Stolen

by Radiorox

(COMPLETED) Sequel to Adrift But Not Alone (Read that one first). As Harm and Mac try to repair their relationship, many things threaten to keep them apart. When it seems they finally made it, the Video Princess plots her revenge.

13. Episode 5: Down Under

Uh, there is a certain amount of animosity over Renee in this story. I've received e-mails with some uh, colorful terminology that has been used to describe her. Amusing how rabid people get when someone threatens our fav couple's future. ;)

Thanks to: XBlueShadowX, LieutenantjgMegAustin , maidenpride21, froggy0319, Navy Babe, Hieros Gamos, Charmboy4, blonde-brain, Anaika Skywalker, Charmboy4, zeilfanaat, Nikki, jaggurl, achaon, cbw, Manda May, FoxyWombat, zeilfanaat, Jackia, DD2, xobabygurlxo, Kitty25,  Lori, amanda cook, joanoa, G, Cristina,  & Jenny, for all the feedback. :)

Well, here is lucky number 13 Enjoy gang! :)

Jackie.

Part 13 - Episode 5: Down Under
1320 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Harm didn't sleep, at all. During the whole weekend, he'd been busy trying to track down any information he could on 'ZULU'. He'd even tried getting in touch with Renee, but that was all futile. The only information available to him and his poor Internet skills were those on the Taramount web page and that just wasn't enough for him to go on. He tried calling Mac, but she either had her cell phone turned off or was ignoring him. Harm wanted to believe that he didn't deserve the way she berated him, but he wasn't so sure. Deep inside he had a nagging feeling that somehow, he was involved with whoever managed to find so many intricate details about his and Mac's relationship.

He'd watched the videos at least ten times over the weekend, jaw nearly hitting the floor at how, not so subtly, Sam's life mirrored his own. There were things that were a bit more dramatic than his own, but basically, it was all there staring him back in the face. Even that sweet and painful kiss he'd shared with Mac in the docks of Norfolk was there, just in reverse. "How could you do this?" He spat at the TV, damning Renee and all the pleasant times he spent with her. Then again, he should have been prepared, she DID say he and Mac would pay. Apparently, she made good on all promises.

Monday morning, he had gotten up and headed directly into JAG ops, hoping to catch Admiral Chegwidden before anyone else did. As the minutes ticked on by, Harm paced the bullpen, waiting for their CO to arrive.

AJ was slightly irritated at having to deal with one of Harm's antics so early on a Monday morning, but apparently it couldn't wait. "This can't wait until I have my morning cup of coffee?"

"No, sir. . ." Harm slumped into one of chairs across from AJ's desk and sighed heavily. "Something has gone wrong, sir. . . and though it may seem petty, I am afraid of the ramifications it would bring up for the Colonel and myself."

Coffee or not, THAT woke AJ right up. "What happened now?" He knew his senior officers had a tendency to be a bit. . . well, unorthodox about things. Especially Harm, who seemed determined to piss off every member of the free world. "If it's about the Colonel and your . . um, special relationship, I don't want to know. . .just keep it out of my office."

He'd run the scenario in his head so many times, but it all seemed so. . . stupid. A TV show, he was concerned about a TV show. Sighing, he sat at the edge of the chair and just decided to wing it and save any speech he had prepared. "I am sure you have heard of a show called 'ZULU' and well. . . that's mine and Mac's life you are seeing."

AJ furled his brow, completely confused at what Harm was getting at. "Commander. . . Harm, are you alright? Have you had enough rest?"

"SIR, the show. . .is about OUR lives. . . someone, somehow, knows about things that happened to Mac and I and is writing about it and putting it on TV. . ." He was irritated and the lack of sleep wasn't helping, neither was the look of confusion. "The things that happen to Hawk and Sam, the characters, are things that have happened to Mac and I in the past. . . WE'VE BEEN STOLEN!"

By that time, Harm was screaming. Thankfully, no one was in the office yet and AJ manage to let what his senior officer was saying sink in. It, sort of, made sense, after all, that one episode he'd seen had similarities to Harm and Mac. "How did this happen?"

