Title: Just to talk Part X
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Mac/Harm
Spoilers: Take It Like a Man
Authors Notes - Thanks for all of the great comments guys. Fawe, you have me worried now. England is the place mentioned in the series as the missionaries home. Not I place I know well. I'm writing blind. 1ska, as usual, you get me thinking. Soleil, Tracy, Michi, Alicia, Phoebe, Tracy, CQ, Arian, Angela, Kobe-Mac - thanks
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She wasn't prepared for him.
She had her tickets booked, her bag packed, plants watered, case-files dispersed and reports done. She had worked late to make sure everything would proceed smoothly in her absence. No balls would be dropped. Nothing would be left hanging. Everything was ready.
Mac was just about to change out of her uniform when she heard a knock at her apartment door. She glanced through the peephole out of habit, but she didn't need to check. She knew it was Harm. She always knew when it was Harm.
She steeled herself before opening the door. He must have run over despite the evening time. Not his usual routine. But there he was; formfitting shorts, an equally form-fitting Under Armor T shirt under an unzipped hoody. There was a small daypack on his back. Mac watched as he put a finger along the side of his neck to check his heart rate.
When she finally opened the door, she felt him assault her senses with his musky smell and his towering presence. "Harm," she said.
"Chegwidden told me to touch base with you," he said, studying her. "I didn't know you were planning to take leave?"
"It was a last minute thing," she said, pushing the door wider so Harm could walk in. "But the admiral has been bugging me to take time off, so he couldn't refuse. There's nothing big on at the moment." She made her way to her fridge to get Harm a cold bottle of water. "You ran over here?"
"Yeah. Jen talked Mattie into a Bikram Yoga class. I'm just waiting for them to finish. The Lexus is at the health club. I brought a pack for any files you might have."
"They're all on your desk at work. I wrote instructions. You won't have any problems. If you do, you've got my cell number." She settled into a stool by her counter and watched Harm as he drank from the bottle.
"In that case," he said removing the pack from his back. "I'll show you the other reason I brought the pack." He opened it and pulled out some pink budded branches. He passed them over to her.
"Harm," she smiled. "These are cherry blossoms."
He smiled too as he sat on a second stool. "Yes."
"Not from the trees around the Tidal Basin?" She watched as his little-boy grin widened. "The DC police won't be happy. The Cherry Blossom Festival is in what, two weeks?"
"They'll never know. I was a spook, after all."
"Well, when they come to do the DNA test, I'm disavowing all knowledge," Mac laughed. She went to a cupboard.
She felt him studying her as she looked for a vase. "Going to England, I hear?"
"Yes."
"Springtime is beautiful, I hear." He was being careful to keep his tone conversational.
"I hear that too," This exchange was just an opening dance. He knew the real reason. The admiral must have told him. "Harm, is it so crazy that I want to go the church of those Paraguayan missionaries?"
"Maybe. Why are you doing it?"
"I've lost something. I need to get back my life."
"A quest of sorts," said Harm.
"Yes, I guess. Crazy, huh?"
"Not to me. You're looking at the king of crazy quests. Closure is important. At least, it always has been for me." His eyes had a faraway look to them.
Mac felt a rush of emotion. She should have known that Harm would understand. The 'why' of the world was important to him too.
"You're going alone, I hear," he stated.
Mac felt wary. "Yes," she said.
There was silence for a minute. "Where's Webb?"
"On assignment," she paused for moment. "He does think I'm crazy."
Harm nodded. "That's Clay. He's been taught for too long not to question. It scares him."
Mac knew this was all leading somewhere. She had to head it off at the pass before he could even ask. "Harm," she said. "I need to do this without help."
That got his full attention. He started to protest but she cut him off. "You're just protecting me from me. This I need to do myself. Okay?"
He was hurt by her words. She could tell. There would be day, somewhere in the future where she was able to tell Harm how much his help meant to her. But not now. The holes you dig yourself are the ones you need to crawl out of. Unaided.
Reluctantly he said. "Okay." He stood up from the stool and put the pack on. He was getting ready to leave.
"Harm," she said. "I'll keep in touch, okay? I'll let you know how it goes."
He looked at her and reluctantly agreed. "Okay."
They walked to the door in silence. She thought there was nothing more until he turned abruptly and said. "You mind if I finish painting your bedroom while you're gone?"
"Of course not," she said. "But you have a lot on the go. Mattie, work... Are you sure you want to?"
"Yes," he said. "Have a good trip Mac." And the door closed behind him.
