A/N: This is a stepping-stone chapter, something I needed to use to bridge the first third of the story into the next third. Hope you like it!
The gangplank that led from the TR to the pier at Naples was where Harm's eyes locked on her for the first time in a month. God, she was beautiful, there was such depth, such warmth in those big chocolate brown eyes. She was elated to see him and he was just as overjoyed to see her. He practically bowled over half of the people on the gangplank and their relatives on the pier to get to her. She ran toward him with equal speed and the two of them met in the middle of the pier collecting each other's lips in a savage kiss.
"God, I've been dreaming of that for a month." He whispered into her ear as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Oh, I've been dreaming of a lot more than that for the last month, sailor." Mac replied as she pulled back to look into his eyes.
"So your letter told me." He chuckled a little as he took her in. She looked the perfect woman in that moment, than again, in his eyes she always looked the perfect woman. In a comfortable pair of jeans and a black tank top, she was feminine but still that tough Marine who captured his heart. She wore the pendant he'd given her with pride as it fell just north of her heart.
"Yeah, well I wrote that after one night of rather intense reading." She smiled at him coyly.
"Right, one of these books you bought so you could possess new methods of having your way with me." He tried to sound offended but couldn't contain his smile.
"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with some of the things I picked up." She tossed back as he slung his arm over her shoulders and they started walking off the pier, her arm being strategically located around his waist. At that moment a panting Jack Keeter caught up with the two of them.
"I've been trying to catch you two for the last four blocks; you two have to be the fastest casual walkers I've ever met." Jack was bent over trying to catch his breath.
"Where are my manners? Mac, Jack. Jack, Mac." Harm chuckled at the rhyme under his breath.
"You'd better laugh, he's been practising that introduction for the last week aboard ship." Jack said as he stood up and shook Mac's hand. Mac laughed at Jack's comment. "Lieutenant Commander Jack Keeter."
"Major Sarah MacKenzie." Mac shook the hand of the man whom Harm had mentioned in so many letters. "So you went to the Academy with Harm, huh? Why don't you join us for dinner and regale me with a few stories of my flyboy in his younger days?" Mac smiled as a look of instant worry coloured Harm's features.
"You mean like the time me and Sturgis got him really drunk and painted his ass Marine Green?" Jack's breath had come back to him as he started to walk in stride with the two of them.
"You didn't?" Mac looked at Keeter, her surprise evident.
"We sure did, we were a few miles outside Annapolis and we stole his pants, painted his ass and made him chase the car for five clicks." Keeter's face broke into it's own 'flyboy grin' as he recounted the incident while Harm hung his head in shame.
"See Harm these are the kind of stories that the people at JAG should hear." She nudged him in the ribs.
"Not unless you want them to find out where your tattoo is." Harm gave her a 'gotcha Marine' look. Mac's mouth hung open in surprise.
"Wait, she's got a tattoo? Hammer you're going to have to tell me where it is when we get back on board ship." Keeter was smiling from ear to ear.
"You do and you sleep alone for the entire month after you get home, flyboy." Mac turned toward him and pointed her index finger right in his face. He made the motion like he was going to bite it which made Mac retract her finger.
"Hey, would you two save the biting for your hotel room!" Keeter interjected as they neared the restaurant.
"Fine, we'll hold off only so we don't embarrass you Keeter." Harm shot back.
"That's all I ask, well, that and to be fed." Keeter laughed as they entered the restaurant. A table for three was soon found for them and Jack started to entertain Mac with stories of Harm's days at the Academy. Harm was just trying to hide his head in embarrassment ad Mac laughed boisterously at Jack's commentary.
"You know, I could tell her some stories about you at the Academy." Harm challenged.
"Me? I was a saint." Keeter protested.
"Keeter, it's pronounced 'Satan'" Harm quipped and Mac laughed as their meal came. The couple behaved like newlyweds, feeding each other dinner, these actions of course earned several comical vomiting impressions. Once dinner was done, Harm and Mac parted ways with Jack and went off to Mac's hotel room. "You know how badly I missed you? Just missed seeing you, holding you?"
"Probably as bad as I missed you." She was so loving in her expression as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"God, we sound like a couple of teenagers." He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and cradled her into him.
"Hopelessly, passionately in love?" She questioned as he opened the door to her room.
"Something like that." He replied as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He couldn't believe it, one month was a long time, a very long time when you're trapped aboard a super-carrier and all you can do is think about someone thousands of miles away. "God, your pictures don't do you justice you know that?"
