A/N: Alright, you guys really came through with the reviews for The Art of Seduction. So man and my collaborators – against our better judgement – cloistered ourselves in a 9x14 dorm room and came up with this.
A/N 2: You know the drill; Pre-Paraguay, post Bugme; Renee's in this for the purposes of one line that was just too good to ignore.
A/N 3: My computer is having problems with the FF pages that allows me to add chapters, it keeps telling me there's an error on the page, hope this makes up for the delay in delivery of Ch.23 of "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own"
Thoughts appear in (this)
"Mac, you know what a filter is?" Harm had done some serious thinking the previous night about getting things back on track.
"Yeah, separates out things you don't like or are unnecessary." Mac stated almost mechanically.
"That's right. I read – purely out of boredom, last night – that humans have a filter between what thoughts we want to say and what we actually say." Harm started.
"Is there a point to this psychological indulgence?" Mac inquired (He's actually kind of cute when he goes off on tangents. Whoa, where did that come from?)
"Yeah, from now on I don't think we should have any filters in our friendship. If I'm angering you or depressing you, I want to hear it. If I'm pissing you off, tell me that, if I'm turning you on, tell me that too." (Holy shit, did I just ask her to tell me when I'm turning her on?)
"Did you hit your head? Harm, without going back down the list, I don't think I need to tell you the times when talking have made things worse between us." (I can't believe he wants me to tell him when he's turning me on)
"That's the problem, we don't talk. We message, like we're trying to code things that we don't want anyone else to hear and in the process the other person doesn't even really hear them. I'm talking about clear, direct language." (Wow, that has to be the most coherent thing I've ever said to her)
"What about Renee, will she be so understanding about our newfound honesty?" (I can't believe I'm actually considering going along with this)
"To hell with Renee, you're my friend and if she can't understand that, then I'm in the wrong relationship."(A/N: that was not the line; the line is much better than that)
"Alright, you've got it. I think you're crazy but if you want complete honesty, you've got it. No backing out if you can't handle it." (I still can't believe this)
"Hey, I won't back out if you don't." (Why am I challenging her? She agreed with me?) "Come and get you for lunch?"
"You got it." Mac replied. (Why did I agree to this? It won't end well) "Harm, does this 'no filters' thing include actions?"
"I hadn't thought about that." (Although I could certainly see advantages to it) "I suppose, if you can't find the words and the only way for you to be honest to yourself and with me is through some kind of action that would be okay."
1700 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
Renee walked through the bullpen with the intention of taking her boyfriend to a surprise lunch. She found Harm, in his office, pouring over some paperwork. "Hey, Harm, you want to go to lunch?" She leaned against the frame of his door.
"Can't, already made plans for lunch with Mac." Harm didn't even look up from his paperwork.
"You know, this is like the third time this week that I've wanted to do something and you were already doing something with Mac." Renee explained.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Harm looked up from his paperwork, he'd seen this confrontation come for more than a year, and he'd done everything in his power to avoid it.
"Oh, I have a lot of problems with our relationship." Renee fired back.
"Like what?" Harm was getting slightly riled up.
"Let's start with the amount of times you've said 'Sarah' in bed!" Renee's voice was starting to rise in volume.
"That's because it's just a release with you, Renee. I could accomplish the same thing with a picture of Mac and my right hand!"(I can't have just said that, it's not possible)
"Well than I hope that you and your right hand will be very happy together!" Renee practically screamed as she turned and headed out of Harm's office, slamming the door behind her. Harm dove back into his paperwork for the next few minutes before he was going to walk over to Mac's office and suggest that they head out to lunch. That was when he heard a second tapping at his door frame.
"Hey, sailor, what was the big fight about?" Mac had a playful lilt to her voice.
"Sex." (Or the quality thereof)
"Odd thing for two people to fight about." (Especially with Harm…wait! Bad Marine!)
"Not with her. Not after what I just told her." Harm chuckled slightly under his breath. (If I know Mac, this is going to be a watershed moment for truth)
"What did you tell her?" (Why am I so interested?)
