Title: Starting Over
Author: Anaika Skywalker
Author's Email: lindsay30@austarnet.com.au
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own JAG; I just like to spread my wings occasionally.
Author's Note: I'd just like to say, I've always wanted Harm and Mac together, but whether or not it happens in this story is something I haven't even decided on yet, but so far my muse isn't pointing me that way. Not at the moment anyway. Stay tuned you never know what could happen.
Winjan: I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter; I must admit I enjoyed writing it.
Lisa Brown: Perhaps DPB should hire me to work on JAG? Then we'd really have some fun!!!!
TZMaverick: But it's all such enjoyable work TZ and the site looks great!
Maria: Since here in Australia we don't have season nine (in fact we haven't even got the rest of season eight) and pay TV is only up to season six. So I'm using my vast and warped imagination to write this. Glad you like it though; I'll just have to keep going.
Thanks also to the following reviewers: Kiwi, Pissed off Poet1, Catasa, Gypsy, kd, Bekki, sunchaser2, eagle-and-rose, celine, sann3187, wowee, hopechest6 and Benedetta.
Starting Over
Chapter Four: Old Friends and new Acquaintances
Harm heard the knock but didn't look up from the report he was reading. "Enter." He heard the door open and close, ignoring whomever it was. It wasn't until he began to smell the perfume that he did look up. He'd heard someone from JAG was on board but he hadn't been expecting it to be her.
He sat back in his chair. She hadn't changed in the time they'd been apart, but he had. "Colonel Mackenzie, what can I do for you?"
Mac was taken back, she'd been preparing herself since she'd come on board, but know face to face with him was something different. He looked different; the mustache he'd grown made him appear so much like his father. "I'd like to talk with you about one of your pilots, Cag," she said finding her voice. Seeing him gesture to sit down. She did, continuing. "Lieutenant Katherine O'Reilly."
"Phantom is in the air at the moment, you'll have to wait until she returns from patrol."
"Phantom?" Mac checked her file. "I thought her call sign was Banshee?"
"It was the Tyco Tigers christened her with her father's call sign." Harm announced.
"I see," she quickly made the correction. "Just how long will Lieutenant O'Reilly be on patrol, Cag?"
"Another two hours and forty-five minutes," he answered and saw her arch an eyebrow, silently amused. "There's a clock behind your head on the bulk head."
"Oh?" she managed an embarrassed smile. "The First Lady would like a full report on how Lieutenant O'Reilly managed to land her Tomcat in the condition she was in?"
"Phantom is an extraordinary aviator," Harm pointed out.
"Like you flyboy?" Mac asked quickly, using the nickname she had for him when he was at JAG.
Smiling Harm nodded, relaxing a little. "Kat and I have a lot in common Mac."
She relaxed a little herself, noting the pet name he had for O'Reilly. "You both lost your fathers and you both now use your father's call signs."
He smiled again. Same old Mac, he thought. "It's more than that, I get déjà vu sometimes at the things Kat does."
Sarah Mackenzie smiled warmly. Same old Harm, she thought. "Kat, huh, should I be worried?"
"I wouldn't be Mac, you're still my friend."
"I use to be your best friend," she stated soberly.
His smiled saddened. "Maybe you will again one day," he said quickly and then snapped back into his roll as Cag. "Is there anything else Colonel?"
Sighing she stood. "No, I have to interview the two captives the marines brought on board."
"Good luck."
She
wanted to ask what he meant by that, but didn't, remembering the parcel she was
also carrying. She handed it too him. "From Bud, Harriet and the boys. They
wanted me to give it to you.
Leaning forward Harm took it. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. Excuse me Cag, I'll be back when Lieutenant O'Reilly returns."
"Colonel," he acknowledged. He waited until she was gone before opening the parcel; he emailed Bud and Harriet regularly. They were his only friends at JAG that did stay in regular touch, not even Sturgis did or the Admiral. He smiled as he lifted the round tin of homemade cookies from the box; the Tyco Tigers had helped him eat the last lot. Also included were drawn and painted pictures by little AJ and a hand and footprint of Jimmy's, obviously done by Harriet with little AJ's expert help. He'd also asked Bud to go to his apartment and grab some CD's he wanted, those were also included, as was the model of his steerman. He put it up on the shelf and got rid of the wrapping and box.
