Title : Melted Ice

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG/NCIS characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.

Rating : T (I think!) Some language!

Spoilers : Series 8

Summary : Mac proves loyal to Harm…and a lot more!

Notes : NCIS make their appearance, and their presence felt, in this chapter. Harm's lawyer is in attendance too. At the end of the chapter is another scene where I don't have access to the exact dialogue, so it's time to 'wing it ' again.


Thanks to all who have read, reviewed and commented, and especially: jtbwriter, cbw, BlueJay, froggy0319, skyefire, daisymh, Manda, Lynnp, aserene, alix33, JAGfreak, JamieAKAaclassyone, Mey80 and angie aka slaya
JAG Headquarters

Two days later

Harm glanced up as the Admiral walked toward him through the bullpen. Moving to attention, he was waved down before Chegwidden had even reached the door to his office.

"Rabb, I need you to come to the conference room, ASAP. NCIS are here, and they have some new evidence."

"Evidence, sir?" Harm felt his skin go cold. Mac! He needed Mac! To hell with wondering why he suddenly felt the need for Mac's support – he was a senior Naval officer, for God's sake! – he just needed her presence by his side.

"Now, Commander…" Chegwidden muttered as he walked away, heading for the conference room himself. Harm mentally shook himself, and then made to follow the Admiral as ordered. Closing his office door behind him, he searched for Mac in the bullpen, but came up empty. Harriet walked over to him, her face betraying nothing, but her eyes saying everything.

"I'll find the Colonel, sir."

"Thank…thank you, Lieutenant. I'd appreciate that."

"Not a problem, sir."

Harriet watched as Harm walked away, and then turned to her self-appointed task.

JAG Headquarters

Conference Room

Same Day

The 'evidence' lay at the center of the conference table in an officially sealed bag, surrounded by three NCIS agents, the team headed by its enigmatic leader – Gibbs. Also present was Harm's defense counsel, Lieutenant Commander Coleman. The Admiral stared at the object in question as if he could make it burn to ashes just by looking at it, and Harm was wishing he could do just that!

"Damning, isn't it, Commander?" Gibbs spoke up then, looking from the cover on the table in the evidence bag to Harm, then letting his gaze wander around to the Admiral, Coleman, his own two associates, and back to Harm. "Do you have anything to say, Commander?" Gibbs pressed, his voice still deceptively quiet, but insistent nonetheless.

"I've advised my client to say nothing at this time…" Faith Coleman felt obliged to say something. Gibbs' gaze left her flustered, and because of that she committed the ultimate gaffe; she assumed facts not in evidence. Yet. Neither had she had time to confer with Harm. He had been the last to enter the room, and by the look of surprise on his face, it was obvious to all that he hadn't seen the woman before she declared otherwise.

"I'd say you've said more with that statement than I could ever hope to get out of the Commander, Lieutenant." Gibbs' words were dripping with sarcasm, and patronizing to say the least, but while Coleman mouthed a belated apology to Harm and the Admiral, Harm remained silent, and brooding. He still wanted Mac there with him, beside him, but he could – and would – stand up to Gibbs himself.

"What exactly is it that you have in the bag, Gibbs? All I see is a cover; rather battered, and filthy to say the least, but what does it have to do with me?"

"Oh, that's an easy one to answer, Commander. The cover in the bag has a name on it. Mr DiNozzo, would you care to enlighten the Commander…" Gibbs walked around the table, stopping as he reached Harm's side, waiting for the reaction as Tony DiNozzo gave him the noose to hang himself with.

"DiNozzo? What're you waiting for?"

"Yes, boss. Um…Commander, the cover was found on the banks of the Potomac. It's yours; that is, it has your name inside the rim. I can show…" DiNozzo stepped up to pick up the evidence bag, but Harm's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I'll take your word for it, Gibbs. So, what do you intend to do now?"

"Now? I intend to get you back in the Brig, Commander, and then I intend to throw the book at you."

"You're not entitled to conduct my court-martial, Gibbs. I'm the lawyer here, so I think it's fair to inform you that I know my rights, and I know the facts, and I know I didn't kill Lauren Singer, or her unborn child." Harm's comment wasn't lost on Coleman, and she remained silent as he spoke, her head bowed. The Admiral gave her a cursory glance, making a silent note that he would call her into his office at a later time, and rake her butt over the proverbial coals. Given her rank and experience, the mistakes she had made so far were those of a first year law student, not a reputed Bar graduate!

"And I know that you're actually facing charges as a double murderer, Rabb. A fetus is considered viable from the moment of conception, so pending proof of pregnancy which we undoubtably have, you killed two people the day you threw the Lieutenant's body over the bridge."

