Title : When You're Ready...
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!)
To all the readers/reviewers shown – thanks for the support, and please keep reading!
cbw; cool cat; froggy0319; Lisa Brown; ryne'smom; anna7; harmsgirl-03; Dana; suz573; Grace; jaggurl; Nikki; Kirsty; kirsten; ss; Arian04; GuitarVixen; iammusic; JennaTripped; JagFan; starryeyes10; Kavi Leighanna; SarahRabb705; BrokenSkye; NavyCB; SailorGirl; moe; katydid13; serendipity112233; Dreamer20715; jtbwriter; joanoa; FoxyWombat; chawkchic; maidenpride21; r; heartandy112
Guitar Vixen – Hope you like the latest chapter.
Jtbwriter – Hiya! I seem to be getting the 'formula' right for following the episodes – after all this time even the PTB storylines seem to be heading in the right direction! Trust all is well on the work front. Keep on reading and I hope you like the latest chapter.
Froggy0319 – Hee, hee! Hope your dreams were good! You'll have to watch the 'grin' tho', or people will wonder what you've been up to! :o) Hope you like the latest chapter.
Cbw – I thought the 'reduce altitude' was brilliant too – so cute! Thank you so much for your review - it means a lot and gives me the incentive to keep going this way. Hope you like the latest chapter.
FoxyWombat – Yay to the 'office switch' – maybe I'm like Mac!!! ;o) Hope you like the latest chapter.
Jaggurl – Thank you so much for your review – it means a lot and gives me the incentive to keep going this way. Hope you like the latest chapter.
Dana – You really do have it bad!!! I'm sorry you missed your chance to go out with friends, but I'm very flattered it was to do with my story. Probably the best compliment I've ever received! Hope you like the latest chapter.
What could have happened after the end of One Big Boat...
Harm's Apartment – Thursday evening
Harm sat on his couch, his guitar resting across his thighs as he sat back and closed his eyes, thinking of Mattie...and Mac. Especially of Mac.
The sound of a key turning in the lock of his door drew his attention and he was in the process of standing the guitar up when Mac walked in. Hidden behind two large grocery bags, she hadn't seen him right away, and Harm grinned as he set the guitar on its stand and then walked across to the kitchen island, waiting until Mac realized he was there. (He knew better than to surprise her – he could end up injured if he tried that tactic!)
Mac set the bags down on the island counter and dropped her purse and keys beside them, moving her hands to the buttons of her uniform jacket, ready to shed the restricting article now she was off duty. As she undid the buttons she turned around to drape the jacket over a nearby dining chair, and took in the sight of bare feet. Harm's bare feet, to be exact. Immediately raising her eyes to his, she all but jumped at him!
"Hey! You're back early!" Mac's comment came as soon as she could breathe again after their first kisses.
"I finished early."
"You passed, of course."
"Of course. This phase, at least. The carrier quals are in a few months. I finished ahead of schedule," Harm replied, and Mac could tell from the mildly smug look in his eyes that his early return had everything to do with his consummate skill as a Naval Aviator. Qualifying, even in a new aircraft, was not a problem. Harmon Rabb took on an aircraft, any aircraft, the way he took on driving different vehicles. He just knew the machines, and whether on the ground or in the air, his skill was innate.
"Are you staying for the weekend?" Harm asked, not taking anything for granted in their relationship, and eyeing the contents of the grocery bags. There was his 'rabbit food' as Mac termed his usual purchases, and choices that suited her appetite. Mac leaned back in his arms and looked up at him, nodding her head as she did.
"Mmmn, hmmn. It seems...I always feel closer to you here when you're away," she murmured, and was rewarded with another soul-searching kiss before Harm released her, and helped her empty the grocery bags.
"So, what've you been up to while I've been away?" Harm asked as he watched Mac put the food away in his refrigerator and cupboards. Over her shoulder she gave him a big smile.
"Well, for starters I got a visit from Mattie," she offered, turning her attention back to the refrigerator, and missing Harm's look of surprise.
"You did? Wow. Was she okay?"
"She's fine, I guess. She's missing you already, but then as you're no doubt missing her too, it's mutual. We agreed that we needed to spend some more time together too."
"How about coming out to the house on Saturday then?"
"I'd love to!" Mac answered from the inside of the refrigerator, and Harm grinned as he watched her backside moving beneath the material of her skirt. Jeez! It had been a long week. "How do you feel, about her being back with her father? By the way, I didn't realize her father was petitioning for full custody. Which he got. Mattie came to see me just after the hearing." Harm focused his attention back on Mac's face as she stood up again, and answered her querying look.
"It was Mattie's decision, so I was happy to sign for her. They came to see me just before I left, at the start of the week, so I didn't get chance to let you know. I would have, you know that."
"I know," Mac smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "What about Jen?"
"I haven't had chance to talk to her about it yet. I guess she'll be missing Mattie too."
"Mmmn," Mac murmured in agreement. "They've been like sisters."
"Yeah," Harm agreed, and then remembered Mac saying 'for starters', so there was something else she had to tell him, and he asked her about it.
"I was invited to breakfast with the General this morning."
"How did that go? You feeling any less worried about him?" Harm watched Mac's face as she paused before answering.
"I don't feel as paranoid as I did. Maybe you're right, and I should give him some more time. We cleared the air a little, I think, and he did refer to John Farrow indirectly, and believed that I'd learned from the incident and moved on."
"That's a good start, isn't it?" Harm raised an eyebrow as he smiled at her, and Mac smiled in return, nodding her head.
"I guess. Anyway, enough of work. Let's get some dinner sorted, and then you can tell me about the F-whatever, and who your RIO was."
Harm nodded his head in acceptance of her changing the subject for the time being, but he knew they would come back to her time with the General in such a casual arena. Just as he knew that she knew exactly what kind of aircraft he was qualifying to fly; she just chose to play it down.
After dinner found them together on the couch, Mac laid on top of Harm, her head on his chest.
"So what did the General have to say to you exactly?" Harm murmured gently, and Mac replied without hesitation.
"Cresswell said, and I quote, 'You've been spending too much time with Naval officers and, unfortunately, their culture has rubbed off on you. The condition, however, is not permanent.'. End quote."
"Oh, he did, did he? And do you think my culture has 'rubbed off' on you?" Harm murmured huskily, and as he was currently rubbing his hand down Mac's back and thighs, his comment definitely had a double meaning! Mac was distracted and her reply was disjointed, and in the end she gave up trying to put a sentence together and just turned into Harm's embrace as he lowered his head to kiss her.
Mac managed to surface for one moment of lucidity as Harm spoke softly in her ear. "Cresswell was wrong on one point..." he murmured as he continued his journey around her body. "This condition is definitely permanent."
"Oh, yeah..." answered Mac, and then gave up any hope of further conversation altogether.
To be continued
A/N :
( i) I can't help it, folks, I'm starting to like the new JAG more and more! He even seems to have a sense of humor, and appears to be very fair. I had to use the comment about Mac having been around Naval officers too long – it was begging for it!
(ii) There seems to be some good 'spoilers' for coming episodes – especially the Christmas one, and the one about Mattie (maybe things don't work out with her father and she comes back to Harm full-time!) I'm going to enjoy writing up after those two!!!
