A/N: A different take on Harm and Mac's "first" meeting and why Harm was a little stunned…

No Diane in this universe.

We the People

Chapter 1: A Little Too Familiar

January 1997

Georgetown

Lt. Cmdr Harmon Rabb, Jr didn't know why he found himself alone in a bar the night before he was to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a bar in Georgetown, no less…but there he was. He acknowledged that he'd felt wired and antsy all day and evening, but it was unusual for him to just hop in his car and drive aimlessly without any concrete destination.

He'd taken his biplane, Sarah, up that afternoon, but once he'd returned to his apartment, he'd been restless.

He should have stayed home and worked on his loft; he didn't even have all the wiring done and frankly he was sick of hauling ice up the stairs of his building day after day to keep his perishables cold. The elevator was sketchy at best, so until the building's owner actually fixed the the damn thing definitively, he would continue to carry up pound after pound of frozen water.

Yes, he should have just stayed home, but after nervously pacing about his loft for over an hour, he decided he needed to get out. He grabbed the keys to the 'vette and barely remembered locking up the apartment behind him before he was cruising the streets of Washington, no particular destination in mind.

He'd been driving around for about forty-five minutes, making a turn here, a turn there, before he'd found himself pulling into the lot of "Matt's Place." It looked slightly more upscale than the average pub, but that wasn't the reason he'd stopped here. He had no idea why he'd stopped here, actually. It just felt…right, somehow.

And so, here he was, alone in a bar…

Major Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie was angry. Pissed, even. She'd been stationed at Quantico for the last several months and had been investigating a double homicide when she got the call ordering her to immediately drop that case to be temporarily assigned to headquarters. Apparently, a mail truck manned by FBI agents had been attacked by a group of marines, and her services were gravely needed.

That thought caused her to roll her eyes. Something else was going on here; she wasn't fooled. But orders were orders…and now here she sat, alone in a bar near her apartment, sipping her tonic water with a twist of lime, just stewing.

The best part…she had to meet Admiral Chegwidden, the JAG, tomorrow at the White House Rose Garden. Apparently one of the naval officers she was to be working with was one of a few being honored in a special ceremony. There hadn't been time for her to be cleared to attend; she would only have the honor of lurking just outside the garden, waiting for him and Admiral Chegwidden.

With a deep sigh, she took another sip of her drink. She hated leaving things unfinished; she felt she was close to something in her double murder case but had been told in no uncertain terms that her only priority was the mail truck incident. She was to hand off the homicide case to Major Dickson. Tom Dickson had looked smug as she signed her case off to him, and all Mac could think of was that he was aptly named. He really was a di—

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Inwardly, Mac groaned. Couldn't she just sit here at the bar, enjoying her nonalcoholic beverage in peace? The speaker's tone indicated he was looking for more than just a seat, and she really was not in the mood.

Mac merely shrugged and motioned noncommittally to the stool next to her, not even turning to look at the owner of the voice. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the man was well built, tall with dark hair, and he was obviously was staring at her. She studiously ignored him, hoping the bartender would be here soon with the appetizer she'd ordered. Matt's Place wasn't all that busy tonight; surely it couldn't take much longer for her cheese curds to arrive. She took another sip of her drink, forcing herself to continue ignoring the man whom she knew was still staring.

"Whatcha drinking? I'll buy you another." Mac rolled her eyes. Casanova here wasn't going to quit.

"Tonic with a twist, and no thank you." She still didn't bother to look directly at him, praying he'd take the hint and leave. He reeked of cheap cologne and cigarettes and had to be wearing her weight in gold chains. Definitely not her type.

"Tonic? With a twist?" He sounded disgusted, as if she'd just told him she was drinking piss water. "Lemme buy you a real drink. Let's see, ya look too classy to drink one of those fruity drinks…how 'bout wine?" He held up his hand and waved it at Tim behind the bar. "Bartender, the lady'll have a glass of—"

This time she did turn herself fully to the man. She quickly sized up his thinning, from-a-bottle-black hair, well-muscled arms, soft belly, his shirt opened half-way. His gold bling rested on his rather furry chest; the hair there was heavily sprinkled with grey. He had to be at least thirty years older than her and obviously never missed an arm day, but looking down, that clearly couldn't be said for leg day. "A glass of—" he said again, then looked down at her. "Red or white, honey?"

