A/N: Set in Season 9 but totally ignoring any relationship between Mac and
Webb.
Sunday 29th February 2004 Harm's Apartment 0000 Zulu (1900 EST)
Harm got up from where he was preparing to watch Sunday Night Football and crossed to the door to answer the knock that had occurred a few seconds before hand.
"Hey Sailor." Mac said when he opened the door.
"Mac, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I need to talk to you about something can I come in?" He stepped back to let her past into the apartment.
"So what's on your mind Mac?" He asked.
"Umm... Do you know what today is?"
"Sunday?" He offered.
"I meant the date."
"Er... It's a leap year so it's the 29th."
"Do you know the significance of February 29th?" She asked.
"It's an extra day we have every four years to make up for the fact that a year is actually 365 and a quarter days long and four quarters equals a whole so a day is added." He said confused.
"You know this seemed a lot easier when I talked to Trish and Mrs Rabb last week." Mac muttered.
"You called my mother and grandmother?"
~ ~ ~
Friday 20th February 2004 JAG HQ 1500 Zulu (1000 EST)
Mac had been tossing an idea around in her mind since the beginning of the month. She had finally settled that she was going to go through with it. But first she needed to check to get some other people's perspectives on the subject.
"Bud, can you come in here a minute?" She asked seeing the Lieutenant reading a file outside her office.
"Of course ma'am, what can I do for you?"
"I need to track down a phone number in California and one in Pennsylvania is there somewhere on the internet I could do that?" She asked.
"There should be a directory available if you have some information ma'am, depending on if the person you are looking is actually in the normal phone directory and not ex-directory. May I ma'am?" He asked indicating her computer.
"Of course." She got out of the chair so he could sit down. He booted up the connection and entered an address in the URL bar. A website appeared, showing a map of the whole country. Bud clicked on the state of California. The map zoomed in giving all the major counties and main cities and towns.
"Ma'am, do you have an address? Or at least a city or town?" He asked. Mac went and closed her office door.
"La Jolla." She replied.
"Isn't that where Commander Rabb's mother lives?" He asked.
"Yes. That's who I need the number for. Mrs Patricia Burnett or it might be under Mr Frank Burnett."
"Ma'am, couldn't you have just asked Commander Rabb for the number?" Bud asked.
"I need to talk to Mrs Burnett but I don't want Harm to find out. I need you to keep this a secret Bud."
"Yes ma'am. But is there something wrong with the Commander?" Bud questioned.
"No. I just need to talk to Mrs Burnett about something."
"There is one listing for Burnett in La Jolla California." Bud scribbled the number down on a piece of paper for Mac. Then exited back to the map and clicked on Pennsylvania. "Who are we looking for in Pennsylvania?"
"Mrs Sarah Rabb."
"The Commander's grandmother."
"Yes Lieutenant."
"Okay ma'am."
~ ~ ~
Back to the Present.
"Yes." Mac replied in answer to his question.
"Why?" Harm asked.
"I needed their opinion on something."
"On what?" He questioned.
"Can we sit down?" She asked.
"Sure. Then maybe you can tell me what's going on."
"Harm, can you..." Mattie said walking in, she glanced at her watch. "Sorry Mac I didn't realise it was this late already."
"What did you need Mattie?" Harm asked.
"It can wait. I'll see you tomorrow, good luck Mac."
"Thanks Mattie." Mac smiled as Harm's ward left.
"Okay why do I get the feeling Mattie knows more about what's going on here than I do?" Harm questioned.
"I talked to her yesterday, I wanted her opinion too."
~ ~ ~
Saturday 28th February 2004 Mattie and Jen's Apartment 1530 Zulu (1030 EST)
Jennifer Coates grabbed the ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Jen, it's Colonel Mackenzie is Mattie there please?"
"Hang on a minute ma'am; she just came through the door." Mac heard as Jen put her hand over the mouth piece. "Mattie it's Colonel Mackenzie for you."
"Thanks. Mac?" Mattie questioned.
"Hi Mattie, I was wondering if you wanted to get some ice-cream."
"Sure. Is everything okay Mac?"
"Yeah, I need to run something by you."
