"So what are we doing today, Meg?" Harm asked as he let Meg into the apartment. It had been a little more than a month since the Faraz incident and Harm had been successfully settling into his new life. There were regular trips out to Falls Church to have lunch with Meg or Sturgis, if Meg was in court. If he ran into her at JAG, he'd exchange some small talk with Mac but neither of them was particularly ready to discuss what had happened all those weeks ago.
The more Harm thought about it, the more he was enjoying spending time with Meg. There were worrisome parts about it though. Part of Harm worried that he was using Meg as a substitute for Mac and the other part of him was worried that Meg's presence was stirring up parts of him that he thought he had long since buried.
Harm was raking himself over the mental coals. That little questioning session that he'd had with Sturgis a few weeks earlier had made him feel even worse. In the old days, he might have called Mac to check in and see when she was going to be back in town. Of course, work had been another thing entirely. The two week mess that was now in the CIA files as the Yassir Faraz Affair had plagued heavily on his mind during that period of time. Mac had no way of knowing how much it was weighing on him and just like in Sydney, work had built up stress around him and he never saw the personal storm clouds brewing overhead.
"Harm? Hello, tower to Harm?" Meg raised her eyebrows with concern, noticing that Harm had drifted off into space sometime in the last few minutes.
"Yeah, sorry Meg, I just have a lot on my mind." Harm snapped back into reality. Early March in DC, that was a less comforting atmosphere. He'd prefer summer or winter or anything but a rainy late winter day right now.
"I can see that you've got a lot on your mind, anything you care to talk about?" Meg sat down on his couch.
"I don't know, Meg. Sometimes I think my life is too much trouble for one man to handle. The last time I knew any stability was…..I guess that it was just before I went back to flying. Jesus, I'm almost forty, I'm single, my career is just about as dangerous as it's ever been, with the exception of flying jets and I seem to have made a concerted effort to shut out a lot of my friends in the last six weeks." Harm threw himself down on the couch next to Meg.
"You've got Sergei and Commander Turner and me. We're all here for you. I've only briefly met the guys that you work with but I mean, they must be alright if they were willing to help get Sergei into the country, right?" Meg placed a hand on his back as Harm leaned forward.
"I don't know, Meg. I think you had it right the first time, there's only you and Sergei and Sturgis. I think that Nate and Mike just deal with me because we need to work together or a lot of bad things are going to happen to good people." Harm ran his hand through his hair. "At the risk of sounding like a teenager, life sucks."
Meg giggled a little at his sentiment. "Harm, life can't be all that bad. I mean, you're in a place in your career that would leave every other O-6 in the Navy envious to no end. You've got your friends and you're brother knows safety and security for the first time in his life because he's living with you. Where is he anyway?" Meg looked around the apartment.
"After the indoctrination you gave him he's gone wild for American women. He's had quite a few dates this week." Harm admitted with a smile.
"Oh no, I've helped release another Rabb on the unsuspecting female population of DC. No woman will ever be able to have strong-knees again." Meg joked lightly.
"He asked out the girl behind the counter at the 7/11, I thought that was the funniest of his escapades so far." Harm added. "How about a beer?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask." Meg answered as Harm got up off the couch.
1627 ZULU
NATE'S APARTMENT
PENTAGON CITY, VIRGINIA
"I still can't believe that you've got me running." Nate walked through the door first and tossed his keys on a nearby desk.
"Yeah, well, you're getting better, it was seven miles before you started griping today. I let you off at ten because it started raining." Mac commented and Nate walked back into the main living room and tossed her a towel for her hair. This marked the fifth straight Sunday that Mac had dragged Nate out of his apartment to run. "You gonna order the pizza this time or are you going to make me do it?" Mac called down the hall to his bedroom.
"You order it, I'm going to take eight minutes in the rain room." Nate called back.
"You didn't get enough rain outside?" Mac questioned.