"Neither. I don't want a drink." Mac tensed, ready to unleash Mac the marine.

Sugar Daddy here obviously couldn't take a hint. "Come on, baby—"

Alright, that's it. Mac slid off her stool. "Listen, I'm not your baby or your—"

"Honey!" Another man's arm went around her shoulders. "Sorry I'm late." Mac turned her head toward this new character, ready to take him out too…but found herself looking up at the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. His smile alone could melt the most frigid of hearts, and his twinkling blue-green eyes told her he had no prurient intentions. He gave her a little wink, and she decided to play along.

"That's okay, sweetie. I haven't been here too long." He gave her a shoulders a squeeze and held his hand out to Mac's smarmy would-be companion.

"Harmon Rabb. I see you've met Trish here."

The man stared at his new rival for a moment, then offered what looked to be a limp handshake. "Phil Stubbs," he mumbled, but then he grew bold again. "I was just gonna but the lady a drink." He drew himself up to his full height, but he still didn't measure up to this Harmon. Harmon had to be at least six-three, six-four, and he obviously didn't skip leg day, or arm day, or ab day or—Get a grip, Mac, she admonished herself. But she couldn't help it. The man was beautiful. And probably gay, she thought, because that would be just her luck. If he was gay, maybe he'd still be up for a little experimentation…Mac mentally slapped herself.

Harmon had stepped forward and now loomed over Phil. "Look, Phil. The lady said no, so I suggest you move on…that's my seat, anyway."

Apparently, Phil was not a quick learner. "Look here, man, I wanna hear it from the lady." He glared up at Harmon defiantly.

Mac nearly giggled. Phil Stubbs was certainly persistent. Stupid, but persistent. "The lady still says no." Phil glared at both of them and mumbled something that Mac didn't entirely catch, but she knew it was something derogatory regarding her character. Harmon obviously heard it, however; his arm shot out and he grabbed Phil by the open collar of his shirt.

"Listen, buddy…say that again and I'll make your last name a reality." It was said quietly, calmly, but there was steel there and there was no mistaking his sincerity. Finally, Phill Stubbs backed down. He threw a few bills up on the bar and shuffled away, leaving Mac and Harmon alone.

Harmon smiled sheepishly down at Mac. "Sorry. You just looked like you could use a hand."

Mac smiled back. Normally she would have been somewhat offended that a man thought he had to rescue her, but for some reason, she felt only warmed by this man's gallantry. "I really can take care of myself, but thank you." She held out her hand and he took it, his big hand dwarfing hers. His skin had a delicious roughness to it, and Mac felt a jolt of electricity burn through her core so intensely it nearly made her gasp.

"Sarah," she choked out, his hand still gripping hers tightly. She surprised herself when she'd told him her given name rather than the nickname she'd adopted years ago; with a little more thought, she realized she shamelessly wanted to appear more feminine.

"Harm," he answered softly, his voice rougher than it had been before. Their gazes locked, and two sets of pupils dilated with arousal. Neither pulled their hands away and the only movement for long seconds was Harm's thumb delicately stroking her wrist. The moment was broken by the arrival of Mac's cheese curds and Harm let go. They slid into their seats, smiling at each other as Mac popped the first curd in her mouth.

She'd developed a taste for the fried snack while she had attended college at the University of Minnesota. Cheese curds were abundant there and in Matt's Place, she had finally found a cheese curd that could measure up to the ones she'd eaten in Minnesota.

Mac had discovered Matt's Place shortly after she'd moved to Georgetown. She'd been drawn to it at first because it shared a name with her uncle, but inside she'd discovered a friendly place with good food and good music. It had a small dance floor, live bands on the weekends, and a good selection on the jukebox the rest of the time.

"Want one?" Mac offered, motioning to her basket of curds. She was amused at Harm's somewhat horrified expression. "Health nut?" she asked, grinning.

