Title : The Return
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Rating : G to PG-13 (Just in case!)
Summary : An alternative start to Adrift II when Harm is brought to the hospital.
Comments : I have had numerous encouraging reviews, thank you all. You are my inspiration to continue.
Room 1509
Mic and Renee looked at each other as the Admiral continued to chuckle to himself, and Harm held tight to Mac's hand.
It was Mic who spoke up first. "Sarah, I'd like to have a word with you, in private."
"And if the Admiral will leave the room also, then I can talk to you, Harm." Renee followed Mic's example, hoping that by getting Harm alone she would be able to make Harm see that it was her, Renee, and not Mac, that was the best woman for him. With Mac's next words, all the hope she had went out the window.
"Before anyone leaves this room, you need to know…nothing you say to either of us is going to change our decision."
Mic was surprised. At the very least he had expected Harm to protest – loudly – but it was Mac who spoke up, and her voice was not raised, nor was it stressed, she simply stated the obvious. Well, it was obvious to him that this twist in his relationship with Sarah could not, would not, be tolerated.
"Sarah, please. Let's discuss this outside."
Mac glanced at Mic as he spoke, and then turned her gaze on Harm. Nodding his head at some unspoken signal, Harm smiled at Mac and squeezed her hand.
"You know where to find me," Harm murmured, as Mac let her hand slip from his when she walked towards the room door and the corridor beyond. Mic followed her silently, staying behind her as she walked down to the nurses' station and into a waiting elevator car. Harriet, Bud and Chloe were still seated, but at the solemn look on Mac's face Harriet spoke softly to keep Bud and Chloe seated.
Once they were outside the building Mic grabbed at Mac's arm and swung her around to face him. Mac's first instinct was to drop Mic where he stood for such actions, and she almost followed through on her instinct, stopping only when she saw the look on his face. There was such a rage, he was almost purple in color.
"Mic? What do you think you're doing?"
"Trying to knock some sense into you, Sarah! You're engaged to me! We're practically married! Hell, if that playboy in there hadn't dunked his jet then we would be, and this would be a bad memory…at least for me!"
"It's not going to make this any easier, Mic, but there wouldn't have been a wedding, even if Harm hadn't crashed. I realized last night, when the news came in about Harm and Skates, that I had to find a way to tell you it was over."
"Over! We'd just had the rehearsal dinner, Sarah! You don't just promise to marry someone and then go onto someone else!"
At Mic's words, Mac thought back to the conversation on the ferry with Harm. He hadn't said 'never', just 'not yet'. That was an admission in itself, added to the comment she had made about him only being like that with her, and Mac suddenly laughed as she realized something.
"What's so bloody funny, Sarah?" Mic was confused by her behavior.
"That's just what I did, though, Mic…I went from Harm to you, because I thought he'd turned me down."
"Are you saying you were on the rebound from him to me?"
Mac nodded as she felt the weight of betrayal lift from her shoulders. Harm understood why she had gone to Mic after he had said what he had in Sydney. He'd told her he didn't like it, but he'd understood. This was his second chance to make things right, and he'd taken that chance! Mac smiled to herself as she looked at Mic.
"I'm saying that I didn't understand what it was that Harm was telling me back there, and I chose to read his words wrong, and that's how I ended up wearing your ring. Mic, I can't marry you!"
"The hell you can't! You accepted my ring back in Sydney, Sarah. I came all the way here to be with you because that's what you wanted."
Mac pulled back from Mic, turning slightly so she wasn't facing him when she spoke. Shaking her head in denial, she answered his claims.
"For a start, you gave me the ring and I accepted it as a symbol of friendship, nothing more. I certainly didn't agree to marry you then, and I definitely didn't ask you to resign your commission and come to DC. You've done nothing but push me since then, Mic!"
"I didn't resign, I just reserved my commission, but I'm prepared to overlook this…this episode. When we're married, we can return to Australia, and I'll re-enlist." Mic was caught up in his vision of life with Mac, his way. He failed to see the understanding settle on her face, and the anger rise in her eyes.
Big mistake!
"You didn't resign?" Said softly.
Mic shook his head, still unaware of his fate.
"You're prepared to overlook my…infatuation…with Harm," Mac's voice lowered some more. Mic nodded, a smile coming to his face as he thought Mac was verbalizing for his benefit.
By the time Mic realized what had happened he was flat on his back, out on the sidewalk, with an extremely irate Marine standing over him, and an audience who had witnessed every word and action. There was applause, even though the crowd didn't know what the argument had been about.
