Admiration and Love – 7/11
For disclaimer and all other important comments, see part one.
Mac and Chloe's House
11:59pm
Harm and Mac walked up the stone walk way and laughed about the ball. "I really can't believe she did that to you."
"Well, Princess Alexandra can be quite demanding," Harm said.
Mac unlocked the door and opened it. "Yeah, but kissing you in front of her fiancée…"
They both walked into the house. "Hey, she wanted to make him jealous."
"But it didn't work." Mac went into the living room to find Tiner asleep on the couch. Mac lightly shook his shoulder. "Tiner."
"Hi, how was the party?" Tiner stood up and rubbed his eyes.
"Nice," Harm said.
"How was Chloe?" Mac asked.
"Great as always. She went to bed at ten. No problems at all." Tiner grabbed his jacket from the front closet.
"Thanks, Tiner," Mac said to him.
"No problem, Ma'am. Oh, Chloe said she's finished with her project."
"I know. She's thrilled to be done. Have a good night, Tiner," Mac said as Tiner walked out the door.
"You too, Ma'am, Sir." Tiner then left the house.
Harm closed the door and Mac just looked at him. "Thanks Harm. I had fun," she said and took off her shawl.
"So did I. Do you forgive me for being late?"
"I'm used to it. You would probably be late to your own wedding," Mac laughed slightly.
Harm grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes. "Not if I was marrying you."
Mac took a deep breath. "I should check on Chloe."
Harm gently pulled Mac into his arms. "I owe you six minutes and thirty seconds."
Mac let Harm place her hands behind his neck and found herself getting lost in his eyes. "And how are you going to pay me for those six minutes and thirty seconds?"
"Like this," he said as he started to kiss her.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Chloe had woken up when they pulled into the driveway and gone to lay at the top of the stairs, video taping them from the second they walked into the house. Chloe smiled as she watched them kiss and the clock on the video camera count the minutes.
The kisses Mac and Harm were sharing were not like the ones from last Friday. They were powerful and sweet.
After a few minutes, Harm pulled away from Mac's lips and slowly opened his eyes. "Was that six minutes and thirty seconds?"
Mac opened her eyes and looked at him. "No."
"How long was that?
"Eight minutes. I owe you one minute and thirty seconds."
"I'll collect now," Harm smirked as he leaned down to kiss Mac again.
One minute and thirty seconds later, they broke the kiss and Harm just held Mac in his arms. "I promise to not hurt you again. I swear, I'll wait for however long it takes you to be ready. I like this and I want this."
"I know."
Harm kissed her on the forehead and released her from his arms. "Have a good night, Sarah."
"You too, Harm." Mac held the door open for him.
Harm stepped outside the door and turned to face Mac. "I still love you."
Mac watched as he turned his back and walked towards his car. She closed the door, leaned her back against it and whispered as a tear fell. "I still love you, too."
She wiped the tear away and took a calming breath before locking the door. When Mac turned away, Chloe got off of the floor, then quickly and quietly returned to her room.
Wednesday May 20
JAG
4:30 PM
Harriet and Chloe walked into JAG, to find Mac and Harm in a heated discussion about their current case. "At least they're talking to each other," Harriet commented as Mac walked out of Harm's office, slammed his door. Then she walked into her own office and slammed her door.
AJ walked out of his office. "Was that Rabb or MacKenzie?"
"Mom," Chloe said.
"Lieutenant, do you know what they are disagreeing about now?"
"No, Sir. We just got here. But my guess would be the Woodsman court martial." Harriet watched as Mac paced in her office and looked at Harm to see him talking to himself.
"Call for me if it gets too out of hand," AJ ordered.
"Yes, Sir," Harriet answered as he walked back into his office. "They haven't disagreed in a while. I wonder what happened?"
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked as they walked to Harriet's desk.
"Well, they always fight with each other. But the last big one they had was a few months ago."
"How long ago?"
Harriet sat for a second and thought. "Probably in October, sometime around then."
"After my dad died?"
"It was about that time. Why?"
"Just a thought." Chloe grabbed a pen and a Kleenex off of Harriet's desk. She tapped the Kleenex to the pen. "Wish me luck." Chloe walked over to Mac's office. She knocked on the door and waited for the command to enter.
