Tangled Up In You
Chapter Five
By LizD
Written Summer 2003
Spoilers – Through the End of Season 8
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church Virginia
1330 Afternoon
Harm and Mac were working a UA case aboard the USS Evergreen. They were in the conference room going over the files of other sailors who had gone UA. Harm was looking over her shoulder reading the case files she was working on and had gotten pretty close to her. Too close.
"Commander, please step back."
He turned his face toward hers. They were inches apart. "Where is Coates?"
"She is working with Bud this afternoon." She was not looking at him.
"Just you and me?"
"Looks that way." She looked very uncomfortable. "Commander, step back."
"That's not what you said last night." He whispered in her ear.
She turned to look at him with a shocked expression on her face. Before she had a chance to say anything, he kissed her. She pulled herself away, pushed back from the table, and walked toward the door.
"We had an agreement, Commander." She scolded.
"I am aware of that." He was following her slowly toward the door.
"This is totally inappropriate and NOT what we talked about." She reached the door and put her hand on the knob.
"I guess I misunderstood our agreement." A few more steps and he would be on top of her.
"Willful disregard of a fellow officer, conduct unbecoming, noncompliance, unlawful detention – I can have you court martialed for this." He took that last two-steps.
"I guess I'll need a good lawyer."
"Good thing I am a good lawyer."
She flipped the lock on the door, grabbed him by the lapels, pushed his back against the wall and kissed him. He of course responded.
"You lost, commander."
"On the contrary, I think I won." He grinned.
He was just about to kiss her again when someone grabbed the doorknob and tried to open the door.
"Locked?" It was the admiral. "What the hell is this door doing locked? Lieutenant Simms!"
Mac quickly sat back down and she motioned for him to wipe his mouth. Harm opened the door.
"Admiral? Was the door locked?" His innocent act did not fly with the admiral.
Harriet tried to help, "Sir the door has been sticking. I think it's the weather."
"Right." He was not impressed. "Thank you Lieutenant." Harriet left. He closed the door, checked to be sure it would not "accidentally" lock behind him. He turned his attention back to Harm and Mac. He was not pleased. "Right. So. Do you two have something you want to tell me?"
"Sir?" Harm said.
"Don't play dumb with me Commander. I am not in the mood. I just got off the phone with the SecNav and we have a command performance in sixty minutes on the hill."
"We sir?" Mac asked.
"Yes WE. I think his exact words were 'those two will not survive this' he followed it with a suggestion that I start polishing my resume as well."
"I don't understand, sir." Mac said.
"I just got back, I haven't had time to do anything wrong."
It all of a sudden occurred to both Mac and Harm that somehow the SecNav knew, but how?
"I don't like being ambushed by anyone least of all the SecNav. So I ask you again, is there something that you would like to tell me?"
Mac and Harm looked at each other. She nodded and shook his head. Before they could say anything Harriet knocked and entered.
"Admiral, I just got a call from the SecNav's office. He has been called to the White House and will be departing with the president for California. The meeting is tentatively rescheduled for Friday."
"Thank you Lieutenant."
"Yes sir, and there is a Lieutenant Commander Lauren Walsh waiting to see you."
"Thank you, ask her to wait." Harriet nodded and left. He looked back at the lovers. "Looks like you have been momentarily reprieved. I want you to think about this. I am not sure what he has gotten wind of, but you better figure it out quickly or you will be pushing paper somewhere in Alaska. I can't help you if I am kept in the dark."
"Yes, sir." They said in unison.
"And keep your noses clean until then."
"Yes, sir."
He left and made a point to leave the door open. They each let out the breath they were holding.
"We have to tell him." Mac started.
"We are not going to talk about this here." He said softly.
"We have to tell him."
"Mac," he was doing his best stage whisper. "First of all there is no way the SecNav has any idea about us, and second of all we haven't done anything wrong."
"If WE don't tell the admiral, I will."
"Don't do that."
"I knew it. I knew this wouldn't work." She got up and gathered the files together. She was very angry.
