Title : Where The Sea Meets The Sky
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy and tomcat-all for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
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BELTWAY BURGERS
BELTWAY - I495
WASHINGTON DC
Harm nodded. "I've been requested to join the Sea Hawk in the Gulf, leaving tomorrow night. It's an open-ended assignment. I guess I'll get some leave time, but I don't know when or where. It may just be local, rather than Stateside."
"What about your quals?"
"I get to do them over there, as part of my schedule. They figure I've got to trap anyway, so I might as well have them count for something."
"Would I get to see you if you came off the ship?"
"It would depend, Mattie. The situation for civilian travel isn't so great out there right now, but if I could get you on a military transport, and if you had official time off school, say like a half-term break, maybe we could swing it."
"Mac would be over the moon!" Mattie grinned saucily, and Harm realised at that moment that his departure wouldn't be as worrisome as he had first thought. If Mattie could make jokes, she was okay with the situation. She might not like it but, like Mac, she could accept that this was who he was, and why he had joined the military. This was why Mattie wanted to join the Naval Academy herself!
"Yeah, she would, if she could get time off."
"It's happened before," Mattie pointed out, and Harm turned his head to look at her as they sat on a bench eating their lunch. "How do you know about that?" he asked, and then answered his own question. "Jennifer."
"No secrets let out, we promise. It's just that when you've done your quals in the past, so she told me, Mac's been assigned to cover some sudden emergency leave for the resident carrier JAG. We checked dates." Mattie confessed, and although Harm gave her a mock-glare, he was amused as well.
"Okay. So, with regard to my early departure, I took the liberty of getting this form filled out. All I need is your signature, Mattie, and then Mac can file it with my papers that she holds power of attorney over. If your… if Tom tries anything, you will be able to file the paper at court with Mac as your attorney in my place." Harm had reached inside his jacket to pull out the emancipation request, and Mattie looked at it in his hand.
"Will…will you take it home with you? I'll sign it tonight," she told him, and with a sudden movement that took him by surprise, she flung herself at him, and buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder, her arms around his neck.
"Hey, Mattie?"
"I'm okay, I just…I can't believe you trust me so much."
"Of course I trust you, sweetheart. You are a part of me now, and my life. It might not be officially on paper yet, Mattie, but you will always be my daughter. It's what I carry in my heart."
"Aw, shucks, you're not going to get mushy on me, are you?" Mattie managed to raise her head and smile tearily at Harm.
"Nope. That was it. Besides, I don't think I could afford the dry-cleaning; between you and Mac today, I'm wet through!"
Mattie laughed again, and hugged Harm once more before turning back to eating her lunch.
HARM'S OFFICE
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH
VIRGINIA
1400 HOURS LOCAL – MONDAY
Harm looked up from the papers on his desk to see Mac standing in the doorway to his room. Her face held a smile for him, but behind it he saw the sadness in her eyes.
He crooked a finger at her and she walked across the room to him and rounded the end of his desk.
"What?" she asked, leaning over him as he sat back in his chair.
"Mac," Harm started, then paused, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to say. Mac waited patiently, knowing him.
"Harm," Mac grinned, and leaned even further forward, and then laughed as Harm moved the chair forward with his legs. Backing up slightly, she watched the look on his face as he discovered a new game. Moving forward again, Harm watched as Mac backed up further, getting nearer to the door again. Suddenly he stopped and sat up, so the momentum brought him to his feet, and up against Mac's body. To the casual observer, it was a miscalculation of distance, his getting to his feet and bumping into Mac by accident. To Mac and Harm it was deliberate, so for a brief moment their bodies could touch, and then pull away. But for that moment, they were together.
"Together. Tonight. Mattie and Jen's for a meal, and then you and I. Please?"
"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Mac and Harm stepped away from each other, the moment of impropriety over, but the awareness of touch lasting much longer.
"I've already told Mattie that I won't see her after tomorrow morning. She's going to drop by before she takes the bus to school. I've told her I might be able to wangle a 'business call' to the Admiral, and onto you. I'll have to rely on email after that."
Mac nodded. "See you later, Flyboy."
As he watched Mac leave his office a thought entered his mind. It was almost fleeting, and then he caught at it, and as it formed into a full blown idea, he made his way across the bull-pen to the Admiral's office.
"I need to talk to the Admiral, Jen. I know he's out with the SECNAV to …"
Before P O Coates could inform him of the Admiral's return, Harm heard his CO's voice.
"I'm here, Commander. Come on in. Just got back, thank God. I can do without these 'meetings' when I have an office shuffle going on."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Admiral." Harm nodded at Coates as he closed the door behind him, and turned to face Chegwidden. Moving to the desk, he stood to attention.
"At ease, Commander. What's on your mind?"
"Sir, permission to speak freely."
"Am I going to like this, Harm?"
"I would hope so, sir," Harm couldn't help the slight grin that tilted his lips as he faced his commanding officer.
