Title:  TV Style pt  4

Author: Navygirl
Rating:  PG-13
Classification: Harm/Mac
Spoiler:   Capital Crime
Summary:   More surprises! 

Disclaimers: All characters of JAG belong to Donald Bellasarius and Bellasarius Productions; no copyright infringement intended.

1623 hrs. ET

April 6, 2002

McMurphy's Bar

Georgetown

Several hours later, seated at the bar, nursing a fourth malt liquor, Harm told Sturgis about his last words with Mac. 

"Well, buddy, you finally found your voice," Sturgis said, sipping his draft. 

"Yeah, but my timing sucks."

"Harm, you'd be even more upset if she left without hearing those three little words from you."

"You haven't asked about her reaction, what she said."  He pointed out, ordering another beer by signaling to the bartender. "Sure glad you're driving."  He had called Sturgis shortly after Mac left and had convinced him to pick him up for a trip to McMurphy's.

"Go easy on that stuff," Sturgis cautioned him.

"Right.  But, like I said, you haven't asked…"

"I don't need to ask."

"Huh?"

"She told me some time ago about her feelings for you."

"And you didn't say anything to me!"  Harm exclaimed, surprised and mildly annoyed at his friend.

 "It was a slip of the tongue, and she made me promise to keep it under wraps."

"Oh. Okay then,"  he said and, grabbing a piece of popcorn from the bowl , tried to toss it into his mouth, missing and hitting himself in the side of the face with it.

"I think you're out of practice at this drinking stuff, buddy."

"Well, until she gets back, I may just make this a nightly ritual."

"I know you better than that, and I don't think you'll do anything of the sort."

"Damn Webb," he said, picking up a book of matches and then throwing them down with a flick of the wrist.  "Whatever he has up his sleeve…" He pointed a finger at Sturgis. "Well, he better not put her in danger."

"Harm, I don't know what to tell you."

"Well, tell me why the Admiral sent her instead of me, tell me that, will ya?  I mean, she may be a Marine, but she's my Marine, and I don't want her in danger.  I should have gone instead."

"Maybe it's her language skills, did you think of that?"  He patted Harm's shoulder roughly.  "Buddy, she'll be fine," he said, but knew it was not a convincing argument.

"She better be fine, or I'll have his six."  His words were almost slurred.  "Ah, hell, look who just wandered in.  The ole Mic'aroo himself."

Mic Brumby ambled up to the pair of officers. "Rabb," he said flatly. "Hello." .

"Ah, Cmdr. Bumby, this is Cmdr. Turner, also from JAG." 

Mic frowned at the mispronunciation, but chose to ignore it, uncertain if it was intentional

"Sturgis, Mic here was engaged to Mac some time ago.  Jeez, that was ages ago, wasn't it Mic?  So whacha doing these days?  Gone back to the Navy in Oz or did you take up selling vaccumm cleaners in the states?  You always liked to play in the dirt."

Mic looked perturbed, but could see that Rabb had been drinking.  He turned to Sturigis instead. "Glad to meet you," he said and Sturgis nodded in acknowledgment.  Pointing his head at Rabb, he asked,  "He's been here awhile, I take it?"

Sturgis shurgged.  "Just ignore him, he's a little upset and has decided to tie one on."

"Rabb, boozing it up?  That's a new one. Must have been a blonde." 

"Sit yourself down, buddy," Harm suddenly said to Brumby.  "We have a lot to talk about."  Harm waived at a stool, but Brumby continued to stand next to Sturgis.

"I'm not so sure about that Rabb,"  Mic said, looking around. "Besides, I'm just about to catch a flight back home. Missed my earlier flight."

"Australia, Mic's from Australia."  Rabb said to Sturgis.

"I gathered that, Harm, from the accent."

"Sharp as a tac," he said to Mic, pointing at Sturgis with a cigar he had pulled from his shirt pocket.  He proceeded to snip off the end and then lit it up,  McMurphy's being one of the few bars where smoking was still permitted.

"I thought you gave those up?"  Sturgis asked.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures," he said. Then he looked at Mic, "Woman troubles, you understand."  He was baiting a trap.

 "So Sarah's not with you tonight?"  Mic asked, sensing an advantage, wanting to bury a dagger in the other man's chest.  Harm was drunk, and there had to be a reason.

Harm narrowed his eyes and glared at him; he didn't like Mic calling her by her given name, he didn't like the memory that this man had been familiar with the woman he loved.  But realizing his advantage, he drew back. "She would be if she could be,"  he said a little too smugly and then looked away, savoring the cigar.

"Well, bloody hell, no surprise there," Mic said, growing more angry.  "You know damn well, you're the reason she's not with me, you're what broke us up."

"What do you mean?" Sturgis asked, but Mic ignored the question.

"You left," Rabb said, staring straight ahead, puffing on the cigar and purposely not looking at the Australian.

