A/N: The following contains course language and mature subject matter (PG-13)
After hearing Harm's explanation over the phone Jim Grant was fit to be tied. Those Eagles on his shoulders were screaming all over the greater DC area but it all came down to the fact that he was going to have to make the drive to Langley. Jim Grant held his military ID in his right hand and burst through every single security check point in CIA headquarters on his way to Clayton Webb's office.
When he finally reached the desk of Webb's secretary he paused for a moment. "Is Agent Webb in?" He asked through gritted teeth. Every vein in Jim's neck and face seemed to instantly double in size as he waited, impatiently for Webb's secretary to get an answer from the other end of the line.
"He's in conference." She replied innocently. That was it; those veins were near the breaking point. Jim laughed sardonically.
"Wrong answer." The Marine colonel raised his foot in the air and it came crashing down on the door to Clayton Webb's office. Jim charged in like a six-foot-three, two hundred eighteen pound, Marine green hurricane. "Afternoon Webb, you want to tell me exactly what op you managed to screw the pooch on this time that has two of my officers off on a wild goose chase!"
"Take it easy Colonel, there's nothing I can tell you at this moment, it's need to know." Webb didn't sound like he was being serious, that changed awfully quickly. The new interim JAG reached across Webb's desk and hauled him up by the collar.
"What you need to know Mr. Webb is how many teeth the dentist is going to have to re-insert into your jaw when I get through with you. You also need to know that I am at present the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy and a very P.O'd Force Recon Marine Colonel. So now is their anything you can de-classify?" There seemed to be a sort of nervous twitch working at Jim's right eyelid.
"The Syrians were going to turn over the sites of Hamas training camps to us in exchange for the ability to get past Israeli air detection. When they encountered Tomcats they must've thought that they were Israelis the same way our guys thought that they Syrians were Serbs. I was in Damascus and I put a call in to the Skipper of the T.R. and told him that if his boys were to encounter any MiGs before they were over dry land to not give them 'weapons-free'." Webb grimaced and prepared to lose teeth.
"Okay that's a good place to start; now you're going to hop on a COD out to the T.R. and tell that to Harm and Mac." Jim gave Webb a rather strong look.
"What? You've got to be kidding." Webb looked at him like he couldn't be serious.
"Listen you little shit! You're gonna grow a spine and a cock and act like a man for once in your life! Now you're either going to go willingly to the T.R. or I'm going to drag you there by the ear, what's it going to be?" The Marine Colonel reached his hand out and grabbed Webb by the ear.
"Okay, okay fine I'll go." Webb surrendered and raised his hands in the air.
"Good choice." Jim went to leave and pulled Clayton Webb along with him by the ear.
"I thought you said if I was willing to go, you weren't going to drag me there by the ear." Webb pleaded as he was dragged out of his office looking like and unruly child.
"Yeah but I don't trust you Clayton, I'm not letting go of your ear until I put you in a C-17 out of Andrews. I've also called ahead and given instructions for an MP in Naples to do the same thing until you are in the COD on your way to the T.R. And by the way, it's Colonel's privilege to change his mind." Jim smiled sarcastically as he dragged Webb into the parking lot outside CIA headquarters.
"How did you guys catch on to me anyway?" Webb asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Something smelled like a rat Clay, and when something smells like a rat around JAG it means you haven't showered in days." Jim fired up his car and drove with the greatest expediency to Andrews.
A little under twenty four hours later, Clayton Webb stepped off the COD on to the T.R. where he was greeted by Harm and Mac. He wasn't exactly revelling in the idea of having to face the music on this one. "Well, well, I had a feeling that we'd be seeing you soon Webb." Harm had a very amused, arrogant smile on his face.
"You know I think I honestly prefer dealing with Chegwidden as your CO, he's a puppy dog compared to the German Shepherd you got sitting in the front office now." Webb was still holding his ear, he learned that a Marine Colonel never lies because when he got into Naples there was a Marine MP who rather unceremoniously reached out and pulled him over to a waiting COD on 'the Colonel's orders'.
