Disclaimer: see chapter one
mara-rabb: *blushes* you know what, you're right. I was honestly just using it as a way to move the plot along for this next chapter, and I never even gave that a thought. Send my apologies to your husband, who I apparently horrified with my oversight, and thank you for pointing that out to me.
DD2: lol, I'll try. :oP no promises, though. . . .my poor Lord of Rings fic hasn't been updated in two months, so writing a new story isn't looking very good right now . . . forgive me.
Marines_sis: *smiles* thank you very much. You flatter me.
0115 Zulu North of Union Station
Harm paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. Part of him wanted to call Bud and have him find Cass' number, but the other part of him was telling him to leave it alone.
A knock on his door startled him, and he walked over. A glance through the peephole told him who it was quickly, and he sighed inwardly, not really wanting company. Another knock sounded, more insistent this time, and he reluctantly opened the door.
"Hey Mac," He said, after he had opened the door.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Uh, yeah sure. Come on in." He stepped aside and let her in. "What's up?"
"What's your history with the new Commander?"
"We had a thing back in high school that didn't end very well." He had never discussed his high school years with Mac because he hated the person he had been back then, and didn't want her to know the man he was during that time period.
"What happened?"
Sighing loudly, he hedges for a few moments before finally opening his mouth. "I was having some problems in my school subjects. The football coach told me that unless I got my grades back up, he would have to kick me off the team. I asked her for help, and we eventually grew closer as time went on, and I ended up telling her about my dad and my search for him. She helped me find the information that led me over there after I had graduated."
"Wow. That doesn't sound so bad. . . .it actually sounds like a good relationship for you." Almost points out the failures he's had since, but something in his eyes stops her. Only says softly, "So what happened?"
"I had been driving her home from a study secession at my house when I decided to take a detour to a popular make-out spot. My intentions were good; I just wanted to talk. But talking somehow lead to us screwing in the backseat."
"Harm!"
"Oh, it gets better." His face and voice was pained. "The next day, I ignored her. My 'group' looked down on 'nerds' like her, and I knew I couldn't be seen around her and still keep my rep." He couldn't even believe what he was saying, let alone admitting it to Mac. He sighed tiredly, sitting down on a stool next to his counter, rubbing his face. "She finally caught up with me after school, and I knew there was no way to avoid it. I made up a flimsy excuse as to why we couldn't continue to see each other, and that was it."
"Harmon Rabb Jr., that was a horrible thing you did to her! What in the world was wrong with you back then?"
He sighed again, examining the counter top. "Now can you see why I never talked about those years before? I despise who I was back then, and I'm certainly not proud of what I did. But I'm afraid that she won't listen to reason-"
"Harm, you hurt her. Reason has nothing to do with anything when a broken heart is involved. Talking to her in the office is going to do nothing. You need to try to contact her outside of JAG."
"That's all well and good, but I don't have the slightest idea where she lives-"
"Call Bud, I'm sure he'll know."
He glared at her, not bothering to admit that he had the same thought, only sighing in resignation when she handed him the phone. He pushed the memory button that the Robert's home phone number was programmed on, and waited for him to pick up. "Hey, Bud, its Harm . . . uh, yeah, I'm fine . . . look, do you have the home number and address of Commander Thomas?. You do? Could I bother you for it?" Harm took the piece of paper and the pen that Mac was holding out to him and wrote down her number and address. "Thanks Bud. Say hello to little A.J. for me. Bye."
"Now, call her up and make sure she's there. Tell her you're going to see her, and don't take no for an answer."
"Mac-"
"Harm, I am not going to work with either of you until you can at least be in the same room without feeling uncomfortable. And hey, you never know. You're a different man now. . . a very different man. I'll see you at work tomorrow, where I will be expecting a full report." She winked at him, and was gone, leaving him to figure out where he was going to get the courage to go to her door and knock. Sure, he had faced the KGB and Cuban dictators and ex-DSD members, most of the time without even flinching. But ex-girlfriends, especially angry ex-girlfriends, were a different ball game. On another planet. Far, far away.
mara-rabb: *blushes* you know what, you're right. I was honestly just using it as a way to move the plot along for this next chapter, and I never even gave that a thought. Send my apologies to your husband, who I apparently horrified with my oversight, and thank you for pointing that out to me.
