TITLE: Pall

DEFINITION: PALL

Pronunciation: 'pol
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, short for appallen, to become pale
1 to lose strength or effectiveness
2 to lose in interest or attraction his humor began to pall on us
3 to become tired of something
4 to cause to become insipid
5 to deprive of pleasure in something by satiating

(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

RATING: PG-13 or R. R to be safe. Mostly for language to begin with, maybe for... other things... later on.

SUMMERY: After an attack on a graduation ceremony at Annapolis the JAG office is thrown into a state of flux.

SPOILERS/TIMELINE/ALTERATIONS I'VE MADE:

-A little AU. See previous chapters for further details.

-Special Agents William Regnier and Marilyn Rowe are my creations. William is loosely based on a composite of Michael Vaughn from ALIAS and Fox Mulder from the X-Files, both physically and personality-wise, and is named after all the Williams there are between the two shows (didn't it ever occur to them to name the kid something other than William?). Marilyn is a mixture of all the female role models in my life, and is named (first name, at least) after my mother, the strongest person I know. If you feel you just have to use them, just accredit their creation to me, please.

DEDICATION: To Tracey Needham, for bringing the character of Meg Austin to life, and to all the Harm/Meg shippers out there.

For those of you know read a song instead of chapter four, please go back and read the actual chapter. I had the song in my documents manager folder thing and it was right on top of the chapter for this and... well, I guess the mouse slipped or maybe I just wasn't paying attention... anyway, the real chapter is there now.

JAG HEADQUARTERS

1520 (EST)

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

The knock on Mac's door was not entirely unexpected, though it had come later than she thought it would. She crossed the room and unlocked the door, pulling it open without checking to see who was on the other side.

She already knew who was there.

She knew it like she knew the time down to the nearest ten seconds.

She knew it like she knew the sun would rise in the East every morning and set in the West every evening.

Harm.

"So, are we gonna talk about it, or are you just gonna sit in your cave all day and not speak to me at all?" Harm asked, coming into her darkened office and closing the door before sitting down in his usual chair.

"Talk about what?" Mac asked innocently.

"Whatever is causing you to sit in your office with all the blinds closed in the middle of the day," Harm said. "If anyone likes sunlight, it's you, Mac. It's not like you to sit in the dark. So I ask again, are we going to talk about it, or are you going to blow me off and pretend that this isn't happening?"

Mac sighed heavily. "I couldn't track down the witness and William and his partner haven't got so much as a grunt out of the surviving shooter," she said.

"William?"

"William Regnier. Former Marine, currently the Special Agent in Charge of the Annapolis shooting," Mac said while praying that she wasn't blushing. Not even forty-eight hours ago she was contemplating what it would be like to go up to Harm's apartment and give in to her desire for the attractive lawyer/pilot, and then William came back into her life and all she could see was him. She had never been so glad she hadn't had sex in her life—because she knew that if she and Harm ever got together, that would be it for the rest of their lives. And, while she was sure they would be incredibly happy together, and she was positive the sex would be mind blowing, something was telling her that Harm wasn't her fate, despite what she had thought for the past several years. And that same something was telling her that William might just be the reason she had held back from Harm for so long. "We were stationed together in Okinawa. He's a good guy. Annapolis grad, about two years behind you, I think. Blunt, a little goofy, but professional. If there's anything to find, he'll find it."

"Good," Harm said. "But that can't be all that's bothering you."

"You know me too well," Mac said.

"Everyone's telling me that today," Harm said with a soft smile. Mac cocked her head and gave Harm a funny look, but didn't press it. "So, come on, Marine, out with it. What's going on that's put you in the downward spiral to depression?"

"I'm not on a 'downward spiral to depression', as you put it," Mac said. "I'm just not having the best day. Without the witness my client is going to end up in Leavenworth for at least ten years for a crime I honestly don't think he committed. I promised him I would find this guy… and he believed me. I hate breaking promises."

"I know you do," Harm said gently. "I also know that you tried your best to find this illusive witness. I'm sure your client knows that, too."