"Mac, listen to me." She wasn't. "Mac." She held up her hand to stop him. "Sarah!" At that she looked up at him. The fire in her eyes told him to back off. She marched out of the conference room and left him standing there.
Moments Later in Mac's Office
She was aggravated, more than aggravated she was spitting bullets. He came in and closed the door.
"Leave it open commander."
"Mac." He said calmly. "You have got to get your emotions in check."
"Don't you dare tell me how to feel about this." She said through gritted teeth to keep her voice down.
"Can you just wait until we have time to talk this through?"
"What is time going to do? Is it going to change the facts?" She shook her head.
"Just wait. Look, let's take a walk."
"Don't handle me Harm."
"I am not trying to HANDLE you, I am trying to get you to think first."
"There is nothing to think about."
"What are you so angry about?"
"I don't know, probably because I knew this was going to happen and I am so tired of my life going to shit."
Harm snapped back as if he were struck in the face. "Is it? Is it really? Well I'm sorry you feel that way."
"No, I am not going there with you, not right now." She came around her desk. "I am taking a walk, ALONE."
She left him standing there. Harm came out and looked frustrated. Bud, Harriet, and Jennifer were all looking at him and quickly looked away. He went into his own office and closed the door.
A few moments later there was a knock on his door. He really was not in the mood to deal with anyone.
"Come." He bellowed.
Jennifer Coates stuck her head in. "Sir, they have found Petty Officer Markus Valentino."
"Where?"
"He was found at the foot of the Washington Monument this morning. He has no memory of how he got there."
"Where is he now?"
"The DC police have him."
He looked out to the bullpen; he knew Mac was not back yet. "Fine, when the colonel gets back, tell her where I went."
"Yes sir."
He left.
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church Virginia
2330 EST
Harm walked in. He looked whipped. He had been dealing with Valentino all afternoon. He interviewed him for several hours and then needed to have him medically and psychologically evaluated and transferred to the brig in Norfolk. It took some doing but he did it. He threw himself down in his chair; leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Hey," came Mac's voice from the doorway. He did not look up. "How did it go?"
Without opening his eyes he said, "Not a clue. I have no idea what to even think about this case."
"What did he say?"
Harm looked up at her. "He said that he had no idea how he got to Washington. The last thing he remembered was being on watch on Saturday night."
"Do you believe him?"
"I can't prove that he was lying; I can't trip him up. I but I don't believe him."
"I have interviews set up tomorrow with three other men who went UA."
"Good, maybe something will come from them."
"You look tired."
"I've been dealing with DC police, shore patrol, all kinds of doctors, flight commanders and a captain who is not happy all night. I am tired."
"Have you eaten?"
"No. And no, I don't want to go get something to eat." She just nodded. "Did you talk to the admiral yet?"
"No." She came in and sat down. "I'm sorry I got so upset earlier."
"Well it is understandable since your life is going to shit." He was a little testy.
"I didn't mean that the way it came out and I certainly didn't mean it the way you took it."
"Are we alone here?"
"Yes."
He leaned forward. "So tell me Sarah, exactly when did your life start going to shit . . . this time? Was it the day you met me or was it just after we slept together?"
She wasn't going to argue with him and clearly he was spoiling for a fight. "I can see you are tired, we can talk about this another time."
He leaned back in his chair. "Fine." He shook his head. He wasn't so much mad at her as he was just tired of the fight. He really thought that there would not be any of this power of wills between them. That was pretty stupid on his part. They were still the same people. "Whatever you say, colonel."
"Are you going home?"
"Soon, need to put some notes together."
"That can't wait until tomorrow?"
"It probably could, but it is not going to." He was dismissing her and she felt it.
"Alright, well, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Fine."
She got up slowly hoping that he would call her back. He didn't. She left.
He threw his note book across the office when her heard the elevator ding. Damn it.
Harm had worked until close to 2AM. He was exhausted but could not face going home - alone. He finally fell asleep at his desk and woke just before dawn. The case made no more sense to him than it did the night before and frankly his heart really wasn't in it. However he did wake up with a resolve about what to do about Mac, the admiral and the SecNav.
