Disclaimer: I don't own JAG, or the Characters. No infringement intended.

Spoilers: Boomerang II, and others I'm sure, though I don't know specifically.



If Wishes Were Miracles

"... Is that a request?" She asked quietly. *He walked into that one* she thought. Harm starred at her, not blinking. He then looked up overhead and said:

"You know they once wrote "Eternity" in lights on the bridge on New Years Eve." His heart was pounding, but he didn't miss a beat. Mac didn't miss hers either.

"Is that how long we're going to wait?" She was beyond serious. Standing there, looking at her pilot, she let hope fill her.

" Too many complications." Harm dashed her hope, yet she tried again.

"Harm we're not in Washington anymore, we're not even on the same continent." She half begged. She put herself, and her heart on the line. Why was he so damn stubborn?

"That doesn't change who we are." He replied, his eyes searching hers. He knew what she wanted him to say, he knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't. Not yet.

"Most men would disagree with you!" *Damnit Harm, let go of this game, look at me, I'm here, with you, giving you the best opening I can*

"I know, I disagree with me some times too." He looked down at his feet. He was breaking her. There was a second of silence, and then she spoke in a whisper. Her eyes were glistening with the beginning of tears.

"You're only this way with me aren't you?" It was more of a statement then a question. She was crumbling inside, but stood strong.

"Yeah." He said simply. He could give her that.

"I guess I should be flattered." She let out a small laugh.

"You should be Sarah." Harm didn't move. He knew that was it. Mac tuned her head. He had called her Sarah. She was done for. Her heart was pulling away from the pain, and she let it. She looked back at Harm. His expression was the same.

It killed him, but that was all he could say. Mac broke away from the gaze and tuned her back. The two spent the rest of the ferry ride in silence. It docked and Mac walked off without a word. Harm stood watching. His heart was screaming at him to go after her. His had told him not to. Suddenly he realized that was his chance. That was it. Mac had put herself on the line and he shot her down. Why? "Damnit Rabb!" he cursed himself. He walked off the boat with a new objective.

Mac stood at the end of the dock. How could he have done that? That was her last time reaching out. She could give her heart, or what was left of it, to Mic. She couldn't wait for Harm. She couldn't wait all eternity. A solitary tear slide down her cheek. At least she had tried.

Harm saw her by the edge of the dock. He walked briskly toward her. "Now or never Rabb." He got to her, stopped, grabbed her arm and turned her around. Mac was in shock. What was he doing? *Sorry flyboy, but I'm done* She thought. His hands were on both her arms and he looked directly into her soulful eyes. He couldn't speak, so he acted. He bent down abruptly and pulled her into a kiss. One she accepted right away, though in shock. He kissed her the way he always should have and always wanted to. This would change everything, but at that moment he didn't care. Mac sighed with contentment. He broke from her lips and whipped away a tear from her eye with his thumb.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't come after me." She whispered.

"Me too." He replied with his best flyboy grin.



She rolled over and covered her eyes with her hands. The sun was starring at her, but all she wanted to do was go back to that dream. She finally sat up and looked at her left hand. There, the diamond flashed brilliantly in the sun, as though mocking her. "A dream." She sighed. "Again."

"Did you say something luv?" Came a voice from the bathroom.

"No," she called back. *I'm here, in this world. I'm engaged to Mic, in this world Harm did not come after me* She put her feet on the floor and bent her head into her hands. "Why am I dreaming of Harm while I sleep next to Mic?" She asked herself in a whisper. Every night was the same. The dreams came and made her wish they would never leave. She stood from her bed and went to the closet. Se pulled her Lieutenant Colonel uniform out and began to dress for work. Mic walked out of the bathroom, came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"G'morning Sarah." He said into he ear as he kissed her cheek.

"You too." She smiled back.

"Breakfast?" He asked.

