Title : Where Do We Go From Here… (at last, Part III of the Trilogy!)
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG and NCIS characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount. 'Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye' belongs to PAX TV – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you. (I remembered to add NCIS to the Disclaimer – missed it for a few chapters. Sorry!)
Rating : T (I think!)
Thanks for the reviews to : jtbwriter; Radiorox; DD2; Nikki; froggy0319; anna7; Jbird7986; beegirl; JAGFANWI; Abigaile; Judy; roxy; KJFlygirl87; mayaresi; alicia; starryeyes10; skyefire; jnp; JAGJenni; laura carr; AnniGH4ever; Arian04; aserene; rosan; achaon; martini1988; Sarah; wheels04; BlueJay; chawkchic; Manda; BrittanyLS; jaggurl; DushiNoSushi; prymtns; Mey80; kchs123; Sariana of Wind; daisymh; TV Angel 711
MiDushiNoSushi
Thanks for your lovely review. Bobby's problems will be sorted out, just not yet! Jack's fleeting thought will come back to haunt him soon, but any more than that would be telling! You'll just have to come back for more! I hope you like this chapter, and please keep reading!
prymtns
Thanks for your great review! I'm glad I got over Jack's concern for Bobby, but I"ve got to keep you in suspense about what's on his mind for now…all will be revealed soon! I hope you like this next chapter, and please keep reading!
TV Angel 711
Thanks for your lovely review. Of course there will be more Harm/Mac as they are (always) the main characters. I hope you like this next chapter, and please keep reading!
KJFlygirl87
Yeah, I did! And here's another one! Glad you enjoyed Sue and Jack, and I'm upset too, but at the mo we're having repeats of STFBE in Saudi, so I'm happy for now… Thanks for your review and I hope you like this next chapter. Please keep reading!
BrittanyLS
Thanks for your review, and glad you enjoyed the J/S time! I enjoyed writing it! Glad you're still with me, and hope you like this next chapter. Please keep reading!
froggy0319
I've got to keep you smiling! Thanks for your review and I hope you like this next chapter!
jtbwriter
Hiya! Thanks for your review. Sorry, gotta keep you guessing on Bobby, but good idea! Glad you enjoyed Sue and Jack; I enjoy writing both couples, and try to give them fair time… pinkie luck as always and hope you like this next chapter!
FBI Headquarters - Wednesday Morning, One Week Later
"Harm? I'm calling to let you know NCIS are on board. I spoke to Gibbs this morning. We've had a hit with SOG tailing Torrance. He's been out a couple of times with his wife to different restaurants, and once to the cinema, but the rest of the time he's at a bar called Louie's, downtown. Not the best locale, but ideal for what we want. I've informed DeAndres too."
"Okay, so we're on?"
"Yes. How about we make it Friday? It's apparent from SOG's reports that he does do things by rote. Last Monday he was at the bar, Tuesday he took his wife out. He did the same things this week. I don't think we can afford to waste any more time."
"I agree. Okay, I'll inform the Admiral and Jen."
"Gibbs has suggested sending DiNozzo along too. The extra cover can't hurt. He can follow Jennifer if need be. He's a different face…" Jack tailed off, and Harm picked up on the unspoken words.
"Manning's not back yet?"
"Yes, he is, but he's taken himself off the case."
"Can he do that?"
"He went above me. We had an argument…and I haven't spoken to him since. It's better we get Torrance taken down, then I can sit down with Bobby and sort out our differences."
"I'm sorry. I know you two are friends," Harm added, and Jack responded dully.
"Thanks. Listen, do you want to take a look at this bar tonight? Give you an idea of where the hotspots are?"
"Sounds like a good plan. I'll let Mac know I'm going to be…busy," Harm grinned as he spoke, and Jack answered with a bit more enthusiasm as Harm detected the laughter in his voice too.
"Same here with Sue."
"Boy, are we under the thumb or what?" Harm joked, and Jack laughed outright.
"I guess it comes to this when they get the ring, huh?"
