Chapter Two

AN-You asked for more here it is – so many IDEAS – so little time, I wanted to write a winter scene – so here is a winter scene

Harm walked Mac back to the table. "Harm, I'm tired, do you think you can give me a lift to my apartment?"

"Sure Mac. Let's tell the rest of the gang we are calling it a night." He walked over to the table and told the rest of the JAG crew that they were calling it a night and then he got their coats from the bartender. He helped her put on her jacket and he started to escort her out of the bar.

"Colonel, Commander, look above you!" Mike yelled.

Harm and Mac looked above them and spied some mistletoe that was hung strategically above the door. Mac looked at Harm, and then shouted back at Mike, "I don't think so Mike."

All of the sudden the patrons of the bar started chanting, "kiss, kiss, kiss" over and over again.

Harm looked at Mac, and smiled sheepishly. "So what do you think? Should we give everyone an eyeful?"

"Sure, why not, office scuttlebutt has settled down as of late." She answered not ready to let the fun of the night end.

He gazed into her eyes and ran his index finger gently down her cheek. Harm tilted her chin up, and leaned in to kiss her full kiss. Her lip gloss tasted like cinnamon, fitting for the season he thought. There was an eruption of cheers going on around them. Mike was a close second to Harriet's delightful squeals. He had waited quite awhile to get those two underneath the mistletoe. When they broke the kiss, they smiled at each other and bowed for their audience. They turned around and left the bar as the song, "Grown Up Christmas List" was ending.

As they were walking to the car, snow flurries started falling all around them. "Are you warm enough Marine?" Harm asked when he noticed her teeth were chattering.

"Sure," Mac told him, lying trough her teeth. He didn't buy it and took off his scarf and wrapped it around her. His scarf smelled so much like him; the smell of the scarf along with the physical closeness of being with him all night long was more than she could bear. The cold air wasn't helping much, heightening all those senses.

Harm could sense an aura of change surrounding his partner. "Hey there, are you okay? I mean, I didn't overstep the bounds in there did I?"

"No, you didn't. I was just lost in thought. That's all. I didn't overstep my bounds when I slapped your thigh did I?" Mac smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"No. Loved it," he responded giving her his Cheshire grin. "Still, penny for your thoughts?"

"Nothing really deep. Just thinking about the cold air, how it invigorates the senses, heightens it all."

"Yeah, I guess that is why I used to love visiting my grandmother when I was younger. Me and Dad used to go out in the snow and build snow forts and have stockpiles of snowballs. After he went down, I didn't have anyone to build snow forts with anymore." He said smiling sadly at the memory. He helped her into the Lexus and gave her one of his million dollar smiles. "Maybe one day, I'll build a snow fort with AJ and Jimmy."

He drove her to her apartment, however because it had snowed worse in that part of town, he couldn't find a place to park close to the building. "Mac, I'll walk with you."

"No, you really don't have to, I'm a . . ."

"Marine, and you can take care of yourself. I know the speech by heart, but humor me will you?'

"Okay."

He made it to the sidewalk and they walked together to her apartment. About half way to her apartment the snow started falling a little heavier. "Harm, don't you think you should get out of here before it gets really bad?"

"Mac, I'm a gentleman, I told you I would walk you to your door." As he was telling her this, they both slipped on a patch of ice one the sidewalk, and ended up as a tangled heap on the block of ice.

"Ow!" Mac cried out as she hit the cold, hard ground. The managed to untangled themselves, but when Mac stood up, she let out a small cry of pain.

"Mac, are you hurt?"

"No," she said lying, for the second time that night. She started to hobble on her twisted ankle. Before she could get any further on it, she was swept up in Harm's strong arms.

"Don't bother protesting Mac, I never understood how women could walk in boots with heels on them anyway." She decided not to protest, deciding she would let the magic of the night and moment just be.

They got into her building and he carried her up the stairs. He set her gently on the couch, helped her out of her coat, and then gingerly took off her boot. "Mac, your ankle is really swollen." He propped her foot up on the coffee table and went to the kitchen.

She heard some pots and pans rattling around while he was in there and then she heard the freezer open. He came out of the kitchen with an icepack. He reached down and put it on her ankle.

"How does this feel?"

"A whole lot better, thanks Harm. Harm, this may sound silly, but I don't want the night to end."

"You know, neither do I. It has been forever since we have gotten together like this. How about I start a fire and we watch a movie?"

"Great suggestion. I will check the TV guide to see what is playing while you are working on the fire."

He got the fire started fairly quickly and then went into the kitchen and found everything he was looking for. He walked back out found Mac trying to maneuver around.

"Stop Marine." He picked up the couch and maneuvered it closer to the fire place and angled the television so they could see it.

"Harm, it's only 2100, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on. What do you think?"

"Sounds like fun, and it should go great with the smores!" He said pulling out the contents that he got from her kitchen.

She smiled at the thought of making smores with Harm in front of her fireplace and watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They switched on the movie and he put together several smores. During the movie he checked her ankle and was satisfied that the swelling was going down, and he snuggled back up behind her. They fell asleep together like that until the next morning.

AN 2 – Okay, this story can take a lot of twists and turns (I can throw a mission involving Webb and pool playing, I can make it a pure winter romance) Tell me, you as the reader, where do you want me to take it? Action/Adventure? Romance? Angst? Humor? Any particular direction? I will write it in for you just tell me!