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church Virginia
0830 EST Tuesday
Mac walked into the bullpen. She had been to Harm's apartment but he was not there. She did not see his car in the parking lot either.
"Harriet," she asked. "Have you seen Commander Rabb this morning?"
"No, ma'am."
"Thank you."
She was worried but didn't really know what exactly to be worried about. On her desk was a note from him.
S-
Gone to Norfolk. Valentino escaped.
H
Was he was still angry with her? If he were really angry he would have addressed it as "Colonel," if he were mildly angry he would have used "M" but to use "S" was a step in the right direction. However, if he weren't angry at all he would have called her to go with him. She had tossed and turned all night trying to figure out what to do. In the end she knew what she had to do. There was only one option left open to her. She sat down at her computer. She was there an hour later when Coates came to tell her that the first sailor had arrived. Mac asked her to join her in the interview.
Later that afternoon
Mac was in her office piecing together what she could from the interviews. Jennifer was helping her. She looked up and was startled to see Harm standing in her doorway.
"Good afternoon Colonel, Petty Officer."
"Commander." Mac returned trying to read something in his face that was not there.
"Sir." Jennifer felt the tension in the room rise.
"Did you find Valentino?"
"They had him before I got there. He slipped out during mess call. Nothing super natural about that, just bad security."
"I see."
"Spent the day interviewing the other men on the ship."
"Other men?"
"Two ensigns, an petty officer, the corpsman, a couple of cooks and the captain. They all think Valentino is lying. They seem to believe that the reputation of the ship is given too much credit."
"Well, the people we spoke with today are still very convincing. They had no idea what happened and still don't. However I found no signs of guilt or posttraumatic stress and neither apparently did any of the psychiatrists that interviewed them at the time."
"PTS? Would they have that?"
"If you woke up three days after your last memory, somewhere else and you had no idea how you got there, wouldn't it stand to reason that you would feel some stress?"
"I can appreciate waking up three days later with no clue how I got to where I was from where I started – and I know all about stress, but that doesn't mean I was invaded by a ghost or abducted my aliens. Just a major lapse in judgment." The sting hit Mac pretty squarely in the face.
"I think we should continue on the vein that these men are some how lying. We need to find evidence of what happened during the three missing days to prove that they were aware of what was happening."
"Agreed."
Tiner knocked on Mac's door. "Excuse me, ma'am. Commander, the admiral will see you now."
"Thank you Tiner." He looked back to the room but did not make eye contact with Mac. "Excuse me." He stepped out of the room.
"Excuse me for a moment Petty Officer." Mac got up and followed after Harm. She caught him just outside Tiner's office.
"What are you doing?"
"I am taking care of this."
"Without talking to me?"
"Not your decision, Sarah."
"How can you say that?"
"Commander!" The admiral called from his office.
"Don't worry Sarah. We were both right, we can't work together, but we don't have to tell him. Not yet anyway."
"Harm, you don't have to do this." He walked away. "Damn him."
Inside the admirals office
"What can I do for you commander?"
"Sir, I know you have gone out on a limb for me in the past, and I sincerely appreciate you giving me the opportunity to resume my duties at JAG."
"However?"
"However, it has become very clear to me that it would not be in JAG's or my own best interest to stay."
"Are you requesting a transfer?"
"Yes sir. I realize that no other duty can afford me the same kind of challenge and opportunity as JAG has."
"But you are still requesting a transfer."
"Yes sir."
"Sit down commander." Harm sat. "So let me understand this. You want to stay here. You like it here. You work hard here and it is challenging. But you want to what push paper in some field office or on a carrier."
He winced. "Yes sir."
"Can I assume this decision is personal?"
"Yes sir."
"Can I assume that it has something to do with Colonel MacKenzie?" Harm did not answer. "Alright." He got up from his desk and walked over to the windows. He was frustrated. "Your request for transfer is not acceptable."
"Excuse me sir?"
"For the record, I didn't accept the colonel's resignation either."
Harm was surprised. "Resignation?"
"You two really need to get on the same page."
