AN: Thank for all the great reviews, guys. Decided that I'm going to make this story a little longer than just the two or three chaps I had in mind. Enjoy the ride... ;-)
JAG HQ
Falls Church, VA
0803 hours local
It's been a week since I've told Harm. A very long week. And he hasn't even been avoiding me. Quite the opposite, actually. He's been around more than normally. He's friendly, and attentive, and all those other things Harm is.
To be honest, it felt pretty liberating to tell Harm what it really was that's bothering me. On one hand it feels like there's been a total weight lift of my shoulders, on the other I feel guilty because I've dumped it all on him.
I dump by briefcase on my desk and want to turn around to the break room for a much needed cup of coffee when something in the corner of my eye makes me stop. A little plain white envelope. No name. No nothing. Inside is a little card.
I'll see in you in a bit, and just knowing that puts a huge smile on my face.
Oh, Harm... I take a deep breath and look at the simple line again. What is this? I press the card to my heart for a few seconds, then put it back in its envelope and in my briefcase. I have to try and get my emotions under control before entering the break room...
Harm is talking to Sturgis when I enter the break room and winks at me. "Morning, Mac." He moves a little to the side so that I can get myself a cup of coffee. His eyes are still fixed on me, and my lips pull into a careful smile.
"Good morning, gentlemen." I turn around and take a slow sip of my coffee.
Harm picks up their conversation where they've left off, and I stand in between them, sipping my coffee and listening. My thoughts drift of to Tuesday night again. Harm just held me, he didn't say anything. Not that there was anything that had to be said. I knew he was concerned. Still is, probably. He's been trying to lift my spirits with doing little things. Dinner, that little card in my office, random phone calls just to check in on me. I couldn't be more grateful that he's been doing that, because it means that he's showing interest, but it's still a hard thing to grasp.
"Hey Mac, what are you doing this weekend?" Suddenly, Harm has turned to me.
"What?" I ask, looking up. I was a million miles away.
He grins. "I asked what you're doing this weekend?"
"Oh." I shrug. "Nothing. Need to do some cleaning around the house, I think I'll finally finish that book I've been reading for the past weeks and can't seem to get through... You know, the usual weekend things." Something in his smile makes me ask the next question. "Why?"
"I was thinking that you maybe wanted to go do something. If you can find the time between your cleaning and reading." He gives me an expectant look. "What do you say, Marine?"
Really? I'd love to spent time with him, I'm just not sure he wants to spent his weekend with me. "Are you sure?" It must sound pretty pathetic, me asking him if he's sure, but I just need to know.
A nod and a grin is all I get. "Yup." He puts his mug in the sink behind me. "I'll tell you something, you can pick our activity. Go figure out what you want to do and let me know." With that, he leaves the break room.
He's going to let me pick? Seriously? Sturgis is looking at me, a soft smile spread across his face. "You look like you deserve a fun weekend, Mac," he says.
I look up. "You think so, Sturgis?"
"I know so." He gives my arm a soft squeeze and walks in the direction of the bull pen. Filling my coffee cup with coffee again, I start to make a list of things that might be fun to do.
The morning is over before I know it and Harm is standing in the door way to my office, one ankle crossed over the other. "You ready for lunch yet, Mackenzie?"
Closing my file and rising, I nod. "Totally. Where do you want to go?"
Harm gives me the biggest grin I've seen in ages. "Surprise, Ninja-girl. Just wait and see."
I slap his arm. "You know I don't like surprises," I say.
"I know. That's exactly why." He winks and I follow him out of the office.
A surprise… What could he possible have planned?
TBC