"Why are you so good to me?" It was a sombre admission, for the first time in her life, someone was giving of themselves, willingly and giving it to her.
"You've earned it, Sarah. I can't say enough or do enough to show you how much you've earned it." He said in a low husky tone, his face mere millimetres from hers.
"How?" Her questioning, it was part of what made her who she was, part of what made her so damned attractive in his eyes
"By just being you." He answered as every ounce of honesty and sincerity contained within his person found its way to his eyes. She slowly drew her lips to his as she pulled him back on to the bed.
The next few days were a bliss interrupted only by sleep and room service until reality invaded their lives once again before Harm had to rejoin the crew on the TR.
"Mac, I don't ever want this to end and as long as I'm on the TR, it doesn't have to but when we get back to the JAG, aren't we going to have to deal with fraternization?" His eyes were dripping with concern, like he'd finally considered the one thing that could take all of this away from them.
"I thought about the same thing, but I got a little help from higher brass." Mac smiled as she picked through the bacon and eggs that had been delivered to the room by room service.
"Higher brass?" Harm's interest was peaked as he sat behind her on the edge of the bed with his arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder.
"I know he'd been putting it off but eventually the Admiral called me into his office and confronted me on the issue. Luckily for me, I had representative council who had offered to help me with this issue." Mac smiled as she reflected on that encounter.
"Our friendly neighbourhood Marine Colonel?" Harm said knowingly.
"That's right. Before two words could leave my mouth he laid out a perfectly cogent legal argument for Chegwidden that basically stated that until proof of something more than a few late night work sessions and friendly kisses, arose, fraternization was unsubstantiated because there was no forthcoming proof." The two of them smiled at the fact that they were temporarily safe.
"The Admiral bought that?" Harm sounded remarkably surprised.
"Bought it? The Admiral argued that Jim should present that argument to the Supreme Court, he might just get the fraternization regulation overturned." Mac laughed as Harm gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"So we're only safe from trouble until we decide to move beyond dating, is that what you're telling me?" Harm kissed her cheek lightly.
"As I understand the argument. That means until you knock me up or we get engaged flyboy, we're safe from the UCMJ." The two of them laughed as though the suggestion was ludicrous but the very real possibility was harboured in the back of both of their minds.
"Don't we just look like the perfect image of the modern couple?" He said as his head nodded toward the mirror. "Two working professionals, sitting here on a Sunday morning, in cotton hotel bathrobes, you with a towel around your soaking wet hair just eating breakfast and cuddling."
"Since when did you become so sentimental?" She was surprised but her heart was warmed by this side of him.
"Hey don't spread it around; us aviators have a reputation to protect." He smiled as he kissed her behind the ear and sent shivers down her spine. "All this time and you still get shivers when I do that."
"I'll start worrying when I don't." She replied as she raised another forkful of eggs to her mouth. "I can't believe that I have to take you back to the ship today, that it's going to be three weeks before I see you again."
"We got through the first month, those are supposed to be the toughest, don't worry, Sarah, I'm coming home." He said as he just held her with a sort of reverence.
"I know." Her voice was barely more that a whisper. "We should probably get ready to take you back." She pushed the room service tray away, grabbed her uniform and went into the bathroom to get ready.
A few minutes later the two of them were ready to head back to the pier. Harm had his summer whites on and Mac had her khakis. "You ready, Marine?" He smiled at her as she walked out of the bathroom.
"Ready as I'll ever be, flyboy, let's go." She smiled as the two of them walked out of the hotel room, gently closing the door behind them. The two of them walked up to the pier where the TR was docked in a companionable and loving silence. They held each other's hand and their fingers intertwined. When they reached the pier it was time for one final departure.
"I'll see you soon sweet thing, just remember, I'll always be right here." He fingered the necklace around her neck.
"Damn you! You being sweet just makes this more difficult." She said with a false indignation. "I love you, flyboy and I'll miss you." She pulled him into her, her arms around his neck as she attempted to use his shoulder to quash her sobs.
"As much as it's contrary to my nature as a romantic to break up this little heart-wrenching scene, we gotta get a move on, Hammer." Harm turned around to see Keeter and the CAG standing behind him.
"They're right, sailor, you've gotta go." Mac gave him a loving pat on the chest as she gently released him from the hug and he hesitantly walked toward his friends. As the three of them started to walk toward the ship Mac decided to have a little fun. "Jack! Mitch!" Keeter and the CAG turned when they heard their names called and Harm turned out of curiosity as to why his girlfriend was yelling for his friends. "You bring him back!" Mac called.