"Sounds serious. Is this something to do with Harm?" She asked.
"Yes. Can you not tell him we're meeting, it's important?"
"Sure."
"I'll pick you from the end of your street in about ten minutes."
"I'll meet you there bye Mac." Mattie hung up.
"Is everything okay Mattie?" Jen asked.
"I think so. Mac wants to meet me for ice-cream to run something by me concerning Harm and she doesn't want him to know we're meeting."
"Sounds interesting. I wonder what it's about."
"Me too."
~
"So what do you think?" Mac asked Mattie after she had explained her plan.
"That's so cool."
"Do you think he'll go for it?"
"Why wouldn't he? He loves you. But what I don't get is why you're asking me?"
"You're important to him; I wanted to know that you would be okay with it. I already talked to Trish, Mrs Rabb and the Admiral, I wanted your opinion."
"I think it's a great idea. When are you going to ask him?"
"Tomorrow at about 1900. It will probably take me that long to work up the courage."
"You'll be fine. What do all those military types say? Suck it up you're a Marine."
"Thanks Mattie."
~ ~ ~
Back to Present.
"On what?" Harm asked now totally confused as to what was going on.
"Something I wanted to ask you. You remember Paraguay."
"Vividly. Can we not rehash that?" He asked.
"I said something back then and I was wrong."
"What about?" He questioned as he got up to get a drink from the fridge.
"I was wrong when I said we'd never work because both of us always wanted to be on top."
"That wasn't what I was expecting you to say." He got two glasses and set them on the counter before grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge.
"Yeah, well I realised that how ever hard I tried I was never going to get over the fact that I'm in love with you. Since it's a leap year I thought I'd do something about it. Harm do you want to marry me?"
The glasses he had just picked up dropped to the floor and shattered into a million pieces.
"What did you just say?" He asked.
"I said I love you and asked if you wanted to marry me." She repeated.
"That's what I thought you said." He said still in shock.
"Harm, we were never going to get anywhere because neither of us was willing to take that final step and admit to the other how we felt. Since it was my screw up this time, I thought it should be me."
"Uh huh." He said.
"Harm, I kind of need an answer here," He still didn't say anything. "Come on squid don't leave me hanging." He still didn't say anything. "Okay, I'll take that as a no. I'll tell the Admiral I'll go on the first TAD so things aren't awkward for you." She picked up her coat and headed towards the door.
"You called my Mom and Grams to ask their opinion on this?" Harm said finally able to have a coherent thought. Mac stopped and turned to look at him.
"Yes. I know it's kind of old fashioned, but aren't men supposed to ask the woman's father for permission to marry his daughter. I thought I'd take the matriarchal approach."
"And you talked to Mattie too?" He asked stepping towards her.
"This would affect her too; I wanted her opinion on the subject."
"And you really love me?" He stepped even closer to her.
"Yes. If you don't believe me ask Sturgis, I told him by accident two years ago."
"That's good because I love you too." He crushed his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. Mac's arms snaked around his neck.
"You didn't answer my question." She said when they broke the kiss.
"What question was that?" He asked.
"Did you want to marry me flyboy?"
"Oh that question." She slapped his arm. "I'd love to."
"Yes." Two screams came from outside the door.
"I think we have spies." Mac whispered. Harm reached behind her and opened the door.
"I'll just be going sir, ma'am." Jen said blushing. Mattie was beaming.
"Get back here Jen, come celebrate with us."
"Yes sir. Congratulations to both of you."
"See I told you he'd say yes." Mattie said as she hugged Mac.
"And how did you know that Mattie?" Harm asked.
"I saw the way you looked at each other during my custody hearing. And Harm you really don't think Mac would have talked to my Dad if she didn't love you did you?"
"You're two smart for your own good kid." He gave her a hug.
"Ma'am, can I suggest you tell Lieutenant Sims outside the office or no work will get done tomorrow." Jen pointed.
"She has a point and I promised Trish I'd call her and let her know how it turned out."
"All in good time. We all need a drink to celebrate, when I find some more glasses since I seemed to have dropped mine."
The women giggled but gathered round to help pick up the smashed ones, so they could celebrate what they all knew had been a long time coming.