"Well Webb, Colonel Grant told us largely what you'd told him now we just need you to repeat it for the record so that we can be sure that there are no foul-ups. We've already talked to the Skipper and he corroborates what you told the Colonel. So the second we can get your statement on the record you can have some time to yourself while you wait for tomorrow's COD." Mac smiled at him trying not to laugh at the reddened stretched ear that the CIA man was boasting.
"Unfortunately you're going to have to hot-bunk with the Marines tonight; those are the only quarters available." Actually quarters had become available last night when Commander Robinson got sent for a PTSD examination in Naples but Harm made sure Bud got those quarters so Webb would have to hot-bunk it with the Marines.
"Is there anyway that I can make it back to Naples tonight?" Webb protested obviously uncomfortable with the idea.
"Well Harm could always take you home in an F-14." Mac suggested.
"Hot-bunking it is then." Clay resolved as Harm had an annoyed expression on his face. Harm and Mac took Clay up to the officer's wardroom to conduct the interview. Bud stood in the corner with a tape recorder taking down everything that Webb said. He focused on the part about the Hamas camps and Israeli air defence and the especially important part of talking to the Skipper about not responding to the CAG's request for 'weapons-free'.
"Well I think we've got about all we need. Between Webb's testimony, the Skipper's testimony, the maintenance reports on the two planes and the testimonies of everyone in the air that night, I think we can safely say that Captain Mitch Thomas committed no wrongdoing in shooting down those Syrian MiGs that night." Harm smiled.
"There's something to that smile, Harmon Rabb, what twisted little thought is running through your head? Or were you just undressing me with your eyes again?" Mac smiled which caused him to laugh.
"Actually I only do that, when you're not looking." He smiled and she took on a look of mock-offence. "I was just thinking about what you said the other day about Captain Thomas just being a Flyboy who wanted to play Cowboy."
"Yeah I suppose I was wrong." Mac looked disappointed. "Come on; let's go give the CAG the good news." The two of them walked side by side to the CAG's stateroom. The hatch was closed and Harm knocked to see if the CAG was in.
"Enter, if you've got good news, run if you don't." The voice of the CAG came through the hatch. Harm opened the hatch and let Mac in first before following her in. "Oh, Lieutenant Commander Rabb, Major MacKenzie my apologies it's just been a long day. Half of my Panthers are down with food poisoning from the Chicken Cacciatore last night."
"That's what that was? I thought it was grilled shoelaces?" Harm joshed back.
"Yeah well with our galley I wouldn't exactly be surprised. So anyway, what can I do for the two of you today?" The CAG sat down in his chair with something of a weak grin on his face.
"Well CAG, we determined that the downing of those Syrian MiGs was due to a political miscalculation more than it was your fault even though your Panthers were the ones who put them in the drink." Harm smiled and a wash of relief came over Captain Thomas as all the tension in his body seemed to slip from him.
"This certainly is a relief, I don't know what I'd do if they took my wings. Come on you two, lunch is on me." With that the three of them got up to leave the CAG's stateroom when a call from the bridge rang through the phone in his room. "One second folks…uh huh…uh huh…Now?...Yes sir, I'll get right on it." Captain Thomas looked at Harm and Mac. "You two are going to have to come to the bridge with me." The three officers rushed through the insides of the carrier making a hasty attempt to get to the bridge.
"CAG on the bridge!" The Master at arms called out as Captain Thomas along with Harm and Mac made their way up to see the Skipper.
"What've we got Skipper?" The CAG asked as he caught his breath.
"We just got an urgent call in from the 121st Marines, they're pinned down with some Canadians in a clearing twenty miles inside Kosovo, Marine Cobras were dispatched to lend assistance but the Cobras got chased down by some MiGs, I need your Panthers in the air for support CAG." Paul Wellington's face looked grave.
