AN: I've got some good and some bad news. The good news are for me, I'm
going to Paris for a week, and that means bad news for you since I won't be
able to post any new part for the story until I'm back. Until then I hope
you enjoy this part, which is a personal favorite of mine, and I can also
inform you that the whole story is finished now and it will be a total of
32 parts. Great thanks to Cria and TZ, my beta-readers, and everyone else
who gives me such wonderful feedback!
Part 14: Unemployed Again
September 29th 2003
"Hey, I came as soon as I heard your message that you were back," Mac said as she walked into his apartment. "I'm so glad you're back," she embraced him.
"I saw you on TV," Mac said when Harm didn't say anything.
"I need to tell you something." Mac looked at him attentively. "I got fired."
"Oh. Because of being on TV?" Mac asked and Harm nodded in response. "You upset?"
"Well, yes."
"I'm sorry, but you know I'm glad if it means that you'll be around more..."
"We'll see," Harm said a little more nonchalantly than he had intended to.
Mac felt a knot in her stomach. She was happy he wasn't going to work anymore for the CIA. She really was. But she was also feeling sorry for him, especially since it seemed to affect him so much.
"I need your help with something at JAG," Mac said thinking it might not be a bad idea to remind him that he was a lawyer and could still work as one.
"Oh, you can't handle it without me?" his mood changed for the better and he tried to joke.
"No, we can't," Mac answered seriously. "But this is about something else. Commander Imes, you remember her, came back as your replacement, but it turns out she isn't a lawyer."
"I could have told you that," Harm laughed, "Kidding."
"I'm defending her against the charges. I thought you could help me looking over all of the cases where you prosecuted against her. If you'd want to..." She was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. They both got up and Harm went over to open up.
"Hey Harm. I need to talk to you," the woman said. Mac couldn't quite place the voice, but she knew she had heard it before.
"Oh," Harm said. He didn't verbally invite her in. He just stepped aside so she could enter. As the pregnant Catherine Gale entered Mac recognized who it was.
"I'll go and buy us something to eat," Mac said and put on her coat. There wasn't any room for privacy in this apartment and Mac didn't want Harm to have to make a decision about talking to the CIA-lawyer or not.
"You'll be back?" Harm asked. The last thing he wanted to do was to drive Mac away.
"Sooner than you think," Mac kissed him and went out the door.
"Does Colonel Mackenzie know about 'our marriage'?" Catherine asked.
"Not really..." he hadn't intentionally kept it from Mac. It just hadn't come up and it didn't seem so important anymore either.
They continued to talk and Catherine told him about the baby and how she wasn't naming the father. Harm was concerned for her well-being. There didn't seem like there was a whole lot that he could do for her, but he promised to come with her to the hospital and see her mother. It wasn't like he didn't have the time.
Forty-five minutes after she had left, Mac returned to Harm's apartment. Catherine Gale was long gone.
"You two got to talk?" Mac asked. She didn't want to be too curious, but she couldn't help wanting to know why she had showed up at Harm's apartment.
"Yeah. Catherine is the one who helped me find you in Paraguay. Do you remember I told you that my wife worked for the CIA?" Harm almost beat himself. This was not how he had planned to tell her. He was supposed to start by stressing the fake part of the wedding.
"You're married to her?" Mac was almost laughing. Somehow this was just hilarious. Harm explained how the ceremony had taken place with Bud as a minister. Now Mac was really laughing at it. Harm was glad she had taken it the right way and laughed with her. At the time it happened he had been so worried about her, he hadn't really been able to see the comedy of the situation, but now he could.
"And now she's pregnant?" Mac asked after she had sobered up.
"I'm not... We didn't... I just kissed her," Harm stumbled not realizing that wasn't at all what Mac was implying.
"You kissed her?" Mac asked trying to stay serious despite Harm's rambling.
"Just for the ceremony," Harm tried to explain himself. "I wouldn't have otherwise, but her mother was watching and..." he was interrupted by Mac who had started kissing him to stop him from saying anything more.
"I love you, Harm, but sometimes you are just too much," she said once she thought it was safe to let him go.
"That means you'll forgive me," Harm said now realizing that Mac had seen it all as a joke.