He shrugged. "I try."

She nodded. "You're missing out." She ate another one, hyperaware of his eyes focused on her mouth. She delicately licked her upper lip and Harm squirmed in his seat. She reached for another curd, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Trish?" she asked.

A light blush crept up Harm's face and Mac's lips curved up into a smile. "My mom."

"Ah." Her smile widened. "So, I remind you of your mother?" Harm's blush deepened.

"No! N-No. Of course not, um—it was just—just the first girl name…No, Sarah, you don't remind me of my mother…um, I think I will have one of those…" He picked up a cheese curd and shoved it into his mouth, his eyes widening in pleasure.

She laughed lightly. "Good, huh?" He nodded as he grabbed another curd, closing his eyes this time as he chewed. "So much for being a health nut," she giggled.

Harm held up his finger. "Just this once." He quickly grabbed one more, and Mac thought she'd better grab her share before he ate the rest of them. While they ate, the lights in the place dimmed and the jukebox came on. For the last few minutes, they hadn't really been talking, at least not with their mouths. Their eyes, however, carried on a deeper conversation than either of them thought possible.

Once the cheese curds were gone and their drinks finished, Harm took her hand in his again. A few couples had migrated to the dance floor and he motioned to them with his chin. "Dance with me, Sarah?" Never taking her eyes from him, she nodded and he helped her from her seat, waiting as he took a few bills from his wallet and placed them on the bar. It was more than enough to cover their drinks and the cheese curds; Tim was getting a hefty tip tonight.

Harm led her to the dance floor, pulling her into his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies meshed together perfectly, and Mac wondered what it would be like for him to make love to her, shivering as he pulled her closer.

"What's wrong?" His breath teased her ear and she shivered again. Her core clenched and she could feel herself growing wet with arousal.

"N-nothing…this is just…nice. Um, really nice."

Harm's lips brushed across her hair, and she snuggled into him, her head now resting on his shoulder.

"I think it's nice, too."

Harm rested his cheek on Sarah's hair, wondering at how quickly he seemed to be falling for this beautiful woman. He'd never felt anything like this before, this utterly complete connection with another human being, and it both terrified him and thrilled him. She sighed into his neck, and the tickle of her breath caused a familiar tightening in his groin. He tried to calm his body, but it was no use. His arousal grew and pressed against her belly.

"Haaarm…" she breathed, leaning away a little and tilting her head so he could capture her lips with his. Her tongue danced across the seam of his lips, and he opened his mouth to her, letting their tongues tangle and caress. Their kiss grew in intensity, and when they both had to pull away to catch their breath, she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "My apartment…it's close." Harm merely nodded and took her hand, leading her out of the bar.

The cold winter air hit them as they opened the door and stepped out. Mac shivered again and Harm drew her into his side. "Where's your car?" he asked.

"I walked."

Harm stopped in his tracks. "Sarah, you shouldn't be walking out in the dark like that." His concern both touched and exasperated her; as a marine she was more than capable of handling the two blocks to her apartment. Of course, he didn't yet know she was a marine.

"It's fine, Harm, I—" He had led her to a vintage red Corvette, and she had to stop and admire it. "Wow," she said as he beamed with pride.

"I restored her myself. Like it?" Her opinion seemed important to him.

"Oh, yeah…I like it." And she did. A lot. She liked him a lot too. Especially when he pressed her against the car and captured her lips again in another searing kiss. He tasted absolutely wonderful and she thought she could happily stand here and kiss him forever. She felt his arousal increase against her and she knew if they didn't leave now they'd make love right here.

"We'd better go, Harm," she gasped, and he, nodding in understanding, opened the passenger side door for her and practically shoved her down into the low-slung seat. She buckled herself in; it appeared Harm had installed fairly modern seatbelts.

"Which way?" he asked, and she directed him to her place. He couldn't get them there fast enough.

