Title – Through The Eye Of A Shipper – S10 E06 One Big Boat

Authors' Names - Carol and Michi or Michi and Carol

E-mail – Carol at writestories315 'at' yahoo com and

Michi at catherinebellfan 'at' gmx de or mp111275 'at' yahoo de

Rating – PG

Paring – Harm & Mac

Spoilers – Season 10 Episode 06 - 'One Big Boat'

Disclaimer – JAG belongs to DPB, CBS, and Paramount.

Summary- How 'One Big Boat' should've been continued when you saw it through the eye of a shipper...

Author's Notes-

Our plan is it to revisit every episode from season 10. However, this series doesn't have a strict rule. Sometimes it may be a follow-up, sometimes it could be a changed scene, or even a change to the entire episode. And if that doesn't work we could always do a 'missing scene'-story. This means the length of the story is based on the way we want to 'handle' the revisit. But don't worry...we plan to use more than 150 words!!!

Our beta readers were Carol and Michi. We gave 'the sisters and the brother' at TSI the week off and Gum and Shoe are no where to be found. Have you seen them? We're kind of missing them. We miss them...not the baseball bat and hockey stick.

Since this series will deal with a just aired episode, it means that we risk having a FF that might seem like someone else's. There's hope that our ideas are unique, but should that not be the case we apologize and swear to our god and the chocolate that we did not know it or do it on purpose.

Feedback is always welcome.

Harm's Apartment

North of Union Station

6:49 PM

Harm sat on the couch playing his guitar. A few hours ago he came back from his quals and thankfully got the chance to see Mattie one last time before she moved back in with her dad.

At the time he felt a weird feeling. He felt happy and sad at the same time. Happy that Mattie finally found happiness with her father again but, sad that he had to let her go. He lost her. It was a feeling he felt only one time before in his life. It was back when Mac had planned marrying Mic Brumby.

The ringing of his phone brought Harm out of his thoughts and made him stop playing his guitar. Setting the guitar aside he took the phone from the couch table.

"Rabb."

("Hey," was the soft response he heard and the sound of her voice made him smile.)

"Hi! What a nice surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Harm asked and relaxed against the back on his couch.

("A little bird told me you were back from your quals and I thought I should call you and ask how it'd go. So, how did it go?")

"It worked like a charm, thank you." Harm chuckled before they felt into a short moment of silence.

("Harm, I know about Mattie.")

Harm sighed. "I'm fine," he answered calmly.

("Is that why you played your guitar?" Mac asked gently.)

Mac's question caught him off-guard. "How? How do you know I played my guitar?" Harm asked surprised. Mac couldn't have known he played his guitar before he took her call.

("Open the door.")

Harm raised his eyebrow and looked astonished at his door before he got up from the couch and walked to his doorway. Never taking the telephone receiver from his ear he opened the door and finally stood face to face with Mac.

"Hi," Mac whispered and looked deeply into his eyes. It was clearly visible for her how hard it'd hit him. He looked sad and somehow lost.

"Hi."

Harm opened the door wider before he finally took the phone receiver from his ear. He turned it off and laid it on the shelf right next to the door without breaking their eye contact.

Mac opened her arms for him as she had once done in Iran and he gladly took her embrace. "She's gone, Mac," Harm whispered into her hair.

"I know," Mac answered tenderly and kissed his ear.

They stood like that for a while before Mac finally broke their embrace. Harm wanted to close the door but Mac stopped him. "Just a second. I forgot something in the hallway." She walked out of the door and came back with a white box in her hand.

"Here, I thought we both could need some of this today," Mac softly said and gave Harm the box. "Why don't you sit down on the couch? I'll get us two forks."

"Sure," Harm said and made his way to the couch. When he opened the box he had to laugh. "Chocolate cake? You brought us a chocolate cake, Mac?"

"Yup, have you never heard the quote 'there is nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate'? Or how about the fact that chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones which affect your feelings and behavior thereby making you happy?" Mac asked as she sat down next to Harm. "Here's your fork."

"Thank you and no, I can't say I have heard about it before. But I have heard the quote that 'chocolate is better than sex'," Harm answered with a grin.

"Well that, too. Even so I'm still hoping one day someone will prove me wrong about that one. And now let us eat. Oh and before I forget I've got something else for us, too."

"What?" Harm wanted to know.

Mac stood up and walked to the kitchen counter to get her purse and another bag she'd brought with her. She rummaged through the bag and finally found what she was searching for and showed it Harm.

"Finding Nemo. I thought after the chocolate overdose we could watch a good movie," Mac explained as she sat back on the couch. "What do you think?"

"Good idea, MacKenzie. Dory is just what I need right about now. But first we should eat this yummy looking chocolate cake," Harm said and took his first fork-full of chocolate cake. "Hmmm, not bad. So, how comes you need the chocolate so badly today? Something happened at JAG?"

"Yup, I had breakfast with Cresswell." Mac looked at a bewildered Harm.

"How comes?"

"Looks like he figured out that I thought he was judging me for what happened in Okinawa. He wanted me to know that what happened back then doesn't affect his opinion about me now. I asked him why it felt like this way."

"And? Could he answer the question?"

"Yes, he actually could. He told me that I'm a Marine who spends too much time with naval officers and that unfortunately their culture has rubbed off on me. He expects me to overcome this condition."

"Sounds like a tough job." Harm laughed and Mac soon joined him.

The next few minutes were spent in silence. They only enjoyed the chocolate cake and their company.

"Mac?" Harm broke the silence

"Hmm?"

"How did you know Mattie is back with her dad? I never got the chance to talk with you about it?" Harm asked, wondering how Mac came about this information. "It happened so fast that I couldn't find the time before my quals."