"I think I can find some way to entertain you so you won't marry other women again," Mac said suggestively.
"Does this mean that Sturgis has Elena?"
"Mm mm," Mac said affirmatively.
TBC
Part 14: Unemployed Again
September 29th 2003
"Hey, I came as soon as I heard your message that you were back," Mac said as she walked into his apartment. "I'm so glad you're back," she embraced him.
"I saw you on TV," Mac said when Harm didn't say anything.
"I need to tell you something." Mac looked at him attentively. "I got fired."
"Oh. Because of being on TV?" Mac asked and Harm nodded in response. "You upset?"
"Well, yes."
"I'm sorry, but you know I'm glad if it means that you'll be around more..."
"We'll see," Harm said a little more nonchalantly than he had intended to.
Mac felt a knot in her stomach. She was happy he wasn't going to work anymore for the CIA. She really was. But she was also feeling sorry for him, especially since it seemed to affect him so much.
"I need your help with something at JAG," Mac said thinking it might not be a bad idea to remind him that he was a lawyer and could still work as one.
"Oh, you can't handle it without me?" his mood changed for the better and he tried to joke.
"No, we can't," Mac answered seriously. "But this is about something else. Commander Imes, you remember her, came back as your replacement, but it turns out she isn't a lawyer."
"I could have told you that," Harm laughed, "Kidding."
"I'm defending her against the charges. I thought you could help me looking over all of the cases where you prosecuted against her. If you'd want to..." She was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. They both got up and Harm went over to open up.
"Hey Harm. I need to talk to you," the woman said. Mac couldn't quite place the voice, but she knew she had heard it before.
"Oh," Harm said. He didn't verbally invite her in. He just stepped aside so she could enter. As the pregnant Catherine Gale entered Mac recognized who it was.
"I'll go and buy us something to eat," Mac said and put on her coat. There wasn't any room for privacy in this apartment and Mac didn't want Harm to have to make a decision about talking to the CIA-lawyer or not.
"You'll be back?" Harm asked. The last thing he wanted to do was to drive Mac away.
"Sooner than you think," Mac kissed him and went out the door.
"Does Colonel Mackenzie know about 'our marriage'?" Catherine asked.
"Not really..." he hadn't intentionally kept it from Mac. It just hadn't come up and it didn't seem so important anymore either.
They continued to talk and Catherine told him about the baby and how she wasn't naming the father. Harm was concerned for her well-being. There didn't seem like there was a whole lot that he could do for her, but he promised to come with her to the hospital and see her mother. It wasn't like he didn't have the time.
Forty-five minutes after she had left, Mac returned to Harm's apartment. Catherine Gale was long gone.
"You two got to talk?" Mac asked. She didn't want to be too curious, but she couldn't help wanting to know why she had showed up at Harm's apartment.
"Yeah. Catherine is the one who helped me find you in Paraguay. Do you remember I told you that my wife worked for the CIA?" Harm almost beat himself. This was not how he had planned to tell her. He was supposed to start by stressing the fake part of the wedding.
"You're married to her?" Mac was almost laughing. Somehow this was just hilarious. Harm explained how the ceremony had taken place with Bud as a minister. Now Mac was really laughing at it. Harm was glad she had taken it the right way and laughed with her. At the time it happened he had been so worried about her, he hadn't really been able to see the comedy of the situation, but now he could.
"And now she's pregnant?" Mac asked after she had sobered up.
"I'm not... We didn't... I just kissed her," Harm stumbled not realizing that wasn't at all what Mac was implying.
"You kissed her?" Mac asked trying to stay serious despite Harm's rambling.
"Just for the ceremony," Harm tried to explain himself. "I wouldn't have otherwise, but her mother was watching and..." he was interrupted by Mac who had started kissing him to stop him from saying anything more.
"I love you, Harm, but sometimes you are just too much," she said once she thought it was safe to let him go.
"That means you'll forgive me," Harm said now realizing that Mac had seen it all as a joke.
"I think I can find some way to entertain you so you won't marry other women again," Mac said suggestively.
"Does this mean that Sturgis has Elena?"
"Mm mm," Mac said affirmatively.
TBC