Hey gang! thanks for the feedback, glad people are reading. I am half expecting people to start falling asleep on this one. ;)

Quick note and thanks to everyone who e-mailed me about it. Captain Ingles is played by: Gary Graham. Thanks for the heads up, I am a screw up and am happy with that. Thanks! LOL!

Okay, next part will be posted on. . . Monday. My grandfolks are, unfortunately, starting to show their age so my mother and I go over and help clean on the weekend, then come back here and clean this place (Thnk God they only live 3 houses down :P). Of which, I am taking apart my closet. Hopefully, we'll get the mower fixed and chug up the lawn, because at the moment you can't see my dog. Damn Floridian downpours! :P Side note to Floridians: Government wants to start fining people for leaving boards up on the house. My dad received a warning for his house. Which I think it's BS seeing as this season has been overly active. :P

Anyway, the point is that I won't have time to take a look at the next chapters which. . . hmmm need a review or two and a bit of a re-write/addition thing going. There is a part tha tis totally ridiculous and I had to slap my hands for writing them. BAD! JACKIE!! BAD BAD! Okay, enough chit chat. ;)

Here we gooooo.

Jackie - Who is out of her mind cos it's dark and scary in there. ;)

Special thanks to: SarahRabb705, Froggy0319, Nikki, harmsgirl-03, cool cat, Harmfan, Jackia, sailorgirl, starryeyes, XBlueShadowX, Anaika Skywalker, FoxyWombat, soontobeffwriter, maidenpride, BrokenSkye, Claire Vincent, Charmboy, Lyssa Grace, zeilfanaat, Fic-Chic, cbw and anyone else I missed. :)

PART 5 – Take Offs & Wicked Thoughts
0145 Zulu
US Patrick Henry
Virginia Capes Operating Area

Mac took a breath and held it as the plane got into position for the catapult to spring it off of the ship. She hated flying, even in commercial jetliners, it sucked. The fact that her last three plane trips where Harm had been flying all ended badly for her, wasn't making the situation any better. Plain and simple, Mac got physically sick on super sonic jets. And, if she was truly honest with herself, during regular flights, she wasn't taking Dramamine 'just because.'

Getting ready for the flight was far from being a picnic. There wasn't a single flight suit that fit her well. Harm had chuckled at her once she came out wearing a suit that was about two sizes too big on her. Luckily, Skates had found one of her old roommate that fit Mac like a second skin, but it was better than swimming in clothing. So what if the other pilots had gawked when she passed by with clothing that was entirely too tight to be wearing in the military? And though, she didn't say so at the time, she rather enjoyed Harm defending her. "Show the Colonel some respect, boys."

And, as if the situation needed to be exacerbated a bit more, there was lightening on the horizon, towards DC. She steeled herself over the thoughts of something going wrong with the flight. No, Harm was a good pilot. He was a friend, someone who would risk himself rather than put her at risk. If Harm felt confident enough to fly into a storm, she felt confident enough to fly with him. Besides, the trick was getting over the storm and a Tomcat could do that in seconds. Taking a breath she smiled despite herself, everything was going to be just fine.

"Mac, I know you've shot off the deck in a COD, but it's a bit different in one of these baby's" Harm said, watching her through the rearview mirror. To his surprise, she didn't seem nervous or frightened, she seemed quite at ease. Well, until his words registered.

Mac's eyes suddenly went wide. "Uh, how different?"

Resisting the urge to chuckle, Harm pointed at the two handles on the top of the cock pit. "Hang on to yours when the crew member gives me the go ahead." He saw her search out her own handles and nod. Luckily, she'd flown an F-14 with him once, so he trusted that she knew what not to touch. Holding her gaze through the rearview, Harm smiled once again and reassured her. "Mac, it'll be fine. . . Except for the first few minutes, the rest of the ride should be a straight course to Andrews. . . Flight ops don't like to take unnecessary paths with the jets."

Sighing once again, Mac nodded. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Sarah." Harm turned away from the mirror as he said he given name. He swallowed hard, willing the lump in his throat to go down. Screw landing a Tomcat on the deck of a storm tossed carrier at night, THIS was going to be the most difficult flight he would ever have to make. How many men would fly the woman they loved home to another man?

"Navy 2-4-1, you are clear for take off." A voice over the intercom said, breaking both of them out of similar thoughts they shouldn't be having.

"Roger, this is 2-4-1, ready for take off." Harm gave Mac a quick wink and then placed his full attention on the instrument panel and then on the crew member outside. "Hang on, Mac." He saluted and seconds later, the plane was shot off the deck, into a waiting storm.

