Sunday;
0537 Zulu;
Mac's Apartment;
Georgetown, Washington D.C.
Locking the deadbolt, Mac leaned back against the door with a contented sigh. Whatever expectations she had harbored going into her 'date' with Harm had been blown away by the reality. From the moment he had walked through her door behind a large spray of flowers, the night had been one giant whirlwind of continuous revelations. Closing her eyes, she replayed the evening over in her mind.
First, Harm had taken her to a fabulous Italian restaurant that had recently opened to rave reviews. She had found both the company and the meal immensely satisfying. The real shock, though, had come when she'd told him of her pregnancy-induced aversion to meat. The sensitivity and understanding he'd displayed had left her reeling in astonishment, not only because she'd expected him to tease her, but because it was a side of himself he so rarely shared openly.
After dinner they had driven out to the Tidal Basin. There at the Jefferson Memorial, with the moonlight reflecting on the water behind them, they'd listened to selections of Bach played to an intimate audience by the Washington Symphony Orchestra's string quintet. The music had literally moved Mac to tears, which Harm gently dried for her with his handkerchief. Her heart melted under his tender caress.
Neither had been ready for the evening to end when the concert concluded over an hour later. Instead, hand in hand, they took a leisurely stroll among the cherry trees along the waterfront. For a while they walked in silence, simply enjoying each other's companionship. Then, noticing the goosebumps on her arms, Harm shrugged out of his sport coat and draped it softly over her shoulders.
The scent of his cologne brought Mac back to the present. Feeling the solidity of the door behind her and the warm weight of Harm's jacket, she lost herself in the memory of only a few moments earlier, when he had escorted her up to her apartment. What began as an innocent goodnight kiss had swiftly deepened into something more passionate. A long, intense moment passed before Harm had finally broken away, gently nipping her lips one last time before closing the door between them. Now Mac stood thinking about how sweet and mysteriously romantic an evening it had been. Smiling softly to herself, she rubbed a hand absently over her lower abdomen and slipped silently towards her bedroom.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hearing the click of the deadbolt, Harm turned away from Mac's apartment door. What had been intended as an innocuous kiss goodnight had left him weak at the knees, and he now walked in a daze towards the stairs. His mind wandered over the evening's events in random order: the way her hair fluttered in the cool breeze as they'd strolled along the Tidal Basin, her expression of surprise when he'd kissed her outside the restaurant, how natural it had felt to hold her hand and soothe away the tears she'd wept during the performance.
As he stepped out onto the street outside Mac's building and headed over to where he'd parked the car, his lips curved upward in an absent smile. Looking up, he watched as the light in her bedroom flipped on and the blinds slowly closed. A sudden mental image of her preparing for bed rose unbidden into his thoughts. He shook his head in a vain attempt to bring himself back to the present. Unlocking the door, he folded himself into the car before slowly driving away.
* * * * * * * * * *
Monday; 1255 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
"Poor Bud. What did he do?" Mac set down her pen and leaned back in the chair, her chest quivering as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a giggle. She and Harriet were seated in her office, chatting casually before the bustle of the workweek began.
"What do you think? He turned beet red and dragged Little A.J. out of the store. I must say, ma'am, having kids is nothing if not an adventure, or at the very least an exercise in public humiliation. You don't know what you're missing," Harriet chuckled heartily. Wiping away her tears of laughter, she missed the smug expression that flashed across Mac's face.
"Maybe someday, Harriet. Maybe someday."
A light knock sounded on the doorframe. Twisting her head, Harriet saw Harm standing behind her with his cover tucked underneath his arm, juggling two large cups from Starbucks. "Good morning, Commander."
"Good morning, ladies," Harm greeted as the two women composed themselves. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all," Mac assured him. "Come on in. Is one of those for me?"
"If you want it," he said amiably, crossing the room and handing her one of the cups. Leaning towards Mac, he lowered his voice. "Everything okay this morning?"
The softness of his tone piqued Harriet's curiosity. Studying her superior officers intently, she immediately picked up on the tender look they exchanged. Then, when Mac told Harm in a hushed voice, "I'm fine. Thanks for the tea," Harriet grew even more determined to figure out what *exactly* was happening between her sons' godparents. It was highly unusual for Mac to drink anything but the strongest coffee this early in the morning. Past experience told her that direct inquiry would prove fruitless, but the fine art of observation was something she had mastered long ago.
"I'll let you get back to your conversation." The confidence in Mac's manner having set him at ease, Harm straightened up and glanced over towards Harriet. "See you at staff call." Smiling at them both, he headed out into the bullpen and off to his own office.
"Are you not feeling well, ma'am?" Harriet asked.
"No, I'm okay, Harriet. I was a bit under the weather over the weekend, but it's nothing a little rest won't fix." She popped the lid off her cup and dunked the steeping tea bag a few times.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Not really. Is it common for kids A.J.'s age to embarrass their parents like that?" Mac asked, changing the subject.
"Unfortunately, yes." Harriet recognized the tactic but played along. "It comes with the territory. The concept of discretion isn't exactly easy for a five-year-old to grasp."