"That with the sex we had, I could achieve the same end with a picture of you and my right hand." (Well, at least I was honest; I can prepare to be smacked now)
"I don't know whether to throw you a traffic light or be really flattered. A picture of me? Really?" (Maybe Harm's not a lost cause after all)
"Yeah, you're probably a dynamo between the sheets." (Am I trying to get hit now?)
(He's really pushing this honesty thing) "Not like you haven't had your chances to find out, sailor."
(What!) "When?" Harm's brows pushed upward.
"You want it in order? How about Russia? A woman in a flimsy white nightgown has no objections to you sharing her bed. What did you want me to do, draw you a road map?" (Well, he wanted honesty)
"Maybe we should go to lunch and talk about his some more." Harm got up from his desk.
"And if we don't finish talking about it over lunch, there's always dinner." (This no filter thing isn't that bad)
"Read my mind, ninja-girl." (Holy crap, our conversations haven't been like this for a while) "Where do you want to go to lunch?"
"I've been hankering for a burger all morning." Mac smiled as they headed out of the office.
"To Beltway Burger than, I suppose. I still can't believe that you can eat there." Harm joked as they made it to the elevator. "At least, not with the body you have."
"A compliment? From Harmon Rabb? Doth mine ears deceive me?" She smiled widely and noticed that he was slightly flustered.
"I…I…" Harm started but she cut him off.
"Sound like you're really uncomfortable with this honest portrayal of what we're thinking idea." She attempted to finish.
"It's not that, it's just, I guess I didn't think that in the course of two hours of agreeing to this we'd discuss some of the things we have." Harm recovered (My sex life and her body were not near the top of the list, well at least not as separate entities)
A short while later, they had gone through the drive-thru at Beltway Burger and were on the road back to JAG. "I can't believe you; you flirted with the girl working the drive-thru window!" Mac protested.
"First off, it wasn't flirting and second, even if it was, why do you care?" Harm replied with a shocked look on his face.
"Do you normally flirt with other women when you take a woman to lunch?" Mac had crossed into her best prosecutorial tone.
"No but you are the only woman I've taken to lunch that I've never dated." Harm replied with a half-smile.
"So, that's all it takes? I shove my tongue down your throat and you won't flirt with any other women in front of me, thus allowing me to actually keep my appetite and finish my lunch." Mac's reply was fiery and her tone was coarse.
"Probably be a hell of a place to start." Harm replied sarcastically.
"What, you want me to kiss you? Yeah, I'll bet that would be just the ego-stroke you need." Mac shot at him.
"I just don't want to fight; you think we could try that?" Harm tried to sound sympathetic.
"I thought you said you wanted to know when you were pissing me off?" Mac inquired.
"I do but I want to know so that I can avoid fights, not provoke them." Harm explained. "I don't like fighting with you, Mac. Bantering, yes. Flirting, yes, hell, I even like arguing with you about cases but I don't like fighting."
"I don't like fighting with you either. From now on, no flirting with other people during our lunches, deal?" Mac peaked a playful eyebrow and smiled.
"Deal, does that include our dinners?" Harm offered.
"You flirt with anyone but me at dinner and I reserve the right to kick your six." Mac warned by pointing her index finger at him.
"So, I can flirt with you?" Harm pulled the car back into the JAG parking lot.
"I might actually prefer it, sailor." (There's no 'might' about it)
"I'll see what I can do about that." (I'll do everything in my power) the two of them walked into JAG Headquarters. Once they had walked across the bullpen, they went to their respective offices. "Dinner tonight, Mac?"
"You got it, sailor." Mac smiled as she closed the door to her office. (It's just dinner MacKenzie, nothing to write home about. Except there was earlier when he said that he figured you were a dynamo between the sheets…stop it, Marine! Bad thoughts!)
Harm was sitting in his office, thinking along the same lines. Well, maybe not exactly the same lines. In the places where Mac was stopping her imagination, Harm was letting his mind wander into some pretty vivid territory and also some pretty intense detail. "Hey, buddy." Sturgis poked his head into Harm's office.
