Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with JAG, or the state of Israel...
A/N: This story touches a sensitive spot and I want to stress – I'm not taking any sides. We all know terrorism is bad (I'm hoping) and that's all I'm saying. I'm just describing what I imagine goes on and what I saw on the news as I'm sure many of you have. So take this story from that perspective. The story is set in season 10.
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"Remind me why we're doing this again?" She asked for the third time.
Harm gave her an exasperated look reserved normally for four year olds. "Mac..."
He heard Mac breathe "Right..." as she stared past him out the window of the commercial plane they were taking back from their stop in Jordan.
Getting back from an investigation in Iraq, Cmdr. Rabb and Lt. Colonel MacKenzie were to attend a week long conference with their Israeli counterparts and various prominent figures in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) concerning a country's way of coping with ongoing day-to-day terrorism. The Secnav was supposed to attend but had been unable to make it at the last minute, so they were being sent in his place. For its small size the country that's been in a state of high alertness since it's declaration of independence fifty some years ago had a lot of experience in dealing with the strain of constant terrorism.
"The General thought we could use some R&R in the Holy Land."
Her eyes focused back on the trademark grin as she shook her head and turned to look the other way.
Across the aisle from them sat a family of three – mother, father and a small boy who couldn't be over five years of age. The child was sitting with his head on his mother's lap, squirming in the uncomfortable seat. The sight caused Mac to smile each time she looked over. The mother was rubbing his back in circles, trying to calm him. It was a short, less than an hour long flight, but for a child it was an eternity of uncomfortable sitting, all the more so with the seatbelt.
How she wished she could be in the mother's place. The want filled her so much that she needed to remind herself to breathe. But it was not to be. She would never be a mother, not in the way that counted. Not with the one that counted.
So caught up in her world of thoughts, she was a bit startled when she felt a warm hand slip into hers and lace through her fingers. Mac looked up to find Harm giving her that look again, the one from the Admiral's retirement party, the one he seemed to be giving her a lot lately. A look full of tenderness and patience and compassion. He squeezed her hand and smiled and for once she just felt comforted, not pressured. She didn't need his words. She brought their linked hands to her lap and rested her head on his shoulder. They would be landing soon.
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Ugh. Every inch the Marine, Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie on the outside, Mac felt awed that she could sum all her thoughts and feelings with 3 simple letters arranged in one word.
It had been a long week. While the conference was very interesting and brought up some valuable pointers to bring home, and most of the time the parties involved were professional and to the point, there were times Mac had to fight the urge to find a gavel and bring some order to the conference room.
Now, standing outside waiting for their ride back to the hotel, she wanted nothing more than to get to her room, pack up and head to the airport and back home. Sadly, their flight was a day away.
Looking over at Harm, she was slightly annoyed to find him looking very cheerful, not at all bothered by the heat and humidity. She could deal with a desert but now she felt like she was breathing soup while walking through a bubbling swamp.
"Ugh." She decided to voice her thoughts.
"Two minutes out of the A/C too much for you, Marine?"
Not even bothering to retort, Mac squared her shoulders and spent the next 3 minutes focusing her gaze on the soldiers at the base's gate.
"So, what are you planning for your last day in Israel? Hitting the beach?"
Gil, their driver, was surprisingly sensible for his 18 years. He had managed to entertain the two throughout the week's evenings. He showed them around Tel Aviv and the area, gave them a list of good restaurants and places to go and went on and on about his country's history whenever there was a dull moment.
"What do you say, Mac? It's only 10 we've got a whole day ahead of us."
"I don't care what we do as long as we get rid of the humidity factor."
"You know what you should do. You should go to Jerusalem, yeah, the Holy City. You haven't visited Israel till you've been to Jerusalem. It's the city of David, of the first and second Temple, the city of 4 religions, the-"
"Gil." Harm and Mac were used to having to cut the eager young man in the middle of his lectures, or they wouldn't end.
"Sorry. What do you say? You could get a rental car and drive up there. Once you leave the coastal plane it's far drier."
"I'm in." Mac smiled at the prospect of breathing air again and at Harm's laughter.
