Author: SemperFrankee
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Story, Romance(Mac/AJ) (Mac/Harm), Angst
Spoilers: None
Summary: This is the third part of the four part series. The day after Harm's betrayal. Both sides. (Feedback is encouraged) Part 3 of 4.
Disclaimer: JAG is the property of Paramount Pictures, Donald P.
Bellisario, and CBS Television. This story is intended for entertainment
purposes only.
1552 Zulu Saturday Morning
"Mac, I love you!" Mac is standing on a foggy abandoned airstrip. She sees someone in the distance beckoning for her to follow.
"Mac, It's Harm." The image calls out.
"Harm?" Mac begins to walk toward him, but before she gets there, another
image appears beside Harm. It's A.J.
"Sarah, I love you. Come to me." A.J. pleads.
Before Mac has time to react, two other images appear.
Ragle and Dalton are now standing beside Harm and A.J.
Mac now completely distraut, turns and begins to run in the opposite
direction. The voices continue to call.
"Mac, I love you!
"Choose me Mac!" calls another voice.
"NO! Choose me"
No matter how far Mac runs, the voices seem to get closer and closer.
"Mac! Mac! Sarah!"
1600 Zulu Saturday Morning Admiral Chegwidden's House McLean, Virginia
"Sarah"
A.J's voice jolts Mac out of the nightmare. She sits straight up in the
bed. Her heart is racing and there are sweat beads all over her face.
Mac sees A.J. standing over her with the tray of the breakfast he had cooked for her earlier that morning.
"Are you okay Mac?" A.J asks as he sits the tray on the nightstand.
"You've been sleep all morning. It's almost..."
"Eleven hundred, uh...yeah. I'm fine. I guess I was dreaming." Mac states as she collects herself. Now recalling the passionate night she had just shared with her commanding officer.
"Sounded more like a nightmare if you ask me." A.J. leans over and kisses Mac's sweaty forehead.
"Here, eat your pancakes." A.J. says as he tries to reach for the tray.
Mac stops him by saying, "I'd rather have Admiral." As she pulls A.J. back into bed with her.
"Hmm..I have no objections to that Colonel." A.J. states as he pulls the covers over them both.
1600 Zulu Saturday Morning Mac's Apartment Georgetown
Harm is awakened by a knock at the door.
"Mac!" Harm rolls off of Mac's sofa and runs to the door.
"Silly girl, why are you knocking on your own.
As Harm opens the door, he sees that it's not Mac on the other side, but
Lt. Singer instead.
"What are you doing here Lieutenant? Trying to break into Mac's place also?"
"Uh...no..sir. I was coming to apologize to Mac. Is she home?" Loren asks as she peeks into Mac's empty apartment.
"No, now could you please leave." Harm tries to close the door, but Loren stops it.
"Sir, please hear me out!" Loren pleads as she holds the door.
"1 minute Lieutenant."
"Sir, my conduct was completely unacceptable and very unbecoming of an Officer. I'm so sorry I put you and Mac in that situation. Please forgive me." Loren drops her head and prays for a tear to validate her sorrow. "I just don't know what came over me sir."
"I've heard enough. I forgive you, but if you ever approach me or Col.
Mackenzie on any level other than professional, you can kiss your career
goodbye. Now, I would appreciate it if you would leave now."
Harm closes the door. The shocked Lt. Stands there for awhile and then a grin forms on her lips.
"Hmm, it looks like Mac didn't come home last night. It just may be over between the Commander and the Colonel. My work is done here." Loren now satisfied, walks down the hallway and leaves.
1100 Zulu Monday Morning Admiral Chegwidden's House McLean, Virginia
As Mac stands in front of A.J's bedroom mirror adjusting her rifle and
pistol expert medals, she reflects on the events of her weekend. In a
matter of moments, she had lost and found love. Harm had betrayed her. And
yes, she still loved him, but it was over. This weekend with A.J. had been
amazing. The nights cuddled together in front of the fireplace. The
morning runs and the midday, well uh, "activities". She knew that A.J.
would never hurt her like Harm did. This is where she belonged.