Once he had the car parked, she didn't wait for him to come around and open her door. She slid out of her seat, and he was right there to take her hand in his. She led him to her door and punched the code to let them in and called for the elevator. As soon as it arrived and the doors closed behind them, he was on her. The kiss was free from the restraint required in public and as his tongue plundered her mouth, one hand snaked up her back while the other slid down to cup her six. He ground his arousal into her as he pressed her up against the wall, and they almost missed the ding of the elevator as it arrived at her floor. She pulled him to her door and with trembling fingers, she unlocked it. As soon as the door was shut, she found herself pressed against it as Harm made love to her with his mouth. He worked his mouth from her lips to her jaw and down her neck, pausing to lick the hollow between her collar bones before he once again captured her lips with his own. Her hands pushed his leather bomber jacket off his shoulders and then she let one hand drift down over the bulge in his pants, thrilled when he pressed into it and gasped at her touch. Their clothes fell away from them as they made their way to her bedroom. By the time they made it over the threshold, they were both naked and Mac didn't think she'd ever seen a more perfect male form. His member was proudly erect, the largest she'd ever seen, and she wondered how she would be able to take all of that inside her. She was certainly willing to find out.

She also noticed something else. Around his neck was a pair of dog tags.

"Military?" Sarah asked him, and he looked at her in surprise. How did she know?

"Your dog tags." She motioned toward his chest.

Harm looked down. "Oh, yeah…Navy." He always wore them when he went flying and hadn't taken them off when he'd returned from the airfield earlier today. He picked up the chain and started to lift it over his head.

"No," her voice stopped him. "Leave 'em on."

Harm grinned. So, she liked military men…

Harm took a moment to just admire her naked form. Her breasts were full and round, the nipples hard and erect. She clearly took care of herself; her stomach was flat and her legs were toned. And then there was her six…it was perfection, the apples of her cheeks firm and high. He imagined taking her from behind, slamming himself into her while her perfect ass bounced against him.

But there were things he wanted, no, needed to do first. He longed to suckle at her breasts, taste her most intimate areas, cover her body with his own and watch her eyes as he filled her. That need overwhelmed him and he scooped her up in his arms to lay her down on her bed. Her legs opened for him and he settled in between them, taking his time as he kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck. He dipped down to take a nipple between his teeth, nipping and sucking, swirling his tongue around it. She shuddered underneath him, the breathy whisper of his name from her lips driving him wild and making him almost painfully hard. He had more to do, though, before they joined together.

He made love to her other breast first, and then it was time to taste her. He ran a finger through her soaking wet folds, thrilled at how he'd aroused her, amazed at the hot, silken feel of her. She writhed underneath his hand, clenching her thighs around it and bucking her hips up so his finger dipped even deeper. He buried it inside her then, inserting another finger as well and pumped them in and out of her as he took her swollen nub into his mouth. Soon he heard her scream of release as she shuddered around him, and he groaned. He had to be completely inside her. Now.

"Sarah?" She read the question in his eyes and she nodded.

"Condoms…top drawer." She motioned to her nightstand and Harm pulled away from her to retrieve one. She fleetingly wondered if a regular condom would fit him, he was so large, but she decided not to worry about it. If it didn't…well, she wasn't sure she wouldn't just let it go and have him take her anyway.

Once Harm had the package open, he rolled the condom on and settled once again between her legs. He slid his cock through her folds a few times, lubricating it, and then she felt his tip press against her entrance. She nodded, and then he slowly, slowly slid inside her, letting her stretch and lengthen to accommodate him. Once he was completely inside, he looked deeply into her eyes. "Please, Harm," she begged, and then he began to move within her.

It was a dance as old as time, but both of them felt like they'd never truly experienced this before. Her whimpers grew into low moans as he loved her, and as she wrapped her legs tightly around him, he groaned. "Oh, god, Sarah," he gasped.

"I know," she whispered. This was more than sex. Her ecstasy grew as he gradually he increased his speed, and when he reached in between them to stroke her clit, she arched off the bed into him, screaming his name. She was so close, and when she finally came, he came with her. She shuddered around him as he ground his hips into her, and when he was finally spent, he started to pull away. She was having none of it though, clamping her legs high around him. "No, not yet," she whispered, and he was happy to oblige. He'd stay here forever if she'd let him.