"Carry on," invited Chegwidden, indicating that Harm take a seat, as he took the one facing his senior officer.
OUTSIDE MATTIE AND JENNIFER'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
MONDAY EVENING
"Okay, Mattie, Jen, see you tomorrow," Mac turned at the door and hugged Mattie, and Jennifer, before moving away to let Harm do the same. With Mattie he took a little longer, and kissed the top of her head before releasing her.
"I'll see you in the morning. Remember what I told you earlier. It's your choice when you use the paper, if you need to at all. Whatever comes up while I'm away, you have Mac and Jennifer to talk to, and I'm at the end of an internet connection."
"I'm holding you to that, Harm," Mattie grinned, even though her bottom lip wobbled slightly. Harm noticed and glanced at Jennifer as she put her arm across Mattie's shoulder, ready to distract her young roommate.
"C'mon, kiddo," said Jennifer, "…your turn to wash the dishes!"
"Oh, yeuch," replied Mattie, raising a hand to wave goodnight and then walking back into her apartment. As Mattie turned away, Jennifer glanced back at Harm and Mac and smiled. "Mattie will be fine," she murmured, nodded, and then closed and locked the door.
Once Harm heard the locking bolt fall into place he walked with Mac to his apartment in silence, and unlocked the door, allowing Mac to enter ahead of him. As he followed her, he closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. Mac stood in the stream of light from the single lamp they had left switched on, and he could see the darkness of her eyes deepen as the pupils dilated, and still in silence he reached for her hand, tugging her gently forward until they stood together.
"So, it's just you and me, and the rest of the night." Harm murmured.
"Yes, it is. Just us." Mac responded.
"No interruptions."
"Until tomorrow morning."
"Guess we could do something with the time between now and then."
"Yes, we could."
"Okay. You want a movie, or play cards?"
"HARM!" Mac dropped a hand on his chest in a mock blow as he pulled her into his arms, the laughter in his voice making her smile as he spoke into her hair.
"Just joking, Marine." Harm's voice lowered. "I'm going to miss this, having you in my arms."
"We'll get through this, Harm. I promise."
"Oh, now you're making promises? I must be rubbing off on you …" Harm grinned, his familiar 'flyboy', and as Mac raised her head he dropped a kiss on her upturned mouth. Mac returned the kiss and and then pulled back slightly, her eyes locked in on his, the smile on her face promising much more.
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To be continued
A/N :
1. I couldn't resist re-working the chair scene! (I thought it was so cute in 'What If?')
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13
Thanks go to cbw; jtbwriter; beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy and tomcat-all for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BELTWAY BURGERS
BELTWAY - I495
WASHINGTON DC
Harm nodded. "I've been requested to join the Sea Hawk in the Gulf, leaving tomorrow night. It's an open-ended assignment. I guess I'll get some leave time, but I don't know when or where. It may just be local, rather than Stateside."
"What about your quals?"
"I get to do them over there, as part of my schedule. They figure I've got to trap anyway, so I might as well have them count for something."
"Would I get to see you if you came off the ship?"
"It would depend, Mattie. The situation for civilian travel isn't so great out there right now, but if I could get you on a military transport, and if you had official time off school, say like a half-term break, maybe we could swing it."
"Mac would be over the moon!" Mattie grinned saucily, and Harm realised at that moment that his departure wouldn't be as worrisome as he had first thought. If Mattie could make jokes, she was okay with the situation. She might not like it but, like Mac, she could accept that this was who he was, and why he had joined the military. This was why Mattie wanted to join the Naval Academy herself!
"Yeah, she would, if she could get time off."
"It's happened before," Mattie pointed out, and Harm turned his head to look at her as they sat on a bench eating their lunch. "How do you know about that?" he asked, and then answered his own question. "Jennifer."
"No secrets let out, we promise. It's just that when you've done your quals in the past, so she told me, Mac's been assigned to cover some sudden emergency leave for the resident carrier JAG. We checked dates." Mattie confessed, and although Harm gave her a mock-glare, he was amused as well.
"Okay. So, with regard to my early departure, I took the liberty of getting this form filled out. All I need is your signature, Mattie, and then Mac can file it with my papers that she holds power of attorney over. If your… if Tom tries anything, you will be able to file the paper at court with Mac as your attorney in my place." Harm had reached inside his jacket to pull out the emancipation request, and Mattie looked at it in his hand.
"Will…will you take it home with you? I'll sign it tonight," she told him, and with a sudden movement that took him by surprise, she flung herself at him, and buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder, her arms around his neck.
"Hey, Mattie?"
"I'm okay, I just…I can't believe you trust me so much."
"Of course I trust you, sweetheart. You are a part of me now, and my life. It might not be officially on paper yet, Mattie, but you will always be my daughter. It's what I carry in my heart."
"Aw, shucks, you're not going to get mushy on me, are you?" Mattie managed to raise her head and smile tearily at Harm.
