Title : Christmas Comes But Once A Year…
(or, 'How wrong can a woman be'?)
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!)
Okay, so due to popular demand (well, a few reviews asking for a sequel!) the story continues…perhaps I could even extend it to cover the Christmas/New Year period (in the story time frame, not Real Life)…please read and review, and let me know what you think!
Harm's Apartment – Christmas Eve MorningThe sound of bells ringing woke Harm and as he reached over to turn off the alarm clock he became aware of two things, well three things actually… it was the telephone ringing, not the alarm clock; it was only 0700 by the digital readout on the alarm clock; and Mac lay between him and the telephone. Mac with a sleepy smile on her face, and her eyes still closed, but very much aware and talking.
"It's only 0700, Harm. If you answer that on Christmas Eve morning and it isn't the General, or the SecNav, or even the President, requesting your, mine, or our presence, I'll personally see to it that you don't get your Christmas presents this year as you've been a very bad boy."
"In that case I'll let it go to the answering machine and wait to hear who it is," Harm answered and settled back under the comforter, pulling Mac's warm body towards his and beginning a trail down her body with his hands and his lips. Mac sighed softly and accepted the gentle assault, wanting to go wherever the sensations took her. Harm's next words had her giggling at him. "After all, I'm assured I've been a very good boy this year, and I don't want to blot my copybook at this stage in proceedings."
"Oh, yeah, you've been good, Sailor," Mac's voice was still sleepy, and came out huskily as she began to writhe against Harm, which in turn brought his body into even closer contact with hers. "Ooh, don't stop!"
"I don't intend to," came the quick response, but neither one of them was prepared for the voice on the answering machine seconds later.
Both Harm and Mac froze, listening to the petulant voice of Alicia Montes aired over the speaker of the answering machine.
"Harm, it's Alicia. I know it's early, but I need to see you. I…I have some important information for you, and it won't wait. I'm on my way over."
"What the hell…!" Harm sat up in bed, and beside him Mac groaned.
"The woman doesn't know when to give up, does she?"
"I'll ring her back right now," Harm moved to the edge of the bed, and then turned back to face Mac. "Don't you dare move, Marine. We haven't finished."
Mac smiled up at him. "Yes, sir!" Then her expression changed. Harm noticed immediately.
"What is it?" he asked.
"You have her home number?"
"It'll be on the answering machine," he responded softly, knowing what was going through Mac's mind. "Sarah, I promise you, I don't have the woman's home number written down anywhere. This isn't going to spoil our time together. I'll call her and put her straight."
"Straight on what?"
"On the fact that I'm otherwise occupied on Christmas Eve morning, and she has no business calling at such an early hour. Important or not."
"It's obviously important to her," Mac couldn't help pushing the subject a little, and Harm nodded, hearing the tiniest hint of insecurity in Mac's voice. Leaning over, he dropped a soft kiss on Mac's lips.
"You are the most important thing in my life right now, and I'm not about to screw up the best thing that has happened to me. Whatever Alicia Montes might think is going to happen, it isn't going to be between me and her."
"I know," Mac acknowledged, and settled back on the bed. Harm picked up the receiver and dialled the number required to get the details of the last caller. Once he had the number he pressed redial and waited.
"Alicia Montes speaking."
"Miss Montes, this is Commander Rabb."
"Harm! Oh, you surprised me," Alicia gushed. "I was almost out the door!" It was a lie, she was still in her nightgown, but she had believed that the urgency in her voice would have awakened Harm.
"I don't appreciate being woken up at 0700 hours on Christmas Eve morning, and I certainly don't want you appearing at my door at any time after that. I'm off duty. Anything you have to say can wait until I'm back at JAG."
"But, Harm, this is important," stressed Alicia as a sudden, and unwelcome, thought entered her head. "You have someone with you, don't you?"
"That is none of your business, Miss Montes. I'm ending this conversation now. As I have already told you, I'm not on duty. If you have anything pertaining to business, I'll discuss it with you at JAG after the holidays. Other than that, we have nothing further to talk about. Have a Merry Christmas."
Harm replaced the receiver, and turned to look at Mac as she stroked her hand down his arm. His expression was dark, and his eyes stormy. When he spoke, Mac knew their plans had already been spoiled for part of the day at least.