"Sir, half of the Panthers are down, I can only put forth four pilots and five RIOs and that last RIO isn't going to do us a damn bit of good unless…Lieutenant Commander Rabb, grab a flight suit and a helmet because you're flying with the Panthers this wonderful Wednesday afternoon." The CAG turned around only to see Harm smiling widely and sticking his chest out as if to draw attention to the gold wings on his chest.
"Aye, aye sir." Harm smiled and headed off to the ready room. Mac frowned slightly, she really didn't like the thought of Harm flying, especially not in a dogfight.
"Nighthawk, Temptress, Archangel and Trapper all of you to the Ready Room now and make sure you've got your RIOs with you." The CAG shouted over the intercom. He turned toward Mac. "Is there anything particularly embarrassing that you've ever called him that we can use as a call sign for this mission?" The CAG looked with concern and humour at the JAG officer.
"I called him Stickboy a few times." Mac replied trying not to look at the CAG.
"Thanks, Major." With that the CAG hurried off the bridge toward the Ready Room.
"Don't worry about your friend Major. We got a little rhyme aboard the Rough Rider. 'No Navy pilot dies, who flies in Phoenix's skies." The Skipper assured her. Mac looked honestly worried, like her and Harm had grown so close recently and this was going to take him from her. Bud on the other hand looked like he was going to get the play-by-play for the coolest thing ever.
Down in the Ready Room, the Panthers were suiting up for yet another dance. The CAG took his place at the front of the room with Harm standing next to him. "Alright ladies listen up. We got ourselves another dance to go to but this time we're gonna be without the Wolfman. Standing in for Wolfman is going to be a guest star, Lieutenant Commander Harmon 'Stickboy' Rabb." The Panthers all got a laugh at the call sign I'll get Mac back for that one. Harm thought. "Stickboy you'll be paired up with Trapper for this one, be good to each other and to that bird and I might just buy a round on the next liberty. Alright, intelligence says we're looking at a real fight, we're only going to have five birds up there so we're looking at a 2 v 1, the Serbs have eleven birds harassing our Cobras and we're gonna knock out everyone of them aren't we Panthers?"
"Hell yeah!" Was chorused through the room. The pilots made their way out of the ready room and on to the deck to their birds. Harm threw himself in behind the stick and Trapper slid in behind him. "What was the last carrier you flew off of sir?" Trapper asked.
"The Reprisal, a few months ago." Harm said back.
"Good, cause I real don't feel like having to bail out another nose gunner this week." Trapper shot back.
The CAG was the first lined up to catapult off the deck. "Rough Rider tower this is PantherFire1, pre-flight checklist is complete and we're ready to go save some trapped leathernecks and Canucks."
"Roger that, PantherFire1 you are clear." Came the response. The catapult launched the Tomcat into the air and the CAG went up and flew a holding pattern waiting for his wingman and Harm. Eventually both Stickboy and Nighthawk were in the air with Phoenix and off to save the Marines.
"Stickboy, this is Phoenix, how you feelin' behind that stick Commander, you haven't gotten forgetful have you?" The CAG laughed into his radio.
"Phoenix, you'll be singing a different tune when I save your six from some of those MiGs." Harm's comment got a laugh from the entire squad and a big laugh from the Roosevelt Bridge. Mac just has her eyes closed just begging God to let Harm come home in one piece.
"If there's going to be any saving done this afternoon I'll be the one doing it, they don't call me the Nighthawk for nothing, Stickboy." Commander Hollinger's deep voice was heard over the frequency.
"We only called you that at the Academy cause you used to hide under the bunks of female Midshipmen." The CAG joshed his wingman.
"We're coming up to Angels 10 CAG." Temptress called over the radio.
"Thanks for the reminder Temptress, I wasn't sure if it was the altitude addling my mind or that perfume you were wearing this morning." The CAG's comment caused Harm to laugh.
"Alright Panthers stop playing grab-ass out there and get down to business will you?" The Skipper called over the radio.
"Aye, aye Skipper." The CAG responded.
"Phoenix, we're coming up to the target area, directions?" Commander Hollinger once again made his presence known.
