I'M WAITING PART 3
By, TR
Disclaimer:They're not mine, please don't sue. It'd be a fruitless effort.
Harm stowed his carry-on and then sat down to buckle his seat belt. He sighed. The last few weeks were taking their toll on his tired body. The last two days in particular had been the hardest. He felt torn once again between duty and love. And he missed Mac terribly.
Unconsciously he pressed the button to recline his seat, and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Images played out in his mind, as he tried to relax. Mac's standing there in the pouring rain, a strand of her hair plastered to her forehead, looking up at him, her expression a mixture of hope, fear, and heartache. Himself trying to tell her as quickly as he could that it was she that he wanted, and not Renee'. He felt a stab of guilt as the image of Renee' weeping at her father's funeral, flashed behind his eyes. He had tried to comfort her as best as he could. Tried to hide the fact that he would rather be home working things out with another woman.
Another memory came to him, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It was one of Mac as they had hastily left the store and hurried back out into the pouring rain. He had fought the urge to kiss her full and deep. Fought the urge to let go, like he had done on AJ's porch. After all, he was still tied to another woman.
*Harm put the groceries into the car and turned to Mac. Pulling her into his arms, he clung to her. Afraid to let go, lest she turn and run. "Wait for me Mac." He whispered in her ear.
"I'm waiting Harm. I told you I would." She replied looking up at his face. They stared for a moment. Neither wanting to make the move.
At last Harm leaned down and laid a kiss on her forehead, and then rested his chin in her hair. They both stood, grasping, panting for control. For the strength to walk away with so much left unsaid. Mac was the first to let go.
"You'd better get back." She said, not bothering to disquise her sadness.
"Yeah, I better. I've got to get dinner on and then get to bed."
"With Renee'." Mac said, more to herself than to Harm.
Harm froze, and then frowned. He heard the pain and insecurity in her voice. "Mac." He said gently. "I promise you I won't touch her." He vowed. Thinking it odd that his pledge of faithfulness to the woman that he loved, involved staying away from the woman who was his girlfriend.
Mac pinned him with an skeptical expression. Harm couldn't blame her. He knew that Renee' would be needy. And Mac knew it too. He opted though, to leave the subject at his promise, and hope that Mac trusted him enough to believe him.
"I'll be back in a few days." He said, and Mac nodded, trying to smile. Hugging her breifly one more time, Harm got into his SUV, and drove home. When he looked back, Mac was still standing in the pouring rain.*
Harm was roused from his reverie by the clinking of the beverage cart making it's way down the isle. He righted his seat and prepared to get something to remedy his cotton mouth. 'I hate air travel!' he thought, and immediately laughed at himself. Funny how the view is so much better from the pilot's seat.
After selecting some mineral water from the cart Harm settled in again. He leaned his seat back once more and shook his head. All of his years of fancy court room talk, and mastering the art of jury persuasion, still hadn't prepared him to deal with Renee' wanton with greif. Almost begging him to give her a comforting distraction. He had been tempted, only because his heart went out to her in her pain. But he knew it would be impossible for him to touch her without picturing Mac. He had already made the mistake of calling her Mac once, he wasn't about to let it happen again. The very last thing he needed was to call out Mac's name in the throws of passion, and add to Renee's pain. He was grateful for his injuries then. They were a great excuse for declining certain forms of exercise, not to mention staying out on the couch where he could 'elevate his legs'. He had awakened with a sore back. But with his promise to Mac intact.
Harm looked at his watch and then stared at the phone lodged in the back of the seat in front of him. He pursed his lips in indecision. He still had two hours easy before he could get back home. He wasn't sure if talking to Mac was a good idea right now. If he started talking, he might not stop, and this was a conversation that definitely wanted to have in person. He sighed as his lawyer mind kicked in. 'Come on Rabb, lately you never get it right when it comes to Mac. Maybe trusting your insticts isn't the best thing to do.' Harm shrugged and picked up the phone. He slid his card into the payment slot and dialed Mac's number.
"Hello?" He heard her say. Her voice thick with sleep.
"Mac? I'm sorry did I wake you?" He paused, "I'll call back another time."
"No." She said quickly. "It's fine. Where are you?"
"I'm still on the plane."
"Harm! Those calls cost a fortune!"
"I know they do, but I wanted to check in with you." Harm hesitated, "are you alright?"