Harm shivered from the tension running up and down his body. He was about to break and crash into a zillion pieces. He didn't want to lose Mac over this, nor did he want his life and precious moments seen by the whole world. Sighing, he brought his face into his hands and rubbed his eyes. "Sir, if this gets out our lives will be under a microscope. . There are some people, that if they find out. . . they'll believe there has been some sort of impropriety." And it wasn't just that, there had been things that had happened privately that no one knew about. Him trying to kill Diane's murderer, Mac falling off the wagon and going to work drunk. He was worried that some full investigation would be launched. "There are people that I've. . . pissed off during the years, sir. . . some that wouldn't mind using that damned show to come after me. . . I could be ruined, Mac could be ruined. . . we could be separated."

AJ came around his desk and sat in the chair next to Harm. Just when he thought that they had figured it out, something had to happen. Frowning, he placed a hand on Harm's shoulder, hoping the younger man realized he had someone in his corner. "How can I help?"

"I need to find out how people know these things. . . they are private things. . ." Looking up, Harm glanced at AJ laughing bitterly. "Damnit, sir. . . Mac thinks I betrayed her."

"We'll figure it out. . . I can make a few calls and see what I can find out. . . starting by who had a direct hand in this."

"Renee, sir. ."

"What?" AJ could have sworn that was the name of his ex-girlfriend.

Harm sighed, "When we broke up, she swore that Mac and I would pay. . . guess she found the perfect way."

Four Days Later
1920 Zulu
USS Patrick Henry
Undisclosed Location

"You alright, Hammer?" Skates was worried about her friend, so much that she had taken the daunting task of keeping an eye on him as much as possible. AJ didn't want Harm and Mac in the office at the same time until something's were settled, so he decided that sending Harm off to a carrier to get his quals done and play fleet JAG, would be a good way to keep the Commander's head in the game.

Harm was staring at his laptop and an e-mail that had been sent by Mac. She didn't seem angry or hurt in the e-mail, just concerned. And that, to him, was one of the best things he could receive. 'You never let me finish talking. . .I know there are problems, but please, come home safe. I don't want to lose you. Love, Mac.' Still, he had a pang in his heart mostly over the conversation he didn't allow them to have. Mac had called him the day after he arrived.

"What do you want, Mac?" He spat angrily at her, hurt that she would think he betrayed her. In a sense, he still didn't remember, but as he had a chance to have their conversation roll around his head, Harm became angry at her.

("I. . .Wanted to make sure you got there, alright. . .") She sighed over the line and he could just imagine the expression on her face as she fought words that she was never comfortable using. ("I'm sorry for what happened at your apartment. . .I overreacted and I shouldn't have, but I can't take back what happened. . . I can only say that I am. . . sorry.") She sighed again, her voice catching slightly. ("I. . Harm, I love you, I'll never stop and I wanted you to know that. . . Because, I know quals are dif. ." )

Harm wanted to scream back at her, hell, he would have if it wasn't because he was in such tight quarters with five thousand other sailors. "At the moment, I don't care, MacKenzie. . . I need my head in the game not on you, not on Renee or that stupid show. . . I'll see you whenever the hell I get back. . .bye." He was surprised her e-mail didn't have an snarky comments for him, but maybe they were passing that point?

He closed his eyes tightly, trying not to let the swell of emotions take him over. He needed her, badly. Life just wasn't the same with out her, not anymore, not since he found out how wonderful it felt to just to be loved. With a smile he thought about their first time together and every time since then. "Damnit." He cursed and looked up to find Skates watching him. It felt good to be back on a carrier, to somewhat of his former life. Maybe it was the notion that he was flying such an expensive aircraft, but it did keep his head in the game. "I'm fine, Skates."

Walking into his stateroom, Skates sat on the lower bunk and stared at her friend. "Hammer, you can try to make someone else believe that, but I know you . . . you aren't alright." Skates studied him for a moment noting how he was holding onto the sides of the laptop like a lifeline. Something had happened back home. "How's the Colonel?"

"She's. . Well, she's. . ." Sighing, Harm closed the lid on the laptop and looked out of the small porthole of his stateroom. "Honestly, I don't know. . ."

