Sturgis looked up to see Mac framed in his doorway. "Hey, I've gotta
get out of here. Can you cover?"
He nodded. The trial had been hell on everyone. Off work, Jen and Bud had both confessed their testimony to Harriet, Mac, and himself. He had to admit that none of it had looked very good for Harm, but Mac had taken Jen's testimony hard. He felt bad himself: knowing that he wasn't allowed to help Harm and knowing that he couldn't help Mac unless he could help Harm. "Of course, go ahead."
She half-smiled. "Thanks." He watched her walk away and tried to concentrate on his work, but his mind kept going back to his friends and how he could or couldn't help them.
Mac left the JAG building and got into her car. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do there, but she had to get things settled in her mind. It was killing her not to be able to take care of Harm. That was her job, not just because of the Admiral making them partners, but because she loved him. She'd loved him for years, since they first met. She'd loved him in spite of others they were dating, cases they were on, things that were going haywire in their lives. She'd loved him in America, Ireland, Russia, Iran, Australia, and Afghanistan. She couldn't lose him now. It had gotten to the point that she couldn't do anything without him, even focus. She hadn't slept since they'd arrested him, hadn't eaten much, and she knew that was bad. It was bad getting this attached to a man, even him, because eventually, they all left, in one way or another. She drove past the Wall, remembered his father, and, for the first time, hated the whole mess because it had ended up taking him away from her, like she'd always known it would. She remembered it all, every second of their partnership. Why had this happened now? They were just starting to go out, like a real couple, and now she was going to lose him. Maybe she was wrong: maybe she wasn't good enough at saying goodbye, at least not to him. Harm seemed to be the punishment for everything she'd done wrong in her life, or more appropriately, loving him so much with everything getting between them being together was the punishment. She found herself outside the bar where she'd met Dalton. She couldn't get out of the car, but she couldn't drive away either.
Harm got out of the elevator, looking around. His lawyer had told him to just go home, get some rest, but there was a thirty minutes left in the workday and he had a few people he wanted to see. Well, only one that couldn't wait. After he saw her again, he would feel better, like it all was over and he was free. Harriet grinned at him and he could tell that if they weren't in the office, she would have hugged him. "Sir!"
"Harriet." He smiled back. He had missed her and Bud and especially Little A.J.
"Are you okay, sir? I mean, when did you get out?" A crowd was beginning to form and Jen moved close to Bud and Harriet. The admiral even came out of his office, a tiny smile beginning to form on his worried face.
"About thirty minutes ago."
"They found who killed her?"
Harm nodded. "The suspect was questioned and made a full confession." It was killing him not to tell who the killer was; he never would have suspected Lindsey of anything remotely close to murder, much less that Lindsey hated him enough to frame him for the crime.
"All right, everybody. I'm not running a gossip column in some newspaper here. Back to work." The admiral pretended to be gruff, but, before he turned, Harm caught the slightest glimpse of a grin.
"Sir, Harriet, A.J., and I would love it if you came over for dinner." Bud said at the urging of his wife.
Harm smiled. "Thanks, Bud. Rain check?"
"Absolutely." Bud and Harriet went back to his duty as well, but Jen was still standing there. "Jen?"
"I'm sorry about what I said, sir." Jen said quietly.
"You told the truth. That's always the best thing to do in these situations. I should have done that myself."
Jen nodded, looking back to her mischievous self again. "I'm glad you're okay, sir."
He smiled again. "Thanks," he replied, already on his way to Mac's office.
"She's not here." Harm turned when he heard Sturgis's voice behind him.
"Where'd she go?" Harm had a bad feeling something was wrong. She was supposed to be waiting for him when he got out. He'd always pictured that he would walk in and she'd be in her chair, working or maybe, if she had one of those visions, she would be waiting there for him to walk back into her life. For her not to be there was not part of the plan.
"I don't know. She said she had to leave and I said I'd cover for her." Harm frowned. Mac leaving was not part of his plan. She was supposed to be here, waiting for him. "Are you all right?" Harm didn't answer, just turned around and briskly walked out. *****
Mac stretched out on her couch, underneath a throw, ready for another unending night of little, if any, sleep. She had the beginnings of a code red headache, almost a migraine, but she had the radio on for background noise, the station she and Harm always listened to together. The knob on her door turned and she reached for her gun, lying on the table nearby. She was about ready to shoot when the door opened.
"Harm?"
"Great. I survive Loren and Lindsey, get outta jail, and my partner nearly kills me." He teased.
"Harm!" She dropped her gun and jumped off the couch, her headache already going away.
"Hey, ninja girl." He hugged her tightly. "I went to JAG and you weren't there, got worried. Are you okay?" She paused for a few minutes. She'd had a hellish two weeks: everything went wrong that could. Yet she was okay and now so was he. She didn't respond, just nodded as they hugged each other.
Well, I know it's kinda late, I hope I didn't wake you, but what I've gotta say can't wait. I know you'd understand, cause every time I try to tell you, the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Yeah, I know it's kinda strange, every time I'm near you, I just run out of things to say. I know you'd understand cause every time I try to tell you the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Cause every time the time was right all the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Yeah, I know it's kinda late, I hope I didn't wake you. but there's something that I just gotta say. I know you'd understand every time I try to tell you the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song.