"And you're grasping at straws, Gibbs." Harm turned to face the NCIS agent, his height giving him some authority, but not much. Gibbs was not an easy man to belittle. As the two men stood face to face, much as they had in the NCIS interrogation, Harm's cell phone rang. When it wasn't answered the first time round, it started again, and Chegwidden stepped up between the two men.

"Commander, take the call."

"Admiral, I have the authority in this room!" Gibbs protested, but Chegwidden stared him down.

"I am the JAG, these are my people, and I give the orders around here, Special Agent Gibbs. I appreciate this is your investigation, but I don't see how allowing the Commander to take a call is going to stop you from arresting him again. So, in the interests of détente between our offices, I would advise you to back off. The Commander will return to the room as soon as he has taken the call, won't you, Commander?"

"Aye, sir!" Harm had already accepted the call by pressing the relevant key, and Mac heard Chegwidden's voice instructing Harm to 'take the call, dammit, and get your six back in here ASAP!'

Outside the Conference Room

"Mac?"

"I heard. What've they got, Harm?"

"Where are you?"

"On my way in from Bethesda. I've been interviewing a client. Harm, what's going on? Harriet said it was urgent."

'Bless you, Harriet!' thought Harm.

"Mac, NCIS say they found my cover on the river bank. I'm being taken back to the Brig, and being charged with the death of the baby too."

"How in hell…?" Mac began, her voice rising so much that Harm could hold the receiver away from his ear and still hear her voice! "Never mind! I'm on my way back, Harm. Don't say anything!"

"Hurry, Mac. Even I'd convict me on this evidence!"

"Harm!" Mac groaned, then laughed softly at the poor joke. Harm spoke again.

"I'm waiting, Sarah."

"I'll be there." Mac hung up before Harm could say more, and he was left looking at an ended call. With a deep sigh he closed the cell phone and dropped it back into his pocket, returning to the Conference Room. As the door swung closed behind him Harm watched DiNozzo walk to him, a set of handcuffs dangling from his right index finger. Both men eyed each other, and then broke into similar grins. With a shrug, Di Nozzo went around Harm to place the cuffs on his wrists.

"Is that really necessary, Gibbs? The Commander isn't some ignorant tramp, he's a highly decorated Naval officer, who I believe has given you little or no reason to fear him as a flight risk."

Gibbs laughed. "Funny you should say that, Admiral. I've had occasion to read the Commander's jacket, and he's been spectacularly unlucky when it comes to flying, considering his undoubted reputation in the air."

"Your point is?" asked the Admiral, placing himself between his senior officer and the NCIS agent.

"He'd actually be a very poor flight risk, considering his record. Now that's funny," Gibbs laughed as he spoke, and it took Chegwidden's utmost to restrain Harm from decking the agent for his arrogance. It was becoming even harder for Chegwidden to restrain himself from doing the very same thing! Gibbs nonetheless waved off DiNozzo, who gave Harm another knowing look and went to stand beside the third party in the NCIS team, Agent Viv Blackadder.

Harm glanced from Gibbs to the Admiral, wondering what would be next. If they could just stall until Mac arrived…

"Your sense of humor is in poor taste, Gibbs, but that's beside the point right now. What exactly do you have in the form of evidence? I mean, I know you have a cover, but although the Commander takes your word for it, I'd like more proof."

This time it was Viv Blackadder who picked up the sealed plastic bag, and handed it to Chegwidden. Her expression was unreadable, as was his, but there was no doubt at which point the Admiral realized just what he was looking at. With a shrug of his shoulder he replaced the bag on the table and turned to look at Harm.

"It's yours, Rabb. I don't know how, but I trust the Colonel will be able to shed some light on this. I don't think for a minute that there is any connection between you and the death of the Lieutenant, but…" the Admiral's voice stopped as the door to the Conference Room opened, and Mac stepped inside, Harm's current cover in her hands; the very one she had placed on his head that morning, at a rakish angle, as they had left her apartment. With a laugh he had removed it, twirled it deftly on one finger, and replaced it with precision as it should be worn.

"Sir, I'm sorry for the intrusion…" Mac began, coming to attention as she waited for Chegwidden to speak.

"Not a problem, Colonel, so long as you have something productive to add to this conversation?"

"I do, sir. If I may?" Mac waited to be set at ease, and on the Admiral's nod she turned to face Harm, ignoring the others in the room completely. This was not missed by the Admiral, and he smiled to himself at the audacity of his second senior officer to snub the head of the NCIS team in such a manner.

