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! It's nice to see from the reviews given that the 'format' for the story is still working out!
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; General Mac; jagaddict; ducktapedmoose; lehcar412; laura carr
cbw – Thanks for your review on chapter 8. Hope that you like this chapter.
froggy0319 – Thank you for your reviews on chapters 8 and 9. Glad to know I can make dreamland happy – brings a whole new aspect to my ideas about my writing skills! If you can picture what I write, then I guess I'm doing something right (pardon the pun!). Hope you like this chapter.
Dreamer20715 – Thanks for your review on chapter 8. I don't like that Mattie's been written out of Harm's life so fast – at least with fanfiction we can keep her around! All is well in my world – Mattie's still a part of Harm's life. Hope you like this chapter.
GuitarVixen – Hi! Thanks for your review on chapter 8. Hope you like this chapter.
KJFlygirl87 – Hi! Thanks for your review on chapter 7, and for the site on STFBEye. I'll email you re the site you offered. Hope you like this chapter.
Dana – Thank you for your reviews on chapters 7 and 8! I love Good! I love Campbell's soup too, dancing in the rain, and finding money is fun! Hope you like this chapter.
jtbwriter – Hello! Thanks for your review. I wasn't sure how to write the scenes between Harm and Adam, but I seem to have managed it – I was worried about getting the 'feelings' right. I look forward to your comments as I can always rely on you being up front. Hope you like this chapter too! Thinking of you on the job scene and hope all is well.
Nikki – Thanks for your review. I wanted to write something about Adam Kohler – he seemed such a 'nice' guy when he was talking to Harm and Mac on the bridge, and it just clicked that he and Harm would get on well enough, having something in common. Hope you like this chapter.
chawkchic – Thank you for your reviews on chapters 7, 8 and 9, and your comments on the 'male bonding' bit – I'm not too sure about writing about male interaction, but I do tend to ask the male percentage of my friends some personal questions on how they relate to women / booze etc, and get some really informative answers, so hopefully my writing will improve on the 'male aspect'! Hope you like this chapter!
laura carr – Welcome to the story, and thank you for your review. Hope you like this chapter.
Arian04 – Hee, hee! I liked the idea of Harm 'stripping down' too! That's probably why I wrote it! Hope you like this chapter!
Starryeyes10 – Thanks for your review. Hope you like this chapter.
What could have happened after the end of The Four Percent Solution… Pennington Medical Center
Harm looked down at their clasped hands – his and Mac's, noticing how small her hand actually was, engulfed in his. 'It could have ended tonight!' he thought.
Mac saw the shudder run through Harm's body and she tugged on his hand.
"Hey, Sailor, what's going on in there?" she asked, watching as Harm's eyes fixed on hers and she saw the pain in his. "Harm? What is it?"
"I could have lost you tonight, Sarah, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it! Hell, I didn't even know until the paramedic rang my number. If he hadn't checked…"
"Harm, don't…please!" Mac tried to pull herself up on the bed, sinking back as the effort proved too much. Harm moved over from the chair to sit on the side of the bed. Mac took a deep breath and began talking again, lifting her hand to touch Harm's face. "I love you, Harm, and all I can think of right now, all I will let myself think of is how lucky I am to be here, and to still have you in my life. No one knows what's around the corner for them, and I don't want to live my life wondering any more. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can promise you that I will do my best to make sure I'm around to do that."
Harm gave a broken laugh, and Mac saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. Her own eyes reflected his emotions, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at the raw emotion he was showing her, the vulnerability.
"Does this mean no more Corvettes?" he asked, only half joking. If it meant keeping her safe on the road he'd buy her a tank if necessary!
"I…I don't know…I guess it's going to be a while before I get behind a wheel again."
"Not necessarily. You can take my Corvette, or the SUV, when you're ready. It's probably better that you take a drive as soon as possible. Like getting back on a horse when you're thrown."
"That sounds like something Dr McCool would say."
"I didn't know you were still seeing her. Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine. I'd actually gone to Bethesda to see the internist, for a check-up, and Dr McCool was on her way to see her daughter. That's the weird part…" Mac paused, trying to straighten out in her mind the events that led up to her crash. Harm waited while she began to talk again. When she still hadn't continued he touched her cheek with his finger.
