December 4
Moscow
Above Sheremetevo-2 Airport
1635 local
Mac woke when the flight attendant gently shook her shoulder,
informing her that they would be landing soon. Mac thanked her, then
turned her head a bit to look at her still-dozing partner. For all
that he complained about getting older, he was still an extremely
attractive man. Asleep, his face relaxed, he looked almost boyish,
particularly with the slight smile that was currently on his face.
Moving carefully, she tried to extricate herself from his grasp,
intending to wake him. But he was having none of it, and instead
tightened his arms around her waist.
Mac sighed. It wasn't like she couldn't get out of his grasp if
she really wanted; then again, it would be nice if Harm still had two
functional, non-broken arms for this little excursion. She looked down
at her hands in her lap, thinking. As she studied her now-empty left
hand, some imp of the perverse tickled her thoughts. What the hell...
she was a free woman, they were far from being on duty and in
uniform.... might as well have a little fun with her flyboy.
Again, she shifted position carefully, to where she was almost on
her side, facing forward. With a wicked gleam in her eye, she began
idly tracing patterns on Harm's jean-covered thigh. She felt him move
slightly, and let her fingers wander up over his hip to play on his
stomach. Apparently still asleep, he sighed, squirming just a little.
Mac was enjoying this immensely--and judging by Harm's reactions,
she wasn't the only one. Unfortunately, as she was contemplating what
to do next, the fasten seatbelts sign came on. Rats. Just when she was
beginning to have some fun... Oh well, might as well get in one last
shot.
Leaning close, her fingers still tracing nondescript patterns on
his shirt-covered stomach, Mac pressed close and placed her lips right
next to his ear. "Harm," she whispered breathily, "Wake up. We're
landing."
An incomprehensible half-sigh, half-murmur was her answer. Time for
the heavy artillery. She let her fingers slowly drift to his side...and
began tickling him mercilessly.
A yelp accompanied the jump that nearly had him hitting his head
for a second time. Mac scooted back to her own seat, trying to stifle
her laughter behind her hand. That had been simply too much fun.
Initially surprised and confused, comprehension dawned on Harm when
he glanced at the snickering Marine. Damn. What a way to end a such a
great dream...then again, she'd caused it in the first place. Shooting
her a dark look, he began to comment, "Playing dirty there, Mac--", but
stopped short. Mac was hiding her laughter behind her hand--her now-
empty left hand.
Mac saw his gaze zero in on her hand, and realized what had caught
his attention. The laughter left her instantly. Sighing, she said
resignedly, "I guess you're wondering about this," waving the bare
hand.
Harm knew he was on potentially dangerous ground, and had better
tread carefully. What was it Mercedes had always preached? Oh, yeah.
The K.I.S.S. rule. Keep it simple, stupid. ...KISS rule... Mac...
kissing Mac...
"Harm?"
He quickly snapped his wandering mind back to the matter at hand.
"Sorry. Mind wandered a bit. Mac, it's up to you," he said, gesturing
toward her empty hand. "All I want to know is if it's permanent or
temporary," he added, a bit sheepishly.
Her eyebrows rose at that last comment. If she didn't know better,
she'd take that as a sign of interest. But he'd rejected her
before.... hadn't he?
For the first time, Mac began to wonder just what he'd meant by
"Not yet". At the time, and for quite a while afterwards, she'd simply
taken it as his polite way of refusing. Maybe...?
"It's permanent," she answered firmly, and couldn't help but notice
the seemingly relieved smile that followed her statement.
"Mind if I ask what happened?" he asked cautiously.
She shrugged. "He forbid me to come along with you, saying I had
to choose. When he tried to order me around like that, I guess that
was the last straw." She gave him a cautious look. "I told him there
was no need to choose between the two of you, but if he was going to
make me, I picked you. You always stood by me, but lately, Mic seemed
to care only about himself. So I took my key back, gave him the ring,
and threw him out of the house."
"Wow," was all he said, although there was a little voice in the
back of his head chanting 'she chose me! she chose me!' in a singsong
voice. Then he remembered that he had a rather important bit of
information to share as well. "Well, it seems like this trip was a hit
with both our ...um, significant others."
He definitely had her attention now. "Oh?"
"Yeah, Renee threw a fit and issued a ultimatum, too. Her or
Russia." He grinned, full power. "Guess which one I picked."
Mac could only stare for a moment, and then she couldn't help it-
she just started laughing. "God, we make a helluva team, flyboy," she
finally got out as the plane began its final descent.
He took her hand in his own, saying, "The best, Mac. The best."
***********
45 minutes later
"Okay, Mac, you're the expert here. What do you suggest?" Harm and
Mac had finally made their way through the airport, and were now
standing near one of the exits.
"Harm, it's your trip," Mac replied, a bit of exasperation in her
voice.
"I know. I mean, I guess we should get to Yekaterinburg, and see
if we can find Mercedes."
"And Webb," Mac added. "Well, the train's probably the best way to
get there and keep a low profile." She glanced at Harm. "We are going
to try to keep a low profile, right?"
"Right," he confirmed. "No up-for-auction cabdrivers, no KGB
agents, nobody. Find Mercedes and maybe Webb, if he's here, and that's
it." He paused, thinking. "If we're trying to stay unnoticed, we'd
better take the Metro or the bus to get to the train station."
"Agreed. Let's go."
He took her hand again as the headed for the Metro platform.
Finding the right track, they stood, waiting for the subway to arrive.
He turned to look at her as the train pulled in. "I meant it,
Mac. This time, it's just you and me."
Mac grinned. This trip was getting better and better.
TBC.....
