Author's Note: This is collab fic between RurouniAngel27 and Katma. It started as a challenge to Katma but developed into this. This is a slight AU, taking place after 'A Tangled Webb'. For the purposes of this fic, Mic recently died and Mac has found out.
Disclaimer: We own nothing. Nadda, zip, zilch. If we did own JAG and its actors, we certainly would be too busy doing other things than writing fanfics. Please don't sue; we are but poor college students procrastinating from our papers.
Bring Me to Life
Chapter 1: Reunions and Revelations
"Webb?" Mac said, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Webb's eyes flashed dangerously and he stepped back into the shadows.
"What are you doing here, Colonel? On a JAGman investigation?"
"I could ask the same thing," the Colonel replied nervously, fully aware of what getting caught by the CIA would mean.
"That's classified, Colonel. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
"Well, if its what I think it is, you might as well kill me--I'm as good as dead now."
Webb's cold eyes lit up with something approaching interest. "So this isn't a JAGman investigation? Colonel, I didn't know you had it in you."
"Didn't know I had what?" she snapped. Mac unconsciously rubbed her arms. It was cold and Mac didn't know what the hell was going on.
Webb stepped closer to her, his eyes shining with a sudden cruelty that surprised her. Webb was many things, not all of them good, but he had never struck her as deliberately cruel.
"Well," he smirked, eyes still shining with cruelty. "If you're not here on official business, and I obviously haven't killed you, it seems I have something you want."
"You have it?" Mac asked, surprise and suspicion in her voice. "What do you mean, you have it?"
Webb's voice took on a patronizing tone. "You came here looking to buy tonight, didn't you?"
"Maybe," Mac said. She glared at him. "Or maybe I was just out for a walk."
"Right, Colonel. You just happened to be out on a walk at 2am 30 miles from your apartment. Even Harm wouldn't believe that story."
"I couldn't sleep. Insomnia, you know." Mac waved her hand airily. "But 30 miles is nothing compared to how far you are from Alexandria. Did you make a wrong turn on 495, Webb?"
Webb gave a half grin. "I told you, it's classified."
Mac gave him her best Marine lawyer look. "And I don't believe you."
Webb shrugged his shoulders. "Believe what you want, Colonel. That's none of my business. And since we seem to have nothing to discuss . . . " Webb turned to leave.
"Wait!" It was a desperate plea, ripped from her without conscious thought.
Bingo. Webb turned, that annoying half grin still in place. But inside, something reacted. What's happened to her to get her so addicted she'd risk exposure? Webb's inner self snorted. I should ask myself the same question. "Yes?"
Mac's head tilted at a haughty angle, trying to hide the fact that she was practically shaking from need. "I want what you're claiming to sell," she said coolly. "Can you give it to me?"
Webb raised an eyebrow. She really is desperate. "That depends. As you know, all things have a price."
Mac took a few steps closer, invading Webb's personal space. "A price which I'm quite willing to pay," she breathed huskily.
Webb felt his breath catch in his throat. He felt a sudden urge to grab the Marine and kiss her and . . . but the CIA agent kicked in. "What makes you think that's my price?" he asked, his voice deep and husky, betraying his fight to stay cool. Subconsciously, he stepped out of the way of danger.
Mac grinned at him, looking up coyly from under her thick eyelashes. "I'm not thinking anything, Webb. I'm just letting you know my willingness to pay whatever price you ask."
Oh God what he could ask of Colonel Sarah Mackenzie. What were his wildest fantasies? What could he do right now, screw any police or CIA agent or JAG officer that might be loitering around. Sarah Mackenzie turned him on, there was no doubt. But how to use it best to his advantage?
"Any price?" he asked, stepping closer to her and steeling himself against the powerful effect her dark brown eyes had on his composure. His hand rose on its own accord to stroke the smooth skin of her cheek. "That's a rash promise, Sarah. You never know what someone might want you to give up."
She closed the space between them "You mean like this?" She gently grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips to hers.
Webb gasped as Mac's warm lips closed over his own. She immediately took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, flicking her tongue teasingly against the roof of his mouth. When Webb felt his arms go around Mac's waist, he realized how quickly Mac could shake him out of his hard-won control, and he decided to get a little of his own back. Nudging her back until she connected with the wall of a building, he pulled his lips from hers to nuzzle at her neck. "You'd let me take you right here, right now, Sarah?
"Anything," she whispered. She trailed kisses along his jaw to his ear where nipped, ever so gently. This resulted in another sharp intake of breath from the seduced.
Webb felt his control slipping from him once again. As enjoyable as this was, he was going to have to put a stop to it now or he'd end up risking everything he'd worked for. He broke away from Mac's arms and took a few steps back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nice to know what you're willing to give up, Mackenzie, but I don't want something that easy."
Switched to the defensive, Mac's attorney instincts kicked in once again. "You want something, Webb? I thought we were discussing a price, not your desires, Clayton." Yes, she knew he was trying to insult her and yes, damn it, it hurt. But she would never let him have the satisfaction of getting to her. After all, he was just a spook, Harm's spook at that.