"I love you." A.J. whispers as he kisses the back of Mac's neck.
Mac turns around and wraps her arms around the Admiral's muscular shoulders.
"I've loved you since the first time I met you A.J."
This weekend has been more than I could ever ask for. I know we can make this work. Nothing is more important to me than you Sarah. Nothing. "
"I feel the same way." Mac replies as she picks up her cover from the
dresser.
"But I've got to get out of here. I need to go home and get myself
together."
"I know, but.." A.J. starts but stops as he watches Mac walk toward the door. He wanted nothing more, but to stop her. To tell her to stay. The days they had spent together had been perfect. But the start of a new week brought uncertainty beyond the Admiral's control, and A.J. didn't like that feeling.
"I just have this feeling Mac." A.J. says with a concerned look on his face.
"Trust me A.J. Everything will be fine." Mac says as she opens the door and leaves.
1100 Zulu Monday Morning Harm's Apartment North of Union Station Washington, DC
Harm is awakened by his blarring alarm clock.
"Morning already?" Harm groggily tries to sit up as he realizes the truth.
The truth that made it almost impossible for him to sleep last night. He
had not heard from Mac all weekend.
"Damn it Mac! Where are you?"
Harm had called everyone he could think of. Harriet and Bud were out of town and the Admiral had not answered his phone all weekend. Harm figured that with the mood he was in Friday afternoon, he didn't want to be bothered. He had even called Chloe. Noone knew where she was.
"I have to check and see if she's home." Harm quickly gets dressed and walks out of the door.
1230 Zulu Mac's Apartment Georgetown
Mac walks up to her door and is just about to walk in, but pauses. She had seen Harm's car and she knew that he was waiting on her on the other side of the door.
"Be strong Mac." She mumbles to herself as she unlocks the door.
Harm hears the doorknob turn and jumps off of the sofa.
"Mac! Let me expla..."
"No, Harm. Please leave. You let yourself in, so you shouldn't have a problem finding your way out." Mac turns and walks to her bedroom, not looking at Harm once.
Harm follows Mac into her bedroom, grabs her by the waist and turns her around to face him.
"Mac, just listen to me." Harm pleads as Mac tries to pull away.
"I called the office Friday afternoon for you to bring me the Cibriani file. I told Lt. Singer to tell you to come to my apartment."
"What the hell does that have to do with you cheating Harm!"
"Just listen to me. "
Mac reluctantly sits on the bed.
Harm begins again, "Apparently, you never got the message, because she
came instead. I was waiting on you for a while and I began to get sleepy,
so I decided to wake myself up with a shower. While I was in the shower,
Lt. Singer invited herself into my apartment and got into the shower with
me. She had just stepped in and I was telling her to get out when
you...when you arrived Mac."
"But Harm." Mac tries to interject.
"No, Mac." Harm drops to his knees. "I love you, you know that I would never lie to you ninja girl."
An uneasy grin forms on Mac's face as her eyes begin to swell with the tears she had been fighting off since she stepped into the apartment.
Harm reaches into his pocket and pulls out the little discreet black box he had been carrying around all weekend.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you Mac, marry me."
"No, Harm..I..I " Mac feels and overwhelming rush of guilt flood over ther body. Harm hadn't betrayed her, but she had betrayed him. And now, he wanted to marry her. He didn't deserve to be hurt that way, and at that moment Mac made a decision that would change her life forever.
"Yes Harm! I will marry you!" Mac falls to her knees and hugs Harm.
"Oh,God, what have I done? How could I do this to A.J.?" Mac thinks as she kisses Harm.
"Harm must never know about my weekend with the Admiral."
"Mac, I promise to love you forever." Harm says so thankfully as he continues to hug Mac.
Harm and Mac sit on the edge of the bed as Harm recalls all of the unsuccessful searching he had conducted over the weekend to find Mac.
"I was so worried about you, I called everyone. Where were you Mac?"