"Hey, Sturgis. How's the Curry Article 32 going?" Harm jolted his mind out of fantasyland.
"Alright, I'd like to get my mind off of it. How about some basketball after work?" Sturgis inquired.
"Can't, I've got dinner plans." Harm stated nonchalantly.
"Renee?" Sturgis couldn't help but be a little nosy.
"Mac." (Maybe I shouldn't have given Sturgis ammunition)
"Mac?" (Not this again) "What did Renee have to say about that?" Sturgis laughed at the thought of Harm trying to explain himself.
"She didn't get much say; I think we hit the skids after she blew up at me in the office today." Harm explained. "She complained that I wasn't, giving her my full attention."
"And were you?" (I'm a typical lawyer, asking a question to which I know the answer)
"No, I didn't think she'd ever figure it out, though." Harm replied with a laugh.
"So, you going to make the stars fall on Cleveland with Mac tonight?" Sturgis joked remembering how Keeter and Harm used to talk about their dates back at the Academy.
"You know it's not like that with me and Mac." (Not that I wouldn't like it to be)
"Wasn't like that between you and Diane at first, if I recall." Sturgis' inference was noted.
"Low blow, Sturgis." Harm returned with a warning tone to his voice.
"Yeah, yeah. I remember the first night you kissed Diane. You came back to the room and Keeter and I were sitting there playing poker. You wouldn't have said a damn thing about what happened if she hadn't left a trail of lipstick from your chin to your chest." Sturgis laughed. "When Jack and I asked you where you were going that night, do you remember what you said?"
"Just out to dinner with Di." Harm replied as if from memory.
"That's right; do you remember how many hours it was before you came back to the room?" Sturgis raised one eyebrow in suspicion.
"Seven." Harm sounded defeated.
"Hardly just a dinner, wouldn't you say?" (I love it when I'm right)
"Nice argument counsellor. Is there a point to this?" (I hate it when he's right)
"Yeah, I've known you for almost twenty-years and in that time I've seen you get every woman you've ever set your mind to getting. That having been said, there's only reason that you've never had Mac. You've never set your mind to getting her." Sturgis concluded.
"What are you saying? That I don't want Mac?" Harm retorted.
"Never said that, I said you've never tried to get her, never honestly tried. If you had, she'd be Mrs. Harmon Rabb Jr. by now." Sturgis replied almost smugly.
"Awful sure of yourself." Harm replied with a cockeyed smile.
"Comes from hanging out with aviators like you and Keeter." Sturgis replied.
2400 ZULU
HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
Harm wasn't sure what to prepare for dinner but when Mac called and said that she'd taken care of everything. Mac showed up with dinner in a bag a few minutes later. "I figured we could re-enact one of my favourite memories. So, I have a Beltway Burger and I brought you some couscous and arrugula salad." Mac smiled hoping he was catching her drift.
"Well the only place to eat would be the bed." (Like where this is going already)
"Sounds good to me, sailor." Mac smiled and the two of them walked up to his bedroom where they'd shared that meal all those years ago.
"So, this is one of your favourite memories?" (Not in my top ten, probably number eleven though)
"Yeah, what's your favourite memory from those days?"(Knowing him, he'll say seeing me in a bikini in Miami, if he actually thought of me like that)
"That day Chloe said that I was a key player in your fantasies." (Especially since you're a key player in mine)
"I thought I told you not to believe everything Chloe says." (Even though she told the truth on that one)
"I didn't believe it, that is, until I caught you checking out my six." (There's the bluff, let's see if it worked………she's blushing! Success!) "Never play poker, ninja-girl; you'd get bluffed out too easily."
"Even if I did check out your six, that can't compare to the amount of times you've stared at my breasts." (If he can bluff so can I)
"I'm only human, Mac." (Let's see how she deals with that) Mac smacked him playfully in the shoulder. "Hey, we said complete honesty."
"I know but I didn't think I'd ever see this side of you. Almost makes me think I was wrong for ever calling you a prude." (Shit! I just ruined the moment, why did I bring up Sydney?) The air in the room was suddenly wrought with tension as both of them scrambled for the appropriate next phrase.
