Disclaimer: If JAG was a whole bunch of glow in the dark plastic stars, then, yes, I would happily own them, and stick them on my wall … but I think we all have eyes, so no, I do not own JAG.

A/N: well, Australia is the bestest country in the world, ninjaturtle (sorry, but I think it is!) but we don't exactly have the bestest skating team in the world… although they are bloody good!

Btw, in the words of Merrick and Rosso:

'I really, really, really love Sydney, I really, really, really love Sydney, I love it so much it huuuurts… (for those of you who don't live in Sydney, don't worry, you will have no clue what I'm on about!)

Thanx EVERYONE for the reviews, I love getting them - but who doesn't?

Go nuts :)

Minorcadence

2302 EST

Harm's place

"HOLY CHRIST! Look at the time!"

Harm awoke with a start at Mac's rather loud exclamation.

"Mac, I can't see anything! It's dark, and I am still asleep!" Harm was still reveling in the warmth of dreamland, and candidly refused to change that fact.

"Harm, its 2303! We've been asleep for ten hours! Oh lordy. My body clock isn't going to like this; I'm not going to be able to sleep anymore tonight, which means I will be tired tomorrow, and then the day after, and the day after… But I do need to pee." And with that, she scooted off of Harm, out of the bed, and towards the bathroom.

He instantly missed her the second she broke their contact, which made his eyes reluctantly open in anticipation for her return. The minutes passed like hours, and Harm was shocked at the emptiness that he felt when he didn't feel her warmth on his chest. So he passed the time reminiscing about that kiss. Ahh, the kiss… how AMAZING… although, how they ever managed to stop and get to sleep afterwards would always be a mystery to both of them…

Harm was interrupted by the arrival of Mac, who had finished in the bathroom, and was contemplating what she should do next.

"So sailor, are you hungry?"

"No, but I bet you are" He told her, knowing full well she was ALWAYS hungry - something he loved about her so much.

"Oh? And how much do you want to bet? It's awfully assuming of you to go around making bets on me, after all, I am full of surprises" she teased coyly.

"Is that so? Well, how about I bet you an extra large pizza that you aren't hungry… or is that making the stakes too high?"

"Did you say steak? AND Pizza? Ok, ok, all bets are off, I need food now!" Mac caved.

Harm laughed, and reached for the phone to order them pizza, and Mac slipped into the warmth of Harm's bed whilst he was doing so.

After he was finished ordering, he hung up the phone and looked at her. She was lying on his chest with her eyes open, apparently deep in thought.

"Hey Mac, what's on your mind?" He asked.

"Harm, I, I don't know where to go with this."

"With what?"

"With what happened earlier, you know, the kiss. It felt so right, and you can't say it didn't, but what happens now? Does everything turn out just the way we want it to? It doesn't work like that. We can't work like that, nothing is ever easy with us. Sometimes I wish… oh, it doesn't matter." She got out of the bed and walked out of the bedroom.

Harm followed, understanding where she was coming from but just wishing that for once, things really could be that easy for them. Just once.

"Mac, wait. I get that you don't get it, I don't understand us either, but I do understand that I… I - " He tried to form the words, as she turned around and raised her 'Mac' eyebrow.

"Mac, I lo - 'ding dong'"

Unwanted interruptions in all shapes and sizes had and extremely annoying habit of springing up on Harm and Mac, and the doorbell wasn't any different.

He closed his eyes at the realization that he had some so close to finally saying the words which would have ended their silly love game, and that almost was, again, what would have to suffice for now.

Mac came in with their pizza and sat down silently at the table. Harm sighed and joined her; it looked like the eggshells were back again, and this time, with all of the skating and dancing and spending time together, walking over them was going to be a bit of an issue.

After the pizza, Mac sat down on the floor and began to stretch.

"Ah, Mac?" Harm began, "what are you, er, doing?"

"I'm stretching Harm. Maybe you should too, after all, there isn't really anything else to do, and we still have 6hrs 17 minutes and 48 seconds until training starts tomorrow, and I plan on being ready for it - besides, I am in pain; I have bruises and cramped muscles all over, I need to stretch."

"Fair enough, I suppose I will have to stretch too. Move over jarhead" He gave her a little, friendly smile to show her everything was alright, and together they worked in silence, soothing aching limbs and stretching cramped muscles until they felt supple again.

"Hey Mac?" Harm awkwardly began, not wanting to say this, but he had to, or else terrible things would happen…

"Mmm?" She answered, sitting on the lounge engrossed in a magazine.

"Ahh, do you know how we have that ballet class today…" He shifted on the spot.

"Yes Harm"

"Well, er, I, uh… well, what I… what… do you… do you want to practice now?" He looked at her, sort of embarrassed - well, as embarrassed as it was possible for Harm to get.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to do some ballet now"

"umm, ok, but why do you all of sudden want to do ballet?" She was curious now, what had gotten into him?

"Well, uh, you see, I really, really, really can't do ballet; it is totally ridiculous watching me try. The whole thing just completely stumps me, and today, when we go for that lesson, I'm going to make a total fool of myself."

"You mean, like yesterday?" She laughed

"Mac! You're not helping! Do you know anything you can teach me? Anything at all that would help?

"Yeah, I know some stuff, but I'm sure that you can pick it up in no time"

He really didn't look as sure…

"Ok, um I think your arms go here." Mac spread her arms out to second and, remembering what the lady at the PCYC had said, loosened her fingers and tried to imagine her arms in 'a perfect curve'.

