AN: With ten parts left, we can start the countdown to the end of this
story. I want to thank all of the reviewers who have stuck with me so far.
It means more than you think. The greatest thanks of them all to Cria and
TZ for betareading.
Part 24: New Job and Diamonds
January 7th 2004
"Ma'am, how are things downstairs?" Bud asked Mac.
They were sitting in the cafeteria, but Bud was referring to the legal assistance office downstairs from JAG HQ.
"I think the admiral forgot to mention that they've been without an efficient leader there for a while..." Mac started. Her new office had really been somewhat of a mess, even compared to what her old had sometimes looked like. "No, it's actually quite OK and on Monday I get one more lieutenant, who will help with the administration, so I'll have time to take cases from JAG too at times."
The new job had actually worked out pretty well and Mac enjoyed being so close to her old co-workers, but still having new kinds of challenges to face.
"Did you see the picture the people from the USO show sent Harriet?"
"No, but I heard she did a wonderful job."
"She did, but I think we're both very happy it's over."
"It's been tough on you," Mac said.
"Yeah. AJ has started acting out a lot too. That's why she had to go to his field trip."
"Being a parent is a fulltime job."
"Definitely. I'm sure it will work itself out somehow. You seem to be doing better in that department than you were this fall. Was it for the children's sake that you transferred?"
"I needed to keep my sanity... Why?"
"Nothing," Bud said not too convincing.
"Bud,"Mac encouraged him. She didn't want to use rank to get the information out.
"There was a rumor that the Commander had proposed, but it seems like that wasn't true."
"Not that I know, no," Mac confirmed "I don't think we'll ever do anything in our relationship conventionally."
"As long as it works for you," Bud said. His friends seemed happy and that made him happy too.
"It does."
Later the same day Harm stepped up to Mac who was crossing the bullpen.
"What were you doing in with the admiral?" he asked her curiously. He knew that she was busy downstairs so that it probably would be some time until she could go TAD to JAG.
"He needed some help with a diamond-problem."
"You know anything about those?"
"Well, I learnt some things before going to Paraguay. Remember that was my cover-story, that I was a diamond-expert."
"Right," Harm remembered her telling him about that at some point. "So could you help him with his problem?"
"I know someone who can..." Mac trailed off. "By the way Mattie called. The school was OK, the teachers were OK, the classes were OK and guess what she said about her new classmates."
"They're OK?" Harm asked.
"You've got it. Seriously though I think it will do her good to be able to start new there. I mean when she started school in October there were so many other things to complicate. She didn't know us and she still had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on."
"I'll see you later," Harm said as they had arrived by the elevator and Mac got on it.
"See you."
That same night Mattie, Mac and Harm sat on the couch exhausted.
"I'm so glad you decided to move to an apartment and not to a house," Mattie said and sighed.
"Why is that?" Mac asked.
"Just imagine what it would have been like if we had a whole house to decorate and furnish," she said and Harm and Mac laughed at that.
"I guess you're right," Harm agreed with her.
"Well, we're done now," Mac said.
"For this time," Harm interjected.
"I'm not moving again," Mattie said quite firmly.
"I always planned to buy a house if I got married," Harm admitted.
"So when are you going to make Mac Mrs. Harm? Should I start packing again?" she asked mischievously.
Harm and Mac looked at each other. Mac had thought Harm would look like a deer caught in the headlight, but he seemed more at ease then she had thought. She still thought it was a good thing to let him off the hook though.
"I think we can safely put those boxes away. We won't be moving any time soon."
Harm didn't say anything about it, but Mattie didn't think Harm was as scared by the thought as Mac did.
January 8th 2004
The next night Harm and Mac were working in the new office in their apartment. Harm had been assigned to prosecute the lieutenant who had sold the diamond of the admiral' fiancée Meredith's engagement ring. They suspected that they were dealing with blood diamonds, diamonds that were used to pay for wars in Africa. Mac wasn't officially assigned to the case, but Harm had asked her to help since she had both useful contacts for and own knowledge about the case already.
Mac had already been in contact with the CIA-expert that had trained her for her cover in Paraguay. So far she hadn't been able to obtain a lot of information that way, but they hoped that the trial would reveal more things.
January 10th 2004
All the friends from JAG were gathered in Harm and Mac's new apartment for the housewarming party. The admiral had show up alone, since Meredith was out eating dinner with a colleague of hers.
