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Competitive by Nature

Mac arrived at JAG headquarters early Monday morning. She went straight to her office and began looking over her case files. She liked getting to the office early. It gave her time to pull things together, before the bustle of the office could serve as a distraction. She was engrossed in writing up her opening statements when there was a knock on her door. Mac looked up to see Harm leaning against her doorjamb, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Hey, Mac. I knew you'd be here."

"Well, look who finally got to the office," Mac smiled up at Harm, "Running late, Rabb?"

Harm laughed, "Hey! Thats not fair. I ran 10 miles and I'm still here early!"

"The run should help you with your prosecution! If you're here to get inside access to the defense, you better think again. Do your own prep!"

"Aw, come on Marine. You know I'm never unprepared!"

"Hmm, I can think of a couple of times you've been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of guy."

"This time I am ready for you!"

"Bring it on, Flyboy. But when you lose, you better buy me dinner."

"Deal. But you'll be the one buying me dinner." Harm placed the coffee on Mac's desk, "I thought you could use this. I know you hate the office coffee. And I'm guessing you didn't bother to make any before you left this morning."

"Now you're trying to butter me up? I'm not going to go easy on you!" Mac grinned at Harm and wrapped her hands around the warm take-out coffee cup, "Thanks."

Harm winked at Mac and left her office.

A couple of hours later, Bud poked his head into Mac's office.

"Ma'am, the Admiral wants to see you and Commander Rabb, ASAP."

"Thank you. I'll be right there."

The Admiral and Harm were waiting when Mac arrived minutes later.

"Sir." Mac stood at attention. She could see Harm watching her from behind the Admiral's back.

"At ease. Take a seat, Colonel."

Mac relaxed and took a seat next to Harm.

"I wanted to check in on the Petty Officer Hall trial. You are in court tomorrow. Are you two ready?"

"Yes, Sir." They said in unison.

"Good. This is an important case, that has caught the attention of the public. We need it to go smoothly."

"We have a strong case, Sir. The defense doesn't stand a chance," Harm added shooting Mac a sly look.

"I disagree. Sir, our case is solid. Petty Officer Hall did not do it," Mac's eyes burned into Harm's with a poisonous look. Her face was slightly flushed and her body tensed. Harm raised an eyebrow at her, then winked. The exchange did not go unnoticed by the Admiral. He sighed inwardly.

"I want you two to remain professional in this trial. I know that can be hard when you are friends outside the office. But in here you are JAG lawyers. And I expect you to act like it. This is not a scrimmage or a high school rivalry. The reputation of JAG is on the line. You put everything else aside when you walk in here, pretend you don't even know each other. Understand me?"

Both nodded, feeling like school kids being yelled at by the principal. The Admiral observed his two best lawyers, both had their heads down. He knew there was something going on with them. And he hoped it didn't affect their work, he didn't want to have to intervene with their happiness.

"Dismissed."

Harm followed Mac to her office. His eyes straying to watch Mac's ass as she walked. He knew he shouldn't let himself get distracted in the office. But lately, he hadn't been able to stop himself from noticing the little things about her. Like how her hips swayed slowly as she walked, or how she bit her lip slightly when she was thinking, or how her eyes shone when he made her mad. Closing the door behind himself, Harm smiled at Mac. Her lips twitched as she tried to maintain an angry look even as a laugh bubbled up in her throat.

"The Admiral probably wouldn't approve of our dinner bet," Harm stated.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Mac winked at Harm, "I want that dinner. I already decided where you are taking me."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"I only make bets I know I can win."

"Neither do I, Marine." The stare Harm gave Mac made her squirm in her seat, not from nervous but from excitement. She decided to change the subject.

"I was thinking I'd go running tomorrow morning, before court. I need some one to help me pace myself. I tend to run too fast when I'm worked up about a trial."

"You can try keeping up with me. 10 miles too much?"

"Sounds good to me. Meet outside the park by my apartment at 0500 hours? It will give us enough time to run and then shower before the trial."

"When you put it that way we could skip the run and go straight to the shower."

Mac rolled her eyes and tried to act casual as the blood rushed to her face."Park. 0500 hours. See you then," she said brusquely.

The next morning, Harm could see Mac stretching as he approached the park. He groaned inwardly and stopped to watch for a second. Mac's running pants hugged her curves, giving Harm a nice view of her ass and long shapely legs. Her oversized Marine t-shirt emphasized how small she was, the cut off collar accentuating her shoulders and long neck. Mac stood up as Harm approached. Her face was flushed from the cold air. She bounced on the balls of her feet, warming up.

"Hey there."

"Hey, ready to eat my dust?" Harm smiled at Mac. She felt a shiver run through her, and it wasn't from the cold air.

They started running, settling into a comfortable pace. They talked as they ran. There conversation was light, filled with teasing. Harm was surprised to realize that they had almost completed the loop. He had been so caught up in talking to Mac that the run had flown by.

"I'll race you up to your apartment! Last one there makes the coffee!" Harm called to Mac as he sprinted ahead. Harm had almost reached the door when Mac tackled his shoulders. He managed to stay upright and dragged her the rest of the way to the door. Grabbing her arms, Harm spun them around so Mac was sandwiched between him and the door. Harm was breathing hard and his heart was pounding. He couldn't tell how much of it was from the run and how much from being so close to Mac.

Harm leaned down and placed a kiss lightly on Mac's lips. She sighed and leaned into him. Harm wrapped his arms around Mac, pulling her close. His fingers found the zipped pocket on the back of her running pants. He unzipped it and pulled out the key. Harm fumbled slightly as he unlocked the door and let them in. Mac pulled Harm with her to the couch. They sunk down.

"I think I won. Even though you tried to cheat," Harm whispered against Mac's lips.

"Shut up."

Mac threaded her fingers through Harm's short hair and pulled him to her. Their lips met in a gentle kiss that quickly turned heated. Harm ran his tongue over Mac's lips. Her lips parted in a sigh. Harm took this as a sign and slid his tongue into her mouth. They explored each other's mouths, enjoying the taste of feel. Both had thought about this moment for a long time. Neither wanted to rush it. They shifted to get more comfortable on the couch. Harm propped himself up on his elbows to keep from crushing Mac. Their torsos pressed together. Mac could feel Harm's excitement through his running pants. She teased him by wiggling her hips lightly over his. Harm groaned into her mouth.

Mac's phone rang, causing them to break apart and look at each other guiltily. Neither of them moved.

"Ma'am? This is Petty Officer Hall. I apologized for calling you so early, and at home. I need to talk to you, Ma'am. Before the trial. It's urgent."

Harm could feel Mac tensing beneath him. He sighed and sat up.

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