Mic was livid. "Hell yes I left.  From what I could tell you we're with her before.  Am I right, Rabb?  Before you took that little dip of your's and brought everything crashing down with you?"

Harm turned on the bar stool and stared at him.  He wanted to hurt Brumby somehow.  He wanted to take a swing at him.  Like Australia. Exactly like that.

"I know something happened the night of our engagement party, on the Admiral's porch."

Harm allowed a sly grin to cross his face, the cigar crunched between his teeth,  enjoying the pain he was inflicting on Brumby.  Make of it what you will, Mic.

"You're a sorry son of a…" Mic said, seeing Harm's smug face.

But Rabb decided on another tactic.  Waiting for effect, he took the cigar from his mouth and flicked the ashes in an ashtray, then spun it between his fingers. "Now, hold on, Mic, don't get your knickers in a bunch.  Nothing really happened that night.  We talked."  Then, putting the cigar back in his mouth, he added with too much satisfaction, "It was just a goodbye kiss." 

"Harm, I think we could be drifting into rough seas here, man," Sturgis said, seeing the two men were about to come to blows.

Mic was boiling and glared at Rabb, wanting to tear the man's heart out.  "Well, looks like neither one of us has won."

"Oh, I won alright."  Harm said, the cigar still between his teeth.

He was enjoying the sight of Mic fuming. He was enjoying the power he held over the Aussie jackass. Briefly he wondered if it was a good idea to gloat.  Hell yes, he decided.  He put the cigar in the ashtray and took a long drink of beer.

"Yeah, well, fat lot of good it's done you," Mic spat. "She's not exactly sitting here hanging on your every word.  What did ya do, Rabb? Screw it all up?"

Sturgis put up a hand.  "Fellas, this is getting a little out of control here.  How about we step it down a notch."

Rabb took another drink of beer and picked up the cigar, waiting. Mic just stood there looking at him, wanting to throw a punch at his head.  "I'd like to take a poke at you, mate."

"Well, mate," Rabb said with disdain.  "I'll meet you outside then."

"Ah, good, at last, but first, where is Sarah?"

"The Colonel is on an assignment, out of town," Rabb said, putting out the cigar and getting up from the bar stool. "It's a need to know basis, and frankly, Bugme, you don't need to know. Now, get your six outside so I can break that damn face of your's."

With that Sturgis stood up and stepped between them, pushing Mic back. 

"Don't stand between us, Sturgis, the last man who did that ended up with a broken jaw. And if anyone's going to suffer tonight…"

From behind him, Harm felt a hand on his shoulder.  When he turned around he was surprised to find the Admiral standing just behind him, and next to the Admiral a dark-haired woman he had seen in the office talking to Mac.  "Son, I think you need to think a little before you say anything more.  I'm advising you, no, I'm ordering you to get your six home.  Sturgis can you arrange that?"

"Yes sir," Turner said.  Harm knew it was best to keep quiet.

Then the Admiral turned to Brumby.  "Cmdr. Brumby, I see that you are once again stirring up things with my people. I hope I won't be seeing you in these parts at any point in the near future.  Can I call you a cab?"

Brumby had stopped glaring at Harm and was looking away in the distance.  He shook his head.  "I'll take care of that myself, Admiral.  Thank you."

The Admiral turned back to Harm, "And, Commander, you are leaving now, correct?"

"Yes, sir."  Harm threw several bills on the bar and walked away with Sturgis. 

Mic watched them go, the Admiral still standing next to him.  "Mic, you need to leave it alone.  Nothing good can come of meddling in their relationship, surely you know that by now.  You'll only hurt yourself, and possibly Mac further.  If I were you, I'd start forgetting about those two."

Then thinking more of it, the Admiral added, "And, fighting Rabb didn't turn out too well back in Sydney, so I would hope you've learned from that lesson."

"Admiral, I respect your opinion, but that smug S.O.B…"

"I remind you that Cmdr. Rabb is one of my officers, Mic, and you need to watch what you say.  Or you may be fighting me, rather than Rabb."

Mic shrugged and was silent. He paid for his drink and asked the bartender to call a cab.

Outside the bar, Harm was standing at the door of Turner's SUV.  "I was just fine until the Admiral stepped in." 

"Yeah, Harm, you were doing great in there." He didn't hear Sturgis chuckle or see him shake his head.  "Hey and no cigars in the truck."

"I could have taken that Aussie mule."

"What good would that do, Rabb?  What is the point of fighting the man? You were like two banty roosters in there."

"He just gets on my nerves."

"Because he had Mac when you wanted to be with her."

In a moment of complete honestly, Harm replied. "Exactly.  I was an idiot and the sight of him reminds me of that.  But, truth be told, Sturgis, I really just want to wipe that shit-eating grin off his mug."

"I'm sure he was thinking along the same lines," Sturgis mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Harm, just get your six in the boat and we'll sail on home."

"Aye, aye."