Eventually they grew drowsy, their caresses soothing for the both of them, and he pulled away. They shifted until she was spooned against him, and they drifted off into blissful, dreamless sleep.

The next morning…

Harm awoke with a start. For a moment he didn't know where he was, but then he remembered. Sarah…

But where was she? The bed was cold next to him and for a moment he panicked.

Gradually, however, he became aware of her moving about in the other room, and the smell of fresh coffee filled his nostrils. He lay back and stretched, a feeling that he was forgetting something settling over him.

Suddenly it hit him.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. The ceremony. At the White House. Dear god, what time is it? Harm looked around for a clock, surprised when he couldn't find one. Just then, Sarah appeared at the door with a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Harm? What's wrong?"

"What time is it, Sarah?" He expected her to look at a watch or something, but her answer was quick and precise.

"Oh, fuck…oh, god, I'm sorry Sarah…I have to be somewhere. Um…" He leapt out of bed and frantically located his clothes. Sarah hung back, a strange expression on her face.

"You're married, aren't you." She sounded devastated. That stopped Harm in his tracks. He immediately stopped what he was doing it and gripped her shoulders with his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

"No, Sarah, I'm not. Not seeing anyone…anyone else either. I really do have to be somewhere…but…" He looked around, finally asking her for a pen and paper. She found the items for him and he quickly wrote down his phone number. "Here…"

She took it from him but didn't say anything.

"Sarah…I really have to go…I have this thing…I need to get into my uniform…I can't be late for it…" She nodded slowly, suspicion still in her eyes. It broke his heart, and he had the sense this woman had been hurt, and deeply, before. "Sarah, please…call me. Those are my home, cell, and work numbers. I want to…no, I think I need to see you again." He leaned down and kissed her and he was thrilled when she responded. "Okay?" he asked as he pulled back.

She still looked doubtful, but she nodded. "Okay." Harm grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, pausing and turning toward her before he opened it.

"Sarah, if I don't hear from you, I'll be back here. Oh, god, I sound like a stalker, don't I. Sarah, I'll be back…but…but not, not in a…weird way, okay?" He figured he must look like mad man, but he was desperate for her to understand his intentions. Finally, to his great relief, she laughed.

"Yes, okay, Harm. Go…I'll call you, I—I promise."

With one final grin, he left her, happier than he'd been in a long time, despite the fact that he was probably going to be just slightly late for his ceremony. Oh, well…a call from Sarah would more than make up for any tongue lashing he got from the admiral. He was sure of it.

The ceremony had ended, and Mac waited at the entrance to the Rose Garden, waiting to meet Admiral Chegwidden and the naval officer she was going to be working with. She watched as dignitaries and officers passed her, smiling slightly when she recognized her new, if temporary, CO.

Her eyes were focused on Admiral Chegwidden as she saluted and greeted him, so she didn't see the man next to him nor the man's shocked expression right away.

But then the admiral introduced them…

Oh my god…

Trained to hide any emotions, she held out her hand to him, this time introducing herself as 'Mac'. Harm just stared at her and with growing embarrassment, she started to withdraw her hand.

This is not good, she thought, still in shock.

Harm stared at Sarah, no, Mac for long seconds, flashes of their night together going through his mind. He finally came out of his stupor as she began to withdraw her hand. He caught it, introducing himself as 'Harm' though of course that wasn't necessary. He was still in absolute shock, barely catching the 'Sarah' that wanted to escape from his mouth as the admiral looked between the two of them. The older officer wore a look of consternation on his face.

"You two know each other?" ask the admiral, and without thinking, Harm answered 'yes, sir' at the same time Mac answered 'no, sir.' Harm caught the look in Mac's eyes and the slight shake of her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Major. Of course, I don't know you. I just had a moment of déjà vu."

She smiled slightly. "It must be the uniform."

"No, actually, she wasn't wearing a uniform."

The two of them continued to eye each other, praying they weren't giving anything away.

"Don't get too familiar," the admiral spoke. "You're gonna work together."

Too late.

With a last look between each other, they headed down the walk toward the waiting car.

Things were going to get interesting…

End