He called Tiner. "Get Colonel MacKenzie in here, on the double."
"Yes sir."
"I don't know why, but you two still surprise me." Mac knocked and entered. She looked worried. "Sit down colonel. I don't know what is going on with you, but I will not lose two or one of my best attorneys because they can't get a long. The tension between you is affecting this entire office and I won't stand for it any longer. You two have known each other for over seven years and in that time you have developed – I don't even want to know what. You run hot and cold and it is impossible to know what motivates either one of you, but I have never seen two people who bring out the best in the other like you can. Work it out people and lets get back to work."
"If you'll excuse me sir." Harm started. He took a quick look over at Mac.
"You have something to say Commander?"
"What the commander is trying to say sir is that --."
"What I mean to say sir - ."
"We have figured it out, sir." Mac blurted out.
"So what's the problem?" It dawned on him what they were saying. "Oh. I see." He nodded and sat down. "Well good. Fine. I am happy for you both. It is about god damn time."
"Yes sir." Harm said with a quick look at Mac. "So you see why my request for transfer is in order."
"Please sir. Don't accept it." Mac pleaded. "Accept my resignation."
"Why don't I quit and then I won't have to deal with either one of you?" He stated. They were quiet. "Just whom do you think you are protecting anyway? Certainly not me."
"Sir, we believe that this is what the SecNav wants to see the three of us about."
"That's it? You are worried what the SecNav has to say about the personal lives of the people in my command? You are giving him far too much power."
"The appearance of impropriety or favoritism is damaging enough sir." Harm stated.
"Commander, do you think that your relationship with the colonel will have any effect on how you perform your duties here at JAG? Will you disclose information to her that you shouldn't; will you be distracted in court? Will you not be able to prosecute or defend your clients to the best of your ability? Will I have to worry about what is going on behind locked doors?"
Harm was slightly embarrassed by the last question, but answered correctly. "No sir."
"Colonel, the same questions."
"No, sir."
"Fine. Then go back to work, and let me handle the SecNav."
"But sir." Harm protested.
"Dismissed." Harm and Mac left the admiral's office. As soon as the door was closed the admiral shook his head. "Christ, out of the frying pan and into the fire."
2013 EST
Rabb's Apartment
Harm and Mac had worked the rest of the day without further discussion about their situation or the admiral's comments. Not that is wasn't on both of their minds and not like it wasn't sucking the air out of the room, but they each thought – independently – that it would not be good to discuss personal matters at work. Not to mention the fact that they still needed to make up; and we all know they can't make up in the copy room.
Harm left early and took some files home with him. He had gone for a very long run to clear his head and followed it with a long hot shower. He wasn't really upset with Sarah any more, but he was also unwilling to make the first move to contact her. What she said stung hard, but she undoubtedly didn't mean it the way it came out. He would let her apologize and not make her work too hard for it. That brought a sly grin to his face.
He was lying on the bed reading over the files when Mac let herself into the apartment. He watched un-phased as she came up to the bedroom and in one simple decisive provocative motion, she straddled him on the bed. This was a bold move for our fair Mac, but she had an agenda.
"Very brazen, Sarah." He cocked his head. "Not that I mind."
"I needed to get your attention."
"You got it." He dropped the file, rested his hands on her hips and took the view in.
"Thought we needed to get a few things straight and I didn't want you to run away again."
"I didn't run away."
"Of course not."
"I had business in Norfolk,"
"Sure you did."
"So what do you want to get straight?"
"First, this is our case and I would appreciate you not taking off on me without telling me."
"Understood." He un-tucked her shirt from her jeans.
"Second, don't sacrifice yourself for me again."
"Right back at you Colonel."
"We were both wrong."
"Agreed." He unbuttoned the bottom two buttons on her shirt.
"Finally, about that comment I made yesterday." He stopped what he was doing. Those words still stung in his ears: 'her life going to shit.' "You need a little clarification."
"Do I?" He took his hands off of her and folded his arms across his chest.
"Yes, you do." She unfolded them and put them back where they were. "What I meant to say that I was tired of one part of my life going to ground when the other part had finally started to take off."
