A/N: Thanks for the comments! jagfanNIKKI, I was amused by how you pointed out that the ball is now in Harm's court, … if only because of the setting for this next chapter … :0) Teacup

I See – Chapter 2

"And another two points for me!" exclaimed Sturgis, moving around Harm to retrieve the basketball. "Man, you are really off your game tonight, buddy."

In defiance, Harm quickly stole the ball from Sturgis and went up for a jump shot. As if to prove his friend's point, the ball hit the rim and bounced down to the ground.

"Damn!" Harm muttered.

"What's got you so worked up today?" asked Sturgis, realizing that something was eating at Harm. "Surely the Singer thing is finally cooling off."

"It's not the Singer thing," insisted Harm bitterly.

"Then what?"

"Nothing."

"This wouldn't happen to have something to do with a certain Marine Lieutenant Colonel who was walking around JAG headquarters in a huff this afternoon, would it?"

Harm picked up the ball, and reluctantly admitted, "We might have had a disagreement earlier."

"Might have?"

"Okay, we did." Harm dribbled the ball.

"Professional or … personal?" Sturgis asked.

"Why is it you always assume something is personal between Mac and me?"

"Isn't it?"

"Do you have to answer a question with another question?" Harm was not in the mood for playing these kinds of games with Sturgis.

Sturgis surrendered, putting his hands up. "Fine. I've learned to stay out of the way when things aren't happy in the Rabb-MacKenzie world."

"Sturgis, how many times do I have to tell you that Mac and I are not seeing each other?"

"I wasn't implying you are."

"You sounded like you were."

"Then I apologize. I merely meant that the two of you are … some kind of powerful force when you're together, and … when you're fighting it's dangerous to get too close."

"I don't know why I let her get to me," uttered Harm in frustration, talking more to himself than his buddy.

Sturgis started thinking that this might be promising. He knew that Mac loved Harm. She'd blurted that out to Sturgis by accident. And he suspected his good friend was in love with her too, but the topic was always off limits.

Maybe if Sturgis stayed quiet and let Harm think out loud they might get somewhere.

"I mean," continued Harm, "anyone else, … I could deal with. Even Singer, for as annoying as she is, isn't as bad because … I can write her off. But Mac …" Harm shook his head and made another attempt to make a shot at the hoop. He missed again.

Harm didn't even bother to go after the ball. Instead, he looked at Sturgis. "She called me a control freak. I'm not a control freak, am I?"

"Well, you do like things to be a certain way in your life. You like to call the shots."

"I'm in the chain of command like everyone else. The Admiral calls the shots!"

Sturgis looked at his friend dubiously. Sure, Harm took orders, but he pushed the envelope and wasn't past disagreeing with those above him when he was intent on something.

"Alright, so I like a certain amount of control in my life," Harm admitted. "It's understandable though. In my world, you lose control, you die."

"In your world? And what world is that exactly?" asked Sturgis. "Because death isn't a typical result of giving up a little control in your life."

Harm faltered for a second. "Well, like when I fly. You lose control, you crash."

"You treat the rest of your life like flying?"

"Sure. It's the same principle. Just a different kind of crashing." Harm finally went after the basketball.

When he came back, he passed the ball to Sturgis, and complained, "I just don't understand what Mac's problem is."

"My guess is that you're not entirely innocent in all this."

Harm glared at his friend. "Are you gonna shoot that ball or just stand there?"

Sturgis shot, and the ball swished. Harm groaned, caught the ball, and passed it again, before finally admitting, "I think I might have insulted her. … But I didn't mean to."

"You seem to do that too often. What did you say this time?"

Instead of answering, Harm commented, "Ironically, I did insult her earlier in the conversation … about her not taking her duty as a lawyer seriously, even though it wasn't true. To that, she just snapped back at me and moved on. No big deal."

"Well, she probably knew you didn't mean it," ventured Sturgis.

"Maybe. But I make an innocent little comment, and she gets all bent out of shape."

"What did you say?"

Trying to sound as guiltless as possible, Harm replied, "That I didn't know why she had to be assigned with me on this case."

"Ouch. Harm, you should know better than to tell a woman you don't need her."

"Mac's not a woman, she's …"

"Oh brother," cried Sturgis. "If you haven't realized that Mac is a woman, no wonder you have problems!"

"I know Mac is a woman," corrected Harm, with frustration. "Believe me, I know. … But at work, … she's a colleague, … a lawyer, a marine."

"And outside of work?"

"She's my best friend."

Sturgis decided to give Harm a little push. "Do you find her attractive?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harm snapped.

Feeling brave, Sturgis said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Harm didn't say anything. Sturgis noted that Harm hadn't disagreed with his assessment.

"Harm, did you ever think that Mac gets to you because of how you feel about her?"

"Are you going to tell me how I feel about her now?" Harm asked indignantly.

"No. Only you know that."

"Thank you. And let's leave it that way."

Somehow, Sturgis didn't think he should leave it quite yet. Pushing things further would be the only way to get Harm to open up. And, just maybe, Harm really did want to open up.

"But there's obviously tension between you two," observed Sturgis. "Maybe your attraction to her is getting in the way of working together. How long have you been with her at Headquarters now?"

"Almost six years," Harm answered

"Well, sexual tension can build up." Time for shock value, decided Sturgis. "Maybe you should just bang her and get it over with."

Harm literally grabbed Sturgis by the shoulders and pushed him up against the pole of the basketball hoop. "How dare you suggest that anyone, … least of all me, treat her that way!?! And does your father know you talk like that?" Harm was furious.

Sturgis smiled, which only annoyed Harm more.

"What's so funny?"

"You. You're so protective of her."

"Of course I'm protective of her!! I …" Harm censored himself and did not finish the thought. Instead he filled in, "She's my partner … and my best friend."

"She's probably attracted to you too, Harm. So why not just sleep with her and see if it helps anything?"

"I'm not going to have some fling with her!"

"Why not?"

"Because she doesn't deserve that. I respect her far too much. And I care about her too much to hurt her like that."

It was time for the question, point blank. "Are you in love with her?"

Harm let go of Sturgis and stepped away. "How I feel about her doesn't matter."

"How can you say that, man?" Sturgis noticed that his friend did not deny loving his partner.

"It's not a good idea."

"What's not? Telling her how you feel? Going out with her?"

"We work together."

"It's not against regs."

"We fight all the time as it is. Can you imagine us in a relationship?"

"You already have a relationship with her," insisted Sturgis. "Maybe you fight so much because you're not in the right kind of relationship."

Harm had enough. "I'm done with this conversation. … And this game," he said, referring to basketball. "You win for today." He started to walk away.

"Harm!" Sturgis called out after him. Harm reluctantly stopped and turned around.

Sturgis wanted to give one final thought to his friend. "Mac was pretty upset today after whatever happened between you. Her criticizing your control issues … and your implying that you don't need her – Was that all just about work? To her?"

Harm didn't answer. He simply turned and walked away.

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TBC …