Operation Harm and Mac
Still Friday, July 3
1303 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VA
Harm and Mac were coming back from lunch. They both went into Harm's office. "Thanks for the lunch Harm."
"No problem. Hey, what time did you say that Chloe's flight arrives?"
"1725"
"Okay, we can leave from here at 1630, pick Chloe up, pick Little AJ up, and head back to your place for dinner."
"Did you clear it with the Admiral?"
"Yeah"
"Okay"
As Mac was leaving Harm's office, Sturgis walked in. "Hey buddy."
"Oh Hey Sturgis. Can I do something for you?"
"I just wanted to ask you a few questions."
"About…?"
"You"
"And…?" Harm knew where this conversation was headed. He had had many like them with Sturgis since he had come to JAG.
"Mac…Listen to me before you throw me out of your office."
"You know Sturgis I would've thought that you would've learned by now where meddling gets you."
"Harm listen to me."
"All right. You've got five minutes."
"I'll do this, but you have to tell me the truth."
"Do I lie?"
"No you deny."
"Nice rhyming Aesop."
"Do you love Sarah MacKenzie?"
"…Yes"
"Then why haven't you acted on your feelings?"
"In case you haven't noticed Sturgis, we both like working together at JAG."
"So you're going to give up a lifetime of happiness for your job? Harm, in thirty years you might not have JAG, but you could have Mac."
"Sturgis, this really isn't the time alright. I love Mac and she loves me. I know that. I just don't think she knows that she told me."
"Care to elaborate counselor?"
"Last night Mac and I had dinner and we were watching movies at her place."
"Like a date?"
"No. Before everything got screwed up, we used to do it a lot. Hang out as friends. Last night she fell asleep and I put her in bed. When I was about to leave, she said that she loved me. I just don't know if she remembers it because she was asleep."
"Did you ask her about it?"
"No"
"Why not?"
"Well, with Chloe coming and us baby-sitting Little AJ I don't want to ruin this weekend. I just want to enjoy spending time with her."
"Okay, I'm going to let you do what you think you need to do. Let me just leave you with this thought. From what I understand you came really close to losing her to that Australian, don't let her slip away. She's waiting for you to make the move. Didn't you tell me that you needed to let go?"
"Yeah."
"Then if you're ready to let go, let her know. I'll see you tomorrow buddy. Have a good evening."
"You too Sturgis. Thanks."
"No problem."
Sturgis left Harm's office and it was about time for Harm and Mac to go and pick up Chloe from the airport.
"Hey Mac are you ready to leave?"
"Yeah, only if you are flyboy."
"Let's roll."
Meanwhile at JAG Headquarters…
"Harriet…"
"Yes sir?"
"I just talked with Harm. I don't think they'll need too much pushing in the right direction if he opens up his eyes."
"We'll just have to see how it goes Commander. I'm going to leave in a little while. I already got the yacht reserved so everything's going as planned."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow Harriet at 1200."
"Have a good evening, sir."
"You too Harriet."
1720 ZULU
REAGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WASHINGTON D.C.
"I can't actually believe that we're on time."
"That's something new for you isn't it flyboy?"
"You see…you're starting to rub off on me." Harm just smiled down at Mac. It was his special flyboy grin that was for her. It'd been a while since she had seen it, but it still had its same effect on her. Once again they were brought out of their reverie. Only this time, it was by Chloe.
"Harm, Mac!"
"Hey Chloe!" they both said in unison. She ran up and gave Mac a big hug.
"I don't get one of those?"
"Sorry Harm. How are you?"
"I'm great. How about you?"
"I'm good."
"That's great. How was your flight?"
"It was
alright."
"Okay you two." They immediately stopped
talking and looked at Mac. "Here's the
plan, since for some reason I feel like I'm going to be in charge."
"Now what would've given you that idea?"
"Just watching you two." Harm and Chloe looked at each other and frowned.
"Anyway, Chloe, Harm has to baby-sit Little AJ and I told him I would help him so he's going to be spending probably most of the weekend with us. And Harriet is throwing a party at her house and we're going on a yacht later that evening."
"No way?!"
"Yes way!"
"Hammer grow up."
"Yes ma'am."
"You have a new nickname?" Chloe was looking at them puzzled
"Uh…not really. Did Mac tell you about my dad?"
"Yeah."
"His name when he was flying was Hammer. When I went back to flying they gave me his name."
"Oh cool."
"But only I can call him that."
"Why?" Chloe was getting confused now. She thought that they needed her help getting together. It didn't seem like it.
"Yeah Harm? Why only me?"
"I'll tell ya later."
1749 ZULU
ROBERT'S RESIDENCE
ROSSLYN, VA
"Uncle Harm, Auntie Mac!"
"Hey buddy. Are you ready to have fun?"
"Yup."
"Hey AJ, you remember my little sister don't you?"
"Uh-huh. Hi"
"Hey AJ."
