Title : Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. I have no idea who the characters of 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belong to, but I hope all parties will allow me to have a little fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.

Rating : G to PG-13

Author's Notes 1 & 2 : See Default Chapter

********************************************************************************

McMurphy's Bar - Washington DC - 1930 hours

The four of them, Harm, Mac, Jack and Sue had arranged to meet for a drink and a meal later that evening, to discuss the latest developments in their cases. Harm and Jack were talking at the bar, while Mac and Sue were visiting the ladies' room. They had found a common interest in their varied work fields, that of the continued protection of their country, its people, and its leaders. An added bonus was that they seemed to acknowledge, albeit silently, that they were quite happy with the unspoken relationships they already had, which made for a growing friendship all round.

"Consorting with the enemy, Harm?"

"What do you want, Webb?" Harm turned slightly to see Clayton Webb stood to his right. Jack looked down at the bar, but the sudden tightening of his hand around the neck of the beer bottle wasn't lost on Harm. He glanced back at Jack and nodded imperceptibly, then faced Clayton again.

"I'm looking for Sarah. I know she likes to come here sometimes, and I was hoping to see her."

"Instead you found me. Well, hell, Webb, sorry to spoil your day. As for me, I'm having a great time, meeting with friends," Harm put an emphasis on the word 'friends', and carried on. "Jack Hudson, meet Clayton Webb."

Webb kept his hands in his coat pockets. "I am aware of who Mr Hudson is, Rabb." Clayton had acknowledged that he and Harm had lost some of their so-called friendship following the events of Paraguay, but even he hadn't believed that Harm would totally ignore him after he left the Agency. Perhaps Harm had found out that Webb had been the one to sign the final line on his papers that, in effect, fired him without recourse.

"Jeez, Webb, stop being so retentive. Would it hurt you to shake the man's hand? On second thoughts, don't answer that. I wouldn't want you to feel you could screw up his life as well as you did mine by becoming a 'friend' to him, too." (Harm had remembered, belatedly, that there had been nerve damage to Clayton's arm following his torture in Paraguay, and he wasn't sure just how much use the agent had recovered, if any. Maybe he couldn't use it at all, and maybe he was just being plain rude.)

"It's okay, Harm. Mr Webb and I have already crossed swords on matters of business." Jack spoke up, and then touched Harm's shoulder to acknowledge the return of Mac and Sue across the room. Harm glanced in the same direction as Jack, at the two women, and then back at Clayton.

"Clay! What brings you here?" Mac acknowledged the man she had been dating, albeit briefly, without any form of physical greeting. Her voice was pleasant enough, but her quick glance before she moved to Harm's side, and put her hand on his arm, made Clayton aware that she wasn't too pleased to see him there either.

"I came to see you, Sarah. I thought we could go out for dinner tonight. I've just got back."

"I'm already out for dinner, Clay, with friends. I would guess Harm has introduced Jack, if you don't know him already. This is my friend, Sue Thomas. Sue works with Jack." As Mac had her back to Sue, it was Jack who did the signing silently, so Sue was aware of what was happening between her new friends and the man who had interrupted their evening.

"I'm sure you'll be excused. We really need to talk, Sarah. A lot has happened recently." Clay wheedled.

"A lot certainly has happened, Clay, and I would be more than happy to fill you in on my life recently, too. But not here, not now. I'll be in JAG on Monday. Call me then. Maybe we can manage lunch, but I am in court all day, so it would have to be short."

"Sarah, please... don't be like this. Come have dinner with me. Mother's at a function, so we would have the place to ourselves."

Harm was just about to say something, and Mac squeezed his arm to silence him, but it was Sue who spoke up instead, taking them all by surprise.

"Mr Webb, I don't know you and you don't know me, but even as a deaf person, I get the message loud and clear. The four of us have dinner reservations already, and are on our way now. If you'll excuse us? "

Jack stood up and helped Sue on with her coat, while Harm did the same for Mac, and then the four of them nodded at Clayton, and walked out of the bar together.

As they stepped outside the bar and walked towards their respective vehicles, three pairs of amused eyes met Sue's own. "What?" she said, raising her hands, palms up, in the universally recognised questioning stance, and then spoilt the expression by laughing.