"There's a difference between freezing rainwater and a nice hot shower. In eight minutes, I'll actually be able to move my muscles again." Nate shouted back through the apartment.
"Oh quit complaining you big baby." Mac ridiculed. She dialled up the number for the local Pizza Hut and eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds later, Nate came walking out of his bedroom dressed in sweats and drying his hair with a towel.
"When's the pizza going to be here?" Nate asked as he hopped over the back of his couch and landed on the furniture on his back.
"They said thirty minutes. What movie are we going to watch?" Mac was browsing through his DVD collection in the China cabinet.
"Ladies choice, no Dirty Harry though, seeing Clint Eastwood shoot somebody just isn't in my plans for today?" Nate commented as he looked over at the cabinet.
"How about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Story of a young idealist who goes to Washington only to find himself in the middle of corruption. Story of your life isn't it?" Mac joked as she tossed him the movie.
"Leave it to you to pick the classic." Nate slid the disk into the machine and grabbed the remote off the coffee table as he headed back to the couch. The two of them sat watching the movie, when the pizza came, Nate went to the door and got it so that Mac could keep watching the movie. The two of them were halfway done the pizza when the movie ended.
"I never was one for the hokey endings where the hero always ended up with the girl. Guess that's why I like Casablanca." Nate interlaced his fingers behind his head.
"This coming from the guy who doesn't date." Mac eyed him suspiciously. "Why is that by the way?"
"I have this theory that women are the root of all evil. It's not an Adam and Eve thing, it's just something that my Grade 11 Math teacher and I came up with." Nate joked. "Besides, dating leads to marriage and that's where my track record gets sketchy."
"You were married!" Mac's eyes went wide at the revelation.
"Yeah, I tried the domestic thing. We dated in my last year at Princeton, then engaged during my tour in Desert Storm and we were married for my first two years at the State Department." Nate started to explain.
"What happened?" Mac was now rapt in the story.
"She wanted the American Dream, the kids, the house in the suburbs and I wanted it to, but I was always more concerned with my job then trying to fulfill her dreams. I loved her, I honestly did. I just couldn't be the man that she needed me to be." Nate admitted sombrely.
"There has to be more to it then that, how did it end?" Mac pushed.
"One night, I came home and she had waited up for me. She was sitting at the kitchen table in her bathrobe and she looked me right in the eye and said 'I can't be the only one who's heart is in this, Nathan.' I didn't know what to say to that, I just stood there dumbfounded waiting for her to explain what she meant. This was during the time when I was still learning how to read body language. I looked her right in the eye and asked 'what do you want from me?'" Nate paused for a second.
"Not the best thing to say to a woman who's looking for reassurance." Mac commented.
"I know that now, didn't know then. The whole thing was quiet and calm and amicable. We both left the marriage with everything that we brought into it. She threw herself into her Navy career and I shot up the ranks of the State Department." Nate concluded.
"You were married to a squid? I'm impressed, that would drive most Marines insane." Mac tried to add some levity to the situation.
"You know what hurt the most for about a year after that, Mac?" Nate was starting to tear up. Mac was silent. "I told myself that if I knew, that if I had seen it coming, I would have tried harder. I would have given her the children that she wanted, the life that she wanted. I wouldn't have failed as a husband." Nate wiped his eyes with his hand. "Oh God, if the General could see me now, huh?"
"Enough depressing stuff for now, how about another movie? Adam Sandler?" Mac got up out of the recliner where she had been sitting.
SAME TIME
HARM'S APARTMENT
NORTH OF UNION STATION
Harm pushed Meg out the door, claiming that he wasn't the best company right now and he'd prefer to just be alone for a while. He promised that he'd make it up to her with lunch tomorrow and she knew that he would. Harm sat in his apartment not knowing what to do. Very little of his life made sense at this moment. Talking with Meg had confirmed just how much of his life was stable. Outside of his family, there were two people, Meg and Sturgis that had really been there for him since he left JAG. Part of him knew that if he wanted her to, Meg could mean so much more to him than just a friend.
