Sorry this has gone so slow. I will try to get this wrapped soon. Thanks
for your reviews and patience. Real life is slowing me down.
Andrews Air Force Base 4 Days later 1426 Eastern
Mac was quiet, more so that usual. The past few days since their departure from Paraguay had been hectic and tense. They had been airlifted from Asuncion to Gitmo where Navy doctors had checked them over, drawn several vials of blood and given them prescriptions for antimicrobials incase they had picked up any bugs in their adventure. After two days of observation they were released to return home with new ID cards, but little more than the donated clothes on their back.
The C-130 they had hitched back on was noisy and not built for comfort but they found little reason to complain. The aircrew had shared box lunches with them, but both had found they lacked an appetite. Unable to talk because of the engine noise they had held hands.
"There's something to be said for not having to wait in lint for you luggage," Commented Harm as they disembarked.
"There's also something to be said about being able to catch a cab back to your apartment." Mac replied
"Good point," Harm admitted. "Let's go over to the flight office and see if they have any suggestions."
They were looking around for a sign when heard their names called. They turned to see PO Tiner waving and approaching. "Colonel, Commander, I'm glad I found you."
Mac smiled, surprised at how happy she was to see the admirals aide. "What are you doing here, Jason?"
"The admiral sent me, ma'am" he would have come himself but he was called over to the pentagon. His orders were to see you made it home safe and see to anything you need." He handed her a bouquet he had been carrying. "It's from the office, ma'am." He turned and shook Harm's hand. "We've been real worried about you, sir."
"Thanks, Tiner. We were just trying to figure how to make it home." Harm said
"Right this way, Sir, Ma'am."
Mackenzie's Apartment Exterior
Tiner pulled to the curb in front of Macs apartment and got out to open the door for the two passengers. Since Mac didn't have apartment key with her Tiner had brought her spare set from her desk at JAG. "Thanks, Tiner."
"Not a problem, ma'am." He replied. "Oh, ma'am! Before I forget, The Admiral asked me to give this letter to you. It arrived at JAG yesterday and there was no return address"
Mac took the letter and immediately recognized the script on the front. "Thanks again, Tiner." She said as she pocketed the note.
"Sir, I can take you to your apartment now if you would like."
Harm was about to take him up on his offer when Mac spoke up. "It's okay, I'll take him, Jason. You've done enough for us, thanks."
"No trouble, ma'am. We're just glad to have you home."
"It's good to be home." She said as they walked in.
"Whew!" she said as they entered the apartment. "It's good to be home." She dropped her keys and kicked off her shoes. "Want some tea?"
"That would be nice," Harm replied as he moved to the sofa." Seconds later his eyes were closing. "You know, you probably should have let Tiner take me home. I know you're exhausted."
A loud crashing sound came from the kitchen. Harm jumped up and ran toward the source of the noise. "Mac?" He found her standing over a broken cup trembling. "Mac, what's wrong?" He knew the answer already. The stress of the past few days had taken such a toll on her emotions he was surprised she had held on as long as she had. As he took her into his arms her legs went out from under her and they both sank to the floor. "It's okay, Sarah. It's over now." He whispered as she began to sob. After a few minutes her tears subsided, but she didn't make a move to get up. "You're going to need to talk to someone to help you get through this."
She smiled and wiped at her cheeks. "That's why I have you, right?"
Harm stood up and pulled her with him. "I may not be enough. Think about it, okay?"
She nodded and sighed. She wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her head on his chest. The comfort of his closeness abated some of the terror that had crept up on her moments ago. "I guess I'll get us that tea." She said as she reluctantly moved back.
Harm started picking up the pieces of the broken mug. He was worried about her. Unless she got help the memories of what she had endured while she was with Webb could haunt her for the rest of her life. Webb, he wanted to strangle that man with his bare hands. Whatever debt he owed him for Sergei's freedom couldn't compare with what it almost cost him. He was surprised that Mac hadn't seemed to harbor any ill feelings toward him. He remembered the note that Gunny had given her. He desperately wanted to know what it said, but he couldn't just come out and ask. "I wonder how Clay is?" he asked simply. He was trolling, but it was driving him mad.
Without turning Mac took the note from her back pocket and handed it back to him. She had been anticipating this, knowing his curiosity, and perhaps a little jealously was getting to him. The phone started to ring. "I'll get it."
"If it's Webb tell him to take a leap." He called after her. Grabbing the mugs of steaming tea he followed.
"Yes sir, we're fine. Thanks for sending Tiner."
He deduced it was the Admiral on the phone as he put the mug on the coffee table and stat down. At least it wasn't Super-spook.
"Yes sir, I understand." A pause. "I'll tell him, sir." Then, "See you in the morning." After she hung up she took a seat next to him a little closer that usual.
"I take it that was the Admiral." He said as her draped his arm around her shoulders a little more intimately than usual.
"He wants to me to debrief in the morning." She said as she turned toward him eliminating the space between their bodies. "He wants to see you, too."
Harm could feel her warm breath on his neck and it was making cognitive thought very difficult. "Hey, I'm not in the Navy anymore. I was just a tourist."
"You are on terminal leave, so technically you're still under his command." She reached up and stroked his cheek.
"So that only leaves us, what, ten hours to prepare?" he leaned in, his lips mere inches from hers.
"Beats me." She closed the distance and their lips met.
He smiled inwardly. He had finally found the one thing that could knock her internal clock off kilter.