"Mac?"
"What? Oh…sorry, I drifted off for a moment…I was just trying to think about what I was doing up to the accident. I went for the appointment, and met Dr McCool just as I was leaving. We started talking…about…about Webb, and…no, that can't be right…" Mac paused again, closing her eyes.
"If it hurts to remember, let it go. You'll be able to remember more later." Harm tried to sound reassuring, but his gut clenched at the mention of Clayton Webb. The man hadn't been a part of their conversations for a long while.
"I'm fine, really. I just don't remember talking about anything today. I remember passing her in the corridor outside her office, and then leaving to go home. You and I weren't meeting up until later…for the service. Oh, what about Harriet? I was supposed to be calling her today."
"I called her already, Mac. It's okay. Bud will let the General know what happened to you, and I'll field any calls until you're up and about."
"I'm not staying here for Christmas…" Mac began, but Harm put a finger to her lips, shaking his head at the same time.
"I've cleared it with the doctor. You can go home in the morning, in my care, so long as you promise to behave."
Mac looked at Harm in disbelief.
"He did not say that!" she protested, and then grinned as Harm relented and smiled.
"No, he didn't, but you do still have to stay put, and if I have to tie you to the bed I will," he threatened. Mac giggled, and then winced as the bruise on her face tightened. Harm raised an eyebrow at her amusement. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Sounds a bit kinky, Sailor…tying me to the bed, and all…" Mac explained, and Harm's raised eyebrow went a notch higher!
"I know you're going to be okay, now. Cracking jokes like that."
Mac nodded, and then laughed softly, lifting a hand to touch her reddened face. "At the moment I would imagine I could even give Rudolph a run for his money! My nose feels huge! And I'm sure it's bright red…" she muttered, but then her eyes misted again as Harm ran a gentle finger down her face.
"Well, Santa doesn't get to have you, Mac…you're all mine! Besides, I think you look cute with a red nose! In fact, in a couple of days when the bruise has settled down, I'll have to go find you a false red nose to remind me how cute you look!"
"Don't you dare!" Mac squealed, and then brought her arms up in a mute plea to Harm to hug her, which he duly obliged, leaning down and holding her, careful not to aggravate her injured face. Mac muttered something and Harm pulled back slightly to look at her.
"What was that?" he asked.
"I said I won't break," Mac repeated, her eyes pleading with him. Harm took a look at the door, and then back at Mac.
"Remember whose idea this was when we get court-martialled," Harm murmured softly, smiling down at Mac.
"It'll be worth it," retorted Mac, closing her eyes as Harm leaned over her once more.
As Harm pulled back from the kiss (or rather, kisses) a short while later Mac gave him her best pleading look.
"Can't you spring me tonight, Sailor? I don't want to sleep alone."
"Mac, you've been in a car wreck!"
"But I'm fine! Even the doctor said so!" Harm couldn't disagree with that. The man had said that there were no broken bones or internal injuries, just the airbag bruise to Mac's face, and even that would fade in a few days!
"Okay, I'll go and see what I can do." Mac sat up in the bed and grinned at Harm, and he wagged a finger at her. "You'd better still be in this bed when I get back, Marine, or it's no deal."
"I'll be here, I promise," Mac murmured, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice, and Harm gave her a long, searching look before he left the room.
Mac was seated on the edge of the bed when Harm returned, and his mouth opened to protest but she raised a finger to his lips.
"I had to use the bathroom, Harm. I'm allowed to do that, you know! So, what did the doctor say? Can I go?"
"Good news and bad news."
"What?" Mac looked crestfallen, and Harm put his arm around her shoulders as they sat side by side on the bed. "So, what's the good news?" she asked, not expecting the reply she got.
"Good news is you can go, right now…"
"Really?"
"Really," Harm confirmed, and raised an eyebrow at her, knowing she would come back with a retort.
"And the bad news?"
"Your uniform is bagged up and bloodstained. I've managed to round up some hospital gear for you. All they ask is that you launder it before you return it."