Skates knew that Harm and Mac had finally, as she put it, "gotten their head out of their sixes", he had called to let her know when he was wishing her a happy holidays. She could tell now, by Harm's far off expression that things weren't going too good at home so she offered a bit of advice. "Whatever happened, Harm. . . don't let it ruin what you two figured out. . ."

He looked up at his RIO and smiled slightly. "Since when are you giving away relationship advice?"

"At the risk of sounding sappy. . .since I fell in love." Skates smiled and sighed happily. "He is one of the few men in my life that supports what I do though we are sometimes thousands of miles apart."

"I didn't want to stick my nose where it didn't belong, but, weren't you going to be driving a desk in DC?"

Skates nodded. "Yep, until you and the Colonel ejected over the ocean." Sighing, she chuckled. "Know how hard it was to get on a plane knowing what happened to you two?" Harm knew too well what she was talking about. All pilots became rather anxious when one of their own experienced some problems with the aircraft, but it was dealt with, because they were trained for it. "But I did it and I enjoyed it. . . We fought about it though."

Harm perked up. "Did you?"

"Stopped talking for a few weeks and everything, he threatened to cancel the wedding."

"How'd you work it out?"

Skates smirked. "When you are meant to be together, you always work it out, Harm. . . you always go back to that person, no matter what has happened between you two." He noticed now that the conversation had switched away from her own relationship to his. But, Skates had a point, no matter what had transpired between him and Mac they'd always ended up alone but together. "Like I said, don't let it come between what you two found else. . . you'll regret it for the rest of your life." With that, she placed a hand on Harm's shoulder and left him with his thoughts.

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Australia. The fifth episode had Hawk and Sam in Australia as Sam was defending an American sailor that had committed a crime on Australian soil. She had returned to JAG a few months prior after figuring out that she'd lost her chance at being a pilot. Now, the two stood face to face, traversing the waters in a ferry, chatting about relationships as they neared their destination, Luna Park.

"I can not believe you went to the beach with Michelle Brink, or that you were prancing around in Speedos while she was sitting there, topless." Sam shivered at the disgusting images of Michelle Brink, an exchange Australian Naval officer that was once at JAG. Sam couldn't stand her from day one, especially the way that Michelle seemed to drool all over Hawk.

Hawk just laughed at his partner. "Sam, it was a nude beach."

"Still, she was a colleague, I wouldn't go around topless in front of you." Sam couldn't comprehend the audacity that Michelle had to be prancing around half naked with a man that was nothing to her. Further more, she thought better of Hawk not that he would succumb to the woman's charms so readily.

Raising his eyebrows at the sudden shift in the conversation, Hawk balanced on the balls of his feet and smiled. "Not even if I asked nicely?" His voice was low, sexy, something that should be used for private moments in the bedroom. It did his job, for he could see Sam trying to remain her composure.

And she was flustered, utterly flustered, Hawk always had a way of doing that to her, but now, she had no way of getting out of it, though she tried. They were passing under a bridge and she looked up trying to move the conversation to a safer venue. "You know they wrote 'Eternity' in lights, on this bridge during New Years Eve?"

Hawk sighed, his eyes taking a look of slight sadness as he saw her slipping away. "Is that how long we are going to wait?" At her attempt to protest, he raised his hand, stilling her words. "We aren't home Sam, we aren't in the same continent, why can't you just. . . let go?"

"I can't. . . not yet." She swallowed hard, knowing that her body was betraying her words, but it couldn't happen. She and Hawk couldn't be together.

"You're just this way with me aren't you?"

With a soft smile, she nodded. "Only with you."

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0235 Zulu
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown

There was no other word to described what Mac was feeling except for PISSED OFF. She was pissed off at herself. Pissed off at Renee. Pissed off at the stupid network that picked up 'ZULU'. She was just pissed off! And now that she sat there, watching her life on TV, she was even more pissed. Tonight, she had a sick feeling that things would get worse before they got any better. Not only was the show going into the details of one of the worst nights of her life, but, later on, after the show was over, the producer/creator was going to talk a bit about it. She could only imagine the crap that they would say about the show. According to Taramount's web page, Renee Peterson, would be interviewed after the show.

