Title : The Old Fashioned Way

Author : Jaggie 107

Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount – 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.

Summary : Sometimes the 'old fashioned way' is the best way to go!

Spoilers : None, pure fluff, but imagine it to be shortly after the time of the Admiral's Dining Out, where Mac told Harm the truth about her condition. Sturgis is acting JAG – don't know why I want it to be him in charge, but I'm sure all will become clear in time!

Rating : Racy!

Thanks to : Peggy – VeraBell – BrittanyLS – aserene – bluejay65 – TV Angel 711 – pryrmtns – T. Roesch – McRose – BrookeUT – shron – Odakota – KJFlygirl87 – jtbwriter – kchs123 – Jeanaz8 – daisymh – froggy0319 – ams – charming-kayleigh – starryeyes10 – CAZ-TX – Lynnp – Niout-FrenchFanficAddict – judy52sa – SmileyMare1810 – michelle UK – Lori – Staz – Lu78 – ColieMacKenzie – AllAboutMe123 – cbw – katydid13 – Cheryl – the blur – rockrgirl777 – Cathy F. – Radiorox – SEAL2 – SamBrace - sandrajagfan

To old friends and new, for all your good wishes and wonderful reviews.

(I missed a name earlier - sorry, rockrgirl! - so if I do it again, be sure I'll catch up and add it asap!)

This chapter has been reposted after a minor alteration – thanks to SamBrace for the 'heads-up'!

Dance in the old fashioned way
Won't you stay in my arms

Just melt against my skin
And let me feel your heart
Don't let the music win
By dancing far apart
Come close where you belong
Let's hear our secret song

HARM'S APARTMENT – NORTH OF UNION STATION

Some time later…

Harm stirred, aware of a number of sensations all at once. He was cold – the apartment thermostat hadn't been turned up when he came in with Mac in his arms. He was hungry – they hadn't eaten at the restaurant after all. He couldn't see – the timer on his desk lamp had switched itself off and the lounge was now in darkness. And finally, the most welcome sensation, there was a body spooned up to him, his chest to her back, and Mac was still sleeping soundly. Harm stayed where he was for a moment longer, wanting to watch the woman he loved – the woman he would now marry – as she was sleeping. Mac rarely slept well, he knew that from old, so anything he could do to make her rest longer he would do – but he really needed to use the bathroom…

Mac opened her eyes to find herself alone on the couch, her head on a throw pillow and a blanket tucked up around her chin. The air in the apartment was warming up, but there was a hint of the chill that Harm had woken up to. The room was still in darkness, and Mac pushed herself up on one elbow to look for Harm. There was no light anywhere else in the apartment, but Mac heard the sounds in the bathroom and dropped back on the couch, a gentle smile curving her lips as she waited for Harm to reappear. Closing her eyes she replayed the previous evening from the disastrous 'date' that started out so well, to the proposal that took her breath away. Proposal! Mac opened her eyes and lifted her left hand up out of the cocoon of the blanket. Sure enough, the solitaire sat on her finger in mute testament to the fact that she, Sarah Mackenzie, had agreed to marry Harmon Rabb! Mac hugged herself and grinned.

"Is this a private party, or can I join in?"

Harm's lowered voice came to Mac through her excitement, and she opened her eyes again, looking right into the ocean-colored gaze of her fiancé. "Hey," she murmured, and Harm leaned forward to brush her lips with his before sitting back on his haunches and answering her.

"Hey, yourself, Marine."

"So…um…what…oh, damnit…Harm!" Mac buried her face against the pillow and then lifted it again to look at Harm, and she grinned. "I feel like a gawky teenager again," she murmured, "…on a first date with the High School football jock."

"Well, it was our first date, but that's where the similarity ends because you are gorgeous," Harm responded, and Mac grinned at him.

"Bet you were the High School jock, though," she laughed softly. Harm had the grace to nod, but Mac realized that while his good looks and height had worked to his advantage over the years he had been a self-conscious child earlier in his life. Mac knew about his foray into Vietnam when he was sixteen, and how it had affected his outlook on life thereafter, but she knew she still had much to discover about her husband to be. Such as what he was like in bed… Omigosh!

Harm rocked back as Mac suddenly sat up, but even in the darkness he could see the blush that tinged her skin.

"Mac?"