"Yes, Mom!" The two men replied simultaneously and smiled as they walked alongside Harm back to the TR. It was amazing how any time spent flying with a good squad helped you feel like you had a family. That's what the Panthers were fast becoming for Harm, another family. It was funny for Harm, watching the Panthers in their natural habitat, everyone had their little roles, he understood what it might be like for the Admiral back at headquarters to watch him and his friends.
There were some definite comparisons between these people and the folks back at JAG. It was funny watching two people, as obviously attracted to each other as the CAG and Temptress were, dance around each other by tossing little innuendos here and there and having awkward physical moments because of sexual tension. Trapper, his RIO, was so much like Bud that it was scary. Trapper was into sci-fi, he was kind of the little brother in the squad but he was always a surprise when it came to actually performing in his duty. Lieutenant Mark Archangel Angel, was a young Jim Grant, his wit and his macho attitude merely a front for a very fraternal and very protective man.
Being on this cruise, even though it was technically a war cruise, was different, this didn't feel like a job for Harm, in fact the only thing that made it impossible for him to fully enjoy was the fact that Mac wasn't there with him. Harm had actually had a rather amusing dream where all the Panthers, including Keeter, were kids and he and Mac had to tuck them all in at night. The most amusing scene being Mac placing a tiny kiss on the forehead of the young Jack Keeter, something Keeter, even in his dream seemed to enjoy way too much.
"You going to write your girlfriend tonight?" Keeter asked as they headed to their quarters for the night.
"You've asked me that every night since I got here and what has my response always been?" Harm said condescendingly as he through himself up on his bunk.
"Alright Romeo, write Juliet, than get some sleep, we got a patrol at 0400 that the CAG will personally wring our necks for if we sleep too late." Keeter mumbled audibly into his pillow.
"Say goodnight, Gracie." Harm said as he started to scribble a letter down on to his legal pad.
"Goodnight Gracie." Jack's voice came up from the bottom bunk. Above, Harm finished his letter to Mac and clicked the light off to catch some sleep.
The next three weeks were a blur, a big blur. There seemed to be little of anything in between patrols, meals and of course Saturdays. Saturday would forever have a special meaning for him because of this cruise, Saturdays were when he sent and received letters. Saturdays were also the nights that he, Jack and the CAG spent out on Vulture's Row smoking cigars.
"They say you're going to be sitting in the big chair for one of these one day, CAG." Keeter let out a puff of smoke.
"I'm not sure I'm that close to the top of the Pentagon's list, but serving aboard the TR has been the most fun I've had since Annapolis. Which reminds me, Commander Rabb, there's a story circulating on the ship that says that Commander Keeter and some of your other friends painted…" Harm interrupted the CAG.
"It's true; I'm still waiting to get Keeter back for that one." Harm laughed as he gave Keeter a pat on the back. "Still, CAG, it'll be a hell of a thing, you could be one of the first forty year-old Skippers in the Navy."
"Not important. Boys, I'm going to give you some advice, my pappy gave me once. Not a damn thing in life matters, what matters is the people you share it with." The CAG inhaled a smoke and casually blew a smoke ring. "That's why I'd be a happy man just being the CAG for the Panthers until they laid me in the ground. It's the people here that make me the pilot I am, it has nothing to do with me."
"There some all inspiring point to this speech, CAG?" Keeter cut in, his curiosity working double time.
"Just trying to say how proud I am of the two of you and how great it's been having you two on this tour." The CAG nodded at the two men. "See last time he was here I gave Commander Rabb some advice and he actually took it. So I figured I should tell him that I'm happy he could see my wisdom."
"You're getting at something what is it?" Harm looked suspicious.
"Fishing for a wedding invitation." The CAG fired back earning a round of laughter.
"Only if you bring Temptress." Harm replied with a sly grin on his face.
"I'll see what I can do about that." The CAG responded with a smile and a Groucho Marx-like shaking of his cigar. The tour was passing fast, everyday seemed to get faster and faster and all Keeter could do was remark that life was supposed to go by fast in a supersonic aircraft. There weren't really any dogfights to be had, just patrols and by the second week the Roosevelt was headed out of the Med and back toward Norfolk.
In their weeks in the Atlantic, heading with all speed back toward home, the Panthers had developed a rather intense poker game in the wardroom. It was just the regular six of them. Harm, Keeter, Trapper, Archangel, Temptress and the CAG.
