"Hey, how's he doing?" Harmon Rabb entered the townhouse as Mac held the
door open. Mattie grinned as she waltzed in ahead of Rabb and kissed the
Marine colonel on the cheek.
"Ssssh. Grouchy," Mac whispered. "He's napping," she added quietly as she pointed to the sofa.
"Follow me," she whispered as she headed out of Webb's living room. The kitchen was the destination, where Rabb set grocery bags down. Mattie followed with a bag filled with flowers.
"Pretty," Mac said as she handed Mattie a vase and a pair of scissors and left her at the sink to do the arranging.
"Sick of being sick, huh?" Rabb whispered knowingly.
"He's not the only one. You don't have to whisper in here. This place is like a bunker. If I hear, 'Sarah!' yelled one more time I'm gonna grab a pillow and put us both out of our misery.
Mattie laughed behind them.
"Sorry, Mattie. You know I'm only joking," Mac smiled at the girl who had made such a difference in her partner's outlook on life.
Rabb smiled at his partner. Webb had been right. Their first private conversation together after Webb's surgery was about how much Mac had missed Rabb. Rabb had insisted that it wasn't so, that they'd worked together on cases since he had returned to JAG. Things were fine, Rabb had assured Webb; the spy had just misread the signals he thought he was receiving from Mac.
Webb was in no mood for the JAG lawyer's denials, and had basically told Rabb to quit being an ass and go talk to her.
The fact was that Mac had missed him, and while Webb suffered through some minor post-op troubles and started therapy, it had given Rabb and Mac the chance to work on their own fragile relationship. Not surprisingly, it had taken no time at all to get back to a good footing with each other. Their relationship had begun eight years ago with a solid base of friendship and trust; any other feelings were easily suppressed or dismissed for the shared goal of getting back to that good place. They were happy for that, and thankful to Webb for making them sit together and talk through it.
Mac also knew that Mattie's place in Harm's life had been pivotal in putting his mind and his heart back in step with the Harmon Rabb of old.
Clay and Harm, on the other hand, were still working at their own friendship. Mac's influence there had been invaluable, but Webb still hurt over the Paraguay debacle and the way Rabb had been so quick to dismiss his worthiness of a place in his life.
Mac and Clay had spent long hours discussing it, as had Mac and Harm. Mac was more than happy to hear both sides. She found that their differences and shared concerns were not insurmountable. She knew that one day they would find the appropriate time when they could dispense with using her as an intermediary. She looked forward to the day when these men, good men, impressive men of immense character, men who were brave and true - she cherished the thought of that day when they would meet each other and learn that their differences were not so vast, and understand that what they shared was far greater and worth the commitment they had made to find it.
One day.
Concentrating on Clay's recovery, her reinvigorated partnership and friendship with Harm, and Rabb and Webb's still evolving one, had left little time for Sarah MacKenzie to think about the change in her feelings for Clayton Webb, and where that relationship might be headed. That would need some attention soon, she knew. But for now, things were going well: Clay would recover, Harm was truly back - she was happy for now to have both of these men so near to her heart.
Great strides had been made all-around, even to the point where Clay had decided to let Rabb come over and fix them all a vegetarian dinner.
Mac figured if that kind of trust wasn't the basis of a beautiful friendship, what was?
The End.
"Ssssh. Grouchy," Mac whispered. "He's napping," she added quietly as she pointed to the sofa.
"Follow me," she whispered as she headed out of Webb's living room. The kitchen was the destination, where Rabb set grocery bags down. Mattie followed with a bag filled with flowers.
"Pretty," Mac said as she handed Mattie a vase and a pair of scissors and left her at the sink to do the arranging.
"Sick of being sick, huh?" Rabb whispered knowingly.
"He's not the only one. You don't have to whisper in here. This place is like a bunker. If I hear, 'Sarah!' yelled one more time I'm gonna grab a pillow and put us both out of our misery.
Mattie laughed behind them.
"Sorry, Mattie. You know I'm only joking," Mac smiled at the girl who had made such a difference in her partner's outlook on life.
Rabb smiled at his partner. Webb had been right. Their first private conversation together after Webb's surgery was about how much Mac had missed Rabb. Rabb had insisted that it wasn't so, that they'd worked together on cases since he had returned to JAG. Things were fine, Rabb had assured Webb; the spy had just misread the signals he thought he was receiving from Mac.
Webb was in no mood for the JAG lawyer's denials, and had basically told Rabb to quit being an ass and go talk to her.
The fact was that Mac had missed him, and while Webb suffered through some minor post-op troubles and started therapy, it had given Rabb and Mac the chance to work on their own fragile relationship. Not surprisingly, it had taken no time at all to get back to a good footing with each other. Their relationship had begun eight years ago with a solid base of friendship and trust; any other feelings were easily suppressed or dismissed for the shared goal of getting back to that good place. They were happy for that, and thankful to Webb for making them sit together and talk through it.
Mac also knew that Mattie's place in Harm's life had been pivotal in putting his mind and his heart back in step with the Harmon Rabb of old.
Clay and Harm, on the other hand, were still working at their own friendship. Mac's influence there had been invaluable, but Webb still hurt over the Paraguay debacle and the way Rabb had been so quick to dismiss his worthiness of a place in his life.
Mac and Clay had spent long hours discussing it, as had Mac and Harm. Mac was more than happy to hear both sides. She found that their differences and shared concerns were not insurmountable. She knew that one day they would find the appropriate time when they could dispense with using her as an intermediary. She looked forward to the day when these men, good men, impressive men of immense character, men who were brave and true - she cherished the thought of that day when they would meet each other and learn that their differences were not so vast, and understand that what they shared was far greater and worth the commitment they had made to find it.
One day.
Concentrating on Clay's recovery, her reinvigorated partnership and friendship with Harm, and Rabb and Webb's still evolving one, had left little time for Sarah MacKenzie to think about the change in her feelings for Clayton Webb, and where that relationship might be headed. That would need some attention soon, she knew. But for now, things were going well: Clay would recover, Harm was truly back - she was happy for now to have both of these men so near to her heart.
Great strides had been made all-around, even to the point where Clay had decided to let Rabb come over and fix them all a vegetarian dinner.
Mac figured if that kind of trust wasn't the basis of a beautiful friendship, what was?
The End.