Mac never liked the woman, in fact, she stomached her for Harm sake, because she told herself a good friend would do that. But Renee, was just not for him. And it had nothing to do with her jealousy over the woman, which, now, she would confirm that she was, indeed seeing green around the Video Princess. Mac always had a bad feeling about her, especially when Renee and Harm were suddenly 'engaged' after their plummet into the ocean. She had a sick feeling that Renee had used his slight bought with amnesia into tricking him and she was just enraged about that. Break ups did happen and if this was Renee's way of making them pay, she was heartless.

Maintaining some sanity, Mac managed to continue watching the episode. But, there was one scene in particular that caught her eye. She realized something at that moment, Harm couldn't have been the one that told Renee about their relationship, this was something that no one, except for Mac and Mic, knew. . .

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Hawk was on the same ferry, on the same ride that he and Sam had been on a night prior. Only, tonight, he wasn't with Sam, but Michelle Brink who was wearing a rather skimpy number. "You look very handsome tonight, Hawk."

He looked her up and down, smiling slightly at the woman, she was attractive and they had a pleasant night together. "And you look gorgeous, Michelle, but you didn't have to wear such an elegant dress. . . It's just a causal dinner, Michelle."

Smiling, she leaned into him. "We're having more than that."

"Don't presume, remember?" He was flirting with her, dangerously flirting with her. Then again, he did like Michelle, not the same way as Sam, but she'd made her choice the night before and it obviously wasn't him. So, Hawk didn't see the harm in spending this evening in the company of an attractive female.

They walked up to the stern of the ship, both looking up at the skies, cloudless with every star shining. "I know you like me, Hawk."

"Of course I do."

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Michelle looked up at Hawk, drawing his attention away from the stars and down to her. "I'm in love with you. . . I've loved you since the time I first laid eyes on you. . . I want you, Hawk. . . I need to be with you." When he tried to object, she placed one finger on his lips to silence him. "Let me finish, while I have the strength. . . I knew it would be difficult to get you to love a girl like me. . ." Looking up, she noted the Southern Cross over head. "I mean, at one point I'd have thought it was impossible for us to be standing together under the Southern Cross."

Hawk smiled. "This is true." There was something about the moment that had woven some sort of magic between them. He did feel something for Michelle, or maybe it was just the heat of the moment? His eyes traveled back up to the skies and when they came down to Michelle again, she was holding up a white gold band. He furled his eyebrows in confusion.

"Marry me, Hawk." Michelle held the ring up higher so that he could look at it. "I know the odds are against us, but I am willing to make any sacrifice."

Swallowing a few times, it seemed like forever before he got his voice back. "This is. . . sudden. . . I'd need some time."

"Wear my ring. . .It was my fathers. . he told me to give it to the man I was to marry. . . please wear it."

"Michelle, I need some time. . ."

Biting her lower lip, she shrugged. "Wear it on your right hand then, until you are ready."

Hawk didn't see any problems with that logic. After all, when Sam had left to fly, he and Michelle had gotten closer. He could see himself loving her at some point in time. It took him a bit of time to agree, but when he remembered Sam's rejection from the night before, it made it all easier. "Okay." Leaning down he kissed her softly as the credits started rolling and the screen went black.

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0245 Zulu
Mac's Apartment
Georgetown

Mac's jaw threatened to hit the floor. No one knew about Mic's proposal to her, no one. Her friends who'd asked all received a short version, 'He proposed in Australia.' And that was it, no details, nothing about a ferry ride or his attire, nothing. Though the show had added it's own dramatic moments, the similarities were rocking her to the core. Resting her head on the back of the sofa, she thought about the possibility of Mic somehow being involved. "No, he's happily married, why would he bother?"

But it did make for a rather interesting scenario. Maybe he was jus as jilted as Renee was and together they'd manage to find network of people that knew about her and Harm? Mac chuckled to herself. "You're losing it, MacKenzie." Her scenario was just preposterous, no one went to such lengths to screw over a past flame. But, somehow, Renee knew details that no one else did.

As the episode was coming to a close, the credits asked the audience to 'stay tuned for behind the scenes footage and an interview with star producer Renee Peterson.' Mac snorted at that.