"Guess so," Harm answered, and Jack said goodbye with another laugh, after telling Harm he'd meet him outside the bar around 7pm.
As Jack replaced the telephone handset he caught the sight of Sue waving her hand to attract his attention.
Mac's Office – Judiciary Floor – JAG HeadquartersMac's head was down as she pored over a file on her desk. Harm watched her for a few minutes, undisturbed as her aide was out of the office. As Mac moved to look at her computer screen she saw Harm, and a smile lit her features.
"Hi, handsome. How long have you been there?"
"Long enough…" answered Harm cryptically, giving her a smile in return.
"Oh, so you just came up to ogle the newest judge, hm?"
"You caught me," Harm admitted, putting his hands out as though waiting to be cuffed, and Mac grinned. "Actually, it's to do with Jack. I need to have a meeting with him, tonight. Sorry it's short notice."
"Not a problem. So, why are you here? You could have told me this over the telephone, or sent an IM."
"True, but that way I wouldn't have got to see you," Harm admitted, and Mac tipped her head on one side, watching Harm's expressive face. There was something troubling him, she could tell.
"Okay, Sailor, out with it."
"With what?" Harm hedged, and Mac pushed herself to her feet and came around her desk to stand in front of Harm. Poking him in the chest lightly with her forefinger she grinned up at him.
"I know that look, Harm, and it means something is bothering you, so spill."
Harm brought his hand up to capture Mac's as she poked him once more, a playful smile on her lips. Knowing they were still alone, he lifted her hand to his lips, and Mac sighed.
"You're right. I'm bugged…" Harm nodded, and looked hard at Mac. "I'm uncomfortable with not being able to tell you what's going on. I know how much you want the case against Torrance, but having to tell you I'm 'meeting' Jack, without saying why or where…" Harm tailed off, and Mac gave him a hug.
"I'm okay with this, Harm. You knew when I moved here that there would be times we couldn't talk about cases. This is just the first of those times."
"And here I am, bleating at the first hurdle…" Harm grinned sheepishly (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) and Mac laughed.
"Besides," Mac added softly, "we've been in this situation before, as opposing counsel."
"Ah, your Honor, we weren't married then," Harm retorted, equally softly, and Mac nodded in agreement.
"Right…we weren't…" she murmured. "Just promise you'll keep safe, through all this, and we'll be fine."
"I promise…" murmured Harm, dropping a swift kiss on Mac's lips. As he pulled away they both heard Mac's aide return to the outer office. "Time to go," Harm added, and Mac nodded.
"Are you going home first?" she asked, and Harm nodded.
"I need to change."
"I'll see you there then."
"Right. I'll go let the Admiral and Jen know the latest. ILY, Marine."
"ILY, too, Sailor." Mac grinned as Harm left her office, watching as he returned the salute from the aide, then she stepped back behind her desk and continued with her previous task.
Louie's Bar – Downtown DC – 2000 Hours Local
"So, you think this is going to pan out?" Jack asked, glancing around the bar once more before looking at Harm again.
"Don't see why not," Harm answered, raising his bottle of beer to his lips as he took a surreptitious look at the bar area itself. Non-descript, dark, typical dive, haunt of off-duty officers from all services. Harm noted one new customer as he lowered his bottle. "It's Torrance," he muttered, and Jack gave him a surprised look, sat as he was at an angle to the bar.
"This wasn't where he came last week," Jack answered. "SOG had him down as taking his wife out. If he sees me, it means I'm compromised."
"He won't. He's going straight through to the back. We'd better get out now," Harm spoke again, and then paused. As Torrance passed through the length of the bar he made eye contact with Harm. It was brief, but enough for Torrance to recognize him again sometime. As the man passed by Harm was heard to mutter something. Jack preceded him out of the bar, leaving their bottles and some notes in payment on the table.
"Damn, he saw you!" Jack hit his fist against the side of his car as Harm walked up beside him.