Before he went back to his reports though he glanced back at where the model sat, on one side was a photo of his past, his JAG family, on the other side was a photo of himself and the Tyco Tigers, his new family. He centered on Mac though, who in the photo stood at his side. Perhaps it was time to bury the hatchet. He missed the friendship he'd shared with her. Their relationship would never be what it had been, but they could be friends again, even with him at sea.
Sighing he shook his head and returned to his desk, he had to get these reports done before the Tigers came home and Katherine was to talk with Mac. Now that was going to be interesting.
Two hours later Mac was following the directions given to her by the Captain's yeoman to the ready room, she knew she couldn't slip into the room without being noticed, so she just opened the door and went in. Harm noticed her but didn't acknowledge her, he just continued with the debriefing. Standing at the back she watched him, he seemed very much at home but then again he was Cag. He's not a lawyer any more, she reminded herself. He's Cag, this is what he's always wanted, be happy for him.
Harm finished up, shaking his head at what one of his pilots had commented about, grinning. "Dismissed Tigers. Lieutenant O'Reilly remain."
"Aye sir," all acknowledged. They filed out except for O'Reilly she stood next to the Cag.
Harm gestured Mac forward. "Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, Lieutenant Katherine O'Reilly," he introduced.
"Lieutenant,"
"Ma'am."
"Lets go get a cup of coffee, Lieutenant." Mac suggested.
"Yes Ma'am." Katherine agreed and saw the Cag give her an encouraging smiling, following the Marine Colonel out.
"Don't worry Lieutenant, you're not in trouble."
"Ma'am if you don't mind, could you call me Phantom or Kat. Not even the Cag calls me Lieutenant that much."
"All right Phantom."
"So Ma'am if I'm not in trouble, than why?"
"Are you talking to me?" Mac answered her question with her own and saw the aviator nod.
"Well Captain Garret put you in for a DFC and the First Lady heard about it."
"A DFC, Ma'am?"
"Yes."
"All because I didn't want to go swimming."
Mac chuckled; they went into the Ward Room and got a cup of coffee, sitting down. "So why didn't you eject?"
"I knew I could made it," Katherine answered her truthfully.
"Go on. Start from the beginning."
"Well we'd just gone feet dry – we'd crossed the coast, and were joking with the Cag when two MiG's popped up. They fired on us and we engaged the MiG's split us up. The Cag got MiG one, than waxed the bogie on my six. Suddenly a third popped up and flew between us. I got him but not before he fired rounds into my Tomcat. I shut down the right engine and the Cag came up beside us for a look, he asked were we hit. My RIO said no, but it was than I realized I was. I was stunned for a moment, the bullet had gone right through, there was blood everywhere and all I could do was hold my bloody hand up for him to see."
"So what did you do?" Mac asked her calmly, noting others in the room were listening.
"The Cag asked me if I could make it back, I told him I could. I even joked with him," she blushed a little. "As we approached the carrier I asked Piper – Lieutenant Scott McGregor, to punch us out if anything went wrong. Luckily nothing did, I landed than waited for help. Mostly I remember feeling I couldn't let the Cag down, he'd made a promise to me and I was determined to stay alive to see him for fill it."
"What promise was that?"
Katherine was more than a little embarrassed. "The day before I got bogie off his six and he said he owed me. I told him he could repay me with dinner and dancing. We laughed about it, but after I was shot, he made it a promise."
"And Harm never goes back on a promise." Mac said aimlessly.
"No Ma'am, he doesn't," the Lieutenant stated, seeing the message there. "Ma'am may I speak frankly?"
Seeing they were more or less alone now, Mac agreed. "Go a head."
"The Cag told me briefly how he came to be here with us on the Tyco. You're the Marine Colonel he gave everything up for, aren't you?"