"Nope, don't have time." She replied slipping out of his embrace and entering the bathroom. "I have court early this morning. I need to prepare." She called from the bathroom as she lined her eyes with charcoal pencil. *Why am I lying to him?* She didn't have any court cases this week. A little voice in her head shouted at her *I'll tell you why, because you want to be at the office as soon as possible. You can't go another second without seeing HIM.* The voice taunted her. She shook her head. Finished preparing for work, she entered the living room and joined Mic who handed her a cup of coffee, her keys and a kiss.

"Have a good day then!" He smiled. He obviously had no idea what sort of conversation was going on in her head.

"You too." She smiled. And with that was out the door and on her way to Harm, WORK. "Damnit" She said as the corvette started.

Mac waved at the security guard as she passed the entrance to JAG headquarters. She pulled her vette into her parking space. She noted that Harm's Lexus SUV was already sitting, cold, in his space. She was surprised, but she smiled to herself. She wouldn't have to wait much longer to see him. She mentally smacked herself. "Grow up MacKenzie." She ordered. With a glance at her engagement ring, she entered the building and stood waiting for the familiar ding of the elevator.

He sat in silence starring at his dimly lit desk. There were papers scattered about and crumpled papers lined the wastebasket. He threw his hands up in surrender. "It's too damn early to think." He said to himself. He had thought that an early start that day would be a good change of pace. He was gravely mistaken. Outside his door the bullpen was buzzing with early morning preparations. Lt. Simms bounced about putting things in order while Tiner followed her. Harm managed a smile before bringing his hands to massage his head. "I think I'm getting old. " He grumbled.

"Think?" Came a chirped response. His eyes looked up and found his partner standing in the doorway with an amused smile on her face. He smirked at her comment.

"Good one Mac." he said as she unbuttoned her cover.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Mac." Suddenly the light shown into his office and his problems from before evaporated; she was there. He beamed up at her.

"What?" she asked. As hard as she tried she could not keep her blood from racing through her veins. That smile, those eyes.

"Aren't you going to make some kind of remark about me being here so early?" He stood from his desk and walked past her through his door. She unconsciously followed him and thus began their morning routine. No thoughts went to it. They paused at her office so she could drop off her briefcase and carried on to the break room.

"I don't have to, you just did it for me." She replied mockingly. Harm laughed at this. They entered an empty break room.

Harm poured the coffee while Mac set out the sugar and cream. Without even thinking, each took a cup of the steaming liquid fixed it and handed it to the other.

"Do you do that every morning?" The question interrupted their comfortable silence.

"What Lieutenant?" Mac asked, completely unaware of what he spoke of.

"Fix each others coffee." Bud finished as he set a container into the refrigerator. Harm and Mac looked at each other, and then the coffee in their hands, and back at Bud.

"Apparently." Harm answered. Personally, he had never noticed, but as soon as Bud had called it to attention, he seemed to recall many similar mornings. Mac sipped her drink in deep contemplation. How had this happened? She smiled inwardly. She thought it a personal success to be so close and comfortable with Harmon Rabb. Few people were able to accomplish such a feet. Bud gave them knowing smiles and departed. "Sir, Ma'am."

The two Senior Officers heard the office become suddenly quiet. Shortly there after they heard a gruff "At Ease." They eyed each other and asked an unspoken question. *Good or bad mood? * Their eyes danced at each other. The Admiral entered the break room and found the two lawyers with amused looks on their faces. He didn't ask. He rarely did. In his opinion, he probably didn't want to know.

"Colonel, Commander." He spoke a slow greeting.

"Morning, Sir." They said simultaneously.

"When you've finished here, I'd like to see the two of you in my office." he said this as he poured his coffee and left the room.

"Yes Sir." They called after him. Morning flirtations ended, and Harm and Mac followed the Admiral to his office shortly there after.

The two officers sat in front of AJ's desk as they waited for him to finish signing papers for Tiner.

"Straight to the point." He said after Tiner had closed the door behind him. "I don't have any new cases for you this morning," he paused. "Oddly strange week if you ask me." He continued, commenting on the slow going workweek.

