the hell you think you're doing?" A.J. yelled.

"Sorry, sir!" Harm spoke up. "I... we take full responsibility for our actions," he added taking Mac's hand in his.

"You had better!" the Admiral replied. "I expect my senior officers not to act in such a manner so.... so.... unbecoming," he added.

Mac looked up at Harm with a confused look on her face.

"Something wrong, Colonel?" A.J. asked her.

"No, sir!" she replied, dropping Harm's hand and turning to her commanding officer.

"Good!" A.J. snapped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than stand here and reprimand you two," he added as he started to leave. "And Commander!" he said, turning back to harm and Mac.

"Yes, sir!?" Harm replied.

"Wipe that lipstick off your face before appearing in court!" A.J. said, handing him a handkerchief. "Understood?!"

"Yes, sir."

"Good," the Admiral said, walking out of the office, mumbling to himself as he went.

"Well, that went better than I'd thought," Harm said, turning to Mac.

She laughed. "Right! Well, it took us nine years to get this far... I guess we can stand a few months of harsh treatment from the Admiral!" she said. "Now, Commander, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to cancel," she added, turning to leave.

"Hey," Harm said, catching her hand and pulling her to him. "You're not marrying him, then?"

Mac rolled her eyes. "Of course not, you idiot!" she said, sternly.

"Mac, I didn't mean it like that," he said, tilting her chin up. "I just wanted to make sure this is really happening."

She looked deep into his eyes. "It's real," she said, leaning against him. "It's really happening."

THE END ;)