Their chuckling was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Excuse me, Colonel," Jennifer apologized as she entered the office. "Ma'am, these faxes just came in for you. They're marked urgent."
"Thank you, Coates."
"You're welcome. Ma'am, I was wondering, how did your date with Commander Rabb go on Saturday?"
Mac froze, caught totally off guard. For an instant she could do nothing but look at Jennifer blankly. Then, realizing that Harriet was staring at her with wide eyes, the heat of mortification began to climb into her cheeks.
"It was fine."
"Mattie said that he wanted to surprise you," the young woman continued, oblivious to the proverbial can-of-worms she had just opened. "Where did you guys go?"
"It wasn't a date really, just dinner," Mac said carefully, trying to keep her voice neutral. Harriet would already be reading too much into this conversation as it was.
"It had to have been nearly one o'clock in the morning when the Commander stopped by to say goodnight to Mattie. I was a little surprised when he showed up without a jacket," Jennifer persisted.
Sighing, Mac set down her tea on the desk. "After dinner we went to see a musical performance out at the Jefferson Memorial. It got a little chilly, so Harm loaned me his sport coat. It wasn't a big deal."
"He took you to see the string quintet affiliated with the WSO?" Harriet asked suddenly.
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Wow, that performance sold out weeks in advance because the seating was so limited. I even heard that several important dignitaries were turned away as a result. How on earth did the Commander manage to get tickets?" Suitably impressed, Harriet leaned forward in her chair.
"I don't know, but of course now I'll have to ask," said Mac, surprised that Harm had gone to such lengths for their last-minute celebration.
Seeing the look of pleasure that rippled across Mac's features, Harriet couldn't stand it anymore. "Did he kiss you goodnight?" she asked impulsively. To her immense satisfaction, the Colonel actually blushed.
"Harriet, I'm not going to dignify that with a response. I'm sorry to cut this short, but we've got staff call at 0830 and I need to answer these faxes," Mac said authoritatively. By the tone of her voice, both Harriet and Jennifer knew that the discussion about the Colonel and Commander's 'date' had been officially declared closed.
"I understand, ma'am," Harriet said, satisfied for the moment. Rising, she and Jennifer excused themselves and proceeded out into the bullpen, closing Mac's office door behind them.
"So what do you think?" Jennifer naively whispered. "Did they kiss or not?"
Giving a quick glance around to make sure no one else could hear, Harriet grinned back at her. "I'd say it's a definite possibility."
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued. . .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Locking the deadbolt, Mac leaned back against the door with a contented sigh. Whatever expectations she had harbored going into her 'date' with Harm had been blown away by the reality. From the moment he had walked through her door behind a large spray of flowers, the night had been one giant whirlwind of continuous revelations. Closing her eyes, she replayed the evening over in her mind.
First, Harm had taken her to a fabulous Italian restaurant that had recently opened to rave reviews. She had found both the company and the meal immensely satisfying. The real shock, though, had come when she'd told him of her pregnancy-induced aversion to meat. The sensitivity and understanding he'd displayed had left her reeling in astonishment, not only because she'd expected him to tease her, but because it was a side of himself he so rarely shared openly.
After dinner they had driven out to the Tidal Basin. There at the Jefferson Memorial, with the moonlight reflecting on the water behind them, they'd listened to selections of Bach played to an intimate audience by the Washington Symphony Orchestra's string quintet. The music had literally moved Mac to tears, which Harm gently dried for her with his handkerchief. Her heart melted under his tender caress.
Neither had been ready for the evening to end when the concert concluded over an hour later. Instead, hand in hand, they took a leisurely stroll among the cherry trees along the waterfront. For a while they walked in silence, simply enjoying each other's companionship. Then, noticing the goosebumps on her arms, Harm shrugged out of his sport coat and draped it softly over her shoulders.
The scent of his cologne brought Mac back to the present. Feeling the solidity of the door behind her and the warm weight of Harm's jacket, she lost herself in the memory of only a few moments earlier, when he had escorted her up to her apartment. What began as an innocent goodnight kiss had swiftly deepened into something more passionate. A long, intense moment passed before Harm had finally broken away, gently nipping her lips one last time before closing the door between them. Now Mac stood thinking about how sweet and mysteriously romantic an evening it had been. Smiling softly to herself, she rubbed a hand absently over her lower abdomen and slipped silently towards her bedroom.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hearing the click of the deadbolt, Harm turned away from Mac's apartment door. What had been intended as an innocuous kiss goodnight had left him weak at the knees, and he now walked in a daze towards the stairs. His mind wandered over the evening's events in random order: the way her hair fluttered in the cool breeze as they'd strolled along the Tidal Basin, her expression of surprise when he'd kissed her outside the restaurant, how natural it had felt to hold her hand and soothe away the tears she'd wept during the performance.