The end
(well, at least of this fic)
He nodded. The trial had been hell on everyone. Off work, Jen and Bud had both confessed their testimony to Harriet, Mac, and himself. He had to admit that none of it had looked very good for Harm, but Mac had taken Jen's testimony hard. He felt bad himself: knowing that he wasn't allowed to help Harm and knowing that he couldn't help Mac unless he could help Harm. "Of course, go ahead."
She half-smiled. "Thanks." He watched her walk away and tried to concentrate on his work, but his mind kept going back to his friends and how he could or couldn't help them.
Mac left the JAG building and got into her car. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do there, but she had to get things settled in her mind. It was killing her not to be able to take care of Harm. That was her job, not just because of the Admiral making them partners, but because she loved him. She'd loved him for years, since they first met. She'd loved him in spite of others they were dating, cases they were on, things that were going haywire in their lives. She'd loved him in America, Ireland, Russia, Iran, Australia, and Afghanistan. She couldn't lose him now. It had gotten to the point that she couldn't do anything without him, even focus. She hadn't slept since they'd arrested him, hadn't eaten much, and she knew that was bad. It was bad getting this attached to a man, even him, because eventually, they all left, in one way or another. She drove past the Wall, remembered his father, and, for the first time, hated the whole mess because it had ended up taking him away from her, like she'd always known it would. She remembered it all, every second of their partnership. Why had this happened now? They were just starting to go out, like a real couple, and now she was going to lose him. Maybe she was wrong: maybe she wasn't good enough at saying goodbye, at least not to him. Harm seemed to be the punishment for everything she'd done wrong in her life, or more appropriately, loving him so much with everything getting between them being together was the punishment. She found herself outside the bar where she'd met Dalton. She couldn't get out of the car, but she couldn't drive away either.
Harm got out of the elevator, looking around. His lawyer had told him to just go home, get some rest, but there was a thirty minutes left in the workday and he had a few people he wanted to see. Well, only one that couldn't wait. After he saw her again, he would feel better, like it all was over and he was free. Harriet grinned at him and he could tell that if they weren't in the office, she would have hugged him. "Sir!"
"Harriet." He smiled back. He had missed her and Bud and especially Little A.J.
"Are you okay, sir? I mean, when did you get out?" A crowd was beginning to form and Jen moved close to Bud and Harriet. The admiral even came out of his office, a tiny smile beginning to form on his worried face.
"About thirty minutes ago."
"They found who killed her?"
Harm nodded. "The suspect was questioned and made a full confession." It was killing him not to tell who the killer was; he never would have suspected Lindsey of anything remotely close to murder, much less that Lindsey hated him enough to frame him for the crime.
"All right, everybody. I'm not running a gossip column in some newspaper here. Back to work." The admiral pretended to be gruff, but, before he turned, Harm caught the slightest glimpse of a grin.
"Sir, Harriet, A.J., and I would love it if you came over for dinner." Bud said at the urging of his wife.
Harm smiled. "Thanks, Bud. Rain check?"
"Absolutely." Bud and Harriet went back to his duty as well, but Jen was still standing there. "Jen?"
"I'm sorry about what I said, sir." Jen said quietly.
"You told the truth. That's always the best thing to do in these situations. I should have done that myself."
Jen nodded, looking back to her mischievous self again. "I'm glad you're okay, sir."
He smiled again. "Thanks," he replied, already on his way to Mac's office.
"She's not here." Harm turned when he heard Sturgis's voice behind him.
"Where'd she go?" Harm had a bad feeling something was wrong. She was supposed to be waiting for him when he got out. He'd always pictured that he would walk in and she'd be in her chair, working or maybe, if she had one of those visions, she would be waiting there for him to walk back into her life. For her not to be there was not part of the plan.
"I don't know. She said she had to leave and I said I'd cover for her." Harm frowned. Mac leaving was not part of his plan. She was supposed to be here, waiting for him. "Are you all right?" Harm didn't answer, just turned around and briskly walked out. *****
Mac stretched out on her couch, underneath a throw, ready for another unending night of little, if any, sleep. She had the beginnings of a code red headache, almost a migraine, but she had the radio on for background noise, the station she and Harm always listened to together. The knob on her door turned and she reached for her gun, lying on the table nearby. She was about ready to shoot when the door opened.
"Harm?"
"Great. I survive Loren and Lindsey, get outta jail, and my partner nearly kills me." He teased.
"Harm!" She dropped her gun and jumped off the couch, her headache already going away.
"Hey, ninja girl." He hugged her tightly. "I went to JAG and you weren't there, got worried. Are you okay?" She paused for a few minutes. She'd had a hellish two weeks: everything went wrong that could. Yet she was okay and now so was he. She didn't respond, just nodded as they hugged each other.
Well, I know it's kinda late, I hope I didn't wake you, but what I've gotta say can't wait. I know you'd understand, cause every time I try to tell you, the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Yeah, I know it's kinda strange, every time I'm near you, I just run out of things to say. I know you'd understand cause every time I try to tell you the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Cause every time the time was right all the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song. Yeah, I know it's kinda late, I hope I didn't wake you. but there's something that I just gotta say. I know you'd understand every time I try to tell you the words just came out wrong, so I'll have to say I love you in a song.
The end
(well, at least of this fic)