Title: The First Step Towards the Rest of Your Life

Author: red rooster dawn

Pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimers: The characters of JAG are the property of Donald Bellisario and Bellisarius Production, Inc. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. May be reproduce if unchanged, author given full credit, and no financial transaction is involved.

Summary: It has been a long time since they have been together so Harm and Mac get together in a big way.

Feedback is welcome

part six

"People don't think I have a sense of humor. Many of my coworkers think that since I'm a gung ho by the book Marine, that I can't be funny especially the nerdy techno geeks. (referring to Bud)

But in reality I'm a very funny girl who likes to have fun. I've gotten away with so many practical jokes in the office because no one can imagine me doing them." Mac gave the audience a seductively sly smile.

"I told you Gunny I didn't do it!" exclaimed Jason.

"Not now Tiner." moaned Gunny. He hated it whenever Jason was right about anything. Ad tonight he had been right about everything.

"What do you want most in the world?" asked Harm. He was beginning to suspect something fishy was going on. Why would a marine be speaking with a Italian accent?

"He has to be tall and good looking with a job he likes." smiled Sandy.

"I would like a man who is self assured and isn't afraid to show sensitivity when I'm having a bad day." replied Jordan. Another good answer she thought. She couldn't beat Mac at he game she was playing.

"Lets see .... a good man, .... a great career, .... and lots and lots of ..... " smiled Mac changing her accent to Russian.

"Shoes!" smiled Harm as he finished her sentence.

"He knows." said Bud as he saw Mac's face light up. She looked even more beautiful than before as her smile grew in size and her eyes sparkled.

Mac knew that Harm knew she was there. She had given him enough clues.

"How?" asked Turner not understanding anything though he was enjoying the show.

"Just look at her. Have you ever seen a more beautiful smile in your life. There is only one person who can put a smile on her face like that ..... " said Bud as everyone else yelled "Rabb!"

"Number three, tell me about one of your favorite moments in your life?" asked Harm.

"There are so many, it's hard to pick just one. I guess it would be the first time I met a smug former tomcat pilot in the White House Rose Garden. He was wearing his dress whites with gold wings upon his chest.

When we were introduced he wouldn't shake my hand. He just stood there looking deep into my eyes as though he was searching for my soul. When he finally came out of his stupor he mentioned something about his gold wings and I laughed at him.

A few months later he took me flying in a stearman. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world to feel the wind in your face, your hair blowing wildly knowing that he was sharing his most favorite passion with you, flying." said Mac with a tear in her eye.

There was a round of applause as the audience heard a wonderful story and saw another side of this beautiful woman who just happened to be a Marine. She was very special.

The Jag staff looked over to AJ and Bud. They wondered if what they had just heard was theater or the truth. No wonder there was such a connection between them.

Jordan looked over at Mac. She had always wondered why their connection was so strong. Harm had never told her about how he and Mac had met. It sounded so perfect. It was like a fairly tale. Mac just nodded as to say it was true.

"I fancy myself to be a good cook. What kind of meal would I need to cook for you to gain your appreciation?" asked Harm. By this time he was target fixated. He was only asking Mac.

"As long as it's not Harm's meatless meatloaf. They were serving it one time when I was aboard an aircraft carrier. Seems some flyboy had convinced the cooks that it was good and fit to be serve by them.

Since many servicemen don't bother to read anything fully they only saw meatloaf, not that it was meatless. It was so bad they had to dispose of it as hazardous waste." smiled Mac drawing a laugh from the audience.

"Since I'm a Marine I like to eat meat. My favorite is a king size cheeseburger. It contains the four major food groups; dairy, vegetable, that's ketchup, grease, and dead cow." said Mac now using a French accent.

Once again the audience laughed hysterically. She indeed was very funny. They saw the different looks Harm gave as Mac went from dumping on what was obviously one of his creations to the appreciation of the dead cow.

"I think I've heard something about that before." moaned Harm.

"I thought you said the Colonel wasn't funny Bud." commented Turner.

"I never laugh at a senior officer Sir." replied Bud.

"Good save lieutenant." smiled AJ.

"As a squid I like to see little green marine butts moving away from me as in hitting the beaches. It means that there is some action going on and the Navy has done its job. What can I expect to see from you?" asked Harm with a smile.

Sandy and Jordan knew it was over. Mac was going to be the choice. He hadn't asked them a question in ten minutes.

"I didn't know Squids could see Marine green. Besides you wouldn't be able to see anything worthwhile from twenty thousand feet. You would have to come back to earth flyboy to see me. While I'm angel beyond description I don't reside up in the heavens." smiled Mac leaving Harm speechless.

"Ladies starting from number one, how would you rate your beauty on a scale of one to ten with ten being very beautiful?"

"I would say about eight point five. I'm too short to be a perfect ten." replied Sandy happy to be included in the game and conversation again.

"I would say being tall with long blond hair I'm at least a nine to nine and a half. Blonds are a special breed all onto themselves." smiled Jordan.

"I would be off the scale for my beauty is immeasurable. Though it has been rumored that only the Goddess Athena was as beautiful as I am." said Mac as she gave the audience the most radiant smile yet to be seen.