Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long to update but I kept leaving and
coming back and then there was Christmas and New Year and now I've
forgotten to breathe so I'll just get on with the story!
Oh and Amel, thanks for your letter! Glad you got mine, I was starting to think I'd stuffed up the address. You're writing is so cool. Sorry about the messiness of mine. I was in a hammock and I was tired.
* * *
One week later...
* * *
Harm walked lethargically up to his office.
"Morning Captain!" called Harriet, looking way to happy for Harm's current move. Five years to the day...
He nodded at Harriet, trying to ignore the mysterious smile on her face that was aiming directly at him.
"Morning Lieutenant," he replied. She was still his friend after all.
"Well, Captain, how are you?" she asked, a broad grin on her face.
"Harriet, what is up?" he asked. "You're... all happy and stuff."
"Not a crime, is it, Captain?" and with another mysterious grin she sauntered away.
He shook his head as he walked away. Yes, he had been promoted in the five years she had been gone. He wondered if she had. Probably. And she probably deserved it too. He shook his head.
She wasn't here.
And she never would be.
He went to work.
* * *
Mac steered her car through the streets of Washington. It was strange to be back. Even stranger was the feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Nerves.
She was nervous about going back.
Well, not going back. seeing him, was probably a more accurate definition.
Her cell phone rang.
"Mackenzie," she snapped a tad irritably. Was it just her, or was everyone driving really badly this morning.
"Hey, Sarah," came Daniel's voice. She surprised herself with the thought that he was the last person she needed to hear right now.
"What?" she asked.
"Woah... did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Just calling to say hello because I missed you this morning... you left early."
"That's sweet, Daniel, really it is, but this is not a good time."
"Okay. Sarah, are you okay?"
"Yes!" she shouted. "Shit!" She yanked the steering wheel hard to the right. Without realising it, she had drifted into the next lane and nearly hit a blue Buick, which was honking it's horn furiously at her. "No, I'm not okay!" she groaned. "Oh, what am I saying? I'll see you tonight. Bye, Daniel."
And she hung up.
"Okay, Mac, let's try to get to JAG in one piece."
Her cell rang again.
She knew it was Daniel.
Checking if she was all right.
And for some disquieting reason, which scared her more than she cared to admit, she didn't care.
She floored it.
* * *
Harm was working in his office, through a gnarly monster of a case involving a Navy Petty Officer. He sighed as he checked the clock on his desk. 9:00am. Another hour's work and he'd go for a coffee break.
Suddenly, something abruptly changed about the office.
It took him awhile to work out what it was.
The usual noise and bustle of the bullpen, which his office didn't drown out completely, had suddenly and completely ceased, save for the ringing of one insistent phone.
Harm frowned.
He stood up and walked to the door of his office and stuck his head out.
"Would someone answer that."
He never finished the sentence, dumbstruck.
Like the rest of the office.
* * *
Mac stared around the bullpen.
Every single person had fallen silent at her arrival. Except for that darn phone.
Suddenly, to her left, a door opened and a man's head poked out. He started to say something, but stopped midsentance.
Her dark eyes locked with his.
Harm.
She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Same dark eyes, same hair, same everything. He was undoubtedly the same Harm she had left.
Except...
Something had changed. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. He seemed. older, somehow. Tired. Not physically, but... his aura was different to the one she remembered.
She tore her gaze away from his and looked back at the bullpen.
They hadn't changed either.
She smiled, and the tension in the air dispersed.
"Welcome back, Colonel," managed Harriet. Seeing her in person still was a shock.
"Thanks, Lieutenant. Good to be here."
Then the office converged on her in welcoming, and Harm was cut from her view.
* * *
Harm was staring. He knew he was.
She was here.
Mac.
Here.
At JAG.
With him.
Must have been what Harriet was smiling at. And the way she had held herself on the way in, he knew she was here to stay.
Same Mac. If anything, she was more stunningly beautiful than he had remembered. Beautiful, fathomless eyes, glossy dark hair, perfect physique. And that smile. She was radiant.
He had almost run over and greeted her like he would have before she had left. A friendly hug, their playful banter. But five years, a thousand miles of separation and a husband came rushing at him like a freight train. He couldn't. So he did the only logical thing, and retreated back inside his office.
* * *
Mac grinned at the mass of officers around her. She had already hugged Harriet, Bud (now a Lieutenant Commander) and Sturgis. They were still the same, still constant, a fact for which she was very thankful for. She felt the tension she had been carrying ever since Daniel had announced they were leaving for Washington leave her.
She truly was home.
"Back to work!" barked a gruff voice.
The mass of officers around her quickly disappeared and AJ Chegwidden was striding towards her.
"Admiral!" she cried, moving towards her old friend and commander.
"Admiral? I thought I was a friend!" he teased. His mock-indignant face changed to a grin. "Mac. Good to have you home."
He hugged her tightly.
"Now come to my office. We have to talk about your reassignment here."
Smiling and truly relaxed, she allowed the Admiral to lead her to his office.
* * *
Harm collapsed in his chair in a state of pure shock.
She was back.
Harriet had known, and was obviously under wraps from the Admiral not to tell.
Every feeling he had been fighting on and off ever since he had met Mac rose to the surface. She was back. He couldn't get over it. Here... with him... she was... here.