As he stepped out onto the street outside Mac's building and headed over to where he'd parked the car, his lips curved upward in an absent smile. Looking up, he watched as the light in her bedroom flipped on and the blinds slowly closed. A sudden mental image of her preparing for bed rose unbidden into his thoughts. He shook his head in a vain attempt to bring himself back to the present. Unlocking the door, he folded himself into the car before slowly driving away.
* * * * * * * * * *
Monday; 1255 Zulu; JAG Headquarters; Falls Church, Virginia
"Poor Bud. What did he do?" Mac set down her pen and leaned back in the chair, her chest quivering as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a giggle. She and Harriet were seated in her office, chatting casually before the bustle of the workweek began.
"What do you think? He turned beet red and dragged Little A.J. out of the store. I must say, ma'am, having kids is nothing if not an adventure, or at the very least an exercise in public humiliation. You don't know what you're missing," Harriet chuckled heartily. Wiping away her tears of laughter, she missed the smug expression that flashed across Mac's face.
"Maybe someday, Harriet. Maybe someday."
A light knock sounded on the doorframe. Twisting her head, Harriet saw Harm standing behind her with his cover tucked underneath his arm, juggling two large cups from Starbucks. "Good morning, Commander."
"Good morning, ladies," Harm greeted as the two women composed themselves. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all," Mac assured him. "Come on in. Is one of those for me?"
"If you want it," he said amiably, crossing the room and handing her one of the cups. Leaning towards Mac, he lowered his voice. "Everything okay this morning?"
The softness of his tone piqued Harriet's curiosity. Studying her superior officers intently, she immediately picked up on the tender look they exchanged. Then, when Mac told Harm in a hushed voice, "I'm fine. Thanks for the tea," Harriet grew even more determined to figure out what *exactly* was happening between her sons' godparents. It was highly unusual for Mac to drink anything but the strongest coffee this early in the morning. Past experience told her that direct inquiry would prove fruitless, but the fine art of observation was something she had mastered long ago.
"I'll let you get back to your conversation." The confidence in Mac's manner having set him at ease, Harm straightened up and glanced over towards Harriet. "See you at staff call." Smiling at them both, he headed out into the bullpen and off to his own office.
"Are you not feeling well, ma'am?" Harriet asked.
"No, I'm okay, Harriet. I was a bit under the weather over the weekend, but it's nothing a little rest won't fix." She popped the lid off her cup and dunked the steeping tea bag a few times.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Not really. Is it common for kids A.J.'s age to embarrass their parents like that?" Mac asked, changing the subject.
"Unfortunately, yes." Harriet recognized the tactic but played along. "It comes with the territory. The concept of discretion isn't exactly easy for a five-year-old to grasp."
Their chuckling was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Excuse me, Colonel," Jennifer apologized as she entered the office. "Ma'am, these faxes just came in for you. They're marked urgent."
"Thank you, Coates."
"You're welcome. Ma'am, I was wondering, how did your date with Commander Rabb go on Saturday?"
Mac froze, caught totally off guard. For an instant she could do nothing but look at Jennifer blankly. Then, realizing that Harriet was staring at her with wide eyes, the heat of mortification began to climb into her cheeks.
"It was fine."
"Mattie said that he wanted to surprise you," the young woman continued, oblivious to the proverbial can-of-worms she had just opened. "Where did you guys go?"
"It wasn't a date really, just dinner," Mac said carefully, trying to keep her voice neutral. Harriet would already be reading too much into this conversation as it was.
"It had to have been nearly one o'clock in the morning when the Commander stopped by to say goodnight to Mattie. I was a little surprised when he showed up without a jacket," Jennifer persisted.
Sighing, Mac set down her tea on the desk. "After dinner we went to see a musical performance out at the Jefferson Memorial. It got a little chilly, so Harm loaned me his sport coat. It wasn't a big deal."
"He took you to see the string quintet affiliated with the WSO?" Harriet asked suddenly.
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Wow, that performance sold out weeks in advance because the seating was so limited. I even heard that several important dignitaries were turned away as a result. How on earth did the Commander manage to get tickets?" Suitably impressed, Harriet leaned forward in her chair.
"I don't know, but of course now I'll have to ask," said Mac, surprised that Harm had gone to such lengths for their last-minute celebration.
Seeing the look of pleasure that rippled across Mac's features, Harriet couldn't stand it anymore. "Did he kiss you goodnight?" she asked impulsively. To her immense satisfaction, the Colonel actually blushed.
"Harriet, I'm not going to dignify that with a response. I'm sorry to cut this short, but we've got staff call at 0830 and I need to answer these faxes," Mac said authoritatively. By the tone of her voice, both Harriet and Jennifer knew that the discussion about the Colonel and Commander's 'date' had been officially declared closed.
"I understand, ma'am," Harriet said, satisfied for the moment. Rising, she and Jennifer excused themselves and proceeded out into the bullpen, closing Mac's office door behind them.
"So what do you think?" Jennifer naively whispered. "Did they kiss or not?"
Giving a quick glance around to make sure no one else could hear, Harriet grinned back at her. "I'd say it's a definite possibility."
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
To be continued. . .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---