A/N: Okay, so here's the deal. I fix the Jen/Vic thing in this chapter. You will let me know what you think of the story so far. Time table is one month until the wedding.
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Hope you'll enjoy.
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
1540 hours local
Jen had been walking around with this undefined feeling all day long. It had been there when she woke that morning, it had been there during her ride down to HQ's, and it was still here. She had been avoiding Vic. That was all she could say about it.
But why? Why would she be avoiding Vic? Not that they were dating or anything, that was not the case at all. For a while Jen had thought that they could be but that would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.
But what if Vic had been under the impression that there was a chance of them being together? How was she going to tell him that she had been using him…
Deciding that it had been long enough, Jen started to walk in the direction of Vic's office, hoping that he was there. Luckily, he was. She lightly tapped on his door and he looked up. 'Hey'.
'Hey'. She was nervous. God, why was she nervous? 'You have a moment?'
He was frowning. Oh no. Don't. Stop frowning. Please. Her mind was begging him but she wasn't saying the words.
'Sure. What is it?'
Jen closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. 'I think that… I feel that I've been using you in the past couple of months'.
There, she'd said it. She had been using him. He had been a surrogate for someone else. Vic got up and walked around his desk. 'What do you mean, you've been using me?'
'You're a surrogate. You're a surrogate for someone I lost a couple years ago. And in all the time we've been spending together, trying to fool Harm and Mac, this idea crept into my mind that maybe, maybe we could be together. But that would be making a huge mistake. So, I've been using you to replace someone I've loved. That my heart still isn't over losing…'
Vic put a finger on her lips. 'If I ever gave you the idea that there was a chance of us being together, I apologize. I thought that all I had to do was keeping the charade up, walk you down the aisle and that was it'.
'That's it' Jen hurried to say. 'It really is. But I thought…'
'Nope, never crossed my mind'. He grinned. 'Were you so beaten up about just that Jen? All I do for now is keep up the charade, then walk you down the aisle on the 16th. Like I was asked to'.
Jen was hesitant. 'No strings attached?'
'No strings attached' he assured her. He shook his head and smiled. 'He must've meant the world to you'.
She nodded. 'He did. My world evolved around him. Until they found that brain tumor… Then my world just shattered'. The tears started to roll down her cheeks and Vic handed her a tissue.
'Sorry' she breathed. 'I'm usually not this emotional at the office. But you're right. He really meant a lot to me'.
Vic offered her a sympathetic smile. 'I know the drill. Only woman I ever really loved left me. She didn't die but she broke up with me and left. Left me with a broken heart too'.
He wiped a single tear of her cheek, right at the moment his office door opened and Harm showed. He cleared his throat and Vic dropped his hand. 'Commander?'
'You have a minute Lieutenant? I would like to go over the Sheppard-case with you'. He shot Jen a look.
Jen had trouble holding her smile back. Caught. Harm had caught them. Nice. 'Thank you Lieutenant. Just let me know if there is something else I can do for you'. She gave them both a smile and walked out of the office.
Harm turned to Vic. 'I hope that you know that this is against regulations and that when I'm going to find that you've broken her heart you will face serious consequences?' he warned.
'Why would I want to fight love sir? A new job is easier to find than unconditional love'. Vic opened his file. 'What did you want to know about the Sheppard-case?'
The senior officer stood there, completely blown away by that statement. He had to talk to Mac about this. But for now he had to focus on the case ahead of them. 'Right. About Major Sheppard…'
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
1619 hours local
'…so, he came walking in right at the moment Vic was wiping a lost tear of my cheek. If he didn't think there was something going on already, he certainly does now'. Jen smiled.
Harriet shook her head. 'Well, that's the way we wanted it, isn't it? And what happened that your mood is up? I was beginning to think that planning this whole thing was getting over your head'.
'No, I just… I had to tell Vic something. That was all. I'm good now'.
'Okay'. Harriet wasn't sure about it, but Jen was back to her usual self again. And they had a whole lot ahead of them. With only a month before the wedding, the last couple of details had to be taken care of. A few last things had to be ordered and arranged.
Jen put the files on her desk. 'Did the jeweler call back?'
'I was about to call him. Did you give the Admiral an up-date yet?'
Ruffling through some papers Jen shook her head. 'I was about to. Anything I need to know before I go in?'
Harriet thought for a while. 'I think you pretty much got everything covered so far. Anything I need to know before I carry on?'
Jen walked around her desk and knocked on the Admiral's office door. 'Not that I can think of right now'. She opened the door. 'Just make sure you avoid that tall guy'.
Harriet smiled. 'Will do'. When she turned around, she saw Harm strolling to Mac's office. He was obviously upset. There it was. He was going to tell her.
Mac looked up when she heard him clearing his throat. 'Something you would like to share with me?'
He close to slammed the door shut behind him and started to rage. 'They are dating! I told you she was talking about him!'
Mac's eyes grew wide. She hadn't seen Harm like this for a long time. After that night two months ago when he'd shown up at her door and apologized for his behavior they had set a couple of new rules. Well, one rule to be more exact. Always be honest with each other and don't leave some things out.
'Hey sailor, calm down'. She rose and pushed him down in a seat. 'What are you talking about?'
'Jen and Vukovic. I mean it Mac, I caught them'.
She sighed. 'Caught them doing what?'
'I walked over to Vukovic's office because I wanted to go over the Sheppard-case with him. When I opened the door… I swear it Mac, he was about to kiss her'.
Mac nodded and let her breath out. 'Will you keep your voice down? The blinds not closed is bad enough, but you raising your voice is another thing. Did you confront him?'
Harm nodded. 'I told him that I hoped that he knew this was against regulations and that he would face serious consequences when I would find out that he'd broken her heart'.
'What did he say?'
Harm made a sound that looked like an annoyed laugh. 'That's the best part. He said that he saw no reason to fight love, because a new job was easier to find than unconditional love'.
When that phrase had made its way into Mac's brain, her jaw dropped. 'What?'
'Yeah. That's what he said'. Harm rubbed over his eyes. 'What now Mac? I can't have her throw herself in his arms only to have her heart broken in the end'.
She started to bite her lip. Now she had the same worried expression on her face. 'I'm afraid that the only thing we can do is tell her the consequences. After that it's all up to her'.
He looked at her. 'Makes you wonder huh?' he said after a while.
'What do you mean?'
'That comment that a new job is easier to find than unconditional love'.
Nodding, she sighed. 'It does'. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. 'Try to snap out of protective parent-mode okay? I think that she'll see that he's not the right guy for her'.
Harm stood up again. 'I hope so'. He winked. 'We still on for dinner tonight?'
'Wouldn't miss it for the world'.
He flashed his famous smile at her and walked out of her office. One thing had been bugging him though. Why did everyone around him seemed to be glowing these days? Even Bud and the Admiral were walking around as if they had just won the lottery. Harm didn't trust it. There to be something going on. But what?
Okay, so maybe Harm is getting onto something... Who knows?
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