Hello my friends! Chapter 12 is short, Chapter 13 has some smut parts in it and it is being betaed. No excuses, I am sure you don't want to hear them but karma sucks... course it's our boss' karma that is running over our dogma, but whatever.

Enough to say that I have to head into the office at 8pm tonight to repair something because our comptuer, which should have been backed up anyway, crashed. sighs

Anyway... three things I am working on when I can. "The fine art of marraige" and the honeymoon section which will be a hoot. "Getting out of reverse" which has to do the probably in the winter of season 10 when Harm and Mac have an accident while it's snowing. Some cute scenes in there. And, Vampire Heart which I need to do some major work on and I am almost writing backwards... well. Backwards, sideways, upside down, etc. I have some middle chapter done which, believe it or not, is the smut scene. LOL!! More on that as we go along.

I am hoping to get some sort of freaking vacation so that I can work on the website, which will likely get all chopped down and just wind up being a FF/Harm & Mac site taht I don't have to work on too much. I really want to do a full JAG site with episode info and images, but, call me lazy.

So here we go... enjoy though it's short. :)

Jackie
PS: THanks to JANLAW for the law jargon!

Chapter 12 – Solitary Man

1345 Courtroom B

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Much to Mac's relief, Harm decided to go ahead with the trial. Part of him wasn't sure that the move was a good one, but on the other hand, he wasn't about to hand the CIA his soul on sliver platter. "Hey buddy." As he stepped through the doors, he was greeted by a familiar and welcomed friend.

"Keeter." Harm took the offered handshake and resisted the urge to pull his friend into a 'manly hug,' a security blanket that he needed at the moment. At the very least, if the case went asunder, he would have support. "Can't tell you how glad I am that you're here."

"I was sitting in the back for the first half. . .Man, that lawyer of yours is good." He motioned towards Mac who shot a warm smile his way. "Any luck with her yet?"

"No." The answer was definitive, leaving no room for any type of askance. Harm didn't want to discuss the forays of Friday night or how Diane undoubtedly destroyed his life yet again. The topic would only enrage his friend's dislike of his former girlfriend. "She's my lawyer and let's leave it at that."

Keeter stood his ground. "You don't seem pleased with the idea."

"Once this is all over and I finally have a chance to breathe, I'll fill you in on the details. . .Just promise me you won't say, 'I told you so.'" He deadpanned and knew it would be the exact treatment he'd receive from Keeter. This time, more than ever, his friend was dead on.

"This has Diane written all over it." He'd seen it before, the destruction that the woman could leave in her wake once she couldn't get what she wanted. Keeter hated her for that and for toying with Harm without any sense of remorse. What he hated more, however, was his friend's inability to move on.

"Yes." Harm didn't dare deny it, for fear of what could possibly happen if he did. He wouldn't delude himself over Diane anymore. Especially not after that little trick she played on him, knowing full well that Mac was in his bedroom. It all reeked of desperation and he wasn't about to give into being a conquest for her. "It's over. For good this time. Adam isn't taking a bite of her apple again."

"Hmmm. Did you manage to tell her that?" He pointed with his thumb to where Diane was seated. "Why is she here?"

Harm shrugged. "She was a witness for the prosecution." He didn't know if she was allowed into the courtroom for that reason or if she was only there to torment him. Whatever the case, it would make him that much more nervous when the verdict was determined. "Look, I have to finish this. . .Whatever happens, drinks are on me?"

"When have you ever known me to bail on free drinks?" Keeter smiled and then clapped a hand against Harm's back. "Good luck, Harm."

Once he took his place at her side, Mac resisted the urge of pressing her hand against his arm. She wanted to comfort him but knew that physical contact would only exacerbate the feelings she held prisoner inside. She'd made the decision not to want him and she would stick to it, her heart be damned. "It was nice of Jack to come."

"Keeter's a good friend." Harm said and hoped that his displeasure of Mac calling Keeter by his first name didn't show on his face. It was a jealous emotion though he knew he had no right to it. Christ, if he'd just sent Diane packing when she met them at the airfield that one day, this would have never happened. He would have never slept with Diane, would have never allowed her to believe that they were a couple again. "We're going for drinks later, no matter the outcome."

Mac didn't comment. No matter the outcome she would be on her way home opting to wash away the day's proceedings with a hot shower followed by a bowl of chicken soup. She needed a detachment away from the case.

As confidant as Mac was that the members would see things her way, there was always that little bit of apprehension, especially with a case that could potentially be swayed with political help. She swallowed down a big gulp of water as the members filed in and took their seats in the jury box.

"Have the members reached a verdict?" Admiral Morris looked expectantly at the senior member who handed the findings worksheet to the bailiff.

"We have, your Honor."

Harm was positive that his heart had never beaten so fast before. The only thing more frightening was his first carrier landing. He turned towards Mac who he noted was holding her breath. That didn't bode well and a glance towards Senator Mace's expectant face, Harm knew that his life was over.

Admiral Morris took a brief look, his facial features remaining neutral as he studied the findings. He handed the sheet back to the bailiff and motioned for the paper to be returned to the senior member. "Will the accused and counsel please rise?"