"Yes, Sir." Harm agreed while Mac nodded.

"I called you here to tell you of a officer joining the ranks here at JAG tomorrow." Mac and Harm exchanged looks.

"Are we understaffed, Sir?"

"No!" AJ stated, "however, the SecNav believes the addition will benefit all. Commander Tessa Ellis will be joining us bright and early tomorrow morning at 0800 hours." The Admiral sat back in his chair. "I'm sure you two will do your best to make her feel comfortable within our midst."

"Do our best Sir." Harm replied dutifully.

"Permission to speak freely Sir?" Mac asked, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Granted." He was curious about her upcoming comment.

"Do you have any idea if the new Commander is anything like Lt. Singer?" Mac bluntly asked. Her opinion of Lt. Lauren Singer was not hidden, in fact, most agreed with her. The Admiral smirked while Harm stifled his response with a cough.

"I sure as hell hope not Colonel!" AJ answered, making his feelings clear as well. The three shared knowing looks. "That'll be all. Dismissed!" He ordered shortly after.

"Aye, aye Sir." They replied together. They walked out of the Admirals office in silence. They reached Harm's office before Mac Spoke her mind.

"Harm?" Her eyes were suddenly honest and unprotected. He saw this right away and lightly pushed her inside, closing the door behind them.

"Yeah?" He asked, matching her gaze.

"Will this change us?"

"What? A new Attorney?" She nodded. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Mac felt threatened; another woman closing in on her territory. She wanted to order away her insecurities, but could not.

"I don't see how?"

"It's just, everything here has been so crazy lately. I don't know if we could survive breaking in a new recruit." She sat down as Harm stood behind his desk. He understood her hidden meaning.

"We can get through anything, Mac." He reassured. He was silent for seconds, starring into her eyes before he added: "We already have." Peaceful silence filled the room as the two partners basked in a stolen, unconscious moment. There was a knock at the door. Harm blinked and looked up. The saturated air was sucked out.

"Enter." He called.

"Sir?"

"What's up Bud?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but Ma'am, your phone has been ringing for the past five minutes." Bud smiled and knew that he had just intruded on something important. If Harriet knew, she would have killed him. However, Mac's phone would soon certainly disturb the Admiral. Bud had to decide the lesser of the two evils.

" Thank you Bud." Mac stood and followed him out he door. She turned halfway through. "Have a good morning flyboy." She grinned, and with that she was gone.

Harm heard the faint "Colonel MacKenzie" as Mac answered the phone. He picked up a pen and proceeded to jab it at his hand. *Never the right time* he thought to himself. He sat at his desk with a pen in has hand and Mac on his mind. His thoughts drifted back to Sydney. A night he would regret forever. Some thing had steered him away. Some thing always steered him away in those moments. A phone ringing, Jordan, Renee, Mic, flying, the list continued forever. Why? That was his one big question. For the life of him, he couldn't answer it.

Mac desperately did not want to leave. She knew who was on the other line. Mic.

"Colonel MacKenzie?" She barked into the receiver, thoughts still on Harm and eyes still lingering on his office door.

"Hello Sarah." His voice was cheerful and abrupt compared to Harm's soft warm tone.

"Mic..." She sighed

"Do you have lunch plans? I thought we'd meet some where." She thought fast. She did not want to have lunch with him. She wanted lunch with Harm. She wanted Harm for lunch *STOP IT MARINE* She ordered when she heard her thought.

"I'll have to take a rain check. I'm swamped here. I don't think I'll get time to go out." She tried to make herself sound regretful.

"No worries, we'll do dinner."

"Okay."

"Goodbye luv."

"Bye Mic." She hung up the phone and threw a pencil she had been holding across the room, which hit Harm in the chest. He bent to pick it up, straightened, and tossed it back to her.

"Why'd you lie to him?" He asked. Admitting he had overheard the conversation.

"Don't know." Mac replied. "Guess I wasn't in the mood to spend lunch with him." She sat down. She heard the ding of the elevator, and noted that some one was approaching behind Harm.