"I'm sure Meredith will realize that it is the sentiment in which the ring was given and not the source of the diamond that is really important," Mac dared to suggest as she found the admiral standing alone a little bit outside the group of guests.
"You think so," the admiral said wondering how she had known what was on his mind.
"It's a very romantic gesture. Some men don't even get that right."
"Rabb's not doing what he ought to?" he asked her.
"I wasn't talking from personal experience, sir. Especially not from any recent ones," Mac said quite firmly.
Later that night Mac and Harm had finally finished cleaning up after the party and were climbing into bed.
"Harm, have you noticed how everyone seems to think that I want you to propose to me?" Mac asked him as they lay in bed facing each other.
"I've picked up some of that yes," he said calmly.
"I don't want you to," Mac said and than she realized how he might take that and quickly added "I mean I want to marry you at some point, but..." she didn't know how to put her thoughts into words.
"We just fought so long to get to where we are now that you want to stay like this for a while and enjoy what we have," he said.
"Is there anything wrong with that?" Mac asked him. He had said it like he meant it too, but she wasn't completely sure.
"No. I feel the same way."
"I'm glad we're on the same page," Mac said and smiled at him.
"You know what else I would like to enjoy?" he asked suggestively and moved closer to kiss her.
"No what?" she asked not really clueless at all.
"Our apartment," he said and Mac's facial expression turned clueless "and the fact that Elena and Mattie both have their own rooms on the other side of it."
Mac agreed that that was definitely something you could enjoy.
January 14th 2004
A few days later the diamond case was wrapped up, much thanks to a file Mac was given from a CIA-agent. Mac had watched some parts of the trial and they had now returned home to their apartment.
"That felt almost like the old times, didn't it?"
"Well, I never felt this much like your marionette when we were assigned the same cases," Harm said mischievously.
"Oh really," Mac said and softly boxed him in his side.
They had gotten to their floor and knocked on the door.
"Hey Mac and Harm," Mattie said when she had pulled off the safety chain and opened the door.
"Mattie it's really good that you remembered to put the safety chain on, but you need to check who's out here first," Harm started a bit upset with her "And you absolutely cannot answer the door in your underwear," he added when he saw what Mattie was wearing "Mac, help me out here!" he burst out looking at Mac helplessly.
"You seem to be doing pretty well on your own there, dad," Mac refused to but in.
This time it was Mattie's turn to look helplessly at Mac.
TBC
Part 24: New Job and Diamonds
January 7th 2004
"Ma'am, how are things downstairs?" Bud asked Mac.
They were sitting in the cafeteria, but Bud was referring to the legal assistance office downstairs from JAG HQ.
"I think the admiral forgot to mention that they've been without an efficient leader there for a while..." Mac started. Her new office had really been somewhat of a mess, even compared to what her old had sometimes looked like. "No, it's actually quite OK and on Monday I get one more lieutenant, who will help with the administration, so I'll have time to take cases from JAG too at times."
The new job had actually worked out pretty well and Mac enjoyed being so close to her old co-workers, but still having new kinds of challenges to face.
"Did you see the picture the people from the USO show sent Harriet?"
"No, but I heard she did a wonderful job."
"She did, but I think we're both very happy it's over."
"It's been tough on you," Mac said.
"Yeah. AJ has started acting out a lot too. That's why she had to go to his field trip."
"Being a parent is a fulltime job."
"Definitely. I'm sure it will work itself out somehow. You seem to be doing better in that department than you were this fall. Was it for the children's sake that you transferred?"
"I needed to keep my sanity... Why?"
"Nothing," Bud said not too convincing.
"Bud,"Mac encouraged him. She didn't want to use rank to get the information out.
"There was a rumor that the Commander had proposed, but it seems like that wasn't true."
"Not that I know, no," Mac confirmed "I don't think we'll ever do anything in our relationship conventionally."
"As long as it works for you," Bud said. His friends seemed happy and that made him happy too.
"It does."
Later the same day Harm stepped up to Mac who was crossing the bullpen.
"What were you doing in with the admiral?" he asked her curiously. He knew that she was busy downstairs so that it probably would be some time until she could go TAD to JAG.
"He needed some help with a diamond-problem."
"You know anything about those?"
"Well, I learnt some things before going to Paraguay. Remember that was my cover-story, that I was a diamond-expert."
"Right," Harm remembered her telling him about that at some point. "So could you help him with his problem?"
"I know someone who can..." Mac trailed off. "By the way Mattie called. The school was OK, the teachers were OK, the classes were OK and guess what she said about her new classmates."