Mac couldn't help the audible sigh as she stood. Tough cases usually took a lot out of her, especially when she was so sure her client was innocent. With Harm, she was glad that no one knew just how invested she was in the case.

"Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Junior." Hearing his name echo in the confines of the courtroom rushed Harm with a feeling of impending doom. Christ, he didn't want to work for the CIA. He'd rather spend his life piloting a crop duster. So many years of Navy training and it would be thrown away because of a man that never belonged in a plane to begin with.

"We the members find as follows: On all charges and specifications, not guilty."

There was a moment where time seemed to hang by a thread. It sank in that political demons couldn't win everything they put their money towards and that the good guys sometimes did finish first. The courtroom erupted then and Admiral Morris' gavel brought the proceedings to an end.

Not guilty. The words echoed within Harm, despite the loud cacophony that echoed in the chamber. To his right, Senator Mace was yelling angrily, something about having Krennick's eagles for her poor showing. He almost felt like defending the woman - almost - until he remembered that she had tried so hard to bury him.

Slowly, he found himself turning towards Mac who was staring at him expectantly. He let his breath out in a large gush and grabbed her in his arms, crushing her smaller body against his own. He hugged her fiercely. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Mac eased out of his arms with difficulty and managed to grab a breath before answering him. "I was just doing my job, Commander." It was a neutral answer in a tone that denied all of her confusing feelings over him, but her eyes were starting to water over. She felt the familiar burn in her eyes from unshed tears and knew that it was time to make a hasty retreat before the vultures assaulted her with questions. "Have a good life." She pushed past him, trying to head to the doorway until he maneuvered his body to block her.

"That's it? Have a good life?" He'd hoped that there was something more, but the determination in her face said otherwise. "Mac?. . .Mac? Please."

"I can't." She glanced up at him sadly and then stepped past onto the sea of people in her wake. Mac didn't answer questions from anyone and chose only to have a visual conversation with Diane. She glared at the woman as she passed and saw, what she knew, was a look of victory. Diane finally had the man that she wanted and Mac had lost.

Keeter managed to push past the throngs of people and arrive to the defense table only to find Harm slumping into a chair. "How's about that drink?" He slapped his friend in the back and waited for some sort of reaction to the victory. Instead, Harm sat there, utterly confused and hurt. "Harm?" He made no attempt at communication until someone else, a woman, called his name.

It was then that he whipped towards her, coming to his feet in seconds. "Congratulations, sailor. I thought my testimony had torpedoed you." Diane smiled up at him, opting for her charming approach that used to melt him. This time, it had the opposite effect. "So, who's buying drinks? You Jack?" She eyed Keeter suspiciously, knowing full well that the man didn't like her. It meant that he would not be joining them if she managed to drag Harm off and away.

Before Keeter could shoot off a witty returner, Harm was standing in front of her. He was deadly close, his voice dropping to a low hiss. "I used to think the world of you. Did you know that?"

Diane merely chuckled at his behavior and slapped his chest playfully. "Course I did. And you damned near traveled that world to be with me."

He had indeed, by requesting to change to a different squadron just so that he could share the same carrier with Diane. The change had happened so effortlessly that he believed fate had brought them together. Now he believe it was nothing more than keeping the Navy's ace pilot content. The move now seemed simply repulsive, if not completely psychotic. At once it seemed so romantic and charming.

"Don't. . . Don't touch me." He pushed her hand away as it tried to make contact with his forearm. He wouldn't strike a woman, his mother and grandmother had raised him better than that, however, it was difficult to control the rage he felt inside now. "Everything I've ever felt for you, it's gone. . . Completely gone."

She chuckled at the affirmation as if it were something he was saying only to get her riled up. As far as she was concerned, her 'twin' had lost and Harm was hers. "Harm, baby, we're good together. You know that."

"How long will we be good for this time? A month or two? I used to think we were good together. Now I realize that all you do is manipulate your way into people's lives. When you are through, you toss them aside without any care as to what they feel."

Diane smoothed her hands over his chest, stopping just short of his belt. She smiled at him and turned her head just slightly in a seductive manner. "I know you're a little upset about the other night. . ."

"Upset?!" Harm pushed her hands away. "I'm through." With that, he stepped past her and onto the people waiting to question his reaction on the case. "I don't want to see you again. Not now, not ever. I'm through." He threw over his shoulder and pushed his way past.

"You can't mean that!" Diane yelled and tried to head after harm only to be stopped by Keeter. "Let me go, you jackass! Harm!"

But Keeter stood his ground, blocking the path with his arms folded. "Dollface, I'm tired of doing nothin' and considering I was the moron who pushed him to hook up with you in the first place, I figure I owe him. . . Leave him alone, Di. There are other pilots out there for you to torture."

Diane raised a brow in question. "You saying you're interested?"

A deep rumble of laughter sounded from Keeter. "Not in this lifetime or any other thank you very much. . .Bye, Diane." He too turned away leaving Diane yelling like a mad woman, he chuckled at the spectacle and was confident that Harm wouldn't make that mistake ever again. If he did, well, Keeter will just have to beat him over the head with some sort of blunt object.