"Mattie told me herself. She came to my office and wanted to talk to me about you."

"What did she want to talk about?" Harm had the mild fear that Mattie could have shared his little secret with Mac.

"She was afraid that you felt hurt about her decision to go back to her dad."

"What did she say?"

"Mattie told me that you seemed to fine with the decision, but she really couldn't read you and didn't know how you really felt about it," Mac explained.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that you're invested in her, but that you always felt that she needed to reconcile with her father in order to grow. In other words, you're in a place in your life where you don't need to possess someone in
order to love them. And the reason for that is Mattie. She taught you how to love unconditionally. Maybe she didn't realize it, but I did," Mac told him softly and looked deeply into his eyes.

"How did she react?"

"She asked if you wouldn't miss her, but I told her that you would miss her. And then she asked me for a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Harm asked, still surprised about the fact that Mattie had visit Mac at JAG.

"I promised her to look after you. You know, to make sure you're not too sad too much of the time."

"Is that why you're here now, Sarah?" Harm quietly asked and took Mac's free hand into his.

"Yes and no. Yes, I'm here to make sure you're not too sad, but no, I'm not here because I promised her. I'm here because I care about you and because I know how much it hurts you to let her go. Even though it is the right decision it doesn't hurt any less," Mac answered and gave Harm's hand a squeeze.

"No, it doesn't. But I'll see her again next weekend, so she won't be out of sight forever."

"This next weekend?" Mac asked astonished.

"Yeah, why?"

"Hmmm... that's odd, because on my way here apartment she called me on my cell phone and asked if I would like to meet her next weekend. When she came to my office I told her that I thought we should change the fact that we don't know each other very well. She told me over the phone that she thought we could start to work on it next weekend. Do you know what she's up to?"

"I don't have a clue. Very sneaky though. Sure sounds like my girl." Harm laughed.

"She's a great girl, Harm."

"Yes, she is," Harm responded and took another piece of the chocolate cake.

"Want to watch the movie now?" Mac asked a few minutes later as they finished their cake. She took her and Harm's forks and the empty box into the kitchen before walking back to the living room.

"I would love to," Harm answered with a smile.

"I still can't believe that Mattie made you buy a larger TV and a DVD player." Mac put the DVD into the player before turning on the TV.

"Yeah, she sure has her ways." Harm chuckled and got comfortable on the couch.

"Yeah it sure...," Mac started to say before she caught sigh of Harm. "It sure looks like it. Are you comfy, Harm?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup, very. Another thing I've learned from Mattie," Harm said as he lay outstretched on his couch. "Always try to watch a movie in the most comfortable way. Come here." He tapped the space right next to him, showing Mac that he wanted her to lie down as well. "I won't bite. Promise."

Mac's only response was a smirk before she took off her shoes and laid down right next to Harm.

"There you go, isn't that much more comfortable than sitting on the couch while watching a movie?" Harm asked, sounding a little bit like a smart aleck.

"Yes, it is," Mac softly said. "And now hush; I want to watch the movie."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am." Harm chuckled before he laid his left arm around Mac's waist, drawing her even closer to him.

Mac shivered as she felt Harm's body so close to hers.

"Are you cold?" Harm whispered.

"No, I'm fine," Mac responded in a whisper and took his hand, which lay on her belly, in hers. She intertwined their fingers before drawing them to her so they could lay right next to her head. "It couldn't be better."

"No, it couldn't be."

Harm felt lost again, but this time in a very good way. He felt lost in her warmth and in the situation they were. She was here, here with him, in his arms. Having Mac so near was all he wanted. 'No, it's not all I want,' Harm thought as he looked down at Mac, who apparently was engrossed in the movie. 'I want to have our children lying on the floor watching movies with us. Yes, that's what I want.' Now he only had to find out if that's what she wanted as well.

"Mac, can I ask you something?" Harm whispered into her ear.

"Sure? What do you want to know?" Mac whispered and turned around a little bit so she could look at him.

"Do you think I'll be a great dad?" Harm asked and started to caress her hand.

"Yes I do, Harm. I think you'll be a great dad. You showed it with Mattie."

"Back when I was fighting for custody for Mattie, did you mean what you said in court? Am I the kind of man you want to be as the father of your children? Did you mean it like that?"

Mac didn't respond immediately and Harm was afraid he'd pushed her too much this time. "Mac, I'm sor...," he started to apologize but was cut off from her.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Mac tried to explain and took a deep breath before she continued. "You are not the kind of man I want to be as the father of my children. No wait let me explain, please," Mac said as she felt Harm pulling away. "You are not that KIND of man. You are THE man I want to have as the father of my children, Harm. I couldn't find a better father for my children, and I don't want to find another one." Mac finished with tears in her eyes.

However, she wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. Mac saw a teardrop run down Harm's cheek. They tenderly smiled at each other before Mac put her hand on his neck. She drew his head down to hers and first kissed away the tear and then both his eyes before finally her lips met his in a short sweet kiss. When Mac broke their kiss, she licked her lips and looked deeply into Harm's eyes. "I love you, Harm."

"I love you, Sarah," Harm said at the same time and both had to smile about what just happened before their lips met for another kiss. This kiss was more passionate than any kiss they had ever shared before.

"Wow," was the only word Harm brought out after they ended their latest kiss.

"Yeah, wow. Umm maybe we should continue watching the movie," Mac submitted without a lot of engagement.

"Good idea. Or I could prove you wrong about the chocolate theory," Harm said before he gave Mac yet another kiss.

"Hmmm, yeah you could."

"By the way, since Cresswell more or less told you I was rubbing off on you. Does that mean I still can rub against you? You might be obeying a direct order." Harm said huskily with a smirk and only got a smack on his backside from Mac before they shared another passionate kiss.

The End