"Do you want to play with my airplanes?"
"Sure."
"Hey sailor I don't think we have time to right now. Auntie Mac, Chloe, and I are all going back to her place and spending the night over there. You can bring them with you though."
"Okay."
"We'll bring him back tomorrow morning around 1000."
"All right. Bye AJ."
"Bye mommy. Bye daddy."
Harm, Mac, Little AJ, and Chloe made their way back to Mac's apartment.
"Okay, what do you guys say to spaghetti for dinner?"
"Yeah, with ice cream."
"Did you hear me say ice cream Mac?"
"Uh…no, I don't think I heard you say ice cream."
"Please Harm…"
"It won't hurt your flyboy figure too much, Harm."
"Please
Uncle Harm…"
"All right, it won't hurt to binge every now and then I guess."
"Yes."
"I'm sure you have ice cream don't you Mac?"
"You know I do."
"Uncle Harm can we get a movie?"
"Sure, what do you want to see?"
"I don't know."
"Okay we can all stop at the video store and pick out a movie.
"Yeah…Uncle Harm you're the best!"
1824 ZULU
BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO
GEORGETOWN
"What do you want to see AJ?"
"Uh…Finding Nemo!"
"Is that ok with you Chloe?"
"Sure, it doesn't matter."
"Okay, so are we ready to go?"
"It looks like we are."
1847 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
They all got out of Harm's SUV and went up to Mac's apartment. Little AJ took up his airplanes and as soon as he got through the door he began throwing them around.
"I told you to secure your apartment."
"And I told you that I've baby-sited before."
"Yes you did."
"Okay, you're cooking dinner and I'll look after Little AJ. I'll send Chloe in here to help you."
"Yes ma'am."
30 minutes later…
"Okay, as soon as we finish cleaning up we can watch Finding Nemo."
"Harm?" Chloe was going to start working on Harm.
"Yeah?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you'd make a great father?"
"Not recently."
"You would. I mean you're great with kids, and you care about them and love them."
"Thanks."
"Do you think Mac is attractive?"
"Why?"
"I was just wondering. I have some information that you might want to know. But I can't tell you until later."
"Later huh?"
"Yeah, so do you?"
"Yes"
"Then why haven't you two ever dated. You're much hotter than Mic was."
Harm just smiled at that comment. "Thanks. Our timing has always been off. Tell her to tell you about it some time."
"I tried to, she thinks you're hot too though."
"Mac said that I was hot?" Harm knew what Chloe was trying to do. The same thing she always did; try to set him and Mac up.
"Well she said you were attractive and that someone would have to be dead to not see it."
"Hmmm…"
"What?"
"Nothing. Chloe you can't tell Mac what we said. Okay?"
"All right."
"I'm being serious here. You have to trust me on my decision okay?"
"All right."
"I'm going to do something about me and Mac, it's just that my main priority is having fun spending time with her this weekend and whenever we have one of those discussions it ruins everything."
"Well then don't ruin it. You can't run away and you can't let her run away either Harm."
"How'd you become so smart?"
"I don't know."
"Are you two almost done in here?"
"Yeah," they both said in unison.
"AJ's getting really impatient.
They all went into Mac's living room. While Mac and Chloe were getting the movie started, Harm and AJ were running around.
"Uncle Harm let's play airplane."
"You want to play airplane?"
"Yeah, yeah…" By this time AJ was jumping up and down.
"Alright." Harm picked Little AJ up and had him on his back and started making airplane noises and they he was running around Mac's apartment.
"Okay you two, the movie's ready."
They all sat down on Mac's couch. Harm had Little AJ in his lap and Chloe and Mac were on the opposite end of the couch. Within an hour, Little AJ had fallen asleep and it was about bedtime.
"Mac, Little AJ and I can sleep on your couch. Doesn't it roll out?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, that way you and Chloe can sleep in your room."
"Sounds like a plan."
Fifteen minutes later they were all settled in bed. Harm and Little AJ were on the roll-away couch, and Mac and Chloe were in her bedroom.
"Mac can I ask you a question?"
"Is it about Harm?"
"Yeah"
"…okay."
"Do you love him?"
"…yes"
"Have you told him?"
"Yeah, but I don't think he knows that I was away."
"What?"
"Wednesday he came over with dinner and movies. I fell asleep and he put me in bed. Before he left I told him that I loved him."
"What'd he say?"
"He said that he loved me too. He just hasn't said anything else about it so I don't know if he knew I was awake."
"Did you say anything to him about it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, I guess I was waiting on him to say something."
"He loves you, ya know."
"I don't know."
"But he said so."
"Only because he thought I was asleep. Listen Chloe, I've had a long day and we're going to have a long one tomorrow. We need to get some rest. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Mac."
And with that, Chloe and Mac went to sleep. The next day was sure to be an interesting one on many accounts.
Thanks for all the feedback so far. I should have one more chapter.