-1Harmoniousmatch Dot Com
Chapter 7/7
A/N: This chapter takes place during the events of The People vs. SecNav. Keep in mind that dates and sequence of events are different from what we saw in Season 9.
A/N: I humbly apologize for the delay in posting. Life, family visits and the all the events of last week, got me…but I'm back on track!
0810
January 30, 2004
JAG Headquarters
Mac sat at her desk, busying herself, trying to distract herself so that Harm wouldn't see her watching for his arrival. She'd hoped he might call, after opening Guardian's gift, but he had not. Was he angry with her, had he even opened the gift? What the heck was going on?
Just then, as though her thoughts of him willed it, Harm stepped into the bullpen, causing Mac to swing her chair around to face her computer screen.
Harm saw that Mac was in her office, and that she'd been looking for him. He wasn't sure how he intended to approach this situation. He smirked as he thought that this could only happen to them. It had taken a long time to sleep last night. He wasn't sorry that Mac knew that he was in love with her, but he wasn't really sure how he felt about her not telling him who she was.
He wasn't angry, but the whole situation left him feeling as though she'd gotten something over on him and in the interest of fair play and fun, he certainly wasn't going to leave it at that.
When she turned to look at him as he walked up to her open door, he could see that she was a more than a little anxious.
"Hey" He was trying to keep his expression, neutral, but hadn't quite succeeded.
"Hey, yourself."
He looked at her for a moment, and the longer he looked, the more disconcerted Mac became.
"Anything on your mind?" She asked, trying to appear detached and unconcerned.
Harm considered his answer, "Not….really."
Mac was disconcerted for a moment, thinking…Didn't he open the gift?
"Are you sure?"
Then, it occurred to him exactly what he would do. He would put a slight delay on telling Mac what he knew. All in the interest of justice, of course.
"You know, I think I should give you a gift too." He leaned on the frame of the door.
"It's okay, Harm. You really shouldn't feel obligated to…"
Harm waved her off. "Its not an obligation. I think its only fair…that I give you, what you gave me."
Harm's expression was sly, and but there was something very familiar in it, something seductive, though as far as Mac knew, the conversation didn't call for it. Which only added to her confusion.
"So you're not going to open your gift, until you get me…something?"
Harm smiled, in response, silently appreciating Mac's giving him an out.
"Something like that."
Mac frowned slightly and shook her head, puzzled and more than a little frustrated that this masquerade was continuing. She wanted everything out in the open, now. Maybe she should just tell him…..at the end of the day.
He turned to leave, satisfied that he'd planted the seed, now all he had to do was wait until tomorrow. He almost felt guilty about her confusion. Almost but not quite. So, all things being equal…… "Hey, want some coffee?"
"Yeah, that would be great." What could he be up to?
Harm was back in a few moments with their coffee. He was being so nice, and attentive. He seemed so content and satisfied with himself. She supposed fatherhood really did agree with him. He sat down in the chair in front of her desk, apparently, just to talk, as they used to, before all the craziness of Paraguay had divided them.
They talked about Mattie, about how lucky he'd been that Coates was willing to take an apartment in his building. He talked about how trying Mattie could be, but Mac could see it that he loved every minute of taking care of her. There was something else there, though, in his eyes, something warm and magnetic that she just couldn't put her finger on.
Just then, the Admiral stopped at Mac's open office door, on his way to his office. Both officers began to stand to their feet.
"Stand easy…. Glad I caught both of you. I need to see you, this morning, before staff call." His expression was unreadable, but it was clear, something was up.
"Yes, sir" they both answered.
Harm and Mac looked at each other for a moment. This was serious.
In short order, they were both standing in front of the Admiral, in his office.
"The USS Enterprise launched an air strike into Iraq, in support of Marines pinned down by enemy fire, near a hospital in Tikifa. The collateral damage included destruction of a hospital with 32 civilians dead.
"As a result, the Athens Bar has filed charges against the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of Defense an the President in the International Criminal Court at the Hague."
Mac swallowed hard, this was going to be a hornets nest of the first order. "Sir, we don't recognize the International Criminal Court."
The Admiral nodded his agreement "That's true, we withdrew from the Treaty of Rome, in 1998, but….the SecNav convinced the President that allowing himself to be tried in the Hague, would be a gesture of good will and a means to reach out to the international community."