"Thank you, Sue, for getting us out of there so diplomatically," said Mac and Harm together, and Jack grinned at his partner, putting his arm around her shoulder. His dark eyes met hers briefly before he turned to Mac and Harm.

"So guys, where are we going for dinner?" he asked.

Harm's apartment - North of Union Station

Mac was seated at one end of the sofa, Sue at the other. Jack was in the chair opposite Sue and Harm was on the floor, leaning back against the sofa near to Mac. The four of them had found yet another new Chinese restaurant in the DC area and even Harm's vegetarian tastes had been catered for to his satisfaction. He was, in his own words, stuffed. Mac had laughed at this, and prodded his stomach with her index finger.

"I think you've been over-doing the 'feeding up of Mattie', Harm. You're getting a little tubby there..." at which comment Harm had looked suitably affronted and prodded right back. "What about those Beltway Burgers, Marine?" The comments were taken as intended, in fun, and each thought that the other was actually in perfect shape.

"Who is Mattie?" asked Sue, bringing Mac and Harm's attention back to their guests.

"Mattie is Harm's ward. We'd have to make the full story a night in over take-out, but the short version is Mattie employed Harm a while back, and when he found out she was actually running the business on her own at fifteen, he offered to look after her. Eventually he hopes to make it legal and adopt her, but at the moment her father is still in the picture - albeit against Mattie's own wishes." Mac's explanation was concise, but gave Sue and Jack an inkling that the relationship between Mac and Harm, and the absent Mattie, was far more involved than even they had first thought, and would have to be explored over time between the four of them.

Sue smiled and got to her feet. "If you don't mind, I need to use the bathroom before we make a move."

"Sure," said Harm, and Mac pointed to the small set of stairs that led into the open-plan bedroom, and the bathroom beyond that. Sue walked away from the others and it didn't escape Mac or Harm's notice that Jack's eyes followed her initial move before he looked up at them.

"We've had a great time tonight; we should do it again soon," he grinned. "You two watch football?"

"Of course. Superbowl's coming up soon," Harm acknowledged, and smiled in return.

Jack nodded. "Ever seen the action up close?" he asked. "I got tickets for the last one from a friend of mine. Fantastic time, and even got buzzed by some jet-jock in an F-14. Part of the Homeland Security detail." With the sound of the door opening from the bathroom all three got to their feet at the same time, and Jack missed the knowing look between Harm and Mac at his words.

"Okay, Mac, Harm. Thanks for a lovely evening. See you both soon." Sue leant forward and kissed Mac's cheek, and then turned to Harm, who bent low so she could kiss his cheek also. Mac kissed Jack, and then Jack and Harm shook hands.

As soon as the door closed on their friends Mac turned to Harm with an evil grin. With a quick move she had him pinned up against the door, and smiled at his expression. It was a mixture of surprise and anticipation. ['Anticipation of what?' thought Mac.]

"It was you! You were in that plane, over the Superbowl! That's why you wouldn't give in over the seat tickets. You didn't have seats IN the stadium, they were OVER the stadium. So, who'd'ya take up? Tuna? Keeter?"

"Skates, actually. I took a photograph for all the folks back home," he added, smiling down at Mac.

"Oh yeah? How come we didn't get to see it then?" Mac stepped back and folded her arms, waiting for his next move.

"I can show you now, if you'd like. It's in the bedroom."

"Your bedroom?" ['Breathe, Mac, breathe...' she told herself.]

"Considering it's a one room apartment, and it's mine, that would make it my bedroom, yes." Harm was playing with fire, and he knew it. Any minute now Mac would either deck him, or do something else. He was hoping for the 'something else'.

Mac obliged without hesitation. Stepping up to Harm she gave him what he could only term a 'heavily flirty smile', and then locked her lips on his. No pause, no time to back down. At first he stood stock still, eyes wide open, and just as he felt Mac start to pull away, thinking she may have read his signals wrong, he moved.

[Boy, did he move! Mac couldn't help grinning, even while her mouth was being taken by his. This kiss was nothing like the porch kiss, and that had been dynamite all by itself! This...this was beyond example, but could easily become the standard by which all their kisses in future would be measured!]

********************************************************************************

To be continued