"Jerusalem it is. Let's just get out of these uniforms."
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The drive to the Holy City was blissfully short. Spending the 45 minutes staring out the window, it seemed to Mac that this one country tried to have it all in very little space. They had a desert, green mountains, one snow covered cap, a lake, a long shoreline and plains in between.
Stepping out of the car in Jerusalem was stepping into paradise. After having endured a week in the suffocating humidity of Tel Aviv, the cool breeze hitting her face was more than welcomed.
They'd driven straight to Mount Scopus, as Gil suggested. It was a clear day and the view was breathtaking. They could see the northern edge of the Dead Sea and the mountains of Jordan beyond it.
Throwing a glance in Mac's direction, Harm was awed by a completely different sight. It was times like these he wished she wasn't a Marine, if only because she wouldn't have to wear her uniform, he liked her sunny dresses much, much more.
Feeling his eyes on her, Mac turned around and grabbed his arm, pulling him to stand beside her.
"Look at the view, Harm." Her eyes were wide and receptive at the sights before her.
"I was." He didn't dare look at her as he said it.
On the outside, Mac chose to ignore what he obviously meant. Inside her heart beat just a little faster, the backdrop of her conscious mind brightened a bit.
A few minutes later, having memorized the moment, she turned back to their car and got the various tourist information pages and a map of the city.
"How do you want to go about this day?"
Joining her, Harm spread the map on the hood and took out the "attraction" list Gil gave him.
"Well the obvious must sees are the Western Wall and the old city, the market place should be a sight and this Holy Land exhibit seems interesting, what do you say?"
Mac had been nodding her head while looking at the city map.
"We're at the northern part of the city, we have an easy route to the old city... I say we go there first, then head over to the market place, drive over to Holy Land... that's close to the Biblical Zoo so that's another option. We'll just see how the day unfolds, okay?"
"Sounds like a plan, jarhead." Harm proceeded to gather all that they've spread out while Mac took another cleansing breath of clear fresh air, expanding her lungs and shaking any and all thoughts from her mind. This would be a wonderful day off. No worries, no brooding, no impending clouds. It was just Harm, her, the clear blue skies above and a new city to explore. It'd be a day to remember.
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The old city was enchanting. They walked the narrow streets and into quaint little shops and bazaars, chatting amicably about small things from the stones used to build the city to what history they knew about the Holy City to the people around them. As a couple they were hard not to notice, Harm with his height and build and Mac with her beauty. Harm was immediately labeled as a tourist and addressed as such automatically in English. Mac on the other hand had been spoken to in Hebrew a few times. The high point was when at one shop the keeper kept trying to sell Harm some ancient looking knife, while betting with his friend in Farsi that he could take double the price from the unsuspecting tourist. Mac made a show of appreciating the knife while talking to Harm, who picked up on her body language and played along. The owner almost choked on his cigarette when she addressed him in his own language to ask about the history of the expensive piece.
Making a joke of it all, Mac managed to keep everyone comfortable in the small space that became a tad confined after her first sentence in the foreign tongue. Inviting them both to the adjoining coffee house which he too owned, Simon introduced himself and offered them to have lunch with him. Graciously they accepted and sat to enjoy a wonderful meal and great company.
"So tell me, Sarah, where are you from in Iran?" For Harm's sake the conversation was being held in English.
"Oh, actually, I know Farsi from my grandmother. She lived in Tehran. Where did you say you were from?"
Simon looked behind his shoulder at his wife manning the small kitchen. "Ester and I are from a small village called Yaz. We were married at a very young age, but you see us now, 60 years, 6 kids and 24 or 25 grandkids later, I always forget one, and we're still together."
"When did you come to Israel, then?" Harm joined in the conversation.
"Oh, when we were quite old. We always knew about Israel but we were comfortable where we were. We lived among our neighbors in peace. Only when two of our sons came here and Ester couldn't bear being away from them, did we take our kids and come here to Jerusalem."
