Title: Just to talk Part VI
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Mac/Harm
Spoilers: Take It Like a Man
Authors Notes - I couldn't leave it there like that....
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1818 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac looked through the slats of Harm's office window blinds before knocking to enter. He was bent over, searching through a cardboard file box. She studied his face for a second.
"Got a minute?" she said in answer to his curt 'Come in.'
"Just a minute," he said, still looking through the box. "What is it?"
"Thought you might want to talk," she started.
He cut her off. "Let me guess, you've been talking to Chegwidden's yeoman. So what did Miss Coates say, anyway?"
"You had a disagreement with Mattie..."
"I guess that 's one way to put it," he said.
"How would you put it?" asked Mac quietly.
He finally pulled his attention away from the file box and turned his head towards her. "Look, Mac, if you've come here to gloat, then gloat. You were right. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to Mattie. In fact, I lost it so bad, Big Bud could take lessons. Satisfied? Now I've got a headache the size of the Washington Monument and the admiral's chewing my six about a file. Time for you to go, okay?" He went back to the file box.
Mac winced at the thought of her harsh words in this very office a few days earlier. She looked at the object she had in her hand. Slowly, unseen by him, she put the object on his desk, turned around and left.
*******************************
Harm heard the latch of his office door click as she left. For once, talking with Mac was the last thing he wanted. It would be hard enough to look at her straight in the eyes. She had been so right. He was not cut out for this parenthood thing. All he had managed to prove to everyone is that when push came to shove, he was little better than Mac's, Coates, or Mattie's father.
He couldn't remember the last time he was so angry. Give him an F-14 in a firefight and he could keep his cool. Land a crippled C-130 on a carrier deck? No problem. Argue before the world court in The Hague? Piece of cake. Fight a terrorist like Sadik? Bring it on.
But when faced with a fifteen-year-old girl and a few ounces of bourbon? All reason went out the window.
How could she be so stupid? How much tragedy did she need in her life? What's with those girls on the volleyball team anyway? Aren't athletes supposed to live healthy lifestyles? What was everyone thinking?
There was the Bauer file. Who had misfiled the damn thing? He threw it on the desk, then replaced the contents and lid on the box and stood up. Hopefully, the admiral would be gone when he dropped it off. He wasn't in the mood for a Chegwidden pep talk.
He reached for the offending file. He stopped. On his desk was a plain JAG coffee mug half full of water. Standing in the mug was a ten-inch twig. Harm recognized it. Saucer magnolia with two large buds ready to bloom. The heat of the office would force them. Tomorrow there would be two large pink flowers on the small branch.
Where was a saucer magnolia around JAG? He remembered. There was a large tree in front of the hardware store down the street.
He slid out a card underneath. Mac's writing was easy to recognize.
"I bought paint and tape. How about Thai at my place tonight? Bring Mattie."
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Mac/Harm
Spoilers: Take It Like a Man
Authors Notes - I couldn't leave it there like that....
******************************************************************
1818 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac looked through the slats of Harm's office window blinds before knocking to enter. He was bent over, searching through a cardboard file box. She studied his face for a second.
"Got a minute?" she said in answer to his curt 'Come in.'
"Just a minute," he said, still looking through the box. "What is it?"
"Thought you might want to talk," she started.
He cut her off. "Let me guess, you've been talking to Chegwidden's yeoman. So what did Miss Coates say, anyway?"
"You had a disagreement with Mattie..."
"I guess that 's one way to put it," he said.
"How would you put it?" asked Mac quietly.
He finally pulled his attention away from the file box and turned his head towards her. "Look, Mac, if you've come here to gloat, then gloat. You were right. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to Mattie. In fact, I lost it so bad, Big Bud could take lessons. Satisfied? Now I've got a headache the size of the Washington Monument and the admiral's chewing my six about a file. Time for you to go, okay?" He went back to the file box.
Mac winced at the thought of her harsh words in this very office a few days earlier. She looked at the object she had in her hand. Slowly, unseen by him, she put the object on his desk, turned around and left.
*******************************
Harm heard the latch of his office door click as she left. For once, talking with Mac was the last thing he wanted. It would be hard enough to look at her straight in the eyes. She had been so right. He was not cut out for this parenthood thing. All he had managed to prove to everyone is that when push came to shove, he was little better than Mac's, Coates, or Mattie's father.
He couldn't remember the last time he was so angry. Give him an F-14 in a firefight and he could keep his cool. Land a crippled C-130 on a carrier deck? No problem. Argue before the world court in The Hague? Piece of cake. Fight a terrorist like Sadik? Bring it on.
But when faced with a fifteen-year-old girl and a few ounces of bourbon? All reason went out the window.
How could she be so stupid? How much tragedy did she need in her life? What's with those girls on the volleyball team anyway? Aren't athletes supposed to live healthy lifestyles? What was everyone thinking?
There was the Bauer file. Who had misfiled the damn thing? He threw it on the desk, then replaced the contents and lid on the box and stood up. Hopefully, the admiral would be gone when he dropped it off. He wasn't in the mood for a Chegwidden pep talk.
He reached for the offending file. He stopped. On his desk was a plain JAG coffee mug half full of water. Standing in the mug was a ten-inch twig. Harm recognized it. Saucer magnolia with two large buds ready to bloom. The heat of the office would force them. Tomorrow there would be two large pink flowers on the small branch.
Where was a saucer magnolia around JAG? He remembered. There was a large tree in front of the hardware store down the street.
He slid out a card underneath. Mac's writing was easy to recognize.
"I bought paint and tape. How about Thai at my place tonight? Bring Mattie."