"Yeah, Nighthawk you take Temptress and Stickboy on the present course, Archangel and I are going cloud dancing." With that two of the F-14s broke formation and climbed quickly. "CAG calling in Skipper, the trap is set, locked and loaded."
"Godspeed CAG." Paul Wellington called over the radio. Bud was on the edge of his seat. Mac was calming her nerves, she was trying to remember that there was a point where this is what Harm always did.
"Phoenix, we have a visual, looks like those MiGs are hitting those Cobras pretty hard. Phoenix, we've been spotted, over." Harm said as he readied himself for a dogfight like he'd been dreaming of since his ramp strike.
"Thanks for that Stickboy. Alright boys and girls, this is it. Permission to go weapons-free Skipper?" The CAG made sure to radio in.
"Do what you have to do to save those Marines, CAG." Captain Wellington responded.
"Aye, aye Skipper. Switching over to UHF." The CAG changed the frequency.
All radios went to UHF for what had become a favourite moment of any dogfight aboard the T.R. "Here we go." The X.O. said as he stood next to Captain Wellington on the bridge.
"EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAOOOOOOO!" A loud screeching sound came over the radio like the sound of a great mythic bird. Those unprepared nearly jumped out of their skin. The CAG's F-14 came diving out of the clouds with Archangel hot on his wing. The CAG got radar lock on one of the MiGs and with a quick missile launch he recorded one confirmed, no parachute. Phoenix flew behind the flaming explosion and emerged out the other side making it look as though he'd gone through the flame.
"And that ladies and germs is why we call him Phoenix." The voice of Commander Hollinger cut in for a little colour commentary. Phoenix and Archangel broke off going after their own new targets.
"Watch your six Phoenix; you got some hot-shot stick jockey that's looking at you like you're a T-Bone at a dog show." Harm said as he brought his plane in behind the MiG that was getting dangerously close to the CAG's six. "Target acquired." Harm mumbled in to the radio.
"Good, knock him out of the sky, Stickboy." The CAG ordered. The plane the Harm had locked on to erupted into a ball of flame after Harm let the guns loose on him. "We got a parachute with that one Stickboy?"
"Negative Phoenix, no chute." Harm replied as he dove off to join Archangel and Nighthawk in the thick of it.
"Congratulations Stickboy, you just got your first confirmed as a Panther." The CAG locked on his target and opened fire with his guns earning himself his second confirmed of the fight. Following in Harm's footsteps, the CAG dropped down to the main fight. "How many bogeys we got left people?"
"Six, Phoenix, we're down from eleven though, so we should be shaping up for our final run soon." Harm replied as he and Archangel went off in a pursuit of a MiG that was presenting an immediate threat to a Cobra. "Can you get a lock on him Archangel or do you need me to do it?"
"He's shakin', rattlin' and rollin' Stickboy, you think you can calm him down so I can get back to the dance?" Lieutenant Mark Archangel Angel asked.
"I'll take this one; you go down and make sure Nighthawk isn't in over his head." Harm replied as he zeroed in on another target. Below Harm's position the regular Panthers were dancing with the remaining five MiGs knowing that they'd have to knock off at least two more before the last three headed home. When Harm took out his second bogey it was Temptress' voice that came over the radio.
"Looks like you might not win the Sierra-Hotel award for this fight, Phoenix."
"We'll see; I've got one in the corner of my eye, he's low, looks like he's gonna try and make a ground run at those Marines. Why don't I see if I can knock him off before he gets there?" The CAG pulled a seven G turn and fell in behind the approaching MiG too fast to see a second bogey descend out of the clouds behind him
The CAG repeated the same old drill, trying to keep the Tomcat in pattern behind the MiG so he could acquire a lock on the target but this time he heard a familiar voice come in over the radio. "CAG you got major league company, bogey on your six and closing in fast." The urgency in Harm's voice was enough to alarm everyone on the bridge back at the T.R.
"Rabb, you bring the CAG back, I can't have a squad of angry Panthers tearing up my ship, depressed over the loss of their beloved CAG." The Skipper's tone was firm and authoritative.