"Not good enough."
"Harm, how many incidences can you name in my life when my professional life was great and my personal life sucked, and vice versa. They have never been in sync. I knew we were not going to be able to stay at JAG together forever, but I thought we would have at least a little time."
"I thought so too."
"When I heard the SecNav wanted to see us, I saw all that I worked for – professional speaking – going down the drain for something that should be nobody's business but my own. It is so unfair."
"You shouldn't have to choose between a career and a personal life."
"Neither should you."
"Agreed."
"Apology accepted?" She asked tugging at a couple of buttons on his shirt.
"Was that an apology or just a clarification?"
"Are we OK?" She leaned down over him and put her lips very close to his. "Are we?" He smiled and she kissed him quickly.
He pushed her back so he could see her. "You know Sarah, I have been thinking a lot about this and I believe we can have both."
"You have? You do?"
"But we made need to broaden our definition on what each of those things mean."
"What are you saying?"
"Could our … what? Relationship? Stand for us to be assigned to different units?"
"It could, but I don't want us to be half way around the world from each other. We have done our time on those assignments."
"If we had to?"
"If we had to, yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you saying that I have an attention span of a gnat?"
"No, but you tend to get a little … insecure with men."
"And you are an incorrigible flirt. Women flock to your like bees to honey."
"They do not. I am not."
"Could YOU stand for us to be reassigned?"
"I wouldn't like it, but I could tolerate it . . . for a time."
"For a time? How much time?"
"Sarah, we are each close to our twenty years. There is no reason to quit now."
"You are suggesting that we let them do whatever they want to with us until we hit twenty and then bail."
"Not all together unsound thinking. We would still have a whole life in front of us to build a life – together – and we would retired with full benefits." She attempted to get up, but he stopped her. "Mac."
"You have a point. I don't like it. But you have a point."
"I have another point."
"I'm all ears."
"Not from where I'm sitting." He grinned. "We could be reassigned right here."
"Excuse me?"
"This is Washington DC. You can't throw a rock in this town without hitting at least three lawyers. There are bases and duty stations all with in a couple hundred miles from here."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning: Annapolis, Andrews, Quantico, Parris Island, Norfolk, Camp Lejuene, Henderson Hall, hell the damn Pentagon is just up the street. There are plenty of places that we can be reassigned that would be driving distance. We would not have to give up either our personal life or our professional one."
"You are right. Who gets to go? And who gets to stay? Or do we both have to go?"
"Well, I have always thought that I would like to teach at Annapolis and I am sure Quantico would find good use for you."
"The idea of you training our young minds is just frightening." She laughed. "You have given this a lot of thought."
"I have."
"Well that is very hopeful, commander." Again she tried to get up and he prevented it. Instead he pulled a move that had only before been seen on WWF. He flipped her back and over and around, so that she was now down on the bed and he was over her. "WOW. Very impressive." She tried to get up, but he had her pinned.
"Uncle?"
"Not on your life." He leaned down and kissed her.
"Uncle?"
"What makes you think I want to get up?" She was just about to kiss him back, when a loud knock came on the door. They were each deflated by the interruption. Harm pulled himself up. "Where are you going?"
"The door?" The knock came again.
"What if is someone we know?" She whispered.
"Then I will let them in." He opened the door to Sturgis. "Turner. What are you doing here?" He looked back at Mac, who had now come out of the bedroom and was headed toward the kitchen.
"Just checking in." Harm stepped back and let Sturgis in. He spotted Mac right away and he did notice that both of them were slightly undressed. Harm quickly re-buttoned his buttons and Mac did the same. "Mac."
"Sturgis." She said. "How are you?"
"I am well." He looked back and forth between the two of them and realized that his "concern" was unwarranted. But there was still that other matter.
"Can I get you something? A beer? Glass of wine? Snapple?"
"A beer is fine." He was very amused at the two of them. Harm went to the refrigerator and got the beer and motioned to Mac that her buttons were off. She turned away and fixed them.