"They're OK?" Harm asked.
"You've got it. Seriously though I think it will do her good to be able to start new there. I mean when she started school in October there were so many other things to complicate. She didn't know us and she still had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on."
"I'll see you later," Harm said as they had arrived by the elevator and Mac got on it.
"See you."
That same night Mattie, Mac and Harm sat on the couch exhausted.
"I'm so glad you decided to move to an apartment and not to a house," Mattie said and sighed.
"Why is that?" Mac asked.
"Just imagine what it would have been like if we had a whole house to decorate and furnish," she said and Harm and Mac laughed at that.
"I guess you're right," Harm agreed with her.
"Well, we're done now," Mac said.
"For this time," Harm interjected.
"I'm not moving again," Mattie said quite firmly.
"I always planned to buy a house if I got married," Harm admitted.
"So when are you going to make Mac Mrs. Harm? Should I start packing again?" she asked mischievously.
Harm and Mac looked at each other. Mac had thought Harm would look like a deer caught in the headlight, but he seemed more at ease then she had thought. She still thought it was a good thing to let him off the hook though.
"I think we can safely put those boxes away. We won't be moving any time soon."
Harm didn't say anything about it, but Mattie didn't think Harm was as scared by the thought as Mac did.
January 8th 2004
The next night Harm and Mac were working in the new office in their apartment. Harm had been assigned to prosecute the lieutenant who had sold the diamond of the admiral' fiancée Meredith's engagement ring. They suspected that they were dealing with blood diamonds, diamonds that were used to pay for wars in Africa. Mac wasn't officially assigned to the case, but Harm had asked her to help since she had both useful contacts for and own knowledge about the case already.
Mac had already been in contact with the CIA-expert that had trained her for her cover in Paraguay. So far she hadn't been able to obtain a lot of information that way, but they hoped that the trial would reveal more things.
January 10th 2004
All the friends from JAG were gathered in Harm and Mac's new apartment for the housewarming party. The admiral had show up alone, since Meredith was out eating dinner with a colleague of hers.
"I'm sure Meredith will realize that it is the sentiment in which the ring was given and not the source of the diamond that is really important," Mac dared to suggest as she found the admiral standing alone a little bit outside the group of guests.
"You think so," the admiral said wondering how she had known what was on his mind.
"It's a very romantic gesture. Some men don't even get that right."
"Rabb's not doing what he ought to?" he asked her.
"I wasn't talking from personal experience, sir. Especially not from any recent ones," Mac said quite firmly.
Later that night Mac and Harm had finally finished cleaning up after the party and were climbing into bed.
"Harm, have you noticed how everyone seems to think that I want you to propose to me?" Mac asked him as they lay in bed facing each other.
"I've picked up some of that yes," he said calmly.
"I don't want you to," Mac said and than she realized how he might take that and quickly added "I mean I want to marry you at some point, but..." she didn't know how to put her thoughts into words.
"We just fought so long to get to where we are now that you want to stay like this for a while and enjoy what we have," he said.
"Is there anything wrong with that?" Mac asked him. He had said it like he meant it too, but she wasn't completely sure.
"No. I feel the same way."
"I'm glad we're on the same page," Mac said and smiled at him.
"You know what else I would like to enjoy?" he asked suggestively and moved closer to kiss her.
"No what?" she asked not really clueless at all.
"Our apartment," he said and Mac's facial expression turned clueless "and the fact that Elena and Mattie both have their own rooms on the other side of it."
Mac agreed that that was definitely something you could enjoy.
January 14th 2004
A few days later the diamond case was wrapped up, much thanks to a file Mac was given from a CIA-agent. Mac had watched some parts of the trial and they had now returned home to their apartment.
"That felt almost like the old times, didn't it?"
"Well, I never felt this much like your marionette when we were assigned the same cases," Harm said mischievously.
"Oh really," Mac said and softly boxed him in his side.
They had gotten to their floor and knocked on the door.
"Hey Mac and Harm," Mattie said when she had pulled off the safety chain and opened the door.
"Mattie it's really good that you remembered to put the safety chain on, but you need to check who's out here first," Harm started a bit upset with her "And you absolutely cannot answer the door in your underwear," he added when he saw what Mattie was wearing "Mac, help me out here!" he burst out looking at Mac helplessly.
"You seem to be doing pretty well on your own there, dad," Mac refused to but in.
This time it was Mattie's turn to look helplessly at Mac.
TBC