"I don't know what she's up to, Mac, but I've got the weirdest gut feeling that she's going to come over here anyway."
"You want me to leave?"
"Hell, no!" Harm pulled Mac up and into his arms, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck and breathing in her unique scent. Raising his head he looked into her eyes. "We're together, no matter what, Sarah. I just…I think for this morning at least we should get dressed and be prepared. We could get ready for our run anyway. If she does turn up, there's no impropriety that she can cause trouble with. There's nothing wrong in us being together; it's what we want, but I don't want her causing you any trouble."
"You think she's stalking you?"
"It's beginning to feel like that, don't you think?" Harm queried, and Mac nodded her head, agreeing.
"Yeah, just a little. Harm?" Mac looped her arms around Harm's neck and returned a deep look of her own. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what do you think might have given her cause to carry this thing further? I know in her mind there's more, but there has to have been a trigger for her."
"I honestly don't know. You've said before that women just can't help being attracted," Harm dropped his head for a moment, and Mac tipped his chin up with her finger. Her smile made him smile, and she laughed softly.
"Sailor, I've gotten used to how you attract women, and I have no problem with that because I know you and I are strong, and I trust you. To Alicia Montes, though, you've done or said something that's triggered this…this idea of hers that you and she have a chance. Have you kissed her?"
"No!" The response was fast and emphatic, and Mac couldn't help the sudden snort of laughter she gave. Harm shook his head, and then he nodded. "Once. I mean, I didn't kiss her, she kissed me…on the cheek. After the retrial. That was all."
"Then that has to be it," Mac nodded also. "Okay, we formulate a plan. I'll agree to let you out of bed this morning on the condition that you make up for it later, when we've sorted this matter out."
"Deal, Colonel," Harm's response came fast, but his actions belied the need they had to be dressed and ready for any surprise visits, from anyone. Tipping Mac back down to the mattress, Harm began anew his assault on her body.
"Harm…Harm, we can't…we have to get up…you said," Mac tried to protest, but her senses were overtaking her ability to reason, and as her body began to melt under the exquisite duress she mumbled into his lips, "…okay, I can get dressed in ten! We can do this."
"You bet we can," Harm murmured in response, and nothing more was said after that. (At least nothing you, the reader, needs to know about!)
Thirty minutes later there was a knock at Harm's door, but there was no answer, as the occupants were on their way to have their morning run. Alicia Montes knocked again, louder, and called out insistently. "Harm!"
Jennifer Coates opened the door to her apartment and peered out through bleary eyes.
"Do you mind? It's not even eight 'o' clock yet, ma'am. If you're looking for the Commander, he's probably out on his morning run."
Alicia Montes turned at the sound of Jennifer's voice and the younger woman felt a wave of cold air – more from the glare she received than the unheated area outside her apartment.
"When do you expect him to return?"
"I don't expect him at all, ma'am. What the Commander does is his business." Jennifer's reply was concise, and correct. Turning to close her door, Jennifer was halted by the sound of Alicia's voice again.
"Is Colonel Mackenzie with him?"
"More than likely, as they run together. In fact, the Commander is probably over in Georgetown to meet the Colonel now."
"They didn't spend the night together?"
"Ma'am?" Jennifer managed to look outraged. "The Commander was dropped off outside by the General last night, not that it's any of your business. Colonel Mackenzie was most definitely not with him." Jennifer didn't add that shortly after Harm had arrived home and turned to hail a cab, one had arrived in which Mac had been seated. Harm had offered her a hand out of the vehicle, and they had disappeared from Jennifer's view as they entered the building. Shortly after that Jennifer had seen the headlights of a car appear near the building, but she had turned away then, thinking nothing of it. "If you'll excuse me now, I'm going back to bed. I'll tell the Commander you dropped by." Jennifer closed her apartment door, but not before she'd heard the squeal that Alicia Montes let out as she stamped her foot in a show of temper.
Alicia scowled as she looked once more at Harm's closed, and locked, door and she turned away, walking back to the elevator. It was true that she had hoped to catch Sarah Mackenzie at Harm's apartment, so that she could then raise the little matter of fraternization. It was impossible to achieve now that it was obvious that Harm was alone during the night, and had only gone to pick up his partner for their morning run, a routine that seemed to be known to many at JAG.
How wrong can a woman be?
To be continued...