"Don't even think about coming around to the apartment for your things. I'll have the doorman hold the stuff for two days. If you don't collect your belongings before then, consider them delivered to the nearest thrift store. Goodbye, Mic."
As Mic got to his feet, a little unsteadily, he watched Mac return inside the hospital building. He made a move to follow her, thought better of it, and walked away to the parking lot, and his car. He had some planning to do in order to make Mac see sense, and for that he needed to be alone. Unfortunately, Mac hadn't turned around as she had gone inside the building and didn't see the look of determination on Mic's face, nor the glint of mania in his eyes.
Room 1509As Harm watched Mac leave the room, the Admiral watched Harm, and the smile on his face remained. So! Finally! Keeping the pair of them at JAG would take some juggling, and invoking of Admiral's Privilege, but it would be worth it! At first he didn't hear Renee's voice as she spoke to him.
"AJ? If you'd leave us alone, please? I need to speak to Harm in private."
Harm winced at the thought of being left alone in the room with this woman who, by independent confirmation, appeared to have been his girlfriend for the past year. A year he couldn't recall. At least not with her. When it came to Mac, however, Harm remembered everything! Now, once he was out of hospital, he would have his chance to show Mac just how much he did love her! How much he was in love with her. Wanting to delay his commanding officer's departure, Harm groaned. It was put on, a sham, but it was very effective (tricks learned at the Academy!) and the Admiral moved forward to ask if he was in pain. Renee hovered at the opposite side of the bed, not quite sure whether she should call for a doctor, comfort Harm, or make a hasty exit!
"Sir…I need to rest now…my head, it hurts…"
"Of course, Commander." AJ caught the wink, but Renee missed it completely, and with a performance worthy of an Oscar, he turned to face Renee.
"I'm sorry, Miss Petersen. I need to confer with the doctor. Perhaps we have tired Harm out a little too much."
"I'm staying, AJ."
Harm groaned a little louder, and Renee approached the side of the bed, stepping past the Admiral.
"Harm, it'll be all right. I'll take care of you, and when you're better you can come to LA with me, and stay there…" Renee got into her stride with every word she uttered. Her vision was of she and Harm attending all the 'in' parties – she in (faux) furs, and Harm in dress whites, basking in the adulation shown to his fiancée. Harm was so amazed at Renee's inventiveness that he forgot to groan, but luckily Renee was too engrossed to worry about his wavering thespian talents.
It was left to the Admiral to get Renee out of the room.
"Miss Petersen, I need to have a word with you, outside. I don't want Harm to overhear us."
"What?" Renee looked from Harm to AJ, and back again. Harm's eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. It was amazing how fast he fell to sleep, she thought! The Admiral took the cue, and steered Renee casually toward the door.
"Miss Petersen…Renee, Harm really needs time to heal here in hospital. Once he's released, then he will probably be able to remember your past together. I'm sure that will happen. Just give him time…"
Renee reluctantly let herself be shooed out of the room, but as a last resort she called out as she passed the bed. "I'll see you later, honey. I'll come back this evening!"
Harm's eyes remained closed, and the Admiral hid a grin behind Renee's back as he followed her out of the room. Harm opened one eye, and found Mac standing at his bedside, laughing.
"What are you doing?" she asked, intrigued by his actions.
"Checking to see if that woman has gone."
Mac nodded, still laughing. As she managed to rein in her humor she leaned over the side of the bed and kissed Harm softly.
"Renee's gone. Mic too, or at least I hope he's had the sense to." Harm tipped his head to one side, waiting for an explanation of that comment. Mac obliged willingly.
"He had some idea that he and I were still going to return to Australia and live there. He didn't resign his commission, Harm – he just shelved it!"
"Jerk," muttered Harm, and Mac laughed once again. It felt good to be able to laugh again. It felt good to be her own person once more. Sure, Harm was always there for her, he'd said so. But he was also wise enough to let her be, and not to dictate her life to her.
As they kissed once more they didn't hear the sound of the door opening to Harm's room, but they both heard the squeals of delight from Harriet and Chloe, and the cheer from Bud.
"Way to go, sir!"
As the Admiral brought up the rear of the troupe Harm caught his gaze and smiled his thanks at his commanding officer. With a silent nod of his head, AJ Chegwidden gave his seal of approval (sorry, no pun intended!) to the newly formed relationship between his two senior officers.
Life was about to get very interesting!
To be continued