"Not a problem. He's going to see me anyway, come Friday. I don't know if he recognized me back there, but it will only enforce my presence when he sees me there with Jen. It's okay, Jack."
"Yeah…I guess…" Jack scrubbed at his face with one hand as he raised the other in a small wave. "Sorry, it's just this thing with Bobby. I don't know what's bothering him so much."
"Hasn't he said anything to you?" Harm asked, and Jack shook his head.
"All I know is that he's back at work, but as he's got himself assigned elsewhere, he's not actually in our office right now. I need to get this thing with Torrance out of the way, then I can concentrate on Bobby."
"I can live with that," Harm agreed, and both men grinned at each other. Shaking hands, they parted company, each heading back to their own homes.
Jack's Apartment – Later, Wednesday Night
"Hey," murmured Sue, getting to her feet off the couch as Jack entered the apartment. "You're early!"
"Torrance showed up," Jack explained, and then took Sue in his arms as she came up to him. Pulling back a little she looked at his face.
"Did something happen?"
"No. He got a look at Harm, but didn't take notice of me. I was concerned, but Harm reckons that the guy's going to see him when he meets with Jennifer anyway, so it's not really a problem."
"So what's really bothering you?" Sue asked, and Jack grinned down at her.
"You're getting too good at this, Miss Thomas," he murmured, dropping a kiss on her lips and as he pulled back Sue laughed.
"It must come with the territory," she said as she helped him off with his coat. "So, what is it?" she persisted, and Jack settled them both on the couch before answering.
"It's Bobby; what's going on with him and this case. However," Jack turned so that he could take Sue's face in his hands as he continued. "I'm not going to talk about him tonight. What were you doing just now? Watching television?"
"Yeah. An action adventure series, about a Navy lawyer. It reminds me of Mac and Harm," Sue laughed, and Jack grinned.
"Is it still on?"
"Yeah, I turned the volume down but I'll…" began Sue, but Jack stilled her hand reaching for the remote.
"It's okay," he murmured. "I'm getting pretty good at this lip-reading thing too," he added, and Sue grinned.
"Really? So…what am I saying?" At this point Sue stopped talking out loud and Jack watched her face move as she moved her lips without sound. With a soft laugh he turned them both over on the couch, and the images on the television were forgotten!
Harm's Apartment – Same Time, Wednesday Night
Harm turned the key in the lock and found the apartment in near darkness. The light at the door was still on, to give him some illumination, but the rest of the lower apartment was in darkness. The only other light came from the bedroom, and Mac's bedside light. With a tilt of his lips he closed the door quietly and locked it, turning out the light beside the door as he went. Taking his jacket off, he draped it over the nearest chair to air out the smell of smoke and beer, and made his way past the bed to the bathroom beyond. A quick look at the bed made his smile grow. Mac was laid on his side of the bed, as she often did when he wasn't there, with a pillow between her legs to support her as she lay on her side. When he was in bed with her, she used his leg between hers as her support. It was a position they had adopted as she had grown bigger, and only added to the intimacy they had shared throughout the pregnancy. Leaning down he dropped a butterfly-soft kiss on her bare shoulder before going into the bathroom to rid himself of the smell of smoke and alcohol. When he returned Mac had moved over to her side of the bed, and her eyes were open, watching his movements as he finished towelling off his hair.
"Hi," she murmured, sleep making her voice huskier.
"Hi. I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to get rid of the bar smell."
"S'okay…I'm still sleepy enough. I'll drop right off when you get in here with me."
"I'll be right there," Harm answered softly, and tossed the damp towel at the laundry bin before getting into the bed and moving to arrange Mac comfortably. As he did so, she giggled.
"What's so funny?" he asked, grinning at the giggle.
"You actually pouted when I said I would drop right off to sleep again," she murmured, and this time her voice was husky with desire, her eyes dark. Harm's grin widened as he looked at her, and he shook his head.
"I don't pout," he defended, but Mac just ignored him and lifted her head for a kiss…and more…which he willingly obliged!
To be continued