Those of you who haven't recently looked at recent story updates on the FFN JAG site, I would like to alert you to the fact that one of our own, byrhthelm, has by now posted several excellent Harm/Jen and Harm/Loren stories.
www. fanfiction. net/u/2883323/
Go read his work and don't forget to review, so he'll keep on writing! There's nothing more discouraging for a new writer than lack of feedback!
A HEADS-UP: in three days time I'll be replacing chapters 19 and 20 with their revised versions. After a very careful consideration I decided the new versions are much better. Thus, if by some nebulous chance any of you is saving this story on their computer, you have until Thursday to save those chapters for future reference, comparison and memories. Thank you.
Thanks to robertwnielsen, Saissa, mr mark gibbs 1989, Captain J 737, carolfd, byrhthelm, fart fart, unwittysidekick, zeilfanaat, Vesja, Lynnp and marye904.
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They arrived in the dining hall and took their places just in time for the bagpiper to announce the Admiral's official arrival by playing the Scottish patriotic song "Scotland the brave". Harm blinked at the choice of music, bewildered over how it could be appropriate, but let it go. After 20 years in the military he knew all too well that many things in the service didn't necessarily make sense.
Sitting across from Jen, Harm could observe her and talk to her without arousing suspicion, something he took full advantage of. After spending the last three weeks constantly in her presence, the last couple of hours of forced separation almost had him experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Whenever a smile curved her lips, or she blushed noticing his stare, or when she laughed at Mickey's predicament, he was again astounded just how gorgeous she was. The warmest and most giving person he'd ever known, an amazing mother and wife and a breath-taking siren, all in one package.
How did I get so lucky? he asked himself for what seemed like the thousandth time.
The dinner was soon over and mingling began.
A while later when returning from the toilet, Harm walked down the wide staircase, stopping when he saw his wife cornered by several coworkers and wearing a very displeased moue. Not the same people as before, but the trouble-makers and self-serving corpse-tramplers of the office, with their Queen presiding.
Quickly closing the distance between them, trying to stay unnoticed, Harm's ears caught what was being said.
It looks like the gloves are off now.
"Who is William's father?"
"The man I love." Jen answered vaguely, knowing from their frustrated looks they weren't satisfied with her answer. She didn't feel guilty for holding things from them, with this crowd it was the best decision possible. They'd find out in a few months when she and Harm were ready for their secret to come out.
"How come we've never heard of him... or met him?" asked Ensign Cartwright.
"I wanted to keep my personal life separate from my professional." to soften her words a little she smiled "HQ is like a fish bowl sometimes, having a little privacy is refreshing. I don't like to air my laundry for all to see, I don't thrive on attention."
Harm stepped into the shadows, knowing this was a fight Jen would have to battle alone. He couldn't always go rescue her, partly because that would get them unwanted attention and speculation and partly simply because she was her own person and knew how and wanted to stand up for herself. He also doubted Jen would appreciate if he constantly meddled, so he would step in only if things got a bit too bloody.
"Are you hiding something, Petty Officer?" Mac finally cut in, her cold voice sending shivers down the spines of the on-lookers.
Jen turned to her, looking Mac straight in the eyes. "I don't have anything to say because it's frankly none of anyone's business, especially yours, ma'am. My private life is just that and I don't let it interfere with my professional life."
Mac recognised the barb for what it was and with an angry nod acknowledged Jen's victory in this match.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to visit the ladies' room."
Jen walked away, but Mac followed her.
"I want to know..." the Marine started ranting, but Jen cut her off, glaring at the older woman.
Harm had never seen his sweet-tempered Jen lose her patience with anyone, the closest she'd ever come were the tears when he'd followed her to that bar at Christmas, so he was quite surprised and impressed.
"As I just said, my private life is none of your business, ma'am. And I'm telling you straight-forward that if you won't drop this, I'll be bringing charges against you for harrassement, mobbing and creating a hostile working environment. I don't think I'll be lacking in witnesses, do you?"
That shut Mac up and she glared at the smaller woman. Jen just narrowed her eyes at Mac and walked away.
Mac was standing there steaming when Harm decided enough was enough, she couldn't go on harrassing people like she'd done to him, especially when the person in question was a mother of a newborn and his wife.
"What are you doing, Mac?" he asked tiredly, walking up to his former freind.
"She started it!" Mac whispered furiously, angry to first be told off by that stupid little girl and now by having Harm accuse her of being the one at fault.
"No, she didn't. I saw everything." Harm sighed, rubbing his face wearily "Look, this is not the time nor the place. Can you meet me in 15 minutes out the back? There's a garden and a bench right beside the door..."