"Roger that Skipper. You ready to dance with a few Serbs, Trapper?" Harm addressed his RIO.
"You really gotta ask twice, sir?" Trapper's voice shot back. Harm pulled the plane off to the left in the perfect execution of a nine G turn to fall in behind the CAG.
"Alright Phoenix, I'll be there in a few seconds, down your bogey then get out of there or you're going to be a sitting duck."
The CAG's guns rang through the dogfight, wounding the MiG he was pursuing but the wise pilot sitting in the MiG cockpit must have figured he'd suffered enough damage because he ejected from the plane. The CAG pulled back on the stick going into a rapid climb but the MiG was still in hot pursuit, luckily for the CAG, Harm was in hot pursuit of the MiG.
The MiG's guns tried desperately to clip the CAG's wings with no success, the CAG swung back and forth barely evading the guns. "I only got one trick left in the old arsenal. Let's see if she works, think you can follow me Stickboy, because he's gonna be tight on my six?"
"I'll take anything you throw at me Phoenix." Harm responded as he saw the CAG invert his Tomcat and then go into a dive. The MiG followed suit giving Harm a split second window of opportunity to hit the entire surface of the aircraft. Harm switch over to his Aim 54 missile, ironically also named 'Phoenix', locked on and he nailed the MiG right behind the canopy, instantly incinerating the entire aircraft.
"Wooo, that sure was one pretty fireworks show you put on there Stickboy." The CAG laughed into the radio.
"I told you I'd save your six today, Phoenix." Harm joshed right back.
"Phoenix I have a message from Major MacKenzie that she wants you to pass on to Commander Rabb." The familiar voice of Captain Wellington commanded the airwaves. "She says that if his ego gets any bigger, you and the Panthers have her expressed permission to take him below deck and knock it down a few sizes."
"Message received Skipper. You hear that Stickboy, your girlfriend just gave me and the Panthers permission to give you an ego deflation." A wave of laughing Panthers took over the radio.
"CAG, I have a second message from Major MacKenzie, she says if you refer to her as Stickboy's girlfriend one more time she's going to get the Marines to keel-haul you." This time even Captain Wellington managed to laugh. "Alright, now let's hear it, how's the dogfight look CAG?"
"All over but the crying Skipper, nine MiGs down, one by ejection the other eight are all confirmed no chute. Two went running back to the coup." The five Tomcat pilots fell into formation for the flight back to the T.R.
"That's good; bring the ladies home from the dance Phoenix." The Skipper handed the radio over to the LSO. Soon the Panthers were coming back; Temptress was the first to touch down catching the number two wire; after Temptress, Archangel came in also catching the number two and Nighthawk followed him catching the number three wire. Soon Harm and the CAG were the only two pilots left in the air.
"Phoenix, you gotta pull runner-up duty today. Commander Rabb was the Sierra-Hotel winner, which means he gets the hero's welcome of coming in last." The Skipper radioed in from the bridge. The CAG pulled off toward the T.R. and touch his bird down perfectly on the number two wire. "Alright Stickboy, get'er down, we're wasting daylight!"
Harm began his approach to the T.R. "Rough Rider, one, zero, five, Tomcat, Ball 2.5."
"One, zero, five, Tomcat, Rodger Ball." The LSO acknowledged.
"Tailhook down." Trapper informed Harm. Harm brought the Tomcat in on the glide path tripping the second wire just like he'd never left active duty. "Just like riding a bike, isn't it, sir?" Trapper pulled his mask off. Harm and Trapper got out of the plane only to find a welcoming party of Panthers waiting for them.
"You've have got to be one of the craziest son-of-a-bitch pilots I've ever met…and you can fly with me and the Panthers any time Stickboy." The CAG stepped out from the crowd and shook Harm's hand.
"Well CAG, after flying a desk for the last little while it felt damn good to get back in the cockpit." Harm smiled.