"You called all in on a lousy pair of deuces?" Keeter sounded shocked and rightfully indignant.
"It bluffed you out of the pot and you had a flush!" Archangel shot back with a smile as Keeter got out of the chair paced back and forth.
"I still can't believe that the two of you are heading home tomorrow, being a Panther's just not going to be the same without the two of you." Trapper supplied as he took a drink.
"You got that right Trapper; these two might be two of the craziest SOBs I've ever met, but it's been a damn honour to fly with them." Temptress added as she leaned back in her chair. For all her tenacity and foul mouth, Lieutenant Jennifer Temptress Kraft was a remarkable woman, she knew damn well that every single Panther, except for Harm, wanted to sleep with her and somehow it didn't seem to matter to her. She was about five-foot-eight with dirty blonde hair and a body that would make most men and some women sweat.
"I'd say this calls for a toast." The CAG and the rest of the regular Panthers rose from their chairs and raised their glasses. "To Hammer and Keeter, it was damn good of them to spend some time in the jungle as Panthers."
"Cheers!" Archangel added from his seat. The glasses all clinked and their drinks were downed.
"Now, since I'm the CAG around these parts, I decree that Archangel and Trapper can got hit the rack so that Temptress and I can play against our two departing Panthers in a farewell game of euchre." The CAG smiled and laughed as the two Panthers sulked out of the room and Harm and Keeter took their places at the table. "Alright you two, you feel enough like heroes for the night?"
"Yeah well, we did save your six by coming out here for the remainder of the cruise CAG." Harm smiled as the CAG dealt the cards.
"Yeah, yeah well only Keeter here really saw any action, that night Nighthawk got shot up Keeter really saved his six." The CAG retorted.
"How are Nighthawk and Wolfman doing?" Keeter piped up.
"Nighthawk will never fly again; his injuries were just too extensive. Wolfman is suffering from one very intense case of PTSD and is being examined at Bethesda." The CAG's tone was sombre as he looked up from his card.
"The dangers of going up in the air." Temptress added as she threw a card down on the table.
"Almost as dangerous as never coming back down again." Harm said as he threw down a card of his own. That night passed rather quickly, and by 0600 the next morning Harm and Keeter were packing to board the Helo back that was going to take them to Andrews. The Panthers gathered on the flight deck to say goodbye to them, it was as emotional a scene as aviator pride would allow for. Harm and the CAG stood facing each other shaking hands.
"Remember, I want a wedding invitation!" The CAG shouted over the sound of the propeller blades.
"You have to bring Temptress!" Harm shouted back.
"I talked to her about that, she thought it was a damn good idea!" The CAG had a wide smile on his face as he gave Harm a fraternal pat on the shoulder.
"Looks like you always get what you want, CAG." Harm smiled right back.
"We'll see." With that, the two men parted ways, the CAG headed back toward the Panthers and Harm joined Keeter aboard the Helo.
"You ready to go back to being just a lawyer?" Keeter asked with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I'm more than a lawyer my friend." Harm smiled as the door to the Helo closed and they were on their way to Andrews. The Helo ride was a little shaky but it was nothing compared to the reception that awaited Harm back in DC. When the Helo touched down, the familiar but unexpected face of Petty Officer Jason Tiner was awaiting Harm's arrival on the tarmac. As the door to the Helo opened Tiner reached up and grabbed Harm by the sleeve of his summer whites and proceeded to drag him to a waiting car. "Tiner! Where's the fire?" Harm stopped to look at the Petty Officer who was pale and shaking.
"Sir, you'll have to excuse me for dispensing with the formalities but Colonel Grant told me that if I didn't get you to JAG Headquarters right away, he'd tan my ass eight shades of crimson." Tiner hopped into the driver's seat and Harm got into the shotgun seat.
"Tiner, what's going on?" Harm had this sickening, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Tiner peeled the car out of Andrew's and made a break-neck run for Falls Church ignoring and breaking every speed limit in between.
"Sir, I don't know any of the details all I know is it's urgent and it has something with the Major's current assignment." Tiner managed to get out between weaving lane changes. In what had to be some kind of record, Jason Tiner had gotten himself and Harm to JAG without getting pulled over or in an accident. Harm rushed through the building and into the elevator with Tiner right beside him. "Sir, I think you should breath or you're going to pass out."