"I'm breathing in and out." Mac said wearily. "You know how it goes."
"Yeah." Harm agreed quietly. He looked at his watch. "I should be touching down in about an hour, and then it will take another hour just to get through the airport and then to your place." He gave a sour laugh. "I'm not moving all that fast these days."
"Well I can come get you if you need me to Harm. How did you get to the airport?"
"Renee' drove." He replied simply.
"Oh." Was all Mac said. But Harm could hear the strain in her voice.
"It's okay Mac, I'll just take a cab_"
"Wait Harm." Mac interrupted. "You're coming to my place?"
"Yeah. We have a conversation to finish."
"But I thought that you were going to give it a couple of weeks before_."
"I told you I would wait a couple of week to_" Harm looked around, mindful of bored eavesdroppers. "_free myself up. That doesn't mean that we aren't going to talk."
"Oh." Mac said, not knowing how to voice the myriad of other things going on in her mind.
"What did you expect Mac? That I would stay away from you?"
"I don't know what I expected. Nothing has worked according to plan lately." She gave a bitter laugh. "Like anything has EVER worked out according to plan in my life."
"Well, that's what the two weeks are for. Stop and catch your breath. And after tonight, try not to think too much. I'll be around to keep you on the straight and narrow."
"Oh well thank you very much. Are you suggesting that I am incapable of plotting the direction of my own life?" Mac said in an unreadable tone.
Harm frowned, not knowing if she was truly put out, or ribbing him. He decided to go with a serious answer. "That's what I'm here for Mac. Even in just the bestfriend capacity. I'm your bumper so you don't fall into the gutter." He told her, wincing at his own bad bowling analogy. "Well, you know what I mean. You can better reach your goals if I'm there to support you. You can do the same for me."
"It's a deal." Mac said, and Harm thought he heard a hint of a smile in her voice. "Now hang up before you have to take out a loan to pay for this call."
Harm laughed. "Okay, I'll see you__"
"In an hour at the airport." She said, finishing his sentence.
Harm smiled. "Okay thanks, bye Mac."
"Bye Harm." She answered, and the phone went dead.
TBC Good? Bad? Let me know. I hope this didn't suck too bad, it's exactly 3:57 AM. And I'm functioning on no coffee.
By, TR
Disclaimer:They're not mine, please don't sue. It'd be a fruitless effort.
Harm stowed his carry-on and then sat down to buckle his seat belt. He sighed. The last few weeks were taking their toll on his tired body. The last two days in particular had been the hardest. He felt torn once again between duty and love. And he missed Mac terribly.
Unconsciously he pressed the button to recline his seat, and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Images played out in his mind, as he tried to relax. Mac's standing there in the pouring rain, a strand of her hair plastered to her forehead, looking up at him, her expression a mixture of hope, fear, and heartache. Himself trying to tell her as quickly as he could that it was she that he wanted, and not Renee'. He felt a stab of guilt as the image of Renee' weeping at her father's funeral, flashed behind his eyes. He had tried to comfort her as best as he could. Tried to hide the fact that he would rather be home working things out with another woman.
Another memory came to him, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It was one of Mac as they had hastily left the store and hurried back out into the pouring rain. He had fought the urge to kiss her full and deep. Fought the urge to let go, like he had done on AJ's porch. After all, he was still tied to another woman.
*Harm put the groceries into the car and turned to Mac. Pulling her into his arms, he clung to her. Afraid to let go, lest she turn and run. "Wait for me Mac." He whispered in her ear.
"I'm waiting Harm. I told you I would." She replied looking up at his face. They stared for a moment. Neither wanting to make the move.
At last Harm leaned down and laid a kiss on her forehead, and then rested his chin in her hair. They both stood, grasping, panting for control. For the strength to walk away with so much left unsaid. Mac was the first to let go.
"You'd better get back." She said, not bothering to disquise her sadness.
"Yeah, I better. I've got to get dinner on and then get to bed."
"With Renee'." Mac said, more to herself than to Harm.
Harm froze, and then frowned. He heard the pain and insecurity in her voice. "Mac." He said gently. "I promise you I won't touch her." He vowed. Thinking it odd that his pledge of faithfulness to the woman that he loved, involved staying away from the woman who was his girlfriend.
Mac pinned him with an skeptical expression. Harm couldn't blame her. He knew that Renee' would be needy. And Mac knew it too. He opted though, to leave the subject at his promise, and hope that Mac trusted him enough to believe him.
