Chapter Seventeen
Seeing Where the Dice Fall
WEEK 12, PART TWO
AUGUST 27TH, 2001
0630 EST
APARTMENT OF HARMON RABB
WASHINGTON D.C
"You didn't go on your run this morning."
"I wanted to stay here with you."
Harm pulled Mac in close and she snuggled against his chest. They'd begun alternating spending nights at each other's places, and the last night had been their night at Harm's.
"That's sweet of you," Mac said, placing a kiss on his jaw. "But I would've been fine. We still have about 28 weeks before I go into labor."
"God, don't remind me," Harm said with a groan, stretching out his legs.
"Don't remind you?" Mac raised her eyebrows incredulously. "You're not the one who'll be doing the laboring."
"I know, but I'll be the one doing the worrying."
"Personally I'd rather worry."
Harm chuckled, "I know," he reached up and smoothed Mac's hair away from her face, "You okay?"
Mac wanted to laugh. How could she possibly be okay? The fact that she spent half the night tossing and turning should attest to that fact that she was not okay. Her talk with the Admiral the previous Friday, which Harm didn't know about, had left Mac more optimistic, but it didn't stop her from being realistic.
Instead of answering, Mac raised her eyebrows at Harm and asked, "Are you okay?"
He smiled, running his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I-I'm fine," he said. "It's just...every day this gets more real, you know?"
Mac nodded. "I know. I kind of miss when this was all just our little secret."
Harm smiled at the memory. "And the Admiral knows-"
"Don't worry about that," Mac interrupted, sitting up. If Harm started sharing his worries, they would only add to Mac's, and that was the last thing she needed. "Everything's going to work out."
"How do you know?" Harm asked as she climbed out of his bed. "You were all dooms-day just last week. Did you have a premonition?"
"Not exactly. I'm just trying to will a good outcome into existence," Mac said over her shoulder as she walked to the bathroom. "Are you going to join me?"
Harm only had to think it over for about .5 seconds before he was on his feet. "Yes ma'am," he said, following right on Mac's heels. "I like this optimistic side of you."
"I'm just trying to ignore my pessimism."
0845 EST
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Rabb. Mackenzie. My office."
Harm and Mac exchanged apprehensive looks as they followed the Admiral into his office. Mac slowly felt the hopeful attitude she'd built up dissipate and her nerves take over. So much for trying to ignore my pessimism.
"Close the hatch. You two can have a seat."
Harm closed the door and he sat down next to Mac. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife and Harm and Mac both waited for the Admiral to speak, the anticipation (more like dread) making them hold their breath .
"Colonel, Commander, I hear congratulations are in order," the Admiral said, peering at them from over his glasses.
"Uh, yes sir," Harm said smiling, and Mac nodded. "Sir, can I say something?"
The Admiral raised an eyebrow, and Mac looked at Harm with wide eyes. She hoped he wasn't going to put his foot in his mouth and talk his way into something he couldn't get out of. Mac loved Harm, but he had a way of doing that.
"Go ahead, Commander."
"Sir, Mac-the Colonel and I understand how delicate this situation is," Harm said.
Oh my God, Mac thought in despair, he's putting his foot in his mouth. She instinctively sunk down in her chair, wishing she could disappear.
"That's good to know, Commander," The Admiral said, his tone a little dry, but Harm didn't seem to notice. Mac did, and she silently began to beg Harm to just stop talking.
Please shut up, please shut up, please shut up. Now is not the time.
Harm continued, "And I just wanted to say, sir, that if it's the easiest way to smooth this situation over, I will gladly resign-"
"Harm, don't," Mac blurted out before she could stop herself. Harm and the Admiral turned to look at her.
"Mac-"
"Harm, we talked about this. You are not resigning your commission!" Mac exclaimed.
"Mac, I told you I don't mind-"
"I know you don't mind, but I mind."
"I'm just trying to help-"
"You're being impulsive!"
Harm frowned. "This isn't impulsive-"
"Says you!"
The Admiral watched with annoyance, and mild interest, as Harm and Mac bickered. He'd heard the two of them argue about work plenty of times before, but hearing them argue about their relationship was a new twist. As riveting as it was, his office wasn't the place for it. As JAG, he had to maintain some level of decorum.
"Lock it up, both of you," he said finally.
Harm and Mac looked up with surprise, clearly having forgotten the Admiral was even there. They both immediately faced forward and stood-well, sat at attention.
"I'm not looking to force either of you to resign," The Admiral said. "I'm not even looking to bring charges against you two, if you two are wiling to cooperate."
"Sir?" Harm and Mac asked in disbelief.
"I realize that this is a tricky situation, but I think we can work something out."