"That's 'cause you remembered what it was like in the real Navy." The CAG smiled and crossed his arms across the front of his chest. "Come on, we got a party to get to and there's a pretty little Marine Major who says you owe her a dance." Harm walked back to the Ready Room with the Panthers to get out of his flight suit and into his uniform.
In the Wardroom, Mac and Bud were sitting at the table waiting for the Panthers to come in and join them and the Skipper. The CAG stepped in and made a weird trumpeting noise. "Presenting the man of the hour….Stickboy!" The Panthers all laughed and clapped as Harm led them into the wardroom.
Mac leapt out of her chair and threw her arms around Harm's neck. "You're just determined to make me worry about breaking in a new partner aren't you?"
"Well after you told the CAG that Stickboy thing, I figured I had to get you back somehow." He smiled as he gave her a quick squeeze while she was still hugging him. The party went on for hours, the Panthers brought out anything and everything that they had managed to get aboard ship, there was loud music, poker, dancing (if you can call it that), and even some alcohol. Around 2130, Harm followed a familiar route out to the one place where he had a clear head, Vulture's Row.
Harm opened the hatch only to find a familiar presence leaning on the rail. "People say you never leave your stateroom or if you do, you prefer to go to the bridge to watch the planes." Harm said as he walked over and leaned on to the railing next to the CAG.
"Can't smoke on the bridge." The CAG smiled; in his teeth was a cigar. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out another cigar. He handed it to Harm along with the lighter. "You know Commander, that was some damn fancy shooting out there today."
"Thank you sir." Harm bit off the end of the cigar and let it drop to his feet.
"With Wolfman out of commission until he clears his psych evaluation I sure could use a good aviator, know any?" The CAG's attempt at subtlety was not lost on Harm.
"Can't; night-blindness prevents me from being any good at night." Harm shot back.
"You forget, I'm the CAG, I say when you go up. I'd only need you for a few weeks, until either Wolfman gets back or, if he can't come back, we can clear a pilot from Miramar or Pax River." The CAG let out a puff of smoke.
"It sounds like a hell of an opportunity." Harm seemed to have a very serious look on his face.
"God knows the Panthers like you, hell I don't think Trapper will ever be the same again after the back-seater he took this afternoon." The two men shared a laugh as the light from the moon took a glint off the CAG's sunglasses.
"You know what CAG; I'll think it over good and hard, you'll have my answer first thing tomorrow morning." Harm lit his cigar.
"Good to hear. Now Commander, I got to ask, what's going on with you and the Major, seriously, aviator to aviator?" The CAG smirked as he looked out to sea.
"I have no damn idea." Harm huffed as he took a puff of his cigar.
"It seems you and I are in similar situations than." The CAG pulled his cigar out of his mouth sandwiching it between his index and middle fingers.
"Temptress?" Harm's curiosity peaked.
"Sometimes I forget how fast scuttlebutt moves on a carrier." The CAG laughed under his breath.
"Yeah well word is CAG, at least from the Panthers, the Phoenix really lights her fire; Lieutenant Angel's words not mine." Harm smiled around the cigar.
"Yeah well, not a damn thing I can do about it; shame too with the way that girl's put together. The Skipper says that the Major was a little edgy with you up in the air this afternoon." The CAG retorted, trying to shift the focus back on Harm.
"Yeah well, just a friendly level of concern, I'm sure." Harm laughed sarcastically.
"You just like feeding yourself cock and bull stories or do you actually believe that?" The CAG sounded surprised.
"It's the truth, trust me." Harm protested.
"Don't piss in my ear and tell me it's raining." The CAG laughed. "Listen Commander, as long as you've flown with me off the T.R. and you're on board, you're one of my pilots, with you and the Major being technically in different chains of command, if you catch my meaning."
"Hey I don't know CAG, you think you could spell it out for me?" Harm sounded sarcastic.
"Just get back to the party smart ass." The CAG gave Harm a pat on the back as he went through the hatch and made his way back to the party. The Panthers were trying their hardest to get Bud liquored up and they were for the most part, succeeding. Bud was stumbling around the wardroom singing an off key version of Tom Jones' Delilah. Harm walked into the wardroom silently, not even drawing the notice of the Panthers he silently skulked over to Mac.