Mac didn't like this, for a number of reasons. But when she looked at Harm, she recognized the gleam in his eye, and knowing him, he'd be champing at the bit to get started. This was just great. Harmoniousmatch, Paris and Guardian would have to take a back seat to this case.
All thought of the personal faded away in the following days, full of briefings by the Justice, State and Defense departments. They were also summoned to the White House for another briefing with one of the Presidents advisors.
Because of all of the things that had to be accomplished before they accompanied the SecNav to the Hague, time for a personal conversation became non-existent. But for Harm, there were times when he would look up from a file to find Mac studying him. There were even times when he was making a point about strategy, when Mac would look at him in such a way that he found it difficult to stay on topic. Just when Harm thought he might ask her what was on her mind, she would look away, or begin a conversation that focused on the task at hand. As though she was making it clear, now was not the time.
Even so, Harm was sure of one thing, that Mac was wondering if he'd opened his gift, or if he knew about 'Paris.' He thought he saw something more as well. Was he the 'possibility' she spoke of, on line? There were times when she looked at him that he'd have sworn he was.
Once they'd arrived at the Hague, events seemed to happen at hyper-speed, until the night Bud came into the common area of their suite, telling them that Little AJ was missing.
Everything, in that moment came to a screeching halt. Bud was still in shock as he left them, they all were. Bud was so affected that they both were wondering if he would make it back to DC, in one piece.
Later that evening….
Harm and Mac sat on the sofa in the sitting area of their suite. Harm was still in his uniform, but without the jacket and tie. Mac had removed her jacket as well. They'd been working to organize everything Bud left them and prepare for the next days testimony. They had just finished, there was nothing left to do but go to court. The pressure on them had been enormous, the whole world seemed to be watching the outcome of this trial, but tonight, now that the last of their case preparation was complete, all either of them could think of was their godson.
"He's going to be alright, Mac."
He reached over, placed his hand on her forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Mac nodded slightly. "I hope so, I keep thinking about the day he was born. I cant imagine what Bud and Harriet must be going through."
Harm leaned in more closely to her. "We have to believe he'll be alright, that he'll be found." He looked deeply into her eyes, and even though he was giving her the reassurance she needed, she could see that he was worried too. She felt a strong impulse to lean into him, to feel his arms around her, not only for her comfort, but for his as well. The feeling was so strong and unsettling that she stood and stretched her arms and legs.
""Tired?' Harm's eyes followed her, as she walked across the room.
"Not really. I'm wide awake, in fact."
"I know, I'm not sure how much sleep we'll be getting tonight." Then Harm realized how suggestive that might have sounded. "I mean, me, it will be hard to sleep until we know something."
Mac chuckled, "I knew what you meant, Harm. And we both better get some sleep. We're trying what could be, the most important case of both of our careers, tomorrow morning."
"We're ready Mac. We've done all the preparation we can, if we're not ready now, we never will be." Harm gave her a look, full of such conviction, that she immediately felt reassured and ready for their day in court.
Mac nodded. "You're right."
She padded across the room in her stocking feet, thinking that she might order room service. Anything to take her mind off of the fact that they were all alone in this suite and would be all night.
"Are you hungry?"
Harm gave her an amused grin, "Not really." Mac's appetite never ceased to amaze him. In nearly every circumstance they'd ever been involved in, Mac could always eat…and not gain an unwanted pound. If anything she looked slimmer than she was a year ago. Being this close to her, spending all this time with her had allowed him a chance to look at her more closely and as usual, he liked what he saw.
"How about something…like tea…toast? Coffee….chocolate?" She turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised, in question.
"Nothing for me, order if you want to, but I think I'd avoid the coffee and the chocolate, if I were you. You really will be awake all night."
"Tea and toast, then….for two." Mac was teasing him, it had been good to be with him, today and every day since this case had begun. They hadn't worked this closely in a long time, without a cross word between them.
She'd made her way to the telephone table and picked up the receiver, when she happened to notice Harm's keys, lying next to the phone. A bright yellow square caught her eye and she lifted the keys. It was 'Guardian's' key chain.
She turned, holding the keychain in front of her, so that the 'Caution' sign dangled from the end of the gold key chain.