Mac smiled tightly. "Thanks, Harm."

"Anything else you need to talk about?" Harm asked.

"Not right now," Mac said.

Harm nodded, knowing that she would come to him eventually. "Okay. You're coming to the hospital with the gang tonight, right?" he asked.

"I can't," Mac said only somewhat regretfully. As much as she wanted to see Bud and spend time with her friends, she wanted to see William again.

"Why not?" Harm frowned.

"I've got plans," Mac said lamely, not entirely sure why she couldn't just tell Harm that she had a date and get it over with.

"Plans?"

Mac summoned her courage and said the words. "A… date."

Harm was startled for a moment but, after realizing that his partner was a beautiful woman and that there would be men out there willing to take the risk of going after her, he smiled at her. "Anyone special?" he asked.

"Someone potentially special," Mac said. Harm was pleasantly surprised how not jealous he was. With Dalton Lowne he had all but pulled a Streetcar Named Desire yet now…

Yet now all the rules had changed.

Because now Meg was back.

MAC'S APARTMENT

1720(EST)

GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON DC

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

The last time Mac had been so worried about how she looked was the NATO ball years before, and even then she had been more concerned with getting Bud and Harriet together than with herself.

But in the forty minutes she had after arriving home Mac had tried on at least ten different dresses with different combinations of shoes and jewellery without any joy. Everything she owned was too fancy, not fancy enough, or just not right for what she wanted.

Finally settling on a little black dress and a pair of comfortable sandals with a slight heel—William was only six feet tall, an inch taller than Mac herself, so she didn't feel the need to stuff her feet into some impossibly high heels so that she wouldn't spend the whole night staring up at her date—Mac jumped in the shower, not lingering longer than it took to wash her hair and body and to shave her legs—not that she had such high hopes for the evening, the dress was just a little on the short side. She had her hair and make-up done by seven, and managed to get her dress on without any transference, which pleased Mac immensely.

At quarter after seven the security buzzer rang.

"Damn it, Marine, you shouldn't have planned for Harm's tardiness," Mac chastised herself as she tried to buckle one shoe while walking over to the phone. "Hello?" she said, pressing the correct button while still trying to get her shoe to cooperate.

"It's me," William said.

"Come on up," Mac replied before buzzing him in. She checked her hair once more—she'd pulled the front part back and clipped it away from her face in a style that made her look younger and kept her long bangs from covering her eyes—and then opened the door just as William got to the landing in front of her apartment.

They smiled at each other for a moment before he handed her a small bouquet of wildflowers. "These are for you… I raided my neighbour's flower box," he said.

Mac wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, but decided that the gesture was sweet regardless and her smile widened. "Come in. I'll put these in some water," Mac said, feeling like she was back in high school and was going on a date with the quarterback. Only she didn't plan on getting drunk and fooling around in the back seat of his mother's car until the cops came and told them to go home.

If there was going to be any fooling around it would be with her stone sober and the location would definitely be somewhere more comfortable, Mac couldn't help but think with a slightly evil grin that she hid by burying her face in the flowers that reminded her of the garden her Uncle Matt had put in at his house that he'd lived in after she had finished drying out. Her first real home.

"Nice place," William commented as Mac searched for the crystal vase she'd inherited from her maternal grandmother years before. "The bones are kinda creepy, but, hey, some people have dogs, you have a sand pit."

"I have a dog," Mac said. "Jingo. My neighbour's walking him right now. And it's not a sand pit," she added defensively. Not many people understood how archaeology was her calming action. Harm had flying, Harriet had her collection of romance novels, Chegwidden had running, Bud had his alien-hunter friends on the Net, Jen had mediation, Chloe had dancing wildly to crazy music, and Mac looked to the past for answers to the present. "Uncle Matt gave it to me. I've always loved archaeology."

"How is your uncle?" William asked, hoping he hadn't already ruined the evening.