"Hospital gear? You're not talking one of those horrendous gowns are you?" Mac looked aghast, the thought of her backside being seen through the gaps in the back of the gown making her turn pasty. Harm grinned and shook his head.
"Nope. I've grabbed a set of scrubs. You'll be decent at least, but you lost one of your shoes. It might still be in the wreck; no-one could find it at the time you were brought in. So, you have a choice. A wheel…" Mac cut in before Harm could finish the sentence.
"I am not going in a wheelchair!"
"…chair, or me." The sentence was completed, and Mac looked in amazement at Harm.
"You wouldn't!" she challenged him. Harm gave his most disarming flyboy smile, and Mac groaned. "Okay, but this will definitely be a court-martial offence!"
"Mac, this is Sleepy Hollow, not Bethesda. I carry you out of here in my arms and the staff are going to be talking of nothing more than the fact it reminds them of 'An Officer And A Gentleman'," Harm murmured, leaning in to kiss Mac's forehead, and then moving lower to gently kiss her lips again. As he moved back Mac looked up at him, a smile on her face.
"What?" asked Harm.
"I do recall Richard Gere having his dress whites on for that scene, Sailor."
"True, but in the circumstances you have to make do with my winter blues. I do have a good six inches on Richard though, so we should still make an impact when we leave."
"Are you boasting, Harm?" Mac laughed, the sound husky, and Harm tapped a finger against the tip of her nose.
"You'll pay for that comment sometime soon, Colonel. For now, can you manage to change into these scrubs?"
Mac nodded, and moved off the edge of the bed and into the bathroom beyond. Harm went to collect the painkillers that the nurse on duty had arranged, and the bag containing Mac's belongings. When he returned to the room Mac was laid on the bed, curled up, her back to him.
"Mac?"
"I'm okay. I was just resting."
"If you're feeling ill, you should tell me the truth. If anything happens to you, Mac…"
"Harm, I'm fine, really. Please, just take me home. I don't want to spend Christmas in hospital."
"All right, but if anything changes, I'm taking you to the nearest emergency room."
"Understood." Mac acquiesced, and Harm nodded his head, not making a sound. Mac's earlier exuberance at the thought of leaving the hospital was now being overshadowed by the exhaustion of the events of the past hours.
"Okay, let's go. I have your painkillers, and the release form from the doctor. Here, put my overcoat on." Harm helped Mac into the heavy winter uniform coat, and then he picked her up easily in his arms and made his way out of the room. As Harm walked down the corridor to the exit Mac nestled quietly, not making any comment or movement in his arms. When they reached the outer lobby of the hospital a woman at the reception desk was heard to murmur 'just like Richard Gere…' and Mac couldn't help the grin she gave Harm, but he responded with a smug smile and a wink when the woman's colleague shook her head. 'Nah, he's much better looking, and taller.'
Harm's ApartmentMac was settled in Harm's bed, her eyes closed, the painkillers taking effect. As Harm climbed in beside her she opened her eyes to look at him.
"Thank you," she murmured softly, raising a hand to touch his cheek. Harm turned his face and dropped a kiss into the palm of her hand.
"You're welcome," Harm responded, not quite sure what Mac was thanking him for, but given her sleepy state and the effects of the painkillers he wasn't about to raise a discussion on the topic. "Go to sleep, Mac."
"Mmmn, I will…Harm?"
"Yes?"
"It's Christmas Day," Mac informed him, and Harm leaned forward to kiss her gently.
"Merry Christmas, Sarah," he said against her lips, and Mac responded in kind, kissing him back.
"Merry Christmas, Harm. I love you." A yawn followed Mac's declaration, and Harm pulled back to look down at her, smiling as he realized that she had fallen to sleep.
"I love you, too, sweetheart," he murmured, and then gave silent thanks to the powers that be that Mac was safe and sound, in his arms, and in his life.
It was Christmas Day, and Harm went to sleep with the knowledge that this was the first Christmas he would truly spend together with Mac, and the understanding that – after so many empty years – a little boy could celebrate Christmas again.
To be continued
Seasons Greetings to you and yours - Jaggie
