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. (Here's the disclaimer for NCIS, as above...I'll leave it in for the rest of the story; makes life easier when I need to 'borrow' Gibbs and his team!)

Rating : G to PG-13

Thanks go to cbw, jtbwriter, beegirl, katydid13, ninjaturtle, capriceann, starryeyes10, kirsten, soonerfan, another tracy, tomcat-all, lori4, carol, eliv.thade, alicia5, fragmentpieces, kesh, claysmvl, chicmns, skyefire, tammy-jet, abigaile, kjflygirl87, anna7, nikki, jbird7986, angelab, pineapplehead, rosa, manda, rinkrat, bard2003, laura carr, tj , sahc, kstorm, arian04 and deb for their reviews. As before, any reviewers I miss between posts will be added to the list for the next chapter!

Replies to previous chapter reviews :

starryeyes10 Thanks for your support, and please keep reading!

alicia5 I plan to fix things, don't worry. All will be well at the end! (Whenever 'that' is!) Thanks for your support, and please keep reading!

jbird7986 Glad I got the tension I was after! Thanks for your support, and please keep reading!

bard2003 I recall Captain Ingles (series 6/Adrift) being open-minded about Mac's visions, so why not Captain Johnson? Works for me! Thanks for your support, and please keep reading!

deb Hello and welcome to the story! I seem to have caught the tension I was after with the last chapter. Mattie's scene is coming soon, to relieve (some of) the tension - thanks for your support, and please keep reading!

ann7 I'm guessing you're my reviewer 'anna7' (and it was a typo). If, however, you're a new reviewer, welcome to the story, and please keep reading! So... here goes with the next chapter, and I'm glad I managed to convey the tension I was after!

jtbwriter Hiya! Got your email but was unable to open. Problems with server. I've saved it, so I should be able to open it soon! Thanks as always, and hope job-hunt is going well!

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ROOM 12

LOCAL HOTEL

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON

"Mac, it's time to go." Harm dropped a kiss on Mac's bare shoulder as she slept, snuggled up to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Stirring slightly, she smiled in her sleep. Harm grinned at her reaction, and stepped up his campaign to wake her up. While his usual method resulted in them spending a little more time in bed, he knew he didn't have that luxury right now, and he had to get them both up and out as soon as possible.

Mac opened her eyes slowly and looked at Harm, into the depths of his ocean-colored irises. Both blue and green, their color changed constantly, and even had the dark grey color of a stormy sea when he was troubled.

"I'm awake," she murmured, "but I don't want to be."

"Me neither, but we have to go." Harm's voice was gentle, but insistent, and Mac nodded, pushing herself up on her elbow to drop a kiss on his lips. It was a simple greeting, and it was accepted as just that. No prelude to more. There was no time.

"Okay. You ready for what's in store?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm just a little curious to know how Dunstan got himself into this mess, and why."

"Me too, so when you find him, find out for me, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harm returned, bent to drop a kiss on her abdomen, and ran the palm of his hand over the spot he had just kissed. Mac ran her hand through his short hair at his gesture and he raised his eyes to her. Swallowing the lump in her throat at the sheer emotion in the stormy grey depths, Mac shook her head in question.

"What is it, Harm?"

"I must be getting old, Sarah. At this very moment I could quite happily get on that transporter with you and go face the consequences, just knowing I could spend more time with you and the baby."

"I know, sweetheart, but it wouldn't work out that way. The Admiral would have you court-martialled, and for good measure he'd make me prosecute you, and you know how good a lawyer I am - I'd win hands down!" Mac made the last of her words ease the tension as she smiled slightly. Harm nodded, the faintest trace of his flyboy grin tilting his lips. Lifting himself up on the bed he leaned in for one last kiss and got to his feet.

"Okay. Let's get out of here."

UNNAMED MILITARY BASE

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

EARLY MONDAY EVENING

The transporter aircraft was sitting on the tarmac, outlined by the setting sun as Harm, Mac, Carson and his escorting MP crossed the tarmac from the office buildings on the base. Behind the transporter sat the helo that was due to drop Harm into the Saudi desert. Mac had met the pilot of the helo's crew when he had introduced himself to Harm earlier, as they arrived back from the hotel, and now she watched as the man walked up to Harm.

"We're ready to leave as soon as you are, Captain. The signal is coming in loud and clear. It'll go crazy when we're actually over the DZ."

"Thank you, Commander. I'll be with you shortly."

"Aye, sir."

Carson was placed on board the transporter first, fastened and secured by the MP. Mac popped her head around the door of the cabin and nodded at him before stepping back outside to face Harm.

"Okay, flyboy. Time for us both to get going. You keep safe, and watch Dunstan doesn't get you into any more trouble."

"I promise," Harm replied, and then drew himself up to salute Mac. She returned the salute, mouthed the words 'I love you', and grinned when he did the same.

