Truths of the Morning After
October 1st 2002
Mac woke up slowly. Everything that had happened yesterday was still very hazy. She started to get a grip on herself. Somehow the room didn't quite look like it had done the day before. Suddenly she realized what had woken her up. Someone was in her shower. She sat up and looked around the room. The realization that this wasn't her room and what she had done the night before came swift. She felt so ashamed of herself for using Sturgis like that. Not that he hadn't been a willing participant.
She gathered her clothes and dressed quickly, hoping to be able to get out of the room before Sturgis got out of the shower. After she had gotten herself ready, she went over to open the door and sneak out. Of course they would probably have to talk about this at some point. That wasn't a conversation that she could handle right now. Mac opened the door and came face to face with Harm.
"Hey Mac! What are you doing here so early?" he asked surprised.
"I was. I wanted to have a look on some of the files again. I thought I had missed something." She stammered insecure about what to say. This was, after Sturgis, the last person she wanted to speak to right now. She started to walk past him.
"It sounds like Sturgis is in the shower. I didn't know that you had begun breaking and entering. You know that is a criminal offence," he joked. Mac just kept walking. Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. 'What have I done?'
Ten minutes before the hearing was supposed to start again all of the lawyers from JAG HQ were already present in the courtroom. Mac had started to feel better about herself after seeing the understanding look in Sturgis eyes. Maybe they would be able to forget about this and move on like it had never happened. It wasn't like with her and Harm who actually had some feelings, whatever kind they now were, for each other.
The hearing went well for the defence and after the Lieutenant who had accused O'Neil of harassment had admitted that he himself couldn't be sure of her intent, there wasn't much more Sturgis and Mac could do about it. As they stepped out of the courtroom Sturgis wanted to get Mac and him alone to talk. Mac decided it was better to just get it over with and took the hints to follow him back to his quarters.
Back at the place where it had all happened, both Mac and Sturgis got a lot less brave about talking about it.
"So" Mac started
"So" Sturgis answered just as expressively.
"How about we just forget this ever happened and never talk about it ever again?" Mac finally got the courage to say.
"That sounds just like something I wanted to say. I mean I know who you have feelings for and it isn't me and I don't have any of that sort for you either. We're both adults, we can handle this." Sturgis started to ramble in relief. "But I was serious yesterday. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"I appreciate that, but this" she made gesture towards the bed and blushed slightly "this sort of makes that harder."
"I know. It might just take some time." They both reached for the handle of the door to go out and meet Tracy and Harm for dinner before returning to Washington D.C. As their hands touched they both drew them make as if they had been burned. Sturgis let out a sigh and let Mac move ahead. 'This won't be as easy as it seemed' he tought.
TBC
October 1st 2002
Mac woke up slowly. Everything that had happened yesterday was still very hazy. She started to get a grip on herself. Somehow the room didn't quite look like it had done the day before. Suddenly she realized what had woken her up. Someone was in her shower. She sat up and looked around the room. The realization that this wasn't her room and what she had done the night before came swift. She felt so ashamed of herself for using Sturgis like that. Not that he hadn't been a willing participant.
She gathered her clothes and dressed quickly, hoping to be able to get out of the room before Sturgis got out of the shower. After she had gotten herself ready, she went over to open the door and sneak out. Of course they would probably have to talk about this at some point. That wasn't a conversation that she could handle right now. Mac opened the door and came face to face with Harm.
"Hey Mac! What are you doing here so early?" he asked surprised.
"I was. I wanted to have a look on some of the files again. I thought I had missed something." She stammered insecure about what to say. This was, after Sturgis, the last person she wanted to speak to right now. She started to walk past him.
"It sounds like Sturgis is in the shower. I didn't know that you had begun breaking and entering. You know that is a criminal offence," he joked. Mac just kept walking. Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. 'What have I done?'
Ten minutes before the hearing was supposed to start again all of the lawyers from JAG HQ were already present in the courtroom. Mac had started to feel better about herself after seeing the understanding look in Sturgis eyes. Maybe they would be able to forget about this and move on like it had never happened. It wasn't like with her and Harm who actually had some feelings, whatever kind they now were, for each other.
The hearing went well for the defence and after the Lieutenant who had accused O'Neil of harassment had admitted that he himself couldn't be sure of her intent, there wasn't much more Sturgis and Mac could do about it. As they stepped out of the courtroom Sturgis wanted to get Mac and him alone to talk. Mac decided it was better to just get it over with and took the hints to follow him back to his quarters.
Back at the place where it had all happened, both Mac and Sturgis got a lot less brave about talking about it.
"So" Mac started
"So" Sturgis answered just as expressively.
"How about we just forget this ever happened and never talk about it ever again?" Mac finally got the courage to say.
"That sounds just like something I wanted to say. I mean I know who you have feelings for and it isn't me and I don't have any of that sort for you either. We're both adults, we can handle this." Sturgis started to ramble in relief. "But I was serious yesterday. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"I appreciate that, but this" she made gesture towards the bed and blushed slightly "this sort of makes that harder."
"I know. It might just take some time." They both reached for the handle of the door to go out and meet Tracy and Harm for dinner before returning to Washington D.C. As their hands touched they both drew them make as if they had been burned. Sturgis let out a sigh and let Mac move ahead. 'This won't be as easy as it seemed' he tought.
TBC