"Um…Harm…we can't…we don't have…" Mac stopped rambling, took a deep breath, and looked directly at Harm, reaching for his hands with hers. "I want to be with you, so very much, but it's almost dawn now and I need to get back to my place, my uniform is there…we'll be late…"

Harm picked up on Mac's train of thought immediately, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. His next words were serious, and Mac found herself transfixed by his voice and his words, all other thoughts forgotten. "Sarah, I love you and I want you, and I want to make love with you, but I don't want our first time together to be rushed; I never just wanted a roll in the hay with you," Harm admitted, adding quietly "I wanted you forever, I just didn't know how you to tell you…"

"So when we were in Australia, 'not yet' was your way of telling me you were trying to find the words?" Mac's query was not voiced with any anger, just an acceptance that now it was alright to ask questions. "I didn't know…I thought you were rejecting me…that I was being rejected again, like in my childhood…and I threw it back at you by accepting Mic's ring. I didn't know, Harm…" Mac repeated, and Harm brushed her lips with his once more.

"We have had nine years of confusion, but the fact remains that it has been nine years, Mac, and every year made my feelings for you stronger and yet I seemed to get further away from being able to tell you how I felt. Maybe if we had gotten together back then we wouldn't be together now," Harm said, matter-of-factly, and Mac had to agree with him, however much she wanted to deny that possibility.

"Why now then?"

"Because I woke up this morning…that is, yesterday morning, and realized that I wanted to do something for you. By giving to you, I also give to myself, because making you happy makes me happy."

"When did you buy the ring, Harm?"

"I've had it…a while," Harm began, and then faltered, and Mac was hit by a wave of guilt.

"Paraguay…" she whispered, and Harm nodded. "Oh…Harm…"

"There are still things we have to sort through, Ma…" Harm began again, but Mac placed her fingers against his lips, shaking her head.

"Please, call me Sarah…when we're together, alone, I just want to be your Sarah…"

"Sarah…" Harm repeated, drawing out the name as he relished the sound on his lips. "As I was saying…we have much to sort out, including telling Sturgis about our engagement, but the most important thing right now is…" Harm lost himself momentarily in the depth of Mac's eyes…

"Is?" Mac prompted softly.

"Arranging a second date," Harm murmured, leaning in once more for a gentle kiss, and then pulling back with a sigh, resting his forehead against Mac's. "I'm going to be the gentleman my mother raised right now and take you home, but remember that I love you, and I want you, and we're going to be together, forever."

"I like the sound of that," Mac murmured, and grinned as Harm stood and pulled her to her feet in front of him. They stood together in silence for a moment longer, and then Mac put her hands up to his chest and pushed gently. "C'mon, Flyboy. Take me home, before I lose my resolve."

"Your resolve?"

"Not to let you talk me into losing your resolve…" Mac whispered, and Harm groaned, closing his eyes against the thoughts that crossed his mind. 'Soon', he promised himself, and then realized he had spoken out loud as Mac echoed his word. Soon.

Taking Mac by the hand he headed for the door, picking up the keys he had dropped earlier. On the way across town Harm held Mac's hand, even during the gear changes, her hand under his. Mac marveled at the sure way he changed the gears in the car, his touch light but in control. Closing her eyes, Mac imagined his touch on her…

OUTSIDE MAC'S APARTMENT - GEORGETOWN

"Hey, Marine, you asleep over there?"

"Mmmn?" Mac opened her eyes, and met Harm's amused gaze.

"We're here," he added softly, and leaned across to brush a quick kiss on Mac's lips before climbing out of the car and walking around the hood to her side. As Harm opened her door and put a hand in to help her out of his car, Mac reached up and held tight as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I could get used to this," Mac murmured, and Harm grinned, pulling her close to him.

"Good. That's the intention. I'm going to spoil you rotten, Sarah," Harm whispered against her skin as he kissed the spot behind her ear that made her shiver. Like now.

"Um…Harm, we need…I need to go inside…"

"I know, I just don't want to let go just yet," Harm confessed, and then laughed as Mac pulled back to look up at the early morning sky as it grew lighter by the minute. "Okay, I get the message. Come on." Harm opened the outer door for Mac to precede him inside, but when he went to follow her she put her hand up against his chest.

"I can make it from here, Harm. As much as I want you to come upstairs with me, I think it would be better for you to go on home and get ready for work. I'll see you there in a little while." Harm pulled a face much like a little boy scowling, and Mac laughed. "I'm going…," he muttered mutinously, but then gave Mac a slow grin. "I have one question, Miss Mackenzie, before I let you go."

"Oh? What's the question?"

"Will you go out on a second date with me?"

Mac reached up and pressed her lips against Harm's, just the slightest touch before her tongue tip touched his skin, sweeping gently against his bottom lip and then withdrawing, as she lowered herself against him. Without a word she turned and walked to the elevator as Harm watched her get into the open car, turn to face him across the lobby floor, and hold his gaze with hers until the doors closed between them.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Harm murmured, and turned to go back to the Corvette.

To be continued