"Colonel, this is out of your hands this time," Gibbs began, but as a Marine reservist he recognized the authority in the look Mac gave him. With a silent, submissive nod, he backed off. Turning back to Harm, Mac saw the look of panic in his eyes. Deciding to break with protocol, and be damned, she addressed Harm personally.

"Harm, do you recall a time when you left your cover where it could have been taken by someone else?"

At that moment Coleman decided to rejoin the conversation. It was the wrong moment, she acknowledged that even as she spoke the words. "Commander, I advise you…" she began, but as three pairs of eyes focused on her with such venom she backed down immediately, and slumped into the seat behind her.

Harm, as though the past moment had not occurred, took another moment to think and then shook his head.

"Not while I've been out on duty; I'm either wearing it, or carrying it. I only put it down when I'm here in the office, or off…duty," Harm's voice lowered as he looked at Mac. It was a look that excluded all in the room but the two of them. At the same time they both murmured one word. A name. "Lindsay!"

Gibbs gave DiNozzo a discreet nod, and the younger man placed a polaroid shot on the table, next to the evidence bag.

"Commander Theodore Lindsay, late of the SecNav's command, and former acting JAG, right?" Gibbs looked directly at Harm and Mac, and the Admiral admired their restraint as they returned the look with a cool disdain. Mac nodded, acknowledging the obvious. However, it was the look on Harm's face when he spoke up that had everyone – even Coleman – looking at him.

"Son of a bitch! He did it right in front of me!" Harm brought his attention back to the others in the room, and continued to speak, explaining to everyone just how Lindsay had been to pay him a visit during the audit on the department, placing his cover next to Harm's on the shelf near the door. Mac held up the cover in her hands, and the name on the inside rim was clearly visible. 'Cmdr T Lindsay, USN'.

Harm shook his head in disbelief at how close he had come to being convicted of a crime he did not commit.

"I never even knew!" he whispered, reaching out to take the offending object from Mac and turning to throw it in the trash can. DiNozzo intercepted his move, catching the cover in mid-throw.

"Sorry, evidence…" he murmured, adding in a more serious tone, "...but don't worry, when we're through we'll incinerate it."

"Good." The short response came from three people at the same time, all with the same vehemence, and no-one was surprised.

JAG Headquarters

Admiral's Office

Harm and Mac watched as Gibbs and his team left. That left the two of them, the Admiral, and Faith Coleman.

"Lieutenant Commander Coleman, your behavior during this debacle has been less than exemplary. You're a qualified professional, for God's sake, yet you've made mistakes at the level of a first year student! What in God's name were you thinking in there when you told Gibbs you had 'advised your client'? It was obvious to everyone that you hadn't conferred with Commander Rabb – hell, you hadn't even seen him since the first day of his time in the Brig!"

"I understand you're upset, Admiral, but…"

"But nothing, Commander! You failed your client. That's an offence to begin with, let alone me laying on the additional charges of ineptitude and downright laziness!"

"Laziness, sir? I beg to differ!" Faith Coleman faltered, however, as she saw Mac's features change into a look of disgust.

"Laziness, Commander, that stems from the information given to us by the IG's office. You've won your cases, yes, but with only a narrow margin in some and by default on the rest! The ineptitude comes in missing the ability to bail a senior officer out before he should even have gone to the Brig, and then for handing over verbal ammunition to someone like Gibbs!" Chegwidden paused to let his words sink in, and their full import to hit the young woman.

"What will happen, sir?"

"I'll deal with the charges personally. You can rest assured, I'll be following this matter, and I won't let it drop until I feel justice has been served to Commander Rabb."

"I understand, sir."

"I'm glad you do. Very well, I suggest you return to your own office now that the case has been dropped against Commander Rabb. You will be advised of t he next step. You might want to retain counsel of your own."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

As Coleman started to leave the office, she turned back and looked at Harm. "I am a good lawyer, sir. I just…I don't know what happened…"

"I'm sure you'll be a good lawyer someday; I just hope you learn from this experience."

"Aye, sir. Thank you."

With his office returning to a semblance of normality, the Admiral was in a benevolent mood.

"Commander, secure early. You're excused until 0800 Monday. Make sure you get plenty of…rest, and I expect you to be back up to speed by the start of the day. Business as usual."

"I…thank you, sir…" Harm was at a loss for words. The Admiral dismissed the two of them, with Mac preceding Harm out of the office, a disappointed look in her eyes, although her face remained impassive. At the last moment, however, Chegwidden called them back briefly.

"You might want to take the Colonel with you, as it's your share of cases she's been dealing with in your absence. Oh, and you might also want to acquire a new cover. You seem to be missing one, Commander. Dismissed."