The footage was nothing out of this world, Mac had seen it dozens of times before when she'd been on cases to the carriers, LHA and all of the zillion placed JAG lawyers went. Of course, on the show, they spent little to no time on actual carriers, it was all filmed on sets, very large, costly sets.

The two that played Hawk and Sam were very attractive and looked very good together. Mac couldn't help but wonder if people thought that about her and Harm. There was always an attraction, but just how many people deduced that they were 'meant to be?' The actors seemed nice, and jovial, chuckling about the strained romance of Hawk and Sam. "Yea, well, be glad it's just TV, if you lived through the real thing, you wouldn't be laughing." Frowning, she felt a headache coming on. Her pulse started quickening and suddenly she just felt sick. Utterly sick. It might have had to do with Renee suddenly appearing on screen.

"Mrs. Peterson." The interviewer, Nancy Karl, said with a smile only to be cut off by the Video Princess.

Sitting just a few feet from the interviewer was Renee, dressed in some sort of pinstriped business suit, with that fake, plastic smile of hers. 'That's Ms. Peterson, Nancy. . . I haven't found 'The One' yet, but I am sure he is out there, waiting." Mac groaned loudly and was tempted to toss something at the TV.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Peterson." Nancy tried again. "First off, everyone wants to know, how'd you come up with this story?"

Renee's smile went up in wattage as she cooed all over her 'idea' for the perfect show. "Well, I had a few. . uh, friends in the military. . ."

"Friends?! She has the audacity to call US friends?!" Mac yelled at the TV, her temper starting to reach it's boiling point.

". . . And their on-goings gave me the idea for this story. . . which is wonderful isn't it?"

Nancy laughed, agree with Renee's enthusiasm. "It is, and I must say, Hawk and Sam are just two very gorgeous characters."

Renee laughed it all up, thriving from the attention. "Oh yes, they are. . . Especially Hawk, what a babe."

"A lot of military men and women dislike that you have made the Hawk and Sam story too much of a romance with very little aspect to their actual military careers. . ."

"Well, Nancy, that was done on purpose. The times we've shown cases and those silly planes has been fun and all that, but I believe intimate relationships in the military is a bigger seller and apparently I am right." She gloated, adding a dazzling smile before throwing her head back in laughter.

Nancy moved closer in her chair. "So, give us the real scoop, rumor mill has it that Hawk and Sam really exist? And that the real Hawk and Sam are JAG lawyers just like the show."

"That is correct, but with a slight difference." She pointed out with a smirk. "In real life the pilot is a man and the Marine is a woman."

"A female Marine? She must be pretty tough."

Renee leaned back, un-crossing and crossing her legs, appearing not to have a care in the world. "Umm. . . not really. . .she's all talk no action."

Mac let out a strained chuckle. "All talk no, action, huh? I'd like to see us go toe to toe." She slammed one fist into an open hand and winced at how much it had hurt. "Oww."

"Ooooh, sounds like some animosity there." Nancy stopped trying to gage Renee's reaction, which was that of a woman who'd been hurt. There was a look in her eyes that slightly frightened the reporter, so she decided to let that animal rest and move elsewhere. "So, are we allowed to know the names of the real Hawk and Sam?" Everyone who was doing a scoop on 'ZULU' were dying to be the first ones to get that delicious piece of information. So far, no one from Taramount had cracked so it all rested on the shoulders of the creator who had all the dirty little secrets.

Renee sighed happily, tossing her hair for effect and laughing at the power she was wielding. It was fun having people try to fish information out of her. Now, who she was going to give it to was the problem. She figured that she'd leave some bread crumbs and all of the blood hounds of the entertainment news business could just figure it out on their own. "I won't tell you their full names. . . but just like Hawk and Sam they do have nicknames." Turning directly to face the camera, she smiled again before dropping the bomb, literally. "They are two JAG lawyers known as Harm and Mac."

Mac sat on her sofa, mouth agape, swearing it was all some sick nightmare. "Oh no, you didn't." It couldn't be happening to them. "Damnit, Renee. . . How could you do this?" Turning to the phone she held her breath as it began ringing. People couldn't have figured it out already, could they? Her hand shivered as she reached for the cordless, tempted just to let the machine pick it up. Closing her eyes tightly, she pressed the power button and brought the receiver to her ear. "Lieu. . Lieutenant Col-Colonel MacKKKenzie." She could barely speak from the anger that was raising through her veins.