"Enter," Mac said, not looking at the door.
Chloe stuck the white Kleenex flag through the open door. "I come in peace."
Mac turned around and laughed at her. "I promise not to hurt you."
"Trouble with Harm?"
"It's about this case. He won't even listen to my ideas on how to proceed. Once again he thinks he knows the best way to go on the case," Mac ranted, "He just makes me want to scream. Why does he think he's always right?"
"Oh, and you never do that," Chloe sarcastically stated and sat down in a chair.
"I…" Mac started. "Okay, you have a point."
"Have you listened to his points on the case?"
"Yes."
"Let me repeat the question. Have you listened to his points on the case?"
Mac took a deep breath. "Halfway."
"Well, I think you should go back in there and listen all the way. Then tell him your ideas."
"I hate it when you're right."
"Three things before you go."
"Shoot," Mac said as she stood at the door.
"One, on Friday, can we hold a screening of my video presentation for a special guest to see?"
"What special guest?"
"Harm, Bud, AJ, Harriet, Sturgis, Tiner, and the Admiral," Chloe counted off.
"Sturgis is in the Gulf and not expected back till Monday. But sure. Second thing."
"Can I make invitations using your computer?"
"Sure. Third thing."
Chloe held out her flag. "Want to take my flag?"
Mac grabbed the flag. "Good idea." Then she walked over to Harm's office.
5:30pm
JAG
Harm and Mac were finally discussing the case in his office without yelling. AJ walked into the bullpen and looked at Harm's office. "Lieutenant Sims."
"Yes Sir."
"Why aren't they arguing?"
Harriet looked at them and smiled. "I don't know. It's kind of weird."
Chloe walked out of Mac's office with her invitations. "Hi. I have something for the two of you." She handed both of them invitations for the screening of the video.
"Oh, you're doing an advance screening of the video," Harriet excitedly said.
"Yeah, I thought I should show it to my family, then to school on Monday."
"Mac still doesn't know the real topic?" AJ asked.
Chloe smiled. "Still clueless."
Harriet read the invitation. "What's this surprise thing after the video?"
"Something else I found myself working on. So, can you guys come?"
"Three for the Roberts family."
AJ looked at the invitation. "I had a date with Meredith, but I can cancel."
"Bring her along," Chloe stated.
"You sure?"
"The more, the merrier."
"Count us in."
Chloe smiled. "Thanks."
"Oh, one thing maybe you can help us with… how come they're talking and not yelling?" AJ pointed to Harm's office.
"I told Mom to listen all the way and I gave her a white flag." Chloe walked towards Tiner's office, leaving AJ and Harriet slightly confused.
"How is it a child got them to talk about a case and not argue?"
"I have no idea, Sir. I could check the supply catalogues and see if we can order some white flags." Harriet smiled to AJ.
AJ just shook his head and walked back to his office, just in time to hear Tiner to accept the invention to the video screening.
Chloe chatted with Tiner for a few minutes. When she was finished with him, she walked into Harm's office, but found it empty. She checked the break room and found Harm and Mac in there. "Hi."
"Hey," Harm and Mac said in unison.
"Here, Harm." Chloe handed him an invitation.
Harm read it as Mac read it with him. "An advanced screening." He turned to Mac. "Have you seen it?"
"I haven't seen a thing," Mac said.
"Count me in," Harm said.
"Cool, so that makes you, Bud, Harriet, little AJ, the admiral, Meredith, and Tiner. Nine people total. Oh, ten. I'm inviting Hannah," Chloe added.
"Ten people, Friday night at 7:00 sharp," Mac said to her. "We need to clean and go to the store."
"I'll make a list," Chloe said as she walked to Mac's office.
Harm and Mac smiled as Chloe left the room. "She's put a lot of work into the project."
"I know," Harm said, smiling at her. "One little thing."
"Yes?"
"You said that we would talk about that thing sometime this week."
"I know, but it now looks like this week is filled."
"How about Friday after the screening?"
"Hannah will probably spend the night. Saturday? I can see if Chloe wants to spend the night at Hannah's," Mac offered to him.
"Okay," Harm accepted with hope in his voice.
End Part 7/11