"Nope. That was it. Besides, I don't think I could afford the dry-cleaning; between you and Mac today, I'm wet through!"
Mattie laughed again, and hugged Harm once more before turning back to eating her lunch.
HARM'S OFFICE
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH
VIRGINIA
1400 HOURS LOCAL – MONDAY
Harm looked up from the papers on his desk to see Mac standing in the doorway to his room. Her face held a smile for him, but behind it he saw the sadness in her eyes.
He crooked a finger at her and she walked across the room to him and rounded the end of his desk.
"What?" she asked, leaning over him as he sat back in his chair.
"Mac," Harm started, then paused, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to say. Mac waited patiently, knowing him.
"Harm," Mac grinned, and leaned even further forward, and then laughed as Harm moved the chair forward with his legs. Backing up slightly, she watched the look on his face as he discovered a new game. Moving forward again, Harm watched as Mac backed up further, getting nearer to the door again. Suddenly he stopped and sat up, so the momentum brought him to his feet, and up against Mac's body. To the casual observer, it was a miscalculation of distance, his getting to his feet and bumping into Mac by accident. To Mac and Harm it was deliberate, so for a brief moment their bodies could touch, and then pull away. But for that moment, they were together.
"Together. Tonight. Mattie and Jen's for a meal, and then you and I. Please?"
"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Mac and Harm stepped away from each other, the moment of impropriety over, but the awareness of touch lasting much longer.
"I've already told Mattie that I won't see her after tomorrow morning. She's going to drop by before she takes the bus to school. I've told her I might be able to wangle a 'business call' to the Admiral, and onto you. I'll have to rely on email after that."
Mac nodded. "See you later, Flyboy."
As he watched Mac leave his office a thought entered his mind. It was almost fleeting, and then he caught at it, and as it formed into a full blown idea, he made his way across the bull-pen to the Admiral's office.
"I need to talk to the Admiral, Jen. I know he's out with the SECNAV to …"
Before P O Coates could inform him of the Admiral's return, Harm heard his CO's voice.
"I'm here, Commander. Come on in. Just got back, thank God. I can do without these 'meetings' when I have an office shuffle going on."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Admiral." Harm nodded at Coates as he closed the door behind him, and turned to face Chegwidden. Moving to the desk, he stood to attention.
"At ease, Commander. What's on your mind?"
"Sir, permission to speak freely."
"Am I going to like this, Harm?"
"I would hope so, sir," Harm couldn't help the slight grin that tilted his lips as he faced his commanding officer.
"Carry on," invited Chegwidden, indicating that Harm take a seat, as he took the one facing his senior officer.
OUTSIDE MATTIE AND JENNIFER'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
MONDAY EVENING
"Okay, Mattie, Jen, see you tomorrow," Mac turned at the door and hugged Mattie, and Jennifer, before moving away to let Harm do the same. With Mattie he took a little longer, and kissed the top of her head before releasing her.
"I'll see you in the morning. Remember what I told you earlier. It's your choice when you use the paper, if you need to at all. Whatever comes up while I'm away, you have Mac and Jennifer to talk to, and I'm at the end of an internet connection."
"I'm holding you to that, Harm," Mattie grinned, even though her bottom lip wobbled slightly. Harm noticed and glanced at Jennifer as she put her arm across Mattie's shoulder, ready to distract her young roommate.
"C'mon, kiddo," said Jennifer, "…your turn to wash the dishes!"
"Oh, yeuch," replied Mattie, raising a hand to wave goodnight and then walking back into her apartment. As Mattie turned away, Jennifer glanced back at Harm and Mac and smiled. "Mattie will be fine," she murmured, nodded, and then closed and locked the door.
Once Harm heard the locking bolt fall into place he walked with Mac to his apartment in silence, and unlocked the door, allowing Mac to enter ahead of him. As he followed her, he closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. Mac stood in the stream of light from the single lamp they had left switched on, and he could see the darkness of her eyes deepen as the pupils dilated, and still in silence he reached for her hand, tugging her gently forward until they stood together.
"So, it's just you and me, and the rest of the night." Harm murmured.
"Yes, it is. Just us." Mac responded.
"No interruptions."
"Until tomorrow morning."
"Guess we could do something with the time between now and then."
"Yes, we could."
"Okay. You want a movie, or play cards?"
"HARM!" Mac dropped a hand on his chest in a mock blow as he pulled her into his arms, the laughter in his voice making her smile as he spoke into her hair.
"Just joking, Marine." Harm's voice lowered. "I'm going to miss this, having you in my arms."
"We'll get through this, Harm. I promise."
"Oh, now you're making promises? I must be rubbing off on you …" Harm grinned, his familiar 'flyboy', and as Mac raised her head he dropped a kiss on her upturned mouth. Mac returned the kiss and and then pulled back slightly, her eyes locked in on his, the smile on her face promising much more.
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To be continued
A/N :
1. I couldn't resist re-working the chair scene! (I thought it was so cute in 'What If?')