AN: Thanks for all the reviews. I would have updated sooner but I went out of town and just got back. So unfortunately I wasn't able to finish this by Christmas. Anyways I had a wonderful Christmas and I hope all of you did too. I wish you all happy holidays.

I forgot to say this last time but I don't own anything but the plot line. If I did own the show Mac and Harm would already be married living in a villa and they wouldn't argue so much.

The Nutcracker Part 3

The sun had gone down now and it was starting to turn cold. Mac pulled her long black coat closer around herself. The parking lot was full of cars and the line to get in was incredibly long. They got in the back of the line and waited to go in and find their seats. All of them stood there in the line and it didn't seem to be getting any shorter. All around them people were talking and laughing but they stood there quietly until Mac broke the silence.

"So what's the story behind the Nutcracker Ballet? If I'm going to see this ballet I need some background information."

"The story is about this girl named Clara. Her parents were having this Christmas Eve party and many people were invited. They are all having a good time dancing and playing games when Clara's godfather, Drosselmeyer, arrives at the party," Harriet informed Mac.

"He brings, with him, extraordinary gifts for Clara and her brother Fritz. Fritz becomes jealous that Clara got a beautiful Nutcracker and he didn't. He gets mad and breaks it," Bud said.

"That's sad," Mac said.

"But everything works out," Harm reassured her. "Drosselmeyer fixes the Nutcracker and gives it back to Clara."

"Sometime after that, all the guests leave the party and go home," Sturgis said. "Later that night Clara comes back into the living room to get her Nutcracker after everyone has gone to bed. She finds that she starts to shrink and the Christmas tree grows bigger and bigger. All the toys and become real and the mice start to form an army and start fighting the toy soldiers."

"Don't forget about the Mouse King that appears," Cresswell says. "He starts fighting the Nutcracker that has just come to life. Clara sees that the Nutcracker and his soldiers are in trouble and throws her shoe at the Mouse King. He dies and the army of mice runs away."

Jen picked up the story from there saying, "The Nutcracker magically turns into a prince and takes Clara to the Land of Snow and then to the Land of Sweets. They tell the people there all about the fight with the Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairy rewards them by having her people perform different dances."

"At the end of the dances Clara awakes and finds that it was all a wonderful dream," Harriet said. "It was wonderful story and romantic too," she added squeezing Bud's hand.

"You'll enjoy it, Mac," Harm said. "I don't like going to ballets but this one is truly special and the costumes are great."

"It sounds like a good story," Mac said, as they line moved up. More people continued to get behind them but at least the line was moving up this time. Pretty soon they were inside the warm building and went to find their seats.

"It's really crowded in here," Sturgis said trying to move passed people to find his seat.

"I guess everyone had the same idea we did about coming to see the Nutcracker today," Harriet said.

"I think I found our seats," Cresswell said, as he led them down the isle and to a row not to far from the stage.

Cresswell sat down at the end of the row followed by Sturgis, Jen, Bud, Harriet, Mac, and Harm. They got a chance to look at the programs that they had been handed and before they knew it the ballet started.

The whole theater became dark and all talking stopped as the crowed waited anxiously for the performance to begin. The music started to play and the curtains opened to reveal the opening scene of the party. The stage was decorated with every Christmas decoration imaginable and the children and adults began to dance together on stage. The costumes were beautifully made of different colors and fabrics. The young dancer who played Clara was easily spotted dancing with her friends in a beautiful cream colored gown. Fritz was playing with some toys off the side of the room and talked with his friend as an evil grin was plastered on his face. Soon their god father arrived, bringing a package of gifts with him. The dancing and celebrating stopped as he came into the room. The children's parents greeted him and he handed Clara and Fritz their gifts. They each took turns opening their gifts and a smile lit up Clara's face when she saw her nutcracker. She thanked her godfather and as everyone went back to talking and dancing she danced with her nutcracker. Fritz saw how happy she was with her present and grabbed it away from her and broke the Nutcrackers jaw. Clara stood there in tears until Drosselmeyer came and bandaged its jaw up.

The audience watched the performance, with all eyes glued to the stage, as later that night Clara came to find herself shrinking and everything becoming bigger. Suddenly the toys came alive and the evil mice army started fighting with the toy soldiers. The clang of swords and the bang of cannons going off could be heard throughout the theater. With one loud surprising burst of a cannon, louder than the rest, the Mouse King emerged from the smoke.

Mac jumped hearing the sound of the cannon going of and grabbed on to Harm's hand. He tore his eyes away from the scene and looked at Mac. Mac's eyes were glued to the stage without even realizing she was holding on to his hand. He smiled to himself and brought his attention back to the ballet. Mac's hand continued to hold Harm's throughout the rest of the performance.

After Clara hit the Mouse King with her shoe and he disappeared, the Nutcracker turned into a handsome prince and traveled with Clara to the Land of Sweets, where they were rewarded with made different dances. One of the dances was Arabian and men in different costumes came to dance for them. They pulled out swords from their out fits and started waving them around while they danced. There was a Russian dance too where men and women came out of the back and danced a Russian type of dance for them. There costumes were beautiful too and they had fur hands and colorful capes. Many other dances followed and the audience was left in aw of the performance and that's all anyone talked about as they left the theater.

Mac could still picture the wonderful dancing and the splendid costumes in her mind. "That was amazing," she told them. "I've never seen anything like this."

"It was defiantly much better than last years. I think the costumes are getting better too," Harriet said to them, as they followed the crowds of people out of the door.

"We should turn this into a tradition," Jen said. "I'd love to come with you guys next year."

"I agree," Cresswell said, as they gathered in the parking lot. "Now Harriet, we expect you to find us tickets again next year," he told her.

"Will do, sir," she said smiling. "I'm just glad you guys enjoyed this."

"I think it's starting to snow," Sturgis said looking up at the dark sky.

"It is," Jen agreed, as huge white snow flakes started to fall all around them.

"I suggest we get in the car," Mac said. 'I'm soooooo cold,' she thought. "Am I the only one that's cold?"

"No," Jen said, "I'm freezing."

"Then lets go," Cresswell said getting into the front seat. "I'm driving again."

They all let out a grown but piled into the car anyways.

They arrived back to JAG headquarters thirty minutes later and wish each other a Merry Christmas before going their separate way.

"Feel like driving me home?" Mac asked.

Harm looked at her surprised. "You don't even need to ask."

"Yeah, well thanks."

"Anytime, Marine."

End of chapter…..

AN: Sorry there weren't enough shippery moments in this chapter. You will defiantly see more in the next chapter. (Author grins evilly)

I know a lot of you had really good ideas for this chapter but I ended up writing it this way. Thank you for the ideas though. : )

Something to think about until next time:

Will something romantic happen next chapter?

How will Mac get out of her dress this time?

Will Harm end up spending the night at Mac's?