("Mac? It's the Admiral . . look, I saw. . .I'm. . I'm sorry, I know this is difficult for you.") Her CO said over the phone and she could tell he really meant it.

"With all due respect, sir. . . we are screwed. . ." She spat back at the phone as the shock just started wearing off replacing itself with pure anger. "What's going to happen to us when the SECNAV finds out?. . . Surely we can't work together on cases anymore, people will think Harm and I have been. . ." Mac had always been concerned with how people saw her and what people thought of her. It was a burden, a cross she carried from the times her father would call her his 'stupid, tramp, daughter.' The scars never healed and the thought of people thinking that she and Harm had done something wrong was making her hurt inside. ". . . We've been nothing but professional, sir." She willed herself not to cry, not to let the other woman bring out those feelings in her, but it was no use.

AJ sighed on his end of the line. ("I'll run interference with the SECNAV and any other higher ups if I need to. . . I know you and Harm carry yourselves with utmost professionalism, Mac. . .In the mean time, get some rest over the weekend. You and Sturgis have court early on Monday.")

Mac nodded as if he could see her, but the last thing she was going to get was rest. "I will, sir and thank you, sir. . . thank you for being on our side." After saying their goodbyes, Mac hung up the phone, staring at it again for several minutes. There was some peace and quiet in her home, but she knew it wouldn't last once the media got wind of who "Harm and Mac" were.

"MacKenzie, don't do it." She told herself, but even so, her fingers were running fast over the keyboard of the laptop she had on the coffee table. She'd located the Taramount page and decided to get in contact with their offices. Surely, someone could help her get a hold of Renee Peterson. She held her breath as she dialed the number for the corporate offices.

The interview on TV had to be taped, very few shows, except for the early morning talk shows, did anything that wasn't taped. And with the time difference between DC and California, someone had to be in the offices. So she called, but when she asked to speak to Ms. Peterson, Mac got information that made her heart stop. "Ms. Peterson and the 'ZULU' crew are going to be on location aboard the USS Patrick Henry. . ." Mac didn't hear anything else that Renee's secretary had to say, she just hit the 'off' button on the phone and stared off in disbelief. Things just couldn't get worse.

"Harm's on the Henry." She said out loud before burying her head in her hands. "Oh, no."
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Nikki - Hope you had a good vacation! Glad I can lay lotsa new chappies for ya. :)

joanoa - Nah, you ain't slow! I just totally rock!  I am kidding, it was an odd story to write.  Originally when I thought it up I wasn't sober. ;)

XBlue - BREATHE!!!  BREATHE!! and when you are done doing that :::Points to a "CERTAIN" story::: WRITE!!! WRITE!!!

NavyBabe - LOL!! Psycho Bitch, glad this didn't happen on the actual show, could you imagine?  UST a Psycho Bitch?

LtjgMeg - You'll just have to wait and see how she got the info, so far no one has come remotely close to figuring out how.  I think everyone will be surprised, I know I was. ;)

Charmboy - Mac needs to bitchslap her, I would have loved to have seen Mac kick her ass at some point on the show.  :::sighs::: oh well!

Cristina - I know about the "rabid Harmies" I've had some share interesting coments about my chosing to have Mac slap him twice.  Luckily I don't take aything serious, very hard to shock me and I am just amused. ;)  Honestly though, Mac was different back in season 7, so was Harm,  and when people read THIS story they need to forget what happened from there on out, I think it's left over tention from S9 methinks.  Hope that made sense, probably not though! ;)

Xobaby - It's funny and I winced cos he had just shaved his face.  Poor guy, Go mac! ;)

G - They both tend to run on their own tangent.

Hieros - Jeesh!  Now Guns?  Dad has an AK!  I will protect myself!

Maiden - I had watched "The Stalker" yea, but the chapter was written loooooooooooong since then.  Kinda amusing that I posted it on the same day it was re-runed.  Didn't do that intentionally though, I swear!  BTW - Erm, when are we getting another post from you?  :::smiles sweetly.:::