"Hey, you think we can go somewhere and talk?" Harm looked seriously into her eyes.
"Yeah…sure." Mac followed him out of the wardroom and back to their quarters. Harm closed the hatch behind them and Mac felt a chill suddenly fill the room. "Harm, what's going on?" She crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt to look Marine tough, but nothing could hide the fear, the concern in those big brown eyes.
"Mac, I was just talking to the CAG out on Vulture's Row. He offered me a spot on the cruise for the next little while, said he'd work with my night-blindness only give me day patrols." Harm was talking fast, like he was trying to explain a bad action.
"For how long?" She pursed her lips together.
"A few weeks at the most, listen Mac; I figured you should be the first to know that I…:" He was cut off by a ranting Marine.
"Why are you telling me this Harm? I mean who am I to you? Just another friend, why not tell Bud or the Admiral or Jim? Or what is it you figured I'd give you a 'uniquely female' send-off, is that it?" She walked toward him in a sort of mock seduction marked by the over-exaggerated swaying of her hips. "Is that what you figured Flyboy? That I'd be so overcome by your leaving and so turned on by the fact that we wouldn't share a command that I'd just give into you?" She pushed her hips up against his mid-section like she was trying to prove her point. "That I'd just throw you up against a bulkhead and plunge my tongue down your throat?" This action would prove to be Mac's undoing in her little tirade.
She did kiss him, she kissed him hard, right on the lips, but what she wasn't expecting was him to kiss her back. She lost her anger at that moment; this man had that effect on her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently combed through his hair with her fingers. He turned her around so it was her that was up against the wall in their quarters. Mac stepped into him, still trying to trigger his arousal, something she did with great success. She could feel it pressing up against her and causing her to let out a moan. "Ha…Harm." She got out as his lips worked their way down to her neck.
"Sarah, beautiful Sarah." He whispered in her ear. He could feel every impulse in his body telling him that this was what he wanted but his mind and his heart told him that what he was doing, it wasn't right. "Mac, wait."
"So I'm back to Mac now? What happened to 'beautiful Sarah'? Or am I only beautiful Sarah when I'm pinned between your hard-on and a bulkhead?" Mac shot back, the use of her nickname and the guilty look in his eyes when he paused was all the evidence she'd needed.
"Mac, you can't honestly think that." Harm sounded surprised and offended.
"I can't honestly think what? Use your head counsellor and I mean the one above your belt. You come down here to tell me that you're going to be on this ship for the next while, which means you won't be coming back to the States tomorrow and if Captain Thomas and his Travelling Aviation Show decide you should become a permanent part of their team, it means that you had every intention of starting something tonight that you couldn't follow through on, tomorrow or any time after." Mac's voice was at a good boom as Harm took a seat on his rack.
"What happened when I wanted more that morning in your apartment when I came over for the Russian translation, Mac? You seemed to be just fine with a quickie that morning and than you'd go back to your big civilian firm and I'd feel like someone who was used and tossed. Did you even realize that I felt like hell when I said those words before I left your apartment and you just sat there and did nothing." This was no longer a misunderstanding, she'd insulted him, in all the time they'd known each other, he figured she knew him better than this. "God Mac, I was going to say that I wanted you to be the first one to know that I was going to turn the offer down because I belong at JAG now, but if you honestly think that I'm some kind of chauvinistic prick who was just going to use you for tonight then I might as well stay here and clear my head before heading back."
"Harm, I didn't mean…I meant what I said at the time because I was angry and afraid at the time. When you were up in the air today, I just felt so much like I was going to lose you and there was nothing I could do to save you. I know that you used to fly and I know that the DFC on your chest isn't for an uncanny ability to upgrade to first class but when I'm not there to save you I feel helpless." The look in her eyes softened and the hard look that had been in his eyes died down too.