Just then, a knock came at the door, which drew both of their attentions. "Who is it?" Harm called.
"It's Renee, could we talk about earlier?" She called through the door.
(I have a plan and it's too good to pass up) "Mac, how would you like to really push her buttons?" Harm smiled maniacally as he whispered to her.
"Sure, what do we have to do?" (I can't believe I'm helping him prank Renee)
"Make it look like we just had a shower together." (Did I honestly just suggest that?) "You know, wet our hair and walk around in towels."
"Sounds like a plan, sailor. You should probably answer the door, so you get in costume first. I'll suit up while you're welcoming her. I'm guessing you want me to make my presence known at a very appropriate moment?" (This is going to be so much fun and having Harm run around in a towel is just an added bonus)
"You know me so well." Harm ran off and stripped down in the bathroom. He wet his hair and covered his lower region in a towel before walking out to the door. "Hey, Renee, what's up?"
"I figured we should talk about what happened earlier today." She explained as she rushed passed him into the apartment.
"I don't know what we have to talk about Renee; it all seemed pretty cut and dried a few hours ago." Harm relinquished as he followed her into the kitchen area.
"Are you willing to give up on us that quickly? After a few harsh words about names in bed and the like." She questioned, evidently furious.
"I was honest with you, Renee…" (Come on, Mac; initiate your part of the plan, now!) Mac came through for him like always.
"Harm, baby, the shower's awful cold without you." (Mac stated in a sexy pout as she walked out of the bedroom wrapped only in a towel.
"Harm! What do you have to say for yourself!" Renee demanded, her tone obviously portraying her fury.
"Who needs her picture, when I've got the real thing?" Harm wrapped an arm around Mac's waist as she came up beside him.
"What can she give you that I can't?" Renee demanded as she rose to her feet in a huff.
"Sex that should be illegal in all fifty states." Harm smiled deviously as he watched Renee storm out of his apartment.
"You know, that was almost cruel." (But it was so much fun!)
"Yeah, but at least I got to see you in a towel." (Note to self: add details for next towel fantasy)
"Harm, you remember when you said that you wanted me to tell you if you were turning me on?" (It's not a lie and I want to see his reaction)
"Yeah?" (Where's she going with this?)
"Consider yourself told." (And his jaw just hit the floor! I wonder what he would say if I told him that I wasn't wearing anything under this towel?)
"You know, I'm not wearing anything under this towel." Harm waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"I know, I saw your boxers on the floor of the bathroom." Mac tossed at him as she went to get dressed. (You know, this honesty and direct communication thing of his isn't half bad) "Harm, you think we could just lie on the couch for a while?"
"After what you just did for me? I'd be a fool to deny you anything." Harm replied with a chuckle. (And I mean anything)
"I'll keep that in mind for later." She called from the bathroom as she pulled her shirt over her head. When she walked out of the bedroom and motioned for Harm to go in and change. She lay down across his couch and thought, long and hard about what was happening. She was a lawyer, right? Time to make her case to herself and what did she know? Well to be quite honest all she knew at this moment about anything Harm was feeling, was that he had a real physical attraction to her.
(He's based his other relationships on that. But you don't want to turn out like them. You want Harm, not just for a month, a year, a decade, you want him forever but you want him to want the same) That was where the problem always came in. Reciprocation. Mac turned on her side out front the couch and stared blankly at the floor. Harm came out the bedroom and lay on the couch behind her. She was in a position that she never thought she'd be in with this man; they were spooning on his couch.
"Harm?" She inquired as she turned toward him.
"Yes?" He replied, taking into account how close they were at that moment.
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" (Why did I just say that? I must sound like the most vain person on this earth, maybe I can explain) "It's just, I've always felt that the only reason a man told me I was beautiful was because he was trying to get something from me." (God, now I sound pathetic, like I'm on some self pity trip) Mac turned her face away, averting Harm's gaze.