"I'll be back in a few days." He said, and Mac nodded, trying to smile. Hugging her breifly one more time, Harm got into his SUV, and drove home. When he looked back, Mac was still standing in the pouring rain.*
Harm was roused from his reverie by the clinking of the beverage cart making it's way down the isle. He righted his seat and prepared to get something to remedy his cotton mouth. 'I hate air travel!' he thought, and immediately laughed at himself. Funny how the view is so much better from the pilot's seat.
After selecting some mineral water from the cart Harm settled in again. He leaned his seat back once more and shook his head. All of his years of fancy court room talk, and mastering the art of jury persuasion, still hadn't prepared him to deal with Renee' wanton with greif. Almost begging him to give her a comforting distraction. He had been tempted, only because his heart went out to her in her pain. But he knew it would be impossible for him to touch her without picturing Mac. He had already made the mistake of calling her Mac once, he wasn't about to let it happen again. The very last thing he needed was to call out Mac's name in the throws of passion, and add to Renee's pain. He was grateful for his injuries then. They were a great excuse for declining certain forms of exercise, not to mention staying out on the couch where he could 'elevate his legs'. He had awakened with a sore back. But with his promise to Mac intact.
Harm looked at his watch and then stared at the phone lodged in the back of the seat in front of him. He pursed his lips in indecision. He still had two hours easy before he could get back home. He wasn't sure if talking to Mac was a good idea right now. If he started talking, he might not stop, and this was a conversation that definitely wanted to have in person. He sighed as his lawyer mind kicked in. 'Come on Rabb, lately you never get it right when it comes to Mac. Maybe trusting your insticts isn't the best thing to do.' Harm shrugged and picked up the phone. He slid his card into the payment slot and dialed Mac's number.
"Hello?" He heard her say. Her voice thick with sleep.
"Mac? I'm sorry did I wake you?" He paused, "I'll call back another time."
"No." She said quickly. "It's fine. Where are you?"
"I'm still on the plane."
"Harm! Those calls cost a fortune!"
"I know they do, but I wanted to check in with you." Harm hesitated, "are you alright?"
"I'm breathing in and out." Mac said wearily. "You know how it goes."
"Yeah." Harm agreed quietly. He looked at his watch. "I should be touching down in about an hour, and then it will take another hour just to get through the airport and then to your place." He gave a sour laugh. "I'm not moving all that fast these days."
"Well I can come get you if you need me to Harm. How did you get to the airport?"
"Renee' drove." He replied simply.
"Oh." Was all Mac said. But Harm could hear the strain in her voice.
"It's okay Mac, I'll just take a cab_"
"Wait Harm." Mac interrupted. "You're coming to my place?"
"Yeah. We have a conversation to finish."
"But I thought that you were going to give it a couple of weeks before_."
"I told you I would wait a couple of week to_" Harm looked around, mindful of bored eavesdroppers. "_free myself up. That doesn't mean that we aren't going to talk."
"Oh." Mac said, not knowing how to voice the myriad of other things going on in her mind.
"What did you expect Mac? That I would stay away from you?"
"I don't know what I expected. Nothing has worked according to plan lately." She gave a bitter laugh. "Like anything has EVER worked out according to plan in my life."
"Well, that's what the two weeks are for. Stop and catch your breath. And after tonight, try not to think too much. I'll be around to keep you on the straight and narrow."
"Oh well thank you very much. Are you suggesting that I am incapable of plotting the direction of my own life?" Mac said in an unreadable tone.
Harm frowned, not knowing if she was truly put out, or ribbing him. He decided to go with a serious answer. "That's what I'm here for Mac. Even in just the bestfriend capacity. I'm your bumper so you don't fall into the gutter." He told her, wincing at his own bad bowling analogy. "Well, you know what I mean. You can better reach your goals if I'm there to support you. You can do the same for me."
"It's a deal." Mac said, and Harm thought he heard a hint of a smile in her voice. "Now hang up before you have to take out a loan to pay for this call."
Harm laughed. "Okay, I'll see you__"
"In an hour at the airport." She said, finishing his sentence.
Harm smiled. "Okay thanks, bye Mac."
"Bye Harm." She answered, and the phone went dead.
TBC Good? Bad? Let me know. I hope this didn't suck too bad, it's exactly 3:57 AM. And I'm functioning on no coffee.