Ester was a small plump woman with her heart on her sleeve. Even before they'd managed to sit down she had places three cups of steaming home-made tea before them, along with her special sugar cubes. Now she approached them with a wide smile on her face and two plates in hand. Since she didn't speak any English she turned to Mac and spoke in Farsi. Mac's face lightened up at her words and she talked with the woman animatedly. Simon simultaneously translated the gist of things.
"Ester made you Khoresht Aloo. It's a Persian dish. Sarah remembers it from her grandmother and is now getting the recipe."
Harm smiled warmly at the woman, he knew how close Mac was to her grandmother and how she wished she had more memories to hold on to.
"Is there much difference between Jewish and non-Jewish Persians?"
"That's a big question. There are differences, from the religion to the food. But, you know, if you took me and my neighbor, there's more in common than there is different."
"Well, I wish more people saw it like you, achieving peace would be easier."
"You'd be surprised how many people see it like we do."
"Your food is getting cold, men!" Mac, halfway through her own serving, shot both men an incredulous look, backing up Ester's expectant gaze.
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After the meal Harm and Mac parted from the old couple, not before buying the knife as a souvenir and continued their journey through the old roads, soon reaching the Western Wall. They took long minutes to absorb the scene of so many people praying next to a huge wall built of enormous stones.
"Can you even imagine what it took to build this thing?" Harm was in awe.
They moved towards the structure, but soon discovered there was a separation between men and women going down to the wall. The large crowd and the idea of separation in it contributed to their decision to move on to their next stop.
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"We've been here before." Mac almost threw the map out the window.
"No kidding."
"Simon and that guy we stopped a while back said we need to go straight and that's what we did."
"Still we managed to go in circles. Straight must have a different meaning in this city."
"Here! Harm, take a right!"
"Yup, that was definitely straight. Remind me never to ask for directions in this city."
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"Mac, you have to see this. Look at these cucumbers! And those peppers! Now I get how they made those amazing salads in Tel Aviv, just look at their vegetables!"
"Only you would get a kick out of foreign vegetables, Harm..." Taking his hand in hers she pulled him out of the small place and into the market's passageway. Her hold on him was released moments later when she found a little bakery tucked in a corner, she decided to explore. Harm looked around, hands in his pocket as people walked around him like a stream curving the sides of a rock in its path.
A colorful display of flowers caught his eye and he moved closer, keeping an eye out for his companion. They were all quite beautiful, looking as fresh as the vegetables he'd admired earlier, but he knew what he was going to buy even before he examined them more closely. Ridding himself of some of his Israeli currency, he bought one long stemmed rose and walked away contentedly. He found Mac paying for some assortment of cookies and chose to stand two steps behind her, quietly waiting for her to turn around.
Thanking the kind baker again, Mac turned to find a rose held precisely in front of her face. Slightly startled, a gasp escaped her lips, which was immediately followed by a very wide smile as she accepted the gift.
"Thank you. To what do I owe this pleasure."
Harm only shrugged his shoulders. When he saw her lift the rose to her nose, he decided to take one step closer to the edge. "To your beauty."
Mac raised a brow and gave an amused smile, but he could see the blush creeping into her cheeks and he knew he'd gotten to her. She accepted the hand he discreetly held out and they started strolling once again.
He would forever remember suddenly turning to watch her profile. It only took a second before she turned her face to him and smiled. Her eyes questioned his attention not without a twinkle to match the message in her smile.
Suddenly life started coming in flashes. First came a flash of light. Everything in sight was replaced by blinding whiteness. The next flash was a rush of wind that literally lifted him off the ground and threw him backwards. Then came the pain which seemed to scream from every single nerve ending in his body and flood his system with information that was immediately lost in the chaos.
Sound, having been left out of the previous flashes, came back with a vengeance – screams of every tone, pitch and gender attacked his eardrums, some of which didn't even sound human. His brain sent a command for him to add to the noise and scream her name. Whether his lips complied or not, he would never know.
All of a sudden he could smell and see. His nostrils flared at the smell of smoke, burnt fabric and skin. His eyes widened at total destruction, thousands of pieces of glass, merchandise and people strewn all over. Already flooded from all the sense induced information, his brain couldn't help him solve the puzzle, there was just too much. It was overwhelming.
And then there was darkness
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TBC