"I can't Tiner, I feel like something's caught in my throat and it isn't going to un-catch until I find out what's going on with Mac." When the elevator bell dinged, Harm sprinted through the bullpen and into the Admiral's office with Tiner following like a loyal dog, right on his heels.
"Okay, now he's here, Webb, whatever you've got to tell us had better be good." The Admiral was his usual intimidating self as he walked over and confronted Webb.
"As you all know, Major MacKenzie was working on a delegation to negotiate a jurisdictional oil dispute between Iran and Russia involving one of our major defence contractors. A few days ago she didn't show up to the conference and her disappearance went noticed rather quickly by all those concerned. The Major was kidnapped by Syrian Hezbollah terrorists who remembered the part that you all played in that incident in the downing of those Syrian MiGs a few months back. A few hours ago we were given an ultimatum; it said that we had ten days to pay ten million dollars for the Major's safe release or they were going to kill her." Webb finished and found a bunch of scowling faces staring back at him.
"You no good son of a bitch!" Harm walked over and hoisted Webb up by the collar against the wall. "I knew one of your ops were going to end up like this, what did you have her doing behind the scenes, Webb? Gathering intelligence on the Iranians?" Harm's voice was a combination of swelled anger and sarcasm.
"As you know, it is not the policy of this government to negotiate with terrorists." Secretary Nelson got up from the couch in the office.
"Which is political doublespeak for you're going to let Mac die out in the Syrian desert some place." Jim Grant cut in.
"There's nothing else we can do Colonel, Commander." Nelson looked from Harm to Jim and then back at Harm.
"Maybe not, but there's something we can do. Admiral, requesting leave for Commander Rabb and myself?" Jim voice was forceful but stoic.
"Granted, I'll look after David; just bring yourselves and Mac back in the same amount of pieces you left in." The Admiral nodded and sat back in his chair.
"Your request for leave is denied, Colonel; I can't have officers traipsing around Syria." Secretary Nelson cut in but neither Harm nor Jim was in the mood to deal with him in their normal way.
"Listen Alex, you have two options, either you let me go around you or you force me to go through you. Alex, you know that you don't have the political clout to withstand the shit-storm I can raise when me and Harm bring Mac back alive, I can bury you in the ground so far that Beijing will be a local call, now are you going to get out of my way or not?" Jim's eyes were on fire and his lips all but disappeared as he stared down the Secretary of the Navy.
"Fine, go, but don't get yourselves killed." The SECNAV threw himself back into the Admiral's couch.
"I'm coming with you!" Bud called as he watched two of his friends walk out of the office. "I'm Major MacKenzie's friend too and there's no way you're leaving and not taking me."
"Bud, you're a true and loyal friend, but have you ever fired a gun in anger?" Jim looked at him with an almost paternal expression.
"No." Bud's response was sombre.
"Bud, you're right we're going to need help, but I'm not going to risk one of my closest friend's just as they're about to get married." Jim gave Bud a pat on the back.
"Lieutenant Roberts may never have fired a gun in anger, but I have." Clayton Webb stepped forward. "I'm going with you, I don't know why but I feel responsible for this one."
"Make sure you got your gun and some money and any info we're going to need to find her." Jim motioned for Webb to join Harm and himself. "Harm, do you know anyone you can trust that'll go with us?"
"I'll call Keeter, who you going to call?" Harm looked up; he knew a Recon Marine had to have some kind of plan.
"Two people you know, Frank Stryker and Bill Koonan. I wish I could call Matt, desert warfare and his love for Mac would be real assets here." Jim shook his head as he and Harm pulled out their respective phones. "Webb, get us on a plane to Damascus and get in touch with a good arms dealer, a lot of people are going to die before we're done here."
"Keeter? It's Harm, listen, I need you to go to Dulles, I'll explain later, bring whatever guns you've got." Harm's voice rang with great urgency.
"Frank? Listen, I need to call in a favour, meet me at Dulles, this is going to be a biggy, so bring whatever you need." Jim clicked his phone off before dialling the second number. "Wild Bill? Jim Grant here, listen I know you're retired but I need you to meet me at Dulles in an hour, we're going back into the field and we're going in hard so bring whatever life support you need."
"Three Recon Marines, one CIA agent and two Naval Aviators, we're sure as hell going to make an interesting team." Harm said as they piled into Jim's jeep.
"I hope you two know what you're doing." Webb said with and evident tone of worry.
"We're going to save Mac, it's just that simple." Harm looked at Webb before throwing the car into drive and peeling out of the JAG parking lot.