"Aye, sir!" Harm came to attention and made a smart about-turn before guiding Mac out of the office in front of him, his hand possessively on the small of her back, guiding her toward her own office, and closing the door.

"Harm? What are you doing?"

"Collecting some files…any files! Mac, the sooner we get out of here…!" Harm prompted, smiling at her, but Mac put her hand up in mute protest. "What?"

"The Admiral dismissed us to work, Harm!"

"I know that, and how long would it take you to bring me up to speed on my cases? Hmm?"

Mac began to grin then, Harm's smile infectious as always. They left the office together and made their way to their respective vehicles. As he watched from his office, Chegwidden smiled as the two red Corvettes turned out of the JAG parking lot and headed in the same direction.

God help me, he thought, and began working on the task of keeping his two senior lawyers together professionally, now he knew they were together personally.

NCIS Headquarters

Interview Room

Same Day

Of the two men in the room – one seated, one standing – only one was feeling pleased with himself. Only one had a story to tell. Only one had the truth to hand. Commander Theodore Lindsay wasn't that man.

"Did you ever hear the story…" began DiNozzo, starting to get into the role of interrogator, and the two people standing behind the hidden screen groaned in unison. "God, I actually pity Lindsay," muttered Gibbs, and Viv Blackadder smiled in the darkness.

Harm's Apartment

That Night

"Did you know the Admiral was bluffing?" Mac's voice indicated the incredulity of finding out that her commanding officer had indeed bluffed Gibbs into believing he knew exactly what Mac would do when she entered the conference room. It was only after the NCIS team had left the JAG Ops floor that the former SEAL let slip casually that it was a good thing he trusted his senior officers to come up 'with the goods' considering the lousy situation Harm would have been in without it!

"I had no idea," Harm responded, just immensely pleased that the nightmare was over. Pulling Mac up against him as he leaned back against the kitchen island, she relaxed her body and just as he could feel almost every part of her against him, so she could feel a very insistent part of his body against hers. Standing for a few moments like that, in silence, Mac eventually had to move, and Harm gave her a very sexy grin, his tongue tip coming out to touch the edge of his top teeth before retreating inside as his grin turned into a full blown smile.

"You know, Sailor, that smile of yours should be classified as a lethal weapon," Mac informed him, unable to stop the moan of pleasure that came to her lips as he moved against her.

"I always knew you weren't immune," he whispered, a hint of smugness in his tone, and although Mac wanted to deck him for his arrogance, she admitted that same arrogance was as much a part of Harmon Rabb as his innate shyness. Lifting her head to his, her eyelids fell as their mouths met unerringly, lips gently rubbing together before Harm teased past Mac's lips to explore her mouth, giving way to a kiss that was more like a full-blown assault on her senses!

As playfulness gave way to passion, Harm lifted Mac up to him, her arms curling around his neck, her legs wrapping unerringly around his hips as he walked them both up the steps to his bed…

The End


jtbwriter

Hiya. Whoa, déjà vu! Because I didn't get to answer reviews last chapter, your comment about Gibbs was eerie! I didn't like Coleman first time round, so it was easy to write her as being so awful. As for the JAG family (AJ, Mac, Bud and Harriet et al), I wanted to write what was so lacking in the show!

cbw

I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I wrote this pretty quick – the ideas came thick and fast! – but I've tweaked it a little here and there, and ended up with a 3-parter! The (slight) delay on this last chapter was the many reviews I've caught up on! Thanks for yours, and I'm really enjoying my vacation.

BlueJay

Thanks for the 'WooHoo!' – and stay tuned, more to come!

froggy0319

Quack! I'm glad you liked the start of this story, and thanks for your 'Whoo Hoo' too! This is why I write – I get to put Mac and Harm together as much as I like! I know you're there for the long haul – keep smiling, and thank you!

skyefire

Thanks for your support.

daisymh

Thanks for your support.

Manda

Thanks for your support.

Lynnp

Thank you! Praise indeed! Now, how do I find out about writing them a script for a reunion? ;o) Maybe I could write for that, you think? Hee, hee! Failing that, I'll keep writing for such wonderful people like yourself. Thanks for your support.

aserene

Thanks for your support.

alix33

You're pardoned! With a review like yours, it makes all my stories worthwhile! Thanks so much! I couldn't believe the JAG team gave in to the Admiral so easily, and ESPECIALLY Mac – see, you've got me shouting now! ;o)

JAGfreak

Thanks for your support. I love playing around with words (can you tell?) and I try to make the titles tell a 'story' on their own… it worked with this one! I've had so many wonderful reviews, not least yours!

JamieAKAaclassyone

Thanks for your support.

Mey80

Thanks for your support.

angie aka slaya

Thanks for your support.