When Meg had brought up the guys at work, Harm had to flinch. Nate and Mike were no Admiral and Bud. He was probably being unfair by comparing them but Harm needed people that he could relate to. Mike was an Agent and a guy whose personal life was rapt in planning details of an upcoming wedding. He couldn't let Nate be the friend that Nate was trying to be. There was the wedge there though, a brunette, brown-eyed, 36-24-26 wedge named Sarah MacKenzie.
Part of him saw Nate and Mac and he got the same feeling that he got when he came back from flying and saw Mac all chummy with Bugme. There was something about Nate though, it was hard to hate him. Brumby openly and admittedly chased Mac but Nate……he imagined that he was looking at their friendship the way that most people must have looked at his friendship with Mac when Mac first came to JAG. The way that he knew that Annie Pendry and Bobbi Latham had seen it. That was even worse.
A loud pounding came at his door. Harm laboured over to the door and looked through the peephole which was rather mysteriously covered with a hand. Harm opened the door to find the Admiral standing in his hallway, dressed in civvies and carrying a six pack of Guinness. "I figured I'd come by and chew the fat with you, Captain. We haven't really talked since you left Headquarters."
"I appreciate that, sir, but I think…" Harm was interrupted.
"Trust me on this one, son. If you want to get ahead in this man's Navy, you let the two star carrying a six pack, into your apartment." The Admiral joked.
"Yes, sir." Harm smiled and stepped aside to let the Admiral into his apartment. The two men walked over into the living area and sit down. The Admiral pulled one can out of the six pack and tossed the beer to Harm.
"So, how've you been, Harm? I saw that presentation that you gave to the United Nations Security Council. That was one impressive display, son. You trying to steal my job?" The Admiral smiled fondly as he opened his beer.
"No, no, I wouldn't have even been in there if President Russell hadn't given me orders to do it." Harm set his beer down on the table.
"How come you weren't the one fielding the questions, Harm? You were always my all-star in the courtroom, that's why I hated seeing you go." The Admiral leaned in over the coffee table.
"Thank you, sir, that's nice of you to say." Harm admitted with a questioning smile.
"Harm, we're sitting in your living room, drinking beer and we're about to stop talking about work. I think calling me AJ would be acceptable." AJ stated as he took another sip of beer.
"Tell me that you didn't come here to talk about Mac, sir." Harm sank back into the couch.
"No, this isn't about Mac, at least not entirely. Harm, there's a problem in my JAG office and you are playing a part in that even though you are no longer under my command." AJ started. "The problem is, that I have a Chief of Staff who's only happy when she's talking to you in the bullpen." Or her new pal; The Admiral added silently. "I have one senior attorney that this Chief of Staff can barely stand the sight of and another senior attorney who's trying to make peace in my office and only succeeding in angering my Chief of Staff further."
Harm couldn't help but try incredibly hard to stifle serious laughter. "Alright so, Mac's on a rampage, Meg has to stay out of her line of sight and Sturgis is stirring up shit. Is that what you're getting at?"
"I knew there was a reason that I always liked you.." The Admiral laughed.
"Alright do you want my advice on what to do or do you want to sit here cracking jokes about Mac's mood and Sturgis' nose in everyone else's business?" Harm took another drink.
"You run a staff for six weeks and you're offering to give me advice?" The Admiral questioned slightly disbelievingly.
"Just spit-balling." Harm set his beer down on the table.
"I can see the wheels in your head turning. Let's hear what you've got to say. If the diplomats of the world can take your advice, I can too." The Admiral finished off his first beer.
"Well, here's my first suggestion, keep Meg and Mac apart. If Mac's in a foul enough mood, she'll eat Meg for breakfast and if Sturgis is having a nosy day, keep him out of Mac's wake too otherwise, he'll be lunch." Harm and AJ were laughing openly. "If you don't remember that Mac's a Marine, don't worry, she'll remind you. If you have to assign her a partner for investigations make it Sturgis, since Bud got shipped out to sea duty."
