Adrift part 3 Chapter 3, a jag fanfic

Firstly, thank you all for you reviews . I'm glad you are still enjoying it, and I hope you'll all continue to do so!

To the reviewer who mentioned that Sturgis would have had some reaction to how much Mac looks like Dianne – Thank you for bringing it up! I have only recently started watching jag, in the middle of the 6th series, so have missed a lot and all that I know bout Dianne comes from reading fanfic which is why it didn't occur to me to put something like that in! I'll try and put a bit in about that either this chapter or the next. 

Also it has been brought to my attention that referring to Sturgis as "coloured" could be taken as racist by some people – a thousand apologies for this, it definitely was not my intention, as where I'm from that is not considered insulting or rude. However, to avoid any upset I will change that bit of chapter 2 when I come to post this chapter!

Song number one is 'How am I supposed to live without you" by Michael Bolton

Song number two, 'Crazy Love' by Rod Stewart

JAG Headquarters

Harm was sat at his desk, going through the mountains of emails that had piled up in his absence. He was so glad to be back at JAG, thrilled to see Sturgis, and relieved that he and Mac were getting on ok seeing as he had all but abandoned her in her time of need to comfort Renee. Momentarily distracted from the boring task in front of him, he allowed his mind to drift to Mac. His Mac. We were getting so close. He thought. So many misunderstandings, so many mistakes. When will we get our shot at making right?! I never thought that Renee would be the one to step back, even though I think we both knew that once Mac finished with Mic it was over between us. Sitting there, at his desk, his mind jumped back to a time shortly after Mac had swapped Mic's ring from her right to her left hand. He had felt a part of him die that day, knowing that it was he who had pushed her right into Mic's arms.

FLASHBACK

Harm was sat in his office, the radio on in the background. He couldn't concentrate, all he could think about was Mac's announcement the previous day. How can she be marrying Bugme?! He thought, God, this is all my fault, Rabb, you are without a doubt the stupidest man on this earth! Suddenly, the song on the radio caught his attention.

I could hardly believe it, when I heard the news today

I had to come and get it straight from you

They said you were leavin', someone's swept your heart away

From the look uponyour face I see it's true

So tell me all about it, tell me 'bout the plans you're makin'

Oh, then tell me one thing more before I go

CHORUS:

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you

Now that I've been lovin' you so long

How am I supposed to live without you

And how am I supposed to carry on

When all that I've been livin' for is gone

I'm too proud for cryin', didn't come here to break down

It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end

And how can I blame you when I built my world around

The hope that one day we'd be so much more than friends

I don't wanna know the price I'm gonna pay for dreaming, oh

Even now it's more than I can take

There was a knock at the door, and Harm jumped, alarmed to find a couple of tears running down his face. The song had really struck a chord with him, he just wish he knew what he could do. The knock at the door sounded again.

"Harm?" Mac's voice came clearly through the door, "Are you in their" Harm quickly brushed the tears away, calling,

"Come in Mac!"

"Are you ok sailor?" she asked, hesitantly stepping into the room. "I haven't see you all day, wanna get some dinner?"

"Are you sure your fiancé won't mind?" Harm asked, the disgust evident in his voice when he said the word fiancé.

"Dammit Harm!" Mac exclaimed, "You're my best friend, why can't you be happy for me!"

"I'll be happy when you're happy." He had replied, "Tell me you're truly happy Mac."

"I'm truly happy" she replied, looking at his face, but refusing to meet his eyes.

He sighed, he knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he didn't have the strength to push it.

"The I'm happy for you." He replied, "Come on ninja girl, let me buy you dinner!"

"Shall we go to the Chinese?" Mac asked, as they headed out of JAG headquarters.

"Sure, I'll drive, hop in!"

Back in the present, Harm sighed, It was time, he decided, Time to act. Mac still isn't happy, for both our sakes I need to fix it. Fix the damage I did back in Australia. Once again his attention was captured by the radio that he had playing softly in the background.

I can hear her heart beat from a thousand miles

And the heaven opens everytime she smiles

And when I come to her that's where I belong

Yet I run into her like a river's song

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

She got a fine sense of humour when I'm feeling low down

And when I come to her when the sun goes down

Take away my trouble, take away my grief

Take away my heartache in the night like a theif

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

And I need her in the daytime

And I need her in the night

And I want to throw my arms around her

Kiss and hug her, kiss and hug her tight

And when I'm returning from so far away

She give me some sweet lovin', brighten up my day

Yet it makes me righteous, yes it makes me whole

Yet it makes me mellow down into my soul

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

As he listened to Rod Stewert's gravely voice, his mind flashing through a million and one memories of Mac, he realised, just as unbeknownst to him the previous night Mac had, he had found his song for Harriet's charity fundraiser. Once again he was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock at the door, and Sturgis' head appeared.

"You busy buddy?" he asked, noting the faraway look in his friends eye. Sturgis had known Harm a long time, and could read his looks as well as Mac. This one was definitely over a girl. And Sturgis had a pretty good idea as to which particular girl it could be.