"If that's true, than what was with the kiss?" He looked playfully into her eyes, his eyebrows giving her that 'oh really' look.
"Well originally it was just to show you how much of a prick I thought you were being. Then it was to tease you with a reason to come back to JAG after you got done being another Flyboy playing Cowboy, that's all it was though, just a tease, granted it did get a little out of control." Mac was smiling, a full smile, all her teeth showing as Harm started to chuckle.
"So what, you were trying to tell me that you wanted to ensure that you were the only girl I thought about while I was here? The one I thought about on my lonely nights at sea. The one I fantasized to if I ever decided to 'take matters into my own hands'." His use of the air-quotes allowed Mac to get his meaning right away and give him a playful slap on the shoulder.
"Harmon Rabb! What are you twelve?" The two of them laughed. "Now I think I want you to stay on the cruise, just so I can tell all the girls back at the office that I'm the one you're thinking and fantasizing about." Mac's lips did cute thing that Harm loved to watch. He went to say something back when a very loud obnoxious voice came through the hatch.
"Oh will you two just fuck already!" Harm opened the hatch to see the entire Panthers squadron and Bud Roberts standing outside their quarters. The CAG was standing off to the side, stone cold sober unlike his squad and laughing his ass off.
"CAG who was it that decided they should shout into my quarters at this hour?" Harm asked looking suspiciously at Trapper, Archangel and Nighthawk who were trying their darnedest not to break into hysterics. The CAG cleared his throat and pointed down to the place where a very inebriated Bud Roberts had passed out. "You've got to be kidding me?" Harm looked shocked when the CAG shook his head. "Mac, you've got to come out here and see this."
Mac came walking through the hatch to see Bud passed out on the floor. She raised a hand to her mouth to stifle laughter. "The sound of the propellers for the COD at 0800 tomorrow morning are going to be hell on his hangover."
"Yeah, I think we should probably not tell Harriet what he just shouted into to our quarters just now." Harm laughed as he leaned against the hatch.
"That was him?" There was no stifling the laugh that came out of Mac's mouth.
"CAG, you think the Panthers can make sure that he gets back to quarters alright?" Harm smiled as he nodded toward his superior officer.
"Sure and Commander about the offer I made earlier, forget about it, I know what your answer is." With that the CAG and Nighthawk picked Bud up off the floor and took him to his quarters.
Morning came fast; Harm and Mac got up, ate and got dressed. They made sure they had everything they needed before they went out to meet Bud, Webb and the COD out on the flight deck. Webb and Bud filed into the COD first leaving Harm and Mac standing on the flight deck as a bunch of hungover Panthers came out to see them off. The CAG and Temptress walked up to Harm and Mac with a few presents for them.
"Rabb, to thank you for saving my sorry six yesterday, me and the Panthers decided you should have this." The CAG handed him a badge that read Panthers; War Cruise '98.
"And this." Temptress pulled a helmet out from behind her back that had the name Stickboy written on it with the decal of an angry tree. "And for Major MacKenzie, well the present here was my idea but it kind of has to be delivered woman to woman so if you two could skedaddle." The two men laughed, Harm ducked into the COD and the CAG went over and rejoined the Panthers as Temptress pulled Mac aside.
"Listen ma'am I know we didn't talk much, but if you could just listen up for a second I'd really appreciate it. You and I are in the same position; we're in love with men we work with. Except in my case it's my boss and there's nothing I can do about it without hurting his career. In your case you have some real options and you'd be a fool not to consider them." Temptress finished and let out a heavy breath.
"Thank you Lieutenant, you've given me something to really think about." Mac shook the aviator's hand and climbed on to the COD. The helicopter pulled out of sight and the Panthers waved good by to the JAG officers.
"What was your gift?" Harm said as he tried to catch her eyes.
"A friendly piece of advice." Mac laughed a little as she thought.
"About what?"
"Life." Mac laughed as Harm realized he wasn't going to get anything out of her. One thing was for sure, the two officers would never forget their time aboard the Theodore Roosevelt, they both had something of significance to take away from the experience.