Stepping up onto the transporter and taking her seat in the cabin, Mac wouldn't turn round, even though she knew Harm was watching her every move. Until she was settled in her seat, and then she glanced back, raised her hand to sign 'I love you' once more, and then the door was closed and the aircraft began to taxi away from the airbase buildings. Harm stood and watched, raised his own hand as Mac had done, and grinned as she glanced out of the small window, smiling at him.

As the aircraft lumbered down the runway, and then rose with an ungainly lurch into the air, Mac turned away from the window and glanced across at Carson.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and the man opposite nodded in response.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Will you ever come back here? To this part of your family?"

"I honestly don't know, ma'am. Maybe someday, but right now I don't think it's such a good idea."

"Even to visit your mother?"

"My mother wouldn't have much influence if the senior members of the family chose to punish me for what they see as my 'Americanization'. What they have done so far is bad enough, but it would be far worse if I were to show up on their doorstep again."

"I hope you get to see her again someday, Carson. It can't be easy."

"It isn't, Colonel, but thank you for your words."

"I've sent an email ahead to JAG to let Admiral Chegwidden know we are on our way. We'll be met by a military escort and you'll be transferred to the brig as soon as we arrive. You are under our jurisdiction, and you will not be allowed to be questioned without my presence."

"Thank you again, ma'am."

"Try and get some sleep, it's going to be a long flight."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mac settled back in her seat and drew her laptop out of her bag. The transporter didn't have the amenitites of onboard power sources for computers, or inflight film screens, but the laptop had enough charge for her to do some work during the flight. As Mac booted up the system, she smiled to herself as she waited for the desktop to appear on the screen. Unknown to Harm, she had loaded a few personal photographs of he, Mattie and herself, and she scrolled through them for a few minutes, before selecting her favorite - Harm leaning back against 'Sarah', the bi-plane, with his arm across Mattie's shoulders - and setting it as the desktop picture.

As the transporter flew through the night, Mac eventually managed to sleep.

JAG HEADQUARTERS

FALLS CHURCH

VIRGINIA

MONDAY MORNING

Harriet saw Mattie first as the teenager entered the bullpen, her school backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Mattie, hi! What are you doing here, hon?"

"I...I need to see Sturgis. I have to ask him something."

"Commander Turner isn't here right now, Mattie. He's got a client interview in Norfolk first thing. Can I help?"

"I don't know..." Mattie hesitated, and Harriet glanced quickly around the office and then showed Mattie into Mac's room, closing the door behind her.

"Okay, Mattie, what's the problem?"

"I tried to tell Jen last night, but I can't tell her everything. I don't know how much she knows about Harm and Mac right now..."

"What about them? Are you talking about Mac being pregnant?" Harriet took a guess, and Mattie's surprised squeak gave her the answer.

"Did Mac tell you?"

"I kinda guessed, Mattie, when Mac was in the office and nearly passed out."

"Oh...well then, I guess it's okay to tell you. I went to see my father yesterday, and he's making plans to charge Harm and Mac with fraternization. He threatened to do this before Harm left, but Harm said it would be okay. I'm not so sure now...with Mac being pregnant...it could cause big problems for them, couldn't it?"

Harriet nodded absently. "Fraternization is an offence, yes. Have you tried contacting Mac, or Harm?"

"Mac's on her way back, and Harm has gone on a mission somewhere." Mattie replied, and her expression grew morose. "I never thought he would really stoop this low to get me back. It won't work, though, because I can still petition to be emancipated, but with Mac and Harm facing charges, that would put my residential status at risk."

"Don't you worry about any of that, Mattie. Even if he does bring charges, Harm will work it out."

"But he's not here!" Mattie protested, loudly enough to draw Jennifer's attention as she crossed the bullpen to the Admiral's office.

"Mattie! What are you doing here? You should be in school!"

"It's okay. First period is study hall. I have a library pass, so they won't check. I can be back before the break."

"Only if you get a ride over there! The bus would take forever!"

"Bud has to go to NCIS, Jen. He'll give Mattie a ride back."

Both Mattie and Jennifer looked at Harriet, and she smiled at the pair of them, then addressed Mattie.

"You leave it with me, Mattie. I'll let Commander Turner know what's going on, and he can find out if charges have been filed. Don't worry, okay. Whatever your father thinks he's doing, it will only backfire on him. He's not just messing with the JAG office here, he's messing with family, and we don't like that. We fight back."

Mattie grinned at the expression on Harriet's face, and then she hugged her.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"Will someone please fill me in on this? Mattie, you wouldn't tell me what was bugging you last night, and you said nothing this morning. In fact, you were out the door before I was even up! Where did you go?"

"The memorial." Mattie's answer was brief, but spoke volumes. Whenever Harm had to sort his mind out he always visited the Wall, and now Mattie found comfort in doing the same thing. It brought her closer to Harm, in his absence, and to a man she had never known, but had heard so much about. Looking at Jennifer she sighed, and then spoke again. "You might as well know, it's not like she's going to be able to hide it for long. Mac's pregnant, and my father is trying to bring fraternization charges on her and Harm."

"Pregnant!" was Jennifer's high-pitched response, and both Mattie and Harriet urged her to be quiet.

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To be continued