THE END
Sunday 29th February 2004 Harm's Apartment 0000 Zulu (1900 EST)
Harm got up from where he was preparing to watch Sunday Night Football and crossed to the door to answer the knock that had occurred a few seconds before hand.
"Hey Sailor." Mac said when he opened the door.
"Mac, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I need to talk to you about something can I come in?" He stepped back to let her past into the apartment.
"So what's on your mind Mac?" He asked.
"Umm... Do you know what today is?"
"Sunday?" He offered.
"I meant the date."
"Er... It's a leap year so it's the 29th."
"Do you know the significance of February 29th?" She asked.
"It's an extra day we have every four years to make up for the fact that a year is actually 365 and a quarter days long and four quarters equals a whole so a day is added." He said confused.
"You know this seemed a lot easier when I talked to Trish and Mrs Rabb last week." Mac muttered.
"You called my mother and grandmother?"
~ ~ ~
Friday 20th February 2004 JAG HQ 1500 Zulu (1000 EST)
Mac had been tossing an idea around in her mind since the beginning of the month. She had finally settled that she was going to go through with it. But first she needed to check to get some other people's perspectives on the subject.
"Bud, can you come in here a minute?" She asked seeing the Lieutenant reading a file outside her office.
"Of course ma'am, what can I do for you?"
"I need to track down a phone number in California and one in Pennsylvania is there somewhere on the internet I could do that?" She asked.
"There should be a directory available if you have some information ma'am, depending on if the person you are looking is actually in the normal phone directory and not ex-directory. May I ma'am?" He asked indicating her computer.
"Of course." She got out of the chair so he could sit down. He booted up the connection and entered an address in the URL bar. A website appeared, showing a map of the whole country. Bud clicked on the state of California. The map zoomed in giving all the major counties and main cities and towns.
"Ma'am, do you have an address? Or at least a city or town?" He asked. Mac went and closed her office door.
"La Jolla." She replied.
"Isn't that where Commander Rabb's mother lives?" He asked.
"Yes. That's who I need the number for. Mrs Patricia Burnett or it might be under Mr Frank Burnett."
"Ma'am, couldn't you have just asked Commander Rabb for the number?" Bud asked.
"I need to talk to Mrs Burnett but I don't want Harm to find out. I need you to keep this a secret Bud."
"Yes ma'am. But is there something wrong with the Commander?" Bud questioned.
"No. I just need to talk to Mrs Burnett about something."
"There is one listing for Burnett in La Jolla California." Bud scribbled the number down on a piece of paper for Mac. Then exited back to the map and clicked on Pennsylvania. "Who are we looking for in Pennsylvania?"
"Mrs Sarah Rabb."
"The Commander's grandmother."
"Yes Lieutenant."
"Okay ma'am."
~ ~ ~
Back to the Present.
"Yes." Mac replied in answer to his question.
"Why?" Harm asked.
"I needed their opinion on something."
"On what?" He questioned.
"Can we sit down?" She asked.
"Sure. Then maybe you can tell me what's going on."
"Harm, can you..." Mattie said walking in, she glanced at her watch. "Sorry Mac I didn't realise it was this late already."
"What did you need Mattie?" Harm asked.
"It can wait. I'll see you tomorrow, good luck Mac."
"Thanks Mattie." Mac smiled as Harm's ward left.
"Okay why do I get the feeling Mattie knows more about what's going on here than I do?" Harm questioned.
"I talked to her yesterday, I wanted her opinion too."
~ ~ ~
Saturday 28th February 2004 Mattie and Jen's Apartment 1530 Zulu (1030 EST)
Jennifer Coates grabbed the ringing phone.
"Hello?"
"Jen, it's Colonel Mackenzie is Mattie there please?"
"Hang on a minute ma'am; she just came through the door." Mac heard as Jen put her hand over the mouth piece. "Mattie it's Colonel Mackenzie for you."
"Thanks. Mac?" Mattie questioned.
"Hi Mattie, I was wondering if you wanted to get some ice-cream."
"Sure. Is everything okay Mac?"
"Yeah, I need to run something by you."
"Sounds serious. Is this something to do with Harm?" She asked.