TBC.soon .I hope
Andrews Air Force Base 4 Days later 1426 Eastern
Mac was quiet, more so that usual. The past few days since their departure from Paraguay had been hectic and tense. They had been airlifted from Asuncion to Gitmo where Navy doctors had checked them over, drawn several vials of blood and given them prescriptions for antimicrobials incase they had picked up any bugs in their adventure. After two days of observation they were released to return home with new ID cards, but little more than the donated clothes on their back.
The C-130 they had hitched back on was noisy and not built for comfort but they found little reason to complain. The aircrew had shared box lunches with them, but both had found they lacked an appetite. Unable to talk because of the engine noise they had held hands.
"There's something to be said for not having to wait in lint for you luggage," Commented Harm as they disembarked.
"There's also something to be said about being able to catch a cab back to your apartment." Mac replied
"Good point," Harm admitted. "Let's go over to the flight office and see if they have any suggestions."
They were looking around for a sign when heard their names called. They turned to see PO Tiner waving and approaching. "Colonel, Commander, I'm glad I found you."
Mac smiled, surprised at how happy she was to see the admirals aide. "What are you doing here, Jason?"
"The admiral sent me, ma'am" he would have come himself but he was called over to the pentagon. His orders were to see you made it home safe and see to anything you need." He handed her a bouquet he had been carrying. "It's from the office, ma'am." He turned and shook Harm's hand. "We've been real worried about you, sir."
"Thanks, Tiner. We were just trying to figure how to make it home." Harm said
"Right this way, Sir, Ma'am."
Mackenzie's Apartment Exterior
Tiner pulled to the curb in front of Macs apartment and got out to open the door for the two passengers. Since Mac didn't have apartment key with her Tiner had brought her spare set from her desk at JAG. "Thanks, Tiner."
"Not a problem, ma'am." He replied. "Oh, ma'am! Before I forget, The Admiral asked me to give this letter to you. It arrived at JAG yesterday and there was no return address"
Mac took the letter and immediately recognized the script on the front. "Thanks again, Tiner." She said as she pocketed the note.
"Sir, I can take you to your apartment now if you would like."
Harm was about to take him up on his offer when Mac spoke up. "It's okay, I'll take him, Jason. You've done enough for us, thanks."
"No trouble, ma'am. We're just glad to have you home."
"It's good to be home." She said as they walked in.
"Whew!" she said as they entered the apartment. "It's good to be home." She dropped her keys and kicked off her shoes. "Want some tea?"
"That would be nice," Harm replied as he moved to the sofa." Seconds later his eyes were closing. "You know, you probably should have let Tiner take me home. I know you're exhausted."
A loud crashing sound came from the kitchen. Harm jumped up and ran toward the source of the noise. "Mac?" He found her standing over a broken cup trembling. "Mac, what's wrong?" He knew the answer already. The stress of the past few days had taken such a toll on her emotions he was surprised she had held on as long as she had. As he took her into his arms her legs went out from under her and they both sank to the floor. "It's okay, Sarah. It's over now." He whispered as she began to sob. After a few minutes her tears subsided, but she didn't make a move to get up. "You're going to need to talk to someone to help you get through this."
She smiled and wiped at her cheeks. "That's why I have you, right?"
Harm stood up and pulled her with him. "I may not be enough. Think about it, okay?"
She nodded and sighed. She wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her head on his chest. The comfort of his closeness abated some of the terror that had crept up on her moments ago. "I guess I'll get us that tea." She said as she reluctantly moved back.
Harm started picking up the pieces of the broken mug. He was worried about her. Unless she got help the memories of what she had endured while she was with Webb could haunt her for the rest of her life. Webb, he wanted to strangle that man with his bare hands. Whatever debt he owed him for Sergei's freedom couldn't compare with what it almost cost him. He was surprised that Mac hadn't seemed to harbor any ill feelings toward him. He remembered the note that Gunny had given her. He desperately wanted to know what it said, but he couldn't just come out and ask. "I wonder how Clay is?" he asked simply. He was trolling, but it was driving him mad.
Without turning Mac took the note from her back pocket and handed it back to him. She had been anticipating this, knowing his curiosity, and perhaps a little jealously was getting to him. The phone started to ring. "I'll get it."
"If it's Webb tell him to take a leap." He called after her. Grabbing the mugs of steaming tea he followed.
"Yes sir, we're fine. Thanks for sending Tiner."
He deduced it was the Admiral on the phone as he put the mug on the coffee table and stat down. At least it wasn't Super-spook.
"Yes sir, I understand." A pause. "I'll tell him, sir." Then, "See you in the morning." After she hung up she took a seat next to him a little closer that usual.
"I take it that was the Admiral." He said as her draped his arm around her shoulders a little more intimately than usual.
"He wants to me to debrief in the morning." She said as she turned toward him eliminating the space between their bodies. "He wants to see you, too."
Harm could feel her warm breath on his neck and it was making cognitive thought very difficult. "Hey, I'm not in the Navy anymore. I was just a tourist."
"You are on terminal leave, so technically you're still under his command." She reached up and stroked his cheek.
"So that only leaves us, what, ten hours to prepare?" he leaned in, his lips mere inches from hers.
"Beats me." She closed the distance and their lips met.
He smiled inwardly. He had finally found the one thing that could knock her internal clock off kilter.
TBC.soon .I hope