"Of course, " she said to herself. "He's in her office." She walked toward the door. "He's always in her office." Renee stood at the door and smiled. "Am I interrupting?" She asked. Harm jumped slightly, and turned around. "Renee?" He tried to remember if he had an appointment with her. "Hi" he added.

"Hi yourself." She couldn't decide if she should be mad about the look of stupor on his face, or just to ignore it.

"No." Mac answered her earlier question. "You aren't interrupting anything." *YES* she screamed in her head.

"Mac." Renee greeted.

"Hi, Renee." She said, faking a bright smile. Harm caught the edge in her voice. He gave her a pleading look.

"We're done here Commander, aren't we?" *When all else fails, fall back on formality*

"I believe so, Colonel. " He replied, and to Renee added: "Shall we?" He led her to his office. *Damn* Mac thought

They entered his office and Renee planted a kiss on his cheek.

"So, I thought we'd do lunch!" She said with a bright toothy smile.

"It's ten in the morning Renee." Harm replied, a little bewildered.

"I know, I stopped by to see if we could meet some where at lunch time."

"You stopped by to see me to see if you could see me?" Harm questioned, eyebrows slightly raised.

"I had a break from the commercial we're filming. I thought I'd get in some "us" time face to face." He nodded, and then she added: "Or maybe I shouldn't have." a little curtly.

"No!" Harm caught himself. "It's great to see you. Unfortunately, I'm not going to have time for lunch today. Paper work is bogging me down until I can't see straight." He realized he was lying to her, just as Mac had done with Mic. *ah Mac* he thought to himself. *Stop it* he scolded. It wasn't a complete lie. He did have paper work, but he did plan on taking a lunch, just not with Renee.

"Oh... okay." She was disappointed and semi-suspicious, but shook it off. "Well, then we're still on for tomorrow night?" Her grin was back

"Yep!" He replied, faking enthusiasm. Renee left and he sat at his desk, a little confused.

Thoughts filled his already overloaded head. Why had he done that? He loved Renee, right? His life seemed very wrong at that moment. He retraced his steps, trying to track the downhill jump his life had taken. It didn't take him long to find it. He left JAG to fly. That was it. He left the Admiral short handed, he'd left Jordan, and he'd left Mac, his best friend. He left her and she sought solace in Mic. It dawned on him, there as he sat starring at the air molecules in his office; it was his fault. He didn't like Brumby because he was a poor replacement for himself; both as a lawyer and for Mac. His leaving had eventually forced her into his arms. That revelation did not sit well in his stomach. He squirmed a little with discomfort.

Mac sat in her office, and saw Renee leave, alone. Part of her felt responsible for Renee and Harm. He had returned to JAG and she had started seeing Mic. Therefore, Harm found a replacement *A pretty lousy one* she thought. "Unfortunately" she said allowed. " I don't have Harm's luck. He hates Mic, but as much as I tried, I can't truly dislike Renee. Except for the fact that she has possession of my Navy officer and not her own" Her eyes grew large. Did she just say that? There was a sound at her door and she looked up.

"Harriet!" She said, wondering if she had heard her thinking.

"Ma'am, do you have a minute?" Harried asked, taking a few steps into the office.

"Sure Harriet, have a seat." Mac waved a hand. "What's up?" she asked after Harried had settled herself.

"This is silly, but..."

"Nonsense." Mac cut her off. "Spill." she demanded.

"Well... I have been thinking, and I think that I want another baby!" The Lt. looked down at her hands in her lap.

"That's great Harriet!" Mac noted the flicker in her eye. "But?" She prodded.

"Well..." Harriet continued. "I know Bud wants more children, but I am not sure if it is too soon. Especially since after Sa…well you know."

"You haven't asked him I assume?"

"No, Ma'am"

"Have you even discussed it recently?" Mac hurt for her friends. She knew how hard it had been for them losing baby Sarah.

