Season 6 - When Kate returns. I liked her but, dear Lord was she forward. You knew Mac for 2 mins and HAD TO gab about your romp with Harm? Sheesh...
TOUCH AND GO - After the engagement celebration.
Mac sat alone in the conference room studying the ring she had recently transferred from her right to left hand. She should have been happy, most women would have been beyond ecstatic to show off their engagement ring.
She wasn't most women. Mac had quietly slipped it onto her left hand yesterday morning to see what it felt like. This was the first time she was engaged, really engaged. Her first marriage had been more of the shot-gun variety when an 18 year old version of herself had been too drunk to protest. There was no romance, no real sentiment of love save for a strong infatuation on her part.
So, she wanted to know what it was like to be engaged and see the diamond glitter in the light. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to switch it back to her right hand. Harriet had noticed and Harm had been standing by giving her a displeased look. It was too easy to slip into the role and let Harriet inform the staff carrying on as if this was something she wanted. She didn't want to feel like a fool not with Harm's ex-partner smirking with amusement at their interaction. He slipped into his jealous act which, as usual only confused her.
Harm had been the one to push her away and into the arms of another man. He had a girlfriend, one that slipped effortlessly into his life. Why did he care who she married? Why couldn't he be the good, caring friend and let her move on? Why did he have to seem so sad and upset at her choice of fiancé? Why the hell did it bother her so much? It was his problem, not hers.
"What have I done?" She asked herself before burying her face in her hands wondering just how much of a mistake she'd made. Mac loved Mic, somewhat - just not in the way one should love a fiancé. It wasn't like the love she felt for Harm. She wasn't in love with Mic.
"Hey." Mac felt him before he spoke, his presence practically sucking the oxygen from the room. She turned to him, finding Harm holding the conference room door open. He was alone.
"I thought everyone was gone." Mac said. She had seen all of the vehicles exit the parking lot and remained behind, needing to be alone with her thoughts.
"Me too, got up the road and realized I left my wallet… Saw your Vette still here. You okay?" He stepped in fully now and slowly made his way over to her.
"Fine. Overwhelmed, I guess."
"Can't blame you. An engagement is a big thing." Harm stopped just next to her, leaning his hip against the table. He studied her for a moment, struggling with his want to ask her what she saw in Mic. He hated that she was engaged and hated even more that he was too noble to ask her to break it off.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
Mac took a breath. There was something had had been bothering her since she had coffee with Commander Pike. It both upset and saddened her to know that he had slept with his former partner. "You and Kate?"
"How did you know?" Harm pulled out the chair next to hers and deflated into it. While it was nice to have his former partner back for a few days he knew she'd undoubtedly cause some sort of trouble. He wasn't expecting her to blab to Mac about their little tryst.
"She told me."
"Oh." Harm frowned. "It was ages ago ...I've matured since." He cringed at how that sounded but, it was the truth. He'd been younger and stupid, still riding the jet-jock mentally. It was the look that Mac gave him that made his heart ache - a disappointed glare that made him feel like a jerk.
"Did you love her?" What did it matter if he did? Harm was nothing to her more than a friend.
"Not romantically." He defended and leaned forward before he spoke. "Look, I'm not sure what Kate told you but, it was nothing more than a wild, messy weekend and the reason why she left JAG… It became complicated between us...stressed. Working with her was hell. She kept throwing it in my face and manipulating me with it."
Suddenly, Mac stood walking her way towards the window. She began pacing back and forth as her mind tried to piece things together. It made sense now, so much sense. "I get it now… Why you pushed me away in Sydney."
"Mac…"
"No, I see it, I get it but, I am not Kate Pike."
"No you're not…" Harm stood and made his way over to her. She had to know that he didn't want to hurt her. Everything he'd done was for the right reason.
"It could work out between us." Mac stopped pacing just in front of him. Her eyes met his and she held his gaze. Harm must have been fighting some war within as his eyes had darkened and his jaw clenched.
"It's too late, Mac." The sadness of his voice mirrored his feelings and the knowledge that he'd just let her go. No, she wasn't Kate Pike. He wasn't in love with Kate Pike.
"Why?"
With a sigh, he took hold of her left hand pretending he didn't feel that spark between them as he stroked the ring on her finger. "I'm not that guy. I'm not coming between you and Brumby. You made a choice...and…"
"I'm in love with you." She said without preamble, her words bringing to a halt whatever he'd been trying to say. Mac expected some sort of reply but, instead he just stared at her. "It's why I never moved the ring until yesterday. I just… I'm not sure I want this."
"Mac…"
"Tell me you don't love me…"
"I can't…" It would have been a lie to deny his feelings for her. Harm knew she would see right through him. "We can't do this." He let go of her hand then and took a step back.
"Why?"
Because he was a good man not one that would destroy her for the sake of his own happiness. Why couldn't she see that? "Say you leave Mic for me, what does that say about you? Or me? I have a reputation of being a playboy, Mac. I won't smear your name no matter how much I want you."
"You want me?" Mac's voice was light, holding a hint of hope.
"Irrevocably. You're all I think about." He admitted. Somehow, Harm had moved closer to her, the undeniable chemistry drawing him to Mac. "I want you so bad that you invade my dreams. I have to stop myself from thinking about you and I don't want to... What have you done to me?" He never wanted a woman so much in all of his life and Harm knew he never would. Against his better judgement, he leaned in and kissed her.
It was soft at first, tentative until Mac's arms came around his neck, drawing him to her. His arms circled her waist as his mouth moved with hers, deepening a kiss that fed his soul.
"It's you I want to be with." Mac said against his lips.
All of his arguments, all of his reasons why he couldn't be with Mac disappeared when they kissed. It felt too good, too right. "Don't marry him, Sarah. Stay with me."
Mac released her hold on him and slipped the engagement ring off her finger. She moved to the conference table and placed it in the center before returning to his arms. "Let's complicate the hell out of things."
Harm chuckled. "No, Mac, let's make it right."