DD2: lol, I'll try. :oP no promises, though. . . .my poor Lord of Rings fic hasn't been updated in two months, so writing a new story isn't looking very good right now . . . forgive me.
Marines_sis: *smiles* thank you very much. You flatter me.
0115 Zulu North of Union Station
Harm paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. Part of him wanted to call Bud and have him find Cass' number, but the other part of him was telling him to leave it alone.
A knock on his door startled him, and he walked over. A glance through the peephole told him who it was quickly, and he sighed inwardly, not really wanting company. Another knock sounded, more insistent this time, and he reluctantly opened the door.
"Hey Mac," He said, after he had opened the door.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Uh, yeah sure. Come on in." He stepped aside and let her in. "What's up?"
"What's your history with the new Commander?"
"We had a thing back in high school that didn't end very well." He had never discussed his high school years with Mac because he hated the person he had been back then, and didn't want her to know the man he was during that time period.
"What happened?"
Sighing loudly, he hedges for a few moments before finally opening his mouth. "I was having some problems in my school subjects. The football coach told me that unless I got my grades back up, he would have to kick me off the team. I asked her for help, and we eventually grew closer as time went on, and I ended up telling her about my dad and my search for him. She helped me find the information that led me over there after I had graduated."
"Wow. That doesn't sound so bad. . . .it actually sounds like a good relationship for you." Almost points out the failures he's had since, but something in his eyes stops her. Only says softly, "So what happened?"
"I had been driving her home from a study secession at my house when I decided to take a detour to a popular make-out spot. My intentions were good; I just wanted to talk. But talking somehow lead to us screwing in the backseat."
"Harm!"
"Oh, it gets better." His face and voice was pained. "The next day, I ignored her. My 'group' looked down on 'nerds' like her, and I knew I couldn't be seen around her and still keep my rep." He couldn't even believe what he was saying, let alone admitting it to Mac. He sighed tiredly, sitting down on a stool next to his counter, rubbing his face. "She finally caught up with me after school, and I knew there was no way to avoid it. I made up a flimsy excuse as to why we couldn't continue to see each other, and that was it."
"Harmon Rabb Jr., that was a horrible thing you did to her! What in the world was wrong with you back then?"
He sighed again, examining the counter top. "Now can you see why I never talked about those years before? I despise who I was back then, and I'm certainly not proud of what I did. But I'm afraid that she won't listen to reason-"
"Harm, you hurt her. Reason has nothing to do with anything when a broken heart is involved. Talking to her in the office is going to do nothing. You need to try to contact her outside of JAG."
"That's all well and good, but I don't have the slightest idea where she lives-"
"Call Bud, I'm sure he'll know."
He glared at her, not bothering to admit that he had the same thought, only sighing in resignation when she handed him the phone. He pushed the memory button that the Robert's home phone number was programmed on, and waited for him to pick up. "Hey, Bud, its Harm . . . uh, yeah, I'm fine . . . look, do you have the home number and address of Commander Thomas?. You do? Could I bother you for it?" Harm took the piece of paper and the pen that Mac was holding out to him and wrote down her number and address. "Thanks Bud. Say hello to little A.J. for me. Bye."
"Now, call her up and make sure she's there. Tell her you're going to see her, and don't take no for an answer."
"Mac-"
"Harm, I am not going to work with either of you until you can at least be in the same room without feeling uncomfortable. And hey, you never know. You're a different man now. . . a very different man. I'll see you at work tomorrow, where I will be expecting a full report." She winked at him, and was gone, leaving him to figure out where he was going to get the courage to go to her door and knock. Sure, he had faced the KGB and Cuban dictators and ex-DSD members, most of the time without even flinching. But ex-girlfriends, especially angry ex-girlfriends, were a different ball game. On another planet. Far, far away.