Disclaimer: JAG belongs to DPB, Paramount, CBS et al. This is for fun, no
copyright infringement is intended.
---
- USS Seahawk, the same evening
Harm opened the door and stepped back into the room. Webb sat at the little table like he hadn't moved at all during the last twenty minutes. Without a word Harm took the towel off his shoulder to hang it up. Then he put the bag back into the locker, stripped to his briefs and crawled into the lower bed.
Webb ignored him studiously. He pretended to be fully occupied reading what he had just typed in. Just his rigid back revealed he had noticed Harm's return.
Harm shifted back and forth and took more time than necessary to arrange the blanket over his body. Finally he turned to the wall and closed his eyes, determined to ignore the light. The clicking of the laptop-keys started again. Then paused. Started again. And stopped. Somehow the silence was harder to bear than the sound before it. Harm opened his eyes and stared at the wall. The clicking started again. He groaned and turned.
"You're really intending to keep this up!"
"I'm really intending to finish this." Webb scrolled up and down in his document. "Believe it or not but it's important. And anyway I'm used to finish what I've started."
Harm snorted. "Well, maybe you should learn what to keep your fingers from then."
Webb spun around. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I've said." Harm sat up.
They glared at each other. Both refusing to give in first.
"Why did you have to go after Mac?" Harm hissed suddenly, "You knew exactly what I'm feeling for her!"
"Excuse me? *You* and feeling for her?" Webb coughed. "You've worked with her seven years and I've never seen you making a move! I knew *she* had a crush on you, but you?! That you've given her a cold shoulder would be a friendly description!"
"I've given her a cold shoulder? At least I wasn't trying to get her killed like *you* did several times since we've known you! You and your 'favors'!"
"Four years I haven't asked any of you to do a 'favor', as you call it, for the Agency! Either you came to me and asked for information or we met due to the circumstances!"
"Oh, so Paraguay doesn't count?"
"Paraguay wasn't my decision. I was way too far down the ladder at that point, thank you very much!"
Harm clenched the blanket in his fist. "Oh, and so you've simply decided it was suddenly time to confess your love? Out of nowhere? Damn it, you've said you knew she was in love with me and I think I've proved in Paraguay that I'm feeling the same for her!"
"You wouldn't believe it but torture does sometimes funny things to you - like reminding you of how mortal we all are!" Webb was fuming. "And what proof of your feelings, for heaven's sake?!"
Harm opened his mouth but Webb cut him short.
"Oh, wait, you gave up your career to save her. Let's see... As far as I remember you've risked your career *and* your life more than once when you were searching for your father. And - oh, don't let me forget that - you resigned your commission for your brother and were about to take off and run into a war in your attempt to save him just like you did for Mac. That makes her what - your sister?"
"Mac isn't like a sister to me!" Harm barked. "You knew she isn't!"
"And how should I have known?" Webb screamed back. "You never bothered to tell us in Paraguay that you've resigned your commission to go after her! At least not straight away. You were busy bitching around!"
"When I told you, you couldn't care less! You just went on!"
Webb had obviously trouble breathing. "You're really expecting me to back down just because you've finally made up your mind and decided *now* you're in love with her? I've risked my career many times for you and in the end almost managed to throw it away but I'm not *that* selfless! Besides, that's Mac's decision, isn't it? If she really wants you after seven years of *nothing*! And by the way, I still don't think I've ever heard that you've declared undying love to her!"
"Well, you were very quick to do that when you *finally* got an opportunity! Playing the 'I'm so damn badly injured' card!" Harm spat, "Too bad that she told me later she has no thing about you!"
Webb jerked back on his chair. His face was as white as snow. For some heartbeats they just stared at each other, both panting hard. Then Webb turned sharply away. His hands trembled with rage as he shut down his laptop. Harm could see he was having a hard time dealing with this last blow. Suddenly Webb got up and stared down at him.
"Probably I'd have never told her how I feel without Paraguay or the months before - but I will not excuse myself because I didn't die or ended up as a cripple. You have no clue how long I've been in love with her. And no matter what she told you - or whatever you thought she was telling you: Anyway it's out in the open now and I will not stop to try and fight. Not even for a friend."
Harm snorted distastefully. "Go ahead, you can ask Mic Brumby for advice. He'd tried that before," he hissed, "And we're no friends! Friends don't go after the other one's girl! Friends care!"
"Oh, yes, that's one true statement!" Webb was still pale with fury. He crossed the room in a few steps. "Friends care about what has happened to the other one! You didn't! I could have died and you didn't! Not for a second!"