Harm and Mac exchanged glances. This was not the reaction they were expecting, and they were pleasantly surprised to say the least.
"Sir, you do realize that as our CO, you're obligated to pursue disciplinary action?" Mac said slowly, wondering what kind of impact their conversation on Friday night had on him.
"I'm well aware of that, Colonel."
"If you don't bring charges against us, you'll be incriminating yourself," Harm said.
"I'm well aware of that as well, Commander," the Admiral said. "I'm also aware that you and the Colonel are two of the best people I've had the pleasure of working with. I know that, as your CO, I should go by regulation, but I don't think I could live with myself, if I did damage to either of your careers."
By the time the Admiral was done, Harm and Mac were both at a loss for words.
"Sir-" Harm started.
"Commander Rabb," the Admiral interrupted. "How would you like to go back to Annapolis?"
"As in the Naval Academy, sir?" Harm raised an eyebrow. Was the Admiral going to make him redo his stint at the Academy in lieu of a court martial?
"Yes, there's an opening there for a staff JAG and I was going to recommend you for it," the Admiral looked at Mac. "Unless you would like the position, Colonel?"
Mac smiled. "Thank you sir, but I'm already having a baby with a Navy man, so I think I have enough Navy in my life for now."
Harm smirked and the Admiral chuckled. "Very well," he said. "I'll put in the orders for your transfer this afternoon and it should be approved in a couple of weeks. That is, if you want to take the transfer."
"Do I have a choice, sir?"
The Admiral shrugged. "Not really."
"Well then, I'll take it, sir."
"Will that be all, sir?" Mac asked, trying not the sound too anxious. This meeting had gone a lot better than she'd expected, but she still just wanted it to be over with. Harm being forced to transfer out was not as big a blow as a court martial would be, but it was still a blow nonetheless. In all honesty, she was expecting the Admiral to transfer her out instead of Harm.
"No, there's one more thing," the Admiral said, taking off his glasses, "Just to keep us all out of trouble, if anyone, and I do mean anyone asks, I didn't learn about your relationship until after I put in Commander Rabb's transfer."
Harm and Mac both nodded. "Aye, aye sir."
"That'll be all."
2040 EST
APARTMENT OF SARAH MACKENZIE
GEORGETOWN
"And then, after we crashed, Mommy and Daddy were in middle of Russia-"
"Are you gonna make a habit of this?"
Harm looked up. It was their night to be at Mac's place, and they were both sprawled out on her bed in their pajamas. They usually sat up for an hour after eating dinner talking shop, discussing cases, pouring over legal documents, files, the works. But that night they'd decided to make it an early night. Mac was sitting up, propped up on a pillow, and Harm was laying down with his hand on Mac's stomach, talking to the baby.
"I'm just trying to include our child in the conversation," Harm said innocently, shrugging.
Mac smirked and reached down to run her fingers through his hair. "Hon, our child doesn't have hearing yet."
Harm's smile faltered. "Still, it's the principle."
"Listen, I have an idea, why don't you talk to me? Instead of making me feel like an incubator." Mac said.
"Alright," he conceded, "What do you want to talk about?"
He propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at Mac expectantly.
"I'm gonna miss you," she said. Harm almost laughed, because she had the most perfect pout on her face.
He did allow himself a smile. "Mac," he said. "Annapolis is forty minutes away, but I'll still make it home in time for dinner, I promise." He flashed her his most winning Flyboy smile.
It would still be a couple of weeks before Harm actually started working at Annapolis, but his days at JAG HQ were numbered. He'd still be with JAG, but he and Mac would technically no longer be under the same command. The Admiral had discovered some kind of loophole.
"I know," Mac said, a slight whine in her voice, "but JAG won't be the same without beating you in court."
Harm laughed. "I'll miss beating you in court."
Mac smiled softly, looking down at her lap. "I can't believe the Admiral let us off the hook like that," she said.
"Guess it was just our lucky day."
Harm reached up and kissed Mac on the cheek. "You're tense," he murmured against her cheek. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Mac said with a sigh, "Just waiting for the other shoe to drop, that's all."
"There is no other shoe," Harm answered, "It's just smooth sailing from here on out, Marine."
Mac smiled as Harm placed another kiss on her jaw. "Marines don't sail."
Harm rolled his eyes. "It was a catchphrase," he said. "What do Marines do?"
"Well, the Navy may sail, but we Marines storm the beaches," Mac informed him wryly.
"Like how you guys don't 'duck'?" Harm asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We take cover," she corrected. "That's a good story to tell our kid. Why don't you tell them about how you went crazy and fired off an MP5 in court?"
"Only if you tell them how absurdly long it took you to admit you were in love with me."
"Very funny."