"So what brings you by?" Harm opened two beers and a soda for Mac.
"Scuttlebutt."
"Scuttlebutt?"
"Office scuttlebutt. There is a rumor going around that the SecNav has requested a meeting with you two and the admiral."
"We heard that too." Mac offered as she handed him the beer and went to sit on the sofa.
"Alright enough is enough, what was that act you were putting on on Monday?"
"You caught us. It was an act." Harm sat down near but not next to Mac on the couch. Sturgis followed.
"Why would you do that?"
"So we wouldn't have to have a meeting with the SecNav."
"Didn't work for you did it?"
Another knock on the door. Harm got up and answered it. "No, not very well." He opened the door to Bud.
"Sir, I hate to bother you at home, but there is something that you need to know. There is a rumor going around that --."
"Come in Bud, we know all about the rumor and the SecNav."
Bud was surprised to see Sturgis but more surprised to see Mac. "Colonel?"
"Hi, Bud."
"I'm confused, sir."
"Not the first time, Bud." He handed him the beer he had in his hand. "Come in. We were just discussing this. Why we're discussing this is beyond me, but ---"
Harm was closing the door, when another knock came. Jennifer Coates was at the door. "Petty Officer."
"I am sorry to bother you at home, sir. But I was looking for Colonel MacKenzie and her cell phone didn't answer and she is not at home. In fact your cell phone didn't answer either."
"Who needs a phone, when you can just stop by. So much more intrusive."
"I am here Petty Officer." She got up. "Come in."
Jennifer came in and surveyed the room. She was surprised to see the others and Mac there.
"Sure, why not. Let's order a pizza." Harm was being sarcastic. "Anyone else on there way here? Harriet perhaps?"
"Oh sir, I left her in the car, told her I would be just a minute." Bud got up to go get her, but by the time he got to the door, she was already knocking. She had seen Jennifer go in.
"Colonel?"
"Come in Harriet." Mac and Harm just looked at each other. She whispered to him. "Alaska is looking pretty good right now."
"Only if you take me with you." He whispered back.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
They all had a pleasant evening. A pizza was ordered and a lot of good friendly conversation was had. The admiral showed up a little later and was sorry that he wasn't invited. They all did their best to convince him that it was an impromptu gathering. The discussion did not really revolve around Mac and Harm the couple, but there were many anecdotes told about the last several years at JAG to which, of course, Mac and Harm were major characters.
They all left around 2230. The admiral paused to speak with Mac before he left.
"For whatever it is worth Mac, you look happy and I am happy for you."
"Thank you, sir. It is worth a lot."
Harm stepped up to them. "You don't deserve her commander." He stated.
"No sir, I am a very lucky man."
"Good night, see you both in the morning, bright and early."
"Yes sir." They echoed.
After the admiral had gone, Mac and Harm collapsed on the couch. "What the hell was that all about?" He asked.
"They are our friends."
"They are, and they took our deception -."
"Attempted deception."
"Attempted deception very well."
"I'm exhausted. I should be going too."
"Where do you think you are going?" He pulled her to him playfully.
"Home, we have work in the morning, and you heard the admiral 'bright and early.'"
"I live closer than you do."
"Uniform."
"You can wear one of mine." She gave him a look. "Not a WAV huh?" She shook her head. "You can't tell me that you don't have a uniform in the trunk of your car." She of course couldn't tell him that because a marine is always ready. Of course she had a uniform in the trunk of her car. "So, where are you going?" She gave him a very long intense look. "What?" He asked.
She caressed his face. She drew her fingertips lightly over his lips, up over the bridge of his nose and around each of his eyes. "You are a very handsome man." She said.
"You just noticed that?" He grinned.
"No, I knew it before, but now that I know you better – I can see that it is more than skin deep."
He got serious. "You think after these last few days you know me better than you did after seven years?"
"You are letting me see things about you that you never have before."
He struggled hard not to make some joke. "Is that a good thing?"
"It is a very good thing."
"Good."
"Harm?" He waited. "I think this is going to work."
"I know." He pulled her to him and they kissed.