Harm cupped her cheek in his hand and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I know you might not believe this, that you might only think I'm saying this because you asked. But you are beautiful, Sarah." Harm poured every last bit of sincerity that he could muster into those five words. His effort was not lost on Mac who almost subconsciously raised a hand to his cheek. They fell asleep in that position that night and woke up in that position the next morning.
Their honesty streak kept up pretty well for six weeks; there were some rather interesting encounters though. There would be with these two people. One such incident occurred in the break room about four weeks after the break up with Renee.
Flashback –
Harm, along with Bud and Sturgis were in the break-room talking about the MacKay court-martial. One of the great things, or at least one of the things that Harm enjoyed most about summer was the seasonal uniform change. Not for him, he hated the summer whites with a passion but for Mac, summer uniform meant the khakis and Harm loved the way the khakis clung to every curve on her body. While Harm was talking with Bud and Sturgis, Mac came into the break-room in her khakis.
"Your girls are looking good today, Colonel." Harm stated without breaking stride in conversation. (Normally that remark would get me hit, lately I'm not so sure)
"Thank you, Commander. I must say that the summer whites do wonders for your six. If we can encourage the little sailor, we can see if they do wonders for his appearance as well." (I love this, our friendship is back with a vengeance. Which could be bad because this is right about when one us screws something up)
"Do you intend on encouraging the little sailor." (I think I've completely forgotten that Sturgis and Bud are still in the room)
"We'll see about it at lunch." (Oh my God! Bud looks like he's just seen a ghost!) Harm followed Mac out of the break-room toward their respective offices.
"Commander, sir, did the Colonel just suggest that she'd give Commander Rabb a…" Bud started.
"She certainly did." Sturgis cut him off with a laugh.
"Do you think that they're…you know?" Bud inquired with an almost worried tone.
"Bud, in the twenty years I've known Harm, I can say one thing for certain, without an admission or physical evidence. There is no crime." Sturgis laughed before leaving the break-room.
Mac and Harm worked peacefully in their offices until they were called into the Admiral's office just before lunch. The two of them tossed each other puzzled looks before walking over to the Admiral's officer. Tiner had told them to go right in, which they did and they came to attention in front of the Admiral's desk. "At ease. Do the two of you know who was just in my office?"
"Singer?" Harm's reply was intended to be comedic, the Admiral wasn't laughing.
"Yes, Lieutenant Singer was in here and do you know what she told me?" The Admiral looked like he was about to burst, with either laughter or rage, the emotion was yet to be determined.
"No, sir." Mac's reply was short so that they could get to the issue.
"She told me that she heard Lieutenant Roberts tell his wife that you, Colonel, offered to give Commander Rabb a blowjob at lunch time!" The Admiral's voice suddenly grew to shout. Everyone in the bullpen, unfortunately, only heard the words 'blowjob at lunch time' and there was mass confusion at JAG Headquarters.
"Sir, I didn't say that." (Well, maybe not exactly that)
"What did you say, Colonel?" The Admiral was bent over his desk.
(I can't believe I have to admit this to my Commanding Officer, please Tiner, pull the fire alarm) "I said that the summer whites did wonders for the Commander's six and that later we might see if they were just as complimentary to his little sailor." Mac winced as she said it. (Okay, you can kill me now. Please?)
The Admiral reeled back from what Mac had just told him and said the first thing that came to mind. "Well there's a comment deserving of a red-light if I've ever heard one."
(Poor Mac, no reason she should go through this alone) "I didn't think so, sir."
(Harm, please don't do something remarkably chivalrous like sink yourself with me, if you do, I might just have to jump your bones in front of our CO)
"Sir, it's entirely my fault. I initiated the conversation by…(I can't believe I'm about to say this)…complimenting the Colonel's chest."
"You did what!" The Admiral was livid. "Colonel, how did you not throw him a red-light?"
"I can handle the Commander, sir." (Oh God, I didn't just say that)
"Well, the rest of the office is now under the impression that you can and do." The Admiral lectured. "Are you two fraternizing under my command?"
"No, sir." Both of replied with a kind of disappointed tone. (How I wish we were)
"So, you're not sleeping together but the Commander compliments your chest and rather than get indignant, you go into detail about how his uniform flatters certain parts of his anatomy?" The Admiral still didn't understand.
