Disclaimer: do I really need to say this again? I don't own them or anything else. Sigh.
A/N: This picks up after Adrift II with utter disregard to the following episodes.
A/N2: Thank you all sooooo much for the kind reviews, they did convince me to go on with the story. Keep 'em coming! ;-)
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The next morning Sarah MacKenzie woke up with new resolve. She was strong, independent, smart and headstrong, she'd go on doing her job the best she could and enjoy time with her friends and she'd be just fine.
That held until Chloe called. 'I know what happened. Harm happened'
Story of my life, she thought to herself.
Then her mind decided to start doing loops. What did he mean? What will they do when he comes back? Would he leave Rene? Would they even be able to actually start a relationship, let alone keep it alive and well? What would the admiral say?
She decided to try and outrun it. Not surprisingly, that didn't work. But running did help a bit, even if just to get her body up and at 'em.
As she'd done more times than she could count, she threw herself into her work as distraction.
She sat engrossed in one of her cases when she heard a light tap on her door, followed by a quiet "Ma'am?"
"Yeah, Harriet?" she answered, not even lifting her head from the file. The silence and the sound of the door closing finally got her attention.
"Ma'am… I hate to be asking this sort of question again… but rumors are flying around… and well…"
"Harriet. Stop. I know." Mac sighed and covered her face with her hands momentarily. Finally drawing her eyes up to the petite woman in front of her she gestured to one of her guest chairs.
Harriet sat down slowly, then leaned forward, as if anticipating a whispered conversation.
Suddenly feeling trapped, Mac got up from her chair to face the window.
"Mic and I are over, Harriet. He's gone. As in not coming back. Not ever."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am"
Mac gave a short, nervous laugh. "You know the saddest part? I'm not even that upset!"
Pacing seemed like a better idea than staring outside.
"Here I am, about to marry this man, when all of a sudden I'm back here, he's back in Australia, Harm's back with the blond, and the pathetic show I call my life is once again a monologue!"
She was ranting, she knew it. She also knew Harriet didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her outburst, but the part of her brain that held the control was at the moment gagged and tied to a cranial bone.
"And that selfish bastard had the nerve to kiss me. Kiss me, Harriet, right before he left!"
"Mic, Ma'am?" Harriet was trying to keep up while not getting in the way of an angry Marine.
"Who? No! Harm. That son of a bitch.. He kissed me… and I…" she stopped mid-rant to find herself back behind her desk. The energy seemed to seep out of her body as the sensations that kiss caused tingled through her muscles once again and coursed through them, becoming a weakening throb at her core. She sank into her chair and closed her eyes, forgetting completely that she wasn't alone.
"And I kissed him back.." she sighed again.
"Was it that bad?"
Harriet's quiet question almost gave Mac a heart attack as her hand covered it's quickened beat.
"Oh… Harriet.. I'm so sorry. You didn't need to hear that, I can't believe I.." she shook her head, disgusted with herself. "I'm sorry."
"Are you sorry you kissed him back?"
Mac's head shot up at that, only to see Harriet smiling mischievously at her.
"What? Harriet!" if her eyebrows weren't meeting her hairline, they were damn close.
"Well, are you?"
"Well.. no! but.."
"But what, Colonel? It's complicated?" the sarcasm could not be mistaken.
Mac sighed, no use trying to fool this woman.
"I just don't know..."
Harriet smiled serenely, and received a hopeful smile in return, "It'll be alright, Ma'am, you'll see." Getting up and opening the door, she threw back a whisper with a wink, "Now I'll leave you to fantasize some more about that kiss..." The door closed before a response could form.
Mac turned back to the paper that had consumed her attention for the last hour or so, not before allowing one final wish to escape her lips, "I really need you to come back and make me feel again..."
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(Harm's POV)
I really don't wanna be here.
This specific thought has been going through my mind like those old screen savers that had one sentence scrolling repeatedly through your screen. It's bouncing around in my brain so much I'm afraid I might make a Freudian slip. Right now I'm standing with Rene's mom trying very hard to look like I'm interested in what she's saying. Is she actually talking about caskets, now?
I really don't wanna be here.
What I want, what I need, is very simple – I need to see Mac. I need to kiss her again. Damn, that woman is amazing.
I also need to figure out exactly what I'm going to do. Rene is going through a hard time, I can't just up and leave her, no matter how much I want to.
Finally freed by Rene's mother, I take one last look at Rene who's still reminiscing and wander outside.
I didn't call Mac until now. I said I would, though she told me not to, but I didn't have a minute alone until now. Getting out my cell phone I hit her speed-dial.
"MacKenzie."
"Hey, jarhead!"
"Commander." Her voice is pleased, but controlled.
"Bad timing I assume?" And isn't it always with us.
"Everything is under control, Commander, when can we expect you back?"
"Oh, a couple of days, I hope."
"Give our condolences to Rene and her family."
"Thank you, I will."
"Goodbye, Commander."
"Bye, Mac."
With a sigh I end the call. Not exactly what I'd hoped for. Was it really that she couldn't speak freely at the moment? Or maybe what happened was born of confused emotions due to Mic's unexpected departure and she was trying to let me know our relationship is that of friends and partners solely? Those thoughts won't due. I push them away and focus on how I'm going to help Rene get through the next few days.
I really need to get back home.
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TBC
I'm having some problems remembering exactly how things went down in the episodes, so if I have mistakes or forgotten details you think are important, please let me know.