Mac stared at him piercingly, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind, but Harm kept his expression blank. Knowing she had no other choice if she wanted to find out what was on his mind, she gave in.
"Okay, 15 minutes."
Harm's shoulders dropped in relief "Good, I'll see you there."
Having a pretty good idea where Jen had gone, Harm made his was inconspicuously across the main hall to a smaller empty room to the side.
Opening the door he poked his head inside, locating the brightly dressed figure of his wife immediately, even in the dark.
Placing a chair under the door-handle to insure privacy he silently eliminated the distance, slipping his arms around the petite woman.
Jen had been standing in the dark, looking outside and trying to regain controls of her emotions when she felt warmth wash over her. Even though she couldn't hear him, she knew her husband had just entered the room so she wasn't surprised when suddenly strong arms wrapped around her slim waist and drew her into a hard male chest. Sighing softly she melted back into him and turned her head to nuzzle her cheek into his uniform-covered chest.
"You okay?"
"I am now." pausing for a second, she breathed in deeply "I was so angry I saw red. I barely got myself under control before I hit her."
Jen could feel his chest reverberate even before she could hear his chuckle, sending a shiver up her spine.
"You wouldn't be the first one to do it. She deserved it. But I'm still glad you didn't, assaulting an officer is a charge you definitely don't need on your record, no matter how much she had it coming."
"I think it's the hormones. Yes, she pushed all the right buttons and, yes, I was angry. But this wasn't the first time she pulled something like that and it never sent me over the edge like this before."
Harm was silent for a second, processing this before tightening his arms around the small woman "Just a couple of weeks more, then we'll be burning them off quite efficiently. Just hang in there for these two weeks."
Looking up at him Jen grinned "I'm counting the days."
Slipping her hands down her body she placed them on his arms where they held her, then sighed in contentment, thrilling in the freedom to be allowed to say these words "I love you, Harm, and I can't wait to make love to you. I just hate we have to wait so long yet, as if ten months hasn't been long enough since we've last been together and two years before that."
"Patience, my love, it'll come, you'll see."
Jen nodded, making a noise of happiness in her chest as she burrowed deeper into his embrace. They stared out into the night beyond the glass for a minute before Jen's voice broke the silence.
"Think we'll be home by 2200?"
"No clue. Why?"
"My show is on then."
"The soap opera?" Harm looked down at her, eyebrow raised.
"It's not a soap opera!" Jen defended, indignantly "It's a relationship, family and life drama."
"It's a soap opera." Harm repeated, stating in a tone that brooked no argument, but was belied by his twitching lips.
Jen sighed loudly, rolling her eyes "Okay, so it's a soap opera. I really don't want to miss it."
Pressing his lips to her hair, he calmed her down "I set the VCR to tape it for you, so don't worry. Even though I have no idea why you like to kill your brain cells by watching that crap, much less why I'm helping you with that. Or how Mattie managed to talk me into buying that black plastic Satan."
"You're taping it?"
Had Jen ever had a doubt that he loved her, not that she did, then this would've been all the proof she'd need to see the truth. And if she hadn't been already madly in love with him, this would've insured it.
"Yeah, I am. What about... you know... them?" he muttered, shooting a light-fast glance at her breasts and the looking back up, face reddening.
Jen suppressed a giggle, he was so cute when embarrassed "What about them?"
"Are they starting to... erm... get painful?"
This time it was Jen blushing, her flush gaining in intensity when an unbidden image of Harm nibbling sensually on her dark peaks appeared in her mind. The intensity and speed of arousal she received at the picture astounded her, leaving her grateful her husband was holding her up because her knees suddenly went weak. Oh, yeah, the permission to make love won't come soon enough. If it went on like that she'd either say "screw waiting" and ravish him or exploit alternate possibilities of making love with her husband.
"No, they're good. For now."
Harm nodded, catching the qualifier. Nuzzling his cheek against Jen's hair he sighed in disappointment when he had to let go and turned her around.
"And to this end I regretfully must leave you, Mrs Rabb, to talk to my former partner. The sooner I'm done with that, the sooner we can get out of here."
"Good luck." Jen wished, a corner of her mouth curving.
"Thanks, I love you. Will be back soon."
Taking the opportunity Harm quickly kissed her lips, then held still when Jen wiped his own of with a tissue to make sure there was no trace of her lipstick. The last thing he needed was to be wearing another woman's lipstick when talking with Mac.
Jen looked after him as he walked away, her smile disappearing as she murmured "You're gonna need it."
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