Mac nervously shifts, " I,um..., I went to a hotel for the weekend to uh.
sort out my feelings."
Harm noticed Mac's uneasiness. He knew she was keeping something from him,
but at the moment, he was just thankful that she was his again.
"I understand Mac, I'm just so sorry you had to go through all of this pain."
"Let's just forget about this whole weekend okay?" Mac says to Harm as she stands.
"Agreed Colonel, now let's get to work."
1345 Zulu Jag Headquarters Falls Church, VA
The Admiral is sitting at his desk pretending to read the newspaper in front of him.
"I cannot believe this is happening. I finally have my Sarah." A.J. thinks to himself.
Meanwhile in the bullpin...
As Mac and Harm make their way into the bullpin, they are stopped by Harriet.
"I see that you two located each other."
"Excuse me?" Mac asks.
"Oh sorry ma'am. I received a message from the Commander. He was uh..."
Harm Interrupts...
"Well, everything is fine now Lieutenant." As Harm is saying this, Harriet notices the ring on Mac's hand.
"Is that an engagement ring Ma'am?"
"Umm.." Mac feels the sweat beads forming on her forehead. How could she confirm her engagement to Harriet before she talks to A.J?"
"Yes, Harriet." Harm intervenes.
Mac nervously looks at her hand and musters a smile.
"Congratulations Ma'am! And you too, sir!" Harriet squeals.
"Well, thank you Harriet", Harm replies, "But if you two ladies will excuse me..."
Harm leans over and kisses Mac on the cheek and walks to his office.
"I'll be there in a minute Harm." Mac calls out as she searches for a way out of the inevitable mirage of questions from Harriet.
"Colonel, you have a call." Gunney calls out."It's Chloe."
"Yes! Perfect timing kiddo!" Mac thinks to herself.
"I need to take that Harriet." Mac says relieved.
"That's okay, You can give me all the details later." Harriet runs over to Tiner's desk to spread the news.
As Mac walks into her office, she realizes that she needs to tell the Admiral about the engagement, before someone else does.
"Damn, what have you done Mac?"
"Hello?"
"Mac! Where have you been? Harm called me in a panic. Where were you"
Chloe yells with her very concerned "grown up" voice.
"Chloe, everything's okay, but I'm real busy right now. I..I need to go."
"First, tell me where you were."
Meanwhile.
Admiral Chegwidden's Office
A.J. picks up his coffee cup.
"What the...? Empty"
"Tiner"
Tiner opens the door. "Yes, sir."
"Oh, never mind, I'll get it myself." The Admiral grumbles as he gets up and walks out of his office into the bullpin. He notices that everyone is mumbling and running around as if they were frantically spreading a vicious rumor.
A.J. immediately thinks, "Damn, I hope they haven't heard about me and Mac!"
A.J. walks over to Harriet's desk.
"Lieutenant, what's going on in here?"
"You haven't heard sir?" Harriet asks with her eyes beaming.
"Heard what, Lieutenant?"
"Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie are engaged sir!"
The Admiral felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest and kicked around like a soccer ball.
"Well, I guess congratulations are in order...After work!" A.J. barks at his staff.
Immediately, the bullpin falls silent.
"Chloe, I really have to go." Mac now frantic to get off of the phone. I love you. I'll call you later.
The Admiral walks into Mac's office and closes the door.
Mac hangs up the phone.
"A.J. I'm...I.. I don't know what to..."
"It's okay Mac. I just came to say congratulations on your engagement.
Tell Harm I said he is a very lucky guy. "
Mac noticed the expression on the Admiral's face. To everyone he seemed like his normal virile self. The no nonsense, take no crap from anyone Admiral. But Mac could see into his soul. She had hurt him deeply. Mac wanted to apologize. To say that she was just marrying Harm because she didn't want to hurt him. But how could she say anything to heal the pain that he has felt so many times before.
"I love you A.J."
The Admiral drops his head and turns toward the door. As he opens the door, he turns to face Mac and says...
"I know Sarah." As a single tear falls down his right cheek.
End of Part 3 of 4.