"Yes, sir, the Commander and I have chosen to be completely honest with each other about what we're thinking." Mac supplied with a smile.
"You know most people use their filter to determine what should stay in their head and what's better to say out loud, Colonel." The Admiral stated.
"I know, sir, we decided to throw those out too." Mac supplied.
"Well, how long have the two of you been following through on this crazy idea?" The Admiral inquired.
"About a month, sir." Harm replied (One fucking spectacular month)
"I thought something had changed recently. If this is a part of it, I won't stop you. So long as it doesn't interfere with your work and you keep the office running at the efficiency and morale levels it's been running at for the last month." The Admiral submitted and he saw his two senior attorneys smile. "Now get out of here before I change my mind." (God, these two are messed up people!)
End Flashback –
So all that and a few more incidents of equal colour had lent themselves to the night that marked the end of summer, September 21st. Harm was standing by the counter in his apartment looking out the window. Mac was coming over, in fact she'd come over pretty much every night for the last six weeks since the big prank on Renee. This time he didn't even hear her enter his apartment. She snuck up behind him and roped her arms around him.
"There's my girl." (Oh shit! From now on, no fantasizing before Mac comes over)
"Don't you ever forget it." (If he wants to call me that, no complaints)
(She's gotten better at this little flirting game, I'll give her that) "So, then what does my girl want for supper?"
(I think…no, I know I should tease him) "Either some lasagne or a 6'4" Naval Aviator turned lawyer." Mac replied almost nonchalantly.
"Since I don't think that you could handle the aviator turned lawyer, I think I'll make you the lasagne." (Gotcha Marine!)
"Why don't you let me decide what I can handle?" Mac teased. (If the flyboy's up for having a Marine for dessert….Stop it Marine! Bad thoughts!)
"Oh, I don't know if you can handle that aviator you ordered, too dangerous. Better just give you the lasagne. You want meat in it?" (I think I might have inadvertently just given her ammunition.)
"The lasagne or the aviator?" Mac fired back.
"Oh, I think the aviator's got more meat than you can handle."(But there's a lot to be said for taste-testing to be sure)
"I'm a Marine, nothing's too much for me to handle." (Should I say 'lay it on me'? I think that might be pushing it)
"I think you may be in over your head here, Colonel." Harm replied.
"I think maybe an inspection's in order." Mac replied smugly as she walked over and stood toe to toe with Harm. "Drop'em, sailor." Harm hesitated, he was tempted, more than tempted to do as she ordered but that would definitely be pushing it. A heavy blush rose in his cheeks. "What's taking so long, flyboy?"
"You're serious!" Harm gaped.
"You said there was more meat than I could handle. I intend to find out, I'm more than sure that I could break you in half." Mac's voice took on a seductive tone with almost aggressive undertones.
"Some how I get the feeling we're not talking about dinner. And when you say 'break me in half' you're not talking about my stature and you're not using your hands are you?" Harm's heart was starting to race and his breath was starting to quicken.
(Oh God, what have I done! It's the Sydney Syndrome all over again!) Mac bit her lip and shook her head in negation almost self-consciously.
"Just looking for confirmation." Harm picked her up by the waist and seated her on the counter-top.
(What is he doing? Did I slip into fantasyland somewhere along the line?) Harm put his hands on her knees and spread her legs before stepping between them. (Where's he going with this? He better not be teasing me or I'll kick his six into next…….his hands are around my waist! Oh God, don't let this be a repeat of last night's dream!)
(What do I do? Have I gone too far to back away? Do I even want to back away?) Harm's hesitation did not go unnoticed. Mac couldn't take the anticipation any more she reached out and pulled him toward her. "We think too much." She whispered finally before she pulled his lips to hers. He gave in almost instantaneously, surrendering all that he was up to her.
"Sarah, I'm yours." He replied breathlessly as they broke the kiss.
"How come you can finally say that?" She inquired with a playful lilt to her voice.
"No filters." He smiled before he drew there lips together again.