Mac was going to deny it, but it was too late, her face had already betrayed her. "Yes."
Katherine pushed her now cold coffee away. "Than don't hurt him again Ma'am, because we all love him here. He belongs with us and we wont see him hurt," she declared and than without being dismissed she got up and walked away.
Mac sat there stunned, what the Lieutenant had said was true. Harm did belong here with them.
Two days later:
Mac knocked on the door to the Cag's office and went in. Harm was dressed in his flight suit. His flying didn't bother her anymore, it was the possibility of him not coming back that did.
"Hey stranger, how was your interviews?" he asked cheerfully.
"Interesting."
"So were the Marines in the wrong?"
"No, they did everything by the book, but you knew that yourself," she answered and saw him smiled. Coming to the reason she'd come by. "I'm leaving Cag, I just came by to say goodbye."
He got up and went round to her. "I know the Tyco Tigers are escorting the Cod out of enemy skies. Well Phantom and I are."
"Escort duty Cag?" she asked amused.
He shrugged. "I like to see my friend safe."
"Are we friends now, Cag?"
"We never stopped being friends, we just got lost a long the way."
She nodded, satisfied. "Can we exchange emails?"
"I'd like that."
Seeing this was becoming awkward she decided to leave. "Stay safe Harm."
"You too Mac," he gave her a warm smile than making a gesture of friendship he hugged her. "Goodbye Sarah."
She sighed against his chest. "Goodbye Harm," she pulled back and left.
Later that night, after the Cod was gone, the mission flown. Harm stood at the fantail looking over the ocean, he heard the hatch open and close. He wasn't at all surprised by who came to stand beside him. "I'm not going to jump Kat."
"I didn't think you were sir," she looked out over the ocean. "It's a beautiful night."
"That it is Kat."
Hesitating a little she turned, searching his face for signs of what he was thinking. "Are you all right Cag?"
"I'm fine."
She
didn't fully believe him. "For a lawyer sir, you make a rotten liar but you are
a hell'va good Cag."
Harm chuckled, understanding her meaning. "Thanks Kat."
"You're welcome sir."
They stood in silence, listening to the ocean, the noises the carrier made.
"If your father hadn't of died, would you have still become an aviator, Kat?" he asked her.
She nodded. "What about you sir?" she asked and saw him nod also. Continuing. "My Dad always told me I could do anything I set my mind to, that I should never give up on my dreams."
"What are your dreams, Kat?" he asked, seeing so much in her eyes.
"A good career, a good man and…"
"Comfortable shoes, lots of them," he smirked.
She laughed. "I have those sir," she remarked, glancing at the boots she wore with her flight suite, then his grin as they laughed.
"You also have a good career," he noted softly.
"I know."
"What about a good man?" he finally asked, almost hesitant to know her answer.
Katherine licked her lips, being drawn closer to him. "I'm looking."
Harm stroked her cheek. "Perhaps he's closer than you think."
"Perhaps he is," she agreed. Resting her hands on his hips as she rose up on her toes, her lips brushed over his.
He didn't pull away; he drew her closer and deepened the kiss, letting the moment happen. He wasn't going to let it go or hold back. Not this time, not with Kat. What ever happened, they'd face it together, one day at a time.
"Were you kissing me or her?" she asked when they parted.
"You," he kept her close. "I'm not on the rebound Kat, I'm kissing you because I want too."
"Harm…"
He put a finger to her lips stopping her, giving them a gentle caress as he removed it. Having her say his name had sent shivers up his spine and he liked the way it sounded when she said it. "One day at a time Kat."
"And if we're caught exploring one day at a time?"
Harm smiled warmly. "I worry over all my pilots, but I know they're doing their job and they do it well, you included. No matter how I feel about you, I have to let you do your job and I will protect your six no matter what my feelings towards you are."
"Just as I would protect yours," she admitted.
"I know," he declared and kissed her again.
To be continued… (I know I didn't mention Harm having grown a mustache in the last chapter I just plain forgot, blame it on the holiday season. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and I hope you continue to do so - AS)