"He's… in Leavenworth for stealing the Declaration of Independence," Mac said. William quirked and eyebrow at her. "It's a long story," she said as she adjusted the flowers in the vase somewhat neurotically.

"Okay, I'm 0-for-2," William said awkwardly.

Mac smiled and shook her head. "No, it's just… I'm a little nervous. I haven't… gone on a date in a long time… and my last boyfriend… it didn't end well…" she said, thinking briefly about how her relationship with Dalton had ended and then, not long after, had gotten him killed. "I guess I'm a little gun-shy," Mac admitted.

William breathed a sigh of relief. "Me too. Mare's been trying to get me to go out more since we got partnered up but ever since my last break up I haven't been eager to put myself out there."

"Well, for our own mental health, why don't we agree to go slowly," Mac said diplomatically. "We've both been burned and it's obvious that some wounds are still a little tender, so, in the interest of our sanity and emotions, why don't we tread lightly… not jump into anything."

"Sounds like a sound plan, councillor," William smiled.

"Good, now let's get to the restaurant," Mac said as she grabbed her coat and purse that contained her wallet and her pager. Her cell phone was left beside her bed, turned off, where it couldn't bother anyone. "I'm starving."

William flashed her a dimpled smile and put his hand on the small of her back as they left her apartment, pausing only to lock up before heading straight out to his fleet sedan that was parked in front of the black iron gate.

HARM'S APARTMENT

2100 (EST)

NORTH OF UNION STATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Harm tossed his keys onto the top of the bookcase by the door and reached out for a light switch. It had been, if nothing else, a long day.

After getting his six chewed out—even though he hadn't even been in the country when the case came up—by half of the Senate for letting a known killer walk because of a technicality, Harm had had his chat with Mac that had ended on what he felt was not the best note. But, knowing Mac as well as he did, he didn't press her because that would just make her put up her walls of defence that were made up of about eighteen feet thick and a thousand miles high with about twelve years of being a Marine and a lifetime of shitty relationships with men.

There were a lot of things that Harm was willing to do. Becoming another man who had betrayed and mistreated Sarah MacKenzie was not one of them.

After his talk with Mac, Harm had been forced to endure yet more calls from the Navy's higher ups about things he hadn't been briefed on by the Admiral before he left for San Diego. Sounding like an idiot was not something that Harm enjoyed.

Finally Harm had managed to escape, and he drove out to Bethesda to meet up with everyone else from JAG.

BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

1900 (EST)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Wearing a uniform around Navy personnel was a risky proposition when you weren't in the mood to stand on ceremony. Harm's father had told him that when he was only four years old, and that had never failed to ring true. Sure, being a Commander in the Navy had perks, especially when you wanted to find out something about someone, but sometimes Harm just wanted to be a civilian who didn't need to salute at a quarter of the people he passed on his way to the bedside of one of his best friends.

Meg, Harm noticed, hadn't changed out of her uniform before heading out to Maryland. Neither had several Petty Officers. Jennifer was in jeans and a tee shirt, and Tiner was in the same with a black leather jacket on top. Jennifer was holding little AJ who was wrapped up in a blanket that Harm was pretty sure had been sent from his own mother in La Jolla upon the birth of AJ Roberts. It was sky blue with several yellow biplanes on it.

"Sir," Jennifer said, trying to stand at attention without jostling the infant.

Harm shot Jennifer a glare that told her not to try anything like that again, and her posture returned to normal.

"Where's Harriet?" Harm asked after dropping a kiss on the top of his godson's downy head.

"Cafeteria," Meg said softly.

"Mikey took her down to get something to eat," Jennifer put in. "She said that she knew you would be here soon and she was hoping that you wouldn't come bearing your meatless meatloaf."

"Okay, that's not fair, she's never tried it," Harm complained. Mac was spreading vicious rumours again.

"I have, and I agree with all the rumours," Meg put in.

"Thanks for the help," Harm said with an eye roll.

"Anytime," Meg grinned.

Harm glanced at the door that had no window, and then he looked back at his friends and coworkers. "How is he?" he asked soberly.