They were standing in Harm's living room at half past one in the morning doing ballet, even though there were much more important things at stake, Mac found all of this highly amusing. 'oh if the Admiral could see us now…'

Harm copied her, holding his arms very stiff and rigid, with his hands at right angles to the rest of his arm, his fingers stuck out oddly all over the place, and his elbows bent out in his best attempt of the ballerina he had seen in photos.

"No, relax your arms, Harm! It's meant to be graceful."

"I can't do graceful" He grumbled and tried to 'relax his arms'

Mac came around to him, and moved his arms to what she thought was 'the perfect curve' and told him to hold it there.

"Owww! This really hurts!" Harm was surprised at how just holding his arms there hurt so much.

"Yeah, then its right then. It's meant to hurt, I think…"

Well that was very assuring.

"Now turn your feet out, and bend your knees, this is a plier or something… anyway, it's ballet. Keep your hands where I put them. Keep them THERE. Harm, are you deaf?" Mac was getting frustrated already. If they couldn't work together doing this, what hope was there for… 'Don't go there Sarah, not again tonight. Just leave it be. God I am such an idiot.'

"Uh, Mac. Is this right?" Harm was still having trouble getting everything to stay in the right spot, whilst bending his knees, with his feet turned out like a penguin. This was absurd!

'I will never understand how to do this! Ballet is a divine mystery, like God, Mac, and Japanese engineering'

"Ok, I don't think I'm going to get this" He said, dropping his arms and sighing in frustration. "Do you want to play cards?"

"Yeah. O.K" Mac agreed, glad that they stopped before another argument erupted.

"Ok, what's the time Miss wolf?"

Mac checked her internalclock.

"4:35. We should start to get ready, because we still need to drop by my place for a change of clothes - I wasn't planning to stay the night." Mac said, wishing that things hadn't have gone so badly.

"Right, I'll get dressed, then we can have some cereal for breakfast to tide us over until training's finished."

"Sure" Mac said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just sit there and be beautiful." He flashed her a sexy flyboy grin. He walked off before she could say anything, leaving her sitting there, stunned.

1hr and ½ later…

Harm and Mac burst through the doors of the ice rink, carrying their skates with them and wearing about 60 layers of clothing; jumpers, jackets, scarves, gloves, anything that would help keep them warm.

"Well, we're not late!" Harm was proud - they had made there with plenty of time to spare.

"Yes, I know, I wonder if Analese is here?" Mac was also proud that Harm was early for once. Although he could be on time… sometimes…

Harm scanned the foyer for Analese, his eyes skimming across the black rubber floor to the canteen on the right, and then back to the office on the left. No Analese in here.

"Maybe she is in the change room?" He suggested.

"Yeah, she should be here, it's not that early. Come on and we'll go check"

Harm followed Mac and they made their way to the steps on the left which would lead them to the change room.

"Do you hear that?" Mac asked.

"Yeah. Music. I think it's coming from the ice… maybe she's skating?" He suggested, and pushed the dressing room door open for Mac, who in turn held it for Harm. They dumped all of their gear on the bench - including some of their layers, so that they could actually walk properly - and spied Analese's skate bag in the corner.

"Yep, I think she is skating" Mac observed, and walked over to the flakey orange door that led to the 'ice room'.

"Wanna come?" She asked Harm, who followed her.

When they stepped past the door, they immediately saw Analese on the ice. She was skating to a beautiful violin piece of music, and Harm and Mac just watched in awe as she glided effortlessly across the ice.

"Wow." Harm commented.

'She looks like she is flying!'

And no sooner had this thought entered his mind, then Lise launched herself up into a stunning double Axle, and landed it cleanly.

'Wow!' Mac's mind echoed, 'that is so beautiful! Look how poised she looks, but all of that is so hard! She's amazing…"

As Analese finished a layback spin, into her end pose, the music ended and the spell was broken. Her passionate expression turned to one of embarrassment as the two officers that weren't meant to be here for another 5 minutes or so, applauded.

"Oh, hi… I didn't know you were here… sorry. I was a little wrapped up in the story" Analese skated over to them, apologizing.

"No, don't apologise, that was beautiful! And you are so expressive! It's like you are living the music, making it come to life" Harm complimented.

"Yeah, I try to, I get quite into it! I really enjoy skating, It is just like acting - and I love that too."

"LISE! IS THAT THEM?" A voice from across the other end of the room shouted.

"SEND THEM OVER, WE NEED TO START NOW!"

"YEA MUM." Lise yelled back. She turned back to the JAG officers. "That was my mum, Robyn. She's your ballet teacher, she has three studios, and teaches ballet and tap at all of them - she's been teaching for 30 years."

Harm whistled. "That's a long time!"

"Yeah, but she is VERY strict, so I really wish you luck." Analese turned, put her blade protectors on, and they followed her around to the other side of the rink.

"And just a little tip for when you go in there for your lesson, don't speak, agree with everything she says because she is ALWAYS right, remember to tuck your tummy and your bum in - bad posture is her pet hate, and try and stick with the timing of the music, or she will get VERY mad, VERY quickly."

Mac and Harm were a little set aback, "what," Ham whispered to his partner, "is she a ballet teacher, or a dragon lady?"

Analese stopped at the door to the other room and stared at the two pityingly "well, I'd much rather a dragon lady to a ballet teacher ANY day. Good luck." She whispered, and led them into the room, to introduce them to her mother.

Oooh! aren't i mean for leaving it there! not to worry, i will stick the next bitty up in a couple of days, shouldnt be long now...