"No." Harriet replied, a little embarrassed.

"You need to talk to Bud, Harriet. I'm sure if you talk this out, you'll decide what is best."

"I know, I guess I just needed some one to tell me."

"Do you want me to make it an order Lieutenant?" Mac asked, laughter playing on her words.

"Not necessary Colonel."

"Good, dismissed." Harried got up and left. Mac shuffled papers around and felt restless.

Harm still sat in silence. There was a decision he needed to make. Was he ready for it? There was a knock on the doorframe.

"Are you busy Commander?" Harm smiled at this.

"No, what's up?" He asked looking at the dark eyed woman in front of him.

"Lunch plans with Renee?" She asked, seating herself.

"No actually." He replied.

"Why not?"

"I don't know." He was still unsure of that part.

"Okay, well neither of us have plans, and I hate to eat alone, shall we order in?"

"Now?" He asked. "It's ten in the morning."

"Actually squid it's 1100 hours and twenty-eight seconds." He was shocked, he had sat lost in thought for two hours. He noticed her peering at him questioningly.

"Harm?" He looked a little queasy.

"Must have lost track of time."

"That's why you have me!" She replied heading for the door.

"I have you for lots of reasons." He said quietly, but loud enough for her to hear him. The room went dark, and everything disappeared; except for her. *Did I say that out loud* he wondered. Mac looked at him, wearing her Sarah face, not her Colonel face. Harm swiftly moved his eyes to meet Mac's stare. He had said it out loud, and she had heard. Time stopped, or it should have. The two of them were lost in one of their many moments. Both forgetting where they were. The phone rang. Just in time too. He was two seconds away from grabbing her into a kiss, right in the middle of his office, with the door open no less. He scrambled for the phone while Mac bent her head in an embarrassed smile.

"Rabb!" He answered, and watched Mac turn and walk out. "Damn." he said. "Sorry. " he added into the phone. "Webb?" He asked. * Great * he thought. * Wonderful timing * Mac's figure disappeared around the corner, and he was finally able to concentrate on the call. "Can you what?" He spoke into the receiver. "You want to borrow my Corvette?" Harm asked confused. "Why the hell do you need my car?" There was a pause on the other line, and soon, Harm got the response he expected. "Of course it's top secret. Do you even know how to drive a clutch?" He asked a little nervous. "Web, no one borrows that car!" Harm listened to his CIA friend do everything but beg. "Fine." He finally said. " One scratch Webb, and I'll... I'll make the CIA pay for it!" Clayton Webb grinned on the line. "I'll meet you tonight at the garage." There was a fuzzy connection and Harm wondered where Webb was.

The Admiral sat massaging his brow as he spoke to the SecNav. "Yes,Sir." His headache was growing with every word. "I'll see to it Sir. Yes, Sir, all right. Goodbye." He leaned back in his leather chair and pondered his conversation with theSecNav. There was a knock at his door. "Enter." He yelled. Commander Rabb opened the door. He stuck his head in

Admiral, do you have a minute?"

"What is it Commander?" Harm entered the office and stood in front of the Admiral's desk. AJ noticed the perplexed look on Harm's face.

"Sir, have you heard form Clayton Webb lately?" Harm was still trying to understand his previous conversation and why he had said yes to Webb's request.

"No." Answered AJ. "Why?"

"Well Sir, I just got off the phone with him, and" He paused.

"What did he want?"

"To borrow my Vette Sir." AJ chuckled. The look on Harm's face was classic. It was a look of complete horror. "I was wondering if you knew what he was up to? Wen I asked him he obviously said it was classified."

"Are you going to let him borrow your car?" The admiral was quite amused, but kept it to himself.

"That's he problem Sir, I said yes and I don't know why."

"Well, Commander, it's in his hands now. I don't know anything." Harm sighed. He had backed himself into a corner.

"Thank you, Sir." He left the Admiral, and as soon as the door clicked shut, AJ laughed heartily at Harm's misfortune.