"I don't like having to play personal politics with my staff." The Admiral admitted.
"I'm just trying to keep Meg and Sturgis alive. If Mac's on the warpath, you're the only one who can settle her and even then it's a risk. She doesn't even settle down when Nate shows up for lunch?" Harm asked with a twinge of pride peaking at his heart.
"Son, I don't think……" The Admiral started shaking his head.
"He calms her down, that's what you're trying not to tell me." Harm guessed, the twinge of hope diminishing rapidly.
"Well, he does tend to resort to Beltway Burger bribery but yes, she does calm down for the period of lunch. She returns to the warpath pretty soon after that." The Admiral covered quickly.
"AJ, it's perfectly okay that he's able to calm her down. To be honest, I always kind of hoped that Mac would have more people that she could talk to." Harm admitted.
"I don't understand why she didn't come to one of us?" The Admiral shook his head in confusion.
"Well, she wouldn't feel comfortable talking to Sturgis because she probably thinks he's my spy. She wouldn't talk to Harriet or Bud because they aren't able to drop the formalities long enough to have a decent conversation and Meg? Forget about it, Mac's probably already under the assumption that Meg and I are sleeping together." Harm was almost at a ranting pace.
"You're not, are you?" The Admiral blurted out before thinking. "Sorry, none of my business."
"You're right, it's not your business. But no, Meg and I aren't sleeping together." Harm affirmed.
"I still don't understand why she never came to me." The Admiral pondered.
"You used to be attracted to her, she knows that and hence, she's hesitant to come to you about this kind of thing." Harm finished off his first beer.
"What!" The Admiral practically leapt out of his chair.
"You said, we were dropping the formalities, sir. It didn't take a genius in body language to pick up on that near miss that you guys had a few years ago." Harm stated nonchalantly.
"I thought we hid it rather well, it's not like anything happened, I mean, it's just like you said, it was a near miss. We both agreed that it would have been a mistake." The Admiral was caught in a tailspin.
"It's okay, AJ, if I was going to think less of you because of it, I would have started years ago." Harm acknowledged. "Though if she and Nate are going to get involved, he might want to know."
"Son, those two aren't getting involved with one another. I mean according to Tiner, and you know what a gossip he is, the two of them talk about you more then any other subject. I don't know, son. But enough about Mac, let's talk about you and Meg. I remember having a conversation with you about Annie Pendry some years back about this kind of thing and I have to say, Meg Austin is good for you." The Admiral shrugged his shoulders.
"I've been thinking that a lot lately. I've been wondering what it would be like and I've got to tell you; the thought of Meg is more appealing, more familiar then any woman who's ever been my girlfriend." Harm admitted reluctantly.
"There might be something to that. Harm, I've known you for the better part of the last seven years and I can safely say that I don't know who'd be better for you, Mac or Meg. Make of it what you will." The Admiral capped off his second beer.
"What are you, giving me permission to get involved with an officer under your command?" Harm was notably confused.
"Harm, let me explain something to you. If I had an undercover assignment and I had to send you in with one of those two women to play the loving husband, I'd send you in with Mac. If I had to send in one of those women to play a wife who adored her husband, I would be sending Meg in with you." The Admiral suggested.
"You're saying that Mac doesn't care for me as much as Meg does?" Harm popped open his second beer.
"Harm, between Marcella, Sydney and a few others in the time you've known me, God knows, I'm the last one who should give you romantic advice but son, you've got a chance with two of the most amazing young women I've ever met. Don't screw it up." The Admiral was starting to sound more and more like a mentor.
"Wow, sir, I guess I just figured……" Harm started but the Admiral cut him off.
"You just figured that after six years of watching you and MacKenzie dance around each other, I'd naturally push you to choose her?" The Admiral guessed.
"Well……yeah." Harm was startled.
"I would have but Harm, I saw the way that you interacted with Meg and the way she interacted with you, and I saw your wife, Harm. You have yourself in one enviable pickle, son." The Admiral admitted.