Author: Nan
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Mac/Harm
Spoilers: Take It Like a Man
Authors Notes - Thanks for all of the great comments guys. Fawe, you have me worried now. England is the place mentioned in the series as the missionaries home. Not I place I know well. I'm writing blind. 1ska, as usual, you get me thinking. Soleil, Tracy, Michi, Alicia, Phoebe, Tracy, CQ, Arian, Angela, Kobe-Mac - thanks
******************************************************************
She wasn't prepared for him.
She had her tickets booked, her bag packed, plants watered, case-files dispersed and reports done. She had worked late to make sure everything would proceed smoothly in her absence. No balls would be dropped. Nothing would be left hanging. Everything was ready.
Mac was just about to change out of her uniform when she heard a knock at her apartment door. She glanced through the peephole out of habit, but she didn't need to check. She knew it was Harm. She always knew when it was Harm.
She steeled herself before opening the door. He must have run over despite the evening time. Not his usual routine. But there he was; formfitting shorts, an equally form-fitting Under Armor T shirt under an unzipped hoody. There was a small daypack on his back. Mac watched as he put a finger along the side of his neck to check his heart rate.
When she finally opened the door, she felt him assault her senses with his musky smell and his towering presence. "Harm," she said.
"Chegwidden told me to touch base with you," he said, studying her. "I didn't know you were planning to take leave?"
"It was a last minute thing," she said, pushing the door wider so Harm could walk in. "But the admiral has been bugging me to take time off, so he couldn't refuse. There's nothing big on at the moment." She made her way to her fridge to get Harm a cold bottle of water. "You ran over here?"
"Yeah. Jen talked Mattie into a Bikram Yoga class. I'm just waiting for them to finish. The Lexus is at the health club. I brought a pack for any files you might have."
"They're all on your desk at work. I wrote instructions. You won't have any problems. If you do, you've got my cell number." She settled into a stool by her counter and watched Harm as he drank from the bottle.
"In that case," he said removing the pack from his back. "I'll show you the other reason I brought the pack." He opened it and pulled out some pink budded branches. He passed them over to her.
"Harm," she smiled. "These are cherry blossoms."
He smiled too as he sat on a second stool. "Yes."
"Not from the trees around the Tidal Basin?" She watched as his little-boy grin widened. "The DC police won't be happy. The Cherry Blossom Festival is in what, two weeks?"
"They'll never know. I was a spook, after all."
"Well, when they come to do the DNA test, I'm disavowing all knowledge," Mac laughed. She went to a cupboard.
She felt him studying her as she looked for a vase. "Going to England, I hear?"
"Yes."
"Springtime is beautiful, I hear." He was being careful to keep his tone conversational.
"I hear that too," This exchange was just an opening dance. He knew the real reason. The admiral must have told him. "Harm, is it so crazy that I want to go the church of those Paraguayan missionaries?"
"Maybe. Why are you doing it?"
"I've lost something. I need to get back my life."
"A quest of sorts," said Harm.
"Yes, I guess. Crazy, huh?"
"Not to me. You're looking at the king of crazy quests. Closure is important. At least, it always has been for me." His eyes had a faraway look to them.
Mac felt a rush of emotion. She should have known that Harm would understand. The 'why' of the world was important to him too.
"You're going alone, I hear," he stated.
Mac felt wary. "Yes," she said.
There was silence for a minute. "Where's Webb?"
"On assignment," she paused for moment. "He does think I'm crazy."
Harm nodded. "That's Clay. He's been taught for too long not to question. It scares him."
Mac knew this was all leading somewhere. She had to head it off at the pass before he could even ask. "Harm," she said. "I need to do this without help."
That got his full attention. He started to protest but she cut him off. "You're just protecting me from me. This I need to do myself. Okay?"
He was hurt by her words. She could tell. There would be day, somewhere in the future where she was able to tell Harm how much his help meant to her. But not now. The holes you dig yourself are the ones you need to crawl out of. Unaided.
Reluctantly he said. "Okay." He stood up from the stool and put the pack on. He was getting ready to leave.
"Harm," she said. "I'll keep in touch, okay? I'll let you know how it goes."
He looked at her and reluctantly agreed. "Okay."
They walked to the door in silence. She thought there was nothing more until he turned abruptly and said. "You mind if I finish painting your bedroom while you're gone?"
"Of course not," she said. "But you have a lot on the go. Mattie, work... Are you sure you want to?"
"Yes," he said. "Have a good trip Mac." And the door closed behind him.