This time Webb slammed the door.
---
- USS Seahawk, the same evening
Harm opened the door and stepped back into the room. Webb sat at the little table like he hadn't moved at all during the last twenty minutes. Without a word Harm took the towel off his shoulder to hang it up. Then he put the bag back into the locker, stripped to his briefs and crawled into the lower bed.
Webb ignored him studiously. He pretended to be fully occupied reading what he had just typed in. Just his rigid back revealed he had noticed Harm's return.
Harm shifted back and forth and took more time than necessary to arrange the blanket over his body. Finally he turned to the wall and closed his eyes, determined to ignore the light. The clicking of the laptop-keys started again. Then paused. Started again. And stopped. Somehow the silence was harder to bear than the sound before it. Harm opened his eyes and stared at the wall. The clicking started again. He groaned and turned.
"You're really intending to keep this up!"
"I'm really intending to finish this." Webb scrolled up and down in his document. "Believe it or not but it's important. And anyway I'm used to finish what I've started."
Harm snorted. "Well, maybe you should learn what to keep your fingers from then."
Webb spun around. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I've said." Harm sat up.
They glared at each other. Both refusing to give in first.
"Why did you have to go after Mac?" Harm hissed suddenly, "You knew exactly what I'm feeling for her!"
"Excuse me? *You* and feeling for her?" Webb coughed. "You've worked with her seven years and I've never seen you making a move! I knew *she* had a crush on you, but you?! That you've given her a cold shoulder would be a friendly description!"
"I've given her a cold shoulder? At least I wasn't trying to get her killed like *you* did several times since we've known you! You and your 'favors'!"
"Four years I haven't asked any of you to do a 'favor', as you call it, for the Agency! Either you came to me and asked for information or we met due to the circumstances!"
"Oh, so Paraguay doesn't count?"
"Paraguay wasn't my decision. I was way too far down the ladder at that point, thank you very much!"
Harm clenched the blanket in his fist. "Oh, and so you've simply decided it was suddenly time to confess your love? Out of nowhere? Damn it, you've said you knew she was in love with me and I think I've proved in Paraguay that I'm feeling the same for her!"
"You wouldn't believe it but torture does sometimes funny things to you - like reminding you of how mortal we all are!" Webb was fuming. "And what proof of your feelings, for heaven's sake?!"
Harm opened his mouth but Webb cut him short.
"Oh, wait, you gave up your career to save her. Let's see... As far as I remember you've risked your career *and* your life more than once when you were searching for your father. And - oh, don't let me forget that - you resigned your commission for your brother and were about to take off and run into a war in your attempt to save him just like you did for Mac. That makes her what - your sister?"
"Mac isn't like a sister to me!" Harm barked. "You knew she isn't!"
"And how should I have known?" Webb screamed back. "You never bothered to tell us in Paraguay that you've resigned your commission to go after her! At least not straight away. You were busy bitching around!"
"When I told you, you couldn't care less! You just went on!"
Webb had obviously trouble breathing. "You're really expecting me to back down just because you've finally made up your mind and decided *now* you're in love with her? I've risked my career many times for you and in the end almost managed to throw it away but I'm not *that* selfless! Besides, that's Mac's decision, isn't it? If she really wants you after seven years of *nothing*! And by the way, I still don't think I've ever heard that you've declared undying love to her!"
"Well, you were very quick to do that when you *finally* got an opportunity! Playing the 'I'm so damn badly injured' card!" Harm spat, "Too bad that she told me later she has no thing about you!"
Webb jerked back on his chair. His face was as white as snow. For some heartbeats they just stared at each other, both panting hard. Then Webb turned sharply away. His hands trembled with rage as he shut down his laptop. Harm could see he was having a hard time dealing with this last blow. Suddenly Webb got up and stared down at him.
"Probably I'd have never told her how I feel without Paraguay or the months before - but I will not excuse myself because I didn't die or ended up as a cripple. You have no clue how long I've been in love with her. And no matter what she told you - or whatever you thought she was telling you: Anyway it's out in the open now and I will not stop to try and fight. Not even for a friend."
Harm snorted distastefully. "Go ahead, you can ask Mic Brumby for advice. He'd tried that before," he hissed, "And we're no friends! Friends don't go after the other one's girl! Friends care!"
"Oh, yes, that's one true statement!" Webb was still pale with fury. He crossed the room in a few steps. "Friends care about what has happened to the other one! You didn't! I could have died and you didn't! Not for a second!"
This time Webb slammed the door.