SAME TIME
THE DEFENSIVE LINE
PENTAGON CITY, VIRGINIA
"Come on, we have to get you out dating again. You need a social life; I'm determined to transplant one into your schedule." Mac was dragging Nate into the bar.
"I have a social life, I hang out with you." Nate protested as he struggle against Mac's attempt to drag him away from the car.
"When was the last time you had an actual date?" Mac stood ramrod straight and put her hands to her hips, assuming the lecture position.
"A date? About eighteen months ago." Nate replied, his eyes rolled back like he was searching the back of his mind.
"The government rests." Mac quipped. "You're a nice guy, you deserve to have a little fun." Mac continued her argument, returning to her previous activity of dragging him toward the bar.
"Meeting strange women is not my idea of fun. It's my idea of Chlamydia." Nate retorted dryly as Mac finally got him through the door. The two of them took a table near a big screen TV.
"Lighten up, I'm surprised you were ever married with the attitude that you have." Mac smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"My buddies from school dared me to hit on my ex-wife, if they hadn't, I probably never would have done it. My buddy bet me, and I quote 'twenty American dollars' that I couldn't get her phone number if I walked over to her and hit on her." Nate finished the story.
"I'm curious, what line did you use?" Mac was now repressing serious giggles.
"Hi, I'm a United States Marine." Nate replied as the server placed their drinks in front of them.
"And that worked?" Mac's eyes went wide and she opened her mouth in surprise.
"Not a for a second. So, then I just told her about the bet, she thought I was funny, we talked a little more and I got her number." Nate explained as he leaned back in his chair.
"Yeah, well, dating has come a long way since those days." Mac commented.
"It's like music though. No matter how cool CDs are, sometimes there's just something special to hearing it on vinyl." Nate remarked which caused Mac to roll her eyes.
"Mr. Body Language Expert can't approach women? I thought that with a skill like that you'd be a bona fide lady-killer." Mac was in sarcastic mode. "Now get back in the game before you give Marines and Silver Star winners a bad name." Mac coached in her own kick ass jarhead way. The two of them looked around the bar and saw a few young enlisted Marines trying to make points with a group of girls from Georgetown University.
"How about rather then trying to aid a helpless old diplomat, we try and teach those young Marines over there, what they're doing wrong?" Nate suggested, finishing off his Coke.
"You want to be relationship councillors for people that we don't even know?" Mac questioned incredulously.
"Yeah. You tell the Marines what they're doing wrong and I'll see if I can't talk the Georgetown girls into giving our servicemen over there a chance." Nate suggested, laying out his plan.
"You're crazy, you know that?" Mac rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"I try. So, you up for helping the Marines or not?" Nate challenged.
"Leave no man behind, lead the way, Major." Mac motioned away from the table. The two of them took their separate routes to their intended targets. Mac introduced herself by rank, so the young enlisted Marines didn't get any ideas of their own and she coached them on what to say. Nate just walked over and nonchalantly started to talk to the girls about how they should deal with a clan of Jarheads who didn't exactly understand the finer nuances of the chase.
After a few minutes of what was a pretty basic explanations, Mac and Nate left the two groups to their respective vices and headed back to their table to watch the next transactions. Sure enough, inside the following twenty minutes, when conversations between the two sides resumed, they were much more successful then they had previously been. The guys weren't sounding like grunting gorillas and the girls weren't being so quick to judge when the guys tripped over there language a little.
"Amazing, in five minutes we can pull off that but we've had more then thirty years with our own lives and we end up sitting in a bar on a weekend, fixing up other people, how pathetic is this?" Mac questioned rhetorically.
"I'll take 'very' for 500, Alex." Nate replied as he started sipping away at his Coke. In a vagrant mimicry of the first toast they shared, Nate raised his glass across the table. "To idealistic Marines."
"To idealistic Marines." Mac replied as their glasses met.