"The same," Tiner said. "The hospital is only allowing one or two people at a time for a few minutes every hour."

"If he doesn't wake up by morning they're going to move him to a private room where the only limitations will be visiting hours," Jennifer added, knowing that that would be Harm's next question. Harm smiled briefly at her in thanks for her almost empathic abilities.

First Jennifer's then Tiner's pagers went off, waking the baby and causing several doctors and nurses to check their own pagers before relaxing with the knowledge that their patients were all the same as they had been the minute before.

"It's the Admiral," Tiner said as Jennifer handed little AJ off to Meg who cradled the babe in her arms and cooed softly at him until his gut-wrenching screams became soft sniffles as he headed back off to dreamland.

Jennifer checked her own pager. "What does he want that can't wait for morning?" she asked before remembering she was around superior officers. "Sorry sir, ma'am," she said to Harm and Meg.

"I didn't hear anything, did you, Harm?" Meg asked innocently.

"Not a thing," Harm agreed. "But if he has to page you again and the littlest Roberts wakes up again I'm pretty sure my momentary deafness will wear off."

Snapping off a quick salute, Tiner and Jennifer headed for a bank of pay phones at the other end of the hall.

"You can go in, sir," Meg said, nodding toward the door. "I'll stay here and wait for the lieutenant to come back."

"I'll wait with you, and cut the 'sir' nonsense," Harm said.

Meg smiled up at him. "Yes sir," she said, chock full of wilful disobedience.

"Cute," Harm said sarcastically.

"I try," Meg shrugged.

HARM'S APARTMENT

2110 (EST)

NORTH OF UNION STATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

"You know, you don't have to do this. I'm fine bunking on a pile of blankets back at my place," Meg said as she watched Harm shed his coat and hang it up with his cover.

"No way," Harm said adamantly. "You can take the bed, I'll take the couch."

"The least I can do is take the couch if I'm going to be staying here," Meg insisted. "You're too tall to sleep comfortably on that thing, anyway," she pointed out before Harm could argue with her.

"Fine. Everything is pretty much in the same place as when you were here last, only more finished," Harm said. "I'm going to run out and get some food for the morning. Make yourself at home," he said as he grabbed some jeans and a tee shirt on his way to the bathroom to change before going out. His need to be a normal guy for a little while was overwhelming, and grocery shopping was something that calmed him, thinking about how much of something he would need for a meal he had planned, searching to find the right brand before dropping the item into his cart, watching other normal people do the same thing he was. Grocery shopping was something that Harm did well, and it was a nice normal thing that he could do every day if he had to in order to stay sane when his hectic life threw him a curveball.

"Make sure you buy something that used to be alive," Meg said as she remembered Harm's mainly vegetable-filled diet.

"Carnivore," Harm said with a scrunched up nose as he stuffed his feet into a worn pair of running shoes.

"Omnivore, actually. I eat more than just meat," Meg corrected.

You caught me on a technicality," Harm admitted. "See you in a few," he added as he grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door.

Meg put her purse, garment bag,and briefcase down by the door and hung her cover up with Harm's, smiling briefly at the tiny domestic thrill she got at coming home with Harm and getting ready to take a shower while he went grocery shopping—something she hated doing.

Twenty minutes and half a hot water tank later, Meg stood in Harm's bedroom wrapped up in a large fluffy white towel, trying to decide if she should get back into her uniform or if she should take the chance and pilfer something of Harm's for the night. She had a spare uniform in her garment bag, but she didn't relish the idea of sleeping in the constrictive skirt and blouse.

After drying off and slipping back into her bra and panties, Meg went in search of a pair of sweats and a tee shirt that she could sleep in. The last time she had been at Harm's apartment he had been using a hair-brained system of aging cardboard boxes and clothes piled haphazardly over every surface. Now everything was in drawers or hanging up, seemingly organized.

After realizing that, being almost six inches taller than her, Harm's pants would not fit her without making her look like she was a six year old dressing up in her father's clothes, Meg decided to take a chance and steal a pair of Harm's boxers to go with the NAVY tee shirt she had donned.

