TITLE: The Dream Team
AUTHOR: VIDZ
PAIRING: Harm/Jen
TIMELINE: during Season 10's Dream Team
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.
SUMMARY: Mac never knew how close she was when she called Harm part of a Dream Team. The only thing she was wrong about was the other part of the team...
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"Come on, Jen." Harm patted the young woman on her slim shoulder "Time to go. She's sleeping and you and I both need to get some rest."
"But..." her red-rimmed eyes implored him.
Harm's face grew gentle, as it always did around this special young woman "She's through the worst now, Jen, she's out of the coma. You heard the doctor, they sedated her to give her body a chance to recover and heal. There's nothing more we can do here, she won't wake up for at least 10 hours and we must get some rest ourselves, we still have our jobs to do."
With a disgruntled sigh the beautiful young brunette gave in, knowing he was right.
"Come on." Harm encouraged and, when she stood up, helped her into her jacket. Fixing her collar he pulled her long hair out, ignoring how nice this gesture of familiarity felt.
They both said their goodbyes to the sleeping young girl, then Harm put a hand to the small of Jen's back and led her out of the room.
Harm intended to ask a nurse at the nurses station where they would be able to find a motel, but when they came across a doctor he took the opportunity.
Stepping up to the greying man he greeted him and asked for directions.
The old man ran a quick visual medical check on the officer, having heard what had happened and that Harm and Jen had spent every waking hour at Mattie's bed. They were both clearly dead on their feet "Well, yes, young man, the nearest's just down the road to the West, you can't miss it. It's also the only one in town."
"Thank you, Doctor." Harm nodded gratefully as Jen just murmured something, stiffling a yawn.
Harm let Jen go in front of him and put a light hand to the small of her back, feeling her lean against the pressure. This wasn't normal behaviour for either of them, but considering what they'd just been through... They both needed the reassurance the other was there, they were all either of them had.
Exiting the small hospital he guided them in the direction of his car.
Even sleepy, this didn't escape Jen's notice and she looked up at him "My car is that way."
"If you think I'm letting you drive, you've got another thing coming." Harm retorted gently.
"Let me?" Jen rose to her full height and tried to glare at him, but the effect was lost when she was overcome by a yawn.
Harm couldn't help the laugh that broke out, she was too cute, like a small kitten trying to intimidate an elephant. Not only was Jen much too short to intimidate somene with her height, but with her it was too blatantly obvious on the first glance that she was just too nice, too sweet and too gentle to pull off an intimidation.
"You won't let me?" she repeated "Last I checked you weren't my husband! You're not even my boyfriend." She shut up then, barely managing to suppress the traitorous word 'unfortunately', not even knowing why she was putting up a fight when she knew he was right.
Shaking his head in denial Harm argued "Jen, I'm not letting either of us drive alone right now, we're too tired. If we're together we can keep each other awake. Your car is safe in the parking lot and we'll be just a few blocks away."
She gave in then, knowing there was no use protesting, she wouldn't win anyway. Even she had to admit it would've ended badly if she'd tried to drive right now. At least Harm had experience with having been a fighter pilot who's missions sometimes lasted over 20 hours, followed by the hardest maneuvre in the world: landing on a carrier at night, during a storm. If anyone then Harm would be the one capable of concentrating enough to get them to the motel without getting into an accident.
Sighing gently in resignation Jen hung her head and turned towards Harm's Corvette, the man himself following close behind.
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"I'm sorry, sir, but we only have one free room with one queen-sized bed."
Harm and Jen exchanged an awkward look "There is nothing else free?" she questioned.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but 80 percent of our capabilities are being overhauled before the start of the season and the rest is already taken." eyeing them, the young man noted their sleep-deprived bearings "The other nearest establishment is an hour away and I strongly advise you against trying for that, because you look like you're about to fall asleep on your feet. If you were to set out to that other hotel I'd be forced to call the Sheriff's department for your own and for others' safety."
Harm didn't like being threatened, but he had to admit he admired the young man's honesty and concern about their and other people's safety, and of course his balls to threaten a much bigger and stronger man.
Looking at Jen he querried "What do you think?"
Jen looked up at him, leaning slightly against him for support because she would've fallen on her ass otherwise "We've got no other choice. Besides, we're adults, we can control ourselves." turning to the attendant she confirmed "We'll take it."
"Okay." he turned to his computer "Names?"
"Derek Beringer and Julie Blakes" Harm answered before Jen could, handing over cash instead of a credit card.
Seeing her wide, surprised eyes he shook his head, silently telling her he'd explain later.
Following his lead she then signed her new name with a different writing than usual before being given their key.
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"Derek and Julie? And what about the signatures?" she exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind them.
Harm shrugged "In case anyone for some reason decides to do a check up."
Jen nodded, accepting the explanation as rational, but decided against pointing out just how paranoid it was. He'd always been a cautious man, but ever since his time in the Company he'd become downright paranoid.
Looking around the small room they came to the same conclusion that they'd just have to share the bed.
"Normally I'd take the floor, but I'm too old, too tired and have too many problems with my back already to try that. Besides, as you said, we're both adults and we both have to work tomorrow." Harm mentioned.
Jen nodded, clenching for a second, unsure now whether she would be able to control herself.
"I'll change in the bathroom." she declared, taking along her duffle with her clothes.
Harm nodded and waited for the door to close before quickly stripping and putting on a fresh T-shirt and short pajama pants.
Then he slipped into the bed with his back to the bathroom door, leaving just the small lamp on Jen's side so she could get in without tripping over something.
A minute later he could hear the door open and close, then soft footsteps, before the bed dipped slightly beneath Jen's slight weight. A small sigh of satisfaction and relief echoed in the room before the light went out and Jen pulled up the blanket, her back to him.
"Good night."
"Good night. Harm replied and tried to make himself comfortable.
Within minutes Jen's breathing slowed and deepened, making Harm smile and wish he could do the same.
Instead, his mind was too active and wouldn't let him sleep, playing over and over the events of the last couple of days, from the news of Mattie's accident, to the first moment he saw her, Jen joining him as soon as she could, the hours spent at the young girl's bedside, ignorant and afraid of the future, to Mac's careless and egocentric phone conversation, when she hung up on him to go back to her partying with Vukovich even though she'd noted the distress in his voice; to then throw in his face that he didn't let her in completely ignoring the fact that he couldn't even let her in because she was never there, neither there for him nor physically, always busy with other men,... His thoughts then turned to the young woman just inches away, who'd always, ALWAYS, been there for him, when he didn't even have to ask for help because she offered it immediately, sensing whenever he needed her; just like she was there for him and he for her the past few days. They'd been through a lot together and not just these past two weeks. She'd also been a de-facto co-guardian of Mattie, making him glad she'd been here the moment their former ward had opened her eyes.
Last year, during a crisis, he'd poised a rhetorical question when Jen had again jumped in to help with Mattie. He'd been serious when he'd said it, but only when the words had come out had their full weight and truth become apparent. It was the first time he'd openly acknowledged the bond between them, how much she'd come to mean, how precious she'd become to him, how essential to his emotional and mental well-being.
What would I ever do without you?
He didn't know back then and he still didn't know now, but the one thing he did know was that he never wanted to find out.
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