Webb grinned at her. "Mac, Mac, Mac. I have what you want. What you need. My desires are your price."
"Then name it," she said softly. "Or do you need me to get Harm to tell you what to do?"
"No," he said, refusing to be ruffled by her attempts to insult him. He did have the upper hand here. "I can figure this out on my own. But then again, that's a rather empty threat, isn't it, Colonel. Because you'd never tell Rabb about this. He wouldn't understand this darkness that eats at you, that sends you to a place like this. And he'd treat you differently because of it. Then you'd never have your happily ever after with our favorite jetjockey."
"Happily ever after with the jetjockey? No matter who I end up with, Clayton, there will be no happily ever after, got it?" Mac's voice was low and dangerous. He was making her remember--making her remember what drove her to her darkness. Her hands were shaking now with need. She wanted it so bad she could taste it. But if it meant exposing that to Webb, well…
"Maybe that guy on the corner's got something stronger," she heard herself mumble.
"Maybe," Webb said with a shrug. Idly, he reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a small container which he began tossing gently from one hand to another. "Then again, maybe not. You wanna risk not getting anything tonight, Mackenzie?"
He called her Mackenzie. She hated that. She hated everything about Clayton Webb at that moment. She hated his smirk, his cocky CIA attitude. She hated the way he carelessly tossed the container. She hated that she could still taste him in her mouth. She hated the way he could see how badly she needed it, how desperate she had become. If only she could get rid of him. After all, he was just a spook. A Marine on a bad day was worth ten of them. Something inside her was aghast at her current train of thought but that something was so small and so quiet, she barely heard it. She looked up and smiled.
"So, what's it gonna be?"
Webb hesitated for a moment. He had Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie completely in his power right now. He could ask for anything and she'd give it to him; she'd already proved that. But now that the time came, he found that what he really wanted was something intangible. He wanted to know what drove a woman who was strong enough to survive and prosper in a man's world, who recovered from being an alcoholic, who pushed herself beyond the nothing legacy her parents had left for her, would end up so addicted to drugs that she'd offer a man she hated anything he wanted to acquire them. He tried to rationalize it as a result of his CIA heritage... as he had told Bud, information was power in Washington, but he knew that wasn't all of it.
"I'll give them to you, Mac, in return for an explanation of what drove you to this point."
Mac snorted. "And what if I decide not to tell you?" She stepped closer and shrugged her jacket off to reveal skintight black pants and a black tank top that plunged down the front. "Are you going to deny yourself something you so obviously want?" She took another step. Almost there. She looked him in the eye and slowly licked her lips. "Are you?" One more step and she'd be within range.
Webb's mouth went dry. He couldn't avoid licking his lips, and he watched as Mac's eyes followed the action. He wanted her, God, he wanted her, but... He took a step backwards, not retreating, exactly, but showing his intentions not to fall into her trap.
"I've already told you what I want, Sarah. So I guess the question is, are you going to deny yourself what you obviously want?"
"What I want," she growled, "Are those pills and for you to leave me alone!" She took two steps and punched at Webb's face. He feinted left and Mac quickly countered with a roundhouse kick aimed for the head.
Webb ducked, then smiled. He was aware that everyone at JAG considered him a bare step above helpless. The thing they didn't seem to understand, though, was that you didn't stay a field operative in the CIA long if you were helpless. And Webb had had quite a successful career before Harm's pushing and the remembrance of his experiences after the disappearance of his father mucked things up for him.
Mac growled in frustration. Fine. Time for some up close. She threw a quick one-two combo--all of which Webb dodged and quickly slid in a step closer for the uppercut. He was still smiling that damn infuriating smile.
"I'll wipe that smile off," she threatened and she punched upward for the upper cut.
Webb dropped the grin immediately and leaned back to avoid the uppercut. As her arm came up, Webb grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm so that now her fist was resting squarely between her shoulders.
"Mac! What are you doing?"
"I don't know," Mac spat, squirming against him as she snuck her leg around and behind his. "Why don't you tell me, Mr. Harvard graduate?"
And she yanked her leg forward. Webb had two choices. He could hang on to her wrist, pulling her arm down and subsequently breaking her elbow, thereby incapacitating his enemy momentarily while he recovered from the fall. Or, he could let go and hope impact w/the ground wouldn't hurt him severely and hope Mac would do something to help him. All instincts told him to hold on to her wrist.
He let go and fell.
Mac had barely a second to register that she wasn't going down with Webb. She didn't have time to fully process the implications of that, but her lawyer's brain caught the gist and sparked her into motion. Quickly, she stepped in front of him, cushioning and controlling his fall. They hit the pavement with a soft thump, and Webb's hand opened involuntarily. The small container of pills clinked and rolled towards the street.
Webb's head hit the pavement w/a crack. Momentarily, he saw stars. He heard a voice next to him.
"Webb. Webb! Are you okay? Webb! Answer me, damn it!"