Harm was placing some of the files into his briefcase and heard, rather than saw her approaching, "You know, you didn't have to get me anything…"
Then he looked up at her and the little yellow sign, immediately caught his eye. He went silent.
"Harm." She said his name quietly, her voice and expression, giving away nothing.
"Hmmm?" He answered, his eyes wide with innocence and not a little mischief.
"I thought you hadn't opened your gift."
"Well….technically, you said I wanted to wait until I bought your gift. I just went along with you and let you draw your own conclusions."
Mac's eyes narrowed, "Technically?'
"Yes, technically….Paris, when I realized that you were Paris and that I'd been talking to you on line, for some time, without knowing who you were."
At the mention of her on line name, Mac's expression changed immediately. "Harm, I swear, I didn't know until…you came and asked for my help with Mattie. You didn't give me time to explain… why I was so stunned, I didn't know where to begin. Then, after I testified in court, I wanted to tell you, but you had Mattie with you. You were both so upset…I thought….And then later, when I brought Mattie to you at the Wall."
"You had a date?"
"I did, sort of. Webb asked to see me on Christmas Eve, at the last minute and I took that opportunity to tell him that things weren't going to work out with us. I thought I owed it to Webb to tell him face to face."
"I see, and all the things I told someone I knew as, IParis/I about you? Something pretty personal….private…"
"I had no way of knowing what you were going to say. And anyway, tell the truth Harm, would have ever told me?"
"I didn't think I had the right to say anything. You were with Webb." His penetrating gaze was searching her out, throwing down the gauntlet.
"So…why didn't you tell me….after?'
Harm lounged back on the sofa and extended his arm across its top. "You mean when I opened Guardian's gift? To be perfectly honest, I thought I might wait a day, just to even the playing field, You had the advantage. You knew how I felt about you, but I didn't really know anything about how you felt about me." His expression changed from one of mischief and playfulness, to one of uneasiness and question.
His tone of voice changed, he spoke in a low and quiet voice, "I planned on telling you, everything, but" He gestured to their case work on the various tables in the room. "I got a little sidetracked."
Mac looked at him, understanding, but still feeling wary of him. She averted her eyes but not before Harm read the uncertainty of in them. Before he realized what he was doing, he was on his feet and standing in front of her, in seconds.
In a voice that was deep and tender, he asked her. "How do you feel, Mac…..about me?"
Slowly she tilted her face up, looking up at him, searching his eyes for some hint that she had something to fear, but there was nothing. Nothing but love.
Mac swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, "I….love you, Harm."
As he looked down at her, upon hearing her words, Harm closed his eyes, in relief, in thanksgiving, this was everything he'd hoped for and thought he'd lost.
Mac raised up on tip toe and softly kissed his lower lip.
Harm's eyes opened slightly and he watched her, kissing him, with delight shining from beneath his hooded eyes. When she opened her mouth to take his top lip between hers, he closed his eyes and fit his mouth to hers, deepening the kiss.
Their bodies were inches apart, but they did not touch, except when Mac reached up to stroke his cheek, as though she were trying to take more of him in.
When he broke the kiss, she whispered, it works better if you put your arms around me.
He leaned back from her slightly, arching a brow, "You sure?" There was a cautionary note in that sensual tone of voice.
She nodded before saying "Yes…I'm sure. Not being cautious, are you?" She trailed a hand from the middle of his chest, up around his neck.
His smile was sweet and seductive as he let his hands slide half way down her arms, "I'm no chicken." But then, his body betrayed him as he leaned in more closely, Mac could his heartbeat speed up, beneath her hands. But to be fair, they were both nearly out of their minds with their long hidden, feelings for each other. He rested both hands at her waist, touching his forehead to hers, taking pleasure in the feel of her, close to him. Then, as though he couldn't wait another moment, he tilted her face up to his and hungrily covered her mouth with his own. He lifted her up, closed his arms around her back and pulled her tightly to him, knowing he'd never be close enough.
Allowing himself to love Mac was a challenge he was finally ready for, finally worthy of and he wasn't going to waste another minute, waiting for the right time. Their time was now, here, in this room with the trial of their lives awaiting them. with all their responsibilities, with their fears about little AJ, with the world waiting…
Their time was now.
Epilogue to follow.