Moscow
Above Sheremetevo-2 Airport
1635 local
Mac woke when the flight attendant gently shook her shoulder,
informing her that they would be landing soon. Mac thanked her, then
turned her head a bit to look at her still-dozing partner. For all
that he complained about getting older, he was still an extremely
attractive man. Asleep, his face relaxed, he looked almost boyish,
particularly with the slight smile that was currently on his face.
Moving carefully, she tried to extricate herself from his grasp,
intending to wake him. But he was having none of it, and instead
tightened his arms around her waist.
Mac sighed. It wasn't like she couldn't get out of his grasp if
she really wanted; then again, it would be nice if Harm still had two
functional, non-broken arms for this little excursion. She looked down
at her hands in her lap, thinking. As she studied her now-empty left
hand, some imp of the perverse tickled her thoughts. What the hell...
she was a free woman, they were far from being on duty and in
uniform.... might as well have a little fun with her flyboy.
Again, she shifted position carefully, to where she was almost on
her side, facing forward. With a wicked gleam in her eye, she began
idly tracing patterns on Harm's jean-covered thigh. She felt him move
slightly, and let her fingers wander up over his hip to play on his
stomach. Apparently still asleep, he sighed, squirming just a little.
Mac was enjoying this immensely--and judging by Harm's reactions,
she wasn't the only one. Unfortunately, as she was contemplating what
to do next, the fasten seatbelts sign came on. Rats. Just when she was
beginning to have some fun... Oh well, might as well get in one last
shot.
Leaning close, her fingers still tracing nondescript patterns on
his shirt-covered stomach, Mac pressed close and placed her lips right
next to his ear. "Harm," she whispered breathily, "Wake up. We're
landing."
An incomprehensible half-sigh, half-murmur was her answer. Time for
the heavy artillery. She let her fingers slowly drift to his side...and
began tickling him mercilessly.
A yelp accompanied the jump that nearly had him hitting his head
for a second time. Mac scooted back to her own seat, trying to stifle
her laughter behind her hand. That had been simply too much fun.
Initially surprised and confused, comprehension dawned on Harm when
he glanced at the snickering Marine. Damn. What a way to end a such a
great dream...then again, she'd caused it in the first place. Shooting
her a dark look, he began to comment, "Playing dirty there, Mac--", but
stopped short. Mac was hiding her laughter behind her hand--her now-
empty left hand.
Mac saw his gaze zero in on her hand, and realized what had caught
his attention. The laughter left her instantly. Sighing, she said
resignedly, "I guess you're wondering about this," waving the bare
hand.
Harm knew he was on potentially dangerous ground, and had better
tread carefully. What was it Mercedes had always preached? Oh, yeah.
The K.I.S.S. rule. Keep it simple, stupid. ...KISS rule... Mac...
kissing Mac...
"Harm?"
He quickly snapped his wandering mind back to the matter at hand.
"Sorry. Mind wandered a bit. Mac, it's up to you," he said, gesturing
toward her empty hand. "All I want to know is if it's permanent or
temporary," he added, a bit sheepishly.
Her eyebrows rose at that last comment. If she didn't know better,
she'd take that as a sign of interest. But he'd rejected her
before.... hadn't he?
For the first time, Mac began to wonder just what he'd meant by
"Not yet". At the time, and for quite a while afterwards, she'd simply
taken it as his polite way of refusing. Maybe...?
"It's permanent," she answered firmly, and couldn't help but notice
the seemingly relieved smile that followed her statement.
"Mind if I ask what happened?" he asked cautiously.
She shrugged. "He forbid me to come along with you, saying I had
to choose. When he tried to order me around like that, I guess that
was the last straw." She gave him a cautious look. "I told him there
was no need to choose between the two of you, but if he was going to
make me, I picked you. You always stood by me, but lately, Mic seemed
to care only about himself. So I took my key back, gave him the ring,
and threw him out of the house."
"Wow," was all he said, although there was a little voice in the
back of his head chanting 'she chose me! she chose me!' in a singsong
voice. Then he remembered that he had a rather important bit of
information to share as well. "Well, it seems like this trip was a hit
with both our ...um, significant others."
He definitely had her attention now. "Oh?"
"Yeah, Renee threw a fit and issued a ultimatum, too. Her or
Russia." He grinned, full power. "Guess which one I picked."
Mac could only stare for a moment, and then she couldn't help it-
she just started laughing. "God, we make a helluva team, flyboy," she
finally got out as the plane began its final descent.
He took her hand in his own, saying, "The best, Mac. The best."
***********
45 minutes later
"Okay, Mac, you're the expert here. What do you suggest?" Harm and
Mac had finally made their way through the airport, and were now
standing near one of the exits.
"Harm, it's your trip," Mac replied, a bit of exasperation in her
voice.
"I know. I mean, I guess we should get to Yekaterinburg, and see
if we can find Mercedes."
"And Webb," Mac added. "Well, the train's probably the best way to
get there and keep a low profile." She glanced at Harm. "We are going
to try to keep a low profile, right?"
"Right," he confirmed. "No up-for-auction cabdrivers, no KGB
agents, nobody. Find Mercedes and maybe Webb, if he's here, and that's
it." He paused, thinking. "If we're trying to stay unnoticed, we'd
better take the Metro or the bus to get to the train station."
"Agreed. Let's go."
He took her hand again as the headed for the Metro platform.
Finding the right track, they stood, waiting for the subway to arrive.
He turned to look at her as the train pulled in. "I meant it,
Mac. This time, it's just you and me."
Mac grinned. This trip was getting better and better.
TBC.....