"Being drowned by bureaucracy!" Harm replied with a grin. "Come on in, have a seat!"

"Nice office!" Sturgis replied, as he sat down, noticing and reaching for a framed picture that sat on Harm's desk.

"Is that you and Mac?" He asked, "Where were you?"

"Afghanistan" Harm replies, smiling.

"Do you know," Sturgis started, putting the picture back on the desk, "When I met you guys in the office this morning, I was shocked at how much Mac looks like Dianne."

"I know," Harm replied, "It caused us a few teething problems when we first started working together! When we met, I thought I had seen a ghost! It was an even scarier experience than what I had been through earlier that day!" Sturgis looked at him. There was clearly something to that story.

"Where did you two meet exactly?"

"The White House Rose Garden!" Harm responded with a slightly wistful smile, "just after I had got my first DFC." Sturgis laughed.

"Wow, that's a story and a half to tell the grandkids!" Harm laughed at that.

"Is this the part where you start to quiz me on my love life buddy!?!"

"Well?!" Sturgis replied, his eyes sparkling. "I take it the two of you ARE dating?!" Harm rolled his eyes,

"No Sturgis we're not dating. She was due to get married last week, that's all over now, her ex-fiancé has gone back to Australia."

"Why did she call off the wedding?" Sturgis asked interestedly, the exchange he had witness earlier told him that it had to be something to do with Harm.

"The plane I was flying went down in the Atlantic when I was on my way back to the mainland for her wedding. No-one knew if I was dead or alive. When they found me alive, I don't know exactly what happened, but they decided not to set a new date, and Mic left to go back to Australia." Harm said, withholding the slightly more personal details of the story, in an attempt to avoid Sturgis' usual tactic of incessant questions until he got the response he wanted.

"He left her?" Sturgis asked, surprised. He had figured that Mac would have been the one to leave. Given the looks that had passed between them during the one exchange that Sturgis had witnessed, it was clear that Mac was crazy about Harm. And the protectiveness in his town as he had explained the situation to him suggested that Harm felt the same way. He looked Harm straight in the eye. "You love her….don't you?"

"Of course I love her, she's my best friend." Harm replied, looking down at his hands.

"Uh-uh buddy, this is me, I KNOW you! You are crazy about her! Don't even bother denying it!"

"Fine," Harm said, "yes, yes I love her."

"And have you told her?"

"I haven't had the chance." Harm sighed, "The day Mic left, she was coming over to see me when my then girlfriend turned up on my doorstep because her father had died. Mac insisted that I shouldn't worry about her and that I should stay and help Renee. She said we would have plenty of chances to talk when I got back."

"And have you?" Sturgis pressed.

"Today's my first day back." Harm admitted, "We spoke on the phone a couple of times when I was at Renee's, but we haven't had the chance yet."

"What's stopping you?"

"Let's just say, we've been through a lot, Mac and I, and I don't want to push her before she's ready."

"Ok buddy, well just don't wait too long ok? Come on, it's the end of the day, lets go and get a drink" Sturgis suggested, getting to his feet.

"I won't" Harm all but muttered under his breath as he followed Sturgis out of his office.

McMurphy's Bar

Harm followed Sturgis into the bar, and spotted the rest of the JAG crew sitting in their usual corner.

"Welcome back Harm!" they all chorused as they approached the table.

"Here sir," Tiner said, jumping to his feet, "You can have my seat!" Harm smiled at him,

"Thanks Tiner," he replied, sliding into the booth next to Mac, giving her his best flyboy grin. "Hey Jarhead!" Mac grinned back, almost flirtatiously,

"Hey yourself Squid! How was your first day back? Ready to run screaming back to the hospital yet?!"

"Only now I've seen you ninja girl!" he replied, teasingly, the huge grin on his face reassuring her that he was only kidding.

"Nice flyboy, nice! If you want to go back so bad, I'd be happy to kick your six back there!!" Mac countered, with a grin. The rest of the group exchanged amused glances, each of them wondering whether the two lawyers realised they were there. AJ cleared his throat,

"Harm, on behalf of all of us, I'd like to say welcome back, we're so glad to see you back safe and sound! And for the love of god, next time you're flying in bad weather please do your best to not fly STRAIGHT THROUGH a storm!!" The group laughed, but Sturgis noticed a flicker of sadness flash across Mac's face before she joined in the laughter.

"So," Harriet started, "Now that I've got you all here, I'd like to talk about the next fundraiser I've been planning." She looked around the table like a hopeful child, "It's going to be a mini version of American Idol!" Those in the group who had yet to hear this idea groaned slightly. They knew from experience that Harriet wouldn't let them get away with not participating. "I'll expect you to let me know which songs you'll be singing by next Monday night. The competition will take place next Friday. You'll be pleased to know that the guys from NCIS will be joining us for it. And it goes without saying that we have to beat them!!"

Thanks for reading!!!

I'll update soon, let me know what u think, or if I'm missing anything. I'm always open to new plot ideas!