Being wrapped up in Harm's clothing was almost as good as being wrapped up in his arms, and Meg soon found herself curled up on the couch, sleep coming on fast.

BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

1941 (EST)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Meg, who had been half-watching Jennifer and Tiner who were still on the phone with the Admiral, saw Harriet and Mikey Roberts before Harm did, and she offered the lieutenant a small smile that, surprisingly, Harriet returned.

"Feeling better?" Meg asked, her voice full of concern for the woman she had only met less than an hour before when she arrived at the hospital with Mic Brumby, who had since left her stranded in Maryland.

"Much. Thank you for reminding me that the Commander was coming," Harriet said as Meg gently passed little AJ back to his mother. "You're worse than my mother, sometimes, sir," she added to Harm.

"Knowing how you feel about your mother, Harriet, I'm going to choose to be insulted," Harm said. He knew Harriet loved her parents but the Navy lieutenant had fought for most of her life to get away from her parent's lives. And she had fought especially hard against her mother, particularly on the topics of joining the Navy and marrying Bud, despite the fact that he was a lawyer—one of the top three clichéd dream son-in-law occupations.

"I just meant that you're always after me to eat and sleep," Harriet said awkwardly.

"I wouldn't if you would remember to do those things on your own," Harm pointed out. "Just remember that Bud's gonna need you to be strong for him when he wakes up, and until then you've still got this little guy to take care of," he added, giving AJ, who was now fully awake and loving the fact that he was back in his mother's arms, his finger to play with.

"Understood, sir," Harriet nodded. "Besides, I think you've got this one properly brainwashed," she said, indicating Mikey. "Since school let out for the summer he's going to be helping Coates and Tiner with little AJ."

Harm shot Mikey a look that said 'and her, too' and he nodded behind Harriet's back.

Feeling more than a little relieved that Harriet would be under the watchful eye of Mikey Roberts, Harm extricated his finger from his godson's surprisingly firm grip before it ended up in the baby's mouth. He loved AJ and could deal with the messes babies made, but he was still a bachelor at heart and baby slobber was not high on his list of substances to be explored in the near future.

"Where's the Colonel tonight?" Harriet asked.

"She has a date," Harm said.

Harriet frowned. "Are you alright with that, sir?" she asked, her voice full of concern for her friend.

"I'm fine, Harriet," Harm said. Truth be told he was more worried about what Meg would think about everyone's assumptions about him and Mac than he was about Mac going on a date. "We're just friends. She said that this guy could potentially be someone special and I'm happy for her."

He was pretty sure that Harriet didn't believe him, but it didn't matter what she thought.

As he was coming to realize more and more every minute, Meg was who mattered.

HARM'S APARTMENT

2200 (EST)

NORTH OF UNION STATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Since he couldn't hear any sounds coming from inside the apartment, Harm kept quiet until he knew if Meg was still awake or not. He managed to get through the door without dropping any of the bags he held, something he was mildly proud of, but the sight that was in front of him once he got inside almost made him drop everything.

Literally.

Meg was curled up on the couch, her blonde hair wet from the shower, wearing one of his old tee shirts and a pair of his boxers, her long tanned legs curled up close to her body. Harm wanted to protect her and ravish her all at once.

After putting the groceries away quickly, not bothering to take anything out of the plastic bag it had come home in, Harm found a soft blanket his Grandma Sarah had give him for Christmas and he gently lay it over Meg. He took the spare pillow off the bed and managed to slip it under Meg's head, smiling when she rooted into the comfortable down pillow like a child into a beloved teddy bear.

Brushing a lock of hair back off her forehead, Harm smiled at the vision before him.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered before dropping a barely-there kiss across her forehead. He lingered for a moment and then headed off to get some sleep as well.

I know some of you are concerned with Mac and William movig so fast, and, yeah, maybe they are. But there is a reason for that, and I'll explore that in upcoming chapters.

M