0150 Zulu
Olivia and Juliet's Restaurant
Georgetown

Chloe didn't like the Australian when they first met, but she was starting to like him a bit more now. Mic had tried, in vain, to get the teenager to be his friend and succeeded, but Renee, on the other hand, was quickly getting on her nerves. She had mentioned something about Harm and Mac. It was a comment that hinted on the impropriety of them two always working so closely together. Sighing, she headed over to the Admiral who was at the food table. "Admiral, sir."

Turning around, AJ smiled at the girl. Since the last time he'd seen her, Chloe seemed to have grown up some. The troublesome teenager had been turning into a bright young woman. "You can call me, AJ. . . and drop the sir." He said with a chuckle.

"When is Mac supposed to be getting home?"

AJ took a look at his watch and frowned. If the information he'd received earlier today was correct, Mac was schedule to arrive in about a half hour. Though, he doubted, she would make it to the restaurant at all. Riding a COD was not the best place to catch up on beauty sleep. "About half an hour. You tired of being around us boring adults?"

Chloe laughed. "Something like that." At AJ's mock hurt look, she stopped laughing and rose her hands up in surrender. "Kidding. . . but, really. . ." With a sigh, Chloe turned to where Mic was chatting away with Tiner. "Does she really love him?"

'That's the question of the hour,' AJ thought as he took in a sharp breath. "Not to undermine you, Chloe. But, you're too young to understand. . . marriage is not something you step into lightly."

Chloe nodded, true, she was too young to understand, but maybe she wasn't the only one reading the mixed signals in Mac's eyes. Signals that she saw when Harm left for flying nearly three years ago. Mac loved Harm and Harm loved Mac, she was sure of it. Love wasn't something to turn on and off like a switch. "You didn't answer my question." She challenged AJ with a smirk.

"She wouldn't marry him if she didn't love him." AJ supplied as his answer because it was the same answer he had been giving himself. He was in Australia when things transpired that had left the lives of his two best officers rocked to the core. AJ truly believed that sending Harm and Mac off to the land down under, would break away the barriers which the two had erected. He'd counted on Harm's jealousy towards Mic to turn things around. But, by the kiss that Mic and Mac shared as they boarded the airplane and the total look of sadness in Harm's expression, something really wrong must have happened. And it was that same sad expression that Harm had tried to mask during Mac's engagement party. But, there was more, a certain look the two of them shared, like kids caught with their hands in a cookie jar. Had something happened? No, of course not, because if nothing had happened until then, nothing would ever happen. "She wouldn't marry him if she didn't love him." AJ said again, catching the attention of Chloe who was also lost in her own thoughts.

"You said that already." She chuckled, poking AJ gently on the arm. With a sigh, she motioned towards Mic. "Well, I better start getting to know the guy, I mean, I love Mac, she's not stupid. . .if she loves him, then there's gotta be something to that."

AJ watched Chloe as she plastered a false smile on her face and headed off to the Australian. Looking at Renee, he wondered about Harm. Would he make the wedding? Well, if he wanted to live, he would. Would he do something at the wedding? If AJ would put a pool together, he was sure that he'd rake in a few hundreds on the amount of JAG staff that would probably vote on Harm stopping the wedding. Chuckling, he kept that wicked thought to himself as he joined the rest of the party.

"You don't look too depressed that Harm isn't here." Mic told Renee, as he helped her into one of the seats by the table.

Renee fanned herself with a napkin and chuckled nervously. "Am I that obvious?"

"Nothing's going on between them, Renee, of that you have my word." Mic said with a confidence that he didn't really feel. Whenever Harm and Mac were together, trouble was usually abound. And, he didn't want to say anything, just in case his eyes had been deceiving him, which he was sure they were, or maybe it was a dream? But, he had this vision of Harm and Mac kissing at the Admiral's front porch. The thought angered him, but, in a way it soothed him. That would be their goodbye or rather, good riddance. "You don't want Harm at the church do you?"

Renee shook her head. "What I want, Mic. . .is for it to be Harm and I walking down that aisle."

Smiling, he reached over at took her hand. "It'll happen. . .just don't let him shut you out."

Chloe watched the interaction from the sidelines and frowned. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Harm and Mac would probably only see each other during working hours and special events. Those times when she'd stay over at Mac's and Harm had been there working, were over. 'She wouldn't marry him if she didn't love him.' The words from the Admiral repeated in Chloe's mind. Yet, even at her age, she knew that loving and being in love were two different things.

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PS: I cringe too when I write anything with Renee and Mic. LOL!! Followed by an exfoliating shower to get rid of the nasties. ;)