And he had no idea what he was going to say to her.
Oh and Amel, thanks for your letter! Glad you got mine, I was starting to think I'd stuffed up the address. You're writing is so cool. Sorry about the messiness of mine. I was in a hammock and I was tired.
* * *
One week later...
* * *
Harm walked lethargically up to his office.
"Morning Captain!" called Harriet, looking way to happy for Harm's current move. Five years to the day...
He nodded at Harriet, trying to ignore the mysterious smile on her face that was aiming directly at him.
"Morning Lieutenant," he replied. She was still his friend after all.
"Well, Captain, how are you?" she asked, a broad grin on her face.
"Harriet, what is up?" he asked. "You're... all happy and stuff."
"Not a crime, is it, Captain?" and with another mysterious grin she sauntered away.
He shook his head as he walked away. Yes, he had been promoted in the five years she had been gone. He wondered if she had. Probably. And she probably deserved it too. He shook his head.
She wasn't here.
And she never would be.
He went to work.
* * *
Mac steered her car through the streets of Washington. It was strange to be back. Even stranger was the feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Nerves.
She was nervous about going back.
Well, not going back. seeing him, was probably a more accurate definition.
Her cell phone rang.
"Mackenzie," she snapped a tad irritably. Was it just her, or was everyone driving really badly this morning.
"Hey, Sarah," came Daniel's voice. She surprised herself with the thought that he was the last person she needed to hear right now.
"What?" she asked.
"Woah... did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Just calling to say hello because I missed you this morning... you left early."
"That's sweet, Daniel, really it is, but this is not a good time."
"Okay. Sarah, are you okay?"
"Yes!" she shouted. "Shit!" She yanked the steering wheel hard to the right. Without realising it, she had drifted into the next lane and nearly hit a blue Buick, which was honking it's horn furiously at her. "No, I'm not okay!" she groaned. "Oh, what am I saying? I'll see you tonight. Bye, Daniel."
And she hung up.
"Okay, Mac, let's try to get to JAG in one piece."
Her cell rang again.
She knew it was Daniel.
Checking if she was all right.
And for some disquieting reason, which scared her more than she cared to admit, she didn't care.
She floored it.
* * *
Harm was working in his office, through a gnarly monster of a case involving a Navy Petty Officer. He sighed as he checked the clock on his desk. 9:00am. Another hour's work and he'd go for a coffee break.
Suddenly, something abruptly changed about the office.
It took him awhile to work out what it was.
The usual noise and bustle of the bullpen, which his office didn't drown out completely, had suddenly and completely ceased, save for the ringing of one insistent phone.
Harm frowned.
He stood up and walked to the door of his office and stuck his head out.
"Would someone answer that."
He never finished the sentence, dumbstruck.
Like the rest of the office.
* * *
Mac stared around the bullpen.
Every single person had fallen silent at her arrival. Except for that darn phone.
Suddenly, to her left, a door opened and a man's head poked out. He started to say something, but stopped midsentance.
Her dark eyes locked with his.
Harm.
She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Same dark eyes, same hair, same everything. He was undoubtedly the same Harm she had left.
Except...
Something had changed. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. He seemed. older, somehow. Tired. Not physically, but... his aura was different to the one she remembered.
She tore her gaze away from his and looked back at the bullpen.
They hadn't changed either.
She smiled, and the tension in the air dispersed.
"Welcome back, Colonel," managed Harriet. Seeing her in person still was a shock.
"Thanks, Lieutenant. Good to be here."
Then the office converged on her in welcoming, and Harm was cut from her view.
* * *
Harm was staring. He knew he was.
She was here.
Mac.
Here.
At JAG.
With him.
Must have been what Harriet was smiling at. And the way she had held herself on the way in, he knew she was here to stay.
Same Mac. If anything, she was more stunningly beautiful than he had remembered. Beautiful, fathomless eyes, glossy dark hair, perfect physique. And that smile. She was radiant.
He had almost run over and greeted her like he would have before she had left. A friendly hug, their playful banter. But five years, a thousand miles of separation and a husband came rushing at him like a freight train. He couldn't. So he did the only logical thing, and retreated back inside his office.
* * *
Mac grinned at the mass of officers around her. She had already hugged Harriet, Bud (now a Lieutenant Commander) and Sturgis. They were still the same, still constant, a fact for which she was very thankful for. She felt the tension she had been carrying ever since Daniel had announced they were leaving for Washington leave her.
She truly was home.
"Back to work!" barked a gruff voice.
The mass of officers around her quickly disappeared and AJ Chegwidden was striding towards her.
"Admiral!" she cried, moving towards her old friend and commander.
"Admiral? I thought I was a friend!" he teased. His mock-indignant face changed to a grin. "Mac. Good to have you home."
He hugged her tightly.
"Now come to my office. We have to talk about your reassignment here."
Smiling and truly relaxed, she allowed the Admiral to lead her to his office.
* * *
Harm collapsed in his chair in a state of pure shock.
She was back.
Harriet had known, and was obviously under wraps from the Admiral not to tell.
Every feeling he had been fighting on and off ever since he had met Mac rose to the surface. She was back. He couldn't get over it. Here... with him... she was... here.
And he had no idea what he was going to say to her.