"Yes. Can you not tell him we're meeting, it's important?"
"Sure."
"I'll pick you from the end of your street in about ten minutes."
"I'll meet you there bye Mac." Mattie hung up.
"Is everything okay Mattie?" Jen asked.
"I think so. Mac wants to meet me for ice-cream to run something by me concerning Harm and she doesn't want him to know we're meeting."
"Sounds interesting. I wonder what it's about."
"Me too."
~
"So what do you think?" Mac asked Mattie after she had explained her plan.
"That's so cool."
"Do you think he'll go for it?"
"Why wouldn't he? He loves you. But what I don't get is why you're asking me?"
"You're important to him; I wanted to know that you would be okay with it. I already talked to Trish, Mrs Rabb and the Admiral, I wanted your opinion."
"I think it's a great idea. When are you going to ask him?"
"Tomorrow at about 1900. It will probably take me that long to work up the courage."
"You'll be fine. What do all those military types say? Suck it up you're a Marine."
"Thanks Mattie."
~ ~ ~
Back to Present.
"On what?" Harm asked now totally confused as to what was going on.
"Something I wanted to ask you. You remember Paraguay."
"Vividly. Can we not rehash that?" He asked.
"I said something back then and I was wrong."
"What about?" He questioned as he got up to get a drink from the fridge.
"I was wrong when I said we'd never work because both of us always wanted to be on top."
"That wasn't what I was expecting you to say." He got two glasses and set them on the counter before grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge.
"Yeah, well I realised that how ever hard I tried I was never going to get over the fact that I'm in love with you. Since it's a leap year I thought I'd do something about it. Harm do you want to marry me?"
The glasses he had just picked up dropped to the floor and shattered into a million pieces.
"What did you just say?" He asked.
"I said I love you and asked if you wanted to marry me." She repeated.
"That's what I thought you said." He said still in shock.
"Harm, we were never going to get anywhere because neither of us was willing to take that final step and admit to the other how we felt. Since it was my screw up this time, I thought it should be me."
"Uh huh." He said.
"Harm, I kind of need an answer here," He still didn't say anything. "Come on squid don't leave me hanging." He still didn't say anything. "Okay, I'll take that as a no. I'll tell the Admiral I'll go on the first TAD so things aren't awkward for you." She picked up her coat and headed towards the door.
"You called my Mom and Grams to ask their opinion on this?" Harm said finally able to have a coherent thought. Mac stopped and turned to look at him.
"Yes. I know it's kind of old fashioned, but aren't men supposed to ask the woman's father for permission to marry his daughter. I thought I'd take the matriarchal approach."
"And you talked to Mattie too?" He asked stepping towards her.
"This would affect her too; I wanted her opinion on the subject."
"And you really love me?" He stepped even closer to her.
"Yes. If you don't believe me ask Sturgis, I told him by accident two years ago."
"That's good because I love you too." He crushed his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. Mac's arms snaked around his neck.
"You didn't answer my question." She said when they broke the kiss.
"What question was that?" He asked.
"Did you want to marry me flyboy?"
"Oh that question." She slapped his arm. "I'd love to."
"Yes." Two screams came from outside the door.
"I think we have spies." Mac whispered. Harm reached behind her and opened the door.
"I'll just be going sir, ma'am." Jen said blushing. Mattie was beaming.
"Get back here Jen, come celebrate with us."
"Yes sir. Congratulations to both of you."
"See I told you he'd say yes." Mattie said as she hugged Mac.
"And how did you know that Mattie?" Harm asked.
"I saw the way you looked at each other during my custody hearing. And Harm you really don't think Mac would have talked to my Dad if she didn't love you did you?"
"You're two smart for your own good kid." He gave her a hug.
"Ma'am, can I suggest you tell Lieutenant Sims outside the office or no work will get done tomorrow." Jen pointed.
"She has a point and I promised Trish I'd call her and let her know how it turned out."
"All in good time. We all need a drink to celebrate, when I find some more glasses since I seemed to have dropped mine."
The women giggled but gathered round to help pick up the smashed ones, so they could celebrate what they all knew had been a long time coming.
THE END